The surrounding darkness and emptiness gradually receded, first revealing the outlines of mountains, followed by the colors of plants and trees.
Standing in the wilderness opposite Li Banfeng was a man. His head was narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, forming a triangle. He had a nose half a foot long, which covered his mouth and hung down to his chin.
Grandpa Train, sounding his steam whistle, said, "Traveler friend, the creature ahead is called Meng Xuan, originally a Dream Eating Tapir, a Tenth Layer Dream Cultivator!"
Li Banfeng was startled; the strange person opposite him actually possessed cultivation at the Tenth Layer.
He had seen a lot, but at this moment, his heart was in his throat.
If it were someone else, they would probably lose their sanity. In Puluo State’s common understanding, the Tenth Layer represented the pinnacle of cultivation—an insurmountable existence.
"Tough to fight, eh!" Grandpa Train sounded the steam whistle again. "Dream Cultivators are different from other Cultivators. His true form can enter other people’s dreams, and we have to fight his true form in the dream. How much of a disadvantage would you say we are at?"
Meanwhile, the Tenth Layer Dream Cultivator had already vanished.
Grandpa Train continued, "He can change at will within the dream realm, becoming plants or animals. It’s unclear whether he’s near or far, where exactly he is, or when he will strike, but..."
Before he could finish, the Tenth Layer Dream Cultivator suddenly appeared beside Li Banfeng, ready to pull him off Grandpa Train’s back.
Li Banfeng was completely unprepared and couldn’t even react in time.
The Tenth Layer Dream Cultivator reached out. Just as he was about to grab Li Banfeng, a smirk appeared on that triangular face.
His smirk flashed by and quickly disappeared, for his face was covered by the sole of Grandpa Train’s shoe.
"But so what?" Grandpa Train kicked the Tenth Layer Dream Cultivator in the face and continued his previous thought, "Can’t we just be faster than him?"
BOOM!
The Tenth Layer Dream Cultivator was sent flying, his body embedded in the mountain rocks.
Ignoring the Tenth Layer Dream Cultivator, Grandpa Train carried Li Banfeng on his back and sprinted forward.
"Traveler friend, you’ve had a long and hard journey. The final station is almost here. This train offers you a performance of ’Train Ballad’ to ease the weariness of your trip."
As he spoke, hundreds of people appeared, surrounding Grandpa Train.
"Are these all Tenth Layer Cultivators?"
"Some are even beyond that," Grandpa Train strode forward, singing a nursery rhyme as he went:
"Running on flat ground, crossing mountains and streams, huffing and puffing with smoke billowing,
Adding coal and water, we set off, the train starts with boundless power,
Crossing bridges, tunneling through, steel wheels tumble through perilous passes,
Unafraid of a thousand difficulties, we travel thousands of rivers without delay or error."
As he sang the nursery rhyme, Grandpa Train dashed forward.
A bull-headed Cultivator with a pair of horns blocked Grandpa Train’s path, clearly frightened.
But he had no choice. Only by achieving this merit could he compete to become the Local Deity.
Singing his song, Grandpa Train simply bypassed the ox-headed Cultivator.
By the time the bull-head reacted, Grandpa Train was already far away.
The bull-head looked back at Grandpa Train’s retreating figure, then exploded into a mass of flesh and blood.
Li Banfeng saw not a trace of exhaustion or fatigue on Grandpa Train.
Up ahead, a group of sturdy Body Cultivators blocked the way. Grandpa Train stomped heavily.
BOOM!
Li Banfeng first felt the earth shake, then a ringing in his ears.
A chaotic rain of stones fell, and blood blossoms flew everywhere. The Body Cultivators immediately fell to the ground as Grandpa Train stepped over their bodies and marched on.
Li Banfeng looked back and saw dust rising high into the air, forming what seemed to be a cloud.
"Attention, traveler friend, we’re about to go through a tunnel!"
