Journey to the West: Demon Emperor: Beginning as a Little Toad

Chapter 393 The Opportunity of "The Formless God and Demon Art"
At present, Sun Wukong’s title of “Great Sage Equaling Heaven” is still an honorary position. He only has the title but no substantial salary or rights.

The Monkey King is like a mascot that has been put on the shelf, a canary kept in captivity in heaven. Although he looks extremely noble, he is actually subject to many restrictions.

The Monkey King is not among the righteous gods in heaven.

The Monkey King is not among the orthodox gods of Taoism. There is no Monkey King in the Taoist pantheon.

In the orthodox mythology system of Taoism, there is no such deity as the Monkey King Sun Wukong.

The Monkey King is actually not recognized by Taoism.

In the lower world, the Monkey King was in an equally embarrassing situation.

The Monkey King also does not have a temple officially canonized by the Heavenly Court, so naturally he cannot enjoy the incense and salaries offered by the devout believers.

Because of this, the serious Taoist temples in the lower world would not worship the Monkey King.

But in the eyes of those Taoists, the Monkey King is actually a wild god who appeared halfway.

This is also the reason why the monkeys in Huaguo Mountain were unable to contact Sun Wukong when they encountered misfortune on the journey to the West.

They cannot pray to the Monkey King.

The monkeys in the Flower-Fruit Mountain were ruthlessly captured by hunters using cruel means such as strong crossbows, yellow eagles, inferior dogs, nets and gun hooks. They suffered tortures such as skinning and bone removal, boiling with sauce and steaming with vinegar, frying with oil and salt, and eventually became food on the hunters' tables.

However, because Sun Wukong was far away, he had no idea of ​​the tragic situation in Huaguo Mountain.

The reason is that the Great Sage Equaling Heaven is just a title of an official position and it does not give Sun Wukong the status of a god in heaven.

Today's Sun Wukong does not yet have the qualifications to enjoy incense and own a Taoist temple.

Although Sun Wukong showed his power, in the eyes of Heaven and Taoism, he was still an existence that could not be officially recognized.

Of course, what Sun Wukong cultivated was the "Great Heavenly Immortal Art" and what he pursued was the "immortal path" of transcendence and freedom, rather than the "path of incense and gods".

Sun Wukong does not rely on the power of incense to increase his strength.

Whether there are incense sticks or not, to Sun Wukong, these are just external things.

He doesn't really care about that now.

Right now, just like the monkeys in Huaguo Mountain, this is also the reason why Xiao Chen has difficulty finding Sun Wukong.

The only way to contact Sun Wukong is through the "person-to-person" method.

……

At this moment, since he had decided to contact Sun Wukong in heaven through the "Dragon Kings of the Four Seas", Xiao Chen did not stay in Xiniu Hezhou for long. He was concerned about getting in touch with Sun Wukong as soon as possible to discuss major plans together.

After resting for a few days in Chechi Kingdom.

Xiao Chen and the Monkey King set out on the journey back to the Dragon Palace in the East China Sea.

After arriving at the Dragon Palace in the East China Sea, the Monkey King went to find Ao Jun and informed him of Xiao Chen's purpose.

Afterwards, Xiao Chen was led to a side hall in the East China Sea Dragon Palace to wait.

Although this side hall is not as magnificent and majestic as the main hall, it is also full of jewels and gems, and is filled with the unique wealth and splendor of the dragon clan.

The dragon clan is indeed very wealthy. They have always been a wealthy family and have never been poor.

Even an ordinary side hall is filled with all kinds of rare treasures, dazzling and colorful, which are dazzling to the eyes.

Not long after.

A burst of light footsteps accompanied by the sound of "da da da" came, obviously someone was walking quickly.

With a creaky sound, the side hall door was pushed open.

Xiao Chen looked up and saw Ao Jun and Wuzhiqi appear in his sight together.

Ao Jun hasn't changed much, she's still dressed like that charming noble lady.

She was wearing a golden robe with cloud patterns and flying dragons embroidered on it that were so lifelike that they seemed as if they could jump out at any time and soar into the sky.

With every step Ao Jun took, golden light flowed, dazzling and brilliant, like the rippling water, reflecting her extraordinary status and noble identity.

