Heaven-Defying Rebel Sage
Chapter 291 - 277: What Joy is there in Life, What Sorrow in Death

Chapter 291: Chapter 277: What Joy is there in Life, What Sorrow in Death

The story tells of Hong Jun and two others retreating from the depths of the Celestial Realm, assisting Ying Zheng in refining the Thirty-Three Heavens Divine Artifact, and then seeking out the nine Heavenly Dao Saints.

Currently, all nine Saints were atop Water Curtain Cave, and upon the arrival of the three, they came out to greet them.

Once seated and tea was served, they began to discuss matters at hand.

Hong Jun, with a serious expression, spoke, "The expansion of the Dao is like a cycle of forty-nine, escape the one, and this one is the single thread of hope. The Great Dao Principles have left us this single thread of hope; it is that the fourth Great Dao Demon God has not yet fully awakened, but only a few years remain. If we cannot produce a Great Dao Sage within these few years, the Earth Immortal Realm will perish."

Di Jun also said, "Although the Great Dao Demon God may not have powerful magical treasures, his Dao techniques are extremely formidable."

Tong Tian shook his head and sighed, "Even with the Slaying Immortal Four Swords, I find it difficult to contend with them; beings born from the Great Dao Principles are indeed extraordinary."

The nine Heavenly Dao Saints, upon hearing that the Great Dao Sages themselves were unable to deal with the Great Dao Demon God, were all extremely shocked.

The Ancestral Demon Luo Hou furrowed his brows and said, "If the last Great Dao Demon God were to awaken, it would be a situation of four against three, outnumbered, you three will suffer great losses! If you three are defeated, then even we nine would not be able to withstand them, and the Earth Immortal Realm would perish."

By this time, Luo Hou was also wholeheartedly concerned for the Earth Immortal Realm. When the nest is overturned, how could the eggs remain intact? It was a moment for the Earth Immortal Realm to be united as one, allowing no room for negligence.

All eyes then turned to Wukong, who had been exploring the Turning Wheel Sage King and was the most likely to achieve the status of Great Dao Sage.

At this moment, Victorious Fighting Buddha arrived at Water Curtain Cave, pressing his palms together, "Innumerable eons! I have already cultivated the All Living Beings Aspect, but it has merely increased my Mana significantly. I am already standing at the peak of the Heavenly Dao Saint Realm, but I cannot take a step further. The enigma of the Great Dao Sage seems to be right in front of my eyes, yet I can’t seem to tear through it no matter what."

To achieve the title of Great Dao Sage, one must comprehend the Great Dao Principles, possess a tremendous amount of Mana, and seize an opportunity.

Often this opportunity is the Three Thousand Great Paths, but since Wukong first cultivated the Three Thousand Great Paths and then became a Heavenly Dao Saint, he must now find another route to achieve the Great Dao Sage.

Having reached the extreme in the way of the Taoist Faction, it is time to pursue the Buddhist Family’s path. The path of the Buddhist Family is the Turning Wheel Sage King, and only the Turning Wheel Sage King!

Amitabha Buddha, pressing his palms together, said, "It’s uncertain how many years it will be before the Turning Wheel Sage King is born. By then, I fear the Earth Immortal Realm will have turned to ash."

Hong Jun said, "Let’s set that concern aside for now and consider how to withstand the onslaught of the Chaos Heaven Demon first."

At this time, the Chaos Heaven Demon and the strange beasts nurtured by Hong Jun were locked in strife, both sustaining damage. Furthermore, a Chaos Heaven Demon of the Heavenly Dao Saint Realm had already moved out.

"Now that the Heavenly Dao Saint Realm’s Chaos Heaven Demon has made his move, while the Great Dao Demon Gods are watching from the sidelines, if we act, they will surely act too. We are restraining each other. Therefore, to withstand this wave of Chaos Heaven Demon attacks, we will have to rely on you," Hong Jun slowly stated.

The current Great Dao Demon Gods were recuperating, waiting for the fourth demon to awaken. Of course, if Hong Jun and the other two Great Dao Sages were to make a move, they would not stand by idly, as the Great Dao Sages were too powerful, capable of annihilating everything with a wave of their hands.

Therefore, the Heavenly Dao Saints and Primordial Golden Immortals were the main combat forces of the Earth Immortal Realm. The final battle of the Great Dao Sages had not yet begun.

Di Jun, along with Hong Jun and Tong Tian, also felt this immense pressure. Fighting one-on-one, they stood to gain little advantage; the Dao Techniques of the "great" were all too powerful. If the fourth demon awoke, then the Earth Immortal Realm would undoubtedly be defeated!

"If the fourth demon awakens, it will certainly be an overwhelming advantage. At that time, we will have no choice but to fight desperately," Di Jun said.

When Great Dao Sages fight desperately, it is truly terrifying, capable of shattering a world, igniting nine thousand Primordial Spirit Thoughts, unleashing their full combat power! But once the nine thousand Primordial Spirit Thoughts have burnt out, it would take another cosmic cycle, 129,600 years, to recover.

Yet, Great Dao Demon Gods are uniquely favored by the Great Dao Principles; even in annihilation, they can revive in just a few years.

All these signs indicated how disadvantaged the Earth Immortal Realm really was!

Wukong’s eyes were slightly closed as he said indifferently, "What is a blessing is not a disaster, what is a disaster cannot be avoided. If one pursues the status of Great Dao Sage with a single-minded obsession, it might backfire. Let nature take its course; the Dao is supremely simple. In the end, what is needed is a heart free from strife and a firm Dao heart."

