Video Editor

Su Ning lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

This is his second night in this world.

Yesterday was a whole day spent getting used to this unfamiliar environment...

An unfamiliar classroom, unfamiliar classmates, unfamiliar textbooks.

Fortunately, the original owner's memories were still intact; those mathematical formulas, physical laws, and chemical equations were still in his mind.

Today, I attended classes all day and got to know my classmates a bit better.

Ma Dongmei looked for her own problems, Da Chun invited her to play ball, Zhang Yang chatted with her for a while, and Meng Te smiled at him several times.

Everything is normal, yet everything is abnormal.

But Suning knew that things would soon really become abnormal.

Because that guy who sleeps in the last row will undergo a drastic personality change in a few days.

In 2015, he will cause a big scandal at Qiuya's wedding and then travel back to 1997.

At that time, this peaceful Senior 3 (2) class will become lively.

Su Ning rolled over and closed her eyes.

Sleepiness came over me, and I soon fell into a deep sleep.

That night, Suning slept exceptionally well.

……

Another distant and unknowable copy world.

The sea is boundless and its waves are surging.

The seawater was deep blue, shimmering in the sunlight.

The wind was strong, whipping up wave after wave that crashed against the sea with a deafening roar.

A golden monkey lay struggling on a broken raft, bobbing up and down in the waves.

The monkey was soaked to the bone, its golden fur clinging to its body in clumps, making it look utterly disheveled.

But those eyes shone with a light completely different from that of ordinary monkeys.

That was the light of wisdom.

That is the radiance that has been refined and distilled after countless dreams and countless lives.

How long had it been drifting on this vast sea? Three days? Five days? Or longer? It couldn't remember anymore.

The sun rises and sets, sets and rises again, day and night alternate, in an endless cycle.

Sometimes when the wind is calm, it can lie on the log and sleep for a while.

Sometimes, in the midst of fierce winds and torrential rain, it can only cling tightly to the log, letting the waves toss it up and down.

But it was never afraid.

Those dreams taught it so much.

It learned to find hope in despair, to remain calm in adversity, and to contemplate life on the edge of life and death.

The golden monkey raised its head and looked at the gray sky.

There, a crack had just closed up.

There, a god-like person has just disappeared.

It remembers clearly the person's figure, the person's voice, the warmth of the person holding it in their hands, the gentle look in their eyes when they stroked its head, and every word they said.

"We are from different worlds, so why dwell on this? We are not master and disciple, and there is no cause and effect between us."

"Go ahead! Make your life more fulfilling."

The golden monkey spoke softly, its voice carried away by the sea breeze, "Master..."

Even it was stunned when it uttered those two words.

master.

That person said they weren't master and disciple, but in its heart, it had already regarded the other person as its master.

Without a master, I'm still that clueless little monkey on Flower Fruit Mountain, only knowing how to eat, drink, play, fight with other monkeys, and pick fruit to eat.

Without a master, I wouldn't have experienced those fantastical dreams, I wouldn't have lived those lives, and I wouldn't have understood so many principles.

Without a master, I would have drowned in this sea long ago.

The golden monkey looked away and continued paddling the raft.

The raft was propelled swiftly by its claws, cutting through the waves like an arrow and rushing forward.

After an unknown amount of time, a black line appeared on the sea surface.

land!

The golden monkey's eyes lit up, but it didn't shout excitedly like an ordinary monkey.

It simply increased its paddling speed, and the log almost flew off its feet.

The raft headed toward the black line, faster and faster, getting closer and closer.

Nearly.

closer.

Finally, the raft reached the shore.

The golden monkey jumped off the raft and stepped onto the soft sand.

The sand was very fine and warmed by the sun, making it very comfortable to walk on.

It looked back at the sea, at the boundless blue, at the piece of wood that had brought it here, and remained silent for a while.

Then it turned and walked deeper into the land.

This is a completely unfamiliar land.

There are mountains, forests, birds and beasts, insects and fish.

Smoke could be faintly seen in the distance, indicating a human settlement.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees, and the smell of smoke drifting from afar.

The golden monkey looked down at itself.

It has golden fur, four paws, and a fluffy tail.

It recalled the dreams its master had given it, in which humans treated monkeys.

Some monkeys are kept in cages for people to watch, and they are pointed at and fed every day.

Some monkeys are led around by the neck by monkey trainers to perform, forced to do all sorts of comical things, and even beaten if they don't do them well.

Some monkeys were captured, skinned, and eaten. Their skins were used to make clothes, their meat was used to make soup, and even their brains were considered delicacies by humans.

The golden monkey raised its head, a thoughtful look flashing in its eyes.

It knows what its greatest strength is right now.

