The next morning, Silver Beard saw that the Doanh Th??ng Hi?n (Prince Hien) was still fast asleep. No matter how he called, The Prince would not wake. Even the Mask magic treasure, which had the ability to enter the Prince Hien's body, was helpless and immediately repelled. Silver Beard also noticed a young soldier nearby sleeping deeply. After a day and a night, the magic began to fade, and the young soldier's body gradually changed, transforming into a beautiful girl. Silver Beard knew instantly that this was a technique of his clan known as Dream Entry Magic, an ability reserved only for high-ranking women in the clan called Mong Nuong (Dream Maidens). In his clan, women were the masters of everything, from the land to the children. Therefore, this girl surely held a very high status; she had to be treated well, or else the entire clan would seek revenge, leading to the most painful of deaths.

  However, there was a great risk here: if the Dream Entry failed, both would die together. Thus, he laid the two side by side and gave orders that no one was to enter, informing only the highest military commanders to find a solution. Silver Beard had to send someone back to his village, using a vast amount of wealth to invite a female village elder to come and help, as staying in a coma for too long would be life-threatening for both. When they heard a Dream Maiden was trapped within a dream, they did not hesitate. A female clan leader arrived immediately; she transformed into a flock of white crows. She was a White Bird Shaman, flying continuously for many days and nights until she reached the Prince Hien's tent. With Silver Beard’s guarantee, she was allowed inside. She sat down by the bed of the two, closed her eyes, and projected her soul into the dream realm.

  When the Dream Maiden first accessed the Prince Hien's dream realm, she stepped into a pitch-black sea inhabited by giant fish. They shaped like dragons—parts of dragons—of immense size and varying colors. they emitted their own light, making the dark sea less terrifying and more beautiful. With her extensive experience in entering dream realms, the Dream Maiden concluded this was the Sea of Subconsciousness. As for the large fish, they were the magic treasures linked to the Prince Hien. All of them were powerful creatures, but because the Prince Hien was too weak, he could not exert their full power. They were quite gentle, showing no intent to oppose or resist, so she could easily swim past. This proved the Prince Hien's inner self was very peaceful.

  After crossing that dark sea, she set foot on land—a place of pure white, completely void of anything else. She recalled information she had read in ancient books about a crossroads between the dream realm and the divine realm, where everything was white because the beings in the divine realm emitted such intense light that it bleached the world. She ran forward happily, hoping to meet a God, but the further she stepped, the more the light receded, revealing a lush green meadow, a cool breeze, and a clear blue sky. She paid no mind to what was behind her and ran headlong until a soft voice rang out: "Young lady, what have you come here for?"

  The Dream Maiden stopped and looked back to see an incredibly beautiful scene. Flowers and grass swayed in the wind, all of them glowing. The flowers were like musical instruments, emitting pleasant sounds. Giant trees reached toward the sky, also radiant. Birds, forest animals, butterflies, flowers, and houses—everything glowed naturally yet softly, making her feel very comfortable. She saw a very noble person whose face and body were so bright she could not see his features; it was as if light was compressed into a set of clothes. Beside him, a legendary Jade Qilin followed behind.

  She immediately asked, "Who are you?"

  The radiant Immortal replied, "I am your ancestor. They often call me the Thánh nhan Ng?c S?n (Jade Mountain Saint)."

  She smiled and asked, "Have I arrived in the Spirit Realm?"

  The radiant Immortal said, "No, the black sea you just passed through is the Spirit Realm. It is the vastest land, encompassing everything. This entire universe is just a bubble in the Spirit Sea. Within that bubble, there are many cosmic rivers; within the rivers are many worlds; and within the worlds are many tiers.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  The world you live in is called the Mortal Race Tier.

  The world you are seeing now is the Immortal Race Tier.

  The world filled with light that you cannot touch is the Divine Race Tier."

  The Dream Maiden saw a very beautiful tree, fragrant and sweet. She reached out to pick a fruit to eat, but the radiant Immortal said, "Do not eat or drink anything here, or you will be trapped here forever. You still have a mission to complete."

