Simultaneous Transmigration: We Share a Role-Playing System

Chapter 171 Zhang Chulan strolls under the moon, Zhuge Qing listens to the wind and yellow wind.

The campfire crackled and sparked, filling the open space behind Longhu Mountain with the aroma of charred pine wood mixed with the oily scent of roasted wild game.

Jia Zhengliang put his arm around Zhang Chulan's shoulder, took a swig of Red Star Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), and laughed loudly with a flushed face: "Zhang Chulan, you're something else! With such solid strength, why did you pull that 'defeat the heavens' act yesterday? Were you just playing us for a fool?"

With all the competitions of the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony concluded today, the young elites of the current world of extraordinary individuals can finally relax and unleash their full potential after the tense atmosphere of the competition.

Zhuge Qing, the successor of Wuhou Qimen, Zhang Lingyu, the closed-door disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion, Zhang Chulan, the inheritor of the Body Source Flow, Jia Zhengliang, the master of artifact manipulation from Jiajia Village, Feng Xingtong from the Feng family, and Feng Shayan from the World Society, a group of young people who are all the pride of their respective territories, gathered around the blazing bonfire for a lively bonfire party.

The world of extraordinary individuals, upholding their respective sect rules and traditions, has been scattered across the four corners of the world, remaining silent for far too long.

It wasn't just the older generation sitting on the stone piers not far away who hadn't seen such a lively scene of talented people of the same generation gathering together without any sectarian prejudices for a long time; even these younger generation members mostly spent their years cultivating diligently within their sects, and rarely had such an opportunity to gather with the top experts of the same age from all over the world, drink, discuss the Dao, and make friends with like-minded people.

Laughter echoed through the forest on the mountain breeze, and the clinking of beer bottles resounded everywhere. This impromptu gathering was even more lively than the campfire in front of them.

The young talents who had shone on the field today were now surrounded by their peers around the campfire, still the main characters of the event.

But Zhang Lingyu from the host's Celestial Master's Mansion was the most out of place among them.

The reason wasn't complicated; on one side of his cheek, there was a bright red, eye-catching handprint, with the outline of the five fingers clearly visible.

The usually dignified and elegant high priest of the Celestial Master's Mansion was now huddled in a shadowy corner where the campfire couldn't reach, his back to the noisy crowd. He would occasionally cover his face with the wide sleeves of his Taoist robe, too embarrassed to even lift his head, let alone move closer to the crowd.

At this moment, Zhang Lingyu's heart was in turmoil, filled with both shame and anger.

After the competition, when Zhang Zhiwei, the old master, heard about Zhang Lingyu's performance that day, he immediately felt that something was wrong. He pulled him aside for a private talk. As a result, Zhang Lingyu was affected by the pill and became impatient with his master's questions, and then his words were a bit too harsh.

As a result, naturally, under the loving caress of his master, he successfully realized his mistake and deeply understood it. He then wept bitterly and promised never to repeat it again, truly feeling ashamed. Zhang Zhiwei, seeing that it was indeed not the fault of his closed-door disciple, had no other choice but to give up.

Even now, Zhang Lingyu still couldn't understand why his usually calm and steadfast Dao heart had suddenly become like a demon, his temperament had changed drastically, and so many rebellious and delusional thoughts had arisen.

What chilled him to the bone and sent shivers down his spine was that even though he had been completely awakened by his master's slap and the burning pain on his face was still clearly etched into the nerves of his face, a cold and lingering undercurrent still clung to the depths of his Dao heart.

It was as if a sinister voice, not belonging to him, was clinging to his primordial spirit in his Niwan Palace, whispering uncontrollably in his heart again and again:

Why is that old man treating me like this?

After he passes away, whether it's the complete Five Thunder Orthodox Technique or the position of Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, in the end, won't it all be mine? Zhang Chulan, he doesn't deserve it!

Zhang Lingyu suddenly woke up with a start, and then desperately tried to dispel this rebellious and delusional thought from her mind, but the voice was like a bone-deep ailment, the more she suppressed it, the clearer it surged in her heart.

