Man in the heavens, wins by lying down to prove the truth

Chapter 328 The Tribulations of Mara, the Monkey Attains Enlightenment

"That Moro, is it possible to kill him?"

Yu Yun spoke, her voice filled with murderous intent.

Zhou Cheng smiled and shook his head: "It's not that simple. The thoughts of all living beings are ethereal and ever-changing. How can you kill or destroy them?"

Taiwei Hua, without any expression, suddenly interjected: "Since it resides in the hearts of all living beings, what if we defy the world and start a war?"

"You have fallen into a demonic trap. The cultivation of the medicine requires a calm and peaceful mind. You cannot cultivate the four medicines to perfection in this way."

Zhou Cheng tapped Taiwei Hua's forehead with his finger, and an invisible spiritual energy rippled out, dispelling the demons in Taiwei Hua's heart.

Slaughter all living beings?

This is unbearable! Does he want the entire Three Realms to be buried with one person? Where did this outrageous, delusional, and love-obsessed statement come from?

Yu Yun couldn't help but sneer, "You call this cultivating your mind and character? Is this what you've cultivated? You can't even achieve a clear mind. If you don't think calmly, even if you kill everyone in the world, how could you possibly harm a single hair on any of the demons?"

"There's no need for that. I have already seen the future. The birth of that demon will be nearly a thousand years from now. He will roam the Three Realms for thirty-three years. At that time, this monkey may be able to help me."

Upon hearing this, Yu Yun was somewhat surprised, and the image of the monkey was reflected in her double pupils: "Wukong can help you? That's impossible."

Taiwei Hua felt an unusual sense of familiarity, and endless memories flooded his mind. Then, a flash of inspiration struck him: "The sequel to Journey to the West, Wutian?"

"That's right, how strong can the demons in people's hearts be?"

Zhou Cheng looked at Taiwei Hua approvingly and said with a smile, "That Mo Luo was almost completely annihilated when he was besieged by the Transcendent Ones of All Worlds. His only chance of survival is still in my hands. Now, if he wants to recover quickly under my nose, he will naturally have to borrow the inner demons of the Limitless Dao Fruit."

Taiwei Hua had another outrageous idea pop into his mind: "Since that demonic obstacle is one with the Buddha, why not strike first and ask the Buddha to show the same great compassion as when he cut off his own flesh to feed the eagle, and perform the Great Nirvana Dharma to contribute to the victory over Mara?"

Zhou Cheng's lips twitched slightly: "When that Demon Luo is born in the future, he will become a demon in the heart of other Limitless Dao Fruits. It's better to stay still than to act rashly, so don't think nonsense."

Taiwei Hua grunted twice in dissatisfaction and said, "Since the monkey can help you, then you should teach it properly."

Yu Yun nodded approvingly: "I have deciphered the mysteries of double pupils and understand the principles of Yin and Yang. I have created a divine power that can enable monkeys to develop acquired double pupils, so that they will not suffer from that eye disease again."

The so-called "fiery eyes and golden pupils" actually refers to eyes that have been damaged by smoke in the Bagua Furnace. It's just given a nicer name, "fiery eyes and golden pupils."

This was also a weakness of the monkey later on. When faced with fire attacks, although it was not afraid, it could not withstand the smoke.

Seeing the two women discussing with great interest how to teach the monkey, Zhou Cheng didn't say anything, even though it was of no use.

……

As time goes by, six or seven years have passed since Wukong paid homage to the mountain.

On this day, Zhou Cheng sat cross-legged on the Jade Terrace, preaching the Dharma. Various wondrous phenomena appeared, including a shower of heavenly flowers and golden lotuses springing from the earth. He subtly expounded the Three Vehicles of Buddhism, encompassing all the profound and subtle teachings.

"Ah, I get it, hahaha, I get it, brilliant, brilliant, hahaha..."

Suddenly, the monkey, who had been listening attentively in the futon, seemed to have understood something. Overjoyed, it began to leap and bound on the futon, scratching its ears and cheeks, and laughing heartily.

"Good junior brother, good monkey, the Dao aura descends upon you, the illusory and the real intertwine, you have entered the Dao."

