The Way follows nature and one dwells where the heart desires.

At Spirit Platform Mount, Li Changshou reclined in his rocking chair, basking in the gentle sunlight, his youthful face bearing white hair showing a slight smile.

The great prosperity of the Western Region had nothing to do with him, and what did Golden Cicada’s birth matter to him?

Training the monkey well and taking the opportunity to lay some groundwork, stirring up trouble between the Dao Ancestor and Heaven’s Way before the Journey to the West – whether he won or lost, whether the Western Journey’s tribulations existed or not, none of it mattered.

If he won, peace would reign under heaven; if he lost, he would retreat into chaos.

Speaking of which, Sun Wukong was indeed a natural-born powerhouse.

It was now Sun Wukong’s hundredth day on the mountain, and today during the scripture lecture in the front hall, this monkey could already sit still to listen and carefully comprehend the meaning of the scriptures.

His performance was outstanding.

Regarding this matter of teaching the monkey, apart from creating an equal, free, and benevolent atmosphere for the Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave, Li Changshou hasn’t done much else for now.

Thanks to his more than ten years of tempering in the mortal realm, Sun Wukong quickly became close with his senior brothers and sisters.

With Li Changshou’s tacit approval, Sun Wukong had already mastered the basic cultivation methods through learning from his senior disciples; and in just half a month, he had traversed a path that ordinary Qi practitioners might not complete in ten or even several decades.

At this point, Li Changshou could no longer just watch from the sidelines; he had to start guiding directly.

Otherwise, he would miss the monkey’s ‘golden period’ of growth.

He had plenty of methods to give the monkey special training; today during the scripture lecture in the great hall, he had already perfectly resolved this matter.

What did he do?

He just naturally gave the monkey a hint.

At the time, after Li Changshou finished explaining the Dao scriptures and methods, he asked if any disciples had unclear questions.

Several usually outstanding ‘class representative’ disciples spoke up, asking some routine scripture interpretation questions, which Li Changshou answered one by one.

Finally, Wukong couldn’t hold back anymore and actively raised a question.

“Master! Oh my, Master, may this disciple inquire whether what I’m currently cultivating is the method of immortality?”

Li Changshou replied expressionlessly: “There is no supreme method in the world, the three thousand great Ways urge on, every great Way can step into the realm of immortality, it depends on your opportunity and fate.”

How could Wukong not hear that this was just a perfunctory answer?

He quickly made a Daoist bow, kneeling on the meditation cushion, and said:

“This disciple has not the slightest intention of defiance, nor does he dare to rashly discuss the great Way.

However, Master, this disciple is slow-witted and has been out for over ten years without seeing a shadow of immortality cultivation methods.

If Master has a method, could you give this disciple some certainty, so that this disciple can be at ease.”

“Oh?” Li Changshou slightly furrowed his brows, “From your words, it seems that if your master doesn’t have an immortality method, you would betray and join another sect?”

“How would this disciple dare, how would this disciple dare,” Wukong kowtowed, “This disciple didn’t bring any gifts, yet Master accepted me, this disciple is not such a heartless being!

It’s just that, Master, you…

This disciple just wants to know if there’s hope for immortality in the future or not. If there isn’t, this disciple will first return to Flower Fruit Mountain to arrange matters for the monkey descendants, then come back to serve Master!”

Li Changshou calmly asked: “Do you know how old your master is?”

Wukong was stunned for a moment.

A senior brother nearby laughed and said:

“Junior Brother, you came from the mortal realm, it’s understandable that you don’t know our Master’s title.

Master is a great power in the world, walking through the primordial chaos, respected as an Elder, called a Senior by all.

Those immortals you admire may be few, but when they see Master, they must be respectful and reverent, for Master could make them vanish with a single finger.”

Wukong’s eyes brightened: “Oh? Really?”

“You monkey!”

Li Changshou was truly amused by this monkey head and lightly flicked his finger at Wukong.

