Primordial Era: From Primordial Human Race to Grand Luo Immortal

"No, that's not right."

Qi Tian's expression turned ferocious, his eyes turned blood red, and he exuded an uncontrollable savagery.

He was on the verge of losing his mind.

"Calm your mind, calm your mind. If your mind is as clear as ice, you will not be alarmed even if the sky falls. Amidst all changes, remain steadfast, and your spirit will be at peace..."

Qi Tian forced himself to calm down and silently recited the incantation of the Great Dao of Tranquility. After an unknown amount of time, he felt a little better, and the bloodshot in his eyes gradually disappeared.

"What exactly is going on?"

Qi Tian was puzzled. He hadn't expected to encounter something like this on his first trip down the mountain. He couldn't withstand the attack from this small hut, nor could he see any way out.

Soon, he remembered his master's teachings: remain calm and composed even if the sky falls, and never lose your composure.

The only way out now is to keep watching these scenes.

Qi Tian looked again, and the scene before him changed once more. His master no longer looked like his master, but had become a bald man who was not even as good-looking as the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain.

Several more junior brothers joined them: one was fat and had big ears, another had a ferocious face, and yet another transformed into a white horse, dragging the bald man westward.

Unbeknownst to him, Qi Tian sank into it, his consciousness seemingly attached to the beautiful monkey who was identical to himself.

In an instant, countless memories rushed in and flooded my mind.

In this memory, he had neither the guidance of Master Ji Yuan nor the four junior brothers he had conceived together.

Only he himself emerged from the five-colored stone, leading the monkey troop of Flower Fruit Mountain, and was crowned the Handsome Monkey King.

After three hundred years of wasted time, he suddenly gained enlightenment and went to the sea to seek the secrets of immortality and the method to achieve immortality. He found a wonderful place in the immortal realm, waited bitterly for seven years, and finally entered the immortal gate, where he was given the name Sun Wukong.

He cultivated in the mountains for countless years and received the wondrous teachings of the "Great Celestial Immortal Technique" and the "Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Transformations," as well as several magical arts and supernatural powers.

The memories of these supernatural powers and techniques flooded into Qi Tian's mind like a madman. For some reason, Qi Tian felt a great aversion to them, as if accepting these things would make him no longer pure.

Fortunately, he had mastered the art of calming the mind, so these memories could not enter his heart.

The scene shifts again, revealing many different scenes: leaving the sect, returning to Flower Fruit Mountain, making friends, being named the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and living a carefree and unrestrained life.

Drink fine wine, slay powerful enemies, and admire the beautiful scenery of the world.

Wander freely in the world, play freely in this life.

Freedom, truly freedom, comfort, pure comfort. Before he knew it, Qi Tian was completely absorbed in it, as if this was what his heart desired, this was his monkey life, this was what he pursued. Free and unrestrained, I am who I am, without any constraints.

Gradually, a sense of arrogance arose in Qi Tian's heart, and he continued to read along with his memories.

Invited by the Heavenly Court, he was tricked into becoming a horse herder, feasted on peaches at the Peach Banquet, looted the Peach Forest, and consumed all the Nine-Turn Immortal Elixir from the Tushita Palace.

They were besieged by the Heavenly Court, fought against heaven and earth, and defeated the Heavenly Court without any power to fight back.

Qi Tian couldn't help but roar, feeling incredibly exhilarated. This was exactly what he wanted: to vent his anger and settle scores freely, without any constraints.

After that, he fought against various figures from the Heavenly Court, but was ambushed by an old man and entered the alchemy furnace. His Golden Eyes of Truth-Seeing were completely gone, leaving only his Fiery Eyes of Truth. The power of Truth-Seeing still existed, but he had an additional flaw: he was afraid of being blinded by wind, sand, and smoke.

The Heavenly Court could not subdue him, and the Underworld allowed him free access. For a time, he seemed to be able to become the Lord of the Nine Heavens and the most revered being in Heaven and Earth.

Then the Heavenly Emperor sent a Buddhist master to make a bet: could he fly out of the Buddha Kingdom in the palm of his hand in one somersault?

For the first time in this memory, Qi Tian felt defeat. No matter how he flew, he remained in that palm, as if his entire life was contained within its grasp.

He roared and howled, unleashing all sorts of supernatural powers, but when the five heavenly pillars pressed down on him, he was fiercely suppressed. The five fingers transformed into a divine mountain, suppressing him within.

Qi Tian went from initial anger at being suppressed, to loneliness with no one to rely on, and finally to a state of perfect tranquility.

Fame, fortune, freedom, and brotherhood—all have vanished, leaving only the evergreen peach trees beneath Five Finger Mountain.

After an unknown amount of time, the repulsive bald man walked away and told him that his name was Sanzang and that he had come to take Qitian as his disciple.

Qi Tian had his previous memories. At first, he was unwilling, then he struggled. Freedom, the feeling of freedom, who wouldn't want that?

