Journey to the West: Deer Power Immortal, Starting from Becoming a Disciple of the Supreme Lord Tais

Yang Jian raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean by that?"

Lu Qingxuan said, "The affairs of the Three Realms are governed by cause and effect. If the Great Sage had not caused trouble in the Underworld and had not altered the Book of Life and Death, he would have only had a lifespan of more than three hundred years. How could he have become the Great Sage Equal to Heaven later on?"

How could it be...?

Lu Qingxuan did not continue speaking.

Yang Jian naturally understood the unspoken meaning in his words and was somewhat surprised: "You dare to say that."

Having been in the Heavenly Court for a long time, he could guess a thing or two about this matter, but he wouldn't speak so frankly as Lu Qingxuan.

Lu Qingxuan shook his head: "This humble Taoist dares not speak presumptuously, but I feel that everything has its own destiny."

Later generations have different opinions on Sun Wukong's havoc in the underworld and the heavenly court. Some say it was a conspiracy between Buddhism and the heavenly court, while others say it was the will of Heaven.

However, judging from his interactions with Sun Wukong, there might be some exaggeration involved, or at least a hint of being deceived.

Yang Jian was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "Predestination? Predestination is the last thing I believe in."

If fate is truly predetermined, why was my mother imprisoned on Peach Mountain?

If fate were truly predetermined, then the monkey wouldn't be trapped under the Five Fingers Mountain now.

He paused, his tone softening slightly: "However, what you said makes some sense, but it's best to say these things less often in the future."

That monkey's rampage in the underworld certainly left a mess. My years of hunting down fugitives have essentially been cleaning up his mess. I'll settle this score with that monkey when I see him again."

Lu Qingxuan smiled but did not reply. He naturally did not want to get involved in the cause and effect between the two.

The two are people who can fight for three days and three nights. With his current cultivation level, even a fight would be extremely difficult for him.

"You have helped me today, and I will remember this favor. If you need anything in the future, you can come to Guanjiang Estuary," Yang Jian said.

Lu Qingxuan cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, True Lord."

Yang Jian waved his hand and said no more. He whistled, and Xiaotian Dog landed beside him. The two of them then rode away on a cloud.

As Lu Qingxuan watched the departing figure of the man and the dog, he felt a pang of emotion. Yang Jian seemed aloof and arrogant, but in reality, he was warm-hearted.

It's just that I've experienced too much and am unwilling to form deep friendships with others.

However, this time I gained a favor, so it wasn't a complete waste.

Shaking his head, Lu Qingxuan stopped thinking about it and continued his travels using the Five Elements Escape Technique.

It wasn't that I was looking for any treasure; I just wanted to familiarize myself with the changes that occurred after the five elements were combined.

Since he mastered the five basic escape techniques, his understanding of the Five Elements Escape Technique has deepened, but to hone it to perfection requires continuous daily practice.

Fortunately, I have nothing else to do now, so traveling around would be a great idea.

For the next period of time, Lu Qingxuan sometimes walked through the soil and sometimes leaped through the forest.

The feeling of being one with heaven and earth made him feel incredibly happy. The five elements circulated endlessly, and each transformation deepened his understanding of the power of the five elements.

During this time, Lu Qingxuan visited several villages where the Three Immortals Temples were located and helped the villagers with some minor matters.

They set up altars to pray for rain and punish monsters, finding enjoyment in the process.

Walking and stopping intermittently, before he knew it, Lu Qingxuan had already left the Zhongnan Mountain area.

On this day, he was using Wood Release to move through the forest when he suddenly felt a demonic aura rushing towards him.

The demonic aura wasn't the murky kind of that found in ordinary mountain spirits and monsters; instead, it carried a hint of celestial energy.

Lu Qingxuan's heart stirred, and he withdrew his wood escape technique, landing on a large tree and looking in the direction of the demonic aura.

In the valley ahead, there was a dilapidated cave, with piles of rocks and overgrown weeds at the entrance.

