“Mithra…” Watching Zheng Zhan’s back, Elise finally spoke.

  “Mm.” Mithra replied, turning towards the fleeing figure in the background, “I didn’t expect the most direct method to be the most effective. Is this considered blind luck?”

  “Not really. It's a highly efficient method after all. I was more surprised that you were willing to compromise for this short dream, rather than opting for immediate action, Ms. Passerby.” Elise said.

  Eliminate the village, kill everyone.

  This method stemmed from insufficient intelligence, an inability to distinguish dream weavers, leading to a strategy of better to kill mistakenly than to let one escape.

  Having just fought alongside Zheng Zhan, Mithra realized that even though the process was flawed, the "kill all" solution might be correct.

  First, Zheng Zhan is a dream weaver.

  This is because certain distortions occurred on Zheng Zhan's person within the dream.

  The dream’s setting is Planet Blue. Therefore, unless the dream's logic is broken, everything here adheres to the rules of Planet Blue’s reality, and Miracles should be suppressed.

  But Zheng Zhan, driven by concern for the children, unleashed a blizzard in a moment of urgency, a clear violation of the rules.

  Twenty years ago, Zheng Zhan was at the Clarity level. While Blizzard is indeed a Miracle that easily manipulates weather, a Clarity-level believer on Planet Blue shouldn't be capable of actually altering the climate of an entire village or mountain.

  No matter how profound his understanding of Ice Miracles, this was excessive.

  The dream's logic was actively distorted; the dream logic itself was beginning to break down, making many previously obscure things clear.

  However, considering the reality, Zheng Zhan shouldn't logically be the dream weaver of this dream.

  Because Zheng Zhan wasn’t actually involved in this dream twenty years ago. The real Zheng Zhan is probably still at Hope University worrying about graduation issues.

  This Zheng Zhan is likely just an "NPC" within the dream environment, not the dream weaver.

  His near-dream weaver power originates from everyone around him.

  Especially the children closest to him.

  In this dream, every character they encountered was a dream weaver, a group buried in the past twenty years, all dreaming together under some mysterious influence.

  Mithra and Elise proceeded deeper into the cave.

  Reaching the end, they saw something unexpected.

  In the chamber was a massive mural depicting a bizarre pattern—arms and hands stretching out in all directions like flower petals, forming a giant “flower” composed of hands, with several hands at the center surrounding a lotus blossom.

  Mithra was familiar with this pattern.

  The "Universal Hands" Faith Totem!

  The source of Mithra's convenient "Enlightened Step" Miracle, derived from the Many-Armed Monster.

  While the "Enlightened Step" pattern only showed "a hand holding a lotus," the scale of the mural indicated a far more comprehensive symbolism.

  “Quite a coincidence, no, quite ingenious,” Mithra said.

  Elise looked at Mithra with slight confusion.

  Miracles have a strange pulling force, an influence at the level of fate.

  Mithra's bosses are very fond of using this pull to draw Mithra in, guiding her toward them.

  Considering the previous miraculous coincidences, Mithra felt that the overuse of "Enlightened Step" might have subtly spread its influence.

  This is another hidden price of using Miracles.

  “Heaven and earth as hands, the myriad transformations as a single lotus, holding all things in the palm…”

  A low, chanting voice suddenly emerged, and Mithra felt a powerful surge of Miracle power being summoned.

  A palm strike suddenly shot out, enveloping Mithra.

  Mithra dodged instantly, the palm strike hitting the wall behind her, leaving a huge, deep imprint.

  Simultaneously, something changed along the palm strike’s trajectory, invisible to the eyes.

  But not to Night Eyes.

  【“Silence”: Godly Miracle. From the “Universal Hands,” this unique Miracle allows the user's touch to halt and solidify objects. At high levels of Miracle activation, it can be launched remotely. Overuse leads to a feeling of stagnation and the potential growth of extra limbs.】

  【—The source of this ancient power is its desire for stillness.】

  Another Miracle from the Universal Hands.

  Remarkably, this was the first time Mithra had seen a Miracle where the symbol and effect showed absolutely no visible similarity or connection.

  "Enlightened Step" is about erratic, high-speed movement, while "Silence" is about stillness and stagnation—almost diametrically opposed.

  The user of this Miracle, a man with a calm, common face, stared at Mithra: “Do you feel it?”

  “What?” Mithra turned.

  “You also bear a strong imprint of the ‘Master,’ so after witnessing that ‘Master’ Miracle just now, you should realize that we are not enemies.” The man said slowly.

