Chapter 3: Apprenticeship to Chen Nuo

Ling Mountain, Great Thunder Sound Temple within.

"The Heavenly Dao has its own fixed numbers; the Shen Feng Great Calamity saw the Xuantian Sects fighting each other for private gain, leading to the suffering of all beings, the collapse of Honghuang, and the Heavenly Dao abandoning it."

"Yet, out of compassion, my Buddha seeks universal salvation; the Enlightenment of my teaching is decreed by the Heavenly Dao, therefore, my Buddha has ordained the Western Pilgrimage to mend the wounds of the Shen Feng Calamity!"

"Let my Buddhist Sect shine upon the human world."

The foremost speaker was none other than the Tathagata Buddha Ancestor, his Dharma majestic like mountains, his Buddha Light vast like a star sea.

Under the endless Buddha Light that obscured even his face, countless Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats sat beneath him.

Each one radiated flowing Buddha Light, surrounded by Buddha aura—all were Great Powers.

One can see how swiftly Buddhism has developed since the Fèngshén Quantity Calamity, and how formidable its strength has become!

The Western Pilgrimage flourishes; they are determined to succeed.

Suddenly, as the Tathagata continued his lecture, he paused, looked to one side—precisely where Sun Wukong's eyes were shooting radiant light into the sky above.

He silently calculated, yet could not fathom anything at all.

Has the Western Pilgrimage Quantity Calamity not yet begun, and already the Heavenly Secrets grow obscure?

The Tathagata silently thought to himself.

Then he spoke: "Where is Guanyin? That monkey—where is he now?"

A beautiful woman in white robes stepped forward, holding a Pure Jade Vase, her kind eyes and gentle visage radiant with grace; she respectfully said: "Returning to the Buddha Ancestor, that monkey has already arrived at Lingtai Fangcun Mountain."

As the chief overseer of this Western Journey, Guanyin is ever vigilant, sparing no effort in monitoring the movements of this pivotal pilgrim.

For as a key participant in the Buddhist Sect, upon the success of the Western Journey, she shall gain immense merit!

The Tathagata nodded.

Patriarch Bodhi is the benevolent corpse of the Zhunti Saint of Buddhism; with him present at Fangcun Mountain, success is assured!

He then continued: "The Western Journey is of utmost importance; Guanyin, these eighty-one trials must not lack a single one—prepare thoroughly before the journey begins!"

Guanyin nodded and said: "Yes, my Buddha!"

Hearing the reply, the Tathagata no longer worried about his earlier concern, and the Buddha's Sound resounded vast and grand: "The Western Pilgrimage Calamity, my Buddha shall arise—benevolent praise, benevolent praise..."

"A Mi Tuo Fo..."

The assembly of Buddhas joined palms, chanting the Buddha's name; for a moment, the entire Ling Mountain blazed with Buddha Light.

At Oblique Moon Three Stars Cave, Patriarch Bodhi, who had been lecturing, suddenly fell silent; the disciples below, lost in meditation, awoke as from a dream.

Patriarch Bodhi also sensed the golden light, but he paid it no heed—his purpose here was merely to nurture his Heavenly-Ordained disciple, Sun Wukong.

Reckoning the time, it is now nearly upon us.

"Go, bring that monkey here." Patriarch Bodhi flicked his whisk and said.

The young Daoist dared not delay, hastily bowing and departing.

Not long after, the young Daoist came running in panic, shouting: "Disaster! That monkey is missing!"

Missing?

Patriarch Bodhi started—given how deeply that monkey longs for immortality, how could he have left so easily?

He immediately began calculating on his fingers.

Indeed, he is gone!

Patriarch Bodhi's heart startled—this is not merely absent from the cave; even the entire Fangcun Mountain bears no trace of the monkey—how could this be?!

This monkey is pivotal to the Buddhist Sect's Western Pilgrimage; we cannot afford the slightest mishap!

Before the disciples below could react, Patriarch Bodhi vanished from the spot in an instant.

Here, Sun Wukong withdrew his divine light, rapidly blinked his eyes, his furry face bearing a hint of uplift.

He had just seemed to see through the underparts of a heavenly being, and it was intensely eye-stinging.

In less than three seconds, yet it drained all his strength.

