Gou Zai Xi You Dao Chang Sheng

Ao Bibo pondered for a moment and said:

"Those who roam freely have nothing to rely on."

Even when Liezi rode the wind, he still had something to rely on.

"If one rides the true course of Heaven and Earth, and controls the transformations of the six qi, to roam the boundless realm, what would he need to rely on?"

The red-bottomed macaque nodded.

"The young lady's interpretation is correct. Now, this old man asks: What is the 'Discourse on the Equality of All Things'?"

Ao Bibo said:

"The theory of the equality of all things states that all things are equal. Heaven and earth and I were born together, and all things and I are one."

"Since we are already one, can we still speak? Since we are already called one, can we remain silent?"

The red-bottomed macaque asked again:

What is meant by "the master of nourishing life"?

Ao Bibo said:

"The way to nourish life is to follow the natural order."

Life is finite, but knowledge is infinite.

To pursue the infinite with the finite is utterly futile!

Those who seek knowledge beyond this point are likely doomed! Do good without seeking fame, and do evil without incurring punishment.

Following the natural order as a guide can preserve one's health, maintain one's life, support one's parents, and allow one to live out one's full lifespan.

The red-bottomed macaque asked again:

What is meant by "the human world"?

Ao Bibo said:

"The human world is the way of living in the world."

Nothing is better than conformity in form, and nothing is better than harmony in mind.

They neither wanted to enter nor leave.

He was an infant, and so he was an infant.

If they are without fields, then they too will be without fields.

They are boundless, and so are they boundless.

"To attain it is to enter into a state of perfection."

When the red-bottomed macaque reached this point, it burst into laughter.

"Young lady, your explanation is thorough; I admire you greatly."

Ao Bibo quickly replied, "You flatter me, sir. I merely parroted what others had said; it's nothing to boast about."

The red-bottomed macaque shook its head.

"If you ask any further questions, I'll be making things difficult for you. How about we call this a draw?"

Ao Bibo was taken aback, then laughed.

"I admire your magnanimity, sir."

The third match ended in a draw.

The monkeys cheered, their shouts shaking the heavens.

Sun Wukong, holding Little Drill Wind, jumped up.

"Two draws and one win! Two draws and one win!"

Ao Bibo looked at the four old monkeys with eyes full of respect.

These old monkeys, though they had sealed their cultivation, possessed a foundation that she could not match.

She gradually understood why her grandfather was so wary of Flower Fruit Mountain.

There are too many things hidden in these mountains that we cannot understand.

The fourth session focused on tactics.

The gibbon stepped forward and clasped its hands in a fist salute to Ao Bibo, saying:

"Young lady, this old man has a question about the fourth scene."

Ao Bibo nodded.

"Please, sir."

The gibbon said, "Miss, you are of true dragon blood and possess innate supernatural powers."

We old folks are nothing more than wild monkeys from the mountains, with only a rudimentary understanding of some minor skills.

"In this round, please let the young lady display her supernatural powers first, and I will follow."

After a moment of contemplation, Ao Bibo raised his hand.

In that instant, water vapor rose from the high platform.

The mist, at first, was like silk threads, then it became like clouds and rosy clouds.

In a short while, the entire platform was shrouded in clouds and mist.

The monkeys cried out in alarm and retreated in all directions.

Li Yan, however, saw it clearly.

Within the clouds and mist, the shadowy figure of a dragon could be faintly seen moving about.

The dragon's shadow snaked and coiled, its scales and claws clearly defined.

It is indeed the form of a true dragon.

Ao Bibo stood amidst the clouds and mist, his hands forming a magic seal.

The dragon shadow swam faster and faster, more and more urgently.

Suddenly, a dragon's roar resounded.

The dragon's shadow burst forth from the clouds and soared straight into the heavens.

It circled three times in the air, then swooped down and landed on the platform.

As the clouds and mist dispersed, Ao Bibo remained calm and composed.

"Father-in-law, I'm afraid I've made a fool of myself."

The gibbon looked on, a hint of admiration flashing in its cloudy old eyes.

"Young lady, your abilities are truly remarkable; I admire you greatly."

Ao Bibo said, "Please, sir."

The gibbon nodded.

He neither made hand gestures nor chanted incantations.

He simply raised his hand slowly.

That hand was dry and withered like the bark of an old tree, but its five fingers were unusually long.