  “I don’t realize it.”

  “…You don’t realize it, yet you’ve already received the guidance.” The man said, “I never imagined that after twenty years, in such a bizarre situation, I would meet fellow brethren who have followed the Master’s guidance.”

  Mithra remained silent, sensing the man was entirely within his own personal logic.

  However, she could also see that he was “awake.”

  Zheng Zhan and the children were dream weavers. The masterminds behind the events were likely the same, and this man might have awakened even earlier than the other dream weavers.

  Mithra’s thoughts raced: “Snow Flower Demon… The Wandering Gods you cultivated weren’t actually independent Wandering Gods?”

  After the Snow Flower Demons were destroyed, Planet Blue had asked Sanctuary for an investigation into their true nature.

  Unfortunately, Sanctuary couldn’t find relevant records. Sanctuary didn’t have a Wandering God corresponding to the Snow Flower Demons. This wasn’t unusual; Sanctuary couldn’t possibly know all Wandering Gods. But another possibility existed: the so-called true nature of the Snow Flower Demon simply didn’t exist.

  “It is a finger of the ‘Master,’ a finger of the ‘Hand of Silence’,” the man replied.

  Indeed…

  “Interesting. You are believers in that Universal Hands Wandering God’s cult.” Mithra understood why this group's activities couldn't be traced on Planet Blue.

  “You truly know the Master. The Master has already dispersed its existence, awaiting the moment of complete rebirth. Except for the faithful, all remaining vestiges have been erased by the Master.” The man further confirmed Mithra’s identity.

  Except Mithra knew nothing; her bosses did.

  She raised her great maul, preparing to finish him off.

  But the man spoke: “Therefore, I beg you, protect those children. Our will and the power of the Silent Finger are intertwined, only to be separated within the miraculous dream. The resulting divine incarnation lacks clear, independent consciousness. We spent a long time cultivating it, ultimately sacrificing this village and ourselves as a reference point. But an unforeseen event occurred; the children’s consciousnesses coalesced within the divine incarnation, becoming an end-point.”

  Mithra's great maul paused.

  “They are impurities, contaminating the divine incarnation. Otherwise, the incarnation would have already destroyed this mountain… This miraculous dream is an opportunity, a chance to remove the impurities and unify the incarnation’s will. You are here for that…”

  BANG!

  Mithra suddenly used Enlightened Step, striking the man with her great maul and embedding him deep into the central lotus of the mural.

  Thump thump!

  The sound of a heartbeat spread, the cracks widening. Under the increasingly heavy rhythm, the mural shattered.

  The man, even in death, was probably still astonished at the “priestess’s” sudden attack.

  “I told you I didn't know.” Mithra said, holding the great maul with one hand.

  Suddenly, the cave began to shake violently.

  BOOM!

  A tremendous roar erupted, and the cave collapsed.

  Outside, Yang and the three others retreated to the hillside outside the village.

  Hearing the deafening sound behind them, they turned.

  They were then horrified to see a gigantic flower, formed from pale, corpse-like fingers, blooming in the wind and snow.

  Icy-blue, robust petals rapidly spread, piercing the mountain and taking root within the Hope mountain range.

  “It’s really coming…” Aspirin, clutching his wound, barely stood, his lips trembling.

  “—The Snow Flower Demon.”

  ...

  Massive branches crashed down, rending the wind and snow. Zheng Zhan frantically urged the children toward the village exit, while desperately resisting the Snow Flower Demon's onslaught.

  Icy powers were useless against the Snow Flower Demon.

  The Snow Flower Demon possessed sub-zero temperatures and was completely unaffected by freezing. Its essence transcended even the most fundamental Ice Miracles! Ordinary Ice Miracles had no chance.

  Realizing this, Zheng Zhan immediately shifted his approach, abandoning freezing and instead using Ice Creation, employing raw physical force with ice to counterattack, slightly mitigating the onslaught.

  Snow-white blossoms bloomed on the branches, each a single eye of the Snow Flower Demon.

  Witnessing this, despair filled Zheng Zhan.

  Simultaneously, a strange sense of familiarity washed over him.

  Why… it was as if he had experienced this scene before, a hazy dream-like memory, and he vaguely recalled his power in that dream being far weaker than it was now.

  Even more despairing.

  Suddenly, the blooming blossoms on the Snow Flower Demon's branches trembled, their petals gently closing.

  In an instant, the wind and snow seemed to freeze.

