Journey to the West: Demon Emperor: Beginning as a Little Toad

Chapter 550 Beware of the Five Finger Mountain and the Tightening Hoop

Moreover, as the saying goes:

"Even a skilled fighter cannot defeat the strength of two fists, and two fists cannot defeat a crowd of four hands."

Who says you have to fight Buddha alone?

Even the "Golden-Winged Roc, the Buddha's uncle," was a proud and ambitious man. When he attacked the Buddha, he knew the stakes were high and shouted:
"Brother, do not be afraid! Let us all rush forward, use our spears and swords to knock down the Buddha, and seize his Thunderclap Temple!"

When the people of Heaven and Mount Ling capture monsters, they always attack in groups, using their numbers to overwhelm the few.

Then when dealing with the people of Heaven and Mount Ling, they don't need to talk about chivalry or honor; the only way is to go up together and hack them to death.

"The strengths and weaknesses of the Buddha..."

Upon hearing Xiao Chen's words, Sun Wukong pondered deeply for a long time before slowly saying:
“I remember when I was in the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars, I earnestly sought instruction from my master, Patriarch Subhuti, on the ‘method of combat’.”

"My master once taught me that the key to victory in battle lies in knowing yourself and your enemy, so that you can win every battle."

"If you do not know the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, nor do you know your own strengths and weaknesses, you will be in danger in every battle. Even if you win by chance, it will only be a lucky accident."

“I once used my ‘Golden Eyes of Truth’ to carefully examine that fat monk. I saw that he was covered in a sixteen-foot-tall golden body, and his whole body was shining with golden light, like golden armor protecting him. Swords and spears could not harm him in the slightest, and water and fire could not penetrate his skin. He was truly boundless in magical power and extremely powerful.”

"Moreover, this fat monk possesses a pair of Buddhist wisdom eyes, which are clear as day and discerning of the smallest details. He can see through his opponent's every move at any time, making it difficult for anyone to get close to him, let alone win."

"Furthermore, this monk possesses many extraordinary magical treasures."

"Especially those Buddha palms, they are incredibly powerful. When a single palm strike is unleashed, it seems to have the force of an overwhelming mountain and a tidal wave, making it difficult to resist and extremely troublesome."

"In my opinion, this monk is a formidable opponent and not easy to deal with."

"If you want to win, you must first break his sixteen-foot golden body, making his physical body show a flaw; then stab his wisdom eye, making him blind and losing his ability to see."

"Then we will take away all his magical treasures, weaken his combat power, and leave him isolated and helpless."

Sun Wukong laughed:
"Then, I can use my somersault cloud to get close to him in an instant, and strike that fat monk hard on the top of his head, making his head explode and blood splatter on the spot!"

"To defeat the Buddha, one must break his sixteen-foot golden body, wound his Buddhist wisdom eye, seize his Buddhist treasures, and then launch a close-range surprise attack. Only then can one hope to win..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen smiled, already having some plans in mind.

His wife, the Scorpion Demon, could break the Buddha's sixteen-foot golden body.

All things in the world are interdependent and mutually exclusive.

There is no absolute invincibility in the world; in Journey to the West, there is always something that can subdue another.

The Scorpion Demon is a "lustful demon," a "demon of love and lust." She possesses a beauty that could topple kingdoms, a ruthless heart, yet is also charming and lovely. She is truly a first-rate, exquisite femme fatale.

The scorpion demon represents the ultimate in lust.

Sexual misconduct is the root of all evil.

Monks and nuns cannot break the precept against sexual misconduct. Once they break the precept, all their Buddhist practice will be wasted, and their entire cultivation will be ruined.

If Tang Sanzang breaks his vow against lust on the journey to the West, the great mission of obtaining Buddhist scriptures will be ruined.

Therefore, even Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and other Buddhists could not subdue the Scorpion Demon or get close to her.

The scorpion demon represents the "abstinence from lust" among the eight precepts of Buddhism, and is specifically designed to harm monks and nuns.

The scorpion demon once stung the Buddha's left middle finger with its venomous stinger, causing him unbearable pain. He was so incapable of pursuing the demon himself that he had to send Vajra to capture it.

Guanyin Bodhisattva also frankly stated:
"This demon is extremely powerful... I can't get close to her either."

This is the natural restraint of "sexual desire" on "Buddhist precepts".

As for damaging his Buddhist wisdom.

I wonder if the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, who has cultivated to the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, is up to the task.

If the "Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord" cultivates to perfection, he can transform into the "Thousand-Eyed Demon Lord," wielding a thousand golden eyes with astonishing power, or at least have a slight chance of success.

