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

The three immortals felt dizzy and disoriented. When they opened their eyes again, they were already outside Mount Taihuang.

Still shaken, he was about to muster his magical power to try again when a figure blocked his way.

"What happened? Did you get kicked out?"

The Six-Eared Macaque sneered, his gaze sharp as a knife. He had followed them all the way here and, seeing the three force their way into Mount Taihuang, he stood guard outside the mountain gate, waiting to see what would happen.

At this moment, the three immortals were utterly despondent, their bodies limp, and they had no strength left to respond.

Six Ears sneered: "Three little demons, trying to curry favor with the Great Emperor, that's one thing. If they had behaved themselves, they might have had a chance. But you dare to usurp the title of a sage, deceiving Heaven and the Dao—"

Before he could finish speaking, the golden cudgel in his hand had already swung down.

Blood splattered, and the three corpses were instantly reduced to ashes.

After finishing his business, Liu Er put away his staff, bowed three times to Mount Taihuang from afar with a solemn expression, and then rode on his somersault cloud and disappeared into the horizon.

Mount Taihuang has returned to silence; the grass and trees are speechless, and the wind rustles through the treetops.

Wildflowers carpet the landscape, wild grasses paint the sky blue. A babbling brook murmurs, clouds linger. Vines entwine in the deep valley, distant peaks are shrouded in a vast forest. Birdsong weaves through the woods, geese skim the sky, deer drink from the spring, monkeys climb the cliffs. Green mountains stand like a screen, emerald ridges resemble flowing hairpins, the springs and rocks are crystal clear, a sight that never tires the eye.

Ye Feng stood with his hands behind his back on the mountaintop, his gaze calm, his brow slightly furrowed.

The fate of the three immortals of Chechi Kingdom could not be saved in the end.

"Have I been interfering too much?"

The whispers drifted away on the wind, and no one answered.

In the past, Wukong was always there to keep him company with his chatter, but now the monkey is drunk and snoring loudly in the hall.

Well, he didn't need to respond anyway.

Looking back, he has stirred up the karma of Journey to the West many times. It's not out of fear of retribution—when he replaced Liu Er and took over Sun Wukong's body, he had already stepped into the game. What truly bothers him is that, because of his interference, most of the demons on the journey have perished.

The Black Bear Spirit surrendered early on, and the calamity involving the cassock naturally disappeared;

The Bull Demon King was also subdued and settled in Mount Taihuang, where the 800-mile Flaming Mountain was no longer an obstacle.

The journey of Tang Sanzang and his disciples was unusually smooth.

However, the Journey to the West emphasizes the return to one's true nature, and all eighty-one tribulations are indispensable. If one ultimately fails to achieve the desired result, the karmic consequences will inevitably fall upon their shoulders.

But he had planned this all along.

Leaving Wukong behind is foreshadowing. Perhaps in the future, the matter of the true and false Monkey Kings will require the monkey himself to descend the mountain and stage a performance.

The Heavenly Court is vast and spans thirty-three heavens.

This statement is not a literal reference, but rather a distinction between different levels of understanding.

There are inherent distinctions of rank and status; the Jade Emperor's residence is the Ninth Heaven.

At this moment, the ninth heaven remained calm, while the sixth heaven was already bustling with immortal figures.

This place is called Chongen Heaven, the sacred site of the Holy Emperor Chongen.

Chongen Holy Emperor is one of the Five Elders of the Five Directions in Heaven—the Buddha of the Western Heaven, Guanyin of the Southern Pole, Chongen of the Eastern Heaven, Xuanling of the Northern Pole, and Huangjiao Great Immortal of the Central Yellow Pole. The position of the Five Elders is second only to the Four Emperors. Whenever the Queen Mother holds the Peach Banquet, they are all honored guests, and their noble status is self-evident.

Of the five elders, Chong'en has the most ambiguous identity. He is the only one who sits in the Heavenly Court but is not entirely subservient to the Jade Emperor.

