Journey to the West: Beginning with the Apprenticeship of Bodhi Patriarch

Chapter 364 The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea, Each Displaying Their Unique Abilities

Time flies, and nearly a decade has passed in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, having received the Immortal's decree, entered the Southern Continent to search for Zuo Liang. They found Zuo Liang in his residence in Jingzhou, but instead of meeting him, they hid among the clouds and mist to protect him and ensure his safety.

This act of protecting the Dharma lasted for nearly ten years. Neither of them ever showed their faces; they only protected Zuo Liang amidst the clouds and mist.

Pigsy rode on a cloud, carrying his nine-toothed rake, and said, "Brother, it was said that Zheng Yuan was going to face a calamity, but how come we have been protecting him here for nearly ten years without any misfortune? It is said that Zheng Yuan is a meditator and has been cultivating in his mansion for nearly ten years without ever going out."

Sun Wukong said, “Fool, don’t say too much. But my senior brother said that Zheng Yuan is bound to face a calamity. I heard him say before that Zheng Yuan and the other seven people formed the Eight Immortals. Perhaps the calamity is related to that.”

Pigsy laughed and said, "What Eight Immortals? They can't even withstand one hit from my rake. How can you call yourselves the Eight Immortals?"

Sun Wukong grabbed Zhu Bajie's fan-shaped ear and said, "Fool, don't talk nonsense."

Pigsy begged for mercy again, but remained silent.

Sun Wukong released his grip, pointed at Zhu Bajie, and said, "You fool, when will you stop talking nonsense and be careful with your words and actions? Only then will your cultivation have truly been accomplished."

Pigsy scratched his head and said, "Brother, I already know."

Sun Wukong was about to say something more when he suddenly saw Zuo Liang leave the mansion and head outside.

Sun Wukong said, "Bajie, stop talking and come with me. Follow Zheng Yuan. Now that Zheng Yuan has left, we must not lose him."

Say it.

Sun Wukong rode on a cloud and followed Zuo Liang away.

Pigsy followed closely behind.

……

Two or three days later, Zuo Liang arrived at the eastern coast and waited there.

Seeing this, Sun Wukong knew that Zuo Liang was waiting for someone else. He immediately greeted Zhu Bajie and told him to wait there while he went down to listen and see what Zuo Liang intended to do.

Upon receiving Zhu Bajie's reply, Sun Wukong immediately transformed into a fly and hovered nearby, gathering information.

Meanwhile, Zuo Liangxing arrived at the east coast to wait for the other seven people to arrive so that they could all cross the sea to Penglai Island for a banquet.

Zuo Liang waited here for a long time, several days, before finally seeing someone arrive.

Zuo Liang looked into the distance and saw that it was Lü Yan, so he strode forward.

Lü Yan smiled and descended from the clouds to meet Zuo Liang, saying, "Years ago, we were sure to meet here. I thought I would be the first to arrive, but I didn't expect you, Senior Brother, to arrive much sooner than me."

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "I just arrived here not long ago."

As he spoke, he looked at Lü Yan and said, "Junior brother, there is a change in the sword that is embedded in your body."

Lu Yan laughed and said, "In the past, my precious sword was the Longquan Sword, and now it is the Chunyang Sword. Over the years, I have subdued demons and caused the Longquan Sword to be destroyed. Later, I met my master, who saw that my sword was damaged and gave it to me. This Chunyang Sword was a gift from my master."

Zuo Liang said, "So that's how it is. With this precious sword, Junior Brother will surely succeed in crossing the sea today."

Lu Yan looked towards the East China Sea and saw its turbulent waters. He said, "But we cannot ride the clouds or the winds on this journey. Crossing this sea will be difficult. Even with my sword, I can't say whether I can cross it. Senior brother, do you have any method to cross the East China Sea?"

Zuo Liang gazed intently at the East Sea, then shook his head and said, "I still don't know. Junior brother, you also know my methods, which are mostly based on the Five Thunder Orthodox Method. Crossing the sea would be difficult. But the Penglai Immortal said that we must not ride the clouds and wind to cross the sea, which seems to be a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for us."

Lü Yan laughed and said, "Perhaps it's to test our abilities. Today, we are like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each displaying our unique skills. Without ability, it would be difficult to cross this Eastern Sea."

Zuo Liang smiled and talked with Lü Yan.

Having learned of this from their conversation, Sun Wukong flew into the clouds, found Zhu Bajie, transformed into his original form, and hid among the clouds, keeping it a secret from the two of them.

Pigsy stepped forward and asked, "Brother, have you found out the secret?"

Sun Wukong said, "Since I am going, I know the way. Zheng Yuan and that fellow Lü Yan have gathered eight people, calling themselves the Eight Immortals, and want to cross the sea to attend a banquet on Penglai Island. But they cannot ride the clouds and make the wind when crossing the sea. It should be like this."

Pigsy laughed and said, "Brother Monkey, you weren't invited to the banquet on Penglai Island. Aren't you going to go and cause a huge uproar?"

