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Chapter 209: Divorce plan

The dense forest surrounding Lion Camel Ridge was filled with a strong smell of blood and burnt flesh.

The Yellow Wind Monster leaned against a charred tree trunk, dark red blood seeping from deep, bone-revealing claw marks on his shoulder. Nezha's Wind Fire Wheels were dimming, and his Universe Ribbon was torn in several places. Red Boy sat on the muddy ground, his bright red bib stained with soot, his golden necklace askew. He sobbed and wiped his eyes with the back of his dirty hand, no longer uttering the harsh words of burning down Lion Camel Ridge.

“That second demon’s nose,” Yellow Wind Monster tore off a strip of cloth and pressed it against the wound, his thick eyebrows furrowed, “is harder than a vajra. The trident on his forehead is chipped.”

Chen Guangrui brushed aside the medicine bottle Tang Sheng handed him, his gaze fixed on the distant mountain peak shrouded in demonic energy. "We were lucky today. If we had encountered the Three Great Kings, we would have been buried in that mountain of bones."

Red Boy suddenly looked up, his nose bright red. "The three demons are even more powerful than them? Aren't we just throwing our lives away?" He recalled the white elephant demon's giant trunk that could smash rocks, and unconsciously shrank back.

Yellow Wind Monster straightened up, leaning against the tree trunk. "Brother Chen, how did you know the Three Demons weren't here today?"

A faint rustling sound came from the bushes. Chen Guangrui seemed not to hear it, but Huang Fengguai did hear it. However, seeing Chen Guangrui's expression, he pretended not to hear it either.

“Those three kings are the Golden-Winged Rocs.” Chen Guangrui brushed the bone dust off his sleeve. “This Roc was born of a phoenix and is a twin brother of the Peacock King Bodhisattva, born of the same mother.”

"Peacock?" Nezha frowned, clearly recognizing this Buddha Mother.

Chen Guangrui nodded.
"That's right. When the Tathagata attained his sixteen-foot golden body on the snowy mountain, the peacock was ferocious and swallowed him whole. The Tathagata cut open the peacock's back to get out, intending to kill it. But the Buddhas persuaded him, saying that harming the peacock was like harming the Buddha's mother. So the Tathagata named the peacock the Buddha's Mother Peacock Great Bright King Bodhisattva."

He glanced around at the breathless crowd and continued, "Since the Peacock has become the Buddha's mother, then the Garuda, who shares the same mother with her, is naturally the Buddha's maternal uncle by seniority. Therefore, the three great Garuda kings are the Buddha's maternal uncles!"

hiss!
Yellow Wind Monster gasped, his thick beard trembling slightly, his eyes widening like copper bells.

"My goodness! I've been on Mount Ling for eight hundred years, listening to Buddhist chants every day, and I've never heard of such a secret! The Buddha's own maternal uncle?"

His burly body swayed, as if stunned by the news, and most of his confidence as a "former member of Mount Ling" vanished instantly. How could they possibly fight this battle? The Buddha's maternal uncle—what kind of person was he?!

Red Boy stood there, mouth agape, stunned, even forgetting to sob. His arrogant demeanor vanished, replaced by bewilderment and a barely perceptible hint of fear. The Buddha's maternal uncle? No matter how powerful his father, the Bull Demon King, or his mother, Princess Iron Fan, were, compared to this…

Nezha's expression was also extremely solemn, and he tightened his grip on the Fire-Tipped Spear. Although he was arrogant, he was well aware of the weight of his status as the Buddha's maternal uncle, which was far beyond that of ordinary demons. The waters of Lion Camel Ridge were deeper than he had imagined.

Not to mention that they are currently no match for Lion Camel Ridge, even if they were, would Buddha intervene in the end?
What's the point of fighting now?

A little rascal in the grass covered his mouth tightly, his eyes wide like copper bells, and his heart pounding wildly.

Good heavens! The Third King is actually Buddha's uncle?

This...this news is terrifying! This little devil only knew that the Three Great Kings were incredibly powerful, but he had no idea that their origins were so frightening.

Chen Guangrui took in the shocked, horrified, and solemn expressions on everyone's faces before continuing, "As for the Green Lion and White Elephant..."

His tone carried a hint of understanding, "The Great King, the Green Lion Spirit, was the mount of Manjushri Bodhisattva, who revealed his true form in Chang'an City to try and stop Xuanzang's journey to the West. The Second King, the White Elephant Spirit, was the six-tusked white elephant under the seat of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva."

