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

Chapter 365 Eight Immortals Startle the Dragon King

Meanwhile, Zuo Liang saw that five of the Eight Immortals were already crossing the sea, each displaying their extraordinary abilities, which were quite remarkable.

Zuo Liang intended to send his spirit across the sea, but when he turned around and saw that Tieguai Li and Lü Yan were still there, he stopped and said, "Senior Brother Li, Junior Brother Lü, why can't you two do it?"

Lu Yan and Tieguai Li looked at each other for a long time. After a long while, Tieguai Li said, "I originally intended to wait for you two to go first and cover your retreat. If anyone was unable to move forward in the waves due to insufficient magical power, I could also provide assistance. However, I did not expect that you two did not go."

Lü Yan smiled and said, "I originally intended to do as you do, but now I miss you. With you here, I don't need to stay any longer. In that case, I'll take my leave."

Tieguai Li nodded with a smile.

Lu Yan then said nothing more, facing the East China Sea. He watched the surging sea without fear, drew his Chunyang Sword, and slashed the East China Sea with one stroke, splitting the waves in two. He walked through them with great majesty.

Seeing Lü Yan's expression, Zuo Liang shook his head and smiled. He did not have the ability to go there in this way. He turned around and bowed to Tieguai Li, saying, "Senior Brother Li, your words have put my mind at ease. I will go ahead first."

Tieguai Li smiled slightly and said, "Junior brother, please go ahead first, I will follow shortly."

Zuo Liang smiled and nodded, bowed to Tieguai Li, then looked around in all directions, pointed in each direction, and muttered incantations, saying: "In the beginning of chaos, water and soil were the foundation, mountains and rivers stood side by side, and all things flourished. Now, Zheng Yuan, a disciple of the Xieyue Sanxing Cave on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain in Xiniu Hezhou, is here. He is going to a banquet in Penglai and needs to cross the sea to hear the method of saving all living beings. Therefore, I ask for your help from all directions."

"I hereby command the five river gods to heed my summons and swiftly descend before me!"

Suddenly a cold wind arose, and a dozen or so people appeared, along with a blue dragon leaping on the waves and cranes dancing.

A dozen or so people bowed to Zuo Liang and said, "River gods and well gods from all directions, come to help the master cross the sea!"

Zuo Liang said, "Thank you all for your help. I will definitely express my gratitude when I return."

The dozen or so people all said, "It is our good fortune to be able to help the Master. There is no need for such formalities. Please wait a moment, Master, so that we can discuss and find a way to help you cross the sea."

Zuo Liang nodded with a smile.

The dozen or so people discussed the matter, and before long, eight people came out and carried a sedan chair. The river god said, "Master, we eight people have the ability to cross the sea. We will carry the sedan chair and take you to Penglai Island."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang asked, "But I'm afraid it will cause you trouble."

As the saying goes, "Sending Mount Tai is as light as a mustard seed, but carrying an ordinary person is difficult to escape the mortal world." Every mortal body and impure bone is as heavy as Mount Tai. He has not yet achieved success. Although he has magical powers, he is still somewhat heavy. He is afraid that the river god will not be able to lift the sedan chair.

The river god replied, "Rest assured, Master. We have a way to use the power of the sea to lift us up, so we will not be too tired. Please get into the sedan chair, Master, and we will continue on our way."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang immediately bowed and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

Say it.

He then got into the sedan chair.

Eight river gods carried the sedan chair, riding the waves. With the help of the East Sea, they carried Zuo Liang forward effortlessly.

Seeing this, Tieguai Li was deeply surprised and laughed, "I never expected that Junior Brother Zhengyuan would have such ability, able to get the gods to help so easily. Now that everyone is going, I will go first."

Tieguai Li took out a gourd, tossed it gently, and the gourd grew larger in the wind, landing on the sea. He was as light as a swallow, landing on the gourd, and slowly moving forward.

In mid-air, Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie watched the Eight Immortals depart and prepared to follow them, secretly protecting Zuo Liang.

