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

"What teachings does the Dao Ancestor have for us, given that he has personally come?"

Guanyin also stepped forward, put her palms together, and respectfully said, "Greetings, Ancestor of Taoism."

Laozi glanced at her, his expression indifferent, and said with a smile, "If you can come, why can't I? Let's sit and watch the show together."

Laozi's arrival was unexpected by everyone.

The emotions in Guanyin's heart were particularly stirred.

In the past, she was one of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect and a disciple of Yuanshi.

He later followed Dipankara Buddha to the Western Paradise and was granted the title of Great Bodhisattva.

However, today, reuniting with the old traditions, it is inevitable that my emotions will be stirred.

Fortunately, he changed his mind quickly.

Although Lao Jun is an incarnation of Lao Tzu, he is not the same as Lao Tzu himself.

Lao Tzu, being inactive and natural, never concerned himself with his disciple's journey to the West to spread Buddhism.

When Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment, it was also the result of "converting barbarians into Buddhas," so it can be said that Buddhas came from Taoism, sharing the same root and origin.

She then stood calmly between Laozi and the Jade Emperor, gazing down upon the mortal realm.

Despite being separated by the Thirty-Three Heavens and the Four Continents, everything within sight was as clear as if it were right next to you.

However, Huaguo Mountain remained sealed off by the Heavenly Net, with the True Martial Emperor and his followers waiting motionless.

They had chased after them from the Heavenly Court, and several days had passed in the mortal realm.

At this moment, Yang Jian received the imperial edict and led the six brothers of Meishan and 1,200 grass-head gods to the scene; at the same time, Doubu Huaguang was also ordered to come to the rescue.

The two groups of people happened to meet outside Flower and Fruit Mountain.

Hua Guang, dressed in a light yellow Taoist robe, looked like a young man and exuded an imposing aura. Upon seeing Yang Jian, he was slightly taken aback.

He stopped abruptly, cupped his hands, and asked, "Erlang Zhenjun, what brings you here?"

This man was naturally arrogant and disdainful of the powerful and wealthy, yet he held Yang Jian in high esteem and was willing to show him half the courtesy due to him.

He had once challenged the heroes of Heaven with his sword, but had been defeated by Yang Jian. Therefore, he was extremely cautious when he saw this man again.

Yang Jian also pressed down on Yun Guang, recognizing the other party as Hua Guang, and smiled slightly: "How come Lingyao Tianjun has also come here? Could it be that you have also been ordered by the Emperor to come and assist Zhenwu Dadi in subduing the demon?"

After a brief conversation, the two learned that they had both been summoned by the Jade Emperor to assist in the battle.

My heart was shaken.

They knew their opponent's strength well—though both were among the Taiyi Golden Immortals, one was among the most powerful. For ordinary demon-slaying, one person would be more than enough. Now, even with both of them mobilized, plus Zhenwu personally overseeing the operation, Huaguo Mountain was still unable to be captured?

Suspicion arose, and the two rushed to the front line together. Upon closer inspection, they found that the void was completely blocked by a net, making it impossible to move an inch.

Seeing this, Yang Jian shouted loudly from outside, "All generals within the Heavenly Net, heed my command! I am Erlang Shen, the Manifested True Lord, sent by the Jade Emperor to assist you. Quickly open the barrier and let us in!"

Upon hearing this, the garrison commander dared not hesitate and reported it up the chain of command. A moment later, the Heavenly Net slowly opened, and the True Martial Emperor, along with Li Jing, Wen Zhong, Luo Xuan, and others, personally came out to greet them.

Both sides exchanged greetings.

Yang Jian behaved with propriety, and Hua Guang, standing to the side, returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

The name of Zhenwu is renowned throughout the Three Realms, and even the most arrogant dare not disrespect him.

Zhenwu smiled and said, "The other day I requested reinforcements, but I didn't know who would come. I didn't expect it to be Erlang Zhenjun and Lingyao Tianjun in person. With your help, Huaguo Mountain can be pacified in no time. Come with me back to camp to discuss military strategy and decide on a new battle plan."

Yang Jian did not move, but smiled and clasped his hands, saying, "The imperial decree is urging us on, and besides, I came here to meet the two demon kings of Flower Fruit Mountain. Your Majesty may as well explain the situation here."

Hua Guang glanced at him sideways and immediately felt a sense of goodwill towards him.

Previously, his relationship with Yang Jian was limited to sparring and exchanging skills. He knew little about Yang Jian, only that he had split a mountain to save his mother, distinguished himself in the Investiture of the Gods, and was hailed as the number one master among the third generation of disciples of the Chan Sect.

