Mythology

Chapter 485: The Story Completed and Tang Sanzang's Journey to the West

“Shakyamuni would never let me become a saint easily, but there is a lot of room for maneuver.”

Yang He pondered for a moment. As long as the Immaculate Buddha could become one of the Seven Saints of Buddhism, even if it was just an empty title, the permanent characters in the depths of the main world's Guixu would have earth-shattering changes, and their supernatural powers would greatly increase.

"If you play the role of Immaculate Buddha in the world of classical allusions, you will be able to figure out where the difference lies."

"But there's no rush. The key is to pass through the second stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm."

The second realm is called "Calamity Phase". After the body and soul are reshaped, you need to actively experience three calamities and six tribulations. It seems simple, but the normal characters can die and come back to life.

In reality, this is not the case; one cannot avoid the three calamities and six disasters by dying.

It is called a tribulation, but it is also a baptism for the body and soul. Once it begins, the process of three calamities and six tribulations cannot be interrupted. Even if Yang He can use a cheat to reset his death, it is conservatively estimated that he will have to go into seclusion for ten years.

In addition, Yang He also had to be wary of both the immortals and the Buddhas.

"After the story of the Holy Demon Monk ends, I wonder if there will be enough time between the next anecdote."

As he pondered, he took out various fragments of historical allusions, wanting to confirm whether his actions in Chang'an would affect the subsequent performance of those allusions.

The result was a mixed bag.

Several stories have disappeared, but fortunately, the stories of Wuzhishan, Gaolaozhuang, and Liushahe are unaffected. Yang He couldn't understand why. Did the journey to the West by the four pilgrims have to be carried out?

Yang He secretly communicated with the Myriad Transformations Tree, using its roots to search for fragments of stories scattered throughout Hell.

Thanks to the faint connection between the fragments of the story, after learning the general direction, we signaled the Grand Master to go and collect them, which would also help us temper our minds.

While waiting, Yang He obediently secluded himself to recover from his injuries.

Six years have passed in the blink of an eye.

As the population of the main world continues to grow, and nourished by the Tree of Myriad Transformations, strange and wonderful things emerge in various places, and the number of cultivators is incomparable to that of the past.

The seven disciples have been in seclusion. Wang Lan has already begun to break through to the True Immortal realm, and the others have also successively stepped into the Void Returning Realm or above, their cultivation levels naturally reaching their goals.

After Yang He recovered from his injuries, the Wanhua Heavenly Dao Field expanded by 20%.

Immediately afterwards, fragments of common objects were delivered one after another.

They were a tattered talisman, a twisted mass of flesh and blood, and a shard of porcelain.

The related allusions are the Mountain Ghost (Wuzhi Mountain), the Gao Family Ghost (Gaolaozhuang), and the Flowing Sand Ghost (Flowing Sand River). The remaining allusions have been collected in about 60-70% of their total, but the progress is slightly slower due to different focuses.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Yang He should be able to gather all the allusions from the Journey to the West: Great Tribulation before the ghosts and gods descend to the mortal realm.

[The timelines of the allusions "The Mountain Ghost," "The Gao Family Ghost," "The Flowing Sand Ghost," and "The Holy Demon Monk" are similar; do they incorporate elements of the secular world?]

"determine."

The mundane objects transformed into colorful amber, revealing numerous fragments of these objects within their translucent interior.

Yang He smiled and was about to head to the world of classical stories when he noticed that Wang Lan's aura was off, with 70% of the Yin energy from Qianyuan Mountain surging into his body.

"Became an immortal?"

“Wang Lan has the highest cultivation level, so it’s time for him to become an immortal.”

Yang He flashed in front of Wang Lan and touched the latter's forehead with his index finger.

“Wang Lan, your aptitude is not high, but your heart is extremely pure. Your understanding of the Heavenly Dao is worthy of being the best among the seven. You are about to become an immortal and attain the Dao.”

"Are you confident?"

Wang Lan opened his eyes, gritted his teeth, and replied, "Ancestor, your disciple has it!!!"

"Alright, the time is ripe, let's climb up."

As the two were talking, the other six people opened their eyes at the same time, watching the imposing Wang Lan, whose body was emanating a mysterious Daoist aura.