"If you truly possess magical power, congratulations, junior brother! You will surely live for thousands of years."

"..."

The assembled sages were all extraordinary individuals, each a figure worthy of being recorded in history, a virtuous immortal beyond the mundane world. The moment the monkey grasped the profound and subtle meaning of the Dao, they all sensed it and offered their congratulations.

“How can you make noise before the Patriarch? You will all receive five lashes. Junior Brother Wukong is the culprit, but his actions are somewhat excusable. When the court session ends, he will also receive five lashes.”

The middle-aged senior disciple had a serious expression and spoke the words of the Legalists as if they were the law of heaven. As soon as he finished speaking, the Great Dao echoed his words, and the words "owe five lashes" appeared on the foreheads of the noisy people.

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly bowed and apologized.

Zhou Cheng smiled and nodded, then looked at the monkey and said, "You little rascal, have you figured something out?"

"I dare not say that I have gained any enlightenment. Fortunately, I have been protected by the patriarch and received his virtuous teachings. I have entered the Dao."

The monkey kowtowed repeatedly, speaking with great humility.

He listened to the Dao for seven years and then entered the Dao. Such talent is rare in the world. He is truly a spiritual being nurtured by heaven and earth.

"Since that's the case, I'll teach you a method of cultivation. Is there anything you'd like to learn?"

As soon as Zhou Cheng finished speaking, the monkey was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Please teach me, Master. I will learn everything I have to learn."

Seeing this, Zhou Cheng also became interested and deliberately said, "I will teach you the way of invoking immortals and using divination sticks to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune. If you learn it, you can avoid three calamities and keep them away from you. What do you say?"

"May I ask the patriarch, is it possible to attain immortality?"

Looking at the monkey's expectant eyes, Zhou Cheng pondered for a moment: "Even unorthodox paths can lead to enlightenment; longevity can be attained, but immortality is hard to come by. Only the Golden Elixir Path leads directly to the Primordial Dao Fruit."

"Then... this disciple wishes to seek the righteous path and not cultivate any side paths. I hope the Patriarch will have mercy on me!"

The monkey repeatedly bowed in reverence, its heart filled with pure devotion.

"In that case, I will pass on to you the true path of the Golden Core, and teach you to cultivate an immortal Dao fruit."

"Thank you, Master. Thank you, Master."

Zhou Cheng nodded and continued, "You were born of heaven and earth. In the future, if you want to attain enlightenment, you will inevitably make a mistake that reverses the roles of subject and object, which will bring disaster. In the future, you should remember to think twice before you act."

"I will always remember the teachings of my patriarch and never forget them."

The monkey was extremely excited and responded verbally, but its mind was elsewhere and it didn't really take the words to heart.

Seeing this, Zhou Cheng shook his head.

With such a mindset, it will be difficult for him to remove the constraints imposed on him in the future.

That Buddhist shackle, once placed on the heart, cannot be removed by ordinary supernatural powers. Even if one cultivates to become a Primordial Immortal, if one's five hearts do not submit, one still cannot remove it.

For ordinary people to cultivate the Golden Elixir Dao, they must subdue the five hearts in order to form a Golden Elixir.

These spiritual cells, nurtured by heaven and earth, can form an elixir as long as one cultivates the necessary skills, without needing to cultivate one's nature or mind.

"Fine, I'll take care of it myself when the time comes."

Upon realizing this, Zhou Cheng said, "Good monkey, disciples, listen quietly."

"The true and wondrous secret of the perfect integration of exoteric and esoteric teachings lies solely in cultivating life. It all comes down to essence, energy, and spirit; guard them firmly and do not let them leak out. Do not let them leak out; keep them within your body. You will prosper upon receiving my transmission of the Way..."

……

Time flies like an arrow; several months have passed in the blink of an eye.

Now, this monkey, being born of heaven and earth, has its own spiritual essence extracted, and it actually produces great medicine within its body. It does not need to calm its mind, collect medicine, cook it, nurture it, or mate.

On this day, the monkey returned with water, only to see a cold-faced uncle standing beside the water vat, seemingly scrutinizing something.

