Chapter 101: The Seventy-Two Transformations—A Universe Within the Sleeve!
The words slipped out naturally.
Lu Fei knelt on the ground, his expression respectful and his mind resolute.
He possessed memories of the Journey to the West and was aware of the disputes among some regarding the Thirty-Two Heavenly Transformations and the Seventy-Two Earthly Transformations that the Patriarch Bodhi bestowed upon the Monkey King.
Lu Fei, however, was indifferent to such debates; he had never been fond of overanalyzing certain matters.
Yet, he had never imagined that fate could be so unpredictable and ever-changing.
He was but a humble commoner.
And yet, he too had a day to seek the path to immortality.
He was diligent and eager to learn; if he did not understand, he would ask.
Just like now.
He had clearly heard his master Zhenyuanzi’s words.
Both the Heavenly Transformations and Earthly Transformations were methods to evade the three calamities.
In truth, that was already clear.
But influenced by the memories in his mind, he still directly asked.
As he expected, both were indeed arts to avoid the three disasters.
One involved thirty-six transformations, the other seventy-two; naturally, the latter was more difficult.
Cultivating magic was not like attending a feast or counting money—more was not always better!
On the contrary, the more spells one knew, the harder it was to master them. Without great perseverance and wisdom, one could never succeed. Being overly ambitious and reckless would only make one indistinguishable from the crowd.
The reason the Monkey King chose the more difficult Earthly Transformations was because of his nature—proud, rebellious, gifted, competitive, and unwilling to settle for an inferior choice when a better one was available.
And indeed, he lived up to his words.
Here, there was a good contrast.
That was Marshal Tianpeng, Zhu Bajie.
He was relatively lazy, fond of drink and women, and full of desires.
He also knew himself well, so he chose the thirty-six Heavenly Transformations.
Of course, it must be noted that both the Heavenly and Earthly Transformations were merely techniques to escape the three calamities.
Mastering the more difficult art did not necessarily mean greater strength.
It was like being in the same classroom, taught by the same teacher, reading the same textbook—some could score full marks, others could fail miserably.
Or like the same set of Tai Zu Long Fist techniques: in Qiao Feng’s hands, they far surpassed those of others.
The true power of cultivation lay within the cultivator.
What determined strength was one’s cultivation and divine abilities.
“Rise.”
Looking at his young disciple kneeling before him and hearing his choice, Zhenyuanzi was not surprised.
To have come out from the wild lands of Ji’nan in Western Ox-Head Continent, facing countless hardships to seek the Dao at Longevity Mountain, showed this young disciple’s perseverance, courage, and wisdom.
It was no wonder he chose the more difficult Earthly Transformations.
In fact, over the years, among many disciples under his command, only about four had chosen the Earthly Transformations, including this young fellow, making five in total.
But the Earthly Transformations were indeed far more difficult than the Heavenly Transformations.
He needed to make this clear to the young disciple.
So, seeing him rise, Zhenyuanzi spoke: “The Heavenly Transformations are included within the Earthly Transformations. Though the latter has twice as many variations, the difficulty of cultivation is far more than double. Do you understand?”
“The Heavenly Transformations are included within the Earthly Transformations?”
Hearing this, Lu Fei was startled, yet pleased. It seemed he had made the right choice. He immediately replied respectfully, “I understand, Master. I do not regret it.”
Seeing the disciple’s firm resolve, Zhenyuanzi nodded and said, “Then I shall teach you the Seventy-Two Transformations to evade the three calamities.”
“However, those who cultivate the Dao will inevitably encounter times of rivalry.”
“Therefore, the Dao can be cultivated, and methods to protect the Dao must also exist.”
“Especially since you come from the demon clan, known for their competitiveness and belligerence, your protective divine powers must be formidable.”
“But other divine abilities lie within the ‘Primordial True Heavenly Scripture of the Chaos Cave’ and must be comprehended by yourself.”
“I have here a technique called ‘Universe Within the Sleeve.’”
“It is far more difficult than the Earthly Transformations.”
“But with proper cultivation, it will protect you completely.”
At this, Zhenyuanzi looked at his young disciple and asked again, “Are you willing to learn?”
“Universe Within the Sleeve!”
Lu Fei’s heart, which had just settled, began to pound again. He quickly knelt once more, bowing respectfully: “Thank you, Master, for passing down the art. I am willing to learn.”
Watching his disciple kneel once more, Zhenyuanzi smiled and nodded: “Come forward.”
Lu Fei immediately stood and respectfully approached.
Zhenyuanzi reached out and touched the young disciple’s brow, completing the transmission of the Dao arts.
After a moment,
Lu Fei reappeared below the pavilion.