“Manjushri? Samantabhadra?” Huang Feng raised a thick eyebrow and replied, his tone tinged with complexity, “Oh, I remember now, they do have such mounts.”

"It is indeed these two demons." Chen Guangrui nodded.

"Those three kings, the Golden-Winged Roc, are of phoenix blood and are the Buddha's maternal uncle. How noble they are! After the Buddha gained power in Mount Ling, they became arrogant and felt that the rules and regulations of Mount Ling restricted them. So they went down to the mortal world, occupied the Lion Camel Kingdom, destroyed a celestial dynasty, and established their own demon kingdom. The Green Lion and White Elephant are just the mounts of the Bodhisattvas."

"Do you think the Buddha's maternal uncle would lower himself to be on equal footing with his two mounts? He's just using their ferocity to make them his henchmen and guards. So, unless absolutely necessary, or if he finds it amusing, these three demons will definitely not show up today."

His words brought a sudden sense of clarity to everyone. Huang Fengguai stroked his bushy beard and nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes! How come I didn’t think of that? What’s that Roc’s identity? He’s the Buddha’s uncle! Would he even consider taking a liking to two beasts? He’d be more likely to order them around!”

Red Boy seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Although the three kings had intimidating backgrounds, at least he wouldn't have to confront them today.

Nezha's tense expression eased somewhat, and he felt that Chen Guangrui's analysis was reasonable.

Hidden in the grass, Little Drill Wind felt a tightness in his chest. So that's how the Third King and the Second King viewed the First and Second Kings. Even this little demon felt sorry for those two demon kings.

at this time,

"Woo!"

A deep, urgent horn sound suddenly rang out from the direction of Lion Camel Cave in the distance, piercing through the mountains and forests.

"Let's go!" Chen Guangrui grabbed Red Boy. The Yellow Wind Monster grabbed his shrunken banana leaf fan, Nezha lit his Wind Fire Wheels, and the group quickly disappeared into the shadows of the trees. Little Drill Wind in the grass also took the opportunity to slip away silently. At the Jin Du Mountain Pass, blood and smoke filled the air. From noon until the sun began to set, this fierce battle had lasted for several hours.

In the center of the mountain valley, the fierce battle between the Black Bear Demon and the Green Ox Demon was the sole focus. The Black Bear Demon roared like thunder, his dark paws gripping his monk's knife tightly. The blade's light transformed into an impenetrable, icy curtain, each strike carrying terrifying power capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks. Yet, his massive body was exceptionally agile, shifting and dodging as the monk's knife, accompanied by demonic winds, continuously slashed towards the Green Ox Demon's vitals.

The Green Ox Demon remained as steady as a rock, wielding his steel-tipped spear with unpredictable movements. His moves appeared simple, yet were precise and ruthless, using techniques such as pointing, stabbing, striking, and sweeping to easily neutralize the Black Bear Demon's fierce and domineering attacks.

The two fought from the mountainside to the mountaintop, and then from the mountaintop to mid-air. The wind howled, and sand and stones flew everywhere. No one dared to get close within a hundred feet. They were evenly matched, and fought for a full hundred and eighty rounds without being able to determine the winner!

"Well done, Black Bear Monster! You do have some brute strength!" the Green Ox Demon roared, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, but more so a burning fighting spirit. His spear stance suddenly changed, becoming even more fierce and swift.

"Old bull demon, today I will smash your ox bones to pieces!" The black bear demon showed no weakness, wielding his dagger even more rapidly.

High above the clouds, Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, watched the battle intently, his brow furrowed. He saw that although the Black Bear Demon was valiant, he was showing signs of fatigue after a long battle, while the Green Ox Demon remained calm and composed. He couldn't wait any longer.

"Beat the drums and give them your support!" Li Jing ordered decisively.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The earth-shaking war drums thundered, and the killing intent soared to the sky!
"Kill!" The Giant Spirit God, who could no longer restrain himself, swung his great axe and smashed it directly into the back of the Green Ox Demon.

Heavenly soldiers and generals swooped down from the clouds like a tidal wave, their battle cries deafening. The light of various magical treasures and spells intertwined to form a net of destruction, instantly enveloping the Green Ox Demon.

