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

There seems to be something fishy about this.

He paused, then said in a deep voice, "Wukong, do you know if there are any supernatural powers in the Three Realms that can alter the physical body and the soul?"

Jiang Wang shook his head, his tone tinged with urgency: "This disciple has searched the Heavenly Court and the Underworld, but found no such supernatural power."

Guanyin Bodhisattva also said that the form of the soul is determined by Heaven and cannot be changed by human power.

"What you say contradicts the facts, and my doubts have only deepened."

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva fell into deep thought, his gaze as profound as an abyss, as if pondering the truth behind this contradiction.

Just then, Di Ting suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of solemnity: "Ksitigarbha, when I was investigating just now, I noticed something quite unusual."

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was taken aback: "What is it?"

Di Ting slowly said, "When the Ten Kings of Hell were checking the original and copy of the Book of Humanity, they discovered that nearly 100,000 human souls had been removed from the original, but there was no record of their souls in the Underworld."

These 100,000 people, either their souls were scattered, or... they have become immortals.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang's heart skipped a beat, and a cold glint flashed in his sharp eyes.

Ksitigarbha's expression changed drastically, and he said in a deep voice, "One hundred thousand people? Their souls have vanished without a trace? Di Ting, have you found out the details?"

Di Ting pressed its ears to the ground again, golden light flowing around it, as if listening to every fluctuation between heaven and earth.

After a long while, it raised its head, a hint of shock flashing in its eyes: "In the Eastern Continent of Divine Victory, there are more than three thousand human experts, four of whom are under a hundred years old and have already reached the Quasi-Saint realm, and three of them are extremely young; another four hundred are under a hundred years old and are Great Luo Golden Immortals; and nine thousand are under a hundred years old and are all Taiyi Golden Immortals."

Such strength is terrifying!

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva suddenly stood up, his kasaya trembling slightly. The compassionate expression on his face vanished, replaced by shock: "Quasi-Saint? Great Luo Golden Immortal? So many young experts... When did the human race acquire such resources?"

He looked at Jiang Wang, as if trying to find the answer on his face, but Jiang Wang only frowned, his eyes filled with even more doubt.

"Listen carefully, continue the investigation!"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva solemnly ordered, "Where are the remaining 90,000 people?"

Di Ting nodded, its ears pressed to the ground again, and the golden light intensified.

Jiang Wang stood aside, but a faint unease arose in his heart.

Just then, Di Ting's body trembled violently, the golden light in its eyes dimmed abruptly, and then it let out a low roar. Its massive body began to crack, and blood splattered everywhere! "Di Ting!"

Ksitigarbha was greatly alarmed and reached out to help, but saw that Di Ting's soul dissipated like smoke, leaving only a broken whisper: "Chang'an... little..."

Before he could finish speaking, his body exploded, turning into a cloud of blood mist that dissipated into the gloomy wind.

Jiang Wang's pupils contracted, and a raging fire ignited in his fiery eyes: "Who dares to commit such a heinous act!"

He looked at Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, only to see that the other's face was pale, and his eyes were filled with grief and shock.

"Wukong..."

Ksitigarbha's voice trembled, "The death of Diting is probably related to those 90,000 people."

Chang'an...this small world...this matter, this humble monk can no longer assist you."

Jiang Wang clenched his fists, his chest burning with rage, but he also knew that the underworld had no more clues.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his unease, and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your help, Bodhisattva. I will take my leave now."

After saying this, he transformed into golden light and left the underworld.

Inside Baoxiang City, the night was deep. Pigsy and Sandy sat around a simple inn. The oil lamp on the table flickered, reflecting their different expressions.

Bajie was gnawing on a piece of dry rations, muttering, "This wretched place doesn't even have a decent tavern, forcing me, old pig, to eat this hard stuff."

Sha Wujing frowned and said in a low voice, "Second Brother, Master is missing, and you still have the mind to complain about food?"

