His consciousness felt as if it had been thrown into a rapidly spinning washing machine, then the next second, mercilessly hurled into an icy, bone-chilling deep sea.
The sensation of weightlessness and dizziness enveloped every inch of Shi Hanfeng’s perception.
This time, he finally realized clearly—it wasn’t that the first transmission was especially unbearable, but that every time he stepped into a new world, it was always this bad.
Going back is fine, coming is a problem.
Destiny Space, are you sure you’re using the official channel?
He forcefully suppressed the churning in his stomach and opened his eyes.
The cold, damp air, carrying the scent of decaying grass and faint blood, rushed into his nostrils.
He was in a shadowy forest, twisted branches covering most of the space, leaving only scattered, pale moonlight barely illuminating the surroundings.
Before he could examine the environment, Destiny Space’s mission was projected directly before his eyes.
[Mission Name: End the Undying]
[Mission Objective: Within one year, kill a Demon belonging to the Twelve String Moons.]
[Mission Reward: Destiny Points x2000, Fate Experience x100]
[Failure Penalty: Remain in this world.]
Twelve String Moons?
Shi Hanfeng muttered the term quietly.
Looks like the difficulty of this mission has increased a lot.
His gaze swept back and forth between “Twelve String Moons” and “Demon”, a strange sense of déjà vu flooding his mind.
There were many worlds with Demons, and organizations named after the moon or crescent weren’t uncommon, but to combine the two so vividly—there was only one answer in his memory.
The Head Pillar and his Ultimate Lifeform Little Sister.
In other words, the story of the Trash Demon King and the Demon Slayer Corps in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
“Heh.”
He curled his lips into a smile, not sure if it was amusement or resignation.
Isn’t this difficulty spike a bit too much?
The last mission was still slaying Goblins on the outskirts of the Novice Village. Although a Goblin God showed up to stir things, the basic enemy strength was clear.
But now?
A direct leap of several levels.
Twelve String Moons are top-tier monsters on this world’s power ceiling.
How much fake wine did Destiny Space drink to dare set up a mission like this?
Do they really think I’m made of iron and don’t need to level up step by step?
He admitted that he got a bit carried away in the previous world, maybe went a little overboard, but was that worth such a precise strike?
“Except for the first few Upper Moons who have no real weaknesses, the others shouldn’t be a problem… But what kind of normal game arranges stages like this? Where’s the tutorial? Save me!”
From what he remembered of the anime, he still had a fighting chance against the Lower Moons, but the Upper Moons were a bit much.
But knowing the Trash Boss’s personality, as long as you take down a Lower Moon, the Upper Moons are almost guaranteed to come after you.
This was just his habitual inner monologue, a way to relieve the sudden pressure.
However, to his surprise, that long-silent Talent—almost as if it had its own will—actually responded this time.
[Ah~ You really can’t do without me, can you♪]
An extremely lively, playful, honey-sweet female voice, glittering with starlight, sounded in his mind without warning.
At the same time, the air before his eyes twisted, and a dreamy, pastel-colored art font—like a holographic projection—appeared, with cute little stars and musical notes dancing around the edges.
[Hi~ Did you miss me♪]
The voice continued, overflowing with a kind of theatrical exaggeration, just like the true form of that flawless maiden—the embodiment of innocence and the pink fairy herself.
Shi Hanfeng’s eye twitched.
His Talent changed skins again?
Last time it was invaded by Aha, now it’s directly gone Elysia style. Is this really still my Talent?
[Don’t panic~ Just this~ Let me use fairy magic for you♪]
The pink halo spun merrily, and another line of clear, star-sparkling text appeared, as if really casting some wonderful spell.
[Do you wish to spend 1000 Destiny Points to convert into [Player Roulette: Special World Edition]? Miracles and magic aren’t free~]
Shi Hanfeng felt the veins on his forehead throb.
Fine, fine, the “miracle isn’t free” gag is unavoidable, right?
And that tone, that style…
“Busted! Still pretending to be Elysia? You look more like the Herrscher of Corruption eyeing someone’s last savings!”
He couldn’t help but mutter, rolling his eyes at the pink glow.
You might as well switch to blue.
This is definitely because I didn’t spend all my Destiny Points—so you’re not satisfied.
But sarcasm aside, the mission target before his eyes indeed carried some risk.
A Demon of the Twelve String Moons—no Upper Moon is an easy opponent.
