Volume 3: A Long Journey, Chapter 297: Two Taoists

Wukong and Wu Zhiqi found a towering ancient pine and climbed to its top to sit down. Gazing at the lush tree below and the rolling mountains, Wu Zhiqi sighed, “Back when I was at the Great Sage Zen Temple, who would have thought such a day would come?”
Wukong replied, “When I roamed the world carefree back then, I never imagined future hardships. Who can know what lies ahead?”
Wu Zhiqi said, “The divine ape faces difficulties for a reason. It seems as if some mysterious force is at work, intent on destroying the divine ape. Yet I am foolish and unable to figure out the reason.”
Wukong knew that people like Dayu had also been deceived by rumors. He silently vowed to uncover this evil culprit and said, “This matter must be resolved!”
Wu Zhiqi replied, “Separation eventually leads to reunion, and reunion eventually leads to separation—this is an unchanging truth. Since the Armed Divine Ape suddenly appeared in Qitian Ridge, I feel that the seven divine apes of this era will be able to reunite again.”
Wukong asked with a smile, “What kind of feeling is that? Prophecy?”
Wu Zhiqi answered, “No, I don’t have such powers. It’s just a feeling; I can’t explain it.”
Wukong did some calculations. Four divine apes had already gathered on Flower-Fruit Mountain, and later they met the clever Divine Ape Six-Eared Monkey, who was now with the Three Pure Ones and would surely come to Qitian Ridge at some point. Although the Armed Divine Ape was acting strangely, it was always with King Yu of Wind and would eventually recover. As for the Yin-Yang Divine Ape, there was no sign of it at all.
After thinking, Wukong had a ominous thought: the Yin-Yang Divine Ape might have been captured. Otherwise, why hadn’t it appeared?
Wu Zhiqi asked, “Why have you come looking for me?”
Wukong replied, “I still have questions about the Creation Furnace.”
Wu Zhiqi said, “The Creation Furnace appeared alongside me and has been wandering the world on its own. Later, when humans developed magical powers, some began to compete for it. Eventually, it was taken by a Taoist, and it disappeared without a trace.”
Since the Creation Furnace appeared together with the Divine Ape of Creation, it must be the one held by Laojun and the others. Although there were two Creation Furnaces, the one in the West appeared much later, so it couldn’t be that one.
When Laojun had talked to him about these matters, he had never mentioned any competition for the Creation Furnace. A scene appeared in Wukong’s mind: an unclaimed Creation Furnace emitting a strong aura of creation drifted through the world, with countless immortals and cultivators fighting over it, until a Taoist finally obtained it. Having obtained this precious item, he was overjoyed and first sought a secluded place to hide it.

How could the Creation Furnace be an ordinary magical artifact? It seemed unlikely that this Taoist could fathom its mysteries in a short time. As he struggled to understand it, a group of people emerged from the furnace—the Three Pure Ones, the Nine Heavens’ Mysterious Maidens, as well as the still-childlike Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West.

Although Wukong didn’t know how powerful this Taoist was, it was absolutely impossible for him to surpass the Three Pure Ones of the previous era. What was the outcome of this encounter? Where did that Taoist go? Who exactly was he? Wukong had no idea.

Huh? That can’t be right. If the Three Pure Ones hadn’t appeared yet, how could there already be a Taoist in the world? Wukong quickly asked Wu Zhiqi, “Is that Taoist you mentioned really a Taoist?”

Wu Zhiqi replied, “His hair was tied into a bun. From what I saw… he didn’t seem much different from ordinary Taoists.”

Wukong said, “Think carefully again. Is there really any difference? Whether this person is a Taoist or not is extremely important.”

Wu Zhiqi thought carefully and said, “Indeed, there’s no difference. His attire was very strange. Since only he wore such clothes at that time, I remember it clearly.”

Wukong fell into deep thought. If the Three Pure Ones hadn’t appeared yet but there was already a Taoist in the world, that was truly strange. Perhaps it was just coincidence, or maybe this person, though born in ancient times, had an unconventional mindset—needing to dress in a flamboyant manner to feel comfortable?

