Chapter 411: Heavenly-Grade Golden Core – Two!
After confirming that Patriarch Kehen was not in any danger, Jiang Chen steered the Thunder Dragon Water-Repelling Boat toward the giant clam’s gaping maw.
Pale pink mist drifted around the colossal shell. The left half was etched with dense, hypnotic concentric rings, while the right half was a grotesque mosaic of billions of semi-transparent human faces. The sight was profoundly eerie.
*This must be the true entrance to Dream Island,* Jiang Chen deduced. *Stepping through here means officially setting foot on the island.*
Without a shred of hesitation, he strode decisively into the mist.
Initially, the environment mirrored exactly what the Patriarch had described—an endless, empty void. But as he walked, a voice called out from behind him.
“Changqing.”
The voice struck a chord so deep and familiar that Jiang Chen instinctively replied, “Mom!”
In a heartbeat, the void shattered. The absolute nothingness morphed into a bedroom straight out of the year 2000.
A cozy, solid-wood single bed sat flush against the right wall. On the adjacent nightstand rested a hardcover copy of *Seeing Memory*. A vintage Panda-brand radio crackled with static before Leslie Cheung’s smooth vocals filled the room: *”Soft laughter, sending me warmth…”*
Directly across from the bed hung a massive poster for Jay Chou’s *Fantasy* album—a snapshot of a time when he was still so young. The bedroom door stood slightly ajar, leaking the faint, melodramatic audio of a television drama: *”When the mountains crumble and heaven and earth merge, only then would I dare to part from you…”*Jiang Chen lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, utterly paralyzed.
*Isn’t this my old room?*
The atmosphere, the sounds, the exact feeling of the air—it was flawless.
“Changqing, are you still sleeping?” his mother’s voice drifted in from the living room. “Today is your birthday! Hurry up and come eat your longevity noodles before they get cold!”
An invisible vice clamped around Jiang Chen’s heart, squeezing the breath from his lungs. Moving like a man possessed, he dragged himself out of bed and stumbled toward the door. His breathing grew ragged. With a trembling right hand, he slowly pulled the door open.
Solid wood furniture, a bulky CRT television, a DVD player—every single detail perfectly overlapped with his deepest memories. In the kitchen, a slender silhouette bustled about, sending the rich, savory aroma of home-cooked food wafting through the air.
Moments later, his mother emerged from the kitchen, carefully balancing a steaming bowl of longevity noodles in both hands. She set it down on the coffee table.
Jiang Chen peered into the bowl. Just as he remembered: one sausage, two fried eggs.
His mother waved him over with a warm smile. “Come on!”
Jiang Chen forced a smile, stepping forward. “Okay!”
*Clap, clap, clap!*
His mother clapped her hands, her eyes crinkling with joy. “A bowl of longevity noodles, for peace year after year…”
Jiang Chen picked up the chopsticks, twirled a generous portion of noodles, and slurped them down.
The taste was identical—light, comforting, with that signature hint of sesame oil. The sausage was slightly salty, softened perfectly by the hot broth. The fried eggs were tender, their golden yolks still runny in the center.
As he chewed, hot tears spilled over his cheeks, streaming down his face.
His mother reached out, gently patting his head. “Silly child, why are you crying?”
Jiang Chen devoured the rest of the noodles in one massive gulp. He set the empty bowl down, his voice choking in his throat. “I missed you.”
His mother tilted her head, a look of genuine confusion crossing her face. “Don’t we see each other every day?”
Jiang Chen stared deeply into her eyes, his tone dead serious. “We haven’t seen each other for thirty-seven years, nine months, and twenty-six days.”
“Ah?” His mother gasped, looking entirely taken aback.
Jiang Chen took a deep, shuddering breath. “I don’t know what you are, but thank you. Truly. At least you let me see my mother’s youthful face one last time.”
Instantly, the mother’s expression shifted. A subtle, enigmatic half-smile touched her lips, and an inexplicable light flashed in her eyes.
In the next second, the entire apartment melted away like wax over a flame, dissolving into the void until only Jiang Chen remained.
Alone. Just as he had always been.
……
……
Water surrounded him on all sides.
Suspended in the aquatic expanse were countless perfectly spherical pearls, each the size of a human head. Swirling light and shadow danced within them, projecting an endless array of scenes. Without exception, every vision was breathtakingly beautiful—a siren song designed to intoxicate the mind and trap the soul forever.
Jiang Chen looked at Patriarch Kehen.
The Patriarch looked back at him.
After a heavy silence, Jiang Chen finally spoke, his pragmatic mind snapping back into focus.
“Wait. If you’re standing right here, then who is the person standing next to Wu Lao? Has he seriously not realized his companion was swapped out? This Dream Island is too bizarre.”
The entity governing this place clearly possessed the terrifying ability to peer into a person’s deepest obsessions, desires, and regrets, manifesting them into flawless reality.
At that moment, the Patriarch pointed a finger at a nearby pearl.
Jiang Chen leaned in to inspect it. “Wu Lao!”
