The Heavens: Thousands of Households Starting from Number One in the World

The reason why Buddhism flourished was that it was permitted by Heaven. The human race was strong today, and if Buddhism wanted to flourish, it had to take root in the place where the human race rose. The Central Plains of Nanshanbuzhou was the core area where the human race flourished. It was home to countless outstanding people and was filled with a strong human destiny.

Today, temples of the Purifier of the Altar are spread all over the human territory.

The four of them crossed the threshold of the temple and saw that the interior was very spacious. There were many tribute tables on the square, filled with a dazzling array of delicious food, both meat and vegetables. They saw many people put the food on the table and then hurriedly walked towards the depths of the temple with incense and candles.

As for Chenxiang, Xiaoyu and the other three, no one paid attention to them. After all, the Buddhist land was quiet and noisy.

"Altar Purifier? I don't know much about the affairs of the immortal and Buddha worlds, and we demons are relatively isolated from the news." The fox girl looked around weakly and continued, "Let's find a place to rest for a while."

"Okay, Mom, be careful."

The four wanted to find the temple manager to stay overnight, but they found that there seemed to be no one in charge. After asking the pilgrims, they understood the reason.

It turns out that this temple is extremely efficacious. As long as you offer delicious food and make a wish to the Buddha statue in the temple, there is a certain chance that your wish will come true.

The four people had different expressions when they heard this. Chenxiang was particularly surprised. He had never been to a temple to burn incense and make a wish since he was a child. Hearing this news, he couldn't help but feel a little moved.

They came to the side room of the temple and found that this unattended room was exceptionally clean and tidy, with an indescribable weirdness.

"The temple is deserted, but so clean." said Ao Chun.

"It's a bit weird." Xiaoyu agreed.

"This place makes people feel peaceful, especially the scent of sandalwood in the temple, which even helped the wound on my chest heal a little." Fox Girl covered her chest and said softly.

……

It was late at night, the world was quiet, the mist was thick, and the moonlight was hazy.

Chenxiang rushed back from the market at the foot of the mountain, carrying a roast goose. He placed the roast goose on the offering table, then lit three incense sticks and walked towards the Buddha statue in the temple.

Inside the temple hall, the candlelight flickered faintly, the place was quiet and silent, and the scent of sandalwood was rich.

Chenxiang knelt on the mat and looked up at the stone Buddha statue in the center of the temple. The Buddha statue was tall and strong, holding a rake, with a slightly raised mouth, revealing a half-smile, revealing a cheerful and peaceful charm.

"Messenger... Chenxiang heard that your wishes here are effective, so he bought this delicacy at the market at the foot of the mountain to express his gratitude..."

Chenxiang's mouth twitched slightly as he recounted his life experiences and what had happened during this period, focusing on the death of his father, the capture of his mother, and the fact that he witnessed the demon king and his sister Fox being easily defeated by Yang Jian on Wanku Mountain.

After talking for a long time, Chenxiang raised his head and asked the Buddha statue: "Do I have a chance to take revenge, Bodhisattva?"

"..."

"Back then at Wanku Mountain, when I saw Erlang Shen defeat Xiaoyu's mother in an instant, I felt extremely desperate. Why did this happen to me? Why... But I will never give in! I must avenge my father and save my mother!"

"Can I succeed? I have always heard that Buddhism saves all living beings and saves people from suffering. I want to know where my direction is? What should I do..."

Unconsciously, he spilled out all the words from the bottom of his heart. There were both heartfelt words and perhaps a hint of speculation due to hearing that the temple was effective. After all, human hearts are complicated.

The night wind blew gently outside the temple gate, rustling the leaves inside and outside the temple. The hazy moonlight sprinkled on the temple square like water, and the wind ruffled Chenxiang's hair and face. He felt a little cold, but still knelt on the futon, his expression was dazed, as if he was lost in the memories of the past with his parents.

Go, go, go.

Chenxiang was stunned and pricked up his ears to listen carefully.

Go, go, go.

Chen Xiang was startled. This was clearly the sound of someone eating. He felt his hair stand on end and a sense of fear came over him. In the middle of the night, there was actually such a chewing sound.

After listening carefully, he found that the chewing sound came from outside the temple.

Chenxiang came to his senses and quickly ran outside the temple. He saw a big, fat man with a pig face, wearing Buddhist robes, eating the roast goose he had just offered with relish in a corner of the square filled with offerings under the moonlight.

Ah!
Chenxiang exclaimed.

