Under his perception, a monkey was curled up inside the boulder; it was none other than the famous Victorious Fighting Buddha, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong.
Sun Wukong has been fully conceived, his inner essence and spiritual energy are vast and boundless, and he may be born at any time.
Once it breaks through the nine-aperture boulder, that will be the start of the Journey to the West story.
"This monkey has exceptional talent. With the vast source of energy and spiritual energy within him, if you were to throw him any seventh-tier cultivation technique, he could break through to the seventh-tier god-demon or golden immortal level after a few decades of cultivation!"
Wang Xuan was quite envious and wished he could take the monkey as his disciple, but he was worried about arousing the suspicion of Buddhism and Heaven.
Even though Sun Wukong hasn't been born yet, Wang Xuan can guarantee with his head that the Buddhist sect has already started plotting against him.
The world of Journey to the West is different from the prehistoric world. This world does not have the two great saints, Jieyin and Zhunti. The Buddha Tathagata is a saint-level being of the Heavenly Dao and the biggest boss in this world.
Where did the Water Curtain Cave of Flower and Fruit Mountain come from? Wang Xuan guessed it was a place sent by Buddhist masters to monitor Sun Wukong and temporarily stay on this island!
Now that Sun Wukong could be born at any moment, the immortals and Buddhas who had been hiding in the shadows to protect him temporarily left.
As an extraterrestrial demon, if Wang Xuan were captured by the Buddha, even if he wasn't killed, he might be converted by the Buddha.
Before he has the strength to contend with the Buddha and other sages of the Heavenly Dao, or even the Heavenly Dao of the Journey to the West world, he does not want to walk into the sight of Buddhism.
Having made his decision, Wang Xuan decided to withdraw.
But just at that moment, a mental fluctuation came from inside the nine-aperture boulder; it was Sun Wukong actively communicating with Wang Xuan.
"Who are you? What do you want to do to me?" Although Sun Wukong was still a child and somewhat confused, he couldn't help but ask after being examined by Wang Xuan.
Wang Xuan smiled and transmitted his voice, saying, "I am Xuan Tian Dao Zu, and I am your master."
That's right, after thinking it over, Wang Xuan decided to accept Sun Wukong as his disciple.
Once Sun Wukong is born, his every move will be under the surveillance of Buddhism and Heaven. If Wang Xuan then tries to take him as a disciple, it will definitely attract the attention of Buddhism and Heaven.
But since Sun Wukong has not yet been born, the Buddhist sect and the Heavenly Court are not very strict in monitoring him. Given Wang Xuan's current cultivation level, he can easily find a loophole and secretly teach Sun Wukong his skills.
"What is Xuan Tian Dao Zu? What is Master? Can I eat him?" Sun Wukong was still a blank slate before he was born, and he was very innocent.
"How can you eat your master?" Wang Xuan asked Sun Wukong with a dark face, explaining what a master was.
For the next few days, Wang Xuan stayed by the Nine-Aperture Giant Rock, teaching Sun Wukong some of the most basic knowledge.
His figure was hidden, and unless a supreme expert of the same level as a Great Luo Golden Immortal carefully examined him, no one could find his presence.
Sun Wukong truly deserves his reputation as a naturally born stone monkey, a child of the world, with an incredibly strange aptitude for learning.
Wang Xuan didn't spend much time ensuring that Sun Wukong had a clear understanding of the outside world.
Given this monkey's clever nature, it certainly won't make as many jokes as in the original story.
After a few days of delay, the spiritual energy within Sun Wukong's body gradually began to boil, a sign that he was about to break through the nine-aperture boulder and be born!
Wang Xuan raised an eyebrow. He knew that the commotion when Sun Wukong was born was enormous, enough to shock the Three Realms and attract the attention of all immortals, Buddhas, gods, and demons.
Therefore, he certainly couldn't stay here any longer. He used his mind to imprint the Mysterious Heaven Divine Technique into Sun Wukong's mind, and then he hurriedly left.
The Xuan Tian Divine Technique can be cultivated to the seventh level of perfection, which should make him no weaker than Sun Wukong in the original story.
The reason Wang Xuan did not teach Sun Wukong the more powerful "Eternal Myriad Paths Technique" was simply because he was worried that the technique would be leaked.
The Eternal Myriad Paths Technique points directly to the eighth-order perfect realm and is the fundamental cultivation method that Wang Xuan relies on now. Once it is obtained by the Heavenly Dao Saint of this world, he may find a way to target Wang Xuan.
Therefore, for my own safety, I should teach Sun Wukong the weaker version of the Xuan Tian Divine Technique.
Sun Wukong was unaware of this and happily thanked Wang Xuan for his teachings.
Monkeys are naturally unruly, and Sun Wukong, having developed consciousness, was locked inside the Nine-Aperture Giant Stone for countless years, so naturally he was very bored.
Now that he had received the Mysterious Heaven Divine Technique from Wang Xuan, Sun Wukong couldn't help but start cultivating according to the method taught by Wang Xuan.