From a bird’s-eye perspective, the pearl displayed not only Wu Lao but also the curvaceous figure of Xiao Mei’er. Her spiritual aura was surging wildly, climbing higher by the second. She was clearly using this environment to break through to the Earth-Grade Golden Core realm.
*Like hell I’m missing an opportunity like this,* Jiang Chen thought.
He immediately reached out and pressed his palm against the pearl’s smooth surface. In a flash, he vanished from the void, executing a Teleportation that deposited him directly inside the pearl’s pocket dimension, barely half a mile from Xiao Mei’er.
Without a second thought, he activated the Myriad Insects Secret Record, achieving Unity with the Dragon-Transformed Meridian-Reversing Worm Mother for the very first time. A layer of organic, chitinous spirit armor—identical to the Worm Mother’s carapace—encased his body, and a pair of wicked, forward-curving bone horns erupted from his head.
His excavation speed and efficiency exploded exponentially. He immediately dove into the earth, tunneling rapidly toward their position.
“Patriarch, what do you think of my granddaughter’s aptitude?” Wu Lao asked respectfully.
“Acceptable,” the fake Patriarch replied.
“Once she breaks through to the Earth-Grade Golden Core, might she have the honor of becoming your disciple?”
“Acceptable.”
“Wow! Thank you so much, Patriarch!”
“No need for thanks.”
The two exchanged pleasantries, completely oblivious. Wu Lao had absolutely no idea that the ‘Patriarch’ standing beside him was a counterfeit.
A short distance away, Xiao Mei’er retrieved a Spirit Weapon known as a Feng Shui Compass. By channeling her Spirit Root into the device, she could detect minute shifts in the local feng shui and environmental energies. This tool made her half a Formation master, which paired perfectly with her expertise as an advanced talisman crafter.
After confirming that the astrological timing, geographical location, and feng shui were flawlessly aligned—and that her own physical condition was at its absolute peak—Xiao Mei’er moved decisively.
She produced four array banners, each embroidered with one of the divine beasts: the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Mystic Tortoise.
Once the Four Symbols Flags were activated, she pulled out a Tai Xuan Pendant. This artifact stored a massive reservoir of pure essence, ready to replenish her energy reserves if she sustained injuries or exhausted her qi.
Next came a Five Elements Body Protection Talisman, designed to mend flesh and bone by cycling the mutual generation of the five elements.
She followed it with a Four Earth Talisman—inscribed with the deities Hou Tu, the Earth God, the Mountain God, and the City God—to forcefully manipulate the surrounding feng shui in her favor.
Then, a Tribulation-Breaking Talisman, etched with the Nine-Word Mantra: *Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Lie, Zhen, Qian, Xing*, fortifying her mental defenses against inner demons.
She even prepared two high-tier Pills: a Yellow Springs Pill and a Rebirth Pill. The Rebirth Pill would rapidly regenerate physical trauma, while the Yellow Springs Pill would mend any fractures to her soul.
But her true trump card was a single Spirit Light Talisman, specifically prepared to tank the devastating strikes of the Turbid Thunder.
With her preparations complete, Xiao Mei’er gazed up at the gathering tribulation clouds, her face radiating absolute confidence. “Today, with my grandfather and the Patriarch standing guard, I hold the ultimate advantage in timing, terrain, and support. I will absolutely forge an Earth-Grade Golden Core!”
*Rustle, rustle…*
Directly beneath her feet, Jiang Chen hollowed out a subterranean bunker and nestled inside.
He proceeded to empty his storage, pulling out an absurd, mountainous pile of Spirit Weapons, talismans, and Spirit Pills. Some he had refined himself; others he had looted from the mysterious small coffin.
On his head, he secured a 6-Pattern Five Elements Soul-Suppressing Crown to shield his consciousness.
Over his eyes, he strapped 5-Pattern Five Lights Protective Goggles to pierce through illusions.
As a base layer, he wore a 5-Pattern Primordial Chaos Spirit-Absorbing Robe to neutralize multi-attribute damage.
Over that went a 5-Pattern Profound Yellow Thick Earth Armor, designed to ground and absorb Turbid Thunder strikes using the power of the earth.
On his limbs, he fastened 5-Pattern Five Elements Silk-Winding Wristguards to amplify elemental defense.
On his hands, he crammed two full sets of 5-Pattern Five Elements Rings—one ring squeezed onto every single one of his ten fingers.
On his feet, he laced up 5-Pattern Treading the Stars and Dipper Boots.
In his left hand, he gripped a 6-Pattern Five Elements Rotation Disk.
In his right hand, he hoisted a 6-Pattern Myriad Forms Profound Light Shield.
Beside him, he lit a 7-Pattern Five Dragons Life-Extending Lamp.
He then grabbed a handful of Five Elements Spirit-Nourishing Pills and Five Elements Primordial Chaos Pills, shoving them all into his mouth until his cheeks puffed out. Finally, he slapped ten Golden Light Talismans across his armor, ready to detonate them at a moment’s notice.
Feeling sufficiently fortified against the wrath of the heavens, Jiang Chen flashed a greedy, heavily-armored grin in the darkness.
“I’m ready too!”