The First Demon of the Chan Sect-Chapter 87 - 33 Sun Yuan

Watching the Long Armed Ape Monkey frolicking before him, a myriad of thoughts swirled in Li Qingming’s heart:

"In all the legends and novels about the Long Armed Ape Monkey, there are various stories, but the two most credible ones are as follows.

The first comes from ’Investiture of the Gods’: Back then, when Nuwa mended the heavens with refined stones, she made exactly 36,501 stones at Wuji Cliff in Great Wilderness Mountain. The Wa Emperor used up 36,500 pieces and only one piece remained unused. This stubborn stone later cultivated into a spirit, transforming into a Spiritual White Ape and joined the Tongtian Sect Leader. This monkey was none other than the Long Armed Ape Monkey, Yuan Hong!

The second comes from various folktales and novels: It is said that the Jade Emperor had a sister called Yaoji. Yaoji fell in love with a mortal named Yang Tianyou and pledged to be with him for life, having a son named Yang Jian. When the Jade Emperor learned of this, he was furious and restrained Yaoji under Taoshan. Yang Jian, who was targeted by Zhunti from the Eastern lands, was saved by him. Zhunti placed the Eight-Nine Mystical Skill, a Buddhist protector’s cultivation technique, beside baby Yang Jian. It just so happened to be discovered by the Long Armed Ape Monkey who stealthily learned the technique. His divine skills became indistinguishable from that of Yang Jian.

It seems that neither of these stories coincides with the situation I have encountered!"

After pondering, Li Qingming shook his head and said, "Little monkey, do you want to learn these strange and exotic skills?"

Upon hearing Li Qingming’s words, the Long Armed Ape Monkey’s eyes shone with ecstatic joy, and it started to leap excitedly, incessantly chattering in high-pitched squeals.

Li Qingming smiled faintly, pointing a finger into the air. Tiny specks of blue light, emitting a soft glow, slowly floated towards the Long Armed Ape Monkey.

The ape looked on with astonishment, stretching out its robust long arm, curiously reaching for the blue light. The blue light playfully slipped through the monkey’s paws, seemingly fast yet slow, drifting toward the top of the monkey’s skull.

The ape shook its head in confusion and fear, trying to dodge the blue light and baring its teeth as it unleashed sharp squeals.

"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"

Li Qingming chuckled lightly, waving his arm once more. A ring of densely packed light appeared, swiftly floating to the monkey’s mind with a thunderous speed.

The ape monkey felt stars twinkling before its eyes, with a thunderous explosion resounding in its head.

The monkey’s eyes, which were once slightly turbid, gradually became clear and distinct. The wildness on its cheeks smoothed out, revealing more human-like expressions.

After a while, the ape monkey turned over and knelt down, bowing to Li Qingming gratefully: "Thank you, senior, for unlocking my spiritual intelligence and allowing me to understand my own nature! Having nothing of value to give, I can only offer my service. I wish to serve by your side for life. I hope you will accept me!"

"Ha ha ha! Good!" Li Qingming laughed heartily, "My name is Qingmingzi, the first disciple of the third generation under the Taoist sect, my Master is Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun, and my Grandmaster is Taoist Ancestor Hong Jun. Today, I wish to take you as my disciple. What say you?"

"Disciple pays respects to Master!" The Long Armed Ape Monkey’s eyes sparkled, and there was a hint of redness in its eyes. "Disciple has lived for a hundred and ten years without a name or surname, and I would request for Master to bestow one upon me."

Li Qingming pondered for a long moment before saying, "Your elder martial brother is named Sun Ling. Your original form, like your elder martial brother, is one of the Four Monkeys of Chaos. Therefore, I shall name you Sun Yuan, is that acceptable?"

"Sun Yuan, Sun Yuan..." The Long Armed Ape Monkey whispered the name twice, then suddenly kowtowed, "Disciple Sun Yuan thanks Master for the bestowed name!"

"Ha ha ha, good!" Li Qingming laughed heartily into the sky.

From then on, Li Qingming settled down within the Nameless Mountain, daily imparting Taoist teachings to Sun Yuan and the later-arriving Xiong Da, providing guidance on crucial points of their cultivation. Life passed leisurely for him.

