Heaven-Defying Rebel Sage
Chapter 115: Laojun’s Immortal Pill Resolving Difficulties

Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Laojun’s Immortal Pill Resolving Difficulties

Last time, with the aid of the Demon Tribe, Sun Wukong managed to escape.

This Sun Wukong, being the Good Corpse split from Wukong, would suffer no great harm upon death, but it would certainly affect his future cultivation level, presenting major obstacles. The act of Slaying the Three Corpses was too mysterious, and even Wukong couldn’t see through it.

The Elder of the Dragon Clan sat in the Water Curtain Cave, and as Sun Wukong rushed over hurriedly, the Elder dared not obstruct him and let him directly enter the cave.

Wukong and the Heaven-Defying Taoist saw Sun Wukong arrive and joyfully said, "Daoist brother, you’ve finally come!"

Sun Wukong, frustrated and scratching his head in irritation, cursed, "That Buddhist Sect is truly vile, plotting against me. I almost couldn’t return! Luckily, Daoist brother, you sent Ying Zheng and Shen Gongbao to meet me ahead of time; otherwise, I might have been beaten to death by Indra and Great Brahma Heaven."

Wukong replied, "As long as you’re back, it’s good."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "It’s also a relief that I helped the Great Tang army break through Peacock City, annihilating all 330,000 defending troops! That truly allowed me to vent my anger!"

Wukong and the Heaven-Defying Taoist couldn’t help but gasp. He was the split Good Intentions, yet he acted so ruthlessly, annihilating Tianzhu’s 330,000 soldiers!

Seeing Wukong and the Heaven-Defying Taoist shocked, Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Daoist brothers, there’s no need to panic. I didn’t lay a hand on them. I won’t be tainted with such karmic retribution. I merely broke down the city walls."

Wukong had been in seclusion recently, naturally unaware of the matter, and the Heaven-Defying Taoist had been busy managing affairs of the Water Curtain Cave, not paying attention either.

Wukong said, "I truly thought you went on a killing spree like Bai Qi!"

Sun Wukong chuckled and said, "Since I came into being, I have glimpsed a trace of the Heavenly Dao’s changes and the profound mysteries of causality. Why would I engage in such rampant slaughter? Although Bai Qi achieved swiftness through the path of slaughter, he too will have to endure the karmic retribution in the future."

Both Wukong and the Heaven-Defying Taoist nodded slightly. The Heaven-Defying Taoist said, "Please sit down quickly and take the Golden Core to resolve the calamity."

Sun Wukong asked, "Do we know who plotted against us?"

Wukong furrowed his brows slightly and said, "The Western Heaven excels at scheming, and it is said that the Seven-Arrows Book with Nail Head is Tong Tian Sect Master’s magical treasure. This Tong Tian, also known as Kunlun Ascetic, is a being who has existed since the creation of Heaven and Earth. Later, he transformed into the Great Sun Tathagata of the Buddhist esoteric sect, who I fear might be my master, Subhuti."

Both the Heaven-Defying Taoist and Sun Wukong nodded, remaining silent.

Wukong distributed the Elixir Pills among them and said, "They probably chose someone who is deeply entangled with our karma to cast spells. Ultimately, the Great Sun Tathagata is a saint and was once my master. How could he shamelessly take action?"

The Heaven-Defying Taoist held the Golden Core in his hand and said, "Could it be that despicable Guanyin?"

Wukong nodded slightly and said, "I fear it might indeed be between Guanyin and Manjushri, not to rule out Kong Xuan and the Golden-Winged Great Peng either."

After considering at length, Wukong realized that those deeply entangled with him in karma from the Buddhist Sect were Guanyin, Manjushri, Kong Xuan, and the Golden-Winged Great Peng. Guanyin needed no mention, Manjushri had wounded him that day on Southern Ridge Demon Mountain, there were ties with Kong Xuan on the Forty-Nine Heavens Ladder, and his karma with the Golden-Winged Great Peng was even deeper.

"Fortunately, the Supreme Elderly Lord was divinely clever and gave us three Immortal Pills," Wukong said with a smile.

Each of them consumed an Immortal Pill, and upon entering the mouth, it turned into a warm current that streamed from the tip of the tongue down into the throat and glided into the belly, entering the Dantian, circulating through all the body’s meridians.

