Investiture of the Gods: I am Bigan, the Master of Conspiracy

Inside the Wuzhuang Temple, Yin Ziyu and Guanyin were both present. Zhen Yuanzi decided not to activate the great formation, and all parties in the Three Realms were watching to see what Yin Ziyu was up to.

But what they saw was Sun Wukong making a laughingstock of the Three Realms, which immediately astonished everyone present.

However, although Guanyin was embarrassed, she was unable to stop it.

Luo Shen and Yin Ziyu sat cross-legged. Luo Shen asked in secret, "Ziyu, this monkey is so ignorant, should we continue to indulge him?"

Yin Ziyu looked calmly at Sun Wukong and slowly said, "The monkey's ignorance actually stems from their deliberate cover-up. They created a false world for Wukong, and now they're in a bind. If they turn back, they'll have to reopen the karmic ties of Wukong overthrowing the statue of the Dao Ancestor. Although the Dao Ancestor no longer pursues this karmic cause, if this matter spreads throughout the Three Realms, they absolutely cannot bear the consequences. Therefore, in order to cover this up, they can only maintain it with countless lies, and we cannot expose them. After all, Wukong is the one destined for tribulation, and this matter will bring us many opportunities in the future."

Luo Shen nodded slightly and said thoughtfully, "In order to push Wukong onto the journey to the West, they did not hesitate to shatter Wukong's original essence, but they did not expect to embark on this wrong path from which there is no turning back. In particular, the matter of blaspheming the Dao Ancestor has left them with no room for turning back."

Yin Ziyu sighed softly and said with emotion, "Many things, their origins and their consequences, cannot always be perfect. Faced with the Wukong incident, their choice was inevitable."

Luo Shen nodded in deep agreement and continued, "Yes, too many people from all three sides covet the fortune and merit of the Journey to the West, so they can't afford to give too much away to Wukong. That's why they have the method of cutting off his wings and then passing on his supernatural powers, so that Wukong will be grateful to them, and thus they don't have to pay too high a price."

Yin Ziyu nodded in agreement and said, "Different paths lead to different choices. If it were the Jie Sect, or even us, we would never do something like destroying our very foundation."

The goddess Luo's gaze fell on Sun Wukong, her eyes filled with pity and emotion. She said, "This monkey's current behavior is likely to make him a laughingstock throughout the Three Realms. If Ziyu were to restore him to his original form in the future, I wonder how much hatred he would harbor in his heart."

Yin Ziyu nodded solemnly and said, "Let's put this matter aside for now and plan it out after the Journey to the West. Once this Wukong farce is over, we'll finalize our plans."

Yin Ziyu's visit to Wuzhuang Temple was to finalize the end of the Dharma and destroy the foundation of the Journey to the West. As for Wukong's ridicule of the Three Realms, it would bring opportunities. Yin Ziyu and Luoshen decided to let Wukong run wildly down this path first.

This matter has become the biggest weakness of Buddhism. It may not matter to others, but Sun Wukong is the one destined to face this calamity, which will naturally bring countless opportunities.

The peculiar debate inside the Wuzhuang Temple, under Sun Wukong's insistence, took an increasingly unexpected turn.

Sun Wukong has now developed a strong thirst for knowledge and has countless questions to ask.

There's no way around it; in Truman's world, a smart person always wants to demonstrate an extremely strong thirst for knowledge about the world.

At this moment, Sun Wukong looked at Guanyin Bodhisattva with great curiosity and asked directly, "Bodhisattva or Zhenyuan Daxian, who is more powerful?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva felt helpless and wished she could use magic to shut the monkey up immediately.

However, Guanyin was genuinely worried. This seemingly simple question-and-answer system could very well arouse Sun Wukong's suspicion. After all, this monkey was very shrewd, and once he became suspicious, it might uncover many hidden secrets.

Left with no other choice, Guanyin Bodhisattva could only say, "How could this humble monk be a match for Zhenyuan Daxian?"

After listening, Sun Wukong nodded seriously, as if he had come to some important conclusion, and then said, "I see. So, Bodhisattvas are not as good as Great Immortals, and Great Immortals are not as good as Buddhas, is that right?"

Zhen Yuanzi was also having a headache. He wished the monkey would shut up. He didn't want to get involved in this cause and effect. If he said more, he would break the lies they were upholding and create endless variables. Zhen Yuanzi was also having a headache.

Zhen Yuanzi, though at a slight disadvantage, was no match for the Buddha. He quickly bowed and replied, "Indeed! This humble Taoist is no match for the Buddha."

Sun Wukong stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly said, "Based on this calculation, I, Old Sun, am stronger than the Three Pure Ones, and Buddha is stronger than me, so wouldn't the Great Immortal's cultivation be stronger than the Three Pure Ones?"

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yuanzi was immediately stunned, his expression freezing instantly. He hurriedly said, "Wukong, don't talk nonsense!"

