Chapter 104: Choosing the Land

Page 1/3

The Supreme Elder Lord feared that his original self, Laozi, would come to reclaim him, so he hid every day within the Doushuai Palace, afraid to venture outside. Because he remained in the palace constantly—or perhaps because the Supreme Elder Lord's alchemical talent was so exceptional that his skill in refining elixirs had already surpassed Laozi’s—yet his cultivation remained stagnant, how could he possibly resist Laozi? Moreover, with the methods of the sage Laozi, how could he not be discovered?

Before long, Laozi sought out the Supreme Elder Lord. However, contrary to the latter’s expectations, Laozi had no intention of reclaiming his counterpart. Instead, he instructed the Supreme Elder Lord to continue refining elixirs diligently within the Doushuai Palace. When a projection gains self-awareness, the karmic relationship between the two is mutual; regardless of which side initiates the cause, one must bear the consequence.

Laozi, already a sage, feared karmic retribution, but he was genuinely impressed by the Supreme Elder Lord’s alchemical talent. Even with karmic entanglements, he chose to retain the Supreme Elder Lord. Now, with the impending Journey to the West calamity, they could use the power of the calamity’s child, Sun Wukong, to sever the connection between the two entirely, thus preserving the Supreme Elder Lord. When Buddhism requested the Nine-Times-Refined Elixir from Laozi, he agreed without hesitation.

This would allow the Supreme Elder Lord to break free from Laozi completely, and even the stagnant cultivation might see improvement. Yet, Laozi’s cultivation as a sage remained supreme, and the Supreme Elder Lord worried whether the force of the calamity could truly sever their bond. He did not fear Laozi acting against him, for he understood Laozi’s admiration for his alchemical talent and respected his broad-mindedness, willingly serving him.

The Journey to the West calamity presented an opportunity for both of them—to finally part ways and to accrue merit within the pilgrimage. “If he is not worried, why should I be?” After regaining his composure, Laozi resumed refining the unfinished elixir.

Who among the pilgrims in the Journey to the West would not wish to gain merit? The merit of heaven and earth, for those above the Great Luo realm, holds wonders surpassing even celestial treasures. Its myriad uses transcend mere cultivation levels. This is why so many immortals participate in the Journey, and even minor characters seek to enhance their magical treasures through it.

Page 2/3

At this moment, the Divine Ape General’s residence received a special mission, which Yuan Wuji accepted without hesitation. He was tasked with selecting new land for the Peach Blossom Garden. The original land had been reassigned by the Queen Mother of the West, and now the garden required a new location. Remarkably, this duty was entrusted to Yuan Wuji.

“General, what do you think?” Donu handed Yuan Wuji the imperial decree with a flattering smile. Yuan Wuji understood the implication—wasn’t this why eunuchs existed? These eunuchs often stayed close to the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother; if you failed to reciprocate their gifts, though they wouldn’t openly sabotage you, they would certainly make things difficult in secret.

Today, Yuan Wuji was pleased with the decree and knew that rewards for Donu were indispensable. A large pile of real gold and silver appeared before Donu at Yuan Wuji’s command, frightening off seven or eight smaller eunuchs behind him.

“This is yours,” Yuan Wuji said with a grin, looking at the decree. To other immortals, this might be a burdensome task, but to Yuan Wuji, it was a pleasant assignment. Seeing this, Donu, who had already resigned himself to the hardship, was overjoyed at the sudden wealth.

“General, you are truly generous,” Donu said, giving a thumbs-up, but Yuan Wuji ignored him, though Donu was not offended. What surprised Donu most was the extravagance of the Divine Ape General’s household—such a bounty was rare to see.

Yuan Wuji rarely glanced at gold, silver, or jewels; the General’s residence was abundant with such treasures. Only minor officers were captivated by these riches. What truly attracted Yuan Wuji were magical artifacts, but unfortunately, the residence lacked any; thus, Yuan Wuji never ventured into his own treasury, unaware of how much gold and jewels lay piled within.

Donu and a group of smaller eunuchs joyfully carried Yuan Wuji’s rewards away from the Divine Ape General’s residence, excitedly branding the household as wealthy. They feared that many others would fight tooth and nail for the chance to deliver imperial decrees to the Divine Ape General in the future.

Meanwhile, Yuan Wuji kept staring at the decree, as if he could never tire of it.

“It’s not such a good job, why are you so happy?” Xiao Yu interrupted.

“To others, it’s a hardship, but for me, it’s different,” Yuan Wuji replied, withdrawing the decree and speaking to the beauty by his side.

Page 3/3

“Do you know where to look?”

With the imperial decree, it made no difference to Yuan Wuji where he searched; any place would do. What mattered was the three words “Peach Blossom Garden.” Yuan Wuji knew what would soon happen there. Being tasked with finding land was essentially a key to entering the garden itself—how could he not be delighted?

“Anywhere,” Yuan Wuji said with a cryptic smile.

Xiao Yu couldn’t guess Yuan Wuji’s intentions but chose not to press further. Though he said “anywhere,” he still had to approach the immortal in charge of managing the lands. Grabbing random land was easy but would not meet the requirements. As an immortal, Yuan Wuji had to follow the rules.

Only the Great Immortal Zhenyuan, who possessed the Earth Scripture, governed all the lands of the primordial world. Although the lands were nominally under the Heavenly Court’s administration, only the Earth Scripture held true command. Whoever controlled the scripture ruled the lands.

After a few gentle inquiries from Xiao Yu, they flew toward the direction of Wuzhuang Temple, located in Western Ox-Heaven Prefecture. With Yuan Wuji’s current cultivation and cloud-traveling technique, reaching Wuzhuang Temple would take just a few moments.

Before arriving, Yuan Wuji already sensed the vibrant vitality there. Any mortal fortunate enough to live near Wuzhuang Temple could likely live a year longer with each passing year.

However, Yuan Wuji forgot one thing: now half divine and half demon in form, he appeared strange and eerie. Though he descended from the Heavenly Court radiating immortal aura, his uncanny appearance caused the two Daoist novices guarding the temple gates to tremble with fear, immediately drawing their swords and releasing their spirits to aim at Yuan Wuji.

“Who are you?”

“This is the domain of the Progenitor Earth Immortal.”

The novices, overcome by Yuan Wuji’s eerie presence, shivered and invoked the name of Great Immortal Zhenyuan to bolster their courage, hoping to intimidate him.