I am submissive in Journey to the West, I strike hard at the gods

Tang Sanzang and his disciples were startled upon hearing this. Sun Wukong jumped up and shouted, "You brat, are you looking for death? I, Old Sun, will smash you flat with my staff!"

Jiang Wang glanced at the monkey and said lazily, "Sun Wukong, what's the rush? I, Jiang Wang, have come to deliver a great opportunity... or perhaps a great calamity to you."

Guanyin, let me give you a piece of advice: go back.

This trip to Lingshan was not a good thing.

Above the clouds, the winds and clouds suddenly change.

An unexpected turn of events has begun.

With a new, ambitious leader, the journey to the West is destined to be anything but peaceful.

The upheaval at the Great Thunderclap Temple caused a great stir, like a stone thrown into still water.

The moment Dipankara Buddha ascended the lotus platform, the entire Lingshan Mountain seemed to tremble.

In the afterglow of the blooming golden lotus, his figure grew even taller, and his once kind eyes now gleamed with the flames of ambition.

The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas bowed their heads in silence, while the two Venerables Ananda and Kasyapa busied themselves distributing new decrees. A sense of oppressive solemnity permeated the air in the hall.

The voice of the lamp-lighting monk rang out again, carrying an undeniable authority: "Buddhism shall flourish, and demons shall be destroyed."

The journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures is the foundation upon which our Buddhist sect established its authority.

"Guanyin, hurry! Don't let that master and his disciples linger at the Tongtian River for even a moment longer."

Guanyin's heart was in turmoil.

She recalled the Buddha's sigh before his passing, the poignant beauty of his golden body dissipating, and the tears welling in the eyes of the three great Bodhisattvas.

Samantabhadra and Manjushri tugged at her sleeves and whispered, "Senior Sister, be careful."

"This man, Ran Deng, possesses uncanny strength; there's likely something hidden about him."

Guanyin nodded, suppressing her grief: "I know."

Take care, my two junior brothers.

She turned around, stepped on a lotus flower, transformed into a white light, and disappeared into the sky.

Behind him, Maitreya Buddha's pursuit was abruptly stopped by the golden hand. His plump body staggered backward, muttering, "This...this aura is not right."

"Randeng, what secret are you hiding?"

Upon hearing this, Randeng turned his head and sneered: "Maitreya, speaking too much is useless."

Go and prepare the altar for raising the master and disciple.

A new era for Buddhism begins today!

The suffering of being bound by glue on the west bank of the Tongtian River was far more agonizing than imagined.

The glue writhed like a living thing, sucking away at everyone's vital energy.

Elder Tang Sanzang was already in poor health, and at this moment his face was as pale as paper, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

He forced himself to chant the sutra, his voice weak: "Namo Amitabha Buddha... Disciple Jin Chanzi is willing to offer his body to the tiger to help me overcome this difficulty."

Seeing his master in such a state, Sun Wukong felt as if his heart was being torn apart.

Although his golden cudgel was entangled, he still tried to use his somersault cloud, but his magic power was leaking away like sand in an hourglass: "Damn river demon! If I, Old Sun, can get away, I will definitely raze your cave to the ground!"

He looked around with keen eyes, trying to find an opening to escape, but all he saw was the churning river water, and the shadows of the three brothers stretched long in the shimmering light.

Pigsy, who was usually carefree and irresponsible, put away his complaints at this moment and gritted his teeth, saying, "Master, Wukong is right."

Although this glue is sticky, I, Pigsy, still have a breath of immortal energy left to exhale.

Let me try!

He took a deep breath, his belly swelled up like a ball, and then suddenly exhaled.

However, the celestial aura was immediately swallowed by the glue and dissipated as wisps of white smoke.

Bajie cried out and collapsed, saying, "No... this thing is too eerie."

Sha Wujing was the most composed. He used his crescent shovel to protect his master and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, don't panic."

The Bodhisattva is compassionate and will surely come.

Looking back on the Tongtian River, it was the old turtle who enlightened us, which led to our present state.

We just need to wait.

On the old turtle's shell, the ancient patterns seem to tell the story of thousands of years of vicissitudes.

He whispered, “What Benefactor Sha says is absolutely right.”

When I carried the holy monk on my back, I went through many storms, all thanks to the help of the Bodhisattva.

This time, everything will be alright.

No sooner had he finished speaking than auspicious light appeared in the sky.

