Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Eye of the Candle Dragon
The Ruyi Golden Staff, the Divine Iron of the Heavenly River.
This treasure was forged by the Supreme Elder using Nine-Turn Refined Iron. Later, it was acquired by Great Yu, who used it as a gauge for the depth of rivers and seas during his flood-control efforts. After those efforts, the Divine Iron was left at the bottom of the Eastern Sea. The Ruyi Golden Staff has two golden bands at each end, with a segment of dark iron in the middle, and near the bands is an inscription: “Ruyi Golden Staff, thirteen thousand five hundred jin.”
The Ruyi Golden Staff was later obtained by Sun Wukong, becoming his weapon in battle. After Sun Wukong was ennobled by the Buddha as the Victorious Fighting Buddha, the staff vanished for over a thousand years.
The Young Lord of the Supreme Palace said that magical treasures change with the times, and so do their hiding places.
Thus, Hua Sheng arrived at the place known as the “Summit of the Eastern Sea.”
It was a skyscraper that pierced the clouds—
The Shanghai Tower.
The Shanghai Tower stands in the Lujiazui district of Pudong, Shanghai, a “dragon-shaped” super high-rise. Its project area spans 433,954 square meters, the main structure rises 118 floors, and its total height is 632 meters. The elevator reaches the 119th floor in fifty seconds, and the highest floor accessible to the public is the 126th.
No one would imagine that the peerless Divine Iron, the Ruyi Golden Staff, would be hidden inside this prominent skyscraper!
Where was the staff? How could he borrow such a weapon from the Victorious Fighting Buddha? How could he retrieve it? These questions loomed before Hua Sheng. After some thought, he decided to go to the top of the building—only the highest point could be called the “summit.”
“Thirteen thousand five hundred jin.” Dressed in casual clothes, Hua Sheng sat in the express elevator, gazing at his right hand and murmuring, “What would it feel like to hold it?”
Thirteen thousand five hundred jin—during the Sui and Tang dynasties, one jin was about 640 grams. Converted to today’s weight, it would be 17,280 jin, or 8.64 tons.
Just under nine tons; for Hua Sheng now, with a touch of magic, it wouldn’t be impossible to lift. To wield it freely would be no great challenge.
The real difficulty was whether Sun Wukong, the Victorious Fighting Buddha, would lend him the staff. Sun Wukong studied the Dao and finally became a Buddha, spanning the realms of immortals and Buddhas. After more than a millennium, was he still the Sun Wanderer, the Great Sage, furious at injustice?
Once a Buddha, all things are empty, yet the compassion to save all beings remains. Reasoning with him, Hua Sheng thought, might not be impossible.
The sunset slowly descended. Hua Sheng reached into his pocket, feeling the jade token bestowed by the Supreme Elder, and exited the elevator with other tourists. This was the highest place visitors could reach, bustling with people. He walked to the glass curtain wall, gazing at the golden skyline in the distance.
On this floor there was a small elevator leading to higher levels. Hua Sheng crossed the sky café to this elevator, but as he was about to press the button, a staff member stopped him.
“Sorry, sir, this area is not open to regular visitors.”
The staff wore a serious expression: “The elevator to the upper floors is for VIP guests only, and requires a reservation.”
“How high does this elevator go?”
“The highest is the 126th floor.”
“What if I wanted to go even higher?”
The staff looked at Hua Sheng suspiciously: “At the 126th floor, you can see the glass ceiling at the top. Beyond the ceiling is the roof of the Shanghai Tower. That’s outdoors; you can’t go up there.”
Security in global super high-rises is extremely strict. Such buildings are not only landmarks but also attract extreme sports enthusiasts. Questions about the outer structure or rooftop always raise security concerns.
Hua Sheng thought, so the top of Shanghai Tower was just several dozen meters above him. He had no wish to cause trouble; he was no longer the person he once was, and such a trivial height clearly posed no obstacle.
Hua Sheng retreated from the elevator to higher floors, heading for a less crowded corner.
“Here will do!” He found an advertising board, slipped behind it into the gap by the wall, silently recited the spell for transformation, and whispered, “By order of the law!” Instantly, he passed through the wall and entered the stairwell.
Turning, he changed his casual clothes back to the Daoist robes of the Academy of Arts and Dao, then leaped upward through the thick steel and concrete ceiling.
“This should be the 120th floor.” Another leap, counting as he went.
“One hundred twenty-one, one hundred twenty-two, one hundred twenty-three, one hundred twenty-four, one hundred twenty-five, one hundred twenty-six, one hundred twenty-seven—”
Just as he uttered “one hundred twenty-seven,” his head struck the ceiling with a loud bang, and he tumbled down, stars flashing before his eyes, pain flooding his senses.
He quickly touched the back of his head, as if struck unexpectedly. He checked his hand—luckily, no blood.
Shaking his head to clear it, his vision filled with golden sparks. At first, he thought it was a hallucination from the blow. When the sparks faded, he realized he was truly in a floor encased by golden walls.
