"Envious of Brother Zhu for escaping hardship early. No more talk. Your old brother still has to travel far and wide, court disaster, go mad, and shock more people."
"We'll definitely attend your wedding when we have time."
"Don't forget my wedding candy!"
Seeing that matters here were settled.
Sun Kong wasted no words. After congratulating the two, he returned to New Huaguo Mountain to hand over this drop of Zhu Yishi's essence blood to Wuzhiqi, so that he could consume it later when Journey to the West began.
As for now,
Even though Wuzhiqi had this drop of Zhu Yishi's essence blood and had the opportunity to transfer the heavenly recognition, his cultivation had not yet recovered. It was best to lie low for a few days.
To avoid drawing too much attention.
"Second brother, third brother, don't go out rashly. Big brother is going to take care of some small matters."
"We'll talk later."
Leaving these words behind.
Sun Kong, without waiting for the two to ask how he obtained this drop of essence blood, went out again.
This time.
He was going to find Jin Chanzi.
It was also for the great undertaking of Journey to the West for the three brothers in five hundred years. He had to find Jin Chanzi and negotiate with him thoroughly. If he didn't succeed, he wouldn't stop!
...
Almost at the same time.
On the side of Wa Huang Palace.
Empress Nuwa, who had just accepted two gifts from her godson Sun Kong, after much consideration, despite still having some reservations about the karma of Journey to the West and not wanting to offend anyone, decided to stand up for him this once.
If nothing else.
Just for Sun Kong's obediently calling her "Mother," which was the sweetest word since the immeasurable kalpa, making her extremely happy.
Therefore, as a mother, she had to protect Sun Kong, her mischievous but sometimes serious son.
So.
She instructed the other young boys and girls to stay behind at Wa Huang Palace, leaving all major and minor affairs to her personal twin attendants, Feng'er and Huang'er.
She herself, not daring to be too flamboyant, as that would be disrespectful to the Dao Ancestor.
She changed into a brand new plain dao robe, tied a simple dao bun, and thus left Wa Huang Palace, arriving at the place where the Dao Ancestor, Old Ancestor Hongjun, resided somewhere in the chaotic void –
The Zixiao Palace!
"Are you Empress Nuwa, the mother of the human race, one of the Six Saints?"
As soon as Nuwa landed, before she could even knock on the door to pay her respects, she saw that Old Ancestor Hongjun had clearly foreseen her visit and sent out a child to greet her.
Although this child's cultivation was ordinary, only at the peak of Grand Unity Golden Immortal, and he did not possess any spiritual treasures.
In any other place, he would surely be robbed or bullied.
However, Nuwa dared not be careless. She had to respectfully bow to him. Not for any other reason, but because anyone by the Dao Ancestor's side had a purpose for existence.
The earliest male and female attendants were the current Jade Emperor and Queen Mother. Legend has it that it was because they followed Old Ancestor Hongjun that they obtained the status of the Lord of the Three Realms and the Mother of the Three Realms.
The child in front of her was similar to the Jade Emperor.
Although Nuwa could not deduce what his future fortune would be, for the sake of prudence, whether it was her or the other five saints.
They had always been respectful!
"Thank you, fellow Daoist, for receiving me."
"I am Nuwa. I have something to report to the Dao Ancestor and hope you can help me convey my message."
Nuwa smiled slightly and treated the child with the same courtesy as she would a saint.
Hearing this, the child opposite her showed no expression of joy or displeasure, as if he were a wooden dummy. After nodding, he replied.
"Since Empress Nuwa has arrived, there should be no reason for such neglect. Please come in. The Dao Ancestor has been waiting for you for a long time."
After speaking.
Unlike the children in other parts of the Great Desolation Three Realms, this child did not demand bribes or any other gestures before opening the door.
Instead, he opened the gate of Zixiao Palace by himself. After Nuwa entered, he closed the gate again.
He then disappeared without a sound.
Truly worthy of being a child trained by Old Ancestor Hongjun.
His cultivation was not high.
But this innate naturalness and purity of cultivation were something that even ordinary quasi-saints might not be able to match!
"Dao Ancestor Master already knew I was coming?"
"If that's the case, he should also know about the three matters my godson Sun Monkey mentioned. I just don't know how he will answer."
Nuwa looked at the child with approval as he left, thinking that if her own disciples were like him, she wouldn't have to worry every day.
Coming back to her senses.
Nuwa dared not have any other improper thoughts within Zixiao Palace. She immediately walked with small steps, passed through the courtyard after the gate, and entered the even simpler backyard.
From a distance, she saw an old Daoist with a cold, neither black nor white face sitting on a worn-out meditation cushion that was more humble than a coin in the mortal world.
He was no other than.
Just like his attendant child, neither happy nor sad, but the chief of the Seven Saints who controlled the Jade Disk of Creation and the rules of Heaven –
The Heavenly Dao Saint, the Dao Ancestor, Old Ancestor Hongjun!
No matter which title, it made no difference to him.
After all, within the entire Great Desolation Three Realms, except for the anomaly, Sun Kong, nothing and no one could escape his control!
Of course, due to recent changes, the group of new Six-Eared Macaques had also become the second existence that Hongjun, after many years of inaction, could not deduce.
However, he did not explicitly state this.
Nor did he hint at it to any of the saints.
It was only when Nuwa came to visit today that he showed a rare knowing smile, preemptively answering her doubts!
"Are you here for Sun Monkey's three matters?"
"Dao Ancestor is wise. I am indeed worried about this. Sun Monkey is becoming more and more mischievous lately. He doesn't intend to disrupt Journey to the West, but he has caused other troubles, and I fear it will trouble you, Old Ancestor."
"It's nothing, it's nothing. This poor Daoist already knows all the changes in destiny. There's no need to target this Sun Monkey. On the contrary, the more lively and mischievous he is, the more beneficial it is for Journey to the West."
"As for the reason, you don't need to ask any further. Just watch the show quietly."
"Regarding his three questions, this poor Daoist can only answer you this way."
"First, although the Journey to the West kalpa is determined by fate, due to recent heavenly changes, the destiny has also changed, and the candidates for the Tang Monk and his four disciples plus the horse are no longer fixed."
"If he has the ability to obtain the destiny and foundation of the original Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the White Dragon Horse, then let him do so."
"Second, the matter of the Demon Race is of great consequence. Do not provoke it excessively. This matter will be handled by this poor Daoist. You may return and wait patiently." After speaking.
After speaking.
Old Ancestor Hongjun had no intention of saying another word.
He re-entered a state of meditation.
As if he no longer existed in this world.
Seeing this, although Nuwa was very afraid that Sun Kong would be in danger, there was nothing she could do. She had to leave obediently.
Who would have thought.
Shortly after she left, Old Ancestor Hongjun, who had appeared to be meditating just a moment ago, had a glint of unknown coldness in his eyes!
"This Sun Monkey is becoming more and more restless, which is a good thing."
"However, if he accidentally provokes Rahu's three successors, and that new Six-Eared Macaque that even this poor Daoist cannot understand, then it will be troublesome."
"We need to make some small moves..."