Chapter 496: Fellow Daoist, Please Stay

The edge of the North Sea.

"I can sense the auras of many powerful beings here," Xiaobailong could not help but say.

"Indeed, there are many; even I, Old Sun, feel a bit uneasy. I never expected the Earth Immortal Realm to have such a place," Sun Wukong said.

Baigu Furen remained silent, not saying a word.

Having just joined the Scripture Seeking team, they had yet to develop any rapport.

"This North Sea, it forms a realm of its own. Its vastness is such that even if you added the four seas together, they wouldn't equal a tenth of it.

Since the ancient era, the North Sea has always existed; back then, it was still called Beiming.

Beiming had a master, a great ability from the primordial era: the Demon Master Kunpeng," Bajie said.

"Demon Master, Kunpeng? Is he powerful?" Sun Wukong asked.

"He is certainly powerful, possessing the strength of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, through and through. Even the Jade Emperor has to give him face. He was among the first batch of supreme powerhouses and was a key figure who participated in the Great Tribulation of the Lich," Bajie said.

"A Great Luo Golden Immortal!" Sun Wukong's gaze turned stern.

Ever since he left Five Fingers Mountain, he had gradually discovered the truth of the Three Realms; truly, powerful beings emerged one after another.

Thinking back now, the havoc he wreaked in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago felt just like a dream.

"That was the ancient era; the current North Sea is not the Beiming of the past.

What the naked eye can see is the North Sea, but the unknowable places that the naked eye cannot see are the true Beiming.

Many great demons exist there, and even the weakest among them have the strength of a Heavenly Immortal," Baigu Furen said.

"Old Six, you know about this too?" Sun Wukong said.

"..."

"That is so."

Baigu Furen said haughtily, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression cold.

This left Zhu Bajie completely infatuated.

"Cuilan, don't blame me, Old Zhu."

"Amituofo!"

Bajie silently recited the Heart Sutra to rid himself of vulgar thoughts.

"The North Sea reaches up to the Nine Heavens and down to the Nine Netherworlds. During the War of Investiture, many great demons were suppressed beneath it," Baigu Furen said.

"That is true. Back then, I, Old Zhu, was a Fleet Admiral. Watching that War of Investiture, it was as if the heavens were collapsing and the earth splitting; the sun and moon lost their light. I don't know how many immortals perished; even Great Luo Golden Immortals suffered a calamity," Bajie sighed.

"Monkey, what do you think of the God of Wealth in the Heavenly Court?"

Bajie suddenly asked, his expression playful.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong said directly: "That fellow Zhao Gongming, right? His cultivation is passable. But under my, Old Sun's, Golden Cudgel, he isn't worth looking at."

"Heh, Monkey, you don't know about this.

The Zhao Gongming of those days was a genuine Great Luo Golden Immortal. Whether it was the Chan Sect or the Jie Sect, he was the undisputed number one of the second generation.

By himself, he directly fought through all the Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect.

Even the likes of the Antarctic Immortal, Guangchengzi, and Yunzhongzi were bullied to tears by him.

If not for the schemes of the Saints, using the Nail-Head Seven-Arrow Book to ambush him and cause his fall... alas..." Bajie sighed.

"?" Sun Wukong.

This Zhao Gongming looks like a decrepit old man now; was he really that fierce back then? It must be fake, right?

"And what about Songzi Niangniang and the Sanxiao Niangniang? How high-spirited and peerlessly elegant they were back then," Bajie said.

"Bajie, quickly tell me, Old Sun, about the situation back then." Sun Wukong became interested.

"Three bottles of Happy Water." Bajie held up three fingers.

"You idiot."

Sun Wukong said with annoyance, then took out a pile of Happy Water.

Xiaobailong, Heixiong, Shaseng, and Baigu Furen were all given a few bottles.

"What is this?" Baigu Furen asked.

"Happy Water; the taste is excellent, Xiaobai..." Zhu Bajie said.

"If you call me that again, I will slaughter you, you dead pig." Baigu Furen's face darkened; he really had no sense of propriety.