Pigsy exclaimed, "Brother, these Eight Immortals, apart from Zheng Yuan and Tieguai Li, are not particularly capable."

When Sun Wukong had a moment of leisure while riding his cloud, he looked at Zhu Bajie and said, "You fool, don't talk nonsense. These juniors are all compassionate people. Don't underestimate them just because their magical powers are weak."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy had no choice but to remain silent. He looked towards the East Sea and said, "Brother Monkey, it seems to be the birthday of the Dragon King of the East Sea recently. Since we are on our way, shall we go there, meet him, and ask for a drink?"

Sun Wukong shook his head and said, "Today we are here on the orders of our eldest brother to protect Zheng Yuan and prevent him from being harmed by calamity. If he fails, we will be doing him a favor. If we were to go to the Dragon King of the East Sea to ask for some wine, we might make a mistake, so that is not advisable."

Pigsy wanted to say something more.

Sun Wukong said, "If you really want wine, go ahead, I won't stop you."

Pigsy said no more and had to shut his mouth, following closely behind Monkey King.

……

Meanwhile, in the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, just as Pigsy had described, the Dragon King was celebrating his birthday. Crystal palaces stretched before them, their beams adorned with tortoiseshell, their walls embellished with pearls, and coral reaching for the sky. Golden censers burned with exotic incense, filling the air with auspicious mist. Within this palace, whales offered their meat, giant turtles held pearls in their mouths, and rare delicacies from the East Sea and fine dishes from the West Sea were laid out on sacrificial vessels, their fragrance filling the courtyard. Female musicians danced gracefully, their instruments like phoenix flutes and sheng, the goddess of the Xiang River keeping time, and the goddess of the Luo River waving her sleeves, her sleeves fluttering like startled swans, her voice clear and melodious, stopping the clouds in their tracks.

The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas raised their cups in celebration, the Turtle Prime Minister struck the chime and rang the bell, and the Coral Fairy offered a toast to celebrate longevity. The Dragon King of the West Sea drunkenly trod on the coral, the Dragon King of the North Sea waved his sleeves to create waves, the Dragon King of the South Sea clapped his hands and raised his cup, and the Dragon King of the East Sea clapped his hands and roared, his voice resounding through the nine abysses, all in great joy.

It was afternoon when suddenly they felt a movement in the Dragon Palace, as if someone was walking across the sea and stirring up the Dragon Palace.

The Dragon King of the East Sea, who was sitting on the throne, was somewhat displeased upon seeing this and said, "Send troops to see who is causing trouble at my birthday celebration."

Shrimp soldiers and crab generals immediately took the order and went to the Crystal Palace. Before long, they returned to the Crystal Palace.

The shrimp soldiers and crab generals knelt on the ground, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, there are eight cultivators crossing the East Sea. One or two of them made some noise while crossing the sea, either splitting the sea or stepping on it, which caused my Dragon Palace to tremble."

Upon hearing this, the Dragon King of the East Sea was furious and said, "How dare you! Such a cultivator dares to disturb the peace of my Dragon Palace! To disrupt my birthday celebration is unforgivable!"

The other three Dragon Kings were also furious, saying, "Today is my elder brother's birthday, hence this grand gathering to proclaim the might of the four seas. This cultivator is so disrespectful; this is an insult to us, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, and cannot be forgiven!"

The guests in the palace were also angered and all denounced these people who practiced asceticism.

The Dragon King of the East Sea roared, "Where is the Turtle Prime Minister?"

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Turtle immediately stepped forward from the front of the palace and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am here."

The Dragon King of the East Sea said, "These cultivators are lawless and unruly. They deserve to be killed. Now, issue my order to gather troops and generals to accompany me to capture those cultivators."

Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister Gui wanted to advise him, and whispered, "Your Majesty, you should not go there now. It would be better to send someone to investigate first, to find out the origin of that cultivator, why he crossed the sea, and whether he knows about Your Majesty's birthday. It will not be too late to resort to force then."