And this mission guaranteed he’d cross paths with the Upper Moons.
Though his Talent was a little crazy, in the last world, the Novice Gift Pack really let him enjoy the whole run.
Maybe this time, it could bring a surprise too?
The pink cursor bounced gleefully, as if urging him silently, with a mischievous “Come spin it~ I promise it’s not a scam~” vibe.
“I’ll trust you this once!”
Shi Hanfeng decided to give this pink, chubby-accented Talent a chance.
“If you want it, take it! I want to see what kind of trick you’re playing!”
He wanted to see what this Talent could come up with next.
[Your praise has been received♪]
As if he could hear the wail of his wallet shriveling to nothing, Shi Hanfeng felt a pang in his heart.
That was his emergency reserve.
The next moment, a massive, ornate roulette wheel—adorned with various mysterious runes and pink crystals—unfurled before his eyes, taking up most of his vision.
On the wheel, light and shadow flowed, with countless blurry humanoid or item shapes spinning by at dizzying speed, impossible to see clearly.
The wheel’s rotation gradually slowed, and those hazy symbols became clearer and clearer.
Blades, staffs, monsters, mechas… all sorts of symbols flashed past.
At last, in a nearly stationary segment, an icon stabilized and zoomed in, radiating a dazzling yet gentle golden glow.
It was a young man.
He stood tall, wearing the Cloud Cavalry uniform. White short hair like flickering flame, tips stained with blood and dust, looking a bit battered.
Yet his face showed no exhaustion—instead, his eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s, with a confident, even wild smile at his lips. In his hand, he gripped a longsword, its tip pointed diagonally at the ground, his whole presence like a newly-forged blade, brimming with youthful vigor and edge.
The background was a battlefield that seemed to have endured fierce fighting, with the hum of clashing metal and surging battle intent still lingering in the air.
The icon shone brightly, transforming into a warm current that flowed into Shi Hanfeng’s body.
The drastic transformation he anticipated didn’t happen. He just felt a slight itch on his scalp. Touching it, he found his hair color had become even lighter—what was once the bright gold of Rochet now carried a faint, almost imperceptible silver sheen, turning into a strange platinum shade in the dim light.
“Tsk, even comes with hair dye? If this happens a few more times, won’t I turn into a Killmat aristocrat?”
He muttered, then quickly calmed himself, focusing inward to sense the changes in his body.
[Congratulations, Player! Temporary Template acquired: [Jing Yuan (Youth)] LV1!]
[Effect: While staying in this world, you temporarily gain the corresponding basic abilities, physique, and some skill memories of this template.]
[Base Attributes: Strength 17 (+3), Agility 17 (+3), Constitution 17 (+3), Intelligence 17 (+3), Perception 17 (+3), Charisma 18 (+1)]
Another jackpot.
What he drew wasn’t the later god-strategist general, but a freshly debuted Jing Yuan—more pure, more sharp, like a sword just quenched and drawn.
“Jing Yuan… Youth?”
Shi Hanfeng was stunned for a moment.
Then a surging power burst through his body like a dam break!
Unlike the gentle vitality of inheriting the Rochet template, this force was more direct, more aggressive.
He could clearly feel his muscle fibers trembling, becoming tougher, more explosive; bone density increasing, able to withstand greater impact; dynamic vision and neural reflexes rising to a new level; even his internal organs strengthening, breath growing deeper and longer.
More importantly, countless fragments of swordsmanship, power techniques, footwork coordination, and battlefield response flooded his mind—scattered but solid, as if he’d trained these basics millions of times.
These were the foundations forged by Jing Yuan’s sweat and blood under Jingliu’s harsh tutelage.
Though he didn’t obtain the full god-strategist general template and lacked that cheat-level power, it was enough!
Sorry, Talent. I misjudged you.
Red bean ni private Marseille!
[Ah~ So you finally appreciate me? But I forgive you, now go start your new journey♪]
“The sword foundation directly taught by Jingliu, physique strengthened by the Blessing of the Xianzhou Alliance’s Path of Abundance…”
Shi Hanfeng slowly clenched his fist, his knuckles crackling softly, feeling the surging strength and agility within far beyond what he’d known.
“Add my own power of Abundance…….”
No, I can’t get too excited.
He resisted the urge to poke his own forehead.
What’s the most troublesome thing about fighting Demons in Demon Slayer?
It’s that even if you’re stronger, you can still get worn down by blood exchange.
