Regarding the storylines within the vast universe of "Primordial Era," Cao Ya had long since become accustomed to the many changes made in various books over the past few million years.
Just like before the Wuzhuang Temple, the pilgrimage team had experienced nearly a hundred hardships!
It's basically equivalent to all the levels in the book.
Furthermore, the years Sun Wukong spent imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain were far more than five hundred years; they were ten thousand times longer!
Tang Sanzang's power and beliefs are also very different, and Sun Wukong is not wearing the golden headband.
"The Ginseng Fruit Tree... Zhen Yuanzi, as the ultimate being of the weak Hunyuan Realm, is especially powerful. Although his fundamental method is not about life and death, it is unlikely that he would be completely unprepared and offer no protection to that precious Ginseng Fruit Tree—even if he did not expect that it would be pushed down by Sun Wukong at this moment—so, he was persuaded by Buddhism or the Heavenly Court to become a trial in the Journey to the West?"
Cao Ya pondered, if the ginseng fruit tree really died, could Guanyin Bodhisattva's sweet dew still revive it?
"The chances are slim! Unless, Guanyin Bodhisattva has also reached the realm of another kind of saint."
Cao Ya knew very well that although one of the four great Bodhisattvas of Mount Ling was powerful, being a Quasi-Saint at the ninth level of Heaven, it was no easy task for her to attain the Weak Hunyuan realm, a feat comparable to ascending to heaven! Even if the Journey to the West was completed, Guanyin Bodhisattva, as the direct person in charge, could obtain a lot of fortune, but there would still be many difficulties.
"Lord Ketu, how about it? Are you confident?" Sun Wukong asked expectantly.
Zhen Yuanzi was too powerful. If it were just Hongyun Daoist, Sun Wukong thought he could fight him, and it was hard to say who would win. But Zhen Yuanzi actually defeated Hongyun Daoist...
Furthermore, within the Wuzhuang Temple, Zhen Yuanzi has many disciples, including a bunch of Great Luo Immortals and Quasi-Saints, who are proficient in mysterious magic and possess considerable combat strength.
Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the White Dragon Horse, some of whom were quasi-saints and others of great immortality, were not bad. However, even the strongest can't fight against so many opponents. Given that Sun Wukong was too busy to attend to them, they were naturally defeated.
Not to mention that even Sun Wukong himself was being suppressed by Zhen Yuanzi! Moreover, the situation hasn't even been calculated if Hongyun Daoist were to intervene!
Having promised Guanyin Bodhisattva that he would protect Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West after being freed from the Five Elements Mountain, Sun Wukong kept his promise and would never go back on it. No matter how great the difficulties he encountered, he would find a way to overcome them.
"Let's take a look first. If those rare plants are damaged, it won't be easy to save them."
Cao Ya said that trees such as the Ginseng Fruit Tree and the Peach Mother Tree were indeed born after the creation of the [Primordial] Universe. They are not like the Chaos Divine Tree, which was nurtured by the vast chaos and is a pre-existing sacred being. At most, they possess a certain degree of spirituality, like top-tier spiritual treasures. They cannot be considered true living beings. However, precisely because of this, they have suffered damage, and repairing them is quite difficult.
Each of these spiritual plants embodies a certain part of the Dao principles of the primordial world.
If it weren't for the vast amount of profound knowledge he possessed, including much about life and death, and the fact that his own creation, the "Cosmic Alchemy Scripture," was at the ninth level of Quasi-Sainthood, Cao Ya would have had no confidence to even look at the collapsed ginseng fruit tree.
"Thank you." Sun Wukong was overjoyed and, along with Cao Ya, left the Heavenly Realm and headed to Wuzhuang Temple.
At this moment, Guanyin Bodhisattva of the South China Sea, also invited by Sun Wukong's incarnation, arrived here as well.
"Lord Ketu, Bodhisattva Guanyin." Inside the temple, Zhen Yuanzi and Daoist Hongyun, along with many disciples, personally came out to greet them.
