Chapter 735: Stone Monkey Emerges

How can I best teach the monkey? After Li Changshou returned to Mount Lingtai, he began contemplating this profound question.

To this end, he specifically traveled among mortals, observing and visiting monkey trainers. From them, he gained some insights and formed many ideas.

The stone monkey is undoubtedly a creature brimming with spiritual energy, far surpassing ordinary mortals. Born from a stone womb without parents, it could claim Saintess Nuwa as its mother above, and below, exist as a unique being not bound by the Three Realms and Five Elements.

Deep down, Li Changshou actually held some respect for the stone monkey.

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven… What a hero, and what recklessness, to claim such a title. A newborn calf fears no tiger; a newborn stone monkey fears no Dao Ancestor.

To teach the monkey, he needed to approach it from two aspects. One was to preserve its innate nature, and the other was to impart fighting skills.

Li Changshou's preferred profound technique was naturally the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, but currently, it was a Daoist protective art, circulated only among a small number of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect. 'Nominally,' he couldn't acquire such a technique.

Furthermore, the monkey's Seventy-Two Transformations, Cloud Somersault, and Steel Body abilities all needed to reach a 'profound' level for the monkey to cope with future calamities.

Li Changshou never intended to manipulate or scheme against the monkey; he wanted it to retain its innate nature.

However, Li Changshou did calculate and consider various scenarios.

Just considering 'combat strength'. Based on Yang Jian's combat strength at the end of the Investiture of the Gods calamity — and after several centuries, Yang Jian's power would undoubtedly have leaped forward. When the monkey wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, its combat strength should be considered on par with Yang Jian's. Assuming the monkey enjoyed decades of freedom on Flower Fruit Mountain after birth before coming to him for tutelage, it would still take at least two to three centuries for its spiritual energy to transform into magical power, allowing it to fight Yang Jian on equal terms in the future. This speed would already be considered the limit. After all, no matter how high the monkey's comprehension, it couldn't cultivate through sudden enlightenment like he did.

If he couldn't get the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, what should he teach the monkey? As for the hair-plucking and blowing technique for external avatars, Li Changshou had more than ten ideas to impart, but the monkey would also require continuous cultivation over time.

Upon careful consideration, the problem was indeed troublesome.

Or perhaps? Start prenatal education early?

Li Changshou mused for a few moments, thinking he could seize this opportunity to test the Dao Ancestor's limits and see what solutions the Dao Ancestor might offer.

So, he sat in the Bodhi Residence of the Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave, pondering for months. He then let out a long sigh and declared aloud: "I humbly request the Heavenly Dao to instruct me on how to teach this excellent disciple."

In the Purple霄 Palace, the burly Daoist slightly frowned, a hint of disdain appearing on his face, as he pointed a finger towards Mount Fangcun.

Before 'Subhuti,' wisps of precious light swirled, coalescing into three jade talismans.

Li Changshou stood up, made a Daoist bow, and exclaimed, "Many thanks, Lord Heavenly Dao." He then took the jade talismans in hand and focused his gaze.

When he looked at the first jade talisman, Li Changshou chuckled inwardly, realizing that the method given by the Dao Ancestor still focused on the primordial spirit and comprehension, with 'Subhuti' shaping a powerful physical body for the monkey. A simple and direct cheat. This technique was called the 'Great Grade Heavenly Immortal Art.' The 'Heavenly Immortal' here didn't refer to the Heavenly Immortal realm but rather 'Immortal of Heaven.' With this method, one could cultivate to the Golden Immortal Dao Realm in a short time; if the monkey had good comprehension and received more insights from the Heavenly Dao, reaching the Grand Unity realm in a few centuries would be no problem. But there was one point: this method was for quick cultivation, and the Great Dao it carried was the 'Way of Conflict.' This was a relatively vague concept; this Great Dao itself was born for combat, its main purpose being to keep living beings in constant conflict, with the magical effect of growing stronger the more one fought. The drawbacks were equally obvious: besides fighting and combat, there would be no other insights. It offered no improvement in the cultivation of moral character, intelligence, aesthetics, or diligence for a Qi Refiner.

The Dao Ancestor had provided a solution, saving him some worry. At most, he would leave some beneficial contingencies for the monkey.