Sun Wukong, however, disagreed and grinned, saying, "Where am I talking nonsense? Even Laozi, the head of the Three Pure Ones, was defeated by me. The Three Pure Ones are nothing special."

Upon hearing this, Guanyin Bodhisattva's heart tightened, and she looked at Zhen Yuanzi with a pleading expression, begging him to help cover up the lie and prevent Sun Wukong from continuing to talk nonsense, lest it lead to a great disaster.

Just then, Pigsy, who had been laughing heartily outside, sauntered in.

He happened to hear Sun Wukong's shocking words and was immediately stunned. He clutched his stomach, and without saying a word, turned around and ran outside.

Seeing this, Sun Wukong asked with a puzzled look, "Bajie, what are you doing?"

As he ran, Pigsy pretended to be in pain and said, "I ate something bad last night and now I have an upset stomach."

Pigsy ran to a deserted place and couldn't help but chuckle to himself, his shoulders swaying.

At this extremely awkward moment, Qingfeng and Mingyue entered carrying a tray filled with ginseng fruit.

Seeing this, Zhen Yuanzi quickly interrupted Sun Wukong's question loudly, saying, "Come, everyone, try the ginseng fruit!"

Seeing Qingfeng and Mingyue enter, Guanyin Bodhisattva secretly breathed a sigh of relief, gently wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, thinking to herself: Fortunately, they arrived in time, which has relieved this urgent crisis. This was the turmoil within the Wuzhuang Temple.

Sun Wukong looked at the strange ginseng fruit and was quite surprised: "Great Immortal, you actually have such a fruit? I, Old Sun, have never heard of it before."

After saying that, Sun Wukong picked up a ginseng fruit and stuffed it into his mouth without saying a word, looking as eager as if he was afraid someone would snatch it from him.

Tang Sanzang looked at the ginseng fruit on the plate that resembled a small person, his face showing reluctance. He waved his hands repeatedly and said, "This fruit looks strange, much like a human figure. This humble monk really cannot bear to eat it."

Seeing this, Guanyin Bodhisattva gently advised, "Sanzang, please eat it without worry. It is indeed just a fruit nurtured by the spiritual roots of heaven and earth, and there is nothing wrong with it."

Guanyin's words were like an imperial edict to Tang Sanzang. After hesitating for a moment, Tang Sanzang finally picked up the ginseng fruit and slowly began to eat it.

When Zhen Yuanzi saw Tang Sanzang eat the ginseng fruit, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that he had finally repaid the debt of Jin Chanzi's tea offering at the Ullambana Festival.

After drinking a cup of Bodhi tea and returning a few ginseng fruits to the four disciples, that was enough.

Yin Ziyu and Luo Shen were also tasting the ginseng fruit for the first time, chewing it carefully and savoring its wonderful flavor.

While chewing on the ginseng fruit, Sun Wukong mumbled, "This fruit does taste quite good, but it's not as good as the two peaches of immortality I ate in Heaven."

Actually, the ginseng fruit isn't bad, after all, it's an earth-elemental fruit with innate five elements. However, due to the destruction of the primordial world, the earth's veins were damaged, resulting in a significant reduction in the fruit's effectiveness. The peach, on the other hand, is a water-elemental fruit, so it's naturally unaffected.

Upon hearing this, Guanyin Bodhisattva felt a pang of anxiety, fearing that Sun Wukong might cause trouble again. She quickly said, "Wukong, finish eating and rest quickly. Tomorrow we will escort your master on his journey to the West to retrieve the scriptures."

Sun Wukong, however, refused to give up and shouted, "Bodhisattva, I, Old Sun, know. But aren't we discussing the Dao here? Great Immortal, tell me, who is the number one master in the Three Realms? Is it the Buddha Tathagata?"

Zhen Yuanzi looked helpless and could only reply, "If we only consider the Three Realms, it should be the Buddha."

At this moment, Yin Ziyu spoke up, saying, "Great Immortal, in my humble opinion, there is probably no one in the Three Realms who can break your Earth Book Formation. Great Immortal, you are the first person to be able to break through the Earth Book Formation!"

Guanyin Bodhisattva nodded and said, "Great Immortal, there is no need to be so modest. With your abilities, it is no exaggeration to say that you are number one."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong looked astonished, scratched his head, and said, "No wonder those two little Taoist boys were so arrogant. It turns out that the Great Immortal is such a powerful figure. I, Old Sun, am truly sorry for my lack of respect."

Zhen Yuanzi sighed slightly and said, "Although I have the Earth Book Formation by my side, I am not entirely confident that I can defeat the Buddha's Twelve Golden Lotuses."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong immediately became interested and said, rubbing his hands together, "Back then, I, Old Sun, was unable to escape from Buddha's Five Finger Mountain. Since you, Great Immortal, are so powerful, why not have a match with me, Old Sun?"

