Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

Moreover, since these people's true forms cannot appear in the primordial world, the person in front of him is very likely an avatar, Li Xiuyuan thought to himself.

"Thank you for your help, Your Majesty!"

Li Xiuyuan expressed his gratitude. Although he was now fully capable of suppressing the Golden-Winged Roc, it was still appropriate to express his gratitude since Zhunti had made the move.

"No need to be polite!"

Sage Zhunti waved his hand and said, as he looked at the Lord of Qiankun Cave, whose huge skull face had always remained there.

Zhunti said calmly, "This Lord of Qiankun Cave is a very important figure on our Buddhist journey to the West. He is only here as an avatar, not his true self. I ask you if you are willing to take him as your disciple!"

As he spoke, he asked the question.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan was quite surprised. The Qiankun Cave Master had always been an avatar, so who was the real master?

Chapter 383 Stone Monkey Heart Monkey

No wonder the Lord of Qiankun Cave in the original work often said that his true self was in seclusion for cultivation. It turns out that this was true; the other party was indeed an avatar.

Li Xiuyuan replied calmly, "Jianglong is willing!"

However, since the sage has already spoken, he cannot refuse the disciple he wants to take on. Ultimately, it comes down to a lack of strength.

"Good. Jianglong need not worry. Your future disciple is the Spiritual Stone Monkey, one of the Four Chaos Monkeys. He is capable of transformations, understands the timing of the day, knows the advantages of the land, and can move stars and change constellations."

After speaking, Zhunti paused and then said, "If my Buddhist sect's Journey to the West is completed, you will at least be at the Quasi-Saint realm, which will not disgrace your status."

After saying that, he revealed the name of Jianglong's future disciple.

As for why it is said that he is not disgracing his status, Li Xiuyuan is now different from before. He has the essence of Pangu's blood and has also inherited the laws of power. In a sense, he is no worse than the innate gods.

what?

Li Xiuyuan was extremely shocked. He never expected that Zhunti would ask him to teach the stone monkey. Shouldn't it be his son, Bodhi, who should be the one to do it?

However, the Spiritual Stone Monkey is one of the most crucial figures on the journey to the West. If I pass on my skills to him, I will surely receive a great deal of merit when Buddhism flourishes.

Moreover, Li Xiuyuan often thought about participating in the Journey to the West so that he could share in the merits. Now that he had such a good opportunity, how could he miss it!

Li Xiuyuan repeatedly said, "Good!"

As he spoke, he nodded without hesitation. Anyone who refused to accept it would be a fool!

Although the stone monkey was unruly and difficult to discipline, it was really not worth mentioning compared to its advantages.

At this moment, Li Xiuyuan finally understood who the Master of Qiankun Cave was, and that the character he played in Journey to the West was the Six-Eared Macaque.

Li Xiuyuan remembered certain stories in "Journey to the West" very clearly. As for why he was certain that the Master of Qiankun Cave was the Six-Eared Macaque, also known as his Mind Monkey, he was quite certain.

Firstly, the origin of the Master of Qiankun Cave is said to be a five-colored stone left behind when Nuwa mended the sky. If he is indeed Sun Wukong's mind monkey, then it is entirely possible to conclude that the Master of Qiankun Cave is a five-colored stone from ancient times.

As for the skull face and body of the Master of Qiankun Cave, it's because the Mind Monkey is formless, so it has no body and relies on a skull to possess others. In the TV series "The Living Buddha Ji Gong," he possessed others many times.

Another point is the Mind Monkey; why is he connected to the Six-Eared Macaque?

In Chapter 57 of Journey to the West, it is said that the "Six-Eared Macaque" transformed into the appearance of Sun Wukong, injured Tang Sanzang, and then fought with Sun Wukong.

This fake Sun Wukong's strength needs no further explanation; he was exactly the same as the real Sun Wukong, waging a great battle against him and causing chaos in heaven, earth, and the sea.

When Tang Sanzang recited the Tightening-Headband Mantra, both cried out in pain, so it was impossible to tell which one was real. When they arrived at the Heavenly Palace, the Pagoda-Carrying Heavenly King used the Demon-Revealing Mirror, but he still couldn't tell. When they arrived at Guanyin's place, Guanyin couldn't tell either.

Finally, when they arrived at Yama's place in the underworld, after listening to the "Di Ting" (a divine listener), the "Di Ting" said, "I have seen it, but I dare not say it."

