I am a fairy in Journey to the West

As Master Lanxin announced the start of the debate, the first high-ranking monk from the Kingdom of Pushu stepped forward. He first greeted Tang Sanzang with palms together, and then sat down cross-legged on the prayer mat.

Master Lanxin introduced, "This is Master Lanzhen of Yunkong Temple."

Tang Sanzang put his hands together, bowed to Master Lanzhen, and said, "Greetings, Master Lanzhen."

Master Lanzhen laughed and said, "Master Xuanzang, I have a question for you. If you can answer it, then I will consider this debate a loss."

Tang Sanzang nodded and said, "Please ask, Master."

Master Lanzhen then asked about the concept of "emptiness," and Tang Sanzang, after a moment's thought, replied with the concept of emptiness.

After hearing Tang Sanzang's explanation, Master Lanzhen suddenly felt enlightened, and the doubt that had troubled him for five years was finally resolved.

Master Lanzhen stood up, bowed to Tang Sanzang, and said, "Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Master Xuanzang. I am no longer troubled."

After saying this, Master Lanzhen looked at Master Lanxin and said, "National Preceptor, it is this humble monk who has lost."

Master Lanxin smiled and said to Master Lanzhen, "Congratulations, fellow Daoist."

Then, Master Lanzhen stepped down from the debating platform. Two soldiers from the Pushu Kingdom came forward and escorted Master Lanzhen to the outer perimeter of the platform. Master Lanzhen knelt down with his hands clasped together, and the soldiers behind him raised their scimitars.

Upon seeing this, Tang Sanzang was greatly alarmed and hurriedly stood up, saying, "Wait!"

But no one paid any attention to Tang Sanzang. The knife flashed with cold light and fell down. Master Lanzhen's head fell to the ground instantly, and blood spurted more than ten feet away.

Tang Sanzang swayed and fell onto the prayer mat. He quickly put his hands together, closed his eyes, and chanted "Amitabha."

Master Lanxin withdrew her gaze and said to Tang Sanzang, "Master Xuanzang, let the debate continue."

Tang Sanzang opened his eyes, but before he could speak, the second monk stepped onto the debating platform.

Tang Sanzang turned around and glanced at Sun Wukong below the stage, and Sun Wukong gave him a look.

Tang Sanzang understood; this meant he could continue debating the scriptures without worry. Tang Sanzang could only put aside his distracting thoughts and continue to concentrate on the debate.

These eminent monks from the Kingdom of Pushu who came to debate the scriptures were indeed highly accomplished in Buddhism. The questions they asked were extremely profound, and they would definitely be renowned monks throughout the Tang Dynasty.

Can you imagine how prosperous Buddhism would have been if there had been more than 20,000 such eminent monks in the Tang Dynasty?

Tang Sanzang dared not imagine, but his understanding of Buddhism had already transcended the mundane along the way, so he could answer the questions of these eminent monks fluently.

One by one, the eminent monks of Pushu Kingdom went up to the debating platform, and one by one they went down to be beheaded.

Tang Sanzang was heartbroken, his heart felt like it was being torn apart, and his face was pale. These were all the most outstanding monks in Buddhism.

By midday, when it was almost noon, Tang Sanzang had defeated more than 260 monks in his debates, which meant that more than 260 eminent monks had been beheaded.

The stench of blood enveloped the debating platform, making Tang Sanzang extremely uncomfortable. He even vomited. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and his body was covered in cold sweat.

Suddenly, he stood up, walked to the King of Pushu Kingdom, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, this humble monk has never seen such a method of debate. It is utterly disregard for human life! I beg Your Majesty to abolish the rule that the loser dies, otherwise this humble monk would rather die than debate again!"

The King of Pushu Kingdom was caught off guard by Tang Sanzang's sudden advice, but he quickly calmed down and looked at Tang Sanzang, saying, "Master Xuanzang is tired. It is already noon, so let's stop the debate for now and continue after lunch."

"Your Majesty!" Tang Sanzang was about to speak again, but King Pushu had already stood up and looked at Tang Sanzang, saying, "Master Xuanzang, please have your meal first, and then we can continue our debate."

After saying this, King Pushu left with his queen, princes, and princesses.

At this time, Master Lanxin and the monks of Pushu Kingdom also got up and went to the dining hall for their meal. As for the corpses of the monks who had been beheaded, they were collected by their disciples.

As Tang Sanzang watched the others leave, he collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted. Sun Wukong and the other three quickly rushed forward to help him up.

After Tang Sanzang was taken back to the meditation room, Sun Wukong went to the dining hall to bring him food, but Tang Sanzang had no appetite at all and was extremely depressed.

"Wukong, have you thought of any good ideas?" Tang Sanzang sighed, "I really don't want to see so many monks beheaded just because they failed in a debate."

