Di Xin Yue

Chapitre 1

Chapter One: Master Has Been Captured by a Monster

Sleep paralysis?

Jiang Liu tried to turn over in his hazy state, but his body wouldn't obey him. He couldn't even move his little finger. Suddenly, he was startled, but his mind was completely clear. He wondered to himself if he was experiencing what is commonly known as "sleep paralysis"!

But then he heard strange noises and gusts of wind. What surprised him even more was that he could faintly hear the monks chanting sutras and the Taoist priests chanting incantations in the temple. Before he could listen carefully, he was interrupted by a thunderclap.

Then Jiang Liu felt a chill. Not only was there a cold wind blowing, but it also seemed that he was not sleeping in a bed, but lying on a solid, cold ground.

"Wasn't I drunk? How did I end up sleeping on the ground? Did I not go home because I was drunk, and instead slept on the street?"

With all my might, I finally managed to open my eyes and saw a full moon hanging high in the sky, but its color was extremely strange and eerie! It looked as if it had been stained with blood!

A bad feeling welled up in Jiang Liu's heart. Although his body was out of control, he still turned his eyes to look at the place where the strange sound was coming from!

"You must be dreaming!"

This was Jiang Liu's first reaction, followed by his second: "This dream feels so real..."

That blood moon was one thing, but what were those streaks of lightning that ripped across the sky? And... all that could be seen on the rooftop against the backdrop of thunder was an old Taoist priest with a white beard and white eyebrows, holding a vermilion peach wood sword, wearing a Taoist robe and a Taoist crown, and the peach wood sword in his hand shimmering with a dazzling white light!

"Holy crap, everyone come out and see a god!"

"boom!"

In an instant, thunder rumbled, and bright white lightning, driven by the old Taoist priest, crashed down into the darkness with a deafening roar!

An extremely ominous feeling immediately struck Jiang Liu's entire body. A moment later, although he was unable to move, he tried his best to look in the direction of the falling lightning. Upon closer inspection, he felt a chill run from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.

On the other side of the sky, billowing black smoke and demonic energy surged, while lightning crackled and popped in the darkness. In the brief flash of light, Jiang Liu saw a pair of enormous, blood-red eyes, followed by a head with a blue face and fangs, and a gaping maw—utterly terrifying!

"Demon...demon?"

Jiang Liu finally understood why a blood moon appeared in the sky. The saying goes, "When a blood moon appears, demons appear," which is an ominous sign!

A red moon signifies extreme yin and coldness, indicating that righteousness is weak, evil is strong, resentment is rampant, and violence is intense; the world will undergo dramatic changes, mountains and rivers will weep; the world will be in turmoil, and fires will break out everywhere!

Hence the name: Blood Moon!

Historical records in China state that the appearance of a blood moon signifies the decline of a nation, the exhaustion of its vitality, and a state akin to falling into prison. This is accompanied by calamities such as famine, war, injustice, and evil.

There is no doubt that the blood moon was brought by that demon!

Jiang Liu shivered, whether from fright or from the cold ground, it was hard to tell.

At this moment, a violent voice came from within the eerie, billowing demonic energy: "Old Daoist Xuanming, I have been waiting for this day for a hundred years. A hundred years ago, I was injured by your master. Now, I have achieved great success in my supernatural powers and entered the realm of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation. Your Qianlong Temple lineage shall be severed here!"

The old Taoist priest stood on the roof, staring directly at the demons within the black mist. He had an air of otherworldly grace, and his spine was like a sword pointing straight to the sky.

"Corpse Demon, my master was able to defeat you a hundred years ago, and today I, too, can act on behalf of Heaven and slay you, this scourge that plagues the land, to celebrate the unification of the Central Plains by the Tang Dynasty and the establishment of an everlasting dynasty!"

"The Tang Dynasty unified the Central Plains? How laughable! It was just a short-lived dynasty. The Chen Dynasty fell, and the once-powerful Sui Dynasty also fell. The Tang Dynasty will be no different. The Central Plains don't need a unified dynasty. There are countless demons in the world, so let's just enjoy peace! If the world is at peace, where will we get our blood and nourishment? Where will our ghosts cultivate?"

"Hmph!" The old Taoist snorted coldly, chanting incantations and unleashing his supernatural powers. He controlled thousands of lightning bolts, which hummed and trembled in the void.

This is the divine power to command thunder and lightning to slay demons and monsters!

"Hahaha..." Amidst the lightning and thunder, the corpse demon roared with laughter, its demonic aura churning with each laugh: "Old Daoist, your lightning magic seems to be lacking! Taste my Netherworld Demonic Technique..."