Meeting him today, I found him to be concise and to the point, decisive and efficient, which suits my temperament perfectly.

He had always disdained the art of troop deployment—the Heavenly Court had a large and powerful army, so he could simply overwhelm them. If they lost with such a lineup, wouldn't that be a joke?

Upon hearing this, the True Martial Emperor smiled and was not angered by Yang Jian's arrogance. Instead, he patiently explained the current situation of Flower Fruit Mountain and the previous battles.

After listening, Yang Jian pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, Flower Fruit Mountain has only two demon kings who can be considered formidable opponents. In that case, I am willing to challenge that monkey demon to a duel of transformation techniques. You all can set up a net in the sky and observe the situation. If the Golden Crow intervenes, please ask the Great Emperor and the Heavenly Lord Lingyao to restrain him. As for my battle with that monkey—if I lose, I do not need your help, my brothers will come to my aid; if I win, I will capture him on the spot, depriving him of his support, and Flower Fruit Mountain will fall into chaos."

After hearing this, the True Martial Emperor nodded to himself.

He originally intended to crush them head-on with his mighty army, but he underestimated the strength of Ye Feng and the monkey. Yang Jian's plan to divide and conquer them was indeed a wise strategy.

The only concern is whether he can truly subdue the demon monkey in a one-on-one fight.

Although he had doubts, he did not show them on his face, and only smiled and said, "In that case, I will trouble you, True Lord."

Hua Guang stood to the side, opened his mouth, but ultimately remained silent.

He was already eager to try it out and wanted to see the methods of these two peerless demon kings with his own eyes.

He was also slightly dissatisfied with the coordinated attack on Ye Feng—in his opinion, it would be best to fight the Golden Crow alone and personally see what this demon king, who even Zhenwu couldn't handle, was capable of.

Erlang Shen bowed respectfully, then led his six brothers towards Flower Fruit Mountain. Along the way, they deployed troops, ordering 1,200 grass-headed gods to disperse and infiltrate various locations in case of unforeseen events.

These 1,200 grass-headed gods were his personal guards, each of whom had cultivated to the Earth Immortal realm and could form formations to fight, making them exceptionally powerful.

After making the arrangements, he recalled the Celestial Hound and, together with his six brothers, landed in front of the Water Curtain Cave.

The moment they landed, the monkey soldiers below immediately noticed and sent a message inside.

The monkey has been drinking a lot of alcohol these past few days and is now fast asleep in its cave.

Ye Feng has also returned to the palace to cultivate in seclusion.

Upon receiving the report, the monkey jumped up, grabbed its stick, and went out.

Just outside the camp gate, a strangely shaped and elegantly dressed divine general stood at the cave entrance.

Holding a three-pointed, double-edged sword, he stood quietly, yet exuded an awe-inspiring aura.

The monkey narrowed its eyes, vaguely remembering the name, and asked in a cold voice, "What kind of divine general dares to challenge me here?"

He was scrutinizing Yang Jian, and Yang Jian was naturally sizing him up as well.

This monkey was clad in golden chainmail, wore a purple-gold crown, wore cloud-walking boots, and held a golden cudgel. Its aura was as deep as an abyss, making it far superior to ordinary mountain monsters.

He immediately laughed and said, "You blind monkey, you can't even recognize me? I am Erlang Shen Zhenjun Yang Jian! Surrender quickly to avoid physical suffering!"

The Monkey King's eyes flickered slightly, then he suddenly laughed: "I heard that back then, the Jade Emperor had a sister who fell in love with mortals, descended to the mortal realm to marry Yang Jun, had children, and later even split open Peach Mountain to rescue her mother—that child, was it you?"

Before Yang Jian could respond, he shook his head and sighed, "Alas, poor thing. I wondered who it was, but it turns out you're just an orphan. You should go back quickly. I, Old Sun, am too lazy to fight. Your body is too fragile. If you were killed by one blow, wouldn't the Yang family line end?"

"Let's find someone who can fight better."

On the mountaintop above the Water Curtain Cave, Ye Feng quietly looked down at this scene, his lips twitching slightly.

That monkey is ruthless with his words; he deserves to be beaten.

Sure enough, the composed smile on Yang Jian's face vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, icy expression.

In an instant, a blade of light slashed through the sky, as sharp as a crescent moon hanging in front of the Water Curtain Cave.

This strike was so swift that even the monkey was taken aback.

But he reacted extremely quickly, his golden cudgel blocking the attack, and the two forces collided with a deafening roar.

