Chapter 700 - 16: The Goddess Enters the Eight Trigrams Brazier, the True Form of Transcendence, Lu Xuan Awakens

"Years..."

"No, not Years, not Time..."

In the borderlands of the Celestial Myriad Realms, a being slowly opened its eyes and wearily rose.

It was Taiyi.

'This Transcendent Trait is far beyond what I imagined... But that's fine. At least what I planned has come to pass.'

He supported his shattered Physique, glanced sideways at the still-slumbering Lu Xuan, and a calm smile appeared on his face as he muttered to himself:

"I lured you here to take this complete Transcendent Trait. I could awaken thanks to the remnants of the last Era, but what about you?"

The smile on Taiyi's face widened. Without another glance at Lu Xuan, he dragged his exhausted body straight toward the Chaos.

'And so, the grand design is set. Once my injuries have healed, I'll guide you to awaken. Then I can sit back and watch the tigers fight. You'll battle Fu Xi for your life, and I'll be the one to profit. Everything is under my control...'

'No, it's not enough. This fire isn't big enough.'

Taiyi took a step and coughed up blood. Although he had awoken, his Physique still couldn't quite bear the complete Transcendent Trait. It was constantly shattering, repairing, and shattering again in an endless cycle.

He glanced sideways, gazing at the Great Heaven and Earth. It was as if he could see through everything, as if all things were within his eyes, completely perceived by him.

'Let me pour some scalding hot oil on this fire...'

As he muttered to himself, Taiyi smiled and pointed a finger. It landed unerringly on the Six Paths of Reincarnation within the Nine Nether.

Or rather, it landed on the Little Peach Spirit, who was suppressed within the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

She disintegrated, her body perishing. Her remains floated in the Six Paths of Reincarnation as a fragmented wisp of her True Spirit departed for its next life.

"This... was Fu Xi's doing."

Taiyi smiled.

"It has nothing to do with me."

As he spoke, he pointed his finger, and an indescribable, mysterious substance landed on Lu Xuan's body as a backup plan.

Then, dragging his broken body, Taiyi vanished completely into the depths of the Chaos, leaving only a faint whisper echoing in the void.

"When the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman profits..."

"Fight on, fight on."

...

"Master, this pilgrimage for the scriptures... how are we to go about it?"

"We still have to wait for four other beings."

"Four?"

"Indeed."

Tang Sanzang trudged unsteadily down the main road, while Sun Wukong followed behind him, swaggering nonchalantly.

Although he was naturally mischievous and incredibly reckless, after so many years by Lu Xuan's side, his conduct was decent enough. At the very least, he kept his promises.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have repeatedly stormed the Celestial Realm after mistakenly believing Supreme Laojun was using living people for Alchemy...

Therefore, Sun Wukong remembered the debt of being rescued by Tang Monk and was willing to help him obtain the so-called True Scripture.

"We still have to find four people to go on this pilgrimage with you? I think I, Old Sun, am enough on my own! Master, you don't know about Old Sun's exploits from five thousand years ago..."

Along the way, Sun Wukong chattered endlessly, proudly recounting all his past deeds.

"I led my six sworn brothers and sisters and fought our way into the Celestial Realm! We slaughtered them until all the Immortals and gods bowed their heads! If I hadn't been sneak-attacked by that old fiend from Douluo Palace at the end..."

Tang Monk's eyelid twitched as he listened. 'This Wukong really hasn't changed at all...'

He recalled their last journey to the West and was filled with emotion. His expression softened considerably, and he listened quietly to the Monkey's ramblings. After walking for a long time, they approached a large estate, and only then did he speak:

"Alright, Wukong. Your master will first tell you about this pilgrimage: where we are going, how we will get there, and what we must do before we leave."

"Fine, go ahead."

The Sun Monkey was quite direct and to the point.

Tang Monk's expression grew solemn, his brow furrowed.

"This time, we must go into the Chaos. After finding the other four, we must first make a trip to the Nine Nether and retrieve the Six Paths of Reincarnation..."

He recounted everything just as that Lady had instructed him:

"After retrieving the Six Paths of Reincarnation, we shall forge a Treasure Raft, journey to the Chaos, and obtain the True Scripture!"

Sun Wukong was a bit confused. 'Six Paths of Reincarnation? Treasure Raft? Chaos?'

'What is all this?'

He couldn't help but ask immediately:

"Chaos? You mean the Chaos beyond the heavens? Old Sun has been there once. There's nothing there, so where would this so-called True Scripture come from?"

"Within the Chaos, there is a Daoist Palace. A great being sits enthroned there. That is where we will go to seek the True Scripture. That Daoist Palace is called..."

Tang Monk's expression became reverent, a look of awe on his face.

