Journey to the West: Cultivation Begins at Jindou Mountain

Chapter 494 Retreat
Golden lotuses bloom in abundance, and atop the ethereal Jade Pool Pavilion, the Queen Mother of the West and the Jade Emperor sit together on their thrones.

At this moment, the Queen Mother was looking out the window with a gentle expression, her gaze distant.

"His Majesty ultimately chose him."

The Jade Emperor sipped the celestial wine in his cup, listening with his eyes closed to the celestial music played by the colorfully dressed fairy maidens in the palace, appearing completely at ease. Only when he heard the Queen Mother's words did the Jade Emperor slowly open his eyes and smile as he said:

“My beloved minister is qualified, has a steady temperament, and is capable. He has served under me for so many years, working diligently and bringing me great honor. Wouldn’t it be most appropriate to entrust this matter to him?”

The Queen Mother smiled gently, her expression still gentle and kind, looking at the Jade Emperor with a smile. After a moment, the Jade Emperor could only shake his head and say:
"I owed his master a favor back then, and I find this kid quite agreeable."

Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother turned around and looked at the dancing fairies with a smile.

She was quite at ease with Niu Guangyi, even though they had only met a few times. Each meeting left a deep impression on her, and over the years, rumors about the boy had been circulating in her ears.

Furthermore, this child's master, the Bodhi Patriarch who came from another realm, was also an old friend of theirs and the Dao Ancestor.
However, this matter concerns the Three Realms, and the opening of each dimension is of utmost importance. She also wanted to hear the Jade Emperor's answer in person.

As for the candidate, it doesn't necessarily have to be the newly emerged Great Luo Golden Body who has cultivated the Primordial Dao Fruit. Other Heavenly Venerables or even Great Heavenly Venerables would also be suitable and more reliable.
But to put it bluntly, this matter is still just the Jade Emperor and those few people wanting to give Niu Guangyi a boost. If there is new merit in the creation of the world, then the path to becoming a Heavenly Venerable will naturally be much smoother.

The Jade Emperor, the Supreme Dao Ancestor, and those other figures had much higher expectations for this child than just the Primordial Dao Fruit.

The Jade Emperor, however, remained calm and composed, saying:

"Although I trust him with this matter, I will not forgive him easily if he does not do it well. If he does it poorly, I will set up an Imperial Cattle Bureau in the Heavenly Court and punish him to herd cattle every day."

As the Jade Emperor spoke these words, the Mirror of the Universe hidden beneath the Jade Pool trembled slightly, allowing his voice to travel out.
Meanwhile, on Daojun Mountain, several days later, as the Meishan group on Daojun Mountain departed one after another, Daojun also recalled many of the Daojun Mountain guardian deities who were outside.

"Everyone, I will begin my seclusion tomorrow. I will not emerge from this seclusion until I reach the Great Luo realm, which may take several thousand years."

Upon hearing Daojun's words, the many guardian deities who had stood firmly in the hall looked at each other in bewilderment, clearly taken aback by the sudden news.

Although over the years, the Daojun Medical Halls on the four continents and Daojun Mountain have been managed and handled by these divine generals or local celestial officials, they all know in their hearts that the existence of Daojun Mountain and its core are solely due to the divine physician Daojun before them.

In the past, their Dao Lord would often go into seclusion, and this seclusion would often last for decades or even centuries. But now, the Dao Lord is going to undergo a truly long seclusion, which will last for at least several thousand years. This was something they had never expected.

It should be noted that Daojun Mountain has only existed for a little over a thousand years. Although this is still considered very young among various Daoist traditions, it is actually quite old for them.

Now, they are to protect Daojun Mountain during the thousands of years that Daojun is in seclusion. This is truly a stressful piece of news.
Yuan Ze, Fang Cheng, Zhu Dayou, the Sheep-Headed Ghost King, the Four Oxen of Jindu Mountain, and the Three Great Immortals
Daojun glanced at the faces of the people below. It was these people who had accompanied him that had spread his and Daojun Mountain's name far and wide. It was these people who had made Daojun Mountain what it is today.

For him, Daojun Mountain, like Jindu Mountain, was his home, and for these people, it was the same; Daojun Mountain was also their home.

In order for Daojun Mountain to still exist in the next era after the destruction of heaven and earth 20,000 years ago, and in order for these people to still be able to appear on Daojun Mountain in the next era.
A moment later, Yuan Ze and Niu Li stepped forward first, their expressions resolute as they respectfully addressed the Dao Lord:
"Please rest assured, Dao Lord, we will certainly protect Dao Lord Mountain!" The Dao Lord glanced around and said with a smile:
"Compared to those ancient immortals who have cultivated for countless millennia, we are still young. Although thousands of years is a long time, it is only a blink of an eye for us immortals. Moreover, with you all here on Mount Daojun, I can go into seclusion with peace of mind."

"For the next period of time, Yuan Ze and Fang Cheng will be in charge of all matters on Daojun Mountain, while the other Daojun Medical Halls will continue to operate as usual."

"Yes! We will obey the Daoist Lord's decree!"

As Daojun spoke, he slowly stood up, looked around again, nodded slightly with satisfaction, and his figure transformed into a gentle breeze and disappeared from the emerald throne at the head of the table.

On Mount Mei, Chenxiang stared blankly at the Divine Mountain Axe in his hand for a moment.

His master, Daojun, used this magical treasure once held by a Great Luo Immortal as a spiritual material to refine the Divine Mountain Axe in his hand, and no one knows how much effort he put into it.

And this axe saved him countless times during those dark and desolate caves and three hundred years, as if his master were still by his side.

"What, it's only been a few days since we last met, and you're already missing your master again?"

Hearing a burst of laughter behind him, Chenxiang quickly turned around and looked at the handsome figure in black robes holding a folding fan and walking slowly towards him. It was his uncle, Erlang Shen.

"uncle."

Erlang Shen nodded with a smile, looking at the axe in Chenxiang's hand, and said with a laugh:

“If you rush back to Daojun Mountain now, you might be able to see your master again before he goes into seclusion. His understanding of the Great Dao of Cause and Effect has already reached a state of perfection. If you make any moves now, he will know immediately.”

After a long silence, Chenxiang shook his head and said:

"No, Uncle. Master is going into seclusion to cultivate. It's fine if I, as his disciple, can't help him, but how can I hold him back? Love and affection may be important, but for us immortals, seeking the Dao is the first priority."

"Only by cultivating to the point of enlightenment can I stand behind my master in the future and see a more distant view. I must never let my master down!"

As Chenxiang spoke, his eyes gradually hardened. The three hundred years of trials in the Demon Cave had rapidly matured his mind, and he felt genuine gratitude towards his master.

Yang Jian nodded with satisfaction upon seeing this scene. He had been furious because the Third Holy Mother had violated the Heavenly Laws for Liu Yanchang, thus delaying her cultivation.

Fortunately, his sister has now overcome her emotional turmoil, and his nephew is doing well, so he no longer needs to worry about him too much.

(End of this chapter)