Colorful clouds spread out like brocade, and Guanyin Bodhisattva appeared, holding a pure vase in her hand, with nectar faintly visible.

She drifted ashore, her gaze sweeping over the crowd. In her clear eyes, an indescribable sorrow was hidden: "Tang Sanzang, Wukong, are you... all well?"

“Buddha, help me!”

Tang Sanzang kowtowed, his voice trembling, "We disciples are trapped in the Jiao River and have lost all our magical powers. We beg the Bodhisattva to have great compassion!"

Guanyin was heartbroken. She wanted to break the glue in one fell swoop, but she found that the poison had already seeped into her meridians and could not be cured in a short time.

Recalling the strict orders of the Lamp-Burning Monk, she could only say softly, "The bonds are hard to break, but the new Buddha has decreed that this humble monk should escort you to the foot of Mount Ling."

There, there is great magical power to enhance your cultivation, making it easy to break through this predicament.

Come, come with me.

"The new Buddha?"

Sun Wukong's monkey ears perked up, and he asked suspiciously, "Bodhisattva, where is the Tathagata Buddha? How come he's become a new Buddha?"

Guanyin avoided the monkey's scrutinizing eyes and sighed softly, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed."

Wukong, you only need to know that this journey is for your own good.

Why not improve one's cultivation level and achieve success in the pilgrimage sooner?

Upon hearing this, Pigsy's eyes lit up: "Improve my cultivation? Hehe, then wouldn't I become a Great Luo Golden Immortal? Bodhisattva, let's go, let's go!"

Sha Wujing nodded: "I will obey the Bodhisattva's will."

Tang Sanzang was overjoyed: "Amitabha! Thank you, Bodhisattva, thank you for the compassion of the new Buddha."

The old turtle trembled: "This humble Taoist is willing to follow."

Guanyin performed a spell, pouring out her pure vase, and seven-colored nectar transformed into clouds to support it.

Although the people were still bound, they were enveloped by clouds, making their bodies light and allowing them to rise into the air.

As the Tongtian River recedes into the distance, golden light appears in the western sky, as if beckoning.

When Jiang Wang teleported out of the hidden void, chaotic energy exploded around him.

He landed on the Journey to the West, his gaze fixed on the auspicious seven-colored clouds, and a smile appeared on his lips: "You've come at the perfect time."

"System, I'll take this mission!"

He flashed and blocked the clouds.

Guanyin abruptly stopped on the cloud, and scolded, "How dare you! What kind of demon are you, daring to obstruct the Buddha's carriage?"

Jiang Wang laughed loudly: "Demon? Bodhisattva, you flatter me."

I, Jiang Wang, am but a passerby.

I heard that the old bald monk Dipankara usurped the throne and Buddha passed away? This journey to the West can't be allowed to fall into such chaos.

"Guanyin, take them back. Mount Ling... it's probably a den of dragons and tigers."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong swung his staff and said, "Grandpa Monkey doesn't care who you are. If you dare to block my way, take this!"

However, with the stick bound by glue, it was difficult to move.

Jiang Wang glanced at it and shook his head: "Monkey, save your breath."

Today, I am only thinking about the bigger picture.

"Guanyin, if you insist on going forward, you will bear the consequences." A standoff ensued amidst the clouds, the winds and clouds churning.

The transformation of Buddhism and the turning point of Journey to the West unfolded quietly amidst these obstacles.

Inside the Lingshan Hall, Randeng sat on a lotus platform, feeling the continuous flow of Buddhist power entering him.

He closed his eyes for a moment, then his wicked smile deepened: "Buddha, you are too weak."

Buddhism needs iron will and ruthlessness to dominate the three realms.

The Journey to the West is accelerating! Tang Sanzang quickly attains his golden body, and countless Buddhist soldiers can be formed!

Ananda and Kasyapa knelt down, nodding and agreeing.

As the auspicious clouds of Guanyin rushed by, my heart surged with emotion.

She recalled the Buddha's teachings: "Compassion is fundamental; do not force things."

Yet, fearing the oppressive aura of the Burning Lamp, he sighed inwardly, "Master, I have failed you."

On the Tongtian River, master and disciple encouraged each other despite being bound together.

Wukong recounts the fun he had at Flower Fruit Mountain, Bajie recalls the warmth of Gao Village, Sha Wujing recounts his past at the Flowing Sand River, and Tang Sanzang chants sutras to soothe the soul.

