Chapter 652 - 67: Monkey Takes a Master, Enters The Beginning of Ancient Times, and Awakens to the Buddhist Sect’s Emptiness

Chapter 652: Chapter 67: Monkey Takes a Master, Enters The Beginning of Ancient Times, and Awakens to the Buddhist Sect’s Emptiness

"Let’s go."

Bodhi Ancestor Master glanced at the hazy Buddha light on the stairs, listening to the scripture-chanting that swirled around the steps. With a slight nod, he led Sun Wukong up the Chaos Ladder, telling him to observe the Buddha light and listen to the Buddhist Scriptures closely.

As Sun Wukong stepped onto the ladder, his little heart pounded in his chest. After taking a few steps, he saw other beings also walking on the stairway,

a majestic emperor, an armored general, a Saint holding a scroll. They were right before his eyes, yet he could not touch them. All of them came from a wide, long river...

"Purple Cloud Palace transcends all Time and Years. The sights you are seeing are of beings from other eras walking to Purple Cloud Palace."

Bodhi Ancestor Master explained nonchalantly. Since he had already decided to have Sun Wukong become Fellow Daoist Purple Cloud’s disciple, it was best for the Fellow Daoist’s image to be as grand and magnificent as possible in the monkey’s mind.

’At that point, this monkey will unconsciously gravitate toward Fellow Daoist Purple Cloud’s path, and Fellow Daoist Purple Cloud is one of the three First Patriarchs of Buddhism...’

’The great endeavor is perhaps halfway to success.’

Sun Wukong, carefully treading the Chaos Ladder, was shaken to his core. ’A palace that transcends all Time and Years...’

’He really is the most powerful Great Immortal!’

He earnestly watched the images from other fragments of the ages. Suddenly, he caught sight of a dying old man kowtowing with every step on the long Chaos Ladder, seemingly shouting something, though it was inaudible.

Immediately,

Sun Wukong followed his example, kowtowing with every single step. He was perfectly reverent, utterly devout. Bodhi Ancestor Master was stunned by the sight.

’This monkey has always been so rebellious, how could he...’

He performed a quick divination, gaining insight into the past and future, and suddenly understood. A bitter laugh echoed in his mind.

’What a coincidence. This monkey searched the land for four years, witnessed the marvel of the Celestial Book, and came to know of Purple Cloud’s magnificence.’

’The twelve years on Fangcun Mountain then fused his desire to find an Immortal and begin his Inquiry Dao with his reverence for Purple Cloud, forging it into an obsession...’

’It is truly fate.’

A sense of relief washed over Bodhi Ancestor Master. ’It’s a good thing Fellow Daoist Purple Cloud has already joined the Buddhist Sect. If he still favored The Three Pristine Ones, still remained the Lu Xuan of old, the trouble would be immense!’

’Tsk, tsk. The Three Pristine Ones, oh, The Three Pristine Ones. You couldn’t hold on to a monstrous talent like Purple Cloud. Only the boundless Buddhist Sect is great enough to contain him!’

’Fellow Daoist Purple Cloud truly has a karmic bond with our West.’

Lost in thought, he didn’t realize the monkey had already reached the gates of Purple Cloud Palace, kowtowing every step of the way.

Bodhi Ancestor Master stepped forward and knocked on the palace gates. He knocked nine times, and a great sound like morning bells and evening drums bloomed forth, washing over the mind and spirit.

Immediately, the grand gates of Purple Cloud Palace swung wide open.

Sun Wukong took a deep breath, straightened his coarse hemp clothes, and cautiously walked inside.

As he looked around, an endless stream of mystical phenomena he had never seen in his life appeared. There were visions of the Creation of Heaven and Earth, scenes of the rise and fall of All Realms, all accompanied by countless ancient calendars slowly revolving...

He raised his head and looked straight ahead. There, he saw a middle-aged man dressed in a Buddha Robe, sitting cross-legged on a Lotus Platform, with a great tree growing behind him.

The man’s eyes were half-open, half-closed. Within the narrow openings, one could see Chaos Qi swirling, profound and boundless.

’An Immortal! The most powerful Purple Cloud Immortal!!’

Sun Wukong’s breathing grew ragged.

Bodhi Ancestor Master spoke with a smile:

"Fellow Daoist Purple Cloud, it has been a while."

Lu Xuan slowly lifted his gaze. His eyes illuminated everything, and in an instant, he understood the entire sequence of events. A peculiar look flickered in his eyes.

’Hmm, I was just pondering how to lure Sun Wukong over without anyone noticing. Well, this is perfect. He’s been delivered right to my door...’

’Bodhi is such a good person.’

He gazed at Bodhi, his face breaking into an exceptionally brilliant smile:

"Fellow Daoist Bodhi, it has been a while. And this is?"

Bodhi Ancestor Master smiled:

"A wild macaque from the mountains wishes to take you as his master, Fellow Daoist. I saw that he was sincere, so I brought him for you to have a look and see if you are interested..."

Lu Xuan looked gently at the monkey and asked calmly:

"Little monkey, do you have a name?"

A hopeful look appeared in the little monkey’s eyes as he bowed repeatedly with clasped hands.

"In answer to the Immortal’s question, me... I mean, my name is Sun Wukong! Sun Wukong!"

"A good name."

Lu Xuan nodded again, and Bodhi added with a laugh:

"To cultivate the Dao, one must naturally first seek enlightenment. If one can become enlightened to ’Emptiness,’ then one has achieved true fruition. This macaque is sincere; he may yet have a chance to achieve it. That is why I gave him this name."

Lu Xuan gave a calm, deep-eyed smile. ’Wukong, Wukong... Only the Buddhist Sect emphasizes being ’enlightened to emptiness.’ First enlightenment, then emptiness. Enter the gate of nothingness, and become a Buddha on the spot.’

’But if the Buddhist Sect can preach of being enlightened to emptiness, so can the Daoist Sect.’

He then pretended to ponder for a long moment before finally speaking:

"Very well. Since Fellow Daoist Bodhi himself has made the recommendation, it would be remiss of me not to accept this disciple... Sun Wukong, are you willing to become my disciple?"

"I am! I am! More than anything in the world!!"

Without a moment’s hesitation, Sun Wukong kowtowed. THUD, THUD, THUD! Three heavy bows!

"Excellent. Then I shall first register you as a disciple by name."

Lu Xuan smiled, exchanged a few more pleasantries with Bodhi, and then rose to see his guest out.

Once outside Purple Cloud Palace, Bodhi paused for a moment. He then called back to Sun Wukong with a final piece of advice:

"Your new master’s title is Purple Cloud Sky Great Compassion Buddha Lord, and he is one of the First Patriarchs of Buddhism. Your name is quite fitting. Although you and I are not fated to be master and disciple, I did look after you for twelve years. My only hope is that one day, you will live up to your name and become Wukong—enlightened to emptiness!"

Having calmly imparted this information and planted another seed of ’devotion to Buddhism,’ he drifted away.

The gates of Purple Cloud Palace boomed shut. Sun Wukong fought the urge to scratch his ears and cheeks and bowed respectfully.

"Master! Master!"

Lu Xuan glanced sideways at the Sun Monkey and said softly,

"Now that you have entered my tutelage—albeit only as a nominal disciple for now—you should understand the hierarchy. Within my sect, you rank fourth. You have two senior brothers and one senior sister above you. Do you understand?"