Chapter 123: Passing the Dharma to Wukong, a Half-Master Bond; Achieving the Way in a Single Day to Realize the True Monarch!-Leveling Up My Cultivation on Stray Mountain(The Cat Dreaming in the Deep Sea)

"I beg the immortal to take this disciple in as a student!"

"This disciple sincerely seeks apprenticeship!"

Seeing that the immortal in the green robe and feathered coat remained silent, the lowered-head Monkey King couldn't help but steal a glance at the immortal before him.

And this single glance happened to meet Lu Wufei's gaze.

Gazing into the immortal's calm, ripples-free eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything.

The Monkey King felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

As for Lu Wufei, looking at the Monkey King who lacked the patience of even a couple of breaths, he smiled.

His eastbound journey this time.

Originally, he had come for the opportunity of a breakthrough spoken of by his master.

Yet, what he had not anticipated was.

The fortuitous encounter spoken of by his master, the obstacle preventing him from shedding his mortal shell and ascending to immortality, turned out to be the long-hidden desire in his heart to come to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit to see the monkey.

Looking back now, it was indeed so.

Ever since he realized this realm was the Journey to the West, he had, both openly and covertly, thought countless times about coming to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit to see the monkey.

As a result, this desire to see the monkey truly became the shackle preventing him from attaining immortality.

Once the shackle was removed, he became an immortal on the spot.

He had originally not intended to disturb the monkey troop.

However, the auspicious manifestations of attaining immortality were not something he could control.

He also knew.

Attaining immortality right outside the gates of the Water Curtain Cave would inevitably startle the monkeys, thereby influencing the awakening of the monkey's Dao heart and causing his desire to seek the Dao to emerge prematurely.

Yet, he could not control it.

Just as Lu Wufei had thought earlier, he had never expected that the shackle blocking his breakthrough and hindering his ascension to the Human Immortal realm would actually be coming to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit to see a monkey.

Naturally, he had failed to prevent being discovered by the monkey troop.

As for why he hadn't wanted to be discovered by the monkeys.

Naturally, it was because of the heaven-shaking calamity caused by that monkey in his memories.

As his cultivation grew and his state of mind became clearer, Lu Wufei felt an increasing reverence for this world and universe.

He did not know whether the monkey had been assigned a destiny or if his fate had been firmly nailed down...

None of that concerned him.

He had merely come to fulfill a dream from his past life.

However, since the accident had already occurred, and his manifestation upon attaining immortality had happened to be discovered by the monkey.

He did not know whether this was a mere coincidence or an accident intentionally orchestrated by someone else.

Since he was discovered, so be it.

He harbored no fear.

At present, he was no longer that desperate Golden Core little demon who had been hunted by a Human Immortal old demon in the Great Wilderness Mountain.

Immortals and mortals exist in different realms.

For ordinary demon figures, possessing just a single great divine power, as long as they cultivated properly, could allow them to reign as king and hegemon.

He possessed multiple great divine powers. With such divine powers, the higher his cultivation, the more he could unleash the supreme majesty of those great divine powers.

With his current cultivation having just entered the Human Immortal realm, even if an immortal stood directly before him, he would not feel the slightest bit of fear.

What he hadn't expected, however, was.

The monkey actually found him and demanded to take him as a master.

This genuinely took him somewhat by surprise.

Yet, upon closer reflection, it felt ordinary.

After all, when one is ignorant and unenlightened, suddenly beholding a legendary immortal descending into the world, how could one not be astonished?

And for a monkey born with natural intelligence, pride, and a lofty disposition.

How could he possibly let such an opportunity slip by?

However, looking at the monkey as he was now.

Lu Wufei couldn't help but shake his head.

The monkey in his memories had only begun to awaken his Dao heart after experiencing the deaths of his fellow monkeys under his command, leading to his decision to set out across the sea to learn the arts.

Counting from the day he set sail to his return from learning the arts at the Fangcun Mountain of the Slanted Moon and Three Stars, it had taken a total of merely twenty-odd years.

Half of that time, around a decade or so, was spent solely on traversing mountains and rivers, enduring hardships in the open air, and crossing the three major continents.

