The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 192 - 188: Suddenly Hearing the Scripture, Realizing Bodhi

Chapter 192: Chapter 188: Suddenly Hearing the Scripture, Realizing Bodhi

Legend tells of the Daoist Equal to Heaven bringing Tao Yao into Flower-Fruit Mountain, where they chanced upon several brothers.

Along the way, Tao Yao saw many little demons; she had never witnessed such a bustling scene before and couldn’t help but feel delighted.

As the Daoist Equal to Heaven led Tao Yao across the great bridge of the Water Curtain Cave, she couldn’t help but smile and say, "The scenery here is really beautiful; living here must be quite enjoyable!"

The Daoist Equal to Heaven nodded and said, "From now on, you can live here, and when the day comes that you want to leave, you may. Here, you’re welcome anytime."

Tao Yao nodded repeatedly, saying, "Okay, as long as you don’t find me a bother, I’ll stay here then!"

Upon entering the Water Curtain Cave, a group of brothers came out to greet them.

"Who is this young lady, can it be that she’s Seventh Brother’s wife?" Yu Rong King asked.

"What nonsense are you spouting! He and I are good friends." Tao Yao looked at the fierce and ghastly-faced Yu Rong King without fear and said with her bright, sparkling eyes.

Yu Rong King exclaimed, "Oh, the little lady is quite feisty!"

The Daoist Equal to Heaven explained, "She’s a friend I met in the Heavenly Court who once saved my life. She encountered some trouble in the Heavenly Court, so she’s come to stay in Flower-Fruit Mountain for a while."

"That’s not right, there’s an affair going on!"

The group of brothers snickered, but the Daoist Equal to Heaven kept a straight face, and Tao Yao just stared, not understanding the joke.

Peng Demon King rolled his eyes dramatically and said, "Can’t you give us some kind of reaction? It’s boring otherwise!"

The Daoist Equal to Heaven, helpless, said, "She’s staying here. I need to check on my senior sister again, so I’m heading back up there."

And with that, after saying another word to Tao Yao, he shot up into the sky.

Tao Yao, puzzled, looked at all the Demon Kings with their unique and strange appearances and asked, "Are all of you Sun Wukong’s friends?"

Jiao Demon King said, "Yes, we’re all his brothers! Little sister, what’s your name?"

Tao Yao answered, "My name is Tao Yao! It’s the same Tao Yao from the ’Book of Songs,’ the one in ’the peach tree is young and elegant.’

The Macaques King nodded and said, "Since you’re Seventh Brother’s lifesaver, naturally, you’re also a benefactor to us brothers. From now on, you can live on Flower-Fruit Mountain. If anyone dares to bully you, just tell us, and we’ll take care of them. We’ve opened up many cave abodes on the back mountain, you can pick one to live in."

Tao Yao agreed, and with the brothers leading the way, went merrily to select a cave abode on the back mountain.

Meanwhile, the Daoist Equal to Heaven ascended to heaven unhindered, easily bypassing the Heavenly Court and arriving at Upper Pure Heaven.

Because the Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch was imparting his teachings, the doorways of all the Thirty-Three Heavens above were wide open. However, no one dared to disturb the serenity of the Saint, so everyone prudently proceeded to the Jade Pure Sky to listen to the teachings rather than causing trouble here.

Just as the Daoist Equal to Heaven was preparing to move on, he heard the sound of Daoist chanting coming from the distant Biyougong Palace.

The scripture read:

Before the Supreme Clarity’s Purple Mist, the Supreme Daoist Jade Morning Lord, resides leisurely within Pearl Essence composing septenary verses, disseminating the transformations of the pentavalent into myriad deities.

This refers to the inner Chapters of the Yellow Court Classic; a tune thrice repeated plays as fetuses dance amongst immortals, nine auras shine brightly from the firmament, giving rise to divine coverlets and zephyrs of purple mist surrounding children.

It is said that the Jade Scriptures merit diligent study; singing it, one’s myriad transgressions elevate through the Third Heaven, a thousand calamities dissipated, a hundred ailments cured, unafraid of fierce threats from Tigers and Wolves, and thus, prolonging the vigor of youth undiminished.

This is the "Yellow Court Classic," an essential scripture of the Supreme Clarity Daoism. The Ancestral Taoist Masters have many titles, and the Supreme Daoist Jade Morning Lord is another appellation for Spiritual Treasure Celestial Venerable and Leader of Heaven-Penetrating.

The Daoist Equal to Heaven, now vastly different from his former self, immediately discerned some of the profundities within and was shocked, thinking, "This ’Yellow Court Classic’ emphasizes nurturing the inner deities and the external celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars! The Patriarch’s methods say: ’Store the leak-proof treasure within; in the body, we enshrine, achieving cool serenity, radiance pure as light, within the moon houses the Jade Rabbit and the sun cradles the Raven, naturally forming the Tortoise and Snake Entwined Formation.’ It seems to discuss the Buddhist sect’s Visualization Method and the mysteries of the Leak-proof Golden Body, but in fact, it expounds the main theme of the ’Yellow Court Classic’ of Supreme Clarity Daoism!"

"Oh my! Emperor Da Yu in ancient times attained the True Scriptures of the Precious Luminaries at Mount Zhong and then cultivated the Path of Becoming an Immortal. He was a disciple of Spiritual Treasure Celestial Venerable, and although the Jingu Bang was refined by Laojun, who else but Spiritual Treasure could command Laojun to help in Artifact Refining?" the Daoist Equal to Heaven thought rapidly.

The Daoist Equal to Heaven then suddenly realized that when passing by Wuzhuang Temple, Zhen Yuanzi ascended to listen to Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch’s teachings on the Primordial Dao Fruit, yet it was not to the Jade Pure Sky that he went, but to the Shangqing Tian Miluo Palace!

All signs seemed to be pointing back to the Spiritual Treasure Celestial Venerable who had long remained obscured behind the scenes, attracting little attention.

It was only upon hearing this scripture that the Daoist Equal to Heaven began to ponder, and as he was contemplating, he heard: "The spirit’s platform flourishes, gazing upon the yellow fields, within inches of a different realm lie the secrets of above and below."

"The Spirit’s Platform, three inches... the Spiritual Platform, the Square Inch!" the Daoist Equal to Heaven thought to himself, "Why didn’t my senior sister go to Jade Pure Sky earlier to listen to the teachings, claiming she had matters to attend to? What important matters could she have? It is likely that she is from the Upper Pure Heaven, and her previous excuse for being busy may have been a lie she told after seeing me!"

The Daoist Equal to Heaven thought, "Let me go and see; upon meeting the Spiritual Treasure Celestial Venerable, I won’t care about anything else, I’ll just bow my head and shout ’Master,’ and observe his reaction!"

With that thought, the Daoist Equal to Heaven headed straight for the Biyougong Palace, also known as the Miluo Palace.

The Daoist Equal to Heaven pieced together the clues from his past and present life, every one of which pointed towards the Spiritual Treasure Celestial Venerable.

Among the Three Pure, it was Spiritual Treasure who had the most leisure time. Moreover, the teachings of Spiritual Treasure advocated ’instructing without discrimination’. Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch was the least willing to accept disciples from the demon race, and Laojun disliked taking disciples even more, having only one disciple, Master Lingbao. During the ancient Divine Enthronement period, the Sect of Interception was massive because the Spiritual Treasure Celestial Venerable accepted disciples regardless of their origins. Whether you were human, demon, ghost, or monster, as long as you sought the Dao, you were brought into the Sect of Interception to become its disciple.