Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

Taibai Jinxing, with a silver beard, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister is here."

The Jade Emperor said, "Venus, go to the Western Paradise and ask the Buddha of the West to subdue this demon monkey."

Venus said, “Your Majesty, this is a matter for the Heavenly Court. It would be inappropriate to involve the Buddha of the West. If word gets out, wouldn’t it just embolden others?”

The Jade Emperor said, "Is Venus trying to get me to deal with this monkey demon?" Without waiting for Venus's reply, the Jade Emperor muttered to himself, "I've tolerated this monkey demon for so long. If those bald monks from the West don't come soon, I'll wipe him out! They'll have come up empty-handed! I've had enough of putting on this show for them for so long!"

Hearing the Jade Emperor talking to himself, Venus was startled, feeling as if he had overheard an incredible secret. However, upon closer examination, he felt confused and couldn't understand anything.

Upon receiving the imperial decree, Venus went to the Western Paradise to proclaim the Buddha's command to subdue Sun Wukong.

Although the Buddha of the West is very powerful and is the head of a religion, the Jade Emperor is the ruler of the Three Realms and his status is much higher than that of the Buddha. When the Jade Emperor issues an edict, the Buddha dares not disobey.

Meanwhile, in the lower realm of Flower Fruit Mountain, Li Xiuyuan used his magic to heal all the injuries on the monkeys.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, a golden auspicious cloud flew over from the west like a shooting star, illuminating the surroundings with golden light and coloring countless white clouds.

The golden auspicious cloud was vast, covering more than a hundred acres, and faint Buddhist chants could be heard emanating from within it.

Li Xiuyuan activated his Chaos Divine Eye and saw that the golden cloud was filled with figures: three thousand Buddhas, five hundred Arhats, eight Vajras, four Bodhisattvas, and the Western Tathagata Buddha sitting on a lotus platform at the very front.

Arhats, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas all radiated rays of light hundreds of feet high, soaring straight to the Thirty-Three Heavens. In particular, the Tathagata Buddha had five-colored relics intertwined and swirling around his head, like auspicious clouds covering his entire body.

Jin Yun moved with incredible speed, and in the blink of an eye, he had already flown into the Heavenly Court.

"It seems that the Jade Emperor has ordered Buddha to subdue Sun Wukong. I'm afraid it won't be long before a thunderbolt from a clear sky appears, and a huge mountain will come down and suppress Sun Wukong under the Five Elements Mountain."

A faint melancholy settled in Li Xiuyuan's heart. After all, Sun Wukong was his disciple, and to have him imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain for five hundred years was a painful experience for him. However, this was a plan devised by the two Western Saints, and it was crucial for the future flourishing of Buddhism. Even he could not disobey it. The stronger one's power, the more one had to consider.

Just as I was thinking this, a huge sound came from the sky, like a muffled thunder during a summer downpour, making my eardrums buzz.

A gigantic hand descended from the sky and landed on the Liangjie Mountain, the border between Nanzhanbuzhou and Xiniuhezhou. Upon touching the ground, the giant hand transformed into a mountain with five peaks. The peaks resembled human hands remarkably. The five peaks varied in height, the middle one being the tallest and the leftmost the shortest. Each peak resembled a human thumb, divided into three segments.

As Li Xiuyuan pressed down with his palm, he saw Sun Wukong's figure at the very bottom of his palm. The palm landed on the ground and transformed into a mountain, and Sun Wukong was suppressed at the very bottom by the mountain peak.

Two or three days later, Li Xiuyuan finally saw the golden cloud fly out of the Heavenly Court and head towards the Western Sacred Mountain. The Buddha had suppressed Sun Wukong, and the Jade Emperor had kept him there for a while, causing a delay. Li Xiuyuan was in the mortal realm, where time passed quickly; so a short time in heaven was equivalent to two or three days on earth.

