Start with Xu Xian and quickly master the mythology!

Chapter 115 Xu Xian's Needs

Thirty-three days away.

Sun Wukong and the Long-Armed Ape were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.

Suddenly, Xu Xian's voice came from mid-air: "Monkey, stop and return to the mountain. Do not obstruct the journey to the West any longer!"

Upon hearing Xu Xian's words, the gibbon put away its bronze cudgel and jumped out of the circle.

He sneered at Sun Wukong, "Sun Wukong, I'll let you off the hook today! If the opportunity arises another day, we'll settle this once and for all!"

Having said that, he conjured a gust of wind and instantly returned to Mount Buzhou.

Sun Wukong gazed in the direction the Long-Armed Ape had gone, pondered for a moment, and then understood the inside story.

"My senior brother must have gotten what he wanted, and my mission is complete."

"I heard my senior brother say that the journey to the West involves not only his arrangements, but also the Heavenly Court, Mount Ling, and ordinary mortal demons without any roots."

"This journey is going to be quite fun."

Sun Wukong put away his iron cudgel and rode a cloud back to Tang Sanzang's side.

Seeing that Sun Wukong had returned and that no demon monkey was chasing after him, Tang Sanzang finally felt relieved. He clasped his hands together and chanted Buddhist prayers, "Wukong, just now the mountains shook and the earth trembled. Was that demon extremely powerful?"

Sun Wukong scratched his cheek and said with a grin, "Master, don't be afraid. He's just an old friend of mine who was itching to have a match with me. My senior brother has already persuaded him to leave, and there's no obstacle on the way."

";

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang was overjoyed and repeatedly praised Wukong's great supernatural powers. He also recited the scriptures several times to thank Heaven and Earth for their protection.

The only thing that worried Tang Sanzang was that the monkey was very unruly.

Provoked, the demon abandoned its master and chased after him on its own.

It has been so long since it last returned.

If today's matter is resolved well, then everything will naturally go smoothly.

But at this time, the journey to the west was long and arduous, and the number of demons was countless.

What if the monkey encounters a powerful demon and falls for a diversionary tactic? Wouldn't it be a pointless loss of its life?

Thinking of this, Tang Sanzang's heart sank again.

Ultimately, we still need to find a few more disciples.

Fortunately, we had just passed the Two Realms Mountain, and there weren't many demons yet, so we still had a chance.

With this in mind, Tang Sanzang led Sun Wukong westward.

When they reached Eagle's Sorrow Gorge, suddenly the black water in the gorge surged and the waves crashed against the shore.

A chilling, fierce aura shot straight up from the bottom of the water to the heavens.

The earthquake shook the surrounding trees, and birds and beasts scattered and fled.

The white horse that Tang Sanzang was riding was originally an ordinary steed, but at this moment its four hooves went weak and it was foaming at the mouth, almost knocking Tang Sanzang to the ground.

In a panic, Tang Sanzang quickly tightened the reins, chanting Amitabha Buddha's name urgently: "Wukong, could there be another demon causing trouble in this ravine?"

Sun Wukong opened his fiery eyes and saw through the mystery hidden at the bottom of the ravine.

The monkey chuckled, slamming the golden cudgel into his palm. Golden light burst forth from the cudgel: "Master, rest assured, it's just a wicked dragon trapped in shallow waters. Watch me kill it with one blow and remove this obstacle from your path!"

Having said that, Sun Wukong leaped into the air and stood in mid-air above Eagle's Sorrow Gorge.

He pointed his staff at the black water and shouted, "You wicked creatures at the bottom of the water, come out and face your death! Don't block my master's path to the Western Paradise!"

Before the words were finished, a loud bang came from the bottom of the ravine.

A jet of water shot skyward!

A giant, snow-white dragon burst forth from the water.

Upon closer inspection, the white dragon's horns are rugged and its scales gleam with a cold light.

His eyes were bloodshot, filled with violence and resentment.

