Interstellar Dream Maker

"The 51st Xinghai Dream Casting Master Live Broadcast Competition has officially kicked off."

"Countless star domains and major star regions, with young Dreamcasters from different races and planets, have joined this globally anticipated competition."

"Regardless of when or where they come from, or what their pasts may be, at this moment, they are all contestants representing their respective regions."

"The Dreamcaster Live Broadcast Competition, held once every century, has no doubt contributed countless talents to the entire Star Sea."

At this very moment, countless viewers across the entire starry sea are focused on this scene.

The Starsea Dreamcaster Live Competition is broadcasted entirely through the Star Network, where contestants compete in real time. Regardless of whether it's the Federation or the Empire, each star region and zone naturally supports their own Dreamcaster. On the Star Network, countless subchannels and branch channels have been established for live streaming and rebroadcasting.

Of course, these channels are primarily set up to feature Dreamcasters, guides, and hosts who provide commentary and explanations for the audience watching the live competition.

Humans, Yao (Demon) Clan, Zerg... hosts with diverse appearances appeared in the live streaming rooms, and the number of real-time viewers skyrocketed at lightning speed.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to the commentary live stream of the 52nd Dreamcasting Live Competition for the Alapha Sector of the Sili Star Region. I'm your host... This year, the Alapha Sector has a total of 500,000 contestants participating in the Dreamcasting competition. Our sector's seed contestants include Ovira, Pipibi..."

"The Federation's Vidor Star Region has set a new record for participants in this Dreamcasting Live Competition. Before the competition begins, let us welcome our special guest commentator for this channel, the Honorary Starsea Class-A Dreamcaster, Ms. Naren..."

"Dear viewers, ladies and gentlemen, the Starsea rankings for this Dreamcaster Live Competition, including the regional leaderboards for each star region and sector, have just been released! What an endless list of names it fills my heart with joy. We have so many young Dreamcasters; they truly represent the future of the Starsea."

"According to pre-competition data from the Starsea Dreamcaster Committee, over 89% of this year's contestants have entered the preparatory zones and training camps across various star regions. Let us look forward to their spectacular dreamcasting performances!"

Many viewers unable to access the Star Network with their consciousness watched the competition live on their smart devices. This once-in-a-century grand event captured the attention of the entire population.

In Lily's personal channel live stream, many viewers from her star region were already waiting.

The recent controversy had made many Starsea netizens remember this Dreamcaster from the Flying Bird Star. There were even many who had been arguing and betting, all waiting for today to see just what kind of strength Lily truly possessed.

As a result, Lily's live stream gained more popularity, surpassing many other contestants from the same star region.

The countdown for the Dreamcasting Live Competition flashed before every contestant and viewer.

At this moment, Lily was in her personal space as a contestant. Although the ten days of courses and physical training she received at the base were brief, they had given her a deeper understanding and awareness of dreamcasting and what it truly means to be a Dreamcaster.

Each edition of the Dreamcaster Live Competition differs from the previous ones, and even the instructors in the training camps are unable to predict what difficult challenges the Dreamcasting Exam Committee will set this time.

However, over the course of dozens of editions, there has been a shared understanding of the Dreamcaster Live Competition: no matter how the rules or challenges change, the core essence remains the same. Ultimately, it is about dreamcasting, testing the contestants' abilities in beast modeling, object modeling, scene creation, and personification.

If we look back at the earliest editions of the Dreamcaster Live Competition, it was more of a test based exam, where contestants were given fixed topics and required to dreamcast according to those set demands, simply completing the given requirements.

But now, after thousands of years, as Dreamcasters continue to progress and evolve, the Dreamcasting Live Competition has become increasingly unpredictable, with new and diverse challenges constantly emerging, making it impossible to foresee what will come next.

Countdown: 3, 2, 1 

In the blink of an eye, Lily had already arrived in another world.

Before her was an endless expanse of white mist, hazy and indistinct, with nothing visible through the fog.

The white mist was not thin or faint, but thick and dense, making it impossible to see through. It instilled a sense of unease, as if something unknown lurked within.

It was as if something was hidden within the mist, lurking just out of sight.

[ what new challenge has the Exam Committee come up with this time? Isn't the first round of the official competition usually about beast modeling?]

[I don't get it, I really don't understand.]

Lily was dressed in long clothes and trousers that allowed for easy movement. She stood still in place.

At this moment, she watched as the mist crept toward her, and finally, the competition notification sound from the Starsea System echoed in her ears.

"Contestant Lily, you have entered the Starsea Dreamcasting Live Competition. This is the first round of the official points match."

"Contestant's personal panel activated. Starsea leaderboard activated."

"Please navigate to the arena on your own to engage in simulated beast battles and earn points."

"The duration of this match is three Starsea days. A score of 1000 points is required to pass; failure to reach 1000 points will result in immediate elimination."

Is it a points based competition?