In an instant, demonic energy surged forth like a tidal wave, and from within the black mist, gaping, blood-soaked heads could be seen swirling towards the old Taoist priest. Jiang Liu felt a chill run down his spine, his heart pounding with fear for the old Taoist. The entire world instantly became shrouded in yin energy, transforming into a ghostly realm. Jiang Liu also keenly sensed that the surrounding spiritual energy had completely vanished, as if separated by an invisible barrier.

"Spiritual energy?"

Jiang Liu's breathing became somewhat disordered, and his eyes began to show a hint of confusion.

Jiang Liu glanced again at the old Taoist priest who was using lightning magic, and two words suddenly welled up in his mind: "Master!"

"Master? He is my master! The master who raised me for seventeen years!" A memory that did not belong to me suddenly appeared in my mind.

"Who am I? Where am I? Earth? Jambudvipa? The Great Tang Dynasty? Am I the unknown Jiang Liu on Earth? Or the still unknown little Taoist priest Jiang Liu in this mythical world?"

Two memories intertwine in one brain, two souls merge in one body, intermingling and merging. The boy of this world meets the youth of the other, memories intertwined, souls entangled, inseparable.

"ah!"

Countless memories flooded his mind, and Jiang Liu felt as if his brain was about to explode. It felt as if he were being shoved into a giant blade, his flesh being ripped apart piece by piece, chopped into blood and pulp, and ground into blood plasma! His entire body and even his soul were tormented and twisted in this terrible pain, and his will to live was almost instantly destroyed by the astonishing agony.

After a long while, Jiang Liu finally came to his senses. The two memories and souls had been completely shattered and merged, forming a single, inseparable memory.

"Is this Zhuangzi dreaming of being a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of being Zhuangzi? The Central Plains of Jambudvipa? Is this Journey to the West? Is it really Journey to the West?"

Life is unpredictable. Although he was just an office worker struggling to make a living on Earth, working himself to the bone every day, unable to afford a house or a car, he left his gray-haired parents behind and came to this world of gods and demons. How could everything go as he wished?

By this time, Jiang Liu had lost track of how much time had passed. The battle between the old Taoist and the corpse demon was nearing its end. The sky was clear and bright, a full moon, as radiant as a silver platter, had already sunk low in the west. A zombie with a blue face and fangs, clad in iron armor, stood in mid-air, its body charred black, its armor shattered by lightning. The old Taoist, however, was severely wounded, using his peach wood sword to support himself as he vomited mouthfuls of blood.

"The righteous path is one foot high, but the demonic path is ten feet high! Old Taoist Xuanming, watch as I devour your flesh and blood, refine your soul, and add another ghost general to my Netherworld..."

"You are welcome to try!" The old Taoist straightened up, and the words that came out of his mouth sounded unhurried, but to the corpse demon's ears, they were like waves crashing, and in his heart, they were like thunder rolling in.

"I have already reached the Qi Refining to Spirit Transformation realm. You think you can scare me? You've only reached the Qi Refining to Essence realm. Even if you've mastered thunder magic, you can't defeat me... Let me show you the terror of the Qi Refining to Spirit Transformation realm!"

Although the demonic aura of the corpse demon was swept away by the lightning, it became even more terrifying, with a frightening power erupting from its seemingly broken body.

At this moment, as dawn broke in the east, the corpse demon, watching the sun about to appear on earth, glared fiercely at the old Taoist priest. Then, as it charged towards the priest, a gust of demonic wind swept over him, enveloping him before heading north. A cruel and violent voice faintly echoed: "I'll slowly torture you when we get to my White Bone Cave..."

"Oh no! Master has been captured by a monster!"

Jiang Liu looked towards the demonic wind and saw that his master had disappeared. He felt utterly hopeless.

Chapter Two: Where is my cheat code?

A ray of morning sun pierced the sky, dispelling the endless darkness.

At the same time, a thunderclap came from the demonic wind, followed by a painful roar from the corpse demon. It was impossible to see what was happening inside. Then, the demonic wind was seen heading north in a sorry state.

The old Taoist priest also fell from mid-air instantly, vomiting a mouthful of blood with a "whoosh".

"Master!" After Jiang Liu's soul merged with the body, he gradually gained control of his body and immediately crawled towards the old Taoist priest using all four limbs.

This cry of "Master" was a genuine outpouring of emotion, accompanied by tears streaming down his face! Sixteen years of nurturing and guidance, sixteen years of earnest instruction—even though he had successfully possessed the body, the other memory within his body and mind caused him unbearable heartache and grief!

The old Taoist priest gave Jiang Liu a bitter smile: "Jiang Liuer, your master is failing..."

