Chapter 11: The Three Calamities Terrify the Monkey King, Divine Arts Stir Su Chen

Su Chen, though he saw Sun Wukong’s cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds, remained calm, steadying his mind to meticulously refine his Golden Core path.

At the same time, the aura of Sun Wukong’s attainment of Jin Xian surged vast and mighty, naturally sensed by the master of Slant Moon Three Stars Cave.

In his quiet chamber, Patriarch Bodhi slowly opened his eyes; with a thought, he summoned Sun Wukong and asked how his cultivation was progressing.

Sun Wukong, ecstatic and pacing restlessly, leapt and bounded to the hall upon hearing his master’s call; upon seeing Patriarch Bodhi, he prostrated himself and cried out in excitement, “Master! Disciple has attained the Great Dao! I have unlocked the mystery of eternal life!”

Patriarch Bodhi smiled faintly at his boastful demeanor and said, “Foolish child, you’ve merely glimpsed the threshold, just begun to comprehend your nature and origin, and barely attained the Jin Xian body—how dare you claim ‘eternal life’?”

Sun Wukong froze, his monkey face filled with confusion: “Master, I am now a Jin Xian, sharing the lifespan of heaven and earth, free from all illness, beyond the Three Realms and outside the Five Elements—surely that counts as eternal life?”

“You have gained longevity, but you must still guard against the Three Calamities,” came Patriarch Bodhi’s calm voice.

“The Three Calamities?” Sun Wukong was even more baffled, pressing urgently, “I share heaven and earth’s lifespan—what calamity could harm me?”

Patriarch Bodhi’s expression grew stern: “Our cultivation defies heaven, seizing the transformations of heaven and earth, invading the mysteries of sun and moon. Once the elixir is formed, spirits and gods cannot tolerate it. Though you have attained longevity and escaped mortality, the Dao of heaven cycles inevitably—calamities will descend. Every five hundred years, one calamity comes to destroy you. If you evade it, your life equals heaven’s; if you fail, your body perishes, your cultivation vanishes, and ten thousand years of effort become empty water.”

Sun Wukong trembled, his fur nearly bristling; he kowtowed frantically: “I beg you, Master, have mercy! Let me hear the details!”

Patriarch Bodhi then spoke slowly: “The first calamity is thunder. After five hundred years, heavenly thunder strikes you. This is no ordinary thunder—it is heavenly lightning. You must awaken your nature and clarify your mind, avoiding it in advance. If you evade it, your life equals heaven’s; if you fail, you die.”

“And the second calamity?” Sun Wukong swallowed nervously.

“Another five hundred years later, heavenly fire burns you. This is no ordinary fire—it is called ‘Yin Fire.’ It surges from your Yongquan acupoint beneath your soles, piercing your limbs and bones, piercing straight to the Niwan Palace, reducing your five viscera to ash—your thousand years of effort turned to dust.”

Sun Wukong turned pale, a chill racing from his soles to the crown of his head.

“Another five hundred years, wind strikes you. This is no east, west, south, or north wind, nor gentle or golden gales—it is called ‘Bi Wind.’ It enters through your fontanel, flows through your six viscera, passes the dantian, pierces the nine orifices, dissolving your flesh and bones until your body disintegrates. Thus, even if you attain Jin Xian, without a method to evade it, you cannot enjoy longevity.”

Hearing this, Sun Wukong was utterly terrified, drenched in sweat.

He had thought becoming Jin Xian meant ultimate peace and freedom—never imagining such terrifying calamities awaited him.

He no longer dared show the slightest pride; he crawled forward, kowtowing repeatedly: “I beg you, Master, in your boundless mercy, heed my sincerity and teach me the method to evade the Three Calamities! I have nothing to offer in return, but I vow to serve you for life!”

Patriarch Bodhi, seeing his sincere plea, smiled faintly: “Very well. Since your heart is true, I shall teach you. I have two divine arts, both capable of evading the Three Calamities. One is the Heavenly Gang method, with thirty-six transformations; the other is the Earthly Sha method, with seventy-two transformations. Which do you choose?”

Sun Wukong’s eyes darted around, his mind racing with calculations.

He was a greedy soul, always believing more was better.

