Chapter 1 The Meaning of Existence

"Don't mind it too much." Jiang Xuan looked at Sun Wukong's expression and smiled, "There are countless creatures that exist repeatedly throughout the myriad realms, but each has its own destiny. Just walk your own path well."

In this regard, he had the most right to speak, after all, he himself had clones all over the myriad realms! Each version of himself had a different destiny, so as long as he walked his own path well, nothing else mattered.

Sun Wukong's expression improved, but this was the first time he had experienced such a thing, and he really couldn't accept it.

"Alright, don't think about it anymore." Jiang Xuan said, "Wukong, you will come with me to the primordial origin world later. As for San Zang and the others, you will stay in the lower realm for now."

"Teacher, why is that?" San Zang asked in confusion. They had already reached the limit of the Three Realms, and Sun Wukong had even become a True Immortal, surpassing the saints of this Three Realms.

Since they were going to the primordial origin world, why was only Sun Wukong going?

"Karma." Jiang Xuan thought for a moment and then said, "Although you were born in this realm, you still have karma with your original selves in the primordial origin world. However, in the origin world, only one original true self can exist. If you go, only one of you can survive between you and your original selves. The weak are destined to be devoured."

"Teacher, can't even you stop our original selves?" San Zang's expression changed. If that was the case, how strong would their original selves be?

However, Jiang Xuan just shook his head: "Your original selves are nothing to me, but this is individual karma and destiny, and I don't intend to interfere."

"Besides, Dao Ancestor Hongjun is still in the primordial origin world. How could he allow others to wantonly destroy it?"

"Of course, if you have the strength to devour your original selves, Dao Ancestor Hongjun won't care."

Jiang Xuan said. In reality, changing this karma was very simple, but Jiang Xuan didn't want to act now. After all, he was still thinking of having San Zang and the others do some other things.

"Teacher, then… how strong are our original selves?" San Zang asked again.

"Wukong's original self is a True Immortal." Jiang Xuan looked at Bai Long and then at Sha Wujing: "Wujing's is a Golden Immortal, Wuneng's is a Taiyi Golden Immortal, and San Zang, your original self is still Jin Chanzi under the Buddha, with the strength of a Da Luo."

Celestial Immortal, True Immortal, Mysterious Immortal, Golden Immortal, Taiyi, Da Luo.

With this calculation, San Zang's face turned dark. He was only a Celestial Immortal now, and he didn't know how many years it would take to become a Da Luo, but he didn't want to be devoured, so he could only stay in the lower realm as Jiang Xuan said.

"You don't have to worry either." Jiang Xuan smiled again and took out an ancient pagoda with a flip of his hand. This pagoda was only nine stories high, but it was shrouded in chaotic energy. A wisp of energy seemed capable of crushing San Zang and the others to death. Even Sun Wukong couldn't resist it.

"This is the Pagoda of Chaotic Heavens." Jiang Xuan said, "It is an supreme-grade spiritual treasure that I refined. It contains nine universes, and at the same time, this pagoda connects to the myriad realms, allowing you to travel through endless universes."

"Teacher's meaning… is to let us use this pagoda to travel through the myriad realms and continuously improve our cultivation strength?" Zhu Bajie asked.

"That's right." Jiang Xuan nodded: "In addition, I also hope that you can use this pagoda to build a force that spans the myriad realms."

Upon hearing this, San Zang and the others had many guesses in their hearts.

"Are you willing?" Jiang Xuan asked.

"Teacher, we are willing." San Zang and the others naturally wouldn't refuse. This was exactly what they wanted. As long as they could improve their cultivation strength and have the hope of devouring their original selves, they would be very happy.

"Good." Jiang Xuan nodded and waved his hand. Four streams of spiritual light flew out from the Chaos Pagoda and entered the souls of San Zang and the others. "I have given you some of the Chaos Pagoda's permissions. You can explore it on your own. As for the other disciples on Fangcun Mountain, if you trust them, you can also bring them into the Chaos Pagoda and go to the myriad realms to cultivate."

"Yes." San Zang and the others sensed the mark that had appeared in their souls. With just a thought, they could communicate with the Chaos Pagoda, and they instantly understood its functions.

After that, Jiang Xuan didn't waste any time. With a wave of his sleeve, he picked up Sun Wukong, and then stepped into the void, crossing through time and space.

…

Primordial Origin World, Southern Jambudvipa.

"Teacher, are we in the future of the origin world?" Sun Wukong looked at the tall buildings in front of him and was stunned.

"You're thinking too much." Jiang Xuan said, "This is Southern Jambudvipa, the land of humans, but there are also countless civilizations."