The Hongmeng Purple Qi surged inside them, and each began to circulate their Dharma Gates to refine the Immortal Pill.

Twenty-one days later, at noon,

Wukong only felt darkness overtaking his vision and a dull pain in his heart. His life force began to drain away rapidly, and his Three Souls and Seven Spirits were about to leave the body. However, once the Golden Core’s warm current moved, the Three Life Lamps immediately shone brightly, stabilizing the spirits that were about to escape and began restoring the life force that had slipped away.

The Supreme Elderly Lord’s Immortal Pills were not something ordinary people could consume. Only when he preached in the Tushita Palace, which happened once every three thousand years, and immortals came to listen, would the Elderly Lord gift Immortal Pills to those he found pleasing. These pills were truly sought after but seldom found.

"The Dao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Dao; The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth; The named is the mother of all things..." All three began reciting verses from the "Tao Te Ching."

This "Tao Te Ching," the supreme classic of the Taoist Sect, created by the Supreme, contains no cultivation methods but interprets the true essence of Tao and the naturalness of Taoist Magic. This scripture not only helps cultivators comprehend and pursue the Dao but is also a treasure for the royal family to govern the nation.

The inhabitants of the Water Curtain Cave could hear the chanting of the "Tao Te Ching" piercing through the heavens, resonating like a great bell in their ears.

The Heaven-Defying Taoist gave a soft command, "Form the Formation!"

"Heavenly position!" Wukong swiftly formed a spell and took his place in the heavenly position.

"Earthly position!" The Heaven-Defying Taoist flipped over and landed in the earthly position.

"Human position!" Sun Wukong also took his place in the human position.

Three people formed the Three Talents Great Formation, which was a bit mysterious. It was an enlightenment from the "Tao Te Ching." The scripture says, "The Tao produces one, one produces two, two produces three, three produce all things!" This Three Talents Formation not only represented Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, but more importantly, it was based on the true meaning of "three produce all things" from the "Tao Te Ching."

Moreover, there is another interpretation about the Three Talents. Fuxi said, "This is why we establish the way of Heaven as yin and yang; establish the way of Earth as softness and hardness; establish the way of Humanity as benevolence and righteousness; combining the Three Talents and dividing them into two results in the I-Ching’s six lines forming hexagrams."— this shows its formidable power.

The concept of "three produce all things" means to generate ceaselessly. At this moment, Wukong’s life force within was dwindling, and what he needed was this state of ceaseless generation.

"Three produce all things, Supreme Elderly Lord, let it be urgent like a law!" The three of them chanted softly.

The three immortal pills were completely refined, bursting forth with golden light, while immense life force circulated within. The "Tao Te Ching" rumbled non-stop in the sea of consciousness, with mystical characters flying out and swirling around the trio.

The power of the immortal pills circulated within, and the life force gathered by the Three Talents Formation grew more abundant. The Three Souls and Seven Spirits became stable, the three Life Lamps burned brightly, and the Five Qi settled in the chest.

Wukong couldn’t help but ponder secretly, "The strategizing means of this Saint are truly formidable. It’s a pity that Lu Ya’s skills are still tender compared to the Supreme Elderly Lord; after all, he only achieved enlightenment in the recent ancient times, whereas the Elderly Lord was born a Saint and is the leader of the Three Pure Ones. Hehe, this time I have indeed owed a great favor to the Supreme Elderly Lord. I wonder when he will come to collect it back?"

After sitting for a full day and night, he finally cleansed himself of the Seven-Arrows Book with Nail Head’s treacherous assault.

Mount Putuo.

After Guanyin finished casting spells, the grass figure she used suddenly exploded, and when she looked back at the Seven-Arrows Book with Nail Head, the three names of Sun Wukong had disappeared, replaced by the three big characters "Guanyin." Seeing her own name appear, she felt her head might explode!

"What happened!" Guanyin was greatly shocked in her heart.

The Great Sun Tathagata had not told Guanyin that if the Seven-Arrows Book with Nail Head failed in its secret assault, it would backlash onto the caster. However, he had never seen a case where a secret assault was not successful, so he never warned Guanyin about it.

Guanyin only felt her life force slowly draining away, albeit slowly, it was perceptible!

