Primordial Era: Becoming the Great Emperor of Humanity from the Start

Chapter 217: Not until the coffin is in sight, will tears be shed!

Tang Sanzang's act of forcing Buddha Vairocana to abdicate at this time was already a heinous crime, yet Vairocana actually agreed.

The Mahayana Buddhist disciples were all dumbfounded, and Sun Wukong and the others were no better off, all staring at Tang Sanzang in disbelief.

Clearly, this matter must have been arranged by Tang Sanzang and Vairocana Buddha long ago; otherwise, the two sides would not have been so in sync.

"When Mahayana Buddhism flourishes, I will soon achieve perfect merit and become the supreme Buddha. From this day forward, the Tripitaka will be the master of Mahayana Buddhism!" said Vairocana Buddha.

As soon as the Buddha Vairocana finished speaking, the figures of Patriarch Bodhi and Shakyamuni appeared, leading a group of Western Buddhist disciples, and said with smiles on their faces, "These words are excellent!"

Both the Great Sun Buddha and Tang Sanzang bowed deeply to the two incarnations of saints, their faces filled with solemn expressions.

"From this day forward, I am the master of Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism will be united with Western religions, with no more barriers, and will be renamed the Buddhist School."

Sun Wukong is appointed Victorious Fighting Buddha, in charge of killing! Zhu Bajie is appointed Clean Altar Messenger! Sha Wujing is appointed Golden-bodied Arhat! Ao Lie is appointed Namo Eight Heavenly Dragons Bodhisattva!

"From this day forward, our Buddhist sect shall flourish and we shall devote all our efforts to spreading our teachings in the East, so that all humankind may come to believe in our Buddhist Dharma!" Tang Sanzang declared loudly.

For a time, countless Buddhist disciples throughout the Western Paradise were overwhelmed by the immense shock and had no idea what to do.

What happened today was indeed far beyond everyone's expectations, and the changes were so significant that they were almost unimaginable.

In Mahayana Buddhism today, who doesn't know that Vairocana Buddha and Western Buddhism are actually superficially related but fundamentally different, and that they are not on the same page at all?

However, in Tang Sanzang's words, Mahayana Buddhism is now merging with Western Buddhism, and the two will no longer be distinguished.

As for the question of who is primary and who is secondary, just look at the smiles on the faces of the two saints incarnate in Western religion, and there is really no need to say anything more.

Spreading the Dharma to the East is something that should be done after the rise of Buddhism, so there's nothing strange about it.

However, Tang Sanzang chose this particular time to bestow titles upon Sun Wukong and the others, and the intention behind this is rather intriguing.

Pigsy, Sandy, and White Dragon Horse Ao Lie are not pawns arranged by the Buddhist sect; each of them has someone behind them.

The Supreme Saint behind Pigsy, the Heavenly Court behind Sandy, and the Dragon Clan behind White Dragon Horse Ao Lie—these are not to be trifled with.

Now, Tang Sanzang is completely disregarding the powerful figures behind these people and wants to bring them all into the Buddhist order. What is he trying to do?

Moreover, Tang Sanzang even bestowed upon Sun Wukong the title of Victorious Fighting Buddha upon the Buddhist sect, which made it even more incomprehensible to the powerful figures within the Buddhist community.

If we say that Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the White Dragon Horse Ao Lie became disciples of Tang Sanzang, and Tang Sanzang accepted them into the Buddhist order, it would be somewhat plausible.

However, Sun Wukong has never formally become Tang Sanzang's disciple. For Tang Sanzang to want to take Sun Wukong into the Buddhist order is simply wishful thinking.

Sure enough, upon hearing Tang Sanzang's words, Sun Wukong flew into a rage, stepped forward, and said in a deep voice:

"Hmph! I, Old Sun, did promise the Human Emperor that I would escort you, Tang Sanzang, to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures, but I did not promise to join any Buddhist sect."

Now that the journey to the West is over, no matter what your plans are, I, Old Sun, will not play along!

Sun Wukong wasn't stupid either. Seeing Tang Sanzang's strange behavior, and with all the disciples of the Western Sect appearing at this time, he understood.

Sun Wukong could naturally see that this was actually a long-planned conspiracy, and he had no interest in getting involved.

If this had happened before the journey to the West, Sun Wukong might not have known the intricacies involved, and might have unknowingly fallen into someone else's trap.