The Dragon King of the East Sea roared, "Prime Minister Turtle, how dare you say such a thing! Today is my birthday banquet, yet you have insulted me like this. This is unforgivable. You must kill him to vent my anger."

The Dragon King of the West Sea also said, "Brother is right. These cultivators have become increasingly lawless in recent years, often ignoring these rules and disturbing our peace. These cultivators should be killed."

The Dragon King of the South Sea and the Dragon King of the North Sea also agreed.

The Dragon King of the East Sea continued, “If those cultivators weren’t intent on humiliating my Dragon Palace, why would they be traveling on the sea? Such cultivators must possess the ability to fly through the clouds, or at least manipulate the wind. Crossing the sea silently would be incredibly easy for them, yet they haven’t done so. They are clearly disturbing my Dragon Palace, knowing of my banquet, and thus coming to humiliate me.” “Prime Minister Turtle,” he commanded, “quickly mobilize troops and kill all these cultivators.”

The Dragon King of the East Sea gave repeated instructions.

Left with no other choice, Prime Minister Turtle turned and left to deliver the Dragon King's order.

The three Dragon Kings all spoke up, saying, "Brother, we should help you."

The Dragon King of the East Sea waved his hand and said, "There's no need for you to go. I can handle those cultivators."

Upon hearing this, the three Dragon Kings all nodded. In their view, there was no need for them to take action against just a few cultivators. One of the Dragon Kings was already the maximum they could manage.

A few cultivators, not even the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, why would they be worth accompanying them?

……

In the East China Sea, the Eight Immortals each displayed their unique abilities to cross the East China Sea.

The Eight Immortals each had their own unique methods, and they attracted each other, fearing that someone might suffer in the sea.

Lu Yan made the biggest splash crossing the sea, wielding the Chunyang Sword and splitting the sea with impressive force. However, while splitting the sea, he looked around and saw that everyone else was crossing the sea without making any mistakes.

He then saw Zuo Liang, who was being carried across the sea by eight river gods in a sedan chair. He remained silent for a long time, unsure of what to say.

They all used their magical powers to cross the sea, and although they were not seriously harmed, they still suffered some losses. On the other hand, Zuo Liang crossed the sea so easily.

Lü Yan exclaimed in amazement, "With the help of the gods, it is truly wonderful!"

He was about to brave the waves and have a chat with Zuo Liang.

But before he could cut through the waves, shrimp soldiers and crab generals suddenly appeared in front of him and rushed towards him.

Lu Yan was startled and swung his Chunyang sword forward. How could the shrimp soldiers and crab generals stop him? They were all cleaved back by his sword.

He turned his head and saw that, without him noticing, squads of shrimp soldiers and crab generals had appeared, blocking the Eight Immortals. There were also yakshas lurking among them, their murderous intent lurking.

Lü Yan exclaimed in alarm, "Everyone, be careful!"

The Eight Immortals reacted swiftly, each wielding their magical weapons, and attacked the shrimp soldiers and crab generals.

There were eight river gods protecting Zuo Liang, but they carried him back so that he would not be harmed by the shrimp soldiers and crab generals.

Zuo Liang looked at the shrimp soldiers and crab generals, puzzled. These well-trained shrimp soldiers and crab generals were not demons, so why were they attacking and killing them? He asked, "Can you tell where these soldiers are coming from?"

The river god carrying the sedan chair replied, "Master, this is the East Sea. These shrimp soldiers and crab generals are so well-trained; they must be soldiers from the Dragon Palace of the East Sea. But I don't know why they are blocking your path."

Zuo Liangchao looked around and saw that Lü Yan and others were fighting with shrimp soldiers and crab generals. He wanted to stop them, so he asked the shrimp soldiers and crab generals what was going on and why they were blocking their way.

But those shrimp soldiers and crab generals didn't talk to Zuo Liang at all. When they saw Zuo Liang retreat, they swarmed him in groups of three or five, wanting to kill him.

The river god carrying the sedan chair was somewhat panicked. He looked around, searching for a place where he could lead Zuo Liang out of the encirclement and prevent him from being harmed.

