Journey to the West: I am the fiercest bird under Bodhi's seat

boom--!

The heavens and earth trembled, and space cracked open like a spiderweb. The monkey's body expanded tenfold again, reaching a height of several thousand feet, as if a primordial god or demon had been reborn. Black energy surged from its body, instantly igniting into dark flames, like ghostly fire burning the world, its aura overwhelming.

Suddenly, the void tore open, golden light flashed, and a gash was forcibly cleaved open amidst the swaying Buddha light.

The monkey crashed into the depths of the sea of ​​clouds like a meteorite. He lay on his back, panting heavily, his limbs limp, barely able to move a finger. His body slowly shrank back to its original shape.

The Buddha lowered his eyes to look at his own palm, which was empty.

He looked up at the weary figure on the sea of ​​clouds, and remained silent.

Only with careful observation could one notice that his palm was trembling slightly.

It took the monkey a while to recover its strength.

He looked up at Buddha and grinned, "Great monk, a bet is a bet, so it's settled—the Jade Emperor's throne should be given to me."

As he spoke, his gaze swept around and, sure enough, he saw the Tongming Palace standing on the horizon.

He was horrified: he had traveled hundreds of millions of miles, yet he still couldn't escape the great monk's grasp.

Could there be a real, vast world hidden in this palm?

Horror!

The Buddha did not answer, but glanced down at his right palm, where a foul stench wafted out.

Even with his immense magical power, he couldn't help but feel a sense of powerlessness at this moment.

The smell of urine is a minor issue; the real problem is this bet.

Should we really try to persuade the Jade Emperor to abdicate?

He quickly changed his mind and shook his head.

Instead of wasting words, we should just kill this monkey.

The dead cannot speak, so the bet remains unknown to anyone.

A murderous intent quietly surfaced.

The monkey, with its keen senses, noticed almost instantly, and abruptly retreated, shouting sharply, "Great monk, what are you planning?"

Enraged, the Buddha wanted to suppress the demon, but then he hesitated and forcibly stopped.

He is a quasi-saint, resonating with the Heavenly Dao, and his intuition is a warning from Heaven. If there is a great ominous sign, he must not act rashly.

He shook his hand, and the monkey urine evaporated into mist. He put his palms together and chanted softly, "Amitabha, Great Sage, your supernatural powers are extraordinary. Let's stop here for today and go down to the mortal world."

Seeing that the Buddha did not make a move, the monkey secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But doubts arose in his mind: the murderous intent he felt just now was no illusion; what exactly was this old bald monk afraid of? Senior brother? It didn't seem like it.

Those who can make Buddha wary must be extraordinary beings.

Among the people I know, who can shoulder this responsibility...?

Patriarch?

The thought suddenly became clear, and my confidence instantly increased by three-tenths.

He smiled leisurely, sat casually on a cloud, and glanced at Buddha: "Great monk, that's not what our bet said. I, Old Sun, clearly won, and I'm set to sit in the Lingxiao Palace. You go and persuade the Jade Emperor to move, I'll wait here."

The Buddha was terrified, his face turned ashen, and he was caught in a dilemma.

But the thought of persuading the Jade Emperor to move away from the Lingxiao Palace made his head throb.

If the Jade Emperor were merely a figurehead, replacing him with a puppet would suffice. In this world, ultimately, the strong rule; if they are powerful, the Three Realms can only bow their heads.

The problem is—the Jade Emperor is no pushover.

Others may not know, but how could he not know?

That guy is unfathomable. He has rarely made a move since ancient times, yet he has always remained firmly on the throne. Back then, the great sorcerer Xing Tian rebelled against the heavens and was beheaded by him with a single stroke, his corpse suppressed for ten thousand years.

They never truly fought, but Buddha dared not claim victory.

There was even a voice in my heart saying: if we really fight, I will most likely lose.

The Jade Emperor is very likely the most powerful person below the level of a sage.

In a flash, as the situation spiraled out of control, Buddha decided to drop the pretense and sternly rebuked, "Don't speak recklessly! Who made this bet with you? Do you have any proof?"

The monkey was taken aback, then jumped up and roared, "You old bald donkey, trying to renege on your debt? I, Old Sun, have written it all down, the evidence is irrefutable!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it with a rustling sound—only to find that the paper was completely blank, without even a single ink stain.

The Buddha's lips curled slightly, his smile indifferent: "Monkey, don't try to extort me. What written agreement do you have? While you can still walk, go back to Flower Fruit Mountain and eke out a living."

