Urban Divine Doctor Descends the Mountain Chapter 2688 - 2687: Descent into Indulgence

Within this dreamlike realm, the heavens remain a constant azure hue each day.

Standing beside the railing of his modest yard, Lin Dong clutched a steaming cup of jasmine tea freshly prepared by his mother, its aromatic scent wafting through the breeze and evoking cozy family comfort.

In this vision, his mother appears youthful and vigorous, her grin as soothing as the first rays of spring sun, free from the grip of illness. That smile serves as the softest mainstay in Lin Dong's soul, providing him a profound sense of security within this fantastical setting.

Nearby, the five ladies—Bai Jue, Li Qingcheng, Qiao Bing, Tang Mu, and Qingye Piaoxue—were joyfully working in the flower beds. Each exuded her own distinct allure and grace: Bai Jue flowed softly like a stream, Li Qingcheng burned with fiery zeal, Qiao Bing radiated icy elegance, Tang Mu brimmed with endearing charm, and Qingye Piaoxue, fitting her name, hid a subtle tenderness behind her serene exterior.

They clustered around Lin Dong, resembling a masterpiece carefully crafted by destiny, filling him with an unmatched joy and completeness.

Daily, they wandered hand-in-hand across the streets of Illusion Town, or gathered in the yard beneath the evening stars, exchanging tales of aspirations and histories.

Lin Dong found that here, every sorrow was mended, every hurt erased, replaced solely by boundless mirth and delight.

Yet, with the passing days, Lin Dong noticed his recollections of the actual world fading away.

Those recollections that had once pierced his heart with grief and hardship now seemed veiled in an unseen haze, growing ever more distant to grasp. He started questioning whether such a history had ever existed, as the eras of sorrow, isolation, and battles felt like remote fantasies.

"This place is our sanctuary, our mutual refuge." Whenever Lin Dong felt lost or absent-minded, his mother's words would echo reassuringly.

Still, from time to time, a flicker of disquiet stirred in Lin Dong's thoughts, though its origin eluded him.

One evening, under an unusually radiant moon, Lin Dong sat solitary beneath the ancient pagoda tree in the rear garden, his feelings a whirlwind of intricate turmoil.

Shutting his eyes, he sought to dredge up those buried shards from his mind, but they slipped away like grains through an hourglass, sparse and intangible.

"I simply can't recall; forcing it only causes suffering." Lin Dong shook his head and finally surrendered.

He delved deeper into this phantom existence.

He savored the 'bliss and affection' it offered, as his grasp on the true world dimmed further.

Not only did he lose sight of his reason for entering the Earth Dragon Palace, but he also erased the Dead Soul Curse afflicting him. He even overlooked his position at the Extraterrestrial Battlefield, convinced he resided in his boyhood village.

With time's flow, Lin Dong's ties to the genuine realm weakened.

Meanwhile, deep inside the Dragon Ring Space, the Sovereign Witch's Soul hovered in emptiness, encircled by a soft azure glow, her leftover Mental Power pulsing dimly.

Her stare cut across temporal and spatial divides, fixing on Lin Dong amid the mirage, her expression blending desperation and powerlessness.

"Lin Dong, why do you cling so tightly to this mirage? Persisting in this immersion will lock you away eternally. It's all fabricated, not authentic."

The Sovereign Witch's Soul murmured within the Dragon Ring Space, her tone laced with timeless depth and mystery, yet her plea vanished like a pebble into the ocean, failing to breach Lin Dong's illusion-shrouded psyche.

She had attempted countless efforts to forge a mental link with Lin Dong anew, but every try collided with an unseen wall, getting harshly driven back.

The Sovereign Witch knew Lin Dong's spirit had plunged profoundly into this self-spun reverie, growing numb to external summons and even resisting any sound that could disrupt this 'ideal' existence.

In a separate section of the Dragon Ring Space, Lin Dong remained absorbed in the fanciful domain built from affection and whimsy, experiencing each day like a enchanted story.

He appeared to have lost track of time's march, the outer reality's presence, and the former self driven by ambitions and duties.

In this haven, his mother thrived in robust health and longevity, with the five women tenderly by his side. Each grin, each hug, wrapped him in unparalleled elation and contentment.

Nevertheless, such bliss came at a price. Lin Dong's sense of the real blurred progressively, his memories cloaked in fog, and the trials that had forged his strength slowly vanished from his awareness.

The Sovereign Witch paced restlessly in the Dragon Ring Space, aware that this path would sever Lin Dong's link to reality and potentially doom him to perpetual entrapment in artificial joy.

She needed to discover a method, a means to break through Lin Dong's barriers and rouse the authentic essence buried inside him.

"Lin Dong, do you sense me? This is your decision, your trial. Recall, genuine bliss lies not in fleeing but in confronting truth. Though truth brims with hardships, it's vital to your development. Let not the facade of joy cloud your vision, nor allow fear to chain your path."

The Sovereign Witch's words resounded in the Dragon Ring Space, still barred from direct touch with Lin Dong, but she held faith that her unyielding conviction would someday slice through the obscurity and stir Lin Dong's dormant spirit.

Within the phantasmagoric realm born of boundless fancy, the line dividing time and actuality grew hazy and tenuous, as though each gust of air, each drifting cloud bore an ineffable force.

This was the soul's haven for Lin Dong and the mirror to his innermost feelings.

Ever since the Sovereign Witch's summons bridged dream and truth, Lin Dong's inner world churned like a leaf in a tempest, restless, caught between logic and sentiment.

The mirage possessed an enchantment to delve into souls; it detected Lin Dong's internal strife and yearning, and so unleashed its wondrous 'Medical Arts' once more in this realm of imagination.

This instance, not as a challenge or practice, but to grant Lin Dong an unparalleled 'bliss,' a 'potent remedy' strong enough to drown him completely.

On a bright dawn, Sister Bai Jue, whose tender smile ever soothed Lin Dong's spirit, embraced the holiest event of her existence—the advent of her offspring in this miracle-laden world.

A crisp, joyful wail rang out, startling the entire illusion with this fresh life's vigor; all seemed to bloom anew in that instant.

The newborn's coming, akin to sunlight piercing through overcast skies, illuminated the gloomiest recesses of Lin Dong's heart.

He gripped Sister Bai Jue's hand firmly, his gaze alight with unmatched resolve and delight.

That small being embodied boundless hopes for tomorrow; Lin Dong found himself wholly enveloped in 'bliss and virtue.'

"It's over, truly over; at this rate, he'll soon be hopelessly ensnared." The Sovereign Witch fretted softly in the Dragon Ring Space.