All Heavens: Sharing Talents with Countless Mes

"Rise." Buddha looked at Bai Ling and nodded slightly. "Bai Ling, you have listened to the sutras on my Mount Ling for ten thousand years, cultivating a body of ice and jade, never tainted by karma. Today, I have a matter to entrust to you."

Bai Ling stood up and bowed slightly: "Please speak, Your Majesty. I will gladly die for you."

"There is a pilgrimage team in the mortal realm, led by Tang Xuanzang, the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, with Sun Wukong and a mortal named Chu Yang as their guards," the Buddha said slowly. "They have been behaving strangely lately, disregarding Buddhist rules. I order you to go down to the mortal realm and meet them."

A hint of disdain flashed in Bai Ling's dark golden pupils, but her tone remained calm: "Does the World Honored One intend for his disciple to capture them and bring them back to Mount Ling?"

“No,” Guanyin Bodhisattva interjected. “The World-Honored One means that you should go and give them a warning. You must not harm Jin Chanzi, nor should you actually kill Sun Wukong. But as long as they are alive, you can do whatever you want with them. Especially that mischievous monkey, you must break his spirit and let him know that there are heavens beyond heavens.”

Bai Ling frowned slightly: "Back then, Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace. It is said that he cultivated an indestructible body, and ordinary magic and weapons could not harm him in the slightest. Although my cultivation is not weak, if I want to 'severely injure him but not die' and suppress his brute strength, I'm afraid it will be a bit tricky. Moreover, I have heard that the mortal Chu Yang has an evil longsword in his hand and can also control the Red Lotus Karmic Fire."

"Of course I won't let you leave empty-handed."

As the Buddha spoke, he gently waved his enormous palm in mid-air.

Three blinding beams of light flew out from his palm and slowly hovered in front of Bai Ling.

On the left is a small seal, entirely dark gold in color. The seal is small, square, with a complex swastika engraved on its base. The space around the seal is constantly distorting and collapsing, as if it itself possesses a terrifying weight capable of crushing eternity.

"This is the 'Brahma Soul-Suppressing Seal'." The Buddha's voice was filled with supreme majesty. "Although that mischievous monkey's physical body is indestructible, this great seal does not strike the physical body, but only the soul. Once locked by this seal, even if he has skin of copper and bones of iron, his soul will be shaken and he will suffer unbearable pain. With this seal, you can break his indestructible body."

A hint of joy flashed in Bai Ling's eyes as she respectfully accepted the gift with both hands.

In the center was a crystal-clear glass bowl. The bowl was half-filled with crystal-clear water, the surface of which was completely still, yet it exuded an extremely cold aura that could freeze even the soul.

"This is the 'Eight Desolations Purifying Water Bowl'," Guanyin Bodhisattva explained. "The water inside is made from the essence of the mysterious ice collected from the bottom of the Nine Netherworlds, refined with the Buddhist light of Mount Ling. It is specially designed to suppress all fires in the world. Although Chu Yang's Red Lotus Karmic Fire is domineering, this purifying water is enough to temporarily suppress it, turning his proud flames into a pile of useless wood."

Bai Ling took the alms bowl again and carefully put it into her sleeve.

The last magical artifact was a seemingly ordinary golden net. The net's threads were extremely fine, and one hundred and eight Bodhi seeds, each the size of a longan, hung from it.

"This is the 'Zhou Tian Bodhi Net'," said the Buddha. "If that mischievous monkey sees the situation is bad and tries to escape on his somersault cloud, cast this net. This net can seal off a space within a hundred miles, making it impossible for him to escape. Bai Ling, with these three magic treasures in hand, are you confident?"

A cruel smile finally appeared on Bai Ling's icy face. He put away the Zhou Tian Bodhi Net, clasped his hands together, and bowed deeply to the Buddha.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty. Your disciple will shatter that scoundrel's arrogance inch by inch, and let Chu Yang experience what true despair is. As long as they have a breath left, your disciple will have fulfilled Your Majesty's decree."

The Buddha closed his eyes and said no more.

Bai Ling suddenly turned around, waved his cloak, and transformed into a giant nine-heaven crane once more. He let out a long cry that pierced the clouds, flapped his wings, and directly tore through the golden sea of ​​clouds above the sacred mountain, turning into a white lightning bolt and rushing down to the lower realm.

Looking in the direction where Bai Ling disappeared, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva finally curled up a cold smile: "With the Brahma Soul-Suppressing Seal here, that rascal will be severely injured, if not killed."

……

Below, in the Sorrowful Cloud Valley.

