bioinnovel Chapter 323 Enlightenment through the Spiritual Platform, Tempering the Body with Thunder and Fire,
Chapter 323 Enlightenment through the Spiritual Platform, Tempering the Body with Thunder and Fire,
After saying goodbye at the South Heavenly Gate, Patriarch Bodhi led Sun Wukong and Su Fan back to the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars.
Deep inside the cave, the statue had vanished, replaced by a stone platform.
The stone platform was not large, about three zhang square, and was covered with densely packed runes.
The runes were ancient, older than any runes Su Fan had ever seen, and they shimmered faintly on the stone platform.
Bodhi Patriarch sat cross-legged on the stone platform, gesturing for Sun Wukong and Su Fan to sit opposite him.
The two sat down cross-legged, with Sun Wukong on the left and Su Fan on the right.
The cave was quiet, with only the murals on the cave walls glowing.
The Bodhi Patriarch in the painting is in a different pose in every scene; some are meditating, some are preaching, some are practicing swordsmanship, and some are gazing at the stars.
Looking at the murals, Su Fan felt a strange, indescribable feeling welling up inside him.
Those murals are not paintings, they are the Tao.
The Bodhi Patriarch spoke.
"Wukong, you've followed me for three years, learning the Seventy-Two Transformations, the Somersault Cloud, and the art of immortality. But do you know why I only taught you for three years?"
Sun Wukong shook his head. "This disciple does not know."
Bodhi Patriarch smiled.
"Because three years is enough. You are exceptionally intelligent and have a high level of comprehension. In these three years, I have taught you everything I can. The rest is up to you to figure out for yourself."
He looked at Su Fan.
"Envoy of the Gods, and what about you? What path do you cultivate?"
Su Fan remained silent for a long time.
He recalled the path he had walked. From Blue Star to the Outer Heavens, from a Divine Master to the mid-stage of the Primordial Chaos Realm. He had killed, saved, been hunted, and hunted others.
He detonated fragments of the Pangu Axe, activated the Eastern Emperor Bell, and stood to the end amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
He thought for a moment and said, "I cultivate the path of living."
Bodhi Patriarch paused, taken aback. "The Way of Living?"
Su Fan nodded.
"Yes. Live. No matter what happens, you must live. If the enemy is too strong, you have to live to have a chance to turn the tide. If your friends are dead, you have to live to avenge them. If the primordial world is about to perish, you have to live to protect it."
Bodhi Patriarch remained silent for a long time, and then he smiled.
"What a profound Dao of living! Living is indeed the greatest Dao. Pangu created the world to keep it alive. Nuwa created humanity to keep humankind alive. You fight desperately to keep the primordial world alive. Living is the Dao."
He raised his hand, and the runes on the stone platform suddenly lit up. The light converged, transforming into a series of images.
The scenes flashed before Su Fan and Sun Wukong's eyes like a revolving lantern: Pangu creating the world, Nuwa creating humans, Fuxi drawing the trigrams, Shennong tasting herbs, the Yellow Emperor battling Chiyou, and Zhuanxu controlling the floods.
The voice of the Bodhi Patriarch echoed in the cave.
"The Way is not something you learn, but something you realize. What I can teach you is only the method. The true Way resides within your own hearts."
Sun Wukong's eyes grew brighter as he looked at the images.
He saw his master teaching him skills, he saw himself becoming king of Flower Fruit Mountain, he saw himself causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace, he saw himself being suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain, he saw himself following Tang Sanzang to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures, and he saw himself fighting in the Outer Heavens.
All the images flowed past him like a river.
Sun Wukong suddenly laughed. "I, Old Sun, understand."
Bodhi Patriarch looked at him. "What do you understand?"
Sun Wukong stood up and walked to the center of the stone platform. He sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes.
"My path, Old Sun, is war. I've been fighting since birth—fighting against heaven, earth, men, demons, gods, Buddhas, and monsters. My life has been one of fighting. Therefore, my path, Old Sun, is war."
Bodhi Patriarch nodded.
"Good. The way of war is also a way. Sit down and comprehend it."
