Volume 4: The Revelation Unveiled Chapter 535: The Saint from Beyond the Heavens

“Why do you say I came from above?” Wukong asked.
Having ascended to this layer of the sky inhabited by wind beasts, Wukong deliberately exuded an imposing aura. These wind beasts were not creatures born within the furnace and were likely closely related to those from beyond the heavens. Wukong knew that to uncover the truth, he needed to proceed with caution. These wind beasts surely wouldn’t stay here for tens of thousands of years without reason. First, using his cultivation strength to intimidate them, and then interrogating them, would yield better results.
Indeed, the wind beasts here were led by Zhu Yin. Though he originally carried great authority, in front of Wukong, he couldn’t muster any momentum. When Wukong asked a question, Zhu Yin retracted his neck and replied cautiously, “The Saint may not know—”
“What did you say?” Wukong immediately countered.
Not knowing what he had said wrong, Zhu Yin glanced at Wukong briefly before daring to speak again.
Wukong softened his tone slightly and asked, “Why do you call me a Saint?”
Hearing this was the reason, Zhu Yin relaxed slightly and said, “The Saint may not know, but with cultivation of your level, you can already be called a Saint.”
Wukong’s heart stirred. He was already at the realm of spiritual clarity, yet in Zhu Yin’s words, he was a Saint. This title of Saint certainly didn’t refer to the cultivation level within the furnace but rather to one from beyond the heavens.
“Where does this title of Saint come from?” Wukong asked.
Zhu Yin replied, “The Saint should know that there is only one furnace here. Beyond the furnace lies the world, where Saints hold supreme status.”
Supreme status? “How many Saints are there beyond the furnace?”
Zhu Yin said, “Among the Saints beyond the furnace, there are true ones and false ones. There are always twenty or thirty false Saints, but as for true Saints, I have yet to see one.”
“Oh? Then tell me, am I true or false?” Wukong suppressed his shock. He hadn’t expected that his cultivation level would still hold weight beyond the furnace. He had thought that place to be extremely dangerous, but it seemed there weren’t many who surpassed him. Even if he were just a false Saint, he could probably become a local ruler.
Zhu Yin replied respectfully, “My cultivation is low, so I truly can’t tell. But the might of a Saint cannot be faked.”
Wukong was very satisfied with Zhu Yin’s answer and asked further, “You don’t roam freely beyond the furnace but come here to stir the wind. Aren’t you bored?” Seeing that Zhu Yin thought clearly and spoke without hesitation, Wukong dismissed the idea that they were controlled by outsiders. But if no one controlled them, it became even stranger.
Zhu Yin said, “We do this willingly; no one forces us.”
“Huh? Such a strange thing? Tell me more.” Wukong became instantly curious.

Zhu Yin did not hesitate and began to explain in detail the reasons why these wind beasts had come here.
The space outside the furnace, also known as the world beyond heaven, is extremely vast, almost boundless.
This world is roughly divided into four great continents, eight smaller continents, two immortal mountains, and one immortal island. Of course, there are countless immortal mountains and islands in the world, but these two are the most famous.
The two immortal mountains are called Great Sumera Mountain and Small Sumera Mountain. It is said that the masters of these mountains both possess the cultivation level of sages, and the master of the Xiaoyao Immortal Island is also a sage.
There is only a thin line between a true sage and a fake sage. Those who can reach the level of a fake sage in this world are all extraordinary figures; any one of them is highly renowned.
However, in this world, only fake sages are known, while true sages remain unknown. It seems as though these fake sages are all equally distinguished, with no hierarchy. Yet for other cultivators, even a mere fake sage is an unsurpassable existence. Once one reaches the level of a sage, they leave others far behind, unreachable.
Among the eight smaller continents, there is one called Shangyi Continent. This continent is located in the southeast of the world. Further southeast, tens of thousands of miles away, lies another continent covered in swamps, known as Fengze.
It gets its name because strong winds blow constantly over Fengze, and the creatures that live there all possess an innate ability to control the wind.
At this point, Zhu Yin pointed at the beasts in the distance and said, “These demonic beasts are all strong ones from Fengze.”
Wukong nodded. These over a thousand demonic beasts at the Yin-Yang realm were indeed a formidable force; even in this world, they could not be underestimated.
Zhu Yin continued, “I am Zhu Yin, the ruler of Fengze.”
Wukong asked, “Who exactly is the one who captured you, the ruler of Fengze, and forced you to work?”
Zhu Yin said self-mockingly, “What am I, the ruler of Fengze, compared to a fake sage? I don’t even have the strength to fight back when faced with one.”
“Oh, so you were captured by a fake sage,” said Wukong.
Zhu Yin hurriedly replied, “Please don’t say that. We came here for a reward.”
“A reward? What kind of reward?” asked Wukong.
Zhu Yin replied, “Sages may not know this, but everything exists in Fengze—except Sumera Mountain stones.”
“What’s the use of Sumera Mountain stones? Why do you need them so much?”
Zhu Yin pointed upward and said, “Sage, please look. That white area above and that green area below were both created from Sumera Mountain stones.”
Wukong didn’t need to look to realize that those two sections of sky were actually made of the pillars that supported the heavens. So that’s how it is—the materials for those pillars come from Sumera Mountain in the world beyond heaven.