Li Banfeng looked forward, only to see a sheer rock face; no tunnel was in sight.
"Elder Brother, it seems like there’s no path ahead."
Grandpa Train’s expression became slightly grave. "There was a path here originally, but a formidable person has sealed it off."
As he spoke, Grandpa Train looked up at the sky.
Following his gaze, Li Banfeng saw a woman dressed in white circling above.
Meng Qian!
Without halting, Grandpa Train charged towards the rock face and shouted, "Open up!"
Dust and debris rose from the cliff face, and a tunnel piercing through the mountain appeared.
Grandpa Train took a breath and said, "The place has changed; we’ve entered that woman’s dream realm. The exertion this time was indeed quite significant."
While he was speaking, the rocks on both sides of the tunnel rapidly moved toward each other as if a wound were swiftly healing. The tunnel was quickly shrinking.
"Open!" Grandpa Train shouted again, and the continually narrowing tunnel enlarged somewhat.
"Duck!" Grandpa Train bellowed, and Li Banfeng quickly lowered his head.
The moment the train burst out of the mountain cave, the tunnel closed instantly, nearly trapping Li Banfeng inside.
Grandpa Train laughed. "That was really close. If I had run even a step slower, you would have been trapped in the mountain forever."
Li Banfeng was curious. "What happens if I die in the dream?"
"Then you’re dead. The remaining body will be soulless," Grandpa Train’s answer was very succinct.
Li Banfeng looked around. A large number of vines and thorns had appeared; they were now in the Thorn Bushes. "Are we still in that woman’s dream?"
"Still in," Grandpa Train blew the whistle. "Traveler friend, the train is going to speed up!"
WHOOSH!
A gale swept through, and the thorns cut his face like knives. Grandpa Train charged desperately. Li Banfeng dared not lower his head, as he needed to observe the dream realm’s Border Line at all times.
Meng Qian, circling in the air, furrowed her brow.
She usually didn’t show much emotion, but this time her opponent was too strong; Grandpa Train had already reached the edge of the Thorn Bushes.
Meng Qian waved her long sleeves, and the scope of the Thorn Bushes began to rapidly expand.
Within a Dream Cultivator’s dream realm, they wield great control. The Thorn Bushes represented the extent of the dream realm. If Meng Qian had the stamina, she could seemingly expand her dream realm indefinitely.
But the prerequisite was that the dream realm’s expansion had to be faster than Grandpa Train’s speed.
In front of Grandpa Train, not many thorns remained.
Some thorns had just sprouted vines and hadn’t yet grown spikes when they were already crushed beneath Grandpa Train’s feet.
Sweat poured down Meng Qian’s face. She bit into a lock of her hair, flung her long sleeves aside, and strained with all her might to extend the dream realm.
Grandpa Train ran faster and faster, having already charged to the edge of the dream realm.
With a gasp, Meng Qian tasted blood at the corner of her mouth. Clutching her chest, she collapsed to the ground.
She had failed.
She couldn’t stop Grandpa Train.
The opponent was simply too strong. Even though she was the Chief Leader of the Dream Cultivators, even though this was her own dream, she was no match for Grandpa Train.
"TOOT-TOOT!" Grandpa Train sounded his whistle. "We’ve reached the terminal station, Brother, are you ready?"
Li Banfeng had already seen the Border Line of the dream realm.
"Elder Brother, aren’t you coming with me?"
"I can’t. My body is in the Inner State," Grandpa Train said, slowing down.
"Elder Brother, I’m leaving." Li Banfeng leaped up, heading for the Border Line.
Grandpa Train reached out a hand, widening the Border Line.
Though not too familiar with the mad old man, at the moment of parting, Li Banfeng felt somewhat sentimental.
Perhaps he would never find someone so perfectly attuned to him in this world again.
"Elder Brother..."
"Hurry on your way." Grandpa Train was also a bit reluctant to let Li Banfeng go.
BANG!
Li Banfeng slammed into the Border Line, unable to break through.
