The moon tonight wore a strange, blood-red hue. Beneath its crimson glow, Dare Drake Tran and Zhu Bajie sat by a small fire, the atmosphere heavy with an unnatural tension.
"Senior Brother…" Dare's voice was barely a whisper, his eyes fixed on the ominous red moon. "I feel… like I've seen this before."
Zhu Bajie stopped chewing on his roasted yam, his expression unusually solemn. Had the time truly come?
[System Notification: Special Celestial Event Detected!]
[System Notification: Heavenly Realm Blood Moon - Influencing Spiritual Energy and Memory]
"Should we go live, Senior Brother?" Dare asked, his usual enthusiasm absent.
"No," Zhu Bajie shook his head, his face more serious than Dare had ever seen. "There are things best kept private."
Suddenly, a cold wind extinguished their campfire, and they were plunged into the bloody glow of the red moon.
"ARGH!"
Dare clutched his head as fragmented memories came flooding back in chaotic bursts:
…A grand celestial hall in the Heavenly Realm…
…The pure laughter of a woman in white…
…The cold eyes of the Jade Emperor…
…And a fateful decision...
"Steady!" Zhu Bajie placed a firm hand on Dare's shoulder. "Don't try to recall it all at once. Let me tell you…"
[System Warning: Memory Seal Weakening Detected!]
[System Notification: "Distant Memories" Feature Activated]
Zhu Bajie took a deep breath, looking straight into Dare's eyes.
"In those days, in the Heavenly Realm…"
"In those days," he continued, his voice somber, "you weren't just any Celestial Sovereign. You were…"
A sharp pain forced Dare to shut his eyes, as more memories started flooding his mind:
…A grand ceremony in the Spirit Temple…
…Nine Celestial Sovereigns gathered in a circle…
…And he, in white robes, holding a radiant jade seal…
[System Analysis:
• Memory Recovery: 15%
• Seal Strength: Rapidly Weakening
• Warning: Traces of Heavenly Realm Intervention Detected]
"You were the Mysterious Lord of Nine Heavens," Zhu Bajie continued, "chosen to guard the Celestial Seal of Nine Heavens—a relic capable of sealing away demonic forces."
"But then… why…" Dare struggled to stay focused amidst the pain. "Why was I exiled?"
Zhu Bajie was silent for a moment, his gaze reflecting the blood-red moon.
"Because of a celestial maiden. Because of a choice. And because of… a betrayal."
Under the blood moon, ghostly images began appearing in the air around them, like an ancient film replaying:
…A maiden in white weeping…
…The Celestial Seal shattering into nine fragments…
…Demonic energy pouring from a rift in space…
…And the cold judgment of the Jade Emperor…
"I remember that day well," Zhu Bajie sighed. "I tried to stop you, but…"
"But you chose to save her," Zhu Bajie said, his voice tinged with regret. "You chose to save a maiden who had been tainted by demonic energy, rather than protect the Celestial Seal."
Dare stumbled, as yet more memories flooded over him like waves:
…The Maiden in White engulfed by demonic energy…
…The nine fragments of the Seal scattered across the Heavens…
…The furious cries of the other Celestial Sovereigns…
…"TRAITOR! YOU HAVE UNLEASHED THE DEMONIC SEAL!"...
[System Analysis:
• Memory Recovery: 35%
• Warning: Conflict Detected Between Real and False Memories
• Special Note: High-Level Memory Seal Traces]
"But, Senior Brother," Dare forced himself to collect the fragments of his memory. "This celestial maiden… who was she?"
Zhu Bajie looked up at the blood moon, his eyes filled with a pain that had lingered for a thousand years.
"She was… the Lord of Violet Clouds."
"What?!"
A clap of thunder shattered the silence. Dare staggered back, stunned by the revelation. So, CelestialPalace_001 and 002…
"Yes," Zhu Bajie nodded. "The ones who've been watching us through the system… they are her avatars. One good, one evil. The result of her partial corruption by demonic energy."
Suddenly, the space around them began to distort. From the blood moon, ghostly figures started to emerge…
"DANGER!" Zhu Bajie sprang up, brandishing his Ninefold Spirit Trident. "These are Blood Moon Reflections—living memories brought to life under the blood moon!"
The ghostly figures solidified: Nine Celestial Sovereigns in ancient robes, standing in a circle. Among them, a past version of Dare in white robes, holding the Celestial Seal, and beside him… a trembling maiden in white.
"Please…" Her voice echoed from the past. "I never meant to…"
"Silence!" one of the Celestial Sovereigns barked. "The demonic energy within you has reached the point of no return!"
[System Warning: Memory Interfering with Reality!]
[System Warning: Detected Ancient Demonic Energy Disturbances!]
"No!" Past Dare cried. "There's another way! I can use the Seal to…"
"STOP!" the Celestial Sovereigns shouted in unison. But it was too late.
In the vision, Past Dare shattered the Seal, using one fragment to absorb the maiden's demonic energy. But it had been a trap. The demonic energy erupted, tearing open the sky.
"I understand now…" Present Dare murmured, unable to look away from the heartbreaking scene. "I was deceived. But why… why her?"
Zhu Bajie placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Because she was the only one who could make you give up everything. The woman you loved… even in a past life."
The blood moon suddenly deepened in color. The reflections from the past began to twist, as though they were trying to reveal something more.
[System Notification: External Interference Detected!]
[CelestialPalace_001: Stop! It's not time yet...]
[CelestialPalace_002: No… they need to know the truth…]
"Senior Brother," Dare realized something. "If these are real memories, why does it feel… like something's missing?"
Zhu Bajie sighed heavily.
"Because this is only part of the truth. The full story awaits at the Great Mercy Temple. A secret that involves…"
CRACK!
A deafening sound rang out. The reflections shattered like broken glass. And from the fragments, a final image briefly appeared:
…The Lord of Violet Clouds kneeling before a shadowed figure…
…The nine fragments of the Celestial Seal scattering in different directions…
…And a familiar symbol: the ancient emblem of the Great Mercy Temple…
[System Analysis Complete:
• Memory Recovery: 45%
• Discovery: Multiple Overlapping Memories
• Warning: Evidence of a Major Conspiracy
• Special Note: Linked to the Great Mercy Temple and the Celestial Seal of Nine Heavens]
"Junior Brother…" Zhu Bajie placed a comforting hand on Dare's shoulder. "I know this is overwhelming for one night. But there's something you must know…"
"Wait." Dare interrupted. "I have a feeling… the Great Mercy Temple isn't just an ordinary sect. It feels like…"
"Exactly." Zhu Bajie nodded. "It's where all the secrets began. And also where…"
"I know what we need to do." Dare rose, his gaze resolute. "We need to find the remaining Seal fragments. And more importantly…"
"To uncover the truth about the Lord of Violet Clouds," Zhu Bajie finished. "But first…"
"Don't tell me you're hungry…"
"No, no!" Zhu Bajie said with uncharacteristic seriousness. "Well… actually, I am. How about some Blood Moon Porridge?"
Despite himself, Dare found a smile. Perhaps this was the gift of brotherhood—finding laughter even in the darkest moments.
[System Notification: New Mission Unlocked!
• "The Nine Seal Fragments"
• Difficulty: ★★★★★★
• Reward: Unlock a Portion of Sealed Memories
• Time Limit: Until all fragments are found]
The blood moon's color gradually faded, but the secrets it had revealed would remain etched in their minds. The Great Mercy Temple was no longer just their destination; it was the gateway to an earth-shattering truth…