Chapter 63: Dream of the Womb, Words of a Child

"Ah!"

As Ji Ming sensed something strange about the jade pillow, he let out a low growl and instinctively tried to throw it aside.

With a thud, to his surprise, Ji Ming suddenly collapsed onto the jade pillow and fell into a deep, drowsy sleep.

In the final moment before he drifted off, his last thought was, "Will I become a celestial being in my dream?"

Inside the cave, three young children climbed to the entrance, struggling to carry a bucket of freshly washed clothes. They walked through the shaded forest, hanging the garments to dry on the tree branches.

The little girl Mingyue was the most carefree, holding a short wooden sword, poking at the grass and scraping at the tree bark.

Sunlight lazily filtered through the overlapping leaves, casting mottled shadows across the tranquil mountain woods.

Occasionally, a few stubborn beams of light broke through the foliage, falling onto the winding forest path, a trail stamped out by the children during their playful romps.

Mingyue breathed in the fresh scent of earth and leaves that filled the air—a faint, sweet aroma, as if laced with a hint of enchantment.

"So comfortable!"

She stood dazed beneath the trees, sometimes gazing at the clothes and cranes fluttering at the treetops, sometimes staring up at the sunlight streaming through the leaves.

Then, by the edge of a flat stone among the weeds, she spotted a long, shiny, black body already fast asleep.

Mingyue tiptoed over and lay down beside it.

She rested her little head on one of the segments, enjoying the breeze scented with trees and flowers, listening to the tranquil sound of the stream echoing from the foot of the peak, and finally drifting into a deep slumber.

Not long after, two more small figures joined her, lying down and resting their heads on the glossy shell.

Among them, Qingfeng, even in his sleep, pulled a transparent, delicate wing over his belly.

...

Within the dream, there was the sound of chanting, as if separated by a wall—it was indistinct, but unmistakably a melodious female voice.

"Focus your mind on the vital point, and remain still for a long time. When the stillness reaches its peak, true yang stirs, and the rising yang energy seeks to break through—this is called the return of yang, the 'Living Hour,' also known as the small elixir, the sensation of qi. In this Living Hour, stir the lower dantian, let the small elixir grow—this is the first step of practicing the Minor Celestial Circuit. When achieved, the vital essence flowers on its own..."

Just as Ji Ming tried to concentrate and listen more closely, the drowsiness intensified, as did the sensation of being tightly wrapped, as if he were nestled in a warm vessel.

"Hiss—"

On the other side of the wall, a woman seemed to gasp in pain.

"Taia, I feel movement," her gentle voice sounded again from beyond the "wall."

Ji Ming sensed a large hand pressing softly, cautiously, against the outer side of the "wall."

Then a deep male voice seemed to speak right through the barrier. "I had someone divine it—these are twins, a dragon and a phoenix. They are a gift from the Southern Serpent."

"Southern Serpent?"

The term stirred some memories in Ji Ming.

Among the miscellaneous books in the old shaman woman's house, there was one she had copied from her maternal clan in the Liling mountains—the Shitu tribe.

This book contained legends of the Southern Serpent in Liling, a deity revered by the Shitu. So, was this man also from the Shitu tribe?

Just as he was pondering, the sensation of constriction intensified. Ji Ming felt light-headed and heavy-footed, unable to tell if he was in a dream or in reality.

"Are they about to come out?" the woman asked, stifling her pain.

"It's only been six months!" the man replied, a tremor of panic in his voice.

"Am I being born now?" Even Ji Ming, slow as he might be, realized what was happening and panicked. All his belongings were still left behind in the southeast of Hengshan, not yet dealt with!

"Mmm—"

Ji Ming seemed to awaken from a long dream, his consciousness stirring within the centipede's body.

Beside him, the three children rested their heads against him. Seeing their innocent faces, Ji Ming refrained from waking them abruptly.

The yellow millet jade pillow had lost much of its luster; cracks had appeared within the jade, as if it might shatter at any moment.

The pillow must have been activated by the treasure eye earlier, drawing Ji Ming into a dream and into the womb of a celestial being in his next life.

"Good thing I woke up. Otherwise, being born prematurely, the chance of dying would be very high." Ji Ming felt a surge of relief, but as he recalled the experience, he murmured, "Reincarnation... dream."

The more he pondered, the more intriguing it seemed.

If he could control this reincarnation dream, he would no longer be plagued by endless cycles of rebirth and starting anew; the next life as a celestial would hold boundless potential.

Yes, that's right—boundless potential.

Furthermore, the mention of the "Southern Serpent" he heard within the womb—did this mean that the expectant nun was somewhere in the mountains of Liling?

Ji Ming looked again at the yellow millet pillow. It might be good for one more use, but there was no guarantee he would hear anything useful in the womb, and it seemed to trigger contractions.

No matter; this was his only pillow, best reserved for testing the reincarnation dream next time.

The three children slowly awoke, one by one sitting up on the soft grass near the stone slab, their eyes fixed on Ji Ming's yellow millet jade pillow.

"Go on, pack your things. Tomorrow I'll send you to Bald Brush Peak."

With matters in the cave settled, there was nothing else to do—only to ensure the survival of his own bloodline.

Next, Ji Ming would keep his appointment to ascend Perilous Bird Mountain with the Golden Nemean Ape, and meet with Lord Red Intent and Wen Daoyu to seek out the Armor Ridge Serpent.

This serpent had deliberately lured the Golden Nemean Ape and Ji Ming to the third peak, and according to Lord Red Intent, had long been in contact with the Daoist of Righteous Nation from the Temple of Four Bitter Clouds. There was definitely something wrong.

Perhaps the Armor Ridge Serpent was the key to discovering the exact location of the celestial fetus.

The three children were mentally prepared and did not cry or fuss; in their eyes was both anticipation for the future and unease at leaving their familiar home.

Mingyue, the little girl, came up to Ji Ming and said seriously, "When I become strong and learn spells and magic, I'll come find you in the mountains and take care of you."

Qingfeng squeezed in, pushing Mingyue aside, and blurted out, "Then I'll come and make you my mount! Whatever I eat, you'll eat too!"

Ji Ming resisted the urge to knock some sense into Qingfeng—the least thoughtful of the three.

Songhe, on the other hand, said nothing, simply looking at Ji Ming earnestly, as if everything was understood without words.

Ji Ming felt a wave of emotion. No matter what, he hadn't raised any traitors. He asked for nothing more—this alone was enough.

The next day, the three children packed their belongings, and Ji Ming donned his monk's robe once more, slinging his old peachwood sword across his back.

Before setting out, Ji Ming gave them instructions.

"I will take you to the foot of Bald Brush Peak. There, you must serve Madam Zhang well and never mention me. If anyone asks who brought you, say it was the son of the River God of Nanpan, the Golden Nemean Ape."