"Master, I'm going to get the pills..."

The old Taoist grabbed his arm, panting, and said, "Jiang Liuer... I am severely injured, my life force is exhausted, and I don't have much time left. Those pills can't save me... Jiang Liuer, you must remember what I'm about to say..."

"Master, please speak!" Jiang Liu paused, his heart filled with despair. It wasn't just the physical discomfort he felt, but also the thought that he was about to lose his only support in this world of demons and monsters. This was a world overrun by demons; without a background or a backer, countless calamities awaited him.

"My Qianlong Temple inherited the Nine Heavens Thunder Orthodox Method from Master Jingchun. This method is extremely powerful. The world's cultivation techniques and supernatural powers can be divided into three levels: Heaven, Earth, and Man, and three grades: upper, middle, and lower. This thunder method is of the middle grade of the Earth level. My Qianlong Temple has struggled for three hundred years in the chaotic world by using this thunder method. That corpse demon was at the Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation stage, but he still could not gain an advantage under my thunder method. If you study it diligently, you will be able to protect yourself... Alas! The prosperous era is about to arrive, but I have no chance to see it. What a pity and a lament!"

I, your master, have cultivated my entire life but never reached the Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation realm, forever barred from glimpsing the immortal path to longevity… Jiang Liuer, you possess some talent in cultivation, reaching the Essence Refining and Qi Transformation realm in just ten years. While not top-tier, you can still be considered of average aptitude. I originally intended to teach you demon-slaying techniques after your cultivation stabilized, but fate is unpredictable… The Thunder Technique Manual is right by my bedside… cough cough…

"If you succeed in your cultivation, next spring, the Zhengyi Sect's ancestral temple on Longhu Mountain will hold the Luotian Grand Ritual. Take this token with you; perhaps you will gain some fortuitous opportunities!"

The old Taoist priest tremblingly took out a jade pendant from his robes. It was as white as mutton fat and shaped like a dragon and a tiger fighting. Jiang Liu took it and nodded, saying, "Master, the lineage of Qianlong Temple will never be cut off in my hands!"

"It's good that you're alive. If Qianlong Temple is gone, it's gone. Don't fight or avenge me! There are capable people to deal with that corpse demon. The signs of the Tang Dynasty's golden age are already showing. Although demons and bandits are rampant now, they're just grasshoppers in autumn, they won't last long..." An unnatural flush appeared on the old Taoist's face, like a final burst of energy before death. "That corpse demon was injured by me and will never dare to reappear in the human world for a year. But it's easier to deal with the King of Hell than with his minions. Qianlong Temple is situated on a spiritual vein. After I enter reincarnation, those demons and monsters will surely come to take it. If you can't defeat them, just give up!"

“Master…” Jiang Liu saw that his master’s face was shrouded in a deathly aura and immediately knew that his time was coming to an end!

"Finally... there is your background... you were originally... Enough! Enough! Let the past go with me... If we are destined to meet again in the next life!" The old Taoist was trembling violently all over, then suddenly stopped, an invisible flame emerged from his body, and his whole body turned into ashes, drifting away with the mountain wind.

...

Jiang Liu buried a cenotaph on the back mountain, but after thinking about it, he still didn't put up a tombstone: "Master, I won't put up a tombstone for you for now. I will put up a stone tablet for you after I get through this tribulation."

After speaking, the man and his grave stood in silence.

As the sun sets in the west, the river seems to sigh, for the departed are gone, and the living should live on!

In his mind, he organized the information about this world!

This temple is called Qianlong Temple, which enshrines the Three Pure Ones and has a history of more than 300 years. The supernatural power that guards the temple is the powerful thunder magic - the Nine Heavens Thunder Orthodox Method.

This mountain is called Qianlong Mountain, located in the Jiangnan region of the Great Tang Dynasty in the Eastern Land of the Southern Continent. Three thousand miles to the south lies Jinling, a large city near the East Sea! Qianlong Mountain is not a famous mountain or river, but it has a small spiritual vein. It is neither the best nor the worst. When the old Taoist was alive, he could use his thunder magic to intimidate demons. Now that he is dead and his Tao has disappeared, naturally there are demons and evil people who want to seize the spiritual vein or take away the thunder magic of Qianlong Temple.

The current time is the tenth year of the Zhenguan era. Although centuries of war have ended, the Tang Dynasty in the East is still beset by internal and external troubles. Externally, the Turks and Tibetans are eyeing it covetously, while internally, bandits run rampant and monsters roam freely. The demons and monsters bred from centuries of war and bloodshed cannot be eradicated in just ten years!

