The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 239 Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends
Two hours.

Before anyone knew it, Ding Lin had stood up from the prayer mat. After waiting for so long without any movement, he had given up hope. He walked out of the pavilion. The thick fog could not block the moonlight in the sky, which blurred into a shape that did not resemble a person.

If he could, Ding Lin would rather have never had this opportunity, and have been utterly hopeless from beginning to end, than have seen hope only to be dragged back into the mire of despair.

It's neither bitter nor painful.

It's just that I'm so numb that I can't feel myself anymore.

……

The stone monkey remained submerged in the water for a long time. He transformed into a waterweed, gathering all his magical power, and drifted with the current until he heard Tianpeng's command from the shore. He moved slightly, and the waterweed turned into a fish. With a flick of its tail, it floated towards the surface and swam to the riverbank. There, it transformed again among the waterweeds into a water spider. As the ship passed by, the water spider transformed into a mosquito, flapping its wings and nimbly flying onto the deck.

Tianpeng put his hands behind his back, turned around and was about to walk back to the cabin, seemingly unaware of the little things that had appeared on the deck.

At a certain moment——

"Roar!"

The mosquito transformed into a fierce tiger, displaying seventy-two transformations. It roared through the mountains and forests, unleashing a violent and domineering aura, and rode the night wind to viciously attack Tianpeng's back.

It's so close, there's no way to avoid it.

The wind follows the tiger!
With a single pounce, it pinned Tianpeng under its claws, its gaping maw revealing sharp, frost-covered canines that shone brighter than starlight, and it bit down hard on Tianpeng's shoulder.

"Crack!"

The sound of gold and jade shattering rang out, and the stone monkey felt a surge of joy in his heart. He couldn't help but let out a long roar. He looked down and was about to see blood flowing everywhere, but the figure under his claws quickly blurred. There was no Tianpeng anywhere. It was empty. What he had bitten and crushed was clearly the deck.

"Certainly!"

Tianpeng's voice rang out, and a chilling feeling came from behind. The stone monkey wanted to hide, but found that he couldn't move at all. Not to mention moving, he couldn't even turn back into his original form. His eyes were filled with horror, and he finally realized the gap between himself and Tianpeng.

A large hand reached out and easily grabbed the tiger by the scruff of its neck, as easily as lifting a kitten.

With a flick of his hand, Tianpeng caused the stone monkey to involuntarily revert to its original form.

"Seventy-two transformations." Tianpeng, holding the stone monkey, turned it around so it faced him. "I had already planned to let you go, but you monkey still won't give up. You truly have a strong desire for revenge. To cultivate the Earthly Fiend Transformation to this level is indeed the pinnacle. It's just a pity," Tianpeng's eyes flickered, his emotions unreadable, a mixture of amazement, regret, and mockery, "...it's just a pity that such good talent, instead of cultivating the Heavenly Gang Transformation, only cultivated the Earthly Fiend Transformation, wasting such a good physique. Or perhaps, you were just greedy for more..."

……

"This disciple is eager to learn more..."

On Fangcun Mountain, a little monkey dressed in a Taoist robe repeatedly kowtowed.

……

The stone monkey's eyes narrowed.

Tianpeng's gaze stung him deeply, yet it felt strangely familiar. As the last sentence fell, the image of an old man with a white beard flashed into his mind. He looked at him with regret in his eyes, then slowly shook his head without stopping him.

The stone monkey instinctively felt as if it had lost something extremely important.

"How did you know... what kind of magic is this?" The stone monkey disregarded his own predicament and asked repeatedly.

"The stars and constellations shift," Tianpeng said.

"The Heavenly Transformation?" The teachings of the Stone Monkey Ancestor still echoed in his ears, and he blurted out.

"Of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends, one can only choose one to practice. The thirty-six Heavenly Gangs are the secret techniques, while the seventy-two Earthly Fiends are the scriptures..." Tianpeng didn't finish his sentence. "Why didn't Master tell me this back then..." The stone monkey had already understood, and suddenly became lost in thought, muttering to himself.

Tianpeng waved his hand and struck the stone monkey's head with a palm, sending him flying.

The stone monkey's eyes bulged out in a terrifying way, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. But this palm strike also woke him up. Without any hesitation, he somersaulted in mid-air and disappeared from the spot in an instant.

"Somersault Cloud, huh? You've certainly mastered the art of escaping," Tianpeng smirked, then suddenly chuckled, "What good is that?"

He spoke in a voice only he could hear.

"The Celestial Immortal Manual was passed down by the Dao Ancestor, but even at its highest level, it's not much different from ordinary top-tier cultivation techniques. Its true mystery lies in the associated Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Fiend Transformations. The seventy-two gates of Earthly Fiends can lead to rapid Golden Immortal status, while the Heavenly Dipper Transformation—Senior Brother Xuandu mastered the thirty-six Heavenly Dipper Techniques and achieved the Great Luo realm. This is the truly precious aspect of the 'High-Level Celestial Immortal Manual,' it's a transmission from the Dao Ancestor! I've cultivated diligently for countless eons, but unfortunately, my talent is insufficient. I've only mastered three stages and can hardly make any further progress. This monkey, with such innate talent, has already entered the treasure mountain, yet..."

"It's like buying the casket and returning the pearl—how tragic..."

……

Ding Lin was still feeling lost when suddenly the power fluctuations of the "Great Celestial Immortal Technique" reappeared. His eyes flashed, and he quickly closed them to sense it, but he was still a step too late.

The stone monkey had just transformed into a fierce tiger when it was suppressed by Tianpeng's palm strike, and the fluctuations naturally disappeared as well.

Under the moonlight, Ding Lin's body seemed to sway slightly. He quickly sat down and entered a meditative state in the moonlight. Although he felt uncomfortable, he did not want to think too much about it, for fear of missing another opportunity.

The night lasted until dawn.

When the sunlight fell again, Ding Lin opened his eyes. He could no longer maintain his meditative state; his mind was filled with a jumble of thoughts, as if a thousand ants were tearing at him.

Another missed opportunity.

If I hadn't regretted it so early, I could have seized that glimmer of inspiration, and perhaps I would have already succeeded.

if……

Ding Lin didn't remember how he got back to the pavilion. He stared at the rising sun for a long, long time, and finally just let out a deep breath. What could he do? It was all in the past. He couldn't force what wasn't meant to be.

The sunlight felt warm on my skin.

A long time passed.

Ding Lin blinked suddenly, and no one knew how he came to his senses. He became lively again, and his anxiety subsided. He got up and picked up a pebble by the pavilion, and his whole being was in a strange, ethereal state.

Be neither arrogant nor impatient, neither hasty nor discouraged.

A calm mind, like still water.

……

"vomit!"

The stone monkey fell from the sky and crashed headfirst into the Milky Way. He landed in the water and slowly straightened up, his body soaking wet. Suddenly, he felt a churning in his stomach. He bent down and vomited profusely into the water plants, coughing up mouthfuls of blood as if his internal organs were being emptied out bit by bit.

Then, he slumped over, lying down casually like a drunken mortal.

The riverbank was lush with moisture, and the stars filled the sky.

The stone monkey was lost in thought, sometimes thinking of the Three Star Cave, sometimes of the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses. His eyes would light up and then dim, sometimes he would grit his teeth and sometimes he would feel depressed and lost.

(End of this chapter)