Or perhaps the "Samadhi Divine Wind" of the Great Sage Yellow Wind can obscure the vision of the Buddhist's wise eye, causing it to temporarily lose its sight.

The Buddha's treasures are indeed numerous, befitting the name "Taoist of Many Treasures," who was transformed from the Treasure Rat.

In the hands of the Buddha are the "Golden Bowl" used to suppress the Six-Eared Macaque, the "Brocade Robe" and "Nine-Ringed Staff" bestowed upon Jin Chanzi, the "Seven Treasures Tree" used to defeat the Eastern Emperor, the "Diamond Sand," the "Tightening Hoop" used to bind Sun Wukong, and the "Wind-Fixing Pearl" and "Flying Dragon Staff" bestowed upon Lingji Bodhisattva...

Even more so, there was the "Nine-Rank Golden Lotus of Merit" beneath his buttocks...

They wanted to destroy the Buddha's Dharma treasures.

One possibility is that it could confront the Buddha directly with his magical treasures, a head-on clash.

This is a path that King Golden Horn can try. It's like "the treasure-laden toad versus the treasure-laden rat." He possesses many magical treasures, and he might have a fighting chance against them.

Secondly, it may damage the Buddha's sacred treasures, causing them to lose their power.

If the mosquito demon under his command, Shuwen, reverts to his ancestral bloodline and awakens to the realm of the Blood-Winged Black Mosquito, he can break the Buddha's magic weapon and greatly reduce its power.

After all, the Buddhist sect's most treasured artifact, the "Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus of Merit," was ruined by the blood-winged black mosquito.

Thirdly, one could acquire the Buddha's Dharma treasures and use them for one's own purposes.

This requires magical treasures such as the "Diamond Bracelet," the "Treasure-Dropping Coin," and the "Primordial Golden Cauldron," all of which have the ability to gather and contain all things. Perhaps it is worth a try.

"The Vajra Bracelet, the Green Ox Demon..."

Xiao Chen had a flash of inspiration and thought to himself.

It's highly unlikely that he obtained the Vajra Bracelet from Laozi.

However, it is still possible to obtain the Vajra Bracelet from the Green Ox Demon.

Currently, the Green Ox Demon has just descended to the mortal realm to become a demon. If we can find the Green Ox Demon's trail, we might be able to find a way to obtain the Vajra Bracelet.

Although the Buddha is powerful, he is not absolutely invincible. They used all their methods and were not without a chance of winning against him.

Of course, Dipankara Buddha and Maitreya Buddha might also intervene.

If all three Buddhas of the past, present, and future were to appear at Mount Ling, that would put a lot of pressure on us.

"However, I am not afraid of that fat monk, the Buddha."

"If he dares to lay a hand on me, I dare to punch him."

Sun Wukong laughed wildly, looking up at the sky:

"Hahaha, when paths cross, the brave prevail; as long as the battle continues, I too will not perish!"

"My way of fighting is to draw my sword even when facing the most powerful enemy, and to be fearless even if I end up bleeding on the battlefield and falling down!"

"The way of war is to live for war and fight until death!"

"Whether we can win or not can only be determined in a real fight."

Sun Wukong's arrogance was evident in his words, just like his ancestor, the Chaos Demon Ape, who dared to challenge Pangu, the leader of the three thousand Chaos Demon Gods, with fearlessness.

What awe-inspiring, what a resolute, what a triumphant, what a spirit!
The Chaos Demon Ape is the "Demon God of Fighting and War," wielding the "Supreme Dao of Fighting and War," and possesses an extremely violent and warlike nature.

They grow stronger with each battle, and become more powerful when facing stronger opponents.

Although their true forms have been obliterated, the spirit of fighting is deeply imprinted on the four mischievous monkeys.

The old days.

In the beginning of chaos, before the primordial order was formed, the Chaos Demon Ape dared to directly challenge Pangu, the god who created the world.

Let alone the Buddha Tathagata in the primordial world?

What is there to fear from the intelligent stone monkey?
"Very well, then we brothers will have a showdown with this Western Buddha!"

Xiao Chen smiled slightly upon hearing this.

The Sun Wukong of today is actually much stronger than the Sun Wukong in the original "Journey to the West".

Firstly, one of Sun Wukong's greatest talents is his "sharp golden eyes".

However, Sun Wukong's "enlightened golden eyes" were not properly developed at the beginning. He consumed too much human food and traveled to the mortal world to seek immortals and ask questions, and even crossed oceans.

Sun Wukong failed to cultivate his "Spiritual Golden Eyes" in time, and the "Spiritual Golden Eyes" became tainted with too much worldly energy, thus losing its spirituality.

