The jade storage ring resting upon the stone floor suddenly trembled.
Then—
it rose silently into the air.
The ring drifted toward the enormous white-scaled lizard.
As it reached the end of his tail—
a black scale slid outward from the tail spike.
Click.
The scale folded around the ring like a clamp, securing it firmly between the overlapping black scales as though it had always belonged there.
Lizarius merely spared it a single glance before shifting his attention elsewhere.
His golden eyes swept across the chamber.
The empty storage pouch still lay where it had been discarded.
Near the entrance—
another storage pouch rested against the stone wall.
Ling Wei had left it there earlier, filled with spirit stones.
Without moving—
the lizard exerted his control.
The empty pouch slowly floated into the air.
Then the second one followed.
Whoosh.
Both pouches drifted toward him.
The larger pouch vanished into the storage ring.
A moment later—
the smaller one disappeared as well.
Only after everything had been stored away did Lizarius finally turn his gaze toward the sealed entrance.
Moments later—
their voices answered his summons.
"Senior?"
The heavy stone door rumbled open.
Ling Wei and Ling Yue stepped inside together.
Once they had entered—
the massive door slowly slid shut behind them.
Rumble...
The formation arrays reignited with a soft hum.
Ling Yue rubbed the back of her neck with a helpless smile.
"...Senior."
"You should really go easy with those summons."
"They seriously hurt."
She still remembered the strange pulling sensation that tugged at the poison mark every time he called for them.
It wasn't unbearable.
But it certainly wasn't pleasant.
Lizarius showed no reaction.
Ling Wei stepped forward and cupped his fists respectfully.
"What does Senior require of us?"
The white-scaled lizard regarded them silently.
Then, in the same calm tone one might use to comment on the weather, he spoke.
"Come inside."
The siblings exchanged puzzled glances.
Then came the next instruction.
"You will both knock yourselves unconscious."
Silence.
Ling Wei blinked.
Ling Yue blinked.
A moment later—
understanding dawned across Ling Yue's face.
"Oh."
She nodded immediately.
"So we're returning to the dream."
There wasn't the slightest hesitation in her voice.
Instead—
there was unmistakable anticipation.
Ling Wei turned to look at her.
"...You're actually looking forward to it?"
Ling Yue scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"...Well..."
"It isn't exactly relaxing."
A wry smile crossed her face.
"But time flows differently there."
"I can keep training."
"And..."
She glanced toward the silent lizard.
"...Senior still has things he wants to study."
Ling Wei remained silent.
The entire concept still felt unbelievable.
A dream.
One where months could pass while only hours elapsed in reality.
Yet after witnessing everything Ling Yue had demonstrated...
He could no longer deny it.
At last, he gave a slow nod.
"...Understood."
The siblings walked toward the center of the chamber.
Behind them—
the stone door sealed itself completely.
The formation arrays hummed softly throughout the room.
Lizarius watched them in silence.
His golden eyes remained calm.
Patient.
Observant.
Ling Yue looked toward her brother.
"You first?"
Ling Wei sighed.
"...Fine."
He raised two fingers.
A controlled pulse of spiritual energy gathered at their tips.
Without hesitation—
he struck the side of his own neck.
A precise burst of qi disrupted the flow sustaining his consciousness.
His vision immediately blurred.
"...This... is still... strange..."
His body swayed.
Then—
he collapsed.
Ling Yue caught him before he could strike the floor.
"...You really have terrible balance."
She carefully lowered him onto the stone floor.
Then she looked toward the hovering lizard.
"...My turn."
A sheepish smile appeared on her face.
"I'll see you inside, Senior."
A moment later—
she repeated the same technique.
Her eyelids grew heavy almost instantly.
"...Still... can't... get used..."
Before she could finish—
darkness swallowed her consciousness.
Her body slumped gently onto the floor beside her brother.
The chamber fell silent once more.
Two unconscious humans lay upon the stone floor.
Between them—
the small white-scaled lizard slowly descended.
He landed lightly between their heads.
His golden eyes remained half-closed.
Thinking.
*One dream was simple.*
*Two... should not be impossible.*
Dreams originated from the subconscious.
If one subconscious mind could be reached—
then, in theory, two subconscious minds should be capable of sharing a single dream layer.
The difficulty lay elsewhere.
Not entering.
Connecting.
Creating a stable bridge without causing either dream to reject the other.
Lizarius slowly closed his eyes.
His Soul Perception spread outward once more.
The physical chamber faded from his awareness.
Only souls remained.
Two distinct dream layers.
Each surrounded by the subtle fluctuations of its own subconscious.
Separate.
Independent.
Like two distant islands drifting upon the same unseen sea.
The lizard remained perfectly still.
He made no attempt to force them together.
Instead—
he extended a strand of his own soul consciousness toward each dream simultaneously.
One touched Ling Yue's dream.
The other reached Ling Wei's.
The moment both connections stabilized—
he became the bridge.
His own consciousness served as the anchor linking the two worlds.
Immediately—
pressure descended upon his soul.
Not enough to threaten him.
But enough to remind him that he was venturing into unfamiliar territory.
Interesting.
The dream layers resisted.
