Others follow advice and imitate celebrities, but you start by pretending to be a god?

Tiger Power Immortal asked, "What brings you to see the Grand Preceptor?"

Tang Sanzang remained calm and said, "Previously, I debated Buddhism with the Grand Preceptor, but I was at a disadvantage because I did not understand Mahayana Buddhism. Today, I have received the transmission of Mahayana Buddhism and wish to debate with the Grand Preceptor again."

"Oh?" The three immortals, Tiger Power Immortal, Deer Power Immortal, and Sheep Power Immortal, exchanged glances, a strange light flashing in their eyes.

The next moment, Tiger Power Immortal said with a half-smile, "In that case, we will first inform the Grand Preceptor and leave the decision to him."

As a Buddhist disciple, Tang Sanzang is also the current representative of Buddhism in the human world. Therefore, even though he has no cultivation, the three national teachers, including Tiger Power Immortal, would not treat him too lightly. Tang Sanzang's request for a debate is not just a simple debate, but a conflict between Buddhism and Taoism, concerning the reputation and status of both religions.

Therefore, this matter was naturally not something that Tiger Power Immortal and the other two could decide; it could only be left to Lin Nan, the master of the human realm, to decide.

However, before Tiger Power Immortal and the other two could send someone to inform Lin Nan, a white jade dragon soared down from the sky, none other than Ao Yu, the third prince of the West Sea Dragon King. Accompanied by clouds, Ao Yu landed inside the Sanqing Temple, and Lin Nan leaped off its back.

"The Grand Master has arrived!"

"Greetings, Grand Preceptor!"

Immediately, all the Taoist priests, young and old, in the Sanqing Temple bowed and paid their respects to Lin Nan. Tiger Power Immortal and others also came out from the hall to greet him, as did Tang Sanzang and his disciples.

"This humble monk greets the Great Master." Tang Sanzang dared not be negligent and quickly bowed to Lin Nan.

Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie followed closely behind without hesitation.

Today, Lin Nan's name is widely known among the Journey to the West masters and disciples, and they have to look at him with more respect.

After all, Lin Nan had reprimanded the Buddha in front of them, and given his status as the Lord of the Human Realm, he was now no less than the Buddha.

Lin Nan nodded slightly in response, then spoke frankly to Tang Sanzang: "I already know your intentions and thoughts. If you wish to debate further, I can agree. Let the common people be the judge. If your Mahayana Buddhism wins the hearts of the people, then releasing the five hundred monks is fine. But conversely, if your Mahayana Buddhism does not win the hearts of the people..."

As he spoke, Lin Nan looked Tang Sanzang and his disciples up and down a few times, and continued, "If that is the case, you will stay in Chechi Kingdom for five years and serve and be assigned to Chechi Kingdom during that time."

"Huh?" Tang Sanzang was taken aback. Before he could even speak, Lin Nan had already seen through his thoughts. That alone was bad enough, but what stunned him even more was what Lin Nan said next. These words were tantamount to making a "bet".

If Tang Sanzang wins the debate, he can achieve his wish and save the five hundred monks of Chechi Kingdom. Conversely, if he loses, Tang Sanzang and his disciples will lose five years of their lives. Upon hearing this, before Tang Sanzang could even respond, Zhu Bajie became somewhat anxious.

“Master, we mustn’t agree so easily! What if we’re assigned to carry cement and spend five years here, following the orders of Chechi Kingdom?” Pigsy said with a worried expression, as if he had already foreseen how miserable his five years in Chechi Kingdom would be.

Sun Wukong also spoke up, but he scolded Zhu Bajie: "You idiot! Master hasn't even debated with the Grand Preceptor yet, and you've already assumed we'll lose? You've already thrown away your trump card!"

After reprimanding Zhu Bajie, Sun Wukong turned to Tang Sanzang and said, "Master, please do it with peace of mind! We have already obtained the scriptures, so even if we lose, it will only be a delay."

Sun Wukong's words already indicated his acceptance of defeat. However, he still encouraged Tang Sanzang to proceed. This was because Sun Wukong deeply understood that tribulations must be overcome, not avoided. Their journey to obtain the scriptures was destined to fail if they didn't experience trials. Therefore, simply avoiding them was neither advisable nor feasible; it was better to face the challenges head-on.

Sha Wujing remained silent; in front of Lin Nan, he was even careful with his breathing, let alone speaking. Tang Sanzang's gaze was firm, his expression resolute; he had already made up his mind.

