I looked at my surroundings as I slowly stood up, still trembling slightly from the power that had just fused with my very being.
Standing at the riverbank with a towering waterfall crashing into the basin beside me, the mist danced around my fur like ethereal spirits. The birds had returned now, chirping cautiously from distant trees, as if uncertain whether the calamity had passed.
The qi in the air felt different now. Denser. More vibrant. It clung to my skin like silk and rushed into my pores without resistance, as if the world itself recognized my new core.
"I feel… alive," I whispered.
No, that wasn't right.
"I feel awake."
The pressure that had always lingered at the edge of my awareness—the dread of being an out-of-place soul trapped in a legend not his own—had lifted. I could breathe now. Think now. Fight now.
But most importantly… I could grow.
"Anyway system, will I get the memory of this body, before I start wandering around like a lost monkey?"
I scratched my head. The question was important. After all, I might have the body, but if I didn't have its memories, I'd be no better than an imposter.
[Ding! Host's request acknowledged.]
[Would you like to initiate Memory Resonance with the Original Soul of the Vessel?]
[Warning: Process may trigger emotional backlash. Host is advised to proceed with caution.]
"Memory resonance…? Emotional backlash?" I frowned. "What kind of trauma did the original owner go through?"
But I didn't hesitate. Not really. If I was to truly become this world's new Sun Wukong—then I had to know who he was before me.
"Begin resonance."
The system didn't say another word. Instead, everything went silent.
The birds. The water. The wind.
Stillness blanketed the world, and the only thing I felt was weight.
Not physical—but emotional. Ancient. Cracked and raw.
And then the visions came.
On the peak of Mount Haguao, A magical stone nourished by the elements of Heaven and Earth.
The magical stone shone like a beacon, pulsing with vibrant energy as if it were alive. The sky above the mountain rippled with colours, hues shifting from gold to crimson, then deep indigo. I saw the stone glowing fiercely, drawing in the swirling qi around it, absorbing the essence of the heavens and earth.
I was there.
A younger Sun Wukong, vibrant and wild, was clawing his way up the craggy slopes, eyes blazing with determination and a hint of reckless defiance. His golden fur gleamed under the sunlight, and behind him, the world seemed to hum with a raw, chaotic power.
The stone pulsed again — this time, a surge of energy exploded outward, wrapping around the monkey's form like a cocoon of light. The air trembled with the intensity of the transformation.
A voice echoed inside my mind — it was him.
Then came ten years' worth of memories of living with the monkey tribe, and the most recent memory of jumping from the top of the waterfall to prove his worth for the title of King.
But when he crashed into the river below, the pain was sharp and biting.
He... died?!
And I took his place?!
Now I am pretty sure, this is not some random monkey's body but the body of legendary Sun Wukong.
The memories slowed, then faded, leaving me breathless and aching as if I'd just lived through all of them myself. The reckless ambition, the hunger for power, the stubborn refusal to bow to any authority—even heaven itself. I could feel it all, coursing through my veins like wildfire.
"Original soul... You were wild, unbroken... but also burdened," I muttered. "I'm not just stepping into your body. I'm inheriting your unfinished story."
The system pinged softly.
[Memory Resonance completed.]
[Warning: Host's emotional state unstable.]
I clenched my fists, struggling to shake off the lingering weight of those memories. They were more than just images or feelings—they were a legacy, a challenge, a call to arms.
"Alright," I breathed, standing tall and looking out at the waterfall again, "if I'm the new Sun Wukong, then I've got a mountain to climb. Not just the physical one, but the one forged by fate and legend."
The waterfall roared beside me, the mist weaving through my fur like a blessing. The path ahead was long, perilous, and shrouded in mystery—but this time, I had more than just strength and guts.
I had a system.
I had the Primordial Qi Core.
And most importantly, I had knowledge.
With a smile creeping across my face, I tapped the system interface again.
A translucent screen flickered into view at my command, floating before me like a divine scroll awaiting orders.
