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

The slight pallor on his face caused by the residual toxins from the Glazed Illusionary Light completely disappeared, replaced by a gentle, jade-like, and radiant glow. His eyes shone with a sharp light that seemed to pierce through the void.

The entire process was silent yet undeniably real. In just a breath or two, the profound aura slowly subsided, but Lin Zhu's entire demeanor had changed. It was as if a peerless divine weapon had finally worn away its last bit of rust, revealing its complete, gleaming blade.

Half-step Quasi-Saint Perfection!

The final and most difficult hurdle to overcome is the vast amount of merit—two million—that is enough to make ordinary Golden Immortals despair!

Lin Zhu exhaled a breath of stale air, looking relaxed, as if he had unloaded some invisible burden.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, as if examining himself.

"System, medical examination report."

He meditated in his heart.

A cold and precise stream of thought swept across his mind.

[Realm Level: Half-Step Quasi-Saint]

[Cultivation Technique: Nine Revolutions Pangu True Body Technique]

[Core magical treasures: Heavenly Dao Treasure - God-Slaying Spear, Supreme Innate Spiritual Treasure - Thirteenth-Grade Merit Golden Lotus, Special Spiritual Treasure - Immortal-Slaying and God-Destroying Blade...]

Other magical treasures: Innate spiritual treasure - Fantian Seal, merit-based magical treasure - Shennong Cauldron, acquired supreme treasure - Thirty-Three Heavens Golden Exquisite Pagoda...

[Magic and supernatural abilities. Seventy-two Transformations of Earthly Fiends, Rainbow Transformation Technique, Five Elements Great Escape, Mastery of the Five Thunders...]

Lin Zhu slowly opened his eyes, a faint, satisfied smile appearing on his lips. Looking at the densely packed list of magical treasures and supernatural abilities in his mind, a list that would make any prehistoric powerhouse envious, he felt a rare sense of accomplishment, like a mortal stamp collector who had collected a complete set of rare stamps.

The path of cultivation is long and arduous, and solitude is the norm. Collecting these treasures of varying power and extraordinary origins, studying various mysterious supernatural abilities, and watching his own foundation gradually grow richer has become one of the few small hobbies that can bring him a little bit of fun in his long and "boring" life as a prison god.

He nodded slightly, quite satisfied with the results of this "physical examination." The improvement in his strength and the accumulation of magical treasures were the foundation for his confidence in facing more and greater challenges in the future.

All of this was witnessed by Sun Wukong, who was not far away. From the Divine Water of Merit to the instant breakthrough, and then to the increasingly unfathomable aura surrounding Lin Zhu, which was not explicitly stated, Sun Wukong felt that his understanding of this world had been refreshed once again.

This prison, and this prison god, are far more mysterious and... ridiculously powerful than he imagined.

Sun Wukong stood there, his fiery eyes wide open, staring intently at the bamboo forest not far away, where the atmosphere had returned to a deep and peaceful state. He was unable to come back to his senses for a long time.

His pupils reflected the other person's refreshed and relaxed appearance, as if he had just casually stretched, but his heart felt as if it had been trampled by ten thousand ancient elephants, leaving him utterly shocked.

Breakthrough? You've already broken through? A breakthrough to the level of a half-step quasi-saint, or a leap to the crucial point of perfect merit, shouldn't it be something earth-shattering, attracting thunder from the heavens, and requiring thousands of years of painstaking refinement to achieve naturally?

How come when it came to this prison god, it was just like... just like an ordinary mortal finding a secluded spot to relieve himself? Simple, brutal, and frighteningly efficient, without even a hint of flushing afterwards. It was completed so calmly and forcefully?
That was a gourd of divine water with merit that would make even Buddhas and Bodhisattvas break their heads! He just gulped it down like that, and then with a surge of energy, it was done?
Sun Wukong could even clearly sense that the harmonious and unobstructed aura emanating from Lin Zhu, which subtly resonated with the Great Dao, was far more powerful and refined than before! This was beyond mere strength; it completely surpassed Sun Wukong's existing understanding of the terms "cultivation" and "breakthrough"!

'If I, Old Sun, had known five hundred years earlier… no, even a hundred years earlier, that there were immortal lords like Brother Prison God in the Three Realms, and that there were places like the Nine-Layered Heavenly Prison…'

An absurd yet undeniably real thought uncontrollably surfaced in Sun Wukong's mind: 'I'm probably too lazy to even ask which way the door to the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars on Fangcun Mountain faces, let alone pay homage to some Bodhi Patriarch! Wouldn't it be wonderful to just find a pretext to offend the Heavenly Court and beg to be imprisoned?'

The thought, even to himself, felt somewhat like "betraying his master and ancestors," but it truly reflected the immense impact he was experiencing at that moment.

