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

The Bodhisattva thought to himself, "Perhaps it is the Buddha's guidance that tells me to put it aside for the time being."

Although Tang Sanzang and his disciples were fast runners, they could not miss this opportunity.

She withdrew the gentle breeze, concealed herself in the void, and continued to observe.

The four of them entered the temple and saw the scarred monk sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat, his hands clasped together, chanting Buddhist mantras.

Jiang Wang looked up, a kind smile twisting his scar: "Amitabha, my Buddhist name is Scar Void."

"You have come from afar, surely you are on a pilgrimage to the West? The Buddhist verses on the stone tablet outside the gate were composed by chance by this humble monk; I hope you will all contemplate them together."

Tang Sanzang dismounted and bowed respectfully: "What you say is absolutely right, Master."

This verse points directly to one's true nature. It is about Tang Sanzang, who, along with his disciples, traveled west to obtain Buddhist scriptures and was enlightened by the Buddha.

"The body is a Bodhi tree, the mind a clear mirror; constantly wipe it clean, lest dust alight… Wonderful! Wonderful! My disciples, you must remember this well; in your future meditation practice, never forget your initial aspiration."

Sun Wukong squinted at the scarred monk, feeling that there was an indescribable eeriness hidden beneath the scar, but he didn't say much, only saying, "Master is right, this verse sounds familiar, it has the flavor of Zen."

Pigsy's saliva was practically dripping down his face: "Master, Master, when are we going to serve the vegetarian meal? I can't take it anymore!"

Sha Wujing pulled him up, saying, "Second Brother, stop talking nonsense!"

Jiang Wang stood up, his scarred face smiling: "Don't worry, benefactor, this humble monk will prepare a meal right away."

I rested under the pine trees in the courtyard, while the poor monk went to the kitchen to prepare food.

He led his master and apprentice into the inner courtyard, where cushions, tea tables, and everything else were readily available.

Guanyin, who was secretly observing this, relaxed her vigilance slightly: "This monk's Buddhist teachings are quite profound, and his verses contain Zen insights."

"Once Tang Sanzang enters this temple, perhaps he can slow down his pace a bit."

The master and his disciples took their seats. Pigsy looked around, eagerly anticipating the hot meal.

Tang Sanzang stroked his beard and praised the stone tablet: "Wukong, look at these characters, they are vigorous and powerful, and they touch people's hearts."

"Having devoted my life to studying Buddhism, I only now understand the true meaning of this verse."

Sun Wukong nodded, but secretly made a hand seal to investigate: "Master, this temple is suspicious. That monk is hiding a knife in his smile. I have to be careful."

Before long, Jiang Wang brought over a vegetarian meal: steamed tofu, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and bowls of rice, all with a wonderful aroma.

Pigsy wolfed down the food, praising, "Master's skills are superb! This tofu is so smooth, even better than the chefs at Marshal Tianpeng's mansion!"

Sha Wujing ate politely, but suddenly noticed some writing on the corner of the table.

He rubbed his eyes and looked closely, then exclaimed, "Master, look, there's a verse on this table!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked down and saw faint markings on the table: "Bodhi has no tree, nor is the bright mirror a stand."

Originally there was nothing, so where could dust settle?

This second Buddhist verse, each word like a thunderclap, pierces through the superficiality of the previous verse and points directly to the true nature of emptiness.

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang's face turned deathly pale, his body trembled, and he clasped his hands together, murmuring, "Bodhi has no tree... the bright mirror is not a stand... originally there is nothing, so where can dust alight? Heavens! This... this is the true meaning! All these years of meditation, I have been attached to external things, and I have not realized anything!"

His eyes glistened with tears, and he was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

Sun Wukong was taken aback: "Master, this verse sounds like it's undermining us! The first line says to wipe away the dust, and the second line says there's nothing to begin with, so why get involved?"

Pigsy chewed his rice, slurring his words, and said, "Brother Monkey, what do you know? That last part is satisfying to hear. I'm covered in dust and just looking for someone to provoke!"

Sha Wujing nodded: "Master, where does this verse come from?"

Jiang Wang smiled, a sly glint of triumph flashing in his eyes: "I obtained it in a dream, and I suspect it was a revelation from the Patriarch."

The Venerable Tang had gained profound insight, approaching the level of Buddhahood.

