The Martial Arts Arena had many rooms.

Shen Bai had a private room to himself, and no one questioned it. After all, he was the head of the Ding Division.

His status made many things much more convenient.

When dinnertime arrived, Shen Bai went out to eat on the street before returning to the Martial Arts Arena to continue grinding away at his Spirit Casting Technique.

Since he had a mission that evening, Shen Bai couldn’t be bothered to go back home.

The sound of clinking and clanking soon echoed throughout the Martial Arts Arena.

The noise continued until evening before gradually ceasing.

Strange commotions like this were not uncommon at the Observatory.

The Martial Arts Arena drew all sorts of people, and even stranger things had happened there before. Everyone was used to it.

...

Night fell. The Observatory was just as busy in the evening, with only slightly fewer people than in the morning.

Shen Bai had left his room in the Martial Arts Arena and come to a courtyard outside the Observatory.

A dozen or so members of the Jia Division stood waiting patiently, their faces grim and their hands at their sides.

Shen Bai was the only one in the entire courtyard from the Ding Division, yet in the eyes of the others, this seemed perfectly normal.

Others might have found it strange, but the Meridian Realm experts from the Jia Division participating in this mission thought nothing of it.

After all, Shen Bai had even killed the Sect Leader of the Upper Evil Sect, a particularly formidable Meridian Realm master.

It was clear that two people were leading the Jia Division group.

As Shen Bai was the newcomer, everyone introduced themselves.

To the members of the Jia Division, the name "Shen Bai" was quite familiar.

Shen Bai, however, was not as familiar with them.

The two leaders, named Zhou Mao and Li Cong, were also experts in the Meridian Realm.

Once the introductions were mostly finished, Liu Wufeng came out holding a handful of Dream-Entering Incense.

After handing one stick to each person, he began to speak slowly.

"I’ve already briefed you on the details of this mission. The most important thing to remember is your own safety."

"After all, if you die in the Dream Realm, you will die in reality as well."

"I will be monitoring you from the outside. If anything abnormal occurs, I will pull you out of the Dream Realm immediately. However, I can’t guarantee it will be completely foolproof."

"In short, your primary objective is to gather information. Eliminating the anomaly is secondary."

The gist was that this was primarily an intelligence-gathering mission; their personal safety was paramount.

Hearing this, everyone nodded, indicating they understood the mission parameters.

Then, without further ado, Liu Wufeng waved his hand. "Let’s begin. Light the incense."

Everyone used their flints to light the incense sticks.

Shen Bai watched the Dream-Entering Incense in his hand as fragrant smoke drifted up, curling around his body.

The smoke enveloped not only him, but also Amber, who sat by his feet.

As the smoke swirled around him, Shen Bai felt a wave of fatigue wash over him.

But he could dispel this fatigue at any moment with a mere thought.

’Just as Liu Wufeng said,’ Shen Bai thought. ’The Dream-Entering Incense only works if you willingly enter the dream. If you resist, it has no effect at all.’

Just then, a question occurred to him. He looked up and asked, "Lord Liu, do we just lie down on the ground after we fall asleep?"

They were all standing in the courtyard. If they simply fell asleep, they would end up lying on the ground.

The image seemed rather comical.

A group of experts lying scattered about—it wouldn’t be a very dignified sight.

The corner of Liu Wufeng’s mouth twitched. "Just sit cross-legged. Why is your train of thought always so erratic?"

As they spoke, the smoke had already filled the courtyard.

Many members of the Observatory glanced over before quietly departing, minding their own business.

Once the smoke had reached a sufficient density, Liu Wufeng gave the order.

"Enter the Dream!"

At his command, everyone sat down cross-legged in unison.

Shen Bai included, they all relaxed their minds and entered the Dream Realm.

Amber yawned in Shen Bai’s arms and closed its eyes.

...

The moment he entered the dream, Shen Bai felt his entire body relax.

Immediately after, he found himself in a very peculiar Space.

It was pitch-black, and he could see nothing.

Ahead of him was nothing but thick, dense fog.

When Shen Bai looked down, he discovered Cold Moon at his waist and Amber standing by his feet.

Other than that, no one else was around. The members of the Jia Division had all vanished.

’How strange. Even Cold Moon can appear in the Dream Realm.’

Shen Bai gripped Cold Moon’s hilt. It felt exactly the same as it did in the real world.

’So, what do I do now?’

’None of my colleagues from the Observatory seem to be here.’

Glancing around and seeing no change in his surroundings, Shen Bai scooped Amber into his arms.

"Amber, you’re the most familiar with unsettling auras. Try to sense its exact location," Shen Bai said, stroking Amber’s chin.

The situation was bizarre, and he had no idea where to begin.

But Shen Bai wasn’t the least bit flustered.

After all, now that they knew it was a Nightmare, it was, at its core, a type of anomaly.

And that was something a Deceitful Beast was most sensitive to.

"MEOW!"

Amber cried out.

It twitched its little pink nose, and a frosty aura began to radiate from its body, spiraling around it.

With a low growl, a sinister chill spread outward.

The black fog around them dissipated, replaced by a wide-open Space.

’A Deceitful Beast can be used like this?’ Shen Bai looked at Amber, a flicker of delight in his heart.