Volume 2: The Path That Can Be Told, Chapter 162: United As One

For the first time, Wukong saw the true appearance of the Three Pure Ones. All three were dressed in plain green Taoist robes, seemingly indistinguishable at first glance. Upon closer inspection, the robe of Yuanshi Tianzun, standing in the center, had yellow trim, while that of Lingbao Daozun on the left had red trim, and Laojun’s on the right had purple trim.
All three wore calm expressions, as if nothing in the world could disturb them. Lingbao Daozun on the right said with a smile, “Wukong, listen carefully. I’m talking about the Hunyuan Jinxian, not the Taiyi Jinxian. Did you hear me wrong?”
Wukong replied, “Such an important matter—how could it be joked about? Even if there are seven Hunyuan Jinxians! I really want to see if the Three Pure Ones truly have compassion for the world!”
Yuanshi always carried a barely noticeable trace of melancholy on his face. With a thought, he sent his spirit into the realm. Moments later, his expression changed drastically. Laojun cried out urgently, “Senior brother!” In his memory, Yuanshi had never shown such an expression before.
Yuanshi said, “It’s fine. What Wukong said is true. He indeed possesses such ability.” Then he turned to Wukong and said, “Wukong, you’re lucky to have managed to bring these old fellows out as well.” He, who governed this realm, had instantly spotted figures like Dayu and the Qilin within it.
Laojun still didn’t understand and asked anxiously, “Which ones? There are only a few Hunyuan Jinxians in the world—which one am I unaware of?”
Yuanshi replied, “You surely recognize them. It’s just that in our minds, these people have long been gone. We never expected them to be hiding inside the Kunpeng.”
Wukong said, “That’s right. These people all owe me a favor. With their help, can this task be accomplished?”
Yuanshi closed his eyes and snapped his fingers. After a short while, he said, “Seven aren’t needed. With five people’s help, it can be done right away. Even if more time is required, it would only take a dozen years at most.”
Wukong exclaimed in surprise, “How fast?”
Yuanshi explained, “You don’t know everything. What we tried before was a crude method. If all eight Hunyuan Jinxians gather, I can set up the Eight Directions Cosmic Dao Formation. The people in this realm can enter this formation and be safely transported to any place in the four continents. This is a profound formation technique—naturally, it’s a shortcut.”
Wukong was overjoyed and couldn’t help but do a somersault in the air. Just as he rose, he heard thunder rumbling in his ears and remembered he was still within Yuanshi’s formation. Frightened, he quickly stood still.
The Three Pure Ones were also extremely happy. This matter had weighed on their hearts for a long time, and now that there was a solution, many killings could be avoided. It might even add to their meritorious deeds—how could they not be pleased?

Laojun and Lingbao Daozun already knew who these seven Hunyuan Jinxian were, and they were deeply shocked. Since the great chaos in the world, few ancient gods and sages remained. Over time, figures like Dayu and Zhurong had long become part of ancient legends. They never expected that these people still existed in the world, and judging by their cultivation, they were not inferior to the three of them.

Seven Hunyuan Jinxian! It seemed these seven had a very good impression of Wukong. If the Divine Ape could gain their support, who in the world would dare to touch him? If that were the case, combined with the Eight Saints and many divine beasts under the Qilin… what a terrifying situation this would be.

Thinking of this, Laojun slowly asked, “Wukong, I have something to say. I earnestly hope you will tell the truth and not lie.”

Seeing Laojun’s serious expression and his more humble tone, Wukong stood upright solemnly and said, “Laojun, feel free to ask. I, Sun Wukong, live by my true heart. Deceiving others is the same as deceiving myself—a truth as simple as it is profound.”

“Good!” Laojun asked, “Then tell me, what is your ultimate goal?” As he asked this, Laojun felt uneasy. The current Sun Wukong was very different from the one of old. If he acted willfully, he might cause chaos throughout the world.

After thinking for a moment, Wukong said, “Everything has its cause and effect. My heart is solely focused on the well-being of all beings. To help people maintain their true hearts is my lifelong aspiration.”

“To maintain one’s true heart, to help others do the same…” Laojun repeated these words softly, still confused. At that moment, Yuanshi exclaimed, “Good!”

