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Chapter 246 Broken
The night was as dark as ink, and the chill of Poisonous Enemy Mountain seemed to have solidified into frost, pressing heavily on the temporary camp.

In the distance, Nezha and the Pleiades Star Lord's whispers were carried away by the wind. Sun Wukong sat cross-legged on the cold stone, his golden cudgel lying across his knees, his fiery eyes occasionally sweeping towards the shadows beside him, where Chen Guangrui and Tang Sheng were.

Tang Sheng quietly moved to Chen Guangrui's side, who was meditating with his eyes closed. He reached out his small hand and gently tugged at his father's sleeve, his voice extremely low.
"Father," he called softly.

Chen Guangrui opened her eyes. In the moonlight, her son's pale face showed an unusual weariness.

"What's wrong? Does your head still hurt?" He reached out and touched Tang Sheng's forehead. The temperature was normal, but the chill seemed to come from a deeper place.

Tang Sheng shook his head, then nodded, as if trying to grasp the fragments churning in his mind. "Dad, today... I feel like I saw so many things."

He hesitated, his voice filled with confusion, "That big monk... the one who rode the big bird at Lion Camel Ridge last time, I... I feel like I recognize him. It's like... I've known him for a very, very long time."

Chen Guangrui felt a slight chill, realizing that the "great monk" Tang Sheng mentioned was none other than the Buddha. He lowered his voice and gently guided, "Do you recognize him? What did you see? Tell your father slowly."

“So many bald heads,” Tang Sheng’s speech quickened, his eyes becoming somewhat unfocused, as if he were transcending time and space.

“Many, many shaved heads, while an old monk was away, they went up a very, very high mountain, a mountain that was shining with golden light, so bright it was blinding.”

He frowned, trying hard to recall the details.

"They stood at the very top of the mountain, their voices were so loud, like thunder. They said that from now on, this mountain would be under their control."

Chen Guangrui's breath almost stopped for a moment. What Tang Sheng described was the earth-shattering scene of the power shift in Lingshan.

Those "bald heads" are Buddha and his supporters, the "old monk" should be Dipankara Buddha, and that Golden Light Mountain is undoubtedly Vulture Peak.

"And then?" Chen Guangrui's voice remained calm, but his eyes were as sharp as a drawn sword.

"Then," Tang Sheng's eyes suddenly became anxious, as if she were once again in that thrilling scene, her small hands unconsciously clenching Chen Guangrui's clothes.
"That big monk, the one who just announced the takeover at the mountaintop, he just seized power and it seems he's going to deal with someone. Then he made his move, dealing with a monkey, that monkey..."

Tang suddenly looked up, his gaze piercing through the shadows of the tent, fixed on the blurry yet incredibly familiar silhouette of Sun Wukong outside. His voice was filled with absolute certainty and urgency.

“It’s Master. I recognize that monkey. It’s Master. He has golden fur and his eyes are as bright as fire.”

His little hands gripped even tighter, and his voice trembled with tears and helplessness.
"I saw my master trapped! He was trapped under a huge, heavy mountain. He couldn't move at all. I was so anxious, my heart was pounding in my chest. I wanted to rush over and push the mountain away, but I couldn't move. I felt like I was nailed there, only able to watch, unable to do anything..."

Tears welled up in his eyes. "That young monk standing next to the senior monk, he just stood there, motionless, like a stone. Why didn't he save his master? Why didn't he move?"

Chen Guangrui fell silent; the air inside the tent seemed to freeze. What Tang Sheng was witnessing was the crucial moment when Sun Wukong, after his havoc in the Heavenly Palace, was suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain by Buddha, a pivotal moment in the power transition within Mount Ling! That "motionless young monk" was most likely Jin Chanzi!
He gently patted Tang Sheng's back, which was trembling slightly with excitement, signaling him to continue.

Tang Sheng took a few breaths, seemingly exhausted from the description just now. After a while, he continued intermittently, "Later I realized why the old monk wasn't on that golden mountain back then. He went to a place with floating clouds and cranes. I also saw the two brothers, Jin Lu and Yin Lu. They didn't seem to recognize me."

Chen Guangrui's eyes suddenly became incredibly sharp. Floating clouds, cranes, and two boys—this was clearly Laozi's Tushita Palace.

At that time, Dipankara Buddha was in Tushita Palace!

The images that Xiaotangsheng saw may not have been arranged chronologically, but based on her words, Chen Guangrui easily sorted out some of the information.

When Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, stealing peaches of immortality and elixirs, and disrupting the Peach Banquet, why was the Tushita Palace conveniently empty? Where were the celestial attendants? Where were their mounts? Where were their magical treasures? Why were they all gone? It was as if space had been deliberately made for the monkey.