  Tzzzzz—

  Icy blue rays shot outward from the stamen of each flower.

  The rays pierced the air, sweeping across the village, penetrating the mountain peaks, and dispersing the clouds.

  Strangely, everything struck by these rays seemed to be paused, frozen in time, at the moment of the explosion.

  The Snow Flower Demon’s branches swung, pulverizing the frozen mountain and snow.

  The mountain and snow, escaping their frozen state, turned into an avalanche.

  An avalanche of icy coldness rushed down from the distant mountains, heading straight for Snowwind Village.

  Even Zheng Zhan paled at this sight.

  This was far more terrifying than his hazy, fragmented memory.

  ...

  The children frantically ran outward. Yang Xue stepped forward, taking charge and preventing the group from scattering.

  As they neared the village entrance, they saw Yang running to meet them.

  “You’re finally here! But don’t stop, keep running up the mountain! The avalanche! Where are Teacher Zheng and Mithra?” Yang spoke rapidly, then noticing the absence of familiar figures, asked again.

  “Teacher Priestess and Teacher Zheng are behind, holding back the bad guys and the monsters!” Yang Xue shouted.

  “What?!” Yang was speechless.

  The Snow Flower Demon had emerged, Snowwind Village was about to be destroyed, yet they were still inside!

  “We just separated from Teacher Zheng…” Yang Xue was saying when Yang suddenly pushed the children aside; several icy branches shot out from the snowdrifts toward them.

  Yang used his Ice Miracle to resist, but found his Miracle could only slightly impede the branches!

  As the branches pierced toward him, Yang could only twist his body to avoid the vital points.

  Intense pain exploded from the puncture wounds, causing him to cry out in agony.

  But the pain quickly subsided as the icy cold from the branches froze the wounds, the low temperature spreading through his body.

  Fortunately, not many branches pierced through. Yang gritted his teeth, grabbing most of the branches to buy the children time to escape.

  Once the children were beyond the branches’ reach, the branches tossed Yang to the ground. Frozen blood splattered, Yang writhing in the snow.

  His body rigid, Yang felt intense helplessness.

  Damn it.

  These things weren't affected by freezing, but if he could use Ice Creation, he could still resist them physically.

  Although these were branches of the Snow Flower Demon, perhaps due to the dream's nature, they weren't as powerful as imagined. But this only fueled Yang's regret.

  If he had learned and mastered Ice Creation earlier, he would have had a better chance to dodge, but now his reliance on freezing-type Ice Miracles was useless, a massive weakness.

  He could see a glimmer of hope, yet realized his stubbornness prevented him from grasping it.

  Yang’s frozen, numb hand trembled as he clutched the snow and ice, his stiff skin pierced by sharp ice shards, a thin stream of crimson blood appearing strikingly bright against the white snow.

  Suddenly, a grey-colored flash swept through, obliterating the branches approaching Yang.

  Yang, surprised, struggled to his feet and looked back.

  Zheng Zhan stood tall in the wind and snow.

  For a moment, Yang thought he saw Zheng Zhan from twenty years in the future.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  But… wasn't Teacher Zheng still unfamiliar with the death-type Ice Miracles at this time?

  “Yang…” Suddenly, Zheng Zhan collapsed to his knees.

  Using all his strength, Yang painfully crawled beside Zheng Zhan, himself barely able to stand but still trying to support his teacher.

  “Teacher… You!” Yang looked, his eyes widening.

  Zheng Zhan was icy cold, his body riddled with holes, yet no blood flowed.

  What happened? What exactly happened to Teacher Zheng?

  Yang's mind was a whirlwind of confusion.

  “Where are the children?” Zheng Zhan weakly asked.

  “I sent them… running out of the village…”

  “I see. You protected them. Thank you.” Zheng Zhan offered a weak smile.

  Yang barely noticed Zheng Zhan’s smile, his attention elsewhere. He couldn't understand Zheng Zhan’s injuries, but he knew Zheng Zhan's life force was rapidly dwindling!

  His teacher was going to die!

  Impossible! If the dream followed the events of twenty years ago, his teacher should have been the last survivor of Snowwind Village!

  Right! It was just a dream, a dream!

  Therefore… even if his teacher died… his teacher wouldn't truly die…

  Drip drip—

  Zheng Zhan's dissolving pupils flickered, looking at Yang.

  Yang's frozen face was streaked with tears, accumulating on his frozen cheeks.

  “Sorry, it hurts. Don’t be afraid… I still have a little strength left. Stabilize your wounds… I’ll get you out…” Zheng Zhan’s body began to move again, a grey mist rising from his body.

