Chapter 139: Please Begin Your Performance

Du Fang took the elevator to the Dream Demon Prison on the top floor.

Outside the prison, several figures were already waiting. As Du Fang stepped out of the elevator, their gazes swept over him in unison. Da Lei and Da Zhou looked at Du Fang, a flicker of surprise flashing in their eyes.

"So young?"

Du Fang’s youth exceeded their expectations. They had heard of his exploits—how he had slain a City-Extinguishing-level powerhouse not long ago, and had even clashed with a Nation-Falling-level entity just days prior. For a Dreamweaver so young to achieve such feats was truly extraordinary. However, when Da Lei and Da Zhou recalled that a Fallen God lay dormant within Du Fang, they no longer found it strange. Being from the Research Office, both men were well-versed in Fallen Gods; the office even had a dedicated project for such research, which had yielded significant results.

That said, the Research Office’s studies were still far behind those of the Divine Core Organization. After all, the Divine Core Organization had begun researching Fallen Gods long ago and had captured and harvested many, giving them a level of progress and achievement that the Research Office could not hope to match.

"Not bad." Da Lei looked at Du Fang and gave a slight nod. Beside him, the disdain in Da Zhou’s eyes deepened. In truth, they both felt resentful; being forced to assist Du Fang in extracting a miniature divine core felt like an insult to their professional expertise. How could they let that go? Seeing Du Fang’s youth only fueled their contempt. As the saying goes, "He who has no hair on his chin has no weight in his words." In the research field, youth was often synonymous with lack of depth and an inability to command respect.

"Let’s go, hurry it up. Given the nature of the Divine Core Organization, they likely have the dream-spirit consciousness of some powerful entity sealed within the miniature core. That is why President Tang Nai has raised the security of the Dream-Weaving Building to the highest level to prevent any accidents," Da Lei and Da Zhou began to coordinate.

They took out a series of high-tech tools from their backpacks. To Du Fang, these devices were a dizzying array of gadgets he had no idea how to operate. The two men turned and led the way into the Dream Demon Prison, with Du Fang and Tang Nai following behind. The couple, Li Ang and his wife, were not present; they had left the building to patrol outside the Jiangling city limits. Even with their status as National-level powerhouses, they could not afford to relax, given the existence of the Forbidden Zone dream disasters and the lurking presence of the Divine Core Organization. They had to maintain peak vigilance until reinforcements from headquarters arrived.

The doors of the Dream Demon Prison opened once more. The many dream demons incarcerated within blinked their sleepy eyes. They found it strange—the frequency with which the prison was being opened lately was high. Were they treating the Dream Demon Prison like a tourist attraction?

In the deepest part of the prison, in the cells holding the Heavenly Demon Dragon King and Lin Liuli, Lin Liuli was resting with her eyes closed, while the Heavenly Demon Dragon King was sitting with his legs crossed, reading a newspaper by the light. Sensing someone entering, he hurriedly put the paper down, looked up, and was suddenly struck by a jolt. The Heavenly Demon Dragon King immediately knelt and bowed to the ground. Following his lead, most of the other dream demons in the prison began to kneel as well.

Da Lei and Da Zhou walked into the prison carrying their equipment. Feeling the kneeling dream demons on both sides, they felt a sense of self-importance. These dream demons were quite enthusiastic, weren't they? They didn't seem like much. Were they just kneeling because they sensed the pressure and energy of the equipment they were carrying? A bunch of trash!

Working at the Research Office with funding from conglomerates, Da Lei and Da Zhou had conducted all sorts of research. Fallen God research was inseparable from dream demon research, so they had seen and even dissected many. They assumed the dream demons were kneeling to them and suspected nothing else. Consequently, the two men walked with a spring in their steps. Tang Nai, however, understood why the dream demons were kneeling—it was because of Du Fang. Seeing the two men’s puffed-up demeanor, he couldn't help but feel speechless.

The four arrived at the deepest part of the prison. Da Lei and Da Zhou looked at the Heavenly Demon Dragon King, who was kneeling on one knee, and smiled.

"Get up, no need to kneel," Da Lei said, lifting his chin.

However, the entire prison suddenly became deathly quiet and... awkward. The kneeling dream demons remained motionless. The elegant Heavenly Demon Dragon King even slowly raised his head, looking at Da Lei with a hint of confusion, as if asking, "What is this fool?"

Tang Nai covered his mouth, suppressing a laugh. He had undergone professional training, but this was becoming hard to bear. The atmosphere was stifling. Da Zhou frowned and spoke up as well, "Get up, you don't need to kneel anymore."

Tang Nai’s mouth twitched. Du Fang wore a soft smile. Were these two... comedians sent by headquarters?

The Heavenly Demon Dragon King’s eyes even began to reveal a trace of killing intent. These two fellows... they thought the noble and elegant Dragon King was kneeling to them? How dare they think such a thing! Were they worthy? Yet, the elegant Dragon King’s eyes still shifted to Du Fang, flashing a questioning look.