But Wuzhiqi, the Great Water Ape Sage, was very different at this time.

He was a middle-aged man with a fair and handsome face, a strong figure and quick movements.

But at this moment, Wuzhiqi seemed a little exhausted, his movements were slow, and he even staggered.

"Ok?"

Xiao Chen could tell at a glance that Wuzhiqi seemed to be injured. There were faint signs of injuries on his body and his face looked slightly pale.

Xiao Chen and Ao Jun are just partners and don't have any social relationship.

They come together because of common goals or interests, and after the cooperation ends, they go their separate ways.

But Xiao Chen and Wuzhiqi have a good relationship.

When killing Vimala Bodhisattva last time, Wuzhiqi provided Xiao Chen with a lot of valuable information, such as the secret of "Incense God Road", the truth of "Resurrection of Pleiades Star Official", and the mystery behind "Investiture of the Gods".

This information is undoubtedly of great help to Xiao Chen.

Not only that, Wuzhiqi also provided him with a batch of high-quality weapons and mirage scale masks free of charge to help him assassinate Vimala Bodhisattva.

"Brother Jinjiao, it's been a long time since we last met. How are you these days?"

As soon as Wuzhiqi met Xiao Chen, he greeted him with a grin.

That smile was full of generosity, as if the injuries on his body were just minor scratches and not worth mentioning at all.

"Brother Wuzhiqi, what's wrong with you?"

At this moment, Xiao Chen was a little surprised to see Wuzhiqi injured, and asked with concern.

He knew that Wuzhiqi had probably been staying in the East China Sea all these years and had hardly been out. Who was he fighting with this time?

"Brother Jinjiao, don't worry, I'm only slightly injured."

"Recently, my 'old enemy under the sea' has started to make trouble again."

"I had a fight with him and got hurt accidentally."

Wuzhiqi smiled and explained:
"Brother Jinjiao, this 'undersea matter'..."

"Come to think of it, it has something to do with you."

Xiao Chen was surprised when he heard this:

"What happened under the sea?"

"Does it have something to do with me?"

Wuzhiqi looked at Ao Jun and said with a smile:

"Jun'er, we are all brothers, so it's okay to chat."

"Let's just chat."

Ao Jun didn't care when he heard this. After all, it was not a big secret and everyone in the dragon clan basically knew about it.

Ao Jun said:

"This matter on the seabed... comes to mind, it is related to some things during the Chaos Period."

"In the past, before the creation of heaven and earth, there was nothing and the universe was in chaos. We call this state 'chaos'."

"chaos……"

Xiao Chen whispered the word, a hint of deep thought flashing in his eyes.

He was no stranger to the concept of "chaos".

In the mythological world, the dark sky and yellow earth and the vast universe are actually not the initial state of all things.

Before the primitive universe, there was an even more ancient and mysterious state, which was "chaos".

First there was chaos, then there was heaven and earth.

Xiao Chen recalled that the opening poem of the original Journey to the West, which he was familiar with, had clearly explained the background of this world:
"Before the chaos, heaven and earth were in turmoil, and the vastness was invisible to all."

"Since Pangu broke through the chaos of the universe, the world has been clear and turbid."

This opening poem of Journey to the West depicts the original scene of the world before the creation of heaven and earth and the chaos it contained, as well as the magnificent act of Pangu creating the world.

The "Sanwu Liji" from the Eastern Han Dynasty in the previous life recorded this myth in detail:
"The universe was in chaos like an egg, and Pangu was born in it. After 18,000 years, the universe was created, the yang was clear and became the sky, and the yin was turbid and became the earth."

It also depicts the chaotic state before the creation of the world, and how Pangu was conceived, grew, and eventually created the world.

Before the creation of heaven and earth, there was a state of chaos.

In the time of chaos, there was a vague chaotic energy everywhere, and it was impossible to tell up from down, left from right, east from west, south from north.

The whole world is like a round body with a core in the middle, like an egg.

This is chaos.

Ao Jun's voice echoed in the side hall, and she continued:

“When the great god Pangu created the world in the chaos, it was not as smooth as we imagined.”