Zuo Liang said, "No need to be surprised, just be quiet."

Say it.

Zuo Liang took out the Heavenly Ruler and pointed it at the shrimp soldiers and crab generals. At that moment, a bolt of lightning struck down, hitting the shrimp soldiers and crab generals and sending them into the sea.

Seeing that the shrimp soldiers and crab generals were about to kill us, and seeing that the Eight Immortals were all backing down and focusing on throwing the shrimp soldiers and crab generals into the sea, Lü Yan said, "Gentlemen, there is no need to hold back. These shrimp soldiers and crab generals are trying to kill us. We must not hesitate any longer and use our supernatural powers to get rid of them."

Zhongli Quan parried the attacks of the shrimp soldiers and crab generals, forcing them back with a single blow. He said, "Brother Chunyang, don't be anxious. But I don't know why these shrimp and crabs want to be our enemies. I observe that their shrimp soldiers and crab generals are very elite. Most of them come from the Dragon Palace. We must find out the truth."

Upon hearing this, Lü Yan had no choice but to hold back and mostly parry.

The group was locked in a fierce battle, and the shrimp soldiers, crab generals, yakshas, ​​and turtles were all helpless against the Eight Immortals. On the other hand, the Eight Immortals dealt with these soldiers and generals with great ease, without even putting in their best effort.

After a long struggle, the Eight Immortals grew impatient and were about to do something when suddenly they heard a dragon's roar. Startled, they looked down at the seabed and saw a green dragon coming straight at them.

The Eight Immortals all used their supernatural powers to head outwards and avoid the Azure Dragon.

The Azure Dragon missed its target and transformed into a human form, which was none other than the Dragon King of the East Sea.

The Eight Immortals of the East Sea Dragon Dynasty looked over and said, "You cultivators dare to disturb the peace of my Dragon Palace and ruin my Dragon Palace banquet. I will not spare you now. You shall surrender at once!"

Zhongli Quan stepped forward and bowed, saying, "May I ask if you are the Dragon King of the East Sea?"

The Dragon King of the East Sea did not speak, but his majestic gaze was the answer.

Zhongli Quan knew that this must be the legendary Dragon King of the East Sea, Ao Guang. He bowed and said, "Dragon King of the East Sea, we are cultivators. We are here by invitation of the immortals of Penglai Island. If we cause any disturbance, please forgive us."

The Dragon King of the East Sea said, “Today is my birthday, and you disturb my birthday, yet you tell me not to be offended. How can you say that? Furthermore, I can see that your magical powers are not shallow. You can certainly ride the clouds, but instead of riding the clouds, you make a ruckus on the sea. This is disrespectful.”

Upon hearing this, Zhongli Quan was surprised. He hadn't expected that today was the birthday of the Dragon King of the East Sea. He was truly unaware of this. He immediately wanted to say something.

Before they could speak, the Dragon King of the East Sea stared at the magical treasures embedded in the bodies of Zhongli Quan and the other eight immortals, and waved his hand, saying, "I don't care what you did, but you really did disturb my birthday, disrupt my Dragon Palace, and injure the shrimp soldiers and crab generals. But you should give me the magical treasures embedded in your bodies as an apology, and I will not punish you again."

Upon hearing this, the Eight Immortals were all annoyed. None of them possessed any magical treasures; the better ones had two or three, while the lesser ones had only one. By giving the treasures to the Dragon King of the East Sea, they could not even cross the sea and had to return the way they came.

Zhongli Quan said, “Dragon King, we truly had no intention of offending you. If you truly wish to apologize, we will offer you the same tribute as the seasonal fruits when we return, as an apology to you.”

The Dragon King of the East Sea said, "You have offended me, and you think you can just let it go? Since you are unwilling to bring the magic treasure, I will come and take it myself!"

Say it.

The Dragon King of the East Sea pounced on the Eight Immortals, intending to seize all the magical treasures they possessed.

When the Eight Immortals saw the Dragon King of the East Sea attacking, they were terrified and each displayed their supernatural powers to fight against him.

(End of this chapter)