All the heavens begin with the mind-monkey.

After a few rounds of drinks, Zhe Xingsun felt slightly tipsy, which surprised him somewhat.

He has cultivated an indestructible body, and normally, ordinary alcohol will not make him drunk.

Even within the Main God Space, the fine wines he obtained from the Main God, despite their spiritual energy, couldn't make him drunk. Yet, a few jugs of wine from this white-robed scholar were enough to make him dizzy and disoriented.

Zhe Xingsun was about to stand up, but then sat down straight again.

Seeing this, the scholar in white laughed and said, "Young brother, your alcohol tolerance is still not high enough. You got drunk after only a few cups. That's true. Although you have gained some supernatural powers, you haven't obtained the fundamental method of cultivation. The spiritual essence contained in this wine certainly cannot help you stabilize your nature and cultivate your roots."

Upon hearing this, Zhe Xingsun hurriedly asked, "Master, what is the fundamental method of cultivation?"

Upon hearing Zhe Xingsun address him as "Master," the scholar in white waved his hands repeatedly and said, "What kind of master am I? I'm just a flower snake from the mountains. If you think highly of me, young brother, you can just call me Brother White."

Upon hearing this, Zhe Xingsun asked, "Brother in white, may I ask what the fundamental method of cultivation is?"

The scholar in white robes then said, "The so-called fundamental method of cultivation is the foundation of the Great Dao, the basis for attaining the Dao, the path to becoming a Buddha or a saint, and the source of immortality. If one does not obtain this fundamental method of cultivation, no matter how much spiritual energy a mortal demon absorbs, it will ultimately only condense into a single, exquisite inner core. Although one may attain immortality for a time, it is ultimately like placing a pillar in a wall, using clay bricks in a kiln, or trying to catch the moon's reflection in water—something that can be hoped for but never truly achieved."

Upon hearing this, Zhe Xingsun was about to nod when he suddenly paused for a long while. He stopped speaking and carefully examined the white-robed scholar in front of him, but he still couldn't figure out what was going on. However, he became more respectful in his speech afterward.

He said, "If that's what you mean, Brother in White, then if I want to achieve immortality, I must obtain the fundamental method of cultivation. But where can I find this fundamental method of cultivation?"

The scholar in white robes said, "There are only two ways to learn this fundamental method of cultivation. The first is to seek out reclusive sages who have attained immortality within the sacred mountains and grottoes of the Jambudvipa world. If one can become their disciple and encounter a renowned master, one can learn immortality and stay away from the clutches of Yama, the King of Hell."

Upon hearing this, Zhe Xingsun shook his head and waved his hand, saying, "I would like to, but I'm afraid my foundation is too shallow to meet a renowned teacher. I came from Huaguo Mountain and traveled all the way to Heifeng Mountain. I don't know how many hardships and dangers I encountered along the way, and I've traveled through many famous mountains and rivers. Let alone a hermit who has achieved immortality, I couldn't even find a virtuous and gentle person who cultivates himself. I guess I don't have that kind of luck."

Zhe Xingsun paused here, then looked at the white-robed scholar before him and tentatively asked, "Brother in white, could you perhaps introduce yourself a little?"

The scholar in white smiled and said, "I don't have that luck either; it's truly difficult to meet a reclusive sage who has achieved immortality."

Upon hearing this, Zhe Xingsun asked, "May I ask where you can find the second method, Brother White Robe?"

The scholar in white then said, "In this vast world, there are often some born saints who possess innate Dharma, naturally attaining the source, understanding the Dharma nature, and imbuing their divine bodies. If one wishes to learn such Dharma, there is no need to seek it externally; one only needs to look inward."

Upon hearing this, Zhe Xingsun calmed down and pondered. The words of the scholar in white seemed to be a reminder that the second method was the right path, and that the first method, which aimed to find a famous teacher, would likely be difficult.

Moreover, Zhe Xingsun felt that the other party might not just be the White-Robed Scholar, nor the one impersonating him.

The scholar in white poured himself another cup of wine and asked, "Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"

Zhe Xingsun said, "Brother in white, please give me some more pointers. Is there anything else I need to be careful about on this path of cultivation?"

The scholar in white thought for a moment and said, "I see that you did not indiscriminately absorb those spiritual essences before, so you must know the harm of the exquisite inner core. As long as you do not violate this law, there is usually nothing to be careful about in your future cultivation."

"But let me tell you something else. Usually, if you obtain the fundamental method of cultivation, there are two paths to follow: one is the path of cultivating the Yin spirit to become Yang, and the other is the path of achieving sainthood through the physical body."