In the end, it was only after the Buddha revealed the true form of the Six-Eared Macaque and trapped him in a golden alms bowl that Sun Wukong killed him with a single blow.

This is the whole story, which seems simple and complete. However, in Li Xiuyuan's mind, there are many foreshadowing elements in it.

The Six-Eared Macaque is actually Sun Wukong's Mind Monkey.

Here are some of my theories:

For example, in the underworld, after the "Di Ting" heard it, the "Di Ting" knew the truth but dared not say. Its idea was definitely not that it was afraid that the two Wukongs would cause a ruckus in the underworld, but that this Six-Eared Macaque had a very powerful backer, namely the sages' backup plan, which nurtured Sun Wukong's mind monkey.

Therefore, "Di Ting" naturally dared not reveal the truth.

Secondly, there is another reason that proves "Di Ting" was not truly afraid of the two monkeys causing havoc in the underworld. As everyone knows, there was another person with great magical power present at the time. Of course, it was not Yama, as Yama was worlds apart from this person.

This person is none other than Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Who is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva? He is the foremost of the four great Bodhisattvas in Buddhism, and is on par with Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra. This shows how powerful he is.

Since there are such powerful Buddhist figures here, does "Di Ting" really worry that these two mischievous monkeys will cause trouble in the underworld?

The Journey to the West tells the story of how Sun Wukong became incredibly powerful after learning magic from the Bodhi Patriarch.

Coincidentally, the Six-Eared Macaque who impersonated Sun Wukong also possessed the exact same magic as Sun Wukong, and even his appearance and voice were exactly the same.

Everyone knows that Sun Wukong spent many years learning the 72 Transformations and the Somersault Cloud. It's impossible that the Six-Eared Macaque was born with these abilities without learning them, right?

Finally, let's return to Chapter 58 of Journey to the West. It is said that the two monkeys fought so much that they went to the Buddha's place to ask him to distinguish between the real and the fake.

The Buddha then said to the assembled Buddhas, “I observe that the false Wukong is actually the Six-Eared Macaque. If this monkey stands in one place, he can know what is happening a thousand miles away. He can also understand the speech of ordinary people. Therefore, he is good at listening, can discern reason, know the past and the future, and understands all things. The one who has the same appearance and voice as the real Wukong is the Six-Eared Macaque.”

After the Tathagata spoke of this, all the Buddhas learned that there was such a being among all living beings in the world, called the "Six-Eared Macaque".

However, everyone overlooked a clue in the Buddha's words: the Buddha meant that this monkey was different from Sun Wukong, who was a "spiritual stone monkey" who could transform, understand the timing of the day, know the advantages of the place, and move stars and change constellations.

The Six-Eared Macaque is said to "know the past and the future, and understand all things." Pretty amazing, right? It knows everything that will happen in the past and the future.

This is also why the Six-Eared Macaque was able to survive even after offending the Dao Ancestor.

This is a huge flaw!

Since the Six-Eared Macaque knew that he would be subdued by Buddha and killed by Sun Wukong with a single blow, why did he still go to Buddha with Sun Wukong to debate the truth? Wasn't that just asking for trouble?

Therefore, that monkey was definitely not the Six-Eared Macaque.

In the original Journey to the West, Wu Cheng'en wrote that the original Sun Wukong was very impulsive and unruly. For example, he killed the tiger he encountered at the beginning with one blow, and when he fought the White Bone Demon three times, he attacked any monster he saw.

However, ever since he killed a monkey at the Buddha's place, he began to obey orders. When he encountered bandits and passed through various countries, Tang Sanzang was repeatedly asked to stay and become a son-in-law, or was kept there for various reasons and not allowed to leave.

However, Sun Wukong rarely resorts to violence against people, avoiding the use of force to solve problems.

Therefore, in Li Xiuyuan's view, the monkey that was killed was just Sun Wukong's own inner demon. The Six-Eared Macaque was originally Sun Wukong himself, but outsiders just didn't know it.

(This chapter is full of rambling, but it's definitely not filler. I found a post online and used it in this story, which took me longer than writing a normal chapter, all to perfect the setting.)

[Note: In the book, because the Lord of Qiankun Cave originated from a five-colored stone, he is defined as the Mind Monkey of Sun Wukong, which has some reasonable explanation, although some readers may not accept it.]

Chapter 384 The Fat and Thin Immortal Children

"So good!"

