One day, the Patriarch and his disciples were enjoying the evening scenery in front of the Three Star Cave. The Patriarch asked, "Wukong, has the task been accomplished?" Wukong replied, "Thanks to Master's great kindness, my merits are complete, and I am now able to ascend to heaven." The Patriarch said, "Show me your flight." Wukong displayed his skills, leaping and somersaulting, jumping five or six zhang (approximately 10-13 meters) off the ground. He rode the clouds for the time it takes to eat a meal, returning less than three li (approximately 1.5 kilometers) before landing in front of him. He said, "Master, this is what it means to fly on the clouds."
The Patriarch laughed and said, "This doesn't count as soaring through the clouds, it only counts as climbing them. There's an old saying: 'Immortals travel to the North Sea in the morning and to Cangwu in the evening.' You, in half a day, haven't even covered three miles; even climbing the clouds doesn't count." Wukong asked, "What does 'travel to the North Sea in the morning and to Cangwu in the evening' mean?" The Patriarch replied, "Those who soar through the clouds rise early from the North Sea, travel through the East Sea, West Sea, and South Sea, and then return to Cangwu. Cangwu is the local dialect of Lingling in the North Sea. Only by traveling throughout the four seas in a single day can one be considered to soar through the clouds."
Wukong said, "This is difficult, very difficult!" The Patriarch said, "Nothing is difficult in this world if you put your mind to it." Upon hearing this, Wukong kowtowed and said, "Master, one must be thorough in one's conduct. Please have great compassion and pass on this method of cloud-riding to me. I will never forget your kindness." The Patriarch said, "All immortals ride the clouds by stepping up, but you are not like that. I just saw you go, and you had to pull yourself up before you could jump. I will teach you the Somersault Cloud based on your current form." Wukong kowtowed and pleaded again, and the Patriarch then gave him a secret incantation: "For this cloud, hold the incantation, recite the mantra, clench your fist, shake your body, and jump up. One somersault can cover 108,000 li!" Upon hearing this, everyone laughed and said, "Wukong is lucky! If you know this method, you can work as a clerk, delivering documents and reports, and you can find food anywhere." As dusk fell, the master and disciples returned to their respective caves. That night, Wukong used his divine powers to refine his magic and mastered the Somersault Cloud. He lived a carefree and unrestrained life, which was also the beauty of longevity.
While Sun Wukong was cultivating in the mountains, Xuan Tian from Penglai Island emerged from seclusion.
Penglai Island, in the Dutian Palace.
Xuan Tian opened his eyes, which seemed to be filled with chaotic energy, neither clear nor turbid, flowing endlessly. After a long while, he paused and muttered to himself, "So, several hundred years have passed. That monkey should have come down the mountain by now. Fortunately, I haven't missed the show yet, but this matter still needs to be arranged."
He paused, then snorted coldly and said, "Fortunately, I was clever enough to set up a great formation on that planet, otherwise we would have been back in the past. The Buddhist sect is indeed full of monsters. Jieyin and Zhunti, I originally wanted to let you off the hook because of our past discussion, but now it seems I can't spare you."
However, Xuan Tian discovered that the Buddhist sect on Earth, in its struggle for orthodoxy, had instigated barbarian invasions of China. Fortunately, with the help of hundreds of thousands of sorcerer soldiers, the Five Barbarian Invasions were averted.
Despite this, Xuan Tian harbored a deep hatred for Buddhism. Some of the pawns he had placed there were not very useful, but now Xuan Tian decided that they should still be used, otherwise they would become obsolete.
In the following days, Xuan Tian summoned back several disciples who were cultivating outside. After giving them some instructions, he released them.
On that planet Earth, the original Buddhist sect intended to use the power of Earth to perpetuate its Buddhist traditions as leverage in its struggle against the Eastern Sages. However, it was ultimately thwarted by Xuan Tian's earlier scheme, which not only failed to provoke the barbarians who invaded China but also resulted in the Buddhist disciples being expelled from the land of China.
Then, the originally quiet Confucian disciples suddenly rose to power amidst the mutual destruction caused by the conflict between Buddhism and Taoism. They unified the divided Chinese territory in one fell swoop, established a new emperor, named the Tang Dynasty, and used the reign title of Emperor Taizong of Tang. The person in question was still Li Shimin. It is unknown whether it was the wheels of history that were driving them or the power of someone else.
With the matter on Earth resolved, the Buddhist and Taoist forces were basically squeezed out by the Confucian school. With the support of the imperial court, the Confucian school seized the fortune on Earth and pushed the Buddhist and Taoist schools back into the realm of the Earthly Immortals.
Within the Immortal Realm, the forces of Penglai Island were not idle either. The disciples of the Confucian, Mohist, Legalist, and Military schools were also active. Previously, Xuan Tian and Laozi had formed an alliance, allowing their doctrines to spread to the Eastern Divine Continent. Now, Laozi had betrayed Xuan Tian, and Xuan Tian was naturally unwilling to accept this. The disciples of the four schools joined forces, especially the Confucian school, leveraging their centuries-long political dominance to rapidly expand their power, squeezing out the Daoist sect's influence in the court. Daoist disciples suffered severe suppression. Fortunately, Xuan Tian knew that Laozi had held back, and internal strife was not advisable at this time, so no major incident occurred. He simply intended to give Laozi a warning.
The Four Monkeys emerged from the mountain to slay demons and bandits.
This monkey was exceptionally gifted and mastered the methods taught by the patriarch. In a short time, he acquired supernatural powers rarely seen in the world. However, his temperament was unstable, and he was destined to make mistakes.
One day, as spring turned to summer, the assembly gathered under a pine tree for a long time. The assembly asked, "Wukong, what karmic connection did you cultivate in your past life? The other day, our master whispered in your ear the method to avoid the three calamities—do you know it all?" Wukong laughed, "To be honest, brothers, firstly, it was taught by my master, and secondly, I've been diligent day and night; I've mastered all of them." The assembly said, "Take this opportunity to demonstrate, let us see." Hearing this, Wukong roused himself and showed off his skills, saying, "Brothers, please give me a topic. What should I transform into?" The assembly said, "Transform into a pine tree." Wukong made a hand seal, chanted an incantation, and in a flash, he transformed into a pine tree. Truly—lush and verdant through all four seasons, soaring straight to the clouds with its elegant form. Not a trace of the demonic monkey remained, only branches enduring frost and snow.
Upon seeing this, the crowd clapped and laughed heartily, exclaiming, "Good monkey! Good monkey!" Their commotion disturbed the Patriarch, who hurriedly pulled his staff out and asked, "Who is making such a racket here?" Hearing the call, the crowd hastily tidied themselves and stepped forward. Wukong also revealed his true form, blending into the crowd, and said, "Respected Master, we are having a discussion here, and there are no outsiders making a disturbance."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
