"Those guys in heaven, really look down on people, don't they? Even though the version of myself in the simulator was too proud, I had tremendous abilities. Why did they always underestimate me?"
Sun Wukong didn't quite understand. If the Jade Emperor had let him be a minor general, he could have slowly risen up. Why was it always either taking care of horses or holding a nominal position? What was going on?
However, stealing peaches and golden cores, that was indeed wrong of me.
The simulation continued.
[After disrupting the Peach Banquet, you returned to Huaguo Mountain and suddenly remembered that your monkey kin had not tasted the celestial fruits and wines of heaven. You ascended again, and while Heaven was still unresponsive, you plundered those fruits and brought them back to Huaguo Mountain.]
[Heaven finally reacted. The Jade Emperor dispatched one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and set up an eighteen-layered net of heaven and earth around Huaguo Mountain. You bravely met their assault, and none of the celestial warriors could match you; they trembled in battle.]
[Later, South Sea Guan Shi Yin recommended someone to the Jade Emperor — Erlang Manifested Sage True Monarch from the Guan River Mouth. He fought with you, clashing for three hundred rounds without a victor, stirring up the celestial long sky with Laws of Heaven and Earth, keeping the one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers at bay.]
[However, overwhelmed alone, originally, you could have won against Erlang God if the battle was drawn out. But, the combat ability of your monkey kin from Huaguo Mountain was too weak, and they were defeated by the followers of Erlang God. Panicked and disheartened, you fled and transformed, but Erlang God, aided by Divine King and possessing "Phoenix Eyes" Divine Skills, saw through your disguises.]
[In your fury and embarrassment, you went to the Guan River Mouth and also stole from Erlang God's home, venting the anger in your heart.]
[Afterward, Erlang God, along with the Six Saints of Meishan, besieged you. Thinking Huaguo Mountain had already been stolen, you calmed down, faced them single-handedly. Erlang God plus six strong opponents couldn't defeat you, for you had received Subhuti's method of seizing the creation of heaven and earth and the mysteries of the sun and moon, possessing endless stamina. They couldn't win against you even if they fought for three hundred years.]
[Unfortunately, later the Grand Supreme Elder took action. A Vajra bracelet struck you unconscious, and while you were down, Erlang God and the others pierced your pipa bone, sealed your internal divine power, and captured you to heaven.]
[The Jade Emperor ordered you to be pressed onto the Demon-Slaying Platform. With your Vajra Indestructible Body, no weapons could harm you, nor could water or fire. The Jade Emperor was at a loss, and just then, the Grand Supreme Elder intervened, took you to the Thirty-Third Heaven's Doushuai Temple, and put you in the Eight Trigrams furnace to refine you.]
[You hid in the Xun Palace to avoid being consumed by the Grand Supreme Elder's Six Ding Divine Flames, and you even cultivated the Fiery Golden Eyes. However, you also ended up with an ailment; encountering wind or sand would cause your eyes to ache and tear up.]
Sun Wukong watched the simulation of himself, mind stirring, and he learned the Law of Heaven and Earth, the three heads and six arms, and other external movement techniques and various Divine Skills, one by one.
It was just that the version of himself in the simulator seemed pitiful, having developed eye problems from being harmed.
Nevertheless, Sun Wukong thought of his own birth when his eyes shone brightly, possibly another innate divine skill that had not yet been activated; he could focus on this aspect in the future.
As for the divine generals of heaven.
Sun Wukong had seen through them — they were all incompetents!
Of course, it wasn't that they lacked profound spells and divine skills, but rather that most of their divine skills were employed in governance, such as adjusting ley lines, planning rivers, and managing climate.
But in terms of fighting, they were much weaker than him.
No wonder the version of himself in the simulator looked down on them; indeed, they really couldn't beat himself after he had returned from his studies.
[You jumped out of the Eight Trigrams furnace and threw the Grand Supreme Elder headlong onto the ground!]
[Among those who dared to lay hands on the Grand Supreme Taoist Ancestor, you were the first in all eternity!]
[Afterward, you fought your way out of the Thirty-Third Heaven, aiming for the highest Thirty-Sixth Heaven. Along the way, you were unbridled, until right outside the Lingxiao Palace in the Hall of Light, you were finally blocked by the War God of Heaven, Wang Lingguan.]