Southern Jambudvipa was the land of humans, vast and boundless, divided into 129,600 great domains, each of which was comparable to a great world, with countless human civilizations.

It could be said that every great domain might contain various human civilizations. In this Southern Jambudvipa, one could see immortal dao civilizations, magical civilizations, martial dao civilizations, and even technological civilizations.

The past, present, and future did not exist in the primordial origin world, because this was the source of cause and effect, the source of time and space, and the source of destiny of this endless chaos…

Therefore, no matter which timeline a civilization developed on, it would manifest in the primordial origin world. In other words, the primordial origin world was constantly expanding and constantly transforming.

After a slight calculation, Jiang Xuan also knew where this place was.

So he said to Sun Wukong: "This is a great domain called Tianqi in Southern Jambudvipa. This is a great domain where technology, martial arts, and immortal dao civilizations coexist, but the level of technology is average."

There were spatial barriers between great domains, and those below the Celestial Immortal realm could not cross them. In addition, a great domain was vast and boundless, so there was little civilization exchange between the great domains.

"The origin world… is so strange?"

Sun Wukong was stunned. He thought that after entering the primordial origin world, he would see countless strong people, but who would have thought that it would be so… down-to-earth.

However, he also knew that this was only Southern Jambudvipa, and Southern Jambudvipa was only one continent of the human realm in the primordial world. One had to know that there were thirty-six heavens and eighteen levels of earth, and the human realm had three thousand continents, four seas, three immortal islands, and other places.

The area they were in was very small, even insignificant.

"Alright, first transform into human form. We will stay in this Tianqi Domain for a while." Jiang Xuan said, and at the same time, the clothes on his body began to change, similar to the clothes worn by the humans here.

"Yes, Teacher." Sun Wukong nodded and transformed into a young man in his twenties.

After that, Jiang Xuan and Sun Wukong settled down in this domain. Sun Wukong was also very well-behaved, and didn't even send out a single clone. After all, he had learned from Jiang Xuan that there were many strong people in this origin world who could kill him along the lines of cause and effect.

…

[Ding! The Jade Emperor has invited you to join the Primordial God Chat Group. Do you agree?]

More than ten years after living in this place called Xia Country, Sun Wukong suddenly received an invitation.

"Chat group?!" Sun Wukong was stunned: "This primordial world… why is it so strange?"

But after thinking about it, he still accepted the invitation.

Now, he was already in the Mysterious Immortal realm. Cultivating in the primordial origin world, the speed of cultivation was dozens of times faster than in the lower realm, so he was able to reach the Mysterious Immortal realm so quickly.

Jade Emperor: "Everyone, stop lurking and come take a look at the newcomer, Sun Wukong, who is now at the Mysterious Immortal level!"

Taiyi Zhenren: "Your Majesty, this Sun Wukong… could he be the Sun Wukong from the Journey to the West calamity again?"

Jade Emperor: "You guessed right, but no prize."

Taiyi Zhenren: "… Well, this is a bit awkward, I'll go into hiding first."

Sun Wukong: "…?"

Barefoot Immortal: "Hahaha, @SunWukong, you don't know yet, do you? Your main body in the primordial origin world was refined into a stone seal by Taiyi Zhenren and is now in the hands of the Three-Altar Sea-Gathering Great God, Nezha."

Sun Wukong: "…"

This was really a narrow road for enemies, he had met one as soon as he entered the group.

Jade Emperor: "These old guys really like to lurk, @SunWukong, if you send a red envelope, it will definitely blast them out."

Sun Wukong: "Thanks for the invitation, I'm a poor man, I have no money."

Jade Emperor: "Hahaha! It seems you're quite adapted to the chat group. I thought the level of technology in the calamity world was backward, and you would need some time to adapt. It seems I was overthinking it."

Sun Wukong: "My teacher has taught me a lot, including knowledge of various civilization systems."

Jade Emperor: "That one… I heard Dao Ancestor mention him when I went to visit him before, but that one definitely won't join our group."

Sun Wukong: "There are other groups?"

Jade Emperor: "Of course, there are many kinds of chat groups. You'll understand later."

Jade Emperor: "By the way, @SunWukong, are you interested in coming to work for me?"

Sun Wukong: "As a弼马温 (Bima Wen, horse keeper) or watching the peach garden?"

Jade Emperor: "Hahaha, that was the situation in the calamity. Don't apply that to the primordial origin world. If you come to the Heavenly Court to work, I will naturally arrange a good position for you."

