Honghuang: Creation of the Green Lotus, the beginning of the Three Pure Ones

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The monkey demon was pressed under a huge rock, with only its head showing. Its messy fur was covered in dirt, and its turbid eyes were fixed on Tang Sanzang as he approached step by step.

"Old Sun, I made some mistakes back then. I was suppressed here by the Buddha Tathagata with great power, and it has been five hundred years since then."

"A few days ago, I met Guanyin Bodhisattva, who was on her way to the Tang Dynasty in the East to find a person to retrieve the scriptures. I begged her to let me out of my predicament, and the Bodhisattva showed me a clear path."

"People say that when the pilgrim passes by the Five Finger Mountain, as long as I sincerely beg him, he will release me from my predicament and let me become his disciple to escort him to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and obtain the scriptures."

"So Master, you don't need to doubt me. I am the disciple that Buddhism arranged for you. Please release me quickly, lest we delay our important journey to the West."

Tang Sanzang frowned as he looked at the monkey demon. How could the Great Sage Equaling Heaven in Jin Chanzi's memory appear so weak and frail before him?
However, Tang Sanzang did not expose him. Instead, he asked, "How can I let you out of such a great mountain, which I have no axe or chisel to carry out?"

The monkey said, "There's no need for that. There's a golden seal on the mountain, which is from the Buddha Tathagata, used to suppress me."

“Master, you only need to remove it, and I, Old Sun, will have a way to escape. Then I can protect you and go to the Western Paradise to retrieve the scriptures.”

Tang Sanzang put his hands together and said in a calm and unwavering voice, "This humble monk has heard that the one suppressed at the foot of this mountain is none other than Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago."

"That Great Sage Equaling Heaven, standing tall and upright, possesses immense supernatural powers. Even if he were imprisoned, his divine might would still shake the mountains. Judging from your complexion, you seem to be in considerable distress?"

These gentle words struck the monkey demon like a thunderclap. Its turbid eyes narrowed sharply, a flicker of panic, its pretense exposed, flashed across its face like lightning, only to be replaced by a deeper ferocity.

That fawning, fake smile froze instantly, twisting into a look of shame, anger, and ferocity at being exposed.

"I, Old Sun, am invincible in supernatural powers. Five hundred years is but a blink of an eye. Bald monk, enough nonsense. The Buddha's decree is here; release me immediately."

"Don't let this jeopardize the journey to the West. Otherwise, if the Buddha punishes you, can you bear the consequences?"

Its head twisted and struggled futilely under the rocks, rubble tumbling down, revealing several ugly, scabbed wounds on its neck, made by the rocks, making it look even more wretched.

Tang Sanzang looked at it quietly, but the golden hair and fiery eyes that belonged to the real Monkey King in his memory were nowhere to be found here.

A strong Buddhist aura permeated the Five Finger Mountain, clashing sharply with the mixed and weak demonic energy emanating from below, like a stained patch on a splendid robe.

Although Tang Sanzang had seen through the conspiracy, he did not reveal it. He said in his usual calm voice, "Since it is the Buddha's decree, this humble monk will obey."

He said no more, dismounted, and gently tied the white horse's reins to the gnarled branches of a withered tree beside him.

Tang Sanzang walked to the huge rock inscribed with Buddhist mantras, put his hands together, looked solemn and dignified, and began to chant profound Buddhist mantras in a low voice.

The obscure syllables flowed from his lips, each one seemingly carrying immense force, striking the cold rock.

"Om..."

"Well……"

"Woolen cloth……"

"Bang..."

"mum……"

"Hum..." The six-syllable mantra, each word as precious as gold, resonated through the void. As the chanting flowed, the Buddhist runes deeply engraved in the mountain rocks seemed to come alive, beginning to emit a faint golden glow.

The light rippled like water, not dazzling, yet containing an ineffable profound meaning. Wherever the golden light touched, the oppressive force, as heavy as a mountain, was gradually loosening and dissipating, like ice melting in the sunlight.

The largest rock, engraved with the Buddha's seal, which was pressing down on the monkey demon's head, was the first to emit a muffled groan.

Spiderweb-like cracks suddenly appeared from the edges and quickly spread throughout the entire rock mass. A teeth-grinding cracking sound came from inside the rock.

A deafening roar shook the heavens and the earth. The giant rock engraved with the magic seal suddenly arched upwards, then completely collapsed in a dazzling golden light.

Countless millstone-sized pebbles were flung by an invisible force, raining down in all directions, sending dust billowing into the sky and instantly obscuring half of the valley.

A thin, withered figure, yet carrying a stench of blood, shot forth like an arrow, brimming with ferocity and greed, straight toward the figure draped in a brocade cassock at the edge of the smoke and dust.

It was the monkey demon that had escaped its confinement. Its fur stood on end, its eyes were bloodshot, and it was devoid of any flattery or pretense, only its most primal desire for flesh and blood remained.

With its five fingers spread wide, its nails black and sharp as hooks, it viciously clawed at Tang Sanzang's fair and delicate throat with a sharp whistling sound that seemed to tear through the air.

Saliva flew from his mouth as he let out a chilling roar: "Bald monk, the flesh and blood smell so good. Give it to me to replenish my energy."

A foul stench wafted towards him, and Tang Sanzang could even see the old grime and a trace of dark red blood clots on the claw tips.

The chilling aura of death gripped him instantly. He remained motionless, but his robes billowed wildly in the fierce, demonic wind, making him almost unable to stand.

Of course, this was merely a deliberate display by Tang Sanzang. His purpose was to see what the Buddhist sect was really up to.

Just as those dark, sharp claws were about to touch the robe, a shout rang out, like a thunderclap from the heavens.

Its sound was so grand and violent that it far surpassed the sound of the mountain rocks collapsing just now. The pure power and unparalleled malevolent aura contained in the sound caused the entire Five Finger Mountain to tremble and vibrate.

A golden light crashed down from the heavens. It arrived too fast, faster than the eye could perceive.

The light was not an illusion, but a real, towering pillar. Its weight and speed were so great that it seemed to shatter even time itself.

Jin Guang's target was the demon monkey that pounced on Tang Sanzang.

The monkey demon's attack suddenly froze in mid-air, and the rapidly enlarging golden staff shadow was reflected in its crimson pupils.

Where the golden light fell, the hard rocky ground collapsed and shattered instantly, like tofu. A terrifying crater, several meters deep with radially cracked edges, appeared out of thin air.

At the bottom of the pit, the once arrogant monkey demon, along with its ferocious shrieks and greedy desires, had vanished without a trace.

Only a pool of filthy, sticky, dark red fleshy paste, emitting a pungent, fishy stench, was deeply embedded in the gravel and soil, still emitting wisps of smoke.

A dark, heavy iron rod, one end deeply embedded in the pit, the other pointing straight to the sky, stood firmly on the pool of filthy blood.

The smoke and dust slowly settled. Tang Sanzang covered his face with his sleeve, and only lowered his arm after the dust had settled slightly.

A figure was seen lazily leaning against the towering iron rod.

It was a monkey, clad in golden chainmail and wearing a phoenix-winged purple-gold crown. It exuded the aura of a Great Immortal. (End of Chapter)