Harmless to humans and animals.

cute.

When humans see themselves, they might at most think the little monkey is cute, but they won't be wary of it, guard against it, or harm it.

It's so small, so cute, so harmless, who would see it as a threat?

Therefore, one must not reveal that one has developed spiritual intelligence.

You must not reveal that you can speak human language.

One should not pretend to be a monkey, wearing human clothes and acting like a human.

In those dreams, the monkeys dressed in clothes were eventually regarded as monsters.

You have to make yourself look like an ordinary monkey.

The golden monkey continued walking forward.

After walking for a day and a night, we finally saw the first human town.

It was a city of moderate size, with rammed earth walls that were several meters high and covered in moss.

The city gate was made of wood and painted red, and it was already somewhat mottled.

Soldiers stood guard at the entrance, wearing tattered leather armor and carrying spears, yawning.

There were many people coming and going: merchants carrying loads, farmers driving oxcarts, officials on horseback, and ordinary people walking.

Someone stopped at the city gate, said a few words to the soldiers, handed them something, and was then let in.

The golden monkeys did not enter the city.

It went around to the outskirts of the city, found a big tree, climbed up, and hid among the branches and leaves, quietly observing.

It was an old locust tree, with lush branches and leaves, hidden inside so that no one could see it.

People came and went, and there was a lot of noise.

The monkey pricked up its ears, listening to the humans speak.

I couldn't understand it at first.

The tone and vocabulary of those words were unlike any language it had learned in its dreams.

But the monkey wasn't in a hurry at all; it just listened, listening over and over again.

After listening for a while, the monkey gradually began to understand some of what was being said.

Human languages ​​share many commonalities.

Those basic words, those common sentence structures, those everyday expressions—if you listen carefully, you can always understand them.

Those dreams taught the monkey how to learn and think.

Three days later, the golden monkeys were able to understand most of the conversations.

Five days later, it was able to distinguish the dialects of different places.

Seven days later, it pieced together a crucial piece of information from the words of those humans.

This place is called Xiniu Hezhou.

Not far away, there is a mountain called Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

There is a cave on the mountain called the Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave.

A deity named Bodhi Patriarch lived in the cave.

The golden monkey's heart skipped a beat.

immortal.

It remembered the figure in the void who had bestowed upon it great fortune.

The figure holding it in the palm of his hand and gently stroking its head.

The figure that said to it, "You and I are not master and disciple, and there is no cause and effect between us."

It wasn't his own mentor.

But it gave itself everything.

The golden monkey lowered its head and silently said thank you in its heart.

Then it jumped down from the tree and headed towards Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

……

They traveled for another three days.

Lingtai Fangcun Mountain appeared before our eyes.

The mountain is not high, but it is serene and elegant.

Lush trees, babbling brooks, swirling clouds and mist, birdsong and fragrant flowers.

Those trees are all ancient trees, thousands of years old, with trunks so thick that it would take several people to wrap their arms around them.

Those flowers were all exotic and rare, blooming in a variety of colors and exuding a wonderful fragrance.

The clouds and mist drifted among the mountains, like layers of light gauze, making the peaks appear and disappear.

It's clearly not an ordinary place.

Golden monkeys walk up the mountain path.

The mountain path was rugged and full of strange rocks, but it walked very steadily.

In those dreams, it climbed mountains more dangerous than this and walked roads more difficult than this.

After walking for a short while, I suddenly heard a song: "Watching chess, the axe handle rots; chopping wood, the sound of metal striking wood; strolling slowly by the valley entrance, clouds in the distance. Selling firewood and buying wine, laughing wildly and indulging in self-satisfaction..."

The voice was rough and unrestrained, echoing through the valley.

The golden monkey stopped in its tracks.

Beside the mountain path, a woodcutter was chopping firewood. He was dressed in coarse cloth, with his trousers rolled up to his knees, revealing his dark, thin calves.

Holding an axe, he chopped at the tree, stroke by stroke.

He sang as he chopped, completely at ease, as if nothing in the world could bother him.

The golden monkey looked at the woodcutter, a hint of doubt flashing through its mind.

The woodcutter's appearance was such a coincidence.

In those dreams, the golden monkey witnessed far too many coincidences.

Whenever the protagonist encounters a problem, a mysterious person appears and offers guidance.

Those mysterious people are often not ordinary people.

Is this woodcutter also one of those mysterious figures?

The golden monkey didn't continue thinking about it.

Like an ordinary monkey, it swung down from the tree and hopped a few times in front of the woodcutter.

The woodcutter stopped chopping wood, looked at it, and smiled. "Little monkey, what are you doing in these deep mountains?"

