Volume 2: The Path That Can Be Told, Chapter 136: Memories of the Kunpeng

In this life, I am still the Kunpeng.
I and Pangu share the same lifespan as heaven and earth. When heaven and earth arise, we too arise; when they perish, we perish as well. This cycle lasts for one yuan of time—129,600 years.

I recall when heaven and earth first emerged, the yin and yang energies had not yet separated, the primordial chaos had no form, and there were no sun or moon. The chaos resembled an egg, colored only in black and yellow, containing the essence of creation.

This essence divided into nine parts, giving birth to Pangu, me, and the seven divine apes of chaos.
Many times, Pangu split heaven and earth with his axe, then lay down in peace. His exhalation became wind and rain, his breath became thunder and lightning. Opening his eyes brought day, closing them brought night. After his death, his bones became mountains and forests, his body became rivers and seas, his blood became streams, and his hair became plants and grass.

Pangu fell, leaving behind this untidy world and me. Oh Kunpeng, it’s time for you to take the stage! I heard Pangu’s call.

I turn into a kun when in water and a peng when on land. I draw in the air from above and exhale the breath of the earth below. Through this process, I separate the pure from the impure, clearing the heavens and earth. At this moment, the two energies are in order, balanced, with yin and yang in harmony, cold and heat in equilibrium. Thus, heaven becomes clear and earth at peace. The rise of the Great Way reaches its peak here, becoming firm and unshakable, hence immortal.

Now, the Kunpeng’s mission is complete. It’s time for those seven little ones to appear.

At this time, though heaven and earth were separated, everything was silent. The yin and yang energies remained still—how could anything come into being?

The seven divine apes of chaos, innocent and playful, stirred the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, causing the yin and yang energies to circulate and gradually blend together, giving rise to the five elements. Through their interaction of generation and restraint, heaven and earth began to move.

After tens of thousands of years, the union of the yin and yang energies finally bore fruit, giving rise to all living things in the world—those that could walk, run, and fly. All things are divided into five categories: reptiles, fish, birds, mammals, and insects. Each category has its own ruler.

Among them, the reptiles are exceptionally intelligent, quickly grasping the mysteries of heaven and earth and understanding the meaning of creation, thus developing the desire to cultivate. The other four categories followed suit, and based on their level of cultivation, they attained the five immortal ranks: gods of heaven and earth, humans, and ghosts.

It was at this moment that I realized those seven little ones were in danger.

As expected, those seven beings of creation, unaware that they were coveted, fell one after another in this world.

But how can those born of creation be compared to those born of heaven and earth? Creation preceded heaven and earth and is indestructible—how can it be killed? Moreover, those who try to kill creation gain nothing and will surely suffer retribution.

Yet they understand none of this. No matter how intelligent an being is, it must endure suffering to remember.

※　※　※

I am truly very lonely. After clarifying the heavens and earth, I can only curl up in the Northern Abyss Sea. This world is far too narrow for me, and all these living beings are too fragile. With just a flap of my wings, countless of them will die.

No one would know that even the withering of a single blade of grass pains me.

Only those created by fate understand how to cherish it.

Those mountains, rivers, tall trees, and low grass all carry the essence of my old friend Pangu.

I truly underestimated these beings called humans, and never imagined they could find me in the Northern Abyss.

The Northern Abyss Sea is pitch dark; one must pass through the deep sea eye in the North Sea to enter it.

Those three individuals—Yuan Shi, Ling Bao, and Daode—came to the Northern Abyss and begged me to do something for them.

Anyway, it makes me happy that someone knows me, remembers me, and thinks of me. I don’t know how many tens of thousands of years have passed since I last spoke, and I’m even more surprised to find that these three can withstand my voice. How can humans cultivate to such a level?

From them, I learned that celestial immortals are not the ultimate goal of cultivation; above them are Taiyi Golden Immortals and Hunyuan Golden Immortals. Above the Hunyuan Golden Immortals, there seem to be sages, and above the sages, there are beings like the Heavenly Dao itself. Hehe, I am the Heavenly Dao. I truly don’t believe anyone can cultivate to my level.

Back then, the essence of fate was divided into nine parts: Pangu got three, I got two, the Seven Divine Apes got one, and the rest scattered throughout the world. The rest of the fate was derived from this essence; though inexhaustible, it’s complex and hard to discern… Sigh, what am I thinking about?

These three are known as the Three Pure Ones. They claim to have created three worlds, but since these worlds are newly formed, one of them is still shrouded in mystery. This time, they asked me to help them clarify the heavens and earth.

From their words, I vaguely guessed that they had figured out the mysteries of the creation of the world—truly impressive.

I agreed to their request, not for any other reason, but because I detected a trace of Pangu’s essence in Yuan Shi.

If Pangu refused, how could anyone else obtain it? I want to see what kind of world those chosen by Pangu can create.

So, I entered those three worlds.

Yuan Shi is indeed interesting. Worried that I wouldn’t have a place to stay, he created a sea just for me—I like it.

Although the Northern Abyss Sea is vast, it has no sunlight and is too quiet. Here, it’s lively and large enough, so I don’t have to worry about disturbing others.

