The Dao song drifted faintly, a spirit sound in the empty valley. It was filled with ethereal immortal intent, coming from an infinite distance, yet clearly reaching the ears, containing the profound mysteries of the Great Dao. The fat man was immersed in it, unable to snap back to reality for a long time.
The Dao song consisted of only five lines, each with ten characters, totaling fifty characters, subtly aligning with the mystery of the Great Dao’s fifty, the heavenly evolution of forty-nine, and the one that escapes. This was the song of the Dao Ancestor’s enlightenment, its profundity beyond the comprehension of ordinary mortals. With those simple fifty characters, the fat man felt as if flowers were raining from the sky, encompassing the vastness of the universe, making it hard for him to grasp the spark of insight. The sheer volume of information was overwhelming; even the surface meanings faintly revealed sent chills down his spine.
The leader of the Mystic Gate, one Qi transforming into Hongjun? What audacity was this? Could this Dao Ancestor Hongjun not be some reclusive senior from the stars, but truly the supreme Dao Ancestor of Chinese mythology?
No, that’s not right! Humanity’s ancient mythological civilization had long since collapsed. If a legendary creator Dao Ancestor had survived to this day, humanity would have already dominated the universe. How could they still be suppressed by alien races, unable to even leave the Milky Way? That didn’t make sense!
It seemed this Dao Ancestor Hongjun must be a Dao Ancestor-level powerhouse from ancient mythology. Had this senior before him walked this supreme mythological path and taken this as his alias? The fat man gave himself the most reasonable explanation.
Dao Ancestor genes? His breathing quickened, his face burning with fervor. What kind of organization was the Mythical Gene Society? How profound were the mythological knowledge they hoarded? They could even awaken Dao Ancestor genes! If this got out, the entire interstellar community would be shocked.
The fat man’s heart raced, nearly leaping out of his chest. He shook his head, afraid to dwell on it. The more he thought, the more terrifying it became! At this moment, he felt immense gratitude and excitement! How fortunate he was! To have the chance to join the Mythical Gene Society, even if he hadn’t passed the trial yet, was an opportunity countless others could only dream of.
After finishing the Dao song, Hongjun the Dao Ancestor slowly closed his eyes and said no more. “Dao Ancestor, what is the trial?” the fat man asked, utterly confused. “The trial lies within the Dao song! You must comprehend it yourself. If you understand, you understand. If you don’t, you don’t. Only by grasping the reason within and passing the trial can you truly become the destined one to join the Mythical Gene Society!” Hongjun’s words were shrouded in mist, elusive and intangible.
In summary, it boiled down to one simple sentence, two words! Guess?
The fat man was troubled. The trial had no specific content; he had to figure it out himself? This was a tough spot! His face scrunched up, his eyes nearly disappearing.
“The time has come; you must leave now!” Hongjun the Dao Ancestor spoke slowly, waving his hand. “Dao Ancestor, please guide me a little more…” The fat man panicked, about to say more, but felt his body wrapped in an invisible force, involuntarily shifting him out of the Purple Cloud Palace.
The mysterious Dao palace doors closed slowly, vanishing once more into the heavens beyond the heavens, leaving no trace, elusive and untraceable. “I still don’t know what the initiation trial is!” The fat man reached out helplessly, as if trying to grasp the now-vanished Purple Cloud Dao Palace, sighing endlessly.
“Fellow Daoist Zhu Tiangang, let’s go! The Dao Ancestor Hongjun has instructed me to see you out!” At that moment, Feng Lin appeared in his true form before the fat man, adopting a posture of closing the door and seeing off a guest. “No! I’m not leaving! Until I figure out the initiation trial, I’m not going anywhere today!” The fat man’s eyes rolled around, and he flopped onto the ground, rolling around, refusing to leave no matter what.
Feng Lin couldn’t push him away, a hint of deep amusement flickering in his eyes, though his face showed helplessness, as if he couldn’t deal with this shameless fat man. He sighed and said, “Why do you persist? The Dao Ancestor Hongjun is unfathomable; his actions all have deeper meaning. If he won’t tell you, there’s a reason. Pestering him won’t help! Besides, the Dao Ancestor has already clearly hinted at the initiation trial; you just don’t realize it!”
