Man in the heavens, wins by lying down to prove the truth

Chapter 334 The Mind Monkey is Calmed Beneath the Five Elements Mountain, the Buddha and the Elder Eliminate Demonic Obstacles in Nirvana
And behold, beyond the nine heavens and the vast sea of ​​stars.

The Great Sage's divine powers astounded the ages, and his Heavenly Venerable Dharma form suppressed Jambudvipa. There were also the great venerables of the Thunder Department, who held the power of thunder and blessed the three realms with their honors, serving as their protectors.

Even so, the great formation was still in grave danger, and the Heavenly Venerable's strength was waning and his muscles were numb.

Just at that critical moment, the boundless Buddha light of the Western Heaven shone brightly, purifying the vast Buddha land and obscuring the thirty-three layers of the heavens.

Then they saw the two Venerables Ananda and Kasyapa, accompanied by the Western Buddha, riding on the heavens.

“Then, Great Sage Sun, Heavenly Venerable Wang, and all the Thunder Generals, cease your fighting.”

The Buddha's voice resounded throughout the heavens, possessing the power of supreme enlightenment. His words were lawful, and all paths resonated with them. In an instant, all kinds of Dharma light dissipated, and all kinds of supernatural powers vanished.

The Great Sage, in the heat of battle, victory was within reach. He bared his teeth and glared angrily at the golden statue of the Western Buddha.

"Who are you, benevolent person, daring to stop the fighting and question me?" Sun Wukong shouted sternly. Although he was indignant, he could still tell that the person was extraordinary, so he respectfully called him benevolent person.

After all, the Monkey King wasn't stupid; he couldn't just casually draw his staff and strike without any real skill or magic. The Great Dao is profound and mysterious, capable of dispelling all supernatural powers with a single word.

The old Buddha laughed heartily, looked the monkey over, and said, "I am Shakyamuni Buddha of the Western Paradise, Namo Amitabha Buddha. I have come to protect you by the decree of the Heavenly Venerable. Now, tell me, where were you born, when did you attain enlightenment, and why are you so violent?"

Sun Wukong laughed wildly: "So it's the Jade Emperor who sent reinforcements. They probably don't have much ability. Listen carefully—"

I was born of the Primordial Chaos, an old ape from Flower Fruit Mountain. I made my home in the Water Curtain Cave, seeking friends and masters to comprehend the primordial chaos. I refined boundless fighting techniques and learned limitless supernatural powers. But the mortal realm is too narrow, hence I must dwell in the Jade Heaven. The Heavenly Court is not long-standing; its legacy has been passed down through generations of human kings. The strong shall be respected, and I shall be the only hero daring to contend for supremacy.

Upon hearing this, the Buddha was finally amused and teased the monkey, saying, "You are nothing but a monkey who has become a spirit. You were fortunate enough to be favored by the Great Virtue at the beginning, which is why you have your current supernatural powers. How dare you harbor such a deceitful intention to seize the throne of the Jade Emperor?"

"Do you know that the Great Celestial Venerable cultivated from childhood, enduring 1,750 kalpas, each lasting 129,600 years, before attaining the Limitless Dao? You are but a beast newly born as a human, yet you dare to be so presumptuous?"

"Do you know that you are already in imminent danger? If it weren't for the initial blessing of the Great Virtue, you would have already been killed and your life would have ended in an instant. What a pity for your original appearance!"

The words of the Western Buddhist monk were already implying to the monkey that he had offended the Great Celestial Venerable and should behave himself.
The poor monkey, deceived by the two gods and blinded by demonic illusions, could not hear the Buddha's hints and only cried out: "So what? Does the Jade Emperor, who has endured countless calamities, have the right to rule the Three Realms forever? There is no such logic."

"Hmph, since you have the ability, go and persuade that old Jade Emperor to move out of the Heavenly Palace and give this place to me. Otherwise, I, Old Sun, will make sure he never has a moment of peace."

Seeing this, the old Buddha shook his head and sighed inwardly, saying that the demonic roots were deeply ingrained, the Buddha had lost his spiritual insight, and could no longer distinguish between good and bad words.

"Tell me what abilities you have that dare to usurp the throne?" the Buddha asked.