This realm of Yuan Shi is called the “World of the Self.” As soon as I entered, I understood that the realms of Spiritual Treasures and Morality both depend on this World of the Self to exist. Though they can also stand on their own, they are incomplete compared to this realm. If the World of the Self perishes, the realms of Calamity and Good and Evil will also collapse in an instant.

Yuan Shi is quite interesting. He is also aware of the existence of the Seven Divine Apes. He placed five divine dragons within it to stir the yin and yang energies of the world.

Alas, can human effort truly change the difference between innate and acquired qualities?

Since you have come to me, I surely won’t stand by idly. I purified the world and suppressed those five divine dragons, using them as the backbone of the earth. From then on, the heavens were clear, the earth stable, and everything returned to peace.

What a familiar feeling. After doing all this, my lonely heart found much peace. I began to understand that having something to do means no loneliness, and thus a purpose in existence.

From then on, I settled here, as it is much more comfortable than that other realm. Moreover, I want to see what Yuan Shi really intends to do.

Oh, he has also divided the world into twelve periods. When those twelve periods end, this world will cease to exist. Is he trying to deduce the changes in the world and then find a spark of life?

No, that’s impossible. Pan Gu and I have gone through countless cycles, merely observing the changes in the world from afar. The great trends of the world—after long division, there must be unity; after long unity, there must be division. How long is “long”? It’s one yuan—129,600 years. Who can change that?

Pan Gu was born to create the heavens and earth; the Kunpeng was born to clear the skies; the divine apes were born to stir yin and yang… All of this is predestined. What in the world is eternal? Only change is eternal.

Watching Yuan Shi and the others secluded themselves day and night in deep thought, I really couldn’t bear to tell them the truth. Only when a person has a pursuit does life gain meaning. Though I have a long lifespan, there aren’t many joys in life.

Yuan Shi kept inviting people from that other realm. He found many people and spread the secret that this realm was about to perish. I understand his intentions. People often have sudden insights in times of despair. But for them, there is not the slightest clue about this world—how can they escape?

One day, a monkey that seemed familiar broke in. He wandered aimlessly for a while before leaving. There seemed to be the aura of the Seven Divine Apes about him. The Seven Divine Apes… I only know of one, the Water-Raising Divine Ape, which I saw once when I first entered the Northern Abyss. But I can’t tell them apart—they look too similar, born from the same essence. How can I distinguish them?

A few thousand years passed again, and another monkey flew overhead. I couldn’t contain my curiosity, so I leaned out to take a look. The monkey seemed in a hurry, as if on some urgent mission. Well, everyone else has things to do; only I have nothing to do. If fate allows, we’ll meet again.

A few days later, as expected, the monkey came looking for me. Needless to say, he was also summoned by Yuan Shi. Although I and the Seven Divine Apes knew each other, we had never interacted before. What could he want from me?

Ah, he must be here to uncover the secrets of this world. Of course, I wouldn’t tell him—what’s the point if everything is revealed?

This monkey’s cultivation level was very low; his innate divine powers hadn’t awakened yet. As far as I knew, each Divine Ape possessed unique divine powers, vastly different from those acquired through spells. Awakening such powers was a painful process.

Every time Pan Gu and I recalled our past lives from the fabric of creation, we both felt an indescribable sense of helplessness. Pan Gu’s vision was far greater than mine. He once told me, “You consider yourself the sky; I consider myself the earth. Forget your own life, and everything becomes insignificant.”

How is that possible? I am the Kunpeng! I am a fish, freely swimming in the waters, and I am also a bird, soaring freely in the skies. Yet I was born with a body capable of destroying the world, along with restless thoughts…

The monkey across from me was clever—he really wanted to ask me about the mysteries of this world.

※　※　※

“Kunpeng, do you know that this world will merge in five hundred years?” Wukong asked.

“Of course I do. What does that have to do with you?”

“When the world merges, can anyone escape?”

“No.”

“Then it certainly concerns me. I’m not willing to die here.”

“You are a Divine Ape of Creation; you can revive even after death. What’s there to fear?”

“What’s the logic behind that? You were also created by fate. If I killed you and made you live again, would you agree?”

“Ah, I’d be overjoyed. But how could you kill me?” Kunpeng sighed.

“…I’ll be direct. Is there any way to make this world last forever?”

“No!”

“Then where are those five evil dragons?”

“I’ve trapped them beneath the earth, using them as the foundation of the land to keep this place stable.”

“Why do the world and earth need to merge?”

“…Perhaps because they miss each other.”

“Why did they separate in the first place?”

“Perhaps… after being together for too long, they need to part… You’d be better off asking Pan Gu about that.”

“Where is Pan Gu?”

“Everywhere.”

“Here too?”

“No.”

“Then you say ‘everywhere’—”

“Anywhere in this world…”

Actually, I enjoy chatting a lot, but this monkey is just too talkative. I gradually realized that what he really wants from me isn’t the secrets of the inner self, but the mysteries of the world. Could it be that he already knows the outcome of the world’s convergence before he even awakens? If that’s the case, this intelligent ape is incredibly clever. With this thought, I suddenly felt like playing a trick on him—why not help this monkey wake up? I really want to see how he deals with the pain of memories.