Heaven-Defying Rebel Sage
Chapter 221 - 214: Green Emperor Borrows Troops from Biyou Palace

Chapter 221: Chapter 214: Green Emperor Borrows Troops from Biyou Palace

Wukong followed Yuan Tiangang into the Alchemy Room. Within the room were three apprentices fanning the flames for alchemy. The shelves were filled with charming little bottles, which though small in appearance, actually had a space ten times larger inside; they had been enhanced by someone with profound mana, who implanted a "Mustard Seed" within them.

"Resurrection Pills, Life-and-Death Pills, Spirit Gathering Pills..." The various elixir pills were neatly arranged, exuding a fragrance that intoxicated anyone who smelled it. Cultivating here certainly offered more benefits than cultivating outside.

When the three apprentices saw Yuan Tiangang arrive, they greeted him with a bow: "Master."

They then paid their respects to Wukong, who praised: "So many elixirs, not bad, not bad at all!"

Yuan Tiangang said with a smile, "In our Taoist Sect’s cultivation, we rely on elixir pills in many ways. These pills are not considered precious. Brother, if there are any you want, feel free to take them."

Wukong rubbed his hands together and said, "Then I won’t be polite, hehe!"

After saying so, he used a spell that could hold an entire universe in his sleeve. Yuan Tiangang only saw blackness before his eyes, and when he could see clearly again, the thousands of bottles of elixir pills had been completely swept away by Wukong. He couldn’t help but smile bitterly and thought to himself: "Wukong really isn’t being polite at all!"

Wukong said, "I can’t just take your elixir pills for nothing."

After saying this, he flipped his wrist and produced a green vine. This vine, casually picked from Mount Buzhou, was rich in wood energy and as ancient as thirty thousand years. It could be used in medicines, or even to craft magical treasures. Yuan Tiangang wasn’t pretentious; he accepted it directly, thinking that he could use the green vine to concoct quite a number of elixir pills.

"All is settled here; I shall take my leave first," Wukong said.

"I’ll see you off for a bit," Yuan Tiangang offered, following Wukong out of Qingyang Temple before Wukong ascended on a cloud and departed.

After traveling for a moment, Wukong suddenly remembered something and soared directly up to the thirty-third layer of heaven. The Jade Purity Heaven, the Supreme Purity Heaven, and the Prime Purity Heaven above the Heavenly Court could be reached without passing through the Southern Heavenly Gate—one simply had to fly straight up. However, these three heavens were the dwelling places of Saints and were not places that ordinary beings dared to visit casually. Even if there were matters that required their attention, one would need someone familiar to lead the way.

Breaking through layers of thunderclouds and fierce winds, one had to possess at least the cultivation level of a Primordial Golden Immortal to fly directly up from here. Otherwise, one would be blown away by the intense winds, extinguishing their "Three Flowers and Five Qi," forcing their Primordial Spirit out of their body, and as the thunderclouds dropped Divine Thunder, their flesh would instantly disperse.

"This outer area of the thirty-three layers of heaven is truly a great place. With thunderclouds and fierce winds as guards, no petty troublemakers can disturb it," Wukong thought to himself.

Passing the thirty-third layer of heaven, one would reach the thirty-fourth layer, which was known as the Supreme Purity Heaven.

Today’s Supreme Purity Heaven was far from the bustling splendor of the Middle Ages. The palaces were deserted, eerily quiet as if they were ghost towns. Wukong thought to himself, "In the Middle Ages, the Biyou Palace of the Supreme Purity Heaven under the Jie Taoist Sect inherited the true orthodox lineage of Hong Jun’s profound teachings and achieved extreme prosperity and splendor, earning a reputation where ’thousands of immortals came to pay homage and thousands of Buddhas came to worship.’ Unfortunately, the Tong Tian Sect Master made one wrong move in the battle for godhood, leading to today’s desolation. Otherwise, how could the Buddhist Sect have thrived to such an extent?"

The Tong Tian Sect Master sought to control the Three Thousand Great Paths, but ultimately failed, damaging his own fortune. Furthermore, his disciples were led astray by Shen Gongbao to assist the tyrant King Zhou, something the Tong Tian Sect Master initially did not intend to interfere with. Yet, when the Chan Taoist Sect insulted him, how could he not be enraged? Could a Saint’s pride be so easily compromised? When he joined the battle, it played right into the hands of the other Saints. They joined forces, and he was utterly defeated.

