Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

On the crimson cliffs, phoenixes sing in pairs; before the sheer precipice, a lone unicorn lies. From the mountaintop, the cry of a golden pheasant can often be heard; from the grottoes, dragons are frequently seen entering and exiting. In the forest dwell long-lived deer and immortal foxes; on the trees perch spirit birds and black cranes. Jade herbs and wondrous flowers never fade; green pines and cypresses remain evergreen. Immortal peaches always bear fruit; tall bamboos always retain the clouds.

A ravine is densely covered with vines and creepers, and the surrounding banks are covered with fresh, green grass. It is the place where all rivers converge, a pillar supporting the sky, the unmoving root of the earth through countless eons. At the very top of that mountain, there lies a celestial stone.

This stone is indeed a stone monkey. After absorbing spiritual energy day by day, it has gradually gained intelligence and has begun to hatch. This stone monkey is the Spiritual Stone Monkey among the Four Chaos Monkeys.

This monkey is capable of transformation, understands the timing of the day, knows the advantages of the land, and has the ability to move stars and change constellations. Even when it is just born, it is already a master of the Heavenly Immortal Realm. Moreover, this monkey is a five-colored stone left behind by Nuwa when she mended the sky in ancient times, and it is one of the most important protagonists in Journey to the West.

This monkey is an indispensable character, and he also has a connection with the goddess Nuwa, so he can be considered a person with great backing. Moreover, the Buddhist sect intervenes, which is why he was able to cause such a ruckus in the Heavenly Palace.

Otherwise, given the strength of the Heavenly Court, unless a sage personally intervenes, who could possibly make the Jade Emperor look so disheveled?

Rumble!

A deafening sound suddenly rang out, and the entire East China Sea was in an uproar. The waves roared wildly, as if the sky were collapsing and the earth was splitting apart.

Boom!

At the sound, a monkey sprang out from the immortal stone. It had all four limbs intact and could walk immediately. Everyone who saw it was secretly amazed. It was indeed worthy of being one of the Four Chaos Monkeys. Its talent was comparable to that of a primordial god.

Although arrogant and unruly, this monkey does have some real abilities; otherwise, why would people go to such lengths to subdue him?

The stone monkey then learned to crawl and walk, and bowed to the four directions. Two beams of golden light shot from its eyes, piercing the heavens.

It should be noted that Zhunti and Jieyin Saints must have traded a lot with Nuwa for this matter, since in a sense, the stone monkey was created by Nuwa.

At this moment, the Jade Emperor was alarmed. He sat on his throne in the Lingxiao Palace of the Golden Cloud Palace and gathered his celestial officials. Seeing the golden light, he immediately ordered the Thousand-Mile Eye and the Wind-Following Ear to open the South Heavenly Gate to investigate.

The two generals went outside as ordered, and they saw and heard everything clearly.

The messenger returned shortly and reported: "Your subject, by imperial decree, observed the source of the golden light. It is located in the border region of the small country of Aolai in the eastern part of the Eastern Continent of Victory. There is a Flower and Fruit Mountain on the mountain, and on the mountain is a fairy stone. The stone produced an egg, which, upon exposure to the wind, transformed into a stone monkey. There, it bowed to the four directions, its eyes emitting golden light that shot towards the Dipper. Now that it has been fed and watered, the golden light will soon subside."

The Jade Emperor bestowed his grace and said, "The things below are born from the essence of heaven and earth, and are nothing unusual."

These words seemed to be addressed to all beings in the Three Realms. In short, all beings at the level of Great Luo Golden Immortals could hear Haotian's words.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan's lips curled up. He thought to himself that Zhunti and Jieyin had gone to great lengths to make the stone monkey famous, even getting the Jade Emperor to put on a show. It seemed that the Buddhist sect and the Heavenly Court were extremely friendly at the moment.

Otherwise, why would the Monkey King cause such havoc in Heaven in Journey to the West?

As Li Xiuyuan thought to himself, his gaze sharpened, and he coldly swept his eyes over the few people in the shadows. Although he did not possess the Heavenly Eye, his eyesight was naturally not weak at this level of cultivation.

Perhaps Sun Wukong's fiery eyes could see through the disguises of demons and monsters, but in front of Li Xiuyuan, they had nowhere to hide, unless one possessed a heaven-reaching divine eye with unfathomable abilities.

Li Xiuyuan had once seen a Chaos Demon Eye in the Holy Buddha System, but it cost five million merit points, which was difficult for him to purchase now.

However, Li Xiuyuan had already set his sights on it. If he could possess the Chaos Demon Eye, he would have a very important trump card. If he used it unexpectedly, it would definitely deliver a fatal blow to an expert of the same level.

In Li Xiuyuan's mind, even if a saint were to be accidentally caught in the Chaos Demon Eye, he would definitely not fare well!

Therefore, Li Xiuyuan's next goal is to exchange for a Chaos Demon Eye, and then cultivate it properly so that he can use it as his trump card.

