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

Chapter 342 Immortals were originally mortals, but mortals may lack the willpower to achieve great things.
"Wukong, how dare you be rude!"

Tang Sanzang quickly reprimanded him, then dismounted and said to Sun Wukong, "We are all monks, so we must treat each other with courtesy."

Sun Wukong was displeased upon hearing this, but due to the threat of the headband on his head, he dared not refute it.

Immediately, Tang Sanzang walked closer to the giant tree with the crow's nest, bowed and said, "Old Zen Master, this humble monk greets you."

On the crow's nest, Chu Xiu, who had been sitting there, opened her eyes, pretended to do some calculations, and quickly got off the crow's nest, saying, "It is because you are a holy monk from the East who went to the West to obtain scriptures. I was not able to welcome you. I apologize for my rudeness."

"Who is this?"

Chu Xiu glanced at Sun Wukong, who was standing to the side with his nostrils pointing upwards, and looked at Tang Sanzang with a puzzled expression.

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang quickly replied, "This is my Dharma protector disciple, named Sun Wukong."

Sun Wukong glanced at the Wuchao Zen Master, who was actually Chuxiu in disguise, and felt that he was neither a mortal nor a deity.

Immediately, Sun Wukong used his supernatural powers to illuminate Yin and Yang, manifesting double pupils, but he saw that the Zen Master of Wuchao had not changed at all, and his aura was also ordinary, as if he were a mortal.

But that's the biggest problem. Sun Wukong's fake Hunyuan Fruit status allows him to unleash great supernatural powers, illuminating everything as an illusion, except for those stronger than him.

This Zen Master Wuchao was just like that.

"Who are you from? Why are you blocking our way? Do you recognize me, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?" Sun Wukong questioned.

Zen Master Wuchao then laughed and said, "This is my place of practice, how can I obstruct your path? As for the so-called Great Sage Equal to Heaven, I have not seen him, I have only seen the mountain stone monsters displaying their supernatural powers."

"Begging for a beating!"

Sun Wukong was furious. He pulled his staff out of his ear and raised his hand to strike.

Seeing this, Tang Sanzang quickly stopped him and angrily rebuked him, "Wukong, you mustn't be rude! If you continue like this, I will have to recite the Tightening-Headband Mantra ten times!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's arrogance vanished instantly, and he quickly said, "Don't recite it, don't recite it, I, Old Sun, will obey."

Immediately, Tang Sanzang said to the Zen master, "My disciple was rude, I hope the Zen master will forgive him."

Zen Master Wuchao chuckled and said, "The spirits and monsters in the mountains are not human, so I won't stoop to their level."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang quickly expressed his gratitude and then continued, "Master, we wish to travel east and would like to pass through your esteemed land. We hope that you will grant us this favor. If we ever visit the Buddha in the future, we will certainly speak highly of you."

Zen Master Wuchao chuckled and said, “That’s not necessary. That old Buddha of the West has been explaining the wonders of the Great Nirvana to me for half a thousand years. I don’t need a holy monk to speak well of me in front of that old Buddha.”

"You scoundrel, all you do is brag!" Sun Wukong sneered.

Zen Master Wuchao laughed and said, "Holy monk, it seems that you, my protector, are quite dissatisfied with me. In that case, let me see what kind of magical power you, my protector, have. If you can defeat me, then I will let you all pass, how about that?"

"This……"

Tang Sanzang hesitated and looked at Sun Wukong beside him.

Sun Wukong patted his chest and said, "Master, don't panic. I, Old Sun, have the ability to subdue dragons and tigers. Let's see what kind of magic this fellow has that makes him dare to spout such arrogant words."

Seeing Sun Wukong's attitude, Tang Sanzang felt more confident and said, "Wukong, monks are compassionate and should stop when they've made their move. Don't harm the Zen master's life."

