Sanders nodded: “Very likely, you actually weren’t discovered, but rather Toby’s dream was so filled with negative energy that your Dream Tentacle inadvertently became an outlet for it to escape.”
“Based on what you said, you barely entered for a moment before fleeing. Yet even so, the accumulation of negativity on you is quite alarming. This implies…” Sanders looked toward Toby, his eyes flickering, “the negativity in Toby’s dreams has reached such an extreme concentration. Perhaps, this is the reason why Toby remains in such a deep sleep.”
Angel: “Why would Toby be in such a state?”
Sanders countered with a question of his own, “What do you think?”
“There seems to be only one possibility.” Angel’s eyes flickered with concern as he softly voiced his guess: “The Tribulation of Five Flavors!”
Sanders nodded: “Correct. The last time you entered his dream, it showed only signs of entering the tribulation. It seems that now it has formally begun.”
If it weren’t for the Tribulation of Five Flavors, it would be impossible for such horrific negative emotions to exist in Toby’s dreams.
Toby had already faced “The Fury Tribulation,” with four more to endure: love, hate, resentment, and sorrow.
“Considering the jealousy and possessiveness it showed in its dream last time, combined with the resentful negativity you have just come into contact with, it is very likely that Toby is now facing ‘The Resentment Tribulation’,” Sanders paused, “Fortunately, you were lucky not to have fully entered its dream. Otherwise, facing such terrifying resentment, the consequences would be dire.”
Angel also felt a wave of fear, but after the initial scare, his concern for Toby grew.
Each tribulation is a brush with death. The five tribulations Toby faced were as perilous as death itself. Surviving them required not just good fortune but also a test of Toby’s will.
Moreover, it hadn’t been long since “The Fury Tribulation.” According to what Greya had said before, it should not have been possible to enter another tribulation so soon.
But life is unpredictable. Toby was afflicted with the Calamity Curse, and bad luck wouldn’t spare him. This misfortune clearly extended to the Tribulation of Five Flavors. In addition to the curse, Toby was also affected by the emotional domain field of the giant serpent in the Shadow Cave; the combination of both factors led to the current predicament,
Angel didn’t know if Toby could endure facing ‘The Resentment Tribulation’ so soon.
The most important thing was that Toby had to face the tribulation alone. Others couldn’t help… No, that’s not right, Angel suddenly thought of something: “Since the negative emotions accumulated could be released through the Dream Tentacle, could this be used to lessen the negative emotions Toby faces, thereby reducing the difficulty of the tribulation?”
“Are you planning to become a carrier of negativity?” Sanders raised an eyebrow.
Angel nodded.
“If you can stop the source of negative emotions, your suggestion might alleviate the tribulation. But what if the source continues to release negative emotions?” Sanders paused, “And besides, these negative emotions are meaningless to you. But for Toby, as long as he can survive ‘The Resentment Tribulation,’ they serve as a source of his strength.”
“The most important thing is, are you certain you’ll always be lucky enough to escape from his dreams each time?”
Angel fell silent.
“If you really want to alleviate the tribulation, the only option is to go back and ask Greya to see if she has any solutions,” Sanders concluded with this sentence.
Angel nodded, that was all he could do.
Putting Toby’s situation aside for the moment, Sanders said to Angel, “Although Toby hasn’t awakened yet, his curse has been lifted, so let’s prepare to leave. We should head back to the Southern Domain as soon as possible, to avoid any unexpected developments.”
Angel thought it over; he didn’t know if the willful blockade outside the Continent of Yuantan had been lifted, and even if it hadn’t, it was possible that some powerful entities could have other methods of tracking them.
So, it would be best to leave as soon as possible.
Moreover, in Sky Island, Popota’s identity was about to be exposed. Once that happened, Frostmoon would undoubtedly search for him with all their resources. Angel couldn’t guarantee he could always stay by Popota’s side. Once Popota moved beyond the protection of the Blood Night Shelter, he could be detected by the Prophet Wizard of Frostmoon.
With this in mind, Angel nodded in agreement:
“Okay, back to the Southern Domain!”