The old turtle whispered secrets from the bottom of the river, and everyone laughed through their tears.

When Guanyin arrived, sorrow turned to joy.

Above the clouds, Pigsy exclaimed, "Bodhisattva, these clouds are so soft, much more comfortable than my old pig's rake!"

Wukong peered ahead: "Where is that ahead? Is Mount Ling magnificent and resplendent?"

Jiang Wang appeared, his aura as deep as an abyss.

Guanyin raised her vase, and the nectar transformed into an arrow that shot out.

Jiang Wang waved his sleeve, and chaos engulfed it: "Bodhisattva, what a nice thing, but it's useless."

Listen to me, Ran Deng is no good; this trip is a trap!

During the standoff, the monkey roared, Pigsy shouted, Sandy protected his master, and Tang Sanzang tried to mediate.

The old turtle narrowed its eyes slightly: "This benefactor looks very familiar..."

In the chaotic void of Zixiao Palace, the two saints, Jieyin and Zhunti, sat cross-legged on futons, their brows shrouded in a lingering gloom.

The Buddhist community's fortune should have been as radiant as golden light, as stable as a mountain, but now it is violently fluctuating like a raging storm, with signs of collapse looming ahead.

Jieyin clasped his hands together and chanted softly, his face as pale as paper: "Junior brother, this disturbance of qi is no small matter. Could it be that Jiang Wang is leading his troops to attack Mount Ling? If that is the case, wouldn't the Buddha's teachings in the Three Realms be in grave danger?"

Upon hearing this, Zhunti frowned and his gaze swept across the void with piercing intensity: "What Senior Brother says is absolutely right."

The pilgrimage to the West was just beginning; how could such a sudden turn of events occur? Let me deduce the reasoning.

He lightly touched his brow with his finger, and wisps of primordial energy swirled out, attempting to glimpse the secrets of heaven.

But the thread of fortune was like willow catkins in a gale, drifting erratically. After only a moment of calculation, the golden body trembled, and blood seeped from the corner of its mouth.

"No! The source of the crisis is not in the East, nor in Jiang Wang... but... Mount Ling!"

At the same time, Dao Ancestor Hongjun opened his eyes deep within the Zixiao Palace. Those eyes seemed to traverse countless layers of time and space, reaching the core of the Three Realms.

A strong sense of crisis surged up like a tide, causing his Dao heart, which should have been detached from worldly affairs, to tremble slightly.

What has disturbed my peaceful meditation?

Hongjun whispered, his gaze piercing through the Three Pure Realms like a sharp sword, landing on the distant Xiniu Hezhou.

The Great Thunderclap Temple on Mount Ling should be radiant with golden light and filled with the sounds of chanting, but now it is shrouded in a strange gray mist.

He saw that figure—the Ancient Buddha Dipankara, sitting on the lotus throne left by Tathagata, surrounded by an extremely dense aura of the laws of destruction. His comprehension of those laws exceeded 80%, faintly surpassing the realm of a Heavenly Saint.

Hongjun was startled: "When did this young man, Randeng, comprehend such a great Dao? The Law of Destruction is a taboo beyond the Heavenly Dao, yet he..."

But then he shook his head and shifted his attention.

Although the aura of destruction was strong, it was not the core issue—the imminent revival of humanity was the key to the great changes in the Three Realms.

Hongjun closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to locate the true source of the disturbance in the heavens, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea, leaving no trace.

On the lotus platform, a lamp—no, that was no longer the ancient Buddha of yesteryear, but a body quietly possessed by an extraterrestrial demon—curled a maniacal smile.

He sensed Hongjun's gaze; the Dao Ancestor's eyes were like thorns in his back, but they only intensified the killing intent in his heart.

"Dao Ancestor, your vision is sharp, but it is too late."

"By borrowing this body, I have comprehended more than 80% of the Great Dao of Destruction. I only await initiating an immeasurable calamity to devour all living beings in the Three Realms before I can finally step into the realm of a Perfected Being!"

His voice echoed in my mind, carrying the chilling arrogance unique to extraterrestrial demons.

With his fingers lightly tapping the lotus platform, Randeng closed his eyes and sat in meditation, already outlining a plan in his mind: to take the pilgrim Tang Sanzang to Mount Ling, and take advantage of the failure of the pilgrimage to trigger an immeasurable calamity, destroying everything, and using this to nourish his own Great Dao.

