Early morning sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled patches on the forest floor. Dare Drake Tran and Zhu Bajie stood before an ancient temple overgrown with vines. Though abandoned for ages, the temple still brimmed with dense spiritual energy.
"The Moon Heaven Temple…" Zhu Bajie murmured, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "I used to cultivate here back in the day when I was Marshal Tianpeng."
Dare studied the fading carvings on the temple walls. Even after so long, the ancient Heavenly Realm's cultivation techniques were still recognizable in the designs.
"Senior Brother," he said, "do you think we could combine these ancient techniques with livestreaming?"
Zhu Bajie paused, then slapped his thigh with excitement.
"Brilliant! That's my disciple! Cultivating with viewers—nothing could be better!"
[Notification: Livestream "Ancient Cultivation Techniques with the Fallen Celestial Lord" has started]
[Notification: New Feature "Ancient Method Analysis" is now activated]
"Hello, everyone!" Dare smiled at the virtual screen. "Today, we'll explore a very special cultivation method from the ancient Heavenly Realm."
Viewers quickly flocked to the livestream, with numbers skyrocketing as Zhu Bajie began sharing tales of the temple's history.
[CelestialPalace_001: Moon Heaven Temple… this place hides many secrets.]
[CelestialPalace_002: Watch out for the ancient spirals of spiritual energy.]
"These comments…" Dare frowned. "It's them again."
"Focus!" Zhu Bajie clapped him on the shoulder. "Let me show you how the Heavenly Realm cultivates! But don't laugh when I demonstrate!"
With that, Zhu Bajie began an odd dance. The movements seemed goofy, but the spiritual energy around them started swirling in a unique way.
[HAHAHA! The Marshal's dance is epic!]
[It looks silly, but the energy response is intense!]
[GIFT ALERT! 10,000 viewers simultaneously send 'Heavenly Elixirs'!]
"Stop laughing!" Zhu Bajie growled as he continued dancing. "This is the Heavenly Spirit Dance, one of the supreme cultivation techniques!"
Dare held back a laugh and began mimicking his senior's moves. Although awkward at first, he gradually sensed the subtle magic in each movement.
"That's it!" Zhu Bajie cheered. "Feel it? The energy is swirling in a special pattern!"
[System Notification: Ancient cultivation method detected!]
[System Notification: Spiritual energy absorption rate increased by 500%!]
The viewer count surpassed one million, with comments and reactions pouring in rapidly.
[CelestialPalace_001: Combine the Heavenly Spirit Dance with Reverse Breath Technique.]
[CelestialPalace_002: Yes, and don't forget the energy from the viewers.]
"Senior Brother," Dare said, his movements steady, "these techniques… I remember them! From the Celestial Realm…"
"Shh!" Zhu Bajie placed a finger to his lips. "Let your body remember on its own."
The temple's spiritual energy grew denser. Ancient symbols on the walls began to glow, creating a mystical network of energy.
[GIFT ALERT! Millions of viewers send 'Heavenly Essence'!]
[TRENDING! #HeavenlySpiritDance trending worldwide!]
The energy from virtual gifts merged with the ancient spiritual power, forming a massive vortex around Dare. He felt the power building up inside him.
"Junior Brother!" Zhu Bajie shouted. "Keep your breathing steady! Don't let the energy sweep you away!"
But it was too late. The vortex grew so powerful that Dare began to lose control. The entire temple trembled.
[CelestialPalace_001: NOW! REMEMBER YOUR CELESTIAL MANTRA!]
That voice… It wasn't just a regular comment. It echoed through Dare's mind, like a distant memory…
A vision flashed before him—himself, in his former life as a Celestial Lord, teaching his disciples the basics of the Celestial Mantra: "The heavens follow the Tao; the Tao forms the primal force; this force shapes both yin and yang…"
"I REMEMBER!"
Dare suddenly shifted his movements from the Heavenly Spirit Dance to the familiar forms of the Celestial Mantra. The chaotic energy stabilized.
[System Notification: Unique combination of cultivation methods detected!]
[System Notification: Cultivation speed increased by 1000%!]
"Amazing!" Zhu Bajie clapped his hands. "That's the spirit, my disciple!"
Spiritual energy from every direction surged in. The temple's carvings lit up as if resonating with this new cultivation technique.
[Two million viewers! New record!]
[GIFT ALERT! A flood of gifts incoming!]
[CelestialPalace_002: That's it… let your memories guide you…]
Dare felt a breakthrough approaching. His cultivation level surged at an unprecedented speed, from Qi Refining Stage 4 to Stage 5…
"SENIOR BROTHER!" he shouted amidst the vortex. "Something isn't right!"
Zhu Bajie froze. Indeed, the cultivation speed was… too fast, too powerful. Dangerous!
"Stop!" Zhu Bajie leaped into the vortex. "Don't let greed take over! The path to immortality…"
"…must follow nature's course." A familiar voice echoed through the livestream. "But sometimes, destiny has its own designs."
CelestialPalace_001 and 002 simultaneously sent lines of ancient text that appeared in mid-air, forming a protective seal around Dare.
[System Notification: Ancient Heavenly Seal detected!]
[System Notification: Special protective mode activated!]
In an instant, the chaotic energy settled. Dare felt as if he were floating in a river of warm spiritual energy…
When everything calmed down, Dare slowly opened his eyes. The entire temple was bathed in a soft blue glow—the ancient symbols on the walls still faintly illuminated.
[System Notification: Congratulations! Reached Qi Refining Stage 6!]
[System Notification: New Feature "Ancient Heavenly Method" unlocked!]
[System Notification: Livestream ended with 5 million views!]
"Junior Brother!" Zhu Bajie rushed over, a mix of concern and excitement on his face. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm… fine," Dare replied, breathing steadily. "Actually, more than fine. I feel like… I've remembered so much more."
He looked at the new information on his system interface:
[Ancient Heavenly Method:
• Allows combination of ancient and modern cultivation techniques
• Increases spiritual absorption rate by 300%
• Unlocks fragments of Celestial Mantra memories]
"But, Senior Brother…" Dare picked up a piece of the faded symbol on the wall. "I think I know who CelestialPalace_001 and 002 are."
Zhu Bajie nodded. "So do I. Those ancient characters… only members of the Purple Void Sect would know them."
"The Purple Void Sect's master and…" Dare trailed off, unsure if he dared to speak the thought aloud.
"Yes." Zhu Bajie sighed. "But something else is even more important. Do you realize this temple…"
He pointed to a faded symbol on the wall—the symbol of the Great Mercy Temple, though in a much older form.
"The Great Mercy Temple isn't just an ordinary sect," Zhu Bajie said gravely. "It has ties to the Heavenly Realm itself."
[System Notification: New Mission Unlocked!
• "The Hidden Connection"
• Difficulty: ★★★★★
• Reward: Unknown
• Duration: Until you reach the Great Mercy Temple]
"Ah!" Zhu Bajie suddenly exclaimed. "I almost forgot! I'm starving!"
"What is it this time?" Dare chuckled, shaking his head.
"Heavenly Porridge! I remembered the recipe! With ancient energy and…" Zhu Bajie began explaining eagerly, completely forgetting the recent serious atmosphere.
Dare shook his head, but a sense of warmth filled him. Perhaps this was the greatest reward of starting over—experiencing ordinary moments that a Celestial Lord had never known.
Sunlight streamed in through cracks in the temple's roof, casting intricate beams like threads woven into a hidden tapestry. The two brothers left the temple, leaving behind mysteries yet unsolved and an adventure full of challenges awaiting them ahead.