From Under One Person: Sincere Journey Through the Heavens

The patriarch was not angry, but simply asked the monkey, "Wukong, do you want the name Guyue Yuanjue?"

"Master, it was my senior sister who gave me this nickname—"

Wukong walked up to Wei Shufen, bowed and thanked her, saying, "Then you can call me Yuanjue from now on, I'm sure you won't mind."

Wei Shufen: "..."

When it comes to being eloquent, understanding human nature, and worldly-wise, one has to be Sun Wukong—

He's truly self-taught!

in this way.

This innate spiritual root had two names: its formal name was Sun Wukong, given by the patriarch, and its nickname was Guyue Yuanjue, given by Wei Shufen.

After Wukong stayed behind, he took over all of Wugensheng's work. Even if Wugensheng wanted to take over, he couldn't get up earlier than Wukong. When he heard that Wugensheng was farming and cultivating in the back mountain, he even did the farm work himself, weeding every day and catching insects every night, which almost made Wugensheng a lazy bum.

Seven years passed, and Wukong remained the same uncultivated monkey he had been when he arrived. However, he possessed a Daoist aura, and in his spare time, he practiced martial arts with his brothers. With his innate talent, he not only learned quickly but also applied his knowledge to new situations. Even when he sparred with Wugensheng and the other seven—

He learned all the techniques, including Spirit Binding and Commanding, Spring and Autumn Gu Body, Divine Mechanism Refinement, Four-Six Sword Technique, and One Qi Perfection. He could even occasionally apply what he learned to other situations, enabling Gao Gen and the other six to understand the key points they had not understood before.

them--

It's really not as good as a monkey!

Only Wugensheng could be on par with Wukong.

Wukong knew that Wugensheng had a Dharma name, given to him by the Patriarch, called "Yinghe," and that he was his true senior brother who had received the Patriarch's true teachings!

Therefore.

Even though Wukong had already seen through the origin of Wugensheng's cultivation method, he patiently refused to cultivate it. He also did not practice the spells and techniques he had obtained from his fellow disciples. Instead, he listened to the patriarch's sermons and took on all the miscellaneous and tiring work within the sect.

Until today.

The Patriarch preached again, which enlightened Wukong, allowing him to grasp the profound mystery and cause him to dance wildly.

thereafter.

Under the watchful eyes of Wugensheng and the others, the Patriarch explained to Wukong the four essential principles of technique, flow, movement, and stillness, but it differed somewhat from the content of the familiar "Journey to the West"—

What kind of Taoist arts would you like to learn?

The patriarch had a kind expression.

Wukong chuckled, skipped over to his master, squatted down, hooked his hands together, scratched the back of his hands, and said with a smile, "As long as I have some Dao energy, I will learn it according to Master's teachings."

The patriarch smiled and said, "How about I teach you the spells of the 'Art' sect?"

Wukong, puzzled, scratched his head and asked, "Master, what does 'skill' mean?"

The patriarch replied, "Please invite the immortals to guide the spirits and consult the yarrow stalks for divination."

Wukong asked curiously, "Can one achieve immortality through this?"

The patriarch replied, "No."

Upon hearing this, Wukong immediately lowered his head and pondered, "Seeking immortality and divination is not as good as making my own decision: I will not learn, I will not learn."

What a wonderful saying: "Seeking divine guidance is not as good as taking control of your own destiny!"

Feng Tianyang was startled and looked at Wukong. He suddenly realized that although his own Spirit Binding Technique could control all the spirits in the world, it was ultimately relying on the power of others.

It is indeed just a minor technique, not the ultimate truth.

"How about I teach you the spells of the Flowing Word Sect?"

The patriarch smiled again.

"What does 'Liu' mean?"

Wukong spun around, looking rather cute.

The Patriarch replied: "Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Yin-Yang School, Mohism, and medicine; some study scriptures, some chant Buddha's name; they possess a hundred kinds of skills, and all pay homage to the true saints."

Wukong asked, "Is it possible to achieve immortality?"

"Like a pillar placed inside a wall."

Upon hearing "a pillar inside the wall," Wukong paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Master, I'm an honest man and I don't know how to use metaphors. What does 'a pillar inside the wall' mean?"

"When people build houses at the foot of the mountain, they will put a pillar inside the wall for sturdiness, but once the building is about to collapse, the pillar will surely rot away!"

Wukong immediately rejected this explanation, jumped up, and said, "This kind of thing won't last long, I won't learn it. Rather than chanting Buddhist scriptures, I'd rather have real skills."

Zhao Pingshan and Zhao Tianhai were stunned on the spot.

Isn't this exactly what divine mechanisms and hundred refinements are?

All the skills of the Hundred Schools, no matter how profound, are ultimately conformist to the world and used by the ruler. Although they are indispensable arts in the world, they cannot be considered true skills.

"How about I teach you the 'quiet' method of meditation, sitting meditation, and observing the precepts of speech and fasting?" the patriarch asked again.

"Is it possible to achieve immortality through this method?"

Wukong asked again.

"It's like looking at a flower in a mirror; you want to pick it, but you don't know where to start," the patriarch replied.