After becoming an apprentice at Fangcun Mountain, he studied the arts for ten years. For the first seven of those years, he merely performed ordinary disciple duties—doing chores, fetching water, chanting scriptures, and attending daily lessons; it was only in the final three years that he truly received the personal transmission of Patriarch Bodhi and mastered monstrous divine powers.

Comparing this to Lu Wufei.

He had cultivated for nearly fifty years before achieving the Human Immortal realm.

Such a speed, even viewed across the entire Three Realms, could definitely be described as exceptionally talented and uniquely gifted.

Yet compared to the monkey in his memories, he fell far too short.

If it were the Lu Wufei before he became an apprentice at Wuzhuang Temple, hearing such a comparison would surely have stirred feelings of stubborn defiance and resentment within him.

Today, however, his state of mind was serene and tranquil, no longer allowing the slightest ripple to arise.

He and the monkey were different; their paths, trajectories, and demon lives were entirely distinct, so why bother comparing?

If the life trajectory of the monkey in this world remained the same as in his memories.

When the time came for him to be suppressed beneath the Five Elements Mountain for five hundred years, chewing on iron pellets when hungry and drinking copper juice when thirsty—

Lu Wufei would likely have already progressed further, ascending to heaven to take a seat among the celestial ranks, drinking and making merry with the gods of the vast heavens; or descending to earth to dominate a region, proclaiming himself a saint and establishing an ancestor.

Returning to the matter at hand.

The monkey kneeling before him—the one who, in his memories, would cross the sea to learn arts, travel across three major continents, experience the warmth and coldness of human relationships and the myriad states of the mortal world, and spend many years in meditation and scripture chanting to cultivate his mind, only to return still incomparably arrogant and unruly—

How much more so at this very moment.

Judging by the Monkey King before him, who couldn't even maintain patience for a breath or two.

Lu Wufei simply couldn't teach him.

This was partly because the monkey before him had not been polished by the mundane world of red dust;

And partly because of the monkey's towering pride and arrogance.

Judging by how he picked and chose, finding fault with everything at Patriarch Bodhi's place in his memories—how could ordinary spells ever catch his eye or satisfy him?

What the monkey wanted was the true art of longevity.

Speaking of these things, Lu Wufei possessed: the "Hundun True Qi Heavenly Scripture," the "Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Transformation Techniques," and the great divine power "Universe in the Sleeve."

These were the direct, supreme teachings of the Patriarch of Earth Immortals.

However, those were teachings inherited from his master.

Lu Wufei dared not transmit them casually, nor would he.

As for other cultivation methods.

With Lu Wufei's current Human Immortal realm, coupled with his accumulated years of experience.

Understanding one principle illuminated a hundred;

Some ordinary cultivation methods—
at the very least, cultivation methods far superior to the superficial "Demon Tribe's Qi Absorption Method" he had practiced in the beginning—
Lu Wufei was entirely capable of creating and bestowing.

However, that was not what the monkey desired.

Nor did Lu Wufei wish to ruin the monkey's future.

Although the monkey was arrogant and unruly, he had carried Lu Wufei's childhood dreams. Moreover, now sharing the identity of a demon and knowing and having experienced the extreme difficulties of a low-level demon crawling up from the bottom rungs,
Lu Wufei's feelings toward the monkey were undeniably complex.

Just like in ordinary life, when countless people feel dissatisfied with recognized systemic injustices or flawed matters, yet because those issues are minor, commonplace, and troublesome, they find themselves bound by life's shackles and can only choose compromise and conformity.
When they finally witness someone rising up in brave defiance, stepping forward for the cause!
Even if you lack the courage to speak out, and even if you are not required to voice your support or applaud, you may remain silent—but please, do never slander!

Returning to the present.

Weighing all these factors, faced with an aspiring disciple whose innate talent was beyond description, kneeling right before him.

Lu Wufei could only refuse.

Thus, looking at the monkey before him, he spoke: "How old are you this year?"

"Reporting to the immortal..."

Seeing the immortal before him finally speak, the Monkey King immediately raised his head and said, "This disciple's age has just passed three hundred years. I implore the immortal to show pity and take this disciple in!"