The Buddha's words were recorded, and then the Monkey King stood proudly and said, "I have the supreme fighting method, and my supernatural powers are vast and boundless. As long as I, Old Sun, can see it, I can use it. There is no supernatural power or magic in the world that I, Old Sun, do not know!"

Upon hearing this, Shakyamuni Buddha laughed and said, "In that case, I will make a bet with you. I have a supernatural power called the Pure Land of Buddha in the Palm of My Hand. I will let you enter my Pure Land. If you can leave, I will ask the Great Heavenly Venerable to reside on Mount Ling and give this sacred place to you."

Sun Wukong looked at the Western golden statue with suspicion, and asked, "Can you really make decisions for the Jade Emperor? What if he doesn't honor his promise?"

"I did it myself."

As soon as the Buddha finished speaking, he stretched out his right hand, which was only the size of a lotus leaf. There was no light of Dharma about it, and no mystery was visible. He looked just like an ordinary person.

The Great Sage grunted twice, then put away his Ruyi Jingu Bang, unleashed his divine power, and leaped into the Buddha's palm, saying, "Where is your Pure Land in your palm? Why have I never seen it?"

The Buddha chanted a mantra and said, "The vast universe is all within my grasp. Now look closely beyond the Three Realms and all worlds."

Wukong was startled and quickly activated his supernatural powers. The sun and moon shone brightly, and his eyes shone with boundless brilliance, as if chaos had opened and closed, and the universe had been born. The blazing light of the Dharma illuminated countless heavens.

Beyond the immeasurable myriad worlds, there was a majestic golden body, infinitely tall and infinitely large, dazzlingly bright. It stretched out one hand, and the lines on its palm crisscrossed a vast ravine, encompassing the entire Three Realms and countless worlds, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

"Is that so? I don't believe it. You must be using some kind of trick to deceive me, Old Sun. How could someone's hand be bigger than the entire Three Realms? I don't believe it!"

Sun Wukong was terrified. He suddenly remembered the scene when his master bestowed the Ruyi Scepter upon him to subdue him. He quickly used the Victory Fighting Technique and transformed into a golden ray of light to escape into the distance.

Then the Buddha shook his head, flipped his palm, and knocked the monkey down to the mortal world.

The World-Honored One's five fingers transformed into five inverted mountains, their boundless power pressing down, while countless Dharma flowers illuminated the world, gently suppressing the monkey and sending it plummeting into the Southern Jambudvipa.

"It was originally a mountain-suppressing technique, how could it possibly trap me, Old Sun?"

Beneath the Five Elements Mountain, the monkey's double pupils shone brightly, and he saw through the mountain's vitals at a glance. He then used his Victory Strike Technique to reverse the Five Elements, sever the cause and effect, and single-mindedly break free from the divine mountain.

In just a moment, the mountains began to shake and the sacred peaks crumbled, showing signs of breaking free.

“Ananda, Mahakasyapa, take my decree and transform it into a seal, then stick it on the Five Elements Mountain.”

The Buddha wrote a decree in his hand and instructed the two venerable ones on his left and right.

The two Venerables, Ananda and Kasyapa, respectfully received the decree, descended from the auspicious clouds, and went directly to the Five Elements Mountain to press down on the town.

"Om Mani Padme Hum..."

The chanting of Sanskrit echoed, as if the Buddha himself was reciting scriptures. The supreme wisdom of perfect enlightenment shone forth, forcing all paths to retreat and dissipating immeasurable supernatural powers.

Thus, the monkey was finally imprisoned at the foot of the mountain, but it was still unconvinced and cursed all the gods and Buddhas.

"Alas, you monkey, your words have brought you trouble."

The Buddha sighed and instructed the local earth deity, along with the five guardian deities, to reside on this mountain and guard the Great Sage, preventing his escape. He also instructed that if the Great Sage were to become hungry or thirsty (and curse), he should be given iron pellets to eat and molten copper to drink.

With this, the heavens finally found peace.

Just as the Buddha was about to return to Mount Ling, Tianpeng and Tianyou rushed out of the Lingxiao Palace and said, "Please wait a moment, Buddha, our Lord is about to arrive."

Upon hearing this, the Buddha immediately stopped his auspicious cloud and lotus, and looked back. He saw the Eight-Symbol Luan Carriage and the Nine-Light Treasure Canopy appearing together, which was the Great Heavenly Venerable descending: "Thanks to the Great Law for eliminating the evil, we hope that the Tathagata will stay for a day and invite all the immortals to hold a feast to express our gratitude."