With fingers extended like a sword, a sweeping motion is made in the void.

At that moment, the entire platform trembled slightly.

Ao Bibo felt a blur before his eyes.

Upon closer inspection, a crack had appeared in front of the gibbon.

The crack was as black as ink and bottomless.

A faint aura of chaos emanated from the cracks.

The gibbon withdrew its hands, clasped its fists at Ao Bibo, and said, "Miss, I have made a fool of myself."

Ao Bibo stared at the crack for a long time without saying a word.

After a long while, she took a deep breath.

"Old man, this...this is..."

The gibbon smiled slightly.

"It's just a little trick, not worth mentioning."

"To grasp the sun and moon, to shrink a thousand mountains, to discern good and bad fortune, to manipulate heaven and earth—this old man, in his prime, possessed a smattering of knowledge."

Ao Bibo was deeply shaken.

Grasp the sun and moon, shrink a thousand mountains, discern good and bad fortune, manipulate heaven and earth.

This is the legendary Tongbei Ape, possessing innate supernatural powers!

She looked at the old monkey with eyes full of awe.

"Your skills are far beyond my reach. I have lost this match."

In the fourth match, Huaguo Mountain won.

The monkeys cheered, their shouts shaking the heavens and the earth.

Sun Wukong, holding Little Drill Wind, did a somersault on the stage.

"Two wins and two draws!"

The fifth round: a discussion on formations.

Another gibbon stepped forward and clasped its hands in greeting to Ao Bibo:

"Young lady, this old man would like to ask about the fifth scene."

Ao Bibo nodded.

"Please, sir. In this round, we will each set up our formations, and whoever breaks through them will win."

The gibbon said, "Please go first, young lady."

Ao Bibo did not refuse.

She took out eight jade talismans from her sleeve.

The jade talisman was pure white, with a faint spiritual light flowing within it.

She placed the eight jade talismans in eight different directions.

Qian (☰) is in the south, Kun (☷) is in the north, Li (☲) is in the east, and Kan (☵) is in the west.

The trigram Zhen is in the northeast, and Xun is in the southwest.

The trigram Gen (艮) corresponds to the northwest, and Dui (兑) to the southeast.

As the eight jade talismans settled, spiritual energy surged across the high platform.

In a short while, the entire platform was shrouded in mist.

Ao Bibo stood in the formation, his hands forming a magic seal.

"This formation is called the [Wandering Dragon Eight Trigrams Formation], a secret technique passed down from the Dragon Palace. Please break it, sir."

The gibbon looked at that scene, a glint of shrewdness flashing in its eyes.

He wasn't in a hurry to break the formation.

He simply paced slowly around that spot.

a circle.

Two laps.

Three laps.

I walked to the seventh lap and then stopped.

Raise your hand and point southeast in the void.

In that instant, the entire formation trembled.

The clouds and mist within the formation surged violently.

The dragon shadow let out a mournful cry.

Then it breaks.

As the clouds and mist dissipated, the eight jade talismans shattered together.

Ao Bibo took three steps back, his face ashen, his eyes filled with horror.

"Old man... how did you solve it?"

The gibbon smiled slightly.

"This formation, young lady, is based on the Eight Trigrams of the Primordial Heaven and imbued with the spirit of the true dragon. The formation is rigorous and impregnable."

However, the girl made three mistakes when setting up the formation.

Ao Bibo was taken aback.

"Three mistakes?"

The gibbon nodded.

"First, the young lady used jade talismans to set up the formation. Although jade talismans are good, they have lost their spiritual power."

If one uses their own magical power to set up the formation, the formation will come alive. The young lady used jade talismans to set up the formation; although the formation was stable, it became a dead formation.

Ao Bibo seemed to be deep in thought.

"Secondly, at this moment, the girl's eight gates are all open, and there is no way to survive."

The Gate of Life is the pivot of the formation. Without the Gate of Life, the formation has no pivot.

The seemingly impenetrable formation is actually riddled with flaws.

Ao Bibo's expression changed slightly.

"Third, the girl was restless and agitated when setting up the formation."

The formation is an extension of the mind. A restless mind leads to a volatile formation, while a calm mind results in a stable formation.

The young lady had been too eager to achieve her goal when she set up the formation, and although the formation was complete, its foundation was unstable.