[Then, he and the other thirty-six Thunder Generals encircled you. You fought delightfully, unleashing your three heads and six arms, and none of the thirty-six Thunder Generals could even get close, with some even being scared witless by you.]
[In the end, the Western Buddha Tathagata arrived, deceiving you into leaping into his hands like falling into a trap, and you lost a rigged bet, which resulted in The Buddha pressing you under the Five Elements Mountain.]
[More than five hundred years later, guided by Guanyin, you followed Tang Monk on the journey to the West. Along the way, you endured numerous tribulations, rediscovered your original heart that you had lost in the quest for power, and attained enlightenment, finally being honored by The Buddha as the Victorious Fighting Buddha.]
Sun Wukong finished watching the simulation, seemingly enlightened, sat cross-legged on the bamboo raft, divine power surging within him. In just an instant, his Divine Body was forged, purple aura converged above his head, and a halo emerged behind his brain.
Mixed Yuan, Supreme Tai Yi Golden Immortal!
Sun Wukong slowly rose, his eyes opening, the halo behind his head fading, "Buddha, although it is also the right path, is this truly my heartfelt desire?"
What was the purpose of his quest for immortality?
Freedom, ease.
Through the simulator, he understood that immortals, Buddhas, and the divine alike were not truly free or at ease, all were in pursuit of the supreme Dao.
Only the Dao was the true Great Freedom.
With his extraordinary insight, having witnessed his life through the simulator, he grasped the truth, achieving the status of a Tai Yi Golden Immortal mixed from the primeval chaos, and even understood "Buddha," gaining that fruit status.
If he went to Spirit Mountain now, The Buddha would certainly grant him a Buddha status, as self-enlightened Buddhas like him were indeed rare.
However, this was still far from enough.
In the simulator, his master was a great expert proficient in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, yet he had only attained the Buddhist fruit status; the other two paths, Taoism and Confucianism, had eluded him.
As he pondered, Sun Wukong had already reached Western Cow Hezhou.
Although he now possessed great divine powers and great mana, he did not ride the clouds or shrink the land under his feet. Instead, he measured this land step by step, just like a seeker.
Finally, three years later, Sun Wukong arrived at a magnificent mountain.
Thousand peaks stood like spears, ten thousand cliffs unfurled like screens.
Light from the sun locked in the misty greens of the mountain, and the rain captured the colder hues into the deep.
Old vines twined around ancient trees, marking the secluded way. Tall bamboos and lofty pines, ages-old yet evergreen, rivaling the blessed lands; exotic flowers and auspicious grasses, flourishing in all seasons, rivaling Penglai.
Nearby the sound of a secluded bird's call, the clear spring gurgles. Layers of valleys entwine with Ganoderma lucidum and orchids, mosses grow everywhere on fragrant cliffs. Undulating peaks with dragon veins surely hid a sage, name unknown.
Sun Wukong realized that this was Mountain of Mind and Heart, and he proceeded up the narrow path.
Along the way, he encountered a woodcutter.
Sun Wukong's perceptive eyes saw clearly, this was a robust common man. He could not help but strike up a conversation with him.
Perhaps the woodcutter, too, having frequently interacted with the master of Square Inch Mountain, spoke elegantly and cheerfully, making one's spirit bright and clear, not at all rough as his exterior would suggest.
Sun Wukong asked, "Old brother, given such an opportunity, why do you not learn from the master and seek immortality?"
The woodcutter sighed, "I have an elderly mother, how can I abandon her? I am but a common man among mortals, content with the basics of life, why should I be an immortal guest, observing the eternal Dao of countless ages?"
With that, the woodcutter laughed heartily three times and headed down the mountain.
Above the mountain, the realm of immortals; below, the realm of mortals.
Only a mountain path lay between them.
Ordinary people live ordinary lives, immortals follow their paths.
Though different paths, it's not two separate worlds, but rather intertwined existences.
Sun Wukong was moved, feeling his own realm ascend further. He bowed to the disappearing figure of the woodcutter, and then proceeded up the mountain.