He paused, lowering his voice with a hint of seduction: "Your last move is a secret technique passed down from the ancient Witch Clan, transforming into the Dijiang, a forbidden art. Once exposed, it will lead to certain death, condemned by all three realms. How many powerful beings are watching? Out of compassion, I'm only reminding you—leave quickly, and don't look back."

The monkey stared down at the white paper in its hand, its mind reeling from the words, and was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

It's not that scary at all.

The Witch Clan is indeed the target of public criticism, but that's because the descendants of the Ancestral Witches were reckless in their attempt to reignite their fighting spirit, willing to destroy the heavens and the earth, thus incurring the wrath of the gods and the resentment of the people. But someone like the monkey, merely displaying a trace of his bloodline's remnant, doesn't even warrant being killed.

What's truly frightening is someone like Ye Feng—a ruthless character who, having gathered all twelve Heavenly Gods and Demons, truly possesses the power to resurrect the twelve Ancestral Witches.

Before, there was King Yu who obtained the sorcery of the shaman god, and he lived a good life without anyone coming to cause trouble.

But the monkey didn't understand these tricks. Upon hearing "enemy of the three realms," it panicked on the spot, scratching its ears and cheeks, its heart pounding like a drum.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Buddha was right: he had already made a scene and vented his anger, so it was not a loss to leave unscathed now.

Besides, if that mysterious master who released the pagoda to suppress the demons were to make a move, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be left with ashes.

But they slunk away like that... unable to swallow their pride.

Just as they were caught in a dilemma, a clear, cold voice rang out:

"Did Shakyamuni Buddha really deceive a mere monkey like this?"

Upon hearing the sound, the monkey trembled violently, and the Buddha also abruptly turned his head, gazing towards the western horizon—

A golden light suddenly appeared from the clouds, and a Taoist priest wearing a robe of the Nine Suns Golden Crow stepped forward, standing in the center of the field in just a few steps, side by side with the monkey.

"Senior brother!" the monkey cried out in surprise, as if it had grasped a lifeline.

Ye Feng nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "Well done."

He was genuinely praising it. Before coming, he wasn't sure either.

The Buddha's depth is unknown, the Buddha's realm in the palm of one's hand is unpredictable, and whether the monkey can truly escape is uncertain.

If they fail, not only will the monkey be suppressed for five hundred years, but he himself will also have to consider escaping for his life.

If you're lucky, you might escape the Heavenly Court alive, but you'll have to keep a low profile from now on; otherwise, you'll have to retreat to Fangcun Mountain and seek the protection of the Bodhi Patriarch.

Fortunately, the monkey proved its worth and won the bet.

In this round, they completely gained the upper hand.

When Buddha faced Ye Feng for the first time, he put his hands together and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha, this fellow Daoist must be the King of Thailand."

Ye Feng cupped his hands and smiled, "You're too kind. I wonder when Buddha will fulfill his promise? My junior brother and I are waiting."

The Buddha remained with his eyes lowered and palms clasped: "This humble monk does not know what the King of Thailand is referring to."

Seeing him feign ignorance, Ye Feng sneered, "Great monk, it's one thing to deceive my junior brother's naivety, but now you dare to lie to me too? You should know that Heaven's will is clear, and the words of a Quasi-Saint are as heavy as mountains; how can they be treated lightly? Aren't you afraid of being entangled in karma and forever cut off from the path to Primordial Chaos?"

The Buddha's eyes suddenly opened, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing straight into Ye Feng's brow.

Ye Feng neither dodged nor yielded, but met his gaze head-on.

The two faced off for a long time, a full quarter of an hour, the atmosphere as cold as ice.

Finally, the Buddha said in a low voice, "Amitabha... This matter is of great importance. What are the King's thoughts?"

Ye Feng smiled and casually uttered three words: "Gou Chen is dead."

The Buddha shuddered, and his pupils contracted sharply.

In an instant, the fog dissipated, and countless clues were connected, revealing the cause and effect.

He slowly exhaled and said sincerely, "The Thai King... has such a profound plan."

Ye Feng waved his hand and smiled nonchalantly: "It's all thanks to luck, like the Buddha's favor."

Having said that, the Buddha turned around, his body supported by a lotus throne, and slowly entered the Tongming Hall: "In that case, please follow this humble monk, you two."

The monkey was completely confused and looked at Ye Feng blankly.

