Mythology

Chapter 489 The Great Tribulation of Journey to the West Has Arrived
Seeing that the Buddhas, led by Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, still had reservations, Akshobhya Buddha smiled and continued, "Amitabha, before I descended to the mortal realm, I consulted the sage Maitreya and calculated the cause and effect. Yang He is currently undergoing three calamities and six tribulations and has no time to attend to Wuzhi Mountain."

He stopped outside Wuzhi Mountain and watched as the Arhats escorted Tang Sanzang into it.

The prayer flags were laid out around Tang Sanzang, emitting a strong smell of blood.

Immediately, a rustling sound came from the air, and a large number of strange birds and beasts gathered, all casting greedy glances at Tang Sanzang.

The Arhats didn't care, even though they were at the lowest level in the Pure Land.

They are even mass-producible beings, just like the immortals and Taoist children of the Heavenly Court. However, Arhats are true immortals after all, so they naturally cannot be afraid of demons and monsters in the mortal world.

"Amitabha."

Akshobhya Buddha clasped his hands together, a hint of pity showing between his brows.

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and Manjushri Bodhisattva exchanged a glance, and the two couldn't help but feel apprehensive. Among Maitreya Buddha's disciples, Akshobhya Buddha was the most likely to ascend to the Saha world as a Buddha, and this descent to the mortal realm was clearly at the behest of a sage.

They didn't think Akshobhya Buddha was there to subdue any evil spirits.

Everyone knows Maitreya Buddha's appetite. His sacred mountain is home to countless demons and monsters. It is said that once a saint rises up, he will devour 37,000 of them.

Could it be... related to the medicinal herbs Jin Chanzi took on his westward journey?

The white elephant neighs.

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva looked at Tang Sanzang. At present, the feedback from the so-called great medicine was still very weak, barely enough to support the Arhats' cultivation, let alone himself.

Tang Sanzang's head throbbed with pain. He couldn't understand what was happening before him, yet he felt it was all normal.

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva was unsure how to raise the Golden Cicada, a powerful medicine, but he would likely see it soon. At the same time, he marveled at the terrifying progress of Yang He's cultivation.

Even immortals and Buddhas need to overcome numerous calamities and tribulations, but none of them are without many concerns.

Unless one is absolutely certain, how can one rashly confront a potential disaster?

"My nephew only spent a mere five hundred years to go from a True Immortal to a Great Luo Golden Immortal. With his immortal and indestructible supernatural abilities, he must be close to becoming a Primordial Golden Immortal."

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva breathed a sigh of relief, having previously been wary of Yang Hehui interfering in Jin Chanzi's journey to the West.

It seems they are too busy to take care of themselves now. Well, that's fine too. Once the candidates for the pilgrimage are decided, it will be almost impossible for Yang He to interfere.

As Samantabhadra Bodhisattva pondered, the bloody smell emanating from the prayer flags grew even stronger.

Tens of thousands of Arhats fought independently, protecting Tang Sanzang so thoroughly that not only demons and evil spirits, but even heavenly soldiers and generals would find it difficult to breach their defenses.

The Bodhisattvas all realized something was amiss and did not choose to set foot on the Five Finger Mountain.

Akshobhya Buddha began by introducing himself: "Among the two thousand Arhats I brought, the one who holds the seal is the most esteemed. He is my junior disciple whom I have taught for two hundred years."

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva looked at the Arhat holding the seal, whose body was over three meters tall, full of energy and blood, and whose four arms were embracing a pure black mudra.

It's just that he lacks the fruition level; otherwise, the Arhat who holds the seal could have been promoted to Bodhisattva long ago.

"Buddha, the Arhats who participated in the pilgrimage to the West must have been seeking the attainment of a Bodhisattva status, right?" Bodhisattva Samantabhadra was very curious, how could a disciple of a saint lack such a status?

"Amitabha."

Akshobhya Buddha smiled without speaking or responding. As the prayer flags waved, black blood began to seep from the ground. The birds and beasts began to tear at each other, and then the organs that originally belonged to the demons were put back together.

The Arhat holding the seal took the lead and respectfully bowed to Akshobhya Buddha.

"Today I follow the Buddha down to the mortal realm to vanquish demons and monsters. As an Arhat under Akshobhya Buddha, it is my duty to do so. Amitabha."

