"Someone, get this liar out of here!"
Upon hearing this, Puti Patriarch's face darkened, and he commanded sternly.
"Master, do not be alarmed, your disciple has not lied, there is absolutely no falsehood!"
Sun Wukong smirked, his master was the same as ever, resorting to this tactic. Well, he might as well play along.
"If you speak no falsehoods, let me ask you, how did you reach this place from East Victorious Divine Continent across two vast oceans?"
"To answer Master, it was simply destiny. After leaving Flower-Fruit Mountain, I drifted aimlessly on a bamboo raft, hardly stopping anywhere. It seemed as if there was some guidance from the unknown, guiding me. After two months, I crossed both the Eastern Sea and Western Sea and arrived in Western Cattle Gift State. I heard about Master's esteemed name from a woodsman in the mountains and knew you were a True Immortal who had attained the Dao. Thus, I sincerely rushed here, hoping Master would accept me into the sect, so I could soon hear the heavenly music!"
Sun Wukong's words perfectly aligned with Puti Patriarch's thoughts, who had secretly calculated earlier that this fated disciple truly did travel here by bamboo raft over the ocean. Although his cultivation had reached the pinnacle of a Human Immortal, he did not use any spells, indicating a pure and sincere nature.
As for the guidance Sun Wukong referred to, that was not hard to understand. He was indeed a disciple fated by Puti Patriarch, what one could call destiny!
"Well then, since it is destiny, we should follow it. I will accept you as my disciple! Wukong, in our sect we have twelve generations, each named after one of twelve characters: Guang, Da, Zhi, Hui, Zhen, Ru, Xing, Hai, Ying, Wukong, Yuan, Jue. You should have been in the Ying generation, but since you already have a given name, which coincidentally fits with one of the characters, 'Wukong', it seems it was ordained by heaven. I will not change it and will take your existing name as your Dharma name. What say you?"
"Thank you, Master, for bestowing upon me my Dharma name!"
Sun Wukong was delighted and responded loudly. He had arrived three hundred years earlier than in his past life and was advanced by one generation, which he had been worried about, fearing Puti Patriarch might bestow another Dharma name. Now it was perfect; he had grown deeply accustomed to the name Sun Wukong in his soul. In this life, he intended to make all the gods and Buddhas tremble at this name!
Having joined the sect, it was natural for him to meet and get acquainted with his fellow disciples. Sun Wukong had known these disciples in his past life. Seeing them again felt quite familiar and welcoming, which made everyone find him somewhat strange. This new junior brother seemed lively, and, hmm, he was also rather handsome. Despite being from the Monkey Tribe, he carried an extraordinary presence, not appearing coarse at all. Everyone's first impression of Sun Wukong was rather favorable.
"Eh, who is that person?"
Arriving at the place where they slept, Sun Wukong noticed a figure walking out from a side door, his pupils dilating sharply. Wasn't that Bull Demon King exiting through the side door? What was he doing here?
"Oh, him? He's also a disciple of Master, named Niu Haibo. He has completed his studies and today is the day he leaves the mountain. It's quite coincidental, he leaves and you arrive; coming and going, it's all about karma..."
The nearby senior brother kept talking, but Sun Wukong's attention was fixed on the Bull Demon King's receding figure. Unexpectedly, Brother Niu was also a disciple of Master, no wonder he was so capable!
In a previous life when Sun Wukong fought against the Bull Demon King, he had noticed that his skills were very similar to his own. He was familiar with the Divine Power Dharma Aspect Heaven and Earth, as was the Bull Demon King, he knew the Seventy-Two Transformations, and the Bull Demon King's transformation skills were not weak either. In terms of strength, the Bull Demon King was even a bit stronger. He had asked the Bull Demon King about his mentor before, but Bull Demon King remained tight-lipped, probably because, like him, Puti Patriarch had instructed him not to reveal their mentorship upon departure, right?
It was peculiar, why did Puti Patriarch not want them to talk about their mentorship? Neither he, Sun Wukong, nor the Bull Demon King had disgraced Puti Patriarch, had they?
Couldn't figure it out!
Sun Wukong shook his head, setting aside the confusion for now. There was plenty of time in the future to ask slowly.
In the blink of an eye, seven years had passed. During these years, Sun Wukong, apart from doing daily chores like cleaning, gardening, swimming, and carrying firewood with his fellow disciples, would peruse the scrolls in the Scripture Pavilion within the Cave Heaven. These scrolls were about formations, prohibitions, and introductions to all things under Zhou Tian.
If these scrolls had been in his previous life, Sun Wukong certainly would not have had the patience or interest to slowly browse and study them. But this life was different. The Great Dao was vast, and all could lead to enlightenment. Before finding the most suitable path for himself, dabbling in a bit of everything was not a bad idea, preventing future losses.
One day, after seven years, Puti Patriarch finally spoke up, asking Sun Wukong what skills he wanted to learn. Sun Wukong was not keen to learn this or that, infuriating Puti Patriarch who scolded him a few times, hit him thrice on the head, and then turned and walked into the Central Gate, shutting it behind him. The reactions from the fellow disciples ranged from shock to anger, but considering their good relationships with Sun Wukong over the years, they only complained a bit before dispersing.
In the dead of night, Sun Wukong quietly got up and sneaked through the partially opened back door into Puti Patriarch's room. He found Puti Patriarch lying on his bed, deep in sleep. Sun Wukong did not rush him, instead kneeling silently by the bed and waiting. Before long, Puti Patriarch stretched his legs and woke up, murmuring to himself.