"Cough, cough, let's just tell the story." Zhu Bajie gave a trembling laugh.

The monkey didn't help Bajie either, mainly because Baigu Furen's cultivation was indeed strong, and Bajie's mouth was particularly foul.

"It is said that back then, Zhou Wang was wicked and blasphemed..."

"Hiccup!"

Baigu Furen let out a satisfied burp; the Happy Water in her hand had reached the bottom. She was still wanting more but felt embarrassed to ask.

This Happy Water was not some nectar or jade dew, and it didn't have much value, but its taste was unique, and it made people feel lightheaded after drinking it.

Especially after being chilled with spells, it was piercingly cool, making one's entire Primordial Spirit shiver involuntarily.

It was like an emperor in ancient times, accustomed to eating shark fin, abalone, and delicacies.

Suddenly unable to eat them, having been hungry for three months.

If you gave him a scallion pancake, the emperor would think it was a delicacy of the human world the first time he ate it.

However, by comparison, the taste of Happy Water was even more intoxicating.

At this time, Bajie finished telling the story of the Investiture of the Gods.

Sun Wukong was silent, lost in thought.

Those immortals in the Heavenly Court who were just idling their days away—were they really that formidable back then? Was it all because of the Investiture of the Gods?

The version Bajie told is the most widely heard one; basically, most immortals know it.

As for what the truth was back then, only the Saints of the Three Teachings know.

"Houzi, give me another bottle," Baigu Furen said, feigning aloofness.

"Call me Senior Brother, you Diliu."

Sun Wukong was interrupted from his deep thoughts, but he still gave Baigu Furen two bottles of Happy Water.

"Houzi, you value sex over friendship. When I asked you for some, you dead monkey weren't this quick to give it," Bajie complained.

"Bajie, are you teaching me, Old Sun, how to do things?"

Sun Wukong said with a tiger-like glare; right now, he wanted to find someone to fight.

"..., how would I dare? But we haven't been in this North Sea for long, let's leave quickly, lest we run into some monster," Bajie said.

"That's right, even the Heavenly Court and Buddhism wouldn't dare enter this place easily," Baigu Furen said.

"Fine."

Sun Wukong nodded and was about to use his Somersault Cloud to take everyone away.

"Fellow Daoist, please stay your step!"

Just at this moment, a voice rang out, sudden and eerie, as if it came from beneath the Nine Netherworlds.

Both Sun Wukong and Bajie couldn't help but feel their hearts skip a beat; something felt ominous.

"What kind of monster is that!" Sun Wukong turned his head, but saw the North Sea was calm, without a single ripple.

"Why does that sound a bit familiar," Bajie muttered.

"The voice is coming from eight hundred li to the north," Baigu Furen said.

"Eight hundred li away, forget it, let's just go," Bajie said hurriedly.

"What are you afraid of, Bajie? With me, Old Sun, here, I want to see what kind of petty thief it is," Sun Wukong said.

"..." Bajie.

"Diliu, what do you think?" Sun Wukong asked.

"I don't mind," Baigu Furen said.

Since there were no objections, the group then all flew to a spot eight hundred li away in the North Sea.

Not far away, on the calm and dark sea surface, there was a whirlpool about ten zhang in diameter; this whirlpool was naturally not worth mentioning compared to the entire North Sea.

But the key was that beneath the whirlpool, a figure in a black Taoist robe stood below, their feet bound by nameless chains, unable to move.

This Taoist was full of evil energy, with a hawk-like gaze and a wolf-like look, and a rebellious nature; at this moment, seeing Wukong and the others, the corners of their mouth curled up, revealing a genial smile:

"It has been several thousand years, and I haven't seen any living people come to this Beihai Zhi Yan.

Greetings, fellow Daoists, I am Shen Gongbao!"

"?" Sun Wukong.

"Shen Gongbao, it's actually you. Rumors from the outside world say you were executed back then, aren't they true?" Bajie said loudly.

Shen Gongbao glanced at Bajie and said in surprise:

"Isn't this the former Fleet Admiral Tianpeng of the Heavenly Court? How did you end up in this state today?"