After all, Yuanshi was superior to Laojun. With a little reflection, he understood the meaning of Wukong’s “maintaining one’s true heart.” If people acted with their true hearts, there could be no greater virtue, and countless conflicts in the world would cease.

Laojun still didn’t understand and asked, “What do you mean by ‘true heart’?”

Wukong replied, “Laojun once said that human goodness and evil are innate. I truly agree with that. Haven’t you heard, ‘Heaven created mankind with inherent principles. People naturally cherish virtue’? Heaven and earth nurture all beings, and there are constant rules by which they must abide. People naturally cherish virtue because it is part of their nature—such as compassion, shame, respect, and a sense of right and wrong. Everyone possesses these.”

“Compassion is benevolence; shame is righteousness; respect is propriety; a sense of right and wrong is wisdom. Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom are not imposed upon me from outside—they are inherent in me; I just haven’t thought about them.”

“If ordinary people act based on these hearts, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom will spread throughout the world. Then this world will no longer belong to just one person but to countless living beings. If that happens, will there still be any need to worry about calamities?”

Laojun clapped his hands in laughter and praised sincerely, “Good! Good! Good!”

The Lingbao Daozun also praised, “Wukong has a heart of morality within him; with that, the three of us need worry no more!”
The Yuanshi Tianzun said, “Wukong, go ahead. If you can persuade those seven, I can set up the Eight Directions Universe Dao Formation at any time. If there’s anything to convey, just have the ox deliver the message.”
Wukong replied, “Good! There’s still about two hundred years left, so no rush.” When he looked up again, the Three Pure Ones were already gone, with layers of mist covering the surroundings, making it impossible to see anything.
After a while, the Ox Demon King appeared out of nowhere and called, “Wukong, let’s go!” But Wukong stood motionless. The Ox Demon King called out twice more, and Wukong stamped his foot, saying, “There are still a few things I need to ask. The Three Pure Ones left really quickly!”
The Ox Demon King asked, “What? Do you want me to go and invite the master again?”
Wukong replied, “Have you grown bold now?”
The Ox Demon King chuckled and said, “The master told me just now that if Wukong wanted to meet him, I should report immediately without delay.”
Unexpecting his importance to have increased so much in the eyes of the Three Pure Ones, Wukong said, “Never mind, it’s not that urgent.” He was still preoccupied with the Six-Eared Monkey and the Nine-Headed Worm in the Realm of Calamity, wanting to inquire with the Lingbao Tianzun. Of course, there was also that extremely strange spirit in the Far West Desert. There would surely be another chance to meet the Three Pure Ones later; if he forgot, so be it.
The two returned to the Cuntian Cave. With this major concern resolved, Wukong felt as if a huge stone had been lifted from his heart, and the burden in his chest vanished, bringing him immense relief.
After bidding farewell to the Ox Demon King, Wukong went straight to find Dayu and explained everything in a few words. As Wukong had expected, Dayu agreed without hesitation. As an ancient emperor, he was respected by figures like Chisongzi, Zhurong, and Houyi, so there was no doubt about his agreement. Wukong then went to find the Qilin. The Qilin wasn’t very interested in saving people, but since Wukong was asking, he couldn’t refuse. A mere ten-odd years of effort wouldn’t cause any delay, so he also agreed, telling Wukong to call for him whenever needed.
Wukong then went to find Dayu again, as well as Jumang and Rushou. The latter two didn’t know where they had taken Fengtong and Wang Yu, and Wukong couldn’t find them.
Dayu took Wukong to search within the realm. In the far north of this realm, there was a huge island. It was unknown who had originally lived there, but now Jumang was in the east and Rushou in the west, occupying the island.
From afar, Wukong saw that Fengtong was just like he was on Green Wood Peak inside the Kunpeng’s belly, struggling to refine Green Wood True Qi on the Tree of Immortality. Wang Yu, under Rushou’s guidance, was testing various weapons one by one. Both were so focused on their practice that they didn’t notice Dayu and Wukong’s arrival.

