“I can’t see anything.”
“Can’t see?” Tian Fangfang asked in confusion. “See what?”
The Serpent Witch gazed quietly at Zanxing. After a long while, she slowly spoke: “Your past is unclear, your future is also a blur. You are not yourself, so even the Mirage Woman’s illusions couldn’t see through the desires in your heart.”
Zanxing said nothing.
There had been something in the illusion the Mirage Woman wove for her. When she and Gu Baiying were trapped in the stone chamber, she heard someone calling her name. When she turned around, it was Wang Shao.
Wang Shao was wearing wedding robes, while her dress had become bridal garments. Unity candles, red silk with double happiness characters—it was a bridal chamber prepared for their wedding.
She and Wang Shao were getting married.
“Miss Yang” had desired to become the young city lord’s wife. In some sense, the illusion the Mirage Woman wove wasn’t wrong. Unfortunately, she was Yang Zanxing, not “Miss Yang,” so her first reaction upon seeing Wang Shao wasn’t infatuation, but wariness. Because of this, the illusion’s attempt to bewitch her failed from the start.
What the Mirage Woman could glimpse was the past belonging to “Miss Yang,” yet the Serpent Witch said she couldn’t see her past. This group that transcended the three realms shouldn’t be underestimated.
“Does that mean my junior sister has formidable spiritual power, making it impossible for others to find her weaknesses to attack? For her, isn’t this a good thing?” Meng Ying asked.
The Serpent Witch lowered her eyes: “All things in heaven and earth have their destined paths—fish dwell at the bottom of water, birds soar in the vast sky. The four seasons rotate, and fortune and misfortune are determined by heaven. But you have no Fate book.” She looked at Zanxing. “People without fate books will be erased by Heaven’s Way. Those who shouldn’t exist in this world will eventually have their traces wiped away. For you, this is not a blessing.”
Zanxing was speechless.
Being hunted by Heaven’s Way, she had already experienced this before. But hearing it from the mouth of this prophet who understood heaven and earth brought a different feeling.
She felt somewhat afraid.
Just then, a sneer came from the corner. Looking back, the youth was supporting himself with his silver spear, speaking mockingly: “According to what you say, should people live according to their fate books and die when their time comes?”
“But Uncle Master, Heaven’s Way is merciless…” Mendong spoke timidly.
“Shut up! Heaven’s Way is nothing,” Gu Baiying impatiently interrupted his unfinished words. “If she were so capable, she wouldn’t have had her spirit artifact stolen and become a prisoner. Cultivating immortality—if you cultivate to the point of accepting fate, has your brain been eaten by dogs?”
“Serpent Witch, listen carefully,” he stared at the Serpent Witch, speaking coldly: “Having no fate book means even Heaven’s Way can’t control her. If she wants to live, even Heaven can’t manage her. Understand?”
Zanxing looked at Gu Baiying in surprise, not understanding why he was so agitated.
After a long while, the Serpent Witch nodded faintly: “Good.”
She looked at Zanxing with a somewhat strange gaze: “Since you appeared here, and fate has become variable because of your appearance, perhaps you can change destiny.” The Serpent Witch extended her hand. A black light appeared in her palm, and a jet-black ring lay there, shaped like a coiled little snake.
“This contains a trace of my spiritual power and has mind-reading abilities. However, it can only be used once.”
Zanxing reached out to take it.
“Walking a path no one has walked before is difficult. Heavenly fate is treacherous—contending with it requires great courage and also fortune. If you hadn’t saved the mermaid’s primordial spirit out of compassion in Li’er Kingdom, there wouldn’t be this destined meeting between us today. Everything is predetermined in the unseen.”
Whether it was Zanxing’s imagination or not, when saying this, the Serpent Witch’s expression seemed much gentler.
“May I ask, Immortal, what should we do now?” Tian Fangfang hesitated. “And where has Dou Niang gone?”
Xu Dou Niang had disappeared since the illusion broke, and everything here was gradually turning to sand and flowing away.
“Your friend is long dead. The Mirage Woman trapped their souls in illusions to maintain the entire city. Wufan City disappeared long ago. The current Wufan City is a phantom woven from countless souls’ dreams. The deeper souls sink, the greater the illusion’s power. Fortunately, you passed the final test.”
Mu Cengxiao: “The final test?”
“If you had listened to the Mirage Woman and killed Xu Dou Niang’s father, erasing the eye of Xu Dou Niang’s illusion, you would have been forever trapped in the illusion. At that time, even I couldn’t have broken it.”
Tian Fangfang suddenly understood: “She deceived us?”