For this reason, he respected Taoism and suppressed Buddhism, and he deeply abhorred the "Journey to the West" project, fearing that Western religions would take the opportunity to expand and shake the foundation of Taoism.

At this moment, Emperor Chongen sat upright on the high platform of the main hall, a cold glint in his eyes. Below, celestial mist swirled, and the immortals of the ten continents and three islands gathered together.

The three islands are Kunlun, Fangzhang, and Penglai. Among them, the most famous are the three stars of fortune, prosperity, and longevity.

The ten continents are Yingzhou, Xuanzhou, Changzhou, Liuzhou, Jukuzhou, Shengzhou, Zuzhou, Yanzhou, Fenglinzhou, and Yuanzhou, scattered among the four major continents. Celestial officials are as numerous as clouds, all under the jurisdiction of Chong'en.

"Why has the Holy Emperor summoned us here?"

The one who spoke was an old man with a broad forehead, snow-white hair and beard, dressed in coarse linen clothes, with a kind face and a smile like that of a neighborly grandfather—he was the birthday celebrant.

Emperor Chongen swept his gaze across them, his voice icy: "Have you all ever heard of the Journey to the West?"

"Of course I know." A warm voice rang out. The newcomer, dressed in a celestial official's robe, held a jade ruyi scepter, his body radiating auspicious energy, a slight smile on his face—the Fortune Star bowed and spoke, "You may not know this, but in the Southern Continent, the Great Tang Dynasty has risen, unifying the human kingdoms, re-establishing the Human Emperor on the throne, its fortune soaring to the heavens. The Western Sect is seizing this opportunity, sending people to find a Tang Monk to embark on a journey west to obtain scriptures. Ostensibly, it is to seek the Dharma, but in reality, it is to take the opportunity to spread Buddhism eastward and plunder its fortune."

Upon hearing this, all the immortals immediately understood.

Emperor Chongen nodded slowly, his voice low and deep: "If the Journey to the West succeeds, Buddhism, already powerful, will surely advance further, surpassing Taoism. At that time, what will become of the Heavenly Court's prestige? What will become of the Great Heavenly Venerable's dignity? As one of the Five Elders, how can I sit idly by?"

As soon as the words were spoken, someone immediately echoed in agreement:

"The Holy Emperor is absolutely right! The path to the West must not be allowed to become a viable route!"

Some frowned and hesitated: "May I ask, Holy Emperor... is this action instigated by the Great Heavenly Venerable?"

"No." Emperor Chongen's eyes sharpened, and he shook his head, saying, "This is my decision. Although it is not an official decree, for the sake of the Heavenly Court's overall interests, the Great Heavenly Venerable will surely acquiesce."

His tone was domineering, yet brooked no argument. His status was undeniable; even if there were dissenting opinions, no one dared to contradict him openly.

He paused, then said, "In fact, I have already taken action—I have already knocked down the ginseng fruit tree of Zhen Yuanzi at Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain and framed the pilgrims for it."

"What?!" The three gods of fortune, prosperity, and longevity all paled, shocked and puzzled. "The ginseng fruit tree is a spiritual root of heaven and earth. What kind of person is Zhenyuan Daxian? If this matter really caused a stir, those people should have died without a burial place long ago! Why is the journey to the west still continuing? Could it be... that an external force is interfering?"

Emperor Chongen's face was gloomy. He nodded and said, "That's right. Someone did interfere—Emperor Gouchen secretly used magic to revive the fruit tree, allowing the master and disciple to escape disaster and continue their journey westward."

All the immortal officials in the hall were stunned.

"Emperor Gouchen? Isn't he a member of the Heavenly Court's Taoist sect? Why would he help the Journey to the West?"

"Hmph!" Emperor Chongen snorted coldly, a flash of ferocity in his eyes. "This person seems to act casually, but in reality, he is scheming at every step. The reasons behind him are far more complex than they appear on the surface."