"Could it be a backlash? Has that rascal Sun Wukong not died?" Guanyin screamed.

Being a person of exceptional talent, she quickly realized that it must indeed be a backlash!

The horror in Guanyin’s heart was indescribable. The secret assault of the Seven-Arrows Book with Nail Head was usually infallible. She had failed to kill Sun Wukong and instead suffered a backlash? Could it be that her life force was to drain for twenty-one days, resulting in the dispersal of her Three Souls and Seven Spirits and an untimely death on the twenty-first day at midday?

During these times, Jiang Ziya had been dead for who knows how many years, and naturally, there was no Investiture of the Gods. Now, if one died, they really died—unable to rise to the Deification Platform or enter the divine path.

Meanwhile, thanks to the three immortal pills from the Supreme Elderly Lord, Wukong managed to break free from the treacherous assault of the Seven-Arrows Book with Nail Head, resolving the great calamity.

The Heaven-Defying Taoist laughed and said, "We really owe a great debt of gratitude to the Supreme Elderly Lord."

Wukong scratched his head, jumped up from the ground, and after sitting for so long, his bottom was itching. He then exclaimed, "The Supreme Elderly Lord is not bad at all; back in the day, he let me into his alchemy room and eat so many immortal pills. Alas, at that time, I was too mischievous and didn’t know how to refine those pills, squandering them! Had I refined so many immortal pills back then, I might have become a Daluo Golden Immortal already! It wouldn’t have been so easy for the Tathagata to play tricks on me then."

Wukong was right. Buddhist Sect plotted against Wukong ever since his birth, manipulating him completely, with the six saints discussing it as a chess game involving the Journey to the West. The Supreme Elderly Lord naturally wanted Wukong to grow stronger, so he could break free from the conspiracy of the Journey to the West. But who could have predicted that this monkey would be too mischievous?

First, the Supreme Elderly Lord secretly had Venus intervene and place him in the Peach Garden, allowing him to eat countless peaches but to no avail; then he captured him and refined the Fiery Eyes with Golden Vision for him and deliberately let him steal many Golden Cores, which also went to waste!

The Supreme Elderly Lord was so frustrated with him—utterly dismayed at his folly!

Wukong stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "I thank the Supreme Elderly Lord for the immortal pills that have resolved my calamity!"

In fact, the Supreme Elderly Lord had not expected that Wukong would so easily Slay his benevolent thoughts, and the reason he gave him three immortal pills was that... the pills couldn’t be stored in ordinary vessels, otherwise, they would lose their potency. He was thus forced to refine one of the pills into a gourd. This series of mistakes led Wukong to believe he was a mastermind who accurately predicted he would need to expel his benevolent thoughts.

The Three Pure Ones, the Saints, seemed to show some favor towards Wukong. Out of concern for their reputation, however, they were not willing to directly intervene to help. Since Wukong and Buddhism were in opposition to the point of a life-and-death struggle, it was best for the Three Pure Ones to suppress Buddhism by utilizing Wukong. That was why the Tong Tian Sect Master lent him the Extermination Immortal Sword and gave him the Heavenly Mechanism Staff, and the Supreme Elderly Lord gave him immortal pills.

The Heaven-Defying Taoist said, "This time, with Peacock City broken and the Great Tang’s army of a million soldiers pressing towards the border, Tianzhu Country is truly in a panic!"

Wukong laughed and said, "Since Buddhism has torn off all pretenses, we shouldn’t be courteous anymore!"

Wukong the Traveler said, "I, too, think it should be so. Buddhism acts too overbearingly; it’s time for them to suffer a big loss."

Wukong continued, "I shall command Water Curtain Cave while the Heaven-Defying Taoist can pay a visit to Great Tang, build a Dharma hall, gather disciples, and act as the instructor. Wukong the Traveler can go to the front lines to assist in battle."

Wukong the Traveler was only too happy to do this and said with a laugh, "Good, good, good, I like fighting the most!"

The Heaven-Defying Taoist also nodded and said, "That’s an excellent plan. It will establish our foundation in the Human Path and strike a blow to Buddhism."

However, Wukong furrowed his brows slightly, remembering something, and said, "Wait... let Wukong the Traveler command Water Curtain Cave instead. I need to enter the cycle of reincarnation to resolve a great karma."