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

"Here he comes." Ning Chen knew that what Bodhi Patriarch was about to say was very important to him and his senior brother Sun Wukong, so he cupped his hands in greeting.

"This disciple does not know..."

The patriarch flicked his whisk and stroked his long beard, speaking softly.

"It's not solely based on his sincerity in pursuing the Dao, nor is it merely on his innate spiritual talent and extraordinary aptitude..."

The patriarch's gaze returned to Ning Chen, becoming exceptionally profound.

"In reality, it was an old friend who entrusted this to me..."

"Entrusted by an old friend?"

Ning Chen's heart suddenly clenched!

Who could have entrusted Bodhi Patriarch to establish a temple here, just for the arrival of Monkey King?

The patriarch nodded, his tone becoming more solemn, and he looked up at the Thirty-Three Heavens.

"This person's identity cannot be revealed. Although Fangcun Mountain is my training ground, mentioning his name might alert him. This person has a great connection with me. A hundred years ago, he entrusted me with the task of finding someone..."

After the patriarch paused briefly, the only sound in the cave was the faint crackling of burning sandalwood.

"A person destined for calamity!"

"This person must... possess extraordinary abilities, yet lack a powerful background!"

"This person is like an uncarved gem; with a little polishing, he can acquire extraordinary magical powers!"

"This person should be like an orphan whose future is yet unknown, with limitless possibilities!"

Bodhi Patriarch looked at Ning Chen.

"This person destined for this calamity must undergo trials and tribulations to shoulder heavy responsibilities; they must walk a path defying fate, one destined to be fraught with thorns!"

The patriarch's voice slowed down, each word carrying immense weight, clearly imprinted on Ning Chen's heart:

"I foresaw that the day of tribulation would arrive, but I never expected there would be two. Now it seems that you and your senior brother are both those destined for tribulation!"

boom!

The patriarch's words exploded in Ning Chen's mind like a thunderclap from the heavens!

My senior brother and I are both destined for tribulation.

Then why did you, Ancestor, choose your senior brother?

..........

The voice of Patriarch Bodhi echoed in Ning Chen's sea of ​​consciousness.

"Wuchen, do you remember when you first entered the mountain gate, I asked you all, 'What is the purpose of cultivation?'"

Ning Chen nodded subconsciously, the scene from that time as vivid as if it were yesterday.

He clearly remembers his answer at the time: "I only seek great freedom and ease."

That was his most genuine answer, coming from the depths of his heart.

"This is to understand the Way by questioning one's own heart, to inquire into the fundamental truth!"

The patriarch waved his whisk and turned his gaze to Ning Chen.

"I asked your senior brother the same question. Do you know how he answered?"

Ning Chen's heart tightened. He really didn't know how his senior brother Wukong had answered back then, so he could only slowly shake his head.

"This disciple is unaware; please enlighten me, Master."

The patriarch's voice was calm and even, yet every word struck Ning Chen's heart like a hammer blow.

"Your senior brother, at that time, only had the thought of immortality in his heart. He frankly said that he only wanted to escape the cycle of reincarnation and live as long as the heavens. I once tested him and asked him if he would be willing to do the work of protecting the Dao and saving the common people if it was for the sake of immortality. Your senior brother said that as long as he could obtain immortality, he would not hesitate to do the same!"

Ning Chen remained silent. This answer was indeed Monkey King's original intention in seeking the Dao.

Back when Sun Wukong was enjoying a carefree life as king of Flower Fruit Mountain, he saw an old monkey die before him, which moved him deeply and sparked his desire to seek the path to immortality.

After wandering for decades, Monkey King finally arrived at Fangcun Mountain and became a disciple of Bodhi Patriarch.

However, if we were to ask about the Great Sage Equaling Heaven five hundred years from now, it would likely be more than simply achieving immortality to get what he wanted.

"I have pondered this for a long time!"

The patriarch let out a long, distant sigh.