The esteemed disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion, known for his upright and dignified demeanor, now huddled in the shadows where the campfire couldn't reach, his body trembling uncontrollably. He couldn't believe that such a thought of betraying his master and ancestors could actually arise from the depths of his heart.

"Oh? Kid, look at you, you've been eating random things. Didn't your master teach you not to eat other people's food?"

Upon hearing these words, Zhang Lingyu shuddered, realizing that he had once again entertained inappropriate thoughts. He instinctively looked in the direction of the voice and discovered that the speaker was actually a weasel, which was being held respectfully and properly in the hands of Deng Youcai, a member of the Northeast Shamanic lineage.

Zhang Lingyu was taken aback at first, then reacted, stood up and bowed respectfully to the immortal, saying loudly, "Zhang Lingyu, disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain, greets the immortal."

"Hey kid, your knowledge is pretty good, you actually know about immortals. I see there are still a lot of juniors in this circle who don't even know that."

Upon hearing Huang Feng's words, Deng Youcai couldn't help but chime in, "Ancestor, if you ask me, it's because our grandma hasn't left the house in so long, and she doesn't let us show our faces anymore! Now everyone's almost forgotten about us Northeast shamans!"

"Alright, Youcai, Xiaohua has her own concerns too, you have to understand. Go have fun with your brother, I have something to discuss with this young man."

"But our ancestors—"

"Alright, go on, stop dawdling."

Having said that, Deng Youcai had no choice but to leave reluctantly, turning back every few steps. Only after being glared at by Huang Feng did he slink away to avoid being punished.

"Alright, your name is Zhang Lingyu, right? Let me take a look at your master. Come closer and have a taste."

Upon hearing that it was her master asking the immortals for help, and remembering the inappropriate thoughts she had just entertained, Zhang Lingyu squinted, her voice slightly trembling with tears, and instinctively called out, "Master—"

Unexpectedly, Huang Feng was annoyed by the crying and wailing. With a wave of his little paw, a gust of wind suddenly appeared around Zhang Lingyu, pushing her directly in front of Huang Feng.

"Why is Little Bull Nose so fussy? He doesn't look like your master at all. Come closer so I can take a look."

Now Zhang Lingyu didn't dare to move rashly. She moved closer and looked at the little thing in front of her. Only then did she realize that it was not a weasel at all, but more like a yellow-furred mink.

Strange, are there any high-ranking ferret spirits in the immortal families of Northeast China?

Huang Feng pretended to look at it for a while and then came to a conclusion that he himself had caused the problem.

"I knew I wasn't mistaken, kid. Did you take a pill given to you by that purple-skinned old Taoist priest?"

Hearing the immortal say this, Zhang Lingyu was slightly surprised. She had clearly not told anyone, so why did the immortal know the truth?

But then, he suddenly realized something: why did he subconsciously choose to hide this? He even realized now that he had no need or reason to hide it at all.

Seeing Zhang Lingyu's expression, Huang Feng knew that the other party had realized it, and nodded in satisfaction. The script was still proceeding according to his ideas, not bad.

Thinking of this, Huang Feng raised his paw with a serious expression, pretending to stroke the non-existent beard under his chin, and slowly spoke with an air of knowing everything: "It seems it really is him. Let me ask you, after you took this pill, did you feel your power surge and your cultivation level increase dramatically for no reason?"

Zhang Lingyu stiffened and quickly bowed, replying, "Yes, yes."

"From then on, did you often have wild thoughts, feel restless, and even act and speak differently from your usual self?"

""

Zhang Lingyu's pupils contracted sharply, and her voice suddenly rose: "Yes!"

"When practicing Qigong, do you often experience sudden blockages or stagnation, and do you occasionally feel a slight, pricking pain in your meridians?"

Zhang Lingyu's forehead instantly broke out in a cold sweat, and her voice trembled as she replied, "Yes!"

