Volume 2: The Path That Can Be Told, Chapter 156: The Intent of the Three Purities
Neither the Bull Demon King nor Wang Yu knew who Ru Shou was, but seeing his reckless words, not only was the Bull Demon King furious, but Wang Yu also felt resentful. Both drew their weapons and charged forward—the Bull Demon King still wielding his iron staff, while Wang Yu held the demon-slaying sword given to him by Wu Kong.
The Bull Demon King attacked first, and the two engaged in close combat, clashing loudly. After parrying a few blows, Ru Shou secretly admired the Bull Demon King’s extraordinary strength. One fought with all his might, while the other held back, resulting in a balanced struggle.
Wang Yu seized an opportunity to attack, using his demon-slaying sword to employ various techniques. Though he had never learned swordsmanship, his agile movements allowed him to use many strange moves skillfully.
Fighting one against two, Ru Shou remained unfazed, his two short axes spinning in his hands like a dazzling display. After a while, he reused his old trick—joining the two axes together to form a long, wheel-shaped axe, pushing the two opponents back. The Bull Demon King screamed in frustration, unable to get closer. In a fit of anger, he revealed his true form: a mountain-like white ox that charged at Ru Shou. Ru Shou exclaimed, “What an amazing power!”
He spun the axe handle, causing its blade to reflect sunlight like a mirror, emitting beams of light. With his magical power, these beams took on a tangible form and struck the white ox. For some unknown reason, the Bull Demon King’s mountain-sized body was stopped in its tracks, unable to move forward. This was the famous “Golden Divine Light Slash.” If the Bull Demon King were Ru Shou’s mortal enemy, the next moment would see the axe strike him, leaving him either dead or severely injured.
Seeing the situation turn critical, Wang Yu hurriedly summoned his Divine Slaying Circle to seize Ru Shou’s magical weapon. Earlier, Ru Shou had underestimated Wang Yu due to his weaker combat skills, so he paid no attention to the circle.
But suddenly, a white light spread everywhere, and his axes trembled slightly, as if about to slip from his grasp. Ru Shou quickly exerted force to stabilize them. Though the axes weren’t taken away, their blades rotated half a turn, changing the direction of the light and preventing it from hitting the Bull Demon King again. Feeling free from restraint, the Bull Demon King stepped forward, pressing his massive body against Ru Shou.
At this moment, Ru Shou was momentarily stunned. As an ancient Golden Divine, few in the world could match his mastery over golden powers. Seeing Wang Yu, with his Taiyi Golden Immortal cultivation, manage to disrupt his own life magic, he was filled with indescribable shock. He used a divine skill to escape the battle circle and shouted, “Stop!”
The Bull Demon King shouted, “Have you given up?” Ru Shou ignored him and asked Wang Yu, “What kind of supernatural power did you use just now? Who taught you that?” Wang Yu was stunned and replied, “It’s the power of a magical artifact, not a supernatural ability.” Ru Shou shook his head and said, “That’s not right at all. Come with me!” Wang Yu remembered that Jun Mang had taken away the wind earlier and wondered what this man wanted to do. At that moment, Wukong said, “Go ahead. It seems fate has brought us here.” Hearing Wukong say so, Wang Yu didn’t hesitate any longer and followed Ru Shou away on the clouds.
The Bull Demon King reverted to his human form and asked urgently, “Why did you listen to that scholar?” Wang Yu hurriedly replied, “Go ask that scholar yourself and you’ll know.”
The Bull Demon King landed on the ground and rushed straight at Wukong, shouting, “Where did that man take my brother? What schemes are you using?” Seeing the Bull Demon King’s anxious state, Wukong couldn’t help but laugh loudly, then sent a message through telepathy, “Second brother, don’t be angry. It’s me, Wukong!”
The Bull Demon King’s eyes widened so much that they seemed about to fall out. Wukong said, “Come with me into the cave, and you’ll understand everything.” The two entered the cave, and Wukong explained everything that had happened, omitting many crucial secrets.
After listening, the Bull Demon King wasn’t angry at being tricked by Wukong but instead exclaimed in shock, “You said that man was Ru Shou! It was said that figures like Dayu, Ru Shou, and Zhu Rong had long died. I never expected they were still alive. The implications of this are truly significant!”
Wukong asked, “Why are they so significant?” The Bull Demon King just shook his head and said, “With their cultivation levels and status, they will surely dominate their domains. The world won’t be at peace anymore.”
Wukong nodded and said, “That’s exactly what we want—chaos so we can take advantage of it.”
The Bull Demon King asked, “What do you mean by ‘take advantage’?” Wukong smiled and said, “You’ll know once we’ve found what we’re looking for.”
The Bull Demon King thought for a moment and sighed. Wukong asked, “What’s bothering you, second brother?” The Bull Demon King replied, “I thought that with my martial skills and supernatural powers, I had few rivals in the world. I never imagined there were countless ones stronger than me. From now on, I won’t be arrogant anymore and will focus solely on cultivation.”
Wukong wanted Ru Shou to undermine the Bull Demon King’s power, and that was exactly his intention. So he said, “Second brother, don’t underestimate yourself either. The Golden God is an ancient figure. It’s only natural that you can’t defeat him.” The Bull Demon King asked, “What about you? Can’t I defeat you?” Wukong was taken aback and said, “I only rely on my superior weapons and clever tactics.”
The Bull Demon King snapped, “Stop comforting me! When I emerge from seclusion, I’ll defeat you utterly!” Wukong laughed heartily and said, “That’s even better! The more powerful my second brother becomes, the happier I am!” The Bull Demon King sighed again and said, “You monkey, I really can’t figure you out. You have no desire to win at all. Just for that, I’m already no match for you.”
