Volume 2: The Path That Can Be Told, Chapter 178: The Way of Water
Wukong nodded and said, “Of course I remember.”
Wu Zhiqi said, “Back then, I was weak, so all I could pass on to you were basic techniques to keep you from drowning. Today, I’ll teach you how to create water from the elements themselves.”
Suddenly, an idea struck Wukong, and he exclaimed with joy, “If we divine apes could pass on such powers to each other, wouldn’t that be wonderful!”
Wu Zhiqi looked at Wukong and sighed, “Do you truly not know, or are you pretending not to know?”
Wukong was surprised and asked, “Why? Is what I said wrong?”
Wu Zhiqi replied, “Completely wrong! Do you know why the Intelligent Divine Ape is considered the foremost among them?”
Wukong shook his head in confusion.
Wu Zhiqi continued, “From chaos, yin and yang emerged—yin rising upward and yang descending downward. From yin and yang, the five elements were born, which you surely know. Among my seven divine apes, I, Wu Zhiqi, belong to water; the Wind-Bringing Divine Ape belongs to wood; the King of Yuyun belongs to metal; the Intelligent Divine Ape belongs to fire; and the Arm-Through-Walls Divine Ape belongs to earth. Do you know this?”
Wukong let out an “Ah”—there were such secrets among the divine apes! No wonder Jumang was overjoyed when he met the Wind-Bringing Ape, and Rushou was equally delighted when he met King Yuyun—apparently, they were destined for the five elements from birth. He already knew Wu Zhiqi belonged to water. So, if these five divine apes represented the five elements, then logically, the Yin-Yang Divine Apes must belong to yin and yang. And as for himself, the Intelligent Divine Ape, did he belong to chaos?
It seemed Wu Zhiqi had guessed Wukong’s thoughts. He said, “We belong to the five elements, the Yin-Yang Divine Apes belong to yin and yang, while you, the Intelligent Divine Ape, belong to chaos.”
Wukong still couldn’t recover from his shock. He asked, “I belong to chaos? I could actually belong to chaos?”
Wu Zhiqi replied, “You belong to chaos, but it doesn’t mean you *are* chaos. It’s just a difference in wording, but a huge difference in reality. Simply put, since I belong to water, in this life I can only control water. I can still practice other techniques, but among the five-element spells, I can only learn those related to water.”
Wukong asked, “Is it the same for the Wind-Bringing King Yuyun and the others?”
Wu Zhiqi said, “Of course!”
“The Yin-Yang Divine Apes are one level above us five, because the five elements arise from yin and yang. They can not only master the powers of the moon and sun but also learn all five-element spells.”
“As for you, the Intelligent Divine Ape, there are no obstacles to you in terms of yin, yang, or the five elements. As long as you practice the right techniques, nothing in the world is beyond your learning! Even the power of chaos is within your control!”
“That’s why the five-element spells cannot be passed on to each other. But after we five have learned them, we can pass them on to you and the Yin-Yang Divine Apes. Do you understand now?”
Wukong was filled with excitement upon hearing this. He had thought the seven Creative Divine Apes were all similar, but he never expected that his own intelligent Divine Ape also hid secrets of chaos…
After saying this, Wu Zhiqi smiled at Wukong and said, “This chaos is not the same as that other chaos. If you were in the state before the creation of heaven and earth, could you have withstood Pangu’s axe?”
Wukong found Wu Zhiqi’s words interesting and replied, “I wonder where we would have been hiding when Pangu swung that axe.”
Hearing Wukong’s question, Wu Zhiqi showed a puzzled look in his eyes. “If I hadn’t died once, I should know the answer.”
Wukong said, “I was just talking casually.”
Wu Zhiqi fell into deep thought for a long time, seemingly lost in thought, before suddenly coming back to his senses and saying, “Enough idle talk. If you want to learn the power to control water, let’s start with water itself.”
He continued, “To master water, one must first understand water. The principles of water are closely tied to heaven and earth, and they must be known.”
Wukong was surprised to see Wu Zhiqi discussing water in such an erudite manner. He couldn’t believe that the usually quiet and rough-looking Wu Zhiqi possessed such knowledge. Noticing Wukong’s strange gaze, Wu Zhiqi asked, “What? Don’t you understand?”
Wukong smiled and said, “It’s not that I don’t understand. It’s just that your way of speaking is a bit hard for me to get used to.”