My finger struck precisely the weakest point in the array's foundation.

Ao Bibo remained silent for a long time.

Then, he bowed deeply to the gibbon.

"I will always remember your teachings, my lord. I have lost this round."

In the fifth match, Huaguo Mountain won.

With three wins and two draws in the best-of-five series, Huaguoshan emerged victorious.

The monkeys cheered, their shouts shaking the heavens and the earth.

"We won! We won! We won!"

The four old monkeys also smiled.

They clasped their hands in greeting to Ao Bibo and said, "You are too kind, young lady."

Ao Bibo quickly returned the greeting.

"The four old men are incredibly powerful; I, a humble woman, am completely convinced of my defeat."

As she spoke, she took out a jade slip from her sleeve.

He held it in both hands and handed it to Sun Wukong.

"Immortal, this is a list of 50,000 weapons. I will have them delivered to Flower Fruit Mountain within three days."

Sun Wukong took the jade slip and grinned broadly.

"Okay! Okay! Thank you, young lady!"

Ao Bibo smiled slightly and turned to look at Li Yan.

"Fellow Daoist, I have a request to make."

Li Yan's gaze narrowed slightly.

"Please speak, young lady."

Ao Bibo said, "This young lady wishes to stay on Flower Fruit Mountain for a few more days."

Li Yan was taken aback.

Ao Bibo laughed and said, "I am completely convinced of my defeat at the hands of these four gentlemen."

But I still have some doubts and would like to ask the four gentlemen for their advice. Would that be permissible?

Li Yan looked at the four old monkeys.

The four monkeys exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

"If the young lady does not mind, we old men will certainly tell you everything we know."

Ao Bibo was overjoyed and quickly curtsied.

"Thank you, gentlemen!"

Li Yan watched from the side and smiled slightly.

This dragon girl is indeed humble.

If you lose, admit it; if you admit it, learn from it.

Three days later.

Fifty thousand weapons arrived as promised.

It was a bright and sunny morning.

A cloud of azure blue drifted in from the horizon.

As the clouds dispersed, dozens of dragons appeared.

Those dragons were hundreds of feet long, with distinct scales and claws.

Together they pulled a treasure trove.

That treasure trove was built of coral and was crystal clear throughout.

Inside, there were swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, forks, whips, maces, hammers, clubs, and lances, piled up to the brim.

The dragons landed in front of the Water Curtain Cave and gently placed the treasure vault down.

The leading dragon transformed into human form and clasped its hands in a fist salute to Sun Wukong, saying:

"Immortal, I am the chief patrol officer of the South China Sea Dragon Palace."

"By order of the princess, I have escorted 50,000 weapons here. Please, Your Highness, inspect them."

Sun Wukong was overjoyed and quickly thanked him.

The dragon didn't linger, and led its horde of dragons away on the clouds.

Sun Wukong opened the treasure vault and saw weapons inside, gleaming with cold light and exuding a powerful spiritual energy.

Long spears and short swords, broadswords and narrow axes.

Nine-section whip, meteor hammer, halberd, crescent shovel.

A wide variety of things, everything you could want.

The monkeys stared in disbelief, then cheered with joy.

Sun Wukong immediately gave the order to distribute the weapons to the monkeys.

The old monkey gets a knife, the young and strong get a gun, and the baby monkey gets a short sword.

Everyone was overjoyed and danced with delight.

That day, Huaguo Mountain resounded with cheers that lasted all night.

The next day.

In front of the Water Curtain Cave.

Sun Wukong sat upright on the high platform.

On the left and right sides stood the four old monkeys.

Below the stage, a group of monkeys stood in a line, craning their necks in anticipation.

Li Yan stood to one side, a gray sable perched on his shoulder, and a small jade rat peeking out from his arms.

Sun Wukong cleared his throat and said:

"My children!"

The monkeys responded in unison, "Your Majesty!"

Sun Wukong said, "Since I returned to the mountain, I have been very grateful for the help of these four old men."

Recently, in a contest with the Dragon Palace, the four old men displayed their extraordinary abilities, winning 50,000 weapons for my Flower Fruit Mountain.

Such merit deserves a reward.

As he spoke, he looked at the four old monkeys.

"My four elders, I, Old Sun, hereby appoint you as 'Generals' to oversee all affairs in the mountains."

