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

Chapter 350 Flaming Mountain Blocks Sun Wukong, Old Bull King Venerable Taiyi Tian

Now, Guanyin Bodhisattva and the Great Sage descended from Mount Ling and headed straight east.

In a short while, the auspicious light traversed tens of thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, arriving at a thatched cottage on the way to the pilgrimage.

When Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie saw this, they quickly went inside to invite Tang Sanzang to greet them at the door.

Above the auspicious clouds, the Bodhisattva said, "Tang Sanzang, the one who beat you the other day was the fake Monkey King, the Six-Eared Macaque. Fortunately, the World Honored One recognized him, and he has now been subdued by Wukong. You have not yet eliminated the demons along the way, and you are destined for disaster at every step. The World Honored One has spoken, and you must have Wukong's protection to reach Mount Ling, see the Buddha, and obtain the scriptures. So please stop being angry."

Whether the so-called "false six ears" truly exist or not, the Bodhisattva knows for sure.

According to the Buddha, the Six-Eared Macaque was good at listening, discerning reason, knowing the past and the future, and understanding all things.

Who can understand everything? It is nothing more than the primordial state of perfect enlightenment.

As for the gibbon and the red-bottomed macaque, they sound quite formidable, but there's a whole nest of them on Flower Fruit Mountain, and they're not as extraordinary as the Buddha described.

Clearly, these four monkey spirits were a stepping stone set up by the Buddha.

However, since the Buddha has spoken, the Six-Eared Macaque, even if it didn't exist before, must exist now.

Tripitaka kowtowed and said, "I will obey your teachings."

"That's good, that's good."

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled and nodded, sending Wukong down from the cloud, and then turned and left.

Tang Sanzang looked at Wukong hesitantly and said, "Disciple, it was my fault before."

The Great Sage laughed and said, "No need to say more, no need to say more. I will ensure that Master obtains the true scriptures."

Pigsy hurriedly said, "Brother, you're finally back! Without you, I, Old Pig, would have been exhausted."

Sha Wujing just smiled and didn't say anything more.

At this point, it can truly be said that the spirit returns to its resting place, meditation is achieved, the six senses are subdued, and the elixir is naturally formed.

After the pilgrims gathered again for a complete reunion, they thanked the villagers for their hospitality to Tang Sanzang, then packed their belongings and horses, and continued their westward journey along the main road.

……

Time flies, and several months have passed in the blink of an eye.

The group of travelers continued westward, and their journey was much faster than before.

Now that the Monkey King's mind was at peace, he had no more worries. The old monk, no longer relying on old tales and scriptures, became even more patient. Without his domineering manner, the four of them and the horse were much more harmonious.

Therefore, in just a few months, they traveled nearly 10,000 miles.

However, the further west you go, the hotter the weather becomes.

On horseback, Tang Sanzang wiped the sweat from his forehead, finally unable to contain himself, and said, "Disciples, why is it so hot here? It's already early autumn, it shouldn't be like this."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy speculated, "I've long heard of a hot country in the far west, a land of sunset, also known as the end of the sky. Could it be that we've reached the end of the sky?"

Upon hearing this, the traveler laughed and said, "You fool, we haven't even reached Mount Ling yet, how can we possibly reach the ends of the earth? It's still a long way off."

Upon hearing this, Sha Wujing speculated, "Could it be that the weather here is not right? I have heard that in the south, summers are cold and winters are hot. Is this true?"

As they spoke, the group approached a red brick house. Tang Sanzang asked, "Wukong, could you please go and ask for some information? Why is it so hot here?"

"Please wait a moment, Master. I'll be right back."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wukong used an illusion spell to transform into a handsome young monk. He approached the gate, saw an old man, bowed, and inquired carefully before understanding the whole story.

Immediately, Wukong reported back to Tang Sanzang: "Master, let me find out that this place is now the territory of the Flaming Mountain. The Flaming Mountain has eight hundred miles of divine fire that never goes out, so the surrounding area has no seasons and is always hot summer."

