8 Chapter 8: You Should Be My Master

After buying the Spirit, Bai Chuan took Chen Xuan to various agencies to handle various procedures such as 'Spirit Household Registration' and 'Student Spirit Binder Certificate'.

Everything went smoothly, but unexpectedly, it got stuck at the school level:

"In the past, there have been students who successfully awakened and transferred to the Spirit Manipulation Arts department in their senior year, but their final college entrance exam results were not satisfactory.

Moreover, Chen Xuan's grades are already good, and there is no need to take this risk. Of course, if you still want to give it a try, after the National Day holiday, I will arrange a test for you.

No matter if you pass the test or not, as long as you insist on applying for the Spirit Manipulation Arts department, I will agree on my side. After all, you have already contracted with the Spirit.

However, I have one request: if the test doesn't pass, please consider it for another week and think it through. Can you agree to that?"

That was what the dean of school administration said at the time.

He was very tactful and polite.

But Chen Xuan still understood his hidden message:

"This test is intended to assess your abilities. If you pass, it means that there is still a chance to fight for the college entrance exam; if not, it's better to recognize the difficulty and retreat, so don't be stubborn."

Although in the end, with a thick-skinned attitude, he could still transfer to the Spirit Manipulation Arts department, today's events have given him some pressure.

So, he had another sleepless night.

After tossing and turning, Chen Xuan simply sat up from the bed and manifested the Spirit Talisman to summon:

"Since I can't sleep, come out and accompany me, Huaimin!"

As the earthy yellow light flickered, a round and plump figure appeared in front of him.

[Stone Monkey, Earth Based Demon Spirit, Racial Rating 2 Stars]

[Gray hair conceals floral patterns, traces of mottled stone patterns run deep. Hard bristles on its back grant defensive abilities, proudly curls up to protect itself. Round and harmonious when sitting or lying down, moves like a freely flowing wind.]

Suddenly finding itself in a strange environment, the Stone Monkey's bright eyes quickly glanced around in panic.

Upon realizing that it was in an enclosed space with no chance of escape, its eyes inevitably became a bit uneasy when looking at Chen Xuan.

Even, it subconsciously reflected on whether it had acted too recklessly this morning...

"Woof!"

Suddenly, there was a dog's bark outside, and the Stone Monkey instinctively leaned towards Chen Xuan.

Although the two had some previous unpleasantness, the contract still gave them an indescribable closeness.

"Your courage has become smaller, Wukong. Back then, when you wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace and single-handedly fought against a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers, you were so brave and truly remarkable,"

Chen Xuan gently stroked the curled-up, hardened Stone Monkey, sighed nostalgically, and said, "Alas, after all, we've both been reincarnated; you're no longer the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and I'm no longer the Master Xuanzang."

"...Ji?"

The Stone Monkey quietly raised its head, its eyes somewhat confused.

After establishing the contract, even if they didn't speak the same language, they could communicate fluently.

As a result, it could understand every word Chen Xuan said, but it was somewhat difficult to understand when these words were combined.

"It doesn't matter if you don't remember, I'll help you recall it slowly,"

Chen Xuan earnestly coaxed, "Let's start with your background. Back then, in the Dongsheng Divine Continent's Ao Lai Country, there was a Flower-Fruit Mountain in the middle of the ocean. On the mountain, a fairy stone gave birth to a stone monkey, which was you.

Because you found a cave called Water Curtain Cave at the source of a stream, you were hailed as king by a group of monkeys. After living like this for three or five hundred years, you cried out in grief at the thought of 'the impermanence of monkey life and not having a long life' after witnessing the birth, aging, sickness, and death of other monkeys.

Later, after being pointed out by an old monkey, you built a bamboo raft, traveled across the ocean through the southern continent and arrived at the Xiniu He Continent, went up to the Spiritual Platform Square Inch Mountain, entered the Slanted Moon Three-Star Cave, and worshipped Master Subhuti. From then on, you became his disciple and took the name Sun Wukong."

Upon hearing this, the Stone Monkey couldn't help but widen its eyes, its face full of disbelief:

Σ(っ°Д°;)っ Is that true? Did I really pop out of a stone?