He clasped his hands together and slowly said, "Very well, this humble monk accepts!" His voice was steady and powerful, revealing an unquestionable resolve. Then, he added, "If this humble monk's Buddhist knowledge is inferior to that of the Grand Master, I am willing to stay in Chechi Kingdom for another five years."

In truth, deep down, Tang Sanzang harbored a faint sense of unease. In terms of pure Buddhist attainments, he had always held himself in high esteem, looking down upon all others in the entire Tang Dynasty. After all, he had studied Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty for many years, possessing profound Buddhist knowledge that could be considered top-tier.

However, he also knew that his true strength lay in Theravada Buddhism. While Theravada Buddhism had its merits, it ultimately had limitations and constraints, preventing him from progressing further on the path of Buddhism. Now, after overcoming countless hardships, he had obtained Mahayana Buddhism. This Mahayana Buddhism was like a bright lamp, illuminating the previously blurred Buddhist fog in his heart. He firmly believed that Mahayana Buddhism could make up for his original deficiencies in Buddhism, allowing his Buddhist practice to achieve a qualitative leap and improvement. Therefore, he accepted the challenge from the Grand Master without hesitation.

However, Tang Sanzang still made a request: "Grand Master, I hope you can give me two or three months to prepare properly."

Lin Nan nodded slightly and replied, "Alright, of course."

The reason Tang Sanzang needed this time was naturally to calm his mind and delve deeper into the study of Mahayana Buddhism. After all, although he had gone through great hardships to retrieve the Mahayana Buddhist scriptures, he had been so busy traveling that he had no time to study them in depth. He knew that only by thoroughly understanding Mahayana Buddhism would he have enough confidence to engage in a Buddhist debate with Lin Nan.

Just as the two of them reached their agreement, far away in the Great Thunderclap Temple on Mount Ling in the Western Paradise, the Buddha Tathagata sat regally on his lotus throne. Suddenly, his brow furrowed slightly, and a strange unease welled up in his heart.

The Buddha closed his eyes and concentrated, using his supernatural powers to try and discern the secrets of heaven. After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, a solemn expression on his face: "Not good, Tang Sanzang seems to be caught in a calamity, and he may not be able to escape for a while!" At this moment, the peaceful and tranquil atmosphere in the Great Thunder Temple was instantly shattered, and the Buddha's usual calm and composure were no longer visible on his face.

In Buddhist scriptures, "suchness" represents true reality, or absolute truth. The Tathagata is the sage who possesses absolute truth and comes to the world to preach and liberate all sentient beings. The Tathagata Buddha possesses vast supernatural powers and boundless Dharma abilities, using compassion to help and guide people; he is a Buddha who cultivates the righteous path and pursues ultimate goodness. Furthermore, the Tathagata's state of enlightenment has already reached the supreme state of omniscience, where he hears and knows everything within the three realms. In his perception, nothing within the three realms can escape his notice. However, even this omniscience is not without its omissions.

Take, for example, the Three Pure Ones, who transcend the Three Realms. Their cultivation and realm are unfathomable, and even the Buddha cannot fully perceive their every move. Then there's Lin Nan, this otherworldly being, whose actions are mysterious and unpredictable; his existence also exceeds the Buddha's supreme perception.

Therefore, at first, the Buddha sat serenely in the Great Thunderclap Temple, unaware of Lin Nan's actions, and even more unaware that Lin Nan had already set a trap, waiting for Tang Sanzang to fall into it. It wasn't until Tang Sanzang agreed, creating a karmic connection with Lin Nan that was imprinted into the heavenly secrets, that the Buddha awoke as if from a dream and realized everything.

But by then, it was all too late. The agreement between Lin Nan and Tang Sanzang had already been made, as if it were set in stone, and could no longer be changed.

"Is Tang Sanzang really going to stay in Chechi Kingdom for five years?" The Buddha's first reaction was not that he thought Tang Sanzang would win the debate, but that he was worried about what would happen if Tang Sanzang lost.

"What exactly is Lin Nan's intention in doing this?" The Buddha frowned and muttered to himself, "Five years... Could there be some unknown secret hidden within this timeframe?"

Even the Buddha, who is said to possess supreme enlightenment, could not fathom Lin Nan's intentions when faced with this enigmatic opponent. He even attempted to deduce the secrets of heaven to see what changes would occur within five years, but after all his calculations, he found nothing.

However, the only thing the Buddha could be certain of was that the five-year period set by Lin Nan was definitely not arbitrary; it must have had a profound meaning.

"Buddha, what has happened?" The bodhisattvas sitting on both sides, seeing the Buddha talking to himself and making calculations with his fingers, couldn't help but feel curious and asked him one after another.

