Great Demon Sun Wukong-Chapter 274 - 263: The Story of Patriarch Bodhi
At this moment, Sun Wukong truly wanted to cry, but something was blocking his chest—let alone crying, even breathing was difficult. Hence, Sun Wukong merely had tears incessantly streaming from his eyes, but he did not weep. He knelt silently in midair, allowing Dao Zhun to hold him in his embrace. Time seemed to stand still.
However, Sun Wukong knew that time would not stand still, nor would it reverse. Whether joyful or painful, all would be erased by time, leaving only memories deeply buried in the heart. And now, all of Sun Wukong’s emotions and spirit were captivated by a voice in his mind.
This voice belonged to none other than Master Zun Dao Zhun. "Wukong, don’t be sorrowful. Life and death are common affairs; no one in this world can escape this fate. You can’t, I can’t, and of course, your master, Patriarch Bodhi, can’t either. Even the high and mighty Domain Lords you know of can’t, and even the greatest Pioneers cannot escape death.
But you must remember your true nature, don’t let hatred blind you. However, it’s also true that you cannot let a grudge go unavenged, but that vengeance must be sought from the true enemy!"
Hearing Master Zun Dao Zhun’s words, Sun Wukong felt a stir in his heart and asked directly in his mind, "Could it be that my master wasn’t killed by those from Heaven’s Taoist sect?" In Sun Wukong’s view, Patriarch Bodhi’s death was due to the conflict between Ancestor Demon and Taoism, but now it seemed there might be more to it?
At this time, Master Zun Dao Zhun slowly released Sun Wukong, then clasped his hands and formed several Magical Decrees. In an instant, both of their figures vanished, only to reappear inside a cave. The cave was exceedingly ordinary, with only a stone table, a few stone stools, and two jade cushions inside. Beyond that, there was nothing else.
"This is a space I created using the Fangcun method; it belongs only to me. No one else should be able to discover it. Some matters are not yet to be revealed publicly, so for now, you will be the only one in the know." Having said that, Dao Zhun walked to the side of a stone stool and slowly sat down.
Seeing Dao Zhun sit down, Sun Wukong also sat on another stone stool. As soon as he sat down, Sun Wukong felt the magical properties of what seemed like an ordinary stool. His heart, initially filled with grief, gradually calmed down after sitting, and his thoughts began to clarify.
Moreover, Sun Wukong also sensed a dense power of space wandering around him—each breath allowing him to absorb a great amount of spatial elements into his dantian.
After only a few breaths, Sun Wukong felt his understanding of space ascend to a new level. He could hardly imagine the heights his comprehension and use of space might reach if he could cultivate day and night on this cushion.
Dao Zhun, seeing Sun Wukong’s slightly astonished gaze, nodded, knowing that Sun Wukong had discovered the secret of the stone stool. "Wukong, if you wish to understand the whole affair, first, you must know who I am and who your master truly is!"
Sun Wukong immediately stopped paying attention to the stone stool and sat upright, listening attentively to Dao Zhun’s words. He was now certain that Dao Zhun was a friend, not a foe. Moreover, he must have a profound connection with himself. Sun Wukong even had a vague guess that the elder before him might well be his Ancestral Master.
"You must have some conjectures in mind already. Although Bodhi did not teach you the true meaning of Fangcun, he laid a solid foundation for you." Sun Wukong looked intently at Dao Zhun and said, "Could it be, senior, that you are my master’s master?"
"Yes, you guessed right. But to be precise, I am the founding Ancestral Master of this lineage. Let me put it this way: my original form is a Bodhi Tree that appeared simultaneously with this universe. Your master is one of my branches.
And that branch of the Ginseng Fruit Tree can also be considered part of me because the Ginseng Fruit Tree itself was transformed by me using supreme Great Divine Power. By the way, you should know about the Peach Tree, right? It’s like the Ginseng Fruit Tree, an Innate Spirit Root I transformed."
Some of this was expected, yet unexpected. The part Sun Wukong guessed right was Dao Zhun’s identity. What was unexpected was that Dao Zhun’s origins were so grand. His status could be said to even surpass the Domain Lords. A figure from the same era as the Pioneers, thus now everyone in his eyes, were juniors, including the existing six Domain Lords.
Speaking of the Peach Tree, Sun Wukong couldn’t help but smile wryly. He was more than familiar with the Peach Tree; he had probably eaten more of Pangu Realm’s divine peaches than any other immortal. Moreover, that thread of emotion in his memory, which he had always wanted to forget and sever, was also associated with that Peach Tree.