"Sir, my master and junior brothers..." After the two sides finished exchanging greetings, Sun Wukong hurriedly spoke.
Zhen Yuanzi smiled and said, "You little monkey, don't worry, they're doing very well, being served the best food and drink."
Sure enough, in a secluded courtyard, led by a young Taoist boy, Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing arrived.
Cao Ya couldn't help but smile, turned to look at him, and said, "Marshal Tianpeng, how have you been lately?"
"It's alright, it's alright." Pigsy raised his hand and used the wide sleeves of his robe to cover his ugly face, but then felt that it was too much of a waste.
"Alas, I used to be handsome, but I was dignified and had a masculine air. Now, I'm just an ugly mess!" Pigsy sighed and said, "I'm no longer worthy of Chang'e, the fairy."
"When you were in Gao Village, preparing to marry Miss Gao, why didn't you think of this?" Cao Ya shook his head.
After being reborn as a pig, some of the flaws in this guy's personality were magnified.
Fortunately, he didn't lose his basic principles. He married Gao Cuilan because he had once saved her and used magic to conceal his true appearance, revealing his former life as Marshal Tianpeng. He worked hard in Gao Village and won the praise of the Gao couple. He also fell in love with Gao Cuilan, which led to their marriage.
Overjoyed, Pigsy thought that since the people of Gao Village had completely accepted him, there shouldn't be any problems even if he revealed his true appearance, so he dispelled the spell.
As a result, Gao Laozhuang was shocked. Neither Old Man Gao and his wife nor Gao Cuilan could believe it.
The rampage of demons in the Immortal Realm lasted for millions of years. For a long time, the surrounding mountains and seas were engulfed in flames and smoke, and countless people died. How could ordinary rural farms not be terrified when they saw this?
It wasn't until later, when Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, and the White Dragon Horse arrived, that they took Zhu Bajie away and resolved the conflict between the two sides.
However, whenever he encountered difficulties along the way, Pigsy would miss Gao Village and think about dividing the luggage and breaking up the group.
“Miss Gao, you actually look quite like the Moon Goddess Chang’e,” Pigsy muttered.
Hongyun Daoist laughed and said, "Marshal Tianpeng, are you treating that Miss Gao as a substitute for the fairy Chang'e?"
When Sun Wukong went out to seek help, he and Zhen Yuanzi communicated with Tang Sanzang and his companions, and learned about their experiences along the way. Therefore, they also knew about Zhu Bajie's situation.
As soon as Hongyun Daoren finished speaking, Zhen Yuanzi, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and the surrounding Wuzhuang Temple disciples, including Cao Ya, Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, and Sha Wujing, all looked at Zhu Bajie with different expressions.
"At first, maybe a little..." Pigsy scratched his head, knowing that with so many capable people around, he couldn't lie.
"But I understand that the fairy Chang'e only sees me as a colleague."
"I used to admire the fairy Chang'e, but how could I be worthy of her?"
"After spending so much time in Gao Village, busy with all sorts of things, Miss Gao has also fallen for me... If only I weren't a pig, and were still 'Marshal Tianpeng,' how wonderful that would be?"
Pigsy said, utterly dejected. When his identity posed no threat, he never encountered Miss Gao; but now, in his ugly state, he had to see her…
"Miss Gao probably can't accept that her ideal husband has suddenly become a pig demon!" Hongyun Daoist guessed that this was indeed a huge shock to Gao Village.
“Fool, if you want to go back to Gao Village, we’ll talk about it after we get to Mount Ling,” Sun Wukong said. “With a buffer period, Miss Gao should be able to recover. Besides, when you become a Buddha and an ancestor, Gao Village shouldn’t care so much about your pig demon identity.”
Pigsy pondered and felt that what his elder brother said made a lot of sense.
In his previous life, he was a human being, or even a deity in Heaven, but the people of Gao Village don't know any of this!
In the eyes of Gao Laozhuang, a hardworking, highly praised man who was about to marry Miss Gao was actually a monster in disguise... No one could recover from that disillusionment in a short time!
"Let's go take a look at the ginseng fruit tree."