  Icy mist, extreme cold, leading to death.

  After being struck by the Snow Flower Demon’s power of stillness, Zheng Zhan, clinging to life in the face of death, understood. His talent allowed him to find death within stillness.

  This was the “death” Yang had always pursued.

  Yang was closer than ever to the power he desired.

  Yet, the grey mist swirling around the figure, the icy hand, and those last words tore a gaping wound in Yang’s heart.

  He wasn’t worthy.

  Yang wasn't worthy of the life-saving actions of Zheng Zhan, his teacher.

  If he’d listened earlier, he wouldn’t have been helpless against the Snow Flower Demon’s branches, suffering such injuries. If he’d seriously studied the core symbolism and diligently trained, he might have reached Clarity by now, perhaps even assisting his teacher and Mithra, fighting alongside them.

  He’d been arrogant, relying on his youth and the protection of university life, believing he had ample time and strength to pursue that elusive “death.”

  But accidents were accidents precisely because they were unpredictable.

  “Teacher… I’m so sorry… I should have listened to you earlier… I’m sorry! So sorry!… It’s all my fault!” Yang sobbed.

  His immature heart shattered; Yang was near collapse.

  Zheng Zhan stared blankly at the weeping Yang, listening to his confession and remorse, feeling a stronger sense of familiarity welling up.

  His thoughts, his memories, momentarily transcended time.

  He saw his “true self,” and his true memories.

  …Two years of compromise had achieved nothing. One night, he awoke to find everyone in Snowwind Village, including the children he desperately wanted to protect, sacrificed to the Wandering God.

  The Snow Flower Demon emerged, and he fled desperately.

  Struck by the power of stillness, his life was frozen.

  He barely escaped the stillness through his understanding of death, but he was now at his limit, on the verge of collapse.

  In the end, it was the children who saved him.

  They controlled the Snow Flower Demon’s branches, preventing them from harming him further and guiding him to safety. Reinforcements arrived, eliminating the Snow Flower Demon.

  Afterward, his memories and body remained frozen in that snowy wind. He returned to the scene several times, gazing at the desolate snowfield, determined to dedicate himself to researching Ice Miracles, hoping to atone somehow. He achieved great success, winning numerous awards and eventually becoming a professor. Yet, he never smiled again.

  Because the children never returned.

  He failed to fulfill his promise to them, but they, in turn, gave their future to him.

  “Yang.” Zheng Zhan looked at Yang, speaking slowly.

  Yang looked at Zheng Zhan, a fleeting feeling that Zheng Zhan's tone was more familiar than before. But his tumultuous mind was too distracted to ponder it further.

  “This is just a dream.”

  “Teacher?!”

  Zheng Zhan placed his hands on Yang’s shoulders, the mist on his body spreading to Yang.

  “So this is an opportunity.”

  “Teacher, you… woke up?” Yang finally realized that Zheng Zhan had awakened as a dream weaver, though he couldn't understand why Zheng Zhan was the master of this dream.

  “This is the life I left behind, my past,” Zheng Zhan said, his voice trembling but remaining clear, “Affected by the Snow Flower Demon, I’m stuck in my twenty-year-old self.”

  Yang opened his mouth to speak, but Zheng Zhan continued without giving him a chance: “Don’t say anything. Feel this carefully. This is the ‘Death’ you desire. I'm here, using my past as a template, to guide you. And you, promise me, protect those children well, even if this is just a dream.”

  The grey mist on Zheng Zhan dissipated, then he forcefully pushed Yang away.

  “When you return, I hope to personally hand you your graduation certificate.”

  With that, Zheng Zhan’s lips curved slightly upward.

  BANG!

  A powerful branch fell, crushing Zheng Zhan into dust.

  ...

  Yang Xue and the children ran to the hillside, encountering the three streamers.

  “Where’s Yang? Where are Mithra and Elise?” Ke Yen urgently asked.

  The children were breathless.

  Yang Xue was about to answer when a movement behind her caught her attention.

  In an instant, her brown eyes turned a transparent ice blue.

  The still-dazed children seemed to experience a chain reaction, their bodies trembling, their pupils changing to the same color.

  “What’s happening to you?!” Aspirin looked at them in shock.

  One child looked at Yang Xue and said, “Teacher Zheng woke up… but the dream memories have lost control; we couldn’t save him…”

  “It’s okay. We saved him once, in the real world. That’s enough; no need for self-reproach.” Another child comforted.