Bajie pouted, about to retort, when he heard a soft sound outside the door. Jiang Wang pushed the door open and entered, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

Bajie quickly stood up, forcing a smile: "Brother, are there any clues about Master in the Underworld?"

Jiang Wang sat down and recounted the events of the underworld, from Di Ting's conclusions to his bizarre death, and then to the strange news of the disappearance of 100,000 human souls. Bajie and Sha Wujing listened in astonishment.

Sha Wujing pondered for a moment, a hint of wavering flashing in his eyes: "Brother, although Di Ting's words contradict Guanyin Bodhisattva, it is, after all, a divine beast under Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, with ears that can hear the heavens."

Could it be... that vegetarian tiger is really the master?

Jiang Wang slammed his hand on the table, making the oil lamp flicker: "Nonsense! The form of the soul is predetermined by Heaven and cannot be changed."

"Guanyin Bodhisattva, Yang Jian, and I, with my fiery eyes, have all confirmed that the tiger is not Master. How could we be wrong? Sha Wujing, don't let these confusing clues distract you!"

Sha Wujing lowered his head, seemingly overwhelmed by Jiang Wang's imposing aura, and remained silent.

Suddenly, Pigsy slapped his thigh, a glint of inspiration flashing in his eyes.

"Brother, I, Old Pig, have suddenly figured it out! Master... he's not human at all, he's probably a tiger spirit! So his soul is tiger-shaped, but his Buddha-heart is real, doesn't that make perfect sense?"

Jiang Wang and Sha Wujing were both stunned, staring at Zhu Bajie, speechless for a long time.

Jiang Wang finally came to his senses, veins throbbing on his forehead: "Bajie, your brain... is really clogged with grease! If Master were truly a tiger spirit, how could he have escaped my fiery eyes? And you call yourself a Buddha? If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll knock some sense into you with this stick!"

Pigsy shrank back and chuckled sheepishly, "I...I was just guessing..."

Even so, a sly glint flashed in his eyes, as if he were pleased with his own "divine logic."

He was quite pleased with himself.

Jiang Wang rubbed his temples, feeling even more exhausted.

The whereabouts of Tang Sanzang remain a mystery, and his journey to the underworld has not only failed to resolve the doubts but has also added new questions.

The anomaly of the 100,000 human beings, the small world of Chang'an, and the death of Di Ting... all of this seemed like an invisible net, trapping him and his fellow disciples.

He looked up at the window; the night was as dark as ink, the starlight dim, but a flame of unyielding spirit ignited in his heart.

Jiang Wang sat upright on the blue stone platform in the hidden realm, surrounded by swirling clouds and mist. Spiritual energy wrapped around his fingertips like threads, faintly outlining cracks in the space.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, his internal energy flowing like a rushing river, yet remaining silent.

The flow of time in the hidden realm is completely different from that in the outside world. He has been in seclusion here for 120 years, and his cultivation has reached the peak of Quasi-Saint, only a hair's breadth away from the legendary Saint realm.

The laws of space and time have both reached 99% perfection, but that last bit remains an insurmountable barrier.

He opened his eyes, his gaze as deep as the starry sea, and murmured to himself, "The Heaven-Opening Axe, nine hundred million experience points... If I can synthesize it, what is the realm of a saint worth?"

However, he immediately shook his head, and a jade slip appeared in his hand, recording the list of pills and magic treasures he had refined over the years—the Great Luo Heaven Pill, the Taiyi Xuanhuang Pill, and imitations of the Chaos Bell, all of which were heaven-defying items, but they had also exhausted the resources he had accumulated over the years.

The synthesis of the Heaven-Opening Axe is currently hopeless.

He stood up, hands behind his back, his robes fluttering slightly in the spiritual breeze, his gaze fixed on the outside of the hidden realm.

Four months have passed in the outside world, but the progress of the Journey to the West has already stalled due to his scheme.

Tang Sanzang was hidden in a secret place, where he was difficult for others to find. Meanwhile, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing were lying in wait in Baoxiang City, waiting for Tang Sanzang to recover his cultivation and return.

