Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

The bodhisattvas looked at each other in bewilderment. Dipankara Buddha seemed to be deep in thought.

"The Buddha's intention is..."

The Buddha's vision is far-reaching.

"In the four continents, the beings are of varying good and evil. The people of the Northern Continent are fond of killing, but only to make a living; the people of the Western Continent are neither greedy nor murderous, but nurture their spirit and cultivate their inner peace; the people of the Eastern Continent are respectful of Heaven and Earth, and have a cheerful and peaceful mind; only the people of the Southern Continent are greedy, lustful, and fond of trouble, and are prone to killing and fighting. It is truly a place of fierce words and a sea of ​​evil."

Manjushri Bodhisattva suddenly realized.

"Does the World-Honored One wish to transmit the Tripitaka to Jambudvipa?"

"Good."

The Buddha smiled.

"If we can bring the Tripitaka to Jambudvipa and persuade all beings to do good, this would be a great act of kindness from heaven and earth, and you would all gain great merit. This is a perfect method. What do you all think?"

Above Mount Ling, golden light shone brightly.

Inside the Great Thunder Temple, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas lined both sides, but the peaceful atmosphere of the past was gone.

The Buddha sits serenely on a lotus throne, with a Buddha wheel slowly rotating behind his head, and countless scriptures seem to flow within each ray of golden light.

"Everyone."

The Buddha spoke, and although his voice was not loud, it shook the entire Great Thunderclap Temple.

"I have summoned you here today for the matter of Jambudvipa."

Manjushri Bodhisattva frowned slightly and exchanged a glance with Samantabhadra Bodhisattva beside him.

They had followed the Buddha for many years and had never seen him speak so frankly about the struggle for faith.

The Buddha's gaze swept over the assembled Bodhisattvas and Arhats, a smile playing on his lips.

"In the West, we have the Tripitaka, consisting of the Dharma, the Abhidharma, and the Sutras, totaling thirty-five works in 15,144 volumes. This is the path to spiritual cultivation and the gateway to righteousness and goodness."

"Buddha."

Venerable Ananda couldn't help but ask.

"Are you here to bring the true scriptures to the East?"

The Buddha nodded.

"That's right. The Heavenly Court has already agreed to the transmission of the scriptures."

As soon as this statement came out, the whole audience was in an uproar.

The Vajra Arhats looked at each other in bewilderment, and the expressions of several Bodhisattvas changed drastically.

The Heavenly Court has agreed? What does this mean? All the Buddhas present knew perfectly well that the path of Heaven's will was set, the Sage's decree was hard to disobey, and the great prosperity of the West was a foregone conclusion!

"Buddha."

Manjushri Bodhisattva stepped forward, his voice trembling slightly.

"Taoism is flourishing in the Great Tang Dynasty of the East, but the Tang Emperor's attitude towards Buddhism is unclear. I'm afraid this matter is..."

The Buddha raised his hand to interrupt.

"That is precisely why we must let the people of the East come and take it themselves. They need to endure hardships and travel thousands of miles to realize the preciousness of our Buddhist teachings."

Below the lotus platform, the bodhisattvas and arhats whispered among themselves.

This isn't about spreading Buddhist teachings; it's clearly about the East begging the West for the Dharma! This attitude is practically putting Buddhism above Taoism!
Guanyin Bodhisattva stood at the head of all the Bodhisattvas, her eyes filled with an unusual light.

She suddenly stepped forward, bowed, and said.

"This disciple wishes to travel to the Eastern Land."

The Buddha's gaze fell upon Guanyin, and his smile deepened.

“Excellent. The Venerable Guanyin has great compassion, which is perfect for this task.”

He took out five treasures from his sleeve.

A brocade cassock, a nine-ringed staff, and three golden hoops.

"On this journey to the East, we must seek the one who will retrieve the scriptures. This cassock and staff can be given to a destined person, along with three golden hoops."

The Buddha paused for a moment.

"If you encounter a powerful demon, you can persuade him to reform and become a disciple of the pilgrim. If he refuses to obey, you can put this headband on his head. It will naturally take root in his flesh and force him to join my sect."

Guanyin accepted the treasure, but her heart skipped a beat.

