Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 112 Battle Against Red Boy (Sixteen)
Meanwhile, Venus proposed to appease the Blood Sea King.

Why do you think Venus made this suggestion?

The reason for this is to reshape the ancient stars and change the constellations.

The Blood Sea King facilitated this matter, which benefited the Jade Emperor, Doumu Yuanjun, Gouchen and Ziwei Emperors, and Venus also benefited from it.

Therefore, the proposal to offer amnesty was put forward.

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor smiled and said, "According to your suggestion, what official rank should be bestowed upon the demon who has been subdued as the Great Sage Who Pacifies the Blood Sea?"

Venus said, "Your Majesty, may this old minister inquire of the Great Sage."

The Jade Emperor said, "Ask him yourself."

Venus turned to Wukong and asked, "Great Sage, how do those demons compare to you in terms of skill?"

Wukong's eyes flashed as he said, "That demon has some skill. His martial arts are on par with mine, though he's slightly weaker."

Venus said, “Your Majesty, that demon’s abilities are similar to those of the Great Sage. Why not grant the Great Sage an official position of the same rank and order the construction of a residence for the Great Sage of Pingyou on the left side of the Peach Garden? What does Your Majesty think?”

The Jade Emperor said, "Very good."

Wukong hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, wait a moment."

The Jade Emperor asked, "Wukong, what brings you here?"

Wukong said, “Your Majesty, since ancient times, the left has been considered superior and the right inferior. My Great Sage Equaling Heaven’s mansion is located on the right side of the Peach Garden. If the Great Sage of the Netherworld were to build his mansion on the left side of the Peach Garden, wouldn’t that overshadow me? I beg Your Majesty to find another suitable place to build that fellow’s mansion.”

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor couldn't help but laugh.

The immortals also laughed.

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled.

Wukong asked anxiously, "What are you all laughing at? What are you laughing at?"

The Jade Emperor said, "In that case, we shall do as Wukong has suggested. We shall order the construction of the Pingyou Great Sage's Palace to the right of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven's Palace, and summon those demons to Heaven to receive their duties."

The Jade Emperor immediately ordered the Wenqu Star Lord to draft an edict, and Venus descended to the mortal realm to issue a proclamation of peace.

Guanyin Bodhisattva then stepped forward and said:

"Your Majesty, please wait before issuing the imperial decree of amnesty. There is something I wish to report to Your Majesty."

The Jade Emperor said, "What does the Bodhisattva have to say?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva said:
“As the Buddha said, the black lotus in the demon’s hand is the most evil and wicked thing in the world, contrary to the way of heaven, disrupting yin and yang, and defiled the three realms. If this evil is not eliminated, it may cause endless harm.”

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor's expression darkened, and he asked:

What does the Buddha intend to do?

Guanyin Bodhisattva said:
“The Buddha specifically instructed me to offer a treasure to Your Majesty, which can ward off evil.”

Guanyin Bodhisattva took out the golden relic and presented it to the Jade Emperor.

The Jade Emperor's expression changed slightly as he asked, "What is this?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "This is the relic of the Holy Buddha."

The Jade Emperor pondered for a moment and asked, "What methods does the Buddha have to subdue demons?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "The Buddha said that if we ask Zhenwu Emperor to take action, he will surely be able to subdue the demons."

The Jade Emperor remained silent.

Did he not know that asking the True Martial Emperor to take action would subdue the demons?
But he did not want to subdue the demon.

But the Buddha...

Venus said, “Your Majesty, the True Martial Emperor guards the North, vanquishing demons and monsters. He has little free time and many affairs to attend to, and I fear he may find it difficult to spare time to subdue demons.”

The Jade Emperor said, "What you say is absolutely right."

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "Your Majesty, do not worry. Buddha has already sent Manjushri Bodhisattva to Wudang Mountain to invite the Emperor."

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor looked over.

Guanyin Bodhisattva lowers her eyebrows.

At this moment, the Celestial Master came to report: "Emperor Zhenwu and Bodhisattva Manjushri request an audience."

The Jade Emperor calmly said, "Summon."

Zhenwu Emperor and Manjushri Bodhisattva entered Lingxiao.

Zhenwu Emperor was unaware of the series of schemes involved. Seeing the Jade Emperor's calm expression, he bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Manjushri Bodhisattva said that demons in the lower realm have rebelled and disturbed the universe. He specially invited me here to ask Your Majesty to make a judgment."