Da Zhou and Da Lei sensed that something was wrong, their scalps tingling. The awkwardness in the air made them want to curl their toes into the floor tiles. Then, a soft voice came from behind them, deepening their embarrassment.

"All of you, rise."

Du Fang’s voice drifted over.

"This old servant obeys!" the Heavenly Demon Dragon King said respectfully. The next moment, he slowly stood up. The other dream demons in the prison also rose, acting with extreme deference; not a single one dared to make a sound.

Da Lei and Da Zhou turned their necks stiffly to look at Du Fang. These dream demons... were they kneeling to Du Fang? How could that be? Du Fang wasn't even holding any of the professional equipment.

Du Fang smiled, offered no explanation, and gestured for them to proceed. The message was clear: Don't be embarrassed; everyone has awkward moments. Weren't they here to extract the miniature divine core? Please, begin your performance.

Da Zhou and Da Lei exchanged a look, their eyes flashing with strange emotions as they cast a heavy glance at Du Fang. They turned their heads back, ignoring the source of their embarrassment, the Heavenly Demon Dragon King, and instead looked at Lin Liuli, who was sitting quietly in her cage.

"You must be Lin Liuli, the Vermillion Bird Guardian of the Divine Core Organization?" Da Lei asked as he put on gloves made of special material.

Lin Liuli’s long eyelashes fluttered. She slowly opened her eyes, glanced at Da Lei and Da Zhou, and finally let her gaze fall on Du Fang, asking for confirmation.

"They are researchers sent by the Research Office to help you extract the miniature divine core inside your body," Du Fang explained.

"Are they... here to die?" Lin Liuli said flatly.

Da Lei and Da Zhou were stunned.

"Two mid-level Dreamweavers want to extract the miniature divine core from my body? Isn't that just begging for death?" Lin Liuli shook her head. If Du Fang were doing it, she would choose to cooperate 100 percent. But these two random nobodies wanted to lead the extraction? Were they worthy? She didn't trust them.

Da Lei and Da Zhou’s expressions darkened instantly. As members of the Research Office backed by massive conglomerate funding, they were highly respected in the Dreamweaver Association; even City-level Dreamweavers gave them face. This woman... was being incredibly rude. Such a sharp tongue!

"Rest assured, we are professionals," Da Lei said coldly.

"Professional?" Lin Liuli chuckled. "Can you be more professional than me?"

She was a member of the Divine Core Organization; the people from the Great Xia Research Office were not necessarily better than her when it came to Fallen God research.

"And can this greenhorn be more professional than us, the actual researchers?" Da Lei was getting angry. He didn't bother arguing with Lin Liuli anymore. He took out his tools and devices and set them up inside the cage—metallic chains connected to a palm-sized device with an LCD screen, similar to a mobile phone. Da Lei and Da Zhou began their preparations based on their theories and their practical experience at the Research Office.

Lin Liuli didn't struggle; she just watched them with cold eyes. She recognized the tools in their hands. They were pieces of equipment long since discarded by the Divine Core Organization.

Da Lei and Da Zhou busied themselves for a while, then retreated to the front of the cage. They looked at Du Fang, as if saying, "Watch closely."

Du Fang was actually quite interested. Inside the cage, Lin Liuli was connected to various chains. The material of the chains was special; it didn't just conduct dream-spirit energy; it seemed capable of conducting the power of Fallen Gods as well.

"Three, two, one..."

"Prepare for extraction!" Da Lei said solemnly. As he spoke, he slammed the switch. A powerful wave of dream-spirit energy surged from the device, traveling along the chains and into Lin Liuli’s body.

Lin Liuli frowned. The next instant, the miniature divine core inside her seemed to be activated. Amidst the agitation, the cry of a bird erupted! Above her head, a fiery red illusion of a Vermillion Bird appeared, spreading its wings as if to soar. A ripple of dream-spirit energy surged outward, snapping the chains one after another!

Da Lei and Da Zhou were sent flying by the impact, rolling several meters across the floor. Du Fang and Tang Nai, however, were completely unaffected. Their own power was sufficient to neutralize the shock of the dream-spirit ripple.

"I told you, you aren't capable of this," Lin Liuli said, sitting in the cage and shaking her head.

Da Lei and Da Zhou scrambled up, their eyes filled with excitement and madness. "It really is a miniature divine core! The parameters must have been set wrong just now. Let's do it again!" Da Lei said excitedly.

Da Zhou rushed toward Lin Liuli. But after only a few steps, a figure blocked his path. It was none other than Du Fang.

"Get lost!" Da Zhou, his eyes bloodshot with excitement, barked at Du Fang.

However, Du Fang just looked at him indifferently. He raised his hand and pressed it toward Da Zhou’s head. Da Zhou tried to dodge, but with Du Fang’s level of combat mastery, there was no escaping. Du Fang’s palm landed on Da Zhou’s head, and he applied a slight amount of force...

Da Zhou’s body was hit as if by a heavy truck. He flew backward like a straight black line for over two hundred meters, from the depths of the prison all the way to the entrance door. With a loud thud, his entire body slammed into the door, leaving a deep indentation in the metal.