"Of course, just look at yourself now, don't you resemble a stone?"

Chen Xuan nodded with certainty.

At this moment, the Stone Monkey was using its racial skill 'Stone Mane', curling up into a ball and then hardening its entire body hair to defend against enemies.

The Stone Monkey blinked its eyes and turned its head left and right, finding that it indeed looked very similar to a stone.

Moreover, when it usually slept, if a companion came to play with it, it would always slap the nearby stone randomly, mistaking it for itself...

...

"... At that time, the Bodhi Ancestor just 'knock knock knock' tapped your little head three times, and you immediately understood that he wanted to teach you his skills at midnight. That night, you learned the Ground-Subduing Seventy-Two Changes and the Somersault Cloud."

The Stone Monkey, whose head was flicked three times by Chen Xuan, still had a silly smile on its face:

(o°ω°o) Is the Somersault Cloud really that powerful? Can it travel 108,000 li with a single somersault?

"Of course! Think about it, when you climb up cliffs, don't you feel like flying in the air? Isn't that the foundation you retained when you learned the 'Somersault Cloud'?"

Chen Xuan didn't hesitate to answer.

Although the Stone Monkey had a high defensive power, it was no less agile. When climbing through the peaks and cliffs, it was as light as if it was flying in the air.

Wukong's getting stuck on that artificial mountain today is also a testament to its exceptional jumping abilities compared to other Stone Monkeys.

"Hehe..."

Upon careful thought, the Stone Monkey felt that this all made sense so it had a broad grin outlined on its face...

...

"... On that day, you declared on Flower-Fruit Mountain that you had a dream to liberate the entire monkey race. Then you picked up the Ruyi Golden Hoop Stick and bravely entered senluo hall, not only tearing up the Book of Life and Death but even scattering King Yama's ashtray."

Chen Xuan got more and more outrageous. "Later, this incident also caught the attention of the heavenly court. Because they didn't dare to confront you directly, they sent Taibai Lord to recruit you as a menial supervisor Bima Wen.

With your great abilities, you were only given such a small position, can you endure it? Of course not! So when you weren't invited to the Flat Peach Assembly, you immediately overturned the table and shouted, 'If it's difficult, then don't bother!' Then, you transformed into a creature with three heads and six arms, fighting your way out of the South Heavenly Gate."

When Chen Xuan spoke about the Havoc in Heaven, the Stone Monkey couldn't help but clench its small fists into round balls. It was trembling slightly, but its eyes were full of longing...

...

"... Later on, you were suppressed by the Buddha under the Wuxing Mountain, where you suffered wind and sun for 500 years before I lifted the heavenly seal for you, and you regained your freedom. From then on, you and I, as master and apprentice, embarked on our Journey to the West."

At this point, Chen Xuan could not help but sigh. He looked up at the bright moon outside the window with a melancholic expression on his face, as if recalling unbearable memories.

Meanwhile, the Stone Monkey on the bed was listening with tears in its eyes. It immediately turned over and jumped down from the bed, giving three head bumps:

(ó﹏ò｡) Master, please accept my bow!

"Good apprentice..."

Chen Xuan gently pat the Stone Monkey's head with an indifferent expression on his face, but he could hardly contain his laughter inside.

At this moment, the Stone Monkey suddenly realized in surprise:

Σ(っ°Д°;)っ Master, your hand is just the right size to hold a monkey's head!

"Is it?"

Chen Xuan could hardly contain his laughter.

The Stone Monkey was both surprised and excited. It seemed to not believe it, grabbed Chen Xuan's hand, turned it over and over, compared it to its own head multiple times, and finally made a solemn conclusion:

(｡・`ω´･) Master, your hand is specially designed to hold my monkey head.

"Of course, I won't let any other monkey's head be placed."

Chen Xuan nodded with a smile.

The Stone Monkey rubbed its head against Chen Xuan's palm, half-squinting its eyes and giggling:

(๑´ㅂ`๑) No wonder you're my master. Your hand was made to hold my head, so you're destined to be my master.