Wu Zhiqi said proudly, “When it comes to the principles of water, how many people in the world can compare to me? Listen carefully.”
“In ancient times, Gonggong struck the Buzhou Mountain, causing heaven to tilt to the northwest. That’s why Hai represents the direction from which water emerges. The earth sank in the southeast, so Chen became the place where water is stored. When water flows against the current to Shen, it makes sound—hence water does not flow westward. Water’s nature is to moisten downward; when it follows its course, it can hold much…” Wu Zhiqi spoke at length, but Wukong only remembered the first few sentences. Recalling Gonggong striking the Buzhou Mountain, he took out the small white shield given to him by Zhurong and said, “It is said this object belongs to the water god Gonggong. Have you seen it before?”
Wu Zhiqi took the small shield and examined it carefully. “I have seen it. Not only that, do you know what material it’s made of?” Wukong shook his head. “I don’t know. I only heard that it’s extremely hard.”
Wu Zhiqi said, “It’s not just extremely hard—it’s probably indestructible. This small shield may seem unremarkable, but it’s actually made from Gonggong’s skull!”
Wukong was shocked. He had carried Gonggong’s skull with him all these days. No wonder Zhurong had been in tears when giving it to him.
Wu Zhiqi added, “When Gonggong struck the mountain with his head, the Buzhou Mountain collapsed, but his skull remained unharmed. This is indeed a rare magical artifact. With it, few magical artifacts can harm you.”
Wukong thought for a moment and said, “Then it would be best to give it to the Intelligent Divine Ape. He belongs to the element of fire, so this object is perfect for him.” Wu Zhiqi agreed, “That makes sense!”
Returning the small shield to Wukong, Wu Zhiqi said again, “Water benefits all things without competing—this is the virtue of humility. That’s why rivers and seas can rule over all valleys; because they are humble, they can become the rulers of the valleys. Nothing in the world is softer or weaker than water, yet nothing can overcome its strength when it attacks hard things—this is the virtue of softness. Thus, softness can overcome hardness, and weakness can overcome strength. Because it has nothing, it can enter the void…”
Wukong, seeing Wu Zhiqi delivering another long speech, had no choice but to patiently listen. This time, the lecture lasted two full hours, covering topics such as water’s ever-changing form, its ability to serve as a mirror, its duality of softness and hardness, its tendency to flow eastward, the interplay between the real and the virtual, and the balance between movement and stillness. No wonder Wu Zhiqi had reason to be proud—his insights into water were truly remarkable.
After finishing, Wu Zhiqi said, “You don’t need to write down every word of what was said earlier; just understand its essence.”
Wu Zhiqi stretched out his right hand, bending his middle finger slightly. A blue droplet flew in from somewhere and landed on his finger. Wu Zhiqi said, “Watch closely.”
Without casting any spells, the droplet on his finger transformed and spontaneously rose to form a nine-story small tower. Wukong was deeply impressed—so precise could the power of controlling water be.
Wu Zhiqi said, “Water has three forms: ice, water, and vapor. If ice were used to carve this tower, it would be much easier. To master the power of controlling water, one must be able to make water freely transform between these three states, thus gaining control over its form. The key lies in the moment when two forms transition into each other.”
“Wukong, I can impart this power of controlling water to you in the blink of an eye, but your understanding of the principles of water and your ability to control its three forms still require your own gradual exploration.”
With that, Wu Zhiqi gave Wukong a light tap on the head. Wukong felt an indescribable sensation, as if something had been added to his consciousness. Wu Zhiqi added, “Remember, as a Divine Ape of Creation, understanding from the top down is the proper path!” Then, Wu Zhiqi clasped his hands together, recited a spell, and droplets of crystal-clear water pierced through the water curtain outside the palace and flew into his hands. In just a moment, they formed a water ball about a foot in size.
Wu Zhiqi said, “This water ball is formed from condensed water essence. Spend some time here pondering it—it will be very beneficial.” With a meaningful look at Wukong, he left the back hall.
Wukong took the water ball. With his current skill in controlling water, he could only prevent it from dispersing. Recalling what Wu Zhiqi had said, each word seemed profound, yet he still couldn’t grasp the essence, as he was still a beginner, separated by a barrier.
So, Wukong held the water ball and fell into meditation at the bottom of the Northern Sea.