In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

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Wuji Daoist was treated with the respect due to a junior, since Zhang Xiaoshan was a disciple of the Dao Ancestor, and Zhen Yuanzi was on equal footing with the Three Pure Ones, so Wuji Daoist was naturally a junior.

"The disciples of the Dao Ancestor truly live up to their reputation!"

"The Emperor has only been in the Heavenly Court for a thousand years, yet he has already reached the late stage of the Heavenly Venerable realm. Congratulations!"

Although the Four Emperors hold a prestigious position, no one in the lower realm builds temples for them or spreads their faith, so their worship is not thriving, and their cultivation speed is not as fast as that of the true gods.

However, the Four Emperors hold a prestigious position, starting with the Great Luo Heavenly Venerable.

The initial height alone is something that even the most righteous gods cannot reach.

Moreover, the Celestial Venerable governs the education of all living beings and suppresses a region; the source of his power is not solely from faith and incense offerings. However, faith and incense offerings are definitely cheat codes that accelerate cultivation. For example, without the spread of the Xuanzhen Temple, Emperor Donghua would likely have found it difficult to even reach the mid-stage of the Celestial Venerable realm.

On the other hand, it also reflects Donghua Dijun's understanding of the Taiqing Divine Talisman and the Great Dao of Yin and Yang, which is not merely about burning incense and creating a golden body.

"Great Immortal, you flatter me. I am but a humble disciple, and my offerings are but a few strokes of luck..."

"Alright, alright... Old Donghua, let's save the tree first and get my master out of trouble. Then you can catch up."

Seeing the two start arguing, Sun Wukong became anxious and couldn't wait any longer.

Wuji Daoist smiled calmly and bowed to Zhen Yuanzi, saying:

"That mischievous monkey can't wait any longer."

"Great Immortal, I will first heal the ginseng fruit tree, and then I will seek your guidance and discuss the Dao."

"Alright!"

Zhen Yuanzi waved his whisk and bowed in greeting.

He understood Zhang Xiaoshan's calculations. A little bit of Earth Essence meant nothing to him; forming a good relationship was far more powerful than the power of Guanyin in the South China Sea.

Chapter 144 The Five Elements Perfected, the Great Luo Realm is Within Reach

"Your Majesty, this is the Ginseng Fruit Tree."

The group arrived at the backyard, where they saw a powerful ancient tree, approximately fourteen or fifteen zhang in length and three zhang in diameter, lying sprawled to one side. Its roots resembled gnarled dragons, its branches like dragons and phoenixes, and its ancient leaves were speckled with gold…

Even Tang Sanzang, upon witnessing this scene, couldn't help but chant "Amitabha" and lament Sun Wukong's waste of talent.

According to the descriptions of the two children, Qingfeng and Mingyue, this ancient tree is a spiritual root of heaven and earth that existed since the creation of the world, and it bears fruit every ten thousand years. It is a divine object that can grant immortality if consumed.

This sacred tree was thus destroyed by the monkey.

It is clear that the monkey's inherent bad habits have not been eradicated.

"Please wait a moment, Great Immortal!"

As Wuji Daoist waved his sleeve, a Yin-Yang Taiji diagram appeared above the ancient tree.

As Yin and Yang rotate, the evolution of all things can be vaguely seen.

Immediately, everyone saw thousands of wisps of purple mist descend from the Yin-Yang Taiji diagram. Apart from Zhen Yuanzi, all the "920" members felt that the Yin-Yang Dao contained within was vast and full of vitality.

At this moment, Daoist Wuji threw out the Jade Purification Bottle again, and drops of the Three Lights Divine Water turned into a light drizzle, sprinkling around the ancient tree.

In an instant, the ginseng fruit tree was enveloped in a radius of ten feet by nine-colored celestial essence and countless rays of light.

"What a trick!"

Yin and Yang give rise to all things, and the Three Lights Divine Water contains boundless vitality.

By combining supernatural powers with spiritual objects, everyone saw the once withered ancient tree begin to bloom with life, which made Sun Wukong overjoyed.

We definitely didn't hire the wrong person.

Then, the tree roots began to take hold in the ground, the branches slowly straightened, and at the same time, golden light rose from the ground, transforming into embryos like unborn babies in a ten-month pregnancy.

Everyone who saw this showed a look of joy on their faces.

"Amitabha! Thank you, Your Majesty, for saving the Ginseng Fruit Tree!"

"You're too kind, it's nothing."

The scattered branches and leaves nearby were also easily collected by Wuji Daoren, who pretended not to see them, even though Sun Wukong and Zhen Yuanzi noticed them.