Before Sun Wukong could even open his mouth to ask, Dao Zhun continued, "For some reason, your master’s spirit was broken inside me and spawned his own spiritual wisdom. Since then, he has always followed me; I taught him Taoist spells and divine skills. Indeed, Bodhi was extraordinarily talented, the most outstanding among all of my children."
"The high-level Fangcun Spirit Realm that exists now was slowly built by my own hands alongside your master and some other children. However, despite becoming a high-level world, it failed to gain the recognition of the Heavenly Stele and the Heavenly Patrollers, and so, it couldn’t become a Divine Kingdom.
Finally, after countless efforts, I earned the opportunity for the World Suppressing Stele to accept a master. It was also at that time that an incident occurred; as a result of that incident, your master nearly perished.
In order to save his life, I had no choice but to use Fangcun’s divine power to open a spatial passageway and send him to a small world tucked away in a corner of the universe, which is the Pangu Realm where you were!"
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After finishing these words, Sun Wukong was truly astonished. He never imagined his master would have such a past. He had thought that Master Bodhi was just a Bodhi tree that had achieved enlightenment in the Pangu Realm, far from someone originally from the Fangcun Spirit Realm. By then, his master’s strength must have already surpassed his own current level.
At this thought, Sun Wukong suddenly felt very sad for his master. Originally a prominent figure in the high-level Fangcun Spirit Realm, in the end, his master could do nothing but cling to life in a lesser world. The disparity was not something ordinary people could accept. Yet, despite enduring so much, his master had still sacrificed for him.
Sun Wukong was filled with hatred, hating that his own strength was insufficient, hating his own lack of ability. He blamed himself for the deaths of Master Bodhi, Master Sanzang, Nuwa, Nezha, Hong Hai’er—for the deaths of so many. Noticing Sun Wukong’s suddenly despondent look, Dao Zhun knew he was recalling those painful memories.
"Wukong, remember, you must keep to your true nature. The dead cannot be brought back to life. If you cannot learn this, then the end of your journey is near. If you die, then those who have sacrificed themselves for you will have died in vain."
Sun Wukong suddenly looked up, struggling to hold back his tears, his eyes red as he gazed at Dao Zhun. Taking a slight breath, Dao Zhun continued, "Regarding that incident, I won’t go into details now. It would be better for you to investigate it yourself when the opportunity arises.
However, I can tell you that the event was the result of the Annihilation Demon Nation and Myriad Demons Country conspiring step by step and paying a heavy price for their success. Their goal was to make us lose the qualification to be recognized by the Heavenly Stele.
They did indeed succeed, and your master was caught in their schemes, thus committing a great taboo that alerted the Heavenly Patrollers."
At this point, Dao Zhun sighed once more, a struggle evident in his eyes; it was as if he was reluctant to bring up the matter. "Later, the Heavenly Patroller directly intervened, intending to annihilate your master. Fortunately, I arrived in time and paid a substantial price to save his life. However, your master was gravely injured and almost perished.
Ah, if I were still the me from the past, I wouldn’t care not only about preserving your master’s life but also about a Heavenly Patroller. But now, times are different. The only thing I could do was save Bodhi’s life, but his cultivation was utterly disrupted."
"After I rescued him, his strength was reduced to that of a primary grade Emperor Level, a power even too meager to survive in the Fangcun Spirit Realm. With no other choice, I sent your master to the Pangu Realm, to slowly regain his original strength. Explore more stories with novelbuddy
After that, the Heavenly Patroller, because of that incident, annulled the recognition of the Heavenly Stele and gave a grave warning to the Fangcun Spirit Realm."
Hearing this, a bright light suddenly flashed through Sun Wukong’s mind; he finally understood the reason behind his master’s words when he had left the Fangcun Spirit Realm after learning the Seventy-two Transformations, the somersault cloud, and the Art of Eternal Life.
His master had said, "When you leave here, trouble will follow. No matter what kind of havoc you wreak, you must never claim to be my disciple. If you reveal even half a word, I will know it, I will flay and grind your bones, and condemn your divine soul to the depths of Nine Serenities, entrapping you eternally without redemption!"
Now, Sun Wukong truly understood his master’s dilemma!
(Today was busy, hence the late update. This chapter is for Saturday. Does anyone know why Bodhi would say that?)