Chapter 620: Gem Dreamscape
John nodded with a firm gaze, and the two slowly moved forward.
Ace suddenly felt an invisible power calling out. He followed the call, and His invisible body actually passed through the Pure White Door. Inside the door was a beautiful grassland, the sky clear and the air fresh. Flocks of cattle, sheep, and horses roamed, and the green grass carried a fragrance.
“This seems to be the world of souls, or rather a mapping of the residence of the dead. As a dream clone, I happen to be an existence without a physical body, so I am not rejected here.”
Finally acquiring a physical form, Ace, wearing a pure black magic robe, strolled on the grassland. Gurgling water flowed in a broad river, clear and transparent, the pebbles and fine sand at the bottom clearly visible.
Ace reached His hand into the clear river, cupped some river water in His hand, and felt a burst of icy coldness and warmth.
“This seems to be a tributary of the River Styx of this world. It seems to possess a strong power capable of washing and clearing my mind.”
A smile appeared at the corners of Ace’s mouth. He shook His hand, throwing off the water droplets on it.
“Or rather, washing away the aura, memories, and traces of an alien world, and branding me with the traces of this world. It seems I need to think of a method to preserve my heterogeneity while not being rejected by the world.”
Just as Ace was thinking, John and Clyster had already passed through the Pure White Door. Their dream “bodies” remained outside the door, while their pure souls entered the door, arriving at Ace’s Kingdom of the Dead.
The two were stark naked here, without a thread on them. Ace noticed instantly, turned His head and smiled, and two Wizard Apprentice robes draped over the two of them.
Ace didn’t speak. He stood by the river with His hands behind His back, just waiting quietly like this.
From afar, John and Clyster saw Ace wearing a long robe. They first earnestly put on their wizard robes, then with joyful expressions, approached Ace slowly, kowtowing with every step.
Finally, they walked up to Ace. A handsome face, a slender figure, a mysterious long robe—under the sunlight, He looked so holy and mysterious.
“Great existence, was it You who bestowed the gem upon us? Was it You who guided us to the Mansus Illusory Dream? I am John, he is Clyster. We beseech Your guidance!”
John saluted Ace imitating the etiquette of worshipping the Lords of Time. Clyster also followed, saluting clumsily.
Ace stared at the two and said gently: “It was you yourselves who found the gem, and it was also your firm hearts that brought you to my side. You have done very well, my children.”
Ace’s hands flickered with warm light and pressed on the tops of their heads. The warmth instantly dispelled the chilling air on their bodies. Just as they were about to express their gratitude, Ace spoke: “My true name is Ace. You must keep it firmly in your hearts and not speak it to others. I will bestow true names upon you. Your true names will surface in your hearts; be sure not to tell them to others.”
John understood this very well. In the so-called secret cults, the true name is the highest secret. Cults use code names, and those who receive a true name bestowed by a deity cannot leak their true name either.
Only after a “deity” truly becomes a Pseudonymous One can everything be made public. In some secret cults, it’s only made public when the deity becomes a Named One.
In short, a true name is a major matter, of paramount importance.
The two felt the true names surfacing from the bottom of their hearts, a wave of joy washing over them. From now on, they were believers who had been bestowed true names, and could truly begin to establish a secret cult.
“You may call me the Lord of Gems, and the church is named the Gem Cult. You are my believers, and I must also inform you of my doctrines. Taking dreams as horses, the Dream Domain is my domain, and gems are the condensation of dreams.
“We are named the Gem Cult, but we are actually a Dream Cult. This is a secret second only to the true name and must not be revealed to others.”
A scale emerged, a contract scroll flashed, and the two made a vow of secrecy with Ace by the tributary of the River Styx.
Ace’s figure gradually dimmed, the dream began to shake and shatter, and Ace’s voice also became ethereal.
“From this day forward, the Gem Order is established. John shall be the Divine Proxy, the Pope of Gems. Clyster shall be the Divine Qualified One, the Guardian of Gems. Your primary task is to secretly develop believers, find a Holy Mother, and protect my descent.”
The voice gradually sounded like a disconnected electrical signal, becoming unclear. John and Clyster felt the world spin and gradually fell into a deep sleep.
