Chapter 585 - 344: The Second Dream

Chapter 585: Chapter 344: The Second Dream

Azure Sky Stream—First Form: Source

’I can’t use it... The first form of my stream’s Body Refining Technique is meant to be used in conjunction with Root Magic.’

’But I can’t use Magic now.’

’So there’s no way for me to practice the first form of Body Refinement at all.’

’I’m starting from scratch, and I’ve already hit a roadblock...’

Lu Cang wasn’t planning on becoming some peerless master in this world. He just wanted to temporarily improve his fragile constitution.

He wasn’t even a Level 1 Warrior right now. There was no way he could get very strong.

’So tired...’

’My lungs feel like they’re about to explode. This is the first time running has ever felt so exhausting.’

But he kept pushing himself, alternating between a sprint and a jog.

At last, he was far away from the airport.

Before, Lu Cang had found a moment to check his phone. The screen showed it was a little after two in the afternoon.

And the time he’d crossed over...

...was also supposed to be a little after two.

’The airport should have exploded by now.’

But... from a distant street, Lu Cang looked back toward the airport. It hadn’t exploded.

Everything was perfectly fine.

He waited...

While waiting, he continued to put more distance between himself and the airport.

But even as the sun began to set, he heard no great commotion.

Finally, Lu Cang sat down on a patch of grass.

He looked up at the vast, starry sky.

The sky wasn’t a sheet of gloom, not that lonely, sinking Abyss of the Sea. It was the familiar starry sky he knew...

August 26, 2025.

Today was indeed the day he was supposed to have crossed over.

But this time, nothing had happened.

As his tension subsided, it was gradually replaced by a hollow, empty feeling.

Suddenly, his phone chimed with a familiar ringtone.

It was the sound of a WeChat call. Lu Cang took out his phone again. In all this time, he had only taken it out once while running to check the time.

Other than that...

...his mind had been completely occupied with Earth’s anomaly, the secrets of the Deep Land, the difference between the Void Realm and the Physical Realm, and Lu Luwei’s Sea of Consciousness.

Now that he had stopped.

Lu Cang looked at Earth.

’This... is Earth... huh.’

Children ran about, old men strolled by, and couples nestled close, whispering sweet nothings to each other.

A fountain reflected a rainbow of colors under the lights.

Everything was so peaceful, so tranquil...

"Mom"

It was a WeChat call. The contact name was simple, just a single word.

Yet it made Lu Cang’s heart skip a beat.

Lu Cang pressed "answer."

"Son, did you get off the plane?"

On the other end of the video call was a familiar face—his mother, her features now touched with age.

"Yeah..."

Lu Cang felt a sting in his nose.

He wanted to speak, but found he couldn’t form a steady sound.

"What’s wrong, son?"

"Are you not on the plane?"

’Mom, I’m seeing you again.’

Lu Cang suppressed his emotions. ’It’s a good thing I still have my Spirituality. Otherwise, even as an adult, I’d never be able to control myself right now.’

But Li Youxiang still seemed to notice something was wrong with Lu Cang.

"Son, what happened over there?"

Lu Cang took a deep breath.

He could finally speak.

"No, Mom, I’m fine..." he said. "I just suddenly remembered I forgot something really important, so I went back to get it."

"I couldn’t make this flight."

Li Youxiang: "Oh, is that so."

"Why didn’t you tell us? Your father and I are both at the airport waiting for you."

Lu Cang forced a smile. "Haha, sorry, Mom."

"I got caught up and just forgot to tell you."

"I’ll buy a new ticket and head back right away."

Li Youxiang: "Look at you, what a waste of money..."

"Haha, Mom, I really did forget something important. If I don’t bring it back, your son is going to lose out on a lot of money."

Li Youxiang: "Son, are you really okay?"

Even after his explanation, she suddenly asked this.

Lu Cang paused.

"I’m really fine."

"If something really is wrong, you have to tell us. Your dad and I will help you figure it out."

"Right... Mom, is Dad there too?"

"Let me chat with him for a bit."

"He’s here, he’s here. He’s been muttering and grumbling next to me ever since he heard you weren’t coming back!"

Lu Cang couldn’t help but laugh.

’It’s been so long...’

’It’s been so long since I last saw them.’

Lu Cang couldn’t bear to hang up after just a few words. ’Even if this is an Illusion Realm, even if it’s a dream... at least let me see them again.’

This was the longest video call he had ever had with his parents.

Lu Cang talked and talked.

But he didn’t reveal a single thing about that other world.

Telling them about it would be pointless.

His parents were ordinary people. Compared to the Extraordinary powers of the Physical Realm, they were too frail to change anything.

Even he, the Owner of the Highest Leaf, hadn’t been able to change anything.

He finally hung up a little after nine at night.

His parents’ phone had run out of battery.

Lu Cang’s power bank was also drained.

He stood up again.

The city was both familiar and strange.

"An Su, have you seen enough?" Lu Cang’s voice turned cold and heavy.

"Heh, interesting."

"Tell me, how do I get out of here?"

Before, when he’d glimpsed An Su’s thoughts, he’d only gotten a fleeting look, but he’d learned quite a bit about the Deep Land.

The Deep Land was a world shrouded in mystery.

Every person who arrived there saw a different landscape.

"Leave?"

"Why would you want to leave? I thought you were quite happy."

Lu Cang said flatly, "What isn’t real, is ultimately, not real."

An Su sneered in Lu Cang’s mind. "Not real?"

"What if I told you this *is* the real world?"

Lu Cang: "An Su, do you enjoy being a riddler that much?"

"Don’t forget our contract."

An Su sneered, "With your current strength, do you really think you can still restrain me?"

"Right now, you can’t even see where I am."

An Su only gave a faint, cold laugh and then said no more.

As if he had never existed in this world, his presence gradually faded and then disappeared.

Lu Cang called out again, but received no response.

Lu Cang sat there on the grass, empty.

’Forget it...’

’After tomorrow comes a new day. My Future Preview will activate, and I’ll be able to return to the time before the preview.’

’To think I can’t get out once I’m in.’

’Lu Luwei’s Sea of Consciousness is truly dangerous.’

After some thought, Lu Cang hailed a taxi and returned to the airport.

He bought a plane ticket for a flight leaving the next day and sent a message to his parents, telling them he’d be back tomorrow.

...

After checking into a hotel near the airport, Lu Cang was hit by a wave of overwhelming exhaustion.

The moment his head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.

In his dreams, he saw the various sights and myriad wonders of the Physical Realm...

But when he woke from the dream, all he saw was the hotel’s large bed.

He felt a strange, profound sense of disconnect.

Lu Cang checked the area around the airport but couldn’t find the Ritual Array he’d seen before. This Earth was really different from the Earth he’d seen in reality.