This time, for the first time, he compromised and said piously, "Master, please save me."

Unveiling the Buddha's seal, the seal vanished; with a mere shrug, the Five Finger Mountain crumbled.

This freedom after countless years filled Qi Tian with a sense of exhilaration; he did not want to be bound.

But a promise is a promise. He said he would protect the monks on their journey to the West to obtain the scriptures, and he kept his word.

The scene reverses, memories come flooding back, and Qi Tian returns to the time when the four of them were together.

"Am I the Monkey King? Or Sun Wukong? Am I the Great Sage Equal to Heaven? Or the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses?"

For a moment, he was in a daze, wondering if it was all just a dream of the Monkey King, or if Wukong was not truly empty.

He was confused. He looked at the white dragon horse beside him and unconsciously took its lead, mechanically heading west.

Later, they encountered another demon, a skeleton in human form, skilled in transformation techniques. But how could that fool the discerning eyes? With just a few blows, the demon was killed.

Qi Tian had no idea that this would completely enrage Sanzang, who said he was heartless and inhuman, and that he had not cleansed his beastly nature along the way.

The Tightening Spell rang out quickly, causing Qi Tian to writhe on the ground in pain. The pure golden headband tightened even more, making his head feel like it was about to explode.

Qi Tian endured it all, refusing to admit defeat. Sanzang was also stubborn, and kept chanting until his body withered and he almost fainted.

Qi Tian still refused to admit his mistake, and Sanzang spat out a mouthful of blood, making the power of the headband even stronger.

The golden hoop dug deep into his flesh, and even his body, made of steel and iron, could not withstand it.

In that instant, Qi Tian seemed to remember something, but it was buried by the intense pain.

Qi Tian cried out, "I was wrong, I was wrong, Master. It's all my fault, please forgive me."

Only after Qi Tian admitted his mistake did Sanzang stop chanting the incantation.

He looked at Qi Tian, ​​about to say something.

But then Qi Tian struggled to his feet and vanished in a flash. Sanzang was so angry that smoke was rising from his head, and could only call out the name of the Bodhisattva.

Soon, a dignified female bodhisattva came over, threw Qi Tian to the ground, and gave him a good scolding.

Qi Tian's eyes were dark and he seemed helpless.

Later, when the misunderstanding was cleared up, Sanzang showed an incredulous expression, but still did not apologize to Qitian.

The journey westward began again, step by step, during which Qi Tian experienced unimaginable oppression.

His master's incomprehension made him feel that every step on this road was so heavy.

Finally, after overcoming eighty-one tribulations, we arrived at the foot of the Western Paradise.

Here, golden light radiates and Buddha's light shines.

It no longer had the blood-stained appearance it had before.

Imagine the Lion Camel Ridge stretching for eight hundred miles, a mountain of skulls, a forest of bones, human hair matted into felt, human flesh rotting into mud and dust, human tendons wrapped around trees, dry and gleaming like silver—a scene of hell on earth.

He was closest to Mount Ling, yet he was the most terrifying. The golden light at the foot of Mount Ling fell upon him, and Qi Tian felt waves of reality, as if everything was shrouded in a mist.

This world is so hypocritical; everything is suppressing one's true nature. He wanted to smash this world with a stick, but his experiences over the years had crushed his spirit.

After a long time, a familiar Buddhist master appeared and bestowed upon Qitian the title of Victorious Fighting Buddha.

At first, Qi Tian felt a little joy. Fighting, fighting, isn't this what he has always loved? This journey doesn't seem so bad after all.

But what the Buddhist master said next left Qi Tian in disbelief.

The Buddhist master, whose face was obscured, said, “Although you have already become the Victorious Fighting Buddha, you must uphold your original mind, observe the precepts and fast, refrain from killing, avoid being competitive, and do not let your mind be disturbed, lest you revert to your monkey form.”

Qi Tian was dumbfounded. What exactly was this Victorious Fighting Buddha? How could he be called the Victorious Fighting Buddha if he couldn't fight?
And then there's Lion Camel Ridge at the foot of Mount Ling, with such a terrifying sight, yet there's this so-called precept against killing—hypocritical, utterly hypocritical.

Qi Tian let out a roar that shook the heavens: "You bald monk, you are so hypocritical, you are not worthy of becoming a Buddha."

The Buddhist master chuckled and said, "Qi Tian, ​​Qi Tian, ​​I see that your six senses are not yet purified, and you need to go through another cycle of reincarnation."

"No!" Qi Tian roared.

But he was powerless; under the immense pressure, he returned to the five-colored stone once more.

It feels like we're about to go through another cycle.

Suddenly, Qi Tian woke up.

Those scenes felt like he had actually experienced them, or perhaps they were what he was meant to experience. He felt lost, helpless, and unsure of what he should do.

Suddenly, he remembered what Ji Yuan had said about destiny; he was destined to embark on that journey to the west.

Could these memories be left behind by another version of myself?

Or has my fate been altered?

