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

Chapter 366 The Eight Immortals Fight the Dragon King, the Great Sage Relieves Calamity

Meanwhile, on the East Sea, the Eight Immortals were fighting with the Dragon King of the East Sea. The Dragon King possessed considerable magical power and single-handedly overwhelmed the Eight Immortals, leaving them unable to catch their breath and at a disadvantage.

Zhongli Quan, holding a banana leaf fan, continuously parried the Dragon King of the East Sea. He also had the intention of negotiating with the Dragon King, saying, "Dragon King, we truly have no intention of fighting you, nor any intention of offending you. We beg you to show mercy."

The Dragon King of the East Sea ignored everything and focused solely on attacking the Eight Immortals.

Just as the group was locked in a fierce struggle, the Dragon Prince arrived with shrimp soldiers and crab generals, launching a fierce attack on Lan Caihe.

Lan Caihe was caught off guard and knocked the flower basket out of his hand. He was then captured and taken into the Dragon Palace.

Lu Yan angrily said, "Lan Caihe! You Dragon King, you didn't listen to us and even captured Lan Caihe. I didn't want to fight you, but you are so aggressive. Let me have a go and see what kind of magic you, Dragon King, have. Brother Zhongli, Senior Brother Zhengyuan, Senior Brother Li, you must not hold back anymore!"

Zhongli Quan sighed, then looked at the Dragon King of the East Sea with a fierce glint in his eyes, and said, "Enough, enough, enough! Since the Dragon King is like this, let's settle this with our strength."

The other eight immortals looked at the Dragon King of the East Sea with hostile gazes.

The Dragon King of the East Sea said, “Although you have some cultivation, how dare you speak to me like this? Quickly surrender, and know that the Dragon Palace cannot be insulted.”

Lu Yan remained silent, gripping the Chunyang Sword firmly, and attacked the East Sea Dragon King without any intention of holding back. With a single slash, he forced the East Sea Dragon King back, who dared not meet the Chunyang Sword head-on.

Zhongli Quan, wielding a banana leaf fan, stirred up a fierce wind, forcing the Dragon King of the East Sea to retreat. Then, Tieguai Li took out a gourd and pointed it at the Dragon King of the East Sea, from which great fire burst forth, causing the Dragon King of the East Sea unbearable suffering.

Just as the Dragon King of the East Sea was about to retreat and find another way, He Xiangu and Han Xiangzi blocked his way from behind.

The Dragon King of the East Sea was unaware of the Seven Immortals' magical powers. Caught off guard, he was already at a disadvantage and did not want to fight any longer. So he turned around and went into the sea to lure the Seven Immortals into the sea to fight again.

Zuo Liang suddenly left the sedan chair, blocking the way for the Dragon King of the East Sea. He pointed his Heavenly Canopy Ruler at the Dragon King, and a bolt of lightning struck him, causing the Dragon King to roar and injure himself.

Lu Yan used the Chunyang Sword as a flying sword to attack the Dragon King of the East Sea, injuring him once again.

The Seven Immortals besieged the Dragon King of the East Sea, unleashing their full supernatural powers in an attempt to subdue him and rescue Lan Caihe.

The Dragon King of the East Sea was overwhelmed with the guests and complained incessantly.

"Brother! How dare you, a mere cultivator, insult my brother like this!"

Suddenly, the Three Dragon Kings of the Seas appeared and attacked the Seven Immortals.

Upon seeing this, the Dragon King of the East Sea was overjoyed and said, "My three brothers, quickly help me!"

The three Dragon Kings responded, saying, "Brother, do not worry. We are here and will help you kill this kind of cultivator."

When the Seven Immortals saw the arrival of the Three Dragon Kings of the Seas, they dared not be careless and thus made way for them, avoiding their sharp edge.

The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas gathered, facing the Seven Immortals, intending to use their magic to kill them. They summoned the waters of the four seas, hoping to sweep the Seven Immortals into the ocean.

Zhongli Quan shouted, "Retreat quickly, lest we enter the sea, for none of us are good swimmers."