“Holy monk, there is no need to worry. It is just a mountain monster that cannot harm me. You may let it do as it pleases, otherwise you will not be able to pass through this temple.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang immediately stopped talking, but walked to the roadside, sat down, and silently recited the scriptures.

"You wicked scoundrel, take this from my old Sun's staff first!"

Sun Wukong raised his staff to strike, but the Zen master pointed and said, "Good treasure, good treasure, why don't you get out of here at once?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the golden cudgel that had always obeyed Sun Wukong's commands suddenly transformed into a small needle and landed in the palm of the Zen Master Wuchao.

"Impossible! Who are you? How can you command my golden cudgel!"

Sun Wukong was greatly alarmed, and immediately realized that the person in front of him was probably one of the most powerful beings in the Three Realms.

In fact, from the very beginning, when Sun Wukong could not see the true form of the Wuchao Zen Master, he had this suspicion in his mind.

However, the Great Sage, arrogant throughout his life, never cultivated his mind, yet he said that his shameful sword was hard to sheath and he would not turn back until he hit a wall, so he just wanted to have a contest.

"Who said this is your treasure? This was forged by Laozi and given to Yu the Great to stabilize the sea when he controlled the floods. Who ever said it belonged to you?"

Immediately, Zen Master Wuchao looked at Sun Wukong with a smile: "Besides your fist and staff skills, what other methods do you have?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's expression grew even uglier: "I, Old Sun, have many more tricks up my sleeve, watch closely!"

As he spoke, Sun Wukong stretched out his right hand, and a radiant Buddhist light shone forth, with the five elements flowing freely, forming a vast Buddhist kingdom of its own.

This was the Buddha-land in the palm of his hand that the Buddha used to subdue him.

With the Victory Strike Magic in hand, all kinds of supernatural powers can be used as long as Sun Wukong sees it once. The same is true for the Buddha Kingdom in the palm of his hand.

The scene of his palm containing all the worlds of the Three Realms truly shocked Sun Wukong.

Unfortunately, although Sun Wukong's supernatural powers were powerful, covering the sky and causing all living beings to panic, as if the heavens had crashed down, they were not even a fraction of the Buddha's power back then.

At that moment, Tang Sanzang, who was watching the battle from the roadside, was so frightened that his legs trembled and his expression changed drastically as he looked at Sun Wukong.

As a mortal, Tang Sanzang had heard Sun Wukong say countless times that he possessed great magical powers and supernatural abilities.

But in Tang Sanzang's mind, it was nothing more than moving mountains and filling seas, a method he could understand.

When Tang Sanzang removed the seal and released Sun Wukong from the mountain, the entire Five Elements Mountain collapsed, which he witnessed firsthand.

But now, seeing Sun Wukong cover the sky with one palm, transforming it into a vast Buddhist kingdom, with countless gods and Buddhas manifesting their Dharma bodies in his palm, chanting sutras, Tang Sanzang was still quite frightened.

Recalling the scenes of how he had repeatedly tormented Sun Wukong with the Tightening-Headband Mantra, Tang Sanzang's heart began to pound.

"Little Daoer, disperse, disperse."

The Zen master simply waved his hand, and the vast Buddhist kingdom in his palm suddenly vanished into smoke and clouds, as if it had never existed.

The situation suddenly reversed, a scene that not only startled Tang Sanzang but also gave Sun Wukong a fright.

"Who exactly is this Zen master, and how can his words become law?"

Sun Wukong immediately became polite and his attitude changed instantly.

While some might say monkeys are bullies who prey on the weak, Sun Wukong always treats the youngest, weakest, and most vulnerable women and children with courtesy.

You could say Sun Wukong had backbone... but now, seeing such irresistible violence, his attitude has changed.

This is a state where one has cultivated their mind and character, but not to the fullest extent.

"The monkey, with its posture of being obsequious in front and respectful behind, is a sight to behold and makes one laugh."

Zen Master Wuchao feigned humiliation and anger, and upon hearing this, he was indeed furious, exclaiming, "This is outrageous!"

