Cao Ya shook his head. He hadn't expected the Taixu Illusionary Realm and the Crimson Palace to appear one after another.
"I wonder what the background of Daoist Taixu and Daoist Chixia is? I haven't heard of them much before."
In fact, Cao Ya shared the same question. If these two unconventional saints truly wanted to get closer to the Heavenly Court, they could simply use their great supernatural powers to create a celestial realm above the heavens and hang it in the sky. With their abilities, it would be effortless for them. Why did they both choose to crowd into the Heaven of Separation and Hatred?
However, it is clear that Daoist Taixu and Daoist Chixia will not reveal such secrets to the public.
Perhaps the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West know the secret, but they will not reveal it.
Offending two weak Hunyuan masters is something they are unwilling to do, even given their status and strength.
Unable to figure it out, Cao Ya was too lazy to dwell on it. Anyway, he knew about the Illusionary Realm and the Crimson Palace.
"Okay, mainly the Land of Illusion... In the original novel of Dream of the Red Chamber, there was only a Divine Stone Attendant in the Crimson Jade Palace who watered the Crimson Pearl Fairy Herb on the banks of the Spirit River, and was later reincarnated as Jia Baoyu."
Cao Ya pondered for a moment, and there was indeed a vast, desolate mountain in the heavens.
As for whether there is a Wuji Cliff and Qinggeng Peak within the Great Wilderness Mountain, and whether there is a Spiritual Jade at the foot of the peak...
Cao Ya was unaware of this. His travels were mainly in the Northern Star Sea and the Earthly Immortal Realm. He had not ventured into the vast Heavenly Realm many times, nor had he ever visited the Great Wilderness Mountain.
"We already have Journey to the West and Dream of the Red Chamber, so we can't leave out Water Margin, right?"
Cao Ya muttered to himself, "The Heavenly Court exists, and the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden is also a confidante of the Jade Emperor, one of his main generals, and a powerful quasi-saint. She is very strong."
The thirty-six Heavenly Generals and seventy-two Earthly Fiends have not yet been fully assembled, but they are already half complete.
"What a magnificent era..." Cao Ya sighed. After the Investiture of the Gods, there were all kinds of wars. Now, Journey to the West is still in its infancy, and the calamities of Dream of the Red Chamber and Water Margin are also brewing.
Time flies, and hundreds of thousands of years have passed since the Taoist Master Taixu and the Taoist Master Chixia established their lineage in the Heaven of Separation from Hatred.
On this very day, in the Immortal Realm, the Eastern Continent, and the Kingdom of Aolai, at the summit of Flower Fruit Mountain near the sea!
"Boom!" The immortal stone that had been nourished by the essence of the sun and moon since the beginning of time suddenly exploded!
From it, a stone egg, round like a ball, suddenly jumped out and transformed into a stone monkey when it was exposed to the wind.
The stone monkey had all five senses and four limbs. It learned to crawl and walk, and bowed to the four directions.
Two golden beams shot from his eyes, piercing the sky and shattering the stars beyond the realm!
This scene alarmed the powerful beings of the Heavenly Realm, the Earthly Immortal Realm, and the Netherworld, who all turned their attention to it.
"It turns out to be a stone monkey born from the essence of heaven and earth. I thought it was some kind of magical treasure."
The powerful figures shook their heads, not finding it strange. All the energy of that stone monkey had turned into golden light and shot out, leaving nothing behind. It was merely a mortal, born in the morning and dying at night, and could not be regarded as worthy of their attention.
Not to mention the Chaos Gods who were born as Quasi-Saints or higher, even among the various primordial giants after Pangu created the world, how many had a poor origin? Many were born as Great Luo!
It wasn't until after the Dragon-Han Calamity and the Lich-Demon Calamity that more and more beings were born after birth, and the human race also appeared, giving rise to a relatively large number of Great Luo Immortals and Quasi-Saints who rose from the mortal realm.
But that's the base number. Only when the base number is incredibly large can heroes emerge and their fame resound throughout the world!
They didn't believe that the stone monkey had any special abilities, or whether it could become an immortal; those were debatable.
Naturally, no one descended upon Flower Fruit Mountain to take the stone monkey as a disciple.
In fact, Cao Ya, who was outside the celestial realm, had this thought and couldn't help but stand up.
"The Spiritual Stone Monkey! Sun Wukong... He doesn't have that name yet, he should be called 'Brother Monkey'!"
