"Where did this arrogant fellow come from?"

Behind the Buddha's Patriarch, a handsome young Daoist could not help but angrily rebuke: "Judging by your looks, you've only just begun cultivating the Immortal Path not long ago. How dare you cause trouble here in the Three Star Cave..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yu Yuan had already looked over at him.

With just that one glance, the young Daoist seemed as if struck by lightning, as though he had seen some terrifying scene. His body began to tremble violently, and even his complexion became deathly pale in an instant, the rest of his words naturally stuck in his throat.

"Misfortune comes from the mouth."

The Buddha's Patriarch sighed softly, it was unclear if he was talking about the young Daoist or about himself.

With a light flick of his horsetail whisk, he instructed two children: "Take him back to rest. He was merely stricken in heart and spirit—some nurturing for a few days should be sufficient for recovery."

After speaking, he turned his head to Yu Yuan: "I was merely joking with my dear Daoist friend earlier. If I've offended in any way, I hope for your generous forgiveness.

However, this monkey has trudged over mountains and through waters all the way from the Dongsheng Divine Continent to my dojo, seeking True Immortal in such a devoted pursuit of the Dao, so I cannot simply turn him away from my door.

I kindly ask for your magnanimity, my friend, to allow him to enter my sect."

Yu Yuan glanced at him, tauntingly said: "Since you're so keen on taking him as your disciple, what were you waiting for until now?"

"..."

The Buddha's Patriarch was speechless.

He indeed had known for quite a while that the monkey was coming to seek discipleship, but taking on a disciple should be done with a bit of dignity, shouldn't it?

You can't just rush to accept someone before he even arrives, can you?

Moreover, such trials are also a form of tempering for the disciple-seeking monkey.

One should know that things too easily obtained are often taken for granted.

Only after enduring innumerable hardships and pouring out one's heart and soul to finally accept a master and seek the Immortal Law, only then will one understand the value of this hard-won opportunity.

However, to prevent this fated disciple from losing his way, he specifically transformed into various passersby along the way to guide him to the Mountain of Mind and Heart, the Three Star Cave.

But the Buddha's Patriarch had not expected that just as the stone monkey was about to arrive at the Mountain of Mind and Heart, from out of nowhere came a mysterious and formidable Daoist.

The key point was, this fellow not only inquired about the location of the Three Star Cave but also asked where the temples of the Western Sect were!

This made the Buddha's Patriarch even more cautious.

Thus, he told a small lie, sending Yu Yuan in another direction, while he guided the stone monkey to hasten to the Three Star Cave, lest the night draw long and complications arise.

After all, this stone monkey, inherently exceptional, was the candidate he had carefully handpicked. Should he attract the gaze of the covetous, his plans would once again come to naught.

Alas, in the end, it was just a little too close.

At this moment, the stone monkey was somewhat bewildered.

Since embarking on the road to seek Immortal Cultivation, crossing seas and roaming realms for over a dozen years, he has faced countless sneers and endured countless hardships to get here.

He could never have imagined that there would be two Gods scrambling to take him as a disciple.

Such happiness came too suddenly, leaving him feeling somewhat surreal.

He looked to his left, to behold a venerable sage-like old immortal; then to his right, a transcendent and saintly gentleman!

Indeed, it was too difficult to choose!

How good it would be if both could be his masters!

However, at this time, neither the Buddha's Patriarch nor Yu Yuan paid him any attention; both their gazes fell on each other, each harboring a hint of contemplation in their eyes.

The Buddha's Patriarch looked at Yu Yuan, still wearing a warm and pleasant smile, feeling like a spring breeze.

"I still don't know which Cave Heaven Blessed Land you cultivate in, nor who is your master?"

"I am Xuan Chengzi, practicing as an Independent Immortal in the East Sea," Yu Yuan reported a false identity very naturally, then looked at the Buddha's Patriarch: "And I have not had the pleasure of learning of my fellow Daoist's background?"

"I am known as the Buddha Patriarch, like yourself, an Independent Immortal."

"That would be rather uninteresting, wouldn't it?" Yu Yuan curled his lips, speaking somewhat irritably.

He was one thousand percent certain the other's background was anything but ordinary.

The Buddha's Patriarch simply smiled faintly, still speaking unhurriedly: "Then, fellow Daoist, what would make it interesting?"

Yu Yuan conveyed through a secret message: "As long as you agree to help me with two small favors, I will gladly let the disciple go to you."

Upon hearing this, the Buddha's Patriarch was momentarily taken aback, then communicated back: "What kind of help does fellow Daoist need from me?"

