I start by accepting Sun Wukong as my disciple and reshape the Journey to the West

Chapter 144 Making Things Difficult for Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
"If the westward journey is ruined, you, Bodhisattva, will be held responsible!"

Ye Xuantian's tone was so cold that it caused the smile on Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's face to vanish completely.

"Does the sage think that by taking my divine thoughts, he can truly control me?" Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's response was somewhat domineering, causing Di Ting to tense up, as if he would attack at the slightest command from Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

"I wouldn't dare. The Bodhisattva's methods are unpredictable. I naturally don't believe that a single divine thought can restrain the Bodhisattva. After all, it's really not worth it for me to create an avatar that's even greedy for such a small benefit as Asura."

Upon hearing this, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's expression changed drastically.

"what are you saying!?"

Although Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva asked a question, there was not a trace of doubt hidden in his words.

“When the Bodhisattva descended upon Flower Fruit Mountain with supreme power in the past, his aura was vast and boundless, and the Buddhist fortune he could attract was extraordinary. Even I had to be careful.”

"But every time I met the Bodhisattva later, the Buddhist fortune that the Bodhisattva could mobilize was really weak. At first, I thought it was just my imagination. It wasn't until I fought with Mosquito Taoist not long ago that I realized where the problem was."

Ye Xuantian's tone was extremely confident: "As the one who plays against me, the Bodhisattva has always remained detached from the matter. The desires hidden in his clone are too strong. Every time, he tries to gain some advantage with his cleverness, but he loses his sense of proportion and still manages to benefit repeatedly."

"Even if it's like today, if I really disregard everything and destroy the Bodhisattva's divine will, then the game between me and the Bodhisattva will come to the point where I have to use my trump card. The Bodhisattva can then use my destruction of the Buddhist cause and effect as an excuse to absorb all the merits I've accumulated. After all, Heaven is happy to see this happen. Am I right?"

With each additional word Ye Xuantian spoke, the expression on Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's face grew more serious.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva looked at the power of desire flickering between Ye Xuantian's brows and remained silent for a long time.

“Since the Bodhisattva refuses to answer, it can be considered as tacit agreement. If the Bodhisattva truly only wishes to sever the merit at this moment and never participate in the Western Journey again, then today I can do as the Bodhisattva wishes and destroy this divine thought.”

As Ye Xuantian spoke, a divine thought appeared in his hand, which was the one belonging to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

“Sage, you are being far too domineering. Do you really think that I can’t play this game without you? If you are willing to leave some room for me, we can naturally continue to cooperate. Why make things so ruthless!” Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva finally spoke.

"It seems that the Bodhisattva was used to taking advantage of others in ancient times. I have already let the Bodhisattva do as he pleases several times because of the great vow he made in the cycle of reincarnation. However, every step he takes next involves the fundamental nature of countless eons. If the Bodhisattva continues to value petty gains and hides behind the chessboard in fear, then the Bodhisattva is no longer worthy to be my partner!"

After Ye Xuantian finished speaking, he did not give Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva a chance to explain again and immediately tried to crush the divine thought.

But Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is faster.

Click!

With a loud bang, a crack appeared on the body of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and then with a boom, it turned into ashes.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva actually chose to self-destruct this clone, and Ye Xuantian's divine sense naturally dissipated as well.

Seeing this, Di Ting immediately prostrated itself on the ground, letting out a mournful whine, and its gaze towards Ye Xuantian was filled with even more fear.

Di Ting was well aware of Ye Xuantian's strength. After all, in the numerous battles between Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and Ye Xuantian, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva had never truly gained the upper hand.

Every time Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva made a move, Ye Xuantian was able to detect it and cleverly resolve it, which even made Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva apologize several times.

But past contests were just contests, at most resulting in some injuries. Never before had Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva been forced to choose to destroy his own avatar as he did today.

Ye Xuantian's lips curled into a slight smile as he watched a golden statue slowly rise from within the swastika.

Just one glance made him feel the weight of his sins and the desire to convert. The vast Buddhist aura emanating from him was boundless. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at Ye Xuantian.

"The sage truly has excellent eyesight!" With just one sentence, everything around here exuded a Buddhist aura, inspiring an urge to prostrate oneself in worship.

"It is the Bodhisattva who is powerful. He has never revealed his true form from beginning to end. If it weren't for the overwhelming Buddhist aura on the swastika today, which could ignore the power of the void and help my good-for-nothing disciple several times, I really might not have been able to discover that the Bodhisattva has been using clones to play chess with me all along."