Yet his belly remained warm and comforting, a gentle current slowly restoring his body; though he had not yet been born and already become a pawn, this does not mean Sun Wukong is an idiot.

Sun Wukong naturally knows,

that what has made him this way is none other than the egg fried rice before him.

Feeling the awakened memories within his body, Sun Wukong's face shone with great excitement.

Piercing Illusion Golden Eyes, Far-Seeing Vision, Destroying Falsehood!

Sun Wukong recalls that this ability manifested when he was first born, but later, for unknown reasons, he could no longer use it.

Yet now, thanks to a single portion of egg fried rice, his long-lost ability has reappeared!

"Ding! Sun Wukong finished eating egg fried rice, awakened the Innate Ability Piercing Illusion Divine Communication—synchronize ability?"

At this moment, the system's voice suddenly sounded.

Chen Nuo immediately thought in his heart: "Synchronize!"

Thus it is—gazing at Sun Wukong, Chen Nuo nodded; he remembered from his past life the legend of Piercing Illusion Golden Eyes; this innate ability exclusive to the Spirit-Mind Stone Monkey can be said to utterly surpass Fiery Eyes Golden!

However, innate abilities require nourishment by innate substances to gradually solidify; the cost of consumption is too high, so the Buddhist Sect abandoned it, indulging this monkey after birth by letting him drink river water, causing his divine ability to vanish, and finally, begging the Holy Person to grant the monkey the lowest configuration of Fiery Eyes Golden.

But this portion of egg fried rice is equivalent to directly purifying Sun Wukong's bloodline, forcibly enabling him to meet the qualifications for awakening the Innate Ability.

In an instant, a golden flash flickered in Chen Nuo's eyes—compared to Sun Wukong's magnificent presence, Chen Nuo appeared inwardly restrained, this being the very sign of greater proficiency.

This is precisely where the system is most awesome: whenever someone awakens an ability through his things, he can synchronize gain it, and his proficiency surpasses that of the awakener!

However, whether the eater can comprehend it also depends on luck.

Sun Wukong is no stranger to being the protagonist of the Western Pilgrimage Quantity Calamity—his fortune is heaven-soaring, one strike hits true!

"Shopkeeper, no, Immortal! Please accept me as your disciple!" Suddenly, Sun Wukong dropped to his knees, bowing deeply with utmost sincerity.

Merely by virtue of a single meal, he has undergone such a transformation—this shopkeeper must surely be the legendary Immortal!

Sun Wukong bowed while gazing toward Chen Nuo, who sat calmly at the counter.

That delicate appearance, in Sun Wukong's eyes at this moment, seemed like the most sacred face in the world—this is what an Immortal looks like!

That refined and elegant demeanor—isn't that precisely the manifestation of immortal grace and Daoist bone?

This must be exactly what the Human Realm often speaks of: the great master hidden in the city, who sailed across the sea seeking Immortals, endured hardships, all for this very moment!

What Three-Star Cave? What Immortal? At this moment, everything the woodcutter said has been tossed to the back of Sun Wukong's mind—what could possibly be more awesome than gaining strength through eating?

Three-Star Cave doesn't want him? Then he won't go there!

Sun Wukong, if he is to take a master, will take only the best—he wants to learn cooking!

Sun Wukong kowtowed fiercely to the ground, making Chen Nuo's heart leap with fear.

He wasn't worried that the monkey's head would have problems—after all, he is a stone monkey—but he was worried whether this ground would collapse.

"Get up." Chen Nuo hurriedly spoke.

The Immortal opened his mouth, and Sun Wukong hurriedly stood up.

Chen Nuo felt he should still clarify things with the monkey: "I am not an Immortal, I am merely a humble cook."

Sun Wukong didn't believe it at all—not even a hundred times over.

Not an Immortal, yet able to make such miraculous egg fried rice?

"I still hope the Immortal will accept me as a disciple!" Sun Wukong said this time without kneeling, because the Immortal had previously told him to rise.

But his attitude remained sincere!

Seeing Sun Wukong like this, Chen Nuo felt a headache coming on—though he was proud to use his cooking skill to make Sun Wukong abandon cultivation and come learn cooking.

But this Sun Wukong is the protagonist of the Journey to the West Quantity Calamity!

Not going to Bodhi to learn magic arts, but running over here to learn what cooking is?

If this spreads, who the hell would believe it?!