The four monkeys immediately knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Sun Wukong then looked at the two red-bottomed macaques.

"You two are knowledgeable about Yin and Yang, understand human affairs, are skilled in coming and going, and can avoid death and prolong life."

I, Old Sun, hereby appoint you as Marshals Ma and Liu, in charge of patrolling the mountains.

The two red-bottomed macaques said in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Sun Wukong looked at the two gibbon monkeys again.

"You two can grasp the sun and moon, shrink a thousand mountains, discern good and bad fortune, and manipulate the universe."

I, Old Sun, hereby appoint you as Generals Beng and Ba, to oversee military exercises in the mountains.

The two macaques said in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After Sun Wukong finished bestowing the rewards, he looked at Li Yan.

"Brother, I owe my success today to your guidance all the way."

From this day forward, you will be the second king of my Flower Fruit Mountain!

From this day forward, you will be the second king of my Flower Fruit Mountain!

Li Yan was taken aback.

The second king?

Before he could refuse, the monkeys cheered.

"The second king! The second king! The second king!"

The sound shook the heavens.

Sun Wukong grinned and said, "Brother, don't refuse. I, Old Sun, am sincere."

Li Yan looked at him, and then at the cheering monkeys all over the mountain, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

He nodded.

"In that case, I'll shamelessly agree."

Sun Wukong was overjoyed and hugged him tightly.

"Good brother!"

The monkeys cheered even louder.

The four old monkeys, now known as the Four Warriors, also wore smiles.

After the awards were bestowed, the four generals received their orders and immediately got to work.

Two horses and Marshal Liu Er, leading a group of young and strong monkeys, patrolled the entire mountain.

Two generals, Beng and Ba, led another group of young and strong monkeys to practice their martial arts in a flat area in the mountains.

In an instant, Huaguo Mountain was orderly and had a brand-new look.

Sun Wukong was happy to have some free time, spending his days wandering around with his little drill.

Li Yan, however, was not free.

He was entangled with Ao Bibo.

"Fellow Daoist, could you elaborate on your Dao of the Grotto-Heavens?"

"Fellow Daoist, how can one refine the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit for the best effect?"

For several days in a row, Ao Bibo followed Li Yan around, asking questions incessantly.

Li Yan was overwhelmed by her questions, but he couldn't refuse.

After all, this dragon girl was humble and approachable, showing no airs whatsoever.

Moreover, she is exceptionally gifted and grasps concepts instantly.

Li Yan simply set aside half an hour each day to answer her questions, in order to earn the Qi of Fate.

Ao Bibo listened with rapt attention and benefited greatly from the lecture.

On this day, the sermon was finished.

Ao Bibo stood up and bowed deeply to Li Yan.

"I will remember your teachings these past few days. If I achieve anything in the future, I will never forget your kindness."

Li Yan helped her up.

"You're too kind, young lady. These are just some basic principles, not worth mentioning."

Ao Bibo shook his head.

"Fellow Daoist is too modest."

I was also listening to the sermon that day.

The teachings on the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit, the principles of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, and the transformations of the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces—I have benefited immensely from them.

Li Yan remained silent.

This dragon girl has such keen eyesight.

Ao Bibo then said, "Fellow Daoist, I have a request to make."

Li Yan said, "Please speak, young lady."

Ao Bibo said, "This humble woman wishes to become your disciple."

Li Yan was taken aback.

Ao Bibo said sincerely, "Fellow Daoist's cultivation is profound and knowledge is extensive. If I could receive your guidance, I would surely be able to reach a higher level."

Li Yan pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

"Young lady, this humble Taoist priest cannot accept you as his disciple."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Ao Bibo's eyes.

Why?

Li Yan said, "My cultivation has been shallow, only a dozen years or so."

"Young lady, you possess the bloodline of a true dragon, have cultivated for a thousand years, and your foundation is profound. If you were to become my disciple, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?"

Ao Bibo shook his head.

"Cultivation is not about the length of time one has spent, but about one's understanding. Fellow Daoist, you have been cultivating for over a decade and are already close to becoming an immortal. I, on the other hand, have been cultivating for a thousand years and am merely a true immortal. I am well aware of this difference."

Li Yan still shook his head.

"I appreciate your kindness, young lady. However, the matter of accepting disciples is of great importance. My path in Taoism is not yet stable, and I dare not mislead any young person."