Sun Wukong closed his eyes and stopped speaking. His body began to glow, and his aura began to rise, from the early stage of Hunyuan to the peak of the early stage of Hunyuan, from the peak of the early stage of Hunyuan to the middle stage of Hunyuan, and from the middle stage of Hunyuan to the peak of the middle stage of Hunyuan.
Su Fan sat to the side, watching Sun Wukong break through, feeling both surprised and delighted.
What's astonishing is how fast Sun Wukong's breakthroughs were, so fast it's unbelievable. What's gratifying is that Sun Wukong finally found his own path.
Sun Wukong's aura stopped at the peak of the mid-stage of Hunyuan, and then he began to break through to the late stage of Hunyuan.
But just then, a loud noise came from outside the cave.
Rumble!
Bodhi Patriarch looked up at the outside of the cave.
"Nine Heavens Thunder Tribulation. Wukong is about to break through; the heavenly tribulation has arrived."
Su Fan's expression changed. The Nine Heavens Thunder Tribulation was a tribulation encountered only when breaking through to the Primordial Chaos Realm.
If you overcome it, you will achieve great things. If you fail to overcome it, you will be reduced to ashes.
Sun Wukong stood up and walked out of the cave. His eyes were calm.
"Master, I'm off."
Bodhi Patriarch nodded.
"Go. Remember, the way of war is not about reckless fighting. It is about fighting without yielding, fighting without dying."
Sun Wukong smiled. "This disciple has remembered."
He walked out of the cave and stood on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.
The sky was covered with dark clouds, and thunder rumbled. Nine bolts of lightning struck, each stronger and more ferocious than the last.
When the first bolt of lightning struck, Sun Wukong didn't dodge. He stood there and withstood it.
Lightning exploded on his body, cracking his golden armor, but he remained unmoved.
The second, the third, the fourth. Each one more ferocious, each one more ruthless than the last.
When the fifth bolt of lightning struck, blood trickled from the corner of Sun Wukong's mouth. But he was still smiling.
The sixth, the seventh, the eighth. His golden armor shattered, his golden crown flew off, and his entire body was charred black, like a piece of burnt charcoal. But he still stood.
When the ninth bolt of lightning struck, the sky and earth changed color, and the sun and moon lost their light.
That bolt of lightning, like a thunder dragon, swooped down from the heavens, threatening to devour everything.
Sun Wukong roared to the sky, "Well done!"
He raised his golden cudgel and smashed it down on the bolt of lightning.
The rod and the thunder collided, boom—!!!
A deafening roar shook the heavens, and the entire Lingtai Fangcun Mountain trembled. The lightning shattered. Sun Wukong shattered as well. His body was torn to pieces.
Su Fan's expression changed drastically. "Great Sage!"
Bodhi Patriarch pressed down on his shoulder. "Don't rush. Look."
Those shattered bodies did not dissipate. They spun in the air and reformed.
One piece, two pieces, three pieces—all the fragments were pieced together again to create a new Sun Wukong.
Early stage of Hunyuan.
Sun Wukong stood atop the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, looking up at the sky and roaring. The roar shook the heavens, even scattering the dark clouds above.
The sunlight shone down on him, making him glitter like gold.
Bodhi Patriarch smiled.
"Good. The Way of War is complete."
Sun Wukong returned to the cave and walked up to Su Fan. "Kid, it's your turn."
Su Fan felt relieved, stood up, and walked to the center of the stone platform. He sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes.
He recalled the words of the Bodhi Patriarch.
The Way resides within one's own heart.
He asked himself, what is my path? To live? What is the purpose of living? For my friends? For the primordial world? For those who have died?
He thought of the Taoist disciples who died outside the South Heavenly Gate, the Buddhist disciples who died in Xiniu Hezhou, the elite demons who died in Beiju Luzhou, and the human warriors who died in Nanzhanbuzhou.
They are dead, but they live on. They live on in his heart.
He thought of Lin Qingge, the Ziwei Emperor, the Yellow Emperor, the Yan Emperor, and Chi You. They were waiting for him to return.
He opened his eyes. "I understand."
Bodhi Patriarch looked at him. "What do you understand?"
Su Fan stood up.