But the Sun Wukong of today is no longer the ignorant fool he once was. He now understands very well that the waters of the Three Realms run very deep.

For Sun Wukong, since the journey to the West to obtain the scriptures was already completed, the agreement he had made with Jiang Heng could be considered fulfilled.

Whatever Tang Sanzang and the Western Religion were up to, it was no longer his concern. He had no intention of getting involved, and it was even less likely that he would join the Western Religion.

Wouldn't it be more enjoyable to go find Yang Jian and have a good fight, and then roam freely in the Three Realms in pursuit of the Great Dao? It would be much more enjoyable than getting involved in these things.

It's understandable that Sun Wukong thinks this way, but while participating in the Journey to the West is easy, truly escaping it is not so easy.

Just as Sun Wukong was about to leave the Western Paradise, Patriarch Bodhi stepped forward and blocked his way.

"Sun Wukong, you once studied under me, and I was your mentor. You haven't forgotten that, have you?"

"From that time on, you have been a disciple of my Western Sect. Now that you have returned to the sect and become the Victorious Fighting Buddha, it is only right that you should do so!" said Patriarch Bodhi.

That's not wrong. Sun Wukong did indeed become a disciple of Bodhi Patriarch at Fangcun Mountain, so he could be considered a disciple of the Western Sect.

"Hmph! Don't try to fool me with these words. We both know the truth about the matter of you becoming my apprentice!"

"Now, I, Old Sun, am not going to get involved in your affairs. If you want to stop me, feel free to try!" Sun Wukong said in a deep voice.

In the past, Sun Wukong might have been wary of facing the incarnation of a saint, but now, he has broken through that barrier.

In Flower Fruit Mountain, Yang Jian once single-handedly resisted the incarnation of a saint, and Sun Wukong did not think that he was much worse than Yang Jian was back then.

"Hahaha! Sun Wukong, from the moment you embarked on your journey to the West to obtain the scriptures, your destiny was no longer in your own hands!"

"Entering my Buddhist sect is your only destiny. No matter how much you struggle, you cannot change it!" Tang Sanzang said in a deep voice.

"Oh! Then I, Old Sun, really want to try and break this damned fate!" Sun Wukong said.

The Ruyi Jingu Bang instantly appeared in Sun Wukong's hand, and a powerful and terrifying aura began to emanate from his body.

The Bodhi Patriarch and the other powerful figures looked at Sun Wukong with indifferent expressions, but they did not really take Sun Wukong seriously.

In the past, the Great Sun Buddha could suppress Sun Wukong under the Five Fingers Mountain by himself, let alone now.

Whether it's the Great Sun Buddha or the two saints from the Western Sect who are incarnations, suppressing Sun Wukong wouldn't be a big problem.

"Since you are so stubborn, we can only suppress you like a monkey first, and then slowly tame you!" said Patriarch Bodhi in a deep voice.

This is a common tactic used by Western religions: first suppress the powerful, then gradually convert them using traditional Western methods.

If the two saints of the Western Sect were to intervene and convert him, even Sun Wukong, who was at the peak of the Quasi-Saint level, would probably find it difficult to resist.

Bodhi Patriarch raised his hand and unleashed a palm strike, which emitted a seven-colored light and carried an unparalleled aura as it enveloped Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong remained calm and composed. Even when facing the incarnation of a saint, he showed no fear on his face; on the contrary, his fighting spirit was surging.

Holding the Ruyi Jingu Bang high, the Battle Victory Technique, now at its peak, began to operate, unleashing a terrifying aura from Sun Wukong's body.

At this moment, Tang Sanzang, Vairocana Buddha, and Shakyamuni all looked at Sun Wukong with surprise and disbelief.

At this moment, the aura emanating from Sun Wukong was so powerful, a terrifying aura that made people tremble.

Shakyamuni seemed to see a familiar figure, a being who had not yet become a saint, yet had stopped him with his own power.

Given the power of Vairocana Buddha, Bodhi Patriarch, and Shakyamuni, it is clear just how terrifying the power Sun Wukong was displaying at this moment truly was.

"It's another Yang Jian. How long has it been?" Shakyamuni said in a deep voice.

From the time Sun Wukong was born until now, only a little over a thousand years have passed. For a sage, this is merely a blink of an eye.