"Three hundred years old..."

"It seems that even without encountering himself, this monkey's Dao heart awakening and setting sail across the sea won't be far off..."

Hearing this, Lu Wufei thought to himself, then looked at the monkey and continued to ask, "Why do you wish to take me as your master?"

Seeing the immortal ask a question, the kneeling and restless Monkey King immediately began scratching his ears and cheeks. In his heart, of course, he wanted to learn the immortal's spells so he could better govern the monkey troop, chase away the fierce tigers to the north and the wolf packs to the south, occupy more living space on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, and reign as king and hegemon.

Yet these inner thoughts could not be spoken aloud, so he replied: "The immortal performed magic today, which this disciple witnessed with his own eyes and admired beyond measure. Therefore, I wish to become your apprentice!"

"Therefore wish to become an apprentice!"

Looking at the Monkey King whose eyeballs were rolling about, Lu Wufei shook his head with a smile and said, "Your heart is not sincere; we have no ties as master and disciple..."

***

The Monkey King's heart instantly grew cold as Lu Wufei's words trailed off.

"Heart is not sincere..."

"What kind of reason is this..."

The Monkey King was immediately seized with anxiety and opened his mouth to speak.

Only to hear the immortal speak once more: "However, although we lack the bond of master and disciple, the fact that you knelt before me today means there is a connection..."

"How is there a connection again...?"

Though the Monkey King did not understand, hearing this, his heart instantly surged with joy. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the immortal continue: "Since there is a connection, I do possess a cultivation method. I wonder if you are willing to learn it?"

"Bestowing a cultivation method upon himself..."

Overjoyed, the Monkey King hurriedly nodded and said, "This disciple is willing to learn! This disciple is willing to learn! I beseech Master to show mercy!"

"Step closer."

Watching the monkey eagerly scurry forward, Lu Wufei reached out and tapped a beam of spiritual light directly onto the monkey's forehead.

In an instant.

The Monkey King felt his mind flood with a vast amount of unfamiliar information.

Before he even had time to carefully digest it.

He heard the immortal's voice ring out once more: "The cultivation method has already been imparted to you. Take good care of yourself..."

Hearing this, the Monkey King immediately opened his eyes.

Yet before him, there was no longer any trace of the immortal; only a pile of blazing campfires remained.

Were it not for the scattered crab shells and shrimp carapaces littering the ground, proving that the immortal had indeed eaten crabs right here,
coupled with the massive influx of information in his mind,
he would have thought everything he had just experienced was merely a dream.

Recalling the cultivation method in his mind, which appeared unimaginably profound even upon a mere glance,
the Monkey King immediately rose to his feet, bowed toward the sky, and proclaimed, "Thank you, Master, for imparting the Dao! This disciple will never forget Master's grace!"

He cared little that the immortal had just said they lacked the bond of master and disciple.

Since the immortal had imparted such a formidable method to him, addressing him as Master was entirely fitting.

After finishing his kowtow,
the Monkey King saw no reply from the sky and became certain that the immortal had truly departed.

Only then did he stand straight up.

At that moment, a troop of monkeys trotted out briskly from the nearby mountain forest.

"Great King..."

"Great King, did the immortal take you in as a disciple?"

"Great King, why did the immortal leave?"

"Great King, did you successfully become the immortal's apprentice?"

"..."

The crowd of monkeys chimed in all at once, raising their questions in a flurry of voices.

The Monkey King, however, kept his eyes closed, standing still and ignoring them entirely.

After a long while.

The Monkey King opened his eyes, deeply perceiving the newly acquired cultivation method in his mind. He looked this way and that, before quickly locating a straight, zhang-long tree branch nearby.

Then, following the stances and postures of the method in his mind, he began to practice and brandish it continuously upon the sandy beach.

Watching from the side, the assembly of monkeys dared not ask any further questions, choosing instead to surround him quietly and observe.

The Monkey King continuously wielded the branch, transitioning from initial clumsiness to increasing familiarity and mastery...

Before long.

The Monkey King was able to swing the branch with such force that it generated a whistling wind, looking thoroughly professional and formidable.