Wukong said, “You said there are large and small Sumera Mountains beyond the heavens. If you want mountain stones, just go and get them.”
Zhu Yin replied, “It’s easy for you to say, Sage. If you went, those two mountain lords would surely hand them over willingly. But with my meager abilities, I’d likely be driven away even before approaching the mountain.”
Wukong asked, “Your cultivation levels are quite high. Why do you still need Sumera Mountain stones?”
Zhu Yin explained, “The gale winds in the Wind and Mist Region are extremely fierce, making it impossible for anything to survive. Ordinary metals and stones turn to dust once they enter that region. Only Sumera Mountain stones can remain intact there! Those gale winds don’t much affect us, but newborn creatures find it hard to survive. To cultivate in those winds, one must be inside the Wind and Mist Region. With Sumera Mountain stones, we can build nests to protect the young creatures.”
Wukong understood now. Zhu Yin and his people had come here to ensure the survival of their race. It seemed they were fierce on the surface, but actually, they had family bonds. After thinking for a while, Wukong said, “So this is a trade deal? That person sends you here to harness the gale winds in exchange for some Sumera Mountain stones… Is that it? It takes tens of thousands of years, yet you can endure it!”
Zhu Yin sighed and said, “If it weren’t out of necessity, who would want to endure such hardship here? Sumera Mountain stones are treasures that sustain our race! Without them, there would be no Wind Clan!”
After hearing this, Wukong developed some goodwill toward them. Sacrificing time for the sake of their race was indeed a remarkable act.
But then Wukong thought of something else and asked, “Since that person has so many Sumera Mountain stones, is he the master of the Great Sumera Mountain or the Small Sumera Mountain?”
Zhu Yin shook his head slightly and said, “I dare not be certain. Even if he isn’t one of those two mountain lords, other sages could easily obtain Sumera Mountain stones.”
Wukong originally thought only the masters of Sumera Mountains could possess such resources, which narrowed down the possible owners of this realm. But after hearing Zhu Yin’s words, he couldn’t be sure anymore.
After pondering for a while, Zhu Yin said, “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I couldn’t imagine that sages could be cultivated even in this barren realm. It shows that sages are truly gifts from heaven!”
Wukong thought to himself, Not only can’t you imagine it, not even I know what kind of great luck I’ve had. I thought being in a state of enlightenment meant invincibility only within this world, but it turns out I’m also a top-tier existence beyond the heavens.
“You say the creation here is barren. How much weaker is it compared to beyond the heavens?” Wukong asked.

“How many points? I’m afraid not even one-tenth!” Zhu Yin added, “If the Sage goes out, the world beyond the heavens will surely become lively.”
“Oh? What makes it lively?” Wukong asked.
Zhu Yin continued, “The Sage may not be aware that the four great continents, eight smaller continents, two immortal mountains, and one immortal island in the world are all under the control of Sages. The Sage in charge of a region must be able to gain the respect of the people there. Therefore, whenever a new Sage appears in a region, they must compete with the current ruler. If they win, they become the new ruler of that place.”
Wukong was slightly surprised. “So, if I go out, I’ll have to fight?”
Zhu Yin hesitated and said, “To speak frankly, since I was born, I’ve never seen a new Sage win.”
Wukong remained unfazed. “If I can’t win, I lose—so what?”
Zhu Yin replied, “It’s not that simple. If you lose, you’ll have to serve as a slave to the ruler of that place for ten thousand years before you can regain your freedom.”
“Is that really the case? What if… what if I refuse to compete?” Wukong asked.
Zhu Yin said, “If you refuse to compete… it’s not entirely impossible, but then you’d better not stay here. The twelve continents, two mountains, and one island cover the entire world. If you can’t enter those places, you have nowhere to go. So, you’ll have no choice but to compete.”
Wukong thought to himself, Isn’t this forcing someone to do something against their will? It seems the rules of this world are still one of survival of the fittest—the winner rules, the loser serves. It’s far less kind and generous than the world inside the Furnace of the Heavens and Earth right now.
Wukong asked, “Then tell me, how many Sages are there beyond the heavens? I’d like to go and see them.”
Zhu Yin replied, “As far as I know, there are twenty-five Sages beyond the heavens. I don’t know if any more have appeared in recent years. Among these twenty-five, there are twelve cultivators and thirteen demon cultivators—roughly equal in number.”
“Cultivators? So they’re humans. Are there conflicts between cultivators and demon cultivators?”
“That’s only natural. Whether human or beast, who wouldn’t side with their own kind? Even Sages have loyalties.”
Wukong asked, “Who’s the strongest?”
“Sages rarely compete with each other. Those who often appear in the world include the ruler of Little Sumeru Mountain, the Sage Yu the Great, the Qilin and Phoenix, and the Three Pure Ones of Taoism, among others.”
Wukong felt dizzy. How similar is the world beyond the heavens to that inside the Furnace of the Heavens and Earth! These people actually exist there too! Yu the Great, the Qilin, the Phoenix, the Three Pure Ones… What kind of connection do they have with those in the Furnace of the Heavens and Earth?