Six months later, Sun Wukong followed Gold Star Taibai to the heavens.

Clouds and mist twirled around them, and giant pillars a hundred feet tall stood majestically; this was the South Heavenly Gate.

On both sides of the South Heavenly Gate stood dozens of Heavenly Generals, and hundreds of Heavenly Soldiers were arrayed around, each holding halberds and whips, knives, and swords.

When the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals saw Gold Star Taibai come up, they bowed and opened the grand doors of the South Heavenly Gate.

Sun Wukong followed Gold Star Taibai through the gate, asking, "To head to the Heavenly Palace, must one pass through the Heavenly Gate?"

"Of course."

Gold Star Taibai nodded, without going through the Heavenly Gate, one would not find the Heavenly Palace even if wandering around the heavens.

"It is said that a day in the heavens equals a year on earth; this also starts once you enter the Heavenly Gate."

Gold Star Taibai explained.

Sun Wukong slightly furrowed his brows, his expression revealing a contemplative look.

Upon entering the South Heavenly Gate, everything about the Heavenly Palace was displayed before Sun Wukong.

The Heavenly Palace is a general term, the entire heavenly world is a three-dimensional space, with thirty-three Heavenly Palaces and seventy-two Treasure Halls, layered upon each other and spread out across various clouds.

Sun Wukong lifted his head, his eyes glowing with golden light, looking towards the world above the Thirty-Three Layered Heaven.

However, his sight was obscured by the misty sea of clouds.

"Monkey King, please follow me."

Gold Star Taibai interrupted Sun Wukong's line of sight.

Sun Wukong followed him across a long bridge, embedded with pearls and jades, below which immortal cranes were preening their feathers.

"The Heavenly Palace truly lives up to its reputation."

Sun Wukong initially thought the treasures of the Crystal Palace were plentiful, but compared to the Heavenly Palace, they were barely even a shadow.

Gold Star Taibai led him to the Tongming Hall, outside which golden light radiated in ten thousand paths, and red rainbows stretched for thousands of miles; the clothes of the immortals coming and going also shimmered with the glow of stars.

"Your Majesty is waiting inside for you."

Gold Star Taibai led Sun Wukong into the Tongming Hall.

The Heavenly Soldiers and Generals on both sides looked at him with eyes filled with curiosity and some reverence.

They all knew that Sun Wukong had defeated Immortal Master Erlang yesterday and even shot the South Heavenly Gate; the Jade Emperor not only didn't punish him but also sent Gold Star Taibai to welcome him to the Heavenly Palace.

The entire Heavenly Palace was discussing what tasks the Jade Emperor would assign to the Monkey King.

Entering the Tongming Hall, the Jade Emperor was already waiting on the royal throne.

Meeting the Jade Emperor for the first time, Sun Wukong thought he was majestic and far surpassed the golden statues that mere mortals had crafted of him.

"Are you Sun Wukong?"

The voice of the Jade Emperor carried an air of authority.

Sun Wukong performed a salute: "I am Sun Wukong."

A flicker of surprise passed through the eyes of the Jade Emperor.

Before meeting Sun Wukong, he thought Sun Wukong would be an arrogant devil-monkey, but now, Sun Wukong conducted himself with propriety and moderation.

The Jade Emperor and Sun Wukong began their conversation.

To the questions asked by the Jade Emperor, Sun Wukong responded one by one, not holding back even on sensitive issues regarding Huaguo Mountain.

After talking for a while, the Jade Emperor vaguely understood that Immortal Zhen Yuan could befriend Sun Wukong due to his sincere and amiable nature that made him likable.

The Jade Emperor inwardly marveled; having experienced countless great calamities, he had seen various extraordinary beings but had never encountered someone like this.

In their first meeting, Sun Wukong almost completely dissolved the bad feelings the Jade Emperor harbored in his heart.

The Jade Emperor's thoughts shifted.

"Gold Star Taibai, you all may leave first."

He gestured with his hand, letting Gold Star Taibai and the attendants leave, deciding to see for himself what Sun Wukong was truly made of.

"Sun Wukong, you are the Wise Monkey of the human realm."