When opening the second jade talisman, 'Subhuti's' expression remained unchanged, but Li Changshou, deep down, swore under his breath for the first time in a long while. What in the world? The Seventy-Two Transformations — seventy-two kinds of transformations, capable of changing into grass, wood, insects, stones, living creatures, and spiritual beings, truly a treasure for escaping disaster and seeking refuge. What Li Changshou found somewhat unacceptable was that the transformation incantations and cultivation methods within were exactly the same as the improved transformation technique he had compiled in his straw hut on Little Qiong Peak and taught to Yang Jian, Ling'e, and Long Ji! It was a complete copy of the transformation methods he had researched back then! Had the Dao Ancestor gone too far? Directly plagiarizing his insights written in the jade talisman! And it was completely free! The kind where no greeting was even given! Li Changshou silently cursed his bad luck, but could only grumble in his main body's mind, while 'Subhuti's' Dao heart remained calm, even showing a hint of joy.

The third jade talisman recorded many powerful divine abilities, such as the Adamantine Steel Body (Heavenly Dao enhanced version), Dharma Idol of Heaven and Earth, Five Elements Evasion Art, Cloud Somersault, and so on. As a supplement, Li Changshou would also impart some combat skills to the monkey, skills not determined by cultivation methods. For instance, how to react when surrounded by numerous strong opponents, how to quickly sense the weaknesses of formations, eighty-one small tricks for recovering energy during combat, and close-quarters combat instant-kill routines. All were very valuable summaries of combat experience. Of course, these things had to be subtly imparted, not directly compiled into a manual. Causing the Dao Ancestor to suspect him over such minor matters would be a case of losing more than gaining.

In the presence of the Heavenly Dao, Li Changshou began to ponder the three jade talismans, cultivating each internal technique contained within, meticulously comprehending and gaining insights, and even incorporating some elements of the 'Emptiness-Solving' Great Dao.

The burly old Daoist in the Purple Bamboo Forest was quite pleased with this.

In recent years, as soon as Buddhism was established, it began its missionary work, widely recruiting disciples and consecrating Bodhisattvas and Arhats. As Duobao was originally the senior disciple of the Jie Sect, those Jie Sect disciples who were converted to the Western Religion by Daoist Jieyin were no longer merely restricted by the 'Great Dao of Salvation' and the 'Guiding Divine Banner.' There were still many masters among them. Especially since the power of living beings in heaven and earth had degraded again due to the Investiture of the Gods calamity, with Saints not appearing and great powers retreating, even Grand Unity Golden Immortals dared to call themselves masters of a region. The strength of Spirit Mountain could no longer be underestimated. After a roundabout course, the Heavenly Dao prophecy of the West's great rise was about to be realized. The Saints and their disciples who had been constantly vying with each other had either died or been injured. Affairs of the world are impermanent, and so is the Heavenly Dao. Without reaching the final step, no one knew who would be the ultimate winner.

On Mount Fangcun, Subhuti showed a serene smile, closing his eyes to sense the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. His mind appeared relaxed, but in reality, it remained constantly vigilant. Just a little more perseverance, and the days of retirement and rest would not be far off.

In the tenth year after Buddhism's establishment, the East Sea was continuously enveloped in radiant light for several months, and unusual phenomena appeared frequently around Flower Fruit Mountain. The demon race seemed to sense something; most lesser demons avoided Flower Fruit Mountain, while greater demons observed the area where the phenomena were most concentrated. There was a large formation there, concealing some unknown treasure. Some old demons claimed that ever since they discovered Flower Fruit Mountain, it had been a forbidden zone, enveloped in profound Daoist charm, causing fear and dread upon approach.

Several rumors, accompanied by the radiant light, spread among the demon race. An unparalleled demon king would appear on Flower Fruit Mountain, capable of leading the demon race to its next glorious era. The unparalleled demon king of Flower Fruit Mountain was no ordinary being, having been enveloped by the power of a Saint from early on, likely part of a Saint's scheme. The unparalleled demon king of Flower Fruit Mountain was a divine general cultivated by the Heavenly Court, descended to annihilate the demon race.

These rumors grew increasingly mystical, and some bolder demons entered the mist. However, they never returned, their life souls vanishing into thin air.

