Chapter 1422

Lingshan.

World-Honored One Tathagata's mood had once again soured.

"Why does this Sun Wukong, after cultivating for several years, remain as lazy as ever?" Tathagata was puzzled. "With such laziness, how could he cultivate to the Taiyi realm in just a few years?"

In the end, Tathagata could only attribute the reason to—talent, and his roots.

Suddenly, the same thought that had occurred to the Six-Eared one arose in his heart—such talent, yet such a temperament, what a waste!

"Fortunately the Six-Eared one can serve as a substitute; otherwise, this Journey to the West plan might be a bit dangerous."

Even though Lingshan has always preached the Four Empties, and looks like the most salted-fish of places.

But to truly entrust such an important task as Journey to the West to a salted-fish figure like Sun Wukong, they simply could not feel at ease.

Doctrine is doctrine, doing things is doing things—the two simply cannot be confused.

"Guanyin Bodhisattva, receive my decree, it is time to act. Have the Underworld test Sun Wukong. No—add the Six-Eared one as well. If Sun Wukong truly cannot be of use, let the Six-Eared one take his place."

Guanyin Bodhisattva: "I receive the World-Honored One's decree."

……

Flower-Fruit Mountain.

The substitute monkey ate a peach, only feeling drowsy, his expression shifting: "It's come. Whether I can obtain a free body depends on today."

The true Sun Wukong was scheming for the fortune of Journey to the West, the Six-Eared one was scheming for the merit of Journey to the West—when had He Ceng no schemes of his own?

He didn't ask for much, only freedom.

Once the Six-Eared one embarked on the path he was meant to walk, then he would be free.

When that time came, he would not only be free in this world, but also have completed the mission given to him by his creator.

From then on, he too would be a free being.

He closed his eyes and stopped resisting.

In a daze, he saw one black and one white two underworld messengers, mourning-sticks in hand, come forth, and toss a chain toward his body; a phantom was dragged out from within.

The substitute monkey only felt his body lighten, a gust of yin-wind sweeping in, extremely cool.

At this moment, his mood was extremely subtle.

He never expected that even he, a Taiyi-realm cultivator, would be shackled by underworld messengers.

This simply transcended common sense.

In fact, in this world, once one passes the tribulation and becomes an immortal, the Book of Life and Death cannot reach them.

The Taiyi realm far surpassed the immortal realm.

That he could be shackled only showed how fearsome the great power was.

Even the Taiyi realm was just a slightly larger ant; life and death were not one's own to decide.

"…No, perhaps there's one more thing!"

The substitute monkey stumbled along, following the underworld messengers toward the Underworld, and suddenly thought of something: "I cultivated the Slanted Moon Three Star Cave's art; though I reached Taiyi, I only obtained a method to evade tribulation, and never passed a tribulation, so I never shed my mortal register—my name is still recorded in the Book of Life and Death."

"Patriarch, was this also within your calculations? No wonder you wouldn't let us pass the heavenly tribulation, and only taught us the Seventy-Two Transformations, to evade the heavenly tribulation that comes once every five hundred years."

At this moment, he understood many things.

Many immortal sects had methods to pass tribulation—did Patriarch Bodhi not?

He certainly did!

Then why didn't he pass them on, and instead let Sun Wukong cultivate the evasion method, not taking the proper path?

Just as he was thinking, he saw the Gate of Ghosts had arrived.

The yin-qi here was even thicker, gusts of yin-wind, shrill ghostly howls filling his ears.

The substitute monkey stopped pretending to sleep and woke up.

"Where is this?"

"This place is the Gate of Ghosts. Sun Wukong of Flower-Fruit Mountain, your lifespan has ended."

Black and White Impermanence's voices were icy, but in truth their hearts were panic-stricken.

The fellow before them was a Taiyi-realm cultivator.

Taiyi—the Dao itself.

Once he wished to resist, whether soul or all three primordial spirits present, there was no difference.

A single thought from him would unleash ten thousand divine abilities—absolutely not something two tiny underworld messengers could oppose.

Yet the other party merely glanced at the Gate of Ghosts and gently nodded: "So it's the Underworld. Since my lifespan has ended, then proceed according to the rules."

Black and White Impermanence were stunned.

What's going on?

How does this fellow not play by the rules!