Faced with this overwhelming attack, the Green Ox Demon showed no fear on his face, but instead revealed a cold, mocking smile, as if his plan had succeeded.

"Well done! Saves me the trouble of searching for them one by one!" He laughed wildly, then feinted with his spear to force the black bear demon back. He then retreated rapidly, throwing the inconspicuous, bright white ring on his arm, the Vajra Bracelet, into the air!

The circle expanded in the wind, instantly transforming into a massive white halo radiating chaotic energy, suspended in the air. An irresistible, terrifying suction force emanated from it.

"Buzz!"

A strange buzzing sound resounded between heaven and earth, as if the very laws of nature were trembling!
Just as the black bear demon was about to pounce again, the murderous ring knife in his hand suddenly vibrated violently, flew out of his hand, and was sucked away by the light circle with a "whoosh". Caught off guard, his huge bear paw was empty, and he was full of astonishment.

Next came Pigsy's Nine-Toothed Rake and Sandy's Demon-Subduing Staff. The two divine weapons seemed to be grabbed by an invisible giant hand, emitting unwilling cries, and instantly left his grasp, turning into streams of light and disappearing into the circle of light.

The demon-slaying sword in Li Jing's hand! Countless weapons, such as swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, and forks, held by heavenly soldiers and generals, were like iron filings attracted by a magnet. They turned into streaks of light, uncontrollably breaking free from their masters' hands, emitting sharp whistling sounds, and converging into a desperate torrent of metal, continuously being sucked into that terrifying Vajra Bracelet.

In just a few breaths, the Heavenly Army and the pilgrimage team, who had been so imposing and whose magical treasures were shining brightly, were now left empty-handed.

A deathly silence fell over the world, save for the slow rotation of the Vajra Bracelet, which swallowed the last glimmer of light before whooshing back to the Green Ox Demon's arm, returning to its unassuming form. The Green Ox Demon stood proudly, surveying his clawless "prey," his mocking smile deepening. He needed no further action; victory was assured!

"I...my rake!" Pigsy looked at his empty hands, his fat face turned pale, and his voice was trembling with sobs.

Sha Wujing covered his empty hands, his face full of bewilderment and disbelief.

"Useless trash!" The Black Bear Demon's roar, like rolling thunder, shattered the deathly silence. He pointed at Pigsy, who was hiding behind a rock, his face deathly pale, his dark bear paws clenched so tightly they cracked.
"Old Pig, why are you hiding? You were the fastest runner when it came to catching weapons with the hoop, but now that you've lost the rake, all you know is to hide!"

Pigsy, his sore spot touched, shrank back, dragging his bare rake handle, and retorted with a stiff neck, "Bullshit! My nine-toothed rake was taken away, can you blame me? That circle is too evil."

Although he was in the wrong, he knew that he must not admit his mistake at this time, otherwise he would have to bear all the responsibility alone.

Having already suffered losses several times, Pigsy was now more cautious.

Sha Wujing, clutching his bleeding forehead from the previous battle, hoarsely chimed in, "Second Brother was protecting Master!"

"Protect your master?" The black bear demon laughed in fury, kicking a millstone-sized pebble to pieces at his feet.
"Sha Wujing! Besides saying that your second brother is right, what else can you do? You're utterly useless."

The rubble shattered and whistled as it struck Sha Wujing's knees, kicking up a cloud of choking dust.

At this point in the pilgrimage, the Black Bear Spirit was too shrewd and domineering, which made Pigsy and Sandy somewhat unhappy.

Sha Wujing was already seething with anger, and being so humiliated, he suddenly stood up. His demon-subduing staff was nowhere to be seen, and he recklessly swung his fist, which was as big as a vinegar bowl, and roared as he lunged at the black bear demon, "How dare you insult me!"

The Black Bear Demon grabbed Sha Wujing by the collar. Since they were fellow disciples, he wouldn't use his full strength. The two wrestled together like tumbling gourds. Zhu Bajie hurriedly stepped forward to pull them apart, but the enraged Black Bear Demon delivered a vicious elbow strike to his stomach, causing him to howl in pain, clutch his stomach, curl up in a ball, and turn deathly pale.

The three fellow disciples, who should have been of one mind and one heart, were actually fighting each other in the mud amidst the corpses and broken blades scattered on the ground, their Taoist robes and monk's clothes stained with blood and mud.

(End of this chapter)