The sun rose high. The dried Cow-Orchid Tongue Flower Stalk burning in the room had already turned to ashes, its lingering fragrance swirling.
The two, who were sleeping head-to-toe, woke up almost simultaneously.
They felt that true name deep within their souls, the unspeakable true name, containing traces of mana. This was the source of the supernatural.
In the True Name World, only by possessing a true name could one cultivate, use various magic potions, and hold various rituals.
If one didn’t have a true name, it was like not having an internet connection; one couldn’t do anything.
“We finally have the foundation of the supernatural! From today onwards, you and I are no longer the same as in the past. We are believers of the Lord. The Lord’s descending body requires you to find a Holy Mother, but not just any woman can become a Holy Mother. This matter cannot be rushed; we need to look for clues.
“What we need to do now is not find a Holy Mother, nor develop new believers, but improve our strength.”
John’s eyes were burning. His line of thought was very direct: without strength, all actions were empty talk. He had to make himself stronger; at that time, developing the secret order would yield twice the result with half the effort.
“You are the Pope, you have the final say. But we fundamentally don’t know how to improve our strength.”
Clyster shrugged and said in a low voice.
John smiled and said: “That is indeed true. But I remember a sentence from The Locksmith’s Dream: Glimmer in the Hole: if you want to know the path, you must search for it within the dream.”
Clyster couldn’t help but sigh in admiration: “You always say this. I really want to see this book too, to see if it’s really as miraculous as you say.”
John laughed heartily: “If you really want to read it, go buy me a stack of paper first. I will write it down from memory. Once you’ve learned all the characters, you can study it yourself.”
Clyster said in shock: “You memorized that entire book? Didn’t you say you only read a small part?”
John smiled somewhat restrainedly and said: “The Lords of Time warned that people need to be humble at all times. Of course I have to be a bit humble. I can’t exactly tell you that I stayed in Morton’s Bookstore for a day and recited from memory the full text of this most comprehensive book on occultism, right?”
Clyster said admiringly: “Your brain really works well. I also have to study hard to learn to read; having half of yours would be good enough.”
Half a month later, John had already written down the full text of The Locksmith’s Dream: Glimmer in the Hole from memory and thread-bound the book using stitches.
Clyster wanted to use the money he earned as a sailor to renovate his family’s house, but winter wasn’t very suitable, so he had to make do for now. In the cold wooden house full of holes, he flipped through the book John had written from memory.
He quickly found the part he was most interested in and read it aloud in a low voice.
“After obtaining the bestowal of a true name, an engraving will appear in the lake of our minds, which is the so-called true name brand. This brand is our connection with the Lord, and also our credential to communicate with the supernatural power of the world.
“Supernatural power is roughly divided into these directions: strengthening the physical body, strengthening the soul, and strengthening external objects. And specific properties like earth, fire, wind, water, electricity, wood, etc., healing, damage, defense are intricately complex and difficult to describe completely.
“What is certain is that we can simultaneously balance these three directions and dozens of bizarre properties, as long as you aren’t afraid of not making an inch of progress for your entire life.
“The correct approach is to choose a direction that matches your own pursuit, and then incorporate a few properties.
“What exactly is your pursuit? Is it the glimmer in the hole, the joy of the Holy Grail, or the blood of the sharp blade?
“You need to go into the dream to determine your pursuit. Your pursuit is related to your own desires, and also related to the Lord you serve. Following the Lord’s desires, you can go further.
“If you determine your heterogeneous pursuit, you can choose with a specific target.
“Remember, even if you choose to turn your back on the Lord, do not attempt to change your pursuit before turning your back. Turning one’s back is a solitary and lofty action, a higher pursuit, often meaning…”
He didn’t finish reading. Clyster shivered. He felt there was something wrong with this book.
Pondering for a moment, Clyster said:
“John, we need to find our own pursuits, right? Have you found your pursuit?”
John’s eyes suddenly turned azure blue. He slowly stood up and said: “I have already found it. My Lord is so warm. The Lord told me that what He pursues is the truth of the world. And I, starting from the Lord’s desires, have arrived at my own pursuit: rationality is my unremitting pursuit.
