Memory Torrent (Part 2)

# Chapter 3: Torrent of Memory (Part 2)

The door of the Sun Palace clicked shut behind him, sealing off the light and sound from outside.

Taiyi leaned against the cold door panel, his legs giving out as he slid down to sit on the floor. Beneath him was the hard, cold gilt stone brick, chill seeping upward—but he didn't feel cold. The porridge in his skull was still bubbling away, scalding hot.

That composed demeanor he'd maintained all the way back? Pure fucking pretense. Now that he was back on his own turf, that shell had shattered with a crack, revealing the Lin Yuan inside who still hadn't processed things, hugging his knees and trembling.

He raised a hand, spreading it before his eyes. The hand was genuinely well-made—long fingers, distinct knuckles, and beneath the skin, a faint golden-red light flowed like lava through riverbeds. When he made a fist, he could feel an explosive force coiled in the muscles, ready to strike at any moment. These hands had crushed mountains, torn apart ferocious beasts, and gripped that broken bell to ring out tremors that shook the entire Great Wilderness.

Not his.

Yet they were solidly attached to his arms.

The movie in his head hadn't finished playing. This time it wasn't a fast-forward trailer—it was proper detailed footage, carrying temperature and scent, slamming into him all at once.

He "saw" himself—no, Eastern Emperor Taiyi—as a brash youth, the first time he'd successfully conjured Golden Sun Flames, bouncing around in excitement, turning eight consecutive somersaults through the sea of fire, nearly scorching an ancient branch of the Fusang Tree bald. Di Jun had smelled the commotion and come running, grabbing him by the ear and scolding him for half an hour—then, after the scolding, secretly slipped him a piece of Warm Jade to nourish his Primordial Spirit.

He "tasted" something from memory: the deepest "Sun Marrow" of the Sun Star. Drinking it was like swallowing molten golden liquid, burning from throat to stomach, making him grimace and gasp through clenched teeth. But once it settled, the utterly pure vitality and the comfort that seeped into the depths of his soul made him perversely want another gulp. Di Jun always kept the larger portion for himself, saying he could withstand the burn and would just cultivate slowly.

He "heard" sounds: not the bell's ring, but the chaos of the battlefield—roars, the piercing clash of weapons, the dull thuds of spells detonating, and the Demon Race cubs' battle cries mixed with fear and reckless abandon. More than that, it was Di Jun's voice. After battles, on nights when they were exhausted like dead dogs, the two brothers would sit facing each other in silence, and all he'd hear was his elder brother's faint, almost imperceptible sigh.

These memories carried warmth, carried emotion, pressing down heavily—no longer paintings viewed through a layer of mist. They were becoming "his" own affairs, "his" own feelings.

The little bit of soul belonging to Lin Yuan was like a small sampan in a typhoon, battered to pieces.

"I'm not him... I'm really not..." Taiyi gritted his molars, forcing out words through clenched teeth, fingers threading into his hair and yanking hard twice. The sharp pain from his scalp brought him slightly back to clarity.

But another voice, cold and clear, rang out in his mind: Then tell me, who are you now?

Lin Yuan? That ordinary man who stayed up late grinding out work proposals, squeezed onto the subway for his commute, couldn't sleep at night calculating his mortgage? His body had long since burned to ash. His world was separated by who knew how many layers of barriers—no going back.

Eastern Emperor Taiyi? The original owner of this body, that sun god proud to the bone, that unlucky bastard destined to be buried with the Demon Race? His soul... in the collision of the transmigration and the Chaos Bell's vibration—had it scattered, or completely tangled into a mess with this outsider?

Taiyi released his grip on his hair, tilted his head back, and stared at the high dome of the Sun Palace. The ceiling was inlaid with fine Sun Crystals arranged in the pattern of All-Encompassing Stars, now emitting warm light. That light fell into his eyes but stung a little.

In the chaotic mess of his mind, he suddenly grasped a point of brightness.

The system.

That thing calling itself "Forbidden," speaking like it had crawled out of an ancient tomb.