The immortals all nodded in agreement.

Fu Xing sighed softly: "This Gouchen God was originally a Golden Crow. In the past, he was just a demon king in Huaguo Mountain in Dongsheng Shenzhou. Now he has actually ascended to the position of one of the Four Emperors. His methods are truly astonishing."

"Oh."

A cold laugh suddenly rang out.

It wasn't aimed at Fuxing, but rather at Ye Feng, who was far away.

Just because Ye Feng once held the position of Gouchen, how many waves did he stir up in the Heavenly Court back then? Countless gods were envious and jealous, and there were quite a few who secretly mocked him.

Emperor Chongen was one of them.

How did a golden crow, which appeared out of nowhere, manage to sit in one of the Four Emperors' positions?

This was a question that the entire Heavenly Court was asking back then.

In the end, Ye Feng invoked the personal edict bestowed by Shangqing Tongtian Shengren, one of the Three Pure Ones, which finally gave the title of Four Emperors a real foothold.

Even so, those who were jealous still remained jealous, and the mere mention of Ye Feng's name was still met with constant sarcasm and ridicule.

The Heavenly Court is a place with very deep waters. On the surface, it appears calm, but beneath, turbulent currents surge.

After the Investiture of the Gods, the Heavenly Court was already dominated by the Chan and Jie sects. The Jie sect disciples who made the list were relatively easy to deal with; they could simply obtain a celestial position and live a peaceful life.

But the Chan Sect never stopped. Especially the Twelve Golden Immortals, who were constantly scheming behind the scenes, only wanting to win the Chan Sect's fortune and seize power.

Not to mention that while Buddhism in the Western Paradise is nominally under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court, in reality, it has long since become a separate sect. Which of the Buddhas in the Western Paradise truly obeys the Jade Emperor's orders? They only follow the Buddha's decrees and recognize none of the others.

This is why the Jade Emperor had no one else to rely on – he was forced to leave behind the great sorcerer Bai Qi and personally cultivate him.

As for the Holy Emperor Chongen, although he held a prestigious position above the Jade Emperor, he was always autocratic and extremely domineering.

Now he has summoned the immortal officials of the three islands and ten states in Chongen Heaven, with only one purpose: to forcibly stop the journey to the West.

The anger that should have been directed at Buddhism was instead directed at Ye Feng because of the incident at Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain.

With all the immortals gathered now, it's clear that Emperor Chongen is about to make his move.

Sure enough, after a secret discussion, he coldly gave the order:

"This time, I, the Emperor, will personally lead the expedition to sever the path to the West. You all await my orders here. If anyone dares to obstruct my actions—" His eyes turned cold.

"I, the Emperor, had a face-to-face confrontation with him."

"As you command!"

Just as Emperor Chongen was gathering the immortals from the three islands and ten continents, Venus strode into the Pixiang Palace.

The Jade Emperor sat upright in the hall, with Bai Qi standing quietly beside him. Venus stepped forward and knelt in obeisance, his voice urgent:

"I hereby report to the Great Heavenly Venerable that the Holy Emperor Chongen of the East has gathered his immortals and intends to forcibly halt the great Journey to the West."

"Oh?" The Jade Emperor nodded slightly, his expression calm, as if he had expected this.

"It seems the Great Celestial Venerable already knew all along," Venus said with a wry smile.

The Jade Emperor remained silent. With his abilities, how could the affairs of the Three Realms be kept secret from his eyes and ears?

Since she knew this but did nothing to stop it, Venus wisely kept quiet and instead reported another important matter:

"A few days ago, the Asura race, which had been dormant for a long time in the depths of the underworld... made some unusual movements."

He glanced up to steal a look at the Jade Emperor's expression, and seeing that he remained calm, he continued:

"This matter is also related to the Journey to the West. The God of Gouchen once captured a demon on the journey to the West named Red Boy. This demon himself was not a threat, but his parents were the Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan."