The strength, foundation, and even the hidden "foundation" of the Nine Heavenly Prison that Lin Zhu displayed were like a brand new door that suddenly opened in front of him. The scenery behind the door was completely different from his past five hundred years of suppressed and schemed experiences, as well as his seemingly glorious but actually ignorant havoc in the Heavenly Palace.

Lin Zhu had no idea that the monkey was harboring such "rebellious" thoughts.

After completing his breakthrough, he felt completely refreshed and full of energy. The fatigue and hidden dangers from the days of running around and fighting, and even the sneak attack he had just suffered, were all swept away, and he was in better condition than ever before.

He glanced at Sun Wukong, who was still in a daze, and his tone returned to its usual lazy, urging tone.

"What are you still standing there for? Great Sage, your 'prison' is over there. Go back and 'sit in jail' to reflect on your actions. Don't wander around and disturb the peace here."

Sun Wukong snapped out of his daze after hearing what he said, scratched his head, chuckled, and temporarily suppressed his shock, his curiosity rising again.

He took two steps closer, lowered his voice, and asked with a hint of ingratiation.

"Brother Prison God, this 'prison'... besides basking in the sun, drinking imperial wine, and taking elixirs, what's the food like? When will you be able to arrange that 'fried dragon ribs' you mentioned? I haven't had any real oil or fat in my stomach for five hundred years!"

Lin Zhu glanced at him speechlessly upon hearing this. This monkey was quite adaptable to its environment, already thinking about food so quickly.

He said it casually.

"In this heavily guarded prison, the food and drink are strictly regulated. It consists of common items like dragon liver and phoenix gall, unicorn tendons and roc wings. As for fruits, they are peaches that ripen once every nine thousand years and plums that ripen once every six thousand years, which are occasionally given as a change. The elixirs are all the ones that were ruined by the Tushita Palace... cough, they are the basic ones that were sent over after they were made, just to strengthen the body and nourish the vital energy."

He paused, as if remembering something, and added.

"Drinking water is not allowed. The Heavenly Court has regulations that prisoners and guards in the Heavenly Prison must drink at least 300 years' worth of imperial wine every day. This is mainly because His Majesty the Jade Emperor is considerate. There was too much imperial wine stored up in previous years, and the palaces and halls couldn't finish it all. So some was forcibly allocated to the Heavenly Prison. It would be a waste if it wasn't drunk."

Sun Wukong's lips twitched as he listened. Dragon liver and phoenix gall, unicorn tendons and roc wings were "common things"? Nine-thousand-year-old peaches and yellow plums were "a change of pace"? The elixir of immortality from the Tushita Palace was "basic"? There was so much imperial wine that it had to be drunk like water? Every single word was frantically assaulting the limits of his understanding, which had been tempered by five hundred years of experience.

He smacked his lips and suddenly grinned mischievously.

“Brother Prison God, according to you, I, Old Sun, am starting to regret not causing enough trouble when I wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace back then, and not getting caught sooner. How about… I go out and cause some more trouble now, and then you can ‘reluctantly’ catch me again and lock me up for ten thousand years? I think I could eat like this forever!” Lin Zhu raised an eyebrow at his ridiculous words and gave him a half-smile.

"You wish! Stay put and don't cause me any trouble. You'll get what you deserve."

Having said that, he ignored the clowning monkey and turned to walk deeper into the prison. He still had many things to deal with, especially the damaged Golden Lotus of Merit and the shattered Golden Lamp of Auspicious Clouds.

As Sun Wukong watched Lin Zhu's departing figure, he looked back at his "luxurious" cell and the distant sounds of laughter and chatter from the "poor" jailers and the "miserable" fellow prisoners. Suddenly, he felt that perhaps... there was something to look forward to in this "prison" life.
……

Western Paradise, Mount Ling, Great Thunder Temple.

The once sacred Buddhist land, filled with the constant chanting of sutras, the radiant light of Buddha, and countless auspicious omens, is now shrouded in an indescribable somberness and oppressive atmosphere.

The majestic chanting seemed to have lost some of its composure and tranquility, and instead carried a hint of absent-minded restlessness.

On the nine-tiered golden lotus platform, Buddha Tathagata did not sit upright. Instead, he sat somewhat unusually and slightly agitated on an ordinary blue stone base, one hand supporting his forehead, the other unconsciously stroking the cold stone surface. Even the solemn white hair between his brows seemed to have dimmed a little.

He sighed repeatedly, one sigh after another, echoing in the empty hall, making the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Vajras standing below hold their breath even more, not daring to breathe loudly.

How can I not be worried?

Jin Chanzi's pathetic spirit was still trembling in the warm, nurturing Buddhist light in his palm, conveying boundless fear of Sun Wukong's world-destroying blow, and he refused to go on the pilgrimage even if he were beaten to death. His physical body was completely destroyed, and to achieve a perfect recovery, only the top-grade "Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill" produced in Laozi's Eight Trigrams Furnace would suffice.

