The story begins with the bride marrying off her daughter, and the woman, at the age of one hundred,

In front of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave.

The monkey and the fairy boy were at an impasse.

Despite the excruciating pain, Chang Shou shook his body, which was like an old, worn-out machine on the verge of collapse.

Although this amount of strength was like an ant trying to shake a tree to a monkey, the man and the monkey had been together for a long time and had developed a tacit understanding. Knowing that Changshou had something to say, he carefully put him down.

Eyes facing each other.

Chang Shou grabbed the monkey's wrist with all his might.

Their eyes met.

A glimmer of light flashed in Chang Shou's cloudy old eyes.

Even though he didn't say anything, his silence spoke volumes, and the monkey understood Changshou's attitude.

He let himself go in alone!

The Monkey King felt his heart stop.

Lu Yao knows horsepower and sees people's hearts over time.

Even now, Old Man Chang still cares about him, and an unprecedented warmth welled up in his heart.

His lips trembled, and the Monkey King felt a mix of emotions.

In the past few years, they did indeed have their own agendas.

In the years that followed, however, they both put aside their scheming and gradually came to cherish each other.

To this day, it's hard to say how much of their mutual consideration is genuine and how much is calculated.

Perhaps even they themselves can't tell the difference.

Suppressing the stinging in his eyes, the Monkey King feigned nonchalance and playfully scolded:

"Hey! Old Chang, we've been trekking through mountains and rivers for over seven years, enduring countless hardships. Now, we've finally met a kind immortal who's willing to open the door for us. Why are you backing down now that things are at hand?"

They know how stubborn and headstrong monkeys can be.

Chang Shou was afraid that he would offend the fairy boy and displease the Patriarch Subhuti, so he endured the pain of being slowly sliced ​​to death and squeezed out a few words.

"You...come in...I...stay...wait...for...you...otherwise...I'll...die...without...my eyes open!"

The voice was intermittent and weak.

Yet it possessed a resounding determination.

Their eyes met again.

The Monkey King was scalded by the sudden burst of light from Chang Shou's cloudy old eyes, and in a panic, he immediately broke free from Chang Shou's grasp.

He dared not meet Old Man Chang's gaze again.

Slowly nodding, slowly rising, and slowly straightening his clothes, the Monkey King followed the boy into the cave. Just before the cave door closed, his voice reached Changshou's ears.

"Old man, I'm going in to pay my respects to the patriarch first. I'll come out to get you. You can't die, otherwise, even if I successfully become his disciple, I'll feel like it's all meaningless."

Chang Shou forced a stiff smile.

---

The cave entrance is closed.

Leaning against the stone pillar, Chang Shou's chest heaved.

His cloudy old eyes were swollen and his thoughts were scattered along with his gaze.

Imagine the monkey's future: a smooth and prosperous path, reigning supreme in the heavens and on earth, becoming one with the immortals, possessing an immortal golden body like a Buddha, looking down upon all ages, and living forever.

The obsession that had sustained Changshou has dissipated.

The tension that had been building up also dissipated.

A sliver of sunlight fell faintly on him.

Chang Shou couldn't help but shield his eyes from the sudden light, but found that when he raised his arm, he felt no pain at all. At the same time, he found that his breathing became smooth, his vision was no longer blurry, and he could see his surroundings clearly.

With evergreen pines and cypresses, cranes flying and monkeys crying, clouds rising and rosy hues swirling, and light shimmering, the scenery is indeed unparalleled in its beauty, truly deserving of the title of a celestial paradise.

I know this is just a final burst of energy before death.

It is a phenomenon that occurs before a living being dies.

Changshou was no longer afraid; instead, he faced death with equanimity, a kind smile on his old face and a calm gaze.

The water vapor in the kidneys boiled, and the cold mountain trembled.

Chang Shou was no stranger to this scene.

For the past seven years, he has spent every day with the monkey. He had two opportunities to break through to become a ghost immortal, but each time he hesitated at the last moment and gave up the opportunity.