  “After Teacher Zheng woke up, we awakened too, through our connection with him, but… it was too late.” A child anxiously said.

  “What… what are you talking about?” The three streamers looked at the murmuring children in confusion.

  Yang Xue looked at them, saying, “Sorry for dragging you into this. We’re probably going to lose. We’ll extract you from this dream immediately. After you leave, please contact the outside team and tell them: the Great Snow Demon is about to revive.”

  The Great Snow Demon… was that the Snow Flower Demon?!

  “How can it revive? Isn’t this a dream?” Aspirin exclaimed, the movement aggravating his wound.

  “This is a dream, but it's our final battle against it… Again, I apologize. I beg you.” Yang Xue said apologetically, then turned to the flower blooming toward the sky.

  As if sensing something, the Snow Flower Demon lowered slightly, the eyes in its stamen meeting Yang Xue's gaze from afar.

  The three streamers wanted to ask further, but a strange drowsiness overcame them. Aspirin fell asleep first, followed by Nafei. The moment they fell asleep, they vanished into thin air.

  Ke Yen held onto the camera, resisting for a moment before succumbing and collapsing to the ground. The camera fell, unexpectedly not vanishing with its owner; its lens remained pointed at the distant Snow Flower Demon.

  ...

  All branches touched by the icy mist rapidly disintegrated.

  Yang brutally used the power he sensed, but still struggled to control it. His teacher’s “self-example” was deeply ingrained, yet he couldn’t smoothly channel it.

  His heart was in turmoil. Even though it was a dream, his teacher’s last instructions and his death were too shocking.

  He struggled to control himself, feeling something welling up inside.

  Crushed and thrown to the ground by the branches, Yang ignored his injuries, trying to stand.

  Crack crack!

  One of his legs shattered from the freezing, causing him to fall again as he tried to rise, his face buried in the snow.

  He crawled upward on his hands.

  Crack crack!

  One arm also broke.

  Yet he continued to struggle to stand.

  He crunched on ice and snow, swallowing his own blood mixed with it.

  Yang pushed himself up, his eyes nearly blinded, barely making out the branches.

  Suddenly, he heard screams and groans.

  Faint voices, numerous voices.

  What was happening? When did so many people appear?

  “Yang…” His panicked thoughts froze at the sound of a familiar voice.

  A voice he hadn’t heard in over a decade…

  “Father!?” Yang cried out.

  “Yang…”

  “Mother!”

  More cries echoed around him. Yang heard the voices of all his lost loved ones, his friends from the village, their cries dredging up his childhood memories.

  More and more voices, strangers, unknown, but countless, overwhelming, causing Yang’s mind to freeze.

  Why could he hear their voices?

  Why now…?

  As Yang stood frozen, several pieces of information flashed through his mind.

  【Village-destroying avalanche, cause unknown, influenced by a unique power, likely a curse left behind by the Snow Flower Demon. However, the specific method and details remain untraceable… This type of avalanche is common in the Hope mountain range…】

  【Many avalanche victims, even if rescued, remain frozen, their consciousness unrecoverable. This is known as “Frozen Syndrome”…】

  Hope mountain range urban legends: prolonged Frozen Syndrome fog, relentless curses…

  “It’s you! Damn you! Snow Flower Demon!” Yang roared, spitting out large clots of frozen blood.

  “Give me back my father and mother! Give me back my village! Why torture them?! You're dead! Why are you still lingering! Die! Die! Die! DIE!!!”

  Yang beat the ground with his remaining arm, until even it shattered, and he collapsed into the snow.

  His mournful cries echoed through the snow. The Snow Flower Demon’s branches surrounded him, and faces of pain and confusion bloomed on the blossoms.

  Countless faces, the souls of countless victims buried under the snow of Hope Mountain for twenty years.

  The Snow Flower Demon lurked, gathering, accumulating.

  Its resentment festered, absorbing the souls buried beneath the white snow.

  It used the victims’ unwillingness, resentment, and hatred to solidify its anchor.

  Crushing away the remaining impurities that had influenced it, clearing the obstacles on the will plane, then… rising again!

  Yang felt something shatter in his mind.

  His sense of power surged, expanding uncontrollably, spreading outward like needles, tearing through the nearby branches.

  The “death” others couldn’t fully grasp, the Miracle power he’d never fully controlled, his near-broken psyche… all combined.

  Layer upon layer, Yang recklessly squandered his talent, achieving a different level of realization.

