Journey to the West: Beginning with the Apprenticeship of Bodhi Patriarch

Chapter 326 The Queen Mother's Solemnity, The Bull Demon's Tribulation

In the Jade Pool, the True Man and the Purple Star Emperor talked for a long time, and finally the birthday celebration began.

Suddenly, a celestial official came to report that the Queen Mother had arrived. The immortal looked around and saw that outside the Jade Pool, there were mysterious songs and wonderful music playing, and immortals were scattering precious flowers and spraying true fragrance to welcome the Queen Mother.

Jiang Yuan looked closely and saw the Queen Mother walking towards the Jade Pool. The Queen Mother was solemn and majestic, wearing a crown of emerald phoenix from Mount Taihua, a pendant of the bright moon from Mount Kunlun, a robe of nine-colored clouds, and a skirt adorned with seven-jeweled necklaces. Her forehead was adorned with three shades of crimson clouds, and her eyes held the purple lightning of the nine heavens. Her black hair hung down in a cloud-like bun, and her waist was wrapped with precious jewels from the Xuanpu Garden. She was truly the supreme deity of Xuandu and the lord of all spirits.

When Jiang Yuan looked at the Queen Mother, the Queen Mother seemed to sense something and looked at the True Man.

The man realized his rudeness and rose to bow in apology.

The Queen Mother smiled and nodded, saying nothing more, and went inside.

The Queen Mother took her seat and announced that the grand gathering was about to begin.

All the immortals rose, bowed deeply, and said in unison, "We are grateful for the Queen Mother's kindness and, on this occasion of her birthday celebration, we should offer our congratulations to her."

The Queen Mother smiled and nodded, expressing her gratitude to all the immortals for their congratulations. Thus began the grand gathering. The immortals of Yaochi took their seats, passing around wine cups, adorning themselves with flowers, and playing the zither. It was a lively and leisurely affair.

The group chatted happily in the Jade Pool. When they were in high spirits, the Queen Mother ordered a group of fairy maidens and beautiful concubines to dance during the banquet.

The immortal drank the fine wine and sat quietly at his seat, still talking with the Ziwei Emperor. He looked at the seat next to him and saw that it was empty. He asked, "Your Majesty, who left this seat next to me? Why is it empty now?"

The Ziwei Emperor said, "This seat is for the Lingbao Daojun, but he is currently unavailable and therefore cannot come. However, even though he is not coming, the seat must be reserved for him."

The master suddenly realized and said, "I never expected it to be the seat of the Lingbao Daojun. I have long heard of the name of the Lingbao Daojun, but I have never met him. It is simply that I have no affinity with him."

Emperor Ziwei smiled and said, "The True Man's affinity with the Dharma is already profound. I have heard that Laozi is the True Man's teacher, and he also has Bodhi Patriarch as his teacher. It is not something to be sought too much. If an ordinary person can obtain one or two such a affinity as the True Man, he will benefit for a lifetime."

Upon hearing this, the immortal bowed and said, "What the Emperor says is true. I have spoken too much. I should be content to have received such a blessing."

Emperor Ziwei smiled and said, "Your character is remarkable, but your great magical power is about to be completed. When your great magical power is completed in the future, you will have the opportunity to meet with someone like Daoist Lingbao."

Jiang Yuan nodded with a smile.

The two talked for a long time before the Emperor Ziwei got up and walked towards the Queen Mother, and their conversation finally stopped.

Jiang Yuan looked behind him at Zuo Liang and, seeing him enjoying many treasures, felt relieved. He said, "Zheng Yuan, have you felt anything after enjoying these treasures today?"

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "Now that I have obtained the Heavenly Court's treasure, I have gained something and felt something. But I should thank my master. Without my master, I would not have been able to obtain this opportunity."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "No need for formalities. But after you return to the mountain, cultivate diligently and use these treasures for your cultivation. That will be your way of thanking me."

