If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1344 The Ape
Outside Baiyun Cave.

"Brother Ji, what's wrong with you guys?"

After standing by the white jade incense burner for a long time, Xi Juan hesitated for a long time before taking the initiative to walk towards Liu Ji and the others.

Because Liu Ji's condition was visibly poor. He left the immortal abode before the incense had even burned out, which was abnormal.

"Master, you look unfamiliar. May I ask your name?" Liu Ji asked, somewhat surprised and wary.

Xi Juan looked herself up and down and smiled, "I am Xi Juan from Zhaoyang Lake, and I have used the Earthly Fiend Transformation Technique."

"Ah, it's Brother Xi Juan!" Liu Jixian exclaimed in surprise.

When he met Xi Juan's eyes and saw her familiar, clear gaze, he immediately believed her. "Junior brother, what are you doing here?"

Fan Kuai stared at Xi Juan, still somewhat suspicious, and said, "Brother Ji, I remember very clearly that this Taoist priest carried another Taoist priest up the mountain before."

Xi Juan nodded and said, "That's my cousin. Brother Ji, I met him in Teng County before. Do you remember him?"

"Oh, it's Brother Di Hua. Is he still in the cave? What happened to you?" Liu Ji asked curiously.

Xi Juan had hesitated beforehand, but now that she had come to see Liu Ji, she had nothing to hide and recounted her experiences over the past few days.

There was no concealment whatsoever regarding Teacher Wuyazi.

“Hey, I told your sister-in-law that day that Daoist Wuyazi would probably stop by Teng County to see you. I didn’t expect you to come to Mangdang Mountain.”

Liu Ji clapped his hands, his face showing both regret and anticipation, "I've missed so many days for nothing."

"Junior brother, when the immortal abode closes later, you must take me to see Daoist Wuyazi."

Fan Kuai and the others also showed their anticipation, "If we had known that the Taoist priest would come to Mangdang Mountain, why would we have come to this dilapidated cave?"

After several days of effort, all I gained were a few Earthly Fiend Divine Skills, which were not as useful as the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Method that the Taoist priest taught me back then.

Xi Juan said, "I heard from the water demon of Zhaoyang Lake that the Ape King's Immortal Abode was going to appear in the Mangdang Marshland, and the first thing I thought of was coming to find you."

But later, I met my teacher, who said there was something wrong with the magic in the immortal abode. Telling you might not be a good thing for you; it's better to let things take their course.

Later, my cousin and I wandered around Baiyun Peak for a few days, and none of the people we met seeking immortality were virtuous. There were even demonic and evil cultivators among them, which further diminished my interest in obtaining the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend techniques.

I haven't even mastered the supernatural powers my teacher taught me. It's not worth risking unknown dangers to enter the cave seeking immortality.

So my cousin went into the cave, and I stayed outside.

I'll just consider this serendipitous encounter in the immortal abode a valuable experience, a chance to gain valuable experience in the martial world.

Liu Ji asked nervously, "Did Daoist Wuyazi say what the risks are in practicing the immortal techniques in the cave?"

Xi Juan glanced at him and sighed, "Brother Ji has already come out of there. What's done is done. You might as well open your heart."

"I want to see Daoist Wuyazi immediately." Liu Jizhen was getting anxious and also regretting it.

“No problem. After the Ape Lord Immortal Abode closes, I'll take Brother Ji to find our teacher. Now…” Xi Juan looked Liu Ji up and down again, “Why are you in such a hurry, Brother Ji? The incense hasn't even burned out yet!”

Liu Ji quickly recounted what had happened inside the cave.

"So it's Grand Tutor Yu." Xi Juan thought for a moment and said, "Even if Brother Ji has great ambitions, he has not done anything to disobey the court at this time, so Grand Tutor Yu has no reason to cause you trouble."

"I still want to wait down the mountain." Liu Ji wasn't afraid of making a fool of himself and said with a frightened expression, "Grand Tutor Yu's imposing manner was too heavy, I almost wet my pants."

Xi Juan smiled and said, "Brother Ji, you go down the mountain first. Once my cousin Di Hua comes out, I'll come down the mountain to find you immediately."

Liu Ji worried that once they separated, it would be difficult to reunite, so he hesitated again.

"Forget it, I'll just wait outside the cave with my brothers. Lord Xiao and Wang Ling haven't finished their enlightenment yet."