After a while.

When the Monkey King, beads of sweat dotting his brow, suddenly spun around, leaped into the air, and struck out with a fierce blow that produced a resounding roar and sent sand and stones flying high into the air,
the Monkey King couldn't help but wear an expression of wild excitement and elation: "What a marvelous stick technique!"

"Truly a marvelous stick technique..."

High up in midair.

Gazing down at the beach below, where the monkey was rapidly mastering the basics of the stick technique,
Lu Wufei smiled.

Though he could not teach the monkey the Great Dao of cultivation,
teaching him a set of stick techniques was completely harmless.

That stick technique had been created by himself through the synthesis of multiple martial styles, refined and improved continuously over many years.

It was an unquestionably superb stick technique!

And it could be considered worthy of the monkey's earlier kowtows.

However, that his stick technique was difficult to learn was also a certainty.

Yet the speed at which the monkey learned and mastered it, and the terrifying nature of his innate talent,
he had witnessed firsthand.

Watching the monkey below, who was once again shouting excitedly about his "Master,"
Lu Wufei couldn't help but think that although he could not strictly be counted as the monkey's master, he did have the grace of imparting a method. When they met again in the future, performing the ritual of a half-master would be unavoidable.

Down on the beach.

Having finished practicing the set of stick techniques, the excited Monkey King shouted out loud, "My children—"

"Come, come, come, back to the mountain!"

"Bring out the monkey wine!"

"Having received the transmission of the Great Dao today, I shall get thoroughly drunk with all of you!"

"Long live the Great King..."

"Return to the mountain..."

"Heading back to the mountain—"

Watching the flock of monkeys below bustle and clamor as they escorted the Monkey King away,
Lu Wufei suddenly thought of his sworn brothers far away in the Great Wilderness Mountain—the crow monster Red-Skin, Huang Gui, and the others.

And Wandashan...

Wondering how they were faring now...

And his sworn elder brother, Bai Yunxiao; he had no idea how he was doing either...

In an instant.

All memories concerning the Great Wilderness Mountain surged forward like a rushing tide.

Langlang Mountain...

Taiping Mountain...

And that formidable Great Demon King in the Great Wilderness Mountain who had once driven him into a desperate corner and bore a deep blood feud against him!

And the Yellow Wind Monster who had lent him a helping hand...

At this thought,
the green robe on Lu Wufei's body instantly fluttered without wind, snapping loudly.

"Squeak—"

Seeming to sense the sudden fluctuation in his master's mood, little Bai, who had been curled up sleeping in his chest, poked out its small head and let out a soft cry.

Hearing Little Bai's voice, Lu Wufei immediately stroked its head and said, "Do you miss your uncles?"

Hearing this, Little Bai's dark, glossy eyes lit up brightly: "Squeak, squeak, squeak!"

"Then let's go home now..."

Lu Wufei nodded, stroking Little Bai's head with a smile, "Before long, you'll be able to see them again..."

After soothing the little fellow,
Lu Wufei shifted his gaze toward the west. His eyes grew profound and deep as he muttered softly, "Just right—the grievances of nearly thirty years are also reaching the time to be settled..."

With that,
Lu Wufei cast one final glance back at the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, then transformed into a streak of golden light, shooting rapidly away toward the west.

Not long after his departure,
suddenly,
in the shallow waters,
three sea creatures suddenly poked their heads out from the water.

Following closely came their entire bodies: a crab spirit, a lobster spirit, and a soft-shelled turtle spirit.

Bearing half-demon forms and wielding weapons, the three sea creatures slowly stepped ashore and, following the lingering traces, walked straight to the campfire site Lu Wufei had left behind.

"Chief, look..."

The turtle spirit, carrying a small circular shell on its back, hurried forward. Pointing at the extinct campfire and the scattered crab shells and large lobster shell lying all around, it immediately said, "These are the shells belonging to Big-Eye and Red-Tail; I recognize them!"

The crab spirit, whose height was visibly a head taller than the lobster and turtle spirits, stepped forward. Sweeping its gaze over the broken shells on the ground, it spoke in a cold voice, "Who dares to consume our East China Sea sea-folk? They must be tired of living!"