"In that case, it won't last long."

Wukong scratched his head and said bluntly, "I won't learn it." He added, "Meditating and sitting in meditation, looking at flowers in the mirror and searching for illusions, are all in vain. It's better to practice with a staff and punches."

Let's try something else.

Wei Shufen, who had mastered the Jingzi Sect's Spring and Autumn Gu Body technique, twitched her eyelids, unable to believe that her magic was inferior to "wielding a stick and punching" in Sun Wukong's eyes.

But upon closer reflection, she realized that this Spring and Autumn Gu body was indeed illusory. If someone skilled in combat were to get close, she feared she would be unable to handle it and might be beaten to death...

Chapter 1309 "Ten Thousand Banners Slay Yama"

"Since you aspire to greatness, how about I teach you the spells of the Movement Sect?"

The Patriarch was not annoyed by Wukong's three consecutive rejections. Instead, he spoke of the contents of the "Movement Gate," including "absorbing yin to replenish yang, climbing bows and stepping on crossbows, massaging the navel to expel qi, using formulas for processing, burning thatch and beating cauldrons, taking red lead, refining autumn stone, and consuming women's milk, etc."

Upon hearing about the "Movement Gate," Wukong was not in a hurry. He only focused on one point and asked, "Can one attain immortality?"

"Like trying to catch the moon's reflection in the water."

The patriarch said leisurely.

"Master is here again."

Wukong tilted his head and asked, "What does 'trying to catch the moon's reflection in the water' mean?"

"The moon is round and full in the sky, and its reflection in the water is like a cinnabar. I went down to try to grasp it, but all I found was emptiness."

The patriarch recited a limerick, revealing the essence of the "movement" radical.

Upon hearing this, Wukong suddenly realized his mistake, waved his hands repeatedly, and said, "I won't learn! I won't learn!" He then imitated his master's poem and sang:

"Casting cauldrons and refining elixirs in pursuit of immortality, all in vain. Enduring countless hardships to worship at the Spirit Platform, how can one learn from such futile efforts?"

"If immortality is an illusion, I shall return to the mountains to train my troops. My soul shall enter the underworld to summon my old followers, and I shall annihilate Yama, the King of Hell, and awaken to the true emptiness!"

In an instant.

Many disciples in the class were shocked. They never expected that this junior brother Wukong would be so arrogant. Unable to achieve immortality, he thought of returning to the mountain to become a king. Even after his death, he wanted to recruit his monkey descendants and destroy Yama in order to achieve immortality.

simply!

Just crazy!

Wu Gensheng, Gao Gen, Zhang Dong, Wei Shufen, Feng Tianyang, Zhao Pingshan, and Zhao Tianhai all had their eyelids twitching.

This is because they knew that this junior brother Wukong had actually succeeded, and without recruiting his old subordinates, he almost overturned the entire Yama's Palace with just one person... a monkey, forcibly ending life and death, causing all macaques and apes in the world to live longer.

No wonder he became the Monkey King!

Zhang Dong's Four-Six Sword Technique was a method of the Movement School, but unexpectedly, in Sun Wukong's eyes, it was not as useful as becoming a king or ancestor, waiting for his soul to enter the Nine Netherworlds, and then fighting with Yama.

no doubt.

Wukong's poem also completely awakened Feng Tianyang, Wei Shufen, Zhao Pingshan, Zhao Tianhai, and Zhang Dong, who were immersed in the power of magic.

However, the patriarch thought to himself: Although it has entered the womb, it still carries some memories and impressions of "my" primordial spirit... which is not bad.

Suddenly, he stood up and took the ruler from the boy beside him—

Boom!Boom!Boom!

After knocking three times on Wukong's head, he put his hands behind his back, closed the central gate, left the crowd, and walked away alone.

This angered the other disciples.

"Wukong, how dare you! Your master is teaching you magic, but you refuse to learn it!"

"You even want to slay Yama? Such boastful words, no wonder Master is angry!"

"He's gone, and we don't know when he'll come out again to preach to us!"

"..."

Faced with the scolding of his disciples, Wukong was not angry. He apologized to each of them in a very polite manner. In addition, since Wukong had helped them with all the chores, they felt obligated to help them and didn't say anything more. They just told Wukong not to boast in the future, so as not to make his master angry again.

"I understand, I understand, I won't do it again next time."

Wukong smiled apologetically again, but he had already instantly cracked the mystery hidden in the Patriarch's plate, planning to go see the Patriarch again at midnight...

···

Watching Wukong's departing figure, Wugensheng seemed lost in thought. He said to Gao Gen, "The art of technique is not as good as being in control of your own destiny; the art of movement is not as good as having real skills; the art of stillness is not as good as wielding a staff and practicing martial arts; the art of movement is not as good as slaying Yama—"

So arrogant!

Such wisdom!

If he can't be the Monkey King, who can?

Anyway, he can't be born without roots.

"But it is precisely this arrogance that allows him to fulfill his duty as a '弼马温' (a lowly official in charge of horses) on the journey to the West," Zhang Dong sighed.

"What is the primary job of a stable boy?"

Wugensheng suddenly burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face.