But just recently, because of some scheming and the messy incident of the theft of the Tushita Palace and the overturning of the alchemy furnace, he had completely broken ties with that Dao Ancestor! Now, going to ask for pills? Forget about pills, he probably wouldn't even be able to get into the Tushita Palace, and would only suffer another round of ridicule for no reason!
This situation is ten times worse than the common saying, "A rope always breaks at its thinnest point, and misfortune always finds those who are unfortunate!"
What made him even more uncomfortable was that the bluestone platform, after sitting on it for a long time, felt hard, cold, and uncomfortable, giving him a vague, indescribable feeling similar to the subtle "testicular pain" that ordinary men experience after sitting on a hard object for a long time, which added to his irritability.

Seeing the Buddha so distressed, Manjushri Bodhisattva, who was standing by, couldn't help but comfort him.

"Buddha, please be at ease. The Medicine Buddha has already gone there personally. With his boundless Buddhist Dharma and pure light, he will surely be able to subdue Lin Zhu, and rescuing Jin Chanzi's physical body or bringing back Sun Wukong will be an easy task. As for the Immovable King, his Buddhist Dharma is profound and his combat power is formidable. Capturing and killing Lin Zhu will be a piece of cake..."

Before she could finish speaking, a figure who was quietly wiping the floor in the corner suddenly straightened up and spoke up.

"Like killing a chicken."

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.

He had somehow wandered into the Great Thunder Temple, and now he appeared meek and focused on sweeping, but his words flowed exceptionally smoothly.

Manjushri Bodhisattva was taken aback and glared at Li Jing, but since the conversation had already begun, he had no choice but to continue.

"Indeed, it would be as easy for the Immovable King to capture and kill Lin Zhu as taking something out of a bag. Lin Zhu is only a half-step Quasi-Saint, and Sun Wukong is merely a Taiyi Golden Immortal. What is there to fear? With the Immovable King, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and the Medicine Buddha's Lapis Lazuli Illusionary Light to support us, this mission will surely be a success. The Buddha only needs to wait for good news."

As the Buddha listened to these "optimistic" predictions, his brows furrowed even more.

It wasn't that he didn't trust the strength of Medicine Buddha and Acala, but that Lin Zhu... had left an extremely deep impression on him five hundred years ago. He was an anomaly who didn't play by the rules at all, had an endless stream of trump cards, and grew in strength at an eerie speed! Although he seemed quiet in recent years, every time he appeared, he stirred up a storm.

He always had a bad feeling, especially when everyone thought victory was assured.

"I hope so."

The Buddha sighed, his voice low and somber.

"But for some reason, I feel uneasy. I dislike bad news, but I hope... there won't be any bad news."

As if to confirm his unease, not long after he finished speaking, a series of rapid and chaotic whooshing sounds suddenly came from outside the Great Thunderclap Temple, accompanied by a shrill cry that was both mournful and tearful.

"Buddha! Save me!!"

A golden light stumbled and crashed through the Buddhist light barrier outside the temple gate, like a kite with a broken string.

With a "thud," it crashed onto the polished floor of the main hall, rolling several times before coming to a stop. Everyone stared in astonishment, gasping in shock!
The newcomer was none other than Venerable Ananda, who had previously led millions of Buddhist soldiers and eight hundred Arhats into battle! But at this moment, where was the solemn and dignified appearance of a Buddhist venerable? His embroidered kasaya was tattered and covered with dust and dark gold bloodstains.

The once golden, indestructible body, which was originally shimmering with golden light, was now covered with fine, spiderweb-like cracks. Its light was as dim as a candle in the wind, and there was a noticeable dent in its chest, with flesh and blood blurred at the edges, revealing the Buddha's bones.

He was extremely weak, lying on the ground, struggling to even get up. He could only struggle to lift his head and stretch out his trembling hand toward the lotus platform.

"Ananda!"

The Buddha's expression changed, and with a wave of his hand, a gentle Buddhist light descended, temporarily stabilizing Venerable Ananda's rapidly declining aura and sustaining his vital Buddhist essence.

he asked in a deep voice.

"How did you become so badly injured? Could it be that Lin Zhu made a move? How could he break your golden body to this extent?"

With the Buddha's keen eyesight, he could naturally see that Ananda's injuries were extremely severe. His golden body was damaged, and his primordial spirit was also severely injured. Without the true merit water in the Eight Treasures Merit Pool combined with the supreme Buddhist Dharma to nourish him, it would probably take hundreds of years for him to fully recover.

Enveloped in the Buddha's light, Venerable Ananda caught his breath, but his face revealed a sense of frustration and lingering fear that was even greater than his physical injuries. He gasped for breath and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Reporting to Buddha...it was not Lin Zhu who injured me..."

"Hmm?" (End of Chapter)