This further aroused the demon race's desire to investigate. They secretly captured several human Qi Refiners of low cultivation, sent them inside to explore, and made them leave a wisp of their life souls. However, as these Qi Refiners entered the area, their life souls instantly dissipated. One corpse was even thrown out, bearing a line of large golden characters: "Demons retreat, do not provoke the spiritual embryo." The signature was a Buddhist imprint, and just these eight characters and one imprint made all the demon masters tremble with fear.

After a brief discussion, the demon race decided to temporarily avoid Flower Fruit Mountain and observe future developments.

Finally, the radiant light of Flower Fruit Mountain flickered for one hundred seventy-nine days. Flower Fruit Mountain experienced several tremors in its earth veins. The mountain ape spirits left behind by the ape tribe, who had not yet gained intelligence, one by one, were at a loss.

Heavenly Court, Lingxiao Palace.

The Jade Emperor sat quietly on his throne, maintaining that posture for centuries without moving. Because his heart was unwilling, and his temper stubborn.

In truth, the Jade Emperor knew that as long as he yielded, as long as he bowed his head, the chains on his body would dissipate, and he could wear white robes or yellow robes at will. As the first in the Heavenly Dao hierarchy, with his cultivation at Grand Unity Perfection, the Dao Ancestor could not touch him unless he directly annihilated him or sentenced him for a major crime within the Heavenly Dao's operational laws, replacing him with another Heavenly Emperor.

Why resist his teacher? In reality, it wasn't resistance, just a touch of indignation in his heart towards his teacher's ruthless handling of certain matters.

He was the living being closest to the Heavenly Dao. His authority was bestowed by the Dao Ancestor, and it was the Dao Ancestor who granted him his current position as ruler of the Three Realms. Ruler of the Three Realms... The Jade Emperor chuckled self-deprecatingly in his heart, yet due to the Heavenly Dao's restraints, he couldn't show any expression. He was merely the Dao Ancestor's puppet.

He didn't know how Chang Geng was faring in the Chaos Sea; Chang Geng had previously said there was a way to survive there, but he was still somewhat worried.

Sometimes the Jade Emperor would also wonder if, had Daoist Duobao called for rebellion against heaven, and he, as the Heavenly Emperor, had stood up against the Heavenly Dao, things might have turned out differently today. But... In the end, there were too many attachments, too many entanglements, and too many concerns.

Resisting their teacher, Senior Brother Taiqing had actually tried, but still couldn't separate their teacher from the Primordial World. Their teacher was already the will of Heaven and Earth. For him, the 'spokesperson' of the will of Heaven and Earth, to oppose Heaven and Earth, would not have any decisive effect, but would instead cause greater calamity between Heaven and Earth. That would be a great war where the Heavenly Dao would overturn living beings. Because most living beings cannot survive detached from Heaven and Earth, the living beings' side was destined to lose and had to compromise with the Heavenly Dao. Besides Chang Geng, no one understood the Heavenly Dao better than he, the Jade Emperor. He had actually known what the Dao Ancestor was going to do long ago, having seen the script of the Investiture of the Gods before the calamity even began. Furthermore, his weeping complaints in the Purple霄 Palace were not just because he, as the Heavenly Emperor, felt wronged and ignored by the Saint disciples of the Jie and Chan Sects. More so, it was because he had seen too much, wished to change things but couldn't, and held too much pent-up frustration.

Sometimes the Jade Emperor would even wonder if Chang Geng were in his position, could he then counteract their teacher? Of course, this was mere fantasy; he couldn't decide whether to abdicate or who the next Heavenly Emperor would be. Jade Emperor, Hao Tian Child... How ironic. He and the Queen Mother were originally primordial beings created by the Heavenly Dao, destined to become the executors and guardians of the Heavenly Dao's order!

Forget it, there's no point in saying all this. After all the things Chang Geng did for the Heavenly Court, he was ultimately exiled. Chang Geng was right; to be a Heavenly Emperor who protects living beings, one must learn to control their personal desires, maintain sufficient rationality, and find a balance between the Heavenly Dao and living beings.

Now, with the Three Realms sealed, the Dao Ancestor had used the power of the Heavenly Dao's origin to form a barrier of heaven and earth, trapping Chang Geng, the 'one escaped,' outside the cosmos... Previously, he had also purified the Nine Filth Springs, keeping the power of karma away from heaven and earth. A heaven and earth without variables, without calamities, capable of existing eternally—wasn't that how it was built? Ridiculous... Ridiculous!

