Wukong, at the third watch of the night, had received the secret technique taught by Patriarch Subhuti and began to cultivate his mana. In just one day, he had already had an epiphany, the Five Qi appeared and arranged by the Five Elements, then converged back into his chest and abdomen to become the Five Qi within his chest.
Sitting quietly for a moment, he then saw three colorless lotuses ascend from the crown of his head, steadily revolving in the air. A golden light incessantly twinkled between Wukong's brows, and two small golden monkeys emerged from it, laughing joyfully. With a somersault, they landed on the two lotuses above his head.
With the Three Flowers Gathered at the Top and the Primordial Spirit condensed, as soon as these Three Flowers and Five Qi re-entered his body, he possessed an Immortal Body.
Wukong couldn't help but be astonished inwardly. How could he have an extra Primordial Spirit? Cultivators who do not cultivate a Primordial Spirit ultimately achieve nothing. The only ones who could traverse the world with their physical bodies alone were the great gods of the Witch Clan, who did not cultivate spells; their bodies themselves were Divine Skills, capable of moving mountains and obscuring the skies with a flick of a finger. A cultivator could at most develop one Primordial Spirit, and even Laozi, who could "One Qi Transforms into the Three Pure Ones," it was due to a fortunate coincidence. Otherwise, why wouldn't his disciple, Xuandu Grand Master, have cultivated such a method?
"Maybe it has to do with the reversal of time and space by the Rebirth Box?" Wukong mused to himself, as the two Primordial Spirits settled on the Three Flowers, then slowly retracted back into his body.
In that moment, he felt his body brimming with True Qi, wanting to roar towards the heavens. As the two Primordial Spirits sat meditating within the Three Flowers, they too started roaring.
This method of Patriarch Subhuti, which unites the three teachings, is simply miraculous, even directly avoiding the calamity of heaven's tribulation. One of the greatest enemies of a cultivator is heavenly tribulation; cultivation itself is an act against heaven. The sage said, "To follow is mundane, to defy is to become an Immortal." To go against heaven invites its wrath, bringing heavenly tribulations to test the cultivator. Those with insufficient will or cultivation could only turn to ashes under the lightning and fierce winds, ending up in vain.
Suddenly, golden light flickered across the sky, revealing an assembly of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, a group of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and a host of Asuras and fiends.
These were all illusions. They wielded conches and drums, blowing the conches loudly and beating the drums with a thunderous roar.
There were also celestial maidens with flower baskets scattering fresh petals, and dragons and phoenixes appeared, accompanied by the resounding roar of tigers and the chant of dragons, echoing without end.
Patriarch Subhuti looked up and saw the spectacle in the sky, taken aback. He murmured to himself, "Blowing the great conch, beating the great drums? With Heavenly Soldiers, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Asuras appearing, if he ascends to the Heavenly Court to become an official, he would be an emperor amongst Immortals. If he goes to the Buddhist sect to worship Buddha, he would be compared to Bodhisattvas and Buddhas. If he falls into the Demon Path, he would be a Devil! Macaca's fate has become extremely unclear at this moment, and even with my capabilities, I cannot calculate it?"
To blow the great conch and beat the great drums are omens that only those destined for great achievements will experience. Wukong did not receive such treatment in his previous life, but this time it was different. Having succeeded in the Dao of Immortals, he displayed these omens. Those capable of manifesting such omens within three realms are mostly the Great Emperors of the Heavenly Court, some Buddhas in Buddhism, and several lords in the Demon Path.
"The third layer of the Taiyi Golden Immortal, the Heavenly Human Realm? Indeed, the forty-nine Peaches of Immortality were not eaten in vain," said Patriarch Subhuti with a nod.
The Four Levels of the Immortal Path begin with True Immortal as the first, Taiyi Golden Immortal as the second, Daluo Golden Immortal as the third, and Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal as the fourth. Beyond that lies the Sage of the Heavenly Dao, who has proven the Great Way of the Primordial Unity. Wukong had skipped the realm of True Immortal entirely; after cultivating the Three Flowers and Five Qi, he went straight to the level of Taiyi Golden Immortal. From ancient times to the present, there were few who could reach such a state. Wukong had exceptional talent indeed, but it was also due to Patriarch Subhuti's excellent teaching. A great teacher produces a great student. Patriarch Subhuti's pursuit of the novel concept of "Unity of the Three Teachings" spoke volumes of his grand vision and strategy.