It hovered in mid-air and roared, "Where did these wild monkeys come from, daring to be so insolent in front of your White Dragon Grandpa! This ravine is my residence; you have trespassed here and dare to utter such arrogant words!"

When Sun Wukong saw the white dragon, he was first taken aback, then remembered Xu Xian's words, and burst into laughter: "So you are the unfilial son of the West Sea Dragon King! I heard that you set fire to the palace pearl, and your father accused you of disobedience and sentenced you to death. How come you're hiding in this Eagle's Sorrow Gorge, living a wretched life? You have truly disgraced the dragon race!"

Upon hearing this, the White Dragon became even more enraged.

It did indeed set fire to the luminous pearl, and was thus punished by the Heavenly Court by being imprisoned here.

This was a secret, and not many people knew about it.

What's going on with this monkey?

The White Dragon secretly wondered if this monkey and that mortal monk were the pilgrims from the East that Guanyin Bodhisattva had mentioned.

If that's the case, I might as well become his disciple and achieve perfect merit.

However, it would be quite shameful to easily become an apprentice.

Neither the mortal monk nor the monkey valued themselves.

Therefore, it is still necessary to demonstrate some skills to enhance one's status.

Thinking of this, the White Dragon flicked its long tail, stirring up thousands of waves that crashed against Sun Wukong.

"Stop talking nonsense! Today I'll tear you to pieces, you impudent monkey, and devour that mortal monk to vent my hatred!"

The man and the dragon immediately started fighting on the ravine!

The golden cudgel danced with impenetrable force, its dragon claws and tail unparalleled in their ferocity, striking so hard that the waters of Eagle Sorrow Stream boiled and the world changed color.

Sun Wukong had just gone through a great battle with the Long-Armed Ape, and he needed this little break.

Therefore, he did not use force, but only teased the little white dragon.

Little White Dragon was terrified.

The fight appeared to be evenly matched, but in reality, he had already exerted his full strength.

The monkey, however, remained calm and unperturbed.

Neither his magic nor his supernatural powers could subdue him.

In fact, Little White Dragon had no doubt that if this monkey were to get a little too fierce, it could smash his brains to pieces.

Don't go too far!

The White Dragon hesitated, while Tang Sanzang watched from the shore, his heart pounding with fear.

He kept praying, but he couldn't help in the slightest.

He thought to himself that it wouldn't be bad to subdue this demon and make it his disciple.

Sun Wukong and the White Dragon fought for dozens of rounds.

The White Dragon was no match for Sun Wukong and was struck on the dragon scale by a single blow.

In pain, the little white dragon transformed into a beam of white light and fled back to the bottom of the ravine, refusing to come out even in death.

Incidentally, the waves swept away Tang Sanzang's white horse.

Sun Wukong challenged him repeatedly, but there was no response from the bottom of the ravine, which made him so angry that he scratched his ears and cheeks.

He was not a good swimmer and could not fight in water.

Tang Sanzang, on the other hand, was furious and began to complain.

"You monkey, you always claim to be all-powerful, how come you can't even handle a little white dragon?"

"Now that he has eaten my white horse, I have no strength to ride it; how can I reach the Western Paradise?"

"What should we do? What should we do?"

Sun Wukong's head was throbbing from Tang Sanzang's nagging. Just as he was about to swing his staff to drain the stream, two auspicious clouds suddenly drifted in from the horizon.

The guardian deity, holding a jade edict, shouted loudly, "Great Sage Equal to Heaven, stop! Guanyin Bodhisattva has decreed that this white dragon is destined to journey to the West to obtain the scriptures; his life must not be harmed!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong put away his golden cudgel and raised an eyebrow, looking up at the clouds.

He pondered to himself.

Is this another assignment from my senior brother?

This dragon boy has become an integral part of the journey to the West.

Of course, the matter of the White Dragon has nothing to do with Xu Xian.

After announcing the decree, the Dharma Protector added, "Great Sage, you only need to wait here. Guanyin Bodhisattva will come to enlighten you and help you transform into a white horse to carry Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West."

As soon as he finished speaking, the fragrance of lotus blossoms wafted from the heavens.