He was better off than the Demon Slayer Corps, possessing the same power of Abundance as Doctor Luo, so trading blows wasn’t a big deal—as long as he wasn’t dead, he could heal.
But he had zero skills in the Curse of Decapitation. One slash to zero HP—no one could save him.
Now, though, with a body blessed by the Xianzhou, his biggest weakness was patched.
Healing of the Path of Abundance, combined with the physique of a Xianzhou human—a creation optimized over long ages precisely to bear and wield that power!
“Fast recovery?”
He thought of the Demons’ troublesome regeneration, and a sudden surge of self-confidence hit him.
“I really want to see—which is stronger, a Demon’s recovery based on Muzan Kibutsuji’s blood, or the Xianzhou body’s healing under the power of Abundance!”
A strong urge to immediately find something to cut welled up.
At that moment, a new prompt quietly appeared at the bottom of his status bar—its ancient, sharp font exuding an arrow-like edge.
[Ding! Special template detected, environment resonating… Side Mission triggered!]
[Side Mission Name: Hunt and Patrol]
[Mission Objective: Eliminate the Aberrant Spawn rampaging here. Twisted immortality, feeding on its own kind. Such existence is an open provocation to the Path of the Hunt. Find it, lock it, and cleanse it! Let the arrows of the Hunt pierce that corrupted heart!]
[Mission Reward: During the mission, chance of extra drops upon defeating Demons of Twelve String Moons and higher increases.]
[Failure Penalty: This area’s coordinates will come under the gaze of the Divine Bow Arbiter.]
“Drop rate boost?”
Shi Hanfeng’s eyebrows shot up, his player DNA igniting.
“Who could skip an event like this?”
But seeing the failure penalty, the smile on his lips froze instantly, his scalp tingling as a literal question mark almost materialized over his head.
The gaze of the Divine Bow Arbiter?
Seriously?
The last planet confirmed to have rampant Aberrant Spawn and noticed by the Lord of Arrows—
Well, the grass on its grave…no, even the grave and the planet itself had turned to cosmic dust.
Is this the Path of the Hunt?
This isn’t a penalty, it’s a death notice for failing!
This side mission’s consequences are even more ridiculous than the main quest!
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Panic solved nothing.
The Divine Bow Arbiter’s gaze was the ultimate punishment—but only if you failed.
As long as you cleared the side quest, there would be no problem.
Risk and reward coexist—very game-like.
And to finish the mission, it was obvious: just defeat Muzan and it’d all be over.
As for his identity in this world…
“Cloud Cavalry…no, a patrol ranger?”
He muttered softly, recalling Jing Yuan’s own account of his youthful dreams.
That god-strategist general once yearned for the road of hunting the stars and upholding justice without restraints.
Although later events led him to defend Luofu, that knightly spirit never faded in his heart.
“All right, General Jing Yuan.”
Shi Hanfeng gently patted the Zanpakuto: Shallow Hit at his waist—still dormant—his gaze sharpening with the confidence of a young warrior setting out.
“I’ll walk the road you once dreamed of.”
He whispered, his eyes burning with twin flames deep in his pupils.
At that moment, his sharp hearing caught an abnormal sound.
“Sss…rustle…”
It came from the depths of the forest to the left.
With it, the ever-present scent of iron grew thick and nauseating.
And then came a crazed, hunger-filled voice, broken and garbled:
“Fragrant…so fragrant…a taste I’ve never known!”
“Eat! Let me eat!!”
It was coming.
The prey had delivered itself.
Shi Hanfeng’s eyes hardened, clearing all distractions from his mind.
He crouched slightly, left foot forward, adopting a stance that balanced stability and explosive power.
It was one of the basic sword forms from Jingliu’s teachings—now fused into his memory.
Under the moonlight, his platinum hair fluttered, eyes locked on the bush where the sound originated.
“Crack!”
The shrub was violently burst open.
A twisted figure lunged out on all fours!
It could hardly be called human.
Its skin was a sickly gray-white, eyes blood-red and mindless, mouth split to the ears and drooling, sharp claws gouging into the dirt like a beast’s.
Its body was smeared with dark red blood, evidence of recent atrocities.
Its eyes stared at Shi Hanfeng, filled only with primal hunger and greed.
“Eat! Eat you!!”
Shi Hanfeng looked into its eyes first.
There was no number symbolizing the String Moon.
Just an ordinary Demon.
“Perfect. Let me test my blade on you.”