Tang Sanzang was immediately terrified and hurriedly asked, "Eight hundred miles of divine fire that never ceases? This...this...this is more than the hellish inferno in the underworld."

After hesitating for a moment, Tang Sanzang asked again, "Disciple, have you asked whether it is possible to bypass the Flaming Mountain?"

Upon hearing this, the Great Sage laughed and said, "We cannot go around it, we cannot go around it. On the journey to the West, we must overcome any difficulties we encounter. If we go around it, we will be taking a shortcut, and we will not be able to achieve enlightenment or obtain the scriptures."

Pigsy said, "Brother, you have boundless supernatural powers, why don't you extinguish that fire?"

The pilgrim laughed and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking. After finding a kind family to settle my master in, I, Old Sun, will go for a walk on the Flaming Mountain."

"Thank you for your trouble, Wukong," Tang Sanzang said.

"No need to say anything, no need to say anything."

Soon after, the pilgrims found a devout family and, after explaining their origins, were treated with great courtesy, receiving a constant stream of vegetarian meals to entertain them.

After eating and drinking his fill, Wukong bid farewell to Tang Sanzang, leaped onto a cloud, and headed towards the Flaming Mountain.

Above the clouds, the Great Sage looked into the distance and saw flames raging on the eight-hundred-mile-long mountain, making even the monkeys feel hot.

"What a magnificent Flaming Mountain! It is indeed extraordinary. Today, having encountered me, Old Sun, it is time to extinguish it."

It is said that when the monkey opened its mouth, it transformed into a gust of wind that swept across the heavens and the earth, shaking the Yin Mountain of the Dipper Mansion.

Such a strong wind is rare throughout history; in theory, all the fires should have been extinguished.

But the fire on the Flaming Mountain, which was originally rustling and not very strong, became a hundred or a thousand times stronger when the wind blew it. It is said that the divine fire swept up the three heavens and instantly ignited the jade sky.

"not good!"

The Great Sage's expression changed drastically. As soon as the fire started, it burned off a hair on his body from a distance.

"Good divine fire, good divine fire, even the southeast wind cannot extinguish it."

Wukong landed on the ground and, having confirmed that the fire was extraordinary, simply made a hand seal and used a spirit-binding technique: "Mountain God, Earth God, come quickly to see me."

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of mountain gods and local deities were brought to the scene, covering a vast area.

The local land gods and mountain spirits were terrified by the changes before their eyes and the transformation of heaven and earth. They only understood the reason when they saw Sun Wukong.

"Greetings, Great Sage!"

The local land gods and mountain gods immediately bowed in respect.

Wukong waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities. Let me ask you, which of you knows the origin of this Flaming Mountain?"

As soon as he finished speaking, among the mountain gods and local deities, there was a most extraordinary old man. He was wearing a flowing cloak, a crescent-shaped crown, a dragon-headed staff, and iron boots. He had the demeanor of a highly virtuous and accomplished person.

"This humble immortal, the Land Deity of Flaming Mountain, greets the Great Sage."

This time it was Wukong's turn to be surprised, and he said, "What a coincidence! I never thought that such a treacherous mountain and water would have a mountain god. I'll trouble you all to go now. Earth God of Flaming Mountain, quickly tell me the origin of this fire."

The local deities quickly paid their respects and dispersed, leaving only the Flaming Mountain deity who laughed and said, "Great Sage, doesn't this fire look familiar?"

"Oh?"

The Great Sage then used his Sun and Moon Double Pupils technique to illuminate the illusion, and immediately saw a divine brick in the fire, which was the source of the fire.

"This is... the fire in the Eight Trigrams Furnace. No wonder it can burn anything and extinguish anything." The Great Sage looked at the Earth God.

The local earth god nodded and said, "That's right. When the Great Sage escaped from the Eight Trigrams Furnace, I had the opportunity to meet him. I was the fire-tending Taoist."

"Because the Eight Trigrams Furnace overturned, the fire bricks inside fell to earth and transformed into this Flaming Mountain. The Dao Ancestor then appointed me as the mountain god of this mountain to atone for my sins."