Upon entering the courtyard, one is greeted by a hidden paradise, a microcosm within a microcosm. From the outside, the Taoist temple, though not particularly spacious, seems like an endless world, where the laws of the Great Dao surge and celestial energy permeates the air.
A once towering, sun-shading tree, its branches and leaves swaying in the wind, lay fallen to the ground, utterly lifeless.
Originally, this tree was meant to receive the breath of life and nurture ginseng fruit. Eating one would grant even a mortal immortality, and if immortals or demons consumed it, their chances of reaching the Great Luo realm would increase exponentially.
This spiritual plant is one of the most renowned divine trees in the Three Realms.
Now, it looks completely dead, with withered branches and fallen leaves, a sight that evokes sighs of pity.
"How about it? Are you confident?" Sun Wukong looked at Cao Ya and Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Guanyin Bodhisattva looked troubled. The jade bottle and the sweet dew were indeed extraordinary and full of spiritual power, especially for spiritual plants, they were very effective. However, the ginseng fruit tree was of too high a grade, so it would be very difficult to make it work.
"Buzz." Cao Ya scanned with his divine sense, but he wasn't very confident. Although he had a certain level of expertise in the laws of life, he couldn't compare to reincarnation, flames, and so on. He was lacking in many areas.
"Why don't you two join forces and give it a try?" Zhen Yuanzi suggested.
"Very well." Guanyin Bodhisattva nodded, tilting her jade bottle downwards and spouting streams of sweet dew that enveloped the enormous ginseng fruit tree, seeping into its interior and dispelling the deathly aura.
Cao Ya analyzed that Zhen Yuanzi might indeed have some hidden tricks up his sleeve, but since it was a test for the Journey to the West team, and since they were invited by Sun Wukong, there was no need to reveal it even if there were any guesses.
"Hoo." Cao Ya made a hand seal, and azure divine light surged, working in conjunction with the willow branch dew to revive this spiritual plant of heaven and earth.
"Did it succeed?" Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing all hoped that if they couldn't save him, they would be unable to leave Wuzhuang Temple, let alone visit the Great Thunder Temple on Mount Ling in the Western Paradise.
"Brother Dao, are you sure you don't need to activate the follow-up move?" Daoist Hongyun asked Zhen Yuanzi telepathically.
“No need to rush. Jidu Xingjun and Guanyin Bodhisattva are quite capable in this regard,” Zhen Yuanzi replied. “Besides, my magic only kept the ginseng fruit tree alive, a sliver of life. To fully revive it would be quite difficult, and we would need to seek help from other fellow Daoists.”
"If it weren't for the Buddha's promise of the supernatural powers of Mahayana Buddhism, which might have helped us achieve sainthood, I really wouldn't have been willing to enter this situation and end up harming my precious tree."
The Buddha is a supreme being in the Holy Realm. He is willing to give away his magic. How could Zhen Yuanzi not be tempted?
The two people's paths are completely different. One can directly learn the Buddha's secret methods, which will most likely help Zhen Yuanzi to reach even greater heights.
However, by a twist of fate, Sun Wukong knocked down the ginseng fruit tree, something that Zhen Yuanzi hadn't anticipated.
His ancient defensive techniques only kept the fruit trees alive.
There is also a strong hope that the Star Lord Ketu and Guanyin Bodhisattva can revive this spiritual plant on the spot.
"Hiss." Just then, the dead ginseng fruit tree trembled slightly, as if it were coming back to life.
The crowd was overjoyed, but soon the sweet dew and the azure divine light lost their effect, and the divine plant fell into a state of death again, with only a faint wisp of life remaining.
"If we cannot invoke the corresponding Dao principles within the universe, then the ginseng fruit tree cannot be revived." Guanyin Bodhisattva frowned.
Cao Ya pondered, his keen senses detecting that at the very core of the fruit tree, a secret technique of the Wuzhuang Temple was keeping the tree alive. However, this was of little help with the current measures; the tree remained lifeless and unable to revive, as if the laws of the universe had already decided on the death of the ginseng fruit tree, and that death was unchangeable.