"You two, one human and one monkey, have come together. It is the will of Heaven. This monkey is destined to embark on that thorny path, a path to face the tribulations of Heaven and Earth. You, on the other hand, will inherit the mantle of your master and attain the Dao Fruit of Primordial Chaos. This is destiny."

Bodhi Patriarch paused, noticing the resentment churning in Ning Chen's eyes.

"Your senior brother, when he sought enlightenment and questioned his own heart, only asked for immortality. However, his heart was unruly and his mind was restless and unsettled. He was destined to cause trouble in the future, and he was destined to be the one to bear the tribulation. Now, his path is set, and a karmic ceremony will guide him onto that path. As for you, Wuchen..."

The patriarch's gaze held a hint of expectation.

"You are naturally steady and blessed with good fortune. What you need to do is to cultivate diligently, comprehend the Great Dao, and pass on my mantle. This is your path and my only expectation of you. Only in this way will I not have failed my painstaking teaching."

"Grandmaster!"

Ning Chen suddenly looked up. The Bodhi Patriarch was able to tell him so much, truly treating him as his successor.

If any other senior brother were to come along, he would be just as presumptuous, repeatedly contradicting Patriarch Bodhi.

They would probably have been killed by the patriarch with a single palm strike and turned to ashes long ago!

But he still wanted to put up a fight.

"Is my senior brother's fate truly unchangeable? I already know that the path ahead for my senior brother is a thorny pit of fire, so why can't I..."

"Foolish child!"

The patriarch interrupted him, his tone light but carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"Your senior brother has already entered the tribulation. From the moment he enlightened himself and asked himself questions, saying that he only sought immortality, the cause and effect were already set. Now, trying to reverse it is like rowing against the current, which is extremely difficult."

"It's not that I'm unwilling, but in the game of life and death, once a move is made, there's no going back. Your senior brother will surely stand tall and be the center of attention in the future. The name of Sun Wukong will resound throughout the world. However, if you want to wear the crown, you must bear the weight! Endless glory and the hardships and dangers to come are two sides of the same coin."

Ning Chen clenched his fists, his heart turning cold. Five hundred years later, beneath the Five Elements Mountain, there stood that indomitable yet battered figure, and that voice: "Junior brother, this is a gift from your senior brother, five hundred years late."

How could he bear to watch his senior brother suffer such a calamity?

"Is there... absolutely no way to solve this?"

Ning Chen's voice was hoarse, but he still did not give up his last struggle.

Bodhi Patriarch gazed at him for a moment, and a glimmer of light seemed to flash in the profound depths of his eyes that seemed to see through eternity.

It was Ning Chen's pure and innocent heart that moved him deeply. If he treated his senior brother so well, how could he not treat his master well?

With this boy's help, my obsession might finally be fulfilled.

But it is too early to say anything now. Bodhi Patriarch gently shook his head, his figure gradually disappearing, and his voice seemed to drift from beyond the heavens.

"Foolish child, if you truly have this desire and insist on defying fate, then wait until you have truly attained great freedom and liberation, transcending the shackles of heaven and earth, before you come back to tell your master about this matter."

Before he finished speaking, the patriarch simply waved his whisk lightly.

Ning Chen felt a slight ripple in the space around him, and the scene before his eyes blurred instantly.

The next moment, he stood in front of his disciple's tiled house with its blue bricks and white walls.

The night breeze was cool, blowing across his burning cheeks.

The patriarch's words were etched deep within his consciousness like a brand.

To transcend the constraints of heaven and earth and attain true freedom and ease, Ning Chen couldn't help but smile wryly. "You old man, it's easy to say, but so difficult to do."

In this world of Journey to the West, filled with gods and Buddhas, besides the Three Pure Ones, the Four Sages, and the Buddha of the West, who dares to say that they are truly carefree and at ease?

The monkey noticed someone outside, opened the window, and exclaimed excitedly.

"Junior brother, what are you standing there for? Come in quickly. There are still some things I don't understand about your Primordial Yin-Yang Creation Scripture..."