[Available Sign-In Locations (Nearby):]
📍Mount Haguao – Origin Peak (Special Location: Activated)
📍Stone Monkey Tribe – Ancestral Shrine
📍Flame-Wind Ridge
📍Heavenly River Crossroads (Sealed)
📍Celestial Fruit Grove (Hidden)
My eyes locked onto the first name—Origin Peak. The place I'd just emerged from. My origin. Our origin.
[Please make your way to the peak of Mount Haguao for your first official Sign-In.]
[Ding! Special Sign-In Location Detected: Mount Haguao – Origin Peak]
[Sign-In Grade: Violet-Gold]
[Would you like to proceed?]
My breath hitched.
"Violet-Gold?!"
That was just one step below Rainbow—a realm that most cultivators would never even hear of in their lifetimes, let alone touch. And yet here it was, staring me in the face, beckoning me from the top of this ancient mountain.
"System… you really aren't holding back."
I took a deep breath and looked up.
The towering slopes of Mount Haguao loomed above me, jagged cliffs wrapped in mist and shadow. It wasn't just a peak—it was a monument to history. To myth. To destiny.
One step at a time, I began to climb.
The higher I went, the thinner the air became—but instead of choking me, it fed me. The Primordial Qi Core thrummed with every inhale, pulling the pure, untainted qi of the mountain into my body. It felt like the mountain was welcoming me, recognizing the legacy I carried… or maybe the one I would create.
Hours passed—or maybe moments, time lost its meaning in that sacred ascent.
And then I reached it.
The Origin Peak.
It wasn't grand. No marble altar, no celestial palace. Just a flat platform of stone, wind swirling in a lazy spiral around a natural circle etched into the mountaintop. At its centre, a single stone staff lay embedded into the earth—weathered, ancient, humming with dormant power.
The moment I stepped into the circle—
[Ding! Sign-In Successful at Origin Peak – Violet-Gold Grade]
[Reward: Top-Tier Three Types of Qi Manifestation.]
"Three types of Qi Manifestation? What is that supposed to mean…?"
I knelt down, staring at the faint glow emanating from the circle etched on the stone beneath my feet. The system's interface flickered again, more detailed this time.
[Top-Tier Qi Manifestations unlocked:]
[Observation Qi (Zhi Guan Qi): Heightened perception, allowing sensing of spiritual energy, intentions, and the unseen.]
[Armament Qi (Zhan Zhu Qi): The ability to harden and amplify your body or weapons with condensed qi, increasing offensive and defensive power.]
[Conqueror's Qi (Zhi Zun Qi): A rare and overwhelming presence that can intimidate and weaken lesser foes, bending the will of others.]
I raised my hand instinctively, and the air around it shimmered faintly.
So, this was like... haki?
A power beyond raw strength—something more subtle and commanding.
I let the energy flow through me.
The Observation Qi sharpened my senses, suddenly I could feel the heartbeat of the trees, the swirl of qi in the air, and even the faintest presence of a butterfly far down the valley. The world was more alive, more vivid.
The Armament Qi caused my fur to stiffen, my muscles to tighten as if my body was becoming a natural armour. I clenched my fist, and a faint golden aura pulsed outward.
The Conqueror's Qi made my chest rise proudly, and I felt an almost tangible pressure in the air. It was intoxicating—and dangerous. I had to be careful; I could see how this power might crush the weak-minded.
The system chimed again.
[Qi Manifestation Mastery Levels: Beginner — Proceed to cultivate and train for improvement.]
Suddenly, the stone staff at the centre of the circle glowed, resonating with my qi.
I stepped closer.
"A stone staff... might as well take it. Will replace it when I get the better one."
I reached down and gripped the staff's worn shaft. The texture was rough but solid, cold with the mountain's ancient chill. As my fingers closed around it, a faint pulse ran up my arm — subtle, but definitely alive.
The staff wasn't just a stick. It was a relic.
I felt the energy within it stir, syncing with the Conqueror's Qi I had just awakened. A whisper of power, old and patient, waiting for a worthy bearer.
"This will do for now," I thought with a grin, hefting the staff lightly. Its weight was perfect — not too heavy to slow me down, but enough to feel substantial in my grasp.