Grandpa Train clicked his tongue; the situation had become somewhat awkward.
Meng Qian had already pursued them from midair. Although this was beyond her dream realm’s Border Line, as long as she was still within a dream, a Dream Cultivator had absolute control.
The peerless beauty rushed toward Li Banfeng, who was sprawled on the ground, about to pick him up.
"Break!" shouted Grandpa Train.
As his voice fell, a rock wall burst from the ground. The peerless beauty slammed right into it. She slid down, her hands clutching the rocks, a wisp of immortal aura trailing after her.
The Path-breaking Technique could make a path, and it could also block one.
Seizing the chance, Li Banfeng scrambled up from the ground. Using the Footwork Grandpa Train had taught him, along with the Unobstructed Technique, he charged into the dream realm’s Border Line.
His figure vanished.
Grandpa Train smiled, retracted the Technique, and looked down at Meng Qian on the ground.
Meng Qian tidied her torn clothes and messy hair, nonchalantly maintained her languid expression, and said to Grandpa Train, "I run an inn, and it’s not an easy job. Why make things difficult for me?"
"My Taoist Sect also had a tough time nurturing a good disciple. He shouldn’t perish here," Grandpa Train replied with a smile.
Meng Qian shook her head. "They invited him to the Dream Tugging Tower precisely because they knew he was a talent from your Taoist Sect."
Grandpa Train nodded. "And then, using this talent from the Taoist Sect, they planned to trick the Craftsmanship Method for the train out of me."
Meng Qian sighed softly. "I can’t control what they want to do. As long as his real body is still in the Dream Tugging Tower and he doesn’t run around, he’ll be fine. Once they give permission, they will naturally let him go."
"Girl, stop talking nonsense," Grandpa Train chuckled. "His real body isn’t in the Dream Tugging Tower. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have to exert so much effort to chase me.
"And let me tell you one more thing: this disciple from my Taoist Sect can leave whenever he wants. He doesn’t need to wait for anyone’s permission. The fine young men of my Taoist Sect aren’t accustomed to pandering to others."
「...」
A train whistle startled Li Banfeng awake. He opened his eyes to find himself still on a train.
The train...
The train!
"Why am I still on the train!" Li Banfeng thought he was still in the dream. Looking around, he noticed other passengers gazing at him oddly.
What kind of train was this?
Definitely not Grandpa Train.
This one had an engine, carriages, and windows.
The buildings outside were just a few meters from the carriage.
This was a train that could pass through narrow alleys.
This was the train at Black Stone Slope.
At the station, the conductors changed shifts, exchanging a few words.
"Has that guy come again?"
"He has. This is the third day. He always gets on the first train, and in the evening, he switches to the night train and keeps riding."
"Shouldn’t we kick him off?"
"Why kick him off? He pays two hundred for the fare each time, and no change needed. Just let him sit there."
「...」
"Little Brother, you’re finally awake! You’ve been sleepwalking for three days, sitting on this train every day. We couldn’t wake you."
"Sir, what happened? Are you sick?"
Several Magical Treasures questioned him incessantly. Li Banfeng told them to be quiet.
Faintly, he heard a ballad in his ears:
"Running on flat ground, crossing mountains and streams, huffing and puffing with smoke billowing,
Adding coal and water, we set off, the train starts with boundless power,
Crossing bridges, tunneling through, steel wheels tumble through perilous passes,
Unafraid of a thousand difficulties, we travel thousands of rivers without delay or error."
Li Banfeng stood in the carriage, looking around, but he couldn’t find the source of the voice.
He also vaguely heard someone speaking to him:
"Brother, you’ve already left.
"Hold onto the train; don’t give it to anyone. Even if I come looking for it one day, you must not hand it over.
"Remember my words. I entrust it to you."
PS: A Traveling Cultivator Grandmaster. Ban Feng owes him a debt of gratitude. Does he still have a chance to escape from the Inner State?