Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

"Life and death are predestined, and the Great Minister of Fate, clinging to the once glorious radiance, was doomed not to survive," said Sage Yu Ding.

"Rest assured, I am no longer the same Yun Zhongzi. What you see now is a new life formed from the consciousness that fell after His demise. Although I possess parts of His memories, I am ultimately not Him," Yun Zhongzi said with a smile to Sage Yu Ding, knowing that his friend was concerned about him.

However, the current him had already achieved much in his cultivation and would not let those past memories cloud his judgment.

"That is good. We cultivators must always keep our minds clear and our nature illuminated, otherwise external demons could invade, and years of arduous cultivation could be destroyed instantly. It is no small feat for you to have overcome the influences of the past," Sage Yu Ding remarked emotionally.

"I haven't yet asked you, you didn't come to relieve my worries, so what did you have in mind?" Yun Zhongzi asked with a smile.

"What else can relieve worries but Du Kang? I've just acquired a bottle of fine wine and am in need of a good friend to share it with. Would you be interested, Brother Yun Zhongzi?" Sage Yu Ding said, shaking a wine jug in front of Yun Zhongzi, and in that moment, a rich fragrance of wine had already filled the air.

Yun Zhongzi sniffed lightly and said with a smile, "Indeed, it's a good wine. Since that's the case, let's not wait. Today, let's drink together here and also pay tribute to that once divine spirit."

The resurgence and death of the Great Minister of Fate had caused these powerful beings, who had been in quiet cultivation for many years, to recall their pasts once again. For these beings who lived long and eternal lives, that brilliant past was the most profound presence in their memories and also their magical treasure against loneliness.

Thus, many of these powerful beings stirred from their stillness, causing the entire Three Realms to become anxious and unsettled.

As for Lu Yu, all of this was already in the past. He was fortunate to have been under the protection of these powerful beings, ensuring his safety and successfully surviving.

With lingering fears, Lu Yu silently vowed to himself that he would become a qualified Emperor of Survival and never take such risks again. This tightrope-walking sensation, although thrilling, brought with it dangers that frightened him; a slight misstep could lead to an abyss.

"I might as well faithfully write my books," Lu Yu counseled himself inwardly.

"Haha, Lu Yu, I didn't expect it to be you," a hearty laugh startled Lu Yu from his reverie; it was his good friend Yan Dan from Mount Shu.

"Long time no see, Yan Dan. You look like an uncle now, but that's about right. You had a beard like that even back then," Lu Yu also said with a laugh. He still remembered his shock at seeing Yan Dan's youthful face and thick beard for the first time.

"Really? I feel like my beard wasn't this plentiful when I was younger," Yan Dan said, stroking his large beard and laughing.

"Who would have thought that the young scholar of the past would now be a True Immortal? If it weren't for your unchanged appearance, I wouldn't dare recognize you," Yan Dan couldn't help but feel moved. He was also happy for his friend, as he had once regretted being unable to take in Lu Yu due to his youth.

"I must thank you for passing on the technique to me. If not for the things you taught, I would probably have died in that place," Lu Yu said with a laugh. Yan Dan had given him the means to establish himself in this world filled with immortals and demons. Moreover, without the Immortal Sword, he might not have been able to meet Monkey.

It could be said that besides Monkey, Yan Dan was his second most significant benefactor in the Journey to the West world.

"I'm glad I could help." Hearing Lu Yu's sincere words, Yan Dan was also very happy; indeed, one of the most beautiful things in this world was to see each other well after a long separation.

Having weathered many hardships and seen his brother safe and sound was a blessing not everyone could have. Reality often was, familiar people would gradually drift apart, and perhaps years later, you couldn't even recall their names, leaving nothing but a sigh.

"Who exactly were those important figures who just appeared?" Yan Dan couldn't wait to find out everything that had just happened; the strength of these characters had exceeded his comprehension and was far greater than any Immortal he knew of.

"That Divine Spirit who just appeared was once the Great Minister of Fate, who governed the fortune, misfortune, life, and death of this world, and the one next to me was the legendary Emperor of Fengdu. If I'm not mistaken, that Jade Ruyi belonged to the Heavenly Venerable," Lu Yu explained briefly to Yan Dan the information he knew.

Shocked by these words, Yan Dan was left wide-eyed; aside from the Great Minister of Fate, whom he had not heard of before, the other two were renowned figures, famous powerhouses within the three realms. To him, they were merely characters of myth and legend. He never expected them to appear alive before him, making him feel as though he had stepped into a legendary tale.

Then he looked at Lu Yu with amazement, realizing he had underestimated his friend's strength; having connections with such figures was enough to indicate Lu Yu's current prowess. Thinking back to when Lu Yu was just a helpless Scholar needing his protection to survive, and now he could be considered a master, his heart was filled with emotions.

Lu Yu felt uneasy under Yan Dan's strange gaze and couldn't help but shiver as he asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about your good relationship with the Emperor of Fengdu. Maybe if I die, you could pull some strings and let me be reborn into a good family," Yan Dan said with a laugh.

"That's a minor matter; I'm on good terms with various Divine Spirits of the Underworld, and I also have friends in the Land of Reincarnation. It will all be taken care of," Lu Yu assured him.

"Tsk, what kind of talk is that? Aren't you just cursing yourself to die? It's best if my favor is never needed," Lu Yu quickly added, although he had many connections in the Underworld, he still hoped his good friend would never need to use them.

"I was just saying it. Who would dare to take my life, Yan Dan? They'd have to check with my Immortal Sword first," Yan Dan declared boldly. At that moment, his presence was truly befitting of a Sword Immortal.

"Teacher Uncle! Teacher Uncle!" Just as they were chatting, a call came from outside. It turned out that several young disciples from Mount Shu were looking for their Teacher Uncle.

Before the great battle, Yan Dan had led them to hide; he alone had entered the Temple single-handedly. The disciples had been too scared to show themselves until the dust in the Temple had settled and many Curse Masters had fled down from Curse Mountain. It was only then, upon hearing from them, that these few ventured up the mountain to find their Teacher Uncle.

At the same time, they also ran into Mo Chou and Yang Wen, a brother and sister pair who had heard of the disturbance at Curse Mountain and come rushing over.

"Oh! It's you kids, don't worry, everything is settled now. We'll be able to return to Mount Shu soon," Yan Dan said, his face carrying a doting smile.