Journey to the End of the Night Chapter 1523 - 945: Lingmeng Warning

Shu Ci stirred, her limbs ensnared by Baili An’s firm grip, rendering her immobile.

Baili An’s gaze was fixed upon her, a flicker of concern softening his features.

Upon seeing her awaken and weep so disconsolately, his concern rapidly dissolved into disdain.

"Such an early hour, what has captured your attention now?"

Meat?

Was this foolish fox dreaming of that particular item again?

It had been an age since Shu Ci last felt the icy grip of fear.

Perhaps the dream's vividness, the agonizing demise of her heart’s flesh, was the cause of her heartbroken cries.

Even after waking, a profound unease lingered.

Seeing Baili An safe and sound before her, the realization slowly dawned that she had merely endured a nightmare.

Upon fully awakening, Shu Ci felt only the chilling cold of her limbs and the clammy sweat on her back, a testament to her fright.

Baili An, observing her pale face and evident fear, offered a faint smile and a shake of his head before turning to leave the bed.

A dull ache throbbed in Shu Ci’s head as she wiped the cold sweat from her brow. The memory of the nightmare, still hazy, sent another wave of shivers and sweat through her.

She was neither human nor a common Demon.

Her very existence had long since surpassed the confines of the Five Elements and Six Paths, an immortal Demon akin to the creator gods of antiquity.

Unlike mortals, whose dreams are mere fleeting thoughts, she had not dreamt in millennia.

Every dream she experienced was a prophecy, a spiritual vision.

A Demon's spiritual dream is far from the whimsical wanderings of mortals; anything could manifest within it.

Yet, in her dream, the Demon Lord himself had appeared!

Every detail within the dream felt as real as a past life's experience.

The more Shu Ci pondered it, the deeper her terror grew.

In truth, she hadn't clearly discerned the face of the man kneeling before Huanghai Palace in her dream.

For reasons unknown, she consistently found herself associating Baili An with these fragmented memories.

Furthermore, the Demon Lord Arao depicted in the dream did not appear to be the current one.

Though the eyebrows bore a resemblance, the aura and overall presence were starkly different.

The Demon Lord of her dream emanated a profound desolation, a near-existential despair, his eyes burning with a cruel intensity that reflected a fear beyond any hope of redemption.

Though she was clearly the one administering the punishment, she herself experienced extreme terror and trembling.

The Demon Lord in the dream clearly possessed power that defied comprehension, a might capable of eclipsing the moon and commanding the sun.

Even within the ethereal landscape of the dream, this power evoked a suffocating sense of mortality in Shu Ci, a being who had defied death itself.

Such might seemed to transcend the authority of the Nine Heavens, the gods and demons of all realms, coexisting with the stars and spanning the eternity of time.

It was a power she hadn’t sensed even from the original, primal Demon Lord.

That individual... seemed like Demon Lord Arao, yet simultaneously, not like her at all.

Shu Ci’s thoughts churned in disarray, her hand pressed to her forehead, the turmoil of her Sea of Consciousness stirred by a mere dream.

She couldn't fathom what warning or prophecy this terrifying dream sought to convey.

In the Demon World, Demon Lord Arao had employed every conceivable tactic, even deceit and threats, to draw the Phoenix King Consort to his bed. How could she possibly deliver such a fatal blow?!

That madwoman's unpredictability had been evident for years; a true examination of her nature would surely unravel into sheer terror.

To avert the horrifying repetition of such a nightmare, consuming this piece of meat was essential for her peace of mind.

In the face of that insane Demon Lord, even the strike of a Golden Immortal would appear less daunting.

With this conviction solidifying in her mind, Shu Ci abandoned any thought of a leisurely approach. She hastily slipped on her shoes and hurried to the blacksmith’s shop to retrieve her specially commissioned, oversized iron pot.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The blacksmith’s shop, open in the early hours, was a sanctuary of quietude in the sparsely populated, remote corner of the village, especially amidst the chilly morning air.

The blacksmith, recognizing Shu Ci, expressed his surprise at her early visit. "Lady Shu, what brings you here so early?"

"I’ve come for my iron pot," she replied.

Likely a result of the disturbing nightmare and lack of sleep, Shu Ci’s eyes were shadowed, a hint of bleakness coloring her gaze.

Complementing her naturally captivating yet dangerous beauty, as she stood silhouetted against the light, her pupils seemed exceptionally profound, her expression undeniably eerie, hollowed, and haunting.

The blacksmith let out an awkward chuckle, "The iron pot has been ready for some time, yet you never came to collect it. It's quite finished. If you aren't in a rush, there's no need for you to come so early yourself; simply let Aunt Wu know, and I would have delivered it to your doorstep."

Shu Ci looked at him with utmost seriousness. "Urgent, extremely urgent, profoundly urgent!"

If the pot wasn't delivered to her soon, her heart’s flesh might very well be ground into dust.

On a related note, ever since she had proactively severed the Demon Lord's mind link, it had fallen into complete silence.

When their spiritual senses weren't intertwined, Shu Ci's minor defiance triggered overwhelming spiritual suppression. However, ever since she proactively engaged Baili An, declaring her intent to devour his Karma Barriers, the Demon Lord's spiritual power no longer intruded upon her sight. This tranquility felt unnatural, and considering her dream from the previous night, she harbored a growing suspicion that she had committed a grave error. The blacksmith plunged the searing hot, newly forged iron into the quenching pool, eliciting a forceful sizzle as he wiped beads of sweat from his brow. He inquired with curiosity, "Lady Shu requires such a sizable iron pot at this hour merely for simmering meat? I suppose it's acceptable."