“Based on this, the Lord bestowed power upon me. You should also go into the dream, pass through the woodland, to the Church of the Turning Wheel within it. The Lord’s will is right there.”
Listening to John’s voice, Clyster’s eyelids gradually grew heavy, and he slowly fell into a deep sleep. As he slept soundly, the blue light in John’s eyes dissipated.
“This kind of purely spiritual power is still somewhat difficult. I still need time to comprehend the Lord’s bestowal.”
Clyster was already dazed and confused, entering the pure white dream. This was his first time entering the dream alone. He vaguely heard a call, seemingly someone questioning what exactly he sought.
“Light symbolizes justice, wisdom, and fairness. Your pursuit should not stray too far from the Lord’s symbolism.”
John’s voice penetrated the dream and reached Clyster’s ears, making him somewhat clear-headed.
“Since the Lord is brilliance, and John said the Lord pursues truth, I do not know how to pursue it, but I am willing to become the guardian of this path. I want to guard those who pursue truth!”
The pure white room shattered, and the light outside shone in. A beam of intense light hit Clyster directly on the face. A brand of light slowly appeared between his eyebrows, exactly like a shield.
“My believer Clyster, the path you have chosen is the path of guarding truth.”
His heart was like a clear mirror, gently wiped, reflecting brilliant light, spotless.
At this moment, Clyster became resilient, his gaze turning firm. He walked step by step, armor gradually appearing on his body, a longsword and a tall shield appearing in his hands.
Cleaving thorns with the longsword, crushing bushes with the shield, he forcefully carved a path out of the woodland.
The woodland was pitch black. A ruby fragment hovered in mid-air, illuminating Clyster’s path forward, making his heart even firmer.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, deep within the woodland, Clyster finally saw the tall house in the woods he had seen last time.
His ruby fragment bloomed with brilliance, allowing him to roughly see its outline. Not far away was a stone stele, with “Church of the Turning Wheel” written crookedly on it. The stele was very mottled, with faint bloodstains.
Beside the stele was a dirt road. Following the dirt road up for about thirty meters was the main gate of the tall house.
Looking from the outside, this church had about three or four floors, its roof sharply pointed, giving a feeling of piercing straight into the clouds.
The entire building was constructed of pure white marble, very majestic, but as if having endured wind and rain, it was full of the mottling of time.
The main gate was an unknown solid wood door, bearing a faint fragrance. Clyster forcefully pushed it open, and a trace of soft light spilled through the crack in the door.
The crack was only wide enough for one person to squeeze in sideways, and couldn’t be pushed any further no matter what. Clyster had no choice but to squeeze sideways into the church. Clang!
After he walked into the church hall, the door closed automatically.
“Clyster, no need to fear. Calamity has already been expelled by me.”
Clyster looked forward following the voice. A multicolored, brilliant dream-like halo was right in the center of the church hall. The halo undulated like ocean waves, splashing bursts of brilliance, very beautiful.
Clyster slowly approached. As a believer, he prayed piously, crawling closer, feeling warmth and peace in his heart. There was no mistake; this was the power of the Lord.
He opened his body and mind, completely prostrating on the ground, reciting: “Great Lord of Gems, truth is Your pursuit. I am willing to become the guardian on the path of pursuing truth. I beseech Your mercy, bestow upon me wisdom and power.”
The halo rippled, gradually enveloping Clyster. Clyster’s figure gradually became dim and transparent, disappearing without a trace.
Ever since discovering the mapping of this mystical location, the so-called Mansus Illusory Dream, Ace had consciously made the two believers synchronize with this mapping and enter the mapping.
This mapping was actually also the best opportunity to spy on the mystical location. And Ace quickly discovered that the Church of the Turning Wheel was actually a natural hole. External demonic calamities would appear here, and travelers lost in dreams would also occasionally appear.
But the greatest use of this place was allowing Ace to graft His own dream interface onto here. As long as believers came to the Church of the Turning Wheel, they could enter His dream.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Ace named His dream the Gem Dreamscape.
Clyster slowly opened his eyes and got up. A silver moon hung high in the sky, spilling soft moonlight. He subconsciously touched the ground and found it incomparably smooth and clean, reflecting the sky like a mirror.
