Journey to the West: A clone sacrifices to the heavens, possessing boundless magical power.

Chapter 106 The True Meaning of Withering and Flourishing

Three islands and ten continents.

Wukong first went to Penglai Immortal Island to meet the Three Star Gods of Fortune, Prosperity and Longevity, then went to Fangzhang Immortal Mountain to pay respects to the Eastern Emperor, and finally went to Yingzhou to visit the Nine Elders.

However, when the immortals heard that he had knocked down the ginseng fruit tree, they all shook their heads repeatedly.

"Great Sage, you have committed a terrible disaster," the God of Longevity sighed. "That ginseng fruit is a herb that restores health, a spiritual root born from heaven and earth. If it were a tree from the mortal world, we would still have ways to cure it, but this divine object is beyond saving."

Donghua Dijun also said, "Zhenyuan Daxian is the ancestor of earth immortals and holds a revered position. If you offend him, even the Buddha Tathagata would have to give him some face. We do not have this prescription."

Wukong was so anxious that he scratched his head and cheeks.

Upon seeing this, the immortals all said, "Although we have no way to cure the tree, we are willing to go to Wuzhuang Temple to plead for the Great Sage and ask for some more time."

After saying this, the three stars, the emperor, and the nine elders all set off.

Under the guise of pleading for mercy, these ancient monsters, who had lived for countless years, actually wanted to witness firsthand the karmic clash between Buddhism and the ancestor of earth immortals.

Helpless, Wukong had no choice but to turn his cloud around and head straight for Mount Putuo in the South China Sea.

Mount Luojia, Purple Bamboo Forest.

Guanyin Bodhisattva sat on her lotus throne, her brows furrowing slightly as she looked at Sun Wukong who had rushed over.

"You impudent monkey, instead of protecting Tang Sanzang on the journey to the West, what are you doing here?"

Wukong stepped forward and told him everything about the Wuzhuang Temple.

Upon hearing this, Guanyin pointed at Wukong and scolded, "You wicked wretch! Zhen Yuanzi is the ancestor of all earth immortals; even I have to give him some leeway. How dare you destroy his spiritual root?"

Wukong said with a pained expression, "Bodhisattva, we've already caused trouble. That old Taoist priest insists that I heal the tree, otherwise he won't release my master. Bodhisattva, have mercy, is there any way to save the tree?"

Guanyin looked at him for a while, then took out a jade bottle from her sleeve.

A sprig of emerald green willow is placed in the vase.

"The nectar in my bottle can cure all withered trees in the world," Guanyin said slowly.

Wukong was overjoyed: "Really?"

Guanyin said calmly, "Back then, Laozi made a bet with me and put this willow branch of mine in the Eight Trigrams Furnace until it was charred dry. He then returned it to me. I put it in a vase, and in less than a day and a night, the branches and leaves were restored to their original green state."

Laozi's Eight Trigrams Furnace can burn everything, but this sweet dew can bring the dead back to life.

This is not only a remedy for saving trees, but also a demonstration of the profound Buddhist heritage.

"Let's go."

Guanyin, holding a vase, stepped down from the lotus platform, saying, "I will go with you to Longevity Mountain to settle this karmic debt."

Wuzhuang Temple, back garden.

The atmosphere was heavy.

Zhenyuan Daxian sat in the main seat, while Tang Sanzang and his disciples stood to the side.

Before long, the sound of chanting appeared on the horizon, and a wisp of auspicious cloud descended.

Guanyin Bodhisattva, holding a jade vase, descends on a cloud.

"Bodhisattva." Zhenyuan Daxian stood up and bowed slightly. He was the ancestor of the Earth Immortals and had a very high seniority. He paid his respects only to settle the karmic debt.

"Great Immortal." The Bodhisattva returned the greeting with one palm raised. "This humble monk is late and has kept you waiting. Wukong is naughty and knocked down the immortal tree. Today, this humble monk has come to heal him."

Zhenyuan Daxian stepped aside to make way: "Please, Bodhisattva."

In the center of the back garden, the ginseng fruit tree lay horizontally on the ground, its roots turned outwards, and the broken roots were a deathly gray color.

