Primordial Era: Starting by overwhelming the Sages, Hongjun was stunned!

The Buddha sat upright on the futon, his face solemn as if frozen for ten thousand years.

The Dipankara Buddha sat cross-legged on the left, his body radiating a dim light, and his aged face was marked with deeper wrinkles.

Maitreya Buddha sat on the right, but the smile that was always on his face had long since disappeared.

silence.

A long silence followed.

Finally, Ran Deng spoke, his voice hoarse:

"World Honored One, we must find Sun Wukong."

Buddha looked up at him.

Ran Deng continued:

"Does the World Honored One still remember the origin of that monkey?"

The Buddha's gaze shifted slightly:

"Of course I remember."

"He was transformed from a five-colored stone that Nuwa left behind when she mended the sky."

"It is born by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the essence of the sun and moon."

The lamp lit nods:

"Exactly."

"But does the World Honored One know why it was he who became the chosen protagonist of this great calamity?"

The Buddha remained silent.

Ran Deng said in a deep voice:

"Because that five-colored stone was originally left by the goddess Nuwa for this great calamity."

"When she was mending the sky, she foresaw that the great calamity of the Journey to the West would begin."

"Then he used his supreme magical power to refine the five-colored stone and placed it on the summit of Flower Fruit Mountain."

"Absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the essence of the sun and moon, and enduring endless years, it was finally born that monkey."

"From the moment he was born, he has been closely connected with this great calamity."

"He is the destined protagonist of this great calamity."

"It cannot be replaced."

It cannot be replaced.

As the three words were uttered, the atmosphere in the secret room grew even more somber.

Maitreya took a deep breath and continued the conversation:

"Dipankara Buddha is right."

"If Sun Wukong is just an ordinary monster and has been rescued, we can choose another one."

"There are plenty of monsters in the world. Just grab one at random, put a golden headband on it, and it can go on the journey to the West."

"But that's the key point..."

He paused, his voice growing even hoarse:

"It can't be changed."

"Sun Wukong is the protagonist destined by fate."

"They are chess pieces personally placed by the goddess Nuwa."

"He is the only one in this great calamity who can shoulder the great task of obtaining the scriptures."

"If it were him, the journey to the West would not be a journey to the West."

"If it were him, the eastward transmission of Buddhism would be nothing but empty talk."

"It's his turn..."

Maitreya closed his eyes:

"Our Buddhist tradition's three-thousand-year-old plan has been rendered meaningless."

The Buddha remained silent.

Of course he knows these things.

Sun Wukong knew this from the moment he sprang from the stone.

He knew about it when the monkey caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace.

He knew it when he pressed the monkey under the Five Elements Mountain.

He has known this for the past five hundred years.

That's the protagonist destined by fate.

This is the core of this great calamity.

It was the key to the eastward transmission of Buddhism.

It cannot be replaced.

It really can't be replaced.

But now, the monkey has been rescued.

He was rescued by a mysterious being he could not see through, could not detect, and did not even know where it came from.

The Buddha slowly spoke:

"Burning lamp, Maitreya."

"Why do you think that person saved Sun Wukong?"

The two were taken aback.

The Tathagata continued:

"If he wants to be an enemy of Buddhism, he can simply flatten Mount Ling."

"With his cultivation level, even if you and I join forces, we can't withstand a single blow from him."

"But he didn't do that."

"He simply saved the monkey and then vanished."

What does this mean?

The lamp burner pondered for a moment:

"Does this mean he... has ulterior motives?"

The Buddha nodded:

"good."

"He has ulterior motives."

"But what their intentions are, we do not know."

"We don't know who he is."

"We have no idea where he came from or where he is going."

"We only know one thing..."

He paused, his gaze hardening.

"He placed a bet on that monkey."

I placed a bet.

Upon hearing these three words, both Dipankara and Maitreya changed color.

Maitreya said urgently:

"Does the World Honored One mean... that person intends to use Sun Wukong to plot against our Buddhist sect?"

Buddha shook his head:

"It may not be a plot against Buddhism."

"Perhaps he was only interested in the monkey."

"Although that monkey was imprisoned for five hundred years, its sincerity, its pride, and its spirit of surviving a catastrophe remained unchanged..."

"Even you and I might not be able to match it."

"That person saved him perhaps just as a matter of convenience."

"But if, after doing so, the monkey is grateful and follows him around..."

"That man thus gained a great general for no reason."

"The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who can wreak havoc in the Heavenly Palace and render 100,000 heavenly soldiers helpless."

The lamp burner's expression was solemn:

"If that's the case, then we've lost more than just a pilgrim on a pilgrimage."

"Instead, we have gained another formidable enemy."

"If that monkey truly follows that person, it will become an enemy of Buddhism in the future..."

"The consequences would be unimaginable."

Maitreya gritted his teeth:

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"Go after them quickly!"

"Even if we have to chase him to the ends of the earth, we'll bring that monkey back!"

The Buddha raised his hand to stop him:

"Chase?"

"Which way should we chase them?"

"The person left no trace as he walked."

"Even with my divine eye, I couldn't detect the slightest trace of it."

"The vast wilderness stretches to the horizon."

"Where do you think you're going to chase after him?"

Maitreya was speechless.

Burning Lamp sighed softly:

"The Buddha is right."

"It's too late to catch up."

"The only solution now is to find another way."

The Buddha looked at the two of them:

"Do you have any ideas?"

After pondering for a long time, Ran Deng slowly shook his head.

Maitreya also gave a wry smile.

The Buddha closed his eyes.

a long time.

He slowly opened his eyes, a resolute glint in them:

"This matter is beyond our control."

"We must report to the two sages."

Both Randeng and Maitreya were taken aback.

saint?

The Buddha nodded:

"good."

"saint."

"The Great Tribulation of Journey to the West is a predetermined fate of Heaven."

"The fact that the protagonist of this world has been robbed is beyond the scope of our Buddhist teachings."

"It must be decided by a sage."

The lamp burner's expression was solemn:

"Does the Buddha mean... to seek help from those two?"

The Buddha nodded:

"Exactly."

"If this matter is not properly resolved, the great prosperity of Buddhism will be in vain."

"Three thousand Buddhas, five hundred Arhats, eight Vajras, four Bodhisattvas..."

"Endless years of arduous cultivation, all gone to waste."

"This responsibility is one that neither of us can bear."

Maitreya took a deep breath:

"The Buddha is right."

"This matter can only be reported to the two sages."

The Buddha rose.

The purple and gold kasaya fluttered lightly, and the Buddha's light flowed around it.

He looked toward Dipankara and Maitreya:

"Burning lamp, Maitreya."

"You two go and appease the Buddhas."

Tell them that the matter of Sun Wukong has been decided.

"Let them focus on their practice and not panic."

"As for the person behind it all..."

He paused:

"Do not discuss, do not investigate, do not provoke."

Dipankara and Maitreya rose together, pressing their palms together in prayer:

"I will respectfully follow the Buddha's instructions."

The Buddha nodded slightly.

With one step, he disappeared into the secret room.