Lily's eyes flickered slightly as a thought crossed her mind, and her personal panel appeared.

Contestant's Personal Panel:

Contestant: LilyCompeting Star Region: Tana Star Region Hick Star Zone Avian StarCurrent Match: ArenaCurrent Points: 0/1000Dreamcasting Rating: Not AvailableStarsea Ranking: Not Available

he contestants' personal panels are not visible to the viewers in the live stream. Lily's gaze swept over a few options before she closed the panel.

Meanwhile, the viewers in the live stream, who had also heard the system announce the competition rules, were already discussing excitedly.

Arena? This theme... It's still the simulated beast exam after all.]

[The exam committee really got creative this time. Now, with this natural phenomenon, the contestants actually have to find their way to the arena. Such a hassle.]

[But you can't see anything! The contestants will have to create a fogged-out projection band and find a way to get some kind of transportation. Otherwise, they won't be able to see or move, and it'll drain their energy. This first official match is way too difficult.]

[The difficulty is definitely high. The rewards for this live competition are the best in the history of the 52nd edition. It's meant to select the most talented and exceptional Dreamcasters. Those who don't qualify will be filtered out just by this navigation challenge. Only the elites will remain. Tsk, this is getting more and more interesting.]

The viewers first discussed the topic of this competition for a while. Although they weren't Dreamcasters themselves, they liked to give their opinions and act as if they understood everything, offering advice on all matters.

Lily stared at the thick white mist in front of her, her lips slightly pursed, seemingly deep in thought. She remained motionless for a while.

At the same time, countless other Dreamcasters in different competition spaces had already begun to take action.

Some contestants took the lead, diving straight into the thick white mist to find a path.

Others began crafting tools to point them in the right direction, attempting to navigate.

There were also contestants who created protective shields, staying away from the mist altogether.

A few, more strategic, chose to act only after careful planning, first creating a small beast to scout the path and venture into the mist to search for a route.

Lily didn't act hastily. There were three Starsea days, or three full days, for this competition.

Three days was the deadline, but it didn't mean every contestant would stay in the competition for the entire duration.

If the thick white mist were a bit thinner, a bit lighter, it would have an ethereal,like feeling.

But at this moment, Lily keenly sensed that something was hidden within it.

Finding a path, simulating beasts, and the arena.

Lily pondered the competition rules of the system in her mind.

But if the path is invisible, where can one search?

The white mist was endless, and Lily couldn't hear a single sound. The surroundings were deathly silent.

There wasn't even a shepherd in sight—where could she go to find the village of Apricot Blossom?

Unable to see the path, she blamed the thick white mist.

Then, she decided to tackle this core difficulty first.

Lily's eyes narrowed slightly, and with a flick of her right hand, a bamboo brush appeared in her palm.

The viewers watching Lily's live stream immediately perked up.

[Here it comes, here it comes! It's that auxiliary tool again—Contestant Lily is about to start Dreamcasting!]

[I wonder what she'll Dreamcast this time.]

[I just checked other contestants' live streams! As long as the contestants simulate beasts in the exam, they'll earn some points! I wonder how many she'll get. The leaderboard is all over the place right now!]

With her mental energy guiding the brush across the paper and a draft in her mind, Lily's strokes flowed like a stream, seamless and effortless.

In the live stream, as Lily wielded the brush, a massive creature began to materialize amidst the vast white mist around her.

That massive creature was enveloped in mist, obscuring its details and leaving the viewers feeling both intrigued and uncertain.

[Such a large simulated beast, what could it be?]

[Such a strange beast form. Could Lily be about to Dreamcast some unknown creature again?]

Its surface seemed smooth yet textured, like sandpaper, with colors that were strange and ever changing.

The closed shell was tightly sealed, with distinctive curves. It had no eyes or common beastly features, resembling a strangely cast rock.

[Hmm, it looks a bit like a mollusk? A saw-toothed shell, maybe? Or a giant clam?]

[No way, what can a mollusk do? She doesn't seriously think creating a giant shellfish will earn her a lot of points, does she?]

As Lily's brush made the final stroke,

The tightly closed, lifeless giant clam suddenly opened its shell.

A massive opening appeared before her, and at the same time, the surrounding thick white mist was being drawn into the giant clam at a visibly rapid pace.

The giant clam continued to absorb the mist, its body and capacity seemingly endless, as if it would never be full. The mist flowed in endlessly, swallowed by the clam without pause.

The live stream was in an uproar.

What kind of simulated beast is this?!

At the same time, Lily's competition ranking was rapidly climbing.

The mist gathered within the giant clam's shell, forming a cloud of mist for Lily. She sat atop it, positioning herself on the clam's head.

Lily stood at a high vantage point, facing the wind as she looked ahead. Though there was no one in sight, it seemed as though she was speaking to the viewers in the live stream.

She said, "This beast is called a Shèn. It can swallow clouds and release mist."