Sun Wukong said, "Master, don't be in a hurry. Let's eat first. I'll go and take a look."

Tang Sanzang asked curiously, "Where are you going to look?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Naturally, we should go to the underworld to see where the souls of these monks went after they died, and then ask Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva about this matter."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Alright, Wukong, go now and be sure to report this matter to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva."

"Alright." Sun Wukong turned to the three of them, including the White Dragon, and said, "My three junior brothers, you stay here and protect Master well. I, Old Sun, am going to the Underworld now."

Little White Dragon said, "Don't worry, Senior Brother."

Sun Wukong flew out the door, mounted his somersault cloud, and flew straight to the Netherworld, crashing into the Hall of Yama. His divine power swept across the land, causing the Ten Kings of Hell to bow in welcome, and the Five Judges of the Underworld to kowtow in greeting. Thousands of sword trees leaned to one side, and ten thousand mountains of knives were leveled. The demons and monsters in the City of the Wrongfully Dead were transformed, and the ghosts under the Bridge of Helplessness were reborn.

It was precisely that 'divine light shines forth like a heavenly pardon, illuminating even the darkest underworld.'

When Sun Wukong met the Ten Kings of Hell, he asked about the dead monk. The Ten Kings of Hell all replied, "Reporting to the Great Sage, the monk who was killed in the Kingdom of Pushu has also received blessings and auspicious omens, and has been reborn into the realm of gods."

"Oh?" Sun Wukong asked, "When did you pass away?"

King Qin Guang said, "After being beheaded, his soul returned to the underworld, where auspicious light from Buddha descended, and he was immediately reborn into the cycle of reincarnation."

"Is that so?" Sun Wukong asked. "Who performed the ritual to help them pass on to the afterlife?"

The Ten Kings of Hell could not answer, but King Chakravartin said, "Great Sage, we also do not know. You may go and ask Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong immediately bid farewell to the Ten Kings of Hell and went to the Ksitigarbha Hall.

Upon arriving at this place, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was already waiting. Seeing Sun Wukong, he smiled and said, "Great Sage, you have arrived."

Sun Wukong stepped forward and asked, "Did the Bodhisattva know I was coming?"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva nodded, then said to Sun Wukong, "Great Sage, go back and tell Tang Sanzang to focus on debating the scriptures."

"Oh?" Sun Wukong said, "Judging from what the Bodhisattva said, could there be some hidden story behind this?"

“There is no secret.” Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva smiled and said, “Those monks who were killed for debating with Tang Sanzang will all attain Nirvana and liberation, be blessed with good fortune, and be reborn in the realm of gods.”

Sun Wukong asked, "Why is that?" Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva laughed and said, "What have you been doing all this, enduring wind and rain, traversing mountains and rivers, subduing demons and monsters, all for?"

Sun Wukong said, "Of course, we'll go to Mount Ling to obtain the true scriptures and bring blessings to the East."

At this point, Sun Wukong suddenly froze on the spot, a hint of understanding appearing in his eyes.

Seeing the glimmer of understanding in Sun Wukong's eyes, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva smiled and asked, "Great Sage, do you understand?"

Sun Wukong came to his senses and immediately put his palms together in prayer, saying, "Thank you, Bodhisattva, for your guidance. I will go back and tell my master about this matter."

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva nodded and smiled, "Great Sage, please wait."

After saying this, Sun Wukong rode his somersault cloud back to his meditation room in Yulan Temple.

When Tang Sanzang saw Sun Wukong return, he immediately put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up and asked, "Wukong, you're back. What did Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva say?"

Sun Wukong chuckled and first told Tang Sanzang and the others about how the monks who had been killed had been blessed and reborn as gods.

Tang Sanzang was greatly surprised after hearing this and asked, "Why is that?"

Even the White Dragon Horse, Pigsy, and Sandy looked puzzled. Pigsy said, "Does our master have such great abilities that he can bless the dead and directly reincarnate them into the realm of gods?"

"How could your master have such great abilities?" Tang Sanzang waved his hand, then asked Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Master, although Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva did not say it explicitly, he asked me a question."

Tang Sanzang asked, "What's the question?"

Sun Wukong then recounted the question that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva had asked to Tang Sanzang, and Tang Sanzang understood almost instantly upon hearing the question.

"I see." Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together, and the reluctance and confusion on his face disappeared, replaced by a resolute expression.

"This humble monk is determined to obtain the true scriptures on this journey and return them to the East," Tang Sanzang said with a resolute expression.

Only the White Dragon, Pigsy, and Sandy were confused and asked questions.

But Tang Sanzang did not answer, but said, "Wubai, Wuneng, Wujing, this matter cannot be explained clearly, you can only understand it yourselves."

"Hey." Pigsy waved his hand dismissively and said, "If I could figure it out on my own, I would be the master. Besides, as long as you and my eldest brother understand, that's enough. I, Old Pig, don't need to worry about so much."