Each instinctively sought to preserve its own boundaries.
Lizarius slowly adjusted the fluctuations of his soul.
Carefully.
Patiently.
He matched the rhythm of each subconscious mind.
Minute by minute—
the resistance weakened.
Neither dream recognized him as an intruder anymore.
Instead—
they gradually accepted him as part of their own structure.
Only then did he proceed.
Very gently—
he drew the two dream layers toward one another.
Not physically.
Conceptually.
Like guiding two distant currents across an endless ocean until they finally converged.
The surrounding dreamscape began to tremble.
Invisible ripples spread throughout both subconscious worlds.
Time passed.
Several minutes.
The strain upon his soul steadily increased.
No sweat formed upon the lizard's body.
His expression never changed.
Yet every ounce of pressure was borne by his soul alone.
Then—
something shifted.
The boundaries touched.
Not completely.
Only at a single point.
A tiny overlap.
WHOOM.
The contact spread outward.
The two separate dream layers slowly began to intertwine.
Memory brushed against memory.
Emotion flowed alongside emotion.
The subconscious structures of both minds gradually accepted the new reality.
The process was painstakingly slow.
Yet—
it remained stable.
Lizarius continued guiding the fusion with meticulous precision.
He neither hurried nor forced the process.
Every adjustment was measured.
Every fluctuation carefully controlled.
Eventually—
the last traces of resistance disappeared.
The bridge had been completed.
For the duration of the dream—
the connection would remain stable.
The lizard slowly opened his eyes.
*Success.*
Without hesitation—
he exerted his authority over the newly connected dream.
Countless subconscious fragments dissolved.
Courtyards vanished.
Forests faded away.
Mountains crumbled into nothingness.
Rivers ceased to exist.
Every landscape dissolved into pure white.
Until only a single world remained.
An endless white expanse.
Boundless.
Silent.
Peaceful.
A neutral realm that belonged to neither sibling—
yet connected to both.
Moments later—
two figures gradually appeared.
Ling Yue blinked several times.
"...We're back?"
She instinctively looked around.
The familiar white world stretched endlessly in every direction.
Then she noticed someone standing a short distance away.
"...Brother?"
Not far from her—
Ling Wei slowly opened his eyes.
His brows furrowed almost immediately.
"...Yue?"
His gaze swept across the endless white expanse.
Then slowly returned to his sister.
"...So this..."
"...This is the dream world."
Before either of them could speak again—
a small white-scaled lizard slowly descended from above.
He floated calmly before them.
His golden eyes regarded them both with the same tranquil indifference.
Neither sibling spoke.
Silence lingered.
Then—
Lizarius finally broke it.
"It worked."
Ling Yue tilted her head.
"...Senior?"
The lizard glanced between the two siblings.
"You now occupy the same dream."
Ling Wei's eyes widened slightly.
"...The same dream?"
"Correct."
Lizarius looked around the endless white world.
"I wished to determine whether separate subconscious dream layers could be linked."
He paused briefly.
"They can."
Ling Yue looked from her brother...
...to the lizard.
"...So..."
"We're both actually dreaming together?"
"Yes."
Ling Wei slowly absorbed the revelation.
His gaze drifted across the endless white surroundings before returning to Lizarius.
"...That's..."
He searched for the proper words.
"...Impossible."
The lizard tilted his head ever so slightly.
"It was."
A brief silence followed.
"Now it is not."
Neither sibling knew how to respond.
The statement was delivered without pride.
Without excitement.
It was simply...
A fact.
The endless white dream remained perfectly still.
For Lizarius—
this discovery was far more significant than merely bringing two people into the same dream.
It proved something far greater.
Dreams were not isolated worlds.
Not truly.
Given the proper anchor—
they could be connected.
Merged.
Expanded.
Perhaps...
One day...
An entire network of dreams could exist as a single shared realm.
A place where countless minds could meet.
Learn.
Train.
Exchange knowledge.
Communicate across impossible distances.
The thought lingered quietly within his mind.
Interesting.
Very interesting indeed.
The small white-scaled lizard hovered silently before the siblings.
His golden eyes slowly swept across the endless white world one final time.
Satisfied.
The dream had stabilized completely.
There was nothing else requiring his attention.
Without another word—
he slowly drifted backward.
His body gradually faded into the surrounding whiteness.
Just before disappearing entirely—
his calm voice echoed throughout the dream.
"...Do as you please."
Then—
the last traces of his presence vanished.
Leaving only the two siblings behind.
Silence settled over the dream once more.
Ling Wei slowly looked around the endless white expanse.
Then toward his sister.
Neither of them spoke for several moments.
Finally—
Ling Yue clapped her hands together.
"Alright!"
Her voice carried an enthusiasm completely absent during her first visit to this place months ago.
She stretched lazily.
"Since Senior's gone..."
A sword suddenly appeared in her hand.
It simply...
Existed.
One moment—
her hand was empty.
The next—
a familiar blade rested comfortably within her grasp.
Ling Wei blinked.
"...Where did that come from?"
Ling Yue smiled.
"The dream."
She casually twirled the sword before explaining,
"Once you become familiar with this place..."
"You'll get used to it."