"Search the surroundings and see if there is anything left behind by the perpetrators!"

"Understood, Chief..."

The lobster and turtle spirits immediately nodded, dispersing in different directions to search.

Before long, they discovered the footprints left behind by the monkey troop.

"Chief, the footprints disappear right here..."

The crab chief walked to the boundary where the sandy beach met the mountain forest, holding a steel fork. Looking at the chaotic footprints abruptly ending at this point, he flew into a rage: "The demons of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit are growing bolder by the day! I must report this to the General and have them completely exterminated!"

"Take the carapaces of Big-Eye and Red-Tail; let's go."

The three sea creatures came quickly and left just as fast.

Before long,
tranquility was restored to the beach once more.

Naturally, Lu Wufei had no idea of the trouble his momentary craving might bring to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.

At this moment, he was traveling at high speed through the high-altitude fierce wind layer.

Previously, he had not dared to travel through the wind layer.

Now, however, it posed no obstacle.

With his current Human Immortal realm, coupled with the Earth-Escaping Golden Light at Great Completion, which made him far faster than during his Golden Core days, combined with the passageway of the wind layer,
Lu Wufei's traveling speed now was worlds apart compared to before his breakthrough.

One month later.

Within the wind layer, Lu Wufei, currently transformed into a streak of flying light, awoke from his rapid transit.

After making a quick mental calculation,
he realized he had arrived at his former destination, Jinhua Prefecture.

Regarding Jinhua Prefecture,
Lu Wufei still retained some clear impressions in his mind.

Because it was here that he had slain a monster transformed from a graveyard mountain: the Black Mountain Old Demon,
thereby saving the entirety of Jinhua Prefecture.

He had also befriended two cultivators hailing from the Kunlun Immortal Gate.

In that regard, this was one of the cities he had passed through during his eastbound journey to seek fortuitous encounters that had left a lasting impression.

As for this human city he had rescued,
Lu Wufei felt somewhat curious to see how it was faring nowadays.

Moreover, having flown continuously for a month, Lu Wufei felt a touch of fatigue and decided it was a good time to rest for a while.

With that thought,
Lu Wufei immediately altered his trajectory and flew downward.

Soon,
a streak of golden light pierced through the wind layer,
shooting directly downward toward the earth below.

Before long,
a sprawling human metropolis came into view.

Lu Wufei flew straight toward the city.

With his current eyesight, he spotted from afar a hazy white radiance shrouding the entire city.

Realizing that it was likely a defensive magic array re-established by the cultivators protecting Jinhua Prefecture,
he paid it no mind and continued his descent.

As he flew over the upper reaches of the city,
the golden light vanished.

Lu Wufei's figure silently slipped through the array without a sound, materializing directly upon the streets of Jinhua Prefecture.

"Have you heard? The Kunlun Immortal Gate has issued a decree stating they are taking in disciples once more..."

"I've known that ages ago! Your news is far too outdated. Old Blind Wang who tells fortunes at the tail of our alley—his stuttering son was already checked for innate talent yesterday, and he has now been taken in under the immortal master's tutelage..."

"Is that true? His son entering the immortal gate—doesn't that mean Old Blind Wang has struck it rich?"

"Naturally! You have no idea how many matchmakers are already knocking on his door..."

"I heard the 'Hokela' Inn has a new storyteller; shall we go listen together?"

"The 'Hokela' Inn? Isn't that the very inn where Immortal Lu once graciously stayed?"

"Right! Shall we go check it out?"

"Of course we're going! I also want to see what makes the inn where Immortal Lu stayed so special..."

"Let's go, let's go together!"

The streets were bustling with an endless stream of pedestrians.

Witnessing the surrounding bustling prosperity—which seemed even more vibrant than seven or eight years ago in Jinhua Prefecture—
and listening to the discussions of the crowd around him,
Lu Wufei felt a lingering sense of accomplishment in his heart.

After all, this city had been preserved precisely because of his intervention.

As for all those discussions revolving around him,
Lu Wufei merely offered a faint smile.

