Bringing Up Babies Is So Hard

The Five Spirit Qilin stepped on auspicious clouds, carrying Dao Xuan, leisurely traveling between the Great Desolation and the heavens.

Dao Xuan wore a blue gauze headband, his face like mutton-fat jade, his eyes clear and brows distinct. He possessed a refined and elegant demeanor, exuding the aura of a high immortal from the Xuan sect.

Slightly behind him.

A boy, carved and painted like jade, appearing to be about four or five years old, sat cross-legged on a gourd shimmering with flowing light and swirling with seven-colored treasure radiance.

It was the Gourd Baby!

He had two small topknots on his head, each adorned with a vibrant green gourd leaf.

He wore a seven-colored gourd leaf immortal robe, his bare feet fair and tender, dangling in the air.

The seven-colored gourd carried him, steadily following the Five Spirit Qilin, neither fast nor slow, like the most well-behaved follower.

The little fellow's big eyes darted around, finding everything novel.

"Teacher, teacher! Look, look! Doesn't that cloud look like a big peach?" the Gourd Baby pointed to the horizon, his voice crisp.

"Hmm, it's passable," Dao Xuan replied calmly, maintaining his teacher's dignity.

"Teacher, teacher! The fish jumping out of that big lake below has wings on its back! Can it fly?"

"That's a Wanyou Fish, they are good at flying," Dao Xuan patiently explained.

"Teacher, teacher! That mountain is so high! Higher than the tallest mountain on our Fangzhang Island! Do immortals live at the summit?"

"Possibly," Dao Xuan rubbed his temples.

"Teacher, teacher! That bird's tail is so long and beautiful! It's colorful!"

"That's a Luan Bird."

"Teacher, teacher! That tree is so strange, its leaves are golden!"

"That's Golden Leaf Bodhi."

"Teacher, teacher!…"

"Teacher, teacher!…"

The Gourd Baby's questions flowed like an unending stream, making Dao Xuan's Primordial Spirit feel somewhat dizzy.

He had cultivated for tens of thousands of years, listened to the Dao Ancestor lecture, debated dharma with Saints, and even withstood three moves from an Ancestral Witch, yet he had never felt so… mentally exhausted!

The hardship of taking care of a child was more trying than comprehending the Primordial Dao!

Dao Xuan sighed inwardly.

He could only silently circulate the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique to steady his mind.

On the Qilin's back, one rested with closed eyes, but his heart was a storm.

On the gourd, one chirped incessantly, full of energy, his little feet swinging merrily.

A stark contrast.

One day.

They arrived amidst a stretch of vast, desolate mountains.

The terrain was treacherous, with ancient trees forming dense forests.

Suddenly, from the valley ahead, came bursts of roaring!

"Roar—!"

A beast's roar, filled with ferocity and malevolence, shook the surrounding mountains and forests!

Immediately following were the sounds of metal clashing against stone, and a slightly sharp, hurried shout!

Clearly, a battle was taking place!

Dao Xuan's brow twitched slightly, his divine sense having already swept through silently.

The situation in the valley was clear to him.

A golden-haired monkey at the Earth Immortal realm was fiercely battling a ferocious beast that resembled a giant lizard, its body covered in black scales, a single horn on its head, exuding a murderous aura.

The beast's aura was wild, and it was clearly at the Heavenly Immortal cultivation level!

The golden-haired monkey was agile, its claws and teeth sharp, wielding a thick stone staff.

However, the gap in cultivation was too large, and it was being suppressed by the beast, facing constant danger!

Yet.

This monkey seemed to possess an astonishing innate combat intuition!

Every time it was at the brink of disaster, it managed to narrowly avoid fatal attacks through incredibly agile footwork and instinctive reactions.

Although it was in a sorry state, with several bloody wounds already, it managed to hold its ground against the Heavenly Immortal beast with this cleverness and bravery!

Dao Xuan nodded slightly.

This monkey showed some extraordinary talent.

However.

He had just gotten a clear view of the battle.

The Gourd Baby, sitting on a seven-colored gourd, his pair of bright, lively eyes instantly erupted with a brilliance ten times brighter than when he saw new, novel clouds!

"Wow! A fight! A fight!"

He was so excited his little face turned red, as if he had discovered a peerless treasure.

"Teacher, teacher! Look quickly! There's excitement!"

Before he even finished speaking!