It had chosen him because of "soul anomaly." Meaning, this "impure" state of his was actually an advantage? A variable that possessed both Eastern Emperor Taiyi's memories and strength, yet wouldn't be completely bound by the original fate?

And its mention of "vengeance." Vengeance against whom? The Heavenly Dao? That damned fixed destiny? Or... those high-and-mighty bastards holding the pen to write fate's script?

Taiyi's heart slammed against his chest—thump, thump, thump—not from fear, but from an almost trembling excitement.

What if... what if none of this was coincidence? What if this transmigration, this system, was some kind of... chance to flip the table?

[Host cognition threshold met. Unlocking detailed rule explanation.]

That voice carrying the echo of Chaos, without any warning, sounded again in the deepest part of his mind. This time it seemed... clearer? A bit less mechanical, with an indescribable hint of... vitality?

Taiyi held his breath, focusing all his mental energy.

[Rule One: Check-in Location.] The voice stated flatly, [Anywhere in the Great Wilderness bearing 'Forbidden,' 'Rebellious,' or 'Off-kilter' qualities can be marked as a check-in point. The more dangerous the location itself, and the more sharply it conflicts with the current Heavenly Dao's rules, the higher its grade. Pangu Hall—traces of the Forbidden remain. Purple Cloud Palace—the stronghold of Order. Both are high-risk zones.]

[Rule Two: Check-in Action.] The voice paused, as if choosing its words, [The host must perform an action at the check-in point that aligns with 'Eastern Emperor Taiyi's' identity logic, yet twists against the current situation or the Heavenly Dao's implicit guidance. The degree of twist determines the system's evaluation based on the 'Karma Chaos' and 'Order Ripples' you generate. Today's bold words at Lingxiao Treasure Hall were entry-level twisting.]

Taiyi's brow furrowed. Twisting that fit identity logic? That was a tricky scale to manage. He had to be arrogant enough that the original Eastern Emperor Taiyi would plausibly do it, yet arrogant enough to stir the waters...

[Rule Three: Reward Mechanism.] The voice continued, [Rewards don't materialize from nothing. The system guides the host to absorb the 'Forbidden Origin' hidden at check-in points, or to seize the 'Karma Reversal' and 'Order Fractures' stirred up by the host's actions, converting them into usable power. Today's drop of 'Chaos Demon God's Blood of Ferocity' was residual blood from the demon god 'Ferocity' slain when Pangu split Heaven and Earth, sealed deep within the Sun Star—the system helped you obtain it.]

So that's how it worked! Light dawned in Taiyi's mind. The rewards were all things that already existed in the Great Wilderness, just acquired through unconventional means. This explanation was much more reliable, and also... much more precarious. It meant every check-in was an act of theft, of robbery, of sabotage.

[Warning:] The voice suddenly turned cold, [Every check-in is a slap to that established order. Accumulated 'Anomaly Value' will let the Heavenly Dao spot you. The host must find balance between 'reaping benefits' and 'staying hidden.' Playing Eastern Emperor Taiyi well is your best protective charm.]

[Special Note: The system itself is also part of the 'Forbidden.' Once bound, more functions will gradually unlock, such as: Forbidden Knowledge Infusion, specific location spoilers, Karma Thread Deception Art... The cost will also increase.]

Cost? Taiyi's heart tightened. What cost?

But the system didn't address that, its voice reverting to that dead tone: [First check-in mission issued. Host, seize the opportunity. This is the first step out of fate's cage, and also... the first punch thrown at that established order.]

The voice faded.

The hall was so quiet he could hear his own breathing, and the dull thump, thump, thump of his heart pounding against his ribcage.

Throwing a punch at the established order... Taiyi savored those words as he pushed himself up slowly from the floor. His legs had gone numb; he wobbled once before steadying himself. He walked to the enormous Glazed Mirror in the hall.

The person in the mirror had a pale face, but deep in those molten-gold eyes, flames flickered. Fear was still there, confusion too, but more than that was a fierce determination—the grit of a cornered beast baring its fangs to fight.