Wukong's heart tightened. This cold-faced uncle was the most difficult to talk to, so he dared not be negligent in the slightest.

"Wukong greets Uncle-Master Yu. May you be well, Uncle-Master!"

Yu Yun looked the monkey over and nodded in satisfaction, saying, "Not bad, you've already achieved minor success in alchemy within ten months, surpassing your Uncle Taiwei."

Upon hearing this, Wukong stammered and dared not reply.

The two senior brothers were flirting, and as a junior, how could I dare to speak?

Yu Yun didn't waste any words and went straight to the point: "Your master is lazy. He taught you the method of immortality but not the method of protecting the Dao. Today, I will take the place of your lazy master and teach you the way to illuminate the three realms and open and close the chaos. Are you willing to cultivate it?"

Wukong was overjoyed, never expecting such a good thing. "I am willing to cultivate. As my master has taught me, even if it only contains some Dao energy, I dare not be negligent."

Seeing the monkey bowing repeatedly, Yu Yun nodded and said, "Let me enlighten you."

As Yu Yun spoke, she raised her hand and touched the monkey's forehead, leaving behind a yin-yang sun and moon Dao inheritance before turning into a wisp of smoke and dissipating.

The monkey stood there, stunned, unable to recover for a long time.

Half a day later, the monkey's eyes cleared again: "I was born with the Heavenly Gift of the Eyes of Truth-Breaking, and I am born with the ability to understand Yin and Yang, know changes, and see all things. Furthermore, with my master's teachings on the Double Eyes of the Sun and Moon, how could I not be able to see the entire universe?"

To read through the entire heavens is something that ordinary people cannot do.

The phrase "reading the whole sky" is a more poetic way of putting it.

Using the terminology from the Blue and White Realm that Zhou Cheng visited before, it is narrow-minded omniscience.

Whether you can understand it or not is another matter, but there's nothing you can't see.

After quickly finishing the chores inside the gate, the monkey returned to its dwelling and began to cultivate in seclusion, absorbing the Daoist principles of Yin and Yang, refining its two pupils, and cultivating a dual pupil that could break through illusions and open and close chaos.

In the blink of an eye, another six months have passed.

The monkey hopped and skipped around sweeping the mountain gate all day, and with one step, it felt as if the world had changed.

Endless starlight descended, the sun and moon hung high in the sky, and streaks of starlight drifted across the earth like ribbons.

"No, it's the formation!"

The monkey was greatly surprised. Its eyes shone brightly, and its pupils dilated and narrowed, transforming into a pair of golden and silver pupils that spun and intertwined, as if the yin and yang fish were rotating within its eyes.

"It's bad, it's bad!"

The monkey felt a chill run down its spine, looking at the great formation, but it could not find the slightest sign of life.

"With the Patriarch presiding over the cave, if anyone dares to harm me, they will surely not be able to hide it from the Patriarch... Could it be a test from some elder or senior brother?"

Upon realizing this, the monkey's mind became clear and he understood something. He quickly bowed to the four directions and called out loudly, "Which elder or senior brother is it? Wukong greets you! Greetings!"

Immediately, Taiwei Hua's voice rang out within the great formation.

"Good monkey, you are indeed clever. Today, your master will teach you the Zhou Tian Star Formation. You should study it on your own and break free from the formation as soon as possible."

As Taiwei Hua's voice fell, the great formation began to operate, with boundless Dao intertwined, causing Wukong to tremble in fear.

Fortunately, the power of this great formation did not fall on the monkey in the slightest. Instead, it revealed the profound mysteries of the origin, allowing the monkey to comprehend and break through them.

"Millions of years have passed within this formation, while outside it's only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. If Wukong doesn't comprehend the wonders of the celestial constellations, he might die of old age within this formation."

After speaking, Taiwei Hua vanished without a trace, leaving the terrified monkey behind.

"I am deeply grateful for the kind invitation from Uncle Taiwei."

The monkey understood that this was his master's trump card, and he immediately devoted himself to comprehending its profound meaning.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of years have passed. The monkey has grown old, but has not yet plucked a single star.

You should know that this Zhou Tian Star Array contains billions of stars.

"Oh dear, what am I to do? Could it be that I, Old Sun, am destined to grow old and die here?"

