Chapter 98: The Footprints of Enlightenment Disappear, Leaving Only a Chest Full of Longing

  "This day, Bodhi struck the Seeking Dao Bell, looking at his disciples, and said in a deep voice, 'Recently, I have been cultivating my body and mind, and my dao has increased day by day. However, after careful consideration, I found that our master-disciple relationship has come to an end. You all came from nowhere and will return to nowhere. From now on, the Slant Moon Three Star Cave sect will completely disappear. I will also leave Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and wander around the world. If we have fate in the future, we will meet again! Take care of yourselves.'"

  The crowd of disciples was shocked, and they quickly knelt down on the ground, wanting to say something, but Bodhi's old ancestor had risen with a auspicious cloud, without saying a word, turned around and left, soon disappeared into the horizon, leaving behind a group of disciples looking at each other in dismay.

  Although he had known this day would come, when it finally arrived, Sun Yuan still felt a tinge of sadness in his heart, somewhat melancholic, for after all, he had lived in this place for over a decade; not to mention that every nook and cranny was familiar to him, but most of the scenery here was etched in his mind.

  The brothers were caught off guard by this sudden situation, and after a moment of silence, they all started to get busy, gathering familiar people, discussing the plan for later, and starting to make arrangements for their future life.

  Sun Yuan, Lao Yanzi, Zi Xia and Long Xuzi naturally gathered together. They unfolded their bodies and converged on the place where Sun Yuan had been practicing for many years. Lao Yanzi took out wine, dishes, and dried fruits from his bag and placed them on a mat spread on the ground. The several people looked at each other for a long time, silently and wordlessly, with the sadness of parting filling the air.

  After a long time, Sun Yuan clapped his hands, breaking the silence, and said, "There is no banquet in the world that does not disperse. Why must we make this childish gesture? Fellow brothers and sisters, do you have any plans for the future?" As he spoke, he looked at Lao Yanzi and Purple Cloud with his eyes, it was clear that this couple should be together.

  The swallow showed a look of longing, grasped the small hand of Zixia, and said with a happy face: "Zixia and I have long thought about it. This immortal cultivation is not suitable for us. This time, our master left the mountain, which coincides with my wish. After leaving here, we will choose a small mountain village, raise some chickens and ducks, plant some flowers and grasses, and spend this life in a plain and simple way. Of course, we will also have children."

  After hearing this, Long Xuzi and Sun Yuan burst out laughing, while Zi Xia's face turned red with a hint of shyness, but she didn't refute. The usual fierce motherly figure of Zi Xia had disappeared, replaced by a gentle expression as she leaned on Lao Yanzi's shoulder, saying "The world becomes increasingly difficult to navigate the further we go, just like sailing against the current. Even Master can't escape it, so let's just live a simple life."

  Everyone is not a fool, but the words of Bodhi's ancestor are full of loopholes. Therefore, everyone knows that the old ancestor has an unspoken secret, so it is possible to leave safely at this time, which is why there is such a saying as Zi Xia.

  "Junior Brother Sun is the kind of person who seeks the Great Way, I saw that a long time ago." Zixia smiled slightly and nodded at Longxuzi, saying "But what are you going to do now, Senior Brother? Are you also going to learn from this monkey and seek the ultimate power in the world?"

  "What? Not possible?" Long Xuzi hummed, saying "With my qualifications, what's impossible." After a moment of contemplation, Long Xuzi sighed and said "You truly are the most intelligent among us, you saw right through it. Back when I withdrew from the Jianghu, I was already tired of the struggles. Now it seems that in this immortal path, there is no lack of struggle either, and compared to the Jianghu, it will only be more brutal. This is just a bigger Jianghu."

  "I'm different from you two, my ambition is to go to the Southern Jambudvipa, wander around, and when my time is up, I'll just drift away with the wind. This immortal path doesn't have the power or heart for me to cultivate, so it's better to take advantage of being young and travel around. Maybe one day I'll get tired and go visit you at the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, who knows?" Long Xuzi sighed, looked at Sun Wukong, smiled, and said with a carefree tone.