"Eastern Emperor Taiyi's strength, Lin Yuan's brains... plus a system dedicated to opposing the Heavenly Dao." Taiyi spoke to the mirror, his voice hoarse and echoing slightly in the empty hall. "With this setup, if I don't pull off something big, I'd be wasting this transmigration."

He tugged at the corner of his mouth, and the reflection in the mirror showed a smile mixing madness and calm. A bit twisted, but genuine.

The top priority was the system's [Lingxiao Treasure Hall Check-in].

Speaking bold words in public... He'd only had a vague idea before, but now he had the system's "scale"—it had to fit his identity yet be twisted. The original was arrogant, but not a mindless ranter, especially in formal settings. When Di Jun was present, he was more of a deterrent enforcer, speaking less. What could he say that would sound like something "Eastern Emperor Taiyi" would utter, yet achieve the effect of "shocking the entire hall of demons and monsters," stirring the waters?

He paced with his hands behind his back, stopping by the window. Outside was an endless sea of clouds, and further off, the Sun Star burned eternally bright. The Demon Race's Heavenly Court looked glorious on the surface, but was full of problems. The Witch Race was watching with hungry eyes outside, and inside, the factions were numerous enough to play mahjong...

From memory, recent court sessions had been nothing but arguments over border skirmishes with the Witch Race and which resource planet belonged to whom. The peace faction urged caution; the war faction clamored for battle. Di Jun was usually the one smoothing things over.

So the path of "rebellious rhetoric" might be to push the "pro-war" extreme hard? Not just fight, but fight in the most domineering, uncompromising way possible, shutting down all conservative, compromising voices?

A vague but sufficiently explosive idea slowly took shape in his mind.

He'd need to dig through the original's memories more carefully—especially how court sessions ran, what the major faction leaders were like, and what the current debates were about. He'd also need to figure out what tone and expression to use when throwing out those words, for maximum impact.

He sank his mind into the sea of consciousness, actively flipping through that tangled mess of memories—those about cultivation, about the Demon Race's old history, about the temperaments and conflicts of the various tribes. Eastern Emperor Taiyi's straightforward, fist-first way of thinking; Lin Yuan's analytical, optimal-solution-seeking mind. These two systems began a strange convergence on the question of "how to be arrogant in exactly the right way."

After who knows how long, three soft knocks came from outside the hall—tap, tap, tap—a pause, then one more tap. It was Shang Yang's signal that the time had come.

Taiyi slowly opened his eyes.

The knot of chaos in them was gone, replaced by a cold, razor-sharp focus. Not the burning battle intent of Eastern Emperor Taiyi, but more like a hunter who had calculated every step, eyes locked on the prey's vital point.

In his mind, that line had been polished countless times—the tone, the pauses, the exact subtle expressions and movements to match. He could even envision the several possible scenes that might unfold in Lingxiao Palace after he dropped that line, and how he would counter each one.

"Chaos Demon God's Blood of Ferocity..." he murmured the reward's name. It didn't sound like anything easy to deal with, but the system had said it was a genuine demon god's legacy. Most importantly, this was the first step. The first step to verifying the system and obtaining the chips to change his fate.

The hall door opened without a sound.

Shang Yang still stood outside, his body straight as a spear. Seeing him emerge, he bowed his head in salute: "Your Majesty, the morning court time has come."

"Mm." Taiyi responded, his voice flat without a single ripple, yet carrying a weighty undertone that hadn't been there before. He stepped out of the Sun Palace and once again set foot on the Cloud Corridor leading to Lingxiao Palace.

This time, his steps were much steadier, each one planted firmly.

Sunlight danced across his dark-gold imperial robe through the thin clouds. In the distance, the silhouette of Lingxiao Treasure Hall stood against the morning glow, like a crouching giant beast—and he was walking straight into its throat.

In his mind, the system's prompt chimed like icy drumbeats, sounding one last time:

Code
[Sign-in mission countdown: one quarter-hour.]
[Good luck, Host. May your 'audacity' tear a crack in that iron curtain.]

The corner of Taiyi's mouth curved into a faint, almost invisible arc—yet sharp as a blade.

Good luck?

No, what he wanted wasn't luck.

What he wanted was to tear this damned script to shreds.