Journey to the West: The gods and Buddhas panicked when the monkey was trapped inside him.

The Western Paradise, the Great Thunder Temple.

Inside the main hall, golden light flowed and Buddhist chants echoed softly.

The Buddha sat serenely on the nine-tiered lotus platform, his face expressionless, devoid of sorrow or joy.

On both sides, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats are lined up, creating a solemn and imposing atmosphere.

Three golden streaks of light rushed in from outside the hall and landed in the center of the hall, transforming into the figures of the three Bodhisattvas: Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra.

Guanyin Bodhisattva stepped forward, clasped her hands together, and looked unusually solemn.

"Greetings, World Honored One."

Manjushri and Samantabhadra also joined their palms in a gesture of respect.

Buddha slowly opened his eyes and his gaze swept over the three people.

"What was the result of the three venerable ones testing the pilgrim's Zen mind?"

Guanyin's face was somewhat gloomy. She flipped her hand and held the retracted headband in her palm.

"Reporting back to the World-Honored One, the test of the mind of meditation has already been successful."

"But when they were trying to get Sun Wukong to wear the golden headband, something unexpected happened."

The Buddha looked at the useless headband without changing his expression.

What unexpected event occurred?

Guanyin sighed, her tone full of helplessness.

"We originally intended to join forces with the Old Mother of Lishan and, under the pretext of performing a ritual, try to force Sun Wukong to wear the golden headband."

"The monk's hat with the tight band was created by the three of us using a secret Buddhist technique to conceal the cause and effect and the fluctuations of magical power."

"Who would have thought that the mischievous monkey used some unknown means to see through the secret hidden in the hat at a glance."

"He used the excuse that the size was wrong and took advantage of the chaos to put the hat directly on Tang Sanzang's head."

These words immediately sparked a murmur of discussion within the main hall.

Guanyin continued speaking.

"After our plan was exposed, we had no choice but to forcibly remove the tight band and use our escape techniques to leave."

"When I left, I deliberately made some provocative remarks, framing Sun Wukong for committing murders in the past, which led to the revenge of his enemies."

"However, Tang Sanzang was of a strange nature and did not believe our parting words at all."

"Sun Wukong was even more cunning. Instead of revealing our identities to Tang Sanzang, he advised him to travel west and see for himself."

"Now that Sanzang trusts that mischievous monkey completely, his plan to sow discord has utterly failed."

After Guanyin finished speaking, she took half a step back.

The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the main hall looked at each other, their faces filled with astonishment.

As for Guanyin's claim that the attempt to sow discord had failed, no one in the hall took it to heart.

Tang Sanzang, being a mere mortal, was indifferent to the big picture; whether he believed or not a few empty words was irrelevant.

What truly shocked them was that Sun Wukong had seen through the combined scheme of the three Bodhisattvas.

The Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta frowned slightly and couldn't help but ask a question.

"Venerable Manjushri, you said the three of you joined forces to conceal your aura?"

"That's right." Manjushri nodded.

That's strange.

The Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta looked completely puzzled.

"The three Venerable Ones are all Quasi-Saints, and the concealment barrier they jointly set up can even confuse the secrets of Heaven."

"Sun Wukong is only at the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, and his Dao Fruit has been sealed. What is currently revealed is only the level of a mid-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal."

"How could he see through the restrictions set up by the three Venerable Ones?"

One of the Arhats couldn't help but mutter something under his breath.

"Could it be that the three Venerable Ones overlooked some flaw due to a momentary oversight?"

As soon as he said this, Venerable Ananda glared at him and shut him up.

Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra are Bodhisattvas of Buddhism who have attained enlightenment over many years and are always meticulous in their actions. How could they possibly make such a poor mistake in concealing a mere magic treasure?

The Arhat realized he had spoken out of turn and quickly shut his mouth.

All the gods and Buddhas in the hall knew that the three quasi-saints would never make such a low-level mistake.

Since it wasn't the Bodhisattva's mistake, the problem must lie with Sun Wukong.

It's absurd that a sealed Tai Luo Golden Immortal could see through the combined magical concealment of three Quasi-Saints.

The Buddha, seated on the lotus throne, remained silent.

He was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly.

"You don't need to guess any further."

"Sun Wukong was born from a spiritual stone nurtured by heaven and earth, inheriting the destiny of heaven."

"A creature born of nature and nurtured by the earth will have its bloodline origin restored once it crosses the threshold of the Great Luo realm."

"His ability to see through illusions must be due to the awakening of some kind of innate supernatural power."

"That is the instinct of creation by heaven and earth, not something that can be distinguished simply by the strength of magical power."

Upon hearing this, all the Buddhas in the hall suddenly understood.

Manjushri Bodhisattva sighed softly.

"If it is an innate divine power generated by heaven and earth, then it makes sense."

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's expression turned solemn, and he stepped forward, pressing his palms together in prayer.

"Venerable One, if that's the case, things will become difficult."

"He possesses supernatural powers; nothing can be hidden from him."

"This tight band will probably never have another chance to be put on his head again."

"If we can't control this monkey, who can keep him in check on the journey west?"

"Not long ago at Huangfeng Ridge, Venerable Lingji was only a step too slow, and the Huangfeng Monster was killed on the spot."

"He burned the entire demon cave to the ground."

"If he were to encounter one of our disciples' mounts or servants in the future, and he were to act with such ruthlessness, would we be able to stop him every time?"

Lingji Bodhisattva bowed his head below, his face full of helplessness.

He had already reported the details of how the Yellow Wind Monster was killed that day after returning to Mount Ling.

Originally, the Buddhas thought that once they put the headband on Sun Wukong and recited the incantation a few times, they could make the monkey submit and be controlled.

Now that the tight band can't be put on, won't this monkey turn the world upside down?

The Buddha's face was serene, and his voice echoed throughout the palace.

"This was indeed beyond expectations; no one anticipated that he could awaken such supernatural powers."

"Let's put the matter of tightening the reins aside for now and think of another way."

"Fortunately, the calamities that have occurred over the past year or so have not affected anyone belonging to our Buddhist sect, so there is no need to panic too much."

"I will devise a solution within this year."

The Buddha turned his gaze to Guanyin Bodhisattva and offered words of advice.

"Venerable Guanyin, you must not cause any more trouble for Sun Wukong this year."

"As for where Tang Sanzang's mind leans, it does not affect the overall situation of the Journey to the West."

"If he wants to obtain the Mahayana scriptures, he can only take steps toward Mount Ling."

"As long as he is devoted to Buddhism and wants to obtain the Mahayana scriptures to save the world, he will surely reach the foot of Mount Ling."

"Once he steps into the Great Thunder Temple, all cause and effect will be set in stone. Any slight deviation along the way will not be a big deal."

Guanyin clasped her hands together, bowed her head, and accepted the order.

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

The Bodhisattvas and Buddhas around them, seeing that the World-Honored One had already made his plans, all nodded in agreement.

The Buddha waved his hand slightly.

"That concludes our discussion for today. You may all leave."

"Amitabha."

All the Buddhas and Arhats rose and left the main hall in turn.

Manjushri and Samantabhadra also greeted Avalokiteshvara and then departed in a beam of light.

Only Guanyin Bodhisattva remained in place and did not move away.

The main hall became empty, leaving only the Buddha on the lotus platform and Guanyin below.