The two led their men to attack Mount Taihuang to demand their son, but they were ultimately defeated and retreated. Even the Bull Demon King was captured alive.

Princess Iron Fan, being from the Asura clan, harbored resentment over this matter and fled into the depths of the Underworld, which led to the arrival of the Free Heaven Demon Mara!

Although he was killed on the spot by Gouchen, the Asura clan had been dormant for ten thousand years. Now that they have reappeared, I'm afraid...

This will likely trigger another massive bloodbath, with the entire race launching a counterattack against the Heavenly Court.

He ultimately didn't dare say these words aloud, for fear of angering the Jade Emperor.

To everyone's surprise, the Jade Emperor's expression was inscrutable. Far from being angry, he calmly spoke:

"Chang Geng, do you know where the Asura race deep within the Underworld comes from?"

Venus was taken aback, and quickly replied:

"Reporting to the Great Heavenly Venerable, the endless sea of ​​blood has existed since Pangu created the world, formed by the gathering of evil energy from the Three Realms. A terrifying being was born from the sea of ​​blood, named the Styx Ancestor."

Afterwards, the Styx River imitated Nuwa's creation of humans, creating a race known as the Asura race. This race was born tainted with evil and possessed an extremely strong bloodlust. They committed a heinous act—the entire race attacked the Heavenly Court.

The Great Celestial Venerable then issued a decree, ordering him to be permanently imprisoned in the Underworld and forbidden from appearing in the mortal world.

The so-called "great rebellion" refers to the rebellion of the Asura clan back then.

"You're right." The Jade Emperor nodded slightly, then changed the subject, "But those old things were all done by the Asura race themselves. As for Styx himself... he wasn't born from the Sea of ​​Blood."

"That is?!" Venus was shocked. The origins of beings like the Styx Ancestor were shrouded in mystery, and even he knew very little about them.

The Jade Emperor's lips curled slightly, and he uttered a startling statement:

"The River Styx is the Sea of ​​Blood itself."

"What?!" Venus's pupils shrank drastically, shocked on the spot.

Since the beginning of time, the Blood Sea has existed—if this is true, then the origins of the Styx Ancestor are far more ancient and terrifying than people imagine.

After he finally digested this earth-shattering secret, he heard the Jade Emperor's voice again: "The Styx River's cultivation is unfathomable. It may not be inferior to the Buddha, nor may it be inferior to me. The saying 'As long as the sea of ​​blood does not dry up, the Styx River will not die' is not an empty statement."

Venus nodded slowly. If the Styx Ancestor was originally formed from the Blood Sea, it wouldn't be surprising that he possessed such supernatural powers.

But he wondered why the Jade Emperor had suddenly brought this up.

The Jade Emperor gave his answer in the next instant: "And Mara was the first being born from the Blood Sea. He was born domineering and his methods were extraordinary. Although the Styx River remained hidden from the world, it secretly nurtured him and helped him reach the Quasi-Saint realm at a young age. Back when Tathagata attained enlightenment, he almost ruined everything."

Venus was startled, and then he discerned a profound meaning in it.

"Does the Great Celestial Venerable mean... that Mara did not truly perish?"

The Jade Emperor nodded slightly, his expression calm.

"Although Gouchen has gained some opportunities and advanced to the Quasi-Saint realm, and still holds the ancient Wu Clan's killing formation, he is indeed not to be underestimated. But to kill Bo Xun? He is far from enough."

He paused for a moment, then said calmly, "In that battle outside Mount Taihuang, he only killed a puppet formed from the power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation."

"No wonder." Venus suddenly realized and nodded gently.

In fact, when Mara appeared in the underworld earlier, the Ten Kings of Hell had already reported to the Heavenly Court, but the Jade Emperor did not react at the time.

Now that I think about it, even Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva did not show up—he is a great Western deity who guards the netherworld, how could he turn a blind eye to this?