"During the period of chaos, heaven and earth were not yet separated, and all things were not yet nurtured."

"In that incomparable chaos, there were three thousand Chaos Demon Gods roaming the chaos, each displaying their magical powers."

"Their existence even predates the existence of gods, Buddhas, and demons. They are the most ancient creatures in the chaos." "They can also be said to be the same race as the great god Pangu."

"These Chaos Demons are muddleheaded and live together in chaos. They are neither good nor evil, and have no order or disorder. They just survive in chaos by instinct."

Ao Jun continued:
"Slowly, the powerful demons began to devour other demons."

"Through devouring, they obtained the laws and abilities of other demon gods, and gradually condensed into a more powerful existence."

"The great god Pangu is the best among the three thousand Chaos Demon Gods."

"The power of the great god Pangu is extremely powerful, far exceeding that of other demon gods."

"But later, the great god Pangu got tired of living in chaos."

"He longed to create an orderly, vibrant world, a new world that was completely different from chaos."

"So, the great god Pangu decided to create the heaven and earth. He decided to use his own power to break through the chaos and create a new world."

At this point, Ao Jun's tone became heavy:

"However, these three thousand Chaos Demon Gods are not willing to see Pangu succeed."

"They obstructed Pangu from opening the sky, and even fought a great battle with the great god Pangu in the chaos."

"In the end, the great god Pangu killed the Chaos Demons that were obstructing him and broke through the Chaos!"

"From then on, the chaos broke up, the light and clear continued to rise and became the sky, while the heavy and turbid continued to fall and became the earth."

"Chaos is broken, and heaven and earth are separated."

"The great god Pangu had already exhausted all his strength, so he transformed his body into mountains, rivers, plants, and all living things, turning it into the primitive world."

“Although these three thousand Chaos Demon Gods were killed by the Great God Pangu, their power has not completely disappeared.”

"They transformed into the three thousand great ways of the primitive world, forming the foundation of this world."

"However, the death of these Chaos Gods did not bring everything to an end."

"The resentment, obsession and unwillingness left after their death, as well as their remains, turned into ferocious beasts in the prehistoric world."

"These beasts have inherited the savagery and destructive power of the Chaos Devil. They like chaos and have a deep attachment and yearning for it."

“They don’t understand why Pangu destroyed the chaos on which they depended for survival and created a new world.”

“Isn’t chaos good?”

"In their view, chaos is perfect and does not need to be changed."

"They think Pangu is a traitor among them."

"Pangu betrayed Chaos and betrayed them!"

"Therefore, they hated Pangu, and their hatred for Pangu never dissipated."

"So, these ferocious beasts were born with the goal of destroying the primitive world and trying to return the world to chaos."

"They want to destroy everything Pangu created!"

When Xiao Chen heard this, his heart moved and a thoughtful gleam appeared in his eyes.

"chaos……"

Xiao Chen whispered the word "chaos" softly. These two words seemed to contain endless mysteries and vastness, leading his thoughts to that distant and mysterious chaotic era.

"Pangu..."

Then, Xiao Chen recited this great name that created the world in his mind again.

He thought of the "Three Thousand Chaos Demons" that were born in the chaos before the creation of the world.

"Three Thousand Chaos Demon Gods..."

When Xiao Chen heard Ao Jun mention the three thousand chaotic demons, the kind and mysterious face of Master Subhuti instantly emerged in his mind.

And the scene of teaching the skills back then.

Xiao Chen thought of the skill taught to him by Master Subhuti: "The Art of the Formless Gods and Demons".

Back then, Master Subhuti taught him a set of skills called "The Secret of the Formless Gods and Demons", and what he passed on to Sun Wukong was "The Secret of the Great Heavenly Immortals".

"The Great Art of Heavenly Immortality" is a profound and extensive technique, containing the essence of the three schools of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. It contains the meanings of infinite freedom, supreme infinity and supremacy.

This is an extraordinary way, which can seize the fortune of heaven and earth and invade the mysteries of the sun and the moon. Once the elixir is completed, ghosts and gods cannot tolerate it, so it is necessary to overcome a disaster every five hundred years and go through the test of the three disasters of thunder, fire and wind.

