Even within the Jade Void Palace, where the power to communicate across myriad realms was significantly restricted, the legendary might of the great being felt like an immense supercluster composed of countless galaxies, vast and boundless, evoking an overwhelming sense of minuscule insignificance.
Standing beside the Primordial Lotus of Chaos, with the Supreme and Boundless Primordial Blessing Cloud hovering above his head, Meng Qi did not emit any radiant light. Instead, he calmly focused on the true spirit transformed into the Primordial Daoist, experiencing the terrifying might of the legendary being.
Without awakened supreme-grade divine treasures or powerful formations, even an abundance of Celestial Immortals would struggle to challenge a legendary being. More people do not necessarily mean greater strength.
After all, the number of Celestial Immortals could never rival the countless grains of sand in the Ganges River, while the projections of a legendary being could surpass even that number, each possessing ten or even a hundred times the power of a Celestial Immortal.
The tremors of the Jade Purity Palace subsided. Meng Qi’s vision pierced through the chaos, witnessing a tall figure in gray robes step forward. His hair was loose and flowing, with a thick, dark beard. His eyes were pale and expressionless, revealing a mixture of coldness and indifference. Around his chest hung a string of prayer beads glowing with a golden, glass-like luster. Each bead resembled a white skull, exuding both sacredness and ferocity.
At the sight of this legendary figure from the Luo Sect, Meng Qi’s heart stirred, and he called out, “Sha Wujing!”
That string of prayer beads was indeed a signature item. Meng Qi had heard of the image and reputation of the old Sha during his journey in the Journey to the West world while seeking directions from various demons.
Among the five disciples of the Journey to the West, the dragon-horse had passed away, old Zhu had perished, the Great Sage’s fate remained unknown, and Tang Sanzang’s whereabouts were unclear. The only one whose fate had not been revealed was the sand monk, who now appeared here, becoming the divine messenger of the Eternal Mother and transcending his previous limits to become a legendary being.
A strong sense of eeriness surged within Meng Qi.
The Luo Sect grandmaster in gray robes halted at the edge of the lotus pond, his voice hoarse and deep: “Though only eight hundred years have passed in the Journey to the West, it has been an eternity in the real world. I never expected you to recognize me.”
He candidly admitted his identity. His pale, expressionless eyes seemed to pierce through the chaos, locking onto Meng Qi’s face. Without waiting for a response, he continued, “The Eternal Mother has instructed me to deliver three messages.”
“What messages?” Frankly, Meng Qi had not expected the Eternal Mother to go to such great lengths, sending a legendary being merely to deliver messages, just as Zhao Qian had described.
Sha Wujing’s gaze suddenly turned profound:
“The first message: the second disciple before the Buddha is Ananda, not Jin Chanzi. In fact, Jin Chanzi is not even among the top ten disciples.”
Who exactly was Jin Chanzi? And what was the real purpose of the Journey to the West? Meng Qi thought in astonishment.
“The second message: before the Journey to the West, the Buddha had already become one of the oldest beings to cross the threshold after accumulating numerous benefits and experiencing various events. He began attempting ‘reduction for emptiness.'”
Sha Wujing did not explain further, continuing his role as a messenger.
Meng Qi slightly furrowed his brow, sensing the implications. Could it be that Jin Chanzi was a product of the Buddha’s “reduction for emptiness”? Was the purpose of the Journey to the West for him merely about spreading Mahayana Buddhism to the Southern Jambudvipa?
Sha Wujing’s eyes remained indifferent: “The third message: within five years, the Endless Abyss Sea will undergo upheaval, and the Nine Nether Demons will grow active once again.”
The topic abruptly shifted to matters of the real world, unrelated to the Journey to the West. He made no mention of Gu Xiaosang nor attempted to recruit Meng Qi, seemingly aware of the answers and deeming further inquiry unnecessary.
“Just these three messages?” Meng Qi asked doubtfully, “Since you brought up Jin Chanzi, why not elaborate on the Eternal Mother’s analysis?”
What significance could these three cryptic messages possibly hold? Was it worth awakening a legendary being prematurely and enduring irreparable damage?
Sha Wujing’s voice was low and somber: “Yuan Shi sealed the gods, Dao De extracted the Journey to the West, each giving rise to a separate world, burying history, likely attempting to conceal something. You, bearing the cause of all consequences, are entangled in the game of the transcendent. To break free and become a player yourself, you will inevitably face these matters sooner or later. Offering slight guidance without revealing everything helps you struggle forward, colliding left and right, triggering changes that may allow some hidden truths to surface slightly.”
“Yes, that is the Eternal Mother’s explanation, not my own words.”
