Six-Eared Macaque Begs to Become a Disciple
"The Qing Yuan Immortal Method is sufficient for you all to cultivate to the Daluo Golden Immortal. Now that I have passed it on, you may all disperse!"
"Disperse."
Those three words, like the final, fixed Law Divine Chains, were imprinted on the turbulent hearts of countless Primordial Wilderness beings.
With lingering echoes of endless mystery, reverberating amidst the gradually subsiding stardust on the dome and the mirages on the walls, it signifies both the end of grace and the cold expulsion of guests.
Inside the main hall, the surging torrent of thoughts and the burning desire to become a disciple were frozen as if by invisible ice, and then, in the next instant, were shattered by a giant hammer called "Loss".
Hundreds of millions of creatures of various forms— Archaic Gods and Demons towering thousands of feet tall, Primordial Exotic Species with gleaming scales and armor, auspicious beasts that swallow the sun and moon, and Plant Spirits shrouded in spiritual light—all stood frozen in place.
"You... you Venerable Dao Venerable... we are willing to serve you and listen to the true words of the Great Dao!"
An Innate Lifeform resembling a Qilin, but with a giant spiral horn on its head, let out a low, mournful cry, the sound waves sounding particularly jarring in the silence.
"Yes! I beg the Daoist Dao Venerable for mercy!"
"I only ask for a nominal disciple position!"
Scattered prayers rose again, their trembling voices filled with despair, attempting to grasp at the last vestige of the fading Daoist essence.
However, in the center of the hall, the aura that carried the existence of Qing Huan had completely dissipated, merging into the surrounding primordial clouds and the remaining Xuan Huang, without any further response. Only the whispered words, "The Dao is in heaven and earth, in breath, in circulation, in the Primordial Wilderness beneath your feet," remained, like a cold Dao principle, settling deep in the hearts of every living being.
Sighs, like millions of withered leaves falling simultaneously, gathered into a desolate ocean within the empty and lonely hall.
The brilliant light in his eyes faded, replaced by a deep sense of bewilderment.
The auspicious beast withdrew the auspicious clouds around its body and lowered its proud head.
The radiance of the Plant Spirits dimmed, and their branches drooped without wind.
The clear spring that once held up the scroll of civilization is now completely calm, reflecting faces that are filled with bitterness, melancholy, or a sense of enlightenment.
The Way has been fully revealed. The Dharma has been sown. The karmic connection, however, is no longer present.
No matter how unwilling or nostalgic they were, faced with the utterly vanished supreme being and the undeniable principle of "the Dao follows Nature," the Primordial Wilderness beings, despite their thousand regrets and myriad helplessness, had no choice but to accept this ending.
Like a receding tide, the figure began to move. The towering god-demon took a step forward, and his figure merged into the void, leaving only faint ripples of energy behind.
The enormous beast roared and transformed into a streak of light, shooting towards the distant horizon; the agile spirits scattered, turning into specks of fireflies, merging into the remaining Daoist-inspired clouds...
They left in different ways, but all left with the same lonely silhouette.
The magnificent Daoist temple, after its initial clamor, quickly slid towards the brink of deathly silence.
The clear, Xuan Huang light ceased to flow, the floating Golden Lotus stamen closed completely, and the clouds beneath their feet solidified into a lifeless, grayish-white mist.
In a short while, the magnificent hall that had once housed billions of living beings and witnessed the birth and death of the universe became empty. Only Law Fragments floated there like stardust, and an indescribable sense of emptiness, as if "the Great Dao has gone far away," permeated the air.
In this moment of utter silence, as if even time itself had frozen—
At the edge of the hall, in the shadow of a huge dragon pillar, a small, trembling figure stubbornly remained.
It tried to curl up, attempting to blend itself completely into the shadows, yet it couldn't help but peek out half its head. Its golden eyes, brimming with an unusual liveliness and endless longing, stared intently at the empty space in the center of the hall.
It was none other than the Six-Eared Macaque, one of the Four Mixed Monkeys.