Guanyin Bodhisattva, holding a vase in her hand and standing on a lotus platform, slowly approached.

Upon seeing Guanyin Bodhisattva, Sun Wukong immediately suppressed his ferocity, stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Bodhisattva."

When Tang Sanzang saw Guanyin Bodhisattva descend, he immediately prostrated himself on the ground, calling her Bodhisattva and expressing his gratitude with tears in his eyes.

Guanyin Bodhisattva nodded, dipped a willow branch into the sweet dew from her vase, and sprinkled it into the Eagle's Sorrow Stream.

The white dragon felt the sweet dew and knew that Guanyin Bodhisattva had arrived, so it no longer hesitated.

It soared into the air and then prostrated itself before Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled and nodded.

The little white dragon instantly transformed into a white horse.

The white dragon horse stood proudly on the shore, its magnificent steed awe-inspiring.

Tang Sanzang was overjoyed to have gained another helper.

Having witnessed the White Dragon's abilities, he felt reassured.

Even if Sun Wukong is not by his side in the future, with the White Dragon protecting him, he will surely be able to keep himself safe.

Tang Sanzang knelt down to thank Guanyin Bodhisattva and continued westward, eventually arriving at Guanyin Temple.

Tang Sanzang originally vowed to burn incense at temples, sweep pagodas, and worship Buddhas whenever he encountered them.

But the ordeal at Shuangchaling still haunts him.

However, this temple does not enshrine an unknown minor deity like Xu Xian, but is a Zen monastery dedicated to Guanyin Bodhisattva.

With the help of Guanyin Bodhisattva, Tang Sanzang has just acquired the White Dragon Horse.

If one does not bow at this time, it would be a great disrespect.

Therefore, Tang Sanzang, along with Sun Wukong and the White Dragon Horse, went straight into the Guanyin Temple.

After Venus, the Dragon-Taming Arhat, and the Tiger-Subduing Arhat made a deal with Xu Xian.

Not daring to linger, they immediately parted ways.

Venus rode a cloud back to the Heavenly Court to report his mission, heading directly to the Lingxiao Palace to meet the Jade Emperor.

Venus recounted in detail all the events surrounding his meeting with Xu Xian.

The Jade Emperor sat upright on his nine-dragon throne, his dragon eyes slightly closed as he rested, and did not answer.

As a close advisor to the emperor, Venus naturally knew the Jade Emperor's intentions.

Very satisfied!

However, it cannot be expressed too directly!

The Venusian people, being wise and experienced, had naturally already figured out the key to this matter.

The Jade Emperor did not have any ill feelings towards Xu Xian; in fact, he wanted to go with the flow and bestow upon Xu Xian the fortune of becoming a great supernatural being.

The problem is that Xu Xian's divine status is not high after all.

Or rather, extremely low, even inferior to ordinary gods of fortune, earth, and mountains.

Because Xu Xian's status as a deity was not achieved through the Jade Emperor's intervention, nor through his own cultivation of merit.

Rather, it was because the mortal emperor bestowed upon him the title of a deity at Shuangcha Ridge.

This resulted in Xu Xian's divine status being completely disregarded by the gods of Heaven.

To the gods of Heaven, Xu Xian was merely one of the countless "hairy gods" in the world.

Moreover, he only became a god a few months ago, so it's not worth mentioning at all.

At this point, Venus "condescended" to meet Xu Xian twice, which was already considered a shameful act.

If the Jade Emperor were to praise this highly, it would obviously displease the gods of Heaven.

Therefore, this is the only way for the ruler of the three realms to express his attitude.

Venus let out a long sigh of relief, bowed, and withdrew from the Lingxiao Palace.

He secretly rejoiced that the mediation had been successful, satisfying both the Jade Emperor's wishes and Xu Xian's desires—a win-win situation.

Western sacred mountain.

The two Arhats, Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger, returned to Mount Ling and went to Leiyin Temple to pay homage to the Buddha.

They reported back in detail that Xu Xian had taken Jinlian in and agreed to let her go.