A smile crept onto Jiang Wang's lips. He had already calculated that Tang Sanzang, due to his repeated cultivation, had developed an "automatic cultivation system within his body."

His instincts told him that restoring his cultivation was only a matter of time. His goal was never to end the Journey to the West, but to buy time and create an opportunity for the rise of the human race.

Beyond the hidden realm, the streets of Baoxiang City remain bustling.

Sun Wukong, disguised as an old man, sat in a teahouse, holding a gavel, and recounted his "Havoc in Heaven" in a torrent of words.

The story.

The teahouse was packed with listeners—mortals, cultivators, and even lurking demons—all captivated by his vivid narration.

As Wukong got into the conversation, he slammed his gavel down, his voice booming like thunder: "That day, I, Old Sun, wielded my golden cudgel and stormed into the Lingxiao Palace. The Jade Emperor was so frightened that he hid under his dragon throne, trembling with fear!"

The audience burst into laughter, some applauded and cheered, while others secretly marveled.

Wukong glanced at the crowd out of the corner of his eye and keenly sensed several subtle presences—the eyes and ears of Mount Ling had indeed arrived.

He sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, continuing to speak with great enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, in a tavern in the city, Pigsy, disguised as a dashing young man in brocade robes and a jade belt, was flirting with several women, one on each side of him, while waving a folding fan.

He downed the wine in one gulp, laughing heartily: "Life in Baoxiang City is much more comfortable than on the road to the Western Paradise!"

He appeared drunk but was actually very clear-headed.

After Tang Sanzang disappeared, he suspected that the monk was a tiger spirit in disguise, and even suggested that they break up and divide the luggage, but Sun Wukong and Sha Wujing rejected the suggestion.

Although he appears to be living a carefree life, he is secretly observing the city's movements and guarding against spies from Buddhism or Heaven.

He muttered to himself, "Master, you'd better come back soon. I don't want to waste my time here forever."

Sha Wujing was completely different from the other two. He sat cross-legged in a cave outside the city, his spiritual energy surging like a tide, and his aura becoming increasingly profound.

Since Tang Sanzang disappeared, he has devoted himself to cultivation and made rapid progress, already faintly touching the threshold of the Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Sha Wujing opened his eyes, his gaze calm as still water, but his mind was filled with countless thoughts: "Brother is right. Master is of human origin and has the ability to cultivate automatically. He will return sooner or later."

"We only need to hold onto this Baoxiang City and wait for the right opportunity."

He formed hand seals, and his internal magical power began to circulate again, showing signs of a potential breakthrough.

The tranquility of Baoxiang City concealed the undercurrents of crisis surging throughout the Three Realms.

Inside the main hall of Lingshan Temple, the lights were bright and the Buddha's light shone everywhere.

The Buddha sat solemnly on a lotus throne, surrounded by other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, creating a somber atmosphere.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva lowered his eyes and said in a deep voice, "World Honored One, listen carefully... He has already passed away."

When these words were spoken, everyone in the hall was shocked.

Di Ting was the mount of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, a key eye and ear for Buddhism in controlling the underworld. Its supernatural powers allowed it to see through the secrets of the three realms, but now its soul has dissipated, leaving only the name "Chang'an" before its demise.

"small"

The clue lies in the two characters.

The Buddha narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a deep voice, "The death of Di Ting is no small matter."

The affairs of the underworld are increasingly slipping out of the control of Buddhism.

Ksitigarbha continued, “Reporting to the World Honored One, before Di Ting perished, he detected unusual activity among the human race of Dong Sheng Shen Zhou.”

Four hundred Great Luo Golden Immortals and nine thousand Taiyi Golden Immortals, all young people under one hundred years old, their strength far surpasses that of our Buddhist sect, the Heavenly Court, and the ancient Wu and Yao races.

These words struck like a thunderbolt, causing the expressions of Dipankara Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and others to change.

Bodhi Patriarch frowned and said, "Such a scale could not have been formed naturally."