He grinned and said, “Master, I’m not greedy—I just want to learn more skills. Since that’s so, I choose the Earthly Sha’s seventy-two transformations. More transformations are always better.”

Patriarch Bodhi nodded, as if he had foreseen this choice.

He extended a finger and lightly tapped Sun Wukong’s forehead, transmitting the entire incantation of the seventy-two transformations.

Sun Wukong, as the Spirit-Ming Stone Monkey, needed no further explanation; upon receiving the incantation, he returned to his quarters, pondered briefly, and instantly understood.

He did not sleep; that night he practiced alone in the courtyard. He transformed into a flying bird, soaring into the sky; then into an ancient tree, rooted in the earth; then into a swimming fish, tail flicking through the air.

In mere days, he mastered all seventy-two divine transformations, wielding them effortlessly.

With this immense power, Sun Wukong could no longer contain himself; he rushed excitedly to find Su Chen.

“Little brother! Little brother! Look at my new skill!”

Su Chen, meditating in the courtyard, opened his eyes to see Sun Wukong before him—now a buzzing bee, now a silent stone.

Watching the monkey’s exuberant antics, Su Chen silently marveled: this monkey was truly the destined protagonist—when fate arrived, nothing could stop him.

He had cultivated for three years and barely touched the threshold of Lián Xū Hé Dào; yet this monkey was already a Jin Xian, possessing such heaven-shaking divine arts.

“Congratulations, Monkey Brother, on attaining such great divine power,” Su Chen said, though a ripple stirred within him.

What a pity. Truly a pity.

He had not been granted this divine art.

He thought again, and let it go.

His cultivation base was still low—he had not yet perfected Lián Xū Hé Dào, and his Golden Core had not even taken tangible form.

Even if he had received the incantation, he likely lacked the strength to practice it.

Such divine arts demanded vast magic power and spiritual sense; his meager reserves could barely manage transforming into a mosquito.

Though slightly disappointed, his Dao heart remained firm; he quickly suppressed the emotion, making no demands.

Eat your meal one bite at a time. Walk your path one step at a time.

His Golden Core path was the foundation.

As time passed, other disciples in the sect gradually noticed the difference between Sun Wukong and Su Chen.

Especially Sun Wukong—though his Jin Xian aura was well concealed, occasional traces of Dao resonance still sent shockwaves through the senior disciples.

Past schemes, rivalries, and jealousies seemed laughable before such absolute power.

The disciples gradually shed their unworthy thoughts, and their interactions with the two became far more harmonious.

Even the eldest disciple, Wu Ming, no longer carried himself with arrogance.

He had witnessed two newcomers—one through insight, one through talent—overtake him; his pride was utterly shattered.

He stopped lecturing others or offering unsolicited advice; instead, he settled his mind and focused solely on his own cultivation.

Strange as it seemed, once his Dao heart cleared and his attachments fell away, his cultivation bottleneck loosened, and his base improved significantly.

Thus passed more time, and Slant Moon Three Stars Cave remained serene.

One day, Su Chen cultivated on a secluded cliff at the back mountain, when suddenly, within his dantian, the illusory Golden Core spun sharply and burst forth brilliant light—a profound, ineffable insight surged into his heart.

At that moment, his connection to heaven and earth became tighter than ever before.

Achieved!

Lián Xū Hé Dào!

Su Chen opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of turbid qi.

He felt his lifespan surge again, reaching a thousand years.

The illusory Golden Core within his dantian had solidified several times over, as if ready to become real at any moment.

As he reveled in his breakthrough, a shaft of golden light descended from the sky—Sun Wukong landed steadily before him.

“Little brother! I’ve learned another divine art!” Sun Wukong beamed, gesturing wildly, “Master taught me—the Cloud Somersault! One flip, and I travel one hundred and eight thousand li!”

Hearing this, Su Chen’s heart tightened.

If he had learned the Cloud Somersault, then the day Sun Wukong flaunted his powers before the other disciples and was expelled by the Patriarch could not be far off.

He congratulated Sun Wukong with words, but his mind churned inwardly.

When the monkey leaves, what of him? How would the Patriarch arrange for him, and for Wu Ming and the others?

For the first time, Su Chen felt a flicker of unease and anxiety.