The Jade Emperor said, "Manjushri Bodhisattva has also arrived."

Manjushri Bodhisattva bowed and said, “Your Majesty, the Buddha feared that Guanyin Bodhisattva was unable to subdue the demons, so he specially ordered this humble monk to go to Wudang Mountain to invite Zhenwu Emperor. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”

The Jade Emperor laughed and said, "Manjushri Bodhisattva is single-mindedly subduing demons and has a compassionate heart. What crime has he committed?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."

The Jade Emperor said, "Zhenwu, I hereby order you to descend to the mortal realm to subdue the demons and eliminate the evil threat."

Zhenwu Emperor said, "As you command."

The True Martial Emperor turned around and prepared to descend to the mortal realm.

The Jade Emperor said, "Wait a moment."

Zhenwu Emperor stopped.

The Jade Emperor asked, "Zhenwu, did you bring a horse with you on this trip?"

Zhenwu Emperor was taken aback and said, "I did not bring it with me."

The Jade Emperor laughed and said, "Venus, go quickly to the Imperial Stables and select a good horse."

Venus received the decree and spoke to Emperor Zhenwu:
"Please, Your Majesty, come with me to select a fine horse."

Zhenwu Emperor then arrived at the Imperial Stables with Taibai Jinxing.

The newly appointed Bi Ma Wen was a minor immortal from the mortal realm. Not long after taking office, he saw Venus and the True Martial Emperor arrive together. He was so frightened that he hurriedly came to pay his respects.

Venus said, "Quickly release the horses for the Emperor to choose from."

Upon hearing this, Bi Ma Wen hurriedly ordered his men to release the heavenly horse.

Heavenly horses galloped out in unison.

When Venus saw one of the red-maned celestial horses, he used his whisk to hook the horse over and said, "Your Majesty, what do you think of this horse?"

Zhenwu Emperor said, "A fine horse."

Venus then went to pull the reins of the celestial horse, but suddenly, for some reason, the reins broke, and the celestial horse, startled, ran away.

The stable boy was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and said, "This humble official has neglected his duties and deserves to die. I will go and retrieve this horse immediately."

Venus laughed and said, "Don't chase him, let him go."

Zhenwu Emperor understood and smiled, "Jin Xing is right, let him go this time."

Bi Ma Wen was completely bewildered and had no idea what it meant.

Venus chose another celestial horse, and Emperor Zhenwu mustered his troops to descend to the mortal realm to subdue the demons.

Wukong and Guanyin Bodhisattva accompanied and assisted him.

Just as they stepped out of the South Heavenly Gate, they saw Nezha, the Third Prince, rushing towards them with his demon-slaying sword.

Wukong said, "Third Prince, I heard you are still recovering from your serious injuries, why did you come here?"

Nezha said, "Hearing that my father has suffered misfortune, as a son, I should prioritize filial piety, so I came here."

Wukong asked, "Why are you carrying a sword?"

Nezha said, "That demon injured my father and wanted to cut off his flesh and shave his bones!"

Wukong said, "The Third Prince's filial piety is truly admirable!"

So, led by Zhenwu Emperor, with the assistance of Guanyin Bodhisattva, Wukong, and Nezha, they led their soldiers and generals to the six-hundred-mile-long Drill Mountain and Broken Arm Mountain.

Wukong pointed and said, "Your Majesty, this is the demon's cave."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhenwu ordered his men to form an array to completely surround the demon's cave.

Inside the Blood Sea Cave, darkness suddenly fell. Red Boy looked outside, but saw neither the sun above nor the fields below; there was no wind, no sound from the trees. He quickly reported:
"Your Majesty, another messenger has arrived from Heaven."

Current progress: 310 days

Ao Tu laughed and said, "It seems that a master has come this time. Let me go and meet him. If he doesn't come back, don't worry, Sun Wukong and the others will come to rescue you."

Ao Tu stood up.

Red Boy lowered his head, realizing that he might never see this old demon again.

Red Boy suddenly grabbed Ao Tu, looked up and asked, "Your Majesty, have you never thought of harming me?"

Upon hearing this, Ao Tu lowered his head, grinned, revealing sharp teeth, and said, "What did you say? My favorite food is kids like you!"

Red Boy was startled and let go. Ao Tu laughed and turned to leave.

"Remember, tie yourself up!"

Outside, the might of Heaven was overwhelming.