Just do good deeds and ask not about the future;
Follow the heart's true direction, caring nothing for East or West.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak—"

At that moment, seemingly catching the surrounding commotion, or perhaps picking up the wafting scents of various delicacies from the eateries and stalls lining both sides of the street, Little Bai awoke right on schedule from his embrace. He poked out his little head, looked around, and widened his eyes especially wide as he stared at the various food shops and stalls along the street.

"Awoken from your sleep?"

"Feeling hungry? I'm hungry too..."

"Come, let's go try some."

Lu Wufei stroked Little Bai's head with a smile, his mood instantly relaxing completely, before setting off toward a nearby stall hanging a sign for "Dalang's Meat Flatbreads."

A short distance away, before the second-floor window of a large, street-facing restaurant,
a middle-aged cultivator dressed in white robes stared wide-eyed at the refined, dust-free figure in a green robe walking down the street below. He immediately summoned a blue-robed cultivator standing nearby, murmured a few words into his ear, and watched as the blue-robed cultivator nodded repeatedly. The blue-robed cultivator then produced a green leaf and tossed it into the air; the leaf rapidly expanded in size, and he promptly mounted the leaf, driving it toward the tallest pavilion in Jinhua Prefecture.

All the mortals below who witnessed this scene immediately gasped in astonishment, bowed respectfully, and shouted praises to the "Immortal Masters," causing a wave of jubilation.

Before long,
from the tallest pavilion in Jinhua Prefecture, an elderly Daoist in white robes flew out at high speed, soaring into the midair above the street.

Shortly after,
the white-robed figure from the restaurant rapidly flew to the side of the white-robed old Daoist in midair.

"Junior Brother, where is Senior Lu?"

As soon as the white-robed old Daoist saw the middle-aged white-robed man, he immediately posed the question.

"Right there!"

The middle-aged white-robed man immediately pointed toward the green-robed figure walking down the street below and said, "That person looks very much like Senior Lu, but previously Senior Lu had white hair, whereas this person has black hair. That's why I asked Senior Brother to come take a look and see if my eyes were playing tricks on me..."

Hearing this, the white-robed old Daoist immediately looked down closely. A flash of light passed through his eyes before he nodded, spoke in a deep voice, and said, "Indeed, he looks very much like Senior Lu, yet different. Still, even if it is not him, he is undoubtedly a fellow daoist of no small cultivation..."

"As the Kunlun cultivators stationed in Jinhua Prefecture, it is only proper for us to pay our respects to a newly arrived fellow daoist."

"Come, let's go take a look."

With that, the white-robed old Daoist flicked his sleeve and flew swiftly toward the street ahead.

Their presence had long been known to the residents of Jinhua Prefecture. Appearing in broad daylight on the busiest street of Jinhua Prefecture immediately drew widespread attention, whispers, bows, and reverence from the onlookers...

The crowd below gathered denser and denser by the moment.

As the two Kunlun immortal masters moved forward, the throngs of people quickly followed behind, running toward the front of the street.

Then, countless mortals of Jinhua Prefecture watched as the two revered and powerful Kunlun immortal masters stopped right before a green-robed figure.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist..."

The white-robed old Daoist, accompanied by his junior brother, appeared right behind the green-robed figure who happened to be standing before a candied hawthorn stall, and spoke, "May I ask which fellow daoist—"

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the person holding a stick of candied hawthorns turn around.

"Greetings, Senior Lu—"

Upon catching a clear view of the person's face, the white-robed old Daoist's expression instantly lit up with joy. He opened his mouth to offer a greeting among peers, but right then, he sensed something. His expression shifted drastically, and he immediately stepped back three paces, dropping into a deep, respectful bow as he performed a grand salute: "Greetings, True Monarch!"

Though the middle-aged white-robed man beside him reacted a beat slower than his senior brother, seeing this, he too snapped to awareness. He quickly retreated, straightened his robes, bowed deeply in immediate succession to his senior, and performed the grand salute, crying out: "Greetings, True Monarch!"

Looking at the two Kunlun cultivators who were acting as though facing a formidable enemy, Lu Wufei smiled gently: "You two, it has been a long time..."

(End of Chapter)