  "Haha, as Zi Xia Shifu said, my life goal is to walk further on this cultivation path, go to a higher place to see the scenery and experience the feeling of being invigorated. Long Xuzi finished speaking, saw Sun Yuan about to speak, and picked up a wine jug, drinking wildly with his head thrown back. Sun Yuan smiled slightly, snatched the wine jug from him, saying "Big Shifu, now we should first toast to the hard work of these two couples, rather than indulging in drink."

  "Ah!" Long Xuzi's face, which rarely showed emotion, flushed slightly as he said, "But I was the one who was rude. Come on, come on, tonight let's not worry about anything, we'll all get drunk together! First, let me and Brother Sun toast you newlyweds with a jar of wine, wishing you peace and happiness. We've already agreed that this wine can't be left undrunk!" Long Xuzi stood up, snatched the wine jug from Sun Yuan's hand, and grabbed three more jugs, knocking off the mud seals and placing them in front of the three people, shouting loudly.

  "Look, wife?" Labor Yanzi looked at his wife with difficulty.

  Zixia fiercely stared at him, took up the wine jug and said "What's with all this fuss, can't we two as a couple take down these two single men tonight? Show some manly spirit, don't make me look down on you."

  "Good!" Sun Yuan and Long Xuzi couldn't help but give a thumbs up, saying "Indeed a heroic woman, straightforward!"

  "Come on, come on, everyone has finished this jar, let's talk about other things and see that I, Labor Yanzi, am not made of mud. Today we will have a showdown." Stimulated by his wife, Labor Yanzi suddenly flushed with anger, picked up the wine jar and stood up, holding the bottom of the jar with one hand, inviting the other three to fight.

  Four people quickly entered the state, amidst the clinking of cups and chopsticks, not to mention the blessings for the future, concerns about the road ahead, and yearning for reunions in the days to come. Before long, the moon was high in the sky, casting a soft glow over the vast expanse of Xizang Province as seen from the lofty mountain ridge, with a unique flavor all its own. The four people's intoxication reached new heights, using this magnificent scenery and mixing it with the faint sadness of parting in their chests, blending it into the strong liquor, downing it in one gulp, truly refreshing and enjoyable.

  Time flies quickly, especially in these years of parting ways. Unbeknownst to us, the four-man group has dispersed, and time has already reached the early morning of the second day. On this high mountain ridge, it seems that the joyful voices and laughter of the four still linger, but under the sunlight, a lone figure tells us that all these have passed, leaving behind only a monkey with a faint hint of melancholy.

  At dawn, the swallow couple packed up and quietly left while the other two were still asleep. Since parting was inevitable, they didn't want to add any sadness to it. The two of them just quietly walked away, taking no sorrow with them.

  After the two left, Long Xuzi, who was snoring loudly on the ground, suddenly jumped up, let out a light sigh, looked at Sun Yuan who was sleeping soundly, and whispered "Brother, I'll take my leave first. Like that couple, I don't want to see such a childish farewell scene either. So, goodbye for now, and I'll make it up to you another day."

  He let out a long, low sigh, and Long Xuzi picked up the iron rod that had been by his side since he arrived, but had never used before. He shouldered his luggage, walked towards the mountain under the sunlight, and disappeared into the morning mist in no time. The only thing left was the shattered wine jars on the ground, silently telling the story of his stay.

  After the disappearance of Long Xuzi, a faint sigh echoed at the top of the mountain. Sun Yuan opened his eyes, but he had been awake for a long time. With his cultivation, these few jars of wine had no effect on him at all. It was just a silent gesture to let those people leave quietly. Sun Yuan also felt something in his heart, so he pretended to be asleep. But didn't those people know it too?

  Sun Yuan's cultivation was the most profound here, except for the departed Monkey King. With the guidance of Bodhi Old Ancestor over the past five years, he naturally became even more exceptional. The few people present understood this, so they knew his vigilance and didn't intend to deceive him; they only wanted to deceive themselves.