In terms of military strength, Zhenwu Emperor only led a thousand or so troops to form an array, but the aura that filled the world was imposing and dignified, causing all living beings to tremble with fear, far surpassing that of Li Tianwang leading a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals.

This is the oppressive feeling that comes from the real Ronaldo.

The True Martial Emperor, who single-handedly broke through Beiju Luzhou, is not to be underestimated.

Ao Tu stood outside the cave, feeling as if the whole world was against him.

Silence reigned all around.

Ao Tu asked, "Who goes there and why do you trespass on my mountain territory?"

The True Martial Emperor appeared in the air and said, "I am the True Martial Jade Void Master Minister Xuan Tian Shangdi of the North Pole, here to exterminate demons by order of the Jade Emperor."

Ao Tu said, "What skills do you have that make you dare to try and annihilate me?"

The True Martial Emperor said, "I have a flag and a sword, both of which can subdue demons."

Ao Tu asked, "Where are the flag and sword?"

Zhenwu Emperor took out his sword and black-carved flag.

Upon seeing this, Ao Tu said, "Your flag and sword are not as good as my treasures."

Zhenwu Emperor asked, "What treasures do you possess?"

Ao Tu took out the Soul-Scattering Gourd and asked, "Do you recognize this treasure?"

Zhenwu Emperor said, "I don't recognize him."

Ao Tu said, "This is a celestial treasure that I took out from the Netherworld Blood Sea. How could you possibly recognize it?"

Emperor Zhenwu laughed and said, "So it was a treasure you stole from the Netherworld Blood Sea."

Ao Tu said, "What theft? I am the Blood Sea King. As long as the Blood Sea never dries up, I will never die. This is my treasure. How can you kill me!"

After saying this, Ao Tu took the lead and spat out a sky full of red sand, scattering souls and stealing spirits.

Upon seeing it, the True Martial Emperor exclaimed, "What a wonderful treasure!"

He raised his hand and took out the black-carved flag, which covered the sky, the sun, the moon, and all directions, enveloping Ao Tu inside.

Ao Tu unleashed all his magical power, striking the red sand onto the black flag.

The soap-carved flag trembled involuntarily.

Upon seeing it, Emperor Zhenwu sighed again, "What a fine treasure."

With a flick of his wrist, the Yin-Yang Dao flowed, stabilizing the black flag. Despite the red sand filling the sky, the Yin-Yang Dao flowed naturally, and the flag remained unmoved.

Despite activating the Soul-Scattering Gourd with all its might, it could not budge the Black Carved Flag even slightly.

Seeing this, Ao Tu put away the gourd and sighed, "It is my lack of magical power that has caused you to be tarnished."

The Soul-Scattering Gourd, possessing a spirit, trembled slightly.

At this moment, the True Martial Emperor took out his sword, opened a crack in the black banner, and slashed at it with his sword.

The sword cleaved Yin and Yang, the laws flowed, life force was extinguished, and there was no way to escape.

Ao Tu sighed, "My life is about to end."

Ao Tu wasn't afraid. After all, this body was just an incarnation. If he died, he could simply transform back into his true self.

Ao Tu quickly put the black lotus into the Soul-Scattering Gourd, then threw the Soul-Scattering Gourd into the void. The innate spiritual treasure has its own spirit and will hide in the void, waiting for the true body to come and retrieve it.

After doing all this, the sword had already struck.

Ao Tu closed his eyes and awaited death, but for some reason, the True Martial Emperor's sword missed its mark, striking only the right side of Ao Tu's shoulder.

His right shoulder turned to ashes.

Ao Tu was taken aback, only to see a gap appear in the northwest of the black-carved flag.

It turned out that the True Martial Emperor had come to kill Ao Tu with his sword, so he opened a gap in the black flag. However, when he fell, the sword was slightly off-target and did not hit a vital spot.

Ao Tu hurriedly escaped through the gap.

The True Martial Emperor was greatly alarmed and said:

"Oh no! The demon is trying to escape! Stop it quickly!"

His soldiers rushed to intercept them.

But how could their speed compare to Ao Tu's?
Having just taken half a step, Ao Tu had already transformed into a streak of blood and escaped through the gap.

Emperor Zhenwu said in annoyance, "This is bad! I was careless for a moment and let the demon escape. How am I going to explain this to His Majesty?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "Your Majesty, do not be upset. The demon has not gone far. If we pursue it now, we will surely capture it."

Zhenwu Emperor said, "The Bodhisattva is absolutely right. Turtle General, quickly bring the Heavenly Horse so I can ride it and go after them!"