The seven immortals retreated one after another, each displaying their supernatural powers. Zhongli Quan took out the banana leaf fan and fanned some seawater back with one wave. Lü Yan took out the Chunyang sword and cleaved the waves with one strike. Zuo Liang swung the Tianpeng ruler and actually pushed back some seawater.

Each of the seven fairies had a unique method to keep the seawater away from them.

Seeing this, the Four Dragon Kings tried to rush forward.

Zuo Liang took a finger from the Heavenly Ruler and used heavenly lightning to block the Four Seas Dragon Kings from advancing. He then stepped forward and said, "Four Seas Dragon Kings, do you really intend to fight us to the death?"

The Four Dragon Kings said, "But you were impolite first, so we must kill you to vent our anger."

Zuo Liang said, "If that's the case, then don't blame us for having murderous intentions."

The four Dragon Kings laughed heartily, unaware that Zuo Liang and his companions could kill them.

Zuo Liang then looked at Zhongli Quan and the others and said, “Gentlemen, the Four Seas Dragon Kings are powerful. If we had only one of them, we could still fight them. But now that all four have arrived, we are no match for them. I will now ask the gods for help to avert our calamity. I hope you will delay us for a while so that the gods can arrive.”

Zhongli Quan asked, "Celestial Master, but I wonder which person you can invite to descend to the mortal realm?"

Zuo Liang said, "This scene is likely the result of inviting the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas to descend to earth to deal with the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas."

Han Xiangzi asked in surprise, "Is that the Third Prince Nezha, who used lotus roots as bones, lotus roots as flesh, silk threads as legs, and leaves as clothes, who wreaked havoc in the East Sea, slew dragons, and used his golden spear to suppress the Heavenly Gate?"

Zhongli Quan said, "The Great God of the Three Altars and Seas is indeed this one, but Celestial Master, are you confident that you can invite the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas to descend to the mortal realm? If you can get the help of the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas, you will surely be able to subdue the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas."

Zuo Liang smiled slightly and said, "Brother Zhongli, please rest assured. Just stall for time, and we will have someone to help you then."

The crowd immediately responded.

After hearing Zuo Liang's words, Lü Yan was no longer worried. He knew Zuo Liang's Five Thunder Orthodox Method was powerful, and he only needed to invite the gods, who would arrive in a short while.

Zuo Liang was about to cast a spell and asked Nezha for help.

The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, however, did not give them the opportunity, allowing the waters of the four seas to sweep in once again.

Lu Yan and the others immediately stood in front of Zuo Liang and calmed the sea.

Without hesitation, Zuo Liang immediately used the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, chanting incantations. However, he was actually asking Nezha for help. Before he could finish chanting, a sound suddenly arose.

"Four Dragon Kings, you all dare to bully my nephew like this! Do you not wish me, your senior brother, to perish?"

The Seven Immortals looked up from the clouds and saw auspicious mist rising and auspicious clouds filling the sky. A divine light shone down as if a heavenly pardon had been granted. Sun Wukong came riding on auspicious clouds, dressed in armor and holding a golden cudgel, looking very majestic.

When Zuo Liang saw Sun Wukong, he was overjoyed. He knew that with Sun Wukong present, there was no need for him to summon any gods, and the area would surely be safe. He immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Nephew Zhengyuan greets Uncle!"

Apart from Lü Yan and Tieguai Li, everyone else was astonished when they saw Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong looked at Zuo Liang and laughed, "Nephew, we can talk about catching up later. Today, I'll fight the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas to vent my anger for you, and then we can talk about other things."

Sun Wukong, wielding his golden cudgel, walked up to the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, his imposing presence overwhelming. In contrast, the Dragon Kings, upon seeing Sun Wukong, lost all courage and had no will to fight; they were filled with fear.

Sun Wukong said, “Four Dragon Kings, how dare you! You even dare to kill the disciple of Master Guangxin! Could it be that I haven’t seen you for many years, and you have achieved great success in your cultivation, so you no longer take me, or even my senior brother, seriously? If that’s the case, then I will fight you and show you what kind of magical power you have that makes you so arrogant.”