Compared to other versions, Wang Lan's path to immortality is a complete replica of Yang He's cultivation journey.

"Uh."

Wang Lan let out a muffled thud, and in an instant, his body and soul turned into yin energy and vanished into nothingness.

Before anyone could react, the Yin energy converged towards the center again, and before long, Wang Lan achieved the body of a Ghost Immortal and reappeared on the summit of Qianyuan Mountain.

"Ancestor, your disciple has not failed in his mission."

Wang Lan made no attempt to conceal his aura, and strange phenomena enveloped a thousand miles.

The entire sky was covered with dark clouds, as if countless skulls were surging. Anyone above the Concentration Realm could detect the signs of this.

Wang Lan's ascension to immortality excited everyone and was also announced to the mortal world through extraordinary phenomena.

The path to immortality, severed for a thousand years, has been reopened!!

Yang He smiled without saying a word, standing under the Myriad Transformation Tree and gazing at the mortal world. With his fiery eyes, he saw the old Taoist who had been stuck in the Primordial Chaos Realm for a hundred years laughing loudly. The moment he learned that becoming an immortal was within reach, his bottleneck began to loosen.

They also saw a young Taoist who had recently reached the Concentration Realm, riding a flying sword straight into the sky, realizing the arrival of the Great Struggle, his brows furrowed with high spirits.

There were also traitors lurking in the shadows, who wanted to exchange resources for selling out the mortal world. When they noticed that Wang Lan had become an immortal, they were so frightened that they quickly canceled the blood sacrifice ritual.

The stagnant world... has come alive!

On the branches of the Myriad Transformations Tree, a new bud sprouted from the flower representing the Ghost True Lord.

As soon as Yang He had a thought, the tender buds blossomed, and Wang Lan's understanding of ghost immortals flooded into his mind. Even though it was derived from his own experience, it still had its merits.

His gaze swept over the other seven disciples, and Wang Lan took the initiative to say, "Ancestor, let me protect my junior brothers during their seclusion. From now on..."

“There’s no need.” Yang He patted Wang Lan on the shoulder. “They will surely become immortals. After you stabilize your cultivation, return to the Grand Commandery. There’s more discord in the court now.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Lan's eyes flashed with undisguised murderous intent. "Dispersion? Perhaps someone is trying to break the rules set by my ancestors. If the emperor doesn't want to sit on that throne, then let them take turns!"

"Also, pay more attention to mundane matters, and at the same time, look for some outstanding talents."

"The disciple understands."

After giving instructions to Wang Lan, Yang He promptly summoned the control panel.

[Common Item: Natural Sand]

[Related Allusions: "The Holy Demon Monk", "The Mountain Ghost", "The Gao Family Ghost", "The Quicksand Ghost"? Consume 1 Spirit Vision to enter the allusion world?]

"determine."

Yang He scanned the available characters and ultimately decided to play the role of [Corpse Celestial Venerable] for the sake of playing it safe.

.........

Two months passed in the blink of an eye, and the chaos caused by the descent of immortals and Buddhas had subsided.

To the common people, life was the same; they only knew that the court had promulgated several laws, including recommending a monk from Hongfu Temple as the living Buddha of the time, and requiring the examination of Lu Zu's secret notes on warding off disasters in the annual imperial examinations.

Li Shimin announced that the Living Buddha of this era, in order to emulate Lü Zu in saving the world, would travel westward to explore the mountains and rivers.

A grand three-day celebration will be held in Chang'an. At the same time, Li Shimin, in order to commend the determination of the living Buddha of the time, will personally lead civil and military officials to see him off.

Boom! ! !
At the third quarter of the hour of Yin (3:45 AM), the morning bell rang first from the Great Ci'en Temple, its deep sound piercing through the thin mist.

Immediately, the bells of Daxingshan Temple, Huasheng Temple, and Hongfu Temple rang out in response.

Boom boom boom! ! !
Tang Sanzang, dressed in a cassock, rode a white horse through the streets, receiving the worship of the people, though his slightly furrowed brows revealed a hint of discomfort.

The common people did indeed regard Tang Sanzang as a living Buddha of their time.