"Have you been feeling physically and mentally exhausted lately, making it impossible to calm your mind and enter a meditative state? Do you experience a constant feeling of unease, as if the Stomach Meridian of Foot Yangming, the Spleen Meridian of Foot Taiyin, the Heart Meridian of Hand Shaoyin, and the Liver Meridian of Foot Jueyin are being repeatedly disturbed?"

"Yes! Senior—oh no, Ancestor! Please enlighten me, what exactly is wrong with me?!"

Seeing her unusual behavior over the past two days, which was now being explained word for word by the immortal before her, Zhang Lingyu's face drained of all color and turned deathly pale.

His mind went blank for a moment, and he instantly realized that the old Taoist who gave him the pill was not some reclusive senior, but definitely a heretical and evil sect of Quanxing! He had been tricked and harmed!

Seeing this, Locke raised his paw to touch the non-existent beard, continuing to act like a wise and enlightened master, refusing to utter a single word of the truth, only sighing repeatedly.

Those sighs were drawn out, each one like a heavy hammer blow to Zhang Lingyu's heart, making him even more restless and uneasy, yet he thought to himself:

"I merely used spiritual essence to create a pill, then modified the Twelve Labors of Passion Formation I got from Gao Ning, and Zhang Lingyu actually fell for it. Your master was right, you really are inferior to Zhang Chulan; a single Barnum effect was enough to take you down."

Just a second before Zhang Lingyu could no longer hold back and was about to bow and ask another question, Locke finally stopped his sighing and slowly opened his mouth: "You really were harmed by that sinister person! In this world, probably only your master can see through that old man's true colors. It's not entirely your fault that you fell for his trick. Come closer, and I'll help you get rid of this insect egg."

Insect eggs?

These two words stunned Zhang Lingyu, who couldn't connect the pills he had taken with the sinister and treacherous insect eggs.

The thought of a living creature hiding inside his body sent an overwhelming wave of nausea rising to his throat. Locke didn't tolerate his hesitation; he raised his paw and slapped Zhang Lingyu's dantian with lightning speed. A surge of power coursed through his body, and Zhang Lingyu froze, unable to move for two seconds.

In that instant, Locke forced out all the remaining spiritual energy that Zhang Lingyu had not yet digested, and at the same time used illusion magic to disguise it as a constantly wriggling insect egg, which he held brightly in his palm.

Upon seeing the wriggling worm egg, Zhang Lingyu could no longer hold back. She suddenly lunged at a nearby tree trunk and vomited violently, emptying her stomach completely, leaving only acidic bile. Only then did she manage to recover by leaning against the tree trunk.

Zhang Lingyu's face was still deathly pale, and her hand, gripping the tree trunk, was still trembling slightly. Yet, she bowed respectfully, her voice hoarse from exhaustion, but her manners were impeccable: "Thank you so much for saving me, Ancestor! But I have a question, and if I may be so bold, I ask: I have no grudge against that old Taoist priest, so why did he go to such lengths to persecute me? Also, what connection does that evil Taoist priest have with you, Ancestor?"

Upon hearing this, Locke's casual smile vanished instantly, his aura turning serious. His bright black eyes fixed intently on Zhang Lingyu, his tone utterly stern and devoid of any hint of jest: "You really want to know?"

Zhang Lingyu straightened his back abruptly, standing ramrod straight even though he was completely exhausted, showing no sign of abandoning the dignity of a disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion. His words were earnest: "I have no grudge against him, yet I have been ambushed like this. I suppose he is only after my identity as a disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion. If this matter is not thoroughly investigated, I will fail my master's painstaking cultivation and will be unworthy of the Celestial Master's Mansion's reputation and recognition. I beg the Ancestor for guidance!"

Locke raised his paw to touch the non-existent beard, let out a long sigh, and spoke with a hint of world-weariness.

"Fine, since that guy has already set his sights on you, it's time for you to know the truth behind it all."