Jiang Liu pondered to himself: "If this world is truly the Journey to the West, then three years later, a monk with the same childhood name as me will surely be entrusted by the Tang Emperor to travel to the Western Paradise to retrieve the true scriptures for saving the world, and the true golden age of the Tang Dynasty will begin!"

The arrival of a prosperous era is, in fact, an impending catastrophe for demons and monsters! With such a catastrophe looming, they will naturally fight back with their lives!

"A storm is brewing! The next ten years in the Great Tang Dynasty of China will surely be filled with bloodshed... and those demons and monsters will surely fight back to the death!"

"The world of Journey to the West! It's full of gods and Buddhas! But I've transmigrated into a mortal who's just started cultivating! It took me more than ten years to reach the Refining Essence into Qi realm. Is my aptitude really as my master said, that I have the talent for cultivation?"

"And... what did Master mean by his last words? What is my true origin? Jiang Liu... Jiang Liu... the baby who came with the river? Never mind! Now is not the time to dwell on this. Master is gone, and those demons and monsters should appear soon! Without strength, one cannot survive long in this world of gods and demons!" Jiang Liu sighed and began to cultivate.

The practice passed down from Qianlong Temple is called the Purification Mantra, one of the eight great mantras of Taoism. Widely circulated, it is a core method for practicing Taoism and one of the most fundamental practices. It involves cleansing the body with the sun and refining the form with the moon, containing great wisdom and supernatural powers, enabling one to comprehend the Great Tao!

Jiang Liu understood that while the cultivation technique he practiced was nominally one of the eight great divine incantations of Taoism, a core method for practicing and manifesting the Dao, in reality, no truly prestigious sect would cultivate it as their natal technique. It was a common, ubiquitous technique, at best only a mid-level human-grade technique! Fortunately, this Daoist method was balanced and harmonious, so even if he switched to any other Daoist method in the future, there would be no conflict.

Although the cultivation technique itself was ordinary, the thunder magic used to subdue demons was extraordinary. This thunder magic, called the Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder Orthodox Method, was a legitimate demon-subduing thunder magic of the Zhengyi Sect. Successful practice allowed one to summon heavenly thunder to defend against enemies, possessing immense power. The old Taoist Master Xuanming, with his Qi Refining stage cultivation, severely injured a corpse demon at the Qi Refining stage, demonstrating the power of this thunder magic. However, after several hours of practice, Jiang Liu could only release a single bolt of lightning the size of a hair. Forget subduing demons, he couldn't even electrocute a rabbit.

Jiang Liu knelt before the statues of the Three Pure Ones, his mind in turmoil, increasingly unable to calm his mind for cultivation, and murmured to himself:

"system!"

Jiang Liu calmed himself down, checked his body, and then fell silent.

"Golden touch!"

...still no response.

"Grandpa?...Master has reincarnated!"

The empty Taoist temple was filled only with Jiang Liu's breathing. He heard another gust of cold wind blowing outside the temple, and Jiang Liu sighed with a worried expression, "Golden Finger? Where is my Golden Finger? Where is my Golden Finger?"

The fierce wind grew even more piercing, rattling the door violently. Jiang Liu covered his face and wailed silently, "Heavens... Without a cheat system, how am I supposed to survive in this world full of gods, Buddhas, demons, and monsters? Time and space administrator, I want to complain! I want to go home!"

It was already past midnight. The moonlight was bright and clear, but suddenly a dark shadow drifted in from the southwest of Qianlong Mountain, moving constantly in the moonlight like a demon emerging from its cave. It stirred up a howling wind, and the temperature dropped. The leaves trembled on the branches, giving people a feeling of late autumn, somewhat cold and gloomy.

The dark figure moved swiftly across the ground, heading straight for Qianlong Temple, its target crystal clear. A night owl, out hunting under the cover of darkness, glanced at the shadowy figure, its eyes widening in terror, and vanished without a trace in an instant.

The dark figure stopped abruptly in front of the Qianlong Temple gate. The mist gradually condensed, revealing a Taoist priest with a sharp, angular face, as thin as a stick. He stretched out a withered hand, about to push towards the temple gate...

But she suddenly stopped, muttering, "Is that old Taoist really dead? What if he faked his death to trick me? I should test him first before making any plans..." With that thought, she took out a small triangular banner, and with a wave of it, a gust of cold wind arose, enveloping the Taoist temple in an indescribable atmosphere. The branches of the trees swayed on their own, intertwining like ghostly claws or ghostly shadows, and leaves fell one by one, creating a terrifying scene.

"The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease!" Jiang Liu muttered to himself as he sat in the Taoist temple.