Immediately, Sun Wukong used his trump card, the true divine fire in the Eight Trigrams Furnace that could burn anything.

Sun Wukong did not know what kind of divine fire was in the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

But one thing is certain: this fire can erupt, and it can burn anything. "Boom!"

Sun Wukong unleashed a burst of intense fire, the flames rising dazzlingly, yet emitting no heat whatsoever. All his divine power was contained, locking onto the aura of the Zen Master Wuchao.

Then Zen Master Wuchao raised his hand and pointed, chanting, "Extinction!"

Instantly, the divine fire was extinguished.

Then, the Zen Master Wuchao raised his hand and with a single slap, sent the monkey flying far away.

Upon seeing this, Tang Sanzang, who was standing by the roadside, panicked completely and hurriedly stepped forward to bow, saying, "Master, my Dharma protector disciple..."

"He is unharmed. He possesses an indestructible primordial body and an indestructible Vajra body, so no one can do anything to him."

Looking at Tang Sanzang's expression, Zen Master Wuchao continued, "Your disciple who protects the Dharma is arrogant and unruly. Today I will teach him a lesson so that he will be more useful to you on your path of cultivation."

Tang Sanzang wasn't stupid. As soon as he heard this, he knew that the Zen master in front of him was a true master, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Before long, Wukong returned riding on a cloud.

Then Zen Master Wuchao said, “Monkey, you can try any method you want, or ask for help, but if you can defeat me even slightly, I will let you pass. Otherwise, your journey to the west will end here.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang, who was standing nearby, angrily said, "It's all your fault, you damned monkey! You don't know what's good for you and have offended the Zen Master. I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget."

After saying this, the old monk silently recited the mantra for tightening the headband.

"It hurts, it hurts so much... Master, please don't cry, please don't cry!"

The poor traveler's head was constricted so tightly it resembled a gourd with a narrow waist, causing him immense pain. He rolled over and pleaded, "Master, please stop! I know I was wrong, and I will never be rude again!"

No matter how much the monkey begged for mercy, the old man showed no pity whatsoever, and continued chanting the mantra more than twenty times without stopping.

At this point, Chuxiu, who was testing the waters, couldn't stand it anymore. This old monk was too heartless. She stepped forward and advised, "Holy monk, let's stop here."

Now, let's talk about the first appearance of the Jade Ruyi transformed into Zen Master Wuchao, who naturally possessed the ability to make his words become law.

Once that one sentence was uttered, Tang Sanzang, who had originally intended to continue reciting, could no longer continue.

But the traveler lay on the ground, panting heavily, unable to recover for a long time.

"Go back now, Holy Monk. Wait until you can come up with a way or ask for help before you get past me. Otherwise, I will make sure you can't get past me."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang immediately became anxious, but dared not be the slightest bit rude.

They said they would wait until the monkey recovered before leaving to think of a way to get through the ordeal.

That night, near a village not far from Wuchao Forest, Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang stayed at the home of a wealthy family.

At this moment, the wealthy man said, "Master, are you asking about the Crow's Nest Forest? That forest only suddenly appeared these past few days."

"Originally, there were many roads in our village, all of which led westward, but now they have all turned into insurmountable mountains, leaving only one road that can be traveled."

"Fortunately, the Zen master was a highly skilled person. He did not make things difficult for us. We only needed to pay our respects, and he called us over. He then used his wonderful magic to cure our illnesses and relieve our suffering."

Upon hearing the wealthy man's words, Tang Sanzang immediately began to complain about the monkey: "It's all your fault, you monkey! You've made it impossible for me to pass this test. If you can't solve this, I'll keep chanting that spell until you're in excruciating pain."

The traveler was terrified, and a myriad of thoughts surged through his mind in an instant.

His first thought was to use a clever method to kill Tang Sanzang silently.

But then he remembered that this spell was taught by Guanyin of the South Sea. If he really killed Tang Sanzang, he would probably lose his life.