However, the timeline of Sun Wukong's quest for immortality has been moved forward considerably.

He consumed far less human food than in the original Journey to the West, and he also began his cultivation much earlier.

Although Sun Wukong's "Golden Eyes of Insight" are no longer as powerful as they were at birth, they are still much stronger than in the original timeline of "Journey to the West".

"The Golden Eyes That Break Through Illusions" is a degenerate form of Sun Wukong's "Golden Eyes of Enlightenment".

Sun Wukong can still see through the illusions of the world and can see through the weaknesses of his opponents without relying on their cultivation level.

These eyes are far superior to the "fiery eyes" on the journey to the West.

Secondly, the current Sun Wukong does not merely learn the art of immortality from the Bodhi Patriarch as depicted in the original "Journey to the West." In fact, the "Great Celestial Immortal Manual," which describes "gaining coolness and radiance, one can appreciate the bright moon on the alchemical platform...", is a method of internal alchemy practice aimed at achieving longevity.

The Seventy-Two Transformations were primarily for preventing the "Three Calamities and Harms," ​​and also a means of seeking longevity.

The somersault cloud is used for running away.

……

It can be said that Sun Wukong in the original Journey to the West mainly learned the methods of seeking immortality from Patriarch Subhuti.

If there were a profession, then Sun Wukong would be dedicated to studying the "profession of immortality".

As for his many combat abilities, such as transforming weapons into rain, having three heads and six arms, and possessing an indestructible body, most of them are Sun Wukong's innate abilities, which he comprehended on his own.

Instead of learning it from the Patriarch Subhuti.

For example, the external avatar is actually a transformation of Sun Wukong's monkey hair.

The ability to transform weapons into rain is a built-in skill of the Ruyi Jingu Bang (Monkey King's Staff).

Sun Wukong's indestructible body was achieved through self-cultivation after consuming peaches of immortality and elixirs of immortality.

The three heads and six arms were skills that Sun Wukong learned on the spot during his battle with Nezha.

At that time, during the battle of Flower Fruit Mountain, Nezha was furious and shouted, "Transform!" He immediately transformed into a three-headed, six-armed being, fiercely wielding six weapons: an embroidered ball, a demon-subduing pestle, a demon-slaying knife, a demon-slaying sword, a fire wheel, and a demon-binding rope. He then charged at Sun Wukong.

When Sun Wukong saw Nezha's three heads and six arms, he was startled and said, "This young man knows some tricks! Don't be rude, behold my supernatural powers!"

Then, Sun Wukong imitated Nezha, transforming himself into a three-headed, six-armed being; he swung his golden cudgel, which also transformed into three, and his six hands held the three cudgels to block the attack.

……

However, nowadays, Sun Wukong has essentially studied two majors at "Fangcun Lingtai Mountain and Xieyue Sanxing Cave University," and has graduated from both.

One major is "longevity major".

One major is "Combat Major".

That's completely different.

To break through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, a cultivator must have a "perfect and flawless physical body, boundless and unfathomable magical power, a primordial spirit that transcends the mundane world, and some understanding of the Great Dao."

Of all these, gaining insight into the Great Dao is the most important.

The path to becoming a Great Immortal is like a graduate student choosing their own research topic and conducting their own research. It requires practitioners to explore and comprehend it on their own, and the difficulties and obstacles along the way can only be truly understood by the practitioners themselves.

But now, Sun Wukong has already chosen his profession: "the way of fighting".

Moreover, Sun Wukong had already gained some understanding of the "Way of Fighting".

It can be said that Sun Wukong is now almost at the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

If he cultivates for a while longer, Sun Wukong might break through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm directly.

Thirdly, and most importantly, Sun Wukong had already witnessed the power of the Western Buddha and the demon master Kunpeng.

In this way, Sun Wukong became somewhat wary.

Although it is said that "it is easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature."

Sun Wukong still inherited the arrogant and warlike character of the "Chaotic Demon Ape." Although he was somewhat arrogant, he was no longer blindly arrogant.

"Monkey, what if you were to face the Buddha of the West in the future..."

Xiao Chen's expression was solemn, his gaze deep, and he directly offered a reminder:
"He has two methods; you must be careful."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong instantly became interested, his eyes lighting up as he asked curiously:

"What methods did you use? Tell me about them."

"I'd like to see what kind of supernatural powers that Buddha Tathagata has that he can do to me!"

Xiao Chen frowned slightly and said in a deep voice:

"Monkey, remember this."

“These monks always have the saying ‘monks do not lie,’ as if it were their golden rule that cannot be violated.”

