Volume 1: Unsayable – Chapter 38: Layered Clouds

Tongfeng seemed to know what Wukong was thinking and said with a smile, “My master is one of the top figures in the Immortal Realm. He also believes that since the divine ape race was created by fate and is neither born nor destroyed, forcing their extinction would incur divine punishment. That clever divine ape was rescued by my master, who then introduced him to another great sage. With my master’s cultivation and reputation, he has yet to meet an opponent—his words are never false.”
Wukong nodded and said, “It’s truly fortunate for all beings that there are such enlightened people in the Immortal Realm.”
Tongfeng spoke of his master with great respect and added, “Without my master, I likely would still be unconscious today, unknown and struggling to survive somewhere.”
Wukong replied, “If what you say is true, we can act with fewer concerns.”
Tongfeng nodded and said, “Even so, rescuing Wu Zhiqi is a matter of great importance—we must not take it lightly.” He reached for a fresh peach on the table, put it in his mouth, and said, “What’s keeping King Yuyon occupied that we have to wait six or seven years?”
Wukong replied, “He’s at the Foot of Flower-Fruit Mountain, using the underground fire to craft magical artifacts. It will take six or seven years.” Seeing Tongfeng’s gluttonous manner, Wukong couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.
Tongfeng dismissed this, saying, “Six or seven years isn’t that long.” He flicked the peach pit far away and added, “Think about it—without the guidance of a great sage, how could King Yuyon know how to craft magical artifacts? With our status as Taiyi Golden Immortals and our race’s strong physiques, ordinary magical artifacts aren’t even worth crafting. If this artifact is successfully created, it will shock the heavens and move even the ghosts. Haha, our race’s revival is just around the corner.”
Wukong said, “If that’s the case, let’s wait until King Yuyon finishes crafting the artifact. Then the three of us can go together to rescue Wu Zhiqi. I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time.”
Tongfeng laughed heartily and said, “Ten thousand years pass like fleeting clouds and dogs—in the blink of an eye. You’ve only been alive for a few years, and you already say you’ve been looking forward to this for a long time?”
Wukong calculated carefully. He had only been in this world for a few years, yet due to being reborn as the intelligent divine ape, he had attained the status of a Taiyi Golden Immortal—truly an unprecedented feat.
Tongfeng said, “Since I have nothing to do, I’ll go into seclusion to cultivate. You must know that the art of transformation is unfathomably deep. Learning one more technique might mean gaining an extra life.”
Wukong thought to himself that he had never devoted himself to cultivation since starting his spiritual journey. After fighting against the Bull Demon King recently, he had gained quite a bit of experience. With nothing to do now, it was a good time to summarize his insights and apply them broadly, which would be useful in the future.
He returned to the Water Curtain Cave and instructed his subordinates to watch over the entrance carefully and not disturb him while he was in seclusion.

The so-called seclusion is an essential method of intense cultivation in the path of spiritual practice. As one wanders through the vast world, an unstable mind often arises, contaminating the spirit and hindering progress. Seclusion involves discarding a scattered and confused mind, stepping away from worldly distractions, and focusing one’s energy and spirit on the proper path of cultivation, thereby achieving the goal of eternal life.

Wukong was unaware that there were many methods of seclusion—such as the four major stages of breath control, auxiliary means like the use of light (white, red, black gates), as well as essential conditions like selecting guardians and invoking protective spirits. He simply thought seclusion meant practicing in solitude to elevate one’s supernatural powers to a higher level. Unintentionally, his complete focus and dedication aligned with the natural laws of the Dao.

After a conversation with Fengtong, Wukong resolved many of his doubts. Previously, when using the Thirty-Six Transformations, his techniques had been crude and lacked subtlety. He had assumed that memorizing the incantations was enough, not realizing that these transformations were interconnected and full of intricate mysteries. If used properly, they could be powerful weapons against enemies. He studied each transformation he could master, becoming so engrossed that he lost track of time.

It turned out that this “flower blooming in an instant” was actually a magic technique that conveyed the passage of time, though its power was limited and its range very small. If its range could be expanded, wouldn’t it allow one to reverse time and revisit the past? The “turning stone into gold” technique was a skill to alter the intrinsic nature of substances—converting stone into gold or wood into iron. This was not illusion but genuine transformation. With proper application, it could enable endless changes among the five elements, offering great utility. However, it required immense magical energy; otherwise, wouldn’t everything in the world be at one’s disposal?

The “changing form through gestation” was the best spell for altering one’s appearance. Its effectiveness depended on intent. If he transformed into an ordinary monkey, no one could distinguish it from the real thing. Turning into a rock or tree could also deceive others for a while, but transforming into a stranger would likely be difficult to conceal. To use this spell, one had to pay close attention to the target’s clothing, mannerisms, and every subtle detail.

The “returning wind to fire” technique allowed control not only over wind and fire but also over various tangible and intangible spells to be used against opponents. Still, magical power was key—without it, attempting such things would backfire.

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Wukong delved deeply into these various spells, feeling as though he was unlocking a door to true knowledge. He could sense that the powers of the Thirty-Six Transformations extended far beyond what he had known. With sufficient magical strength, many of these powers could even defy the laws of nature.

