Heaven-Defying Rebel Sage
Chapter 104: The Hardest to Cut Off is Obsession

Chapter 104: Chapter 104: The Hardest to Cut Off is Obsession

In years past, Wukong had subdued his inner Monkey King, wholeheartedly turned to Buddha, embarked on the Journey to the West, and harbored kind thoughts. On this journey, he was also known as Sun the Pilgrim.

But now, with Subhuti’s arrival stirring his Daoist heart to turmoil, all thoughts had turned to ashes. No more kind thoughts lingered; his resolute belief was only one—revolution, revolution!

Thus, having cut ties and renounced righteousness beneath him, he truly brought forth Sun the Pilgrim. It was indeed a momentous creation, a grand fate, and a mighty determination!

Sun the Pilgrim bowed slightly and said with a smile, "Brother Dao, greetings to you!"

Wukong and the Heaven-Defying Taoist likewise bowed slightly and said, "Brother Dao, this humble Taoist also sends greetings."

Sun the Pilgrim scratched his head and burst out laughing, saying, "Thanks to Brother Dao Subhuti, otherwise I couldn’t have emerged!"

Yuan Hong laughed heartily from the side, saying, "To steal a chicken only to lose the rice! How could Wukong’s Daoist heart be so easily swayed?"

At this moment, seeing Wukong bring forth Sun the Pilgrim, Subhuti’s feet trembling slightly on the tree branch clearly had his heart in disarray. Earlier, Wukong had tried everything, yet could not make the branch under his feet tremble; now, it shook on its own. Subhuti looked at Wukong, a murderous intent flickering in his eyes.

"Subhuti, do not violate the rules," four beams of sword light flashed in the sky. Subhuti looked up and saw the Slaying Immortal Four Swords.

Subhuti harbored a murderous intent towards Wukong but was also wary and dared not attack.

Wukong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, twisted a spell in his hand, and held it to his chest with a smile, "Thank you, Brother Dao Subhuti."

Now he referred to Subhuti as "Brother Dao," and with Sun the Pilgrim brought forth, his state of mind was decidedly different from before.

Subhuti could not afford to lose his composure and, waving his sleeves, sighed, "Alright, alright, your luck and destiny are indeed great as a Macaque."

Having said this, his figure turned into a wisp of blue smoke and dispersed, disappearing to who knows where. However, this bout with Amitabha Buddha ended in a complete loss for him.

Just then, a staff descended from the sky and slammed into the ground.

"Sun Wukong, I am the Tong Tian Sect Master. You lack a weapon for your benevolent corpse; thus, I shall form a good connection with you this time! This staff is called the Creation Heavenly Mechanism Staff, made from the Dao bones of the Divine Ape clan who perished in the Ancient Era. It has cause and effect, and giving it to you is most fitting!" The divine thought of the Tong Tian Sect Master came, ethereal but extremely clear, resonant as a great bell by the ear.

Sun the Pilgrim did not hesitate to pull the Creation Heavenly Mechanism Staff out of the ground. The staff shone brilliantly with golden light, carved with various runes, about six feet long, and capable of changing as desired; the wonderful uses of which still needed exploration in the future.

Wukong, the Heaven-Defying Taoist, and Sun the Pilgrim bowed slightly to the sky where the Slaying Immortal Four Swords were, saying, "Thank you, Lord of Spiritual Treasures."

Feeling himself too short compared to Wukong and the others, Sun the Pilgrim shook his body and grew over two feet taller. With a thought, the Creation Heavenly Mechanism Staff instantly transformed into eight feet in length, fitting comfortably in his hand.

Sun the Pilgrim swung the golden staff in his hand, feeling it even more formidable than the Jingu Bang, and said with a laugh, "Excellent, excellent! Thank you, Lord of Spiritual Treasures; this staff suits me perfectly."

The Tong Tian Sect Master said, "So be it."

With these words, the Slaying Immortal Four Swords shot up into the sky and vanished beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.

"Hehe, Wukong, you indeed possess great skill. Subhuti thought to destabilize your Daoist heart, yet unwittingly helped you slay your benevolent corpse," Yuan Hong laughed and said.

Sun the Pilgrim said, "Brother Dao Yuan Hong, you are mistaken. Wukong had long been prepared in his heart. Subhuti came to harm his Daoist heart, which exactly matched his intentions!"

Yuan Hong laughed and said, "Oh?"

Wukong then said, "That day, while I was in isolation and meditating, I meticulously pondered everything since my birth. Though I was prepared, such a blow was not insignificant. Just now, had I not brought forth the benevolent corpse, I feared that my Daoist heart would indeed have been damaged!"

Sun the Pilgrim had understood Wukong’s original nature from years ago, always jumping around, never able to sit still.

Yuan Hong expressed amazement, "You have already slain the second corpse; by rights, you should have become the Sect Founder."

Sun the Pilgrim scratched his head and scoffed, "Brother Dao, do not talk nonsense! I am merely a Taiyi Golden Immortal."

Wukong said, "The path I walk is different from ordinary people; this road is difficult, and bringing forth Sun the Pilgrim marks only the completion of two-thirds of it."

Yuan Hong was startled upon hearing this and said, "Oh! I remember now, that day Di Jiang said you are taking the path of Slaying the Three Thousand Great Paths... I’ve always wanted to ask, but forgot, are you planning to learn from Hong Jun Taoist Patriarch and cut the Three Thousand Great Paths to attain the Primordial Dao Fruit?"

Wukong nodded and said, "After cutting out Sun Wukong, I had already comprehended two thousand Great Paths. Just one thousand more and I could perfect my Golden Core and become a Daluo Golden Immortal."

