Honghuang: Eat a Hunyuan Daluo

The monkey troop left behind on Flower Fruit Mountain were overjoyed to see the stone monkey leading the elite monkeys back victoriously.

The two monkeys were overjoyed and spared no expense, bringing out their prized Monkey Wine, the best wine they had ever tasted in Flower Fruit Mountain, to host a grand banquet.

The banquet lasted for a full day and night before it finally ended.

With no external threat, the stone monkey was in a good mood, and the monkey wine he had just drunk made him feel even better, so he slept until the afternoon of the next day.

In fact, it wasn't just the stone monkey; many monkeys in the troop were completely drunk.

Some didn't wake up until the morning of the third day, clutching their heads.

On the afternoon of the third day, Bengba Mali gathered the monkey troop together.

Once all the monkeys had arrived, Bengba Maliu's expression became serious.

"Everyone, please be quiet. For countless years, our monkey clan has lived a carefree life on Flower Fruit Mountain, without any external threats. How carefree we are!"

Not long ago, the Demon King invaded Flower Fruit Mountain, and our monkey clan was powerless to resist. If it weren't for the Stone Monkey stepping forward, Flower Fruit Mountain would probably have become the Demon King's territory long ago, and we would have become his meal.

After this incident, we all agreed that the monkey troop needed a true leader to guide them in defending against external enemies. I propose that the stone monkey become our troop's king. Does anyone have any objections?

The four monkeys, Bengba, Ma, and Liu, were highly respected in the monkey troop. In addition, the stone monkey had fought bravely and helped the monkey troop resist the great enemy, the Demon King of Chaos. Therefore, when they proposed it, all the monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain responded and unanimously agreed that the stone monkey should be the new monkey king.

The stone monkey sighed. He knew he had no choice but to accept the throne of the Monkey King.

Because the stone monkey was covered in golden fur and was very handsome, he was different from the brown-haired, gray-haired, and black-haired monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain. Therefore, he called himself the Handsome Monkey King. At the same time, according to the situation of the monkey troop in Journey to the West, the stone monkey appointed Bengba and Maliu as generals and Maliu as marshals.

That night, another grand feast was held at Flower Fruit Mountain by the Monkey King.

After the Monkey King officially ascended the throne, another mischievous monkey suggested, "Your Majesty is incredibly strong and agile. Why don't you go back to the waterfall and see what the source of the waterfall is?"

This time, the stone monkey nodded in agreement.

He refused before because entering the waterfall was related to the position of Monkey King, and at that time he didn't really want to be the Monkey King. But now that he is the Monkey King, whether or not he enters the waterfall is no longer important.

So the stone monkey stretched his limbs, and in front of all the other monkeys, he leaped into the waterfall.

The stone monkeys behind the waterfall were actually something I'd already seen in the "Journey to the West" book provided by the system.

But the scene described in words is different from what we actually see. The stone monkey walked through the misty cave entrance, took a few steps forward, and suddenly the view opened up.

"Just like in the story, this place truly is a hidden paradise," the stone monkey exclaimed.

After crossing an iron chain bridge, he saw a spacious area with stone tables, stone benches, and stone pots and pans. A sense of Taoist charm lingered, and everything was exactly the same as in the "Journey to the West" he had read.

The stone monkey continued forward and soon came to see a stone tablet in front of him with two lines of large characters: "Blessed land of Flower and Fruit Mountain, grotto heaven of Water Curtain Cave".

"This place is quite a blessing for the monkeys. The Water Curtain Cave is sheltered from the wind and sun, and is a good place to go when it rains or the wind blows." After saying that, he prepared to turn around and leave.

To the stone monkey's surprise, after taking a few steps to the east, he was blocked by something.

"Huh? Why can't we get through here? Journey to the West doesn't mention any walls inside the Water Curtain Cave!"

As it spoke, the stone monkey rubbed its eyes and looked again, but there was still nothing in front of it. It reached out and groped around, finally confirming that the invisible but tangible thing in front of it seemed to be a wall.

The stone monkey tried every method imaginable but couldn't break down the wall. After scratching his head and looking around, he asked the system, "System, what's blocking my way?"

This is an innate restriction; an innate spiritual treasure resides here.

"A primordial spiritual treasure!" The stone monkey's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected there to be such a treasure in the Water Curtain Cave, especially since it wasn't mentioned in "Journey to the West"!

"If that's the case, then 'Journey to the West' can't be taken entirely at face value either. That's right, the system told me before that it's just my most likely future, not the only one." Thinking of this, the stone monkey suddenly felt a sense of boundless freedom, and the pressure from learning the "plot" earlier instantly vanished.

"Can I get this innate spiritual treasure?" the stone monkey asked the system.

[This system can help the host break through innate restrictions, but the host's current cultivation level is too low to refine it; it can only be absorbed into the body.]