It is truly incredible that Sun Wukong was able to cultivate to such a level from having nothing, even more so than Yang Jian back then.

Sun Wukong's immense power only strengthened the resolve of the two sages of the Western Sect to recruit him into their fold.

Once Sun Wukong is subdued, the Western Sect will have a powerful figure who can rival a saint incarnate, and its own strength will surely increase greatly as a result.

There's no other way! Among the disciples of the Western Sect, the few quasi-saints they had were all killed by Jiang Heng, and now the Western Sect is facing a shortage of capable successors.

The addition of Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong to the Western Sect would greatly enhance its strength, which would naturally tempt the two saints of the Western Sect.

Just as Bodhi Patriarch and Sun Wukong were about to fight, a figure appeared in the Western Paradise and stood in front of Sun Wukong.

"What a magnificent show! I'm not too late, am I?" Jiang Heng said with a smile.

In an instant, the entire Western Heaven Spirit Mountain fell silent, and all eyes were focused on Jiang Heng.

A person's name is like a tree's shadow! Jiang Heng now enjoys a formidable reputation throughout the entire Immortal Realm.

This is the awe-inspiring power brought about by the slaying of a saint's incarnation. Anyone who sees a powerful figure like Jiang Heng will inevitably feel a little apprehensive.

Bodhi Patriarch and Shakyamuni remained calm. Jiang Heng's appearance at this time was actually within their expectations.

As Shakyamuni stepped forward, about to say something, another figure appeared beside Jiang Heng.

The one who arrived was none other than the saintly incarnation of the Tongtian Sect Master, who was now looking at the Great Sun Tathagata with a gloomy expression and eyes full of disappointment.

"Duobao! I never expected you to make such a choice. It's truly unexpected!" Tongtian Jiaozhu said in a deep voice.

"Teacher! The past is gone like smoke. The current Duobao is the Great Sun Tathagata of Buddhism!" the Great Sun Tathagata said calmly.

"Good! Good! Good! Since that's the case, the bond between us, master and disciple, spanning countless years, is severed completely today!" Tongtian Sect Leader said in a deep voice.

A look of struggle appeared on the face of the Great Sun Tathagata, but in the end he could only sigh helplessly and bow to the Tongtian Sect Leader.

Although Vairocana Buddha did not say much, he had already shown everything through his actions and made his choice.

"Human Emperor! Sage Tongtian, this is an internal matter of my Western Sect. What brings you here?" Shakyamuni said in a deep voice.

Since the time of the Lich Kings, the Western religion has been scheming and plotting, all for the sake of its own prosperity.

However, in the face of Emperor Jiang Heng, the Western Religion's various schemes not only failed, but they also suffered a crushing defeat.

Over the years, not only have the two saints of the Western Church suffered repeated setbacks, but the Western Church itself has also suffered heavy losses as a result.

Now that the two saints of the Western Sect have finally succeeded in their scheme, they are naturally unwilling to let Jiang Heng ruin their favorable situation again.

"If I hadn't come, how could you have continued this charade? Is Tang Sanzang a disciple of your Western Sect?" Jiang Heng said.

The current situation is quite obvious. Tang Sanzang's behavior today is certainly not without reason.

The most likely explanation is that Tang Sanzang was originally a disciple of the Western Paradise, which is why he did such an earth-shattering thing today.

"That's right! Tang Sanzang was the reincarnation of my disciple Jin Chanzi!" Shakyamuni did not deny it, but openly admitted everything.

"If it can deceive my eyes, it can't be the Six Paths of Reincarnation. It must be the Dao Ancestor himself who took action!" Jiang Heng said.

If Jin Chanzi were to reincarnate and cultivate again through the Six Paths of Reincarnation, it would be impossible for him to deceive Houtu Zuwu, let alone Jiang Heng.

However, when Jiang Heng first met Tang Sanzang, he did not sense any trace of the two saints of the Western Paradise.

At that time, Tang Sanzang was merely the second disciple of Vairocana Buddha. It was precisely because of this that Jiang Heng had so many schemes against Tang Sanzang.

In retrospect, Jiang Heng's encounter with Tang Sanzang's past life at Wuzhuang Temple was likely a pre-planned scheme.

Being able to deceive Jiang Heng's eyes and prevent him from noticing anything unusual is quite extraordinary.