Sun Wukong drew his golden cudgel, ready to strike, and said, "Penglai Island is where those three stars reside. Why would I go and disturb them? You fool, if you continue to talk nonsense, I will teach you a lesson with this cudgel."

Pigsy said, “Brother Monkey, your staff is heavy, don’t scare me. Since these Eight Immortals are going to Penglai Island, we will follow them and go with them. When we see the Three Stars, I will definitely ask for some fire dates to use.”

Sun Wukong said, "Whatever you say, whatever you say."

Pigsy then pointed to Zuo Liang and Lü Yan below and said, “Brother, I have heard you say that if the Eight Immortals were to cross the sea, what would happen to Zheng Yuan? Zheng Yuan has magical powers now, so even if he is not strong enough, he can’t be unable to cross the East Sea.”

Sun Wukong replied, "Zhengyuan's magical power is more than enough to cross the sea. This cannot be considered a calamity. If it were a calamity, it would most likely be something from the East Sea that could block its way. However, I cannot fathom what kind of thing could possibly block Zhengyuan."

Pigsy looked closely at the East Sea and said, "The East Sea is just a powerful old dragon king, but it's nothing in front of you, Brother Monkey. I wonder what calamity awaits us there."

Sun Wukong said, "I don't know either. Let's just watch and see. If Zheng Yuan really can't overcome his tribulation, then we'll help him. If he can overcome his tribulation, then we won't need to show ourselves."

Pigsy readily agreed.

The two then said no more and gazed down from among the clouds.

……

Time flies, and more than half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Zuo Liang and Lü Yan had been waiting for a long time on the east coast when the two finally arrived.

Zuo Liang looked in that direction and saw that the newcomers were a woman and a man.

The woman was as light as a swallow, with unparalleled beauty, her eyes filled with compassion, holding a blue lotus in her hand, and her steps seemed to create clouds.

Another man, wearing a tattered blue shirt that trailed on the ground, with his left boot and right shoes untouched, looked quite strange in the sweltering summer heat, dressed in cotton wadding.

Upon seeing them, Lü Yan stepped forward and said, "These two are He Xiangu and Lan Caihe."

The two men approached and greeted Lü Yan with a bow, addressing him as "Brother Chunyang".

Lu Yan returned the greeting to the two men and led them to meet Zuo Liang, saying, "This man is the famous Celestial Master of the mortal world, whose Dharma name is Zheng Yuan. He is a disciple of the True Man Guangxin and is now traveling with us as one of the 'Eight Immortals'."

He Xiangu and Lan Caihe were both moved upon hearing this. They bowed deeply to Zuo Liang and said, "We never expected to see the Celestial Master in person. We have been disrespectful. We have long admired the Celestial Master's name but have never had the chance to meet him. Now we finally meet him."

Zuo Liang returned the greeting to the two men and said with a smile, "You two shouldn't say that. I started traveling around to save lives many years ago, but I haven't been down in the mountains for many years."

He Xiangu said, "Although the Celestial Master has never walked among mortals in person, he has taught many people to walk among mortals and spread his name. Therefore, the Celestial Master's reputation among mortals is extremely high."

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "But do your best." Upon hearing this, He Xiangu and Lan Caihe bowed to Zuo Liang again, deeply moved by his compassion.

Lu Yan stepped forward and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, you have accepted Zhongli Quan's invitation to the banquet of the Eight Immortals. But I wonder what purpose you intend to serve by seeking that destiny at the banquet?"

He Xiangu and Lan Caihe exchanged a glance and said, "We only seek a way to help people in this world, for people are suffering so much."

Upon hearing this, Lü Yan smiled and nodded, saying nothing more. He suddenly realized that he and the other eight immortals had all crossed the sea to attend the banquet, or perhaps their purpose was the same. This was what it meant to be "fellow travelers on the same path".

He Xiangu asked, "Brother Chunyang, when will the other four arrive?"

Lu Yan said, "Zhongli Quan, Tieguai Li, Zhang Guolao, and Han Xiangzi are still missing. I haven't seen them for a long time, so I don't know when they will arrive. We agreed to wait here for a while."

Lan Caihe laughed and said, "Brother Chunyang is quite remarkable, as he was able to invite Tieguai Li to join us as one of the Eight Immortals. I have long heard of his name; he is an extraordinary true cultivator."

Lu Yan shook his head and said, "He is my senior brother. Besides, he is probably only associating with us because of Senior Brother Zheng Yuan."

He Xiangu and Lan Caihe praised Zuo Liang again, admiring his cultivation and compassion.

Zuo Liang shook his head but didn't say anything more.

The four people talked and waited on the shore.

After waiting for several days, Tieguai Li and Zhongli Quan arrived one after the other.

Six of the Eight Immortals have arrived.

However, Zhang Guolao and Han Xiangzi have not yet arrived.

Zhongli Quan walked to the shore, saw the group, greeted them with a smile, and then asked, "Why haven't Zhang Guolao and Han Xiangzi arrived yet?"

Lu Yan shook his head and said, "I don't know."

He Xiangu replied with a smile, "Han Xiangzi is delighted with his illusion magic. Who knows where he might be playing with it and forgetting our agreement."