"However, we can't just block the cave entrance." Liu Ji pointed to the woods on the mountain, "Let's hide in the woods."

"Hiding?" Xi Juan was taken aback, realizing that he was truly afraid of Grand Tutor Yu.

"Alright, let's go up the mountain to see the scenery. Besides the immortal destiny, Baiyun Peak is also a sacred mountain in itself, with incomparably magnificent scenery. I guarantee Brother Ji will have a worthwhile trip."

Xi Juan was bored, so she climbed all the way to the top of the mountain and saw many medicinal fields and fairy fruit forests.

On the platform at the top of the mountain where the ape often practiced swordsmanship, he even observed the sword marks, comprehended the sword intent, and learned a set of sword techniques!

After Liu Ji, Grand Tutor Yu exchanged great techniques with several extraordinary individuals and heroes.

Having witnessed Liu Ji's mastery of the Heavenly Gang Technique, she no longer had a strong desire for other people's "crippled version" of the Heavenly Gang Technique.

She will only exchange with them if they come to her on their own initiative.

If they don't come, she won't pay them any attention, even if they pretend to be dead like Liu Ji.

Two hours passed quickly, and the dozen or so "predestined people" who were still meditating in front of the wall suddenly woke up and couldn't help but shout anxiously: "No, how come the time has passed so quickly? We almost didn't memorize the Taoist teachings!"

Those familiar with the rules of Baiyun Cave immediately turned their heads and looked at the white jade incense burner outside the cave.

"The three sticks of incense are about to burn out. Hurry, hurry, the Ape King is coming back from the sky."

About three hundred people hurriedly ran out. Grand Tutor Yu remained seated cross-legged in front of the stone wall, motionless.

Before long, the once lively and spacious immortal cave became quiet and empty, with only Grand Tutor Yu remaining.

After about half a cup of tea's time, Xiaoyu felt a strong repulsive force falling on her, trying to crush and pulverize her body.

It's like half a pig has fallen into a shredder, and the shattered remains are being sprayed outwards.

She smiled slightly, and her body shimmered with a faint blue light, forming a blue sphere about ten feet tall.

The sphere of light forms its own spacetime, where the order of yin and yang is determined by her, and the rules of spacetime follow her will.

A tiny sphere of light, like a complete little world, remains unmoved no matter how the rules of the Great Dao change outside.

The sphere of light remained still and unshaken, and Master Yu, as the true form of the "sphere of light world," was naturally at peace.

"The time has come," an old voice said at the cave entrance.

Grand Tutor Yu nodded slightly, "After a long wait, the time for me and Ape Master to be alone has finally arrived."

The ape looked utterly speechless.

He was 1.5 meters tall, wearing a linen-colored Taoist robe, with pure white hair that was thick and beautiful, each strand crystal clear and shimmering with a faint spiritual light.

What's most distinctive is his arms, which don't just hang down to the ground.

He has to bend his arms so that his palms don't touch the ground when he walks normally.

He walked to within three zhang of Grand Tutor Yu, circled her a few times, and exclaimed, "Grand Tutor Yu is indeed exceptionally talented. In just a few hours, she has mastered several extraordinary Heavenly Arts."

Perhaps even the legendary innate Daoist physique is nothing more than this. But I've heard that the Grand Tutor doesn't possess any immortal bones.

Could it be, as some great immortals have predicted, that your sword bone is merely a concealment of your second, or even third, innate supernatural power?

Grand Tutor Yu stood up, bowed to him, and said with a smile, "Master Yuan once made a great vow to seize a glimpse of heavenly secrets for all those who seek the Dao in the world."

Now that I've encountered a pitiful soul like myself, possessing unparalleled talent but lacking any destiny to become an immortal, why not bestow great kindness and righteousness upon me, to fulfill the vow I made long ago?

The ape asked, "How many Heavenly Gang Techniques have you comprehended?"

Grand Tutor Yu said, "There are twenty-two gates, but we are still short fourteen."

The old ape sighed, "If you were only missing one or two skills, out of the 'fate' that brought us together here, I might make an exception and give you some pointers, and my master probably wouldn't say anything. But you lack the fortune. You're missing fourteen skills, how can I help you?"