This Jiang Wang must be using the technique of replicating elixirs to mass-produce experts.

He had previously copied the Chaos Bell, and now he had refined the Great Luo Heaven Pill and the Taiyi Xuanhuang Pill. The rise of the human race was now unstoppable.

The Buddha remained silent for a moment, his gaze profound: "Jiang Wang... this boy is cunning and scheming. He hid the Golden Cicada and suspended the Journey to the West, intending to weaken the accumulation of merit for our Buddhist sect."

The death of Di Ting and the turmoil in the underworld must be due to his influence.

Dipankara Buddha interjected, "World Honored One, if Jiang Wangruo continues to replicate the elixir, the strength of the human race will completely overwhelm the Three Realms."

The demon-slaying plan needs to be initiated ahead of schedule!

The Buddhas inside the hall nodded in agreement, but a murderous intent was lurking beneath the surface.

Bodhi Patriarch shook his head slightly: "Although the plan to slay the demon is imminent, the Journey to the West has been suspended due to the disappearance of Jin Chanzi, so the plan is difficult to implement immediately."

In my humble opinion, it would be better to retrieve the golden statue of Jin Chanzi from ten lifetimes ago, and use it to guide us back to Jin Chanzi and restart the Journey to the West.

Upon hearing this, Guanyin Bodhisattva frowned and said, "The golden body is the foundation of Jin Chanzi's previous life. If it is removed, it may harm his future cultivation."

Buddha waved his hand: "To eliminate Jiang Wang, some price is unavoidable."

Although Jiang Wang was in the Hidden Realm during the Ling Mountain discussion, he still sensed the turmoil in the Three Realms through a secret technique.

He sat cross-legged on the bluestone platform, holding a jade pendant in his hand, which contained a wisp of the aura of the underworld—the soul power that had dissipated when Di Ting fell.

His gaze turned slightly cold as he murmured, "The Underworld... dares to attack the human race."

He knew that the death of Di Ting was just the beginning of the Underworld's test. If the cycle of life and death of the human race was controlled by the Underworld, the path to rise would be hindered.

He stood up, waved his sleeve, and the hidden space distorted. The next moment, he appeared outside Chang'an City.

Chang'an City remains prosperous, with its streets bustling with traffic and a constant flow of mortals and cultivators.

Jiang Wang transformed into an ordinary scholar, dressed in a flowing blue robe, his steps unhurried.

He walked to a teahouse and heard the voice of Sun Wukong telling stories. He thought to himself, "This monkey really knows how to amuse himself."

Instead of rushing to meet up with Wukong and the others, he walked alone to an ancient well in the city.

The well was deep and dark, faintly exuding a sinister aura. Jiang Wang's gaze sharpened, and he reached out and grabbed, and a phantom scroll emerged from the well—a fragment of the Book of Man.

He whispered, "The Book of Man holds the secrets of life, death, and reincarnation for the human race... Underworld, since you made the first move, don't blame me, Jiang Wang, for showing no mercy."

Meanwhile, deep within Mount Ling, a golden statue, gleaming with light, was slowly taken out. Under the illumination of the Buddha's light, the aura of Jin Chanzi was faintly visible.

The Buddha himself performed the ritual, his golden body emitting a faint guiding power, pointing towards the Eastern Continent.

Dipankara Buddha sneered, "Jiang Wang, no matter how well you hide, you can't escape the eyes of Buddhism."

The Buddhas of Mount Ling chanted sutras in unison, and the Buddha's light soared into the sky, as if the gears of the Journey to the West were about to turn again.

Jiang Wang stood beside the ancient well, the fragment of the book in his hand emitting a faint light.

He looked up at the sky, as if sensing the commotion at Mount Ling, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "Golden Cicada's Golden Body? What a brilliant move to undermine his cause."

"Buddha, you want to restart the Journey to the West? I'll show you who really calls the shots."

He vanished from the streets of Chang'an in a flash, leaving only a wisp of spatial ripples, utterly silent. (End of Chapter)