"Tathagata is actually the reincarnation of the multi-treasure Taoist. The Tong Tian Sect Master harbors extreme hatred for the traitor. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have set a trap to kill so many from the Buddhist Sect on Mount Putuo. The Supreme Holy Mother is also among the top experts of the Primordial Golden Immortals. I’m here to invite the Supreme Holy Mother over. With her, we will have a better chance in the battle between Buddhas and demons. The Supreme Holy Mother also despises Tathagata," Wukong thought to himself.

Arriving outside the Biyou Palace, he was stopped by two apprentice guards. Seeing Wukong, they asked him to halt.

Wukong said, "Water Curtain Cave of Mount Huaguo, Sun Wukong of the Demon Tribe Green Emperor lineage, I’ve come to visit the Sect Leader of the Jie Taoist Sect, the Tong Tian Sect Master. Please inform him of my visit."

The two apprentices exchanged glances; this was none other than the infamous Sun Wukong who had been causing such a stir recently. Knowing his significance, they did not dare to delay or request gifts. One of them immediately turned and entered the Biyou Palace to inform the Tong Tian Sect Master.

"Master, Sun Wukong has arrived outside. He says he has come to visit you," the apprentice reported.

At that moment, the Tong Tian Sect Master was sitting in meditation on a Primordial cushion with his eyes closed. After hearing the apprentice’s report, he said, "Invite him in."

The apprentice promptly requested Wukong to enter Biyou Palace.

The Biyou Palace was constructed from jade, splendid and dazzling. It was easy to imagine just how astonishing the sight of ’thousands of immortals paying homage and thousands of Buddhas worshipping’ must have been in the past. But now, the Jie Taoist Sect’s disciples were gone, and the vast Biyou Palace seemed especially desolate.

Stepping into the main hall, the Tong Tian Sect Master sat in the elevated seat, eyes slightly closed, middle-aged in appearance with brows sharp as swords reaching into his temples. A stern demeanor and an aura of intimidating sharpness emanated from him, causing Wukong to pause in surprise. The way of the Great Dao is plain and simple; a Heavenly Dao Saint should have all their aura concealed within. Why then, was the sharpness of the Tong Tian Sect Master exposed? Could it be that he had made a breakthrough?

"Sun Wukong pays his respects to the Jie Taoist Saint, the Tong Tian Sect Master," Wukong addressed him with a formal bow, singing his words heartily.

"No need for formalities, Wukong. I’ve been wondering when you’d come," the Tong Tian Sect Master opened his eyes slowly and said.

"You two, go check on the tea and bring the finest Ethereal Cloud Mist Tea," Tong Tian Sect Master instructed two apprentices.

After the two apprentices went on their way, Wukong finally took his seat to the left of Tong Tian Sect Master. The chair was crafted from peach wood that had matured over ten thousand years. Ordinary peach trees can hardly survive a millennium, let alone ten thousand years. Such ancient peach wood could be fashioned into an exceedingly sharp Peach Wood Sword, yet Tong Tian Sect Master had someone make a chair out of it, which goes to show the profound depth of resources he possessed back then. Even though Wukong had seen many grand sights in his time, sitting on the chair, he couldn’t help but silently sigh at the squandering of heaven’s gifts. How glorious must the Jie Taoist sect have been in its heyday?

Despite understanding why Wukong had come, Tong Tian Sect Master still asked, "Wukong, what brings you to my Biyou Palace in your spare time?"

Wukong replied solemnly, "I am naturally here to pay a visit to the Supreme Pure Heavenly Lord, Tong Tian Sect Master. I have long heard of the sect master’s great name but had not had the pleasure of meeting you. This visit also fulfills a personal wish."

Tong Tian Sect Master, pleased with Wukong’s well-chosen words, nodded slightly in approval.

Wukong continued, "Today, the battle between Buddha and demon is looming. Though the Buddhist Sect has been heavily damaged by our ancestors of the Demon Tribe, it is like a centipede that dies but does not stiffen. Some days ago, I became deeply entangled in karmic retribution with the Asura Blood Sea and the Nether River Patriarch while thwarting their ascension to Dao. This enmity is profound, and I fear the Nether River will not stand idly by."

