"Isn't it because I've come back to see you, sir?"
“Monkey, you have been a disciple for many years, yet you have forgotten the rules of your sect. This is my place of quiet cultivation; how can I bring outsiders here?” An old man dressed in Taoist attire, with a dignified appearance, came out to greet us. It was none other than Patriarch Bodhi.
Bodhi Patriarch looked Zhang Yun up and down, his eyes flickering slightly.
"May I ask who you are, my esteemed friend?" The hand holding the whisk bowed slightly to Zhang Yun, showing great courtesy.
Bodhi Patriarch is a patriarch-level figure, yet just now, he was able to sense an aura from the other party that was no weaker than his own.
It is quite obvious that the other party is at least of his level.
“You may call me Zhang Yun, senior,” Zhang Yun replied, causing Bodhi Patriarch’s eyes to flicker slightly.
The other person was dressed as a Taoist, and he thought the other person would reveal their Taoist name, but instead gave their real name, which was quite strange.
"Please come in." Patriarch Bodhi glanced at the Six-Eared Macaque indifferently before leading the two into the cave.
"I've come here because I have something I'd like to ask for your help with." Given Zhang Yun's personality, he naturally got straight to the point.
"What is it?"
A chilling glint flashed in the depths of Bodhi Patriarch's eyes.
He was certain that he had never seen this person named Zhang Yun before, and that there was no such person among the celestial beings in the Heavenly Court; he must be a rogue cultivator.
However, there are only a handful of rogue cultivators who can reach a level no weaker than him; they couldn't possibly be unknown figures.
Therefore, the more Bodhi Patriarch thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, and his wariness of Zhang Yun grew stronger.
Looking at the Six-Eared Macaque again, Patriarch Bodhi's eyes flashed.
Could it be that Zhang Yun is from another world?
What is the purpose of this trip?
"That's right. Soon, a new monkey king will appear on Flower Fruit Mountain. His talent and aptitude should be similar to this monkey's."
As he spoke, Zhang Yun brought the tea in his cup to his mouth, took a small sip, and continued, "I think you understand what I mean, right?"
"You want me to take that monkey as my disciple?" Patriarch Bodhi asked calmly, his expression unchanged.
“That’s right. Just teach this monkey the same skills you taught him before.”
Zhang Yun smiled and said, "Of course, I won't let you work for nothing. Feel free to make any requests."
"What if I don't agree?" Patriarch Bodhi stood up, gazing into the distance. For some reason, he had a vague sense of foreboding.
Zhang Yun wasn't too surprised; he had already done his homework beforehand.
People like Bodhi Patriarch, who have reached the ultimate state of enlightenment and returned to simplicity, living in seclusion in the mountains and forests, and not caring about worldly affairs, can be said to be without desires and have seen through the illusions of the mortal world.
However, things tend to reverse when they reach an extreme.
If the Bodhi Patriarch is no longer interested in the Journey to the West world, what about other different worlds?
"Senior, please don't be so quick to reject me." Zhang Yun smiled and said, "I suppose this monkey has told you that it doesn't actually belong to this world, right?"
"What do you mean?"
As Zhang Yun expected, Patriarch Bodhi narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly indicating that Zhang Yun's words had a hidden meaning.
Zhang Yun, who had been observing the changes in Bodhi Patriarch's eyes, smiled and said, "Perhaps you can hardly imagine that beyond the Three Realms, there are countless different, relatively independent worlds that are subtly connected. Among them, there are worlds that are even higher than the Three Realms."
"I know that you have few rivals in the Three Realms, but you are not at the very top. Do you not want to advance your cultivation to a higher level?"
"Or, after staying in the sacred mountain for too long, it would be good to go out and see the outside world."
Bodhi Patriarch glanced at Zhang Yun, then at the Six-Eared Macaque, and was certain that neither the Six-Eared Macaque nor Zhang Yun belonged to this world.
"Tell me your real purpose."
To be honest, Bodhi Patriarch was indeed somewhat tempted by Zhang Yun's words.
But he was, after all, an old man who had been through the trials of time, and these things alone were not enough to completely move him.
Zhang Yun also knew that persuading someone like Patriarch Bodhi would definitely not be possible with just a few words.
So he decided to tell the truth.
"That's right. My common enemy and that of this monkey have released and nurtured a demon in this world with the aim of disrupting and destroying the Three Realms in order to conquer and rule them."
"Now that you have received such definite information, why do you come to me to teach him a skill instead of nipping the demon in the bud?"
Bodhi Patriarch was no fool; such a simple truth could be understood with a little thought.
"If you don't cut the weeds at the root, they will grow back in the spring breeze." Zhang Yun said, "Our goal is naturally to get close to the enemy, understand the enemy, and have the senior teach that demon its skills. This is also part of our plan."
"As long as it's within the plan, it's under our control."
Bodhi Patriarch pondered for a moment and said, "How could I know that you had me cultivate that demon not to prepare for disrupting the Three Realms?"
"In that case, senior, please forgive my impoliteness."
A mysterious smile slowly crept onto Zhang Yun's lips.
Even after all that, Patriarch Bodhi still had doubts, so there was no other way but to take a firmer approach.
As soon as he finished speaking, all the cultivators within Fangcun Mountain suddenly felt a powerful and immense gravitational pressure pressing down on them.