Ye Feng remained unmoved, simply saying, "Just follow."

At this moment, inside the Lingxiao Palace, the Jade Emperor sat on a high throne, with all the immortals lined up and the divine generals standing solemnly.

Suddenly, a wandering spirit official rushed in and loudly reported, "Your Majesty! The Buddha, accompanied by the Golden Crow Taoist and Sun Wukong, is on his way to the Lingxiao Palace!"

These words shocked the entire hall.

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions shifting between uncertainty and confusion.

Wasn't it supposed to be about exorcising demons?

How did it turn into inviting guests over?

The Jade Emperor did not put on airs; he sat upright and returned the greeting, his movements neither humble nor arrogant.

Both were at the Quasi-Saint level. Although the Jade Emperor ruled the Three Realms and held the highest position, in terms of strength, they were equals, with neither being superior to the other.

After the ceremony, Ye Feng stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Greetings, Great Celestial Venerable."

Upon hearing this, many celestial officials in the hall felt their blood rush to their heads, almost leaping out of their seats.

After all, Ye Feng and the monkey are currently rebels, demon kings who stormed the Heavenly Court! Now they are swaggering into the Lingxiao Palace and calmly paying homage to the Jade Emperor?

absurd!

But when Ye Feng slowly straightened up and his gaze swept over the immortals, those immortals who were about to angrily rebuke him fell silent.

A chill ran through them—they suddenly remembered the bloodbath that had occurred not long ago.

At that time, the Jade Emperor ordered the Great Emperor Gouchen to suppress Ye Feng. What happened? The omens of the Emperor's demise appeared in the heavens, shaking the Three Realms.

At this moment, Ye Feng stood here, his aura as deep as an abyss, and no one dared to make a rash move.

The anger he felt earlier cooled instantly, and even his courage to rebuke him dissipated.

Oh well, at least we're in the Heavenly Palace. Even if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up.

Many people subconsciously looked towards the direction in front of the hall.

There stood a majestic figure in a Taoist robe—the True Martial Demon-Slaying Emperor, ranked first among the Martial Gods. He had just returned from slaying the Flood Dragon Demon King and had reported back only a quarter of an hour earlier.

Seeing him standing in the hall, many people felt somewhat relieved.

The monkey stood behind Ye Feng and, seeing this, also clasped its hands in a gesture of respect to the Jade Emperor. However, its eyes darted around, looking for familiar faces in the Lingxiao Palace.

After the ceremony, the Jade Emperor spoke first, his tone calm yet commanding:

"Buddha, I invited you to subdue the demon, why did you bring the Golden Crow and the Monkey King with you instead?"

The Buddha remained unmoved, clasped his hands together, and uttered a Buddhist chant: "Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk has come to mediate peace."

All the celestial officials in the hall turned their heads in unison, their faces filled with shock.

Even the True Martial Emperor was slightly taken aback, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Tathagata and Ye Feng, his brows furrowing slightly.

The Jade Emperor's voice remained calm: "Buddha, are you aware that these two demons have committed a heinous crime against Heaven? Such a grave offense cannot be easily absolved!"

The Buddha chuckled: "It can naturally be resolved. As long as the Great Heavenly Venerable speaks, even the greatest sins can be transformed into a gentle breeze."

The Jade Emperor laughed, "I summoned you, monk, to subdue the demon, but you've turned into a peacemaker. How can the Heavenly Court maintain its dignity with such behavior?"

The Buddha lowered his eyes and smiled, not answering, but only reciting, "Amitabha, it cannot be spoken, it cannot be spoken."

"Buddha!" ​​A sharp shout suddenly rang out, "You dare to engage in cryptic banter before the Great Heavenly Venerable? Are you perhaps deliberately trying to humiliate my Heavenly Court?"

Upon hearing the voice, all the immortals turned their heads, wanting to see who was so audacious as to question the Buddha to his face.

A celestial official stepped forward, dressed in a high-ranking official robe, his face full of anger—it was none other than the head of the Five Patriarchs of the Southern School, Daoist Ziyang.

Upon seeing him, everyone immediately looked away.

Who doesn't know that Master Ziyang has always been a vanguard against Buddhism in Heaven? But who would have thought that he would even dare to confront the Buddha himself?

The Buddha remained unperturbed, standing with his palms together, a calm smile on his face, and silent in response.

In an instant, the entire Lingxiao Palace fell into an eerie silence.