"Master, don't worry, Master, don't worry. I, Old Sun, will go and think of a way to ask all the gods in the heavens to come and plead for you. I will surely help you get through this ordeal."

Sun Wukong, confident that he was no match for the Zen Master Wuchao, had no other choice but to ask someone to intercede on his behalf.

"Then why don't you hurry up and leave? What are you doing lingering here?" Tang Sanzang said.

"I'll go now, I'll go now."

Sun Wukong rode on a cloud and vanished into thin air in an instant, startling the wealthy man who immediately knelt down and said to Tang Sanzang, "I didn't recognize a deity! I didn't recognize a deity! What a sin!"

However, Tang Sanzang dared not be negligent towards this outsider and quickly said, "Sir, there is no need for such formalities."

……

Now, the monkey, after leaving the village, rode on auspicious clouds to travel all over the world, searching for many old friends he had met in heaven.

But in the end, Sun Wukong received a disheartening answer.

No one had ever heard of any Zen Master Wuchao; he must be an illusion created by some great supernatural being. Therefore, they did not know whether they knew him or not, and dared not go to plead for him.

"Very well, I'll just have to go to the South China Sea to pray to that Bodhisattva."

After hesitating for a moment, Sun Wukong, threatened by the headband on his head, had no choice but to go see Guanyin, whom he least wanted to see.

Meanwhile, on Mount Luojia in the South China Sea, Sun Wukong had just descended from the clouds when the Dragon Girl approached him and said, "Great Sage, why are you in the South China Sea instead of protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to obtain the scriptures?"

"Moreover, when encountering difficulties that cannot be overcome, one comes to seek the help of the Bodhisattva."

When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Even the monkey dared not be the slightest bit disrespectful to the dragon girl.

Upon hearing this, the Dragon Girl said, "In that case, Great Sage, come with me."

After entering Luojia Mountain and meeting Guanyin Bodhisattva, the monkey said, "You, the teacher of the Seven Buddhas, the compassionate leader! How could you come up with a way to harm me, letting that old monk trick me into wearing the headband, and making my head hurt so much I wish I were dead!"

It seemed like an accusation, but he immediately invoked the titles of "Teacher of the Seven Buddhas" and "Compassionate Master." This monkey was certainly clever.

"Why don't you thank me for saving you from disaster, but instead come to me and yell at me? If your heart were truly firm and your mind were made up, why would you wear this headband?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong immediately began to throw a tantrum. Seeing this, Guanyin knew she had no choice but to say helplessly, "In that case, I will compensate you with three life-saving hairs, how about that?"

"Oh?"

Sun Wukong perked up and immediately put on a grin: "Thank you, Bodhisattva! Thank you, Bodhisattva! Now, there is still one more tribulation. Please help me, Bodhisattva."

"If you ask Zen Master Wuchao about a challenge, I can't help you; you'll have to overcome it yourself. I can only tell you that you have the ability to do so, so think about it carefully."

"Does Old Sun have the ability to pass the test?"

Sun Wukong was startled and fell into deep thought. Suddenly, the monkey woke up and hurriedly said, "Oh no! I've wasted so much time. That old monk is probably going to recite the Tightening-Headband Mantra again."

Guanyin smiled and said, "Monkey, don't be afraid. This humble monk will go with you and explain to Tang Sanzang that he will give you time to stop reciting the Tightening-Headband Mantra."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong repeatedly expressed his gratitude and hurriedly followed Guanyin Bodhisattva, riding on a cloud, heading towards the border of the Eastern Land.

……

The next morning, Sun Wukong walked proudly into Wuchao Forest.

Then they heard the Zen master on the crow's nest tree chanting: "Thirty-three heavens beyond heavens, nine layers of clouds beyond heavens dwell immortals, immortals are originally mortals transformed, but I fear that mortals are not steadfast in their will. Monkey, are you clear-headed and resolute?"

(End of this chapter)