I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

In the instant of the breakthrough, Ning Chen felt a series of clear sounds coming from his limbs, bones, blood vessels, skin, and hair.

Having cultivated for nearly a century, his body was completely integrated with his spiritual essence, becoming one with it.

Under the baptism of magic, his strength, agility, range of divine sense perception, and control over the primordial energy of heaven and earth all underwent a qualitative leap!

The acquired spiritual treasures that originally required essence, energy, and blood to activate—the Tai'a Sword, the Golden Mirror, and the Sun and Moon Pearl—are now intimately connected to his mind, as if they were extensions of his body. With just a slight thought, he can unleash their vast power.

On the attribute panel, all the values ​​such as constitution, physique, comprehension, and lifespan have seen an amazing leap!

[Divine Realm Walker: Ning Chen]

[Realm: Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness]

[Cultivation Level: 89 years]

[Base Bone: 1684]

[Physical Strength: 1798]

[Comprehension: 1599]

[Lifespan: 19/1008]

[Techniques: Purple Cloud Mysterious True Enlightenment Technique, Level 3; Yi Jin Jing; Golden Bell Cover; Cloud Ladder Leap; Ape Strike Technique; Subduing Dragon and Tiger; Manipulating Creation; Five Elements Great Escape; Free and Easy Wandering]

[Magic Items: Tai'a Sword, Golden Mirror, Sun and Moon Pearl]

Ning Chen stood up, and with a gentle flick of his sleeve, he floated into the air like a crane, soaring through the sky.

He did not use any escape techniques; his physical body had simply merged with his magical power, allowing him to control his form with his will, enabling him to fly and escape effortlessly, making his body a hundred times lighter than before.

Only now did Ning Chen realize that the reason Bodhi Patriarch hadn't taught him the art of riding clouds before wasn't because he was unwilling.

They were genuinely afraid that his magical powers would be insufficient, and that he would fall halfway down and be half-dead.

Inside Fangcun Mountain, at the entrance to the Ancestral Master's Cave.

Bodhi Patriarch had quietly appeared there, his white Taoist robe fluttering in the wind.

He gazed at the figure atop the mountain, soaring among the clouds, exuding an ethereal and mysterious aura, breathing in harmony with heaven and earth, and his eyes revealed admiration and satisfaction.

The patriarch gently stroked his long beard and nodded slightly.

"Excellent! You have achieved enlightenment and returned to emptiness; the Great Dao is within reach!"

"My lineage has been passed down, so I can now act freely!"

In the Tushita Palace, Laozi, who was unusually not engaged in alchemy, seemed to sense something and slowly opened his eyes.

He then summoned the boy in blue and gave him some instructions.

"Go and find my eldest disciple, and do this and that..."

"Yes, sir!"

Inside the Xuandu Cave of the Eight Views Palace, a young Taoist in green robes respectfully addressed a middle-aged man with black hair who was sitting cross-legged beside a purple-gold alchemy furnace.

"Heavenly Venerable Miaole, the Master has given orders that the only lineage he left in the mortal realm has finally found a successor. He instructs you to find that person and bring them into my fold!"

The middle-aged man with black hair gave a surprised "oh".

"So, you have a junior brother?"

"The spiritual energy in the mortal realm is becoming increasingly scarce. How could someone understand the Tao Te Ching left by the teacher before even reaching the Foundation Establishment stage? His innate talent and comprehension are truly extraordinary. But why choose this opportune moment to guide him into the path?"

"What is this person's name, and where is he from?"

He wanted to ask more questions, but the young Taoist rolled his eyes and went back to the Tushita Palace on his own.

A black-haired man.

"There must be something fishy about this..."

........

Ning Chen familiarized himself with the changes and slowly descended.

I was having so much fun playing that I didn't notice the chat box in the Divine Realm group had been popping up like crazy for a long time.

Tang Hao:

"Ning-ge! Where did you go? How come you're gone after I woke up?! You could at least have said goodbye before you left!"

Money and power:

"Exactly! We were waiting to ask you about cultivation methods! And then you just disappeared without a trace!"

Wu Dajin:

"But Brother Ning, you're really amazing! Thanks to you, Sect Leader Zhang is incredibly polite to us, telling us we absolutely must get along with you! He even gave us pills today, which instantly increased our physique by 1 point after we ate them. They're incredible! I feel like I was living worse than a dog before."

Zhou Tao:

"Brother Ning, at the Laozi's Sutra-Speaking Platform of the Zhengyi Sect, I actually saw a rubbing of the Tao Te Ching left behind by the Sage Taiqing! Although it's long since blurred due to wind and sun, its meaning is profound! I carefully contemplated it and gained quite a bit!"

Sun Rongrong:

"Tch, you're just showing off. Zhou Tao said he gleaned a method for drawing upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth from that blurry rubbing! But I just feel dizzy looking at those blurry characters."

