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Chapter 222 - 221: The Road to Awakening

"...So that’s how it is." Chen Xuan nodded after listening to her explanation, "I understand the general situation."

"Dr. Chen, can you cure her?" Gu Zhaoning asked impatiently.

"Hmm... How should I put it?" He looked at Su Xingwan, who was gazing at him with a complex expression—apparently, she doubted his ability but was eager for an answer different from other doctors. "Actually, it’s okay not to treat her because she doesn’t actually have a disease."

"Eh?" Gu Zhaoning was slightly taken aback.

Su Xingwan’s reaction was more intense; she stood up excitedly, "I’m sorry unless I heard you wrong, are you suggesting that all of this is just my imagination? Because it’s just a dream, so it’s irrelevant!?"

"Xingwan, don’t get excited, sit down first!" Gu Zhaoning tugged at her hand.

"No need! I’ve heard such words from others many times!" Her face turned pale with anger, "Because they can’t find the cause, they say it’s my hallucination, anyway, I look perfectly fine! Ning, I’m leaving!"

Just as she took two steps, Su Xingwan suddenly felt dizzy and her legs gave way, dropping to the ground.

Gu Zhaoning hurriedly stepped forward to support her, "Dr. Chen, does she really seem fine with this appearance?"

"It should be due to poor sleep causing excessive fatigue and insufficient cerebral blood supply." Chen Xuan turned back, speaking leisurely, "Actually, she just needs a good sleep to restore her health."

"Easy for you to say!" Su Xingwan clutched her head, in agony, "If I encounter another long torturous nightmare, I... I’d rather die!"

"No problem, I can help you solve your dream issue."

"Forget it, you don’t even believe my words, how can you possibly cure me? I shouldn’t have come with hope—" In mid-sentence, she suddenly froze, "Wait, you can stop me from dreaming?"

"Yes." Chen Xuan nodded calmly.

"But you just said I’m not sick!"

"Because you really aren’t." He shrugged, "Or we should even congratulate you."

"Why?" Gu Zhaoning couldn’t help but ask.

"Because you are about to awaken your abilities."

"Awaken...abilities?" Su Xingwan said in confusion.

Gu Zhaoning reacted faster, "It’s Superpower Users! Aren’t they popping up everywhere nowadays? Some can shoot fire, some can even fly!"

"Me?" She still couldn’t quite believe it.

"Yes," Chen Xuan nodded, "That’s why you are dreaming."

Of course, this was his fabrication. He had become the Ability Store owner due to having recurring dreams, so seeing someone else experiencing incredibly realistic dreamscapes suggested to him that the person might gain abilities, which was a bit like cutting the boat to mark the water level.

The reason he made this judgment was simple, relying on what he saw through his glasses.

In his view, Su Xingwan had only one ability.

—"???"?, White.

Though she was the band lead singer, she didn’t seem to possess performance talents.

Even Fei Wuniang had a "Dancing Genius" trait.

The question mark ability had no description, not enough for Chen Xuan to determine she was about to awaken ability, the reason he spun this tale was due to another discovery.

That was the Qi.

Su Xingwan had a spiritual Qi response, albeit very faint, but under the Celestial Mist Skill reconnaissance, it still emitted occasional weak flashes.

Moreover, this Qi was scattered rather than condensed, superficially more akin to a Demon Fiend.

Su Xingwan was evidently not a demon.

Nor did she practice any heart method and it’s unlikely she absorbed Demon Fiend spiritual Qi.

Thus, the answer was somewhat clear.

It’s very likely there was a Demon Fiend attached to her.

Coincidentally, Chen Xuan knew of a type of Demon Fiend not only inconspicuous after possession but also enjoying using humans, especially Cultivators’ dreamscapes to absorb nutrients.

"Shadow Demon."

This type of Demon Fiend had been used by Liu Zhidong for soul replacement, cleverly escaping Lotus Cloud Sect’s scrutiny using the Golden Cicada Shell Escape Technique of substituting peaches for plums.

But since Chen Xuan wasn’t a demon-slaying expert, he couldn’t outrightly confirm Su Xingwan was dealing with a Shadow Demon, he could merely say her description matched its characteristics quite closely.