Akshobhya Buddha's smile deepened, and he nodded with satisfaction at the Arhat who touched the seal.

Ho ho ho! ! !
By this time, many demons had already taken shape.

The three-eyed toad exhaled a putrid stench strong enough to corrode souls and bones; the white-nest bone spider wove a web of resentment; and the pack of human-faced wolves howled and crawled toward the Arhat.

For five hundred years, Wuzhi Mountain has gathered yin energy from thousands of miles away, attracting countless demons.

Even though they were sealed off by the Five Finger Mountain, the demons' cultivation improved, but they did not become immortals.

"Amitabha Buddha, there is nothing to worry about."

The Arhat Fuyin stepped forward, then drew his demon-subduing staff. A golden wheel of merit appeared behind his head, and his imposing aura forcefully suppressed the chaotic scene of the demons dancing wildly.

"Om Ah Hum."

The Arhat struck the ground with force, causing it to crack open a hundred meters wide. The three-eyed toad was shaken so badly that its belly was up, and even the venom it spewed out couldn't penetrate the Arhat's protective aura.

With a flick of his wrist, he easily smashed the three-eyed toad's skull with his demon-subduing staff.

Among the horde of demons, the Three-Eyed Toad, with its cultivation at the Primordial Chaos Realm, was already considered a demon king, yet it couldn't even withstand a single blow from the Arhat with the Seal of the Buddha.

"drink!"

The Arhat, as if entering an empty field, swept his demon-subduing staff across the land with wide, sweeping motions.

The demons were all turned into minced meat, and the stench of blood grew stronger and stronger.

The Arhats immediately vied for credit, and the eighteen monks with staffs formed an Arhat formation, wielding their staffs with impenetrable force. The white bone spider could only hold out for half a breath before being pulverized.

Seeing this, the wolf king with human faces tried to escape, but then the one-armed arhat threw a punch.

With a whimper, the wolf king's spine broke, and its internal organs were torn apart.

Tang Sanzang sat on the white elephant with a frown, veins bulging on his forehead. Thoughts kept repeating in his mind: these monks were not people Li Shimin could possibly have contact with.

But the memory was so vivid that it threw his thoughts into disarray.

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva looked puzzled. Many demons had died suddenly, so why hadn't Jin Chanzi changed? Logically speaking, wasn't the journey to the West just about gathering medicine?
All the bodhisattvas turned their gaze to Akshobhya Buddha, whose smile grew increasingly exaggerated.

His mouth was stretched to his ears, and saliva dripped from his sharp teeth.

Akshobhya Buddha continued to praise: "The resources I have spent on the Arhats who have been nurtured are enough to make four Bodhisattvas, yet I have not yet granted them the fruition. Do you know why?"

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's expression changed drastically, staring at Akshobhya Buddha in astonishment.

Akshobhya Buddha looked around at the bodhisattvas, extended his right hand and made a hand seal, "Amitabha Buddha, my disciple, go now."

The moment the five fingers come together.

Suddenly, the Arhat's expression changed drastically. He felt a burning sensation in his chest. Ignoring the demons gnawing at his flesh, he quickly tore open his robe.

In the center of his chest, a swastika was embedded in the surface of his skin.

Fuyin Luohan stared incredulously beyond Five Finger Mountain, his eyes filled with despair. "My lord, Fuyin has served you for two hundred years, why..."

The swastika symbol devoured the cultivation, and in a short moment, the yin energy had vanished.

Only the life force of the Arhat holding the seal remained, and the protective Buddha light disappeared.

The Arhat Fuyin was caught off guard and his wrist was bitten by the human-faced wolf. He tried to break free but the demon tore off a piece of flesh, causing him to howl in pain.

The wolf with the human face devoured the flesh and blood, and the fear in its eyes instantly turned into a fierce glint.

His cultivation level immediately broke through two realms, making him the new demon king of the wolf pack.

Woohoo! ! !

A dozen wolf demons pounced, and the Arhat Fuyin was devoured amidst screams of agony.

"Amitabha, good, good, good."

Akshobhya Buddha smiled and continued to make hand seals, and swastikas appeared on the chests of all the Arhats. In an instant, the situation reversed, and the demons began to besiege the Arhats.