It wasn't that Jiang Heng looked down on the two saints of the Western Sect, but rather that it was completely impossible for these two saints, given their strength, to achieve such a level.

Only with the intervention of Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao could Tang Sanzang be reincarnated and reborn without going through the Six Paths of Reincarnation, and this could be done without Jiang Heng's knowledge.

Everything was a premeditated scheme. Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao seemed indifferent to the Journey to the West Calamity, but everything was under their control.

"Hmph! Human Emperor, you have repeatedly devised earth-shattering schemes, which are indeed terrifying! But you are not invincible in the Three Realms!"

Above you are your teacher, and the supreme Heavenly Dao. Even you cannot act recklessly! said Patriarch Bodhi.

At this moment, Patriarch Bodhi must have been extremely pleased with himself, and he even made no attempt to hide the smile on his face.

No wonder! The two saints of the Western Sect suffered repeated setbacks at the hands of Jiang Heng. It is easy to imagine their smugness when they finally gained the upper hand.

"Hahaha! Dao Ancestor is really good at scheming! And what about the Great Sun Tathagata? When did he completely side with your Western religion?"

"With the strength of your Western Sect alone, it's unlikely you could have accomplished this so easily. Let me guess, could it be that the Dao Ancestor himself intervened?" Jiang Heng continued.

Now that Jiang Heng knows that all of this was orchestrated by Dao Ancestor Hongjun, the truth behind some things is not hard to guess.

Since the Great Sun Tathagata is both a direct disciple of the Tongtian Sect Master and a pawn of the Taiqing Sage, how could he so easily side with the Western Sect?

Moreover, as long as he can steal the fortune of the Western Religion, it wouldn't be a big problem for Mahavairocana to become a Buddha and take charge of his own destiny.

Why then did they choose to completely align themselves with the Western Religion? Even if the Great Sun Tathagata holds a high position within the Western Religion, he is still below the two saints of the Western Religion.

However, if Dao Ancestor Hongjun were to personally intervene, regardless of the methods used or the promises made, it would be difficult for Great Sun Tathagata to refuse.

"Hahaha! Human Emperor, you are right! Mahayana Buddhism was once a thorn in the side of our Western religion!"

You think you have the power to control this great calamity, but you don't know that before this great calamity even began, the Great Sun Tathagata had already completely sided with my Western Sect!

"This great calamity has been under the control of my Western Sect from beginning to end. Everything you have seen is just a show!" said Patriarch Bodhi with great pride.

Before this, perhaps everyone thought that Mahayana Buddhism would be the biggest beneficiary of this great calamity in the Journey to the West.

As for the Western religion? Not only did it lose a lot of its fortune due to the existence of Mahayana Buddhism, but it also suffered heavy losses during the Journey to the West calamity.

The three quasi-saints of the Western religion—Maitreya, Bhaisajyaguru, and Dipankara Buddha—have all perished, as have the incarnations of two other saints of the Western religion.

In order to recreate the new incarnation, the two saints of the Western religion paid a great price.

Especially for the Sage Zhunti, this was the second time he had condensed a sage incarnation, and the price he paid was far greater than the last time.

When the Journey to the West tribulation ended, the Western Sect gained little more than some merit; otherwise, they gained virtually nothing of value.

The great development of Buddhism was Mahayana Buddhism, and the greatest benefits also came from Mahayana Buddhism. It was related to Western religions, but not that much.

Describing the Western Sect's gains in this Journey to the West calamity as a crushing defeat would be quite apt.

But who could have imagined that this was all a setup? In the final crucial moment, the Western Church turned the tables and became the biggest winner.

When Mahayana Buddhism and Western religions merged, Western religions not only suffered no loss, but their strength actually increased.

Furthermore, with the Journey to the West tribulation now having come to a perfect conclusion, the rise of the Western Sect seems inevitable.

Perhaps the only thing the two saints of the Western religion did not expect was that Jiang Heng would be so ruthless.

If Maitreya, Bhaisajyaguru, and Dipankara Buddha had not perished, the Western Sect would surely be even more prosperous now, and dominating the Immortal Realm would not be a problem.

Given all this, it's only natural that Patriarch Bodhi was so pleased with himself, especially in front of Jiang Heng.