His martial art, "The Art of the Formless Gods and Demons", is also known as "The Art of the Formless Gods and Demons".

In fact, he had never forgotten this book "The Secret of the Formless Gods and Demons" and always kept it in mind.

But over the years, he has never figured out the secret.

He tried countless times but was still unable to comprehend the essence of it. He could only practice it as an ordinary technique, and the result was only a slight increase in his strength.

It's useless.

"This 'Formless God and Demon Art' seems to be of no use?"

"This 'Formless God and Demon Art' doesn't seem to have much of a presence?"

"Why is this "Formless God and Demon Art" so useless?"

"Why is this technique so useless?"

"Why is this technique so rubbish?"

Xiao Chen actually always had some doubts about this.

He didn't quite understand either.

What is this "Art of the Formless Gods and Demons"? It looks even worse than the "Art of the Great Heavenly Immortals"?

He compared it with the "Great Heavenly Immortal Art" obtained by Sun Wukong. The "Great Heavenly Immortal Art" seemed to be more magical and powerful, enabling people to make rapid progress on the path of cultivation.

However, his "Art of the Formless Gods and Demons" is completely useless and has no sense of existence at all.

why?

He also had doubts about this.

But Xiao Chen knew very well that Master Subhuti would not teach him a useless skill for no reason.

There must be some deep meaning hidden in this "Art of the Formless Gods and Demons", but the time has not yet come.

"Three Thousand Chaos Demon Gods..."

There was a gleam of thought in Xiao Chen's eyes. He grasped the clue of "Three Thousand Chaos Demons" and recalled what Master Subhuti had mentioned when he taught the "Formless God and Demon Art".

There seems to be some inextricable connection between this "Formless God and Demon Art" technique and the three thousand chaotic demons when Pangu created the world.

“Perhaps, it’s not that I haven’t comprehended the Formless God and Demon Art, but that there is something wrong with the place or method of cultivation.”

Xiao Chen pondered in his heart, and he realized that the practice of this technique might not be a simple meditation, but required to be in harmony with a certain specific environment or power.

However, the world is now stable and the chaotic state no longer exists.

The whole world has long since ceased to be in a state of "chaos".

Where can he go to meet the three thousand Chaos Demons and comprehend the true meaning of "The Art of the Formless Gods and Demons"?
"The Chaos Beast transformed by three thousand Chaos Demon Gods..."

Xiao Chen's thoughts were surging in his mind, and he suddenly thought that since Ao Jun mentioned the three thousand Chaos Demons, there must be something to follow.

Perhaps, the opportunity has not yet arrived.

It may be related to the catastrophe in the ancient world described by Ao Jun.

Since Ao Jun knows about the three thousand Chaos Demons, there may be more secrets about the Chaos Demons hidden in the Dragon Palace.

Thinking of this, Xiao Chen quickly asked Ao Jun:
"What then?"

"later……"

Talking about that turbulent period of primitive history.

At this moment, Ao Jun also took a deep breath, his eyes became more solemn, as if he was oppressed by that vicissitudes of history.

She spoke slowly, her words filled with heaviness and emotion:
"Later, the obsessions of the three thousand Chaos Demon Gods combined with their remaining bodies... and the resulting Chaos Beasts wreaked havoc. The world was in chaos, and all living things struggled in this calamity."

"That was a moment of life and death for the prehistoric world."

"This is the catastrophe of the prehistoric world. It is the necessary process for the prehistoric world to repair itself."

"Just as practitioners have to survive tribulations, the world also has to survive tribulations."

“It is also a test that the new world must overcome.”

"If the prehistoric world cannot survive this catastrophe, the heaven and earth will collapse, everything will burn, everything will turn into nothing, and return to chaos."

"That proves that the efforts of Pangu the Great to create the world were ultimately useless."

"He sacrificed himself and gave everything, but in return he got such a result. Everything he has will be in vain."

"If the Great Desolation World is worse than the Primordial Chaos World, then there is no need for the Great Desolation World to exist. It is better to return to the Primordial Chaos."

“Let everything return to its original state. Perhaps that is the most authentic state of the universe.”

(End of this chapter)