Wukong asked again, “Was there only one Creation Furnace in the world at that time? Was there another one?”

Wu Zhiqi laughed and said, “How could there possibly be another such precious creation?”

Wukong asked, “What if there really was another one?”

Wu Zhiqi was stunned and said, “Created by fate, it’s unique. How could there be another?”

Wukong remained silent. Wu Zhiqi’s knowledge only extended back to the beginning of chaos, so he naturally knew nothing about events from the previous era. It seemed the secrets of the Creation Furnace would have to be sought from Laojun.

Wu Zhiqi said, “I’m returning to the Northern Sea.”

Wukong nodded. Wu Zhiqi living in the Northern Sea was the safest place. Even the Confused Golden Immortals would find it difficult to confront him at the sea’s core. Yet Wukong still said, “It’s best to travel by water!”

Wu Zhiqi replied, “Of course.”

After seeing Wu Zhiqi leave, Wukong returned to the Qilin Cave. Inside, Fengtong, Wang Yu, and the Qilin were there. When they saw Wukong enter, Fengtong said, “We were just discussing the Armless Divine Ape. You’ve come at just the right time.”

Wukong asked, “What’s wrong with the Armless Divine Ape?”

Fengtong replied, “Since he arrived at Qitian Ridge, he’s only gone deep underground and hasn’t come out. We can’t find him either.”

Wukong was puzzled. What kind of problem was this? He then asked, “Have you asked the elder Hou Tu?”

Tongfeng said with a smile, “Senior Houtu also tried to call him, but he never responded.”
Qilin replied, “Tongbi has a psychological block. Unless this block is resolved, it will be difficult for him to regain his former powers.”
Wukong asked again, “Is there any sign that his physical body has recovered?”
Tongfeng said, “Tongbi’s physical body has long been lost—how could it be found? Senior Houtu said that if he reaches the Hunyuan realm, his spiritual and physical forms will naturally merge, and he won’t need another body.”
Qilin agreed, “That makes sense. In the early stages of Hunyuan, one should be able to gather the vital energy of heaven and earth to form a unified being. But if he himself doesn’t want to, it’s all just talk.”
Wukong thought for a moment and said, “I’ll go look for him.”
Tongfeng replied, “It would be easier if we could find him. Right now, we don’t know where he’s gone.”
Wukong asked, “Could he be in danger?”
Tongfeng said, “Senior Houtu said he’s in a very safe place, so there’s no need to worry.”
Only then did Wukong feel relieved. He couldn’t help but recall the first time he met Tongbi—the desert, the yellow sand, the moonlit night. He wondered how Tongbi had gotten through those years, but it must have been extremely lonely.
Tongfeng and Wangyu were also divine apes, yet Wukong didn’t feel any closeness to Tongbi. So, when he saw himself at Baihu Ridge, did Tongbi feel even a hint of joy?
Wukong said, “Even so, there’s no rush. When I meet Senior Houtu, I’ll definitely ask him about Tongbi.”
Tongfeng replied, “Senior Houtu went west with Dayu.”
Wukong thought to himself that Houtu was one of the Six Sovereigns. After meeting Dayu, the two never separated. It seemed Houtu had forgotten his identity as a Sovereign. Fortunately, Dayu was leading an expedition westward and couldn’t confront the heavenly court head-on; otherwise, Houtu would surely be in trouble.
Wukong stood up and asked, “Where is the Nine-Headed Worm now?”
Qilin said, “I’ll take you there.”
Wukong told Tongfeng and Wangyu, “Qitian Ridge has been built for many years. This is the first time we’re taking the initiative to attack, so we must coordinate from afar, assess the situation carefully, and avoid rash actions for glory.”
“Although the demons in the ridge are obedient, once they enter human lands, they might harm ordinary people. If that happens, we must act swiftly and severely to serve as a warning—without any leniency.”
Tongfeng said, “Of course. I’ll immediately inform Dayu and Senior Chisongzi to strictly control the demon troops. You can rest assured, Wukong.”
Wukong followed Qilin to another stone cave. When he entered, he was shocked.
That creature, neither human nor ghost, covered in blood—was it really the Nine-Headed Worm?
The Nine-Headed Worm no longer had any presence of power. Its cultivation was restrained by Qilin, leaving it with no chance of escape. One of its original nine heads had been shattered by Qilin and hung limply by its neck, its blood long dried—making it even more terrifying.

