He knew clearly—
Zhao Liuyun, since arriving at the academy, had studied diligently and focused on cultivation. In just one year and three months, he broke through to Level 10, absorbed a 100-year spirit ring, and was hailed as a genius.
Zhao Liuyun's gaze fell upon Tang San's face, his tone gentle yet serious: "Tang San, your name, at first hearing, seems quite casual."
Tang Hao, hidden in the shadows, frowned.
A preliminary put-down.
"But you have met your father, and you have parents who love you!"
A follow-up praise.
Zhao Liuyun's tone suddenly shifted, his voice warm and mellow:
"A parent's love for their child cannot be faked. Behind this name, there must be a profound meaning, carrying their earnest expectations for you."
Upon hearing this, Tang Hao couldn't help but let the corner of his mouth curl up, and the dissatisfaction in his heart vanished instantly.
This little brat, he sure knows how to talk.
Tang San had always longed for kinship, and he couldn't help but look slightly lost at this moment.
He only heard Zhao Liuyun say: "My name is as casual as a wild blade of grass in the field, yet I still strive desperately to grow upward, unwilling to waste a single moment."
"And you are not alone. You are highly valued by the Grandmaster, and you bear the expectations of your parents..."
Every word was heartfelt, the kind of advice only a true friend would offer.
Seeing that his words had sunk in, Zhao Liuyun pressed on, his voice soothing and earnest:
"Tang San, you used to be spirited and friendly, but recently, you've been having trouble controlling your emotions."
Tang San opened his mouth and whispered, "I... my mind is a bit messy."
Zhao Liuyun nodded: "I can see that, but when there's a problem, you need to face it. Don't keep it bottled up, or you'll develop problems even if you don't have them now."
"If this continues, it will not only affect your cultivation but will eventually hurt those close to you."
"Can you bear to hurt Sister Xiaowu, who has always cared about you?"
These words were like a sharp arrow, hitting the bullseye.
Tang San's expression softened, and he asked pleadingly, "What should I do?"
Zhao Liuyun said: "To solve it, you first need to figure out the cause."
"As you know, I am a physician."
As one of the few Spirit Master students in the academy, like Tang San and Xiaowu, Zhao Liuyun's reputation was well-known, including his identity as a physician.
Tang San knew this but still looked confused.
Zhao Liuyun looked at him: "When I saw your complexion, I kept thinking about one question—"
What question?
Tang San's breath tightened.
"How long has it been since you had a proper sleep?"
"Meditation..." Tang San tried to argue.
Zhao Liuyun interrupted him: "Meditation can certainly replace some sleep, but it ultimately cannot completely substitute it!"
"You should know that if you use meditation to replace sleep, the further you go, as your consciousness gradually becomes blurred, the cohesion of your spirit power will naturally decrease."
This was also why Zhao Liuyun could harvest 6 points of [Spirit Master] professional experience per hour when concentrating, yet only gained 30 points for an entire night.
Spirit power requires discipline to maintain sufficient cohesion.
The longer it goes on, the more scattered it becomes, and the less efficient the refining of the elemental energy of heaven and earth.
People need rest, and as long as spirit power cannot circulate automatically, the conflict between the two cannot be reconciled.
Tang San fell silent.
"You are feeling guilty, blaming yourself for the Grandmaster's severed arm," Zhao Liuyun chose his entry point.
This was the emotion Tang San displayed when he returned from the spirit hunt.
This emotion had been maintained by Zhao Liuyun using [Hypnosis] until now.
"It has already been a year," he tried to use the passage of time to argue.
Zhao Liuyun continued:
"But you have always kept it in your heart! You urgently want to prove to the 'Grandmaster' that his sacrifice was worthwhile by improving your cultivation."
"Therefore, unconsciously, you devote more attention to your spirit power every night, leading to insufficient rest, and your body is constantly running at its limit."
"Your brain's ability to regulate emotions and thoughts has long been unbalanced!"
"This is not a recent illness, it has just fully erupted recently."
Where did the abnormality come from?
Naturally, it was created by Zhao Liuyun using [Hypnosis].
By amplifying his existing emotions and preserving his conflicted thoughts, it would be strange if anyone could find a flaw.
But Tang San didn't know this.
This clear and logical analysis shook him to the core, as if the fog had lifted and everything was suddenly clear.
Tang Hao, observing in the dark, also realized.