The three golden hoops signify the subjugation of three demons. Buddha is paving the way for the pilgrims on their journey to the West!
After leaving Lingshan, Guanyin rode the clouds eastward.

She originally intended to send her attendant Muzha ahead to scout the way, but when they arrived at the banks of the Liusha River, she could not sense Muzha's presence.

"strangeness."

Guanyin calculated with her fingers, and her expression changed slightly.

"He's actually imprisoned in the Ninth Heavenly Prison? Lin Zhu, that bastard, what audacity!"

Left with no other choice, Guanyin had to come to the Liusha River herself.

The river was swift and turbulent, with blood-red waves churning, and the white bones scattered at the bottom of the river were faintly visible.

She gently waved a willow branch, and the river parted, revealing a passage.

A figure stood quietly in front of the cave at the bottom of the river.

The man was twelve feet tall, with nine skulls hanging around his neck, but he was not the disheveled figure one might expect. His red hair was meticulously combed, his face was as calm as an ancient well, and his eyes held a depth as if the stars were flowing within them.

"General Curtain Roller?"

Guanyin asked tentatively.

The man nodded slightly.

"It is indeed I. Bodhisattva, you have come from afar, I have failed to greet you properly."

Guanyin was surprised.

How could this Curtain-Rolling General have such an air of composure? It's completely different from the rumored image of him being banished to the mortal realm for breaking a glass cup and then becoming self-destructive!

She secretly used her keen insight to try and see through the other party's true nature.

This sight was quite alarming; Guanyin was shocked. The Curtain-Raising General's demonic power was pitifully weak, and his meridians were riddled with holes, as if he had undergone some terrible torment!

"General, you have been punished here for many years. Have you ever thought about returning to the right path?"

Guanyin suppressed her doubts and adopted a compassionate demeanor.

The Curtain-Rolling General raised the corners of his mouth slightly.

"Is the Bodhisattva trying to save me?"

"My Buddha is merciful."

Guanyin clasped her hands together in prayer.

"Now there is a pilgrim who is going to the Western Paradise to seek the true scriptures. If you, General, are willing to take refuge in the Buddha and protect the pilgrim, you will be able to escape the sea of ​​suffering after the mission is accomplished."

Surprisingly, General Rolling Curtain responded almost without hesitation.

"it is good."

Guanyin was taken aback.

"The general... has he agreed?"

"if not?"

The general asked in return, his voice eerily calm.

"I have been punished here for five hundred years, suffering the pain of flying swords piercing my heart every day. The Bodhisattva has given me a way out, why shouldn't I take it?"

Guanyin felt something was amiss, but the mission was of utmost importance.

She took out the razor.

"In that case, this humble monk will ordain you."

The razor fell, and red hair flew everywhere.

The Curtain-Raising General should now be called Sha Wujing. He closed his eyes to receive the precepts without even frowning.

"From this day forward, your Dharma name is Wujing. You have entered my monastic order and must observe the Five Precepts."

Guanyin recited the precepts while secretly observing.

Sha Wujing's reaction was too calm, so calm that it didn't seem like a sinful immortal who had been banished to the mortal realm for five hundred years, but rather like that he had been prepared all along.

After the tonsure was completed, Guanyin probed.

"Wujing, do you have any luggage to pack?"

Sha Wujing shook his head.

"He has nothing of value except this skull on his head."

He took off the necklace made of nine skulls.

"These are the heads of the first nine pilgrims who went on their journey to the West. I no longer need them."

Guanyin's heart skipped a beat. Nine pilgrims? The Buddha hadn't mentioned anything about that!
"Bodhisattva need not be surprised."

Sha Wujing seemed to see through her thoughts.

“Every few decades, someone claims to be on the Buddha’s orders to retrieve the scriptures. I am bound by the heavenly rules and can only eat them.”

He spoke casually, but Guanyin was terrified.

This Flowing Sand River has become the burial place for those who went on their pilgrimage to the West!

"Amitabha."

Guanyin forced herself to remain calm.

"Past events are forgotten. Now that you have entered my fold, you should embrace compassion."

Sha Wujing suddenly laughed.

"Don't worry, Bodhisattva. Now that I have agreed to take refuge, I will do my best to protect the pilgrims on their journey to the West."

He paused.