"boom!"

The violent energy exploded outwards, and the monkey was shocked—the opponent's power was stronger than ever before.

The aftershocks swept across the area, causing the entire main peak to shake violently, cracks to appear on the ground, and fissures to spread outwards like a spider web.

A beam of light suddenly shone on Flower Fruit Mountain, silently swallowing the impact.

That was due to the formation that Ye Feng had set up earlier.

Today, Huaguo Mountain is riddled with holes, with only the main peak area remaining somewhat intact.

Both were forced back several steps at the same time. Their eyes met, and they both saw a trace of fear in each other's eyes.

They both knew that the person before them was no ordinary person.

The monkey leaped into the air and landed on another spot on Flower Fruit Mountain.

Yang Jian arrived shortly after, and the battle resumed.

High above, Ye Feng stood atop the peak. The Black Bear Spirit and the four Long-Armed Ape Kings arrived, bowing respectfully: "Your Majesty, what should we do now?"

Ye Feng looked up at the sky and saw heavenly soldiers arrayed in formation, surrounding Flower Fruit Mountain; the True Martial Emperor's gaze was fixed on him, and a young general beside him was also looking at him curiously.

He chuckled lightly and said calmly, "What else can we do? Just trust Wukong."

In Flower Fruit Mountain, Yang Jian and the Monkey King were locked in a fierce battle.

Every clash of weapons caused mountains to collapse and the earth to tremble and rumble.

In the blink of an eye, three hundred rounds had passed, and the outcome remained undecided.

Yang Jian blocked the golden cudgel again, took a step back, and felt extremely happy.

Since his battle with Yuan Hong in the Investiture of the Gods, he had not experienced such a thrilling duel for many years.

In the past, opponents either relied on supernatural powers or magical treasures for protection.

This kind of pure, head-to-head contest, where strength clashes against strength, is exactly what he has been longing for.

Using the momentum of his retreat, he laughed loudly, his body swelling in the wind to a height of ten thousand feet in an instant. He raised his three-pointed, double-edged sword with both hands, and like the top of Mount Hua collapsing down, he slashed straight down.

This is the art of "imitating the heavens and following the earth".

This technique not only enlarges the body but also increases strength ten thousandfold. With a single swing of the blade, sand and stones fly, and the entire Flower Fruit Mountain trembles.

The monkey leaped backward to avoid the blade, but the slash had already pierced the earth, causing the already damaged Flower Fruit Mountain to crumble once more.

This time, it shattered even more thoroughly—the entire mountain range was split into eighteen islands of varying sizes, some stretching for thousands of miles, others only a few hundred miles in circumference.

The horde of demons fled in panic, seeking refuge with various demon kings.

After the monkey dodged, it also transformed, its body swelling to ten thousand feet in size, and it fought Yang Jian again in the air.

"This monkey... can actually 'imitate the heavens and follow the laws of the earth'?"

The gods in Heaven watching the battle gasped in hushed tones.

This is a great supernatural power of the orthodox Xuanmen sect, which is difficult for ordinary practitioners to attain.

Even in the Heavenly Palace, most of the gods were unable to master it.

The True Martial Emperor silently gazed at the battlefield, his expression inscrutable.

The two giants fought fiercely on Flower Fruit Mountain, causing far more damage than before, and the entire mountain showed signs of collapse.

The monkey thought to himself, "This is my foundation. If it's really smashed to dust, even my senior brother won't be able to repair it. I'd better find another place to fight to my heart's content."

With a thought, he feinted with his staff to force Yang Jian back, then his body shrank abruptly, transforming into a tiny sparrow, disappearing in a flash of light.

The sparrow's wings were as white as jade, making it no ordinary creature. As it spread its wings, it vanished into the void without a trace.

This bird is called "Sky Sparrow," a rare bird from the primordial era. It is born with the ability to traverse lattices, and ordinary restrictive formations cannot stop it.

Yang Jian stood still, his brows slightly furrowed, and his divine eyes suddenly opened, a golden light piercing through the clouds and shooting straight at Xuandu—finally locking onto the figure that had vanished into the void.

They had already broken through the Heavenly Net and Earthly Net, and were speeding towards the Southern Jambudvipa.

Yang Jian's lips curled slightly as he said calmly, "The Seventy-Two Transformations of the Earthly Fiends? If you want to play hide-and-seek, I'll accompany you."

Having said that, he withdrew his Heaven and Earth form, curled up, and let out a clear, melodious cry that resounded throughout the heavens.