Wukong approached the Nine-Headed Worm and asked the Qilin, “What did the elder ask?”
The Qilin replied, “He didn’t ask much. He only knew that it was originally a foolish nine-headed monster bird named Nieyao Jiufeng. Later, somehow enlightened by someone, it gained wisdom and transformed into what it is now.”
The Qilin recounted the story of Nieyao Jiufeng to Wukong, who nodded and said, “Please wake him up for me. I’ll ask him questions.”
The Qilin used a spell to loosen the multicolored ropes slightly. Sure enough, the Nine-Headed Worm opened its eyes from its daze. Upon seeing Wukong, it recognized him and said happily, “It’s you!” But when it saw the Qilin standing behind Wukong, it showed signs of fear.
Wukong sighed and said, “It truly seems that we meet everywhere in life. I never expected that after parting in the three realms, we would meet here.”
The Nine-Headed Worm asked, “Who, who exactly are you?”
Wukong replied, “Nine-Headed Worm, you don’t need to know who I am. If you want to stay alive, just answer whatever I ask. How about that?”
The Nine-Headed Worm asked, “How did I treat you back in Luoyun City?”
Wukong said, “It’s precisely because we once knew each other that I allowed you to live until now. Otherwise, how could we meet again today?”
The Nine-Headed Worm felt a chill in his heart. He had once hoped to forge a relationship with Wukong, but now seeing no hope, he said bitterly, “Ask away. I’ll answer everything.”
Wukong asked, “What is the purpose of the Great Five-Element Spirit Blood Formation?”
The Nine-Headed Worm replied, “Someone else taught me this method. That person said that by setting up this formation, one could travel through the heavens.”
Travel through the heavens? Wukong knew that “heavens” referred to space, while “time” referred to the passage of time. In other words, space was “yu,” and time was “zhou.” The same concept applied to the Eight Directions Space Formation used by the Primordial Heavenly Lord.
Could this formation also enable travel through space? The heavens meant the realms beyond the heavens. For ordinary people, reaching those realms was extremely difficult. Even with his status as a Hunyuan Golden Immortal, Wukong could only go beyond the ninth level and couldn’t go any further.
Wukong asked again, “You set up this formation in the three realms, and you did the same in the Black Chicken Kingdom. Who exactly told you to do this?”
The Nine-Headed Worm replied, “Back then, I lived in Nieyao, my mind in a state of confusion, and I couldn’t remember much about the past. Later, a Taoist priest enlightened me—”
“A Taoist priest?” Another Taoist priest? Wukong asked urgently, “Who was that Taoist priest?”
The Nine-Headed Worm said, “I don’t know who he is either. That Taoist priest had powers that reached heaven and earth. He granted me wisdom, taught me supernatural abilities, and made me change my name, ordering me to search the world for the materials needed for the Great Five-Element Spirit Blood Formation.”

“Later, I was captured in the Three Realms, and all my previous efforts were in vain. There, I had an idea: since the Great Five Elements Spirit Blood Formation could do such things, it surely could also help me escape the Three Realms. Then I met you, and you know what happened after that.”
“When I returned to this world, I never saw that Taoist again. One day, Guanyin Bodhisattva came to take me under her control to work for her. Of course, I refused, so we fought.”
“She captured me in just a few moves, but she didn’t harm me. She simply ordered me to search for helpers for her on the bottom of the South Sea, saying she wanted to accomplish something great. Since life there seemed comfortable, I agreed to her request.”
Wukong asked, “Then why did you run off to the Wei River in the Netherworld?”
The Nine-Headed Worm was shocked: “How do you know—Ah, so that person is you, right? It was you who stole the Two-Headed Monster Fish!”