Golden clouds flew out from the South Heavenly Gate. Li Xiuyuan no longer lingered on Flower Fruit Mountain. With a leap, he transformed into a golden light and flew towards the golden cloud, standing in front of the Buddha and blocking his path.

The Buddha was dressed in a bright yellow robe, his face like a full moon, his eyes like stars, his ears reaching his shoulders, and he sat cross-legged on a golden lotus. His hands were clasped together in front of his chest, and a string of brown beads hung from his right wrist. His aura was peaceful, and his face subtly revealed compassion and mercy.

Above his head, the light of the relic emanated, and forty-two white rainbows rose up, connecting north and south. His entire body was shrouded in auspicious clouds and mist.

Chapter 489 The Buddha

Li Xiuyuan stood in front of the golden cloud, and Tathagata immediately controlled the golden cloud to stop.

The Buddha frowned and asked, "Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva, what urgent matter do you have in mind that is blocking my way?"

Li Xiuyuan said calmly, "Buddha, I heard that you just suppressed a demon monkey. Is that true?"

"How dare you, Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva! Who are you to speak to the Buddha like this?" Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, who was behind Tathagata, stepped forward and shouted at Li Xiuyuan.

Li Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow and said, "Puxian, wasn't the lesson I taught you last time enough? Do you want to experience it again? By the way, where are Manjushri and Avalokiteshvara? Where did they go?"

Last time, the three Bodhisattvas, Samantabhadra, Manjushri, and Avalokiteshvara, launched a sneak attack on Li Xiuyuan, but their plan backfired spectacularly, resulting in them being soundly defeated by Li Xiuyuan. Now, Li Xiuyuan brought up the past, causing Samantabhadra to feel a burning pain on his face. He stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

He forced a tough stance and said, "Tianlong, Buddha is still here. You should think twice before you act recklessly! If you anger Buddha, he might suppress you like he suppressed that monkey demon."

Li Xiuyuan laughed and said, "Puxian, do you know who that demon monkey is? How dare you speak to me like that?"

Puxian subconsciously asked, "What is your identity?"

Li Xiuyuan said, word by word, "He is my disciple."

"What?" Puxian's face was full of surprise, he could hardly believe it.

He had been watching from the sidelines when Buddha was suppressing Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong was incredibly strong and had amazing fighting power, almost on par with him. Even if he himself took action, he might not be a match for Sun Wukong.

But this person was actually a disciple taught by Li Xiuyuan. For Puxian, this was quite a shock.

Hearing Li Xiuyuan say this, Tathagata was also filled with surprise. He knew Sun Wukong's identity; he knew that Sun Wukong was a disciple taught by a great Buddhist monk, and that the future prosperity of Buddhism was destined to be due to Sun Wukong.

He knew that Sun Wukong's master was a Buddhist, but he didn't know exactly who he was. He had always assumed it was one of the two Western Saints. Now he realized he was wrong; Sun Wukong's master was actually Li Xiuyuan.

The reason Li Xiuyuan dares to reveal his relationship with Sun Wukong now is because Sun Wukong has been suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain. By the time Sun Wukong emerges, the entire operation will have already begun. Everything has been meticulously planned and will not be affected in the slightest.

Li Xiuyuan said in a deep voice, "Buddha, Sun Wukong is my disciple. You have now suppressed him under the Five Elements Mountain. What do you think we should do?"

Sun Wukong was suppressed by Buddha, and Li Xiuyuan was filled with pent-up anger. If he could, Li Xiuyuan would also like to suppress Buddha as well.

Buddha was taken aback and said, "Heavenly Dragon, it was the will of the two sages to suppress Sun Wukong under the Five Elements Mountain. Do you still intend to oppose the two sages?"

Li Xiuyuan smiled faintly, revealing eighteen pearly white teeth that gleamed with a hint of coldness under the sunlight. Li Xiuyuan said, "It's not enough to contend with two saints. I just want to see just how capable you are, daring to suppress my disciple."