"Miss Su, have you heard about tribulation transcendence?" Chen Xuan changed the subject.

"Tribulation...transcendence?" Su Xingwan, just returning from the topic of awakening abilities, was baffled again, "The type from cultivation stories?"

"Yes, to break through to a new realm, one must overcome the challenges of the former, or risk backlash. You don’t need to transcend tribulations, but your situation is similar... abilities can grant you strength, yet before you truly adapt to them, they may jeopardize yourself."

Su Xingwan stared at Chen Xuan, seemingly trying to discern whether this was genuine or mere joke.

"Believe it or not is up to you." Chen Xuan recognized her skepticism, "Actually, those doctors aren’t wrong, this isn’t an illness but a gift of fate. They only treat you because your attitude and your friend’s status influenced them, turning their efforts into placebo-like futile attempts."

She lowered her head into silence.

"Xingwan..." Gu Zhaoning urged beside her, "You have to believe in Dr. Chen, he’s truly remarkable, resolving ailments even Beitian Academy couldn’t handle all by himself."

Moments later, Su Xingwan forced a bitter smile, "I understand now, how difficult it really is to immediately accept something contrary to common sense everywhere. I’m sorry, Dr. Chen, I was acting irrationally earlier..."

Chen Xuan nodded without further words.

She hadn’t lost her sanity despite being unable to sleep soundly for a year, hence he wasn’t surprised by her previous reactions.

"What should be done next to prevent her from having nightmares?" Gu Zhaoning inquired for her friend.

She had never doubted Chen Xuan’s words throughout.

"You mentioned earlier that there’re monsters chasing you in dreams, right?" Chen Xuan answered with a question.

"Yes..." Su Xingwan nodded lightly, "Not just one kind, sometimes it’s a giant spider, sometimes it’s like a bandaged monster from horror movies, and other times, I don’t even know how to describe those things. I tried resisting in dreams, but never succeeded, ultimately dying in various ways."

"Do you wake when you die?"

"No...it just transitions into another nightmare. I’m not sure about the awakening trigger, the longest I lasted in a dream was thirty days." Su Xingwan’s voice trembled slightly while recounting this, "Even when monsters get me, they don’t kill me right away, instead endlessly torturing me into a fate worse than death..."

"The monsters you encounter are the manifestations of your tribulation." Chen Xuan spoke confidently, "Once you destroy them, the nightmares will end."

The Shadow Demon was likely drawn to her due to her ability awakening, attaching to her to consume her emotional fluctuations by manufacturing fear and pain in dreams.

"But I’m no match for them!"

"That’s why I will enter your dreams to assist."

Upon this remark, both were dumbfounded.

Dreams are ethereal and intangible; yet, communication was possible?

Even Chen Xuan was surprised hearing Liu Shuyue mention this method, but it was indeed the most common technique Lotus Cloud Sect cultivators used against Shadow Demons—no conventional demon-slaying technique could touch them unless the spell caster also entered the dreamcenes fabricated by them. Since this dream wasn’t naturally formed, it had exploitable weakspots allowing external intervention.

Su Xingwan was somewhat fearful when it came to sleeping, "Is this truly feasible?"

"Since you sought me, I can only offer this solution."

"What if I fall asleep...without having nightmares?"

"Then you simply catch up on sleep. Keep sleeping until a nightmare emerges."

Su Xingwan showed a deeply conflicted expression.

To others, sleep might last just seven or eight hours, enduring it effortlessly. But it’s different for her, once a nightmare develops, ending within hours isn’t possible.

"If I understand correctly, you’ll also appear in the dream, battling monsters alongside her, right?" Gu Zhaoning questioned.

Chen Xuan nodded, "Theoretically, yes."

"Then give it a try." She helped her friend seated on the ground, "You’ve always faced nightmares alone till now, but this time Dr. Chen will stand by you, there will definitely be changes! Didn’t you mention regardless of cost, you wanted this strange disease cured? This might be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for!"

Su Xingwan was eventually persuaded, she mustered courage and looked towards Chen Xuan, "Then...please help."