"I wonder if this pilgrim will be able to reach the Flowing Sands River?"

There's a hidden meaning in those words! Guanyin narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's nothing." Sha Wujing turned and led the way.

"Please, Bodhisattva, I will help you cross the river."

Guanyin was full of doubts, but she didn't dare to ask any more questions.

The entire subjugation process went incredibly smoothly, so smoothly that it made her wary.

A foul wind suddenly arose on the banks of the Liusha River, and the laughter of General Juanlian tore through the sky.

The laughter initially sounded like the clang of metal, then transformed into the wailing of ten thousand ghosts, and finally turned into solemn chanting.

He plunged his gilded staff deep into the blood-red sand, and black blood suddenly seeped from the nine skull prayer beads.

"How perfectly pure and spotless!"

Sha Wujing inserted his five fingers into his chest and pulled out a ball of pulsating black fire.

"When I broke a crystal goblet at the Peach Banquet, why didn't the Buddha say there was no distinction?"

The Jade Emperor's cold face emerged from the black flames; the pain of the thirty-three Heavenly Thunder Whips was still etched on his immortal bones.

The demonic energy surged into a vortex, and a vertical pupil slowly opened in the center of the vortex.

The pupils reflected the sacred mountain scenery, yet every golden tile seemed to be seeping blood.

"If Jin Chanzi is reincarnated ten times, you will eat him for nine of those lifetimes."

The Demon Eye's voice was like a steel knife scraping bone.

"Now you want to protect him and take him to the Western Paradise?"

Sha Wujing suddenly formed the lotus mudra, but the golden wheel of merit that appeared behind his head was tinged with black.

"Great compassion is great evil."

His mouth stretched from ear to ear, revealing a mouthful of fangs.

"Since we're going to cross it, let's cross it completely."

Before the words were finished, the nine skeletons suddenly let out a shriek and devoured the black fire completely.

Above the clouds, the willow branch in Guanyin's jade vase moves swaying without wind.

The Bodhisattva frowned and looked down at the mortal realm, where he saw Sha Wujing devoutly chanting scriptures, as if everything before had been an illusion.

Perhaps the resentment of the Eight Hundred Li Flowing Sand River is too heavy.

She twirled the prayer beads, but touched a bead with barbs growing on it. It was clearly an unformed demonic seed.

Gao Laozhuang was brightly decorated with lanterns, and three thousand red lanterns illuminated the night sky like blood.

Zhu Ganglie was dressed in a bright red wedding robe, his tusks concealed by magic, and at this moment he looked like a burly and honest farmer.

Some drunkards at the table started making a fuss.

"With such superhuman strength, is the groom perhaps a celestial being descended to earth?"

"I've only learned a few tricks."

Zhu Ganglie poured wine for his father-in-law, the mark of the Immortal Binding Rope on his wrist throbbing faintly.

Gao Cuilan's wedding dress was embroidered with golden mandarin ducks, but in his eyes it gradually transformed into the shadow of the cassia tree in front of the Guanghan Palace.

Suddenly, the sound of breaking dishes came from the kitchen in the backyard.

Zhu Ganglie hurried over and saw a cook staring in horror at the half-face of Chang'e floating in the spilled chicken soup on the ground.

"Official."

Gao Cuilan wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"Are you drunk?"

She traced her fingertips along the back of her husband's neck, where a cluster of celestial fire burned eternally.

Guanyin stands on a cloud, her vase tilted in her hand.

A drop of sweet dew fell into the wedding hall, but transformed into Samadhi Fire in mid-air.

Marshal Tianpeng

The Bodhisattva chuckled softly.

"Do you really think you can escape your fate?"

At the same time, Sha Wujing, who was at the bottom of the Liusha River, suddenly looked up, and black Buddhist light pierced through the turbid water, echoing the fiery clouds in the distance.

The Gao family compound was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, with red silk hanging from the eaves, and joyful music echoed throughout the village.

Zhu Ganglie was dressed in a bright red wedding robe and wore a groom's crown, his round face beaming with smiles.

He kept rubbing his hands together, his eyes glancing towards the inner courtyard.

Why hasn't the bride come out yet?

He muttered to himself, his voice full of anticipation.