He also subtly revealed that what Xu Xian sought was a destiny or opportunity to become a person of great supernatural powers, something that could not be swayed by any treasure.

The Buddha certainly knew about this matter; there was no need for the Dragon Subduer and Tiger Tamer to bring it up deliberately.

But when these two Arhats spoke of such things, they were actually showing the Buddha how difficult their lives had been.

After all, high-ranking figures like Buddha and Guanyin must have known about Xu Xian's background and needs long ago.

It would be reasonable to entrust such an important matter to Guanyin Bodhisattva.

As for the two Arhats who subdue dragons and tigers, they should absolutely not be used.

When Jianglong and Fuhu brought up these matters at this time, it was clear that they were trying to shirk their responsibilities.

That meant that these two minor deities were simply no match for Xu Xian.

Next time something like this happens, let's find someone else.

The Buddha sits serenely on a nine-tiered lotus throne.

The Buddha's light shines everywhere, and his face is compassionate.

Upon hearing the words of the Arhats who subdued dragons and tigers, the Buddha merely smiled faintly, his voice booming like a bell, resounding throughout the hall: "Excellent, excellent! The great Dao of Heaven and Earth grants each person their own destiny. Xu Xian's desire to contend for the position of the Great Supernatural Power is his fate. Now that the journey to the West has proceeded smoothly and Mahayana Buddhism has spread eastward, the merit will naturally return to Mount Ling. You need not worry any further."

The Buddha's words were insightful, expressing his sole desire to promote the eastward transmission of Mahayana Buddhism.

As for Xu Xian, or even villains like Sun Wukong and the Long-Armed Ape, he didn't take them seriously at all.

Upon hearing these words, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the hall each had their own thoughts.

The ancient Buddha with the lamp closed his eyes and lowered his eyebrows, remaining silent.

Maitreya Buddha holds a cloth bag, smiling broadly, but a deeper meaning flashes in his eyes.

Guanyin Bodhisattva tilted her jade vase slightly, and drops of sweet dew fell, her heart filled with understanding.

The格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall structure or pattern) of the Three Realms seems to be about to be rewritten.

At the summit of Mount Buzhou, after seeing off Venus and the other two, Xu Xian sat upright in the main hall.

A moment later, a golden auspicious cloud appeared in the sky and entered the main hall.

It was the gibbon.

The gibbon, looking at Xu Xian, asked, "Did you get what you wanted?"

Xu Xian displayed the luminous glass lamp and the Buddha's golden lotus, then shook his head with a wry smile: "No, the Heavenly Court and Mount Ling are just too tight-lipped."

The gibbon picked up the luminous glass lamp, examined it closely, and realized it was a treasure.

He looked at Daode Jinlian again, his eyes revealing a deep bitterness.

"Do you know how precious this golden lotus is on the Western Paradise?"

Xu Xian directly gave the golden lotus to the gibbon, shaking his head with a smile: "This thing is useless to me. I am not interested in Buddhist techniques."

He stood up, flew to the top of Mount Buzhou, and felt the fierce winds blowing from the heavens.

With Xu Xian's current cultivation level, not to mention the Nine Heavens Gale and the Nine Yin Fire, even more terrifying laws would not harm him.

The long-armed ape looked at him and asked, "You're already so strong, what do you need?"

"This difference in strength is meaningless; what I want is something that lasts forever."

Xu Xian observed his own condition and sensed the Dao fruit within his body.

This is a Dao Fruit he obtained at Wuzhuang Temple, an essential item for becoming a great supernatural being.

The gibbon brandished its iron rod, showed it off for a moment, then shook its head: "I don't understand, it's too complicated."

Xu Xian smiled and said, "If I were to use items, I would need one hundred ordinary Dao Fruits, ten Primordial Dao Fruits,..."

Seventy-two grand aspirations, one thousand smaller aspirations —

"Alright, alright, this is giving me a headache. The things you need would probably require the combined efforts of Heaven and Buddhism to gather for you, wouldn't it?"