"Well, in this world, I am millions of years older than him."
Cao Ya really wanted to go down to the mortal realm, but after thinking it over, he sighed and suppressed the impulse.
Given the situation of the Spiritual Stone Monkey, he could become a disciple of Patriarch Bodhi in the future, so why would he want to cut off this opportunity?
Although my family is not bad either, and we have mastered a lot of techniques, no matter what, it is not as good as being personally taught by a seven-star Hunyuan Saint Realm expert!
Cao Ya estimated that Bodhi Patriarch's strength was at least at the mid-level of the Seven Stars.
One of the first great figures to be born in the primordial universe after the beginning of time!
"Besides, I don't know the Somersault Cloud or the Seventy-Two Transformations."
Cao Ya muttered, "Without the Somersault Cloud and the Seventy-Two Transformations, Sun Wukong just doesn't feel right."
However, Cao Ya paid close attention to the birth of the Spiritual Stone Monkey.
At present, the Journey to the West is nowhere to be seen, and the Buddha of the Western Paradise has not paid attention to Flower Fruit Mountain.
Apart from Cao Ya, no one in the Three Realms—immortals, Buddhas, gods, and demons—could have imagined that the Spiritual Stone Monkey, whom they disregarded and thought would struggle to even reach adulthood, would one day wreak havoc in the Heavenly Palace and become famous throughout the eight wastelands and six directions!
Since the Crimson Pearl Fairy and the Divine Stone Attendant reside in the Heaven of Separation from Hatred, which Cao Ya never set foot in, there are no clues about them.
As for Tian Shang Xing and Tian Gu Xing, these two are not among the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends of the Heavenly Court.
Tens of thousands of years later, the intelligent stone monkey set sail and, being quite robust, successfully arrived at the Southern Continent.
After that, Cao Ya dared not pay much attention, fearing that he might offend Bodhi Patriarch.
He could only sigh, for the ages in the primordial universe were vastly different. The Spiritual Stone Monkey stayed on Flower Fruit Mountain for tens of thousands of years before he began to worry about his lifespan and set sail.
"Indeed, here in the Celestial Realm, one can achieve immortality."
The Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave and the Spirit Platform Square Inch Mountain are the Daoist sites of the Primordial Sacred Realm, which Cao Ya could not observe.
The Heaven of Separation also contains the Palace of the Douluo, the Realm of Illusion, and the Palace of Crimson Flaws, where the three powerful beings of the Primordial Chaos—the Supreme Lord Laozi, the Taoist of the Great Void, and the Taoist of Crimson Flaws—are stationed. How could Cao Ya dare to enter without cause?
Within the Heavenly Court, out of respect for the Jade Emperor, Cao Ya only traveled within the Northern Star Sea and avoided all other places, thus his understanding of the Heavenly Stars and Earthly Fiends was not entirely complete.
Hundreds of thousands of years later, when the Heavenly Court had a new stable boy named Bi Ma Wen, Cao Ya learned that the intelligent stone monkey had completed his apprenticeship, obtained the Ruyi Jingu Bang (Golden Cudgel), and erased himself from the Book of Life and Death.
"Leaving aside the Dragon Clan, they have declined. The Ancestral Dragon hasn't appeared for several eras and no longer has the confidence or strength to stop Sun Wukong. But the Underworld... even Houtu and Pingxin Niangniang are there."
Cao Ya was surprised. Sun Wukong was no longer at the Saint Realm, since he did not have that kind of shock that spread in all directions.
However, he overlooked the fact that Houtu, although she opened up the Six Paths of Reincarnation and established the Underworld, would never interfere in the specific affairs of the Underworld. Now, she and Zhujiuyin are single-mindedly focused on resurrecting Dijiang and others.
Sun Wukong's soul entered the underworld, which was also a mistake by the underworld officials.
They are all incredibly powerful beings with extraordinary abilities, so how could they possibly be subject to the calamity of reincarnation?
Furthermore, Sun Wukong only erased the lifespans of his monkey descendants. Even if they didn't become immortals, they could still live as long as the heavens. As for other races, Sun Wukong didn't touch them; they were none of his concern, and he couldn't be bothered with them.
Under such circumstances, how could Houtu possibly put aside important matters and personally descend to capture Sun Wukong?
"That stable boy is really ridiculous. He's so happy about such a lowly and insignificant official title."