The Jade Emperor also understood that the current Sun Wukong was not easy to fool, and there was no Journey to the West calamity here. Why would he bring trouble upon himself, offend Sun Wukong, and offend Jiang Xuan?

Sun Wukong: "I'll ask my teacher."

After saying this, Sun Wukong went offline directly.

His mind was a little muddled now. This primordial origin world was really a bit speechless, and this Jade Emperor was really surprising, too down-to-earth!

There was no sense of superiority at all.

"Teacher." Before long, Sun Wukong found Jiang Xuan: "I was invited to join a chat group."

"Yes, I know." Jiang Xuan nodded: "The Jade Emperor asked you to take a position. If you want to go, then go."

"Teacher, is there no scheme in this?" Sun Wukong asked cautiously.

"What scheme?" Jiang Xuan asked: "With your cultivation level, if they really wanted to scheme against you, you would have died countless times long ago. Don't worry."

"Isn't it because you are here, Teacher?" Sun Wukong asked again.

"If I had taken action, do you think they would have been able to invite you into the group? Since entering the origin world, I have never covered up your causal trajectory for you. From the beginning, you have been exposed under the eyes of those great powers." Jiang Xuan said.

"Ha!" Sun Wukong's hair stood on end, and his whole body trembled. From the beginning, he had been exposed under those people's eyes???

Just thinking about it made him feel terrified. It was really his luck that he had been able to live until now.

But after thinking about it, Sun Wukong asked carefully: "Teacher, why do I feel that the primordial origin world is a bit different from what you said in the lower realm?"

"That one." Jiang Xuan recalled: "That was just something I made up on the spot. There are infinite variables in the myriad realms, and there are no shortage of ascending beings in the calamity world. Although some have indeed been devoured, more have survived as independent individuals."

"…" Sun Wukong was stunned, and thinking of San Zang and the others who were still struggling in the myriad realms, he couldn't help but mourn for them.

"By the way, come with me to Zixiao Palace in a few days." Jiang Xuan suddenly said again.

"Zixiao Palace?"

"That's right, Dao Ancestor Hongjun has invited me to discuss the Dao. At that time, many beings will come to listen to the Dao, and you might even see other Sun Wukongs." Jiang Xuan smiled.

Sun Wukong was completely speechless. From beginning to end, the only one scheming against him was Jiang Xuan.

"Let's go." Jiang Xuan saw his expression and naturally knew what he was thinking, but he didn't think much about it. Instead, he took Sun Wukong and entered the void, heading towards Zixiao Palace.

Before long, they arrived at their destination. At this time, there were already many beings standing outside Zixiao Palace. Each being's cultivation was extremely extraordinary, and True Immortals could only be in the outermost circle.

"It's based on cultivation. You are a Mysterious Immortal, go in that direction." Jiang Xuan pointed casually, and Sun Wukong uncontrollably transformed into a streak of mysterious light, landing in that area.

"Eh, Wukong, why are you in this area?"

A daoist dressed in a black robe came to Sun Wukong.

"This fellow Daoist… do we know each other?" Sun Wukong was a little puzzled. As a Mysterious Immortal, it was impossible for him to forget anyone, anything, or anything he had seen, but there was no memory of this daoist in his mind.

"You're not the Sun Wukong I know?" The daoist was stunned: "That's right, the Wukong I know is only a True Immortal now. Even if he had the opportunity to come here, he couldn't be in this area."

Then, he looked at Sun Wukong again: "In that case, you are another Sun Wukong who ascended!"

Saying this, he quickly asked: "This poor Daoist is Changsheng. I mistook you earlier, please don't blame me, fellow Daoist Wukong."

Sun Wukong's mind was a bit chaotic, but he still said: "Fellow Daoist, you're joking. I heard my teacher say before that there would be other versions of me in the primordial origin world, but I didn't expect to meet one so soon."

"Hahaha!" Changsheng Daoist smiled: "That's true, but I see that fellow Daoist is already at the Mysterious Immortal realm. It seems you have become a disciple of a remarkable strong person. Congratulations."

"Fellow Daoist is too polite." Sun Wukong smiled.

After that, he chatted with this Changsheng Daoist about some things. For example, not just anyone could come to this Zixiao Palace Dao discussion meeting. In general, there were only two ways to come here.

The first method was to rely on one's own strength to come here, but this Zixiao Palace was hidden by Dao Ancestor Hongjun at the source of the River of Time. At least a Da Luo cultivation level was required to come here on one's own strength.

As for the second method, it was to rely on luck. Dao Ancestor Hongjun would receive a group of destined people from the primordial origin world and then arrange them in different areas. Changsheng Daoist was one of these destined people.