"Difficult! Difficult! Difficult! The Dao is most profound, do not regard the Golden Core lightly. Without meeting a sage to impart the subtle formulas, vain words will only parch the tongue!"
Well, it's still the same phrase. It seems that though time and space may change, some things still remain the same.
Sun Wukong chuckled inwardly, though his face showed nothing but respect as he added, "Master, your disciple has come to listen to the sage impart the subtle formulas!"
"Is it you, Wukong? What brings you here in the middle of the night?"
Puti Patriarch looked as if he had just discovered Sun Wukong and sat up dressed in his robe.
"Master knocked on my head three times and closed the central gate, isn't it to let me come through the back door at the third watch to pass on the Cultivation Techniques and Subtle Formulas? Master, my guess isn't bad, is it?"
Sun Wukong chuckled.
"You are indeed clever! Well then, since fate has brought us together as master and disciple, I shall pass on the Wonderful Path of Longevity to you."
What Puti Patriarch passed to Sun Wukong was the Eight-Nine Profound Skill, which Sun Wukong had already practiced to the minor achievement realm. However, he couldn't tell Puti Patriarch that, as it would be hard to explain. Some things are better left unsaid to outsiders.
Burning with impatience will get you nowhere, a fact very clear to Wukong. After enduring for a year, Wukong finally released his suppression on his cultivation and began to break through from the peak of Human Immortal toward Earth Immortal, a breakthrough that immediately resonated with the Heavenly Dao.
Thunder rumbled outside the Three-Star Cave Heaven and large dark thunderclouds gathered in the sky above the area, creating a terrifying momentum. Yet, no thunder or lightning struck down as though they were blocked by some invisible force. Wukong knew, it was the Protective Barrier of the Three-Star Cave Heaven blocking his presence, but as soon as he stepped out, the Doomsday Thunder Disaster would descend immediately.
Puti Patriarch called Sun Wukong over, "Wukong, how well have you practiced your Mysterious Power?"
"I have reached the Transformation Realm and am about to experience one of the Three Disasters and Nine Tribulations, the Doomsday Thunder Disaster!"
"Oh? You know about the Three Disasters and Nine Tribulations?"
Puti Patriarch looked at Sun Wukong somewhat surprised, as he was just about to explain this knowledge to him.
"Of course! If one wants to cultivate an extraordinary path, one cannot do so ignorantly. In the past few years, disciple hasn't neglected to read the scrolls and ancient texts in the Scripture Pavilion. Every cultivator encounters the Three Disasters every five hundred years; if one crosses it, their cultivation will increase, and their life will align with the heavens, fail to cross it, and they will die. This is the first disaster, the Doomsday Thunder Disaster. Once I cross this, I can ascend to be an Earth Immortal."
Sun Wukong smirked. He actually didn't need to read those; they were already imprinted in his memory. However, this explanation made sense to Puti Patriarch.
"Good, clever and eager to learn, I haven't misjudged you! Since you know of the Three Disasters and Nine Tribulations, you ought to know that evading disasters is no easy task. Have you learned any methods to evade the disasters from the texts?"
"I was just about to ask you, Master!"
"Good! I have two Divine Skills of Transformation, mastering them can help you evade the Three Disasters and Nine Tribulations, without attracting any negative karma to your body. Which one would you like to learn?"
"Dare I ask Master what are those two Divine Transformations?"
"The Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Transformations and the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Transformations."
"Master, can I learn both at once? Ow!"
Before Sun Wukong could finish his sentence, his head was already harshly struck by Puti Patriarch.
"You greedy monkey! To master even one of these Divine Skills of Transformation, The Heavenly Gang and Earth Fiend, would already be an enormous blessing. You want to learn both and risk mastering neither? Moreover, although you resemble the Human Race, you are not of the Human Race. You lack one meridian, easy to learn but hard to master!"
Sun Wukong knew Puti Patriarch was referring to the heart meridian that the Demon Clan lacked compared to the Human Race. Both the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Transformations and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Transformations were Divine Transformations prepared for the Human Race. The Demon Clan could learn them, but mastering their true essence could be challenging, just as Puti Patriarch said, easy to learn but hard to master.
However, this was not a problem for Wukong, as the missing heart meridian in his body had already been replenished. He had already mastered the essence of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Transformations. What he really wanted to learn was the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Transformations.
"Master, you haven't even taught me yet, how do you know I won't learn it well? Teachers lead the entry to the path, but cultivation depends on the individual. Teach them both to me, and if I cannot learn them, that's my own lack of ability, not a fault of the teacher!"
Sun Wukong looked expectantly at Puti Patriarch with an ingratiating expression.
"Well then! Since you say so, I will pass on these two Divine Skills of Transformation to you. How much you can learn depends on your own destiny! Come closer!"
Puti Patriarch sighed softly. Among his many disciples, Sun Wukong had the highest talent and was the most mischievously clever. Other disciples were utterly respectful towards him, while only Sun Wukong dared to jest and smile with him, warming Puti Patriarch's heart the most. Seeing the eager eyes of Sun Wukong, his heart softened for a moment and he agreed, but after imparting the profound teachings, he still cautioned.
"Do not leave the Cave Heaven before you have learned it, remember! Remember!"