  He was out of control.

  His Miracles began to activate.

  Exceedingly sharp ice crystals sprouted on his body, following new symbolism in the freezing and death: piercing! Cold injury! Agony!

  Yang had finally achieved his lifelong ambition.

  He had grasped the understanding of death, and his previously untamed Ice Miracles grew wildly, creating a new, unique symbolism.

  Only…

  Would Yang feel joy now?

  His body couldn’t withstand the activation of his Miracles; the pressure of the external Snow Flower Demon remained.

  He was about to collapse.

  After transforming into something alien, he would rapidly approach true death.

  Regardless of whether life locks functioned in this dream, his Miracle-transformed self would no longer be protected by them.

  ...

  Whoosh!

  A hammer spun at high speed, hurtling towards him.

  Yang instinctively ducked, his vision instantly filled by the hammer.

  The speed was too fast; the ice on Yang’s body was still clashing with the Snow Flower Demon, leaving him unable to react.

  BANG!

  A sharp, dull sound.

  His head, like a block of ice, shattered.

  The sharp ice crystals stopped growing and vanished instantly.

  A flash of red, then rapid disintegration.

  Yang rolled on the ground, his body unharmed, he climbed up, then breathed deeply, like a nearly suffocated person receiving fresh air.

  He was alive!

  “Lucky you.” The hammer returned to Mithra's hand, though Yang barely recognized her.

  Mithra was enveloped in a layer of ice and snow, resembling a moving ice sculpture.

  “Even entering a dream on Planet Blue, the life locks still protect you?” Mithra sighed.

  Branches gathered, only to be sliced apart by glittering blade light.

  Elise’s clothes were slightly disheveled, but her killing intent remained intact.

  The two, buried in the mountain, fought the Snow Flower Demon's branches while simultaneously battling the remnants of the Universal Hands’ cultists in the cave. Their struggle finally ended with them seeing the light of day again.

  “Where’s Zheng Zhan?”

  “…” Yang remained silent, his expression desolate.

  “Alright, where are the other children?” Mithra understood and continued to ask.

  “Here.” Yang Xue answered.

  Yang turned his head in surprise, seeing the children, their eyes glittering with icy blue light, walking back, hand in hand.

  “What are you doing back? It’s dangerous here!” Yang rushed towards them.

  “It’s okay. Thank you, Yang gege. You did great.” Yang Xue smiled sweetly at Yang.

  Yang was speechless.

  Then, drowsiness started to wash over him.

  He immediately remembered Elise’s words: extreme fatigue in a dream is a sign of awakening.

  Was he about to wake up?

  Yang stumbled, seeing Mithra approaching Yang Xue.

  She was about to say something…

  Yang wondered what he should say.

  He hadn’t accomplished anything, he hadn’t fulfilled Teacher Zheng’s expectations, and in the end, he only survived thanks to Mithra and luck…

  Leaving like this felt pointless.

  No, even if he spoke, it wouldn’t change the facts, only making things worse.

  But did he even care anymore?

  Thump!

  A dull thud came from behind.

  Mithra stopped.

  “Mithra!” Yang’s voice came from behind.

  Mithra turned to see Yang lying in the snow, his forehead pressed hard against the ground.

  “I apologize for everything I did! I don’t expect your forgiveness, I have several lives, you can kill me whenever you want! I’ll do whatever you say! So… please!”

  Yang’s voice choked, but his words were unbroken.

  “Save them, save the children! Don’t let this snow take more people…”

  The children looked at Yang’s sudden actions in surprise, Yang Xue particularly flustered, looking at Yang, then at Mithra.

  Mithra glared at Yang, then turned away.

  At that moment, Yang awoke and disappeared from the dream.

  “Teacher Priestess…” Yang Xue looked at Mithra, wanting to say something.

  “Did you understand?” Mithra looked down at her, calmly questioning.

  Yang Xue’s plea caught in her throat.

  Because she realized…

  Mithra had agreed.

  “That’s… whose god…” Yang Xue whispered.

  Mithra tugged at her clothes: “Aren’t I also a priestess?”

  Yang Xue was slightly bewildered, unsure how those two concepts could be compared.

  But it didn't matter; she knew Mithra's mind was made up.

  The child was simple and wouldn't argue; she didn’t understand why, as a dream weaver, she couldn't forcefully extract Mithra from the dream like she had done with others.

  “You were the ones who dragged me into this dream in the first place,” Mithra said.

