Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Enchanting World of Dreams

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At four in the afternoon, the two had basically mastered the lifesaving knowledge. Peng Dongli suggested they call it a day and let Zhang Mingyang get a good night’s rest.

Descending from the launch tower, Xiao Liu led them to the staff dormitory at the base and found two empty rooms for them to settle in.

At six in the evening, after dinner, Peng Dongli and Zhang Mingyang wandered leisurely around the base.

“Junior, you’re not nervous about tomorrow, are you?”

Zhang Mingyang replied with a smile, “Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I’ve seen my share of big occasions. Nothing will go wrong tomorrow.”

Despite Zhang Mingyang’s evident confidence, Peng Dongli remained a little uneasy, repeating what they had learned that afternoon to reinforce his recollection.

After strolling for a while, Peng Dongli, seeing that night was falling, urged him to rest early. He himself needed to visit the command center to find Xiao Liu.

“Alright, I’ll head back then. You should get some rest, too, Senior Brother.”

“Mm.”

They parted ways, and Zhang Mingyang walked toward the dormitory.

On the way, Zhang Mingyang gazed at the moon above, thinking how he would set foot on its surface the next day. A surge of emotion welled up in his heart. He had never imagined in his life that he would have the chance to land on the moon—a prospect he would never have dared to dream of before.

Sitting quietly on a bench outside the building, Zhang Mingyang let the northwestern evening breeze caress him as he admired the bright moon above. Suddenly, his body felt weightless, his mind grew tranquil and empty, and he lost all sense of his own existence. Everything around him appeared to fade into illusion.

“What’s happening to me?”

He questioned himself inwardly. What is this feeling? Why do I feel like I’m not really here?

The sensation lasted a few minutes, until the passing footsteps of a stranger snapped him out of it.

With a start, he bounced up from the bench, looking around and patting his cheeks. What just happened to me?

A foggy daze, limbs without strength—it felt just like those out-of-body experiences described in novels!

Unable to describe what he had just gone through, Zhang Mingyang glanced around, noticing the puzzled stares from passersby who had witnessed him slapping his own face. Their eyes seemed to say, “Is this kid alright? Why is he hitting himself?”

Closing his eyes, he steadied himself, then opened them again to survey his surroundings. “Something’s not right. Everything just now felt so unreal. Am I really that tired?”

“Never mind, I’d better get some rest.”

With that, he climbed the stairs to his room.

He didn’t bother turning on the light; instead, he undressed and lay straight down on the bed.

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Feeling the gentle warmth of the bedding, he slowly drifted off to sleep…

…

Aboard a colossal spaceship, Zhang Mingyang stood by a porthole, gazing at the orange planet ahead. The dazzling glow was so intense he couldn’t open his eyes wide enough to see the planet’s true face.

Before long, the ship accelerated and dove rapidly toward the orange sphere.

In an instant, blinding radiance pierced his eyes. He tried to raise his hand to shield himself, but the ship was moving too fast—before he could react, everything before him turned a stark white.

He had no idea how much time passed before the white void began to dissolve, and colors seeped in—blue, black, red—until all the white vanished and a vast planet emerged, woven together from a tapestry of shades.

As he drew closer, the planet itself faded away, replaced by an endless black land. Strange and marvelous structures dotted the landscape—some on the ground, some floating in the sky, and some even upside down.

As the ship neared these fantastic buildings, it slowed and finally landed on the planet.

The hatch opened. Alone, Zhang Mingyang stepped out, his eyes wild with wonder at the magical world before him. He ran about, looking frantically in all directions.

He looked down at the black soil beneath his feet and tried to scoop up a handful, but no matter how he tried, he couldn’t grasp it. He refused to believe it and kept on trying, yet it always slipped through his fingers.

“Young man, you can’t hold it.”

An old man’s voice reached his ears. Zhang Mingyang looked up to see a silver-haired elder regarding him kindly.

He stood and asked, “Grandfather, why can’t I pick up this soil?”

The old man smiled, “You don’t belong here, so naturally you can’t grasp it.”

“I don’t belong here?”

Only then did Zhang Mingyang notice his own body was insubstantial—almost transparent.

“What’s happened to me?”

Panic seized him as he stepped back and tried to touch himself, but his hands passed right through.

“Don’t be anxious, young man—take your time,” the elder said.

Zhang Mingyang rushed over, wanting to seize the old man and demand an explanation, but he only fell through him, unable to make contact.

Despair washed over him.

Watching his distress, the old man said, “Come with me, young man. I can help you.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Mingyang hurriedly asked, “Please, sir, help me!”

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The old man smiled and beckoned him to follow.

Without hesitation, Zhang Mingyang darted after him.

So they walked—elder leading, Zhang Mingyang following—until a city appeared ahead.

Zhang Mingyang gazed up in awe. Before him was a city floating in the air.

“This… how is this possible? How can a whole city float? How did you do this?”

The old man tapped his own head. “With this.”

Zhang Mingyang mimicked the gesture, though his hand passed right through. “You mean, with your brain?”

The old man shook his head. “It’s done with wisdom, with knowledge.”

“But…” Zhang Mingyang was still skeptical. What kind of knowledge could make a city float in the sky?

With a wave of the old man’s hand, the city suddenly descended, settling gently onto the ground.

Now, Zhang Mingyang was truly stunned. “Sir, are you a celestial being?”

The elder chuckled. “There are no immortals in this world. I merely changed the dimensions of space.”

“Changed the dimensions of space?”

Zhang Mingyang searched his memory for the term and was suddenly struck by realization. He stared at the old man in shock. “Are you saying you altered the dimensions of space? How is that possible? We live in three-dimensional space. How could anyone change dimensions at will?”

The old man smiled again. “That is wisdom.”

“Sir, could you teach me? I want to learn from you.”

The old man shook his head. “You are not of this place. How could I teach you?”

Zhang Mingyang looked down at his transparent form. “Then how can I come to you?”

Again, the elder pointed to his head. “With this.”

This time, Zhang Mingyang grew anxious. “Sir, you keep saying it’s wisdom, but I don’t have that kind of wisdom!”