"RUN!"
The two bolted, dashing through the market. Dare grumbled as he ran, "You said this was a lesson on mortal currency?"
"Exactly!" Zhu Bajie laughed heartily. "Consider this a practical lesson… in handling finances when broke!"
[TinyFairy2k: "Best tutorial ever!"]
[Guest1810: "The 'run-and-teach' guide!"]
[Viewers: 500,000+]
As they fled, Dare suddenly felt a strange energy coursing through him. The intense exertion and rush of adrenaline made his spiritual energy surge.
"Wait…" he muttered. "This feeling…"
[System: Congratulations! Breakthrough Achieved: Qi Refining Stage 4
Method: Running + Extreme Stress
Note: "Possibly… the most unique cultivation method ever!"]
[CelestialPalace_001: "Breaking through by running… is that possible?"]
[CelestialPalace_002: "The path of cultivation truly works in mysterious ways…"]
"Hey!" Zhu Bajie shouted as he ran beside him. "Why's your face so strange?"
"I just… broke through…"
"Huh?" The Daoist gaped at him. "You broke through… while running? Genius! Ha ha ha!"
After a mad dash, they finally lost the patrol and collapsed under a tree, panting. Dare could feel the newly energized spiritual power pulsing within him.
"I never thought…" he muttered, "cultivating in the mortal world could be… this exciting."
"See?" Zhu Bajie thumped his chest. "I'm the number one guide! Not only do I show you around, but I help you break through too!"
[System: Guide Evaluation:
Navigation Skills: 0 Points
Breakthrough Assistance: 100 Points (Unintentional)
Trouble-Making Skills: 999 Points
Note: "Is he a guide… or a disaster expert?"]
Watching his old friend laugh heartily, Dare realized that perhaps his banishment to the mortal realm wasn't entirely a punishment. At the very least, he had rediscovered the joy he once knew in the Celestial Court.
"Hey…" Zhu Bajie suddenly grew serious. "I think I know why that celestial maiden led me to you."
"Oh?"
"The Great Mercy Temple isn't just collecting souls…" Zhu Bajie whispered. "They're searching for something… something that could spread demonic energy throughout the mortal world."
[CelestialPalace_001: "The time has come…"]
[CelestialPalace_002: "Everything begins here…"]
Dare recalled the eyes of those monks—devoid of Buddhist peace, instead filled with greed and an ominous demonic aura that felt disturbingly familiar.
"That demonic energy…" he murmured. "It's like the one in the Celestial Court…"
"Exactly!" Zhu Bajie nodded. "It's the same energy that caused some gods to fall from grace. And if I'm right… this is why we were sent here."
"Sent here?" Dare raised an eyebrow. "You mean…"
"I don't know who that celestial maiden is," Zhu Bajie replied, standing up and dusting off his clothes. "But I have a feeling… maybe our exile to the mortal world wasn't entirely a punishment."
[System: New Quest Unlocked! "Secrets of the Great Mercy Temple"
Difficulty: ???
Reward: ???
Note: "It seems… this is your true mission."]
"Alright then!" Zhu Bajie suddenly laughed. "Tomorrow, I'll take you to the outskirts of the Great Mercy Temple! But for now…"
"What now?"
"Let's find another tavern! To celebrate your breakthrough! Ha ha ha!"
Watching Zhu Bajie stumble ahead, Dare smiled. Whatever the plot behind this might be, with Zhu Bajie by his side, this journey would certainly be far more enjoyable.
"Hey!" he called out. "Bring money this time!"
"Don't worry! I have a plan!"
"It's because you have a plan that I'm worried…"
[CelestialPalace_001: "The fate of all realms…"]
[CelestialPalace_002: "…is about to change."]