Dizzy, he straightened, guessing that when he tried to pass through the 126th floor, a mysterious force had struck him, preventing passage.
Anything that could block the wall-walking spell must involve some kind of magical array. Hua Sheng surveyed his surroundings: a five-story high space, enclosed by golden copper walls and iron columns of various thicknesses, slanted toward the ceiling. The ceiling was adorned with horizontal patterns, and above, a circular glass dome revealed the outdoor sky.
He had reached the top floor of the skyscraper; above was the outdoors. What force blocked him?
His gaze settled on the center of the space, where a two-story tall golden glass sculpture stood. Its design resembled an upright fish; seen from the side, it looked like a gentle jade eye. He cautiously examined the room—apart from the massive jade sculpture, nothing seemed out of place.
He leapt onto a slanted column, crouching as he moved upward. At the end of the column, he jumped onto the central patterned decoration, climbing like a net toward the transparent glass dome, attempting to pass through it.
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As he neared the dome, a fiery red face appeared on the glass above. Startled, Hua Sheng lost his grip and fell, but this time landed firmly on his feet.
The fiery face descended, revealing a long, red body, part dragon, part serpent. Hua Sheng, having studied ancient mythical beasts at the Academy, immediately recognized it as resembling the legendary Torch Dragon—a creature half dragon, half human.
Why would there be a Torch Dragon atop this building? Such a place, marked by a feng shui array, would not casually be guarded by this beast.
Yet the presence of a guardian beast proved something extraordinary was hidden here. When he and the Young Lord arrived in the mortal realm, the Young Lord had sensed this anomaly.
The Torch Dragon, flames flickering over its body, circled above the jade sculpture, its golden eyes scrutinizing Hua Sheng. Then it spoke in a deep, resonant voice: “What little Daoist dares trespass here?”
Hua Sheng bowed respectfully: “Great Torch Dragon, I am Hua Sheng, a disciple of the Dao, seeking an audience with the Victorious Fighting Buddha!”
The Torch Dragon’s voice reverberated painfully in Hua Sheng’s ears: “Boy, why do you seek the Buddha?”
“I wish to borrow the Ruyi Golden Staff.”
The Torch Dragon laughed, his voice slow and deep: “Laughable! The Divine Iron of the Sea is not for mere mortals to wield! Were it not for your wall-walking trick, I would not have shown myself. Leave at once!”
Hua Sheng raised his left palm toward the Torch Dragon: “I possess the Buddha’s Pass!”
The dragon, about to turn away, paused. He drew closer, examining Hua Sheng’s palm: “Indeed, this is the Buddha’s Pass.”
“Then may I see the Buddha?”
“Since you have the Pass, I may report to him.”
“I await here!”
The Torch Dragon replied: “You should leave.”
“What? I can’t wait here for the Buddha?”
“The Pass is just a permit, not a guarantee you may see him anytime.”
“Then can I queue for an appointment? My matter is urgent! I will wait!”
“You may have to wait a year.”
Hua Sheng’s hopes plummeted: “What? A year? Even the best hospital doesn’t require such a wait! I want to cut in line!”
“You seek the Buddha, not the other way around. Waiting is only natural.”
“Great Torch Dragon, my need for the staff is not personal. I must save billions of lives!”
“Impudent child!” The dragon’s eyes flashed, releasing a fierce wind toward Hua Sheng. Hua Sheng recited an immortal spell, his feet rooted against the wind, unmoved.
The Torch Dragon circled overhead, puzzled. The wind intensified; Hua Sheng stepped forward, arms crossed, standing firm.
The dragon asked: “Unexpected, you have some cultivation. Where do you train?”
“I am a disciple at the Academy of Arts and Dao in Holy Peace.”
“Oh, the famed academy! No wonder—a year there equals a century of human practice.”
“If you know my origins, may I see the Buddha?”
“You are but a minor Daoist; your skills rival only those of ordinary immortals. The Buddha will not see you.”
“Great Torch Dragon, these are urgent times—please, grant me an audience!” Desperate, Hua Sheng attempted to force his way forward, leaping from the wall.
The Torch Dragon roared, shaking the chandeliers and walls; Hua Sheng was knocked down again.
“Great Dragon, if you stop me again, I’ll…” Hua Sheng grew angry, “I’m not here sightseeing, time is short!”
“You little Daoist, what will you do?” The dragon’s eyes scorned his rage.
Hua Sheng sprang up, running around the room: “I’ll take the emergency stairs to the roof!”
He spotted the iron door marked by a green “Emergency Exit” light, pulled it open and found stairs—delighted, he exclaimed, “Who cares for you? I’ll climb the stairs!”
But his words were premature. As he stepped forward, an enormous invisible force bounced him back. Though the door was open, a barrier had been set—he could not leave.
“What’s this? Why can ordinary staff go up, but not me?”
The Torch Dragon replied: “The Divine Iron is placed here. Ordinary people cannot see or touch it, so they may go. But since you wield magic, I cannot let you pass.”