Upon hearing the old man's words, the Great Sage finally remembered the Fire-Worker Taoist whom he had met once before.

He was a young man back then, and was banished to the mortal world. He must have suffered a lot. Now he is old and frail.

"This time, it is my karma. It is only right that I, Old Sun, destroy it. I wonder if there is a way to extinguish this fire?"

Upon hearing this, the old man quickly replied, "Yes, yes, there is. Fourteen hundred miles from here, there is a Green Cloud Mountain. In the mountain lives a Rakshasa woman, who is the wife of the Mighty King, the mother of Red Boy, and is also known as Princess Iron Fan."

"The immortal held a treasure fan in his hand. This fan was originally a spiritual treasure formed by heaven and earth since the beginning of chaos behind Kunlun Mountain. It was made from the essence of Taiyin and was refined by the Dao Ancestor. It can extinguish all fire."

"What a stroke of luck! I never imagined such a treasure would be in the hands of my brother and sister-in-law. This makes things much easier."

Upon hearing this, Wukong was overjoyed, but then suddenly came to his senses and asked, "How did Laozi's treasure end up in the mortal realm?"

Upon hearing this, the Earth God immediately knelt down and remained silent.

Seeing this, Wukong knew there was more to the story, so he stopped asking and said, "Thank you, local deity. My master is forty miles away from here. Please take care of him so I can go and visit my brother and sister-in-law and ask to borrow the fan."

"Great Sage, rest assured, this humble immortal will certainly take good care of the Holy Monk," the local deity replied hastily.

……

All that is said is that the Great Sage traveled through clouds and light, covering 1,400 li in an instant, and arrived at the top of Cuiyun Mountain.

Look at the mountains, where many monsters patrol, each one well-equipped and clearly extraordinary.

"My elder brother is indeed a mighty king and a saint who can pacify the heavens. His army is no less powerful than the monkeys and their offspring in my Flower Fruit Mountain."

The weapons and armor worn by Wukong and his monkey followers were all magical artifacts he personally crafted from the gold essence found in the mountains, each possessing unique properties.

During the war against Heaven, all the heavenly soldiers suffered countless hardships.

It is said that the traveler pressed down the light of the sky and landed in the mountain, which immediately startled the little demons patrolling the mountain.

Then they saw the lesser demons holding spears approaching, each one wary, asking, "Who are you from? Why have you entered my blessed land of Cuiyun Mountain?"

The traveler then laughed and said, “I have come to find my relatives. Your king is my elder brother.”

"Hmm? My Fifth King is a macaque who has become a god. His fur is like golden silk, and he is exceptionally brave and heroic. We have often interacted with him, so we have seen his true face. How can he be like you, you strange ape?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong laughed loudly and said, "You all don't know this. My eldest brother and I have little contact. But since you all know my fifth brother, how come you don't know me, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong?"

The little demon was taken aback. Sun Wukong?
The next instant, the surrounding lesser demons shook their bells, banged on gongs and drums, and shouted loudly, "Sun Wukong is here! Sun Wukong is here!"

In an instant, the mountains and forests trembled, and a large group of countless lesser demons, each exuding murderous intent, surrounded Sun Wukong.

The leader of the group laughed menacingly, "Brothers, the King has decreed that whoever captures Sun Wukong will be rewarded with an elixir of immortality!"

For a time, all sorts of ghostly wails and howls echoed through the mountains and forests.

It is said that hundreds and thousands of swords and spears appeared, each one fearless and determined to take down Sun Wukong in pursuit of immortality.

Sun Wukong was bewildered. He drew his golden cudgel, but remembering that this place belonged to his elder brother, he simply said that he had used a method of drawing a circle on the ground to protect himself. He asked again, "What is the meaning of this? I have sworn brotherhood with your king, how can you treat me like this now?"

A minor demon said, "Sun Wukong, don't ask. We don't know either. We only say that there will be a reward for capturing you. If you know the truth, then surrender and we will take you to see the King!"