Upon hearing this, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas were greatly alarmed and trembled with fear. They hurriedly said, "Great Sage, please forgive us! Great Sage, please forgive us! We truly did not know that the one who is now treading the sea is a disciple of the True Man Guangxin. If we had known, we would never have dared to offend him." Sun Wukong said, "Don't say that. But you have said you would kill my nephew. Show me what you and your companions are capable of."

The Four Dragon Kings said, "We would never dare to fight against the Great Sage. We beg the Great Sage to spare our lives!"

Sun Wukong said, "If you want me to spare you, then extend your leg and let me hit each of you a hundred times, and I will spare you."

The Dragon King of the East Sea was completely disoriented and said, "Great Sage, spare our lives! Your golden cudgel is extremely heavy. Let alone a hundred blows, even a single blow would be fatal to us."

The Dragon King of the West Sea bowed and said, "We beg the Great Sage to forgive us. We will never dare to offend again. We will apologize to our Great Sage Nephew."

Sun Wukong said, "Is an apology enough? Not at all. If you can appease me today and I will not fight with you, I will let it go. But in the future, I will let the True Man know, and I will let my master, Patriarch Bodhi, know. When they come in person, what will you do then?"

The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas were terrified upon hearing this, and the Great Sage Equaling Heaven instilled fear and unease in them, not to mention the likes of the True Man.

Sun Wukong said, "Let's not talk about them. Just stretch out your leg. I won't hit you a hundred times, but five times each, to vent my anger for my nephew."

The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas dared not say another word. They lined up, extended their crutches, and let Sun Wukong strike them.

Sun Wukong smiled, swung his golden cudgel, and seeing that it was the Dragon King of the East Sea, he struck him five times, neither too hard nor too lightly.

Its power was immense; even when it restrained itself, it still caused the Dragon King of the East Sea to cry out in agony, "It hurts so much!"

Sun Wukong ignored everything and, following the order, struck each of the Four Dragon Kings five times, causing them to cry out in pain, saying that their ankles were throbbing with pain.

Sun Wukong, alone against the five, asked again, "Four Dragon Kings of the Seas, are you now convinced?"

The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas said, "We are convinced! We are convinced!"

Sun Wukong said, “You four, don’t try to fool me. Back then, when I acquired your armor and golden cudgel, you four were supposed to report to the Heavenly Court after I left. Now, don’t do that. If any of you are dissatisfied, speak to me. Whether it’s fighting or reasoning, I’ll agree to it.”

The Four Dragon Kings hurriedly replied, "We dare not, we dare not."

Sun Wukong pointed at the Four Dragon Kings and said, “You four, don’t just say it out loud but don’t believe it in your hearts. I know everything that’s happening here. Ao Guang, today is your birthday. Your nephews and the other Eight Immortals shouldn’t be here crossing the sea and disturbing you on your birthday. But as the saying goes, ‘ignorance is no excuse.’ The Eight Immortals didn’t know it was your birthday, so they had no intention of disturbing you.”

"The Eight Immortals crossing the sea is a method to save all living beings. All eight immortals are compassionate people. You do not know the hearts of the eight immortals. As I said before, ignorance is no crime. This is not your fault."

"Both of you are innocent. If you explain your position, we can let it go. But you, Ao Guang, should not have been greedy and tried to seize his magic treasure as an apology. Even if you take this to the Jade Emperor, it is unreasonable."

"Now that I have struck four of you five times, this matter is settled. If you truly harbor resentment, you may sue me."

After speaking with the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, Sun Wukong put away his golden cudgel, showing no intention of fighting.

Upon hearing Sun Wukong's words, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, both fearful of his power and deeply convinced of the truth in his words, felt ashamed and bowed respectfully, saying, "Great Sage, we are truly convinced and had no intention of filing a complaint. This was our fault, and we acknowledge it. We are willing to apologize to the Eight Immortals. Please invite the Eight Immortals and the Great Sage to the Dragon Palace, where we will prepare a feast and offer our treasures as an apology. Please grant our request, Great Sage."