"The first favor, is to lend me a few disciples who are well-informed—I need to ask them some questions; as for the second favor, we will discuss it after I have asked my questions."

The Buddha's Patriarch hesitated for a brief moment then responded through secret message: "Fellow Daoist might as well come and ask me directly."

Yu Yuan gave him a glance, "I want to hear the truth."

"I never lie," Bodhi Patriarch said earnestly.

Yu Yuan paid him no attention, simply watching him quietly.

"..."

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Bodhi Patriarch's eyes, then he nodded and said, "I can help with the first favor, but you must only stay inside my Three Star Cave to ask your questions. As for the second favor, if it is beyond my capabilities, then forgive me for being unable to assist."

"No problem!"

Yu Yuan agreed readily, "Let's go, let's start now."

"Please come in, fellow Daoist!"

Bodhi Patriarch made a welcoming gesture and instructed two disciples to lead the way for Yu Yuan.

The group quickly entered the Three Star Cave, leaving a stone monkey utterly confused.

What about me?

Weren't they all vying to take me as a disciple?

Why does no one care about me now?

Eventually, a young Daoist boy came out and said to the stone monkey, "Master has asked for you to come inside."

The stone monkey's eyes twinkled with curiosity as he asked, "Which master?"

The Daoist boy replied cheerily, "Our master is none other than Bodhi Patriarch. Aren't you here to take him as your teacher?"

"Yes, yes, yes..." the stone monkey nodded repeatedly, but in his heart, he recalled the valiant man who just now claimed to be Xuan Chengzi.

This was the first immortal he had encountered in over a dozen cold and hot seasons who was willing to take him as a disciple!

...

Entering the Grotto Heaven of the Three Star Cave, layers upon layers of serene and magnificent palaces in jade buildings and pearl pavilions came into view, all the way down to the Yao Platform.

Yu Yuan, led by the two disciples, arrived inside a Treasure Hall.

Shortly after, a few more disciples arrived.

These were the most knowledgeable and well-informed amongst the Bodhi Patriarch's disciples.

Yu Yuan did not care whether they were truly knowledgeable or not; all he needed were things that would be considered common knowledge in this era.

After setting up several prohibitions, he began to ask everyone questions.

The same question had to be answered individually by everyone before comparing their answers to prevent them from falsifying or pretending to understand.

He continued to ask for several days.

His questions covered all aspects, from common knowledge of this era to the "history" of the Divine Enthronement Calamity, including many misleading and false questions in between.

After this thorough investigation, Yu Yuan gained a much deeper understanding of this era.

In summary, this era was very similar to the situation after the Divine Enthronement Calamity that he remembered.

The Jie Sect was hugely defeated, and Tongtian, the Sect Hierarch, set up the Myriad Immortals Formation in a fight to the death, trying to use the Strength of the Six Soul Banner to Curse Killing the sages, but it was broken by the joint effort of the four sages.

When the tide had turned, with countless disciples of the Jie Sect dead or injured, the enraged Tongtian Hierarch intended to recreate the Primordial World by repeating the process of earth, water, fire, and wind.

However, before he could act, Taoist Ancestor Hong Jun appeared and made each of The Three Pure Ones take a Fallen Saint Pill, while also ordering that no saints should enter the Primordial World again.

From that moment, the Primordial World entered an age without saints, and the Heavenly Emperor became the true Supreme of the Three Realms, praised as the Heavenly Venerate, Great Compassionate and Merciful Jade Emperor, the High God of the High Heaven.

However, there were also many small details that were different from his memory.

For example, in the Divine Enthronement Calamity, the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect suffered terribly, and almost all their remaining disciples defected to the Western Sect. After Divine Enthronement, the Western Sect evolved into Buddhism. The former Vice Sect Hierarch of Chan Sect, Randeng Daoist, went from Chan to Buddhism, becoming the Dingguang Tathagata and taking charge of Buddhism...

These small details did not change the bigger picture.

In this timeline, the Jie Sect still lost in the end.

But one thing puzzled Yu Yuan.

He tried to ask indirectly about his own fate and was surprised by the answer — there was no such person as Yu Yuan!

Everyone's answers were very consistent.

The Golden Spirit Saint Mother only had one disciple, and that was Wen Zhong!

As for the eldest disciple Yu Yuan, he didn't exist at all!

No one had ever heard of such a person.

Now, Yu Yuan was somewhat baffled.

Originally, he thought that the reason he could appear in this era with his true body was probably that he had met with an accident during the Divine Enthronement Calamity and had died.

But he never expected there to be no trace of him ever existing!

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