"My path is not about living. It's about protecting. Living is for the sake of protecting. Protecting friends, protecting family, protecting the primordial world, protecting what those who have died left behind."
Bodhi Patriarch remained silent for a long time, and then he smiled.
"Good. Guarding the Way is also the Way. Sit down and comprehend it."
Su Fan closed his eyes. His body began to glow, and his aura began to slowly rise, from the mid-stage of Hunyuan to the peak of the mid-stage of Hunyuan, from the peak of the mid-stage of Hunyuan to the late stage of Hunyuan, and from the late stage of Hunyuan to the peak of the late stage of Hunyuan.
Then, he began his attempt to break through to the Dao Realm.
Thunder rumbled again outside the cave. But this time, the thunder was different from the one that struck Sun Wukong.
This time, the lightning is black.
Black lightning struck the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, causing the mountain to tremble.
Bodhi Patriarch's expression changed.
"Nine Netherworld Annihilation Thunder. This kid has attracted a heavenly tribulation ten times stronger than Wukong's."
Sun Wukong's expression also changed. "Master, can he withstand it?"
Bodhi Patriarch shook his head.
"I don't know. The Nine Netherworld Annihilation Lightning is the strongest heavenly tribulation in the Three Realms. If you can overcome it, you will reach the Dao Realm. If you can't, your soul will be scattered."
Su Fan walked out of the cave and stood on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.
Dark clouds loomed overhead, and thunder rumbled overhead.
When the first bolt of lightning struck, Su Fan didn't dodge. He stood there and withstood it.
Lightning exploded on his body, and the Pangu Armor shone with golden light, blocking most of the damage.
But he was still struck and forced back three steps, a mouthful of blood gushing from his mouth.
If the first one is this strong, how will the others withstand it?
When the second bolt of lightning struck, Su Fan moved. He didn't try to withstand it head-on; instead, he used the Immortal Execution Sword to block it.
Sword and lightning collided, boom—!!!
The Zhuxian Sword was deflected, and lightning struck him, blasting his left arm into a bloody mess.
When the third bolt of heavenly lightning struck, Su Fan used the Eastern Emperor Bell to block it.
The bell and the thunder collided, boom—!!!
The Eastern Emperor Bell was flung away, and lightning struck him, crippling his right arm.
The fourth, the fifth, and the sixth.
Each one was fiercer and more ruthless than the last.
Su Fan was covered in wounds, his flesh mangled and bloody, but he still stood. His sword was broken, his armor shattered, his bell flew away, but he still stood.
When the seventh bolt of lightning struck, Su Fan had nothing left to block it.
He could only use his body to withstand it. The lightning struck him, tearing his body to pieces.
But those open wounds slowly healed in the golden light.
Pangu's armor shattered, but Pangu's power remained within him.
That force was helping him repair his body.
When the eighth bolt of lightning struck, the sky and earth changed color.
That lightning bolt didn't strike down; it crashed down like a mountain falling from the heavens.
Su Fan roared to the sky. "Come on!"
He rushed forward and used his body to crash into the lightning bolt.
boom--!!!
Su Fan's body was blown to pieces, with blood and flesh flying everywhere.
Before Su Fan could even stand firmly, the ninth bolt of heavenly lightning struck down.
This lightning bolt wasn't black; it was blood red.
Karmic Fire and Heavenly Thunder.
Thunder within fire, fire within thunder. Thunder and fire intertwine, burning everything in their path.
Su Fan's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected the ninth heavenly lightning bolt to be karmic fire.
The fire of karma burns not the body, but the soul.
The body can be reassembled if it breaks, but if the soul breaks, you are truly dead.
The lightning struck him, but his body was not shattered; instead, his soul burned.
That kind of pain is ten thousand times worse than being torn apart.
His soul, like a candle, was being roasted over a fire, melting away little by little.
Su Fan gritted his teeth.
He cannot die. If he dies, what will happen to Lin Qingge? What will happen to the Ziwei Emperor? What will happen to the Yellow Emperor? What will happen to the Yan Emperor? What will happen to all those who have died? He promised them he would return alive.
He closed his eyes, using all his strength to protect his soul. That protective power surged within him.
It was like a shell, enclosing Su Fan's soul inside.