This little ancestor didn't wait for Dao Xuan to react at all!

He clapped his little hands on the seven-colored gourd beneath him!

"Whoosh--!"

The seven-colored gourd instantly turned into a stream of light, carrying his small figure, like an arrow shot from a bow, towards the valley where the rumbling sound came from, shooting off like a rocket!

The speed was so fast that only a string of seven-colored afterimages was left behind!

"Gourd Baby!"

Dao Xuan was startled and quickly shouted to stop him.

But it was already too late.

The seven-colored stream of light had already plunged headfirst into the valley!

Dao Xuan sighed helplessly.

This brat!

He could only gently pat the Qilin's neck.

"Follow."

The Five Spirit Qilin let out a low growl, its four hooves treading on clouds, and also turned into a five-colored stream of light, closely following behind, landing in the valley.

Inside the valley.

Smoke and dust filled the air.

The golden-haired monkey was being sent flying by a fierce beast's powerful tail whip, crashing hard into a giant rock, spitting blood, and the stone staff in its hand flew out.

The fierce beast's eyes flashed with ferocity, it roared, opened its bloody maw, revealing its sharp fangs, and pounced towards the heavily injured monkey!

A foul wind swept over!

A trace of despair flashed in the monkey's eyes.

At this critical moment!

"Halt! Ugly monster! Don't hurt people!"

A clear, childish voice, full of righteousness, exploded like thunder above the fierce beast's head!

The fierce beast's pouncing motion suddenly halted!

A seven-colored stream of light descended from the sky!

The stream of light dispersed.

The Gourd Baby stood with his hands on his hips, majestically blocking in front of the golden-haired monkey!

His little face was tense, his big eyes glaring at the fierce beast, which was many times larger than him, without a hint of fear!

"Where did this little brat come from! You're looking for death!"

Although the fierce beast was surprised by the Gourd Baby's sudden appearance and strange attire, it sensed that the other party's aura was not very strong (the Gourd Baby had deliberately restrained most of his Golden Immortal aura), and its ferocity grew even more!

It abandoned the monkey on the ground, its bloody maw carrying a foul, stinking wind, and bit directly towards the Gourd Baby!

The speed was even faster! The power was even more ferocious!

"Be careful!" the golden-haired monkey on the ground cried out in alarm.

The Gourd Baby, however, was not flustered.

A hint of "It's finally my turn to perform" excitement even appeared on his little face.

"Hmph! Take this!"

He let out a soft, milky shout!

Without any visible movement.

He simply extended his tender, white little hand and gently pressed it towards the pouncing fierce beast from a distance!

Hum!

An invisible yet vast and majestic force instantly descended!

It was as if the entire space had solidified!

The fierce Heavenly Immortal beast, which had been charging ferociously, seemed to have crashed into an invisible, ancient divine mountain!

"Awooo--!"

A piercing scream, distorted with agony!

The ferocious beast's massive body was sent flying backward with a thunderous crash, faster than it had charged!

BOOM!

It slammed hard into a mountain wall dozens of feet away!

Its tough scales shattered inch by inch, blood spraying wildly!

The mountain wall was gouged out with a large pit, and rubble rained down!

The ferocious beast collapsed in the pit, its bones broken, blood gushing from its seven orifices, clearly beyond saving!

The entire process was as fast as lightning!

From the Gourd Baby's appearance to him sending the Heavenly Immortal ferocious beast flying with a palm strike from afar, it took only the blink of an eye!

The golden-haired monkey lay on the ground, its mouth agape wide enough to fit a duck's egg, its eyes wide open, completely stunned!

This... this...

The terrifying ferocious beast that had almost taken its life just moments ago...

Was killed by this little child, who wasn't even as tall as itself... with a single palm strike?!

Dao Xuan also landed on his Five Spirit Qilin.

He happened to witness the Gourd Baby's "heroic feat" of sending the ferocious beast flying with a palm strike.

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

This kid certainly knew how to show off.

However, that clean and decisive palm strike, imbued with the power of the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique, was applied quite skillfully.

After dealing with the ferocious beast, the Gourd Baby patted his little hands as if he had done something trivial.

He turned around and looked at the stunned golden-haired monkey on the ground.

A smile, which he thought was the kindest, appeared on his small face.

"Little monkey, are you alright?"

His voice was clear and crisp, carrying the innocence unique to children.

