Chosen Evolution: I can load the protagonist template

Chapter 794 Of these eighty-one tribulations, how could I, Cheng Tian, ​​be spared?

You have successfully demonstrated the proper demeanor and power of "Erlang Shen incarnation" in the mortal realm.

[You, posing as an incarnation of Erlang Shen, extended an invitation to recruit the Tiger Power Immortal, Deer Power Immortal, and Sheep Power Immortal.]

Tiger Power, Deer Power, and Sheep Power chose to bow down in reverence.

The spatial information suddenly paused here, and then a gaze that was even more domineering than when Cheng Tian used his Heavenly Eye to scan, and was clearly meant to be perceived by the three immortals, descended from the sky.

The three wild game soldiers, their heads still embedded in the paving stones, seemed to return to their pre-human form, experiencing the helplessness of struggling to find food in the icy wilderness.

Erlang Shen has initiated a retrospective investigation into the tiger, deer, and sheep.

[Review approved.]

[The background identities of Tiger Power, Deer Power, and Sheep Power have been officially changed from "idle demons in the wild" to "grass-root gods under Erlang Shen," and they will temporarily be affiliated with you.]

When you use the "Prince's Sword" effect to summon the "Silver Royal Guard" in other dungeons, you can switch to the "Grass God Royal Guard" before summoning. At that time, Tiger Power, Deer Power, and Sheep Power will be summoned simultaneously as the "Grass God Royal Guard Captain," with one of them randomly selected. Only one Tiger Power, Deer Power, or Sheep Power summoned in this way can exist at any given time.

The Grass-Head Divine Weaving will not affect Tiger Power, Deer Power, and Sheep Power's status as "National Preceptors of Chechi Kingdom," but because the three demons have indirectly acquired the background of the "Heavenly Court," they will passively come into the sights of certain people, and initially become tools for becoming "pawns" in the power struggle among multiple forces.

The existence of the three demons, Tiger Power, Deer Power, and Sheep Power, is related to three of the eighty-one tribulations faced by Tang Sanzang and his disciples on their journey to the West: "Delay in Transporting the Cart," "A Big Gamble," and "Eliminating Taoism and Promoting Buddhism."

You have successfully triggered a hidden main quest prerequisite choice!

Upon seeing this, Cheng Tian was slightly taken aback, and then everything in his perception came to a standstill, without a single sound.

Looking up, I saw that the entire space had entered a static state similar to the main storyline settlement.

Apart from Cheng Tian and his team, the three players currently in the spectator stands, all the NPCs in Chechi Kingdom were frozen in place... including even the real Erlang Shen who was being scrutinized by the three demons!

[Option 1: Let the three demons do as they please in Chechi Kingdom, following the original story's arrangement, allowing them to clash with the pilgrimage team that will soon arrive. In this case, you can still follow the pilgrimage team's route and trigger the regular main quest without receiving special attention from Buddhism due to the conflict with Mount Putuo.]

[Option Two: Personally intervene in the actions of the three demons and prevent the pilgrimage team from completing the three tribulations of "moving Chechi", "gambling on the outcome", and "eliminating Taoism and promoting Buddhism" in Chechi Kingdom. Successfully completing any one of these tribulations will be considered as completing the main quest.]

If you choose "Option Two," you will truly become a thorn in the side of Buddhism, completely standing against it. Furthermore, you will no longer be able to trigger the main questline related to the pilgrimage team in a normal way, which will lead to unpredictable changes in the subsequent course of *Journey to the West: The Legend of the Monkey King*.

You can think things through carefully before making your choice. The current instance will not advance any time until you make your decision.

[Additional note: Complete opposition to Buddhism does not equate to complete opposition to the "pilgrimage team."]

After reading all the prompts, Cheng Tian's expression became unusually serious.

There's a saying that goes, "As people age and gain more experience, the insights they gain when revisiting works they've seen in the past are completely different." Cheng Tian didn't feel much of a connection when he was younger, but now, approaching thirty, after years of working on the streets under the sun and wind, he's gained some understanding of the hardships involved.

Although the 86 TV series Journey to the West and its sequel in 02 were heavily modified, the visual and auditory exposure they received at least once every summer and winter vacation had a far more profound impact than the original text.

The deaths of the three immortals in the original work were indeed largely their own fault. If they had been more restrained and had been willing to apologize and admit their mistakes, they wouldn't have ended up with demonic deaths. But ultimately, the most fundamental problem with their deaths was that they had no powerful backing to rely on.

Look at the goldfish spirit, Guanyin's beloved pet. It had eight pairs of children in its belly and had occupied the water palace for nine years, yet all its past sins could be erased with just the words "lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot," without even a trace of real punishment...

After realizing this, Cheng Tian began to have no good feelings towards the Buddhist sect, which was full of double standards.

In Cheng Tian's view, people who keep saying "lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot" are no different from those who run to the church to ask God for forgiveness after a school shooting.

I've prayed to God and worshipped Buddha, so these sins have nothing to do with me anymore!
What? What if you commit another crime later? Then just pray and worship again~ God and Buddha will forgive you!
Now Cheng Tian faces two choices: one is to follow the established route, allowing the pilgrimage team to continue overcoming tribulations step by step, and finally reach the Western Paradise to obtain the true scriptures.

The other one is that Cheng Tian himself will become one of the tribulations of the pilgrimage team!

Having received the exact same notification, Eileen and Clever Head naturally gathered around Cheng Tian after discovering that the copy had stopped moving.

For these two beings who originated from a parallel universe on Earth but are not Chinese, Journey to the West is merely a foreign mythological story, no different from Greek mythology, so they are not quite clear about what this choice between the two represents.

But when they got to Cheng Tian's side and saw the wide grin on their captain's face, they knew that Cheng Tian had already made his decision.

In the spatial prompt in front of Cheng Tian, ​​the option "Option 1" quickly disappeared, leaving only "Option 2".

You have made a crucial decision.

You have triggered a brand new main quest series – "I Am Calamity".

Team Mission: Interfere with the Tang Monk and his disciples' journey to the Kingdom of Chechi as they approach, preventing them from completing at least one of the three trials: "Transporting Chechi," "A Big Gamble," and "Eliminating Taoism and Promoting Buddhism."

Basic reward: Your final main storyline rating will increase by 1 tier. If you successfully prevent all three difficulties, your final main storyline rating will increase by 2 tiers.

Your teammates have made the exact same decision.

The pilgrimage team will officially arrive in Chechi Kingdom in twelve hours.

[Additional note: Sometimes, creating disaster isn't just about becoming an enemy...]

(End of this chapter)