It's not that I don't want to, it's that I'm afraid.

I'm afraid I haven't accumulated enough experience.

I was afraid I would waste the opportunity.

He was afraid of failing his attempt to become a Ghost Immortal.

He feared that he would die before he could even meet Subhuti, without any chance of being saved.

Fearing he might die on the way, the monkey had no choice but to set off alone.

He feared that he would die far from home and be unable to see his granddaughters one last time.

……

All sorts of fears came rushing in.

This caused him to miss two opportunities.

Things shouldn't happen more than three times.

Facing this last chance.

Chang Shou did not hesitate any longer and resolutely took that step, not only because this was the last chance, but also because he had enough courage to face his fear.

Make a hand gesture.

The water vapor and cold air inside the kidneys rushed out.

They wanted to forcibly create a Yin spirit.

At the same time, all sorts of evil thoughts surged in like a flood, and his past fears turned into numerous demonic obstacles that haunted him, amplifying his fears infinitely.

The three granddaughters, dressed in mourning clothes, sobbed as they recounted that they had no home anymore. The eldest granddaughter had been beaten and verbally abused by her in-laws, the second granddaughter had been domestically abused by her husband, and the youngest granddaughter had been seduced and abandoned by the Dragon King of Qinghe.

[Those who defy the natural order become immortals, those who follow it remain mortals. Although he failed in his attempt to become a ghost immortal, he ultimately went against the will of Heaven. After death, he was judged by King Yama and cast into the eighteen levels of hell to suffer torment, his soul wailing day and night.]

[Having failed in his attempt to become a ghost immortal, he entered the underworld after death. Although he narrowly escaped Yama's judgment and was able to be reincarnated, he forgot his past life and was reborn as a beast of burden for all eternity, as were his descendants. He was trapped in the mortal world, living a mediocre and aimless life, struggling bitterly and unable to find liberation.]

……

Face these obstacles.

In the past, Chang Shou would have panicked, been afraid, and been at a loss, but now, he smiled and withstood it all.

Children and grandchildren have their own blessings to offer.

You reap what you sow. Since it's your own choice, you have to bear the consequences, even if you cry. You haven't committed any heinous crimes, and you're not doomed to eternal damnation. There will always be a day when the clouds part, the sun shines through, and the sky clears.

Living an ordinary life is better than never being able to escape death.

……

But soon Changshou was blocked by a demon.

[You all came together and suffered greatly, so why can that monkey become Subhuti's disciple but you can't? That's the path to immortality, the path to eternal life! You're a transmigrator; even if you can't compare to the monkey, you're definitely no worse than Subhuti's other disciples. Why can they do it but you can't? You only need one chance. Once you enter the Crescent Moon Cave and let Subhuti see your excellence, he will definitely look at you differently.]

[What are you dreaming of! You're no good, you're trash, you're incompetent! You were an ordinary person in your past life, and now you've transmigrated and you're all set? Don't be delusional! A sparrow is always a sparrow, and an eagle is always an eagle! Subhuti is all-powerful; how could he not know you were outside? Yet he only instructed his attendant to take the monkey in. This shows you're just a mediocre person, not even possessing the potential of a ghost immortal. Don't even mention comparing yourself to the monkey; even his ordinary disciples could put you in the dust.]

A wave of fear washed over him. Changshou's cloudy old eyes fell on the door, his emotions a complex mix of joy, jealousy, helplessness, and resentment...

I was both happy that the monkey was about to get its wish, and saddened that all my hard work had come to nothing.

They came together, and although it was just a door, it separated two worlds and also cut off the monkey's blessings to him. From then on, an insurmountable chasm existed between him and the monkey.

The monkey entered the gate of immortality and lived a long life, able to see the world for eternity.

I am still in the mortal world, caught in the cycle of reincarnation, unaware of my past lives.

What is the point of my time travel?

What is the purpose of awakening one's innate wisdom?

What is the purpose of my arduous journey here?