"That Daoist Palace is called... Purple Cloud!"

"Purple Cloud... Purple Cloud Palace?!"

Sun Wukong froze on the spot.

Purple Cloud Palace. He couldn't be more familiar with it.

He had cultivated the Dao for a hundred years and followed his master for a hundred years—wasn't that all within the Purple Cloud Palace??

"Purple Cloud Palace, Purple Cloud Palace..."

Sun Wukong's eyes couldn't help but turn red as he muttered softly:

"Master..."

"What's wrong?" Tang Monk asked, looking at him in surprise.

The Sun Monkey wiped away his tears and grinned.

"It's nothing, just got some sand in my eye... Purple Cloud Palace, you say? Don't you worry, I'll definitely get you there!"

Tang Monk nodded in gratification.

The master and disciple entered the large estate and found Zhu Wuneng, who had been banished to the Human World for failing to quell the chaos in the Celestial Realm and for infighting with the Heaven-Barking Dog.

Then they went to a great river of flowing sand and found Sha Wujing, who had also been banished to the mortal world.

At the shores of the West Sea, they found a pure white True Dragon who willingly became a mount...

And with that, the old group from the journey to the West was reunited once more.

Aside from the Sun Monkey, the other three men and the horse were all filled with extraordinary emotion. They were in a slight daze. Who could have ever imagined they would one day be reunited?

But in the past, they journeyed to the Western Celestial Realm for the scriptures. This time, they were headed for the Chaos.

The four men and one horse continued onward, passing through the Ghost Gate and entering the Underworld, where they found the last person in the Nine Nether.

"Hey?!"

Sun Wukong was clearly surprised.

"Old Fish? How'd you end up suppressed here?"

The big-headed fish rolled his eyes and said listlessly:

"You have the nerve to ask? It's all because of you! You just had to stir up trouble in the Celestial Palace. After you were suppressed, Old Bull and the others ran off so fast they were fine, but I was the one who ended up miserable..."

Sun Wukong swung his Iron Rod, shattering the chains binding Ben Bo'Erba, and laughed heartily.

"No worries, no worries! We brothers are reunited. On this pilgrimage, at least we'll have company!"

Hearing this, Ben Bo'Erba's expression grew even more dejected. He cursed his luck internally. How could he have known that this journey to the West would be so different?

Spirit Mountain was gone!

Seeking a True Scripture in the Chaos...

Ben Bo'Erba shuddered. His heart was filled with sorrow, but he couldn't let it show on his face. He could only force a smile.

"Fine, fine, let's go get the scripture then..."

The five men and one horse traveled through the Nine Nether and took hold of the vast, boundless Six Paths of Reincarnation, transforming it into a World-Crossing Treasure Raft. As they all rode upon it, Sun Wukong scratched his ears and cheeks.

"Master, is that it? It was so easy, without the slightest obstacle..."

Tang Monk's expression grew solemn.

"Wukong, you mustn't be careless. The path to the scriptures is fated to have eighty-one tribulations. Each tribulation grants one measure of Virtue..."

"Eighty-one tribulations?" Sun Wukong chuckled. "With one swing of Old Sun's Iron Rod, I don't care what hardship or tribulation it is, I'll smash them all to smithereens!"

Tang Monk shook his head.

"Don't take this lightly. It's not that simple. A great expert once gave me guidance and told me..."

He repeated what the Goddess had told him:

"The tribulations of seeking the True Scripture do not originate from heaven and earth, but from the [Era] itself. Overcome one tribulation, and you form one Dao, gain one merit. Overcome all eighty-one, and your Virtue will be perfected..."

"Alright, alright, let's just get on our way, let's go!"

Sun Wukong brandished his Ruyi Dog-Beating Stick.

"Eighty-one tribulations? I'll beat them until they're scattered to the winds!"

Tang Monk chuckled, and so they rode the World-Crossing Treasure Raft, formed from the Six Paths of Reincarnation, past the Thirty-Six Celestial Realms, broke out of the River of Time, and headed toward the Great Chaos...

Aside from the Sun Monkey, the others—Tang Monk, Zhu Wuneng, Ben Bo'Erba, and the rest—were all terrified.

On the past journey to the West, everything was arranged by the Immortals and Buddhas; everything was preordained. But this time...

This was the Chaos.

...

The stunningly beautiful woman strolled into the [Shangqing Celestial Realm] and entered Biyou Palace.

Within Biyou Palace, Jade Universe Essence Qi swirled, auspicious omens were unending, Qingyun clouds drifted up and down, and ethereal Immortal Music echoed around the rafters.

"Goddess, what is it?"

The increasingly profound Lame Daoist slowly opened his eyes, his aura as vast as an ocean abyss.