Compared to the other Primordial Wilderness creatures, which were either majestic or sacred, it appeared exceptionally small and inconspicuous. Its brownish-gold fur was covered in dust, and it had a pointed snout and shrunken cheeks, resembling the mouth of a thunder god. It was the legendary Six-Eared Macaque creature that was skilled in listening, discerning reason, knowing the past and future, and understanding all things.
At this moment, its face was a mixture of extreme fear and desperate determination.
As the figure of the last departing Primordial Great Powers disappeared into the distorted light curtain at the entrance of the hall, the hall was now completely left with only one living being.
An invisible pressure, like a mountain of immense weight, crashed down, almost suffocating it. It gasped for breath, its chest heaving violently, and its limbs trembling slightly.
It was an instinctive awe of the supreme being, and also an extreme fear of one's own insignificant situation.
"Thump!"
It suddenly burst out of the shadow of the dragon pillar and pounced at its fastest speed ever to the place in the center of the hall where the Chaos Qi had last dissipated. Without hesitation, it prostrated itself on the ground, its forehead pressed firmly against the cold, smooth floor, which was shrouded in residual Dao patterns.
The movements were hurried and clumsy, carrying a humble, almost imperceptible plea.
"Dao... Dao Venerable One! This little monkey... this little monkey Six-Eared Macaque Begs for your mercy Dao Venerable One!"
Its voice was sharp and trembling, containing endless fear and hope, sounding particularly jarring and pitiful in the deathly silent hall.
"Little monkey... Little monkey knows that its roots are shallow and its fortune meager, and it is difficult to Dao Venerable..."
It spoke rapidly, its body trembling even more violently, as if resisting a terrifying pressure from the void that could descend at any moment.
"However... however, the little monkey's heart yearning for the Dao is witnessed by Heaven and Earth! Since the beginning of chaos and the birth of ignorance, the little monkey has listened day and night to the voices of the Three Realms and Six Paths, seeking the true meaning of the Great Dao... Alas... Alas, the Dao of Heavenly Dao is incomplete, and the Dao Ancestor said, 'The Law is not transmitted to the ears'... In the vast Primordial Wilderness, there is no place for the little monkey to find refuge in the Dao!"
When the Six-Eared Macaque spoke of "the Law is not transmitted to the ears," his voice was filled with deep sorrow and despair, a sense of isolation stemming from being rejected by the rules of the entire world.
It suddenly raised its head, and a startling light of unwavering determination flashed in its golden eyes, even temporarily overpowering its fear:
"Today, I have the opportunity to hear the Dao Venerable expound the supreme Great Dao and elucidate the mysteries of the universe. This is the only time since I was born that I have had the opportunity to hear the true Great Dao!"
The Dao Venerable One encompasses all things, embracing the world with harmony! We beseech the Dao Venerable's compassion!
Let's take the little monkey as our apprentice!
Even if... even if it's just a name on the register, even if it's just a servant boy sweeping the courtyard!
The little monkey swears by his very soul that he will serve the Dao Venerable for all eternity, with no second thoughts whatsoever!
I only ask... I only ask that the gate to the Great Dao not be completely closed to the little monkey!
It kowtowed heavily once more, its forehead striking the ground imbued with Dao patterns, producing a dull thud. A streak of dark red blood spread across it, appearing both incredibly devout and incredibly desolate.
A humble plea echoed in the empty hall, a desperate cry of desperation.
Time seemed to stand still once again.
A long, long time passed, so long that the Six-Eared Macaque's blood almost froze on the cold, Dao-patterned floor; so long that the faint embers of hope in its heart were about to be extinguished by the boundless silence.
In the center of that empty hall, purple mist silently appeared out of thin air, like the softest veil, slowly gathering and flowing.
A gaze fell once more.
This gaze was no longer the calm, undisturbed look that had swept over billions of living beings; instead, it carried a scrutinizing gaze that seemed to see through eternity and pierce through all illusions.
The force seemed to pierce through the Six-Eared Macaque's humble fur and trembling bones, revealing every thread of its soul's obsession, every instance of listening, and the dim, broken... thread of Luck that clung to its True Spirit like an invisible shackle!