This cry startled Xiaoyu and Aochun who were sleeping in the side room, as well as Fox Sister who was recuperating from her injuries. The three of them flew out of the side room in an instant and came to Chenxiang's side.

"What's wrong, Chenxiang?"

"Chenxiang, what did you see while on guard?"

The corners of Chenxiang's mouth twitched violently. He raised his hand and pointed at the big man who was wolfing down a roast goose in a corner of the square. His voice was a little hesitant: "Well... it looks like a pig demon!" Upon hearing this, everyone looked in the direction he pointed. When they saw the man's face clearly, they saw a pig face. It was exactly the appearance of a pig demon.

"Hey!" Ao Chun reacted instantly, held the gun in his hand horizontally, took a defensive posture, and shouted loudly in a vigilant manner.

"Bam, bam!" Zhu Bajie pretended not to hear anything and just concentrated on chewing the roast goose meat. He looked so intoxicated, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.

"Who are you? Why are you staying here in the middle of the night?" The fox girl frowned, and the aura of the demon king unconsciously overflowed slightly, and the energy around her body was faintly surging.

Only then did Zhu Bajie stop what he was doing, slowly reaching out his hand to wipe off the oil stains on the corners of his mouth, and then looking up at the four people. He first burped loudly, and then said, "You asked me why I was here? Hey, I'm still wondering why I ran into you guys in my own home! This question should be asked by me, right?"

"!!" The four of them were all shocked. Standing at the gate of the temple, they subconsciously turned their heads to look at the solemn and majestic Buddha statue in the center of the hall, and then shifted their gaze back to the pig-faced man in front of them. At the same time, an incredible thought surged in their minds: Could this be the same person?

"Don't try to deceive us!" Fox Girl raised her eyebrows, took a step forward, and shouted coldly, "The Buddha statue in the temple is clearly a human Buddha, how could it be a fat and big-eared Buddha like you? Don't treat us like fools!"

Zhu Bajie bit the goose leg in his hand, with a smile on his face, and said leisurely: "Appearance is determined by the heart, benefactor, are you disgusted by my pig-like appearance?"

The fox girl's expression changed slightly, and she snorted coldly in response: "That's not the case!"

"That's good!" Zhu Bajie put his hands together and chanted "Amitabha" to the remaining roast goose. Then he glanced at Fox Girl and the others and said, "We are all monsters. Why do we have to despise each other? You must know that monsters also have the opportunity to become Buddhas and immortals."

"I..." Chenxiang almost couldn't help cursing when he heard this, wondering who wants to become an immortal.

The expressions of Fox Sister and the others became more solemn. Fox Sister said in a deep voice: "How can you see through my true self?"

"With my keen eyes, this is not a big deal," Zhu Bajie said with a big grin. "Two fox demons, a dragon, and a mortal! Alas, my temple of the altar cleaner has never seen such a strange combination before."

Fox Girl's brows were twisted into the shape of a "川" character, and she was secretly alert in her heart. Anyone who could see through her true self would most likely have the same level of cultivation as her.

What if a fight breaks out?
"So, you are really the Buddhist altar purifier?" Fox Girl asked, then changed the subject, "But I heard that Buddhism abstains from the five pungent foods. What did you just do..."

"Vulgar! Thinking about food but forcing yourself to restrain yourself, what good is this? It will only add to your troubles and torture yourself. The Buddha is in your heart!" Zhu Bajie yawned, looked at Chenxiang with a half-smile, and laughed, "Originally, I didn't want to show up, but you, little guy, were too sincere and your wish power was too strong, so you lured me out."

In fact, Zhu Bajie was just greedy and couldn't hold back his desire to eat. He also happened to have heard rumors about Yang Jian, so he showed up here out of curiosity. Chenxiang's eyes flashed, and Xiaoyu, Aochun and others beside him cast inquiring eyes at him. Chenxiang looked at Zhu Bajie and asked, "You...did you hear everything I just said?"

"I heard it all! What's wrong, kid? Do you regret it?" Zhu Bajie said.

"Not really!" said Chenxiang.

Zhu Bajie had a smile on his face. "The purer the mind and the stronger the obsession, the clearer I can hear what they say and feel. So, I heard every word of what you just said."

Chenxiang fell silent for a moment, and the others were curious, wondering what Chenxiang had said.

Chen Xiang was silent for a moment, then looked at Zhu Bajie again and asked earnestly, "Since you know everything, Chen Xiang begs you to give me some pointers and tell me the answer?"