As the cultivation technique was activated, the spiritual energy within the Nine-Aperture Giant Stone slowly transformed into cultivation power, thus delaying the birth of Sun Wukong, who was originally about to be born.
Half a year later, the nine-aperture boulder finally shattered, and a stone monkey rushed out, its eyes shooting out two golden beams that pierced through layers of clouds and mist, heading straight for the Dipper!
After six months of cultivation within the stone, Sun Wukong reached the fifth-level Celestial Being cultivation level immediately after his birth. If this were to spread, countless people would be envious.
Flower Fruit Mountain is the ancestral vein of the Ten Continents, with incredibly rich spiritual energy, which has also given birth to a group of demons. With Sun Wukong's current strength, he is considered one of the more powerful demons.
Chapter 262 The upper limit of the world
Sun Wukong sprang out of the stone, causing a commotion that alarmed the entire Journey to the West world. All the immortals and Buddhas in the heavens turned their attention to investigate the changes that had occurred.
Wang Xuan had already retreated hundreds of miles in advance, and given that his cultivation level was considered quite powerful in this world, he still managed to conceal his presence without revealing his whereabouts.
In the following time, Wang Xuan sensed the Heavenly Laws of the Journey to the West world, comprehending the unique mysteries of these laws and improving his cultivation. Meanwhile, he also observed Sun Wukong.
Although Sun Wukong was a naturally born creature from heaven and earth, his personality was similar to that of an ordinary monkey: extremely unruly and unable to stand being alone.
Everything unfolded just as in the original story. Before long, Sun Wukong mingled with a group of ordinary monkeys and arrived at a stream.
Then a gray-black monkey pointed at the stream ahead and shouted, "I wonder where this water comes from. We've got nothing to do today, so let's go upstream and find out where it comes from, and have some fun!"
Wang Xuan, who was secretly observing from a distance, felt a chill in his heart. The monkey looked ordinary, but it was clearly a transformation of a Buddhist master, designed to guide Sun Wukong to the Water Curtain Cave and ascend to the position of the Monkey King!
With a powerful Buddhist monk taking action, there was no chance of failure. A hidden force swept over the monkeys present. Every single one of the monkeys except Sun Wukong was affected by that force and followed that monkey as they climbed up the mountain stream.
Sun Wukong hadn't been cultivating for long, so he didn't notice anything unusual. Seeing that the monkeys around him were all moving forward, he didn't suspect anything and followed the monkey troop to climb up.
Before long, they arrived at a huge waterfall.
The monkeys clapped and exclaimed, "What wonderful water! What wonderful water! It turns out that this place leads directly to the sea at the foot of the mountain." They added, "Whoever has the ability to go in and find the source without getting hurt, we will all make him our king."
These monkeys have already been controlled by the powerful Buddhist master. If he wants the monkey troop to say something, it's just a matter of a single thought from that Buddhist master.
The Monkey King, who would later conquer heaven, earth, and even the air itself, was now being completely outmaneuvered by a Buddhist master at the early seventh level. None of the monkeys around him were actually the master's alternate accounts; he hadn't even noticed…
Wang Xuan silently mourned for Sun Wukong and stopped observing. He knew that as long as he didn't intervene, Sun Wukong would continue as in the original story, revered as the Monkey King by a large group of monkeys.
Although this was all part of the Buddhist masters' plan, it was the happiest period of Sun Wukong's life, so Wang Xuan didn't intend to disturb him and let him be for the time being.
Unbeknownst to him, Wang Xuan had been cultivating in seclusion on Flower Fruit Mountain for a full year. With his cultivation level of an eighth-order Great Luo Golden Immortal, combined with the enlightenment function of the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth, he was able to comprehend the laws at an extremely fast speed.
In just one year, he had thoroughly comprehended the laws that did not exist in the Xuan Tian world but existed in the Journey to the West world.
He had previously cultivated diligently in the Xuan Tian World for over two hundred years, absorbing a large amount of the world's origin. His understanding of the laws of heaven and earth, as well as his accumulation of magical power, had reached a terrifying level.
It can be said that he has reached the peak of the early stage of the eighth rank. If it weren't for the limitation of the world level, he would have broken through to the middle stage of the eighth rank long ago.
Now that Wang Xuan has transmigrated to the Journey to the West world, the world level is one level higher than the Xuan Tian world, and the cultivation level it can accommodate has also greatly increased.
After he fully comprehended those laws, his cultivation level finally broke through to the mid-stage of the eighth rank.
During this breakthrough, Wang Xuan did not reveal any of his aura, avoiding any unusual phenomena that might attract the attention of the celestial beings and Buddhas.
"With my current cultivation level, I might be slightly weaker than the three Heavenly Saints of this world: Buddha, Supreme Dao Ancestor, and Goddess Nuwa. But apart from those three, everyone else should be inferior to me." Wang Xuan recalled the plot of Journey to the West and felt more confident.
Who are the most powerful figures in the world of Journey to the West? The Buddha Tathagata, who suppressed Sun Wukong with a single slap, is naturally a sage-level being. Nuwa, who refined the five-colored stones to mend the heavens and unintentionally created Sun Wukong, is also a sage-level being.