"But this is just a facade."

"In reality, these monks are quite fond of lying; their words and actions cannot be trusted!"

Xiao Chen was just telling the truth.

Sun Wukong was utterly deceived by the Buddha and Guanyin, suffering a great loss.

According to the original story, when Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, the Buddha made a bet with him:

“I’ll make a bet with you; if you have the skill to somersault out of my right palm, then you win… and then you can sit in this Heavenly Palace.”

"If you cannot strike with your palm, then return to the mortal realm as a demon and cultivate for several more kalpas. Do not come here to cause trouble again."

The Buddha and Sun Wukong made a clear agreement:
If Sun Wukong cannot escape his grasp, he will send Sun Wukong to the mortal realm to become a demon and continue his cultivation.

But who would have thought that after Sun Wukong jumped into his palm, the Buddha suddenly turned on him, flipped his palm and pushed the Monkey King out of the Western Heaven Gate, and then turned his five fingers into the Five Elements Mountain, forcibly pressing Sun Wukong under the mountain.

The Buddha's actions clearly showed that he lied to Sun Wukong, broke his promise, and genuinely deceived him.

Having suffered such a great loss, Sun Wukong was filled with resentment and gritted his teeth, saying:

“That old Buddha tricked me, imprisoning me under this mountain. More than five hundred years have passed, and I still cannot move…”

Furthermore, Guanyin Bodhisattva also possessed extraordinary abilities.

Guanyin Bodhisattva transformed the headband into a gold-embroidered hat, which was exquisitely beautiful but contained a hidden secret.

She had Tang Sanzang trick Sun Wukong into wearing it.

Tang Sanzang harbored ulterior motives and lied to Sun Wukong, saying:
“This is the hat I wore when I was a child. If you wear this hat, you will be able to recite scriptures without having to do so.”

So, Sun Wukong, caught off guard, trusted Tang Sanzang and put on the headband, thus becoming bound by it.

Guanyin Bodhisattva and Tang Sanzang, these two monks, once again completely outmaneuvered Sun Wukong, tricking him into obediently submitting.

After realizing he had been tricked, Sun Wukong glared angrily at Guanyin Bodhisattva and loudly questioned her:

"Why did you give him a flowery hat and 'coax' me to wear it... Now my head is aching all over. Aren't you the one who's ruining my life?"

Furthermore, when Xiao Chen was traveling in the lower realm, he heard that there was a Buddhist master in a temple on Mount Song, the Central Peak.

On the surface, Master Shi spent his days burning incense, worshipping Buddha, practicing martial arts, and meditating, appearing as serene, inactive, and otherworldly.

When he spoke of the rules and regulations, he was eloquent and articulate, truly a highly accomplished monk who inspired awe in all who heard him.

In reality, however, he was a womanizer and a libertine, unable to control himself in the slightest.

He not only embezzled temple assets for personal gain, turning the sacred Buddhist sanctuary into a place for personal enrichment, but also kept a host of mistresses, indulging in unrestrained pleasure and living a life of extravagance. He even traveled in a luxurious carriage, displaying an impressive ostentatious presence...

Such behavior is completely contrary to the rules and regulations of Buddhism, and is worlds apart from them!

“Monkey, the Buddha’s palm contains a universe, a world of its own, known as the ‘Buddha’s Kingdom in the Palm,’ just like the ‘universe within the belly’ of my toad, which contains endless mysteries.”

"You must never fall into his hands lightly, otherwise you will surely fall into an abyss of no return."

"Moreover, the Buddha also has a magic weapon called the 'tightening headband,' which, once worn on the head, takes root in the flesh and is difficult to remove, like a maggot clinging to the bone, tightly entwined."

“By chanting the incantation, you can tighten the headband, causing you excruciating headaches and making you wish you were dead.”

Xiao Chen continued, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

According to legend, the golden headband was obtained by the Taoist Duobao from refining the "Golden Headband Immortal," one of the Seven Immortals who served his junior brother.

Of course, it's also possible that Duobao Daoren borrowed it from Jin Gu Xian, but no one knows the truth.

Anyway, the Golden Hoop Immortal is gone, as if he had never existed in this world.

Only the tight band remained.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was terrified, his hair standing on end, and he said:

"These monks, what vicious methods they use!"

"They actually came up with such an insidious method to control others."

"If this tight band is put on, wouldn't one's life and death be entirely in the hands of others?"

"Should we just let it be?"

"If in the future, I, Old Sun, were to gamble with people from the Buddhist community..."

"I, Old Sun, must be careful and not fall into their trap!"

(End of this chapter)