Zhu Bajie was slightly startled when he heard this. He looked at Chenxiang's eyes full of sincerity and eagerness. In a trance, he seemed to have traveled through time and space and saw Yang Jian, who was devoted to cultivation and wanted to take revenge on the heaven. As time passed, things were different and people were no longer the same. He couldn't help but feel helpless. He sighed, shook his head and said, "I don't know!"

"How could you not know? You are the Buddha! The Buddha who saves people from suffering!" Chenxiang was extremely anxious, and his voice was trembling.

"Buddhas are divided into big and small, and their abilities are also limited!" Zhu Bajie said seriously, "You want to save your mother and avenge your father. With your current level of cultivation, it is simply as difficult as ascending to heaven. There is no hope at all!"

When Chen Xiang heard this, his body suddenly froze and his eyes dimmed instantly, but soon he gathered his spirits and asked, "Why?"

Zhu Bajie looked at him and shook his head. His expression became very serious and he said, "Why? Because if you want to save your mother, the Immortal Nishang, you need to go to the Heavenly Palace above the Nine Heavens, break into the Heavenly Prison which is heavily guarded by the Thunder Department and the Fighting Department of the Heavenly Palace, and then escape unscathed. If you want to avenge your father, you have to defeat Erlang Shen and his brothers! These two things are impossible for you to accomplish!"

"Besides, didn't you witness Erlang Shen's attack in Wanku Mountain? I guess Erlang Shen didn't use his full strength at that time!" Zhu Bajie continued, "Boy, you have decent talent. I advise you to change your name and live a good life somewhere else before the Heavenly Court notices your whereabouts. Maybe one day, by chance, you can join a certain cultivation sect and seek some way to immortality."

What? Not even using my full strength yet? How is this possible?

Xiaoyu was shocked. Aren't Yang Jian and her mother both at the Taiyi Golden Immortal level? Could it be that, as the Guangmu Heavenly King said, the gap between Taiyi Golden Immortals was as huge as the difference between heaven and earth?
Ao Chun was also stunned. He silently counted the dragons in his own clan to see if there was anyone who could fight against Fox Sister. After thinking about it, he finally shook his head helplessly and sighed in his heart: Alas, my dragon clan has become so weak.

When Chenxiang heard this, his face was instantly filled with gloom and despair.

Xiaoyu was full of dissatisfaction and couldn't help but say, "The Three Realms are so vast, there can't be no one who can rival Yang Jian! If there is, Chenxiang can go and become his disciple. As long as we work hard, there will always be a chance, there will always be hope to defeat Yang Jian, right?"

Zhu Bajie was slightly startled when he heard this. Looking at Xiaoyu's delicate face that was a little angry, he couldn't help but laugh and said, "Yes! But why should I accept you as my apprentice? Why should I take the risk of becoming an enemy of Erlang Shen and accept a mortal like you?"

"Messenger, could you reveal something? As for whether to worship or not, it all depends on Chenxiang himself. This child has suffered enough!" The fox girl suddenly said to Zhu Bajie using the method of voice transmission.

After hearing this, Zhu Bajie looked at Chenxiang's dull eyes, his heart moved, and he felt pity for him. He sighed slightly, then chanted Amitabha and said, "Boy, it's okay to tell you. Just consider it as a favor for eating your roast goose. But whether you can find it or not, and whether you want to become my disciple or not, it all depends on you!"

“I understand... and I know..." Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope appeared in Chenxiang's dim eyes again, as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw in despair, and seemed to see the hope of life.

"Let's talk about Erlang Shen first... Everyone in the Three Realms knows that Erlang Shen Yang Jian is a disciple of the Chan Sect and has learned the Eight-Nine Mysterious Arts and many other magical powers. His cultivation has reached the peak of the Taiyi Golden Immortal... and he is proficient in the Vajra Body. Speaking of these magical powers, I, Old Pig, also know a thing or two, but I am far from being as invulnerable as Yang Jian!"

"Vajra body?" Fox Girl murmured to herself, and the scene of a few days ago instantly emerged in her mind. Yang Jian actually relied entirely on his physical body to take on her Heaven-Splitting Palm without any damage.

"Well, the Vajra Body is an extremely powerful mysterious magical power in the Three Realms. Practitioners can almost ignore 99% of the attacks and Taoist methods of the world and remain invincible." Zhu Bajie continued, "For an attacking general of Yang Jian's level, even if a powerful person wants to kill him, it will take a lot of effort."

"It is rare for powerful people from the Three Realms to appear in the world. If so, doesn't it mean that no one in the world can check and balance Yang Jian?" Ao Chun couldn't help but ask.