This explains it; at that time, Dipankara Buddha was discussing the Dao with Laozi in the Heavenly Court.

At the same moment,

Chaos erupted in Heaven, and the golden elixir in the Tushita Palace was stolen and eaten by the monkey.

With the change of ownership of Mount Ling, the incense foundation of the Dipankara Buddha was seized and sealed off by Tathagata.

What a coincidence that at such a crucial moment, Dipankara Buddha happened to be preaching to Laozi in the Heavenly Court.

These things are unknown, but Chen Guangrui already understands that on Mount Ling, Dipankara Buddha and Tathagata are not in cahoots.

He was more likely on Laozi's side, while the alliance between the Jade Emperor and Buddha was quietly formed when Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace.

Then, Tang Sheng continued,
"Father, the young monk I saw was the one who stood motionless next to the senior monk. He followed the senior monk and helped him with many, many things. Then, one time..."

Tang Sheng frowned, seemingly trying to organize his thoughts. "I think I saw the old monk sneaking around with a few other people I didn't recognize, hiding behind the clouds. They were huddled together, talking very quietly, as if they were discussing something. The young monk just happened to pass by and saw them."

Tang Sheng paused, a look of confusion on her little face. "The young monk saw it and seemed very surprised and anxious. He seemed to want to do something, but before he was ready, someone told him about his affair with the fairy sisters. When the senior monk found out, he was very angry and had no choice but to punish the young monk and send him away."

Chen Guangrui listened quietly, his profile appearing particularly striking in the moonlight. He gently put his arm around Tang Sheng, gesturing for him to continue.

“There’s one more thing,” Tang Sheng’s voice carried a hint of nervousness at discovering a secret.

"Before the young monk was driven away, he seemed to have discovered something. The old monk had secretly, secretly made a small opening in the 'incense' that the senior monk had sealed away. The young monk saw that small opening, and he wanted to tell the senior monk..."

Tang Sheng gestured with her little hands, her tone becoming urgent, "But it was too late! Those two rats, one white and one yellow, thought the senior monk was going to harm the young monk, so they started causing trouble, lighting lamps and blowing wind everywhere, making a complete mess. And then, the young monk was thrown down."

After Tang Sheng finished speaking, he seemed to have exhausted all his strength. He leaned his little head against Chen Guangrui's chest, panting wearily, "Dad, I feel a little dizzy again." Chen Guangrui gently patted his son's back, his gaze fixed on the deep night sky. All around was silent, save for the mournful whistling of the mountain wind through the bare branches.

Chen Guangrui's mind, however, was as clear as a mirror, instantly understanding every detail.

It turned out to be the case.

The truth behind the upheaval at Lingshan three hundred years ago has finally been clearly pieced together through Tang Sheng's fragmented and disjointed descriptions.

When the Buddha seized power at Mount Ling, he sealed away the fundamental power of incense and vows belonging to the ancient Buddha Dipankara.

Dipankara Buddha, who had been deprived of power, was naturally unwilling to accept it. However, after returning to Mount Sumeru, he seemed to accept reality and did nothing. Instead, he secretly contacted other forces to plot the return of the sealed incense offerings, which was tantamount to a coup against Tathagata.

This conspiracy was inadvertently discovered by Jin Chanzi. Jin Chanzi, loyal to Buddha, would naturally want to warn his master upon discovering it.

However, Dipankara Buddha reacted even faster, or rather, they were prepared. They immediately seized upon the affair between Jin Chanzi, Half-Bodhisattva Guanyin, and the Scorpion Demon, preemptively reporting the matter to Tathagata, accusing Jin Chanzi of "moral failings" and "blasphemy against Buddhism."

This involves the matter of Dipankara Bodhisattva, and presumably, it also involves the matter of Bilanpo Bodhisattva. One can imagine that the power that Dipankara Bodhisattva was able to organize in Lingshan was quite considerable.

Faced with his beloved disciple committing such a "mistake" in full view of everyone, in order to maintain the dignity of Mount Ling and his own authority, the Buddha had no choice but to severely punish him.

He banished Jin Chanzi to the mortal realm for ten reincarnations. At that time, Jin Chanzi was probably unable to defend himself, and he might even have appeared flustered and suspicious because he had witnessed Ran Deng's conspiracy and was eager to explain.

Then, to save her lover, Half-Bodhisattva knocked over the lamp oil, causing a fire. The Yellow Wind Monster, to help his companion, stirred up a demonic wind to fuel the fire, causing chaos on Mount Ling.