Wukong grabbed Dayu and said, “They’ve just begun to understand the true essence of this. It’s better not to disturb them.” Dayu nodded and said, “Since Yuanshi said it will take a dozen years or so to succeed, there’s no need to rush. How about we go back now and recast the Golden Essence Iron Rod with you?”
Wukong was overjoyed, and the two flew back to find Zhu Rong.
Seeing Wukong again, Zhu Rong’s brows were filled with joy as he said, “Will you stay here to accompany me during this melting process?” Upon hearing this, Wukong felt as if his head had grown larger—150 years of staying motionless by the Xirang Furnace? He doubted he had such patience.
Dayu said, “Zhu Rong’s idea matches my thoughts. Wukong, this time, as the Golden Essence is separated and then recombined, as I predicted, it will likely become a rare magical weapon. If you infuse your essence into it, its power will greatly increase in the future. Moreover, crafting a weapon aligns with the laws of heaven, and it will be beneficial for you to observe here.”
Hearing Dayu’s words, Wukong had no choice but to agree.
Zhu Rong smiled mischievously at Wukong and then turned to Dayu, saying, “There’s no fire in this realm. If I want to create a volcano, it will take some time.”
Wukong asked, “Why create a volcano? How long will it take?”
Zhu Rong replied, “To refine the Golden Essence, fire within fire is necessary. All the accumulation from ten thousand years ago was lost in the Kunpeng’s belly. Starting over now, it will take at least a hundred years.”
Wukong calculated that with a hundred years for crafting the weapon and another 150 years, this realm would likely have collapsed by then. Dayu also understood his thoughts—there were countless important matters waiting beyond the three realms, so it was best to complete the magical weapon here.
Wukong slapped his head and laughed, “I’m indeed begging for food by the Golden Mountain. I’ll be back in a moment.” Dayu and Zhu Rong exchanged glances, unsure where Wukong had gone.
Wukong naturally went to find the Bull Demon King. The Bull Demon King was about to enter meditation when Wukong rushed into his cave, shouting, “You monkey, you really have no sense! You almost drove me crazy!”
Wukong laughed and said, “Going crazy is great—right now, I exactly need fire.”
The Bull Demon King asked, “Need fire? What do you want it for?”
Wukong replied, “I need to refine something important. I’ll have to ask my second brother to borrow some fire from Laojun for me.”
The Bull Demon King spat and said, “My master isn’t the God of Fire. Where would he get fire?”
Wukong giggled and said, “Just throw some furnace slag from that Bagua Furnace.”
The Bull Demon King retorted, “That’s delusional! My master’s Bagua Furnace is a treasure. He probably wouldn’t even give you the slag.”
Wukong said, “Whether it works or not, my second brother, please try asking for it on my behalf.” After resisting a few more times, the Bull Demon King couldn’t withstand Wukong’s persistent pleading and flew away, breathing heavily in anger.

After a short while, the Bull Demon King returned to the cave and said to Wukong, “Go to Yianyuan in the west tomorrow. Heavenly fire will descend on its own. Leave quickly if there’s no trouble, and don’t interfere with my cultivation!”
Wukong bowed deeply and promised solemnly before taking his leave.
The next day, as dawn broke, Wukong and the other two arrived at Yianyuan. Soon, a faint glow appeared above them, and a bright red object fell from the sky. Its descent grew faster and faster, like a rocket, until it struck the ground miles away and disappeared.
A moment later, a loud rumbling sound came from beneath the ground, followed by an explosion. Heat rose immediately, and the plants and grass on the ground turned black in an instant. Zhu Rong exclaimed, “What a great fire!” A red shadow shot out like lightning, diving into the hole through which the object had fallen. Wukong and Dayu followed closely behind.
The hole was only about a foot wide. The two used their skill to shrink their bodies and enter. Inside, it grew wider and wider, descending more than a thousand feet before reaching the bottom. The heat here was no less intense than that of the Fiery Flame Mountain created by Zhu Rong.
Dayu exclaimed in shock, “Whose fire is this? It’s on par with the Fire God’s!” Wukong replied, “It’s the fire of the Third Pure One, the Old Lord. He is famous for his alchemy. This fire must have come from his Eight Trigrams Furnace.”
Dayu took out the Xirang Furnace and found a flat area. He said, “Wukong, you’re really favored—even the Third Pure One is on good terms with you.” Wukong smiled and said, “Let’s just say we share similar ideals for now.”
Once the Xirang Furnace was set up, Dayu and Zhu Rong became solemn, holding their breath and immersing themselves in the atmosphere of refining the artifact. Wukong stayed at a distance, watching Dayu and Zhu Rong alternately. After waiting for half a day with no signs of movement from them, he simply went to meditate elsewhere.