The karmic fire burned the shell, and the shell melted, but the melting speed was very slow.
One floor, two floors, three floors.
The karmic fire burned through one layer of the shell, but there was a second. And after that, a third. Su Fan used all his strength to reinforce that shell layer by layer.
After an unknown amount of time, the karmic fire finally burned away. Only a wisp of Su Fan's soul remained. He was so close to death.
He opened his eyes and found himself standing on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.
The dark clouds in the sky dispersed, and the sunlight shone down, warming him.
The first level of Dao realm.
Bodhi Patriarch stood at the entrance of the cave, looking at him with eyes full of satisfaction.
"Good. The Path of Protection is complete."
Sun Wukong rushed over and hugged him tightly. "Kid! You're not dead!"
Su Fan laughed. "I told you, I'm tough."
He pushed Sun Wukong aside, walked to Bodhi Patriarch, and knelt down.
"Thank you, Senior Bodhi."
Bodhi Patriarch helped him up.
"No need to thank me. You figured out the way yourself, and you overcame the tribulations on your own. I only pointed out the path."
He looked at Su Fan, then at Sun Wukong.
"Both of you have just broken through, and your foundations are unstable. You need to go into seclusion to consolidate your cultivation."
Su Fan nodded. "Okay."
Sun Wukong nodded. "Okay."
Bodhi Patriarch pointed to the depths of the cave.
"There is a secret chamber there, which I used for seclusion back then. Go in, and you are not allowed to come out until your cultivation is stable."
Su Fan and Sun Wukong exchanged a glance and entered the secret chamber.
The secret chamber was small, about ten zhang square. The walls were covered with runes, which emitted a faint light that illuminated the entire chamber.
In the center of the secret room were two prayer cushions. Su Fan sat on the left cushion, and Sun Wukong sat on the right cushion.
Bodhi Patriarch stood at the entrance of the secret chamber.
"You will be in seclusion for at least three years, and up to ten years. You can come out whenever you have stabilized your cultivation."
Bodhi Patriarch closed the door and left.
Su Fan closed his eyes and began to cultivate.
The first level of the Dao Realm is completely different from the Primordial Chaos Realm.
The Primordial Chaos Realm uses physical strength. The Dao Realm uses the Dao.
His path is to protect.
The power of protection surged within him, flowing slowly like a river.
He guided the river, letting it flow through his entire body. With each flow, his cultivation level became more stable.
Sun Wukong was also cultivating.
His path is war.
The power of battle surged within him, like a sharp, incomparably powerful blade.
He guided the knife, honing his own strength and power. With each refinement, his cultivation became more stable.
One year, two years, three years. Three years have passed, and Su Fan's cultivation has stabilized by half, while Sun Wukong's cultivation has stabilized by more than half.
Five years, six years, seven years.
Seven years have passed. Su Fan's cultivation has stabilized significantly, and Sun Wukong's cultivation has become completely stable. But he didn't go out; he sat on the futon, waiting for Su Fan.
Eight years, nine years, ten years.
Ten years have passed.
Su Fan opened his eyes. His aura, at the first level of the Dao Realm, was as steady as a rock.
He stood up and stretched his limbs.
Having not moved for ten years, his body was stiff. Sun Wukong also stood up and stretched his limbs.
"It's been ten years," Su Fan said.
Sun Wukong nodded. "Ten years."
They emerged from the secret chamber. The cave was empty. Bodhi Patriarch was not there. On the stone platform lay a letter.
Sun Wukong picked up the letter and opened it. The letter contained only a few words: "Your master has gone to the Southern Heavenly Gate. Come quickly after you emerge from seclusion."
Su Fan and Sun Wukong exchanged a glance and walked out of the cave.
Lingtai Fangcun Mountain remains unchanged.
Green pines and cypresses, birdsong and fragrant flowers.
But the sea below the mountain has changed.
The seawater was no longer black, but blue.
The blue sea sparkled in the sunlight. Boats sailed on the sea, and fishermen were fishing.
Su Fan was stunned.
Ten years ago, this sea was black and barren.
Ten years later, it turned blue. There were fish, boats, and people.
Sun Wukong was also stunned. "What...what's going on?"