Guanyin listened in secret and was overjoyed: "Wonderful! This second verse directly breaks through attachment. If Tang Sanzang can understand it, there may be a turning point in the journey to the West."

She had preached to Tang Sanzang countless times in her daily life, but she never expected that this scarred monk would recite two verses in one go, which made her admire him: "This monk is extraordinary, and his Buddhist teachings are profound."

The matter of Red Boy will be put aside for now.

After the meal, Jiang Wang brought over a pot of tea, its steam rising gently: "Esteemed benefactors, this tea, brewed with mountain spring water, will refresh you and invigorate you."

Please use it.

Tang Sanzang was still immersed in the lingering charm of the verse and reached out to take it.

Sun Wukong scanned the tea with his fiery eyes and saw that it had a strange glint in it, and that a poisonous snake seemed to be hidden beneath its calm surface.

He felt a chill run down his spine, recalling the previous attempts to ambush him, and hurriedly said, "Master, wait! This tea is strange. Although that monk is a Buddhist, his smile always sends chills down my spine."

"If it's a trap, and his apprentice attacks from behind, that would be troublesome!"

He held his stick horizontally, blocking the teacup, and glared at Jiang Wang: "Master, is there something added to this tea?"

Jiang Wang's face stiffened slightly, but he immediately smiled kindly: "Great Sage, you are overthinking it."

"I am but a humble monk, how could I have disciples? This tea is merely wild tea from the mountains, nothing more."

Sun Wukong sneered, "Mortal monk? Humph, I, Old Sun, have traveled all over the country, what haven't I seen? Master, let's not drink, let's rest for the night and set off tomorrow morning."

Although Tang Sanzang felt it was a pity, he nodded: "Wukong is right."

"My enlightenment today is a great opportunity."

The master and his disciples rested on a futon under the pine tree. Pigsy was snoring, Sandy was keeping watch, and the white dragon horse was munching on grass.

Jiang Wang retreated into the back hall, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Monkey, be careful. The plan with the tea failed, but those two verses have already entered Tang Sanzang's mind."

Tomorrow we'll see.

Guanyin nodded secretly: "Although Sun Wukong caused trouble, he also protected his master and made a contribution."

This temple exudes peace and tranquility; it must be a place of Buddhist affinity.

The next morning, as the sun rose, Tang Sanzang and his disciples rubbed their eyes and woke up to find themselves in a desolate wilderness.

The hillside was bare; there wasn't a trace of a temple. The pines, cypresses, stone tablets, and desks had all vanished like a dream.

Pigsy jumped up, scratching his head, and said, "Oh dear! Where's my vegetarian dream? What... what's going on?"

Sha Wujing looked around in bewilderment: "I clearly rested here last night, how come I woke up to find myself in a desolate wilderness?"

Sun Wukong swung his staff, scanning the surroundings: "Sorcery! It must be that scarred monk's trick! Master, are you alright?"

Tang Sanzang stood up, his face pale: "Your master... Your master is well."

Those two Buddhist verses, however, were like a dream within a dream; upon waking, all was emptiness.

Guanyin appeared in the clouds, transforming into a benevolent Bodhisattva, and said with a smile, "Elder Tang, don't panic."

This is a hint from an incarnation of the Buddha; last night's temple was a dream, allowing you to grasp the essence of Zen.

The journey to the West should be based on emptiness.

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang suddenly felt his dantian empty, and the meager cultivation within him receded like the tide.

He reached out and probed, his dantian churning, but it was empty: "This... my cultivation! How could it all be gone? Bodhisattva, save me!"

His face was deathly pale, and his legs were so weak he could not stand.

Upon hearing this, Guanyin was first taken aback, then secretly delighted: "Wonderful! This reminder in the dream has actually ruined Tang Sanzang's mortal cultivation."

From then on, he relied even more on his disciples, and the journey to the West became more controllable.

She said compassionately, "Elder, don't worry. Cultivation is an external thing; it doesn't matter if you lose it."

The Dharma resides within the heart; why seek it externally?

Pigsy exclaimed in panic, "Master, don't scare me! Without cultivation, how can we travel? I'm counting on you to chant sutras to subdue demons!"

Sha Wujing helped Tang Sanzang up: "Bodhisattva, this...this is too sudden."

