On that night, the monkeys settled in the spacious Water Curtain Cave with their families, and despite the large number, the cave did not feel crowded at all.
In the deep silence of the night, when all the monkeys were sound asleep, Sun Wukong quietly got up from his bed and went alone to the Iron Bridge.
However, at the moment Sun Wukong stood up, the previously sound asleep Ape with the Opened Chest suddenly opened his eyes and silently watched Sun Wukong's figure. He murmured softly, "Sun Wukong, I didn't expect this monkey to give himself such a name. It seems he is truly destined to have a connection with me."
After saying this, he slowly closed his eyes again and fell asleep in an instant.
Looking at the calm and peaceful flowing water under the Iron Bridge, Sun Wukong's mind was filled with countless thoughts. Since arriving in this world, he had followed the storyline and successfully become the Monkey King. However, many things that happened left him puzzled.
Firstly, the original "Journey to the West" did not record an old man with a white beard infusing life into a stone, helping it transform.
Secondly, the original Sun Wukong became the Monkey King smoothly without facing opposition from other monkeys like he did.
Lastly, for some reason, Sun Wukong always felt that the Ape with the Opened Chest was different. It was an indescribable feeling, as if he was being watched and guided by him in the dark.
Shaking his head, Sun Wukong couldn't figure it out and decided not to dwell on it. Leaving the Water Curtain Cave, he began to run around the surroundings.
Since the day of his birth, Sun Wukong had insisted on exercising his body every day to strengthen his physique. Now, without mastering any specific cultivation method, he could only use this simple method to enhance his physical strength.
Fortunately, the effort paid off. After this period of persistent training, his physique became stronger and stronger. The power contained in the lightning he had not fully refined gradually spread throughout his body, making his flesh and blood more refined. His strength increased geometrically every day, allowing him to easily defeat the fierce and strong Ape.
Time passed in the mountain without noticing it, and three years had gone by.
In these three years, Sun Wukong thoroughly explored Flower Fruit Mountain. There were a total of seventy-two caves on the mountain, each with its own demon king. Countless demons and monsters gathered there, making it one of the largest gathering places for demons in the Three Realms.
The mountain was dominated by three forces: the Southern Rainbow Phoenix, the Eastern Azure Dragon, and the Northern Kirin. Except for the Water Curtain Cave alone in the west, the remaining seventy-one caves were under the jurisdiction of these three forces.
One day, while the monkeys were playing in the wilderness, the ground shook and the mountain seemed to tremble like a dragon turning over. Immediately after, a palpable oppression spread from afar. The monkeys were scared out of their wits, hands covering their heads, lying on the ground without daring to stand up.
Sun Wukong was also overwhelmed by this strong pressure. He couldn't stand up no matter how hard he tried. He struggled desperately to get up, but the more he struggled, the stronger the pressure became.
"Roar!"
Sun Wukong angrily roared. His veins were exposed on his arms and neck, his face turned red. Muscles swelled on his limbs, and finally, he managed to stand up with a leap.
"Panting~ Panting~"
Sun Wukong gasped for breath desperately. Although he managed to stand up with all his strength, the blood vessels on his limbs had already burst.
After a stick of incense time, in the Water Curtain Cave, Sun Wukong sat on the throne and sighed deeply. The imposing pressure from the dragon and phoenix today made him fully aware of his weakness. If this character not recorded in the original work had such strength, what about other renowned demons?
"Why is the Great King troubled today?" Seeing this, the monkeys asked in a hurry.
"Today, seeing the mighty dragon and phoenix, while we are as weak as ants, that's why I'm troubled," Sun Wukong said.
"Great King, you should not be so discontented! We enjoy ourselves every day, in the fairyland, ancient caves in Shenzhou, not subject to the Kirin's rule, not subject to the Phoenix's rule, and not restricted by the Eastern Azure Dragon. It's freedom, and it's immeasurable happiness. Why be troubled because of this?"
"Ah! Insufficient strength means life and death are at the mercy of others. What joy is there in such freedom and happiness?" Sun Wukong sighed.
Upon hearing these words, the monkeys looked at each other, clearly not understanding Sun Wukong's thoughts. After a while, a monkey with extended arms suddenly jumped out from the crowd and loudly exclaimed, "If the Great King is troubled by this, one must cultivate the Dao to open the heart! In the world today, only three kinds of beings can be proud and overlook the Three Realms."
Sun Wukong looked at this monkey and asked, "Do you know who these three kinds of beings are?"
The monkey with extended arms replied sternly, "They are the Buddha, the Immortals, and the Divine. These three possess unparalleled magical powers and are the strongest in the Three Realms."
Sun Wukong further inquired, "Where are these three kinds of beings?"
The monkey with extended arms answered, "They reside in the Yama World, the ancient caves and immortal mountains."
Hearing this, Sun Wukong pondered. He thought to himself, "This monkey with extended arms is indeed unusual. While other monkeys are content with carefree and unrestricted lives, only this one talks about cultivating the Dao, truly mysterious and unusual.
Although Flower Fruit Mountain is rich in spiritual energy, the monkeys are still naive and ignorant. How could they know about such matters? Moreover, what he said is problematic. He mentioned the Buddha before the Immortals and the Divine, aiming to guide me towards the flourishing Buddhist land - Western Niu Hezhou. Is he trying to lead me to the Lingtai Mountain and the Sanxingdong in Western Niu Hezhou?
In a flash of thought, Sun Wukong decided not to force the monkey with extended arms to reveal his identity and said, "In that case, I will set out tomorrow morning, travel across the corners of the sea, and journey to the ends of the earth. I will seek out these three kinds of beings, learn their extraordinary powers, and proudly overlook the Three Realms!"