Zuo Liang said, "This disciple will obey Master's orders. This disciple will definitely cultivate diligently and achieve the true fruit of the unorthodox path as soon as possible."

Jiang Yuan nodded with a smile. Zuo Liang has made great progress in his cultivation since his trip to the Heavenly Palace. The greatest progress is in the use of Laozi's name and Zuo Liang's title. From this day forward, Zuo Liang's Five Thunder Orthodox Method will be the best in the world.

Just as he was about to say something more to Zuo Liang, he suddenly heard shouts beside him.

The immortal turned his head and saw that it was Zhenyuan Daxian. He immediately stood up and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Great Immortal. It has been a long time. I hope you have been well."

Zhenyuan Daxian laughed and said, "I am well, I am well. I knew that Bodhi would not come, and that you would act in his place. If that is true, I saw that monkey in the back. Now I see you here. Bodhi is very fortunate to have two disciples like you in his sect."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "I dare not accept what the Great Immortal says. My master is at a critical stage in his cultivation and has no free time, so I am acting on his behalf. Wukong is able to enter the Heavenly Palace because of his position as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, so he cannot accept what the Great Immortal says."

Zhenyuan Daxian said, “I knew you would say such things, but Guangxin, your cultivation truly amazes me. When I met you years ago, you were just a novice. Even after you achieved enlightenment, your magical power was still very shallow. But now you are very different. You are about to achieve great magical power, and with all these treasures you have, there are few in the Three Realms who can compare with you.”

Jiang Yuan said, "It's nowhere near as good as the Great Immortal."

Zhenyuan Daxian said, “In the past, I said that you would need to cultivate for several kalpas before you could catch up with me. Now I realize that I was being presumptuous. With your current level of cultivation, you can catch up with me in just one kalpa. You are truly remarkable! None of my disciples have yet achieved enlightenment. Compared to you, we are far inferior.”

Zhen Yuanzi sighed deeply, and before the True Man could say anything more, he looked at Zuo Liang and asked, "Guangxin, is this your disciple?"

The master smiled and nodded, saying, "Great Immortal, this is indeed my second disciple, whose Dharma name is Zhengyuan."

Upon hearing what the True Immortal Zuo Liang said, he stood up, bowed, and said, "Junior Zheng Yuan pays respects to the Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi."

Zhen Yuanzi, the Great Immortal, gazed at Zuo Liang for a long time, then smiled and nodded. He took out a ginseng fruit from his sleeve and said, "You are a good seedling for cultivation, but your master is a famous immortal in the Three Realms. You must follow him and cultivate diligently without making any mistakes. Now that we have just met, I have a ginseng fruit for you to enjoy."

Zuo Liang bowed and said he would follow the True Man to cultivate diligently, but he dared not accept the ginseng fruit. He could only look at the True Man and ask for his opinion.

I should politely decline.

Zhen Yuanzi said, "But if you refuse, you will be disrespecting me."

Upon hearing this, the master had no choice but to instruct Zuo Liang to accept it.

Zuo Liang accepted the ginseng fruit and bowed repeatedly.

Jiang Yuan said, "Thank you, Great Immortal."

Zhen Yuanzi said, “Just one fruit. But if you’re craving something, come to my Wuzhuang Temple and I’ll give you as much as you want. No need for thanks. I won’t say more to you now, as I need to go and tell others.”

The real man and Zuo Liang then saw Zhen Yuanzi off as he departed.

Not long after Zhen Yuanzi left, the True Man saw Tianpeng True Lord arrive. The two talked for a while, and the True Man asked Tianpeng True Lord to take care of Zuo Liang. The True Lord replied with a smile.

After bidding farewell to Zhenjun, he was seen by a group of gods including Taibai Jinxing, Erlang Shen, and Nezha. The immortal was slightly dazed and, without realizing it, he had become acquainted with so many gods.