"Then break it quickly!"

【Please wait.】

A few breaths later, the restriction shattered, and a stream of light entered the stone monkey's body. The light was so fast that the stone monkey had no time to react.

Then the stone monkey could clearly sense that a set of armor had appeared inside his body.

"Thirty-six restrictions, a top-grade innate spiritual treasure!" The stone monkey was utterly shocked.

After a while, the stone monkey came to his senses. He adjusted his expression to make it unreadable, and then leaped out of the water curtain.

This scene was naturally witnessed by Bai Jing. In fact, it was Bai Jing who broke the restriction and let the armor fly into the stone monkey's body.

Outside the water curtain, General Bengba, Marshal Ma Liu, and a group of monkeys were all staring intently at the water curtain.

As soon as the stone monkey flew out, the monkey troop immediately surrounded it and asked, "Your Majesty, you've been inside for so long. Is there really another world inside this water curtain?"

The stone monkey smiled and said, "Indeed, it is a stroke of good fortune. Behind this water curtain is a cave formed by the natural world, rich in spiritual energy, and it can also shelter from the wind and rain, making it very suitable for monkeys to live in."

"A cave?" The monkeys immediately became interested and chattered, "Your Majesty, can we go in and take a look?"

"You can get in, you can all get in." The stone monkey then told the other monkeys how to get in: "Don't be afraid, everyone. Don't be fooled by the surging waves and fierce water of the waterfall. It's just a curtain of water. Once you pass through the waterfall, you'll reach the Water Curtain Cave."

After hearing this, General Beng patted his chest and said loudly, "I'll go first."

“Me too!” General Ba chimed in.

After saying this, General Bengba and General Bengba exchanged a glance, took a running start, gathered their strength, and sprang up, rushing into the curtain of water.

As the stone monkey said, the fierce waterfall is only on the surface; in reality, it is just a curtain of water.

After General Bengba jumped in unharmed, the monkey troop followed suit and jumped into the Water Curtain Cave.

The remaining mother monkeys and baby monkeys were too afraid to jump, so the stone monkey wove a vine to connect the water curtain.

The mother monkey and her baby monkey swung smoothly into the water curtain, holding onto the vines.

Just as the stone monkey said, the Water Curtain Cave is warm in winter and cool in summer, full of spiritual energy, and can also shelter from the wind and rain. With the Water Curtain Cave, the entire monkey troop has a habitat and no longer has to suffer from the wind and sun, rain and wind.

After leading his troop into the Water Curtain Cave, the stone monkey continued his cultivation, and before he knew it, a month had passed. Counting the days, the stone monkey had been born for a hundred days.

During these hundred days, the stone monkey worked very hard, constantly cultivating whenever he had time. Finally, today he broke through the Refinement of Emptiness and Integration with the Dao, becoming an Earth Immortal.

Having cultivated to become an Earth Immortal in a mortal body within a hundred days of birth, his talent surpasses even that of Yang Jian, the chosen one of destiny during the Investiture of the Gods.

After breaking through to the level of an Earth Immortal, the Stone Monkey was overjoyed. He immediately ordered people to gather fruits and vegetables, and brought out the Monkey Wine that had been brewed for several years, and held a grand banquet in the Water Curtain Cave.

The Water Curtain Cave is bustling with activity today.

General Bengba and Marshal Ma Liu raised stone bowls filled with monkey wine and offered them to the stone monkey. The stone monkey grinned and accepted the wine without hesitation. The atmosphere of the grand banquet was in full swing.

Suddenly, an old and frail monkey stiffened, the stone bowl in its hand rolled to the ground, and it collapsed with a thud.

The lively atmosphere was abruptly interrupted.

General Bengba and Marshal Ma Liu immediately stepped forward to investigate.

General Beng placed his finger under the old monkey's nose and found that the monkey had no breath at all. He immediately said dejectedly, "Your Majesty, it is dead."

A sense of pessimism suddenly spread throughout the Water Curtain Cave.

Seeing that everyone was in low spirits, the stone monkey asked, "Why are you all so worried and sighing?"

The monkeys looked at each other, and finally Marshal Liu stepped forward and explained, “Your Majesty, we enjoy ourselves every day in this Flower Fruit Mountain and Water Curtain Cave. We are not bound by the human emperors, nor are we under the jurisdiction of the gods and immortals. How carefree we are! But when we grow old, we will be under the control of the underworld. Once we die, we will never be able to enjoy such bliss again.”

Upon hearing this, the stone monkey glanced at the troop of monkeys, feigning an anxious expression, and asked, "Then what should we do?"

At this moment, a white-haired monkey jumped out, its face showing longing: "Your Majesty, I have heard that there are three kinds of creatures in this world that can escape reincarnation, live without birth or death, and enjoy eternal freedom."

"Which three?" the stone monkey asked, feigning interest.

