We bear people have power

The Taoist priest—no, I mean, Master Yuantong—was looking at his weeping grandchildren with a compassionate expression. Just moments before they had fainted, Master Yuantong had used magic to restore the graves to their original state. Then, when they awoke, they forgot all about the grave robbing and appeared as filial sons and grandsons mourning at their graves.

Guan Bo felt a bit of annoyance, thinking that this Taoist priest seemed to be a pervert, able to smile while watching a group of people cry.

Guan Bo asked Yuan Tongdao with a chill in his heart, "Just now, were you trying to erase my memory?"

"It's a misunderstanding. I was just about to come out of the graveyard and was afraid of scaring people, so I used magic on you. I didn't expect to encounter a real monster," Yuantong said awkwardly.

As he spoke, he reached out and pointed at Guan Bo, and a ripple as clear as water spread out. The force was so great that no one could avoid it.

But Guan Bo only felt a cool breeze enter his body, and his bitten tongue was instantly healed. This method was several times better than the healing spells that Guan Bo was good at.

Guan Bo thought to himself, "He is indeed a master. His magical skills, which are so utterly devoid of any human touch, are something I have never seen before in my life."

Still harboring some doubts, he asked Master Yuan, "Master, what about these children and grandchildren?"

"Fifty years ago, I felt lonely in the mountains, so I came to this place to start a family. But I can't reverse the cycle of birth, aging, sickness and death that all mortals go through. After raising my children with great difficulty, I lived with my wife until she entered the cycle of reincarnation. Of course, I had to fake my death to escape."

Yuantong said he was lonely "again," and Guan Bo instantly imagined dozens of similar cycles.

This Daoist master appears to possess profound cultivation; Guan Bo couldn't even fathom his depth. But aren't cultivators supposed to be people who have purified their six senses and severed all worldly attachments?

Why does this Daoist priest still yearn for the mortal world and live the life of an ordinary person?

As expected, the disciples taught by Patriarch Bodhi all had a somewhat peculiar art style.

Before Guan Bo could even mutter a few more complaints in his mind, Yuan Tong asked him, "What urgent matter brings you to see the Patriarch?"

Guan Bo sincerely said, "I want to restore the physical body of an old friend, so I have come to ask Patriarch Bodhi to teach me the magic of bringing the dead back to life and restoring flesh and bones."

Upon hearing Guan Bo's words, Yuan Tong looked troubled and said, "If you want to learn this, I'm afraid it will be very difficult. I have been a disciple for a thousand years and have never seen any fellow disciple learn this kind of magic."

The Taoist priest Yuantong also mentioned Nezha, saying that bringing the dead back to life and restoring flesh and bones is not a simple magic. It's not something you can achieve by simply giving someone the method and practicing on flesh and bones all day.

Guan Bo was already mentally prepared for this.

"No matter how difficult it may be, please, Daoist Master, introduce me," Guan Bo pleaded.

"Then come with me. The real Fangcun Mountain is not far from here." Yuantong raised a beam of light, enveloping Guan Bo within it.

Guan Bo was about to say that several friends also wanted to see Bodhi Patriarch, but he found that after the light dissipated, he had been moved to another place.

In the blink of an eye, Guan Bo was moved from the small town cemetery to a scenic spot. In the distance, about seven or eight miles away, a cave dwelling could be seen, a scene of shimmering mist and shimmering sunlight.

A thousand ancient cypress trees, ten thousand tall bamboos.

A thousand ancient cypress trees, half-hidden in the rain, stand tall and green; ten thousand bamboo groves, shrouded in mist, stretch across the valley in a deep, verdant hue.

Exotic flowers adorn the outside of the gate, and fragrant herbs scent the air by the bridge.

The rocky cliffs rise abruptly, covered in lush green moss; the hanging walls are draped with long, verdant lichen.

The cry of cranes is often heard, and the flight of phoenixes is frequently seen.

When the crane cries, its voice resounds far and wide; when the phoenix soars, its plumage displays five colors and shimmers in the clouds.

Black apes and white deer appear and disappear at will, while golden lions and jade elephants roam freely.

Upon closer inspection, this blessed land truly rivals paradise!

The cave entrance was tightly shut, quiet and deserted. Suddenly turning around, I saw a stone tablet standing on the cliff top, about three zhang high and eight chi wide, with ten large characters on it: "Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, Xieyue Sanxing Cave".