Magic power, magic power—how can one improve one’s magic power?
Creation is the path of cultivation; cultivation transforms into skill, and skill lays the foundation for magic power. Ultimately, effort must be put into creation.
Wukong ceased his exploration of the celestial transformations and focused his attention on creation. He was well aware of the areas of creation within his own body, but creation itself was like an indistinct mist, floating quietly in his dantian like drifting clouds. Even as his original spirit moved within it, he could not discern its true nature.
After much thought, Wukong realized he needed to consult Fengtong, as he possessed greater knowledge than himself.
He left the Water Curtain Cave and went to Fengtong’s cave. Without caring whether he was disturbing Fengtong’s cultivation, he stepped inside.
Upon entering, he saw Fengtong sitting on a stone chair, savoring mountain spring water. Various delicacies and fruits were laid out on a stone table beside him. Seeing Wukong arrive, Fengtong smiled and said, “Could not wait any longer? You’ve come out after just five years?”
Wukong was surprised—how could just a short period of seclusion have passed in five years? He had forgotten that he had practiced the thirty-six transformations countless times in the Water Curtain Cave, sitting in meditation whenever his magic power ran low. Lost in his diligent studies, he hadn’t realized how quickly time had passed.
Wukong replied, “It’s not that I couldn’t wait. I have many questions about creation and have come to seek your guidance.”
Upon hearing the word “creation,” Fengtong immediately sat up straight, dropped the stone cup in his hand, and set aside the scattered peaches. He said solemnly, “When it comes to creation, its vastness and profundity are beyond our comprehension—even if we could move through time like the sun and moon. But feel free to ask; I will answer everything I know.”
Wukong asked right away, “How can I improve my magic power?”
Fengtong replied, “Every cultivator asks this question. If one’s magic power is weak, even great powers are like trying to steer a huge boat with empty hands—difficult to control. But with strong magic power, even a single move like the ‘Five Thunder Technique’ can make one invincible. Do you understand this principle?”
Wukong thought of Zhenyuanzi—his own ‘Pocket Universe’ technique had been impossible to counter—so he nodded.
Fengtong continued, “Accumulating magic power isn’t difficult; the real challenge is improving one’s cultivation level. If you have the cultivation of a bowl, you can only hold as much water as a bowl. If you have the cultivation of a lake or sea, you can hold as much water as that. So, your question about how to improve magic power actually boils down to how to improve cultivation—that’s the key.”
Wukong nodded and said, “I understand this principle as well.”
Fengtong replied, “No, you don’t.”
Wukong looked at Fengtong, puzzled by his words.

Tongfeng said, “When ordinary cultivators practice and receive blessings from fate, they are overjoyed and must sit in meditation with great caution, using breathing techniques and special methods to draw those blessings into their dantian so they can be utilized. Even the best techniques and highest levels of cultivation incur losses along the way. But our Divine Ape clan was born from fate itself, giving us a tremendous advantage in the path of cultivation.”

Wukong asked eagerly, “What advantage?”

Tongfeng replied, “When fate enters my body, it becomes my cultivation strength. Don’t you think that’s a huge advantage?”

Wukong pondered carefully. Good heavens, this was indeed a tremendous advantage. If that were true, not only would there be far fewer losses, but most importantly, the need for meditation would be eliminated, greatly accelerating the pace of cultivation.

Tongfeng added, “This is the greatest secret of our clan—remember it well.”

Wukong nodded. After thinking for a moment, he asked again, “Wait, if fate entering the body constitutes cultivation strength, then why was Wu Zhiqi imprisoned by the Great Sage National Advisor, King Bodhisattva, who took fate from his body every few years?”

Tongfeng was surprised. “Is that really the case? I don’t know about that. Perhaps it’s because of the Ruyi Lock Demon Technique, which might prevent fate from entering the body.”

Wukong hummed in agreement—only that could explain it.

Tongfeng continued, “There’s another ability unique to our clan: we can see fate!”

Ah, so that’s how it is. Wukong remembered the white threads that had emerged from the corpse that day. The four heavenly generals in the heavenly court had seemed to ignore them, and he had wondered why. It turned out they couldn’t see them.

Tongfeng said, “Between heaven and earth, there is endless fate. Every plant and tree in these mountains, wherever there is a trace of life, contains fate. If you pay close attention, you’ll be able to see it.”

Tongfeng led Wukong out of the cave, plucked a thin blade of grass, and said, “Look closely.”

Somehow, using an unknown spell, the green grass withered instantly. Then, from its root, a very thin white thread emerged—so thin and short it was almost invisible.

Tongfeng waved his hand, and the white thread floated over. He said, “Can you see clearly? This is fate.” With another wave, the thread gradually drifted away until it disappeared, merging back into the world around them.

Wukong was stunned speechless. If accumulating fate was so simple, wouldn’t the seven Divine Apes’ cultivation progress by leaps and bounds?

Unusually, Tongfeng showed a hint of sadness on his face. “I am fate, and even this humble grass is fate. Yet I harm it—what fault does it have?”

This sorrowful mood immediately affected Wukong. As expected, since all things are born in the world, how can there be distinctions of high or low, noble or humble? Yet the strong oppress the weak, and the weak suffer oppression. If this is the way of heaven, then heaven is heartless! A heartless heaven is not heaven at all. Since I was bestowed by fate as a divine ape, it is my duty to dispel these dark clouds and restore a clear sky.