The branches were withered and the bark was peeling off. The once vibrant spiritual root was now devoid of any spiritual energy and exuded a heavy aura of death.

The area was filled with disciples of Wuzhuang Temple.

Shen Feng, dressed in a gray Taoist robe, stood on the outermost edge among several handymen disciples carrying wooden basins and shovels.

Because he had behaved extremely dutifully and diligently during the chaos in the temple a few days ago, not only did he not take advantage of the chaos to escape, but he also took the initiative to protect several precious ordinary spiritual herbs. That's why the steward made an exception and allowed him to enter the back garden to help out.

Shen Feng lowered his head, focusing his attention on his nose and mind, but his unleashed spiritual sense was firmly locked onto the withered fruit tree.

"Wukong, come here." The Bodhisattva walked to the withered tree and stood still.

Sun Wukong immediately stepped forward: "Bodhisattva, what do you require of me?"

"Stretch out your hand."

Sun Wukong did as he was told, extending his hairy left hand.

The Bodhisattva took out a willow branch from her jade bottle. The branch was emerald green and untouched by worldly dust. She gently dipped the willow branch into the bottle, bringing up a drop of crystal-clear nectar.

As the nectar left the bottle, a barely perceptible ripple appeared in the surrounding void.

This is vitality in its purest form.

The Bodhisattva brushed the willow branch across Sun Wukong's palm, drawing a talisman.

"Go and straighten the tree," the Bodhisattva instructed.

Sun Wukong accepted the order, walked to the thick trunk of the fruit tree, took a deep breath, exerted force with both arms, and shouted: "Rise!"

""

Rumble!

Soil flew everywhere.

Sun Wukong, with his innate superhuman strength, lifted up this ancient spiritual root that had grown for countless millennia. The massive trunk slowly rose and stood upright again in the original pit.

"Fill it with soil," the Bodhisattva spoke again.

Sun Wukong put down the tree trunk and, with lightning speed, gathered the soil that had been turned up around and brought it back to the base of the tree, compacting it firmly.

After all this was done, the fruit trees were erected, but they still looked lifeless.

The Bodhisattva stepped forward and chanted a mantra.

The sound of chanting enters the ear and penetrates directly into the soul.

Shen Feng stood at the back of the crowd, his eyes wide open, not wanting to miss a single detail.

The Bodhisattva once again raised the willow branch, dipped it in nectar, and gently sprinkled it onto the roots of the ginseng fruit tree.

Tick.

A drop of dew fell on the parched earth and instantly seeped into it.

Then, the second drop, the third drop.

The change happened in that instant.

The tree roots, which were originally like rotten wood, suddenly twitched the moment they touched the sweet dew, just like a long-dried sponge meeting water, and a huge suction force burst out from the depths of the tree roots.

The dead skin on the surface of the grayish-white roots has peeled away, revealing a texture as white as jade inside.

Life flows upwards from the depths of the earth.

The withered tree trunk began to swell, and the peeled bark regrowed and healed.

In the blink of an eye, that vitality broke through the obstruction of the tree trunk and reached the branches.

On the dead wood, tiny green shoots sprouted from the bark.

They are newly sprouted buds.

The tender buds swelled in the wind, transforming into emerald green leaves. The leaves rubbed against each other, making a rustling sound, as if they were cheering.

Immediately afterwards, amidst the foliage, a bluish light gathered.

Fruits, shaped like three-day-old children, have once again filled the branches, their skins crystal clear and their fragrance enticing, even brighter than before they were knocked down.

Dead trees come back to life!

"Excellent, excellent." Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together, his face full of piety.

Zhenyuan Daxian stroked his beard and laughed, "The Bodhisattva's wondrous methods are truly worthy of their reputation."

Everyone present was captivated by the miraculous power of the immortals to bring the dead back to life.

Only Shen Feng remained frozen in place.

In his eyes, he saw neither the growth of leaves nor the reappearance of fruit.

What he saw was that the moment the dew touched the tree roots, the death energy that originally dominated the fruit tree was forcibly reversed by a higher level of life energy.

Life and death intersect at this moment.

The ultimate death is life.

The ultimate state of life is death.

This is not only due to the sweet dew, but also to the profound principles of heaven and earth inherent in the ginseng fruit tree as an innate spiritual root.