Tong Tian Sect Master nodded, "You make a fair point."

Wukong said, "I am worried that the strength of my Demon Tribe alone will not suffice to deal with the remnants of the Buddhist Sect. My primary purpose for coming here is to pay respects to the sect master, and my secondary purpose is to request the sect master’s assistance."

Tong Tian Sect Master replied, "The Saints forbid me from acting, you know this, so why come to me?"

Wukong seeing that Tong Tian Sect Master was feigning confusion, said, "I have come to ask the Mother of No Discord, a disciple of the sect master, for help. With the Mother of No Discord’s assistance, my chances of annihilating the Buddhist Sect increase significantly."

At this point, the apprentices had brewed the Ethereal Cloud Mist Tea. Wukong lifted the teacup and took a gentle sip, feeling a fragrant sensation fill his mouth, his pores opening widely, with his Primordial Spirit seemingly on the verge of leaving his body. The taste went straight to the marrow and was utterly intoxicating.

Tong Tian Sect Master also took a sip of tea before saying, "Hmm, you’ve come to the right place. The Mother of No Discord is indeed my last disciple and extremely steadfast. If she is unwilling, no amount of pleading would make her act. However, her hatred for that scoundrel, Duo Bao, runs deep, so your request for her help is most appropriate."

Overjoyed, Wukong said, "Then I must thank the sect master immensely!"

Tong Tian Sect Master responded, "Your ability to think of this is your own doing, there is no need to thank me."

Wukong rose to his feet and bowed, saying, "Sect Master is too kind, but I must express my gratitude."

Tong Tian Sect Master waved his large sleeve, and suddenly the hall was piled with hundreds of bottles of Elixir Pills. He then said, "These elixirs are remnants of my Jie Taoist days. Now that the Jie Taoist sect is but a distant memory, to keep them would be pointless, and to discard them, a pity. I shall give them to you. Take them with you."

Without a doubt, these Elixir Pills were of top quality, and among them could be some of the finest, not at all comparable to those concocted by Yuan Tiangang. Although Tong Tian Sect Master’s alchemy was not equal to that of the Supreme Elderly Lord, after all, he was a Taoist Saint! Wukong did not hesitate and, after thanking Tong Tian Sect Master once more, collected the elixirs.

"However, I do have one condition," Tong Tian Sect Master suddenly said.

Wukong, having taken so many elixirs, understood that he should offer something in return, but what could he possibly offer to a Saint who lacked for nothing and who would likely disdain any offering? Yet, here was Tong Tian Sect Master, unexpectedly imposing a condition of his own. Wukong, taken aback, replied, "I am all ears for the sect master’s command."

Tong Tian Sect Master said, "I wish to enter your Dantian to observe those Three Thousand Great Paths!"

The Dantian in a person’s body, being the foundation of the Dao, should not be casually intruded upon, but Wukong knew that Tong Tian Sect Master had no reason to harm him and thus replied, "Please, sect master, as you wish."

Tong Tian Sect Master made this request because he wanted to inspect the Three Thousand Great Paths within Wukong’s body and glean some insights from them, to break through the Three Thousand Great Paths and become a Great Dao Sage.

Tong Tian Sect Master turned into a streak of green light that entered directly through Wukong’s forehead and sped to his Dantian.

"What? It isn’t the Primordial Dao Fruit!" Tong Tian Sect Master was shocked to see only a Golden Lotus and a River Map and Luo Book, marveling, "There are traces of the Three Thousand Great Paths on the Golden Lotus, though. The River Map and Luo Book... Fuxi? Sowing a Golden Lotus to create the world? Could it be that there is something profound about this Golden Lotus?"

Tong Tian Sect Master was astounded as he regarded the Golden Lotus. Fuxi’s strategic brilliance was unrivaled, planning across more than a hundred thousand years... Regaining his composure, Tong Tian Sect Master dispersed his Divine Sense, meticulously scanning the three thousand Dao marks on the Golden Lotus.

"How could this Golden Lotus achieve Primordial Dao?" Tong Tian Sect Master harbored such a question.

Having examined the Three Thousand Great Paths, he then exited Wukong’s body and resumed sitting on the Primordial cushion.

To find out what happens next, please stay tuned for the next episode. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to QiDian (qidian.com) to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)