WuKong: The Monkey King

Chapter 38 Layers of Clouds

Tongfeng seemed to understand what was on Wukong's mind and chuckled, "My master is a top figure in the celestial realm. He too believes that the divine monkey race, being creations of the cosmos, are eternal and indestructible. To forcibly annihilate them would incur divine retribution. That clever divine monkey was saved by my master and then introduced to another eminent being. With my master's cultivation and reputation, he believes he has no equal and never speaks falsely."

Wukong nodded, saying, "To have such enlightened individuals in the celestial realm is truly a fortune for all beings."

Tongfeng spoke of his master with great respect, adding, "Without my master, I fear I would still be lost, wandering aimlessly and struggling to survive."

"If what you say is true, we can act with fewer reservations," Wukong replied.

Tongfeng nodded, "Even so, the mission to rescue Wuzhiqi is of great importance and must not be taken lightly." He grabbed a fresh peach from a dish on the table and ate it, saying, "What has kept the Yurong King so delayed, requiring six or seven years?"

"He is beneath the Flower Fruit Mountain, using the earth's fire to forge a magical treasure, which will take six or seven years to complete," Wukong said, unable to suppress a laugh at Tongfeng's voracious eating.

"Six or seven years is not too long," Tongfeng remarked, tossing the peach pit away. "Consider, without guidance from a superior being, how would the Yurong King know how to forge a magical treasure? With our cultivation as Taiyi Golden Immortals and our tribe's robust physical bodies, ordinary treasures are not worth forging. If this treasure is successfully forged, it will astonish the heavens and earth. Haha, our tribe's revival is just around the corner."

"If that's the case, then we'll wait for the Yurong King to complete the treasure. The three of us brothers will go rescue Wuzhiqi together. I've been looking forward to this day for a long time," Wukong said.

Tongfeng laughed heartily, "A mere few decades are like fleeting clouds and dogs; they pass in the blink of an eye. You've only lived for a few years, and yet you speak of long anticipation?"

Wukong realized that he had only been in this world for a few years. Due to being reborn as a spiritually enlightened divine monkey, he had achieved the status of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, a feat unprecedented.

"With nothing pressing, I might as well retreat for cultivation. The art of transformation is unfathomable. Learning one more could be the difference between life and death," Tongfeng said.

Wukong thought to himself that he had never fully dedicated himself to cultivation. After many battles with the Bull Demon King, he had gained much insight. Now, with time on his hands, it was the perfect opportunity to reflect and improve, which would be beneficial in the future.

He returned to the Water Curtain Cave, instructing his followers to manage the cave entrance carefully during his retreat, not allowing any disturbances.

Retreat is an essential practice in the path of cultivation. As one wanders the vast world, it's easy to become distracted and tarnish one's spiritual cultivation. A retreat aims to discard such distractions and focus solely on the path of cultivation, thereby achieving immortality.

Wukong was unaware of the various methods of retreat, such as controlling breath through the Four Great Passages, utilizing light in the White, Red, and Black Passages, selecting protectors, and other necessary preparations.

He simply thought retreating meant quietly improving one's divine powers to a higher realm, not realizing that his focused and undistracted state was in perfect harmony with the natural laws of Dao.