The golden monkey blinked, tilted its head, and looked at him with a bewildered expression.

The woodcutter laughed again, “There’s a cave called Slanting Moon and Three Stars on this mountain, where an old immortal lives. If you want to seek immortality and ask questions, you can go there and try your luck.”

After saying that, the woodcutter continued chopping wood, no longer looking at the golden monkey.

The golden monkey stayed in place for a while, then hopped away.

It didn't turn back, so it didn't see the woodcutter stop chopping wood, staring in the direction it had gone, a strange look on his face.

His expression was so complex it was hard to describe.

There was surprise, confusion, contemplation, and a vague, inexplicable sense of bewilderment. ...

The golden monkey continued climbing upwards.

After climbing for who knows how long, we finally saw the cave entrance.

It was a naturally formed stone cave, with a small entrance that was half-hidden by vines.

Above the cave entrance, several large characters are carved.

Oblique Moon Samsung Cave.

Those words were carved on stone, each one as big as a washbasin, with vigorous strokes and a majestic presence.

The sunlight shone on it, giving it a faint golden glow.

The golden monkey stood outside the cave, not daring to go in rashly.

It thought for a moment, then knelt down on both knees in front of the cave.

This kneeling lasted for three days and three nights.

For three days, the golden monkey remained motionless, kneeling there.

They neither eat nor drink, neither sleep nor rest, enduring wind and rain, sun and rain.

The golden monkey's eyes were fixed on the cave entrance, on the large characters, and on the door that it didn't know if it would ever open.

Inside the cave, Patriarch Bodhi had already sensed it.

An elderly man with white hair and beard sat on a futon with his eyes closed.

He was dressed in a gray Taoist robe, holding a whisk in his hand, and surrounded by a faint aura of immortality.

The cave dwelling was simply furnished with a stone table, a few futons, and several calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall.

Bodhi Patriarch slowly opened his eyes and looked out of the cave.

Those eyes, as deep as stars, seemed to see through all illusions.

"Interesting," said Bodhi Patriarch softly.

The little monkey was completely different from what he had imagined.

Moreover, those who came seeking the Dao in the past included demons, humans, and all sorts of strange and unusual things.

They knelt outside the cave, some for a day, some for three days, and some for seven days.

But when they knelt, all they could think about was what magic they could learn, how powerful they could become, and how long they could live forever.

But this little monkey is different.

It knelt there quietly, neither impatient nor arrogant.

In those eyes, there was no desire for immortality, no greed for power, only a profound and unfathomable depth.

Bodhi Patriarch observed for three days.

For three days, the little monkey remained motionless, kneeling there.

But its eyes were always observing everything around it.

It sees, hears, and remembers everything: the wind rustling the grass, the clouds rolling and unrolling, the birds flying and the insects chirping.

It was even observing the vines at the entrance of the cave, watching how they grew and what shape their leaves were.

Bodhi Patriarch frowned.

This monkey is far too intelligent.

But upon closer inspection, he couldn't find anything unusual.

It has no cultivation, no magical power, and no demonic aura.

It's just an ordinary golden monkey.

Just ...

It's almost unbelievably stable.

That composure, that calmness, that serenity—it didn't seem like something a newborn monkey should have.

……

Three days later, Bodhi Patriarch spoke, "Come in."

The sound wasn't loud, but it reached the golden monkey's ears clearly.

The golden monkey raised its head, stood up, and went into the cave.

The cave is a hidden paradise.

From the outside it looks like just a stone cave, but once you go inside, you'll find it's surprisingly large.

Pavilions and towers, carved beams and painted rafters, shrouded in ethereal beauty and brimming with spiritual energy.

There are artificial hills, ponds, gardens, and bamboo groves.

Those flowers were all exotic flowers I had never seen before, and those bamboos were all jade bamboos that shimmered with light.

Bodhi Patriarch sat upright on the futon, looking at the little monkey in front of him, which looked quite disheveled.

But the little monkey stood there, back ramrod straight, gaze calm, and asked, "What's your name?"

The golden monkey shook its head. "This disciple has no name."

Bodhi Patriarch looked at it and remained silent for a moment.

Those eyes seemed to see right through its soul.

But the golden monkey just stood there, letting him look at it without flinching or dodging.

“Since you have no name, I will give you one,” said Patriarch Bodhi after a moment’s thought. “You are a monkey, so let your surname be Sun. Your Dharma name will be Wukong. What do you think?”

"Thank you for bestowing this name upon me, Master." The golden monkey knelt down and kowtowed.

Sun Wukong.

From this day forward, he will be Sun Wukong.

Bodhi Patriarch accepted it as a disciple, but did not rush to teach it magic.

