Otherworldly Desert Dust

What met his eyes was a village brimming with shade-loving plants, thick green moss covered the stone walls and rooftops, and the lush vines, like ancient trees in the sky, reached for the eaves, with the sunlight being cut into strips by these plants, falling like stage lights onto the leaf-strewn grass. A gentle breeze swept through, sending leaves fluttering down as the wind chimes in front of the houses began to sway, producing a pleasant and melodic sound. Wu Hen lay beneath this ancient tree, only after his consciousness had fully awakened did he realize that the glittering brilliant Yuan You was actually the warm sun in the clear blue sky, and his excited emotions immediately cooled down a bit. "This sun," he thought, "is clearly no ordinary sun." Wu Hen had powerful spiritual perception, and now he looked directly at the sun from the cover of the ancient tree, only to discover that this sun was not as distant as it seemed. He could vaguely make out a pair of wings on it, fluttering at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, as it slowly headed towards the horizon. "How similar it is in temperament to Zai Wu. I don't know what laws govern this place, but at least this sun is surely a pretender, how discernible it is remains to be seen," Wu Hen mused to himself. The High-dimensional Yuan You was up there on the celestial body of the day, yet whether it was a mythical creature, an eternal cosmic star god, or simply a pure, unsullied Holy Spirit, was unknown. Being new here, Wu Hen needed to figure out where he was and what role he was supposed to play. He began to observe his surroundings. The village was quite simple with flower fields, rice ridges, fruit orchards, and a large, fragrant herbal garden. A variety of sweet flowers and raspberries added a splash of color to the verdant village and filled the air with an intoxicating fragrance. "Stop sleeping; it's time to get to work," said an elderly man as he came over and tapped Wu Hen with his walking stick. Wu Hen got up, looking bewildered at the old man whose face was covered with wrinkles and dark spots. "Still groggy from sleep?" the elder came closer with a pair of wise and profound eyes scrutinizing Wu Hen, then slightly frowned, as if sensing something unusual about Wu Hen's aura, he began to sigh for no apparent reason. This time, Wu Hen had awoken in the form of a soul, theoretically emitting a special biological signal that could influence people around the original host. Before entering the Cang Chu Divine Realm, Wu Hen wanted to enhance his perception. Finally awakening successfully, it was akin to exploring the Cang Chu Divine Realm as someone else ahead of time. "You're an Awakener, aren't you?" the old man astonishingly saw right through him and bluntly stated. "Ah, this…" Wu Hen was visibly embarrassed. "There's nothing to panic about. There are countless wanderers and lost souls on this land; isn't being lost a form of release and awakening a journey through Hell?" the old man remarked. "Alright, I indeed am an Awakener, new to this place. Please, enlighten me," Wu Hen replied. "No matter what status you held before or whether you were a High-level Predator in this Otherworldly Dust, since you've awakened in our village, please abide by the rules. Do nothing excessive or perilous to us," the old man also stated straightforwardly. "Are we in the Cang Chu Divine Realm?" Wu Hen inquired. "I suppose so. This land you stand on is called Flowing Soil, dominated by dark technology. If you practice any Cosmic Mysterious Techniques, I advise you not to use your abilities rashly, or the consequences will be dire. Can you remember my words, young man?" The old man seemed to possess a higher level of world comprehension and thoughtfully warned. "Elder, I am very strong…" Wu Hen responded with a smile. "When night falls, are you the stars in the sky?" the old man questioned. Wu Hen shook his head. "Then live humbly. Abide by our rules here, and you won't be shortchanged," the old man declared. "Alright, I'll listen to you," Wu Hen conceded. "Get to work. Put your strength into caring for those herbs; before long, you'll thank me," the old man spoke. Seemingly aware that Wu Hen was new, the old man specially gave Wu Hen a herbal manual, instructing him on how to manage the soil and pests in the herbal garden. Wu Hen was baffled. Lord Wu Hen, who had slain the Purple Robed Master, chopped down Female and Male Dragons, killed high-dimensional insects, and overturned the Martial God Alliance, the strongest man in the universe, had inexplicably ended up in this village as a small farmer, tending to the old man's herbal garden—were these things even worth a Yuan You? "Elder, what's with the sun? Can you tell me about it?" Wu Hen asked while laboring in the herbal garden, sweat pouring down like rain. "It's just as you see. We need its light for these herbs to grow," the old man replied—clearly, he knew the sun was not normal. After completing his work as per the old man's instructions, it wasn't until evening that the old man brought over a platter of food, which looked like a porridge made from some grain, paired with some raspberries—it was dinner. "Go take a walk, get to know the place. Do you know your name?" the old man said. Wu Hen shook his head; all he knew was he was an apprentice in this herbal garden, a laborer working for the