Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

"How could this be?" the Bull Demon King muttered to himself, as all common sense and rules seemed to lose their effectiveness in front of this willow tree. Everything he had anticipated had failed, as if a mysterious power lingered around this eerie willow, making him feel that every thought was a mistake.

This power had already surpassed his understanding. Indeed, within the Three Realms, the Patriarch of the Nether River was not considered weak, yet faced with the eerie willow's phantom, he felt as though there was nowhere to exert his strength.

"Transcendence!" The word suddenly flashed through the mind of the Patriarch of the Nether River.

At that instant, his body began to shiver uncontrollably. Within the Three Realms, the only transcendent was the Ancestral Master. How had this willow come into being, and why did it possess the power of transcendence? Explore more stories with My Virtual Library Empire

At this moment, he felt as if the Three Realms, which he thought he had sufficiently understood, were suddenly veiled in a layer of mystery, making it unclear to him.

The robust body of the Bull Demon King stood frozen over a devastated ground; after a long time, he heaved a deep sigh: "Transcendence, indeed!"

This is the ultimate pursuit of every Cultivator, yet throughout the ages, the only known Transcendent was the Ancestral Master. Now, unexpectedly, this willow, whose origin was unknown, had been added to the list.

However, the Patriarch could clearly feel that the willow had already lost its life force. Clearly transcendent, why then had it died; could it be that there were still powerful enemies above transcendence?

Having never known fear, a profound darkness now enveloped the Patriarch of the Nether River, causing a deep fear to rise from within, a fear that often stemmed from ignorance among sentient beings.

"Compared with these great powers, my schemes probably wouldn't stand a chance," the Patriarch of the Nether River said with a self-mocking laugh.

Yet, this did not dishearten him; on the contrary, it stirred the fighting spirit within him. Let those people lead the way; he would slowly catch up to their pace, and one day stand shoulder to shoulder with them.

The current priority was to reclaim the Rules of Water and authority, to perfect himself, aiming to reach the threshold of transcendence when the next opportunity arose.

Thinking of this, the Patriarch of the Nether River felt an irritation in his heart, as the flames on Flame Mountain had somehow intensified considerably, such that even the body of the Bull Demon King could not penetrate deep enough to retrieve the authority and rules.

This place was a necessary passage for the westward journey, and if he were to forcibly descend in his true form, he would likely be exposed to all beings of the Three Realms, making it nearly impossible to retrieve the authority and rules.

He had originally planned to use Flame Mountain as a cover, to stealthily consolidate the Rules of Water and authority, and then unwittingly take them away to complete himself. He never expected such a change of events, suddenly understanding what it meant to be ensnared in one's own trap.

At this juncture, he could only wait for Tang Monk to come, to harness the power of All Saints to successfully extinguish the flames and then retrieve the authority. But by doing so, the secret beneath Flame Mountain would be exposed to the eyes of All Saints; others might not mind, but those from the West definitely would not want him to take away the rules and authority.

While the Patriarch of the Nether River continued to ponder ways to break the impasse, the phantom willow with the Dragon Princess and two others had already arrived at Putuo Island.

The moment they landed on the island, the three of them could not help but collapse onto the beach. The great battle had left the three young ones utterly exhausted, and they wanted nothing more than to lazily lie on the warm sand, to feel the cool sea breeze, and to remain motionless.

"At last, we escaped alive!" exclaimed the Dragon Princess.

"Hmph! One day, I will make the Patriarch of the Nether River pay," Little Black Bear said indignantly.

"That's going to be tough. The Patriarch of the Nether River is a renowned master in the three realms; defeating him won't be easy," the Dragon Princess said with a light laugh.

"Dragon Princess, how can you boost the morale of others while dampening your own spirit? One day, I will make that so-called guy kneel and beg for mercy," Little Black Bear said full of fighting spirit.

Red Child looked at Little Black Bear with envy. Despite the hardships, this little fellow managed to maintain an uplifting attitude and could happily live through each day, something he himself couldn't manage.

At that thought, the images of his parents flashed through his mind, and he felt extremely upset. He didn't know if he and his family would ever have the chance to reunite in this lifetime. What used to be taken for granted was now a luxury hope.

The Dragon Princess keenly noticed Red Child's low spirits. A flicker of sympathy crossed her eyes. Who would think that in just a few days, Red Child had lost his parents and acquired such a formidable enemy? Hence, she began to comfort Red Child, "I saw your uncle, and there might still be a chance to heal him. Let's go and pray to the Bodhisattva; maybe we could save your parents."

Red Child nodded slightly; he knew this was the only way for now.

"The three little ones look somewhat disheveled!" a voice came from the depths of the bamboo forest, carrying a hint of laughter. Soon, Muzha's figure slowly appeared on the beach.

"Brother Muzha, we're here!" Xiao Longnu waved her little hands excitedly, her face full of joy.

Muzha walked up to the three youngsters. Xiao Longnu immediately started to tear up and complained, "Brother Muzha, that Patriarch of the Nether River is really awful. He not only controlled Red Child's parents but also tried to turn us into puppets. We almost didn't make it back."

Muzha laughed and gently patted Xiao Longnu on the head, his face wearing a gentle smile, "Now you understand the cruelty of the three realms. In the eyes of some powerful beings, all people are merely pawns for their enlightenment. This heartless way often leads people onto the Demonic Path, causing them to lose their true nature and be unable to break through. Remember this lesson well and never become like that."

Xiao Longnu quickly nodded and said, "I understand; I will never become like him."

"Let's go; Bodhisattva has been waiting for a while. Tell her all about your experience," Muzha said as he helped Little Black Bear to his feet.

Red Child nodded and obediently followed Muzha towards the depths of the Purple Bamboo Forest.

Bodhisattva Guanyin sat high on the lotus platform, holding the Purifying Vase in her hand. The willow branch inside was lush and dripping as if bursting with infinite life force. This time, the three youngsters no longer underestimated the seemingly unremarkable willow branch. Just a shadow cast by one leaf had left a master of the three realms like the Patriarch of the Nether River utterly helpless.

"We pay our respects to the Bodhisattva!" The three of them bowed respectfully to the Bodhisattva.

Guanyin's face bore a compassionate smile, "It seems this experience has impacted you greatly; your attitudes have changed a lot."