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

Zhenyuan Daxian and Manjushri Bodhisattva, who were above the clouds, exchanged a smile. Manjushri Bodhisattva then said, "Teacher, this monkey has indeed fallen for the trap."

However, Zhenyuan Daxian's expression suddenly changed, and he pressed his hand to his chest, saying, "This is bad, I can no longer sense the origin of the Ginseng Fruit Tree."

The moment Sun Wukong's clone knocked down the ginseng fruit tree, the Taiji diagram transformed into a golden light and engulfed it. This innate treasure contained the universe within, and once inside, it severed all connection with the outside world.

Zhenyuan Daxian disregarded everything else and transformed into a streak of green light, rushing straight towards the orchard. Manjushri Bodhisattva also knew that things had changed and hurriedly followed.

When they arrived at the orchard, all that remained of the original tree was a huge pit; there was no trace of the ginseng fruit tree to be seen.

Zhenyuan Daxian was so angry that he trembled all over. He tried to calculate with his fingers, but he only felt that the secrets of heaven were chaotic and he could not figure anything out.

"Sun Wukong, you damned monkey! How dare you destroy the spiritual root of my Longevity Mountain!" Zhenyuan Daxian roared, his voice shaking the entire Longevity Mountain.

At this moment, Sun Wukong had already withdrawn his clone and was with Zhu Bajie and the others. Hearing the roar, Sun Wukong laughed and said, "The show is about to begin, the main character has arrived."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhenyuan Daxian appeared in the courtyard, his face ashen. Manjushri Bodhisattva followed closely behind, his expression equally grim.

With trembling hands, Zhenyuan Daxian pointed at Sun Wukong and said sternly, "You impudent monkey, how dare you destroy my spiritual root! Even if you are the chosen one, I will still skin you alive, tear out your tendons, and grind your bones to dust."

Sun Wukong, however, said with a grin, "What are you saying, Great Immortal? It's just knocking down a fake tree, why get angry?"

Zhenyuan Daxian was taken aback upon hearing this, realizing that his scheme had been exposed. However, he knew that the disappearance of the Ginseng Fruit Tree must be related to this monkey. Without replying, he unfurled his sleeve and used his signature technique, "Sleeve Universe."

Suddenly, the sleeve widened, as if a whole new world lay within it, and an immense suction force enveloped the master and his disciples. Caught off guard, Pigsy and Sandy cried out as they were pulled towards the sleeve.

Sun Wukong remained calm and composed, once again summoning the Taiji Diagram. The golden bridge reappeared, radiating countless rays of light, which actually resisted the suction force of the Universe in the Sleeve.

Meanwhile, Sun Wukong and the others once again entered the Taiji Diagram. Only a golden bridge remained, spanning Longevity Mountain.

Zhenyuan Daxian was so angry that his beard trembled, but he was powerless against Sun Wukong and the others in the Taiji Diagram. He could only stand there and roar incessantly.

Meanwhile, the disciples of the Chan Sect had all rushed back to Longevity Mountain. Seeing Zhenyuan Daxian's appearance, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun couldn't help but think to himself.

"I never expected the teacher's acting to be so realistic. If you didn't know better, you would think that the monkey really destroyed the ginseng fruit tree."

Just then, Zhenyuan Daxian's palm struck, sending Qingxu Daode Zhenjun flying. He ended up embedded in the cliff face of Wanshou Mountain.

"You traitor, it was all your brilliant idea. Now the ginseng fruit tree has been destroyed by that barbarian sage."

At this moment, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun finally realized that it wasn't that Zhenyuan Daxian's acting skills were so amazing, but that the ginseng fruit tree had really been lost.

It stopped struggling and remained quietly embedded in the cliff, lest it break free and be punished by Zhenyuan Daxian.

Meanwhile, Sun Wukong had already picked the ginseng fruit from the tree and given one to each of his master and disciples, not even leaving one for the nine-headed insect who had transformed into the white dragon horse. They were eating while watching the show.

Manjushri Bodhisattva also looked helpless and said to Zhenyuan Daxian, "Master, since things have come to this, we can only make the best of a bad situation."

Zhenyuan Daxian naturally understood what Manjushri Bodhisattva meant. It meant to proceed according to the original plan.

The original plan was that Sun Wukong would only knock down a fake ginseng fruit tree, which would be enough for them to use as a pretext to cause trouble.

Now that Sun Wukong has knocked down the Ginseng Fruit Tree, Zhenyuan Daxian's further attack is even more justified.

Left with no other choice, Zhenyuan Daxian could only nod. He then waved his hand, and the Heavenly Dao Banner flew out, directly enveloping the golden bridge formed by the Taiji Diagram.

“Manjushri, go back and tell the Tathagata. Tell him that I have asked the Buddhist sect to give my Chan Sect an explanation. Otherwise, there is no point in spreading Buddhism to the east.”

Manjushri Bodhisattva nodded, and then used his escape technique to head towards the Great Thunderclap Temple on Mount Ling in the west.