The stunningly beautiful woman spoke softly:

"Sun Wukong and the others have already taken the Six Paths of Reincarnation and are heading for the Chaos. Whether they succeed or fail will all depend on this."

The Lame Daoist nodded slightly but couldn't help asking:

"What exactly did Qing Xuan tell you? Why is Xiaoxuan unconscious? And why does he want the pilgrims to take the Six Paths of Reincarnation to Purple Cloud Palace?"

The Goddess pondered for a moment, and only after ensuring no one was spying on them did she begin to speak softly:

"Qing Xuan didn't go into specifics. He is under great restrictions, and his own condition is very poor, so he couldn't say or interfere too much. However, according to him..."

The stunningly beautiful woman explained the whole story.

"According to him, if Xiaoxuan wishes to advance further, his only path is [Integration Dao]. And for Xiaoxuan to achieve Integration Dao, he must not only gather wisps of the origin from eighty-four thousand Daos,"

"he must also completely occupy at least eighteen Great Daos to act as a catalyst!"

"Integration Dao? Eighteen Great Daos as a catalyst?"

The Lame Daoist was a little confused. He frowned and asked:

"As far as I know, hasn't Xiaoxuan already occupied eighteen Great Daos? Not to mention others, the ones gifted by Supreme and Primordial alone are six supreme Great Daos."

"Why don't you count again?"

The Goddess shook her head gently.

"The Daos of Xiaoxuan, nine are carried on the Creation Jade Scroll. The Path of All Living Beings and the Path of Great Balance make two more. Add the six you mentioned, and that makes seventeen. He is still short one."

The Lame Daoist was slightly stunned, then smiled and said:

"Isn't that simple? I can just gift a Great Dao Origin to Xiaoxuan, can't I?"

"You must not."

The Goddess waved her hand gently and said with a wry smile:

"The four Great Daos you occupy are all indispensable. If even one is missing, you will no longer be at Perfection. Even when the final calamity arrives, you might not be able to wield the power of a [Perfect Dao Fruit]."

The Lame Daoist frowned deeply. He understood that this was indeed the case and began to worry.

"In that case, how can Xiaoxuan occupy the eighteenth Dao? He's unconscious and not waking up at all..."

"That's why we had Sun Wukong and the others go to Purple Cloud Palace to retrieve the scripture..."

The Goddess's gaze grew profound as she parted her vermilion lips.

"Shangqing, I'm leaving everything that comes next to you."

"What do you mean?"

The Lame Daoist's brow furrowed, and he asked instinctively.

But he saw the Goddess float away from Biyou Palace and head toward the depths of the Chaos. As she walked, she said softly:

"Taiyi consuming Xiaoxuan is almost a foregone conclusion. The road ahead is uncertain. To break this impasse, we must give it our all."

As her voice fell, she had already walked into the depths of the Chaos. Following Qing Xuan's previous instructions, she picked up the Eight Trigrams Furnace that had been left there.

The Goddess returned to Douluo Palace with the Eight Trigrams Furnace. Under the silent gaze of the Lame Daoist, she lifted the furnace lid and stepped inside.

A raging fire erupted from the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

"Shangqing, after Xiaoxuan wakes up, I entrust you with protecting his Dao."

The Lame Daoist nodded silently.

The great fire beneath the Eight Trigrams Furnace burned hotter and hotter. Inside the furnace, Lu Xuan's true body lay peacefully, clutching the Creation Jade Scroll.

The Goddess sat upright beside Lu Xuan's true body, bearing the full heat of the Eight Trigrams Furnace. She actively dispersed her own defenses, allowing her Physique to be scorched black bit by bit.

She slit her wrist and placed the wound against the lips of Lu Xuan's true body. A steady stream of Transcendence blood flowed into him.

And with it, Lu Xuan's partial [True Form of Transcendence] began to perfect itself, bit by bit...

The Goddess gradually grew weaker.

With Lu Xuan unconscious, the [Path of Great Balance] had no one to activate it and was useless. This was the only way.

Time passed, bit by bit. It was unknown how many years went by.

"Xiaoxuan..."

The stunningly beautiful woman quietly gazed at the sleeping Lu Xuan, a faint smile appearing on her face.

"I'm getting a little sleepy..."

She lowered her eyelids and yawned. Her crystal-clear wrist still rested on Lu Xuan's mouth, the blood still flowing, more and more, as the Goddess grew ever weaker.

Until she, too, fell unconscious.

When more than half of the Origin Blood in the Goddess's body had flowed away, the True Form of Transcendence within Lu Xuan, which had originally been less than half complete...

...was made whole.

One lost the greater part, while the other gained it.

He slowly opened his eyes.