The stone plaque above the cave entrance is particularly eye-catching, with the words "Yunzhan Cave" engraved on it.

This name sounds familiar.

Lu Qingxuan probed the cave with his divine sense and saw a huge figure sleeping soundly inside, snoring loudly, which made the stone cave tremble.

The figure had a fat head and big ears, a big belly and a thick waist, and was covered in black hair; it was clearly a pig demon.

Lu Qingxuan's heart skipped a beat. Cloud Stack Cave, Pig Demon...

So we've arrived at the place where Pigsy (Zhu Bajie) is!

As he was pondering, the pig demon in the cave suddenly rolled over, its shouts abruptly ceasing, and a groggy voice drifted out from within: "Who's disturbing this old pig's sleep?"

As he spoke, he sat up, took a step, and went straight outside the cave.

At this moment, Lu Qingxuan also saw his appearance clearly.

It has a pig's head and a human body, with protruding tusks, and wears a tattered black cloth with a silk ribbon tied around its waist.

Pigsy yawned, looked up and saw Deer Qingxuan in the tree. He was startled at first, then grinned and said, "Hey, where did this Taoist come from? Hiding in the tree and spying on me, Old Pig, are you trying to steal my things?"

Lu Qingxuan leaped down from the tree, cupped his hands, and said, "Greetings, Marshal Tianpeng."

Upon hearing this address, Pigsy's drowsy expression vanished instantly. He looked Lu Qingxuan up and down, as if remembering something: "You're Laozi's new disciple? What's your name again...?"

Lu Qingxuan smiled and said, "This humble Taoist is Lu Qingxuan."

Pigsy slapped his forehead: "Oh right, Qingxuan Immortal Boy!"

"Back when I was in Heaven, I visited the Tushita Palace and saw the two celestial boys, Golden Horn and Silver Horn. But why are you here, spying on me?"

"Marshal is joking. I just sensed your aura while practicing my divine path, which is why I came here." Lu Qingxuan said, both amused and exasperated.

He doesn't care what "peeping" means; he considers his orientation to be normal.

"Hey, let's not talk about that. Come, come, since you're here, come inside and have a seat. I may not have much good stuff, but I do have some tea." Pigsy stepped aside to make way.

Lu Qingxuan did not refuse and followed Zhu Bajie into the cave.

Although the cave was simple, it was...

Cough,

It's still rudimentary.

Pigsy brought out a stone table and two stone stools from somewhere and poured a bowl of tea for Lu Qingxuan.

The tea is wild tea from the mountains, yet it is refreshing and delicious.

Lu Qingxuan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Marshal, when you were banished to the mortal realm, did you ever think of returning to Heaven one day?"

Pigsy sighed, "Return to Heaven? It would be a disgrace to go back to Heaven in this state. Besides, that Jade Emperor has a terrible temper. If I offend him, I'm afraid I'll never be able to go back in this lifetime."

"Besides, my life is pretty good now. I eat my fill and sleep, and when I wake up I eat again. I don't have to care about those damn gods and immortals. I'm quite carefree."

"Marshal is quite open-minded." Lu Qingxuan smiled. It was unclear whether Zhu Bajie's current habits were due to being born into the wrong pig form or if he was always like this. He really did look like someone who would split up his luggage at the drop of a hat.

Pigsy waved his hand and said, "What can I do if I can't figure it out? When I was Marshal Tianpeng in Heaven, I commanded 80,000 water soldiers. How impressive was that?"

"He only had a few too many drinks and got a moment of confusion, but he ended up getting beaten two thousand times, banished to the mortal realm, and even reincarnated as a pig. Look at him now, how can he possibly go back?"

Lu Qingxuan said, "Marshal, there's no need to worry too much. For cultivators, the physical body is just an outward appearance. Perhaps one day you will be able to shed this pig form."

"It's difficult. With my current cultivation level, I can only get by. It's not impossible for me to transform into human form, but it would take a lot of effort, and I'm too lazy to bother."