The corpses fell to the ground one by one, unable to rise.

Fortunately, the Arhats had a numerical advantage. Even without any cultivation, they could still barely manage to kill the demons by relying on their strength, and the stench of blood grew stronger and stronger.

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva retreated several steps, his expression filled with surprise and uncertainty.

He noticed that as the Arhat died, the Buddha's light surged into Tang Sanzang's body in unison, and the medicinal fragrance of Tang Sanzang became stronger. In a short while, the fragrance was comparable to the peaches of immortality in the front area.

"No, demons clearly increase their cultivation by eating people!!!" Bodhisattva Samantabhadra found it hard to believe, because if Arhats could be used to nourish medicine, then Bodhisattvas could do the same.

Even the Buddha, Saha...

Akshobhya Buddha squinted and said in a calm tone, "What you and I cultivate is merely the middle-level Buddhism. If we don't refine that fruition, do you think you can have great supernatural powers and live forever? Hahaha."

Manjushri Bodhisattva felt a chill run through his body. "How could that demon have increased its spiritual power?"

Akshobhya Buddha raised his eyes and replied, "Everyone, after losing our attainment, aren't we just ordinary people? What difference is there between demons eating humans and demons eating Buddhas?"

When Manjushri Bodhisattva saw the Arhat's death and his transformation into Buddha's light merge with Tang Sanzang, he felt his mind in turmoil.

"Mahayana Buddhism consists of...the Seven Noble Ones?"

"Amitabha."

Akshobhya Buddha nodded slightly, "So Arhats are just consumables. If Arhats don't die, it's you Bodhisattvas who will die. Don't worry, I've brought two thousand followers, enough for Jin Chanzi to complete his first...transformation."

The prayer beads on Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's wrist fell off, and the shadows of the Seven Saints pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe.

Most Bodhisattvas are heavenly beings from the Pure Land who attain enlightenment and quickly accept the fate of becoming mere waste material, but Samantabhadra Bodhisattva finds it difficult to let go of this.

Including Yang He, the Seven Sages are nothing short of monsters!!
ho...

Tang Sanzang curled up into a ball, his internal organs making a chilling noise, then his back bulged high, as if thousands of insects were crawling among his flesh.

As the skin cracked, a red line ran from the back of the neck straight down to the tailbone.

"Jin Chanzi needs to undergo eighty-one transformations. The first one consumes more Arhats, but the subsequent transformations will proceed naturally."

"But remember this," Akshobhya Buddha said softly, "if the nutrients are insufficient, the Golden Cicada will inevitably suffer a backlash, and may even gradually lose its human form."

A fair and jade-like arm emerged from the crack in Tang Sanzang's back.

When the newly born Tang Sanzang emerged from his old body like a cicada shedding its shell, hordes of demons abandoned the Arhats and instead pounced on Tang Sanzang.

Its aroma is captivating, and its medicinal properties are comparable to those of the peaches from the Central Region.

Tang Sanzang sat cross-legged on a lotus platform, the vermilion dot between his eyebrows more radiant than the morning sun; he could only be described as perfect.

Akshobhya Buddha flicked his sleeves, and the wide kasaya unfolded like a canopy, sucking the remaining demons into it as they roared, causing the kasaya to bulge with countless struggling bulges.

As you chew, the bulge gradually flattens, and the veins on the robe become visible.

"Amitabha."

Akshobhya Buddha withdrew his hand gesture, and the swastika mark on the Arhat's chest simultaneously disappeared.

They stared in shock at the wreckage scattered on the ground, finding it hard to believe that some of the Arhats had died in the mouths of wild beasts that had just become demons. Several of them had gone mad with fright.

Akshobhya Buddha turned to face the bodhisattvas, the veins on his robe still pulsating slightly. "When Jin Chanzi wakes up, he will forget everything. You shall continue your journey westward. If there are not enough Arhats, you may choose ordinary people..."

mortal?

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva was speechless, for how many mortals could compare to an Arhat?

Are we going to eat our way all the way to Lingshan?
"It smells so tempting, what if a demon tries to take advantage of it?"

The questioning voice was slightly shrill, and Akshobhya Buddha subconsciously replied, "Take the limbs of the Golden Cicada and give them to the demon; the great elixir was refined by a sage..."

