Chapter 961: Sun Wukong

A monkey with gleaming golden fur, fiery eyes, and a thunder god's mouth, calling himself Sun Wukong, followed by a group of powerful demons—this scene was astonishing.

Ye Fan stared blankly for a long time. What was going on? This was truly groundbreaking. Could there actually be a Sun Wukong in the Central Lands, one who had journeyed to the Western Heaven for scriptures?

He opened his Heavenly Eye and quietly observed the monkey. Its bone structure was extraordinary, and its physique was unique—a rare constitution. Had it not been born in the Age of Dharma Decline, it would certainly achieve great things in the future.

Currently in the Dragon Transformation realm, it was considered a peerless expert in this era. In an age where great divine ability users did not appear, no one could suppress it; it was revered throughout the world.

"Greetings, Brother Ye," the monkey said, stepping forward. The group of powerful demons, filled with reverence, bowed in unison.

Ye Fan returned the bow, many questions swirling in his mind. How had he encountered Sun Wukong here, and why was it so similar to the one on the other side of the starry sky? What was truly going on?

The Myriad Demon Valley was truly magnificent. The surrounding cliffs soared into the clouds, grand and majestic, enclosing a colossal valley large enough to contain several super-sized cities.

Upon entering the valley, they immediately saw several waterfalls, each a thousand zhang long, cascading down from the top of the valley walls. A vast expanse of white, utterly magnificent, the water shimmered with colorful mist under the sunlight.

The valley was very deep, and the area was perpetually green. Along the way, they encountered various beautiful scenes, including stone forests and clear lakes, as if they had entered a self-contained miniature world.

Inside the valley were patches of orchards, where golden and crimson fruits hung heavy on the branches, their sweet fragrance filling the air. Moreover, there were numerous medicinal fields, filled with plants like Solomon's Seal, Fleeceflower Root, and ginseng—truly a hidden paradise.

The monkey realized that Brother Ye was very interested in and surprised by its name. Along the way, it explained with a smile that it had read the common mortal tale "Journey to the West," found it interesting, and so had given itself that name.

Ye Fan was speechless. So that was the case. Upon reflection, it made sense; this monkey didn't look like an old demon at all, and its cultivation likely hadn't exceeded three hundred years.

Beside them, many powerful demons expressed their admiration, stating that the Third Valley Master possessed immense magical power, yet had cultivated for only a little over two hundred thirty years. This was considered rare in the current era.

Ye Fan nodded. In this era, reaching the Dragon Transformation realm after only two hundred years of cultivation was indeed a sign of innate talent, likely related to its extraordinary bone structure.

Among countless monkeys, only a rare few achieved enlightenment. Given this monkey's accomplishments and its cultivation in a demonic holy land like the Myriad Demon Valley, its success was quite logical.

Through their conversation, Ye Fan learned that the monkey claimed to be a descendant of the Great Sage of the Ape Clan and had inherited the Sacred Ape's spiritual lineage, which was why it had cultivated into its current form.

According to ancient texts, any monkey that achieved great accomplishments would automatically evolve into a Sacred Ape, their final form invariably featuring a thunder god's mouth and fiery eyes.

Ye Fan secretly pondered: Could it be that the Primeval Battle Saint Ape clan had visited Earth and left behind descendants, whose bloodline power later degenerated, only for this particular monkey to show signs of atavism?

He didn't voice his thoughts, fearing that given the monkey's temperament, it might get angry. The group then arrived at the deeper reaches of the Myriad Demon Valley, where the terrain became even more magnificent.

Inside the grand valley, myriad phenomena unfolded. Auspicious energy steamed and demonic energy surged skyward; mingling together, they stirred the winds and clouds in all directions. This was indeed a holy land for cultivation.

The Third Valley Master was an extraordinary ape spirit. Its fiery eyes could see through illusions, and its divine gaze was like lightning. When Ye Fan was still over ten li away from the valley, the Third Valley Master was standing on a cliff wall and saw him. However, it couldn't discern Ye Fan's cultivation level, which greatly shocked it, leading it to personally come out and greet him.