When the True Man first attained enlightenment, many people in the world knew his name, but not many immortals associated with him. Now, it seems that the number of immortals who associated with him is countless.

The immortal spoke with each of the immortals, and Zuo Liang took care of him. After bidding farewell to the immortals, he took Zuo Liang and headed towards where Sun Wukong was.

Before long, the two arrived at Sun Wukong's seat and saw Nezha talking to Sun Wukong.

The immortal stepped forward and said, "Wukong, Third Prince, what are you two talking about that's making such a fuss?"

Upon seeing that it was indeed a real person, the two immediately rose and bowed in respect.

Sun Wukong said, "Eldest brother, I was just talking to the prince about the dragons in the lower realm. We got a little carried away and forgot ourselves."

Nezha bowed and said, "True Master, I bowed to you earlier, but seeing so many immortals and gods bowing to you, I didn't linger and didn't properly pay my respects. Now I'm making up for it here." Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Your Highness, there's no need for such formalities. Wukong, may I take a seat?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong quickly swept out two prayer mats and invited the immortal to sit down.

The real person then led Zuo Liang to his seat.

After exchanging greetings, Sun Wukong and Nezha took their seats.

The immortal asked, "Wukong, you spoke with the Third Prince about the dragons of the lower realm. Could you tell me what it was about?"

Sun Wukong shook his head and said, "If my eldest brother wants to hear this, he can certainly speak. But the prince said that after he intimidated the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, he entered the rivers and lakes of the world to find the Dragon Kings of each river and eliminated many dragons that were causing trouble in various places. However, after he left, the Dragon Kings of the world often caused trouble again. He doesn't know what to do."

Nezha bowed and said, "Master, what the Great Sage said is exactly what I've been wondering about. The Dragon Kings of the world have committed many sins, and I used my magic to intimidate them. There's a saying, 'Kill the chicken to scare the monkey.' I used this principle, and all the Dragon Kings of the world were terrified. But why do they repeatedly commit the same sins after I leave? Could it be that my intimidation was not enough to make them repent?"

Upon hearing his words, Jiang Yuan knew the situation. He pondered for a moment and said, "I know everything the Third Prince said, but if it is as I suspect, it is not because the intimidation is insufficient."

Nezha asked, "Master, if it's not that our deterrence is insufficient, why do those Dragon Kings repeatedly commit offenses?"

Jiang Yuan asked, "Does the Third Prince know about the Sea of ​​Bitterness?"

Nezha said, “I know this, the world is a sea of ​​suffering. In the past, the Ziwei Emperor once crossed the sea of ​​suffering, but he did not succeed. At that time, the Emperor asked me to descend to the mortal world, but the Great Heavenly Venerable said that I had to stay and guard it, so I did not go.”

Jiang Yuan said, "The world is a sea of ​​suffering, and all dragons are in the sea of ​​suffering. But once you enter the sea of ​​suffering, it is common for you to be unable to control your own destiny. Does the Third Prince understand this?"

Upon hearing this, Nezha suddenly realized and said, "If what you say is true, then those dragon kings are all in the sea of ​​suffering. Therefore, even if I have the power to deter them, it is difficult to stop their evil deeds. Unless they cross the sea of ​​suffering, they will never be eliminated."

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "That's exactly right."

Nezha waved his hand and said, "If that's the case, how can I cross the sea of ​​suffering? I don't have that kind of magic power."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "It is already very rare for the Third Prince to personally travel across the rivers and mountains of the world."

Nezha said, "I am carrying out the order and dare not claim credit."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said nothing more.

Sun Wukong asked, "Why isn't Li Tianwang here today? I haven't seen him."

Nezha said, "My father has already arrived. He just went with me to pay respects to the immortals and many other deities. How can you say that I haven't seen them?"

Sun Wukong was somewhat annoyed and said, "This Heavenly King Li has gone to pay respects to my senior brother and many other immortals, but why has he never come to pay respects to me? Does he look down on me?"

