Journey to the West: Cultivation Begins at Jindou Mountain

Chapter 344 The Water God of the Tongtian River and the Sugar Man
But something happened back then, and the magical artifact he cast into this world lost its connection after it was damaged, and the demonic energy that constantly filled the world also slowed down its rate of increase.

If that were all, he would simply consider it the natural order of this world acting as a protective measure, delaying the inevitable, and he would patiently wait for countless years to come.

The origin of a world is truly immeasurable in value. What are tens of thousands of years to an existence like him? They are but a fleeting moment.

However, in recent years, the world before him has undergone some unknown changes. The demonic energy has gradually subsided in just thirty years, and now the world before him is clearly showing a trend of improving its status!

"Who on earth has ruined my plans!"

The chaos was vast and boundless. He had spent countless efforts to find this world before him. If this matter could be accomplished, he would obtain the origin of this world. Putting aside everything else, his cultivation would also take another big step forward.

But now it's clear someone has thwarted his plans. If he lets the world complete its upgrade, that's fine, but if that person takes the opportunity to seize control of the world's Heavenly Dao, wouldn't he have worked for nothing and benefited someone else?

"Forty years, whoever you are, just wait and see. I will personally come and meet you, so that you in this mortal realm will know what it means to have someone beyond the heavens."

The monk murmured, and the mark on his forehead burst forth with a scarlet light, projecting it towards the world before him.

The Three Realms, the banks of the Heavenly River.

The old turtle, having shed its shell and transformed into a human, strolled through the market with a smile, just like an ordinary wealthy old man, holding a boy's hand in its left hand and a girl's hand in its right.

The little boy was looking around curiously at the bustling market, which was a first for him. Suddenly, when he saw a cart selling sugar figurines and the lifelike sugar figures on it, his eyes lit up.

"Grandpa, I want this sugar figurine, the one that looks like the Monkey King! And I want the one that looks like Pigsy too!"

The old turtle looked in the direction the doll was pointing and saw the sugar figurines of the pilgrims on their journey to the West appear on the cart.

"Alright, alright, not just the Monkey King and Pigsy, but also the White Dragon Horse, Tang Sanzang, and Sandy's sugar figurines, one of each, okay?"

"Grandpa, I want some too! I want some too!"

"Haha, I have them all!"

"That's wonderful, thank you, Grandpa!"

The old turtle chuckled and took out some silver from his sleeve, placed it on the sugar figurine cart, and handed the sugar figurines to his two children amidst the man's somewhat reserved expression.

"Sir, it's just a few strings of sugar figurines, I don't have change for your money."

"No need to look anymore, just keep it."

The old turtle waved its hand, and without waiting for the man to say anything, it pulled the two excited children along and strolled through the market again.

In recent years, he finally fulfilled his lifelong wish, received the Heavenly Register, and was appointed as the Water God of the Tongtian River. Since then, he has lived a peaceful and comfortable retirement, occasionally wandering around the mortal world, living a very carefree life.

Before he established Daojun Mountain in the Tongtian River region, how could he dare to wander around the mortal world like this, for fear of being mistaken for a demon and killed by passing cultivators?

After all, his ancestors had experienced similar situations.
But now, he is the officially appointed River God of the Tongtian River by the Heavenly Court!
When those cultivators saw him, they all bowed respectfully and addressed him as Lord River God!
If anyone were to cause trouble in his territory, he could simply ask the Heavenly Court to intervene. Moreover, his own Xiao Liu was a guardian deity of Daojun Mountain; who would dare to mess with him? Even now, his own juniors had benefited from his ascension to godhood and no longer needed to cultivate day and night to shed their tortoise shells, not knowing how long it would take before they could transform into human form.

Thinking this through, the old turtle felt that life was infinitely wonderful, and the smile on its face became even brighter.

Unbeknownst to the old turtle, two figures not far from them witnessed the entire scene clearly.

"Hey~ This old turtle must have thought of some old flame, he's smiling so broadly."

"But that little turtle has good taste. Not bad, not bad. It knows how powerful I, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, am."

Sun Wukong squatted on the wooden chair, scratched his cheek, and chuckled as he watched this scene.

"Senior brother, back then, when that old tortoise came to pay its respects to us at the bottom of the Tongtian River, it was probably your arrangement, wasn't it?"

Daojun simply smiled, picked up the wine bowl in front of him, took a sip, and then praised:

"This year's apricot wine does indeed taste more mellow. No wonder Fellow Daoist Lü couldn't forget it. Not bad, not bad. It seems that Fang Cheng's winemaking skills have improved again."

Seeing Daojun's appearance, Sun Wukong rolled his eyes and picked up the wine on the table to drink.

Fortunately, Buddhists can drink vegetarian wine; otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to taste any of the fine wines brewed by his senior brother.

The two brothers sat at a wooden table by the market, drinking fine wine and watching the crowds coming and going, reminiscing about the old days, looking quite carefree and happy.

After attaining Buddhahood, Sun Wukong often visited his senior brother, partly to discuss the Dao and cultivate, and partly because it felt like he could return to his days in the sect.
"Speaking of which, how is your true spirit doing in the other worlds, Senior Brother? Didn't you say a few days ago that you had some clues? Why haven't we heard anything since?"

"If there's anything you need my help with, Senior Brother, please feel free to tell me. Although I know you have a wide circle of friends, those people owe me, Old Sun, a considerable favor back in the day. If we, as fellow disciples, join forces, there's nowhere we can't go!"

As Sun Wukong spoke, he proudly raised the wine bowl in his hand, which made Daojun laugh.

“Junior brother, we can be free from all taboos within the Three Realms, but once we leave the Three Realms, the boundless chaos outside will quickly lead us astray without any guiding light. It’s best to be careful.”

"However, in a few days, there might really be a time when I need your help, junior brother. Just wait for my news then."

"Oh? Good, good~ Don't worry, senior brother, anyone who dares to plot against us fellow disciples will be made to pay dearly!"

Daojun nodded with a smile, sensing the faint connection of faith and incense.
The time that the Supreme Dao Ancestor spoke of may be approaching soon. Since the year before last, he has been able to faintly sense the faint scent of incense coming from the boundless chaos.

Although I still cannot perceive the specifics, given the gradual increase in my perception, perhaps in another two or three years I will be able to truly sense the incense coming from that world.

At that time, with the compass and Daoist beacon provided by the Supreme Dao Ancestor as the main guide, and with the help of faith and incense, and under the guidance of the entity of that world, one will be able to enter that world carrying many magical treasures.

A new world.
(End of this chapter)