The old monk clasped his hands in greeting and said, "This old monk came here by order of the Great Heavenly Venerable. Subduing the demon monkey was due to the Heavenly Venerable's virtuous blessing and the unity of all the gods. What merit have I made? How dare I trouble you to express your gratitude?"

Now, the An Tian Assembly was held, and all kinds of immortals and gods gathered together. The peaches that could not be found at the Peach Banquet suddenly appeared all at once, which was quite meaningful.

A day passed in the blink of an eye. It is said that after the grand banquet, Buddha Tathagata took his leave of the Jade Emperor and returned to the Thunderclap Temple.

When the golden body returned to its rightful place, three thousand Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and countless Arhats and Vajras, each holding banners, canopies, rare treasures and celestial flowers, were seen arranging them in the sacred mountain and fairyland, beneath the twin Sala trees, to welcome him.

The Buddha, riding on auspicious clouds, gazed upon Mount Ling, his face devoid of joy, only letting out a sigh.

Ordinary Buddhas cannot see it, but the Buddha himself can. This time, he has traveled far to the Heavenly Realm, and the Mara who was suppressed under Mount Ling has already invaded the Buddha's demonic barrier, making him unable to suppress him.

"Congratulations, Buddha, for you have vanquished the wicked monkey."

All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas paid their respects to the Buddha.

But the Buddha shook his head and looked at the assembled virtuous ones, saying, "With profound wisdom, I have observed the three realms. The fundamental nature is ultimately quiescent. Like the void, there is nothing, which is called the beginning of birth and death. Such is the nature of the Dharma."

After he finished speaking, to the astonishment of all the Buddhas, the light of the relics was emitted, and forty-two white rainbows filled the sky, illuminating all worlds in the three realms.

In an instant, not only Mount Ling was shaken, but all the great powers of the Three Realms and all the worlds were alarmed.

The light emanating from the relics is a sign of Nirvana. The forty-two rays of the white rainbow are a sign of the Buddha's Nirvana.

The last time the Buddha passed away was countless eons ago.

With the passing of the Buddha, all that could be seen in the void beneath Mount Ling was the dissipation of boundless demonic obstacles, and the mournful cries of countless demons.

Shortly afterward, auspicious clouds gathered and colorful mist arose, signifying the Buddha's Nirvana and return to the Pure Land.

"Alas, there's nothing we can do, nothing we can do."

The Buddha sighed inwardly, looked at the Buddhas of Mount Ling, and without saying a word, simply ascended the lotus platform.

Of all the Buddhas present, only the ancient Buddha Dipankara, the future Buddha Maitreya, the Medicine Buddha of the East, and the Amitabha Buddha of the West—the Buddhas of the Three Times—perceived what had happened.

Meanwhile, in the secluded paradise of Taiyi, a pavilion stands amidst the misty woods.

"Did the old Buddha just die once?"

Taiwei Hua looked at Zhou Cheng in disbelief and couldn't help but ask, "Is it true that in the legend of Journey to the West, Buddha Tathagata killed himself by suppressing the monkey?"

Zhou Cheng rolled his eyes: "How can that be the same? Our world is not just a simple Journey to the West. The Buddha tried to achieve Nirvana and transcendence because of Mara, but he obviously failed. He was stopped by Mara and never completely entered Nirvana."

Zhou Cheng shook his head: "As for Wukong, he should know the consequences by now."

Taiwei Hua was somewhat puzzled and asked, "Why didn't my husband help you? After all, Wukong is also your disciple and successor."

"Why save them? They won't suffer any disaster, it's just a little bit of tempering, and they can even get a lotus platform in return, so that the difficulty of the golden hoop won't be a problem."

Zhou Cheng actually envied the monkey, who was blessed with good fortune and came from an extraordinary background.

He rebelled three times, but in the end nothing happened to him. Not only was the position of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven still preserved in the Heavenly Court's inscription, but a Buddha position was also added to the Western Paradise.

If it were the Bull Demon King instead, do you think he could live for more than a few days after causing such a huge disaster?
On the journey to the West, there are also powerful demons with similar supernatural abilities to monkeys, such as the Nine-Headed Lion and the Golden-Winged Roc.