Meanwhile, Zhen Yuanzi, far away in the Thirty-Three Heavens, had already learned of everything that had happened at Wuzhuang Temple through his benevolent incarnation.

He was so angry he trembled all over, and finally stood up resolutely, wanting to return to the Primordial World himself to deal with this matter.

This puzzled the old ancestor Hongyun, who was discussing the Dao with him. He directly asked Zhen Yuanzi, "Old friend, what are you trying to do?"

Zhen Yuanzi felt his chest heaving, his heart aching as if being ripped out by a knife. He spoke through gritted teeth.

"The monkeys on their pilgrimage destroyed the ginseng fruit trees on my Longevity Mountain..."

Zhen Yuanzi then recounted the general course of events to Hongyun Patriarch. Hongyun Patriarch was furious upon hearing this.

"Such a thing has actually happened. The Buddhist sect really thinks that our Xuanmen sect has no one left."

After saying this, Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun Patriarch headed towards the primordial world. Unfortunately, they had just reached the border between Chaos and the primordial world when they encountered the person they least wanted to see.

There stood the Three Pure Ones, and Laozi, with a smile on his face, bowed and asked, "Where are you two fellow Daoists headed?"

Seeing that the Three Pure Ones blocked his way, Zhen Yuanzi suddenly remembered a crucial matter: "How could I have forgotten this? Sun Wukong is a disciple of Qinglian Island."

"Could it be that this matter was not planned by the Buddhist sect, but originated from Qinglian Island? If so, this matter will be difficult to handle."

Despite Zhen Yuanzi's anger over the loss of the ginseng fruit tree, he was not blinded by rage.

Knowing that this matter is related to Qinglian Island, it is definitely not something that can be resolved peacefully. There may even be a larger conspiracy behind it.

So they simply pretended not to know and decided to stick to the facts. They directly pinned the blame on Buddhism and demanded an explanation from the two Western Buddhist monks.

When the pressure becomes unbearable, the two Western monks will naturally seek redress from Qinglian Island. That will be no longer Zhen Yuanzi's concern.

In any case, all Zhen Yuanzi wants is to get the Ginseng Fruit Tree back. Whether the Qinglian Island Daoist sect gives it to him directly or the two Western monks help him get it back doesn't make much difference.

So he simply said, "The Buddhist sect destroyed the ginseng fruit trees on my Longevity Mountain. I wish to go to the Western Spirit Mountain to demand an explanation from the Buddhist sect for my Chan Sect."

"If you fellow Daoists have nothing else to do, please join me on this journey. You can also serve as witnesses for me."

Zhen Yuanzi thought he could get away with pretending to be confused, but Tongtian just snorted coldly and said...

"You mean you want to enter the primordial world? That seems to contradict the agreement we made back then." Upon hearing this, Zhen Yuanzi's facial muscles twitched slightly. He cursed Tongtian for being heartless in his heart, but he forced himself to remain calm and said.

“Fellow Daoist Tongtian, you are mistaken. The agreement made back then was to prevent the Sages from interfering in the Great Tribulation and disrupting the operation of the Heavenly Dao. Now that my spiritual root has been destroyed and my lineage has been damaged, this is a personal grudge, how can it be confused with the Great Tribulation?”

Yuanshi Tianzun snorted coldly and said, "If it's a personal grudge, why bother going to the prehistoric world? You can go to the Western Paradise and find the two Buddhas, and have them give you an explanation."

Laozi said gently, "Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, the ginseng fruit tree is an innate spiritual root, living as long as heaven and earth. How can it be destroyed so easily?"

"Presumably, those two Western monks will have a wonderful method to give you a life-giving tree that is even better than before."

Seeing the Three Pure Ones speaking in unison, Zhen Yuanzi understood. His encounter with them today was not accidental; they had been waiting for him all along.

Zhen Yuanzi knew he lacked the ability to force his way through the mountain's blockade and into the primordial wilderness. His only option now was to take the easy way out and go to the Western Paradise to find the two Buddhist monks.

He immediately bowed to the Three Pure Ones and said, "Thank you for the reminder, fellow Daoists. I will go to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss to ask the two Western Buddhas for an explanation."

After saying that, he grabbed the silent Hongyun Ancestor and turned around, heading towards the Blissful World in the Chaos.

Seeing Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun Laozu being forced to go to the Pure Land, Tongtian actually showed a look of disappointment and muttered to himself.

"I thought I could fight them, but I didn't expect these two to be such cowards."

Yuanshi Tianzun glared at Tongtian and said, "If those two were to fight you, they would be the real fools."

Lao Tzu shook his head helplessly, then sat cross-legged in the chaos. Their main objective was that they wouldn't return to Qinglian Island until this matter was resolved.

Although the Chaos World and the Primordial World share many borders, there is only one entrance to the Primordial World.

After all, if one could enter the prehistoric world from anywhere, then the chaotic winds of the primordial world would have a chance to rush into the prehistoric world.