Ye Xuantian remained extremely calm, but his words revealed even more admiration.

"These are just some underhanded self-preservation tactics. Since the Sage can't stand it anymore, I will personally take action today as an apology."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva slapped the pool of blood with one hand.

Seemingly sensing danger, a ferocious face appeared amidst the bloodstains: "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, if you dare to attack my Asura lineage, when I take control of Mount Sumeru, I will devour all your power and strip you of your true name, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva."

The words emanating from that狰狞 (zhengning, meaning ferocious or hideous) face carried a powerful curse: "If you, Ancestor Styx, truly have such confidence, I will wait for you right here. I, Buddha Tathagata, will make you understand what salvation truly means! You want to strip me of my true name? You dare to do so?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's palm slammed down.

boom!
His hideous face shattered completely, and his golden hand slapped the pool of blood directly into the blood river.

Instantly, the blood river boiled, and endless white bones surged out of it as if they were courting death, but they were all suppressed by the golden palm.

"Mosquito Taoist, you came from here, why don't you return!"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva raised his eyes and looked into the void.

At this moment, within the rice paddy domain, Dongfang Shuo threw his spear into the air, swallowed all the peaches in his mouth, and then shouted: "The Asura lineage is despised by Heaven and Earth, and is intolerable to the Three Paths. Now, Dongfang Shuo, a disciple of the Eastern Emperor and the adopted son of the Queen Mother of the West, is moved by the power of the Asura lineage that has brought calamity to the region. Therefore, I request the Heavenly Net to restrain their souls!"

As Dongfang Shuo finished speaking, countless chains flew out from the spear and pounced on Mosquito Daoist with lightning speed.

The Mosquito Taoist already had countless wounds on his body. Seeing Dongfang Shuo unleash his ultimate move, he did not hesitate and immediately sat cross-legged, clasping his hands together: "Wearing this cassock, I will not be noticed by the Three Realms!"

hum!
Instantly, the brocade robe on his body emitted a dazzling golden light, which then transformed into a large golden bell that enveloped his body.

Ding-ding-ding-ding!

A metallic clanging sound rang out, and all the chains fell onto the golden bell.

"Hmph, you brat, if the laws of heaven and earth can bind my mortal soul now, then what did my self-destruction of cultivation mean? As long as I wear the cassock, you have no way to..."

Mosquito Taoist's voice suddenly stopped, and he looked at himself inside the Golden Bell Shield in disbelief.

"When did I leave my physical body? No, I want to go back! That is my physical body. Jin Chanzi's lifespan has not ended, you cannot restrain my soul at this time."

As Mosquito Taoist was about to enter the Golden Bell Shield, the Heavenly Dao Chains that were meant to bind Xuanzang's physical body quickly bound his body inside, along with the golden bell. All of them were locked inside by the Heavenly Dao Chains.

When Mosquito Taoist tried to rush in, he was directly repelled by the Heavenly Dao Chains and the Golden Bell Shield.

"impossible!"

The moment Mosquito Taoist realized that he truly could not return to Xuanzang's physical body, he panicked. He didn't understand what had gone wrong, but he knew that if he stayed here, he would die.

He immediately tried to escape into the void without hesitation, but at that moment, the voice of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva rang out in the void.

"Mosquito Taoist, you came from here, why don't you return!"

The moment the words fell, a swastika appeared beneath Mosquito Taoist's soul, from which countless rays of Buddhist light surged forth, transforming into giant hands that grabbed Mosquito Taoist's soul and carried him away from the rice paddy domain. "No!"

Above the rice paddies, the echoes of the Mosquito Taoist's roar could be heard.

Dongfang Shuo scratched his head in disbelief and looked at Lu Ya to the side: "Uncle-Master, it was Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva who made a move!"

Lu Ya nodded: "That's right. It would be strange if he didn't make a move. It seems that your master's strategy worked."

"What about him?" Dongfang Shuo pointed to Xuanzang, who was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, surrounded by the Golden Bell Shield and the Heavenly Net.

"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. Matters of the mortal world are no longer within our control. We're leaving!"

With a casual flick of his wrist, Lu Ya caused all the rice paddies to vanish.

Inside the vast palace, Li Shimin was startled to see the monk Xuanzang, who had suddenly appeared before him, sitting cross-legged and covered in cold sweat.