After all, the vitality sprouted by the Three Lights Divine Water nourished the ginseng fruit tree, so it could be considered a blessing in disguise.

This loss is nothing compared to the Three Lights Divine Water.

"Master, there are exactly twenty-eight fruits on the table. We have wronged the Great Sage Sun!"

At this moment, Qingfeng and Mingyue finished counting the fruit and bowed their heads to Zhen Yuanzi.

However, Sun Wukong smiled brightly. He naturally knew what had happened, so he did not blame Qingfeng and Mingyue.

Otherwise, if we really investigate, none of the people present are idiots.

Then Zhen Yuanzi gave ten ginseng fruits, three each to himself and Wuji Daoren, and one to each of Sun Wukong and his disciples, and hosted a banquet for everyone.

Meanwhile, Tang Sanzang's ginseng fruit was stolen by Zhu Bajie.

After all, it was like a ten-month-old embryo; Tang Sanzang could only chant Amitabha Buddha's name upon seeing it.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! The Five Elements are now complete; the Great Luo Realm is within reach!"

At the banquet, Zhen Yuanzi raised his cup to congratulate Emperor Donghua.

Zhang Xiaoshan condensed the five elements with the essence of the innate five elements spiritual roots. Although his foundation was not as good as those of the innate gods and demons, his pure yang divine body made him one of the best among the younger generation.

Given his luck and comprehension, it's not impossible for him to surpass the realm of a Celestial Venerable and even reach the realm of a Sect Leader.

"Great Immortal, you flatter me. The perfection of the Five Elements is merely the perfection of the Taiyi realm."

To attain the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top and realize the Great Luo Realm, one needs immense fortune, great merit, and great opportunity. Countless cultivators in the Three Realms spend their entire lives lingering outside this realm.

"This great fortune and merit may be an insurmountable barrier for others, but for you, fellow Daoist, it is something you have no shortage of."

The two flattered each other, which made Sun Wukong feel disgusted.

However, Sun Wukong's fear of Chunyangzi was second only to that of the Great Sun Tathagata.

After all, all three incarnations are top-tier experts, and now the main body is about to reach the perfection of the five elements, and it is only a matter of time before it steps into the legendary Great Luo realm that transcends everything.

Such a powerful figure is someone he absolutely cannot afford to offend.

Otherwise, a Jade Warrior could teach it how to be a monkey.

"By the way, Old Man Donghua, what is your relationship with that monkey who impersonates me, Old Sun?"

Although the identity of the Six-Eared Macaque is extremely secretive, the hidden clues point directly to the Xuanzhen Temple.

Pigsy and Sandy also looked at Emperor Donghua.

What level is the monkey impersonating Sun Wukong?

That was a top-tier demon king who ruled over countless demons in the Eastern Continent, whose strength was at least no less than that of Sun Wukong, and who was by no means a simple being in the Three Realms.

But they had never heard of such a powerful demon monkey before when they were in the Heavenly Realm.

He is comparable to the Bull Demon King and the Golden-Winged Roc, and his strength has already surpassed that of Sun Wukong.

"The origin of that monkey is unknown, but it will eventually come into contact with you, and the cause and effect between you will be understood on the journey to the west."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's expression turned solemn.

Although it looked down on the monkey impersonating it, Sun Wukong knew that someone who could rival the Bull Demon King was definitely no less powerful than it.

Moreover, the monkey sits with four demon kings, seventy-two cave masters, and countless demons... If they were to encounter them on the journey to the west, they would be far more formidable than the Black Bear Spirit and the Yellow Wind Monster, absolutely the most troublesome opponents.

"Will that monkey impersonating me, Old Sun, be waiting for me up ahead?"

"Very well, I, Old Sun, have long wanted to meet it."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy and Sandy's expressions immediately turned ugly, clearly indicating that they were about to suffer another beating.

···

After leaving Wuzhuang Temple, Emperor Donghua returned to the Eastern Heavenly Realm.

However, the strength revealed by Emperor Donghua this time also shook the entire Three Realms. No one expected that Emperor Donghua, who had always lived in seclusion, had already reached the level of a top-tier Heavenly Venerable.

Although the Celestial Venerable is not the same as the Great Luo, transcending the Three Realms and the River of Time.

However, within the Three Realms, the strength of top-tier Celestial Venerables is by no means inferior to that of Great Luo Realm experts, and may even surpass it.

After all, a Celestial Venerable can mobilize the power of the Heavenly Dao. For example, a Great Celestial Venerable or one of the Four Emperors can unleash power exceeding that of a Great Luo Immortal even if they are at the Celestial Venerable level.