The monkey was immediately in a panic, and in that moment of confusion, it felt a refreshing fragrance spreading throughout the air.

In an instant, the previously anxious monkey felt at peace.

"Yes, yes, it was my old Sun who made a fool of himself."

"Once you cultivate the Holy Embryo Golden Elixir, you will have a lifespan as long as the heavens, be free from calamities, and live forever."

Immediately, the monkey sat cross-legged, its innate spiritual energy rising, intertwining, and surging, refining the great medicine.

Several years have passed in the blink of an eye, and the great medicine has been completed.

This innate spiritual embryo, without the dangers of the three passes, directly rode the great medicine, soared along the bridge between heaven and earth into the Niwan Palace, was consumed by the primordial spirit, and immediately cultivated into a holy embryo.

Then the sacred embryo resides within the inner realm, undergoing the cycle of the universe, accompanied by the nine cycles of the qi and fluids of heaven and earth within the inner realm, thus attaining the wondrous path of immortality.

"Hahaha, I've succeeded!"

"When I swallow a golden elixir, I realize that my fate is determined by me and not by God."

The monkey opened its eyes, its magical power surged, its divine body became solid, and it shook the three thousand star rivers.

"Next, we will participate in the selection for enlightenment, descend from the stars, and break through the formation!"

The monkey immediately focused its attention and began to comprehend the profound mysteries contained within each star.

The monkey was so captivated by the profound and subtle meaning within that it entered a state of self-forgetfulness, oblivious to the passage of time.

……

Outside, in the woods, at the pavilion.

Zhou Cheng played chess with Taiwei Hua, placing a black piece on a vital spot. Instantly, a connection with the Great Dao arose, causing Taiwei Hua to tremble all over, his face flushed, and his immortal body to feel numb.

"Do you think the monkey will be able to leave the pass after this game ends?" Zhou Cheng asked with a smile.

Taiwei Hua was panting heavily and unable to reply. Her jade-like fingers trembled violently as she held the white pieces, searching for a way to break through the opponent's attack.

If one fails to break through the attack, the connection with the Great Dao will not dissipate, causing one to suffer to the point of wishing for death but being unable to live.

"Snapped."

After a long while, Bai Zi finally placed his piece, and Taiwei Hua breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Zhou Cheng with spring in his eyes: "Before this game is over, Wukong has already broken through half of them. In a hundred moves at most, he will be able to comprehend the end of the Three Lights and become a great supernatural being."

As they were talking, seeing Zhou Cheng about to make a move, Taiwei Hua directly blocked him on the chessboard, glaring fiercely at Zhou Cheng: "Don't make a move, just bear with it."

Zhou Cheng smiled casually: "You said it yourself, so I'll have to think about it carefully and find a way to finish the game so you can enjoy it. If you want to start a new game, we'll talk about it when you've reached the Great Elixir stage."

Immediately, Taiwei Hua hesitated, biting her red lips and thinking about the consequences of losing the game, her long, slender legs involuntarily tensed up.

"Well, do as you please."

Just as Taiwei Hua conceded defeat, a beam of sunlight and moonlight flashed, carrying a black piece onto the chessboard.

In an instant, the black piece slays the dragon, and the outcome is decided.

"I'll kill you."

Yu Yun appeared beside Zhou Cheng, looking at Taiwei Hua who was trembling again, and felt satisfied.

Taiwei Hua gritted her teeth so hard they almost broke: "Yu Yun, you're harming others without benefiting yourself, but we're still in the same boat."

"I am a great supernatural being, how can I be compared to you who can't even reach the Golden Core stage? I won't even utter a sound when your primordial spirit is obscured."

"Son of a bitch."

Taiwei Hua could no longer hold back. Her figure flashed and disappeared from the pavilion in the forest. She returned to her own palace and curled up on the bed like a baby, whimpering softly.

Seeing this, Zhou Cheng shook his head helplessly: "You two are always flirting and teasing each other."

Yu Yun immediately turned her head away and snorted arrogantly, "Who's flirting with her? Elbow, come inside with me and add fuel to the fire for that little bitch."

(End of this chapter)