Some images immediately appeared before Wukong’s eyes, and he felt an ancient, primordial Dao rhythm that had existed in heaven and earth for countless years.

The stone monkey no longer had any doubts and repeatedly kowtowed to apologize.

Li Changshou said: “Cultivation is not about striving for supremacy, cultivation is the path of beings seeking the great Way.

Wukong, when you entered my gate, you had already stepped onto this path, but how far you can walk, where you can reach, depends on your grasp.

Your master can teach you cultivation methods, but cannot help you overcome bottlenecks.

Your master can teach you to feel the great Way, but cannot place this Way in your arms.

Therefore, your master will not speak to you – to any of you – about what immortal realms are, or how to achieve immortality.

What you cultivate is the Way, what you should seek is the true nature, returning to the true self, being free and joyful, seeking true meaning in the void, and exploring the original self in confusion.

Do you understand?”

All disciples bowed their heads in agreement, and Wukong also repeatedly cupped his hands.

Li Changshou continued:

“Since we’ve come to this point, let me say a few more words.

Wukong, you’ve been in the sect for a hundred days, and have shown sincere progress, which your master has seen and acknowledged in accepting you as a disciple.

Today your master will transmit to you a cultivation method, and you can make your own choice.”

Sun Wukong chuckled: “Master, whatever you teach, this disciple will naturally learn.”

“Don’t try to be clever with your words, listen well.”

Li Changshou said seriously: “I have a method called the Way of Void Understanding, comprehending the principles of the void, constantly correcting the original heart, seeing the truth in illusion, understanding illusion within the truth.

Do you want to learn it?”

Wukong asked: “Master, how long does it take to achieve immortality with this method?”

Li Changshou said: “If your comprehension is deep enough, your cultivation goes smoothly without bottlenecks, you might achieve immortality in five or six thousand years.”

“Too long, too long, this disciple still wants to help those old monkeys extend their lifespans.”

Li Changshou nodded and said again: “Your master has another method that can illuminate the heart’s nature and increase lifespan.

Just need to constantly comprehend and think deeply, with three to four thousand years of contemplation, if all goes well, you can achieve immortality.”

“Too long, still too long!”

Sun Wukong’s eyes were full of expectation, first repeatedly apologizing, then asking: “Master, is there a method to achieve immortality in just dozens or hundreds of years?”

Most of the surrounding disciples could barely hold back their laughter.

One disciple couldn’t help but say: “Even if you practiced demonic cultivation, you couldn’t achieve immortality in just a few hundred years.”

“Wukong, don’t make Master angry…”

“Hmph!”

Li Changshou’s expression immediately changed, coldly saying: “Wukong, your heart is restless, desperately wanting immortality, come forward!”

Sun Wukong trembled a few times but still quickly stepped forward, kneeling before Li Changshou.

Li Changshou stood up, casually summoning a wooden whip, and gave Sun Wukong three moderate strikes on his back, scolding:

“Let this be a lesson, go and comprehend well!”

Afterward, Li Changshou’s form silently dissipated, leaving the disciples looking at each other, and gathering around to lecture Sun Wukong.

They all said Sun Wukong had spoken improperly and angered the Master.

Sun Wukong, however, was grinning, showing no shame at all.

But they had all overlooked two questions.

First, when the monkey said he wanted to quickly achieve immortality and then return to lead his monkey descendants to happily cultivate, this was the meaning of “one person achieving the Way and all associated ascending to heaven,” which was taboo among Qi practitioners.

One reason was the tradition in the primordial chaos that methods cannot be lightly transmitted, another was that such actions would bring many variables to the sect, possibly attracting a karmic burden.

Second, when these disciples entered the sect, the Master hadn’t asked them what method they wanted to cultivate, directly throwing a cultivation manual in their faces, but today he had even offered different choices.

Tsk, such obvious preferential treatment.

…

The night deepens, people rest, and Shou retires.