The Buddha then recounted the events in detail. Guanyin Bodhisattva, who had just undergone Nirvana and reconstructed her body, changed her expression slightly upon hearing this news. Always meticulous in her thinking, she couldn't help but speculate about Lin Nan's intentions with the utmost malice.

"Is Lin Nan's action intended to completely sabotage the Journey to the West and deliberately delay Tang Sanzang's journey?" Guanyin Bodhisattva questioned with a worried expression, fearing that Lin Nan might do something detrimental to the great cause of the Journey to the West.

The Buddha shook his head slightly and said, "The great mission of obtaining the scriptures is almost complete. Now, only a few more tribulations remain before it is successfully completed, and Tang Sanzang and his disciples will be able to return to the Tang Dynasty smoothly."

"Lin Nan's actions are merely an attempt to buy time." Although the Buddha said this, he still had his own doubts. "However, I don't understand what his true intentions are. He has lived in seclusion in Chechi Kingdom for many years. Since he has given up the idea of ​​spreading the Dharma in the Tang Dynasty, why would he want to prevent Tang Sanzang from returning to the Eastern Land of Tang?"

After pondering for a moment, Guanyin Bodhisattva asked, "Buddha, if Tang Sanzang really stays in Chechi Kingdom for five years, won't other unexpected troubles arise?"

Then, Guanyin Bodhisattva asked, "Do we need to take some action to rescue Tang Sanzang from Chechi Kingdom?"

The Buddha sat calmly on his lotus throne, now much more composed. He slowly said, "No, let us wait for Tang Sanzang and Lin Nan to begin their debate."

"Tang Sanzang has already obtained the Mahayana Buddhist scriptures. With his enlightenment and Buddha-nature, it won't be long before he fully comprehends their essence. At that time, he can represent our Buddhist sect and engage in a Buddhist-Taoist struggle with that Taoist master Lin Nan!"

The Buddha had already made up his mind: "Let's wait patiently for a while..."

Time flies, and three months have passed in the blink of an eye. For ordinary people, three months may be a long time, but for Tang Sanzang and his disciples, it seemed like just a moment.

During these three months, Tang Sanzang completely immersed himself in Buddhist scriptures. As a Buddhist disciple, his Buddhist nature was already deeply rooted in his heart, and his comprehension was extraordinary. In addition, his transformation at Mount Ling had given him a completely new look, elevating both his mental state and his understanding of Buddhism to a whole new level.

Even though the number of Buddhist scriptures retrieved was large, numbering in the thousands, Tang Sanzang managed to comprehend and read them one by one during those three months, thanks to his astonishing perseverance and comprehension.

He diligently studied each Buddhist scripture—the Nirvana Sutra (748 volumes), the Bodhisattva Sutra (121 volumes), the Great Collection of the Sutra of Kindness and Intent (50 volumes)—and carefully savored the true essence of Buddhism within them. In three months, he read and comprehended all these scriptures, internalizing their wisdom and making it a part of his own.

Having already achieved a high level of mastery in Theravada Buddhism, Tang Sanzang further mastered Mahayana Buddhism within these three months. At this point, his Buddhist cultivation had reached an unprecedented height, and he exuded an aura of transcendence.

Meanwhile, Tang Sanzang's disciples also led their own different lives during these three months. Sha Wujing, being cautious by nature, dared not go out all day, staying by his master's side and silently protecting him.

Sun Wukong, on the other hand, was a restless fellow, spending his days wandering around Chechi Kingdom. Although he never left the territory of Chechi Kingdom, he explored every corner of it. His favorite daily activity was to seek out and fight the Six-Eared Macaque.

Over the course of three months, the two fought twenty or thirty times, almost every few days. Each battle was fierce and evenly matched. After three months, both Sun Wukong and the Six-Eared Macaque had improved in their battles, but neither could gain the upper hand.

It was during this period that Sun Wukong truly understood the nature of the "Four Mischievous Monkeys" and realized his true identity. He was no longer as confused as before, but had a clearer understanding of his mission and responsibilities.

As for Pigsy, he was so happy he forgot all about home. Chechi Kingdom had developed rapidly in the past few years, and was beginning to show signs of industrialization. With the birth of numerous 'little geniuses' and 'little inventors,' many novel and interesting things were created here.

Pigsy was completely absorbed in it, thoroughly enjoying himself. Every few days, he would go to the 'dance hall' to dance and soak up the lively atmosphere; he would also go to the movie theater to watch a few movies, laughing heartily at the exciting plots. (End of Chapter)