Journey to the West: I am the fiercest bird under Bodhi's seat

After entering the cave, the four monkeys bowed again and asked with a smile, "Great Sage, what position have you been granted in Heaven for the past hundred years? How much carefree life have you enjoyed that you don't even miss your homeland?"

The monkey was taken aback: "I've only been in heaven for half a year, how can you say it's been a hundred years?"

The black bear spirit laughed, "Seventh Brother, have you forgotten again? A day in heaven is a year on earth. If you live for half a year, wouldn't a hundred years have passed on earth?"

The monkey then realized what was happening and clapped his hands, saying, "So that's how it is! You don't know this, but the Jade Emperor didn't deceive me this time."

He still bestowed upon my senior brother the title of Emperor Tai, and Sun Wukong regained the title of "Great Sage Equal to Heaven." He also built the Great Sage Equal to Heaven Palace and appointed me to manage the Peach Garden.

It's a pity it's just an empty title! The Queen Mother held her Peach Banquet, but didn't invite me. In a fit of anger, my senior brother and I stormed into the Jade Pool and brought back all the delicacies.

"Summon all the children later. There will be plenty of fine wine and nectar; each child can drink a sip and live forever!"

The four monkeys were overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately set out to make arrangements. Before long, stone tables were set up in the open space in front of the Water Curtain Cave.

Wukong stepped out of the cave, unpacked the bundle on his back, and in an instant, rare treasures flew out, and jars of celestial wine fell one after another, their fragrance filling the entire valley.

The Peach Banquet was filled with a dazzling array of delicacies. Even the Black Bear Spirit, with his extensive knowledge, had never seen such a grand spectacle and was dazzled by the sight.

When Wukong took out all the food, it filled hundreds of seats, and there were more than a hundred jars of immortal wine, all of which were sealed perfectly.

Wukong raised his head and laughed loudly: "Since the Queen Mother didn't invite me, I'll host a Peach Banquet at Flower Fruit Mountain myself! My children, eat and drink to your heart's content! Let's have a good time today!"

As soon as he finished speaking, monkeys appeared in droves on Flower Fruit Mountain. They were of low status and dared not take a seat. They were given a few jars of immortal wine, which they passed around, taking small sips as they went. Although they only sipped the wine, they were still enjoying themselves.

Those who were renowned in the mountains had already taken their seats in order—the Black Bear Spirit, the Old Ape, the Four Great Monkey Generals, and the leaders of various monkey tribes were all seated around the banquet table.

In an instant, drums and music resounded, and the clamor echoed throughout the mountains and forests, immersing the entire Flower and Fruit Mountain in a celebratory atmosphere.

Ye Feng was personally pulled to the seat of honor by Wukong, and was toasted by others one after another, making quite a lively scene of clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the old ape suddenly squinted at Wukong's back and said, "Great Sage, I noticed you're carrying two bundles. One contains celestial delicacies and fine wines, and the other... perhaps contains something rare? Why don't you open them and let us see?"

Wukong, who loved to show off, smiled upon hearing this: "These are not ordinary items; they are treasures that my senior brother and I smuggled out when we went to the Tushita Palace."

The black bear spirit, who was drinking with his head tilted back, choked upon hearing this, nearly spitting out his wine. His eyes widened in surprise as he exclaimed, "The Tushita Palace?!"

"You mean... Laozi's Tushita Palace?"

Wukong nodded: "Exactly."

The black bear spirit's expression changed drastically, and he blurted out, "How did you two manage to get out of here alive?" He immediately realized he was speechless and hurriedly stole a glance at Ye Feng's expression.

Ye Feng was not annoyed, and replied with a faint smile, "It was just luck. Laozi happened to be out at that time, so the two of us took the pills from his five golden gourds and brought back some other items."

The black bear spirit was both shocked and envious upon hearing this, and couldn't help but lick its lips.

Five gourds of golden pills! What kind of good fortune must one have to enjoy such a thing?

The four monkey generals, having never traveled far since attaining enlightenment, only knew of the Water Curtain Cave on Flower Fruit Mountain and were completely unaware of the secrets of the Heavenly Court. Now, filled with curiosity, they asked:

"Black Wind King, is this Supreme Lord Laozi you speak of really that powerful?"