Seeing Li Xiuyuan's powerful aura and the fact that he had the Buddhist sect as a strong backer, the crowd naturally dared not show themselves. Although some people could not stand the power of the Buddhist sect and even wanted to destroy the stone monkey before he was born.

But do you really think the two Western saints and the goddess Nuwa are just sitting around doing nothing? Unless the Three Pure Ones join forces, it's simply impossible. But even if the relationship between the three of them breaks down, people wouldn't fight over something like this!

Furthermore, all the saints are currently confined outside the chaos and are not allowed to make a move in the primordial world. If they are destroyed again, the entire primordial world may return to chaos before the ninth great calamity even appears!

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Chapter 424 Transformation into an Old Ape

As Li Xiuyuan thought to himself, a figure of light and shadow flew into his mind. It was his benevolent corpse, the Great Sun Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva. He was wearing a golden monk's robe, and his face was no different from Li Xiuyuan's. After they looked at each other, they both understood what the other was thinking.

Li Xiuyuan said calmly, "Thank you for your trouble, Bodhisattva!"

As he spoke, a smile crept onto his lips. He thought to himself that the stone monkey had been born, and once he had successfully taught it, his mission would be accomplished.

"No need to be polite, we are one."

As he spoke, the Great Sun Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva smiled and responded. His figure materialized, transforming into an old ape with white hair, and he flew directly through the crowd.

Li Xiuyuan sent the benevolent corpse away to make arrangements for what was to come, because he needed the stone monkey to become an apprentice and learn skills. However, the monkey, who was still confused and knew nothing, was naturally unaware of this.

Unlike in the original story, the stone monkey wouldn't directly seek out Li Xiuyuan. In his mind, the reason why Sun Wukong in the original story went to find Patriarch Bodhi was probably due to his intentional arrangement. Otherwise, how could Sun Wukong find his dojo?

Therefore, Li Xiuyuan needs to make more arrangements so that the stone monkey can see him; otherwise, the grand plan of the Journey to the West cannot proceed.

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After the Great Sun Dragon Bodhisattva descended, he transformed into an old ape. Because he needed to build a good relationship with the monkey troop, he quickly became one with them thanks to his experience.

These monkeys, living deep in the mountains and forests, weren't very adept at human relationships, but because of the abundant spiritual energy of Flower Fruit Mountain, they were all very simple-minded, and he quickly became one of the monkeys.

After the stone monkey was born, he immediately learned to walk. In the mountains, he could walk and jump, eat grass and trees, drink from streams, pick wildflowers, and find tree fruits. He was accompanied by wolves and insects, tigers and leopards, deer and monkeys.

At night, the Soul Eater would spend its nights beneath the rocky cliffs and its mornings exploring the caves in the peaks.

It's truly a case of "time flies in the mountains, and the passing of winter makes one unaware of the years."

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed. Because of his extensive knowledge, the Great Sun Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva was highly respected among the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain during this period.

Li Xiuyuan also paid attention to the stone monkey's growth and found that although he was a celestial being, he could not use even one percent of his abilities.

However, upon closer examination, it makes sense. Although the stone monkey possessed naturally powerful abilities, it had not received any instruction from anyone, so it naturally did not know how to use them.

However, since it was born with powerful cultivation, even if the stone monkey couldn't unleash it, it could still activate it when its life was in danger.

There are no powerful demons in Flower Fruit Mountain, so there is no need to worry about the stone monkey's safety.

On this hot day, the old ape, who was the incarnation of the Great Sun Dragon Bodhisattva, and a group of monkeys were playing under the shade of the pine trees to escape the heat.

Some mischievous monkeys, on the other hand, are jumping and leaping about. One by one, they leap from tree to tree, picking flowers and searching for fruit; throwing marbles; running in the sand, building pagodas; chasing dragonflies, catching candles; praying to the heavens, worshipping Buddha; picking vines, weaving grass; catching lice, biting and pinching; grooming their fur, picking their nails; some are close together, some are rubbing against each other; some are pushing, some are pressing; some are picking, some are pulling.

Let them frolic under the pine trees, and wash themselves by the green stream. A group of monkeys played for a while, then went to bathe in the mountain stream. The stream water rushed and splashed like a rolling gourd.

As the old saying goes, "Birds have their own language, and beasts have their own speech."

At this moment, the corners of the Great Sun Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva's mouth turned up, and he said with a smile, "I wonder where this water comes from. We have nothing to do today, so let's go upstream along the stream to find its source and have some fun!"

As he spoke, he shouted, and because he usually commanded respect among the monkeys, all the monkey leaders dragged their male and female companions along, calling out to their brothers and sisters, and ran together, climbing up the stream until they reached the source, where a waterfall cascaded down.

But then, a white rainbow rose, and a thousand-foot snow wave flew.

The sea breeze blows ceaselessly, the river moon still shines steadfastly. A cool breeze partes the green peaks, the remaining flow moistens the verdant slopes. The murmuring waterfall truly resembles a hanging curtain.

Upon seeing this, the Bodhisattva Mahavairocana smiled and said, "Good water, good water! It turns out that this place leads directly to the ocean waves at the foot of the mountain."