Although Laozi (Taishang Laojun) is unassuming and seems to be constantly bullied by Sun Wukong, he is, after all, the founder of Taoism. Even a random green ox from his household could fight Sun Wukong to a standstill. If you were to say that Laozi is inferior to Buddha, Wang Xuan would be the first to refuse to believe it!
As for other saint-level masters, none of them appeared in Journey to the West.
There are a few masters who are a level below saints, such as Zhen Yuanzi, the ancestor of earth immortals, Bodhi Patriarch of Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva who vowed not to become a Buddha until hell is empty, and the compassionate Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.
"With my current cultivation level, as long as I don't get caught by a few Heavenly Dao Saints, I can roam freely in the Journey to the West world." Wang Xuan couldn't help but sigh, "But now that I've cultivated to this point, I've once again sensed an invisible barrier preventing me from advancing any further in my cultivation."
Although the world of Journey to the West is a diverse world, there is a limit to the number of masters it can accommodate.
For ordinary cultivators, reaching the mid-stage of the eighth rank is the limit. If they want to advance further, they would have to become a Heavenly Saint in the Journey to the West world!
As an extraterrestrial demon, Wang Xuan could not possibly be chosen by the Heavenly Dao of this world to become a Heavenly Dao Saint, so his information ends here.
"In the coming days, I'll travel around to different places and see what good things the world has to offer," Wang Xuan said. He clarified that he wasn't really going to exploit the land; he was simply embarking on a spontaneous trip.
"My disciple, I'm leaving Flower Fruit Mountain for a while. I'll be back in a few decades. You stay here on Flower Fruit Mountain and wait for me peacefully. Don't wander off!" Before leaving, Wang Xuan couldn't help but give Sun Wukong a few more instructions.
After Wang Xuan's words of advice, I wonder if Sun Wukong will still go to sea to find a master?
Hopefully, Buddhism won't cause any more trouble. Sun Wukong has already become his disciple, and he will also become the disciple of Bodhi Patriarch and Tang Sanzang in the future. His status as Sun Wukong's master may not be comparable to that of the other two masters.
Upon hearing Wang Xuan's telepathic message, Sun Wukong's expression shifted slightly. He then playfully jumped around on Flower Fruit Mountain, trying to find Wang Xuan.
Although the monkey had become Wang Xuan's disciple and practiced the Xuan Tian Divine Technique taught by Wang Xuan, he had never seen Wang Xuan's true form since the incident.
Chapter 263 Refining Treasures in the East Sea
After leaving Huaguo Mountain, Wang Xuan immediately plunged into the East China Sea.
The world of Journey to the West is divided into four continents and four oceans. The East Sea, as one of the four oceans, is vast and boundless; the area of the East Sea alone is larger than an entire mythological world.
The East Sea is so vast that it naturally contains countless rare and precious treasures. The East Sea Dragon Palace has ruled the East Sea for countless years, and even Wang Xuan cannot guess how many treasures it has accumulated.
Anyway, there's a saying that circulates throughout the world: Don't say that there are no treasures in the Dragon Palace!
Anyway, the wealth of the Dragon Palace is something that all cultivators in the world know.
Unfortunately, these wealthy dragon palaces do not possess particularly great power, making them targets for the covetous eyes of others.
Wang Xuan activated his Eternal Divine Eye and saw a thick pillar of fortune rising straight into the sky from the East Sea, forming four layers of fortune canopy above it, and finally merging into the Heavenly Court above the Nine Heavens.
Needless to say, the reason why there is such a huge fortune in the East Sea is naturally the location of the East Sea Dragon Palace.
Wang Xuan flew in the direction of the aura and indeed found the East Sea Dragon Palace.
"Ever since I broke through to the eighth level of cultivation, the spiritual treasures I used before are no longer convenient to use. I wonder if there are any suitable treasures in this Dragon Palace?"
Wang Xuan sighed. With his current physical strength, he could smash ordinary spiritual treasures to pieces with a single slap. What use would they be?
Looking across the myriad realms, the treasures used by the Great Luo Golden Immortals are all acquired spiritual treasures, while some experts have such extraordinary luck that they have obtained innate spiritual treasures.
The Dragon Palace's treasure trove is heavily fortified with arrays and restrictions; any ordinary immortal or Buddha expert who goes there would surely be blasted into dust.
However, those Eastern Formations were barely enough to deal with late-stage seventh-tier experts, let alone against a Great Luo Golden Immortal like Wang Xuan.
Before long, Wang Xuan successfully infiltrated the treasure vault of the East Sea Dragon Palace.
There are indeed countless treasures here, but most of them are not very valuable. The truly powerful treasures have already been looted by the experts of the Heavenly Court in this world.
The East Sea Dragon Palace is a subordinate institution of the Heavenly Court, and over millions of years, its treasure vaults have been swept away by Heavenly Court experts several times. Naturally, Wang Xuan could not find any powerful treasures.
However, the fact that no acquired spiritual treasures were found did not mean that the operation was ineffective. By the time Wang Xuan left, he had several gray-black iron blocks in his hand.