Omnipotent Overlord

Li Mo held the 600 year old ginseng as his body glowed green. This was the effect of using the Verdant Tree Art.

This ginseng was far from being a millennia old. Only at that age would a ginseng’s true effect be unearthed. 

Li Mo was now using the Verdant Tree Art to grow the 600 year old ginseng to a millenia old ginseng.

When he finished, the ginseng had a green glow around it.

If he used the Verdant Tree Art on it daily, it wouldn’t take long to grow it to this standard.

“Such a waste, using the wood attribute ancestral art to grow ginseng.”

Li Mo chuckled, putting the ginseng away.

He then took out the night pearl and began to write a character in the air with his finger.

Li Mo’s talisman art was only at a beginning stage of learning. Using a jade at this point would not only end in failure, but it would be ingrained inside the jade. And removing it required a great deal of spiritual qi. Using a night pearl instead didn’t have such side effects. He needed to wait a short period and the talisman would disappear by itself. 

Li Mo practiced for two hours, until the night pearl turned dark.

In the dead of night, Li Mo was in deep sleep when a transparent figure slipped in through a crack in the door.

The figure had no clothing, but from appearance’s point of view, it was humanoid.

The figure was quiet as the grave while walking before Li Mo and lay down on Li Mo’s sleeping figure.

In a pure white space, the transparent figure walked all over the place but she only got more confused.

‘How is this possible? Not even a newborn’s dreams are as empty of feelings as his! Am I wrong?’

‘No, there’s no one in this world free of desires. Even a newborn would cry out when its instinct for food kicks in.’

‘A secret art must be at play here that blocks my Dream Shaping Technique!’

‘Bizarre, I have entered thousands of people’s dreams, even into a peak Spirit Driving Stage, and none could control their dreamscape. So why is this one different?’

As Yang Hongying was wandering around the empty white space, the world broke with a bang.

The dazzling colored fragments floated and Yang Hongying turned happy.

“He just wasn’t asleep yet. I see.”

“Now show me your abilities and instincts!”

Yang Hongying beckoned and a dream fragment flew to her hand.

Unlike the average person, Yang Hongying was a natural genius. Since she was small, she could naturally leave her body behind and enter people’s dreamscape with her soul. Controlling it and stealing memories were her prized skills. 

Yang Hongying didn’t look like a freak. She was called Yang clan’s freak because all those who had their dreams invaded by her would experience nightmares for a long period of time. This was a side effect of her skill.

“Who told you to mess with my little brother? Humph, robbing you of your ability is what you deserve!”

Whoosh~

Yang Hongying entered Li Mo’s dreamscape.

In a luxurious mansion, an 8 year old Li Mo stood alone.

“Little one, what is your name? Mind telling me?” Yang Hongying turned into a kind older sister as she floated to Li Mo.

“I am Li Mo.”

“Oh my, what a good child. Then, young Li Mo, can you tell big sister what you can do?”

“I can do many things, but I don’t want to tell you.”

“Why not?”

“Unless we play horsey.” Yang Hongying flicked her hand and a wooden horse popped in front of Li Mo.

In a dream, Yang Hongying could create anything. Her only limitation was her imagination.

“No, I want you to be the horsey.” Little Li Mo pouted.

Yang Hongying was startled.

“Little guy, if you don’t behave, big sis will get angry.” Yang Hongying’s body shifted and turned into a dreadful demon of horrifying visage.

Either by scaring or fulfilling their requests, Yang Hongying obtained countless of her target’s secrets.

Little Li Mo mocked, “You don’t scare me.”

Yang Hongying stopped.

Among the thousands of dreams she visited, he was the first she couldn’t manipulate.

‘Fine, it’s only playing horsey. It will be over soon.’

Yang Hongying went on all four and crawled to little Li Mo.

“Saddle up, march!”

Little Li Mo rode the horsey and lashed his whip.

“Ow…”

Yang Hongying cried and crawled forward.

Despite it all being a dream, she was in it as a soul. Any damage she received was real.

Of course, all harm was limited to the soul. So long as her soul wasn’t attacked, Yang Hongying would be fine.

Though not for the life of her could she understand why little Li Mo’s strike hurt. Her only choice now was to keep to her ‘horsey’ role and let him play the rider.

“Hiya!”

“Faster, faster!”

“Hiya!”

Smack~

The whip in little Li Mo’s hand flew about and got Yang Hongying on the verge of tears.

“I have a little donkey, which I never ride. One day on a whim, I rode him into the market. I had a little whip, and I’m enjoying the ride. Hiya!”(T/N: a children’s song)

“Hiya!”

“Faster, faster!”

“Hiya!”

Smack~

At four AM Yang Hongying left the dreamscape after getting flogged by little Li Mo. She stared down at Li Mo as she massaged her sore butt for a long time, then limped off with clenched teeth.

Yang Hongying could only soul drift at night. 

With her gone, Li Mo cracked an eyelid.

He smiled, “I have lived for six centuries already. I may not be an expert in this domain, but I can calm my soul for a short time, more than enough to deal with a beginner soul cultivator.”

Li Mo had noticed her intrusion the moment Yang Hongying stepped into his dreamscape.

“I’ll have to set up a contingency to stop all these bored people from bothering me.”

The fun he had with Yang Hongying did raise a question good though. The world was bound to have other people dabbing in soul drifting. Yang Hongying’s superficial skill was nothing to worry about, but a day may come when he’d stumble upon an expert and might lose his life without knowing how.

Li Mo got to work. As the day brightened, he chopped some clothes to pieces, then brought a few bottles of chicken blood from the market that he spilled on the ruined clothes.

Li Mo began refining it into a Ghost Summoning Flag. Because of how common the ingredients were, its effect was poor. Its yin qi was only enough to attract some frail wandering souls.

In the evening, Li Mo placed the Ghost Summoning Flag on the roof.

Whoosh~

Barely an hour passed and a black mass shot from the river and into the flag.