Sun Wukong gripped his staff tightly, glaring at the void: "Bodhisattva, you say this is the Buddha's guidance? Humph, I think that monk did something underhanded! Master's cultivation must have been absorbed by those two verses!" Guanyin was about to comfort him when Tang Sanzang suddenly gasped, pressing his hand to his chest: "No... not only cultivation, but my spiritual root! That little bit of Buddha-nature and spiritual light... it's gone too!"

His face was ashen, and his eyes were filled with terror.

The spiritual root is the foundation of one's innate Buddha-nature; losing it will result in eternal descent into the mortal realm, with no hope of attaining Buddhahood.

Tang Sanzang murmured, "Originally there is nothing... Where can dust settle? Could it be... that this verse is a trap to steal my foundation?"

The master and his disciples looked at each other in bewilderment. Pigsy was dumbfounded: "Spiritual root? We've lost that thing, what's the point of going on the pilgrimage? I'm running away!"

Sha Wujing cried out urgently, "Master, hold on! Let's seek the Dharma from the Bodhisattva!"

Sun Wukong gritted his teeth: "Bodhisattva, you have to give me an explanation! I killed Red Boy, so I accept the punishment of the golden headband."

"But what does Master's spiritual root have to do with you?"

Upon hearing this, Guanyin's smile froze on her face.

That secret joy was fleeting, vanishing in an instant.

Her heart trembled violently: "Loss of spiritual roots? Impossible! This guidance in the dream should have only crippled my cultivation, how could it have even destroyed my spiritual roots..."

The Bodhisattva's plans were always meticulously crafted. Tang Sanzang was the key figure in this great eon; if his spiritual roots were lost, wouldn't the Journey to the West plan collapse? She recalled the scarred monk's sinister smile and suddenly had a doubt: "Could it be... that there is another secret behind this?"

In the clouds, the Bodhisattva's compassionate brows were furrowed, a mixture of anger and astonishment.

Seeing this, Sun Wukong sneered: "Bodhisattva, you can't laugh anymore? Hmph, this journey to the West will be full of twists and turns from now on!"

On the desolate plains, the wind whipped up the clouds, and Tang Sanzang and his disciples were trapped in a predicament. Jiang Wang's cloud had already traveled thousands of miles away. He stroked his upgraded somersault cloud and murmured, "Postponing the journey to the West, the first step is done."

"Bodhisattva, I've come to cause trouble for your countless eons."

Guanyin's anger was not unfounded.

Red Boy was originally a pawn she picked from among the disciples of Sudhana. In the battle of Flaming Mountain, he was supposed to help her restrain Sun Wukong, but the monkey's staff was merciless and extinguished the flames.

The Bodhisattva stood outside the Purple Bamboo Grove in the South China Sea, the willow branch in his hand trembling slightly, the sweet dew in his vase churning, yet it could not extinguish the anger in his heart.

She closed her eyes and recalled the beginning of the great calamity: the jade bottle, which was originally her treasure to suppress the calamity, was taken away by a mysterious person at Black Wind Mountain and went out of control; the black bear spirit, the protector she personally appointed, was supposed to make meritorious contributions at Yellow Wind Ridge, but died under Sun Wukong's fiery eyes; Muzha, that unworthy disciple, actually betrayed Buddhism and joined the Taoist lineage because of a momentary lapse of judgment.

Every single thing is like a thorn in my side.

Guanyin gritted her teeth and said, "Monkey, you ruined my grand plan. Today, I will not be satisfied until you experience a fate worse than death!"

With a flick of her slender finger, the incantation, like a golden needle, pierced into Sun Wukong's sea of ​​consciousness.

Sun Wukong was on the mountain path, wielding his staff to clear a path and protect his master.

When the tight headband came, it was like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting. His stick fell to the ground, his monkey body curled up, and he let out a low growl like a wild beast.

Amidst the swirling dust, blood trickled from his forehead, and golden light flashed wildly in his eyes: "Bodhisattva...you...you are so cruel!"

The pain surged like a tide, each wave stronger than the last. He recalled the Bodhisattva's repeated acts of "compassion" on his journey to the West.

Punishment: The tight band on the banks of the Liusha River first appeared, and the farcical wedding in Gao Laozhuang made him kneel down time and time again.

Today, for the sake of Red Boy, he shows no mercy whatsoever.