Akshobhya Buddha paused, and a figure appeared on the back of the white elephant without anyone noticing.

Sun Wukong, holding a single monkey hair, stood high above, looking down at the crowd.

"It smells good!"

Sun Wukong scratched his head, even though others shared the medicinal power, it still significantly nourished his body and soul, and his cultivation gradually approached that of a Hunyuan Golden Immortal.

He stretched lazily and stuffed the monkey hair into his mouth to chew.

Click.

With a crisp cracking sound, the ground of Wuzhi Mountain shattered into pieces, and amidst the scattered rocks, golden light shot into the sky, and Sun Wukong's body and soul were completely restored.

The golden light faded, revealing the hairy face and mouth of the Thunder God, who wore a phoenix-winged purple-gold crown.

"Tell the old Buddha."

Sun Wukong slung his golden cudgel over his shoulder, his fiery eyes sweeping over the assembled bodhisattvas, and declared, "I, Old Sun, will personally deliver this Golden Cicada to Mount Ling!!!"

He grinned, his fangs gleaming coldly.

"Then I, Old Sun, will smash Leiyin Temple to pieces!!!"

Akshobhya Buddha's robe billowed as he roared, "You demon monkey! Do you know..."

"Noisy!"

The golden cudgel suddenly extended, instantly shattering the purple-gold alms bowl that Akshobhya Buddha had hastily conjured.

The staff's momentum did not diminish, and it struck the Buddha squarely in the chest.

Boom!
Akshobhya Buddha, his face ashen, summoned his Buddha light to block the Ruyi Jingu Bang. In the blink of an eye, Sun Wukong had already transformed into a four-headed, eight-armed Hunshi Dharma Body!

Sun Wukong had been holding back for over five hundred years; how could he possibly let Akshobhya Buddha, this punching bag, go?

Suddenly, a barrage of sticks appeared.

The bodhisattvas transformed into streams of light and scattered in all directions, not even having the courage to look back.

The green lion and white elephant let out mournful cries, abandoned by their master like worn-out shoes. Then Sun Wukong kicked them to death. Before Lion Camel Ridge even began, two of the three demons had already died.

The mountains crumbled and the earth cracked, and Sun Wukong grinned with glee.

Boom! ! !
Only when Akshobhya Buddha's head was smashed into his chest cavity by tremendous force, becoming a headless fleshy stump, did Sun Wukong reluctantly retract his golden cudgel.

"Is this all the old man Maitreya's disciple is capable of? He's too weak to take a beating."

"Oh right, Master told me to collect all the corpses of immortals and Buddhas, I almost forgot."

Sun Wukong opened his mouth and swallowed, and the corpse disappeared.

"Well."

He heard Tang Sanzang's muffled groan as he was about to wake up. Lei Gong's mouth moved close to the latter, and then knocked him unconscious with another blow. "Third Brother Yang, Deer, and Tiger, go to the Flowing Sand River to welcome Master out of the pass. I, Old Sun, will also go and take a look."

Sun Wukong grabbed Tang Sanzang and used his escape technique, his five-colored divine light disappearing into the clouds.

.........

[The storyline "The Mountain Ghost" is complete; permanent character slots: 4]

Yang He weakly opened his eyes; it seemed that things were going very smoothly with Wukong.

"But if Wukong passes through Gao Village, what if... Never mind, it doesn't matter if he kills Zhu Bajie, as long as the story is completed."

Yang He closed his eyes and continued to endure the three calamities. A few days later, the panel reappeared.

[The story "Gao Family Ghost" is complete; permanent character slots: 6]

"Hehe, reliable."

Yang He soon received good news as well. The five signs of decay in the celestial beings were finally showing signs of ending. His extremely aged body was gradually reviving, his flesh and blood became fuller, black halos appeared on his hair roots, and his bones healed and reorganized.

He knew that the process of recovering from old age before the next drowning disaster would be a chance to catch his breath.

Yang He quickly scanned all the seals to confirm that no transmission of thought had been missed.

"wrong."

The frequency of spiritual vision is increasing dramatically, but unlike when facing a sage, the source should be the Way of Heaven.

The great calamity of Journey to the West seems to be...coming?
(End of this chapter)