In the Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave, a figure was sneaking around somewhat furtively, finally darting to the window of Li Changshou’s ‘high-end cave-dwelling’, softly calling out:

“Master, Master~”

It was Sun Wukong.

Seeing no movement inside, Sun Wukong carefully pushed open the window, crept in stealthily, knelt beside Li Changshou’s bed, and without a word first kowtowed several times.

“Master, I wonder if this was your intention, having this disciple come to see you in the dead of night.”

“You fellow, you’re not completely foolish.”

As he spoke, Li Changshou silently activated the immortal power barrier of this place, sat up from his bed, and gazed at the monkey kneeling before the bed.

Sun Wukong also raised his head to meet his gaze, his eyes still as bright and clear as ever.

Li Changshou said: “Rise, such ceremony won’t be necessary in the future.”

“Thank you, Master, thank you, Master.”

Sun Wukong said repeatedly.

When he spoke, his pace was rather quick, and he liked to repeat short phrases, as if afraid others wouldn’t hear.

Li Changshou said: “Since you’ve understood, your master can naturally transmit to you the immortal method you desire.

But Wukong, before transmitting the method to you, your master will first ask you several questions and establish three rules with you, how about that?”

“This disciple will follow all Master’s arrangements.”

“Good,” Li Changshou smiled while stroking his beard, “First is the question of why you cultivate. Besides achieving immortality and enjoying freedom, do you have any other thoughts?”

Sun Wukong said: “This disciple has no particular thoughts, only wants to master immortal methods, so that the monkey descendants can also achieve immortality.”

Li Changshou gently asked: “Those monkey descendants, are they very important to you?”

“This disciple has no father or mother, and doesn’t know of the seven emotions and six desires.”

Sun Wukong’s expression was slightly downcast, but he pretended to show his usual joy, “But those children respect this disciple as their King, so this disciple naturally cannot ignore them.”

Li Changshou said: “Do you know, even if you bring back immortal methods, the vast majority of your clan members actually won’t be able to achieve even elementary immortality.”

“Well… at least they’ll have a chance, rather than no chance at all.”

Sun Wukong smiled and said: “Master, have you ever been a King?”

“Never, how does it feel?”

“Quite free and easy.”

“Hahaha!”

Li Changshou stroked his beard and laughed lightly, “Very well, your master will give you some demon race cultivation methods, but don’t spread this around, and what your master transmits to you absolutely cannot be easily passed on to others.”

“Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!”

“Rise,” Li Changshou’s hand now held a whisk, which he lightly swept, pushing Sun Wukong onto a meditation cushion by the bed, where he sat down.

Li Changshou held nothing back, taking out the cultivation method given by the Dao Ancestor, guiding Sun Wukong to quickly enter the path and consolidate his dao foundation.

A true private lesson.

This was one of the rare opportunities for Li Changshou to interact closely face-to-face with the stone monkey. Li Changshou carefully observed the stone monkey’s aptitude and soon felt as if he had swallowed a mouthful of aged vinegar.

This monkey’s aptitude was good enough to make an ordinary Golden Immortal’s dao heart collapse!

However, cultivation still needed to be steady and progressive, step by step forward; situations like the monkey’s private lessons would also become the norm later.

These three rules were quite interesting.

They were the rules Li Changshou had Sun Wukong follow—not harming fellow disciples, not showing off his divine powers and abilities, and not telling others anything about his cultivation.

Sun Wukong naturally understood that the cultivation method transmitted to him was quite different from what his senior brothers and sisters practiced.

And Sun Wukong also posed a soul-searching question:

“Master, why not transmit such wonderful methods to senior brothers and sisters as well?”

Li Changshou hummed a few times, then said seriously: “Do you feel this is somewhat unfair?”

“This disciple feels… it is indeed somewhat unfair.”

“But you are the beneficiary of this unfairness.”