Wukong said seriously, “Second brother, never think like that. There are countless paths to cultivation in the world, but they all ultimately lead to the same place—there’s no such thing as superiority or inferiority. Your path of fighting to achieve enlightenment is also a legitimate path. But if you also develop a humble heart, it might be of no use for your future cultivation.” The Bull Demon King nodded and said, “Exactly. You want me, an old ox, to be low-key, but I simply can’t do that.”
Wukong asked why the Bull Demon King had come here. The Bull Demon King replied, “To be honest, it was my master who told me to come.” Wukong asked, “Who is your master…” The Bull Demon King said, “With your intelligence, can’t you guess?” Wukong remembered a strange dream he had after meeting the Red Boy and blurted out, “The Supreme Lord Laozi?”
The Bull Demon King jumped up suddenly. He had just asked casually, expecting Wukong to be completely confused. But Wukong answered accurately and without doubt, which shocked him greatly. “How do you know?”
Wukong acted mysterious and said pretentiously, “Heavenly secrets must not be revealed.” The Bull Demon King laughed and scolded, “It’s as if seeing a ghost—nothing can escape you.”
Wukong then asked, “What did Laozi ask you to do here?” The Bull Demon King laughed loudly, pointing at Wukong but remaining silent.
Annoyed by the Bull Demon King’s laughter, Wukong said, “Stop being crazy. Just speak up.” The Bull Demon King said with a smile, “You, the Divine Ape of Fate—I held back from asking, but you also managed to hold back from telling me. I really can’t resist you anymore.”
Wukong was first shocked, then felt extremely uneasy. He had kept this secret from the other four of the Eight Saints for a long time, yet the Bull Demon King already knew. Since he knew, he surely couldn’t hide it from the Three Pure Ones either.
Wukong said, “Second brother, although I haven’t told you, I’ve never disrespected our brotherly bond. This isn’t just my matter, which is why I’ve kept it hidden until now. Please forgive me.”
The Bull Demon King replied, “Since you won’t tell me, I certainly won’t blame you. This is a serious matter. Even if it were me, I wouldn’t reveal it. Don’t feel guilty. During the battle in heaven back then, you gave my master’s Nine-Revolution Elixir to me and the Great Roc, and even sacrificed yourself to save me from the Guanyin willow. I, an old ox, will never forget that. I’m sure the Great Roc feels the same way.”
“When rumors spread that you were thrown into the Eight Trigrams Furnace by my master for refinement, I naturally didn’t believe it. Yet that Great Peng guarded the South Heavenly Gate for many years, killing countless heavenly soldiers and generals. Later, whenever anyone from the Heavenly Court went down to the mortal world, they took the route via the West Heavenly Gate. How could he not feel pain? Today, I’ve revealed this to you under my master’s guidance. The Three Pure Ones, who understand the principles of creation deeply, have repeatedly helped the Divine Ape in secret. I’m afraid you’re unaware of all this.”
Wukong nodded and said, “I know a little about it.” Yuan Shi took Feng Tong as his disciple, and Ling Bao took the Six-Eared Monkey—there must be deep reasons behind this. His own master, Subhuti, likely also has a strong connection to the Three Pure Ones.
The Bull Demon King continued, “The Three Pure Ones created these three realms, focusing mainly on our own realm, aiming to reveal the mysteries of the creation and destruction of heaven and earth. By throwing us into this realm, they meant for us to comprehend the profound truths when heaven and earth perish and to seize countless opportunities that arise. Can you guess what that is?”
Wukong remained silent. He never expected such an outcome. When heaven and earth perished, countless beings would die. In these three realms, there are countless mortals, cultivators, and monsters. If they all collapsed at once, there would be endless opportunities. Yet ordinary people, even if they wanted to seize such opportunities, could only sigh in futility—only the Divine Ape lineage could use them for themselves.
What a bold move! What a ruthless heart! The Three Pure Ones must know that the laws of karma are inevitable. Aren’t they afraid of the consequences?
Thinking of this, Wukong stood up resolutely and said, “It’s absolutely impossible!”
The Bull Demon King was surprised and asked, “Why?”
Wukong replied, “To harm living beings is not something the Three Pure Ones would do.”
The Bull Demon King said, “I see my master as quite helpless too. There must be hidden reasons behind this. We just need to follow orders. Don’t you trust me?”
Wukong said, “This has nothing to do with trust—it’s about the Way! Since you know we are the Divine Ape of Creation, you should understand the principle of mutual respect among creations. When opportunities arise naturally, it’s fine to take them. But using human effort goes against the proper path. This must never happen!”
The Bull Demon King said, “I really don’t understand what you’re talking about. Asking me this is pointless. In my life, I’ve only admired two people: my master and you, Sun Wukong. My master always keeps his word and never lies. In my eyes, he’s like a sage. You, Sun Wukong, have been flawless in every plan since we met, and you’re willing to sacrifice yourself for loyalty—this makes me admire you even more. If you two have disagreements, I don’t know what to do.”
Wukong said, “Fortunately, we still have two hundred years to figure things out. It gives me time to think of a solution.”
The Bull Demon King said, “That’s good. Such a major matter naturally needs you to think it through. I’m just passing on a message.”
The two talked for a long time, after which the Bull Demon King took his leave to retreat and practice. Wukong, however, remained alone in the cave, lost in thought. The Bull Demon King had no other intention; surely the Three Pure Ones had sent him to show goodwill toward the Divine Ape. All these arrangements seemed to be prepared just for the Divine Ape’s lineage. But why would the Three Pure Ones do this? If the Divine Ape’s lineage grew stronger, what benefit would that bring to them?