The first layer of Taiyi Golden Immortal is the Elixir Realm, where one must refine the Golden Core within the body into an Immortal Pill, accumulating a large amount of Innate True Qi, improving its quality; the second layer is the Golden Lotus Realm, meaning 'Growing Golden Lotus in Fire,' where the Immortal Pill breaks open and transforms into a Golden Lotus, connecting heaven and earth, absorbing Innate True Qi at a faster pace; the third layer is the Heavenly Human Realm, which emphasizes Unity of Heaven and Man, with a manifold increase in mana.
The three layers behind Daluo Golden Immortal include the Karmic Realm, the Rule Realm, and the Immortal Realm.
The Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal also has three layers: the Dao Fruit, the Law, and Creation, the latter being the closest to a Saint among the masters of the Dao of Immortals.
Having seen the omens displayed by Wukong's becoming an Immortal, Patriarch Subhuti felt somewhat reassured. He then waved his horsetail whisk and, from within his sleeve, a cold, gleaming sword appeared. Suspended in the air, it trembled slightly, its light spreading wide, and those omens immediately turned into illusions vanishing without a trace. Putting away the sword, Subhuti then sat down and began to meditate again, as if nothing could disturb him.
Having cultivated the Three Flowers and Five Qi, Wukong finally achieved the Immortal Path. Over the years, he had been patient and cautious, not daring to cultivate his mana openly for fear of attracting the attention of those who were watching him, and hence preventing any mishap. Now his only advantage was his knowledge of the many years ahead; disrupting this balance could potentially provoke Tathagata to devise new schemes. Journey to the West was a deception, and although he realized it too late, the Three Pure Ones were prepared. Laozi had obtained the Rebirth Box crafted from Amitabha Buddha's Rebirth Lotus Dais for Tang Sanzang and then revealed its profound secret.
The relationship between Buddhism and Daoism was tense. Outsiders might not notice, but the Supreme Ones like the Three Pure Ones and Tathagata were always scheming against each other.
Wukong's body shimmered with golden radiance, the glorious Monkey King, indeed spirited and majestic. With a commanding presence, he carried an air of wild unrestraint.
Wukong clenched his fists and whispered, "Rest easy. This time, I will not let anyone play me again!"
His words, of course, were directed at Tang Sanzang. Zhu Bajie had sacrificed himself to preserve Wukong's memories for another five hundred years. Such a favor was akin to being given a new life.
"Tomorrow, I must seek out Master to learn the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Transformations," Wukong couldn't help but ponder in his heart, "With the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend combined, the total of one hundred and eight transformations must hold some formidable aspects? The Thirty-Six types of transformations that Bajie learned, aren't even as good as the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends Transformations."
As dawn broke, Wukong rose and went to Subhuti's room. He knelt before the meditation cushion, bowed his head and said, "Master, your disciple's Three Flowers have gathered at the top, and the Five Qi are directed towards the origin. I have successfully cultivated my Primordial Spirit and achieved the Dao of Immortals."
Only then did Subhuti slowly open his eyes, nodding with a smile, he said, "Good, good! For outsiders to achieve the Dao of Immortals, it requires painstaking effort, day after day, year after year. I have only taught you the methods for a short time, and you have already achieved the Heavenly Human Realm of a Taiyi Golden Immortal. Truly remarkable."
In his previous life, Wukong was already among the elite Taiyi Golden Immortals, so now, this effort naturally paid off immediately, without the need to slowly cultivate for another three years as he had in his previous life.
Having witnessed the extraordinary phenomena of Wukong's immortality achievement, Subhuti was very optimistic about him and said, "Even after achieving the Dao of Immortals, it's hard to be carefree. Every five hundred years, there will be thunder to strike you, fire to burn you, and wind to blow you."
Wukong chuckled and replied, "Now that I am an Immortal, what do I have to fear from thunder, fire, and wind? Master, you jest."
Subhuti, however, said, "This thunder is no ordinary thunder. There are Geng Metal Divine Thunder, Yi Wood Divine Thunder, and many other Heavenly Thunders. Even the body of an Immortal can be reduced to ashes; this fire is not ordinary fire either, there are Yin Fire, Heavenly Fire, Karmic Fire; the winds too are extremely fierce, they can scatter your Primordial Spirit and the Three Flowers and Five Qi."