"Protect the Emperor!" Qin Qiong shouted, but Li Shimin quickly replied, "No need. Master Xuanzang is already Master Xuanzang! There's no need to panic."

Hearing Lu Ya's voice transmission in his ear, Li Shimin finally breathed a sigh of relief. If that Mosquito Taoist were still alive, no matter how powerful the twenty-four ministers were, they probably wouldn't have any chance.

Fortunately, everything has returned to normal, and the problem has finally been resolved.

"Place Master Xuanzang in a side hall. He will preside over the Water and Land Assembly soon, and at that time, invite Master Xuanzang to go to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and obtain scriptures!"

"Yes!"

Yuchi Gong was ordered to step forward and carry the monk Xuanzang away.

"Your Majesty, what should we do with Liu Quan?" Xiao Yu was quick-witted. Seeing Li Shimin arranging things in such an orderly manner, he naturally knew that there was a master to guide him. He immediately looked at Liu Quan on the side.

"We'll have to wait and see if he can return alive!"

"Ah? Your Majesty, you must be confused. He has already stopped breathing. How could he possibly be alive and back?" Wei Zheng looked at Li Shimin in astonishment.

"Then how do you explain the disappearance of Master Xuanzang and that other master?"

Li Shimin retorted irritably, and Wei Zheng immediately shut up. During this period, the Tang Dynasty had indeed experienced too many supernatural events. They had even been to the underworld, so it didn't seem so hard to accept that a dead person could be brought back to life.

"You should all go back and rest. I'll call you when Liu Quan wakes up!" Li Shimin waved his hand, intending to let everyone go back to rest, but everyone shook their heads.

What a joke! Who wouldn't want to witness Liu Quan's resurrection?

Seeing this, Li Shimin did not insist. Although he had indeed experienced a lot during this period, he still needed to have a sense of awe for matters of ghosts and gods. He was actually a little afraid of having to guard the lifeless Liu Quan alone.

Seeing that no one intended to leave, he naturally didn't say anything more.

Meanwhile, in the Netherworld, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva saw the Mosquito Taoist's soul being pulled into the River of Blood. He immediately chanted a mantra, and instantly, the swastika began to gather little by little, eventually merging completely.

"Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, we, the Asura lineage, will remember this cause and effect!"

In the final instant the swastika closed, the voice of the Styx Ancestor once again emanated from within it.

"Your Majesty, do you see whether what I have done this time is in accordance with your wishes?"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva looked at Ye Xuantian, and a hint of a smile appeared in his words.

Regardless of their previous confrontation, they ultimately did not fail in their strategic planning, which is very important.

Ye Xuantian did not directly answer Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's question, but instead looked at Liu Quan to the side.

"He had great courage and died for the Tang Emperor. Logically speaking, he should not have died today."

"Sage, you're putting me in a difficult position."

"I am not discussing this with the Bodhisattva. After all, the Bodhisattva knows very well that if I had not come today, my disciple would have been severely injured before I could seal the Mosquito Daoist. So please understand, Bodhisattva, I am giving you a chance to atone for your sins!"

Upon hearing this, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's face showed a strange expression.

“Sage, you’re being a bit unreasonable. I was just greedy for a little advantage. Sending souls into the mortal world is a matter for the Ten Kings of Hell.”

"So the Bodhisattva doesn't want to do this anymore?"

Ye Xuantian's tone turned slightly colder, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva showed a bitter smile.

"If I had known the sage would be so aggressive, I shouldn't have stayed behind the scenes!"

"Please, Bodhisattva, intervene!"

Ye Xuantian cupped his hands slightly to express his respect.

The power of Dharma surged within the palm of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and a vast aura blossomed forth at this moment.

"Open the gate of reincarnation!"

As His voice faded, a void gate appeared before Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, containing countless believers.

They were all reciting the true name of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

"Liu Quan, come inside at once!"

Judge Cui immediately pushed Liu Quan into the void gate.

"My lord, I really don't want to live anymore, please don't send me back!"

Upon hearing this, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva frowned, then waved his hand, and the void gate closed directly.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva said irritably, "What's the point of sending someone who is determined to die back to me, as instructed by the sage?"

"It doesn't really matter; I was just trying to see if the Bodhisattva truly wanted to continue cooperating with me!"

"you!"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's face showed a hint of helplessness: "I want to ask, does the sage really have the means to push me off the card table?"

"Didn't the Bodhisattva give me the chips the first time we met?" Ye Xuantian replied.

(End of this chapter)