Black Bear's expression hardened, and he hurriedly covered the other's mouth with his hand: "General Beng, watch your words! That is the head of the Three Pure Ones, the ancestor of the Great Dao, whose cultivation is boundless and profound. Even the Jade Emperor would show him deference!"

General Ba was stunned upon hearing this: "Such power? Between him and the Jade Emperor, who is more noble?"

These demons were born in the mountains and fields, unaware of the ancient history, and had only vaguely heard of the Investiture of the Gods. In their hearts, the Jade Emperor was the ruler of the Three Realms, governing all spirits; at most, there was also the Western Buddha, whose influence had grown considerably in recent years.

The black bear spirit was stumped by the question, shaking his head and smiling wryly: "Well... this old bear really can't explain it."

Ye Feng coughed lightly, interrupting the idle chatter: "Let's not discuss heavenly secrets. Wukong, open the bundle."

Wukong had been itching to get started, but since the treasure was to be taken together with Ye Feng, he dared not act without Ye Feng's permission. Now that he had been given the order, he immediately began to unpack the package.

As soon as the package was opened, golden light shot into the sky, illuminating the entire mountain.

The demons gathered around to watch, and there were five golden gourds, an incense burner, a cane, a futon, and a jade bottle, all of which shone with precious light and were filled with spiritual energy, clearly no ordinary objects.

The old ape stroked his beard and asked, "Great Sage, do these treasures each have their own names? Where did they come from?"

Wukong was speechless for a moment, and looked embarrassed—this was precisely the blind spot in his knowledge.

Ye Feng smiled slightly, helping him out of the predicament, and casually picked up the jade bottle.

"I looked at everything carefully."

Suddenly, he pointed the bottle at Wukong and shouted without warning, "Sun Wukong!"

"Hmm?" Wukong responded instinctively.

Before he could finish speaking, a tremendous force arose out of nowhere, and space seemed to twist and expand. The bottle opening rapidly expanded in his eyes, like the gaping maw of an abyss.

With a soft "whoosh," he was sucked into the bottle.

Ye Feng gently shook the jade bottle, and heard a "clinking" sound mixed with muffled curses.

A slight smile played on his lips, and he was certain in his heart: Yes, it was indeed the mutton-fat jade bottle, the real deal.

The demons who witnessed this scene were all horrified. The old ape trembled and said, "Great King, what kind of magic weapon is this? How could it so easily subdue the Great Sage?"

Just as Ye Feng was about to explain, he suddenly saw a golden light shoot out from the bottle, which instantly transformed into the appearance of Wukong and stood in place.

Ye Feng was slightly surprised: "How did you get out?"

The monkey shook its head with lingering fear: "It was pitch black inside, completely empty, except for a glimmer of light above. Old Sun flew out following that light."

Ye Feng stroked his chin, looked down at the jade bottle in his hand, and then suddenly realized—he had been in such a hurry that he had only taken the bottle body and forgotten to take the cap!

But it doesn't matter. The Yin-Yang Myriad Transformation Furnace he obtained from the Heavenly Treasury is just what he needs; refining a bottle cap is a piece of cake for him, and he can use it to test his skills.

Once the thought was made up, he pointed the bottle opening at Wukong.

This time the monkey learned its lesson and stared at him warily.

Ye Feng smiled and suddenly called out, "Li Gou Dan."

"Huh?" Wukong was taken aback and responded subconsciously.

In an instant, with a "whoosh," it was put back into the bottle.

Ye Feng was overjoyed, thinking to himself that it was just as he expected—this bottle only recognizes the person who answers, regardless of whether their name is real or fake.

Just like when Sun Wukong announced his name "Zhe Xing Sun" on his journey to the West, he was still captured by the Silver Horn King with his Purple Gold Red Gourd.

The jade bottle and the gourd have the same function.

In the blink of an eye, the monkey transformed into a golden light and shot out, scratching its ears and cheeks in anger, its eyes wide open in fury. But when it saw Ye Feng's calm expression, it ultimately dared not retaliate.