Since he was already there, he might as well make the best of it. After all, this blessed land of immortals on Fangcun Mountain was hard to find, but a small town was easy to find. Guan Bo made up his mind to seize the opportunity first and see the Bodhi Patriarch first.

Guan Bo and Yuan Tong continued their journey until they arrived at the cave dwelling. There was no need to knock; a handsome and extraordinary-looking celestial boy came out to greet them. This celestial boy was unlike any ordinary mortal; he wore his hair in two neat buns and a wide robe with sleeves billowing in the wind.

Appearance and body are distinct; mind and form are both empty.

A long-lived guest beyond worldly affairs, a child of eternal life in the mountains.

Unblemished by a speck of dust, yet the cycle of sixty years continues unabated.

His appearance alone makes him seem more like a celestial being than the warm-hearted Taoist priest Yuantong. However, he lacks a certain human warmth and doesn't appear as approachable as Yuantong.

"Junior Brother Yuantong, why did you bring a monster with you? Is it a mount you acquired in the mortal realm?"

Although the fairy boy looked much younger than Yuantong, he spoke with an air of premature maturity. However, the fairy boy's assertion that any monster he saw was a mount made Guan Bo somewhat displeased.

“This fellow Daoist has come seeking immortality and the Dao, wishing to become a disciple of the patriarch,” Yuantong explained.

The celestial child didn't even look at Guan Bo, but simply said calmly, "Unfortunately, the patriarch is out less this morning."

Guan Bo quickly asked, "Where did they go?"

"His whereabouts are unknown, and he has disappeared without a trace."

When will you return?

"The date of his return is uncertain, it may be three or five days, or it may be ten or more years."

"May I ask if the Bodhi Patriarch's secular surname was Zhuge?"

"What nonsense! The patriarch is not here, please leave," the celestial boy said angrily.

Guan Bo was quite decisive. He sat down at the entrance of Fangcun Mountain and said, "Then I will wait here for Patriarch Bodhi to return."

Upon seeing this, Yuantong said to the fairy boy, "Please be accommodating, senior brother. I will take him into the cave to wait."

Unexpectedly, the fairy boy coldly replied, "Another mountain spirit or monster from who-knows-where. Isn't one monkey enough? If it brings about some terrible disaster, wouldn't that put the patriarch in a difficult position again?"

Upon hearing this, Guan Bo realized that this person intended to cut off his path to immortality, which was far more serious than cutting off someone's source of income. The saying goes that cutting off someone's source of income is like killing their parents; now, this person wanted to cut off his path to enlightenment, which was comparable to killing his entire family for eighteen generations.

Immediately forgetting any thoughts of leaving a way out for others, Guan Bo retorted, "Do you dare say such things to the Great Sage Qitian's face? Gossiping behind someone's back means you'll be sent to the Tongue-Pulling Hell if you die. Besides, you are a cultivator. As the saying goes, 'When the mouth opens, the spirit dissipates; when the tongue moves, trouble arises.' Have you forgotten the earnest teachings of Patriarch Bodhi?"

"A single word can scatter one's spirit, a single movement of the tongue can breed trouble." This was a phrase used by the Monkey King to show off to his fellow disciples after learning the Seventy-Two Transformations, which led to his reprimand by the Bodhi Patriarch. Guan Bo uttered this phrase to mislead the celestial boy into believing that it was a story told to him by the Monkey King, thus using the celestial boy's name to bolster his own prestige.

Clearly, Guan Bo had a very clever plan. Upon hearing this key phrase, Xian Tong's face darkened, but he dared not repeat what he had just said.

The name "Monkey King" evokes a sense of awe and dislike, regardless of whether people love or hate him. It's undeniable that he's an incredibly powerful monkey, and one who's often unreasonable. If someone truly holds a grudge against him, even with the headband in place, he'll still strike first with his staff.

However, letting Guan Bo into the Xiangyue Sanxing Cave like this would be a huge loss of face. Most cultivators have severed their seven emotions and six desires, but they value face immensely. Especially the longer one lives, the more important face becomes; otherwise, being ridiculed for a small matter for hundreds or thousands of years is unbearable for anyone.

Therefore, the celestial boy said, "If you want to become a disciple of the patriarch, I will not stop you, but I cannot make things convenient for you like this. Every year, tens of thousands of people seek the Dao at Fangcun Mountain. If you are sincere, you can go with them to take the three entrance tests. If you pass, you will naturally become a disciple of my Fangcun Mountain. If you fail, then forget about it and go back to where you came from."