  Hearing this, she put the fruit in her bag and asked, "Then what is my mission?"

  The radiant Immortal smiled and said, "That is a secret, but I will tell you if you answer one question."

  She said confidently, "Fine, ask."

  The radiant Immortal said, "In a woman's heart, what do they desire most?"

  She giggled and said, "You’re asking a woman about what women want? Are you joking with me? Haha."

  The radiant Immortal said, "Then what do you want?"

  She immediately said, "Money, definitely money." But he shook his head. Instantly, mountains of gold and silver fell upon her until they were beyond counting.

  She spoke again, "Then it is power—all the men in this world kneeling at my feet." Again, a shake of the head. Immediately after, golden palaces appeared; she sat in the highest position with thousands upon thousands of people kneeling below.

  She said again, "Then it must be beauty; I shall be the most beautiful person in the world." Instantly she changed, becoming the most beautiful person in existence; everyone bowed their heads, feeling far inferior to her. Only then did she remember she was in a dream realm, where all desires are met instantly.

  The radiant Immortal shook his head and vanished. A voice echoed from the sky: "You do not even know what you want. How then can you discover your mission?"

  The entire scenery around her changed, revealing the Mortal Realm—a normal world nestled in a beautiful valley with trees and flowers. In the center was a small house where the Prince Hien's soul resided; this was the Prince Hien's dream. She slowly entered that small house, loved him, and married him. They spent 10 years, then 20 years there, bearing him a brood of children, both boys and girls. Both were very happy in this dream realm.

  Suddenly, the voice of the White Bird Shaman called out. She had not seen the Sea of Subconsciousness, the Immortal Race realm, or the Divine realm, but had come straight to this scene where the two were living happily. She called, "Wake up, Dream Maiden! This is only a dream realm, not the real world. If you stay here too long, you will die in the real world as well. Wake up!"

  The Dream Maiden said sadly, "I know this is a dream, but I have never been this happy. I just want to stay here forever with him. Don't make me go back."

  The Shaman said, "Do you want him to die here with you? As long as he is alive, you still have a chance to build a world as beautiful as a dream."

  The Dream Maiden cried, saying, "I cannot leave here if I do not know what I want. What do women want?"

  The Shaman said, "You've been here so long you've become a fool. The thing a woman desires most is the right to be the master of her own life. Is such a simple thing beyond your understanding?"

  The Dream Maiden snapped out of it and said, "That's right. I was so foolish."

  The Dream Maiden slowly woke up. Beside her was the White Bird Shaman, who smiled and said, "Alright, let's go."

  But the Dream Maiden burst into tears. "My daughters, my beautiful children, where are they now?"

  The Shaman said, "They were only dreams; they cannot come out into the real world."

  The Dream Maiden sobbed even harder. Feeling pity, the Shaman took out a pill and said, "Take this, child. With just one dose, you can become pregnant immediately." The Dream Maiden smiled, thanked her, and swallowed it at once.

  The Prince Hien woke up, still unaware he had left the dream. The Dream Maiden writhed seductively and said, "Husband, give me another child."

  The Prince Hien sighed and said, "Come now, my love, we already have eight children, both boys and girls." Under his wife's seduction, he had no choice but to surrender and work hard at "producing" a baby. When everything was finished, the Dream Maiden went outside and was taken away by the White Bird Shaman, transforming into a flock of white crows and disappearing.

  The Prince Hien was still groggy. He walked outside and saw the military camp, then ran back inside; only a moment later did he become fully alert. Silver Beard came in and recounted everything. Vuong Khac Dich greeted the Prince Hien while laughing, as did the other generals, making his face turn bright red with embarrassment. The soldiers whispered to each other, "Let’s not dream like that. Only our Commander, with his radiant handsome looks, could make an enemy female general fall in love at first sight and vow to bear his children." The Prince Hien also felt a pang of regret for that wonderful dream, one he would never forget.