Otherworldly Desert Dust

Sleeping Dream Cliff was like the lowest basin at the edge of the desolate wilderness, a place where all the Lost Ones would flow like water until they finally arrived here.

After Wu Hen and his four companions regained consciousness and left, some Lost Ones still drifted slowly into Sleeping Dream Cliff, where an Ancient Dream Demon awaited to weave them a beautiful dream.

Wu Hen unfolded his Spiritual Vision and saw those Ancient Dream Demons slowly wandering in Sleeping Dream Cliff. They were like birds on the cliff and Spirit Butterflies among the flowers, their ethereal forms gracefully swirling around the lost souls.

"Goodbye, my guests," a gentle voice filtered through, "Yu Yu’s voice."

Wu Hen turned his head and saw an Ancient Dream Demon resembling a young girl gently swaying its cotton-like tail.

"Here’s your five-star rating," Wu Hen replied with a smile, waving his hand.

What adorable little fairies. If all the creatures in Otherworldly Dust were this friendly and gentle towards life, how could so many be lost in such hopeless situations?

...

After flying out of Sleeping Dream Cliff, the curtain of rain appeared in front of them.

The rain was like the fine drizzle of the Jiangnan region, and the breeze was gentle. The vitality of the plants on the ground was dim, but they had not been bent by the rain; instead, they stretched their leafy necks.

The world was veiled in a beautiful haze, with no sight of the distant scenery. It was unclear whether the far-off lands were mountain ranges or plains, but the nearby rain curtain was pure and clear, leaving no confusion about the path ahead.

"It has been a long time since I’ve felt the scent of the wilderness moistened by rain," Luo Yuying said, smiling.

Red Port was a land of bitter cold, and even the islands on the Red Plane did not sense a speck of vitality.

A person who has stayed in an oppressive environment for too long, even if only walking into a forest, feeling the wind laden with oxygen ions from the mountains, would secrete plenty of dopamine. This was especially true for them, having previously experienced a high-dimensional insect-built testing box, akin to escaping from a heavily guarded Purgatory. Tasting a breath of the world’s aromatic flora, every cell in their bodies seemed to know they were free, sending signals of joy.

As they walked, Wu Hen noticed his four classmates acting like elementary school kids on their first field trip, at an age when getting wet in the rain was a joyful thing. They romped around on the open yet lush and wet field...

Wu Hen was not as wild as them.

He smiled, letting it linger at the corner of his mouth, and released his Perception into the surroundings.

The nature of Otherworldly Dust was deceptive, and Wu Hen maintained a trace of vigilance and suspicion.

It would be best if this rain-soaked land was also inhabited by cute creatures like the Ancient Dream Demons of Sleeping Dream Cliff.

"There are people coming." @@novelbin@@

Wu Hen heard the sound of horse hooves and pointed towards the blurry area within the rain curtain.

"People? That’s great news. Please, no more insects or aliens, I’m really scared of those things," Tian Jia Bao said.

Moments later, a group of riders in padded armor galloped towards them.

Their horses were also armored and carried an array of refined weaponry.

"Ancient people?" Wang Rui remarked, surprised.

These people were dressed like an army from ancient times, with uniform attire, each equipped with armor and weapons.

"It’s hard to say who is ancient," Wu Hen said.

The materials of their clothing were all genuine, whether it was the leather used for saddles or the animal fur on their bodies. In fact, these garments would be considered luxury items in modern times, as ordinary people wear industrial textiles, something those with basic needs already satisfied would look down upon.

Such magnificent horses were luxury items.

The refined armor and tailor-made clothes belonged to haute couture.

Not to mention the various weapons each person carried—materials that clearly surpassed human smelting levels, belonging to space-grade materials.

The challenge was, for a technological civilization, the level of materials smelted indeed determined the strength of the civilization. But what if technology wasn’t what flourished in this place?

Just as when human technological levels were at their peak, there were still Martial Arts Fans. Yet the combined fighting strength of those fans was not even enough to handle a single missile...

If these people’s smelting skills were like the Martial Arts Fans of a technological civilization, that would be troublesome.

Wu Hen said no more.

He was now accustomed to watching and waiting.

The riders did not surround them but stopped in front of them.

"Could you capture an Ancient Dream Demon?" The stern-looking leader demanded.

The group exchanged glances before the stern man immediately drew a whip and struck it heavily on the ground in front of Wu Hen!

Grass and dirt flew into the air, leaving a deep mark where the whip had struck.

Had that whip hit the body, it would have done more than tear flesh; it could have easily broken bones.

"Speak!" commanded the stern man.

"We... we were trapped by the Dream Demon and barely managed to escape," Wang Rui responded quickly, immediately answering.

"Idiots!" The stern man swung his whip again.

The whip exploded right next to Wang Rui’s ear, and although it did not touch his ear, it was still terrifying!

Wang Rui reacted rather slowly and, frightened, dodged to the side.