The golden-haired monkey finally snapped back to reality.

Looking at the exquisitely carved, life-saving little child before it, and then at the tragic state of the ferocious beast on the distant mountain wall.

It struggled to get up, ignoring its injuries, and immediately prostrated itself.

"Little... Little Master, thank you for saving my life! I... I will never forget this kindness! I kowtow to you!"

Bang, bang, bang!

It kowtowed three times in quick succession.

Its movements were swift, and its attitude was incredibly respectful.

The Gourd Baby felt a little embarrassed by this grand gesture, his small face flushing slightly.

He imitated Dao Xuan's usual manner of helping up Yu Shu and Xuan Ji, extending his small hand to offer support.

"Oh, no need to kowtow, no need to kowtow, please get up."

Only then did the golden-haired monkey dare to look up.

Its gaze towards the Gourd Baby was filled with reverence, gratitude, and a hint of... fanaticism?

Dao Xuan watched quietly from the side.

His gaze swept over the golden-haired monkey.

Its bone structure was indeed extraordinary, full of spiritual essence, especially its innate combat intuition and fierce spirit, which were rare among the lower-tier beings of the Great Desolation.

However.

When Dao Xuan's gaze inadvertently swept past the monkey's ears.

His heart suddenly stirred!

Behind the monkey's two ears, there were actually two small, flesh-colored ears, almost the same color as its fur!

In total, that made—six ears!

"Six ears?!"

Dao Xuan's pupils constricted!

The legends of the Great Desolation flashed through his mind—the Four Great Chaos-Creating Divine Monkeys!

The Lingming Stone Monkey, the Chi'er Horse Monkey, the Tongbei Ape Monkey, and the Six-Eared Macaque!

This golden-haired monkey before him, with its six-lobed ears, innate spiritual intelligence, ability to perceive sounds, understand principles, and know past and future, with all things clear to it!

It was precisely one of the Four Great Chaos-Creating Divine Monkeys—the Six-Eared Macaque!

Dao Xuan's thoughts raced, and he secretly began to calculate with his fingers.

Although the Heavenly Opportunity was obscure, combining it with what he saw before him, he understood.

This monkey was precisely the Six-Eared Macaque!

Legend had it that this monkey, due to its innate divine abilities, once tried to eavesdrop on the Dao Ancestor's sermon in Purple Heaven Palace. It was rebuked by the Dao Ancestor with the words "The Dharma is not transmitted to the six ears," cutting off its chance to hear the Dao.

From then on, the great powers of the Great Desolation took this as a warning, avoiding it like the plague. No one was willing to take it as a disciple or pass on the Great Dao to it.

No wonder its cultivation was so low, only able to fight fiercely with ferocious beasts here!

Dao Xuan understood in his heart.

At this moment.

The Six-Eared Macaque saw Dao Xuan looking at it with deep eyes, especially lingering on its six ears, and its heart suddenly tightened.

It knew that its origins were not a secret to true great powers.

A huge sense of panic and despair surged in its heart.

This immortal of unfathomable aura must also know that phrase, "The Dharma is not transmitted to the six ears"!

It immediately knelt down with a thud, its voice filled with endless sorrow and pleading:

"Immortal, please see clearly! I... I am indeed that Six-Eared Macaque!"

"I know my humble origins and that I once committed a grave taboo, making me unwelcome in the Great Desolation!"

"However, since I gained sentience, my heart has been solely set on the Dao, with not the slightest ill intention! I only beg to hear the Great Dao and escape this suffering of ignorance!"

"Alas... alas..."

Its voice choked, and all six of its ears trembled slightly.

"I have traveled throughout the Great Desolation, visited countless grotto-heavens and immortal mountains, only to beg to be accepted as a disciple by an immortal master, even if it were just to sweep the floors as a young attendant and overhear a single true word!"

"But... but because of my six ears, no one dared to take me in! No one was willing to teach me!"

"Today, I was saved by the young master and had the fortune to behold the immortal's countenance, which is truly a tremendous fortune for me!"

"I dare not aspire to become a disciple of the immortal, I only beg... I only beg the immortal to be merciful and allow me to follow by your side, to serve as a servant who fetches tea and water, or leads horses and hangs stirrups!"

"I am willing to swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao, never to eavesdrop, never to betray! I only ask to be touched by a sliver of immortal fate and to hear even a fraction of the Great Dao!"