Having said that, he looked up at Zhang Lingyu and slowly asked, "Do you know what story the seventy-third chapter of the 100-chapter version of Journey to the West tells?"

"This—this junior doesn't know." Zhang Lingyu's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and her gaze instinctively darted away.

He grew up in the Celestial Master's Mansion, studying Taoist classics and thunder magic talismans every day. Although he had read "Journey to the West," he certainly couldn't remember the contents of every chapter. Now, he felt his face burning, like a student caught by his teacher for not doing his homework.

Locke saw right through him. This guy had always been the "perfect child" since he was a child, spending his whole life immersed in orthodox Taoist scriptures. How could he possibly understand the intricacies of these folk tales?

He didn't put her in a difficult position and immediately changed his approach, his tone carrying a certain weightiness reminiscent of Taoist classics: "Then do you know which one Liu Yiming of the Qing Dynasty, in his commentary on 'The Original Meaning of Journey to the West' using Taoist alchemy, referred to the monsters who skillfully used external alchemy to refine evil arts and disrupt cultivation as the scourge of heretical paths?'"

"An evil art of external alchemy?" Zhang Lingyu frowned, instantly recovering from his embarrassment, and focused his mind, rapidly searching through his memory. Liu Yiming's *The Original Meaning of Journey to the West* was an important commentary on Taoist alchemy, which he had studied extensively since childhood. In a moment, his eyes lit up, and he blurted out, "The Abbot of Huanghua Temple, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord!"

Seeing his quick answer, Locke nodded in satisfaction, tapped his fingertips lightly, and his tone suddenly took on a hint of the ferocity of a demon king: "That's right, the one who harmed you was none other than the abbot of Huanghua Temple, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord."

Zhang Lingyu's mind went blank, and he froze on the spot. He had considered countless possibilities, but he never thought that the person who had harmed him was a legendary figure. Wasn't that a monster made up in a storybook?

But the immortal in front of me spoke with such certainty that he did not allow any doubt. Could it be that the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord of Huanghua Temple is actually real?

"Do you think that it's all made up and doesn't exist at all, and that I'm lying to you?" Locke said with a half-smile.

Zhang Lingyu immediately bowed and said, "This junior wouldn't dare!"

"If you don't dare, it means you still don't believe it in your heart."

Locke chuckled and changed the subject.

"But that's normal. Let me ask you, do you remember the yellow sandstorm that hit Longhu Mountain a few days ago?"

"This—I remember. I asked my master about it afterward, but he wouldn't say a word about the details."

"Then I'll tell you why. Because that wind is my innate divine power, the number one wind in the Three Realms, the Samadhi Divine Wind!"

Having said that, he stretched out his claw, condensed a small wisp of yellow wind, and brought it close to Zhang Lingyu's face: "Take a look, isn't it exactly the same as the yellow wind from a few days ago!"

Zhang Lingyu froze instantly, unable to utter a word. The aura of this wind was exactly the same as the yellow wind that swept through Longhu Mountain a few days ago, and the deep-seated tremor in his heart was exactly the same.

Samadhi Divine Wind? So, the person before me is the Yellow Wind Monster of Yellow Wind Ridge???

Only now did he finally understand why his master had refused to reveal the truth: the Yellow Wind Monster and the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord—these ancient demon kings from the legends—had all gathered at Dragon Tiger Mountain. What did this mean?

In the shadows of the trees not far away, Zhuge Qing, who was eavesdropping using the Wuhou Qimen technique to listen to the wind's whispers, turned green with fright in an instant.

Just as he was about to make a hand seal to leave, a light, airy voice transmission accurately entered his ear: "Oh, right, and that little thief over there who was eavesdropping. Since you heard everything, come over here."

Just as Zhang Lingyu and Zhuge Qing's expressions changed drastically, deafening laughter suddenly erupted from the campfire not far away.

Completely drunk, Zhang Chulan pulled down his pants, stood in the center of the fire, and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Come on! Come and see my **!!!"

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