Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

Chapter update reminder: Chapter 194, Taishang is the ancestor, Bodhi is the master, read here.

The Thirty-Three Heavens, Tushita Palace.

Before the futon, on a chessboard that is neither gold nor jade, with natural patterns, black and white pieces are scattered like stars, forming a small world of its own.

The Supreme Dao Ancestor held the white pen, and the Bodhi Patriarch held the black pen. The two sat facing each other, without any air of killing intent. Only the Daoist spirit arose with each stroke of the pen and flowed with each thought.

The tea smoke curled upwards, and the fire in the stove burned gently.

The two boys, Golden Horn and Silver Horn, stood at a distance, holding their breath and watching quietly. Although they could not understand the profound meaning of the game, they felt peaceful and calm, as if they were witnessing the creation of heaven and earth and the transformation of yin and yang.

Just as he reached a crucial point, Bodhi Patriarch held a black chess piece between his fingertips, hovering it above the chessboard, pondering before placing it.

The Supreme Dao Ancestor sat opposite him, his expression serene, as if waiting quietly, or perhaps lost in thought.

Suddenly, on the chessboard.

A white piece that had already been placed on the ground moved slightly without any wind, trembling softly.

Almost simultaneously, the lukewarm flames in the furnace also flickered slightly.

Bodhi Patriarch paused slightly in the hand that was holding the divination stick.

At that moment, the Supreme Dao Ancestor's closed eyes also opened a crack.

Neither of them looked up or spoke, but their divine senses had already pierced through the Thirty-Three Heavens of Pure Void, swept past layers of fierce winds and clouds, and were directed toward the place where the golden light burst forth.

In a short while, the golden light subsided, and the strange movement subsided.

The Supreme Dao Ancestor then spoke slowly, his voice gentle and smiling, as if engaging in casual conversation:

"Bodhi, your fine disciple has probably already been born. He is radiant with golden light, born of heaven and earth, and possesses extraordinary spirituality. He is worthy to enter the gate of your spiritual realm."

Upon hearing this, Bodhi Patriarch instantly traced the origin of the golden light and the stone monkey's roots, deducing the infinite cause and effect.

Through cycles of flourishing and decay, birth and death, rise and fall, countless fragments of images swept across the Dao Heart, ultimately settling on an ancient scene where chaos first opened and purity and turbidity were separated.

Bodhi Patriarch then looked up at the Supreme Dao Patriarch and said with a smile and a scolding:

"You, Boyang! You're quite the smooth talker about me!"

This monkey's background can deceive the secrets of heaven and the divine calculations of the heavens, but how could it deceive me?

Back in the beginning of time, when the primordial chaos was still undefined and the clear and turbid were yet to be separated, you created the world, broke through the chaos, and those few pieces of primordial rocks collapsed.

One piece became the foundation of Mount Buzhou, another piece suppressed the eye of the North Sea, and the rest were scattered in all directions...

The one atop Flower Fruit Mountain is probably one of those pieces, containing a trace of your primordial spiritual energy that was not dispersed after the creation of the world.

It has been tainted by both purity and impurity, and has received some blessings from creation. On that mountaintop, it has endured wind and rain, absorbing and releasing its spiritual essence. Countless years have passed before it finally emerged from the stone, a spark of light.

Bodhi Patriarch paused, his smile widening, and looked at the Supreme Dao Patriarch with a hint of mockery, continuing:

"If we're talking about seniority, this monkey is of the same lineage as you, so calling you 'Grandfather' isn't a bad thing."

Why do you, as the patriarch, not personally enlighten me but instead push it onto this unemployed Taoist priest?

If I were to enlighten him, wouldn't I be diminishing your standing by half?

Upon hearing this, the Supreme Dao Ancestor stroked his beard and smiled, neither denying nor showing any pride, simply saying:

"The chaos has been divided, and the clear and the turbid have been distinguished. I am merely following the trend. Since it has gained spirituality, it is its own destiny. What does it have to do with me, its ancestor?"

The Great Way is fifty, Heaven extends forty-nine, and humanity escapes to one. This glimmer of hope must be sought, understood, and attained by itself.

Imposing unwarranted guidance only leads to clichés and is neither good nor good.

After speaking, the Supreme Dao Ancestor gently placed the lustrous white chess piece in his hand on a corner of the chessboard.

With this move, the previously entangled black and white forces in the center began to subtly shift.

The Supreme Dao Ancestor raised his eyes and looked at the Bodhi Patriarch again, his gaze gentle and profound, and smiled:

"But you are the one who understands the three teachings and believes in teaching without discrimination."

The monkey's nature is uncultivated, its spirit pure, which perfectly matches the imagery of the crescent moon and three stars, and the contemplation of the mind, which you hold within your school.

This is not an excuse from me, but a matter of chance and divine will.

Since you sensed its spiritual light, you are destined to meet it. Why be fixated on the origin of that stubborn stone? And what is this talk of a short, poor Taoist priest?

With a sweep of his whisk, Bodhi Patriarch seemed to erase the traces of that fleeting deduction, revealing a smile that was a mixture of helplessness, delight, and anticipation.

Pointing the whisk at the Supreme Dao Ancestor, he laughed and scolded:

"What a tranquil and inactive Supreme Being!"

Enough, enough. This 'hot potato' Chaos Spirit Stone has roots in you, and the karma between you and it is probably not small.

"Since you want me to take over, if this monkey causes trouble one day, disturbs your Tushita Palace, or overturns the Eight Trigrams Furnace, don't blame me for not being strict with my teachings."