……

The commotion in the mountains naturally alerted the Bull Demon King.

The Bull Demon King was originally offering sacrifices in the Dharma Hall. It was said that there were three memorial tablets in the Dharma Hall, with the inscription "Lord, Great Beginning, Great Virtue, True Saint" on one side and the memorial tablets of two Yuanjun Goddesses on the other.

Suddenly, the Iron Fan Immortal walked in with a murderous look in her phoenix eyes and said, "Your Majesty, that man surnamed Sun has arrived."

Speaking of the previous trials, during the ordeal of Red Boy, the holy infant was taken away by Guanyin Bodhisattva and made into Sudhana, who taught the mother and child to be separated.

The Bull Demon King thought it was alright. Guanyin Bodhisattva was also a highly skilled person. Teaching the child to cultivate in front of Guanyin Bodhisattva would prevent him from getting in his way and causing him trouble.

But the Iron Fan Fairy was not happy about it and immediately held a grudge against the Monkey King.

"The Goddess Yuanjun once instructed me to make a big commotion. So, here I am, Old Ox."

After bowing nine times, the Bull Demon King got up, took his double-edged iron staff, and prepared to fight the Monkey King.

Then they saw the Iron Fan Immortal pull out the Bull Demon King and say, "That fellow surnamed Sun is a disciple of our ancestor and has great abilities. He should use his precious fan to deal with this."

As they spoke, the Iron Fan Fairy took out the banana leaf fan and handed it to the Ox King.

"Alright, in that case, Madam, please wait while I capture that monkey and avenge you!"

The Bull Demon King put away his magic fan and walked straight out. As soon as he left his cave, he saw Sun Wukong surrounded by a group of little demons.

"You monkey, how dare you disturb my blessed land! You deserve to die!" the Bull Demon King roared.

Wukong quickly cupped his hands and said, "Brother, why do you say that? I have come to pay my respects out of courtesy."

"Hmph, enough said. My lady resents you for giving the child to Guanyin as a slave, so she ordered me to capture you. Let's fight."

Without saying a word, Old Bull King raised his weapon and attacked, and a fierce battle ensued.

This golden cudgel strikes without mercy, that double-edged sword displays its wisdom and strength. We see the Great Sage unleashing his power, spewing forth colorful mist; we see the Bull King unleashing his fury, spitting out brilliant light.

They fought fiercely, a mere contest of fists and feet, without using any supernatural powers. The battle was so intense that the stars dimmed and the moon lost its luster, and the day was shrouded in a dark, cold mist.

"Good brother, you're so strong, that was so much fun!"

"Great Sage!" he exclaimed, his divine power unleashed by the golden cudgel. He said he was having a great time fighting and couldn't help but shout.

The old ox hadn't used its immense power for many years, but now it only stirred up dust and dirt, making the world darken, and causing sand and stones to fly and ghosts and gods to hide. It was quite exhilarating.

"This is nothing, it's the law of heaven and earth!"

Old Niu sneered and used a great spell. His figure suddenly swelled up. The head of the Bull King was like Mount Tai, his eyes were like the sun and moon, his mouth was like the ocean, his body was like a giant, and his limbs were like pillars supporting the sky. His green sword staff reached the nine heavens.

"Hahaha, elder brother, you're really skilled! I, Old Sun, can do this too!"

Great Sage, only seeking a good fight, unleashed the Law of Heaven and Earth, resembling an ancient primordial god, his head reaching the sky and his feet touching the ground.

"boom!"

The iron rod and staff, each ten thousand feet thick, clashed head-on, producing a deafening roar that sent stars crashing down, startling all the gods in the passing void into a state of utter terror.

They all felt helpless, seeing Sun Wukong fighting with someone again.

This living ancestor, who just alarmed all the worlds of the Three Realms a few months ago, how come he has caused such a commotion now?
Such divine power, just the sheer aura of it, would surely terrify and kill countless living beings. What a sin, what a sin!

(End of this chapter)