Su Fan shook his head. "I don't know. Let's go down and take a look."
They flew to the seaside. There was a small town on the seaside.
The town is small, with only a few hundred households. The streets are bustling with people.
Su Fan landed in front of an inn and went inside.
The innkeeper was a chubby middle-aged man who rushed over to greet Su Fan and Sun Wukong.
"Gentlemen, would you like to have a meal or stay the night?"
Su Fan said, "Just stopping by for a bite. And to ask you something."
The owner smiled and led them to a table, serving them tea.
"What would you like to ask, sir?"
Su Fan looked out the window at the sea.
"When did this sea turn blue?"
The boss paused for a moment, then laughed.
"Sir, you must be from out of town. This sea was black ten years ago. But then, an old sage came. The old sage stood on the shore, chanted a few incantations, and the sea turned blue. From then on, there were fish in the sea, boats on the shore, and we people had a way to make a living."
Su Fan's heart skipped a beat. "An old immortal? What does he look like?"
The boss thought about it.
"White hair and beard, wearing a Taoist robe, holding a whisk in his hand. He looked like a living immortal, with an otherworldly air about him."
Su Fan and Sun Wukong exchanged a glance. The Bodhi Patriarch. He had been here.
The boss continued.
"Before the old immortal left, he left a message. He said that ten years later, two people would come. One would wear golden armor, and the other would carry a sword. He told us to treat them well."
Su Fan smiled. "Bodhi Patriarch, you've foreseen everything."
Just as he was about to speak, a sudden exclamation came from outside.
"Run! The demonic dragon is coming!"
Su Fan's expression changed, and he rushed out.
At the seaside, the seawater churned and the waves surged. A gigantic dragon burst forth from the sea, its body a thousand feet long, entirely black, and covered in scales.
Its eyes are blood red.
Dao Realm Level Two.
The dragon opened its mouth and spewed a jet of water towards the town. The water jet, like a dragon, covered the sky and the earth.
Su Fan unleashed a sword strike.
The sword light collided with the water column, boom—!!!
The water column shattered, turning into a shower of water droplets.
The demonic dragon looked at Su Fan and sneered.
"First level of the Dao Realm? You dare to block my way?"
Su Fan didn't speak. He picked up his sword and walked towards the demonic dragon.
The demonic dragon slammed down with its claw, its shadow as large as a mountain, blotting out the sky and the sun.
Su Fan neither dodged nor evaded, but instead unleashed a sword strike.
Sword light and claw shadow collided, Boom—!!!
Su Fan took three steps back, while the demonic dragon took one step back.
The demonic dragon's expression changed. "A mere first-level Dao Realm cultivator can withstand a single claw strike from me?"
Su Fan laughed. "Second level of the Dao Realm, is that all?"
The demonic dragon was enraged. "You're courting death!"
It opened its mouth and spewed a breath of dragon fire at Su Fan.
Dragon breath is black and carries the power to corrode everything.
Su Fan neither dodged nor evaded, but instead unleashed a sword strike.
The sword light and dragon breath collided, boom—!!!
The dragon's breath was split in two, but the sword light did not diminish, and it struck the demonic dragon.
puff!
A wound cut diagonally from the dragon's shoulder to its waist, and blood gushed out.
The demonic dragon let out a miserable cry and was sent flying backward. It struggled to its feet, looking at Su Fan with eyes full of fear.
"you……"
Su Fan, carrying his sword, walked towards it.
"Did you ruin this sea?"
The demonic dragon nodded. "Yes, yes, it is I..."
Su Fan asked, "Did you kill those fishermen?"
The demonic dragon nodded again. "Yes, yes, it is I..."
Su Fan raised his sword. "That's right."
With a single stroke of his sword, the dragon's head flew off, blood gushed forth, and its corpse fell to the ground.
The sea returned to calm. In the small town, everyone looked at Su Fan with awe in their eyes.
Su Fan sheathed his sword and turned to look at Sun Wukong.
"Let's go. To the South Heavenly Gate. Patriarch Bodhi is waiting for us."
Sun Wukong nodded, and the two of them took to the air and flew towards the South Heavenly Gate.