I am submissive in Journey to the West, I strike hard at the gods

He came on the orders of Guanyin, bearing the heavy responsibility of persuading Juanlian to fulfill his promise to obtain the scriptures.

However, at this moment he was facing a cold-faced general with piercing eyes.

Rolling Curtain was shirtless, his muscles bulging, and he held a long, black staff pointing diagonally at the ground. The tip of the staff faintly emanated spiritual energy, giving off an invisible sense of oppression.

He stood in the middle of the river, and the water flowed automatically at his feet, forming a clearing about half a meter in diameter, revealing the wet riverbed.

"General Curtain Roller,"

Muzha's voice was clear but tinged with impatience, "The Bodhisattva has enlightened you, granting you permission to escort Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to obtain the scriptures, so that you may atone for your sins and become a Buddha."

You promised me that yourself, but now you're making excuses and delaying. What's the reason for this?

Upon hearing this, Juanlian curled his lips slightly, revealing a cold smile, but there was no hint of amusement in his eyes.

“Muzha, when the Bodhisattva enlightened me, I merely responded casually. How could I have made any vow to Heaven? Your Buddhist sect is used to intimidating people with grand principles. Today, I will make it clear: I will not go on this journey to the West.”

His voice was deep and slightly hoarse, as if squeezed from the depths of his chest, each word carrying an undeniable resolve.

Mu Zha frowned, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Although he and Juanlian were not close friends, he knew that Juanlian was not such an arrogant person in the past.

He probed, "Roller Curtain, you used to be a general in the Heavenly Court, with a calm and composed nature. Why are you acting so strangely now? Could it be..."

He paused, his gaze sharpening. "Is it related to Jiang Wang?"

Upon hearing "Jiang Wang"

At the word "two words," Juanlian's pupils contracted slightly, and the fingers gripping the long staff tightened unconsciously, his knuckles turning white.

Jiang Wang, a name that had long since fallen but still left a deep imprint on his heart.

Seeing his reaction, Muzha became even more suspicious and raised his voice: "You suffer the torment of being pierced by ten thousand swords, a cycle that lasts for five hundred years. If you do not follow Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to atone for your sins, how will you withstand the three calamities that will befall you five hundred years from now? Juanlian, do not make a mistake for yourself!"

Rolling up the curtain only gave a cold snort, his gaze growing even colder.

"Three Calamities? Ten Thousand Swords Piercing the Heart? Mu Zha, besides coercion and bribery, does your Buddhist sect have any other methods?"

He raised his head, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, seemingly anger, yet also sorrow. "Before Jiang Wang died, he said that this world is nothing but a big chessboard, and you and I are just pieces."

I've had enough of being manipulated. Even if the Jade Emperor himself came today, I would never bow my head!

Upon hearing this, Mu Zha was filled with rage. He trembled his longsword, and the sword energy, like a rainbow, pointed straight at the curtain.

"Stubborn fool! Since you insist on this way, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Before he finished speaking, he flashed into a golden light, his sword piercing straight into Juanlian's chest.

Suddenly, the surface of the Liusha River was filled with turbulent winds and surging waves. The long staff rolled up horizontally, and the staff clashed with the sword, producing a piercing metallic clang.

The two figures intertwined, Mu Zha's swordsmanship was fierce, each move aimed at vital points, and as the sword energy crisscrossed, cracks were cut into the river surface, and water splashed everywhere.

Juanlian remained calm and composed, wielding his long staff with the speed of the wind, his staff shadows so dense that they were impenetrable. Each strike carried heavy spiritual power, completely blocking Muzha's sword energy.

After several dozen rounds, Mu Zha's arms gradually felt sore and numb, and he was secretly shocked.

He was a late-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal, and the longsword in his hand was a treasure bestowed by the Heavenly Court, possessing extraordinary power. Yet, when facing Juanlian, he seemed to be at a disadvantage.

He gritted his teeth and retreated several feet, concentrating on his observation. He discovered that the curtain was surrounded by rich spiritual energy, which had soared from the early stage of the Golden Immortal realm to the mid-stage of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm. Moreover, the stability of his aura was subtly suppressing him.