Standing up and looking around, he found himself in a brilliantly dazzling deposit of gemstones. There were emerald-green agates, clear crystals, azure sapphires, and dazzling diamonds here. If a woman came here, she would probably be blinded by the gems and intoxicated by this beautiful scenery.
As a believer, Clyster’s concentration was slightly stronger. After looking around for almost two hours, he finally restrained his novelty and desires, walking to a gem tree he had just discovered.
This was a miraculous tree, seemingly possessing bizarre fluctuations. Its entire body was translucent, a pure gem tree, and there was even a paragraph of text on it.
“Pray with a quiet mind, match your inner self, seek your true gem as a seed. Ascend the divine mountain, pluck a piece of dreamscape as soil.”
Clyster sat cross-legged under the tree, brilliance blooming. There seemed to be an unseen power guiding him.
An intact gem appeared in his hand. The lofty voice of the Lord told him this was a Meditation Gem.
“Meditation Gem: through it, you can absorb the mana wandering in the environment and enter a profound and mysterious state of meditation.”
Such a sentence flowed in Clyster’s heart. He gripped the gem tightly and focused his attention. The Meditation Gem seemed to be activated. Clyster quickly entered a meditative state, his spirit transparent and clear. Sensing the rhythm of mana around him, he recalled the pursuit he had already determined: guarding the pursuers of truth.
This spiritual rhythm formed a mysterious resonance with the gem tree. A gem fell from the canopy, silver-white all over, like a small, exquisite shield.
Clyster grasped the silver shield gem, instantly understanding that this was a gem containing the power of guardianship.
“Walk behind the tree, climb to the top of the gem mountain, pluck a cloud, place the Meditation Gem and the Guardian Gem within it, and I shall bestow upon you an exclusive dreamscape.”
Little sprites vaguely appeared, singing cheerfully. Above the clouds, there seemed to be sounds of cheering.
In this bizarre gem world, Clyster climbed step by step. This road seemed very, very long. The armor on his body was also incomparably heavy. Relying entirely on his resilient will for support, he arduously climbed to the top of the mountain, above the colorful clouds.
This was the zenith of the Gem Dreamscape World. There seemed to be a voice beside Clyster urging him, telling him to take out his Guardian Gem and Meditation Gem.
Clyster tossed the two gems. The two gems flickered with light, orbiting like a binary star system, playing in the colorful clouds, actually gradually merging into a completely transparent crystal.
“This is the Origin Crystal! The source of power bestowed upon me by the great Lord of Gems.”
Clyster took a step forward, stepping into the colorful clouds. The Origin Crystal fell into his hand. Suddenly, he felt the world spin, actually plummeting from the colorful clouds.
When he opened his eyes, he found it was already late in the day. John was sitting beside him. Seeing Clyster wake up, John smiled slightly and said: “It seems you have determined your path and activated the Origin Crystal.
“The Lord of Gems has bestowed upon us an exclusive dreamscape, which is also the foundation of our standing and the source of our power.
“Communicate your mind with the Origin Crystal, and you can enter the dreamscape. We can now call ourselves Gem Apostles.
“According to the continent’s tradition, supernaturals are born from the bestowal of true names. The most basic are Believers, then Apostles, High Apostles, Foreseers, Prophets, and so on.
“We can be considered to have crossed the threshold.”
Clyster was also somewhat excited. He communicated his mind with the Origin Crystal, entering the exclusive eternal dreamscape deep within his soul.
The Origin Crystal transformed into a seed. He planted the seed according to the unseen guidance. Like a crystal falling onto the surface of a calm lake, it caused ripples after ripples. Clyster’s ruby fragment was also floating here.
The ruby fragment overlapped with the phantom of an intact ruby. Clyster’s mind delved deep into it, perceiving the information.
“Through devout faith meditation and passing the trial after the Pure White Door, complete this gem.”
After opening his eyes, Clyster and John looked at each other excitedly. Without a doubt, he wanted to complete the gem.
The wisp of Ace’s thought clone residing in the ruby quietly observed all of this. There were three things Ace needed to do now.
(Chapter finished)
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