"Tianlong, how dare you be so presumptuous! Is this how you speak to the Buddha? This is a heinous crime! I think you should obediently apologize to the Buddha to avoid making a mistake!" The eight Vajras behind Tathagata stepped forward and reprimanded him.

The Eight Vajras, also known as the Eight Great Vidyarajas, are manifestations of eight great bodhisattvas, each possessing considerable strength.

Li Xiuyuan laughed and said, "You call me presumptuous? I think you're the presumptuous ones. How dare you say such things in front of me? You're just asking for death!"

"Bastard!"

The eight Vajra Warriors were all provoked into a state of rage by Li Xiuyuan.

"Tianlong, look at us eight brothers, we're going to teach you a lesson today!"

Eight figures rushed toward Li Xiuyuan at the same time. Each of the eight figures was more than four or five zhang tall, like an iron tower. Each of them had wide-open eyes, and their hair and beards stood on end, looking extremely angry.

"Well done!"

Li Xiuyuan did not back down. He opened his mouth and spat out a fan shaped like a banana leaf. As he chanted incantations, the banana leaf fan underwent a crazy transformation. In the blink of an eye, it had grown from the size of a palm to more than ten feet in size.

Grasping the fan handle, Li Xiuyuan swung it at the eight Vajra warriors charging towards him. Instantly, a fierce wind arose, whipping up sand and stones. The eight Vajra warriors were sent flying like shooting stars by Li Xiuyuan's fan.

The banana leaf fan in Li Xiuyuan's hand is an acquired spiritual treasure, the Wind Spirit Fan, which is extremely powerful. With each wave, a gale will come. Apart from the Wind-Fixing Pearl, there is no treasure in the Three Realms that can rival it.

After the fan struck, the wind stopped and the clouds cleared. The eight Vajra Warriors who had attacked Li Xiuyuan had vanished without a trace, having been blown away to who knows where.

The Bodhisattvas and Arhats on the golden clouds all narrowed their eyes, and a hint of wariness appeared in their gazes as they looked at Li Xiuyuan.

Li Xiuyuan stood still, holding the Wind Spirit Fan, and asked, "I wonder if there is anyone else who thinks I am presumptuous and wants to attack me?" Li Xiuyuan asked three times in a row, but no one answered.

Looking at Tathagata, Li Xiuyuan said, "Tathagata, no one dares to bother me now. Come on, let's have a fight. Let me see how strong you really are and whether you have enough power to sit on that lotus platform and become a Buddha."

The Buddha said calmly, "Heavenly Dragon, you have harbored anger and broken the precepts."

Li Xiuyuan laughed and said, "Buddha, are you really so incompetent that you dare not make a move against me? Since you are unwilling to make a move, then I will make the first move!"

Holding the Wind Spirit Fan in his hand, Li Xiuyuan swung it towards Tathagata. Countless sand and stones flew away under Li Xiuyuan's fan, and gusts of wind rose from Li Xiuyuan's side and blew towards Tathagata.

Chapter 490 The Golden Bowl

The Wind Spirit Fan stirred up a gust of wind that swept towards the Buddha. The fierce hurricane tore the golden clouds beneath the Buddha into a mess, which then drifted around like cotton wool.

The five hundred Arhats and four Bodhisattvas behind Tathagata hurriedly flew up to dodge Li Xiuyuan's attack the moment it came. The power of the Wind Spirit Fan was not weak, and they dared not take it head-on.

Meanwhile, Tathagata, who was directly confronting the Wind Spirit Fan, remained firmly seated on his golden lotus platform, as immovable as a mountain. Above his head, five-colored relics continuously rotated and coiled, forming a protective shield that protected Tathagata's body and resisted the attack of the Wind Spirit Fan.

Li Xiuyuan wasn't surprised that the Wind Spirit Fan couldn't defeat Tathagata. Tathagata, like him, was a Quasi-Saint level being, and his strength couldn't be so weak that he couldn't even withstand the Wind Spirit Fan.