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At the mention of “Divine Iron,” Hua Sheng’s heart stirred. As he raised his hand to argue, the jade token from the Supreme Elder dropped to the floor with a clatter. He suddenly remembered—the token was proof of his legitimate lineage.
“Great Torch Dragon, here is the jade token of the Supreme Elder, the Most High Lord of Dao!” Hua Sheng swiftly picked up the token and called out.
The dragon turned in midair: “Whence came this token?”
Hua Sheng replied: “Tonight, the Black Tortoise Spirit Serpent will use its lunar control to strike the mortal realm, bringing a tide of strange beasts. All disciples of the Academy have mobilized to defend the world. I am here to borrow the Ruyi Golden Staff from the Buddha!”
The Torch Dragon said: “Even with the Elder’s token, the staff is not yours for the taking. You claim to save lives—what abilities do you possess?”
“How may I prove myself?” Hua Sheng asked.
The dragon circled above the central golden sculpture.
“If you can pass through the array of the Torch Dragon’s Eye, I will let you see the Buddha.”
A glimmer of hope delighted Hua Sheng, but he quickly suppressed his excitement and studied the jade sculpture at the center—the “Torch Dragon’s Eye.” The sculpture’s center was hollow like an eye, large enough for an adult to pass through, and with a shrinking spell, it would be easy. But the dragon’s challenge surely meant it was not so simple—ordinary cultivation would not suffice, and some magical mechanism must be at work.
No matter the difficulty, he had to try. As the Supreme Elder said, once the battle for the world began, without the staff, the Academy would have no way to break the Star Veil on the Nether Shade. Victory would be nigh impossible.
“I am willing to try!” Hua Sheng declared.
“Little Daoist, are you prepared? The Torch Dragon’s Eye is no trivial spell—it is the Six Ding Divine Fire. Those of shallow cultivation will be burned to ashes.”
“Countless lives are at stake; losing one Hua Sheng matters little. But if I ignore the suffering of the world, I am but a superfluous mortal. Great Torch Dragon, keep your word!”
Without hesitation, Hua Sheng performed a backflip, shrinking his form to the size of a grain and darted toward the eye.
As he neared, the jade sculpture’s color shifted from gold to red. The pupil, once empty, erupted into blazing flames.
The heat was astonishing. Hua Sheng’s heart sank—he had mastered the True Fire, and should not fear ordinary divine fire. Yet the flames of the Torch Dragon’s Eye surpassed even the highest True Fire; rushing in would mean severe burns or instant incineration.
Still, he reasoned, if he moved quickly, it would last only an instant—perhaps only minor burns. He held his breath and charged into the fire.
The dragon’s voice echoed above: “Little Daoist, do not underestimate the Torch Dragon’s fiery eye. Once inside, you’ll be trapped until consumed.”
Hua Sheng ignored him, reciting the Ice Spell. A layer of ice, hard as rock, formed around him.
Yet, as he approached, the ice melted instantly, leaving not a drop behind.
Unwilling to give up, Hua Sheng recited the Ice Spell three times, thickening the ice until it just fit through the pupil. Again, he tried, but it melted before he could get within half a meter.
Clearly, ice was futile against divine fire. Perhaps fire against fire would work—using his own True Fire Spell to suppress the Six Ding Divine Fire.
Gritting his teeth, Hua Sheng decided that if death awaited, better by his own fire than the dragon’s. He recited the Fire Command, cloaked himself in flames nearly as powerful as True Fire, and rushed, ablaze, into the torch dragon’s eye.
The dragon frowned, waiting for a long while, but Hua Sheng did not emerge on the other side. Shaking his head, he sighed: “The Torch Dragon’s fiery eye is not paper-thin; once entered, one is trapped. Such a promising youth, lost for nothing.” With that, the dragon ascended, preparing to disappear.
Suddenly, the enormous jade sculpture emitted a loud clank and shook.
The dragon spun around. Beneath the jade, a massive skyscraper damper, weighing dozens of tons, moved only in storms.
Was there a storm just now? The dragon was about to turn away, but the jade began to tremble violently, like an earthquake. The dragon approached to investigate.
A thunderous boom! A ball of orange flame shot from the pupil, bursting forth.
The dragon stared—it was not a human shape, but a—
Fire Phoenix!
A phoenix engulfed in flames!
The fire phoenix shot out from the torch dragon’s eye, slammed into the wall, and fell to the ground, igniting flames wherever it touched.
The dragon blew out the flames on the wall and floor; the phoenix’s fire faded, revealing the unconscious Hua Sheng. His Daoist robes were scorched and tattered.
“Who are you, to break the Buddha’s divine fire? This rebirth by fire—is it…”
Hua Sheng groaned, slowly regaining consciousness, staggering upright, dazed, gazing at the dragon. He looked back at the torch dragon’s eye, then burst out laughing.
“Torch Dragon! Do not underestimate this little Daoist!” Hua Sheng shouted. “Keep your word! Let me see the Victorious Fighting Buddha—Sun Wukong!”