Ye Fan was very direct, stating his purpose. He inquired about the mystery of the real and fake Pang Bo with a distinct tone of accusation, as he had already determined that the Myriad Demon Valley was responsible.

Inside the valley was an extremely ancient city, actually built in primordial times. It couldn't be described as grand, yet it possessed a breathtaking power!

Its black walls were entirely constructed from ink-colored crystals. It didn't cover a vast area, but it was awe-inspiring, having been personally built by an ancient demon saint, who left behind sacred marks.

The group entered the ancient city and arrived at a residence. After inviting Ye Fan to sit, the Third Valley Master personally explained that they had indeed taken action back then, but they had not harmed anyone.

When the Nine Dragons pulled the coffin descended upon Mount Tai and then quickly set sail again, it shocked the world and astonished all sects, who reacted immediately.

As the holy land of demons in the world, the Myriad Demon Valley naturally wouldn't fall behind. On that very day, they investigated everyone's background, reacting with the utmost speed, as the three Valley Masters had personally taken action.

The lineage of Pang Bo was personally investigated by the Third Valley Master. Seeing that the family had faint traces of ancient demonic blood within them, the Third Valley Master's heart stirred. It believed there might be some karmic connection with the Nine Dragons pulling the coffin landing there, so it arranged for a demon spirit to transform into Pang Bo's likeness and return to thoroughly understand the family.

Unfortunately, after investigating for over a decade, they didn't gain much. They didn't even know what the family's lineage was before ancient times. In the end, the demon spirit underwent its own tribulation and was struck down.

At that point, they ceased further investigation, feeling it was no longer necessary, as many ancient prestigious families had faded into the common populace, becoming ordinary.

"We did not wrong the Pang family," the Third Valley Master said. "Instead, that demon spirit fulfilled filial duties for the missing person for over a decade, with no intention of harming anyone."

Ye Fan remained silent, recalling the memories he had probed from Pang Bo's father's mind. The demon spirit, when drunk, had once claimed they were an ancient demon race, only to be slapped awake by Pang Bo's father. It hadn't retaliated, and though it sometimes acted unusually, it had never shown disrespect.

He could only nod, not assigning blame. In a certain sense, he should breathe a sigh of relief, because the real Pang Bo was still on Beidou and still alive.

He had already foreseen all of this; his journey to the Myriad Demon Valley was merely to confirm it, and it proved to be true.

Understanding the truth and knowing the cause and effect, Ye Fan could only sigh softly. He stood in the ancient city, gazing up at the sky, lost in thought. Many old acquaintances were on the other side of the starry sky. All matters on Earth were settled, but he couldn't return; achieving the Dao and becoming an immortal was his only choice.

The Third Valley Master warmly invited him to stay long-term in the Myriad Demon Valley to discuss and explore cultivation together. Ye Fan found it hard to refuse and was not in a hurry to leave, also wanting to see the unique aspects of a demon holy land.

The First Valley Master was an immortal crane who had attained the Dao, transformed into human form, and now possessed over six hundred years of lifespan. It was said to have obtained part of the ancient Sword Immortal lineage from Mount Shu, and its strength was immense, having already reached the Great Perfection of the Dragon Transformation realm.

Among the known sect leaders, this old crane was arguably the strongest, if not the very strongest. Unless a great divine ability user appeared, no one could suppress it.

Having obtained part of the Mount Shu Immortal Sword lineage, it remained in secluded cultivation year-round. It would not emerge unless it was a major event concerning the life and death of the Myriad Demon Valley.

The Second Valley Master was a spirit cat who had attained the Dao, possessing an ancient demon god bloodline from birth. It traveled widely year-round, searching for relics of immortal mountains, rarely involving itself in valley affairs. It was rumored that the first Valley Master, also the founder of the Myriad Demon Valley, was its ancestor, who left during the Warring States period, leaving behind the Three Lives Cultivation lineage, which was inherited by the Second Valley Master.