"Lord Jiang, those Dream Demons are versed in enchantments, and anyone who approaches them showing hostility will be hypnotized by them, falling into the dreams they weave. It is said that these dreams are extremely terrifying and for those with a fragile spirit, it’s like falling into Hell, never to awake," said a woman in a straw raincoat from within the group.

The woman’s straw raincoat was made of an unknown material, but it had somewhat the air and grace of a female knight.

"To be able to escape also means you have some brains, I’ll spare you the punishment for your negligence this time," Lord Jiang said with a cold huff.

"It’s getting late, let’s head back to the Mountain Camp for now," said the straw-coated woman.

"Bring the horses from the back, we’re headed back with them!" ordered Lord Jiang.

Indeed, there were several horses at the back of the group.

Wu Hen and the others exchanged glances, not daring to show any intention of resistance. They were urged to climb onto the warhorses and were taken away by force.

...

Riding across the wilderness, the rain came head-on, bringing with it a chill.

Wu Hen and his four classmates were all in thin clothing, not as warmly dressed as the people in this group.

Their newly awakened host bodies were not particularly strong, and without carrying any Extraordinary Ability, they truly dared not show any intention of resistance.

Fortunately, from the conversation just now, it seemed they wouldn’t be in danger of their lives for the moment.

"It seems like we are with them," Wang Rui whispered to Wu Hen.

"Yes, it must be a Little Kalami," Wu Hen nodded, "But it seems we weren’t simply lost in there, instead, we went to the Sleeping Dream Cliff with a purpose, to gather intelligence and capture those Ancient Dream Demons, but ended up not gathering any intelligence and not capturing any Dream Demons, all lost inside..."

The Desolate Edge is actually a labyrinth too. It’s very difficult to find the Sleeping Dream Cliff within the Desolate Edge.

Without the guidance of the Ancient Dream Demon, they also could not have left the Desolate Edge so smoothly.

The Sleeping Dream Cliff is within the Desolate Edge.

The Rain Curtain Land and the Desolate Edge both border a vast expanse. Searching for the Sleeping Dream Cliff at the edge of the wilderness often leads one into the depths of the desolation, losing their way inside.

"They are capturing Ancient Dream Demons, what do they want these creatures for?" Wang Rui asked, puzzled.

"Do you have to ask? To offer to the nobles and officials here, obviously. Ancient Dream Demons surely belong to the category of rare treasures in their world. Think about it, some officials indulge in the pleasures brought by their power during the day, and at night they can let the Ancient Dream Demons weave them even more indulgent dreams. The joys of the aristocracy are beyond your wildest imagination!" Wu Hen said.

"That makes so much sense. Now that you mention it, I’d like to catch one to warm my bed. Dreaming different dreams every day would be quite delightful," Wang Rui said.

"That’s out of the question, we have to be conscientious. The Ancient Dream Demons didn’t trouble us and even gifted us with the Dream Realm Element. We can’t act like Snake Catchers," Wu Hen said. Discover exclusive tales on NovelBin.Côm

"Snake Catchers? What’s that?" Wang Rui asked, confused.

"Haven’t you heard the story of the Nine-colored Deer? It saved a drowning Snake Catcher, who, once safe at home, heard that the King was hunting the Nine-colored Deer as an ingredient for a potion and was offering a reward in gold. The Snake Catcher then told the King where the deer could be found in the forest, and the King sent troops to capture the Nine-colored Deer... Are Ancient Dream Demons evil spirits or Good Spirits? According to them, they do not distinguish between good and bad, but from our perspective, they still belong to the Good Spirits kind like the Nine-colored Deer. All who are lost in the wilderness are in despair, and even if death is their final fate, to be immersed in dreams before death is akin to being touched by a Bodhisattva," Wu Hen explained.

"Oh, you’re so learned, understanding the pleasures of the aristocracy as well as rural moral tales. If I were a woman, I would want to be your loved maid, Lord Wu Hen," Wang Rui said admiringly.

"Get lost!"

Wu Hen continued to observe and tried to use his hearing to listen to their conversations.

Each awakening was a new challenge, requiring the shortest amount of time to understand one’s situation, identity, the dangers faced, and how to gain benefits.

Wu Hen had not yet figured out what kind of power this group of people controlled.

More so, without any Extraordinary Ability or Divine Skills, he needed to stay as discreet as possible. Although jumping up and slapping that arrogant Lord Jiang and then instantly backing off would cost him nothing.

However, with the Nuwa God End also moving from the wilderness towards this world, it was still useful to master as much information about this place as possible. There was no need to recklessly squander the opportunity to roam the Otherworldly.

"Eat, you must be hungry?" The straw-coated woman seemed to take pity on her subordinates. She tossed a piece of dried mutton leg to Wu Hen, who was mounted on a spirited horse.

Wu Hen was indeed famished.

He divided the mutton leg into portions and shared it with the three female classmates and Wang Rui.

Noticing this detail, the straw-coated woman shook her head. She leaned forward slightly, and her black steed picked up the pace, with the rain outlining a handsome profile as it slid off her body.

She recognizes me!

That’s good.

It seems I can start gathering information from this straw-coated woman!