After speaking, the black piece fell, striking straight into the center, echoing the white piece on the corner that the Dao Ancestor had just placed, and there was a faint sense of encirclement.

It also incorporates the newly emerging, unpredictable energy of the world into this even grander and more unpredictable game of chess.

Upon hearing this, the Supreme Dao Ancestor, observing the chess game, clapped his hands and laughed, his voice like a clear chime, echoing throughout the palace filled with the aura of cinnabar.

"Misfortune and fortune have no fixed gate; they are summoned by oneself. If the furnace overturns, it can be re-erected. When the stubborn stone nods in agreement and the clever monkey attains enlightenment, that is a truly wonderful thing."

This game...we're about to get entangled in another round of battles, with more exciting struggles to come. Let's see, let's see.

…………

Two celestial generals, Thousand-Mile Eyes and Wind-Following Ears, appeared from the ranks of immortals, received the decree, and immediately left outside the South Heavenly Gate.

The Thousand-Mile Eye activated its divine vision, piercing through layers of clouds and palaces, and looked directly down to the mortal realm.

With his keen hearing, he focused his mind and activated his divine hearing ability to capture the sounds of the mortal realm.

"Your subject was ordered to observe the source of the golden light, which is the border of the small country of Aolai in the East Sea of ​​the Eastern Continent of Divine Victory."

Near the sea in that country, there is a mountain called Flower and Fruit Mountain.

There is a magical stone on the mountain. Since the beginning of time, it has been nourished by the beauty of heaven and earth, the essence of the sun and the moon. After a long time, it has become spiritually intelligent.

Today, it burst open, and a stone produced an egg. When it was exposed to the wind, it transformed into a stone monkey with all five senses and four limbs.

Then he learned to crawl and walk, bowed to the four directions, and his eyes shot out two golden beams that shot towards the Dipper.

Now that he has taken the medicine and water, the golden light will soon fade away.

After the two generals finished their report, they returned to their original ranks.

The immortals and gods in the hall were mostly surprised upon hearing this, while some sneered. It was just a stone monkey that had been born, and although it was somewhat miraculous, they didn't necessarily take it to heart.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Gouchen's eyes flickered slightly.

Born from the essence of heaven and earth, its first cry startled the heavens...

He wields the power of heaven and earth, and is naturally aware of all things that contain variables and sharp edges.

Such an anomaly exists in the mortal realm, favored by heaven and earth, its arrogance just beginning to show... Perhaps, it can be used as a casual piece in a game of chess, to be played once or twice, in anticipation of future changes.

The moment this thought arose, it vanished beneath the cold, austere platinum aura, leaving no trace.

Then a celestial official stepped forward from the ranks, holding a jade tablet, and bowed, saying:

"By the Great Heavenly Venerable!"

This mortal demon monkey, from the moment it was born, possessed this supernatural power. Its golden light shot straight up to the Dipper and the Ox, disturbing the Heavenly Court's assembly, causing the gods to look away and the stars to dim. This violated the Heavenly Rules and was truly disrespectful.

When questioned about their crime of disturbing and disrespecting the world, heavenly soldiers and generals were dispatched to the mortal realm to subdue them and set things right.

Several people echoed his words.

The Heavenly Court has strict laws, and disturbing the Heavenly Palace is indeed a crime that can be serious or minor.

Most of the immortals and gods simply observed the situation, feeling that it was making a mountain out of a molehill to start a crime over a newborn stone monkey.

Upon hearing this, the Great Celestial Venerable neither agreed nor disagreed, his gaze sweeping calmly across the hall.

At this moment, Chen Jiao hesitated for a moment, stepped forward, bowed, and spoke in a clear voice:

"Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present."

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor lowered his gaze and said, "Minister Chen, please speak freely."

Chen Jiao continued, "That stone monkey was born from the essence of heaven and earth. In its first life, it had not yet developed any intelligence."

The golden light that shines into the sky when bowing to the four directions is a sign of abundant original energy and the expression of innate innocence, not an intention to disturb the majesty of heaven.

Since it was born between heaven and earth, it is also subject to the creation of nature.

We humbly beseech the Great Heavenly Venerable to extend His boundless compassion, considering that this being was born of Heaven and Earth and is unfamiliar with etiquette and law, and to forgive His unintentional transgression.

On his throne, the Jade Emperor listened attentively to Chen Jiao's words, a gentle smile passing across his face hidden behind boundless auspicious light.

He spoke slowly:

"Since you have just been appointed to tour the four prefectures, Minister Chen has shown compassion for the people and a benevolent heart, which greatly pleases me."

Immediately, the Great Celestial Venerable's gaze swept over the assembled immortals in the hall, his tone both grand and indifferent:

"The things below are born from the essence of heaven and earth, and are nothing unusual. Since they are newly born spirits, unaware of the majesty of heaven, and their mistakes were unintentional, let it be."

Therefore, no further investigation was conducted.

With the Emperor's mind made up, the gods had no other opinions and suppressed their thoughts.

The celestial officials standing beside the imperial steps channeled their magical power and shouted loudly, their voices echoing throughout every corner of the Lingxiao Palace:

"Court adjourned—"

And in the lower realm of Dongsheng Shenzhou, on Huaguo Mountain.

A newborn stone monkey is learning to crawl, jump, eat grass and trees, drink from mountain streams, pick wildflowers, and seek out tree fruits.

They live among wolves and insects, in packs of tigers and leopards, as friends with deer and monkeys.

Spending the night beneath the rocky cliff, and wandering through the caves of the peaks in the morning, coming and going naked, innocent and carefree.

They were unaware of this sudden change in the heavens.