Upon hearing this, the White Dragon and Sandy stopped worrying about it, smiled, and let the matter drop.

At this moment, Tang Sanzang rallied his spirits, finished the rest of his meal, and then stood up and said, "Disciples, let's go and continue our debate on the stage."

Sha Wujing asked, "Master, are you ready?"

Tang Sanzang laughed and said, "Wujing, since all the eminent monks have received blessings after their deaths and been reborn in the heavenly realms, what do I have to worry about?"

After saying that, Tang Sanzang walked out full of energy.

When Tang Sanzang and his disciples arrived at the debating platform, they found that all the monks from Pushu Kingdom had already arrived. After a while, the king, queen, prince, princess, ministers, and envoys from various countries also came to the platform.

Looking at the king and nobles chatting and laughing on the stage, Tang Sanzang sighed, his determination to obtain the true scriptures becoming even more unbreakable.

At this moment, he saw what kind of calamity was hidden beneath the surface of the flourishing Buddhism in India. India, the birthplace of the Buddha and Buddhism, had gone astray.

Whether they are high-ranking nobles, middle-ranking monks, or lower-ranking common people, their obsession with Buddhism is becoming increasingly superficial.

Buddhism is a path for seeking truth, cultivating oneself, and educating all beings. However, the people of India have lost sight of the true meaning of Buddhism in their veneration of it.

Having thought this through, Tang Sanzang had no more hesitation. He got up and walked onto the debating platform. Without even greeting the king and the monks, he sat down on the prayer mat.

Seeing this, the King and Queen of Pushu were somewhat displeased, but seeing that Tang Sanzang had adjusted his mindset, they didn't say anything more.

The reason why King Pushu issued those extremely strict rules was to ensure that the monks of Pushu Kingdom would defeat Tang Sanzang in this debate, thus restoring face for Buddhism in Pushu Kingdom.

This is the sole purpose, and as Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva said, there is no hidden reason behind it.

King Pushu wanted to tell the high monks in the country that they could only win in their debates, and losing meant death.

The debate continued, and one after another, the eminent monks of Pushu Kingdom ascended the debate platform, only to be dragged out and beheaded one by one.

One day, two days, three days
Fifteen days later, when the last high-ranking monk of Pushu Kingdom, namely the national preceptor Master Lanxin, was taken out and beheaded, all 24,321 high-ranking monks of Pushu Kingdom who had received full ordination were killed.

The Kingdom of Pushu lost this debate, and lost badly. The King of Pushu vomited blood and collapsed on the spot. The envoys from various countries were also terrified by the fierce debate.

The ultimate victor, Tang Sanzang, showed no joy. He simply stood up calmly, turned around, and walked off the debating platform, returning to his meditation room with his disciples to rest.

That night, the King of Pushu Kingdom woke up, but the first thing he did was to stamp Tang Sanzang's travel document with the official seal.

Subsequently, the King of Pushu Kingdom vomited blood and fainted again. The next day, when Tang Sanzang and his disciples came to bid farewell to the king, they heard the funeral bell tolling inside the palace as soon as they reached the palace gate.

King Pushu died suddenly from vomiting blood at dawn, marking the beginning of Pushu's decline from its former glory, and its complete fall into the lowest rank among the five great kingdoms of India.

Tang Sanzang sighed and did not go back to the palace. Instead, he led his disciples directly on the journey to obtain the scriptures.

Meanwhile, news of the fierce debate in Pushu Kingdom was relayed back to their respective countries by envoys from various nations, causing a sensation among all the monks of the five great Indian kingdoms.

The monks of Pushu Kingdom, in particular, referred to Tang Sanzang as the "Buddha of Nirvana in the World" because the eminent monks in the country died after losing a debate with him.

Subsequently, this title spread from Pushu Kingdom to the Five Great Indias, and thus, three months after Tang Sanzang entered India, he became famous throughout the Five Great Indias.

Because he debated with 24,321 eminent monks and won the final victory under the rule that the loser would die, the title of "Living Buddha of Nirvana" and his Buddhist practice were recognized by all the monks in India.

The content of the debates between the eminent monks of Pushu Kingdom and Tang Sanzang also circulated, and most of the monks of the five great Indian kingdoms felt inferior after reading these debates.

The content of this debate was compiled into a scripture by monks from various countries. This scripture was named the "Nirvana Sutra" and subsequently spread widely in the five great Indias, becoming a required scripture for all monks after ordination.

It turns out that it wasn't that the monks of the Pushu Kingdom were lacking in Buddhist practice; it was simply that this Tang Monk from the East was far too skilled in Buddhist practice!
And so, those 24,321 eminent monks, through their own passing away, prematurely earned Tang Sanzang the title of 'Buddha of Nirvana in the World'. (End of Chapter)