Although Li Qingming enjoyed a carefree existence for thousands of years, the Primordial Continent was incessantly racked with strife.

As newly-established tribes, the Witch Tribe and the Demon Clan Heavenly Court, according to the oaths taken during the founding of their tribes, jointly managed the Primordial Land. However, since they were of different races, their hearts held differing intents.

The Witch Tribe had just taken over a small hilltop when the Demon Race would send people to cause trouble. Although it was just some minor skirmishes, the creatures of the Primordial Land felt the loss of the peace and harmony of the past.

Mount Buzhou, Ancestral Witch Hall.

"Damn it, this bunch of flat-haired beasts always opposes us. I really want to go straight to their lair and wipe them out!" Zhu Rong’s face was filled with rage, and tufts of flame, an inch high, spouted spontaneously from his fiery red hair.

"Little Fire is right; these flat-haired beasts really piss me off. Just a few days ago, my Little Witches reported that they had just brought a small hill rich in Spiritual Energy under our control, and the very next day, it was snatched away by a fat crane leading a group of Little Demons! It’s infuriating indeed!" Gonggong and Zhu Rong, although naturally opposed in attributes, had temperaments that were exactly alike.

"Second brother, this can’t go on like this; say something, will you?" Qiang Liang and the other Ancestor Witches also felt a splitting headache.

Seated on the steps, Zhu Jiuyin glanced over the Ancestor Witches and said, "Now in the Primordial Land, the powerful are only from the Witch and Demon clans. If these two want to possess the Primordial Destiny alone, one will be wounded. Our kind and the Demon Race are inherently incompatible; perhaps this is determined by fate. What can be done?"

The Ancestor Witches fell silent.

After a while, Houtu’s eyes brightened as she looked towards Li Qingming’s Heaven and Earth Taoist incarnated as an Evil Corpse and said, "Brother Qingming, do you have any good ideas?"

The Heaven and Earth Taoist marginally lifted his eyelids, his blood-red eyes flickering with intelligence, "Sustain war with war!"

Di Jiang’s eyes shone, asking, "Brother Li, what do you mean by that?"

The Heaven and Earth Taoist explained, "If the Demon Race provokes us, show no mercy, and exterminate them all. If they leave us alone, we should focus on developing our tribe’s strength, to be ready for conflicts with the Demon Race!"

The meaning was clear. If Di Jiang still did not understand, it would be unworthy of his position as a tribal leader.

Heavenly Court, Lingxiao Palace.

"Big brother, this Witch Tribe is competing with us for the Primordial Destiny. Why don’t we use the full strength of our clan and eradicate the Witch Tribe from the Primordial Continent?" Taiyi sat proudly in the grand hall, his tone cold.

"Ah! Second brother, how can I not wish for the extinction of the Witch Tribe?" Di Jun sighed, filled with a sense of helplessness, "Leaving aside the low-end combat power of the Witch Tribe, just the Twelve Ancestor Witches alone are comparable to the peak Quasi-Saint Great Powers. They outnumber us by far in the Heavenly Court. If we aim to annihilate the Witch Tribe, can it be done overnight?"

"Your Majesty’s words are sound!" Bai Ze idly waved his Feather Fan, quite at ease, "The Witch Tribe is the descendents of the Pan Gu God, naturally possessing unparalleled physical strength, yet they do not cultivate their Primordial Spirits, doomed never to attain the Great Dao. In my view, they are not a concern!"

Upon hearing this, Di Jun lightly tapped his throne engraved with Three-legged Golden Crows, lost in deep thought.

In the morning, watch the water flow east; in the evening, see the sun set west. Days like these seemed to pass by very quickly.

One day, Li Qingming was sitting in a pavilion in the mountains, with a monkey and a bear sparing not far away, jumping and dodging, exchanging moves.

Suddenly, a red blaze shot up from the peak of a nearby mountain! The flaming blaze burned fiercely, as if it was born from the origin of heaven and earth, an intangible and immaterial substance that covered the entire sky.

Li Qingming’s spirit was suddenly invigorated, and he smiled excitedly, saying, "Is it time?"