Qi Tian didn't know either.

He sat there, withered and empty, as if a wild horse was galloping in his heart, its hooves clattering everywhere, and flames burning in his internal organs, dark flames.

My heart was pounding like a drum, with a faint, inexplicable roar, as if a terrifying being was suppressing it.

Qi Tian's vision began to shift, and he saw his own inner self.

It was a stone monkey that looked exactly like him, except that it had jet-black fur, blood-red pupils, and was surrounded by blazing flames.

He rode a horse, a blood-red horse, whose hoofbeats stirred the heart and stirred an impulse to destroy the world.

"The mind is like a restless horse!"

These four words suddenly echoed in Qi Tian's mind.

"Is this what Master meant by 'controlling the restless mind' and 'only then can one achieve a stable state of mind'?"

Qi Tian pondered this in secret.

Suddenly, the black stone monkey looked over and met Qi Tian's gaze.

A surge of anger rose within him, an anger at having his fate controlled.

"why why?"

"Why must I embark on that journey to the West? Why am I destined for this? I want to be carefree and unrestrained!"

"The sky cannot obscure my vision, nor can the earth crush my heart."

"I am Qitian, not Wukong; I am Qitian, not the Victorious Fighting Buddha!"

The black stone monkey residing in his heart suddenly revealed a strange smile.

Qi Tian, ​​who was outside the palace, suddenly turned jet black with his golden hair.

This is when the mind is completely unrestrained, and inner demons have completely taken over the body.

"Kill, kill, kill!"

Qi Tian roared angrily, his voice hoarse and filled with madness.

The first person to appear in his heart was Ji Yuan, the one who brought him into this world, the one who arranged his future, the one who calculated everything, the one who wanted to bear his destiny, the one who wanted to walk the Journey to the West, and the one who wanted to restrain his true nature.

It's him, it's him!
A surge of killing intent coursed through Qi Tian, ​​and endless black energy merged into his body. Upon closer inspection, one could almost see Dao patterns representing destiny, which draped Qi Tian in a chaotic and colorless armor.

His aura began to rise strangely, from Taiyi Golden Immortal to Daluo Golden Immortal, Hunyuan Golden Immortal, and Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal.

It wasn't until he reached the Great Golden Immortal realm that the ascension stopped, an improvement even more exaggerated than ascending to immortality in a single day.

Once you attain enlightenment, the Primordial Dao Fruit will be in your hands.

Boom!

Like a deafening explosion that seemed to shatter the heavens and the earth, the entire program was completely destroyed, and Qi Tian appeared in the world.

Ji Yuan also revealed himself at this moment.

He said calmly, "Fate, is this all the tricks you've painstakingly devised? It's utterly unoriginal."

Qi Tian's face twisted strangely as he looked at Ji Yuan, his voice completely changing: "Ji Yuan, your so-called chosen one is gone. He has been completely possessed by his own restless mind, his six senses are gone, his seven emotions and desires have all dissipated, his three souls and seven spirits have completely merged into one, and he has also borne my power. He has completely perished!"

"Without the chosen one, how can you complete the Journey to the West?"

Ji Yuan smiled and said, "Fate, since I dared to let him go down the mountain alone, I have absolute confidence. Your sudden appearance shows that you don't take me seriously at all."

"Fate is unpredictable, but can be reversed!"

Ji Yuan uttered five words calmly.

These five words struck Destiny like a thunderclap from a clear sky, as if the world had collapsed. He trembled and said, "You actually comprehended my Dao. What do you want? Do you want to usurp my 'Dao Master' title?"

Fate's eyes held an uncontrollable terror.

It is important to understand that the path of destiny can only be controlled by one person. As long as there is a Primordial Golden Immortal on this path, no one else can control it. This is a unique characteristic of destiny.

Those so-called fortune-telling methods don't actually use the principles of fate to speculate, but rather observe the patterns of fate.

These are all things that fate itself sets out for people to see, which is why he can control everything.

The so-called calculations are nothing more than a predetermined outcome.

"Incredible, Ji Yuan! You are defying the rules of the chaotic universe! You will cause the universe to collapse!" Destiny exclaimed. Even someone as calm as him was startled by Ji Yuan. This was breaking the uniqueness.

This undoubtedly disrupted the course of fate completely.

Ji Yuan smiled and said, "If a person is not good enough, don't blame the road for being uneven. The Great Dao is mine alone, and all the Dao are upon me."

"Fate is unpredictable, but can be reversed!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Tian, ​​who was surrounded by black energy, trembled. His fate had been completely reversed.

That destiny of his becoming Sun Wukong and achieving the Victorious Fighting Buddha was completely annihilated in this endless space and time.

After a long while, Qi Tian slowly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with tears. His fate had been severed, and his destiny had vanished. This was his true self.

Qi Tian knelt down devoutly and said in a low voice, "Thank you, Master, for severing my life and fixing my nature."

.......................................

(End of this chapter)