Ye Fan stayed for two months, cultivating and refining himself, returning to his true nature. In this place, he sensed traces of supreme beings having achieved the Dao here.

Little Pine was the happiest, running wild all over the mountains with a group of small demons. However, the little one had strong self-control; every night, it would diligently cultivate by absorbing moonlight through its small stone Buddha.

Since he was in Shu, Ye Fan naturally wanted to inquire about the ancient immortal Chisongzi. Ever since he saw the seven flying swords in the Immortal Cremation Ground, he believed that the Mount Shu Sword Immortals might have originated from Chisongzi's lineage.

The Third Valley Master smiled and told Ye Fan that Chisongzi was not from Shu; he was from Zhejiang, but he had come to Mount Shu to preach and left behind his spiritual lineage.

Ye Fan had an epiphany. When Chisongzi was mentioned in ancient texts, places like Jinhua Mountain and Tiantai Mountain were written about, and these places existed in both Zhejiang and Shu.

Among the lineage obtained by the First Valley Master, there were some vague records, vaguely pointing to the ancient immortal Chisongzi, suggesting that he might have passed down the sword cultivation lineage.

He was the most famous cultivator in ancient times. Even before Shennong achieved the Dao, he had received some teachings from Chisongzi, and even before the Yellow Emperor's Dao was perfected, he had sought Chisongzi's guidance.

For such a renowned cultivator, whose name echoed throughout the world in ancient times, leaving behind the Sword Immortal lineage was not surprising; it was only natural.

"Do you know why Chisongzi came from Zhejiang to Mount Shu for secluded cultivation?" the Third Valley Master asked with a smile.

"Is there some hidden reason?" Ye Fan asked in surprise.

"Naturally, there are some secrets," the Third Valley Master nodded, recounting some ancient hidden matters.

Chisongzi pursued something his entire life. Until the moment he sat in meditation and vanished from the world, he still couldn't let go, holding a deep obsession in his heart.

"Everyone says Chisongzi was an ancient immortal," the Third Valley Master said, "but several of our demon god ancestors knew he couldn't have been an immortal; he was searching for a way to truly become one."

Once cultivation reached that level, what else could attract him? Only becoming an immortal! He traveled west into Shu, spending his life's effort solely for the sake of ascension.

"Did he find anything?" Ye Fan asked.

"He obtained a piece of immortal bone on Tiantai Mountain in Zhejiang, which contained the secret to becoming an immortal," the Third Valley Master explained. "Based on this, he searched for it in Shu. It's said that a partial map on the immortal bone pointed to this place. But he spent half his life in Shu and still couldn't find the ultimate secret place, failing at the last hurdle and unable to become an immortal."

Ye Fan's heart stirred upon hearing this. It was related to the Immortal Opportunity Map! Could it be that the ultimate location was on Mount Shu? But so many years had passed now; were there still any traces?

The Myriad Demon Valley, being located in Shu, naturally knew many ancient secrets. Past Valley Masters had pursued these, even tracing Chisongzi's footsteps from back then.

"Successive Valley Masters have investigated and found that Chisongzi truly might have been pursuing a real immortal, almost on the verge of touching it," the Third Valley Master sighed. "In particular, an old Valley Master five hundred years ago made an astonishing discovery, but unfortunately died mysteriously before being able to reveal the secret."

The Myriad Demon Valley spent a great deal of manpower and resources on the investigation. They unintentionally made groundbreaking discoveries in ancient hanging coffins. Subsequently, from the hanging coffins in Shu to the ancient coffins in Wuyi Mountain, they opened countless ones.

They obtained several pieces of ancient jade scripts from the oldest hanging coffins. These vaguely indicated that there should be an Earth Immortal, who held a monumental secret!

Ancient texts recorded this in more than one place. The Myriad Demon Valley had also seriously deduced that there might indeed be a true Earth Immortal, not a human who had been deified.

"The dwelling of the Earth Immortal, with hundreds of hanging coffins on the cliff face."

"It is said to be where immortals are buried."

They discovered that what Chisongzi was looking for might have been that Earth Immortal.