This is an extremely treacherous canyon. The towering cliffs on both sides rise into the clouds, displaying an eerie purplish-black hue, as if soaked in blood for countless years. Deep within the canyon, a thick, perpetual white fog hangs in the air. This fog not only obscures visibility but also carries a chilling, damp coldness; inhaling it feels like swallowing a handful of ice crystals.

The official road becomes extremely narrow and rugged here, with dead trees lying haphazardly and sharp stones everywhere.

"Ah!"

Tang Sanzang wrapped his brocade cassock tighter around himself and sneezed heavily on horseback. He rubbed his slightly red nose, looked at the eerie and terrifying surroundings, and said with a wry smile, "Why is the cold here so intense? It's clearly early autumn, but it feels like deep winter. Wukong, how much longer must we travel through this Sorrowful Cloud Gorge?"

Sun Wukong walked at the front, his golden cudgel slung over his shoulder, scanning the thick fog around him with his fiery eyes as he went.

“Master, don’t panic. This canyon looks long, but at my pace, I can get out in two more hours at most,” Sun Wukong said without turning his head. “This place is foggy, with no sunlight and yin energy gathering, so it’s naturally a bit cold. Once we’re out, I’ll get you a hot vegetarian meal to warm your stomach.”

Chu Yang walked to the left of the white dragon horse, toying with the newly formed sword spirit of the Zhan Ye Wu Ming Sword. The scabbard remained undrawn, but he could clearly feel the two-colored small sword within his dantian resonating with this divine weapon in a strange way. With a casual flick of his wrist, a sword aura, barely perceptible to the naked eye, silently sliced ​​a half-person-high boulder in two by the roadside.

"Tsk tsk, this sword spirit is truly amazing." Chu Yang patted the scabbard with satisfaction, looked up at Tang Sanzang, and smiled, "Master, if you feel cold, I'll warm you up with Pure Yang True Fire? I guarantee it will be warmer than wearing ten cotton-padded coats."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang quickly waved his hand: "Benefactor Chu, you mustn't. Your true fire is too powerful. What if it accidentally burns my robe? I can bear it."

Since the battle at Immaculate City, Tang Sanzang's state of mind had undergone a complete transformation. He was no longer like before, frightened by the slightest disturbance and constantly chanting Buddhist prayers, nor did he readily use the rules and regulations to restrain Sun Wukong and Chu Yang. The atmosphere among the three was more harmonious than ever before.

"Master, are you afraid I'll burn you like a roast suckling pig?" Chu Yang laughed. "Don't worry, my current fire control skills are more than enough to keep the temperature just right. But seriously, Monkey King, don't you think this mist is a bit strange?"

Chu Yang stopped and extended a finger. A wisp of dark red karmic fire danced at his fingertip. The karmic fire, which should have instantly evaporated the surrounding mist, could only barely push back about half a foot of white mist, and the flames were still flickering slightly, as if they were being suppressed.

Sun Wukong also stopped, his brows furrowed: "Now that you mention it, I, Old Sun, also feel something's not right. This fog... seems to carry a fishy smell of bird feathers."

The moment Sun Wukong finished speaking, the surrounding temperature plummeted to an incredibly terrifying level! The previously chilly canyon instantly condensed into countless tiny ice crystals. The thick layer of decaying leaves on the ground froze into hard blocks of ice in the blink of an eye, cracking crisply when stepped on.

"There's a demonic aura! Master, be careful!"

Sun Wukong shouted and swung his golden cudgel, creating a gust of wind in an attempt to disperse the thick fog around him.

However, the gale swept into the fog and vanished without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea. Then, countless white snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

No, those aren't snowflakes.

Chu Yang's eyes narrowed, and he swiftly caught a falling "snowflake" in his hand. It was extremely cold to the touch, but its edges were exceptionally sharp, even drawing a shallow line of blood on his finger.

Those are white feathers!
"You charlatan, get out here, you old man Sun!"

Sun Wukong roared, his legs slammed against the ground, and he shot into the sky like a cannonball. His golden cudgel, carrying immense power, slammed down on the thick, impenetrable white mist above the canyon.

"You ignorant and unruly monkey, how dare you be so presumptuous in front of me."

An extremely cold, arrogant, and emotionless voice rang out simultaneously from all directions.

As the sound faded, the white mist in mid-air seemed to be torn apart by an invisible hand. A man with an extremely handsome face, dressed in a pure white crane feather cloak, slowly descended from the mist. His toes lightly touched a withered pine branch frozen into an ice sculpture, and his dark golden pupils looked down at Sun Wukong, Chu Yang, and Tang Sanzang below with contempt, as if he were looking at three insignificant ants.

It was Bai Ling, the Nine Heavens Spirit Crane who was ordered to descend to the mortal realm.