Hongjun continued his deductions for several breaths, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Crisis is ever-present, yet its tail remains elusive.

A thought suddenly occurred to him: "Could it be related to the pilgrims on their journey to the West?"

With a thought, his gaze shifted instantly, landing on the road to the Western Paradise.

There, Guanyin Bodhisattva was leading Tang Sanzang and his disciples, riding on clouds, heading straight for Mount Ling.

Hongjun was instantly enraged, his hair and beard bristling: "How dare you! The journey to the West has not yet been completed, how can Tang Sanzang go to Mount Ling? Once he enters the Western Paradise, an immeasurable calamity will be triggered, and all living beings in the Three Realms will suffer!"

At the same time, Tang Sanzang, riding on the white dragon horse, was pale-faced and felt as if a thousand pounds of stone were pressing on his heart.

As a pilgrim on his journey to the West, he should have been single-minded, but lately he has been plagued by a sense of foreboding.

Gazing at the compassionate yet undeniable back of Guanyin in front of him, he finally couldn't help but speak: "Bodhisattva, on this journey to Mount Ling, this humble monk has felt uneasy."

The journey to obtain the scriptures is not yet complete; rushing up the mountain now might lead to unforeseen circumstances.

"Why not postpone it until the disciples have retrieved all the scriptures?"

Upon hearing this, Guanyin smiled slightly, her voice like a clear spring: "Master, you are overthinking it."

The ancient Buddha Dipankara personally transmitted the Dharma decree, saying that there was an emergency on Mount Ling, and only the Dharma Master's personal visit could resolve it.

"Does the Venerable Master not believe in this humble monk?"

Her tone carried an undeniable air of authority. The decree had been personally bestowed by Randeng; how could she dare to doubt it? Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong tightened his grip on his staff, his monkey eyes narrowing into slits: "Bodhisattva, this matter is strange! I, Old Sun, always feel that there's something wrong with that old man Randeng."

The journey to the West was originally a long and arduous one, so why the sudden change of plans to head to Mount Ling? Could it be that demons are causing trouble?

Pigsy scratched his head, spilling half a bowl of wine from his ladle: "Brother Monkey is right, but I, Old Pig, also think it's wrong."

"Bodhisattva, is that decree really from that old bald monk Dipankara? Something doesn't smell right to me!"

Sha Wujing silently stood guard beside his senior brother, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

The white dragon horse neighed softly, seemingly sensing the murderous intent in the air.

Guanyin frowned slightly and insisted, "Please do not speak nonsense."

The Dipankara Buddha is a true lampstand in Buddhism; how could he be false? Proceed quickly, for delay may lead to unforeseen changes!

Although the four travelers had their doubts, they could not disobey the Bodhisattva's command and had no choice but to continue their journey westward.

Wukong secretly made a hand seal, trying to send a message for help, but found that the heavenly secrets were in chaos and the message disappeared without a trace.

Hongjun "heard" in the Zixiao Palace

Upon hearing this dialogue—"With the power of the Dao Ancestor, what fear is there of the barriers of time and space?"—he was struck dumb, his gaze fixed on the image of Burning Lamp.

"The Law of Destruction... Extraterrestrial Demons! So that's how it is!"

Hongjun suddenly stood up, and with a wave of his sleeve, the void trembled.

"The body of the Lamp Burner has been possessed, and its purpose is to destroy the Three Realms in order to elevate the Great Dao! If immeasurable eons arise, the Three Realms will be reduced to ashes!"

He took a deep breath and transmitted his voice to Jieyin and Zhunti: "Quickly send all your Three Corpse Avatars to block Randeng! I will personally go to Mount Ling to open the spatial passage—it will take ten breaths, you must delay him!"

Outside Zixiao Palace, Jieyin and Zhunti paled upon hearing this, disregarding their own injuries, and simultaneously formed hand seals to create clones.

Six golden lights emerged from the void: the good corpse, evil corpse, and mediocre corpse of Jieyin; the good corpse of Zhunti—Bodhi Patriarch, the evil corpse, and mediocre corpse.

All six clones possessed Saint-level combat power and carried supreme Buddhist treasures, heading straight for Mount Ling.

"Bandeng, you are no longer a member of my Buddhist sect. Surrender at once!" (End of Chapter)