Zhen Yuanzi looked at Guanyin Bodhisattva, his eyes seemingly asking a question.

Guanyin Bodhisattva nodded slightly, thinking that this monkey should update his understanding of combat power, so that this nonsense could end.

Otherwise, this monkey problem would never end. Now, it wouldn't hurt to add Zhen Yuanzi to Sun Wukong's perception of combat power.

Sun Wukong shouted, "Great Immortal, I, Old Sun, am here! Take this from my staff!"

After saying this, Sun Wukong swung his golden cudgel with the force of splitting Mount Hua and struck fiercely.

Zhen Yuanzi remained calm and unhurriedly waved his sleeve.

In an instant, a vast and invisible spatial law emerged, instantly engulfing Sun Wukong into his sleeve.

Sun Wukong was shocked to find himself surrounded by darkness. The space seemed endless. He immediately used his Somersault Cloud to somersault 108 times, but still could not find an exit. Only endless darkness continued to spread.

This was a huge shock to Sun Wukong. He was greatly alarmed and quickly shouted, "Great Immortal, you are amazing! I, Old Sun, admit defeat!"

Zhen Yuanzi smiled slightly and waved his sleeve again, and Sun Wukong instantly flew out from his sleeve.

Sun Wukong looked at Zhen Yuanzi with a face full of shock and exclaimed sincerely, "Great Immortal, what amazing skills you have! I, Old Sun, admire you to the point of prostration. In my whole life, I have only admired Buddha and Bodhisattva, but now I must add you to my admiration, Great Immortal."

In fact, Subhuti was the person Sun Wukong admired most, but Sun Wukong remembered his master's instructions and could not mention him to anyone.

Yin Ziyu calmly swept his gaze over the crowd before speaking, "Since we are discussing the Dao, and both the Great Immortal and the Bodhisattva are here, let us continue our discussion!"

Yin Ziyu's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.

Zhen Yuanzi and Guanyin's gazes immediately fell on Yin Ziyu, their eyes filled with tension.

Guanyin's expression was tense, her heart filled with inner turmoil.

At this moment, Guanyin was worried that if she left now, the situation would get out of control and become unmanageable. However, if she stayed, she was afraid that this was a trap set by Yin Ziyu, and once she stepped into it, the consequences would be unimaginable. This dilemma made Guanyin extremely nervous.

Zhen Yuanzi's expression was solemn, and he nodded, saying, "It is a great honor for me that the High Priest has come to my Wuzhuang Temple to discuss the Dao. Please!"

Yin Ziyu's discourse on the Dao is not like Sun Wukong's; it involves the grand trend of the entire prehistoric world's future, which is undoubtedly an opportunity for Zhen Yuanzi.

After all, although Yin Ziyu has not yet reached the Quasi-Saint realm, he is now a top contender for the Primordial World Championship.

As for not reaching the Quasi-Saint realm, that's not important, because the Quasi-Saint realm is very subtle. Reaching the Quasi-Saint realm is equivalent to walking the path of the Dao Ancestor, while not reaching the Quasi-Saint realm is walking one's own path.

If Yin Ziyu forges his own path, it will undoubtedly be a momentous event that shakes the Three Realms, signifying that he has truly entered the competition for the Primordial Chaos stage.

Zhen Yuanzi believed that since Yin Ziyu spoke, there must be a deeper and more incredible reason behind it.

Seeing this, Sun Wukong also pretended to bow and grinned, saying, "Please! I, Old Sun, have many friends in the Three Realms, Three Mountains, and Five Peaks. If you encounter any difficulties in our discussion, I, Old Sun, might be able to help you solve them!"

Upon hearing this, Yin Ziyu respectfully cupped his hands towards Sun Wukong and said, "Thank you, Great Sage!"

Yin Ziyu had no intention of toying with Sun Wukong, and of course, now was not the time to expose him. When the dust settled, Yin Ziyu would return his original essence to him.

Yin Ziyu's gaze slowly swept over the crowd, finally settling on Zhen Yuanzi. He calmly said, "Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi, in ancient times, spiritual cultivation was prevalent, and now the path of faith-based cultivation is also emerging in the world. Comparing the two, which is superior? Let us discuss this matter here. What do you think, Great Immortal?"

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yuanzi and Guanyin's expressions instantly turned solemn, their brows furrowing tightly. Behind these simple words lay an immense burden.

Spiritual practice and faith cultivation are two topics that have extremely broad implications, involving the current state of affairs in the three realms.

This is also the fundamental reason for the evolution of the two great eons from the Investiture of the Gods to the present day.

Sun Wukong was stunned when he heard this. He scratched his head, looking completely bewildered.

"What spiritual cultivation? What faith practice? I've never heard of it before!"

For Sun Wukong, who had always focused solely on supernatural powers and demon-slaying, these two concepts were completely foreign and baffling. (End of Chapter)