Yuan Hong furrowed his brows and asked, "How so? Only when all Three Thousand Great Paths are complete can one become a Daluo Golden Immortal?"

Reflecting, Wukong said, "This path is too unique. It is said that in ancient times Hong Jun Taoist Patriarch was at the level of Heavenly Dao Saint, and with great determination he cut the Three Thousand Great Paths and had great fortunes from the creation of Heaven and Earth, and thus he verified the Great Dao and became a Great Dao Saint. I started on this path as soon as I reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm and am unclear about what follows, but I know once the Three Thousand Great Paths are complete, the Golden Core will unify and be perfect, enabling one to comprehend the rules of void distortion, sneak a peek at a trace of Heavenly Dao’s transformations, and the causes and consequences, and become a Daluo Golden Immortal."

Daluo Golden Immortal requires the perfection of the Golden Core, then the comprehension of some karmic causes and effects, as well as the rules of void distortion, and a glimpse of the changes in the Heavenly Dao.

The Three Thousand Great Paths, each being distinct, when fully combined should qualify one to verify the Holy Path, which is indeed strange.

Sun Wukong said, "Probably because you are taking the path of the Three Thousand Great Paths and also undertaking the task of Slaying the Three Corpses. It seems to become a Saint, not only completing the Three Thousand Great Paths is necessary, but also thoroughly severing the Three Corpses."

After severing Sun Wukong, Wukong himself felt an addition of nine hundred ninety-nine subtle Dao marks on his Golden Core, rounding it up to a complete two thousand. However, the understanding of the Great Dao in these Dao marks was rather weak, merely rudimentary, the deeper meanings of which Wukong realized he would need to contemplate further, perhaps through secluded cultivation. Nevertheless, the immediate urgency is to complete the Three Thousand Great Paths; understanding them fully and thoroughly would be a matter for later.

Ordinary people can reach the stage of Daluo Golden Immortal by pursuing just one path, and even ascend to the level of Sect Founder. But Wukong needs three thousand paths, which says much about the difficulty.

Wukong frowned and said, "Perhaps it is so, I severed the evil corpse too early."

Heaven-Defying Taoist said, "But this path is unprecedented, taking both the Slaying of the Three Corpses and the Three Thousand Great Paths together, the latter even starting as early as the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, future achievements are boundless. I fear even common Saints can’t compare with us!"

The Tong Tian Sect Master had established the Jie Taoist to sever the Three Thousand Great Paths but never succeeded, which says a lot.

Sun Wukong was also jumping up and down, shouting, "Heaven-Defying Taoist Brother speaks truly. We will surely be invincible among Saints in the future!"

Yuan Hong then said, "Indeed, the path of the Three Thousand Great Paths is even more difficult than Slaying the Three Corpses."

Wukong said, "Among the Three Corpses, only the own self is hardest to sever. How should this ’self’ be cut away?"

Yuan Hong replied, "Just like what happened today, the final good thoughts in your heart were also destroyed by Subhuti, thus you could sever them. Naturally, for ordinary people to sever thoughts, they might need to meditate in seclusion for a hundred years, where else you severed them in the moment you cut your robe? The ’self’ to be severed is attachment, what is your attachment?"

Wukong was shocked inside, thinking silently, "Severing attachments? What are my attachments? Is it revolution? Freedom? Or revenge?"

This attachment contains too many things, not as pure as good and evil thoughts. Everything harbored in the heart must be severed. If one’s thoughts are complex, it might require several or even dozens of attempts to successfully sever the attachments.

Neither Sun Wukong nor Heaven-Defying Taoist had such complex thoughts as Wukong. They only harbored pure evil and good thoughts, inheriting some of Wukong’s past traits. Sun Wukong inherited the playful yet clear-cut moral tendencies of Wukong during the Journey to the West and as the Monkey King. Though mischievous, he displayed some Buddhist kindness. Heaven-Defying Taoist inherited the pure malicious intent of avenging the Buddhist Sect and Heavenly Court. But Wukong himself? What did he inherit? He did not know, only feeling that since his rebirth, he was no longer his former self.

Unable to grasp his own attachments, how could he sever them? One can imagine how hard it is to sever these attachments!

Subhuti has existed since the beginning of Heaven and Earth, a rather mysterious figure. He even took nearly a hundred thousand years to sever his Three Corpses and verify the Primordial Dao Fruit, indicating the difficulty.

Sun Wukong said, "Just now, after severing me, I glimpsed a trace of the heavenly mechanism; Xue Rengui is in trouble. Heaven-Defying Taoist Brother, aren’t you going to help?"

The Heaven-Defying Taoist laughed and said, "Wukong, you should go as you are his disciple, just as he is yours."

Scratching his head, Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Okay! Heaven-Defying Taoist Brother knows I enjoy a good show, you’re indeed forthright. I’ll be off then. This time Subhuti is coming after me, the Buddhist Sect is at fault, it’s the perfect time to stir up a storm!"

The Heaven-Defying Taoist was not as lively as Sun Wukong; everyone naturally has their moments of laziness. Wukong loves the excitement, but Heaven-Defying Taoist, seeing him involved, felt no need to exert himself when someone else would do the job for him.

Sun Wukong said to Wukong, "Taoist Brother, I’m off now!"

Wukong said, "Hold on! You’ll need a magical treasure to avoid harm."

With that, he took out a blue lotus and handed it to Sun Wukong.

Receiving the blue lotus, Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Thanks a lot! Watch how I handle that group of baldies, to avenge the past."

With these words, in a burst of urgency, scratching his head and cheeks, he flipped onto his Somersault Cloud, and in the blink of an eye, he had traversed thousands of mountains and rivers, heading toward Peacock City in the Western Heavenly Buddha Land.