Tang Hao:

"Don't even mention it! I glanced at it twice, and my head just felt like it was being hit on the back of the head with a big stick. I didn't understand anything! The Nine Revolutions Elixir Method of the Zhengyi Sect is much more practical!"

Sun Rongrong secretly messaged Ning Chen:

"Brother Ning, what should we do about that baby girl? She's so tiny and keeps looking for milk. I'm still a virgin, and although I have big breasts, I don't have any milk. Luckily, Teacher Luo caught a mother goat, and she drank some goat milk and was soothed to sleep. Besides, I've never taken care of such a small child before!"

Ning Chen recalled what the patriarch had said about the karmic identity of the baby girl, and after careful consideration, replied.

"The Ancestral Master has summoned me, and I have returned to the mountain gate. The baby girl has a special background. Since we have met, it is both fate and responsibility. Please take care of her for me for the time being and let her cultivate with you in the Zhengyi Sect to lay a solid foundation. By the way, her name is Qing'er. Remember to protect her and do not let her be seen by outsiders, lest it bring trouble."

"If you lack resources for your cultivation, you can come to me, and I will help you make arrangements."

Sun Rongrong looked at Ning Chen's reply in the chat box, and a smile quietly crept onto her lips.

"Ning Chen and I are raising a child together... Would that count as premarital pregnancy?"

Just then, Luo Zhantian suddenly sent a message in the group chat:

"@All members, let's count the days! Tomorrow! It'll be our one-year anniversary, time to return to Earth!"

Teacher Luo's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating a huge wave in the large chat group.

Tang Hao:

"What? Tomorrow? How can it be so soon? It feels like it was just yesterday that I entered the Divine Realm!"

Money and power:

"Holy crap! I just became an apprentice, I haven't even gotten on the train yet, I haven't even touched the threshold of cultivation, why do I have to go back already!"

Sun Rongrong:

"Huh? Then... what about Qing'er? Can we come back again if we go back?"

Zhou Tao:

"The most crucial thing is... the demons in the third level! With our meager cultivation, we'll have to face the third level of the Divine Realm when we get back? We're doomed!"

Wu Dajin:

"Oh no, I don't want to die in the Divine Realm, but thankfully I still have Brother Ning. Even the thousand-year-old fox demon is no match for Brother Ning..."

Panic and worry instantly filled the chat group.

They had just overcome many hardships and dangers in the mortal world to reach Louguantai and obtain extraordinary opportunities.

With their cultivation seemingly within reach, yet they were about to face the unknown and extremely dangerous third level of the Journey to the West Divine Realm, everyone felt an immense, suffocating pressure.

Seeing the panic in the group chat, Ning Chen frowned slightly.

"It's alright, I roughly know how to get through the third level."

Chen Feng also chimed in with his comment.

"Brothers, I'm already a disciple of the Great Immortal Yangli. Don't worry, I'll definitely lend Brother Ning a hand this time."

Everyone felt a little more at ease.

The third level: 100,000 demon monkeys!

Ning Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly headed towards the rotten peach grove on the back mountain.

Beside a clear mountain stream, Sun Wukong was diligently practicing his staff techniques, holding an iron cudgel.

Ning Chen walked to his side and watched him quietly for a moment. The monkey's staff skills were now considered superb. The iron staff was like a dragon, appearing and disappearing unpredictably.

Upon seeing Ning Chen arrive, Monkey King didn't stop; he simply turned his head to look at Ning Chen and grinned.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother, your cultivation has advanced to another level!"

Ning Chen knew that his progress in cultivation could not be hidden from the monkey at this moment.

"Senior brother, if..."

Ning Chen carefully chose his words, looking into the monkey's clear eyes as he asked.

"I mean... if we meet again five hundred years from now, what will you say to me?"

Sun Wukong stopped what he was doing, tilted his fluffy head, blinked his golden eyes, and pondered Ning Chen's strange question for a moment.

A moment later, he grinned, revealing his snow-white teeth, casually slung the iron rod over his shoulder, and spoke with his usual nonchalant air.

"Of course! Junior brother, five hundred years have passed, have you... found that great freedom and ease?"

Sun Wukong's voice echoed among the clear mountain streams, clear and far-reaching.

Ning Chen was slightly taken aback, then a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Yes, that's true freedom and ease.

This is the fundamental point: Blue Star, Divine Realm, and Fangcun Mountain are all journeys, not destinations.

He looked up at the sky, his eyes becoming incredibly determined.

Tomorrow, upon returning to Earth, no matter how treacherous the third level may be, he will lead his companions to forge a path to the other side...

Of course, in this world, it's all about human relationships and social skills, not fighting and killing!

"By the way, senior brother, how's the memory of your monkey followers from Flower Fruit Mountain?"

"Um?"

Wukong blinked, not understanding what his junior brother meant by asking that question.

"It's alright. If I have the chance to return to Flower Fruit Mountain in the future, I will definitely tell the monkeys and their descendants more about the story of my Second King, Ning Wuchen!"

Ning Chen cupped his hands in greeting and revealed his true purpose.