The news that Chunyangzi's five elements were about to be perfected also spread throughout the upper echelons of the Heavenly Realm.

Ren Water Peach, Yellow Plum, Ginseng Fruit, Hibiscus Tree, Bodhi Branch!

The Huangzhong plum and the ginseng fruit were alright, but the Renshui peach that transformed into 2.0 peach trees, the mysterious Fusang tree, and the Bodhi branch that was the true form of the Western Sect Master were all things that even the most powerful supernatural beings couldn't help but marvel at Chunyangzi's extraordinary opportunities.

If it weren't for the monkey's havoc in the Heavenly Palace, would one want a Bodhi branch?

It's impossible for the Supreme Dao Ancestor to do such a favor simply for Zhang Xiaoshan.

Moreover, Huangzhongli is related to the Queen Mother of the West, the Ginseng Fruit Tree is related to Zhen Yuanzi, and the Fusang Tree is even more complicated, but unexpectedly, Zhang Xiaoshan has collected all of them.

With the luck and merits Zhang Xiaoshan has accumulated over the years, no one doubts whether Zhang Xiaoshan is capable of stepping into the threshold of the Great Luo realm.

Those who are direct descendants of the Dao Ancestor, aren't they all seeds of the Great Luo?

"It's time to break through to the seventh rank!"

Inside the Kunlun Temple, Chonglou opened his bright eyes and looked westward with a resolute expression.

The journey to the West is fraught with eighty-one tribulations, but upon reaching the Western Paradise, one tribulation remains elusive.

This ordeal also led to the damage of the true scriptures, which was the will of Heaven. However, Chonglou decided to make up for this ordeal and at the same time, with the help of the great fortune of Buddhism, he broke through to the seventh level of the profound skill.

Chapter 145 Preaching the Way and Traveling West

Chechi Kingdom, Sanqing Temple!

As the embodiment of Zhang Xiaoshan's Qi, Chonglou, even as the God of War of Jade Frontier, cannot easily make a move.

Moreover, the God of War of Jade Frontier is to guard Kunlun Mountain for a thousand years.

At this time, only six hundred years had passed in the human world, and it was not yet time for them to emerge from the mountains.

However, Buddhism has a fatal weakness: the several Taoist temples that appeared there all met with bad ends. The Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord of Huanghua Temple, the Ruyi True Immortal of Juxian Nunnery, the Tiger-Power, Deer-Power, and Sheep-Power Immortals of Sanqing Hall…

These things may seem insignificant, but with a little manipulation, Zhang Xiaoshan had a reason to act.

Just like the three Taoist priests standing in front of Chonglou at this moment.

"Tiger Power (Deer Power, Sheep Power) greets the Great Immortal!"

The three demons looked at the guardian deity with gleaming golden armor before them, their eyes filled with longing.

Although it wasn't the Three Pure Ones descending to earth as they had imagined, the guardian deity was still quite impressive. At least the aura of the guardian deity before them was so powerful that they didn't even have the will to resist; it was terrifying beyond measure.

“It is truly rare for you mountain beasts to be able to devote yourselves to the Dao.”

However, you have misunderstood the true meaning of Taoism and gone astray, causing you to be entangled in karmic consequences. If you are not careful, you will fall into the cycle of reincarnation and never be able to escape.

The God of War of Jade Frontier raised 19 fingers and pointed, and immediately a section of the orthodox Xuanmen cultivation method—the Xuanzhen Essentials—was added to the primordial spirits of the three demons!

This is a Xuanmen Immortal Technique deduced by Zhang Xiaoshan by combining the Taiqing Immortal Technique!

In addition, it also includes the merit system of Xuanzhen Temple, the methods of helping people, the rules of spreading the Tao, and how to enlighten people.

Does it matter whether these three demons are truly devoted to the Dao?

What is the purpose of mortals cultivating Tao?

Like the three demons, they were mostly pursuing immortality.

As long as he can restrain his evil thoughts and benefit the local people, does it matter to Zhang Xiaoshan whether he is a human or a demon?

Sometimes, the complexity of the human heart is not as great as the purity of a demon.

"We thank the great immortal!"

After receiving the profound secrets passed down by Zhang Xiaoshan, the three demons immediately kowtowed.

Only then did they realize that all their previous efforts had been in vain; they had no chance of inviting the Three Pure Ones to descend to earth, nor were they qualified to do so.

Only by following Zhang Xiaoshan's teachings, re-cultivating, and establishing correct Taoist concepts can they possibly achieve immortality and attain enlightenment.

"You will face a calamity in the future. If you can overcome it, you can hope to attain immortality."