Primordial Era: Starting by overwhelming the Sages, Hongjun was stunned!

The temple grounds and plaza were packed with people.

There were officials from the imperial court, scions of prominent families, ordinary people, and peddlers.

They stood or sat, some listening intently, others whispering among themselves.

All eyes were on the high platform.

On the high platform, a figure sat cross-legged.

Wearing a golden cassock and carrying a nine-ringed staff, he had clear eyebrows and bright eyes, and a dignified and solemn appearance.

Xuanzang.

He sat upright on the lotus platform, his hands clasped together, and spoke lotus-like words, eloquently expounding the true essence of Buddhism.

"...Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove, Anathapindika's Park, in Shravasti, with a great assembly of twelve hundred and fifty monks..."

The sound was clear, like the tinkling of a spring, or like the chanting of Buddhist scriptures.

The audience listened with rapt attention.

Directly in front of the high platform, on a temporary viewing platform, sat a figure in bright yellow.

Li Shimin.

The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

He was dressed in a dragon robe and wore a crown, his face dignified and his eyes deep. At this moment, he was looking at Xuanzang on the platform, nodding slightly, his eyes full of approval.

Beside him stood civil and military officials.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Wei Zheng, Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Gong... all these famous figures stood with their heads bowed and their faces respectful.

Two more people were standing behind Li Shimin.

A monk and a Taoist priest.

The monk wore a brocade robe, held a purple-gold alms bowl, had a compassionate face, and was surrounded by a faint glow of Buddha.

It was Guanyin Bodhisattva.

At this moment, however, she had transformed into an ordinary monk, hiding among the crowd, quietly watching Xuanzang on the stage.

The Taoist priest had white hair and a youthful face, holding a whisk, and exuded an air of otherworldly elegance.

It was Venus.

He also blended into the crowd, gazing at Xuanzang with a flickering look in his eyes, lost in thought.

The Water and Land Assembly is a grand event in Buddhism.

But the Taoist sect also sent people.

Ostensibly there to observe the ceremony, but in reality... everyone knows they were there to keep an eye on Buddhism.

After all, the eastward transmission of Buddhism damaged the foundation of Taoism.

As the Son of Heaven, Li Shimin naturally understood the implications. But he said nothing, simply observing quietly.

On the stage.

Xuanzang was giving a sermon.

He was reciting the Diamond Sutra, the Heart Sutra, and the Lotus Sutra. Every word was clear and resonant, touching the heart deeply.

Some people in the audience listened with their eyes closed, some silently shed tears, some nodded repeatedly, and some suddenly realized something.

suddenly.

Xuanzang paused in his speech.

He raised his eyes and looked into the void.

There was nothing in that void.

But he clearly felt that something was watching him.

It's very light.

So faint as to be almost negligible.

But it does exist.

Xuanzang frowned slightly.

The next moment, the feeling disappeared again.

It was as if it had never existed.

Xuanzang took a deep breath, suppressed his doubts, and continued to preach.

offstage.

among the crowd.

Two figures appeared out of nowhere.

A man in a black robe with black hair stood with his hands behind his back.

A man with a hairy face and a thunder god's mouth, scratching his ears and cheeks.

Kong Xuan.

Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong stared wide-eyed at Xuanzang on the platform:

"Senior, is this the one who went on the pilgrimage?"

"He's quite handsome, but... he's way too weak!"

"I, Old Sun, could crush him with a single finger."

Kong Xuan did not answer.

He simply gazed at Xuanzang, at that compassionate and solemn face, at those clear, water-like eyes.

His gaze was calm and unwavering.

But beneath that calm surface lay a subtle complexity.

Jin Chanzi.

Two disciples of Tathagata.

A good person who has cultivated himself for ten lifetimes.

A sliver of primordial spirit remains, reincarnating through countless lifetimes, solely for the journey to the West to obtain the scriptures.

Now, he stands here.

Standing on that high platform, he preached the Buddhist teachings that save all sentient beings.

The monkey was standing right next to him, looking at him with disdain.

The gears of fate have begun to turn.

Seeing that Kong Xuan remained silent, Sun Wukong scratched his head:

"Senior, what are you looking at?"

"What's so interesting about this monk?"

"We might as well go to the peach orchard and pick a few peaches to eat."

Kong Xuan said calmly:

Don't rush.

"Let's take a look first."

Sun Wukong pouted:

"What are you looking at?"

"To watch him chant scriptures?"

"I, Old Sun, hate chanting scriptures the most!"

"Back when I was under the Five Elements Mountain, that old Buddha sent a monk who chanted sutras above my head every day until my head was spinning!"

Kong Xuan's lips curled slightly:

"So, do you want revenge?"

Sun Wukong's eyes lit up:

"Revenge? How do you take revenge?"

Kong Xuan looked at Xuanzang on the platform:

"Follow him."

Sun Wukong was taken aback:

"Follow him?"

"Senior, you're not joking, are you?"

"You want me to follow this frail-looking monk?"

"Why should I follow him?"

Kong Xuandao:

"Follow him to the Western Paradise."

"Along the way, there were countless demons and monsters."

"You can vent your anger now."

Sun Wukong scratched his head:

"Then why should I listen to him?"

Kong Xuan looked at him:

"Because that's your path."

"Because that is your tribulation."

"because......"

He paused:

"If you want to truly escape the shadow of the Five Elements Mountain, you must walk this path."

Sun Wukong remained silent.

He gazed at Xuanzang on the stage, at that compassionate face.

A complex feeling welled up inside me that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

This road...

Is he really leaving?

But if we don't leave, where can we go?

Follow the seniors?

Although the senior is a good person, his whereabouts are unpredictable. He may be here today, but who knows where he will be tomorrow?

Can he follow me indefinitely?

Sun Wukong scratched his head, then suddenly grinned:

"good!"

"I'll listen to my senior!"

"The senior told me to follow, so I followed!"

"Anyway, I have nowhere else to go!"

Kong Xuan nodded slightly.

He gazed at Xuanzang on the stage, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

This pilgrim is indeed weak.

He was so weak that even a minor demon could kill him.

But he has one thing that no one else has.

That is belief.

Ten lifetimes have passed, yet this has never changed.

Even if it means my death and the loss of my spiritual path, I will still seek the true scriptures to save all sentient beings.

Such conviction was something even Kong Xuan had to admire.

Sun Wukong suddenly said:

"Senior, do you think this monk can reach the Western Paradise?"

Kong Xuan shook his head:

"have no idea."

"But if he can't get there, someone else will."

Sun Wukong was taken aback:

"other people?"

Kong Xuan nodded:

"The eastward transmission of Buddhism is a predetermined destiny."

"Even if it weren't for him, there would be someone else."

"Even without you, there will be other monkeys."

Sun Wukong scratched his head:

"Then wouldn't I be dispensable?"

Kong Xuan looked at him:

"It's not optional."

"But..."

He paused:

"It has to be you."

Sun Wukong's eyes lit up:

"real?"

Kong Xuan nodded:

"real."

"Because you are the Monkey King."

"Because you are the monkey who caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace."

"Because you are that stone monkey who was imprisoned for five hundred years, yet still retains your true nature."

There is only one you in this world.

"Therefore, it has to be you."

Sun Wukong was overjoyed and scratched his ears and cheeks:

"I like hearing what you say, senior!"

"It has to be you!"

"I, Old Sun, can't live without you!"

On the stage.

Xuanzang has finished his sermon.

He slowly rose, clasped his hands together, and bowed deeply to the crowd below the stage.

The audience erupted in applause and cheers.