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The stone monkey, nurtured by the divine stone, was the Lingming Stone Monkey—one of the four monkeys of the chaotic world. Born with a congenital Daoist body, his cultivation speed was far beyond that of ordinary beings. Crucially, the stone monkey had not yet consumed any mundane food, keeping him in a state of absolute purity—the optimal condition for cultivation.
In the original legends, the stone monkey consumed mortal food shortly after birth. The turbid air of the mundane world entered his body, causing his appearance to quickly shift toward that of an ordinary monkey. While he remained stronger and smarter than his peers, his potential shifted from "congenital" to "acquired," significantly slowing his future progress.
This was exactly why George had been in such a hurry to impart the cultivation methods. He wanted to lock in that primordial state. Once the foundation was successfully built and the congenital state stabilized, consuming mortal food would no longer have a negative impact.
Of course, given the monkey's innate talent and the sheer energy stored within the stone, he wasn't going to stop at mere Foundation Establishment. For three days and nights, the monkey surged through the realms: Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, Void Refinement, Mahayana, and Earth Immortal. He didn't stop until he reached the Heaven Immortal realm.
Incredibly, there was no Heavenly Tribulation. Such was the privilege of a primordial creature favored by Heaven and Earth.
"Not bad, not bad at all," George said, patting the monkey's head. He pulled out the Sea-Settling Needle he had previously used to seal the Dragon Clan—the Ruyi Jingu Bang. "A gift for you. Practice well."
"Thank you, Master! Thank you!" The monkey took the staff, shrinking and enlarging it with glee. Despite his power, he still possessed the playful temperament of a newborn.
"Come. I'll take you to the mortal realm to see the sights." With a wave of his hand, George took the monkey and departed Mount Huaguo on a cloud. Sun Wukong was just the first on his list; it was now time to find his other prospective disciples.
A short while later, a bustling town appeared below. "This should be the place," George noted, landing with the monkey, who had transformed into a small, golden-furred marmoset to avoid attention.
They didn't head straight for the destination. Instead, they strolled through the streets. "Master, what's that?" the monkey asked, standing on George's shoulder and staring at a fruit stall.
"Those are peaches." George tossed a few pieces of silver to the vendor and handed two plump peaches to the monkey. Since Wukong was already a Heaven Immortal, he no longer had to worry about mortal food dulling his spirit.
"I'll take you to eat the Queen Mother's Flat Peaches later," George promised with a smile as he watched the monkey happily devouring the fruit. Flat Peaches were useless to George now, but for Wukong, they would be a massive boost.
Eventually, they arrived before a grand estate. The plaque above the door read: Yang Manor.
This was Guanjiang Estuary, the home of the future Erlang Shen, Yang Jian. George had heard the gossip from Taiyi Zhenren: twenty years ago, the Three-Headed Divine Dragon had stolen a dragon ball from the High Heavens and fled to the lower realm. Yaoji, the Goddess of Desire and sister to the Jade Emperor, had descended to capture it and had not been seen since.
To most, it was just a scandal. To George, it was a roadmap. He knew Yaoji would fall in love with a mortal named Yang Tianyou and bear three half-god children: Yang Jiao, Yang Jian, and Yang Chan.
"They're here," George whispered.
Within minutes, the sky was blanketed by clouds. Atop them stood a hundred thousand Celestial Soldiers and Generals. Yaoji's union with a mortal had violated the Laws of Heaven. The Jade Emperor had dispatched the Great Golden Crow and Marshal Tianpeng to arrest Yaoji and execute her husband and children, condemning them to the eighteenth level of hell.
Tragedy struck quickly. Yang Tianyou stepped forward, trying to take all the blame to save his family, but the Great Golden Crow was merciless. A battle ensued. Despite being a Taiyi Golden Core Immortal, Yaoji could not protect her family while fighting an army. The encounter ended with Yang Tianyou and the eldest son, Yang Jiao, seemingly killed, and Yaoji captured.
Marshal Tianpeng, remembering Yaoji's past kindness, secretly used a "Life-Accelerating Palm" on Yang Jian and Yang Chan, allowing them to enter a state of suspended animation that looked like death to others.
"Master, aren't we going to save them?" the monkey asked, baring his teeth in anger. "This Heaven is unreasonable! If Yaoji did wrong, take her back, but why kill her family?"
"Patience, Wukong. The time isn't right yet." George calmed him. If he acted openly, he'd have no defense when the Three Pure Ones questioned him. Furthermore, he needed the children to have a reason to eventually storm the Heavens themselves to rescue their mother—a perfect excuse to loot the Heavenly Court's elixirs and treasures.
"Now is the time!"
As the celestial army departed with the captive Yaoji, George revealed himself. He pointed at the bodies of Yang Tianyou and Yang Jiao. Their souls hadn't reached the Underworld yet, making resurrection a simple task for someone of his caliber.
"Back to the Three Immortal Islands." George restored their souls to their bodies and vanished with the four family members and their loyal donkey, erasing all traces of their existence.
That night, inside George's private grotto on the Three Immortal Islands, the family woke up.
"Am... am I dead?" Yang Tianyou gasped.
"Father! You're alive!"
"Where are we? Why do we look like this?" Yang Jian and Yang Chan asked, realizing they had suddenly aged into young adults due to the Accelerated Palm.
"You're awake," a voice chirped. Sun Wukong, wearing small Daoist robes, hopped into the room. "This is the Three Immortal Islands. My Master went to discuss the Dao with friends; he'll be back soon."
"A monkey?" Yang Tianyou blinked, then bowed politely. "Young Daoist, who is your master? And have you seen my wife, Yaoji?"
"My Master is the Black Dragon Daoist. He saw those bullies from Heaven killing you and brought you back. Your wife... she was taken away." Wukong scratched his ear. "And you two, Master says that Marshal fellow went easy on you, which is why you grew up so fast."
"I see you are all awake," George said, teleporting into the room. He had just finished a "stealth mission" to the Heavens to confirm Yaoji's fate.
"Thank you for saving us!" Yang Tianyou and the children knelt immediately.
"I simply couldn't stand the Heavens targeting children," George said, helping them up.
"Do you know what happened to my wife?" Yang Tianyou asked desperately.
"The Princess Royal, Yaoji, is alive," George replied. "But she has been imprisoned beneath Mount Tao by the Jade Emperor's decree." He explained that while the Jade Emperor was ruthless toward the "stain" on his family, he still cared for his sister in his own twisted way—imprisoning her until she admitted her "mistake."
"I will save her! I'll tear down that mountain!" Yang Jian snarled, his eyes burning with hatred.
"Master, can you help us save our mother?" Yang Chan, the youngest and most observant, asked. She had seen the power of the gods; she knew they stood no chance alone.
"The Jade Emperor's decree is woven from the laws of the Great Dao," George replied, leading them exactly where he wanted. "Even I cannot break it with brute force alone. However... you three have incredible talent. If you cultivate diligently, you may one day reach the level of a Saint. A Saint can forcibly shatter those laws."
Without a word, Yang Chan knelt and pressed her forehead to the floor. "Please, Master, take us as your disciples!" She pulled at her brothers' robes, and they quickly followed suit.
George laughed, a sound of pure satisfaction. "Good! Very good! Since you are willing, I shall train you. And if you cannot reach the level of a Saint, then your Master shall accompany you as we fight our way into the Heavens and force the Jade Emperor himself to release her!"
The three siblings' eyes lit up with hope. They truly felt they had found the kindest, most powerful master in the world.
(End of Chapter)