It's not just because Tang Sanzang, after his body and soul were reconstructed, naturally possessed a dignified and solemn Buddhist nature, but also because the Buddha Jingguang personally appeared and enlightened him not long ago. It is said that the descent of immortals and Buddhas to earth some time ago was also to welcome the arrival of Tang Sanzang.

Yang He stood on the second floor of the Western Market's Hu Merchant's Tavern, gazing into the distance. Beside him was Bi Xiao, dressed as a refined young lady, holding a black cat curled up in her arms.

As the bells rang, the gates of each neighborhood opened one after another, and the people who had been waiting for a long time flocked to the streets.

They carried lotus lanterns in their hands, wore sachets around their waists, and their faces were filled with devout joy.

"Brother, why does Li Shimin still want to establish Buddhism as the state religion?" Bixiao asked, her face full of doubt. The birth of Tang Sanzang signified the end of the grand feast, and Li Shimin, having been saved by Lü Dongbin, had now regained control of the court.

"Because of the prevailing trend, he sought help from Lü Dongbin and me, but he could not stay in Chang'an. Li Shimin could only try to take advantage of the situation."

Yang He returned to the world of the story half a month ago. Tang Seng had been practicing in various temples for a long time and had at least eliminated all those shameful habits.

The current situation in Chang'an is very delicate, and it seems that the immortals and Buddhas have reached some kind of consensus.

They almost stopped interfering in the mortal world, while continuing to protect the Tang Dynasty.

Yang He felt that a storm was brewing. Since the Journey to the West Calamity was indeed a real event, disaster was bound to come sooner or later, and the immortals and Buddhas would definitely take measures to protect themselves.

"Brother Zhang, look! The Living Buddha has arrived."

A businessman pointed towards Suzaku Avenue and exclaimed, "Just seeing him once can ward off disaster!"

Tang Sanzang had circled around Chang'an and had arrived at the West Market where Yang He was.

He was willing to make such a spectacle of himself mainly because he didn't want the Tang Dynasty to be in turmoil, so he was willing to lend his power to Li Shimin.

“Brother,” Bixiao said softly, “Tang Sanzang’s scent is getting stronger and stronger. In a few more days, I’m afraid just one person will be enough to attract… the Guixu Demon.”

Currently, the Upper Realm refers to the unknown beings deep within the Ruins as demons, but Yang He cannot discern what exactly they are, let alone immortals or Buddhas.

"kindness."

Yang He shook his head slightly. In his spiritual vision, ripples appeared wherever Tang Seng passed, and the fragrance emanating from his flesh and bones became stronger and stronger.

He had previously been puzzled as to why the journey to the West had repeated itself, but now he understood that Tang Sanzang's journey was also out of necessity, or perhaps it was deliberately guided by Shakyamuni.

If Tang Sanzang doesn't leave Chang'an, the city will fall sooner or later.

The world in the story consists of four continents. The further west you go, the less populated the area becomes, but the closer you are to the Pure Land. The ulterior motives of Shakyamuni are thus quite clear.

"But what is the significance of the westward journey?"

"The Great Tribulation involves the Void. Logically speaking, Tang Sanzang is a scourge, so why send him all the way west? Wouldn't it be simpler to just eliminate him?"

Yang He was puzzled; the level of Shakyamuni was beyond his reach.

All he can do is keep cultivating himself until he becomes a saint, while simultaneously profiting from the historical allusions.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

In the opposite direction from Tang Sanzang, a group of monks dressed in red robes entered through Mingde Gate, holding tin staffs and chanting Buddhist mantras. Li Shimin sat comfortably in a high sedan chair in the center of the monks, with a white hair between his eyebrows.

Red felt had already been laid out on the bluestone slabs, and the monks' robes blended seamlessly with the red felt.

Li Shimin's sedan chair stopped in front of Tang Sanzang's white horse.

Emperor Taizong of Tang wore a plain dragon robe, with twenty-four Buddhist beads hanging around his neck and a Taoist talisman tied at his waist. This combination of Buddhist and Taoist attire was quite strange.

Yang He was able to understand Li Shimin's actions, which shows he was indeed a smart man.