When Cundi Buddha saw Jianglong, he didn't ask any questions, saving himself the trouble of explaining. However, taking the stone monkey as a disciple would bring him more benefits than harms, so he probably wouldn't object!

The Buddha of Guidance said calmly, "There are still ten years before the birth of the Stone Monkey. It will be in Huaguo Mountain, Aolai Country, Dongsheng Shenzhou. There is a country here called Aolai Country. The country is near the sea, and there is a mountain in the sea called Huaguo Mountain."

He paused and then said, "The stone monkey was left behind by Nuwa when she mended the sky in ancient times. You need to make some arrangements during this period, but remember not to let him know your identity."

After saying this, he gave the dragon a stern warning, without explaining the reason.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan nodded and replied, "I will obey the decree of the Sage!"

Having said that, he thought to himself that since he had not yet reached the Quasi-Saint realm, he naturally had to lower his head when facing a Saint.

However, with the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, he can reach the Quasi-Saint realm in just a few decades. Once Li Xiuyuan breaks through again, with the help of the Heavenly Divine Fiend Array, he won't have to depend on others anymore.

"Ok!"

Jieyin nodded and said calmly, "Your mission to the mortal realm is complete. The Golden-Winged Roc has been suppressed. You may return to report to the Buddha."

As they spoke, the two figures disappeared, taking the Qiankun Cave Master with them. Before the Sage, this Mind Monkey, even with the strength of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, was utterly powerless to resist.

"Yes, we respectfully see off the Sage!"

After bowing, Li Xiuyuan breathed a sigh of relief. This time, his tribulation was fraught with danger but he was fortunate to have two powerful backers; otherwise, he would have been at a disadvantage.

The impact of his tribulation is quite significant. It's likely that it won't be long before the news spreads throughout the Three Realms that Jianglong possesses Pangu's blood essence and is the thirteenth Ancestral Witch. He will definitely inspire great fear in everyone.

Some of them even have the idea of ​​wanting to get rid of them as soon as possible. Among these people, the most powerful are the demon race experts, such as the demon master Kunpeng. He was the demon master during the time when Donghuang Taiyi and Dijun ruled the Heavenly Court. He was the ancestor of the Golden-Winged Roc after the First Phoenix.

The Demon Master was born in the Northern Sea. He entered the sea and became a Kun, and entered the sky and became a Peng. The Kun is black, and the Peng is golden. He was one of the three thousand listeners when Hongjun Daoist preached.

It should be known that the demon race and the witch race are inherently at odds. The two races have been fighting for supremacy for millions of years, and even now that they have declined, they still can't stand each other.

The fact that the Demon Master Kunpeng has survived from ancient times to the present day is no small feat. Even Fuxi, who was Nuwa's brother, died during the war between the Lich King and the Demon King.

But he did not die. Those who survive in this world are the victors. As for Donghuang Taiyi and Dijun, they are nothing after they die.

Of course, Li Xiuyuan might be overthinking things, but for now, preserving his life is more important than anything else. After returning to Lingyin Temple and arranging some affairs, he plans to go to Lingshan.

Another thing is to go to the Netherworld again, after all, Houtu's promise has not yet been fulfilled! Li Xiuyuan also wants to get his hands on the treasure of the Witch Clan.

When Li Xiuyuan returned to Lingyin Temple, he was greeted by Guangliang and Biqing, who rushed up to him with a barrage of questions, as he had been missing for quite some time.

Upon seeing this, Li Xiuyuan said calmly, "Alright, you two don't need to ask any more questions. Once I give you two things, you'll understand immediately!"

As he spoke, he took out two gold lockets from his pocket, which he had obtained from the treasure of Jianglong years ago.

Having read the original story and possessing the memories of Jianglong, Li Xiuyuan naturally understood the wonderful uses of these two items. When combined, they could restore the memories of both individuals and grant them temporary access to their previous life's strength.

However, it's difficult to maintain a long-term relationship, but it's still possible to fight once. This is why the people in the original story were able to fight against the Golden-Winged Roc. Otherwise, relying solely on the Dragon Subduer would probably not be enough.

"Hey! A gold locket, is this what you're going to give us?"

Upon seeing the golden locket, the two men's eyes lit up. They had known Li Xiuyuan for several years, but this was the first time they had seen him so generous.

"En!"

Li Xiuyuan nodded calmly, then said, "Hurry up and put them on!"