"Wait!" Cao Ya suddenly had an idea and activated the essence of the True Phoenix Treasure Technique. The "Nirvana" magic charm triggered a glimmer of life deep within the spiritual plant, which began to spread.
"Hmm?" Guanyin Bodhisattva was taken aback, but reacted quickly. The sweet dew from the willow branch permeated the process, accelerating it.
With the combined efforts of the two powerful figures and the aid of a precious technique, the ginseng fruit tree finally began its rebirth!
Upon seeing this, the pilgrimage team was relieved and amazed by the power of Ketu and Guanyin Bodhisattva. Their special magic technique was truly astonishing to the mortal world.
"This supernatural power is somewhat similar to the innate secret technique of the Ancestral Phoenix, but it is not entirely the same." Daoist Hongyun was puzzled. Jidu Star Lord was still connected with the declining Phoenix Clan?
"It doesn't seem like the secret technique of the Ancestral Phoenix, or one of the weaker Hunyuan cultivators of the Phoenix Clan," Zhen Yuanzi murmured.
The Phoenix Clan once vied for supremacy in the primordial world with the Dragon Clan and the Qilin Clan during the early Dragon-Han Calamity, and was incredibly powerful.
Below the Ancestral Phoenix of the Sacred Realm, there are also weak Primordial Chaos cultivators, such as Quasi-Saints and Great Luo Immortals, and countless others.
However, the vast majority have perished, and those who survived are either hidden in blessed lands and secret realms within the Three Realms, or have established themselves in grotto-heavens above the Heavenly Realm.
They no longer interfere in the conflicts of the primordial world, but rather avoid them altogether.
Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun Daoren both witnessed the great battle in the past and have some basic knowledge of it.
However, the supernatural powers activated by Ketu and Ketu Star Lord are different.
But that secret fire technique is undoubtedly from the Phoenix Clan!
This undoubtedly left the two of them extremely puzzled.
I've never heard of any connection between Lord Jidu and the Phoenix Clan.
They would never have imagined that this "True Phoenix Treasure Technique" originated from another seven-star universe and was one of the ten most ferocious treasure techniques of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. In fact, it was not inherited from the ancient ten ferocious ones. In a much more distant era, there were already powerful predecessors who rose up and dominated the universe, but they were defeated by the strange races, suffering heavy casualties, with almost no survivors.
This precious technique is exceptional; even a seven-star Immortal Emperor can use it, which speaks volumes about its extraordinary nature.
Translated into the [Primordial] Universe, it is basically no less powerful than many of the supernatural abilities and spells of the Ancestral Phoenix, except for its ultimate, trump card moves.
Back then, Cao Yaneng fought the Chaos Serpent to a standstill, and his final reliance was the True Phoenix Treasure Technique!
However, Cao Ya kept this secret to himself and would never tell anyone.
Even if Zhen Yuanzi, Hongyun Daoren, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and others had doubts, they had no way to ask.
"Bang!" Suddenly, the ginseng fruit tree stood up, taking root in the immortal soil, its branches and leaves stretching out, the leaves turning green and no longer withered and yellow.
Even the ginseng fruit that had been integrated into the soil was reproduced, returned to its original position on the tree, swaying in the wind.
"Haha, Qingfeng and Mingyue, bring down a few fruits. I want to entertain our distinguished guests." Zhen Yuanzi laughed and invited Cao Ya, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Tang Seng, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing to sit down in the reception room for a chat.
“By the way, fellow Daoist, about what you mentioned earlier…” Hongyun Daoist suddenly said jokingly.
"It was just a joke, there's no need to take it seriously," Sun Wukong said.
“How could that be?” Zhen Yuanzi waved his hand and said, “It just so happens that Jidu Xingjun and Guanyin Bodhisattva are also in the temple, and they can be witnesses.”
"?" Guanyin Bodhisattva still looked confused, but Cao Ya immediately knew what they were talking about.
Zhen Yuanzi and Sun Wukong are going to become sworn brothers!
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