Chapter 8, The God of Dreams (Part II)

"A true dreamlike journey? What is that?" Jedi asked curiously

"What about you, goddess? Do you live in your own dreams, or in this reality?" The goddess Daji fell silent, and after a long while, she softly replied: "I would rather enter a dream, but I cannot. I can only weave the garments of dreams for others, while I myself cannot wear them." Chiyan sneered coldly: "So you generously use your divine power to turn individuals into silent trees, alleviating your loneliness through their dreams?" "Yes," the goddess candidly replied, "In the eyes of the world, gods are omnipotent, yet in reality, there are many things that even gods cannot accomplish, such as sorrow... Chiyan sneered coldly: "So you generously use your divine power to turn individuals into silent trees, alleviating your loneliness through their dreams?" "Yes," the goddess candidly replied, "In the eyes of the world, gods are omnipotent, yet in reality, there are many things that even gods cannot accomplish, such as sorrow... or loneliness. I possess eternal life, but eternity also means constraints and limitations. The infinite continuation of life is, after all, a form of helplessness."

A blaze of confusion

Zhuangzi transformed into a butterfly in his dream, or was it the butterfly that transformed into Zhuangzi in its dream? Those who are within the situation may never reach a convincing conclusion. However, if the butterfly's dream were longer, who would actually be more real? Zhuangzi or the butterfly? The goddess continued: "I, Daji, am the goddess of dreams. My divine power can create a completely real dream realm. The physical sufferings and pursuits in the real world, whether it be gourmet food, women, honor, power, or the possession of everything, ultimately manifest in the joy and satisfaction of your spirit. In the dream realm, you can achieve the same results; different paths lead to the same destination, what is wrong with that?" The goddess continued: "I, Daji, am the goddess of dreams. My divine power can create a completely real dream realm. The physical sufferings and pursuits in the real world, whether it be gourmet food, women, honor, power, or the possession of everything, ultimately manifest in the joy and satisfaction of your spirit. In the dream realm, you can achieve the same results; different paths lead to the same destination, what is wrong with that? How do you know that the world you are currently in is not a dream of the creator god?"

Jedi. King Sacker was utterly bewildered; in fact, he did not understand at all. Could it be that the words of the divine are always so inscrutable and profound

This is an inextricable paradox; only those beings who deeply understand and passionately love their lives can resonate within my dreams, merging their consciousness into mine. Since you lack such an experience, you are unable to enter the dream. You are the first soul I have encountered in thousands of years who cannot be drawn into my dreams.

The goddess said, "In the sea of his consciousness, he has completely replicated this world. The only difference is that he has never failed there. He has been living happily here for eighty years. The last time I awoke, he had already ruled the entire world, and I just had another interaction with him; he is currently busy challenging the Creator God. Perhaps by the next time, he will have already dominated another world. Do you find it amusing? But in his dream, that is real, as real as reality itself, and it will never be shattered until the end of his life. Every tree here is an outstanding manifestation of life—humans, giants, dwarves, elves... If you could view the conscious world I created for them objectively, you would never define it as a dream; it is another form of life." "Do you want to experience this feeling? A completely real world where your parents and everyone you wish to see will appear, moving towards an ending according to your will, though the process cannot be predicted, thus always filled with a sense of novelty. If you need, I can also fulfill that for you," the goddess offered her temptation.

In another forest, Chiyan stood beneath a lush, verdant tree, already in tears: "Father, is this truly your choice? To transform into the Tree of Souls, creating a world you desire within your consciousness, living happily with your wife and daughter? But that is ultimately an illusion; your daughter is right in front of you, heartbroken. Do you not know that?"

Jedi hurriedly responded with his thoughts, "I want to be human, to be a man. I want to experience human emotions; I do not like my current life, and I do not want to walk on all fours anymore." The goddess fell silent, and before him appeared a massive waterfall, producing a deafening roar, with mist rising and a splendid rainbow arching across the sky. "Are you still there?" Jedi involuntarily asked, taking a step forward only to immediately retreat. Although he knew that the surging spring water before him was merely an illusion, he had no doubt that if he stepped forward, he would truly fall, plunge into the lake, and choke on the water. The illusion created by the goddess's divine power felt entirely real.

"You are the strangest wolf I have ever encountered among all the beings at m.hetushu.com. What wish do you wish to fulfill?"

"No! Just the thought of the essence of life transforming into a great tree with roots embedded in the soil sends shivers down my spine," the flame murmured weakly as it leaned against the tree. "What is wrong with accepting a new form of life in exchange for eternal happiness?" The goddess sighed helplessly.

Unless ... you have already understood and become accustomed to the life you desire. However, the problem lies here: your dream is to be human, but only after you have become human and comprehended all human emotions can you enter the dream. Yet, if you have already realized this dream, why would you need to enter the dream? Do you understand?

The flames gently beat against the trunk, and for a moment, tears fell like rain: "Goddess Daji, you can fulfill any wish of the visitor, but the realization of this wish only exists in dreams?" "Yes, in fact, isn't a wish just a dream? In dreams, you can escape any disappointment or sorrow, living forever in happiness; in dreams, you can do as you please and achieve any goal you desire." "Yet the reality remains unchanged," the flames interrupted the goddess angrily: "Mother is still dead, I am still here, my father's dreams are merely illusions, a self-deceptive fantasy!" The goddess laughed: "Why do you consider that an illusion? In dreams, you can escape any disappointment or sorrow, living forever in happiness; in dreams, you can do as you please and achieve any goal you desire." "Yet the reality remains unchanged," the flames interrupted the goddess angrily: "Mother is still dead, I am still here, my father's dreams are merely illusions, a self-deceptive fantasy!" The goddess laughed: "Why do you consider that an illusion? In what way should life exist to be real? Dreams are called illusions because they are fleeting, but if your dreams are longer than reality, and the real world is only there to sustain life, with all your emotions and experiences occurring in dreams, a dream that runs through your life from beginning to end, then is the dream your life, or is reality your life?"

"Into the dream? What are you saying?" Jedi looked around in confusion; the forest was silent, and not a single shadow could be seen. "Hehe, this is quite interesting," the enchanting goddess chuckled, "So you are a magic wolf with a human mind and soul. Where do you come from? You do not wish to experience the desires of a wolf, yet you have not understood the desires of a human. No wonder you cannot be drawn to me and enter the true journey of dreams."

The ancient stone tower before him suddenly vanished, transforming into an endless desert, where a magnificent pyramid stood amidst the vast yellow sands. Jedi felt dizzy, and before he could utter a gasp of astonishment, the tower began to sink rapidly, with the yellow sand cascading down, forming an immensely large quicksand pit. He stepped back in horror, and with that single step, the scene before him changed into an endless ocean. The blue sky, the tall trees, and on the beach, golden-haired beauties in bikinis strolled leisurely. He could feel the sea breeze on his face, the sound of waves crashing, and the calls of seagulls soaring overhead. Then the scene shifted again, revealing the Great Wall stretching like a dragon for miles, along with a throng of people... The goddess said leisurely, "All of this originates from your consciousness, and it is no different from the real world. These landscapes are beautiful, filled with exotic charm that I am not familiar with, yet these consciousnesses seem to have been forcibly implanted into your soul. You have not fully integrated and transformed into what already exists, so you cannot resonate and enter its illusion."