The Gao family's butler, standing nearby, smiled and reassured them.

"Don't worry, young master, the auspicious time is almost here. Miss is getting ready!"

Zhu Ganglie chuckled, revealing a set of white teeth.

Today, he deliberately used his magic to maintain his most handsome human form, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a high nose bridge, showing no trace of a pig demon.

Since being banished to the mortal world and ending up in Gao Village, he only wanted to find a place to settle down, but unexpectedly he met Gao Cuilan. The gentle and lovely girl did not mind his background and was willing to marry him.

"I, Old Pig, am finally going to have a home."

He was secretly delighted, his eyes narrowing into slits.

Above the clouds, Guanyin Bodhisattva stood on a lotus platform, coldly looking down at the bustling scene below.

The jade bottle in her hand was tilted slightly, with a drop of sweet dew hanging at the mouth of the bottle, not falling for a long time.

"That Pigsy, he certainly knows how to enjoy life."

The Bodhisattva snorted coldly.

"Demoted to the mortal realm, he showed no remorse but instead indulged in earthly comforts."

Her gaze was like lightning, piercing through the clouds to look directly at Zhu Ganglie's beaming face.

"With the great mission of obtaining the scriptures imminent, how can you be allowed to enjoy a life of leisure here?"

With a flick of his finger, the Bodhisattva sent an invisible force silently piercing through the clouds and pointing directly at the Gao family compound below.

That magical power was as fine as silk threads, invisible to mortals, and even immortals would find it difficult to detect without careful observation.

"The auspicious time has arrived. Please enter, newlyweds!"

The emcee's loud voice rang out.

Zhu Bajie perked up and quickly straightened his clothes. The inner courtyard gate opened, and Gao Cuilan, dressed in a phoenix coronet and wedding gown, slowly walked out, supported by her maid.

She wore a red veil, so her face could not be seen, but her graceful figure had already captivated Pigsy.

"Cuilan."

He murmured, his eyes filled with tenderness.

Old Master Gao sat on the throne, looking at the newlyweds with a gratified smile on his face.

Although the son-in-law's background was somewhat mysterious, he was hardworking and strong, and helped the Gao family with a lot of farm work. His daughter also liked him, so he accepted the marriage.

"Worship heaven and earth!"

Zhu Ganglie and Gao Cuilan faced the gate and knelt down to kowtow.

Zhu Ganglie silently thought to himself.

"Thank God for letting me meet Cuilan. I, Lao Zhu, will definitely treat her well from now on."

Just as he bowed in worship, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back, as if something had entered his body.

He frowned, assuming it was because the wedding dress was too tight, and didn't pay much attention.

"Two thanks to the high hall!"

The two turned to Elder Gao and knelt down again.

Zhu Ganglie suddenly felt an itch in his right hand. He instinctively reached out to scratch it, but froze when he raised his hand. His right hand had somehow turned into a hairy pig's hoof!

"What's going on?"

He was terrified and quickly covered his face with his sleeve, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

His transformation technique has never failed before, so why did it suddenly stop working today?

Gao Cuilan seemed to notice his unusual behavior and asked softly through her veil.

"Husband, what's wrong?"

"It's okay."

Zhu Ganglie forced a smile and tried to remain calm.

"I'm just so happy."

"Couple greetings!"

The two stood facing each other, Zhu Ganglie holding Gao Cuilan's right hand with his left, about to bow.

Suddenly, Gao Cuilan cried out in surprise and abruptly pulled her hand back.

"your hands!"

Her voice trembled, and her face beneath the veil was deathly pale.

Zhu Bajie looked down and felt a chill run down his spine. Not only his right hand, but now even his left hand had turned into a pig's trotter! Even more terrifying, he felt his facial muscles begin to contort and deform, his nose bulging forward, and his ears growing larger and longer.
"no, do not want"

He covered his face in terror, but it was too late.

"Ah, monster!"

One of the maids screamed first, pointing at Zhu Ganglie's face.

The entire hall erupted in chaos.

The guests were terrified; tables and chairs overturned, cups and plates fell to the ground, and screams filled the air.

Zhu Ganglie's transformation technique completely failed, revealing his true form: a long snout, large ears, a black face, and short hair—a veritable wild boar demon! (End of Chapter)