He pointed at the stone wall and said with a wry smile, "You really think I'm its master? It's my master, and I'm its servant. That's the truth about Baiyun Cave."

Grand Master Yu released his spiritual senses to subtly perceive the immortal aura and charm emanating from him.

The immortal energy is not yet pure Yang, nor does it show any signs of being pure Yang; therefore, it is not that of a Golden Immortal.

His aura contained a sharp sword intent, indicating he was a top-tier swordsman.

The Daoist aura is quite profound, indicating a solid foundation in the cultivation techniques. However, the process of transforming the Daoist aura into the celestial aura is not smooth.

In short, the mixed and impure nature of the immortal essence indicates that his fundamental techniques are not very sophisticated.

In summary, this is a talented and hardworking sword immortal who is lacking in both divine affinity and divine blessings.

"Master Ape, you obtained the complete Nine Heavens Secret Technique, why haven't you cultivated the Celestial Immortal Technique?"

The Ape Master said, "I am an anomaly, how can I cultivate the Heavenly Immortal Technique?"

Grand Master Yu said, "The ultimate goal of the Celestial Immortal Technique is to merge with the Dao, therefore, cultivating the Celestial Immortal Technique requires a great deal of 'divine favor'."

Because humans are the main beings of heaven and earth, they naturally possess 'divine favor,' making it easier for them to cultivate celestial immortal techniques.

As for those who are different, especially the demon race, they have long lost the favor of the heavens and do not have the conditions to cultivate the Heavenly Immortal Techniques.

"You, Ape Master, are a gibbon, resembling a monkey in form, but in reality, you belong to the spirit of heaven and earth. You should be able to try the Celestial Arts."

The ape-man looked shocked. "Grand Tutor, who told you this?"

—Having seen the Supreme Treasure, and then taking "Wukong can cultivate the Heavenly Immortal Technique" as real data, it was deduced using the Hetu Luoshu.

"No one understands the principles of human destiny and the will of Heaven better than me," Grand Tutor Yu boasted.

The old man sighed, "Even if the Grand Tutor is right, it's too late for me."

I first became a wandering immortal using an ancient sword technique, and only then did I obtain the Nine Heavens Secret Technique.

Grand Tutor Yu asked, "Have you ever tried using the Thirty-Six Heavenly Divine Arts to deduce the Celestial Immortal Techniques?"

The ape nodded and said, "Of course I've tried. But my master said that the method I derived is tens of thousands of miles away from the celestial method."

—Turns out he's a useless little monkey.

Grand Tutor Yu was somewhat disappointed and said, "Since the Ape Master spread the Dharma to the mortal world, how many cultivators have become celestial immortals by relying on the Nine Heavens Secret Method?"

As if scratching an itch, the ape-man laughed smugly: "In times of peace, Baiyun Mountain may only appear once every one or two hundred years."

During periods of great calamity, the aura of calamity is intense, as is the fortune, making it easier for outstanding individuals to emerge. In some cases, this happens every two or three years.

On average, it appears roughly once every 60 years.

From the time of the King of Yue to the present day, it has appeared in the human world a total of 415 times.

More than 60,000 people received extraordinary opportunities from Baiyun Cave, of whom 2,800 became immortals, including 34 celestial immortals.

Xiao Yu exclaimed in surprise, "In just twenty or thirty thousand years, so many celestial immortals have been cultivated? One White Cloud Cave is equivalent to several grotto-heavens."

"The Ape Master truly inherited the legacy of the Tongtian Sect Leader, seizing a sliver of heavenly secrets for all the wandering cultivators in the world."

The business of the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother's shop was better than she had expected.

Thirty-four celestial beings may not sound like many, but this is the result of less than 30,000 years of production.

Moreover, a celestial being can certainly teach celestial disciples.

Three hundred thousand years later, when the number has increased tenfold, during the period of the three or four hundred celestial beings being enfeoffed as gods, there were only three hundred and sixty-five righteous gods of the Heavenly Court who were enfeoffed using the "Investiture of the Gods".

These are all the Jade Emperor's own people.

If we disregard high-end combat capabilities, the Jade Emperor already possesses the confidence to break free from the Xuanmen sect and act independently.

No wonder that 300,000 years after the Investiture of the Gods, the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother began to carry out the "Heavenly Court Reform".

They do indeed have the resources to strengthen centralized power.