Zhe Xingsun asked, "What's the difference between these two roads?"

The scholar in white robes said, "If one cultivates the Yin spirit to become Yang, then the soul is valued more than the physical body. If necessary, one can abandon the physical body and reincarnate in the underworld. Mountain demons who have the opportunity usually cultivate this path. When those demons die, they find a secluded place to bury their physical bodies, reincarnate, recall their past lives, find this place again, retrieve the Dao fruits buried in their previous lives, and continue their cultivation."

"Ordinary demons have to meditate for countless hours, endure years of hardship, and undergo several cycles of male and female transformations before they can refine a single relic core. It is truly arduous. If they are reincarnated and fail to remember their past lives, the relic core will remain buried underground for a long time, and its spiritual essence will eventually dissipate. Hundreds of years of arduous cultivation will be destroyed in an instant."

Zhe Xingsun nodded upon hearing this.

The scholar in white continued, "If it is the path to sainthood through the physical body, then the physical body is paramount, while the soul..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "The soul is also important, so the physical body is not something that can be easily destroyed."

Upon hearing the white-robed scholar's words, Zhe Xingsun said, "If that's the case, and if fate allows in the future, I would like to pursue the path of physical immortality."

The scholar in white smiled and replied, "This path is indeed difficult, but it is also the right path. Looking at all the named demons and the powerful immortals in the heavens, they all take the path of physical immortality."

The scholar in white paused abruptly, then turned to look at Zhe Xingsun and said, "I don't have much time left. Do you have any further questions?"

Zhe Xingsun didn't ask why the other party didn't have much time. He directly took the kasaya he was carrying behind him and said, "Brother in white, could you please refine this kasaya into a decent garment? I am not a monk, and wearing a kasaya is really inappropriate for me."

The scholar in white took the robe, weighed it in his hand, and asked, "This robe is quite a fine item, why aren't you wearing it?"

Zhe Xingsun said, "I once heard an old ape on Flower Fruit Mountain tell me that the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, protected Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures. Once, the Great Sage was tricked by Tang Sanzang and Guanyin into wearing a gold-embroidered hat and a cotton robe. It turned out that the hat contained a golden headband, which the Monkey King did not know. When Tang Sanzang recited the Tightening-Headband Mantra, even with his immense supernatural powers, he could not use them."

"I originally thought that once I reached the Western Paradise and obtained the true scriptures, I could remove the golden headband, but it all came to nothing. Later, the Great Sage lost his life because of this golden headband. Now that I know about this, how can I not take precautions?"

Upon hearing Zhe Xingsun's words, the scholar in white laughed and said, "That Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, has such great abilities; he can enter the East Sea, go to the Underworld, and wreak havoc in the Heavenly Palace, yet he was still suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain by the Buddha. How could your little brother possibly be outmaneuvered by those people?"

Zhe Xingsun smiled and said, "Being prepared is always good, being prepared is always good."

The scholar in white thought for a moment and said, "However, your cautious nature is not a bad thing. In that case, I will help you alter this robe and forge it into a garment. What kind do you want?"

Zhe Xingsun then said, "It needs to be more imposing."

The scholar in white nodded, then produced a furnace from somewhere and threw the cassock into it, heating it over a low flame. Suddenly, Zhe Xingsun heard strange cries coming from within the cassock, as if some ghost or monster had been burned to death.

The white-robed scholar took out the cassock again, which had now transformed into a black armor.

Zhe Xingsun asked, "Brother in white, I think I heard some strange cries just now?"

The scholar in white said, "There was some resentment in that cassock that hadn't been removed. I used a gentle fire to temper it before, and that resentment was dispelled. Now, I've also refined this cassock into a set of black armor. The black armor has the power of wish-fulfillment, is good at transformation, and has the effect of avoiding fire, water, wind, and thunder. However, it can only avoid ordinary water, fire, wind, and thunder."

Zhe Xingsun took the black armor and said, "That's enough, thank you, Brother in white."

The scholar in white waved his hand, collecting all the tables, chairs, teacups, and wine bowls. He then turned and walked back into the cave, saying, "Young brother, you now have weapons, armor, and supernatural powers, but if you want to obtain the Great Sage's Six Roots, I'm afraid you still lack the strength. If you would heed my advice, you should return now and not get involved in this mess."

Upon hearing this, Zhe Xingsun followed, but failed to find the white-robed scholar in the cave. It was as if he had vanished the moment he entered the cave, leaving only a single sentence echoing in the empty cave.