Moonhaven City was a city where not much happened.

  However, today was different.

  The morning sun poured long shadows across the Yue clan compound and a young man sat in a lotus position in his personal cultivation room.

  This was Yue Tianming.

  For the past nine days, he had fought against the barrier that stopped a Dream Architect from entering the Oneiric Sovereign realm.

  But at this moment, something felt different.

  Tianming wasn’t able to put it into words why.

  All he knew was this was it.

  This was the best opportunity to make the breakthrough.

  And he wasn’t going to let it slip by.

  So, Tianming took in slow measured breaths calling the dream qi forth.

  Ethereal strands of silvery dream essence swirled around him.

  First, they appeared as simple spirals.

  Then they developed into more complex patterns like illustrations of architectural designs.

  As Tianming fell deeper into meditation, his consciousness reached deep into the dream realm.

  And that was when it happened.

  The barrier that had stopped him for so long broke apart, allowing Tianming’s cultivation base to surge outward. And within the blink of an eye, he advanced from Dream Architect to Oneiric Sovereign realm.

  The breakthrough caused a ripple effect that spread throughout the compound immediately.

  Everyone within a five-mile radius felt the shockwaves of spiritual pressure emanating from the event.

  In the family hall, Yue Changming, Tianming's father, nearly spilled his teacup.

  "Son...Tianming," the elder man whispered.

  Meanwhile, back in his cultivation room, Yue Tianming opened his eyes and began to take in his surroundings.

  Everything looked vastly different than it had before. Before, he saw stone walls and wooden frames. Now, he perceived the underlying dream potential that resided in all things. Light illuminated the underlying structure of existence, allowing him to perceive layers of meaning and possibility.

  He got to his feet and looked down at his body. He felt both heavy and light at the same time as if he were floating in mid-air. More importantly, he could feel the power to construct permanent dream constructs at the tips of his fingers.

  This was the power of an Oneiric Sovereign – the ability to impose dream logic on the real world.

  In the cultivation world, a clan’s status was based on the highest cultivation of their strongest member.

  A Minor clan like the Yue clan was led by Yue Changming, a peak Dream Architect.

  The clan only had power over the local territories.

  They primarily functioned as retainers to greater powers like Major and Greater clans.

  A Major Clan was led by an Oneiric Sovereign cultivator.

  A realm that Yue Tianming had only now achieved.

  And with that, the ascension of the Yue clan from being a Minor to Major clan.

  Now, the Yue clan could become independent and reign over multiple Minor clans.

  As for the Greater Clans and Ancestor Clans, they didn’t concern Tianming at the moment.

  All he cared about was what this moment meant to his family.

  As he exited his chamber, he found his father waiting for him in the courtyard, holding back tears of joy.

  Yue Changming had been a talented cultivator in his own right. Had it not been for an unfortunate encounter with a nightmare corruption in his youth, perhaps it would have been him who changed the fortune of the Yue clan.

  The old man’s dedication to his family was second to none.

  Yue Changming had given up everything to fuel his son’s advancement.

  "Father," Tianming said softly, bowing deep despite his status now outranking his father’s.

  "Rise, my son," Changming said with an equally soft voice, though his emotions overflowed onto his words. "You have restored honor to seven generations of our ancestors. You have placed the Yue clan in its proper position amongst the great families."

  Changming pulled out of his robes a jade token that displayed intricate dream script.

  "This belongs to your great-grandfather. He always said it would know when the time was right."

  The token glowed warmly as Tianming accepted it. Ancient dream qi flowed through the intricately carved channels, passing along the memories and blessings of the departed family members. It was a clan heirloom that had waited for centuries for the right person to inherit it.

  “But enough of this," Changming said, his teary expression being replaced with a wide smile. "Today is your wedding day! Your fiancée's family will arrive within the hour, and we cannot keep them waiting."

  Ah. The wedding.

  In all of the excitement of his breakthrough, Tianming had forgotten.

  The marriage was a political alliance had been established between the Yue clan and the Wu clan, intended to enhance the bloodlines of each family and create mutually beneficial trade agreements.

  Yue Tianming had been resistant to the idea for years.

  Yet his mother never gave up.

  Apparently, a man of twenty-six should think beyond cultivation and focus on continuing their family line.

  "Mother won’t let me cultivate in peace if I delay much longer," Tianming had finally given in and told his father after another heated argument. "Fine, arrange something acceptable and let me return to my training."

  So here he was, a few months later, expected to marry a girl he had never spoken to before.

  Though it was Yue Tianming’s fault for knowing embarrassingly little about his bride-to-be.

  She was Wu something…

  Yun…Yunwei?

  Tianming wasn’t sure.

  The name escaped him.

  The family elders had negotiated the union.

  As for Tianming, he was too busy focusing on his breakthrough to think about worldly matters.

  He had given a simple nod when shown the girl’s portrait.

  The woman was attractive enough, from a respected family with respectable cultivation prospects.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  And most importantly, she looked like the type of girl that would let him focus on what mattered in life – cultivation.

  That was all he needed to know.