"how is this possible?"

Mu Zha let out a low shout, clasped his hands together, and summoned the Wu Hook Twin Swords.

The two swords transformed into two streaks of azure light, swirling and slicing around the rolled-up curtain, their sword energy like a raging storm, overwhelming everything.

Upon seeing this, a hint of hatred flashed in Juanlian's eyes—the sharpness of those two swords reminded him of the pain of ten thousand swords piercing his body every seven days.

He roared and swung his staff wildly, unleashing the "Chaotic Wind Staff Technique".
The staff's shadow swept like a whirlwind, forming a spiritual energy defensive shield that blocked all the attacks from the Wu Hook Twin Swords.

Although the two swords were fast, they could not break through the staff's shadow and emitted mournful cries.

Cold sweat beaded on Mu Zha's forehead. He gritted his teeth and channeled his spiritual power, intensifying his attacks with both swords. However, the curtain's defense was impenetrable, forcing him to retreat step by step.

On the river, the waves were stirred up dozens of feet high by the aftershocks of the two men's fight, like a giant dragon churning.

Mu Zha knew that if he continued fighting, he would surely be defeated, and a trace of unwillingness flashed in his eyes.

Just then, a long roar came from afar, and a flash of golden light appeared. Sun Wukong, holding his golden cudgel, came riding on the clouds.

Tang Sanzang stood on the riverbank, his hands clasped together, looking worried. Behind him, Zhu Bajie scratched his head, looking unwilling.

Seeing that Muzha was at a disadvantage, Tang Sanzang shouted, "Wukong, Bajie, quickly go and help Muzha to subdue this demon!"

Sun Wukong grinned, swung his golden cudgel, and stirred up a gust of wind that rushed straight at the rolled-up curtain.

Upon seeing this, a hint of apprehension flashed in Juanlian's eyes.

Although he was not afraid of Muzha, he dared not underestimate Sun Wukong's strength.

He swayed and suddenly plunged into the river, instantly calming the surface with only a few ripples spreading out.

"Coward!"

Sun Wukong stood on the river, cursing and swearing. He slammed his golden cudgel down, causing the river water to explode into a water column dozens of feet high, but there was no sign of Juanlian.

Panting, Muzha sheathed his twin swords, flew to Tang Sanzang's side, and said in a deep voice, "Master, this demon is the demoted Curtain-Raising General. He was enlightened by the Bodhisattva and was originally one of the destined people to go on the pilgrimage."

If we don't subdue him, the merit of our journey to the West will not be complete, and there may be serious obstacles."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang frowned and pondered, "Since he is destined by Heaven, there must be cause and effect."

"Wukong, Bajie, do you have a way to force him to show himself?"

Sun Wukong scratched his face and chuckled, "Although I, Old Sun, am not good at water battles, this Flowing Sand River is just a small river. I'll stir it up with my golden cudgel and turn the world upside down. I don't believe it won't come out!"

Having said that, he leaped into the air, his golden cudgel transforming into a hundred-foot-long staff, which he plunged fiercely into the river. His spiritual power erupted, causing the river water to surge as if boiling, with waves soaring into the sky.

However, the curtain seemed to have anticipated this, diving deep into the riverbed and refusing to surface no matter how turbulent the water became.

Sun Wukong stirred for a long time, sweating profusely, and said in exasperation, "This fellow is as slippery as an eel! Bajie, you're a good swimmer, go down into the water and lure him out!"

Upon hearing this, Pigsy's face turned green, and he waved his hand, saying, "Elder Brother, the water is dangerous, I, Old Pig, don't want to die!"

Sun Wukong glared at him, grabbed his ear, and threw him into the water.

Helpless, Pigsy had no choice but to pinch his nose and dive into the river, holding his nine-toothed rake and looking around.

The riverbed was dark and the current was swift. Not long after Pigsy entered the water, he felt a chill.

Before he could react, a dark shadow flashed by, and the long staff of the Curtain Roller slammed into his shoulder like a venomous dragon emerging from its lair. Pigsy screamed, his rake slipped from his grasp, and the Curtain Roller seized him, using spiritual energy to create a rope that bound him firmly to a boulder at the bottom of the river.