old man. As for whether there was any blood relationship, Wu Hen himself wasn't too clear. "They all call you 'Pale Face Kid,' politely as 'Little White,' and rudely as 'White Radish.' You must be an orphaned refugee, whom I picked up on the road. You work for me," the old man said. "I don't have a name?" Wu Hen asked. "When I picked you up, you didn't tell me either!" the old man said irritably. "Maybe I have some illustrious background, like a down-and-out prince or something. Do I have any special identifiers on me?" Wu Hen inquired. The old man laughed, waving his hands dismissively, "You have quite a sense of humor. Hurry on now, you need to roll back here before dark." "Is there something out there after dark?" Wu Hen immediately asked with caution. The old man seemed somewhat surprised, sizing up Wu Hen, "How do you know there's something after dark?" "Honest to you as you seem, I won't hide it from you. I once awoke in an Evil City where the sun was actually a terrifying Evil Spirit. Its light, like sinful silk, would bore into the living's brains, turning them into Evil Spirit monsters. Back then, my perception was rather weak; I didn't understand the mystery and strangeness, but now my perception is much stronger, and I can smell a similar presence to that Evil City in the air of this land," Wu Hen said. The seaside Evil City... The place where dreams began. How could Wu Hen forget those years? The apocalyptic Evil City was filled with terror and strangeness, yet what imprinted on his memory was the subtle charm amid the gloom. "Oh, then you're not just any 'Awakener.' Indeed, terrifying things do come out at night, but it's best if you see them for yourself with your own eyes," the old man said. "Alright, so I should just stroll around and greet the other villagers?" Wu Hen said. "Buy some bread on your way back, and if there's Raspberry jam, get that too, but don't let those lazy, gluttonous youths drag you off to drink," the old man cautioned. Wu Hen scratched his head, feeling that the old man was talking about very trivial matters. It was like living in a village as a young fellow with an old man, doing farm work that offered no prospects but was enough to sustain them both, a life that was monotonous but comfortable. The sun descended slowly. Wu Hen estimated that he had nearly two hours' time. The golden sunlight streamed softly through the ancient trees into this tranquil and peaceful village. Watching the clear brook twist its way through, it almost felt like returning to his childhood home in the countryside. Wu Hen remembered that when his grandfather was alive, the family often visited their country house in the village. No matter how influential Wu Yingting was in the Li City business world, he had to work for his grandfather when he returned to his family home in the village. As a child, Wu Hen had also followed his grandfather to the fields, chasing wild rabbits with the village kids and collecting bird eggs. But after his grandfather passed away, they hardly ever went back to the village. This village gave Wu Hen a similar feeling... Back then, the boy who chased dragonflies and butterflies through the fields, the boy who lay on the balcony watching the stars—how could he have imagined that he would one day become a power in the cosmos? The gap was so vast that he found it almost inconceivable, momentarily unclear which life was really a dream. Passing through the village brook, Wu Hen saw a small shop selling baked bread at the doorstep. The aroma was enticing, and since the porridge Wu Hen had earlier was hardly filling, he bought a piece and continued to stroll, eating as he walked. "Brother Xiao Bai!" Just as Wu Hen arrived at the village gathering place, he heard a sweet voice. It made him feel dazed for a moment, and in a trance, he saw little Yu Yu, only eight or nine years old, picking a large bunch of wildflowers and trotting over to him. She wouldn't call out like the little girl he just heard, but her laughter was as melodious as wind chimes. "Brother Xiao Bai, why are you ignoring me!" the little girl who had called out earlier ran up to Wu Hen, pouting her small red lips, unsatisfied. Wu Hen was taken aback, then realized that the one being called the dog-like name 'Xiao Bai'... was himself. "I was lost in thought just now, sorry," Wu Hen said, looking at the country girl of about ten years old, and hurriedly explained. "Did you come to buy our Raspberry jam?" the little girl asked. "Yes," Wu Hen nodded, remembering the old man had asked him to buy some. "Then let's go together. Can you tell me another fun story, like about the monsters you met while wandering?" the girl immediately extended her hand, taking hold of Wu Hen's palm. Wu Hen felt a slight aversion. After all, in the very place where the first dream started, there was also a seemingly harmless little girl with delicate features. To be honest, this village was comfortable and tranquil, and the villagers kind and friendly, but Wu Hen was convinced that things were not as simple as they seemed. Perhaps when night fell, the entire village would turn into terrible Evil Spirits, Demons, Sang Demons, and then brutally devour him, the "foreigner." In any case, Wu Hen was not likely to let down his guard so easily, especially with such cute-appearing, adorable little girls. Whether she had legs or tentacles under her skirt, it was hard to say!