Even a mere wisp of chaotic wind entering the primordial world would be fatal. And the Heavenly Court would be the first to be destroyed.

After all, the Heavenly Court, suspended in the vast sky above the primordial world, is the closest place to the chaotic world. Naturally, it would be the first to bear the brunt.

When the demon race occupied the Heavenly Court, there was a clan of Devouring Beasts responsible for guarding the boundary between the Primordial World and Chaos. They specifically devoured the chaotic winds that entered the Primordial World.

Therefore, after the great calamity of the Lich King, Haotian took over the Heavenly Court. Hongjun then used powerful methods to completely isolate the primordial world from the chaotic world, leaving only this one entrance.

This is precisely why it became easier for the Three Pure Ones to guard the prehistoric world. They only needed to block this one spot to ensure that Zhen Yuanzi and his group could enter the prehistoric world.

Of course, if Zhen Yuanzi and his group wanted to forcibly enter the prehistoric world, they could break through the chaotic barrier, but the karmic consequences they would incur would be enormous.

Moreover, at the same time that Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun Patriarch were heading to the Western Paradise, Di Jun and Donghuang Taiyi had already quietly followed them.

After all, Chen Xuan's task for them was to keep an eye on the two Western monks. If they dared to enter the prehistoric world, they would directly occupy the Blissful World.

……

At the same time, Manjushri Bodhisattva had already reported the situation at Longevity Mountain to the head of Buddhism, the Buddha.

The Buddha, with a somber expression, asked, "What demands does the Chan Sect have that would allow Tang Sanzang and his companions to continue their journey?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva spoke directly, saying, "The Chan Sect's demand is that they return their ginseng fruit tree..."

Seeing that Manjushri Bodhisattva hesitated to speak, the Buddha Tathagata said, "Is it really that simple? Are there no other requirements?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva shook his head. "The Chan Sect also said that after Buddhism spreads eastward, they would set up Chan Sect deities in our Buddhist temples to make up for the Chan Sect's losses this time."

The moment Manjushri Bodhisattva uttered these words, the entire Great Thunderclap Temple erupted in chaos. Akasagarbha Bodhisattva even let out a cold snort.

“Manjushri Bodhisattva, don’t forget that you are now a Bodhisattva of our Buddhism, no longer the Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun of the Chan Sect.”

"Why didn't you refute the unreasonable demands made by the Chan Sect at the time? Why did you have to relay this matter to my Buddha? Did you also hope that my Buddhist sect would agree to the Chan Sect's demands?"

Bodhisattva Akasagarbha wouldn't let this opportunity to suppress the Chan Sect pass by. He immediately took advantage of the situation and kicked them while they were down.

Manjushri Bodhisattva simply snorted and replied, "Since Akasagarbha Bodhisattva is so capable, then you should step forward and rescue Tang Sanzang and his companions. In any case, this humble monk does not have that ability."

Manjushri Bodhisattva was overjoyed. He had been thinking about how to drag the Western Sect into this mess, but unexpectedly, Akasagarbha Bodhisattva stepped forward on his own.

At the same time, the Jie Sect's influence within Buddhism also shifted to Manjushri Bodhisattva's side, sending Akasagarbha Bodhisattva to rescue Tang Sanzang.

For a moment, even the Bodhisattva Akasagarbha was caught in a dilemma. In the end, he could only look to the Medicine Buddha for help.

Little did they know that the Medicine Buddha had his eyes closed at that moment, not because he was indifferent to the matter, but because he had received instructions from the two Western Buddhas.

However, Bodhisattva Akasagarbha was unaware of these things and thought that Medicine Buddha had given him full authority. So he immediately spoke up.

"The Chan Sect is now merely clinging to life. Does it really think it's still the great Xuanmen sect it once was? This humble monk will take men to Zhenyuan Daxian to demand the person back. I don't believe he dares not hand them over."

After speaking, he successively named several Bodhisattvas and Arhats from the Western Sect. Then, in a grand procession, they headed out of the Great Thunderclap Temple.

The Buddha did not stop them; he simply watched the spectacle. The fiercer the fighting, the better it would be for him.

However, Bodhisattva Akasagarbha wasn't a fool, and he didn't go directly to Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain. After all, with his cultivation level, he was no match for Zhenyuan Daxian.

So he headed directly towards the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and the Xieyue Sanxing Cave, intending to have Patriarch Bodhi accompany him to Longevity Mountain.

As long as Patriarch Bodhi is around, even if Zhenyuan Daxian wanted to take action, he wouldn't have anything to worry about.

As for those disciples of the Chan Sect, Bodhisattva Akasagarbha didn't even take them seriously. After all, his cultivation level was now also that of a Quasi-Saint, and a Quasi-Saint with three corpses at that.

Little did they know, at the very moment that Bodhisattva Akasagarbha led his people away from the Great Thunderclap Temple, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha had already opened his eyes.

With a little perception, he understood what had happened and couldn't help but inwardly cry out in alarm. (End of Chapter)