The Jade Emperor said, "I often see devils ravaging the Four Great Continents, causing people to live in abject poverty, unable to clothe themselves, yet I do not know how to change this. Why do you have an answer?"

During the earlier conversations, Sun Wukong had expressed his desires for the Four Great Continents to achieve abundance in food and clothing.

This shouldn't have been the thoughts of the Monkey King of Huaguo Mountain, but because Sun Wukong was genuinely sincere, the Jade Emperor unexpectedly couldn't resent him.

"Your Majesty."

Sun Wukong answered, "Production can create materials, and only the abundance of materials can change everything."

The Jade Emperor seemed to understand, yet not quite.

"I encountered a Heart Demon during my cultivation," Sun Wukong continued. "It asked me how humans and devils should coexist."

The Jade Emperor suddenly became interested: "Is what you are doing now the answer to this question?"

"No."

Sun Wukong shook his head: "I am still on the path to finding the answer."

More precisely, Sun Wukong is still in the stage of validating whether this path is correct or not.

The Jade Emperor somewhat understood, yet didn't quite grasp it.

"I truly wish to know what you're thinking."

He sighed.

"What's so difficult about that?"

Sun Wukong bowed and said: "If Your Majesty wishes to know, I can show you."

He waved his hand, employing an Illusion Technique, and Tongming Hall suddenly became enveloped in Hongmeng.

The Jade Emperor was startled and was about to summon the Heavenly Soldiers, but upon closer inspection, it was only an illusion.

"Please look, Your Majesty."

Sun Wukong pointed with his hand, and as Hongmeng opened, the era after the great catastrophe, where the Human Clan ate raw meat and drank blood, was revealed.

The Jade Emperor looked down at his feet, where countless beings were running on the ground.

Among these beings, the Human Clan, as one of the five Immortals, were born with spirit and quickly learned to drill wood to make fire, leaving savagery behind.

Scattered lands gradually saw the emergence of tribes.

The Human Clan used fire to cook food, make tools, learned etiquette, formed tribes. Then they grew and developed, building cities and establishing nations.

The history of thousands of years of the Human Clan swiftly unfolded beneath the Jade Emperor's feet.

The Jade Emperor felt a long-forgotten sensation surface in his heart, yet he couldn't articulate it.

Halfway through the historical evolution, Sun Wukong made the illusion disappear.

"Does Your Majesty understand now?"

The Jade Emperor shook his head.

Sun Wukong recreated the illusion.

This time, the Immortals joined in.

The Immortals imparted technology to humans, leading them out of the wilderness, and their development sped up, but as the Immortals enjoyed their offerings, the pace of the Human Clan slowed down.

Then, following the transformations of Laozi and the rise of Buddhism, with everyone burning incense and worshiping Buddha, the development of the Human Clan stalled even more.

"How can this be!"

Shock appeared in the eyes of the Jade Emperor.

Sun Wukong withdrew the illusion.

"This is the world in my heart."

Sun Wukong said: "If I have offended, I ask for Your Majesty's forgiveness."

The Jade Emperor frowned; Sun Wukong's illusion wasn't the true history.

However, on closer thought, indeed, the Human Clan hadn't changed much in the past few thousand years.

"Why is this so?"

The Jade Emperor asked.

Sun Wukong replied: "Your Majesty already has the answer."

The Jade Emperor sighed.

He naturally understood that Sun Wukong meant that as 'Heaven', Immortals should have originally aspired to educate all beings and guide sentient creatures.

Yet, they indulged in pleasures, stagnated, dazzled by the offerings.

The terrestrial beings all thought of burning incense and worshiping Buddha, seeking graces, thereby forgetting the most fundamental power.

"Everything has a spirit."

Sun Wukong said to the Jade Emperor: "Your Majesty, man can overcome heaven."

This was a simple truth, but among these myriad Immortals and Buddhas, not a single one realized it.

Perhaps they realized it but dared not speak, for it was a great defiance against the heavens.

The Jade Emperor looked at Sun Wukong, and inside the Monkey King's eyes flickered a momentary light, yet it was utterly clear, as if seeing hope.

The Jade Emperor then realized, Sun Wukong's thoughts were not about challenging him.

He was thinking about changing the current state of the myriad Immortals and Buddhas.

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