"Inside this world, we have a certain amount of control."
She paused.
Then corrected herself.
"Well..."
"Not nearly as much as Senior."
She laughed awkwardly.
"But the dream responds to our thoughts."
"As long as what we're imagining isn't too complicated..."
She raised her free hand.
"Watch."
The endless white world rippled.
Like a pebble falling into perfectly still water.
The scenery changed instantly.
The endless white expanse dissolved.
Towering ancient trees rose from nothingness.
Dense undergrowth spread across the forest floor.
The scent of damp earth filled the air.
A cool breeze drifted through the trees.
Birdsong echoed softly from the distant canopy.
Within only a few seconds—
the empty white world had transformed into a lush, vibrant forest.
Ling Wei stared in astonishment.
"...This..."
"It really changes..."
Ling Yue grinned.
"I told you."
Before he could ask another question—
The forest suddenly trembled.
**RUSTLE!**
The forest suddenly trembled.
Branches swayed violently.
Leaves scattered into the air.
A massive serpent burst from the dense undergrowth.
Its emerald scales shimmered beneath the filtered sunlight.
Its enormous yellow eyes immediately locked onto Ling Yue.
"Hissss—!"
Without the slightest hesitation—
it lunged.
Its colossal jaws snapped open as it shot forward with terrifying speed.
Ling Wei instinctively reached for the sword at his waist.
His body tensed, prepared to intervene.
But—
Ling Yue had already moved.
**WHOOSH!**
Her movement technique carried her forward like a gust of flowing wind.
Graceful.
Swift.
Effortless.
At the same time—
spiritual energy rapidly condensed along the length of her blade.
Three tiny translucent qi swords separated from it.
Each hovered silently beside her.
Perfectly synchronized.
Exactly as Lizarius had taught her.
The serpent closed the distance in an instant.
Its enormous jaws descended.
Ling Yue slipped beneath the attack with a single fluid step.
Her sword flashed.
A brilliant streak of light cut through the air.
The three qi swords moved simultaneously.
Following behind her strike as though they were extensions of her own blade.
**SHING!**
**SHING!**
**SHING!**
The serpent's emerald scales split apart effortlessly.
A heartbeat later—
its massive head separated cleanly from its body.
The enormous corpse crashed heavily onto the forest floor.
Then—
it dissolved into countless shimmering dream particles.
Within moments—
nothing remained.
The forest fell silent once again.
Ling Yue casually flicked her spotless blade.
Not a single drop of blood stained its edge.
She turned toward her brother with a proud smile.
"See?"
With a single thought—
the three translucent qi swords dissolved into wisps of spiritual light before disappearing entirely.
"That's the sword technique Senior taught me."
Ling Wei remained frozen.
His gaze slowly shifted from the place where the serpent had vanished...
...to the fading remnants of the qi swords.
His expression was filled with disbelief.
"...You..."
His voice was quiet.
"You weren't exaggerating."
Ling Yue puffed out her chest proudly.
"I told you."
"Everything I said was true."
"You were the one who didn't believe me."
Ling Wei slowly let out a long breath.
"No..."
"I believed you."
He looked around the dream forest once more.
The towering trees.
The breeze.
The birdsong.
The sword in her hand.
Everything felt so vivid that it was impossible to distinguish from reality.
Then his gaze settled on her once again.
"I simply..."
"...didn't understand."
Ling Yue's proud smile gradually softened.
"Neither did I."
She lifted her eyes toward the empty sky where the little white lizard had disappeared.
"For a long time."
A trace of admiration surfaced in her voice.
"Senior sees the world differently."
She lowered her sword.
"Sometimes..."
"I don't understand what he's trying to accomplish until much later."
Ling Wei remained silent for several moments.
After everything he had witnessed...
After seeing this dream with his own eyes...
After watching his sister effortlessly summon a forest and defeat a beast that existed only because she imagined it...
He was beginning to understand.
Not the dream.
Not the techniques.
Not even Senior himself.
But—
he was beginning to understand that there were countless things beyond the limits of his own imagination.
His gaze swept across the tranquil forest one last time.
Then he looked back at his sister.
"...Can you teach me?"
Ling Yue blinked.
A bright smile immediately spread across her face.
"Of course."
She raised her sword once more.
Her expression gradually became serious.
"Then let's start with the basics."
She paused briefly.
"The very first thing Senior taught me..."
She pointed the tip of her sword toward him.
"...was to stop deciding something was impossible before I'd even tried."
Ling Wei couldn't help but smile faintly.
"...That really does sound like something he'd say."
Ling Yue laughed softly.
"It does."
The two siblings stood facing one another beneath the towering ancient trees.
The gentle breeze stirred the leaves overhead.
Birdsong echoed peacefully through the forest.
For the first time—
Ling Wei slowly drew his sword.
Not for battle.
Not to protect.
Not to kill.
But—
to learn.
And somewhere beyond the boundaries of the forest—
far beyond the dream itself—
the one who had made all of this possible continued exploring mysteries that no one else had ever imagined asking.
The dream had become more than a place of rest.
It had become a place of growth.
A world where the impossible could be questioned...
Tested...
And, perhaps—
made possible.