“Dao De extracted the Journey to the West?” Meng Qi nodded as if he had anticipated this.
History had been fragmented, requiring piecing together to glimpse even a fragment. Otherwise, even with the ability to look back into the past, there would still be gaps.
“Was the Journey to the West world extracted by the Virtuous Heaven Venerable from the Investiture of the Gods world?” Meng Qi inquired.
Sha Wujing fell silent for a moment: “From what I understand, although the Investiture of the Gods was interrupted by the Myriad Immortal Array, leaving the heavens shattered, it did not mean the endeavor had completely failed. Those who had previously entered the list were all granted divine positions, leading to the rise of the Heavenly Court. The alliance between the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, the Virtuous Heavenly Venerable, and the Heavenly Emperor reached its peak. Later, for unknown reasons, the Demon Lord attacked the Heavenly Court, and the Great Sage wreaked havoc in Heaven, causing the alliance to fracture. The Heavenly Emperor drew closer to the Buddha, thus initiating the Journey to the West, until the fall of the Heavenly Court and the destruction of Ling Mountain.”
The Primordial Heaven Venerable seized the history between the Investiture of the Gods and the fall of the Heavenly Court and Ling Mountain. Meanwhile, the Virtuous Heaven Venerable extracted the history beyond the Investiture of the Gods on this basis. Thus, those below the legendary level in the world of Investiture of the Gods only know that the Investiture War caused the heavens to shatter, leaving only the Investiture List, but the Heavenly Court had already fallen. In the real world, the history related to the Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West was erased, leaving only the unavoidable falls of the Demon Lord and the Heavenly Emperor, which spread across all worlds and became known to all.
Meng Qi let out a breath and said, “So that’s how it happened. The Virtuous Heaven尊 isn’t much inferior to the Primordial Heaven尊…”
“Now the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable are nowhere to be found, but the Virtuous Heavenly Venerable still remains in the Journey to the West world.” Sha Wujing said, “Back then, Yang Jian went straight to the doorstep of the Virtuous Heavenly Venerable to seek the ‘Dao De Jing’. The immortal-demon god stayed at the Pillar Mountain because other transcendent beings dared not arbitrarily descend their power into the Journey to the West.”
It turned out that the Journey to the West was the “domain” of Laozi, who was one of the oldest transcendent beings, and no one knew what he was plotting.
Meng Qi opened his mouth, intending to inquire further about the Virtuous Heaven, but ultimately shifted the topic: “I never imagined that after the conclusion of Journey to the West, you didn’t perish in the fall of the Heavenly Court and the destruction of Ling Mountain, but instead became the divine messenger of the Eternal Mother.”
“I have always been under the Eternal Mother’s command,” Sha Wujing said calmly. “First, I infiltrated the Heavenly Court as a spy, serving as the Curtain-Rolling General. Later, I was banished to the mortal world for breaking the Eternal Mother’s glass chalice, transforming into a demon, and eventually becoming a member of the Journey to the West team.”
“Was it intentional?” Meng Qi seemed to understand something.
Sha Wujing rarely showed a slight smile: “The second elder brother was the Heavenly Court’s eyes and ears, so naturally I represented the Eternal Mother’s will, as well as the one behind her at that time.”
He still used the titles of elder brothers.
“The pilgrimage team was truly… truly…” Meng Qi struggled for a long time to find a suitable adjective.
Sha Wujing’s gaze grew profound once more: “Releasing the elder brother and giving him the method to sever the Bodhi Golden Body was truly a masterstroke. Otherwise, our ‘master’ would never have reached Ling Mountain.”
As he spoke, he touched the skull prayer beads on his chest.
“The demons encountered along the way were not merely there to complete the eighty-one trials. The mounts of the Taiyi Heavenly Venerable and the disciples of Maitreya—how easily could they have gone astray…” Meng Qi suddenly realized.
Sha Wujing was silent for a long time before replying, “All of that is in the past.”
He sighed and shifted the topic: “You and your elder brother are quite similar—both stubborn and rebellious. For the sake of pride alone, you’d dare to wreak havoc in Heaven and pierce through the sacred mountains. Yet, there are differences. He is outwardly bold, while you are inwardly restrained. He leans more toward being a demon, while you are closer to a mortal.”
As he spoke, he slowly turned around, heading back toward the Jade Purity Palace. After a few steps, his deep voice drifted back:
“I hope you won’t end up like him, leaving your fate uncertain.”
His voice lingered, filled with sorrow and loneliness.
Watching Sha Wujing vanish into the Jade Void Palace, Meng Qi suddenly exhaled, feeling an unusual sense of weariness.
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