“It’s still somewhat unfair,” Sun Wukong puzzled said, “Master, this method couldn’t possibly have been specially tailored for this disciple.”

Li Changshou smiled and said: “This method came into being before your birth, those without powerful physical bodies cannot cultivate it, those without abundant primordial spirits cannot cultivate it, and among those here, only you can cross such a threshold.”

Only then did Sun Wukong accept this explanation.

On the first night of private lessons, Sun Wukong formally began his path of cultivation, and from this night onward, this fellow’s cultivation began to soar level by level.

Who has the strongest cultivation cheat? Hongjun is busy in the Purple Void Palace!

As Li Changshou had instructed, Sun Wukong didn’t boast about this to anyone.

This made Sun Wukong feel quite uncomfortable.

But for the sake of achieving immortality, Sun Wukong could only hold back and endure; every few days he would take advantage of the night to find Li Changshou, his realm of cultivation rising rapidly, and without any danger of failure.

Just like this, time passed unnoticed in the mountain, and the river of time flowed without much disturbance.

In the blink of an eye, another sixty-plus years had passed.

During these sixty years, Li Changshou found time to travel once, and found places to lay several dozen “nails,” which could be considered ‘not forgetting his main business.’

Although the Heavenly Way observed this place constantly, it focused on the monkey, not on him, this Subhuti.

The world was peaceful and calm, without any major events occurring.

The mortal realm of the Southern Continent was stable everywhere, and the Great Shang Nation from several hundred years ago was rarely mentioned, and when mentioned, it was mostly criticized.

Take King Di Xin for example, who was now cursed as a great tyrannical ruler in the mortal realm, given the posthumous title ‘Zhou,’ with various crimes attributed to this King Zhou.

While Di Xin’s true current situation was that he was a leisurely immortal official in the Heavenly Court, living freely and happily with Da Ji.

Though he didn’t win, he didn’t lose too badly either.

The Heavenly Court was also developing steadily, the heavenly soldiers and generals hadn’t expanded infinitely but rather maintained a stable level as Li Changshou had suggested.

Better to have batches of elite troops and generals than to fill positions with mediocrity.

The Three Thousand Worlds were generally stable, with the Celestial Authority Court and Immortal Alliance becoming the left and right arms of the Heavenly Court, assisting in managing the Three Thousand Worlds.

But the reputation of these two forces among cultivators had gradually become ‘unsavory.’

This was unavoidable.

Order would restrict individual freedom, while excessive freedom would in turn destroy order.

For the beings of the Three Thousand Worlds, the Celestial Authority Court and Immortal Alliance represented order; naturally, cultivators feeling constrained by them wouldn’t show good faces.

Back to Spirit Platform Mountain.

In just sixty years, the monkey’s cultivation had reached the late stage of the True Immortal realm.

Of course, the monkey didn’t know what true spirit immortality was at this time, just following Li Changshou’s guidance to cross one realm after another.

The latent spiritual power within him had already been activated, stepping toward the realm of immortality.

Not just in dao realms, the monkey had learned various combat divine abilities these sixty years, the Seventy-Two Transformations could be considered formally mastered, and cloud-soaring was effortless.

The monkey’s progress inevitably planted two lemon trees at Square Inch Mountain…

For example, today, before Li Changshou was preparing to begin teaching, a male disciple came forward to report that although Brother Wukong had been in the sect for a long time, he still acted like a monkey and wouldn’t transform into a primordial dao body.

Li Changshou just smiled and shook his head, watching Sun Wukong playing with several disciples in the mountain, and said slowly:

“It’s fine, he can choose his path and dao, and can choose how to live.

Disciple, your heart is not calm.”

That disciple showed shame on his face, bowed, and hastily withdrew.

Li Changshou appeared thoughtful, then calculated with his fingers, and soon let out a light laugh.

Better be safe, tomorrow he would arrange for this male disciple to go out traveling, to avoid any teaching accidents.

Teaching the monkey, he was serious about it.