"Hahaha! Dao Ancestor is indeed a master strategist. He managed to pull off such a meticulously planned deception so flawlessly!" Jiang Heng exclaimed in admiration.

Jiang Heng never mentioned the Western Religion. Behind this matter was the scheme of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, and the Western Religion was merely a pawn.

Otherwise, with the limited abilities of the two Western saints, thinking they could deceive Jiang Heng's eyes was nothing but wishful thinking.

"Hmph! Human Emperor, now that you understand the cause and effect of the whole matter, you should know that you are powerless to change the world!" Shakyamuni said in a deep voice.

The two sages of the Western Sect were naturally extremely wary of Jiang Heng, the Human Emperor. But this time, the two sages of the Western Sect were full of confidence.

Jiang Heng certainly had the power to overturn the table, but the Western Sect was backed by Dao Ancestor Hongjun, so they were not afraid of Jiang Heng overturning the table at all.

If Jiang Heng dares to make a move, Dao Ancestor Hongjun can seize the opportunity to strike. At that time, with Jiang Heng's strength, it will be impossible for him to gain the upper hand.

"Hahaha! I haven't taught you a lesson in just a few days, and you've really grown bold, daring to speak to me like that?"

"It seems the lesson I taught you last time wasn't profound enough; you've already forgotten it so quickly!" Jiang Heng said expressionlessly.

"Your Majesty! Since the outcome is already decided, there is no point in discussing these matters further. Why don't we call it a day?" Shakyamuni said in a deep voice.

"The outcome is already decided? You overestimate yourselves and underestimate me!" Jiang Heng said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the two saints incarnate from the Western Sect changed slightly, and an unavoidable sense of foreboding arose in their hearts.

Although they were quite confident in this plan, with Dao Ancestor Hongjun backing them up, the person in front of them was the Human Emperor!

The two saints of the Western Sect have lost count of how many times they have suffered setbacks whenever Jiang Heng has shown his talent.

Back then, before Jiang Heng had even reached the realm of a sage, he had already thwarted the Western Sect's plan for the six realms of reincarnation.

Even now, during the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West, the Sage Zhunti's several innate spiritual treasures are still in Jiang Heng's hands.

Even during the Investiture of the Gods, Dao Ancestor Hongjun did intervene, but everyone knows what the final outcome was.

Now, although it seems that the Western Sect has the victory in its grasp, when they actually face Jiang Heng, the two saints of the Western Sect are not so confident.

"Hmph! Human Emperor, it has come to this point, yet you still refuse to admit defeat? I don't believe you have any other tricks up your sleeve!" Shakyamuni said in a deep voice.

After careful consideration, neither Bodhi Patriarch nor Shakyamuni could think of any reason why they would lose to Jiang Heng.

The scheme has progressed to this point; unless Jiang Heng has the power to overturn everything, the outcome is already set in stone.

As can be seen from the Investiture of the Gods, although Jiang Heng was powerful, he was not strong enough to contend with Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Even if we include Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, Jiang Heng is all alone today. Does he really want to turn the tide? It's probably harder than climbing to heaven.

"Hahaha! Do you believe it or not, today I, the Emperor, will not only completely turn the tide, but I will also wipe out your Western Religion?" Jiang Heng said calmly.

Bodhi Patriarch and Shakyamuni looked at Jiang Heng with solemn expressions, and unknowingly, they had already become secretly on guard.

If Jiang Heng is determined to die, even with the intervention of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, the Western Sect would likely suffer heavy losses.

Of course, the two saints of the Western religion did not believe that Jiang Heng would really fight to the death. After all, Jiang Heng was not truly without any attachments.

"Human Emperor! There's no need for such grand words. If you have any tricks up your sleeve, bring them on. My Western Sect will accept them today!"

"If you have no other means, then Your Majesty should leave immediately. This is an important place for my Western Sect, and Your Majesty is not welcome here!" Patriarch Bodhi said in a deep voice.

Jiang Heng looked disdainfully at the two incarnations of Western saints, shook his head, and said, "You really won't shed a tear until you see the coffin!"

As Jiang Heng raised his hand and waved it, no powerful aura appeared. Just as the Western Sect's experts were puzzled, Tang Sanzang suddenly let out a wail.

Intense Buddhist light shot up from Tang Sanzang's body, transforming into Buddhist light that enveloped the entire Western Paradise.

(End of this chapter)