Upon hearing this, the tortoise went to fetch the heavenly horse.

The True Martial Emperor waited in the same spot.

If they had actually pursued him, Ao Tu would have already perished.

This move was Zhenwu's deliberate act of letting Ao Tu go.

This period of time would have been more than enough for Ao Tu to escape.

Unexpectedly, Manjushri Bodhisattva, riding a blue lion, blocked their way.

Manjushri Bodhisattva said, "Demon, hand over the Black Lotus and come with me to Mount Ling to confess your sins."

Seeing Manjushri in front and Zhenwu behind, and himself severely injured with no way out, Ao Tu looked up to the sky and laughed loudly:
"Manjushri, what abilities do you possess that you dare to call yourself the teacher of the Seven Buddhas? Today, let me, the King, experience your skills!"

Ao Tu swayed and transformed into a three-headed, six-armed being, striking at Manjushri Bodhisattva.

Manjushri Bodhisattva manifested his Dharma body to fight Ao Tu.

In their fight, the two were evenly matched in terms of physical strength alone. However, Ao Tu had his arm severed by Zhenwu, which greatly reduced his strength. Furthermore, his magical treasures had all flowed into the void, making him somewhat inferior to Zhenwu.

Manjushri Bodhisattva's green lion seized the opportunity, opened its mouth and bit Ao Tu's right leg, causing Ao Tu to stagger.

Manjushri Bodhisattva cut off Ao Tu's left arm with his sword, and a demon-binding rope appeared in his hand to bind Ao Tu.

Upon seeing this, Ao Tu was about to self-destruct.

Suddenly, a plume of black smoke and flames shot out from behind Manjushri Bodhisattva.

Red Boy puffed out his cheeks and spewed out Samadhi Fire with all his might, saying:

"My king, hurry up!"

Seeing this, Ao Tu couldn't help but curse, "Fool! You're nothing but a pawn of mine. Why don't you listen to my orders to stay in the cave?"

Red Boy said, "Since I have acknowledged you as my king, how can I watch you die in front of me? If I do that, how is it any different from seeing my father die in front of me? I know you are good to me, and you have never thought of harming me. Your Majesty, you should leave. I will hold him off!"

Ao Tu cursed, "You heavenly soldier, what are you doing standing up to me?"

Then Manjushri Bodhisattva used a supernatural power called "Eight-Cornered Auspicious Cloud Golden Lamp" to place on his head, which Red Boy's Samadhi True Fire could not penetrate.

Manjushri Bodhisattva then produced an object with his backhand—the Dragon-Hiding Stake—and instantly bound Red Boy to it.

Ao Tu looked around. In front, Manjushri Bodhisattva rode a green lion to block his way, and behind, Zhenwu Emperor rode a horse. Above, Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas, and heavenly soldiers and generals surrounded him. He had no magic weapons, both arms were broken, and his subordinates had been captured.

This truly shows that when fortune smiles, heaven and earth lend their strength; when fortune turns, even heroes are powerless.

Red Boy said, "Great King, having fought against all the gods today, I have no regrets if I can die alongside you!"

Ao Tu cursed, "Fool! As long as the sea of ​​blood doesn't dry up, I will never die! I have 48,000 lives, how many do you have?"

Red Boy was stunned.

Manjushri Bodhisattva said, "Demon, stop your boasting! You falsely claim to be a sea of ​​blood, do you think I don't know that? Take this sword!"

The fight between Ao Tu and Manjushri became increasingly difficult.

The True Martial Emperor was approaching on horseback in the distance. Ao Tu should have calmly self-destructed at this moment, but Red Boy...

Left with no other choice, Ao Tu had to use one of his trump cards.

Ao Tu's eyes transformed into double pupils, a vertical eye opened between his brows, lightning gathered in his throat, a hurricane gathered in his mouth, fire appeared on his left arm, water appeared on his right arm, his left leg was like gold, his right leg was like wood, a thick earth tail grew from his back, wings sprouted from his back, and thorns grew from his spine.

Upon seeing this, all the gods in heaven exclaimed in astonishment, "What is this thing?"

Everyone said they didn't know.

The True Martial Emperor reined in his horse and exclaimed, "This demon is strange, truly strange!"

Below, Ao Tu said, "Red Boy, if you don't steal the Banana Leaf Fan and give it to me tomorrow, you will be extremely unfilial!"

(End of this chapter)