Marshal Tianpeng laughed wildly. He was a Quasi-Saint of the Second Heaven and a general who commanded 100,000 naval soldiers in the Milky Way. In terms of rank, he far surpassed Sun Wukong.
"The Jade Emperor's actions are highly inappropriate and undoubtedly humiliating," said the Great Emperor of the North Pole, shaking his head.
"While the exact extent of Sun Wukong's strength is unknown, there is no doubt that he is at the Quasi-Saint level."
"Such a powerful figure has joined the Heavenly Court; how can he be dismissed with a lowly position like the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses?"
As he spoke, the Great Emperor of the North Pole turned his head and glanced at Cao Ya.
“When I ascended to heaven, my strength was very low. It’s an exception that I became the Star Lord Ketu,” Cao Ya said with a smile.
He didn't intend to improve further, since his strength and the power of a Star Lord were negligible anyway.
With higher rank comes greater responsibility. To ensure the prosperity of the human race, one must often be on the move. Cao Ya really didn't want to find himself any more jobs.
Even if the gifts were generous, he didn't need them anymore; the highest-ranking divine office was not for him.
Not to mention, Cao Ya also didn't really want to be bound by clergy and shoulder heavy responsibilities.
“That makes sense.” Marshal Tianpeng stroked his chin and pondered, “Once that stable boy figured out the situation, trouble will surely erupt.”
"Hehe, this is such an exciting event, I have to go and see."
Marshal Tianpeng was eager to try his hand at it. A powerful figure above the Quasi-Saint level becoming a stable boy... He definitely wanted to look at this dark history more often, as it would become a topic of conversation in the future!
The Great Emperor of the North Pole, Ziwei, was helpless; that was just the nature of Marshal Tianpeng, which was quite amusing.
"The Jade Emperor should be able to salvage the situation..." Cao Ya smiled. They already had the Spiritual Stone Monkey, the Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong, and the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses, but the Great Sage Equal to Heaven hadn't appeared yet!
"Furthermore, regarding the Journey to the West, have the Heavenly Court and Mount Ling made any progress?"
Cao Ya was also wondering when the Buddha had conceived the idea of planning the Journey to the West and spreading Buddhism to the East. As for the close relationship between Mount Ling and the Heavenly Court... that's perfectly normal; it's been going on for millions of years!
The Jade Emperor disliked the Chan and Jie sects and was wary of the human race. Ghost cultivators and spirits belonged to the Netherworld—the Netherworld was nominally under the Heavenly Court, but due to the existence of Houtu, it was actually completely independent—the Jade Emperor could not interfere. As for the Demonic Sect… how could the Jade Emperor dare to introduce it into the Heavenly Court?
After much deliberation, in order to balance the Chan Sect, the Jie Sect, and the human race, the Jade Emperor had no choice but to introduce Buddhism.
Coincidentally, all three leaders of Buddhism had a strong desire to promote Buddhism. Wasn't this a perfect match?
Regardless, the Heavenly Court was established by order of the Dao Ancestor Hongjun, and is the apparent ruler of the Three Realms.
The Jade Emperor was also quite powerful. With the return of the gods to their positions and the breakthroughs of the Queen Mother of the West, the Old Mother of Lishan, and the Taiyi Heavenly Venerable, the prestige of the Heavenly Court grew stronger and was spread throughout the heavens.
After discussion, the three religious leaders unanimously decided that they could establish good relations with the Heavenly Court and rely on its shared authority to promote Buddhism and strengthen the Buddhist community.
Because of the Investiture of the Gods, the Guide Daoist and the Zhunti Daoist were confined to the Paradise.
The only one who could directly intervene and lead this matter was the Buddha.
In fact, the heroes who followed the Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti, such as the Medicine Buddha, also had titles and positions at the Great Thunder Temple on Mount Ling.
However, based on the current actions of Mount Ling and the Heavenly Court, Cao Ya believes that they do not have a Journey to the West strategy.
A series of coincidences and unexpected events led them to realize a golden opportunity and begin planning their journey to the West.
Since there's no Journey to the West yet, Cao Ya naturally won't bring it up, thus saving the Buddha and the Jade Emperor some energy and causing trouble for Sun Wukong. At times, it might also be a good opportunity to remind Sun Wukong.
"Marshal Tianpeng, I'll go with you," Cao Ya said with a smile. Sun Wukong's embarrassing history had to be recorded.