"Your Majesty." A gentle call came from the side; the kind-faced, slender old official, holding a whisk, made a Daoist bow and softly said, "It is time to summon the gods for deliberation."

The Jade Emperor opened his eyes, which were slightly devoid of spirit, and calmly said, "Summon them."

"Yes." The old official responded, flicked his whisk, and the melodious sound of bells echoed outside the Lingxiao Palace.

Before long, streaks of immortal light shot forth from various points in the Thirty-Three Heavens, transforming into civil and military officials who lined up before the palace entrance and walked with bowed heads into the great hall. Once a hundred true gods had arrived, the Grand White Elder beside the Jade Emperor gave a signal, and the assembled gods bowed to the Jade Emperor.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Rise, my beloved ministers," the Jade Emperor said slowly, completing most of the 'work' for a court assembly.

Under the Grand White Elder's moderation, the duty god of the Tongming Hall spoke of recent trivial matters in the Three Realms, mostly concerning seasonal changes, rainfall and dew, and the general state of birth, old age, sickness, and death among mortals. Other immortals and gods presented memorials, which the Grand White Elder read one by one, selecting important matters for the gods to discuss. The entire court assembly was quite lively, and its efficiency was not low. The Jade Emperor occasionally added a few words, always about major affairs related to governing the Three Realms.

Today, a military general presented a memorial, recommending several heavenly generals for official entry into the divine ranks. The Jade Emperor looked at the memorial and saw a familiar name. Youqin Xuanya.

The Jade Emperor directly said, "Appoint General Youqin Xuanya as a Fourth-Rank True God, with the salary of a Third-Rank True God, endowed with the authority to command troops, joining the ranks of the gods of the Combat Department, and from now on, she will be responsible for guarding the Moon Palace." Many immortals and gods below were startled. The Grand White Elder beside him chuckled, "Your Majesty, such a sudden promotion, isn't it..."

"Hmm?" The Jade Emperor's gaze swept to the side, and the Grand White Elder quickly lowered his head.

"Are my words to be disregarded now?"

"Your Majesty, forgive me. The Heavenly Court is naturally under your command."

"Go and do it." The Jade Emperor snorted, tossing the memorial in his hand onto the jade desk. "Furthermore, bestow upon General Youqin Xuanya the Demon-Slaying Divine Sword, instruct the Imperial Horse Keep to find several celestial steeds, and let the Jade Pool grant immortal robes and flat peaches."

Duke Mu hastily said, "But Your Majesty, shouldn't General Youqin have some merits for this?"

"I find her pleasing to the eye; isn't that merit enough?" The Lingxiao Palace instantly fell silent. The gods kept quiet, and the Grand White Elder bowed to receive the order, then trotted away with his whisk.

The Jade Emperor calmly said, "Continue the deliberations." The gods obeyed, resuming their previous rhythm. Many immortals and gods were still idly speculating, but those who knew the truth understood that this was merely the Jade Emperor expressing his dissatisfaction with the Heavenly Dao and protecting Youqin Xuanya. The Heavenly Dao would not deepen its conflict with the Jade Emperor over a mere Golden Immortal whose memory had been altered.

The court assembly was barely halfway through when Youqin Xuanya had already received a large number of rewards, including a new residence. Youqin Xuanya was somewhat puzzled. She stood up and looked towards the Lingxiao Palace, wondering why she had received so many rewards without clear reason, contemplating going to the Lingxiao Palace to ask the Jade Emperor to retract his decree.

Suddenly, a seven-colored radiant light appeared between heaven and earth, shining from the Eastern Heavenly Gate, breaking through layers of heavenly barriers, and rushing directly towards the Lingxiao Palace!

In the Lingxiao Palace, the Jade Emperor frowned deeply, initially thinking it was a warning from the Heavenly Dao. However, as the Jade Emperor smashed the jade desk, let out a low cry, "What dares to shake the might of the Heavenly Court?", and stood up, ready to confront the Heavenly Dao, Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Accompanying Ear rushed in from outside the hall.

"Report—"

"Radiant light shines from the East Sea coast, shaking the Heavenly Court and the Underworld!"

East Sea? A slight doubt arose in the Jade Emperor's heart. He then carefully sensed the operation of the Heavenly Dao and realized that this radiant light was not a warning from the Heavenly Dao. He had indeed misunderstood his teacher this once.

"Investigate!"