  “We fought the Great Snow Demon for a long time, in the snow. Many of our friends are gone, only a few of us remain. It's very powerful; it kept harming people outside, dragging them in to become part of itself, and then fighting us with them. We’re about to lose.” Yang Xue pursed her lips, slightly unwilling.

  “We didn’t mean to harm you! I’m sorry for involving Teacher Priestess… But we didn’t know what else to do, when you arrived, Teacher Priestess, we saw a glimmer of hope…”

  Mithra looked at her and said, “Given your age and your efforts in elementary school studies, I’ll let it go. Help me maintain and weaken the dream, do what you can.”

  Yang Xue looked a little lost.

  Just as Mithra was about to leave, Yang Xue remembered something, her sadness instantly replaced by a bright smile. She pulled out a small satchel: “Wait! Teacher Priestess, I have a gift for you. I was going to give it to you at school today, I thought I wouldn’t have a chance.”

  Under Mithra’s questioning gaze, Yang Xue took out a wreath woven from snow-white flowers. The flowers were somewhat wilted from being crammed in the bag for too long.

  “Ah, the flowers I searched for so long… the flowers in the dream are as fragile as the real ones… Nevermind, Teacher Priestess, thank you for helping me! This is a gift!” Yang Xue offered the wreath with a sweet smile.

  Mithra stared for a moment, then knelt down, gently laying her hand on Yang Xue’s.

  “Thank you, but I'll keep it for you for now. After this snow stops, you can put it on me yourself.” Mithra’s expression remained unchanged, her voice flat, the slowness not altering her tone.

  Gently stroking Yang Xue's head: “Still want to see the world outside the mountain?”

  Yang Xue nodded: “Yes! Everyone here does!”

  “Alright, I'll take you out.”

  With that, Mithra stood, gesturing for the children to leave.

  Then she turned, facing the once again gathering branches of the Snow Flower Demon.

  “Ms. Passerby, this is just a dream. Dreams have boundaries; here, there is only snow and mountains. In the real world, the children only have fragmented consciousnesses sustained by the Snow Flower Demon. They’ve long been consumed by that Wandering God,” Elise said beside Mithra.

  “This isn't just a dream; it's a battlefield of resentment condensed by Yang Xue and the Snow Flower Demon. Therefore, all we need to do is destroy the embodiment of resentment and allow the children to take the lead,” Mithra said.

  Elise looked away: “That’s beyond my remit. The dream weaver has been found, the dream can be ended at any time, and the path to clarity is within reach. My guidance should conclude here.”

  To Elise’s excuse, Mithra simply asked: “Did you come here?”

  Elise paused, then turned: “Your will, Ms. Passerby.”

  The two stood side-by-side, in the wind and snow, the gigantic finger-flower blooming, gazing at them.

  【Dream Snow Flower Demon: A finger from the Universal Hands, containing the power of stillness, which has grown into robust branches under careful cultivation. Lacking a physical body, it requires intelligence and will to supplement. It chose hatred and resentment, and the children's kindness became its obstacle. The chaotic resentment was forced to its limit by the unified benevolent will, but it never gave up its hatred.】

  The white flowers on the branches trembled, then the light of stillness bloomed again.

  Rays shot out in all directions, but concentrated on Mithra and Elise, clearly recognizing them as its final threats.

  As the power of stillness struck, Mithra and Elise moved simultaneously.

  Elise struck first, using her sleep-inducing blade to sever branches, clearing a path for Mithra.

  And Mithra, in a piercing stance, began to activate Frozen Distortion intensely.

  An icy blizzard enveloped the surroundings as Mithra raised her great maul.

  BANG!

  A section of branches, struck by immense force, was crushed into a mass, then exploded at a certain point.

  Mithra’s entire body was covered in ice and snow, her skin paling under the low temperature. Her blood flow froze, making her resemble a frozen corpse. Cracks appeared and spread across her body, reaching her face.

  Her body became weaker, yet stronger.

  With the dream weaver awake, the dream logic was broken; the Snow Flower Demon’s power couldn't reach its peak within the dream.

  In this hazy state, it faced two beings.

  Mithra’s Gemini Star Eyes suddenly opened, catching a brilliant star in the wind and snow, resonating with her spirit.

  She instinctively reached out, and that distant star was instantly in her hand.

  She hadn’t activated the eyes, but they responded to Mithra’s spirit.

  In her hand, the icy, glittering starlight shone brilliantly.