Although the Wind Spirit Fan is powerful, it is ultimately only an acquired spiritual treasure, not an innate one, and its power is limited.

After putting away the Wind Spirit Fan, Li Xiuyuan took out twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls. Each of the twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls was the size of an egg, completely transparent, like crystal, with five colors evolving inside, like a small world.

The twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls were like twelve miniature worlds. Li Xiuyuan placed them on top of his head, and instantly the magical power within his body surged twelvefold.

Each of the twelve miniature worlds can double Li Xiuyuan's magical power.

"Buddha, I don't believe you won't fight back this time!" Li Xiuyuan controlled the twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls and smashed them down towards Buddha, a smile appearing on his face.

"What a good baby!"

Each of the twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls was dazzling and incredibly powerful, which filled Buddha with admiration. He wished he could snatch the twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls and keep them for himself.

But this was during battle, so Tathagata could only think about it. Seeing the twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls hurtling towards him, Tathagata dared not take them head-on and quickly dodged them. Although he was very confident in his indestructible golden body, he was still afraid of unexpected events.

Having dodged the attack, Buddha took out a golden alms bowl and said, “Heavenly Dragon, you have a magic weapon, and so do I. This golden alms bowl was something I begged for before I became a Buddha. After so many days and nights of refining it, its power is boundless. Although it is not a primordial spiritual treasure, it is better than one.”

The golden alms bowl wasn't large, only about the size of a palm, and was a dark gold color. It was about an inch tall, with a small mouth and a large belly. As soon as Tathagata took it out, he threw it at Li Xiuyuan. The golden alms bowl grew in the air, becoming the size of a house. A beam of golden light shot out from the mouth of the bowl, firmly fixing Li Xiuyuan in place. The entire bowl then pressed down on Li Xiuyuan, trapping him inside.

Li Xiuyuan was trapped in the alms bowl. Buddha put away the ritual implement, held it in his palm, and said calmly, "Heavenly Dragon, this alms bowl of mine is good at trapping people. Once you are trapped in it, it is impossible to get out without my incantation. Don't worry, even though you are trapped in my alms bowl, I will not take your life. I will make you and your disciple, the demon monkey, suppressed for five hundred years."

As he spoke, Tathagata seemed quite pleased with himself.

"The Buddha truly possesses great magical powers!"

"The Buddha's power is boundless; he truly deserves to be revered by our religion."

"The Heavenly Dragons, who are merely minor Bodhisattvas, actually dare to attack Bodhisattvas. They are truly courting death and overestimating their own abilities."

When Tathagata put Li Xiuyuan into the golden alms bowl, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats who had just been frightened away by Li Xiuyuan's Wind Spirit Fan immediately surrounded him, their faces beaming with joy and a hint of flattery as they spoke to Tathagata.

"Buddha, you think you can trap me with such a tiny thing? Are you still asleep, or are you daydreaming?"

Li Xiuyuan's voice came through the golden alms bowl.

"Who...who...who is speaking?!"

The Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats were startled when they suddenly heard someone speaking. After seeing that it was Li Xiuyuan speaking from the golden alms bowl, they looked at each other in bewilderment, wondering what was going on.

Is it because Li Xiuyuan is too strong, and the golden alms bowl can't do anything to him, or is the golden alms bowl really just a piece of junk, really that worthless, or is this just how the golden alms bowl is?

When Li Xiuyuan was able to speak, Tathagata was also startled. This golden alms bowl was his magic weapon, and he knew it best. In the past, when he trapped enemies, nothing like this had ever happened. Why was it different today? Why was something unusual happening?

The Buddha stubbornly insisted, "Don't worry, everyone. My golden alms bowl is very powerful. Even if a saint enters my golden alms bowl, I am confident that I can trap him. What power does the Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva have? My golden alms bowl can trap him without any problem."

“What the Tathagata said is true.” The Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats put their hands together, bowed, and praised him.