“Human hearts are hard to fathom, and desperate situations test human nature even more. There have been cultivators who, to escape, killed unarmed civilians in illusions, causing themselves to be forever lost here. Illusions exist in this place, but also in human hearts.” The Serpent Witch said, “The Mirage Woman used precisely this point to create her city of illusions, planning for permanence.”
“Then Dou Niang…”
“She has already awakened from her fantasy dream. Now, naturally, she has gone to her proper destination. All illusions have been shattered, and this place will soon dissolve. I should leave, too.”
Zanxing asked curiously: “Where are you going?” Her gaze fell on the snake staff in the Serpent Witch’s hand. “Will you continue making trades with people in the future?”
“The Serpent Witch Clan has protected the human race for generations, yet was killed by the human race—this is the Serpent Witch Clan’s fate.” The witch said plainly, “I am the last witch of the Serpent Witch Clan. In the future, I will still repeat my fate.”
Human hearts change easily. Even witches who could glimpse fate couldn’t see through complex human hearts.
“When everything here disappears, it will return to its true appearance, and you’ll be able to leave.” She looked at Zanxing: “You have done me a favor. I owe you a debt of gratitude. You may ask me one question.”
“A question?”
“The Serpent Witch Clan communicates between the heavenly and human realms. Everything in the world has answers. You may ask me one question, and I will tell you the answer.”
“Any question at all?”
“Yes.”
Tian Fangfang said, “Junior sister, this is a rare opportunity. You should think carefully…”
Zanxing spoke without thinking: “I heard the Mirage Woman say my Uncle Master was born with damaged spiritual veins and won’t live long. Is there any way to repair his spiritual veins?”
Tian Fangfang: “…I see.”
Gu Baiying looked at her in shock, then said in exasperation: “Yang Zanxing, why are you asking about my problems? My affairs have nothing to do with you. Quickly change…”
“I just want to know how my Uncle Master’s spiritual veins can be completely repaired.” This time, Zanxing spoke much more smoothly.
“East of Duzhou, there is a treasure land,” the Serpent Witch answered. “In this place grows a sacred tree. Using the fruit of this tree to make pills and consuming them will restore his spiritual veins.”
“Treasure land…”
A white light appeared before Zanxing’s eyes. Above the white light floated a map. She reached toward the map, and it automatically fell into her Qiankun Bag.
“I have given you the treasure map.” The Serpent Witch looked into the distance. “This place is about to disappear.”
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone felt the earth beneath their feet tremble. Countless snow-white points of light surged out. These light points grew from small to large, slowly becoming transparent. Through them, countless human shadows could be seen—they were all illusions of souls trapped here. Mountain flowers and trees, flourishing and withering through the four seasons, all like a vast dream. In just a moment, like fleeting epiphyllum blossoms, they slowly shattered and disappeared completely.
Nothing was left behind.
The city that existed in legend—its last brick turned to wind and sand and blew away. The mysterious witch paintings carved on stone walls, along with all kinds of magnificent dreams, crumbled into smoke and dust. Those prosperous streets, lively taverns, and small houses built with red clay suddenly vanished, along with that beautiful girl who hoped to return home soon.
The illusion disappeared.
The setting sun slanted over from the edge of the wilderness, shining on the rolling dunes. The Gobi was vast and empty, dusk-like human shadows—lonely and long.
“Looks like we’re out.” Mu Cengxiao looked around and said.
Tian Fangfang sat down silently on the dune, his expression somewhat dejected. The little girl who had supported each other through hardship in those days had ultimately never found her way home. Meeting an old friend in a foreign land, but everything had changed.
Mimi licked her paws, her gaze fixed ahead. A familiar voice came: “Uncle Master, found them!”
It was Zi Luo’s voice.
“The illusion has disappeared. It seems Uncle Master and the others found the transmission talisman I left before.” Meng Ying looked ahead, where Xuan Lingzi and Zi Luo were rushing toward them. “We can leave now.”
Leave?
Zanxing turned back, looking toward the golden desert behind her. The former Wufan City had been buried by wind and sand. From now on, except for them, no one would know that countless people’s brilliant dreams had once been buried here. Perhaps someday in the future, such a magnificent city would appear again. Those dream seeds that took root in the silent wilderness would wait for travelers to pass by someday, awaken them, and recondense towers and sea mirages.
“Yang Zanxing.” She heard Gu Baiying call her name. Just as she was about to respond, she suddenly felt pain in her palm. Looking down, the flower-like red mark in her palm was growing wildly. The pain spreading from it instantly seized all her senses, hurting so much she couldn’t help but bend over.
“Yang Zanxing!”
The last thing she heard was Gu Baiying’s anxious shout.
End of Phantom Dream Arc