  Yue Tianming’s thoughts were disrupted as his mother, Yue Lianhua, rushed into the courtyard.

  "Tianming! Oh, my wonderful son! I felt your breakthrough from three courtyards away. The ancestors are smiling down on us today! The in-laws will be very pleased!" She thrust the ceremonial robes that she was carrying at him. "Now hurry and put these on. The ceremony starts at the hour of the horse, and I do not want our family to appear late on this day of all days."

  The ceremonial robes were magnificent – deep blue silk with silver embroidery of dream clouds.

  It represented the official attire of a clan heir, which was unfortunately him.

  As Tianming changed, he caught glimpses of himself in the polished bronze mirrors. His face looked more or less the same, but there was a depth to his eyes that had not been present before. As much as he wanted to test his new abilities, Tianming fought back the urge.

  Tonight, he would be a good son and fulfil his obligations.

  Tomorrow, he would find out exactly what his new cultivation could achieve.

  All he had to do was survive the next few hours.

  While that might be simple for most, that was a tall task for a man who knew nothing except cultivation.

  ***

  When the appointed hour approached, Tianming made his way to the courtyard, which had undergone a complete transformation for the ceremony. Red silk banners adorned every pillar, bearing auspicious symbols that spoke promises of prosperity and harmony. Row after row of chairs were available for guests from allied families, while the ceremonial altar stood elevated and ready for the exchange of vows.

  Tianming ignored the crowd and made his way to his position beside the altar.

  His mind was still focused on his cultivation gains.

  He could almost feel the formation of the dream gate.

  The dream worlds called to him, asked him, begged him to come and explore them.

  If only he could get away for a few hours, he would be able to find out which realm had opened up to him…

  The traditional music began pulling him out of his wandering thoughts.

  Yue Tianming looked up and noticed a woman walking towards him.

  She was wearing a flowing red and gold wedding robe that seemed to capture and reflect every beam of sunlight. Her face was covered with a traditional veil, but some aspect of the way she carried herself, the confident posture, the fluid movement of her body, caught Tianming’s breath.

  This was Wu Yunmei.

  It was only now that Tianming remembered her name.

  But the official portrait that he had studied did not resemble the woman standing before him.

  While the painting had captured her facial features fairly accurately — her oval-shaped face, her dark eyes, and her slender neck — the painting did not capture the spark of intelligence in her eyes, the confidence in her posture, or the way she seemed to move through the world as though she owned every space she chose to occupy.

  When she reached the altar, she turned to face him, and their eyes met for the first time.

  The world froze.

  Tianming had always been proud of his ability to stay focused, and maintain a clear thought process regardless of how chaotic the situation became. Cultivation demanded absolute mental discipline, and he had spent years cultivating his focus to a fine art. However, in the instant he looked into Yunmei’s eyes, every technique and method of meditation he had practiced disappeared.

  There was something about the way Yunmei presented herself that struck a chord within some part of his very soul. It was as though the universe had suddenly revealed a missing piece of itself.

  Yunmei’s eyes grew wide, and Tianming realized that she too was feeling the same sensation. A blush appeared on her cheeks, and he could tell that she had rapidly drawn a breath through her lips.

  A discreet cough from the ceremonial master brought Tianming back to reality.

  But even while he recited the traditional vows, he was still fully aware of the woman standing next to him.

  The way she delivered her vows with quiet conviction. The melodic quality that she had infused into each of her vows, even when delivering them formally. The fluid motion of her body, which spoke to a mastery of cultivation techniques and natural elegance.

  When it was time to reveal her, Tianming’s hands shook slightly.

  The veil dropped away, exposing a face that was equally captivating without the concealer.

  Wu Yunmei’s skin glowed with a soft radiance indicative of superior dream cultivation abilities. Her features were delicate, yet not fragile; there was strength in the line of her jaw, intelligence in the curve of her eyebrows, and resolve in the angle of her mouth.

  “Hello,” she said softly, sending warm sensations through every fiber of his being.

  “Hello,” he responded, his voice gruff in comparison.

  The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur, but Tianming found himself completely absorbed in a dream more vivid than any he had ever previously experienced. This was not the arranged marriage he had envisioned, a duty to fulfill for the benefit of the clan. This was something entirely different.

  He was so captivated by detailing every aspect of Yunmei’s presence that he almost missed the commotion happening at the back of the courtyard.

  Elder Lu Fazhen, a wandering prophet, had stiffened in his chair. The elder man’s eyes had rolled back in their sockets until only white was visible, and he gripped the sides of his chair with enough force to cause the wooden frame to creak loudly.

  “Elder Lu?” someone called out, concerned.

  However, the prophet gave no reply.

  Instead, the old man opened his mouth, and when he spoke, it was not in his normal thin, raspy voice, but in a tone that echoed from a faraway place.

  “When the dream and fire are united as one,

  A child of destiny will be born,

  With eyes as blue as sapphire, bright as dawn,

  Who will lead the world to welcome a new morn.