Any disobedient deities can be expelled from the Celestial Court. There's no need to worry about the Celestial Court becoming like it was before the Investiture of the Gods, where the 365 positions of the righteous gods are not full and the Zhou Tian Star Array cannot function properly.

The old ape smiled even more broadly, but waved his hands repeatedly and said modestly, "I am just a mountain-guarding dog, and I dare not take credit for 'heaven's' work."

Xiao Yu asked, "Did Ape Master discuss 'Celestial Immortal Techniques' with those celestial immortals?"

The ape's smile faded, and he said thoughtfully, "Grand Tutor Yu wants to discuss the Dao of Celestial Immortals with me?"
Now that the Grand Tutor has comprehended the twenty-two Heavenly Dipper Mystic Techniques, what new ideas does he have regarding the Celestial Immortal Techniques?

Xiao Yu pondered for a moment and said, "I am deeply moved and have many thoughts. I am even more eager for the remaining Heavenly Gang Arts."

"Oh, what exactly are your thoughts?" the ape asked curiously.

Xiao Yu said, "Now I roughly understand how to combine the thirty-six Heavenly Gang Mystic Arts to derive a complete Heavenly Immortal Technique."

For example, the supernatural power of reversing yin and yang.

Even if one cultivates this supernatural power to the highest level, it is still impossible to reverse the Yin-Yang order of the Pangu world.

If this supernatural power is to lift a basket, it achieves the effect of reversing yin and yang.

At this moment, the basket contained the Three Pure Ones, the Jade Emperor, and countless other gods and Buddhas.
The supernatural power to reverse Yin and Yang can only lift an empty basket. With so many great beings inside, the supernatural power cannot budge the basket in the slightest.

But what if we don't disrupt the yin-yang order of the world, but instead consider ourselves a world in ourselves?
Treating the human body as a microcosm, or even just the inner elixir as an independent microcosm, and using the reversal of yin and yang to control the yin-yang order of the golden elixir universe—isn't this the process by which celestial immortals nurture and refine the elixir, transforming it into a pure yang elixir?

A strange look flashed in Ape King's eyes as he exclaimed in admiration, "Grand Tutor has truly grasped the essence of the Heavenly Gang Mystic Arts!"

That's right, the Seventy-Two Divine Powers of the Earthly Fiends can be used to fight enemies; the true use of the Thirty-Six Extraordinary Techniques of the Heavenly Gang is to cultivate the inner elixir as if it were the universe.

By reversing Yin and Yang, one can control the evolution of Yin and Yang in the inner elixir. After the Yin reaches its extreme and Yang is generated, the Great Elixir must be cultivated. One must continue to cultivate the Great Elixir to reach the state of Yin and Yang changing at will.

The supernatural power of 'manipulating creation' can create something from nothing and create all things.

If one considers the Golden Core as a vast world, then one needs to use 'manipulating creation' to weave together various Great Dao Laws, and this is the prelude to merging with the Dao.

His admiration turned into regret and hesitation. "Now I dare to assert that with the Grand Tutor's talent, if he were to obtain the complete Thirty-Six Extraordinary Techniques of the Heavenly Gang, he would certainly be able to deduce the powerful Celestial Immortal Technique."

With your savings, you might be able to form a golden elixir within two years, and nurture it to maturity within ten years, thus attaining the Daoist fruit of the Golden Immortal.

What a pity, what a pity.

The Grand Tutor is talented, but his fortune is extremely poor.

He had practiced the ancient Qi refining techniques early on, but now he was still lacking fourteen of the Heavenly Dipper Arts.

After hesitating for a long time, he gritted his teeth and said with a determined look in his eyes, "My identity and situation are somewhat awkward, and I really cannot teach you the other fourteen Heavenly Gang Techniques."

If I were to forcibly grant it to you, I would surely commit the sin of 'revealing the will of Heaven,' and neither of us would have a good end.

But it would be such a pity if the Grand Tutor, with his extraordinary talent, missed out on the Great Dao because of a lack of Daoist methods. Even the Heavens would feel sorry for him, and I, Old Ape, am even more troubled by this thought.

Grand Tutor, how about this? I will personally demonstrate the complete Thirty-Six Extraordinary Techniques of the Heavenly Gang for you.

How much you can understand depends on your own comprehension.

(End of this chapter)