He paused and then said, "Whoever has the ability to go in and find the source without getting hurt, we will make him our king."

As he spoke, he glanced around and realized that the stone monkey was hiding nearby. Since the stone monkey had sprung from a rock, it didn't get along very well with the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain.

Moreover, the stone monkey was arrogant and unruly, and few monkeys could tolerate it.

Upon hearing the words of the Great Sun Dragon Bodhisattva, the crowd was deeply moved. They had lived on Flower Fruit Mountain for quite some time, each over a hundred years old, some even several hundred. However, having spent so much time in the mountains, they didn't know much.

In terms of intelligence, they are not much inferior to humans. After all, monkeys are among the most intelligent animals. Several monkeys were very interested. They stared intently at the waterfall and saw it cascading down, its roar like thunder, surging and churning, with misty water and spraying droplets everywhere.

Each jet of water, each curtain of water, rushes down, crashing against the rocks at the foot of the mountain, shattering into countless pieces, like millions of beads.

The waterfall cascades down like a silver river, stirring up thousands of waves on the shore, creating a misty spray.

The waterfall resembled thousands of ferocious beasts fighting and roaring, finally tumbling down in a chaotic melee, splashing pearls and jade all over the valley, creating a misty, billowing spray.

The monkeys were filled with fear, knowing that if they were not careful, they would be submerged by the waterfall, so none of them dared to go forward.

Just then, a voice rang out: "I'll do it, I'll do it!"

A golden-haired monkey leaped through the air and rushed over. It was so fast that it covered the ground in the blink of an eye.

Upon seeing this, the Great Sun Dragon Bodhisattva smiled and said, "Very well, if you can enter, we will make you our king."

As he spoke, the corners of his mouth turned up. If nothing unexpected happened, the stone monkey should be able to get in.

The reason why the Great Sun Dragon Bodhisattva chose this waterfall is that he knew that the monkeys could not cross it, while the stone monkey had great abilities, even if he could not use them, they would still be useful in critical moments.

Chapter 425 In the Water Curtain Cave

"it is good!"

After agreeing, the stone monkey rushed over without hesitation. At this moment, it was as if the monkey had grown wings, and he actually flew dozens of feet through the air. However, at the crucial moment, he unintentionally used some of his strength.

But then the stone monkey leaped into the waterfall, and suddenly opened his eyes to look up. There was no water or ripples inside, only a clear bridge. He stopped, calmed himself, and looked more closely. It turned out to be an iron plank bridge.

The water beneath the bridge rushes through the stone crevices, cascading outwards and obscuring the bridge entrance. But then, leaning back onto the bridgehead, one walks and looks again, and it seems as if there are houses there—truly a wonderful place. And there one sees:

Emerald moss piles up like blue, white clouds float like jade, and light shimmers like wisps of smoke. In the quiet room with its empty windows, flowers bloom on the smooth benches. Dragon pearls hang from the stalactites, and strange flowers swirl around the ground. Traces of fire remain by the stove on the cliff, and leftover food dregs are seen on the table near the wine vessel.

The stone seats and stone beds are truly lovely, and the stone basins and bowls are even more praiseworthy. And there are one or two slender bamboos, and a few plum blossoms. Several pine trees, often laden with rain, make the whole place seem like a home.

After looking around for a while, we jumped across the middle of the bridge and looked left and right. In the center, we saw a stone tablet. On the tablet was a line of large characters in regular script that read, “Blessed Land of Flower and Fruit Mountain, Grotto Heaven of Water Curtain Cave.”

"What a great fortune, what a great fortune!"

A moment later, the stone monkey rushed out and announced the good news to everyone. Since the Great Sun Dragon Bodhisattva already knew about the situation, he was not surprised.

But the monkeys nearby surrounded the stone monkey, asking, "What's it like inside? How deep is the water?"

The stone monkey said, "No water, no water! It turns out to be an iron bridge. On the other side of the bridge is a naturally formed home."

The monkeys asked, "How can you tell it's a possession?"

The stone monkey laughed, "This stream of water flows down from under the bridge, cutting through a stone passage and hanging upside down to block the entrance. Beside the bridge are flowers and trees, and there is a stone house. Inside the house are stone pots, stone stoves, stone bowls, stone basins, stone beds, and stone benches. On a stone tablet in the middle, it is engraved 'Blessed Land of Flower and Fruit Mountain, Grotto Heaven of Water Curtain Cave.'"

This is truly a safe haven for us. It's spacious enough to hold hundreds or even thousands of people, young and old. Let us all live here, and we'll be spared the wrath of the heavens. Here: we have shelter from the wind, and refuge from the rain. We fear neither frost nor snow, and thunder is never heard. The mists and clouds always shine upon us, and auspicious omens always fill the air. The pines and bamboos grow ever more beautiful each year, and wondrous flowers bloom anew every day.

The monkeys were overjoyed to hear this. They all said, "You go first, lead us in, let's go in!"

The stone monkey then closed its eyes, crouched down, jumped inside, and shouted, "Come in with me! Come in!"