Looking around, having been here before, Lu Fei quickly reacted, bowed respectfully towards the pavilion above, then turned and strode off toward the distance.
“Seventy-Two Transformations!”
“Universe Within the Sleeve!”
These grand divine arts, once unimaginable, now appeared in his mind and were mastered by him.
At this moment, leaving the master’s pavilion, walking through the main hall corridor, the pavilion, the small hill, and the waterside garden of Wuzhuang Temple, Lu Fei felt his feet somewhat light.
But after all, he had survived life-and-death trials.
Taking several deep breaths,
Lu Fei suppressed the tumult in his heart and headed straight to his quarters.
Not long after,
Before his room,
Lu Fei opened the door normally, closed it, and walked to the Eight Immortals table. Picking up the teapot, he poured himself a full cup of tea and drank it down in one gulp, feeling it was not enough.
Then he lifted the teapot again and drank greedily from the spout.
Finishing a whole pot of tea that had been sitting for days in one breath, Lu Fei set down the pot and plopped onto the bench, finally exhaling deeply.
Three years journeying from the Great Wilderness Mountain, two years in the mortal realm, and another three years at Longevity Mountain—nearly nine years seeking the Dao!
Was it not all for this day?
Now, the techniques were learned, the divine arts mastered.
Next, as the master said, fortune depended entirely on oneself.
“Squeak, squeak, squeak.”
Seeming to sense his mood change, Little White, lying on the table, turned over and came up, rubbing its little head against his hand.
“Phew.”
Lu Fei exhaled deeply.
He stroked Little White’s head, feeling it wasn’t enough, then picked it up into his arms and began petting it.
Then, moving his divine sense slightly,
Lines of pale white ink characters began to float before his eyes.
[Host: Lu Fei]
[Realm: Early Demon General (2023/10000)]
[.]
[Technique: Demon Clan Breath Method (Complete); Primordial True Heavenly Scripture of the Chaos Cave (Entry) (11/100)]
[Ability: Seventy-Two Transformations (0/100); Staff Technique (Great Accomplishment) (316/2000)]
[Divine Power: Universe Within the Sleeve (0/100); Mind Step (Great Accomplishment) (112/2000)]
[.]
“Finally back to the realm of Demon General.”
“Huh, why is the Seventy-Two Transformations classified under Ability?”
“Universe Within the Sleeve is indeed under Divine Power.”
“But these two grand techniques have just been learned, not even at entry level, yet they have pushed the Great Accomplishment Staff Technique and Mind Step to the back.”
“Seems their levels are truly very high.”
Looking at the data representing his own status, Lu Fei thought silently.
Outside, the sky was nearing the hour of Mao.
Lu Fei did not linger, simply glanced over his panel and then dismissed it.
Since the day the ginseng fruit grove opened, he had not been to the kitchen for seven or eight days.
He had sensed that his senior brothers, Qingfeng and Mingyue, had come to visit him once.
At that time, he was in a crucial stage of cultivation and did not rise.
Now that everything was settled,
He had to hurry to help.
With that thought,
Lu Fei grabbed the little creature in his arms and placed it on his shoulder.
Then he stood and walked toward the door.
Cultivation required perseverance and accumulation over time.
From now on,
His task at Wuzhuang Temple was to cultivate, cultivate, and cultivate some more.
Opening the door,
Lu Fei, with Little White on his shoulder, strode toward the kitchen.
“Good morning, senior brothers.”
“Good morning, senior brothers.”
“Greetings, junior brother.”
Greeting all along the way,
When Lu Fei arrived at the kitchen courtyard, he saw two figures approaching in green and pink robes from afar.
“Good morning, senior brothers,”
Lu Fei stopped and waited for them.
“Junior brother, you’ve finally come.”
Mingyue joyfully called out from afar, “If you hadn’t shown up soon, I’d have thought something happened to you while eating the ginseng fruit.”
“Don’t talk nonsense,”
Qingfeng scolded lightly, then looked at Lu Fei and said, “Seeing your stable breath and flushed face, it’s clear your cultivation has progressed. That’s good.”
“Thank you for your kind words, senior brother.”
Seeing the two approach, Lu Fei saluted and then smiled: “Thanks to the spirit of the ginseng fruit, I’ve regained some cultivation lost during dispersal.”
“I just stabilized my realm while thinking of you both, then came right over.”
Hearing this, Mingyue’s face lit up: “That’s great! You’ll be able to do more work now.”
Qingfeng’s eyes brightened as he smiled: “Congratulations, junior brother. There’s a subtlety to dispersal and replenishment. Your path to the Golden Core stage will be smooth.”