Lu Yan said, "He shouldn't have forgotten such an important matter."

The two were talking.

Suddenly a sound arose.

“He Xiangu, why do you look at me like this? But Brother Chunyang knows me well. How could I forget such an important matter? But I was delayed by subduing a demon on the way, so I am a little late.”

Then a man came out from the woods and in an instant reached the shore to meet them.

Zuo Liang looked at him and saw that the man was as thin as a crane, wearing a jade crown, a plain robe with wide sleeves, holding a jade flute, carrying a flower basket, with eyes like autumn water, light steps, and an elegant demeanor.

This is Han Xiangzi.

The group paid their respects and became acquainted with each other.

Zhongli Quan asked, "Han Xiangzi, when you came here, did you see Zhang Guolao?"

Han Xiangzi shook his head and said, "I have never seen him."

He Xiangu laughed and said, "I know that Han Xiangzi has the ability to turn clay into people. Since Zhang Guolao has not come here, why don't you sculpt a Zhang Guolao?"

Han Xiangzi said, "What are you saying, He Xiangu? If Zhang Guolao hears this, he will come to cause you trouble."

Zhongli Quan stopped everyone from speaking and said, "Why don't we go to the main road and look for him?"

Upon hearing this, everyone responded and said they would go to the main road to find Zhang Guolao.

Before they could proceed, they saw a man riding a white donkey backwards on the road; it was Zhang Guolao.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Zhang Guolao arrive, and there was no need to go looking for this fellow.

Zhang Guolao walked up to the group, dismounted his white donkey, bowed deeply, and said, "I am a little late, and I have helped some people in distress along the way. I hope you will forgive me."

Zhongli Quan smiled and said, "But your presence is enough. Since the Eight Immortals made their pact, we have never been able to gather together. Now we are finally all together."

He Xiangu said, "We come from all corners of the world, and it is already difficult for us to gather together. We have only been able to gather because we crossed the sea."

Lan Caihe said, "I know there are true cultivators in the world, but this is the first time I have gathered with so many of them."

Lu Yan stepped forward and asked, "We are now crossing the sea to Penglai Island, following the predestined path spoken of by the immortal. But I wonder how you all will proceed with this predestined path?"

Han Xiangzi laughed and said, "I do not know how you all wish to resolve this karmic connection, but I cannot bear to see the suffering of the people, so I wish to ask for a way to relieve this suffering."

Upon hearing this, Lü Yan understood. He didn't need to ask any further questions, but all of them were doing the same thing for all living beings. Although they came from all over the world, they were all kindred spirits.

He turned to Zhongli Quan and said, "This need not be asked any further. We have all come for the sake of all living beings. If that is the case, we can proceed to Penglai Immortal Island."

Zhongli Quan nodded and said, "Since that's the case, we should go."

As he spoke, he looked at the seven people and said, “But I have already said that we cannot ride the clouds or the wind to cross this sea. You should know this. Therefore, it is not easy to cross the East Sea. Tell me what method you have to cross the sea so that I can be at ease.”

He Xiangu laughed and said, "Brother Zhongli, you shouldn't worry. Even if we don't ride the clouds and wind, we still have a way to cross the sea."

Han Xiangzi nodded and said, "What He Xiangu said makes sense. We all have magical powers, so we can cross the sea. Brother Zhongli, you can rest assured."

Upon hearing their words, Zhongli Quan laughed and said, "In that case, I will not ask you any more questions about how to cross the sea. We Eight Immortals will each use our supernatural abilities to cross the East Sea and head to Penglai Island."

Everyone nodded and said, "That's right, that's right."

Upon hearing this, Zhongli Quan smiled and said no more. He then faced the East Sea, which stretched out to its boundless expanse, its surging waves crashing like collapsing mountains. The snow-white waves rose thousands of feet high, their roar shaking the heavens like thunderous drums, their whale-like waves swallowing the sun and moon, their force sweeping across the eight directions like a soaring dragon.

Zhongli Quan showed no fear whatsoever. He took out a banana leaf fan, and with a gentle wave, the fan transformed into a boat, which landed on the sea.

Zhongli Quan stepped forward and landed on the boat, letting the waves crash against him. He remained majestic and unmoved, moving steadily on the sea.

Seeing that Zhongli Quan had already gone ahead, Lü Yan smiled and said, "Brother Zhongli has already gone ahead. We cannot stay any longer. Everyone, please follow me to Penglai Immortal Island and use your supernatural powers."

Everyone responded without further ado, and they used their various supernatural powers to cross the sea.

He Xiangu crossed the sea on a lotus flower, Lan Caihe stepped on a flower basket, Han Xiangzi carried a purple-gold flute across the sea, and Zhang Guolao rode a white donkey backwards across the sea. It was seen that the Eight Immortals each had their own supernatural abilities, and they could travel on the sea without having to ride the clouds or play with the wind. The waves could not stop them from crossing.

Seeing that they had all left, Zuo Liang smiled and then told his spirit to pass through the sea.

(End of this chapter)