The people on the shore were very anxious when they saw that Pigsy had not shown up for a long time.

Mu Zha gritted his teeth and said, "I'll go save them!"

Having said that, he leaped into the river, brandishing his long sword, trying to provoke Juanlian with insults: "Juanlian, you coward, you only dare to hide in the water and ambush me, have the guts to come out and fight me!"

At the bottom of the river, Juanlian sneered and sat cross-legged on a blue stone, with spiritual energy gathering around him like a vortex.

He glanced at the bound Pigsy and said indifferently, "Muzha, your attempt to provoke me is rather clumsy."

He closed his eyes to rest, completely ignoring Muzha's curses.

Muzha searched everywhere but couldn't find where Juanlian was hiding. Unable to rescue him, he had no choice but to surface in frustration.

On the riverbank, Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong looked at each other in bewilderment.

Mu Zha gasped, "This curtain is slippery and has a great advantage in the water, so we really can't take it down."

"Bajie has been captured, and the situation is critical. This humble Taoist priest will immediately return to the South Sea to request Guanyin Bodhisattva to come!"

Having said that, he rode on auspicious clouds and headed straight for the South China Sea.

However, when Muzha arrived at the South China Sea, he found Mount Putuo deserted and Guanyin Bodhisattva was not present.

His heart sank, and he had a vague sense of foreboding. He quickly turned to Mount Ling.

Flying to the vicinity of Mount Ling, he gazed into the distance and was immediately dumbfounded—a magnificent "Ten Thousand Buddhas Golden Light Array" radiating golden light filled the sky above Mount Ling.

It was operating at full capacity, but the outside of the formation was completely surrounded by countless figures.

The Jade Emperor of Heaven sat atop his nine-dragon palanquin, while Lu Ya wielded the Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife, his murderous aura soaring to the heavens. The Three Pure Ones each occupied a side, with hundreds of Quasi-Saints and three thousand Great Luo Golden Immortals behind them displaying overwhelming momentum and launching a tidal wave of attacks. Each strike carried the power to destroy the heavens and the earth, causing the Ling Mountain Grand Formation to tremble precariously.

Mu Zha roughly estimated that this siege could probably deal hundreds of billions of tons of damage per second! Jieyin, Zhunti, and the Buddhas sat cross-legged in the formation, their faces full of exhaustion, their spiritual energy being consumed extremely quickly, and the golden light of the great formation had already dimmed.

Mu Zha was deeply shaken and murmured, "Is Buddhism... doomed?"

He took a deep breath, and a look of determination flashed in his eyes.

He practiced Buddhism with his father from a young age. Although he followed the orders of the Buddhist sect, he always regarded the Heavenly Court as his root.

Now that Mount Ling is in grave danger and Guanyin is no longer here, he has no hope of seeking help.

Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth, turned around, rode a cloud, and headed straight for the Heavenly Court, intending to seek refuge with his father, Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, and his third brother, Nezha.

Meanwhile, on the banks of the Liusha River, Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong waited for Muzha for a long time, but he did not return, and their anxiety grew.

Pigsy was captured, and the curtain-roller disappeared, resulting in a stalemate.

Tang Sanzang sighed, "Wukong, Bajie is in imminent danger. We cannot wait any longer and must go into the water ourselves to save him."

Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "Master, I, Old Sun, am not afraid of fighting, but I'm really not good at things in the water."

"Fine, I'll accompany my master on this journey!"

Just as the two were about to go into the water, a strange noise came from the bottom of the river.

At the bottom of the Liusha River, in the dim water, Juanlian sat cross-legged on a blue stone, surrounded by spiritual energy surging like a tide, faintly forming a vortex of spiritual energy.

Pigsy, bound to the boulder, stared wide-eyed in shock at the scene before him, stammering, "What...what are you doing? How can the spiritual energy be so intense?"

Rolling up the curtain slowly opened his eyes, a complex expression flashing in them.

He whispered, "Bajie, do you know the Great God Pangu?"

Before Pigsy could answer, he continued, "What I cultivate is the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique passed down by the Great God Pangu."