The various Heavenly Dao Saints were moved. All had thoughts of becoming Great Dao Sages and feared the calamity of the cosmic cycle. Wukong’s words unveiled the true essence. Such a pursuit might backfire, it would be better to let things flow naturally, to follow the Dao, and a path would naturally emerge.

Heaven never seals all exits; the Great Dao still leaves a thread of hope, doesn’t it?

Amitabha Buddha said, "What Wukong said is right. If one is too obsessed with pursuit, the result will elude them. If one lets go, perhaps they will obtain it without even realizing. This, too, is a Buddhist truth."

Lord of Primordial Beginning said, "We’ve been too concerned."

Nine Heavenly Dao Saints decided to rest for three days before hastening to the depths of the Celestial Realm for the final battle with the Chaos Heaven Demon.

This battle was critical to the survival of the Earth Immortal Realm; there was no room for carelessness.

Wukong, however, did not seclude himself for training but strolled leisurely with Xuan Ming. Even without using mana, the two of them walked faster and faster, eventually covering thousands of feet with each step. This was a realm—Nature! The peak of a Heavenly Dao Saint is the Natural Realm; as the saying goes, "The Great Dao is simplicity, the Great Dao is nature," which exactly illustrates this principle. One more step, and they could have broken through the Heavenly Dao Saint Realm.

The Natural Realm, the Dao’s nature, the pinnacle of a Heavenly Dao Saint, was only a step away, yet beneath countless gatherings of Yuan, no one knows how many Heavenly Dao Saints worried themselves gray over that step, meeting the boundless calamities.

"This step is already the pinnacle of a Heavenly Dao Saint, and the next is the Great Dao Sage!" Xuan Ming exclaimed.

They arrived at the Myriad Flowers Valley, where thousands of rare flowers and herbs bloomed, creating a beautiful landscape.

The two slowed down their pace, walking leisurely among the flowers. Wukong said, "Where is it that easy? This step has stumped so many people."

Xuan Ming replied, "Yes, this step has stumped so many... It’s too difficult to surmount."

Wukong said, "In three days we must head to the Celestial Realm battlefield, with the survival of the Earth Immortal Realm resting on our shoulders. If the Great Dao Demon God awakens, it will be up to you and the other eleven Ancestral Witches to form the Capital Heavenly Divine Slayer Formation to stop him."

Wukong was aware that this final battle was likely to have more danger than fortune. Once the Great Dao Demon God awoke, apart from the three who achieved the Heavenly Dao Saint Realm, all would face calamity, turning to ash, their millennia of cultivation in vain. However, his mindset was very steady; he had fulfilled his lifelong wish and had no more regrets. Even in death, he felt neither fear nor concern.

So did Xuan Ming.

The Buddhist Family speaks of "letting go," which Wukong naturally understood. Letting go of everything, breaking the cycle of karma, his lifelong wish was fulfilled. It was time to let go, yet he could not bear to see the Earth Immortal Realm destroyed, the world in suffering, and Goddess Nuwa’s efforts ruined. To him, Nuwa was like a mother.

"To not let go when you cannot obtain, is taboo. I have obtained and let go, what is there to regret? All that’s left is to do my best, to carry out my duties." Wukong took Xuan Ming’s hand, speaking slowly with an extremely indifferent tone, as if nothing else mattered.

"If we are to die, we’ll die together."

Wukong suddenly laughed.

Xuan Ming’s eyes flickered, but she said nothing. Instead, a slight curve appeared on her lips, thinking, "You think it’s that easy to die? Perhaps, the prophecy of Fuxi was meant for me." She smirked gently, emotionally attached yet composed, with not a trace of fear for the impending death.

"Life is not all joy, and death is not all suffering." As Xuan Ming also possessed a Buddhist nature, she naturally saw through these matters.

In Reincarnation, she became a Bodhisattva; her Buddhist nature was profound, not less than Wukong. She deeply understood many Buddhist teachings; such obsessions should have been let go long ago.

"Shouldn’t the Victorious Fighting Buddha overcome everything?" Xuan Ming asked.

"Now, I am one with the Great Dao. I let everything follow fate, too lazy to care anymore. Perhaps when the time comes, I will truly become one with the Great Dao," Wukong casually flipped a somersault, then lay back in the flowers, took a deep breath of the fragrant air, and said, "I haven’t been this relaxed in many years. I used to worry day and night about the tribulations of the gathering of Yuan. But recently, I’ve seen through it all. I’ve let go of everything; what more is there to cling to? To follow fate is enough, for there is a time for everything in life, and one should not force what is not meant to be. This is the ultimate truth of the Great Dao!"

Xuan Ming looked down slightly, lifted her skirt, and sat next to him. She slowly said, "What you say makes sense. After much thought, that is indeed the reason. What is life all about?"

Wukong replied, "In a lifetime, one experiences love and hatred, grievances and anger, gains and losses, tasting every flavor of life. Once all karma is resolved, one can let go. That is life. We live to savor all the flavors of the world—happiness, pain. Don’t you think?"

Xuan Ming broke into a smile, "You’re right! Having experienced and seen through everything in this world, I can let it all go. What’s there to regret, even in death?"

"Who said you’d die with me? You will survive... Planting the Golden Lotus to create a world; perhaps, in the next cycle of Yuan, you will remember me, and encounter a woman similar to me—it might be a blooming lycoris." Xuan Ming murmured silently within, "Letting go, I am still unable to achieve it."

Turning her head, she saw that Wukong had already fallen asleep.

He lay with his eyes closed amidst the flowers, pinching a budding blossom between two fingers, a faint smile on his lips.

The charm of his smiling countenance amidst the flowers was utterly captivating.

To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the following Chapters. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your vote for the recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)