Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

The quietude of Mountain Luoxia was particularly palpable in the early morning, with the sun just having risen, its rays spilling through the dense woods, casting dappled shadows, while the cheerful chirping of early birds melodiously echoed through the forest.

Yet, Lu Yu had, unusually, ceased his meditative cultivation that day, solely because an old friend was visiting.

Suddenly, a streak of sword light illuminated the horizon, and a figure could be seen approaching on a flying sword, his sash fluttering – an image of an immortal if ever there was one, despite the square set of his face somewhat diminishing this ethereal quality.

Seeing this person, Lu Yu's face broke into a happy smile, and he teased with a laugh, "Your master has finally deigned to let you leave, Yan Dan, or should I say Yan Chixia now."

Yan Chixia laughed heartily in response, "You just take advantage of the fact that I've been reincarnated, even taking the liberty of changing my name."

"You don't understand, this name harbors profound mysteries, and it brings immense benefits to you," Lu Yu said with inscrutable depth.

"Enough, enough with that charlatan talk. Hurry up and bring out your fine wine. I've been craving a good drink, and it's not like you don't know how strictly regulated things are up on Mount Shu. My mouth is almost fresh enough to breed birds." Yan Chixia then grabbed Lu Yu by the arm and dragged him towards the cave abode.

Upon entering the cave abode, the Mount Shu Disciple couldn't help but widen his eyes in wonder, exclaiming, "What a vast Cave Heaven, truly worthy of the Tea Saint's reputation."

In Yan Chixia's eyes, this Cave Heaven had already evolved into a small world unto itself where one could see the sun, moon, and stars, with weather changes indistinguishable from the outside world – the ultimate expression of what a Cave Heaven could become, just a step away from forming its own little universe.

"Your Mount Shu may have vast holdings and famous Blessed Lands, yet you still envy my Cave Heaven," teased Lu Yu.

"Although the Mount Shu Cave Heaven is vast, its laws are not complete. Your Cave Heaven, on the other hand, is replete with Laws, no different from a small world. How can I not be envious?" Yan Chixia said, sighing wistfully.

After all, a Cave Heaven with a complete set of Laws could help cultivators better comprehend the Laws of the world, greatly benefiting their understanding of the Great Dao.

"Is this the Innate Spirit Root Enlightenment Tea Tree?" Yan Chixia asked, pointing to the Tea Tree nearby that glowed brightly.

Lu Yu nodded with a smile. He had sent some Enlightenment Tea to Mount Shu before, but despite that, Yan Chixia, who had been quietly cultivating on Mount Shu for so many years, had never visited Mountain Luoxia. This was his first encounter with the Enlightenment Tea Tree.

The novelties of the Cave Heaven provided Yan Chixia with much to marvel at, and once they had settled down, Lu Yu asked with a smile, "Your master treasures you like a gem, always reluctant to let you leave. What sort of wind suddenly got him to agree to let you go down the mountain for training?"

At that, a schadenfreude smile spread across Lu Yu's face. Ever since Yan Dan had reincarnated, he had remained as casual and unrestrained as before. His master had always feared that he would repeat past mistakes and thus kept him confined to Mount Shu, not allowing him to leave even a step. Even Lu Yu's intercession had been in vain.

Yan Chixia then revealed a bitter smile, "How would I know? My master just rushed in and said my opportunity had come, and then let me go down the mountain. I'm still confused, not knowing where to go, so here I am, visiting you."

Lu Yu pondered for a moment with a hint of a smile on his face. Remembering how the Hongluan Star had recently stirred, he intuitively had a conjecture. If he was right, this was indeed a rare opportunity.

Seeing the smile on Lu Yu's face, Yan Chixia showed a look of pleasant surprise, "It seems you've guessed it. Why not hurry and tell me?"

However, Lu Yu gave a smile that was full of enigma, "It cannot be said, it cannot be said. Just travel the world, following your heart, and when the day comes, you will naturally understand."

"That's why I dislike your kind of cryptic talk the most. 'The sword does not lie to me.' As it happens, I have plans to forge a sword, so I'll take this chance to travel the world," Yan Chixia said with a smile, his disposition always free and easy. Not one to overthink, since Lu Yu advised patience, he suppressed his curiosity and did not press further on these secrets.

Seeing this, Lu Yu smiled knowingly – with such a mindset, his friend's prospects in the Dao in this life were promising.

After Yan Chixia's departure, Lu Yu gazed after his retreating figure, remaining silent for a long while. Now that Yan Chixia had left the mountain, it seemed that a pivotal moment for the Transcendence of All Saints was drawing near.

If the All Saints were to Transcend, they would need to break through this universe. But after countless ages, the three realms had developed complete Laws, and any forcible break would destroy the world – an outcome the All Saints were unwilling to choose.

Therefore, they turned their sights to the Human Path. The Human Path had gradually become one of the Great Daos, almost on par with the Heavenly Dao, and could be considered a proxy to some extent. Thus, it could provisionally replace the Heavenly Dao.

If men breached heaven, the turnover of Great Daos would not result in overly grave consequences. So, how to breach the heavens had become of paramount importance. As the saying goes, the Human Path is emotional, while the Heavenly Dao is indifferent; the All Saints want to use the emotions of the Human Path to break the indifference of the Heavenly Dao.

That's why events like the stirring of the Hongluan Star, the love between Human and Gods, Human and Ghosts, and Human and Demons were all essential – the main character in any of these three relationships would seize a share of the world's Fortune and Destiny by facilitating the evolution of the Heavenly Dao.

If Lu Yu's guess was right, this love between Human and Ghost was destined for Nie Xiaoqian, and Yan Chixia could seize Fortune and Destiny from it, taking the opportunity to soar to a high plane at the end of the era.

However, he was pleased to see this unfold. With his current level of Fortune and Destiny, all he needed to do was wait for the All Saints to Transcend, with no need to go out of his way to accumulate more merits. It was a time for him to be free from desires.

Yet, as the saying goes, "The trees long for peace, but the wind keeps blowing," things in the world were far from as simple as Lu Yu envisaged. No sooner had he bid farewell to Yan Chixia, than a Monkey approached, his face brimming with a smile.