Dugu Zhuo’s life was exhausted by fate. His skills were destroyed, his kinship was severed, his friends were lost, his father was killed, and even his only beloved Ye Zhou was gone. Wearing a spirit jade that protected Ye Zhou’s remnant soul, he scoured around every corner of the world, trying to find Ye Zhou’s remaining soul to stay with him in the afterlife.
Until one day, when his lifespan was approaching an end, he entered an illusion and saw Ye Zhou being chased by several monsters. After dealing with the monsters, a strange voice rang in his ears:
[Ding, you killed the monsters and get 3 low-grade spirit stones.][Ding, you killed the monsters, and get the secret book .][Ding, you killed the monsters, and get a precious healing spirit grass.][Ding, you have levelled up, and your skills are restored by 1%.]And the Ye Zhou he just “rescued” raised his sword angrily and yelled: “How dare you steal my monster!”Dugu Zhuo: “?”
——
Ye Zhou encountered a strange player named Dugu Zhuo in the holographic online game “Nine Heavens”. He doesn’t understand common sense, doesn’t know how to play, doesn’t go offline to rest, and often looks at him with deep eyes. Ye Zhou only accepted him as a very handsome apprentice, and taught him how to upgrade and play.
Just when Ye Zhou was thinking about whether to meet with his apprentice, an announcement was shared across the whole server: [Player Ye Zhou triggers the final plot “Sword Tomb” and unlocked the final boss of the game, Dugu Zhuo.]
Ye Zhou: “…”
By coincidence, he has the same name as his apprentice!
The protagonist is incredibly powerful, which is fitting given his knowledge of real cultivation and ability to manipulate the system. The male lead appears normal, and their relationship development was delightful to follow. They support each other deeply, but during a couples quiz, they realize their lack of understanding about each other's basic preferences, prompting them to strengthen their bond.
The side characters and their antics provided ample entertainment, and I enjoyed seeing the main couple's connections with others and the dynamics between different characters. The emotional climax when the cat monk realizes the true nature of the monk NPCs and their genuine concern for him was particularly touching. Similarly, the scene where the lingzhi yao player expresses gratitude to the initial helper NPC tugged at my heartstrings.
Later on, the contrast between players still treating the cultivation world as a game and the real cultivators' reactions is hilarious and absurd, with players even refining boss characters for experience points. Overall, this story is light-hearted with moments of deep emotion, making for a heartwarming read. The setting is intriguing, and the main couple's relationship is pure and wholesome.
In essence, for the protagonist Dugu Zhou, entering the virtual reality MMORPG "Jiu Tian" is a continuation of his first and only life. For player Ye Zhou, it's a rebirth or second chance. Together, they progress through the main storyline, which revolves around their shared past. For Dugu, leveling up in the game represents regaining his cultivation abilities, while for Ye, completing the questline helps recover his lost soul, improving his physical health in the real world.现实中, Ye is severely ill due to the incomplete soul in his current life, necessitating the storyline to reveal their past, clear misunderstandings, confront inner demons, and rectify matters in the original/cultivation realm.
The protagonist is indeed overpowered, leveraging his knowledge of the plot, cultivation skills, and ability to modify game elements. Despite this, it doesn't bother me, as it adds to the enjoyable, stress-relieving aspect of the story. There are numerous humorous moments and thought-provoking scenes.
Some notable aspects include:
1. A willow demon player aiming for the top spot with the highest sin count, a reformed black cat monk, and a lingzhi with a female avatar but a male identity.
2. Ye's money-minded cousin, skilled at amassing wealth and manipulating others, who chooses not to focus on leveling and uses the game to enrich himself, employing the willow demon as a summoned creature.
3. The memorable scene of the white tiger's tooth extraction.
4. The white tiger's protective role during intimate moments for the main couple.
5. The nurse's bewildered response upon witnessing Ye's miraculous recovery after completing the quest and regaining his soul.
6. Ye's father's acceptance of Dugu's existence from another world, his age, and even purchasing the game company.
7. The couple's public Q&A session on the global chat to bypass their silent test due to limited private communication.
8. The dry humor in Dugu's view of evil cultivators as mere resources, and the monks' acceptance of it due to game desensitization. Cultivators from the real world find the players' actions scarier.
9. The curiosity of cultivation world cultivators regarding the game's artifacts, like keyboards, mice, and monitors.
The contrast between real-world cultivators and game-playing players is fascinating, with the former having only one life and the latter able to revive indefinitely. Evil practitioners in the real world are truly wicked, while those in the game maintain a pure heart despite their immoral actions.
Ultimately, the story revolves around Dugu and Ye's love story and Ye's struggle to determine if their feelings are genuine or influenced by the game. In the real world:
- Dugu works as a consultant for the game and practices traditional Chinese medicine.
To sum up, this is a delightful, calming read that deserves more recognition and appreciation. 💖
- The interactions between the black cat and Buddhist monks, as well as the Lingzhi and the monk at Taiye Temple, were delightful.
- I'm also glad with the resolution for White Tiger and the relationship between the main character (MC) and the love interest (ML).
I've read up to this point by machine-translating the chapter. I hope the translator continues the translation.
I'll update once the entire chapter is translated. However, there's one aspect that seems off to me - the summary:
Spoiling ahead:
When the gaming system announced that Du Ge Zhuo was the final boss, Ye Zhou had already known that he wasn't a genuine player.
Looking forward to the complete translation.