Boom! Clouds churned, thunder rumbled across the sky, as if heaven and earth were angered. Feng Lin quickly feigned panic, bowing to the heavens and saying, “Dao Ancestor, forgive me! Wukong should not have leaked the heavenly secrets!” With that, he put on a terrified expression of having misspoken and caused a catastrophe, clamping his mouth shut, refusing to utter another word.
Boundless mist enveloped them, lifting them up and casting them out of the virtual micro-world of Mythical Earth. “Fellow Daoist Zhu Tiangang, hurry and leave! You’ve really done me in. Stop this pointless纠缠!” Feng Lin seemed angered by the fat man’s antics, issuing a cold dismissal.
The fat man’s eyes rolled faster and faster, no longer resembling a fat pig but a cunning fox. He quickly pulled Feng Lin aside, speaking mysteriously, “Fellow Daoist Wukong, it seems you know the deeper meaning behind the Dao Ancestor’s hint. Could you give me just a little hint? Just a tiny bit!”
Seeing his guilty, sneaky demeanor, Feng Lin found it amusing. This fat man truly lived up to being a cultivator on Zhu Bajie’s mythological path; his slyness rivaled that of the cunning pig demon in mythology. Indeed, one awakens the genes that match their nature—this was a perfect match! But wasn’t this exactly what he had deliberately orchestrated? Though you have Zhu Bajie’s mythological genes, as cunning as a ghost, remember, I walk Sun Wukong’s path, and I have you completely under my thumb.
Feng Lin feigned anger, “Fellow Daoist Zhu Tiangang, what do you mean? My earlier slip of the tongue has already provoked the Dao Ancestor Hongjun’s wrath! Unless there’s sufficient compensation, don’t expect me to reveal any secrets! That’s absolutely impossible!”
Though he said it was impossible, the fat man, being sharp-witted, instantly caught the implication in Feng Lin’s words—it wasn’t that he wouldn’t spill the secret, but that he wouldn’t do it for free. He was asking for a reward! A confident smile spread across the fat man’s face, revealing his innate wealth. There was nothing in this world that star coins couldn’t solve. If 10 million wasn’t enough, then 100 million!
“Fellow Daoist Wukong, we’ve already left the Mythical Gene Society’s domain now. It’s fine if you speak up; the Dao Ancestor Hongjun can’t possibly know!” he urged mysteriously. Feng Lin sneered, casting him a sidelong glance. “Ignorant. You’re just a frog at the bottom of a well, unaware of the Dao Ancestor Hongjun’s vast powers! He has achieved supreme mastery, knowing all things in the universe. How could he not know?”
Seeing Feng Lin still not taking the bait, the fat man gritted his teeth and cut to the chase, throwing out his trump card. “Fellow Daoist Wukong, let’s not beat around the bush. Just tell me what the initiation trial is, and we can negotiate the star coins! How about 100,000 star coins?” Feng Lin maintained his cold sneer, unmoved. “200,000 star coins!” “300,000 star coins!” “500,000 star coins!” … The fat man kept raising the stakes, acting as if star coins meant nothing. Feng Lin’s sneer remained unchanged. “The Dao Ancestor Hongjun’s words are pearls of wisdom, each worth a thousand gold. How could they be so easily revealed to others?”
Still not taking the bait? The fat man was stumped. Had he misread the situation? Was this Wukong fellow not after a reward? No way! With his keen eye, he could spot anyone showing even a hint of interest in star coins.
Suddenly, he recalled the meaningful words Feng Lin had just spoken, and a knowing smile crept onto the fat man’s lips. A thousand gold per word? The fat man decisively spoke up. “Deal! A thousand gold per word it is. Fellow Daoist Wukong, as you said, just tell me the secret, and I’ll pay you 1,000 star coins for every word! No cap!”
Deal! Without a second thought, Feng Lin grabbed the fat man’s hand, sealing the deal before he could change his mind.
Hmm… How sweet it is!