"Read books first," the patriarch said. "Understand the books before discussing anything else."

Then he pointed to a bookshelf next to him.

The bookshelf was three zhang tall, and it was densely packed with books.

There were bamboo slips, silk books, paper, and animal hides.

Various materials, various colors, various sizes.

Sun Wukong nodded, walked to the bookshelf, picked up a book, and opened it.

It is the Tao Te Ching.

It held the book and began to read it attentively.

He read very slowly, word by word.

If you encounter something you don't understand, stop and think about it.

If you can't figure it out, watch it again.

If once isn't enough, try twice; if twice isn't enough, try three times.

Sun Wukong read very carefully and attentively.

Those Taoist classics are obscure and difficult to understand; anyone else would have fallen asleep long ago.

But as he turned the pages and read the words, Sun Wukong's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

As I read, I suddenly felt something flowing through my body.

However, as Sun Wukong's experience and physical condition changed, changes also occurred in another unknown world.

The feeling was strange, like an invisible thread connecting Sun Wukong to that mysterious being.

While Sun Wukong was learning, a mysterious person in another instance world was receiving the information simultaneously.

As Sun Wukong comprehended the teachings, he simultaneously improved his abilities on the other side.

……

Meanwhile, in another instance world.

January 18, 1997, early morning.

The shouts of vendors from the breakfast stalls downstairs rose and fell, and the bells of bicycles jingled as a new day began.

Su Ning opened her eyes and sat up.

He was stunned.

A strange power was surging within my body.

The power was warm and strong, flowing slowly along the meridians, bringing comfort to the whole body wherever it passed.

That feeling was just like when I was cultivating before, even stronger than before.

That's... spiritual power?
This world is just an ordinary entertainment world, how could it have spiritual power?

Suning closed his eyes and carefully felt it.

That force became clearer and stronger.

Spiritual energy circulates within one's body, clearing the meridians and strengthening the physical body.

The bottlenecks that I had been struggling with for years, those barriers that I could never overcome no matter what, have actually begun to loosen.

Early stage of Nascent Soul.

Mid-stage Nascent Soul stage.

Late stage of Nascent Soul.

boom--

breakthrough!

Su Ning suddenly opened her eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in them.

His cultivation level had broken through.

His cultivation, which had stagnated for countless years, actually broke through.

Just then, the system's voice rang in my mind.

【ding dong】

[The host has been detected cultivating as a cheat-like Sun Wukong in the Journey to the West dungeon world.]

[External cheat feedback mechanism activated]

[The host gains a synchronous boost from Sun Wukong's cultivation achievements]

Current cultivation level: Late Nascent Soul stage

Suning paused for a few seconds, then laughed.

Sun Wukong.

That golden monkey.

That monkey that had been bestowed with such great fortune.

It miraculously became its own cheat code.

"System, if I find a few more powerful beings like Sun Wukong, wouldn't I be able to take off on the spot?"

【ding dong】

[The host encountering Sun Wukong is an extremely low probability event, which the system cannot explain or predict.]

This mechanism is non-repeatable and non-reproducible.

Please dispel your unrealistic fantasies.

Su Ning couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Alright! One it is."

She stood up, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains.

Outside the window, the sun is shining brightly.

On a March morning, the air is fresh, and the sky is blue with white clouds.

In the narrow alley downstairs, a few people were squatting by the roadside eating breakfast, their bowls in hand.

A child ran past with his schoolbag on his back, turning back to talk to his friends as he ran.

In the distance, the school bell could be faintly heard, ringing out one after another.

A new day has begun.

Su Ning took a deep breath, feeling the new life force within her.

Late stage of Nascent Soul.

With this level of cultivation, who in this world could threaten him?

Su Ning smiled and turned to wash up.

"Xiao Ning, dinner's ready!" Her mother's voice came from outside the door.

"I'm here." Su Ning pushed open the door and went out.

In the small living room, the mother was putting breakfast on the table.

Millet porridge, pickled vegetables, and two boiled eggs—the same as yesterday.

"Eat quickly, don't be late." His mother handed him the chopsticks.

Suning took the chopsticks and sat down.

"Mom, do you believe in gods?"

The mother paused for a moment, then said, "Immortals? There are no immortals. Don't think nonsense. Have you been reading some online novel again? Hurry up and eat."

Su Ning smiled and didn't say anything more.

After finishing my meal, I put on my backpack and went out.

Suning walked briskly on her way to school, feeling relaxed and happy.

I remember that golden monkey, the way it knelt before the Taixu Palace, and the way it kowtowed to thank me.

"Sun Wukong, cultivate diligently. Let's grow together."

In the distance, the school gate was getting closer and closer.

...(End of this chapter)