"Fellow Daoist, you've gone a bit too far!"
A voice rang out beside Xu Xiao, and then an old Daoist priest with white hair and beard appeared beside Xu Xiao.
Xu Xiao calmly put away the Zhou All-Heavens Star Mirror, then turned to look at the newcomer as if he had expected it.
The newcomer was dressed in a pure white Daoist robe, with white hair and beard. He held a whisk in his hand and had his hair tied in a Daoist bun with two emerald green leaves on it.
The leaves were broad and emerald green, but the tips were extremely thin and long, clearly indicating they were Bodhi leaves.
"What's wrong with that? This monkey is the first spiritual creature I've encountered since taking office. It has a strong desire to seek the Dao, and I was simply pleased to see it."
Xu Xiao faced Subhuti with a completely calm expression.
I neither taught him any Daoist methods nor provided him with any substantial help.
He simply saved the other person's life while passing by, and seeing that the person had a heart for Daoism, he gave him a Daoist classic.
Even if this matter were to reach the Lingxiao Palace, Xu Xiao would have no problem with it.
"Fellow Daoist knows what I'm about to say. These naturally occurring spiritual creatures are born out of necessity. If you intend to interfere, you should carefully consider the consequences."
A terrifying aura surged towards Xu Xiao, far stronger than that of the Great Emperor Zhenwu, giving Xu Xiao the feeling of facing the Great Emperor Ziwei.
Fortunately, it was just an intimidating aura; Xu Xiao's expression froze for a moment, but he quickly adapted.
"Fellow Daoist, are you threatening me? As a member of the Sky-Patrolling Bureau, I know my place regarding the law of cause and effect. Are you pressuring me like this to your advantage?"
A ray of starlight flickered in Xu Xiao's hand, Xu Xiao revealed the Star God Guide in a show of defiance.
Upon the appearance of this treasure imbued with the aura of the Great Emperor Ziwei, Subhuti's expression changed, and his arrogant demeanor subsided.
It's not time to turn against them yet. Although this minor official's actions did have some impact on the Western Sect's plans, they all seem to be understandable.
Subhuti could only issue a warning or two, to scare the other party, but he couldn't actually take action.
There are rules to follow in combat; it's not something you can just do at will. The last Guanyin who acted recklessly has already received her due punishment.
Although Subhuti considered himself to be of special status, openly attacking a righteous god of the Heavenly Court was an act of defiance against the Heavenly Dao, which was absolutely unacceptable.
"Hmph! Fellow Daoist, you'd better watch yourself!"
Subhuti snorted coldly, and then his figure slowly faded away.
Xu Xiao was left alone on the spot. Soon, Heavenly Lord Xin and his group, carrying a pangolin demon, arrived at the cloud and bowed to Xu Xiao in gratitude.
"Many thanks to Officer Zhi for his help in finding this demon's whereabouts so quickly. I will report this merit to the Heavenly Emperor truthfully."
" Heavenly Lord Xin, you are too kind. It is my duty, and I will certainly cooperate fully."
Xu Xiao returned the greeting with clasped hands, "If there's nothing else, then I'll Rotation first."
"You may return now, Cao. We will settle things here and then we can talk again."
Xu Xiao's figure vanished like starlight; his arrival was all pre-arranged.
The Sky-Patrolling Bureau, in cooperation with the Thunder Department God, deduced the whereabouts of the rebellious demon beasts and happened to encounter the Stone Monkey. Everything seemed so reasonable that no one could find fault with it.
The more Xu Xiao studied the Dao of Cause and Effect, the more cautious he became in all his arrangements, ensuring that no one could find fault with him openly.
Now, the Stone Monkey left Southern Jambudvipa Continent, built a new raft, and began to head west from the Southern Jambudvipa Continent.
After a difficult journey across the ocean, the Stone Monkey finally arrived at the Western Ox Continent.
Following the story the woodcutter had told him, the Stone Monkey, half-asking and half-guessing, finally found the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars thanks to great luck.
He pleaded and waited outside the cave, and was eventually accepted as a disciple by the Venerable Patriarch Subhuti inside the cave.
The Stone Monkey's wish to seek immortality and enlightenment was finally fulfilled, and his heart was no longer as tense as before, revealing his true monkey nature.
I spend my days listening to lectures in the Yamanaka, enjoying myself freely, and occasionally taking out my copy of the Tao Te Ching to read.
And just like that, time flew by, and seven years passed in the blink of an eye.
Subhuti was preaching and discussing the Dharma in the meditation hall when monkeys laughed and joked. He sought knowledge from the monks in the hall, even asking for instruction in the middle of the night...
Everything seemed to be back on track, returning to its original historical course.
The Stone Monkey successfully followed the arrangement of fate, fulfilled his wish, and learned various supernatural powers and methods, thus satisfying his desire.
Both the Western Sect and the Eastern Daoist Sect knew that with the completion of the Stone Monkey's apprenticeship, a grand drama was about to begin.
Heavenly Court - Sky-Patrolling Bureau
Xu Xiao awoke from his cultivation, and the chaotic, Power of Variables at his fingertips flashed by and was absorbed into his body.
"Relying solely on one's own cultivation is indeed too slow!"
Xu Xiao sighed. Although he occasionally influenced the fate of beings in the lower realms through the All-Heavens Star Mirror and collected the Power of Variables, the progress was still too slow.
Currently, his cultivation level is still at the peak of the Heavenly Immortal, and his Power of Variables is not yet sufficient to cross the threshold of the Golden Immortal realm.
"Judging by the time, the monkey should have returned from his cultivation at the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars by now, and he should have reached the level of Heavenly Immortal."
"Cultivation with such rare and precious treasures is incredibly smooth; before reaching the Golden Immortal, there are virtually no obstacles!"
Xu Xiao calculated with his fingers and could sense that the aura of the monkey connected to him by cause and effect had become much stronger.
Speaking of which, although he hasn't seen the monkey again in all these years, the causal link between Xu Xiao and the monkey has become increasingly solid, and their causal entanglement has become increasingly profound.
Moreover, every now and then, the monkey would contribute a little bit of Power of Variables to Xu Xiao's side.
The Stone Monkey's fate was subtly altered by Xu Xiao from the very day he was born. Whether it was a change in his nature or some minor matters, this kind of existence that came into being would provide some Power of Variables for Xu Xiao.
It was precisely because of these subtle variables that Xu Xiao was able to be certain that his influence on the monkey was enormous.
"A little common sense instilled, a Daoist scripture—these may seem to have no effect, but in reality, they are an indelible seed of Daoism for the monkey!"
" Western Sect, you can teach me the skills you need, and you'll certainly experience the hardships you need to endure, but as long as I'm here, the fruits of this monkey's labor will absolutely not fall into your hands!"
The flow of cause and effect at Xu Xiao's fingertips eventually concealed itself.
The trajectory of fate began to turn, but no one could calculate anything related to Xu Xiao, nor did they know what impact this existence would have on the future Journey to the Westward Calamity.