"Who are you, deity? How dare you block my path?" Sun Wukong flipped back to the ground in mid-air, holding his golden cudgel horizontally in front of his chest, his fiery eyes fixed on Bai Ling. He could sense that the white-robed man before him had no demonic aura; instead, he exuded extremely orthodox immortal spiritual power.

Bai Ling completely ignored Sun Wukong's questioning. He simply raised his right hand slowly, smoothed the crane feathers on his sleeve with his slender fingers, and said coldly, "Jin Chanzi, you have cultivated for ten lifetimes and should have gone to Mount Ling to seek the true scriptures. Now you associate with this demon monkey and mortals, breaking the precepts and causing trouble, destroying my Buddhist formations, and disgracing the reputation of my Bodhisattvas. Today, I am here on the orders of the Buddha to punish you and let you know what it means to distinguish between the noble and the lowly, and what it means to defy the majesty of Heaven!"

Tang Sanzang sat astride the white dragon horse, shivering from the cold, yet his back remained ramrod straight. He clasped his hands together, his gaze calmly meeting Bai Ling's arrogant stare: "Amitabha. Venerable Immortal, this humble monk has journeyed westward, enduring countless hardships, all for the sake of saving all sentient beings. Yet, the Lion Camel Ridge is overrun by demons, and the Immaculate City is utterly devoid of humanity. This humble monk was merely following his heart; what wrong have I committed? If Buddha truly wishes to punish me, this humble monk is willing to bear it all. I beg the Venerable Immortal to spare my two disciples."

"Take responsibility? What will you take responsibility for?" Bai Ling sneered, a cruel smile curving his lips. "None of you three will escape today. The World Honored One has ordered that you be spared. As for how to keep those breaths, that's up to me."

"What arrogance!" Chu Yang stepped forward, blocking Tang Sanzang's path. His sword, the Sword of Slaying Karma, was suddenly drawn, its blade a chaotic interplay of seven-colored Buddhist light and dark red karmic fire. He looked at Bai Ling with sharp eyes, mocking, "I thought the Buddha had some brilliant methods, but it turns out he's just unleashed another biting dog. What, we chased away the Bodhisattva's mount, and now it's the Buddha's pet's turn to fight? Your feathers are quite white, but I wonder if they'd be good for kicking a shuttlecock!"

A barely concealed murderous intent finally flashed across Bai Ling's usually impassive face. He was a Nine Heavens Spirit Crane, and held himself in high esteem; when had he ever been subjected to such vulgar insults?

"Mortal, you're courting death!"

With a sudden flick of his white feathered cloak.

"Shh-!"

Hundreds of white feathers, like arrows released from a bow, instantly transformed into a rain of extremely sharp swords, tearing through the air with a shrill whistling sound, shooting towards Chu Yang in a devastating barrage. Each feather was coated with terrifyingly cold spiritual energy, freezing even the air in its path, leaving streaks of white ice.

"A trivial skill!"

Chu Yang snorted coldly, and the Sword of Slaying Karma in his hand twirled into a dazzling sword flower.

"Crimson Lotus Sword Curtain!"

The crimson Lotus Karmic Fire transformed into a massive wall of fire, blocking Chu Yang and Tang Sanzang's path. The countless ice feathers crashed against the wall of fire, producing a dense hissing sound, and were instantly evaporated into white vapor.

"I, Old Sun, will have a go at you, you hairy beast!"

Seeing that Chu Yang had blocked the attack, Sun Wukong did not hesitate at all. He stomped a deep pit in the ground and transformed into a golden lightning bolt, rushing directly towards the white feather on the withered pine tree.

"Take this from my old Sun Wukong's staff!"

The golden cudgel instantly grew larger, carrying an overwhelming and violent power, and slammed down towards Bai Ling's head. Sun Wukong showed no mercy with this strike; he could sense the immense strength of the crane demon before him and knew he had to finish the fight quickly.

However, faced with this unstoppable attack, Bai Ling didn't even dodge, nor did he even glance at Sun Wukong. A cold, mocking smile once again appeared on his lips.

"Indestructible? In my eyes, that's nothing but a joke."

Bai Ling suddenly flipped open his left hand, and the dark golden "Brahma Soul-Suppressing Seal" instantly appeared in his palm. He tossed the seal into the air.

"town!"

With a cold shout from Bai Ling, the palm-sized seal suddenly swelled in mid-air, instantly transforming into a dark golden mountain a hundred feet in size. The huge swastika at the bottom of the seal burst forth with extremely dazzling golden light.

This golden light contained no trace of physical oppression, yet it carried a terrifying pressure that struck straight to the soul! (End of Chapter)