"Oh my, you little dragon actually know that great powers don't appear easily?" Zhu Bajie looked Ao Chun up and down with a little surprise, and asked, "Could it be that you are from the Four Seas Dragon Clan?"

Ao Chun's expression froze, and he nodded and admitted, "That's right, I have heard some related rumors from the elders in the clan."

"Xiaolong, you are right. In this era when the powerful people in the Three Realms are in seclusion, Yang Jian is indeed invincible..."

Chenxiang and others widened their eyes when they heard this. Chenxiang felt as if a huge burden was placed on his shoulders.

"However, there are always some people in the world who can compete with Erlang Shen and not lose!" Zhu Bajie suddenly straightened his expression and said seriously.

"Who?" The four of them asked in unison, their eyes full of curiosity and anticipation.

"I... ahem, do you know the Bull Demon King of the demon clan?" Zhu Bajie said, changing the subject.

"The Bull Demon King, the Great Sage Pingtian! I know!" Ao Chun rushed to say.

Fox Girl was thoughtful. She had heard of the reputation of the demon king Bull Demon King from Xiniu Hezhou, but she had never expected that this demon king from this land would have such powerful strength.

"Yes, he is one. However, if that old bull really fought to the death with Yang Jian, he would most likely be the one who was defeated and killed." Zhu Bajie gave his own evaluation.

“……”Chenxiang fell silent.

"Is there anyone else?" Xiaoyu looked at Zhu Bajie with wide eyes like a curious baby.

Seeing Xiaoyu's eager look, Zhu Bajie immediately became interested. He cleared his throat, hummed twice and said, "If we talk about someone who can rival Erlang Shen, in the Three Realms today, perhaps my senior brother, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, is one of them!"

"The Great Sage Equaling Heaven! The messenger's senior brother?" Chenxiang exclaimed in surprise, staring at Zhu Bajie.

"Thinking back then, my senior brother was besieged by the Heavenly Court's Fighting Department, Thunder Department, Fire Department, Water Department, as well as hundreds of thousands of heavenly soldiers from the South Heaven Gate, but he never lost. He also fought with Yang Jian many times, but Yang Jian was never able to do anything to him!" Zhu Bajie became more and more excited as he spoke, and he looked as if he was the one who was besieged that year.

"Sun Wukong! The Great Sage Equaling Heaven!" Fox Girl frowned and tried hard to recall. She seemed to have heard this name vaguely.

"One of the seven saints of the demon race!" Ao Chun said solemnly, "He can even be called the leader of the seven saints of the demon race. He openly rebelled against the Heavenly Court and triggered two wars between immortals and demons! Although they were eventually suppressed by the Heavenly Court, the impact was extremely far-reaching, especially among the demon race."

"Oh, you little dragon know a lot! You know everything that happened more than a thousand years ago!" Zhu Bajie said, "Are you a relative of the Dragon King?"

Ao Chun smiled and did not answer, but he could not help complaining in his heart: How could he not know? Every time the seniors in the East China Sea mentioned this matter, they would burst into tears. Those two wars were fought in the East China Sea, and I don't know how many sea creatures died. It was only because the four sea dragons were weak that they were used as battlefields!

"Fighting between immortals and demons!" Chen Xiang's breathing quickened. He thought to himself that if he were to become a disciple, he might choose Sun Wukong. After all, he has entered Buddhism now, so he would not kill easily. Besides, he still has an old grudge with the Heavenly Court.

"Is there anyone else? Is there anyone else who can compete with Yang Jian?" Xiaoyu became more and more excited as she listened and asked.

"Xiao Yu, I guess there are no more!" said the fox girl, "It's not easy to have two people in the world who can rival Brother Yang. If there are more, Brother Yang can no longer be called the God of War of the Three Realms!" Although Wanku Mountain was disbanded due to Yang Jian's intervention, at least everyone saved their lives. Yang Jian also left a way for the Wanku Mountain demon clan to survive, and did not let the furious Guangmu Heavenly King lead his troops to massacre them.

"Is there really no one else?!" Xiaoyu's face was full of disappointment.

"Yes! I guess there is one!" Zhu Bajie suddenly looked serious. "But it doesn't really matter whether we talk about this person or not. As far as I know, this person has disappeared for hundreds of years. He is from outside the domain and may have left the Three Realms long ago."

"Who!?" Chenxiang asked anxiously.

"The Holy Lord of Weiqian, Meng Jing!" Zhu Bajie said these words slowly with a solemn expression. (End of this chapter)