Ye Feng laughed loudly, casually placed the jade bottle on the table, and slowly swept his gaze over the other treasures.

The incense burner could change size at will, constantly emitting wisps of purple mist that, when inhaled, brought a sense of comfort and even subtly nourished one's cultivation, slowly enhancing one's abilities. If one was injured, being surrounded by the purple mist would also allow the wounds to heal rapidly.

The furnace body is purple, with fine purple patterns on the surface, resembling wood grain, but it feels warm and smooth like jade to the touch. The material is hard to discern, and Ye Feng couldn't see any clues either.

In short, it is a rare and precious treasure.

He held the remaining futon in his hand and examined it closely, vaguely sensing the flow of wind and fire power within it.

With a slight thought, he raised his hand and tossed the prayer mat into the wind. In an instant, a raging storm swept out, and a distant mountain peak exploded into dust.

He then silently recited a mantra for controlling treasures that he had learned from the Bodhi Patriarch—this mantra is effective in all methods and can be used to test any kind of magic weapon.

Suddenly, the prayer mat opened up, reaching tens of thousands of feet in size, enveloping all the collapsed debris and disappearing without a trace in an instant.

Upon seeing this, Ye Feng was overjoyed, realizing that this was the legendary Wind and Fire Futon.

During the Investiture of the Gods, this treasure once abducted Daoist Duobao and sent him directly to the Eight Views Palace.

After the Investiture of the Gods was completed, Laozi separated from the body of Taishang Laojun, took Duobao and traveled west, converted the barbarians into Buddhas, and was reincarnated as Shakyamuni Buddha.

This item is a top-tier acquired treasure, surpassing many innate spiritual treasures in power.

Following that was a flat crutch.

Ye Feng held it in his palm and examined it repeatedly. It looked ordinary and showed no unusual signs.

That is precisely why it is so surprising.

He is already at the level of a Great Golden Immortal. If he still cannot see the mystery, unless this thing is indeed ordinary iron, it must contain the secrets of the creation of heaven and earth.

How could there be ordinary objects under the tutelage of Laozi?

The answer is obvious.

He secretly speculated that this walking stick was very likely the one Laozi used to hold, ranking alongside the Jade Ruyi of the Primordial Celestial Venerable and the Qingping Sword of the Tongtian Sect Master, all of which were exclusive treasures of sages.

The thought struck him, and his heart skipped a beat: Could it be that he had taken this item without permission, and that the sage would come to collect it from him in the future?

He was cautious by nature and feared nothing more than undeserved disaster.

He carefully put it away, intending to observe the situation first and return it immediately if there was any disturbance.

After all, it was something the elderly person used for walking sticks, and one should respect the elders and not covet it.

There are still five golden gourds remaining.

It was used by Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao) to store elixirs daily, and it appears to be ordinary.

Ye Feng conducted a brief test and found that it had no effect on people's souls.

Even so, it is still a rare and precious treasure.

He sensed that it contained the potential for life, capable of preserving all things from decay and ensuring their longevity.

Even ordinary mountain spring water stored in it can develop a spiritual quality over time.

Not to mention the miraculous fruits and medicines, whose effects are even greater.

So he put everything away properly, placing the fire-breathing prayer mat, the purple-patterned incense burner, the golden gourd, and the jade vase inside his own palace.

Only the cane was given to the monkey.

Monkey was overjoyed when he received the crutch—it was a rare opportunity to get a piece of stolen goods from his senior brother.

He swung it twice, and although it felt light and airy, it was extremely easy to handle.

He immediately thanked Ye Feng with great joy.

Ye Feng accepted the greeting without hesitation, then immediately ordered the Black Bear Spirit to train the monkey soldiers, while he himself set off for the Yiyuan Palace.

After returning to the palace, he set up a pill-making room behind the palace, arranged the pill-making stove according to the old system of Laozi, set up a cloud bed, and placed the wind and fire futon on it.

Then a cinnabar stand was set up, and five golden gourds were arranged on it in order.

Then he took out the Yin-Yang Myriad Transformation Furnace obtained from the Heavenly Treasury and placed it in the center.

At this point, the entire alchemy room had taken shape and was quite impressive.