Chapter 654 - 68: Today, Your Master Shall Ransack the West’s Stronghold

Chapter 654: Chapter 68: Today, Your Master Shall Ransack the West’s Stronghold

"Where... is this place?"

Sun Wukong took a deep breath as a terrifying amount of Innate Spiritual Qi washed over his body. He could clearly feel his power seemingly growing!

With every inhalation, his power grew a bit; with every exhalation, impurities were purged.

Between one breath and the next, Sun Wukong felt himself undergoing a world-shaking transformation!

"This is The Beginning of Ancient Times."

Lu Xuan, who had taken the form of an Ancient Daoist, said calmly:

"The so-called Beginning of Ancient Times is the start of all things. This place stands after the Creation of Heaven and Earth, yet also exists before it. Everything originates, is nurtured, and grows from here. It is the true source of all beginnings."

Sun Wukong’s head was spinning. ’The start of all things, the source of all beginnings...’

He swallowed and asked cautiously:

"Teacher, then... what are we here for?"

"Didn’t I tell you? To meet your three grandmasters, then to see the origin place of the ’Buddha,’ and finally, to watch me preach the Dao. You and the Barbaric Creatures here will listen to my Dharma together."

Sun Wukong nodded, only half-understanding, a look of confusion still on his face.

After all, his disposition was still that of a mischievous little monkey. Twelve years of cultivating quietude had only temporarily suppressed his unruly nature.

Thus, it wasn’t long before Sun Wukong, trailing behind Lu Xuan, started hopping and skipping again, turning into a chatterbox.

"Teacher, Teacher! Look at that tree! It’s so big, so tall!"

Lu Xuan said faintly:

"That is the Innate Fusang Tree. Your second senior brother grew from this very tree. He is the first flame of the Creation of Heaven and Earth, the manifestation of the Great Sun, the Yang in Yin Yang."

Sun Wukong’s eyes glazed over as he listened. Though he hadn’t cultivated during his twelve years on Fangcun Mountain, he had still more or less learned a few things about Cultivators.

So he understood what being the "first flame of the Creation of Heaven and Earth" meant...

"Teacher, Teacher! Look at that mountain! It connects heaven and earth, there’s no end in sight!"

"That is the Buzhou Pillar, the pillar that holds up the heavens. Your second grandmaster erected it during the Creation of Heaven and Earth."

"Second Grandmaster... created heaven and earth?!"

Sun Wukong was dumbfounded, his mind reeling.

As they continued walking, he started chirping again, his curiosity bursting at the seams.

"Teacher, Teacher! Look at that bird! It’s big! So big! Extremely big!"

"That is a Kunpeng. With its wings fully spread, it can span from the furthest East to the furthest West of the world. With a single flap, it can strike the seas and crash into the heavens. It is boundlessly large. Consider it one of your elders; you should bow if you see it in the future."

"Teacher, Teacher! Look to the West! There’s a huge, huge tree with sixty-three branches, and they’re all glowing! But it looks a little... withered..."

"That is the Bodhi Miaoshu. It originally had eighty-one branches and is a Supreme Treasure held by the Ancient Bodhi Buddha. As for why it looks withered... you’ll find out soon enough."

"Teacher, Teacher, do the Ancient Bodhi Buddha and Bodhi Ancestor Master know each other?"

"The Ancient Bodhi Buddha is one of the three first ancestors of the Buddhist Sect. The Bodhi Ancestor Master is his incarnation."

"Oh! No wonder Ancestor Master was always making me chant Buddhist Scriptures and wanted me to join the Buddhist clergy!"

"You’re quite clever."

"Of course I am... Teacher, Teacher! Look over there! There’s an old Daoist with a tree growing on his head, and there are little dolls on the tree!"

"That is Zhenyuan Zi, the King Gou who has lived from the beginning of Ancient History to this day. He is also one of your elders. You must pay your respects when you see him in the future."

"Teacher, Teacher, what does ’King Gou’ mean?"

"Hmm... It means someone who is skilled at seeking fortune and avoiding misfortune; who flees upon sensing a tribulation, avoids disaster, and dodges difficulty. Someone who will probably live a very, very long time."

"Oh! Then this Senior Zhenyuan Zi is really impressive!"

Along the way, the little monkey’s mouth never stopped. He chirped and chattered, asking about everything, curious about everything.

And Lu Xuan answered him without a hint of impatience, always in great detail and with great patience.

The little monkey was a Tribulation Taker, which was why Lu Xuan had accepted him as a disciple. But once he was through the door, he was his own apprentice.

How could he possibly be annoyed?

When they finally reached the foot of Kunlun Mountain, Sun Wukong remarked with heartfelt emotion:

"Teacher, you’re amazing. You know everything!"

Patting the little monkey’s head, Lu Xuan smiled.

"If I didn’t know everything, how could I be your teacher? Alright, follow me up the mountain to pay respects to your three grandmasters. Remember, mind your manners."

"Okay, Teacher!"

The little monkey nodded vigorously and broke into a silly grin.

...

「In the years of the Dao Dynasty, the year the Journey to the West first began.」

"Is it really fine? That Fellow Daoist Purple Cloud doesn’t seem to be a problem, but at the end of the day, we don’t know his background. He once stood on the side of The Three Pristine Ones."

The Demon Ancestor frowned as he asked, looking toward the Purple Cloud Palace with some concern.

The Ancient Bodhi Buddha shook his head and said:

"It should be fine. When you get down to it, the monkey taking a master is just the beginning of everything. Even if Fellow Daoist Purple Cloud really is a problem, the impact won’t be too great. That monkey... he doesn’t hold onto attachments."

"Oh? Is that so?" the Demon Ancestor asked, curious. "Doesn’t hold onto attachments?"

The Ancient Bodhi Buddha nodded decisively.

"Correct. The Journey to the West has been replayed tens of billions of times. In ninety-nine percent of those, I was his teacher, yet not once did he ever show any sentiment for me..."

"He is, after all, a brutish macaque. How could he understand gratitude? How could he possibly be sentimental?"

The Demon Ancestor seemed lost in thought and nodded slightly.

"I see... In that case, I can rest easy. A monkey who feels no attachment... that’s good. Very good."

The Ancient Bodhi Buddha smiled.

"This is also why I dared to hand him over to Fellow Daoist Purple Cloud. Even if something unexpected happens, it doesn’t matter. It won’t affect the grand scheme of things."

As he spoke, his gaze grew a little deeper.

"The most pressing matter now is to guard against The Three Pristine Ones and Lu Xuan. They are far too quiet. They haven’t made a single move, which is very wrong... very wrong indeed..."