“Lord Jidu, you are like this too…” Emperor Beiji Ziwei glanced sideways.
"Haha, Lord Ketu, let's set off now, lest we be late and that stable boy has already realized the truth and left in anger," Marshal Tianpeng urged.
Immediately, under the helpless gaze of the North Pole Purple Star Emperor, Cao Ya and Marshal Tianpeng broke through the air and disappeared into the distance. With their Quasi-Saint abilities and being within the Heavenly Court's jurisdiction, they were naturally incredibly fast and soon arrived at the Heavenly Palace.
He didn't go to see the Jade Emperor, the Queen Mother, or any other deities or Buddhas.
The two headed to the Imperial Stables, where they encountered Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, and his son Nezha on the way.
After exchanging greetings, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King inquired about the purpose of the visit. Marshal Tianpeng went straight to the point, saying, "I've heard that in the Flower Fruit Mountain of the Immortal Realm, there is a 'Handsome Monkey King' named Sun Wukong. He was invited by Taibai Jinxing to serve as an official in Heaven. He is supposed to be a high-ranking Quasi-Saint, but he's only a stable boy in charge of the Imperial Stables..."
Upon hearing this, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King laughed and said, "The people of the lower realm are short-sighted."
Nezha snorted and said, "No official title is as important as one's own cultivation."
"How many truly outstanding clergy are there? They've already been taken."
“That Sun Wukong, his cultivation is formidable. From a stone monkey, over hundreds of thousands of years, he has reached his current level, which shows his extraordinary talent. Great Heavenly Venerable… heh.”
As Nezha spoke, he let out a cold laugh, feeling quite indignant on behalf of Sun Wukong.
"Stop talking nonsense and slandering the Great Heavenly Venerable behind his back!" shouted the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.
He was the Jade Emperor's trusted general, and his ability to cultivate all the way to the sixth level of Quasi-Saint was inseparable from the Jade Emperor's cultivation. How could he allow his own third son to criticize the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable?!
Although Nezha was stronger, having reached the seventh level of Quasi-Saint, he was still countered by the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King's pagoda.
Nezha pursed his lips and didn't say anything more. He felt that the Jade Emperor had handled this matter improperly.
“Brother Nezha, would you like to come with us to pay a visit to the Monkey King?” Cao Ya asked with a smile.
"Great!" Nezha's eyes lit up. He was more than happy to be free from the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King's restraints!
“I will not allow it…” The Heavenly King Li Jing’s face darkened.
During the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, the father and son had a great conflict and a very unpleasant time.
Right now, we're just making do, and we both hope that the other person will suffer.
"My invitation, Heavenly King Li Jing, are you really not going to give me any face at all?" Cao Ya asked with a smile.
A chill ran through the heart of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.
Ketu Star Lord's fame has indeed faded in the last million years, but his strength has become increasingly unfathomable. He was able to forcefully clash with the Chaos Demon Spider for several rounds, which shows how formidable he is!
The Great Emperor of the North Pole, the Immortal of the South Pole, the Great Emperor of the East Pole, and the Great Emperor of Gouchen are all inferior to him.
In the vast Heavenly Court, only the Jade Emperor, the Queen Mother of the West, the Old Mother of Lishan, the Taiyi Heavenly Venerable who attained enlightenment hundreds of thousands of years ago, and the Golden Spirit Holy Mother, a "True God of the Dipper Palace," can surpass him.
The rest are absolutely no match for Lord Ketu!
Even the Jade Emperor had to show great respect when facing Ketu, the Star Lord.
Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, is only at the sixth level of Quasi-Saint. Even with special spiritual treasures, he can only contend with those at the seventh or eighth level of Quasi-Saint. Relying on the pagoda's restraining effect, he can even suppress Nezha, who is at the seventh level of Quasi-Saint. If it were Jidu Xingjun who were to make a move, Li Jing knew that he would be doomed!
Even if Ketu Star Lord was mindful of the Jade Emperor and wouldn't kill him, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King would still be unwilling to suffer such a great humiliation.
Not only would he become a laughingstock among the gods, but he would also bring great pleasure to Nezha.
"Nezha, you shall go with Jidu Star Lord and Marshal Tianpeng."
"Remember, don't cause trouble!"
"Don't drag me into this!"
The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King forced a smile, and before he finished speaking, he left like the wind, not wanting to stay in front of the Star Lord Ketu for even a minute longer.
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