  Two souls will arise from fate’s design,

  Bound by prophecy’s ancient line,

  In ferocious battle, from which none may flee,

  Only one will achieve victory.

  Through dark trials and perils deep,

  When ancient powers awaken from sleep,

  The dreamer’s son will confront his bane,

  And only death will shatter the chain.

  In him the past and the future meet,

  The circle, making whole, complete,

  The world will bend, the heavens ring,

  When rises up the Dreaming King.

  Know this truth, through joy and sting:

  Only one can wear the crown that battle brings.”

  With these final words, the prophet’s voice faded, and he slumped forward in his chair, unconscious.

  The old man's family members quickly ran to tend to him, but the damage was already done.

  The prophecy hung in the air like incense smoke, impossible to ignore or dismiss.

  Tianming felt Yunmei’s hand slide into his, their fingers entwined.

  She was looking at him in stunned awe, as though she was seeing him for the first time.

  "A child of destiny," she whispered.

  "Our child," Tianming softly corrected her, and the word sounded even more holy than the vows they had just shared.

  The wedding reception continued, but the atmosphere changed. There was a subtle sense of awe and anticipation that had not been present prior to the prophecy. Guests spoke in hushed tones, speculating as to the meaning and significance of the prophecy.

  Tianming hardly noticed.

  He was lost in conversation with his wife.

  It turned out that behind the tranquil surface of Yunmei lay a sharp intellect and a vast wealth of knowledge concerning dream cultivation theories. She discussed the various aspects of complex techniques, asked thoughtful questions relating to his breakthrough, and described her own experiences with the more profound aspects of the dream realm.

  "I've been developing a method for creating permanent dream constructs," she said during a brief pause in the formal speeches. "Constructs that sustain themselves on ambient dream qi, rather than relying on the personal reserves of the creator."

  “That is a highly complicated subject,” Yue Tianming replied.

  That was true.

  While creating permanent dream constructs was simple at the Oneiric Sovereign realm, it was said to be almost impossible at the lesser realms. Never mind at the Thoughtshaper realm which was two realms below.

  “I don’t know of a Thoughtshaper who is capable of creating something that can last longer than an hour.”

  "I have studied the theoretical principles of this subject for three years," she said with a slight smile. "I think the key is..."

  Even as they conversed about cultivation theory and potential futures, fragments of Elder Lu’s words echoed in the back of Tianming’s mind. Two souls… ferocious battle…none may flee…only one will achieve victory.

  He pushed aside the more ominous implications of the prophecy, and instead focused on Yunmei’s excited descriptions of dream architecture. Yet, the words persisted, like ghostly shadows lurking at the edges of his consciousness.

  The prophecy mentioned that their son was destined for greatness.

  While that sounded like great news, it also mentioned another soul.

  A soul that was bound by the same prophetic destiny.

  A soul that would rise to fight their son to the death.

  What type of struggle could be so important that the heavens themselves announced that only one of them could prevail?

  Yue Tianming didn’t know, and he was afraid to find out.

  All of a sudden his breakthrough didn’t feel special.

  An Oneiric Sovereign was nothing compared to a Lucid Lawbearer, the highest cultivation present in the world.

  And a Lucid Lawbearer was nothing against a Dreamgod Ascendant.

  A realm that hadn’t been reached for possibly hundreds of thousands of years.

  A realm that his son would achieve if the prophecy about becoming the Dreaming King was to be believed.

  As the evening wore on, and the wedding guests gradually dispersed, Tianming was hesitant to allow the day to come to an end. He and Yunmei walked through the moonlit gardens of the clan, discussing cultivation, philosophy, and their hopes for the future.

  "The prophecy," she said eventually, pausing at a small pond. "Do you think it is real?”

  "Elder Lu has never made a mistake," Tianming admitted even though he didn’t want to. "His visions have guided the kingdom for sixty years."

  "A Dreaming King," she pondered aloud, looking at him with a maternal pride for a child that had yet to be conceived. "Can you picture it? Our son, guiding the cultivation world into a new age."

  Tianming nodded, but mentally questioned the price that would be paid for such leadership. The prophecy portrayed a glorious destiny for their son, but it also included references to trials dark and perils deep, ancient powers stirring, and battles that could only end in death.

  "We have a huge responsibility ahead of us," she continued, speaking in earnest. "To raise a child that might change the entire world."

  As he watched her in the moonlight, her expression calm, and full of hope, Tianming felt his worries about the future dissipate.

  He didn’t care about the prophecy.

  He didn’t care about the Dreaming King.

  All he cared about was having a son who outlived him.

  And Tianming would do everything in his power to make that a certainty.

  It was something his own father had done for him.

  And it was something he would do for his son.

  "Together," he said, grasping her hands in his. "Regardless of what happens, we'll face it together."

  She smiled, and in that smile, he saw his future.

  It wasn’t the future he had planned, but it was the future he now realised he couldn’t imagine living without.

  Join for 2 chapters daily M-F, we're 160+ chapters ahead!

  ￡4 for 50 chapters ahead!

  ￡8 for 160 chapters ahead!

  DISCORD