  【Pure White Frost Star: Star Miracle. Legend says everyone possesses their own star, bearing the person's symbolism and fate, silently watching from deep space. This star watched over Snowwind Village for twenty years and, at this moment, lends its power through the ‘Star God’s’ connection. One-time use only; effect unknown…】

  The Night Eyes text suddenly froze, then was overlaid with a deep green cosmos; the words “unknown” became clearer.

  【Effect: Weakens Frozen Distortion.】

  Mithra briefly wondered if her boss Anderet had been hacked by LosHeath before quickly gripping the star.

  The star shattered, countless stardust pouring into Mithra's body.

  The cracks on Mithra's body slowed.

  It didn't erase the previous damage, but it did slow its progression.

  This was a huge help.

  Was the star's primary purpose to save Mithra's life?

  Of course not. Weakening Frozen Distortion's price meant "raising the limit of my Frozen Distortion output."

  Mithra moved faster.

  Her mobile blizzard transformed into an avalanche of ice and snow.

  Meanwhile, the avalanche caused by the Snow Flower Demon approached, but Mithra suddenly changed direction, rushing towards it.

  As she ran, countless afterimages trailed behind her; icy-cold air filled the surroundings.

  In an instant, she collided with the avalanche.

  BOOM!

  A deafening roar, as if the entire mountain range was shaking. The powerful white torrent was shattered by Mithra’s impact, the ice and snow flowing back, only affecting the edge of Snowwind Village.

  Scattering the icy mist, Mithra's figure darted forward, creating a void, aiming directly for the Snow Flower Demon.

  Another figure kept pace with Mithra's speed.

  Elise.

  Thick branches lashed out at them, the Snow Flower Demon unleashing its full power. A large area in front of them instantly transformed into a dense forest of icy blue branches!

  Simultaneously, a blizzard descended, two enormous ice spheres the size of skyscrapers forming and hurtling towards Mithra and Elise.

  Mithra, moving at incredible speed, slammed her foot onto the ground, creating a large crater. She launched herself into the air, spinning continuously, unleashing two powerful kicks, sending the massive ice spheres towards the Snow Flower Demon.

  Elise, meanwhile, charged through the ground, her twin blades spinning rapidly, transforming into a high-speed cutting machine, shredding branches in her path, creating a clear space around her.

  The Snow Flower Demon used two of its strongest branches, besides the main trunk, to deflect the ice spheres, its body trembling violently, white light erupting from it.

  There was no room for hesitation; even if it was far from its goal of accumulating enough power, it had to act now or never!

  It would simply consume the collected human consciousnesses!

  The large finger-shaped stamen vibrated, a massive beam of frigid white light gathering, targeting Mithra in mid-air.

  It fired!

  Tzzzt—!

  A direct hit!

  However, the expected result didn't occur. Mithra’s feet kicked out, creating an icy platform in mid-air as a foothold, intercepting the beam.

  Simultaneously, she attempted to redirect it!

  Mithra moved a few steps along the beam. The Snow Flower Demon was desperate because Elise was approaching; if it couldn’t focus

  It burned brighter, countless branches reaching into the air, unleashing beams of stillness, targeting Mithra!

  Several white beams converged on Mithra in mid-air.

  BOOM!

  A violent explosion echoed through the air, followed by an ice flower blooming and solidifying in mid-air.

  Success!

  Crack crack!

  Crash!

  The brilliant ice flower shattered after three seconds, a figure falling rapidly to the ground.

  Ice and snow scattered; through the hazy white mist, a pair of dark, dull eyes, and a star-like eye on the forehead opened, staring straight ahead.

  “Haah—!” Mithra gasped, icy mist exhaling from her mouth. The priestess’s robes billowed in the wind and snow, the patterns seeming to come alive.

  She slowly took a few steps through the snow, moving forward.

  The Snow Flower Demon watched this Mithra, its chaotic consciousness filled with fear.

  It had absorbed too many people, becoming too deeply infected by various emotions.

  Previously defeated by human forces and hampered by the children, its defeat was filled with resentment.

  But now, faced with only Mithra and Elise, it was driven to desperation, unable to withstand Mithra’s advance; her footsteps were its death knell.

  Was it still resentful?

  Perhaps. But the unfamiliar emotion of fear was now far stronger.

  Slash slash!

  The Snow Flower Demon's attention was still on Mithra when an intense rending sensation struck.

  Its main branch was struck!

  Elise’s blade repeatedly cut into the branch; anyone watching would marvel at the efficient cutting.

  But the Snow Flower Demon wasn’t amused.

  Damn it, it was going to die!