  The sun rises, a new day begins. Sun Yuan, unusually, did not go to practice, but instead sat quietly on the mountain cliff, staring in the direction of Xie Yue San Xing Dong. From there, bursts of noise could be heard from time to time, as people who were parting ways indulged in their final revelry. Sun Yuan stared blankly at the people bidding each other farewell, scattering in all directions, until night fell and the entire Ling Tai Fang Cun Shan was devoid of human presence. Only then did Sun Yuan stand up, set up a cloud mist, and descend directly to Xie Yue San Xing Dong, landing on the mountain slope below the cave entrance.

  The green stone steps under the mountain slope still reflect a faint green light, but the 108 heavenly roads on it have disappeared without a trace. Strolling on it, watching the fruit trees beside the stone steps, recalling the happy times when fellow disciples played under them, seeing with one's own eyes the seedlings planted by oneself growing into towering trees, Sun Yuan's heart is filled with emotion and a hint of melancholy.

  After passing the blue stone steps, what came into view was that flat stone platform. Sun Yuan still remembered that it was here where he and Sun Wukong had rested for a while, and then a fairy boy had stepped out. At the time, this fairy boy seemed very mysterious, full of enigmas, inspiring awe in people. But now thinking back, this person turned out to be just a minor disciple, leaving not even the slightest impression on Sun Yuan, merely an ordinary fellow after all. Now thinking about it, he could only laugh at himself.

  Bodhi has long gone, the gate of the cave is wide open, and only wild beasts are wandering in front of the door, as if hesitating whether to enter or not. The eighteen steps that used to trap the immortals have now become mere decorations, leaving only eighteen light circles flashing on the ground, adorning this cave and symbolizing its former glory.

  Sun Yuan waved his hand, startling away the group of beasts that had just awakened to spiritual intelligence. He stepped inside, and couldn't help but feel a thousand emotions. The place where he used to cultivate immortality and the Tao had now become a den for wild beasts to howl in. Nothing is more unpredictable than this.

  Passing through the magnificent hall, passing by the place where the disciples were doing their homework, stepping over the place where the brothers were practicing martial arts, an ancient and simple wooden door appeared in front of Sun Yuan. It was here that he and Sun Wukong received the transmission of the Great Way, it was here that they laid a solid foundation for their future cultivation, and it was here that they received the orthodox teachings of Bodhi.

  Pushing open the wooden gate, gazing at the empty clouds, Sun Yuan felt a thousand emotions. He still remembered the joy of receiving the great Tao, the delight of awakening to the true law, the anticipation after mastering the great Tao, and the pride after achieving perfection. All past events were vivid in his mind, as if they had happened yesterday.

  Now looking up, it's already a desolate scene. A faint sense of sadness flows through Sun Yuan's mind. It was here that he spent the most fulfilling five years of his life. Here, Bodhi Old Ancestor imparted the Golden Elixir's wonderful secrets to him. Here, Sun Yuan took his first step in understanding the shrinking land into an inch method. Here, a faint true affection flows between master and disciple.

  After a long while, Sun Yuan turned around and walked out of the gate, his sleeves fluttering behind him. A huge boulder in the cave came crashing down, forever sealing off this place where their ancestors lived. Sun Yuan let out a deep sigh, then turned back once more to imprint the scene into his mind before following the original path back, leaving the Slant Moon Three Star Cave to be buried in the dust of history.

  Sun Yuan arrived at the outer gate of the cave, took a deep look at this ancient cave, and then pinched his fingers to activate the magic spell. A white cloud rose under his feet, carrying him slowly upwards.

  In mid-air, Sun Yuan glanced back once more, swung his sleeve, and activated the Shrinking Earth Divine Ability. A white cloud supported his body as he vanished into the night in the blink of an eye. In mid-air, only a faint sigh was left behind, proof that Sun Yuan had once stood there.