This technique is extremely powerful and requires endless spiritual energy to temper the body in order to break through its limitations.

I have been at the bottom of the Flowing Sand River for five hundred years, absorbing its spiritual energy day and night, and am now vastly different from what I once was.

Bajie was dumbfounded, but inwardly he cursed, "This fellow has been hiding something well! The Nine Revolutions Profound Technique? Even I, Old Sun, have never heard of that!"

He struggled a few times, but found that the spiritual energy ropes were tightening more and more, so he had no choice but to say helplessly, "Brother Curtain Roller, since you are so powerful, why don't you let me go and we can have a good chat?"

Juanlian sneered, closed his eyes, and continued his cultivation.

The spiritual energy at the bottom of the river surged, and the aura surrounding Juanlian became increasingly unfathomable.

Jiang Wang stood on the bank, the soil beneath his feet damp and soft from the river water. A faint fishy smell filled the air, a unique scent of the Weak Water, carrying a hint of coldness and decay.

He looked down at his feet, his handsome but slightly tired face reflected in the water, his brows furrowed as if a heavy burden was pressing on his heart.

Beside him, the crab shell that Sun Wukong had transformed into was still scattered on the ground, broken into several pieces, its edges whitened by the river water, like some kind of ominous omen.

Jiang Wang shifted his gaze from the water's surface to the distant center of the river, where mist swirled and the figure of Juanlian could be vaguely seen, towering like a mountain, confronting Zhu Bajie.

Pigsy's voice came from the river, deep and urgent: "Brother Curtain Roller, is your 'Nine Revolutions Profound Skill' a direct transmission from Pangu? Good heavens, I, Old Pig, have never heard of such a powerful skill! Teach me, and I'll kowtow to you and become your disciple!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang's lips twitched slightly. Pigsy's greedy nature hadn't changed at all.

The voice of the man in the curtain was cold and impatient: "Bajie, this technique is not something you can learn. It was passed down by Pangu and is extremely dangerous. I have only cultivated the first six stages and I have already faced death nine times out of ten."

If you insist, you risk your life.

Bajie persisted, his voice growing louder: "Hey, Curtain Roller, you're being too stingy! I, Old Pig, am still your senior brother, what's wrong with learning some skills for self-defense? Are you afraid that if I learn them, I'll surpass you?"

Jiang Wang frowned. Pigsy's mouth was bound to cause trouble sooner or later.

Just as he was about to speak to remind him, he heard a low shout from the river, followed by a burst of water. Sun Wukong's fake body, which had transformed into a crab, was shattered by the palm of the curtain, revealing his true form.

Wukong somersaulted out of the water, brandishing his golden cudgel with great force, and shouted, "Roller Curtain, you scoundrel, how ungrateful you are! I, Old Sun, was just trying to warn Pigsy, and you struck first!"

Standing in the middle of the river, the water swirled around him, forming an invisible barrier. He coldly said, "Wukong, what kind of hero are you, eavesdropping on my conversation with Bajie? If you've got the guts, let's fight in the water!"

Jiang Wang's heart tightened. In the Weak Water, the power of the Curtain-Rolling Ceremony far surpassed that on land. Wukong was likely to suffer a loss if he went there.

He shouted, "Wukong, don't be reckless!"

Before he could finish speaking, Wukong slammed his staff into the water, splashing water everywhere. Juanlian, however, flashed forward, using the water's momentum to close in on Wukong. A beam of mysterious light condensed in his palm and struck Wukong's chest.

Wukong reacted extremely quickly, sweeping his golden cudgel to barely block the attack, but was forced back several steps by the hidden force of the water, his face turning slightly pale.

Seeing this, Jiang Wang knew that Wukong was no match for him, and hurriedly said, "Wukong, retreat!"

Wukong gritted his teeth, glared fiercely at Juanlian, somersaulted onto the shore, and landed next to Jiang Wang. Still unconvinced, he muttered to himself, "This guy is really skilled in the water. I, Old Sun, will find a way to teach him a lesson!"

Jiang Wang patted Wukong on the shoulder and whispered, "Don't worry, Bajie is still in his hands. Let's think of a way to rescue him first." (End of Chapter)