He really hadn't paid attention to this detail.
This little brat truly lives up to the name of a physician.
Zhao Liuyun sighed and finally offered his suggestion:
"Tang San, 'haste makes waste.' Get a good few days of rest, let your body and mind relax."
"Afterward, you should attend classes as usual, forge iron as usual, and meditate every day."
"The only thing you need to do is to get a good night's sleep, a genuine physical rest, every so often."
Tang San nodded gratefully, a relieved smile appearing on his face, as if he had found the root of the problem.
"Thank you, Liuyun."
Zhao Liuyun paid no mind: "Thank me for what? Good friends should help each other."
The two walked side by side back to the dormitory.
Tang San and Xiaowu also apologized to each other and reconciled.
Xiaowu was carefree and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Tang San attempted to sleep, but his mind was plagued by distracting thoughts, making him toss and turn.
Naturally, this was also Zhao Liuyun's doing.
After all, without the help of the Dream Demon's spirit ring, what if Tang San didn't dream when he slept?
Sure enough, Tang San remembered Zhao Liuyun's first spirit ability, "Stopping Hostilities," which had the effect of inducing sleep.
"Liuyun, I really can't sleep..." He sheepishly woke Zhao Liuyun from his meditation.
Disturbing someone's meditation was indeed rude.
"Do you need me to use my first spirit ability on you?" Zhao Liuyun understood.
"Yes, sorry for disturbing you right now."
"No worries," Zhao Liuyun said indifferently. "Lie down and don't resist."
It would be strange if you didn't disturb me.
In a soft and gentle halo, a faint ephemeral flower appeared, accompanied by a cool fragrance.
A yellow spirit ring suddenly rose from Zhao Liuyun's body.
He lightly said:
"First Spirit Ability, Stopping (Creation) Hostilities (Dream)."
(T/N: My bro thinks he's Aizen.)
Creating a dream is divided into two types: encouraging someone to dream on their own, or forcibly imposing a dream.
The Dream Demon used the latter at the time; to obtain the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, Zhao Liuyun naturally chose the former.
A faint wisp of spiritual fluctuation enveloped Tang San's head like a spring breeze, subtly touching his subconscious in a marvelous way.
Tang San relaxed his mind and body, offering no resistance.
In an instant, drowsiness surged like a tide, and his consciousness rapidly shifted from clear to hazy. He was sound asleep in just a moment.
"He fell asleep instantly, he really was tired~"
It was a miracle Tang San had endured for so long.
Zhao Liuyun withdrew his spirit and pretended to continue meditating.
In reality, his spirit was highly concentrated, and he began to exert his [Dream Master] instinct to sense the dream.
The timing was crucial. He couldn't miss the initial stage of the dream, which was easy to interfere with.
As Tang San's subconscious gradually became active, a faint glimmer of a dream finally appeared quietly.
"Now is the time!" Zhao Liuyun's mind raced, and he decisively activated [Dream Entry].
His consciousness twisted, and he smoothly entered a distorted dreamscape.
He began to interfere with Tang San's dream.
Dream interference also requires skill. It must use the anchor points of the deepest memory dreams to guide and shape the desired dream.
First, the Tang Sect.
Tang San lived in the Tang Sect for twenty-nine years.
Every plant and tree here was deeply familiar to him.
Stone slabs, courtyards, antique wooden houses...
Anchor set: Environment "Tang Sect," appear!
With the Tang Sect established, the character naturally emerged.
Tang San was found by the Outer Sect Elder, Grandpa Tang Lan, and he held the deepest gratitude toward him.
Zhao Liuyun took the Elder's identity and blended it with the appearance of the Tang Sect Master.
People often have familiar faces in their dreams, faces that look familiar but do not exist in reality.
The subconscious derives the dream, and memory occasionally mismatches here.
Zhao Liuyun was exploiting this flaw.
When he talked to Tang San about thieves, it was to make Tang San recall that he, too, was a thief in the Tang Sect!
He stole the foundation of the Tang Sect, the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record.
One link connected to the next, step by step, a long-term plan culminating today.
Everything was ready; welcome the protagonist to the stage.
With his emotional defenses already dismantled by long-term confused emotions and chaotic thoughts, Tang San naturally accepted everything in the dream, forgetting about the Douluo Continent.
The familiar sights brought tears to his eyes, and a lump rose in his throat.
"The Tang Sect?"
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