Seeing Monkey King rolling around, Pigsy threw down his fan and pounced on him, pressing him down: "Monkey King! Monkey King! Are you possessed? Wake up!"

His enormous body pressed down on Sun Wukong, making it even harder for him to breathe.

Sha Wujing threw down his luggage, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "It must be a Bodhisattva's curse! Great Sage, bear with it, grit your teeth and get through it!"

The white dragon horse stood restlessly, neighing as if weeping.

Tang Sanzang reined in his horse, his eyes brimming with tears: "Wukong, my disciple, you have suffered so much! Bodhisattva, how could you be so cruel?"

Sun Wukong forced out the words, enduring the pain: "Master... because of Red Boy... that brat roasted me... was it wrong for me to hit him?"

He rolled into the roadside thorns, his skin torn and bleeding, but it was nothing compared to the pain in his head.

In the distance, amidst the clouds, the phantom of Guanyin coldly gazed: "Wrong? Your mistake is ruining my great eon! The journey to the West will not allow you to act arbitrarily!"

After she finished chanting, her figure disappeared, and she felt slightly relieved, but a vague unease lingered in her heart.

This monkey is too resilient. Punishment may vent our anger, but it could also lead to even greater unforeseen circumstances.

In the secret chamber of Chang'an, Jiang Wang's smile was as gentle as a spring breeze.

The system interface flashes: [Task: Speed ​​up Tang Sanzang's running speed, completed.]

Reward: One Primordial Spirit Crystal.

A sudden heat emanated from his palm, and the spirit crystal fell like a star, surrounded by chaotic energy.

He integrated it into the Somersault Cloud, and the cloud instantly expanded, transforming into a golden vortex that absorbed and exhaled the primordial energy of heaven and earth.

Jiang Wang leaped into it and shouted softly, "Hurry!"

The world stood still, and in a flash of light, he had arrived at the foot of Mount Ling.

The golden glazed tiles loomed large before his eyes, and the Buddhist chants surged like a tide, yet he remained oblivious to them.

"A thousand miles in a second, the power of light!"

Jiang Wang hovered in mid-air, the wind whistling past his ears, and he was overjoyed: "Lu Ya's rainbow transformation is nothing special."

If ten layers are added, at ten times the speed of light, even the Buddha's kingdom in his palm would not escape my grasp.

He took a deep breath, feeling spacetime bend at his fingertips, and the system voice sounded: [Primordial-level Somersault Cloud, unlocked light speed mode.]

The Journey to the West mission has been postponed: the stamina of Tang Sanzang and his disciples has been reduced, and the rewards are yet to be claimed.

Jiang Wang nodded: "Weaken? Cut it off at the root."

"Bodhisattva, I will test the depth of your compassion."

On his return journey, he absorbed the golden light and rode the clouds.

The landscape was picturesque, and wildflowers swayed in the breeze, but he immediately fixed his gaze on the official road below.

Tang Sanzang and his disciples moved swiftly like the wind, the white dragon horse's hooves kicked up dust, and Pigsy panted like a bellows: "Master... slow down... my legs... are going to break!"

Sha Wujing, his monk's robe soaked with sweat, said, "Second brother, bear with it."

The Great Sage said this was a blessing from heaven.

Sun Wukong, in front, his staff flashing: "Master, this footwork is strange. Yesterday it was so slow, but today it's like flying."

Beware of demons!

Tang Sanzang urged his horse onward: "My disciples, your master is eager to obtain the scriptures, so do not complain."

Jiang Wang sneered: "The acceleration is complete, the weakening is imminent."

With a flicker of his body, he performed seventy-two transformations, and a temple rose from the ground on the hillside.

Wisps of smoke curled upwards, the sound of bells lingered faintly, and he transformed into a scarred monk, carving Buddhist verses on a stone tablet.

Sun Wukong's golden eyes swept across the area: "Auspicious light! Master, there's a temple!"

Tang Sanzang was delighted: "I pay my respects!"

Guanyin stirred in the breeze: "A Zen koan..."

Upon entering the temple, the aroma of vegetarian food filled the air, and the second verse deeply moved the heart.

The mystery surrounding the tea was solved by Sun Wukong.

Tang Sanzang awoke from his deep coma, his vision filled with a blurry wilderness, and the sound of the wind rustling through the withered grass filled his ears.

He tried to circulate his magical power, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea—there was no response whatsoever. (End of Chapter)