It kowtowed repeatedly, its forehead bleeding. Its words were earnest and moved anyone who heard them.

Gourd Baby listened from the side, his small face scrunched up, his big eyes full of sympathy.

He tugged at Dao Xuan's sleeve and whispered in plea:

"Teacher... it's so pitiful... can you let it follow us? It said it will never eavesdrop and will swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao!"

Dao Xuan looked at the Six-Eared Macaque desperately pleading before him, then at Gourd Baby's expectant face.

Take in the Six-Eared Macaque?

He wasn't worried about the "Dharma is not transmitted to the six ears."

The Dao Ancestor's words back then were more of a punishment for its eavesdropping, not truly cutting off its path completely.

Moreover, times had changed.

What he was concerned about was his own identity!

He was the third-generation chief disciple of the Xuanmen! A direct disciple of Saint Taiqing!

If he took in this Six-Eared Macaque as a disciple, it would undoubtedly become the third-generation chief disciple of the Xuanmen!

This position was tied to the Xuanmen's destiny and was no small matter!

How could it be so casually decided?

But this monkey's roots and disposition were indeed rare.

Especially its desire for the Dao, which remained unchanged after countless cold glances and rejections, made it even more precious.

Dao Xuan pondered for a moment.

Very well.

The position of Xuanmen chief disciple was of great importance and could not be lightly bestowed.

However, if it were just to keep it by his side, to examine its disposition and temper its Dao heart, it would be acceptable.

If it could truly pass the test, then they could discuss taking it as a disciple later.

If not, finding a place for it to settle down would also fulfill Gourd Baby's kindness.

With this thought, Dao Xuan spoke calmly:

"Very well. Considering your sincere desire for the Dao, and having been saved by my disciple, it can be considered fate."

"I can allow you to accompany us for a period of time, to serve as a mount and await orders."

"This is a period to examine your disposition. If you remain dutiful and diligently pursue goodness, perhaps I can find a future for you later."

"If you harbor ill intentions, or make a mistake..."

Dao Xuan's gaze was like lightning as he swept over the Six-Eared Macaque.

"Do not blame this humble Daoist for being heartless and beating you back to your original form!"

Upon hearing this, the Six-Eared Macaque was stunned for a moment, and then immense joy surged in its heart!

Although it hadn't been directly taken as a disciple, the opportunity to follow such a high-level cultivator of the Xuanmen was something it had never even dared to dream of!

"Thank you, Immortal! Thank you for your mercy, Immortal!"

It trembled all over with excitement, kowtowing repeatedly.

"This humble one, Six-Eared, hereby makes a Heavenly Dao oath: while following the Immortal, I will certainly abide by my duties, diligently cultivate goodness, and never harbor any disloyal thoughts or make any mistakes! If I violate this oath, I willingly accept heavenly punishment and utter annihilation!"

As the oath concluded, there seemed to be a response from the unseen realms.

Dao Xuan nodded slightly.

"Rise. Your injuries have not yet healed, so rest here for a while."

As he spoke, he flicked his finger, sending a beam of clear light into the Six-Eared Macaque's body.

It was the most basic healing chapter and Qi-guiding method of the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique.

The Six-Eared Macaque felt a warm current flow through its limbs and bones, its injuries rapidly improving. The faint demonic energy within it also seemed to be refined, becoming purer and more condensed!

It was both surprised and delighted. It quickly sat down cross-legged and began to meditate according to the profound technique.

Gourd Baby clapped his hands happily, "Hooray! Little monkey, you'll be with us from now on!"

He curiously squatted beside the Six-Eared Macaque, watching it meditate.

Dao Xuan, with his hands behind his back, stood to the side, his gaze fixed on the distance.

He had just left Fangzhang Island on his journey through the Great Desolation and had picked up a Six-Eared Macaque.

This journey seemed to be getting more and more interesting.

He glanced at Gourd Baby, who was enthusiastically observing the monkey's meditation.

Hmm, at least this kid wouldn't be pestering him with questions like "Teacher, teacher, what does that cloud look like?" for the time being.

Dao Xuan felt an inexplicable sense of relief in his heart.

But this group...

A teacher riding a Qilin.

A "son" sitting in a seven-colored gourd.

And a Six-Eared Macaque leading the horse and carrying the saddle...

This combination, no matter how you looked at it, exuded a peculiar harmony?