Buddha intervened to suppress the demon, and afterwards dealt with the Yellow Wind Demon. The half-Bodhisattva was taken away by Li Jing as his goddaughter, thus giving all parties a way out. The Scorpion Demon pleaded for Jin Chanzi but failed, instead stinging Buddha. She was eventually rescued by Pilanpo and placed under surveillance in the Women's Kingdom.

The story of the Scorpion Demon ends here.

All she knew was that Jin Chanzi had been framed and sent to the mortal realm, where he underwent ten reincarnations. She had been waiting here for three hundred years, just to wait for the reincarnated pilgrim to retrieve the scriptures.

However, Chen Guangrui was fully aware that this incident had forced Tathagata to lose an important ally on Mount Ling, and even allowed Dipankara to quietly increase his power.

Although the conspiracy of Dipankara Buddha was forced to stop after being discovered by Jin Chanzi, he never gave up the idea of ​​regaining the incense offerings.

Tang Sheng's words just now exploded in his mind like a thunderbolt. Dipankara Buddha secretly "made a hole" in the incense that Tathagata sealed!
What does this "gap" mean?

This means that three hundred years ago, after Dipankara Buddha was deprived of power and his incense offerings were sealed, he had already found a way to bypass the Tathagata's seal and reconnect with, or even possibly absorb, a portion of the incense offerings and vows that originally belonged to him.

What is this method? Is it some kind of secret technique, a special node, or does it exploit a weakness in the seal itself?
The scorpion demon was unaware that Jin Chanzi had discovered the "gap," but it was too late to stop him.

According to Tang Sheng, even Buddha probably didn't know that the seal was foolproof and that Dipankara was powerless to reverse the situation.

This secret, hidden for three hundred years, is like a lurking venomous snake, hiding in the shadows and silently accumulating power.

"Father..." Tang Sheng's weak voice interrupted Chen Guangrui's thoughts, "Will what I said... be of any use?"

Chen Guangrui withdrew his gaze from the distance and landed on his son's pale and tired face, gently wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. "It's useful, just as Tang Sheng said. It's very useful. It's been a great help to your father."

He gently patted Tang Sheng's back, his voice low and firm, "That shiny thing you saw has been opened up. This is very important. Dad knows."

Sun Wukong then came over, placing his large hand on Tang Sheng's shoulder, a gentle yet pure demonic energy flowing through him, trying to alleviate his discomfort. "Kid, take a nap if you're tired. With me here, nothing will happen."

He had heard almost everything Tang Sheng said. He was shocked and also felt sorry for his disciple's miserable situation. Although he was by Buddha's side back then, he was also helpless in the struggles between those big shots.

Then he looked at Chen Guangrui, his meaning clear: he wanted to ask Chen Guangrui what to do next.

Chen Guangrui did not answer, his gaze still fixed on Tang Sheng in his arms, but his heart was churning like a tide.

He silently pondered Tang Sheng's words. When Tathagata seized power, he sealed away Dipankara's incense offerings, yet Dipankara returned to Mount Ling and made no move, allowing Tathagata to control everything. This defied logic. As the ancient Buddha Dipankara, he should have retaliated swiftly. Chen Guangrui frowned slightly, a thought flashing through his mind.

With the incense offerings sealed, Dipankara lost its foundation, like a tiger without teeth. No wonder he could only endure for three hundred years. This power of incense offerings is like a lifeline for Buddhists. Back then, when Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, the Tushita Palace happened to be empty, and Dipankara happened to be discussing the Dao with Laozi. Tathagata seized the opportunity to seize power. All of this was as coincidental as a theatrical performance.

This old silver coin, Ran Deng, has been enduring this for so long after being stripped of power, as if nothing had happened.

They lay dormant quietly like that.

Given his status, if he were to swallow his pride and avoid making any mistakes, Buddha really wouldn't be able to do anything about him.

Looking at the suspected allies of Dipankara Buddha, Laozi seems to have been quite quiet these past few years. His golden core was stolen, and although he knew who was involved, he didn't react at all, as if nothing had happened. He just kept refining pills while his golden core was missing.

At first, Chen Guangrui thought that Laozi was just good-natured. Over the years, the Jade Emperor had quietly eroded his power. Even the Donghua Emperor and the people of Penglai had pledged allegiance to the Jade Emperor or even cooperated with Buddhism. The Tushita Palace had not made any move.

These two important figures seem to have some kind of tacit understanding.

Thinking of this, Chen Guangrui suddenly realized something, and his heart skipped a beat. Oh no, could I have been fooled by Laozi?

(End of this chapter)