The white-haired monkey's eyes shone brightly as it spoke in a devout tone: "Buddha, Immortal, and Primordial Gods."

Upon hearing this, the stone monkey's eyes flashed with golden light. He immediately realized that this white-haired monkey must be the mouthpiece of all the gods and Buddhas.

At this moment, Big Black, who had been silent all along, stepped forward and said with a disdainful look, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."

"You said."

"Your Majesty, this white-haired monkey is talking complete nonsense."

"Oh? How do you say this?"

"Whether one can live forever in this world has nothing to do with anything else but cultivation level. When one's cultivation reaches the Golden Immortal level, one can live as long as heaven and earth and shine as brightly as the sun and moon. When one's cultivation reaches the Great Luo Golden Immortal level, one can gather the karmic burdens, transcend the past and future, prove the one true self, and one's name can be erased from the Book of Life and Death."

Your Majesty, you are exceptionally gifted. You live a life of ease in Flower Fruit Mountain, eating fruits and drinking spring water. But how long can this ease last?

When I was young, I also traveled outside Flower Fruit Mountain. I heard that in the northern part of the prehistoric world, there was a tribe of our demon race, and there was a great power there named Demon Master Kunpeng.

"Lord Kunpeng is the teacher of our primordial demon race. Your Majesty may travel to the northern part of the primordial world to interview Lord Kunpeng. If you can receive his teachings, Your Majesty will surely achieve true immortality and enjoy eternal bliss."

Upon hearing this, the stone monkey thought to himself, "It seems that this big black creature must have been sent by the demon master Kunpeng. But who is this demon master Kunpeng? Why doesn't he appear in 'Journey to the West'?"

"The Demon Master Kunpeng is a powerful being on par with Tathagata." The system's voice echoed in the stone monkey's mind.

"Like Buddha? Wouldn't that make it easy for him to suppress me?"

【Yes. 】

"Is he truly the teacher of the demon race?"

Yes, but Kunpeng's title of Demon Master has nothing to do with the primordial demon race. In the past, during the great calamity of the Lich King...

The system told the stone monkey about Kunpeng's past. When the stone monkey heard that Kunpeng had betrayed the demon race, he was filled with contempt.

"I thought that Kunpeng, who deserves the title of Demon Master, must be a person of both virtue and talent. But now it seems that he is a coward who is afraid of death. I will not take him as my master."

Thinking of this, the stone monkey said to the big black dog in a calm tone, "I am still young, and there is no rush to seek immortals and visit the Dao."

The stone monkey's dismissive attitude left Dahei speechless for a moment.

After a long while, Dahei spoke again, saying, "Your Majesty, the Demon Master Kunpeng truly possesses great abilities."

The stone monkey waved his hand and said, "No need for further words. I am tired. Let's end this grand banquet here!"

After speaking, the stone monkey turned and glanced at the old monkey whose lifespan had come to an end, then walked heavily to his stone cave.

As the stone monkey departed, the Dark Lord cursed under his breath, secretly speculating that the main reason the stone monkey was unwilling to seek immortality outside was because he was too attached to the carefree life on Flower Fruit Mountain. Therefore, he had no choice but to take drastic measures to force the stone monkey to wake up from the gentle embrace of Flower Fruit Mountain.

The next day, Dahei was casually strolling around Flower Fruit Mountain when he suddenly saw an old monkey slowly picking peaches from a tree.

Big Black's eyes flickered slightly. He hid behind a large tree, curled his fingertips, and flicked his finger, releasing a burst of magical power.

The target of this magical power was not the old monkey, but the tree branch under its feet.

Just as the magic was about to break the tree branch, suddenly, another magical force came from the opposite side, faster than Big Black. The two magical forces collided in mid-air.

With a "crack," the two streams of magical power dissipated from each other.

On the lush peach tree, the old monkey stared wide-eyed at his surroundings, muttering to himself, "Strange, what was that sound just now?"

Behind the tree, Big Black's eyes narrowed as he looked across, his gaze meeting that of the white monkey.

"It's that guy again! I'll see who you are!" With that thought, Dahei gathered all his magic power into his eyes, trying to see through the white monkey's true form.

However he looked at it, the white monkey was just an ordinary monkey. Then, the white monkey made a face at the big black monkey and disappeared into the dense forest with a few quick movements.

Over the next few days, Dahei made several attempts to kill more old monkeys and trigger the stone monkey's desire to seek immortality, but was stopped by the white monkey every time.

Big Black was furious, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't very well actually start a fight with the white monkey, could he?

While Dahei was seething with hatred for the white monkey, little did he know that the stone monkey had already seen through the open and covert struggles between them.

Judging from the behavior of the two monkeys, the stone monkey believed that the black monkey and the primordial demon clan behind it would stop at nothing to achieve their goals, while the white monkey's actions were relatively upright. (End of Chapter)