What are their positions and benefits? They're just mounts and guardians, nothing compared to a monkey.

In my past life, many college students with clear eyes felt sorry for the Monkey King. Anyone who has been beaten down by society knows that the monkey's treatment and background are beyond the imagination of cattle and horses.

Some troubles are not something that people from ordinary backgrounds can get into.

"Let's go see Wukong."

As Zhou Cheng spoke, he raised his hands and pulled Taiwei Hua, who was beside him, into his arms, and Yu Yun, who was bathing in Donghe Spring, was also pulled into his embrace.

"Shameless." Yu Yun snorted coldly.

Zhou Cheng laughed heartily, and then his figure disappeared from the spot.

……

After descending from Taiyi Heaven, Zhou Cheng, Yu Yun, and Taiwei Hua transformed into ordinary mortals and traveled on foot through the human world.

Thus, the cold winters and hot summers came and went, and the seasons passed in a predictable fashion; before we knew it, several decades had gone by.

On this day, Zhou Cheng traveled alone to a sacred mountain and a pure land. As for Taiwei Hua and Yu Yun, they each went to seek their own destiny.

Auspicious signs filled the mountains before Zhou Cheng, and spiritual light shone brightly.

"The people of Zheng Guo? So it's that big white ox and the Rakshasa woman."

Normally, this auspicious aura can only be present when one has attained enlightenment.

This is a special effect bestowed by Heaven and Earth. If one obtains the blessing, it brings auspicious light and magical power; if one does not, it brings gloomy clouds.

As for those special entities that are not officially registered and possess auspicious special effects, they are generally the private property of certain big shots.

"Let me examine the cause and effect. This Rakshasa woman and the ox are not some enlightened being. Who gave them this..."

Zhou Cheng looked up and saw an old man riding a blue ox above the cause and effect.

Immediately, Zhou Cheng's expression turned strange, and he said no more.

"Very well, let's give the ox a good turn and save it from getting a nose ring."

Zhou Cheng took a step forward, and his figure disappeared from the spot.

Now, let us speak of Mount Cuiyun, where mist and clouds gather, moistening the landscape, and moss adds to its verdant green. Its towering peaks seem to rival Penglai Island, and its secluded fragrance of flowers rivals that of the sea.

There is an ancient cave in the mountains called Banana Cave.

Suddenly, Zhou Cheng, dressed in a long hemp robe, appeared outside the cave entrance.

"Good ox, come quickly, come quickly."

As soon as Zhou Cheng finished speaking, the burly man who had been cuddling with the Rakshasa woman inside the cave seemed to have lost his soul and staggered out of the cave.

This scene shocked the Rakshasa woman greatly. How could she not recognize that it was a powerful being performing a wondrous technique? She quickly grabbed her precious fan and followed the man out of the cave.

As soon as he stepped out of the cave, the man came to his senses and looked at Zhou Cheng in front of him without the slightest hesitation: "Little Niu pays his respects to the virtuous senior!"

The Rakshasa woman followed closely behind, her face, resembling the Moon Goddess, filled with fear. She hurriedly kowtowed, saying, "I was unaware of your arrival, esteemed one, and failed to greet you properly. I am guilty of a capital offense!"

Upon seeing the couple bowing, Zhou Cheng raised his hand to help them up, and they immediately could no longer continue bowing.

"Good ox, I'll grant you a favor. How about you drag me eastward for 72,000 li?"

As soon as Zhou Cheng finished speaking, the burly man didn't waste any words and immediately transformed into his true form, which was an eight-hundred-foot-tall white ox, towering over the sky and standing on the ground, looking very majestic.

The next instant, the giant white ox shrank hundreds of times, transforming into a ten-foot-tall water buffalo, which prostrated itself before Zhou Cheng: "Please take a seat, sir."

"good!"

Zhou Cheng nodded and looked at the Rakshasa woman: "You don't need to worry. Now that we have succeeded, I will grant you and your husband a good reward."

"Thank you, senior. May I ask your honorable title? I will set up a memorial tablet for you and worship you every day without fail to express my gratitude."

Zhou Cheng laughed heartily, rode away on the ox, and his voice could be heard from afar.

“I am merely a carefree person from Taiyi Cave Heaven, a cultivator on the initial peak, and I do not seek your offerings.”

(End of this chapter)