Nezha laughed and said, "Only if the Great Sage asks my father about such a matter can I know."

Sun Wukong said, "I will certainly hear about it. Later, I will go and ask Li Tianwang for a proper inquiry."

Nezha answered with a smile.

The Master smiled without saying a word, watching the two talk. After a brief meeting with them, the Master returned to his seat to participate in the birthday celebration.

……

Time flies, and three days pass in the blink of an eye. A day in heaven is a year on earth, and for humans, three years have passed.

Three years later, the birthday celebration ended, and all the immortals stepped forward to bid farewell to the Queen Mother of the West and the Jade Emperor before leaving the Heavenly Palace and heading to their respective ancient caves in the mortal realm.

The same was true for the True Man. He took Zuo Liang and Sun Wukong with him, bid farewell to the Great Heavenly Venerable and Laozi, and then went down to the mortal realm to return home.

As he was about to descend to the mortal realm, Sun Wukong said that he still had matters to attend to in the Heavenly Palace and asked the Immortal to descend first, as he would return home later.

Upon hearing this, the immortal did not ask any further questions, but smiled and nodded, then led Zuo Liang down to the mortal realm.

The two rode the clouds and mist, and before long they arrived at Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, in front of Xieyue Sanxing Cave.

Upon arriving at the Three Star Immortal Cave, the True Man asked, "Zhengyuan, now that you have entered the Heavenly Court, you will enjoy many treasures. For ordinary people, obtaining even one of these treasures would be extremely difficult. However, having obtained so many, you have accumulated a great deal of spiritual energy within you. As you cultivate here, this spiritual energy will surely help you suppress the two gods and support the true master. You must carefully comprehend the mysteries within. If you can understand them, you will surely attain enlightenment."

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "Master, I am grateful for your kindness and have the opportunity to obtain so many treasures. I will certainly not fail your expectations and will cultivate diligently to achieve enlightenment as soon as possible."

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, instructing Zuo Liang to go to the quiet room and cultivate diligently.

After entering the mansion and bidding farewell to Zuo Liang, he immediately went forward and walked toward the patriarch's meditation room.

The master walked to the front of the patriarch's meditation room, bowed and said, "Master, your disciple has returned home."

"Young man, come inside."

A gentle breeze blew in, propelling the immortal inside.

The master entered the quiet room, bowed, and said, "Master, your disciple has returned from the birthday celebration."

The Patriarch said, “I knew you were coming back, and I troubled you to go here, but I will not mention this matter here. Child, do you know where your Dharma protector has gone?”

Jiang Yuan said, "Master, I need to cultivate myself to protect the Dharma, so you sent me down the mountain to travel. I know this."

Upon hearing this, the Patriarch smiled and nodded, saying, "How do you know this? Tell me."

Jiang Yuan said, "Master, he is my Dharma protector, and we have a deep karmic connection. I know where he is, but I don't know why you are talking about Dharma protectors?"

The Patriarch said, “Your guardian ox will face a great tribulation in its cultivation in the future. It will be very difficult for it to overcome this tribulation on its own. Perhaps you should make some arrangements to help it.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "Master, I was unaware of his great tribulation in cultivation. It is because my cultivation is inadequate. When his great tribulation is about to arrive, I will personally go to help Niu'er."

The Patriarch said, "You can only know such things when you have achieved great magical power. It is normal that you cannot see them now. As for the great tribulation of Niu'er's cultivation, as I predicted, you do not need to take action. You can send your disciples to resolve the great tribulation of Niu'er's cultivation."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Master, of the three disciples in my sect, Chongyang is still undergoing reincarnation, the Holy Infant's cultivation is insufficient and he is still nurturing his spirit, only Zhengyuan had the ability to go there just now. Is the one you are referring to Zhengyuan?"

The patriarch said, "It is indeed Zhengyuan. With Zhengyuan's cultivation, he is more than capable of handling this."

(End of this chapter)