Lu Fei returned the salute and smiled: “Thanks for your good wishes.”
He was not speaking lightly.
After the master Zhenyuanzi transmitted the Dao, dispersal, and teachings,
Having rebuilt his foundation as a Demon General, Lu Fei felt his spirit becoming ever clearer.
Next, he just needed to steadily raise his cultivation. He believed the realm of Golden Core Demon Marshal was just ahead.
“Are we going to stand here all day?”
“It’s past the hour of Mao; it’s getting late.”
“If we don’t start the fire and cook soon, the senior brothers will go hungry.”
“Then it’s all junior brother’s fault.”
“What fault?”
“Blaming you for taking up our time with talk.”
“Hmph.”
“That’s not my fault.”
“Squeak, squeak, squeak.”
“Look, Little White can vouch for me.”
Joking as they entered the kitchen, the three senior brothers began another day of daily life at Wuzhuang Temple.
In the days that followed,
Lu Fei practiced his exercises, cultivated, ran errands, attended classes, listened to scriptures, and read books—living the most comfortable and carefree days since his transmigration.
Time passed quietly and unnoticed.
In the blink of an eye,
Half a year had flown by.
On a spring morning,
Even the earth exuded fragrance.
The spring breeze carried various scents swirling through the cave of Wuzhuang Temple, drifting back and forth, and inadvertently turning into a pavilion room with open windows.
On the windowsill,
A large silver-white rat slept soundly.
Suddenly brushed by the spring breeze,
The rat immediately stretched out its little legs and covered its nose.
But after a moment,
It could no longer hold back and sneezed forcefully: “Ah-choo!”
Then a second;
A third.
The spring breeze swept onward, passing through the hall, circling the screen, and blowing into a dimly lit bedroom.
On the large bed,
A tall figure surrounded by wisps of pale white energy suddenly opened his eyes.
“Phew.”
He exhaled a sharp white breath like an arrow.
Lu Fei closed his eyes again, quietly sensing, then opened them to scan the bedroom.
Seeing a pair of black cloth boots on the floor, he waved his hand to store one in his divine storage space.
Then he called out, “Little White, come find me quickly. If you do, I’ll share my meal with you tonight.”
As the words fell,
Lu Fei’s mind moved, and he instantly vanished from the bed.
Below the bed, the pair of boots stood neatly.
On the windowsill,
Little White, covering its nose to avoid the pollen in the breeze, heard his master’s voice and chirped happily.
It immediately jumped down and dashed toward the bedroom.
Soon,
Rushing through the living room and to the screen at the bedroom entrance, Little White chirped as if to say, “I’m here.”
Then it trotted lightly inside.
First, it leapt onto the big bed, looked around the empty room, sniffed the lingering smells in the air, and its bright black eyes eagerly scanned everything.
It approached the most obvious spot—the meditation cushion where its master often sat—and stretched its nose to sniff.
But the cushion, heavily imbued with its master’s aura, revealed nothing unusual. It stepped back and circled the cushion, inspecting carefully.
After a full turn, still seeing no oddity, Little White used its secret weapon: it bit the cushion.
Yet the cushion remained unreactive.
Realizing it was not a transformed object of its master, Little White shifted its gaze and searched around.
Soon, it spotted a neatly folded quilt at the bed’s corner. This time, it didn’t sniff or look—just bit directly.
Again, the quilt showed no response.
Undeterred, Little White scanned the surroundings once more, then jumped down from the bed.
Upon landing, it immediately saw the two cloth boots beside the bed.
But these boots were for daily walking and disliked by Little White; it did not want to sniff or bite them.
After a brief glance, it left the boots alone and continued searching.
Lu Fei observed all this with amusement.
The little creature was growing smarter; even if he now transformed realistically, it was not so easy to deceive it.
After all, fake things felt nothing when bitten.
If it bit him—truly transformed—it would hurt, making it easy to distinguish.
Speaking of which,
Since he began cultivating the Earthly Seventy-Two Transformations taught by Master Zhenyuanzi,
He realized many arguments in his memories were unnecessary.
Because the Seventy-Two Transformations, quite literally, were seventy-two methods of transformation, all designed to evade the three calamities.
Each method was incredibly difficult to learn.
Lu Fei finally understood why the master warned him after his choice.
Fortunately, he had the system.
In these six months, he had at last preliminarily mastered one form of transformation.
Suddenly, lost in thought, Lu Fei felt a sharp pain in his rear.
He looked up to see a large white rat grinning triumphantly, biting the heel of the cloth boot—right on his backside.
P.S.: Today’s writing was seriously stuck; my scalp almost got scratched. This is all I have—sorry~~
(The chapter ends.)