Sun Wukong waved his hand and said, "This is not something I should discuss with you, but rather with the Eight Immortals."

Upon hearing this, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas immediately went before the Eight Immortals, paid their respects, and invited them to their Dragon Palace, whereupon they would apologize.

The Eight Immortals readily agreed.

Zhongli Quan said, "We can certainly attend the banquet, but could the Dragon King return Lan Caihe, who is traveling with us?"

The Dragon King of the East Sea said, "It should be returned, it should be returned. I will send the Crown Prince to apologize later."

Zhongli Quan bowed and said, "There is no need for apologies, just bring Lan Caihe back."

The Dragon King of the East Sea readily agreed and sent the Eight Immortals and Sun Wukong into the Dragon Palace. The Eight Immortals agreed, but Sun Wukong waved his hand, saying that he had important matters to attend to and could not go.

Zuo Liang stepped forward and bowed, thanking Sun Wukong repeatedly.

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Nephew, there is no need for thanks. But when you are out and about, you should prioritize your own safety. If you encounter such a difficult situation and I am unaware of it, you should ask the gods in the name of Laozi. You must not put yourself in danger."

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "I have remembered everything you said, Uncle-Master. But I don't know where you intend to go on this journey. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Sun Wukong waved his hand and said, "It's nothing serious, no need for my nephew's help."

Zuo Liang asked, "Has Uncle returned to the manor recently?"

Sun Wukong replied, "Now that this matter is settled, I will naturally return to my residence. Is there anything you need, my junior brother?"

Zuo Liang said, "If Uncle-Master can see Master, please ask Uncle-Master to tell Master that the third incarnation of our eldest brother has arrived. The third incarnation of our eldest brother is currently living in the Wang family in a village at the foot of Zhongshan Mountain in Jingzhou. The name of this incarnation is Wang Chongyang."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong immediately said, "I will definitely relay what happened here. Nephew, do not worry. Go to the Dragon Palace for the banquet. There is no need to fear the Dragon Palace. If they dare to be disrespectful, just shout 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven,' and I will definitely come to your aid."

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "I will remember what you said, Uncle. If I need anything, I will call out your name and ask for your help."

Sun Wukong smiled and nodded, then said nothing more, rode away on auspicious clouds, and disappeared in a short while.

Zuo Liang watched Sun Wukong leave, and then bowed again in the direction he had gone.

He Xiangu stepped forward and bowed, saying, "The Celestial Master is a disciple of the Guangxin Zhenren, but I did not know that he was also related to the legendary Great Sage Equal to Heaven. He is truly a man of great hidden talent."

Han Xiangzi also said, "If that's the case, then the one among us who is keeping his abilities hidden is the Celestial Master."

Zuo Liang returned the greeting to the two men and said, "I dare not accept what you say, but if we are talking about being unassuming, I am not the only one."

Han Xiangzi asked, "Who else is there?"

Zuo Liang replied, "Senior Brother Li is a disciple of Laozi, Junior Brother Lü is also a disciple of Laozi, and as far as I know, Brother Zhongli's master is also Emperor Donghua."

Han Xiangzi was startled upon hearing this.

The Four Dragon Kings, who were about to come and invite people, were also greatly shocked. They thought that Zuo Liang was already remarkable because he was a disciple of a True Man, but they never expected that two of the Eight Immortals were disciples of Laozi and one was a disciple of the Eastern Emperor.

The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas were still shaken. Fortunately, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven intervened. If they had actually harmed the Eight Immortals, the Immortal Guangxin, the Bodhi Patriarch, the Supreme Lord Laozi, and the Eastern Emperor would all have blamed them, and that would have been the time of disaster.

The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, remembering this, felt a sharp pain in their ankles and were extremely grateful to Sun Wukong, saying that they would definitely thank him for his kindness when they met again in the future.

(End of this chapter)