"Royal brother."

Li Shimin's voice was not loud, but it sounded very strong. Even though his body was extremely weak, Yang He knew that Emperor Taizong of Tang was even unable to walk.

Tang Sanzang dismounted, his cassock fluttering without wind, his face calm, but a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

"This humble monk dares not accept such praise."

Tang Sanzang clasped his hands in prayer, and Li Shimin laughed as he lifted the front of his dragon robe.

He actually bowed four times in full view of everyone.

"Your Majesty!" Tang Sanzang hurriedly went to help him up, but Li Shimin had already stood up straight: "On behalf of all the people, I thank my Imperial Brother for his virtue in traveling the world."

The emperor addressed the living Buddha as his brother, which seemed like a deliberate act of humiliation.

In reality, after Li Shimin bowed four times, he was able to extend the Tang Dynasty's fortunes by at least fifty years. If Tang Sanzang could return to Chang'an safely, his prestige would also reach its peak.

Seeing Tang Sanzang's helpless expression, Yang He couldn't help but smile.

Tang Sanzang was formed from his own heart, inheriting a part of the immortal body from the true body. Although he had no cultivation at all, he was even weaker than a mortal.

but……

Tang Sanzang, however, possessed a natural supernatural power.

Immortal Transformation Technique!!

That's right, Yang He's Immortal Transformation Technique was an incomplete version, and Tang Sanzang had to obtain Yang He's permission to transform into an immortal every time he used it.

The Tang Monk's immortality technique is related to the Immaculate Buddha, but its specific power is still unknown.

With just Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong, the four-person pilgrimage group is already more than ten times more reliable than in the original work. It's a pity that Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing have not yet accepted Yang He's training.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Shimin watched Tang Sanzang leave Chang'an.

Tens of thousands of people saw them off, only stopping when they were stopped by soldiers at the city gate.

Just as Tang Sanzang rode his horse out of Chang'an, Yang He's interface displayed a notification.

[The storyline "The Holy Demon Monk" is complete; permanent character slots: 2]

Yang He didn't rush to create a permanent character. He turned to look at Bixiao and said, "Bixiao, it's about time you returned to the Pure Land. Don't stay in the mortal realm for too long, or the aura of the Void will erode your body and soul."

Once the body and soul are out of control, Bixiao has no Daoist temple like Yang He's to counteract the aura of returning to nothingness.

Forced by circumstances, many immortals and Buddhas have no choice but to eat Tang Sanzang's flesh, a situation that reflects the current state of affairs for many deities and Buddhas.

"Brother, please take good care of yourself."

Bixiao was somewhat reluctant to part, "Brother, my eldest and second sisters were originally going to descend to the mortal realm to guard Chang'an, but the trouble that occurred in Lingxiao Palace caused a delay. I'm afraid..."

Yang He knew that Bi Xiao was worried about his safety, and that the trouble in Lingxiao Palace was clearly caused by the Heavenly Court holding back the Dou Department.

The Five Elders will definitely participate, and the Four Emperors... are also very likely to be involved.

“Brother, I have already taught the Ksitigarbha Sutra to the little fox. It will not have any confusion in front of the Great Luo Golden Immortal. I will consult the Medicine Master Sage later.”

Meow!
The black cat was liquid-like, looking completely hollowed out.

"Yes, be careful."

Bixiao leaped up and stomped on Yang He's head, transforming into five-colored divine light and disappearing without a trace.

Yang He scratched the back of his head, then left Chang'an, this place of trouble, and sped towards the border of the Tang Dynasty. There had been news of the three demons of Chechi Kingdom not long ago.

Sun Wukong, who had been imprisoned under the Five Fingers Mountain for five hundred years, has finally been found!!!
"At the speed at which Tang Sanzang rode westward, it would take at least half a year to reach Wuzhi Mountain. If Wukong were rescued before the story began, I wonder what the consequences would be."

"Hehe, I guess we'll lose two permanent character slots. Maybe we should persuade Wukong to stay a few more days."

Yang He was suddenly taken aback, realizing that there was a shortcut to the next three anecdotes: he could subdue his three disciples in advance and teach them a thing or two.

(End of this chapter)