Wukong knew that these were the Three Disasters and Nine Tribulations for cultivators and so he asked, bowing deeply, "I beg Master to teach me the methods to avoid these calamities!"
Subhuti then said with a laugh, "There is indeed such a method. I have the Heavenly Gang Numerology, integrating Thirty-Six Types of Transformations, and the Earthly Fiend Numerology, integrating Seventy-Two Types of Transformations. Which would you like to learn?"
Wukong asked, "Which is more powerful?"
Subhuti simply smiled without speaking.
Wukong tentatively inquired, "What if I were to learn both?"
Subhuti blew his beard and glared, scolding, "You Macaca, always thinking about ancillary techniques! The Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend are inherently discordant. If you learn both, be careful not to deviate into madness. You won't need the fire to burn you; a 'heart fire' will arise from within you, starting from the springs at your feet, traveling up the Governor and Conception vessels, burning the 365 key acupoints within your body to ashes!"
Wukong then asked, "Has anyone ever succeeded?"
Subhuti fell into thought but did not answer Wukong's question. Instead, he asked, "Which will you learn? Have you decided?"
Wukong thought to himself, "Both True Qi and Mana rely on the cultivation of the Primordial Spirit. Since I have two Primordial Spirits, then I can learn the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Transformations and the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends Transformations separately! One Primordial Spirit could cultivate the Heavenly Gang Numerology, and the other the Earthly Fiend Numerology. How about that?" He then bowed and said, "Master, if one could cultivate two Primordial Spirits, is it possible to learn both the Thirty-Six Transformations and the Seventy-Two Transformations?"
Subhuti frowned and replied, "Naturally, the two spells somewhat contradict each other. If one could have two Primordial Spirits, that would be the same as having two people, allowing for simultaneous cultivation. Could it be that you have cultivated two Primordial Spirits?"
Wukong, oblivious to Subhuti's true identity and unaware whether he had any connection with Tathagata, certainly would not reveal this secret. He spoke softly, "The disciple only had a sudden inspiration. Master, I have decided—I wish to learn the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Transformations."
Previously, Subhuti had calculated that Wukong should align with the Earthly Fiend's Seventy-Two Transformations, yet to his surprise, Wukong chose the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Transformations. Since the vision appeared yesterday, Wukong's destiny had become unpredictable, and Subhuti thought it must be a change in Heavenly Dao, a whim of fate, so he pondered no further. Little did he know that his disciple had indeed cultivated two Primordial Spirits, making all his calculations ambiguous. Even Wukong himself did not fully understand this principle.
"Be it so. These Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Transformations are extremely profound Taoist Arts. Listen well, they are divided into—Manipulate Creation, Invert Yin and Yang, Move Stars and Exchange Constellations, Turn Back the Sky and Return the Sun, Summon Wind and Call Rain, Shake Mountains and Earth, Ride Mist and Soar on Clouds, Turn Rivers into Land, Traverse Through Earth Golden Light, Overturning Seas and Rivers, Point Earth into Steel, Five Elements Great Escape, Secret Divination Through Hexagrams, See the Future, Whip Mountains and Move Rocks, Resurrect the Dead, Flying and Leaving Traces, Nine Breaths and Settling Qi, Draw Out Congenital Yang, Subdue Dragons and Tigers, Patch the Sky and Bathe in the Sun, Push Mountains and Fill Seas, Point Stone into Gold, Stand Upright without Shadow, Fetal Transformation and Easy Shape-Shifting, Size-Manipulating Magic, Instant Flower Blooming, Wander with Spirit and Command Qi, See Through Walls, Whirlwind and Return Fire, Mastering the Five Thunders, Dive Depths and Shrink Earth, Sandstorms and Roving Rocks, Move Mountains across Seas, Beans into Soldiers, and Seven-Arrow Pin."
Subhuti spoke softly, "I will pass on the spell to you. With these spells, do not commit misdeeds. Remember, you must remember this!"
Wukong silently mused that his guess had been correct all along. These Thirty-Six Transformations were not like the ones Zhu Bajie had learned; they were more mysterious, and more profound and unfathomable.
As to the profoundness of the Thirty-Six Transformations, please tune in for the next episode to find out.