Primordial Era: Starting by overwhelming the Sages, Hongjun was stunned!

Fangcun Mountain.

Oblique Moon Samsung Cave.

This is where Sun Wukong's dream began.

That year, he traveled across the ocean and endured many hardships before finally finding this sacred mountain.

That year, he knelt before the Bodhi Patriarch, kowtowing countless times, and finally learned the Seventy-Two Transformations and the Somersault Cloud.

That year, he thought he had met his true master.

But now.

The mountain remains, the cave remains, and the stone tablet inscribed with "Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, Xieyue Sanxing Cave" remains.

But that person is no longer there.

Sun Wukong stood before the mountain gate, gazing at the empty Taoist cave, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"Senior, why did you bring me here?"

Kong Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, his black robe fluttering lightly.

He gazed at the mountain, at the cave, his eyes calm as still water.

"Sever the causal link."

Upon hearing the three words, Sun Wukong was taken aback:

"Sever cause and effect? ​​Sever what cause and effect?"

Kong Xuan did not answer.

He simply raised his hand.

Five fingers lightly raised.

A wisp of chaotic light drifted out from the fingertip.

Its radiance was gentle and warm like water, yet it possessed an indescribable mystery.

It drifted towards the depths of the cave, towards the empty prayer mat, towards the long-abandoned preaching platform.

next moment.

The void trembled.

A figure appeared out of thin air.

The man had white hair and beard, wore an ancient Taoist robe, held a whisk in his hand, and had a compassionate face.

Bodhi Patriarch.

He stood there dumbfounded, his eyes wide open and his mouth slightly agape, as if he hadn't yet realized what had happened.

He had just been in seclusion deep within the chaos, meditating and comprehending the supreme Dao.

Suddenly, everything went blurry before my eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, I was here.

We arrived at Fangcun Mountain.

We arrived at the Cave of the Crescent Moon and Three Stars.

They arrived in front of the monkey.

And there was that figure in black robes in front of him.

Bodhi Patriarch's pupils suddenly contracted.

He looked at Kong Xuan, at that calm and serene face, at those deep and unfathomable eyes.

He felt a jolt throughout his body.

A chill rose from my spine and shot straight to the top of my head.

Master.

A top-tier master.

He has lived for countless years, and has seen the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and Hongjun Daozu.

Yet, facing this figure in black robes, I felt a sense of insignificance, as if facing endless chaos.

It felt as if I were an ant, and the person in front of me was the vast sky.

Bodhi Patriarch took a deep breath, suppressing his shock, and clasped his hands together:

"Fellow Daoist, what brings you here?"

The voice was calm, but beneath that calmness lay a barely concealed tremor.

Sun Wukong stared wide-eyed at Patriarch Bodhi:

"Master?! What are you doing here?"

"I thought you were long gone!"

Bodhi Patriarch looked at Sun Wukong with a complex expression.

There was guilt, helplessness, and a hint of inexplicable unease.

"Wukong..."

He spoke, his voice hoarse.

Kong Xuan raised his hand to stop him.

"No need for further explanation."

The four words were uttered calmly, yet carried an undeniable authority.

Bodhi Patriarch, shut up.

He looked at Kong Xuan, his mind racing.

Who exactly is this person?

Why interrupt yourself?

Why did you force yourself to come here?

What does he want to do?

Kong Xuan looked at him, her gaze calm:

"Bodhi, do you recognize him?"

He pointed at Sun Wukong.

Bodhi Patriarch looked at the monkey, gazing at its face full of doubt.

A bitter feeling welled up in my heart.

Do you recognize it?

Of course I recognize it.

These are the apprentices he personally took in back then.

These are his disciples who he personally taught magic to back then.

This is the monkey he personally chased away years ago, telling him not to mention his name.

"I recognize it."

Bodhi Patriarch nodded.

Kong Xuan then said:

"Do you know why he was imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain?"

Bodhi Patriarch remained silent.

Kong Xuan continued:

"You took him as your disciple and taught him magic, but when he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, you stood by and watched."

"You knew he was the protagonist of destiny, you knew he would cause a terrible disaster, yet you never warned him once."

"You told him not to mention your name because you were afraid of getting involved in karma and bringing trouble upon yourself."

"you......"

Kong Xuan paused, his gaze hardening.

"You've calculated things very carefully."

Bodhi Patriarch's face turned deathly pale.

Sun Wukong was stunned.

He gazed at Bodhi Patriarch, at that aged yet compassionate face.

A complex feeling welled up inside me that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"Master...is what you said true?"

Bodhi Patriarch remained silent.

Silence is consent.

Sun Wukong's eyes widened in disbelief:

"You...you plotted against me?"

"You took me as your disciple and taught me magic, but was it all a scheme to frame me?"

Bodhi Patriarch took a deep breath:

"Wukong, your master..."

"Shut up!"

Sun Wukong roared, and his whole body burst into golden light!

The golden light made the entire Fangcun Mountain tremble!

The light made the Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave seem about to collapse!

The light made Bodhi Patriarch's beard and hair fly wildly!

Five hundred years!

He was imprisoned for five hundred years!

He thought it was his own fault for being young and impetuous!

He thought it was fate playing tricks on him, destiny!

But unexpectedly...

We were tricked!

He was betrayed by his most respected master!

Bodhi Patriarch looked at the furious Sun Wukong, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes.

But that guilt vanished in an instant, replaced by an indescribable calm.

"Wukong, listen to what your master has to say."

"When I took you as my disciple, I did have selfish motives."

"The great calamity of the Journey to the West is approaching, and the eastward transmission of Buddhism is a predetermined destiny of Heaven."

"And you are the protagonist of that destiny."

"Whoever can form a master-disciple relationship with you will be able to share a portion of the fortune of the journey to the West."

"That sliver of fortune is boundless merit, the smooth path to the Great Way."

"As your teacher... it's also for the sake of cultivation."

As Sun Wukong listened to these words, his eyes widened even more.

Luck?

Merit?

Is the road smooth and easy?

It turned out to be the case.

That's it!

He suddenly laughed.

His laughter was extremely mournful.

The laughter echoed across Fangcun Mountain, causing rocks to tumble down, birds to take flight, and Bodhi Patriarch's face to turn even paler.

"What a fine master!"

"What a splendid Patriarch Bodhi!"

"What a fine excuse, 'for spiritual cultivation'!"

Sun Wukong looked up to the sky and roared:

"In your eyes, I, Old Sun, am nothing more than a tool!"

"He's just a pawn!"

"It's just a contraption used to glean luck!"

Bodhi Patriarch closed his eyes.

He knew that at this moment, the bond between master and disciple was completely severed.

Kong Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, watching this scene.

His gaze was calm and unwavering.

It was as if everything was within his expectations.

He spoke slowly:

"Bodhi, do you know your sin?"

Bodhi Patriarch was startled.

He looked at Kong Xuan, at that calm and serene face.

An indescribable fear welled up inside me.

Convicted?

What crime did he commit?

Taking on disciples and passing on teachings is a common practice.

It's only natural to calculate one's luck.

In the primordial world, who wasn't like this?

Even those high-ranking saints are scheming.

Even the Dao Ancestor Hongjun was making plans.

But when he looked into Kong Xuan's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say the words.

Because those eyes were so deep.

It's so profound that it seems to see through everything.

It was as if it could see right through his heart.

This made him feel that all his scheming was a joke.