Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

However, what alarmed Li Xiuyuan the most was the Jade Emperor's Zhou Tian Star Array. If it weren't for his intelligence, the outcome would probably have been a 50/50 chance.

However, what he needs to do right now is to find Bodhidharma as soon as possible and tell him about the Arhat position of Subduing Dragon.

Otherwise, things might change if I delay. If one day I lose my way, I fear that I might be slightly superior to the Buddha now. The Buddha, I wonder, how much he despises me.

It's not uncommon for the Great Sun Buddha to deny his promises. After all, Li Xiuyuan made Bodhidharma the Dragon-Subduing Arhat precisely to extend his influence into the Western Paradise.

As the ruler of the Western Paradise, the Buddha Tathagata possesses the cultivation of a quasi-sage. Now that someone has caught up with him, the Buddha Tathagata must have some form of resistance. After all, as the Buddha Tathagata, the nominal ruler of the Western Paradise, he does not like others intruding on his territory.

Just like the ancient Buddha Dipankara, if the Buddha Tathagata and the ancient Buddha Dipankara had joined forces that day, he might not have been able to gain the upper hand and eventually collect all twenty-four Sea-Stabilizing Pearls.

This shows that the Buddha Tathagata disliked Dipankara Buddha quite a bit, as they usually lived in different places. Therefore, he ultimately didn't warn him, allowing Li Xiuyuan to seize the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl.

In retrospect, it was actually the Buddha who tricked Dipankara Buddha, which in turn gave Li Xiuyuan a huge advantage.

Li Xiuyuan traveled down from the Heavenly Court and then wandered around other places. Finding nothing worth staying in, he simply returned to the Tang Dynasty.

On this day, Li Xiuyuan unknowingly arrived at Mount Tai again. Back then, at the summit of Mount Tai, Li Xiuyuan encountered the seven fairies of the Jade Emperor, which led to a great battle later on.

However, looking back, Li Xiuyuan felt an even stronger longing for it. Although it had led to a great battle, Li Xiuyuan felt no regret; on the contrary, he felt quite exhilarated.

He not only seduced seven fairies, but also fought a great battle in heaven. In the end, it was only after Lao Tzu, the sage, intervened that the matter was resolved.

In that great battle, Li Xiuyuan used all his trump cards, but he did not suffer any losses. He not only damaged the Heavenly Court's reputation, but also demonstrated his own prestige.

Thinking that it would make things much easier for his disciple in the future, Li Xiuyuan saw a monk passing by at the foot of Mount Tai.

It was none other than his disciple, Bodhidharma. Li Xiuyuan had originally intended to give Bodhidharma the position of Arhat who subdues dragons, hoping to have his own power in the Western Paradise. Unexpectedly, he met him here, and immediately went down Mount Tai and headed straight for Bodhidharma.

As Bodhidharma was walking, Hu sensed someone ahead. To his surprise, it was Li Xiuyuan. He immediately put down his hat and called out, "Master."

Having not seen Bodhidharma for a long time, Li Xiuyuan asked, "How have you been these days?"

Bodhidharma put his hands together and replied, "Thanks to my master's blessing, everything is well."

Bodhidharma pondered inwardly, wondering why his master had come to see him at this time. He didn't say anything, but still managed to ask, "Master, is there something you need from me?"

Li Xiuyuan nodded and replied, "There is indeed something, but what worldly matters do you have now that you're in the mortal realm?"

“These past few years, I have traveled extensively, enjoying the scenery of the great rivers. I have had no worldly affairs,” Bodhidharma replied.

Li Xiuyuan smiled and said, "That's good. Your master has secured you a position as the Arhat who subdues dragons in the Western Paradise. Would you like to go?"

Upon hearing this, Bodhidharma was overjoyed. He had never expected his master to be so capable as to arrange for him to become an Arhat. He immediately said, "Master, I dare not refuse your great kindness."

Li Xiuyuan placed Bodhidharma among the Arhats of the Western Paradise for his own future benefit. By placing Bodhidharma there, Li Xiuyuan would gain his own power base, making it easier to handle any unforeseen events.

Seeing that Bodhidharma was so obedient, Li Xiuyuan said again: "Disciple, when you go to the Western Paradise, just say that you are Bodhidharma and a disciple of the Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva."

I made a promise with the Buddha not long ago that everything would be granted. Don't worry.

This Bodhidharma was a disciple of Li Xiuyuan. Not long ago, before his battle with Dipankara Buddha, he had some friction with Tathagata. Under the coercion of his own strength, Tathagata finally agreed to let him place Bodhidharma on the Arhat throne.

Li Xiuyuan immediately said, "The longer you stay in this mortal world, the more things may go wrong. You should set off for the Western Paradise immediately. I have made an agreement with the Buddha. If you don't go or delay the trip, it will not be good. I have also made the agreement with you."

Bodhidharma nodded and replied, "Master is right, disciple will go now." He then bowed to Li Xiuyuan and went to the Western Paradise.

Watching Bodhidharma depart for the West, Li Xiuyuan thought to himself: Not long ago, he fought against both the Buddha Tathagata and Dipankara Buddha. And just recently, he made a name for himself in the Heavenly Court. Surely, when my disciple goes to Mount Ling to assume the position of the Dragon-Subduing Arhat, no one will dare to stop him.

The Eighteen Arhats Formation is currently in Li Xiuyuan's hands. When he meets Bodhidharma in the future, he should have a solid foundation by then, and the Arhats Formation can be passed on to him.

After sending Bodhidharma to Mount Ling, Li Xiuyuan went to the capital of the Tang Dynasty. He used his invisibility to enter the palace. He wanted to see Wu Zhao. He missed her after not seeing her for a long time.

Li Xiuyuan stayed with Wu Zhao for a few days before leaving. He then went to Guan Guan and Shi Fei's place, where he stayed for several days each time, catching up with old friends.

Having just finished a major battle, Li Xiuyuan was finally able to relax, and the best place to do so was, of course, the gentle embrace of women.

Chapter 526 Under the Five Elements Mountain

Before we knew it, several hundred years had passed.

On this day, Li Xiuyuan calculated that it was time, so he went to the foot of Five Elements Mountain.

The Five Elements Mountain is the mountain that the Buddha Tathagata transformed into to suppress Sun Wukong. The mountain is shaped like five fingers, and it is actually a mountain formed by the Buddha Tathagata using the Buddha Kingdom in his palm. At the meeting of supreme Buddhist teachings, Sun Wukong was finally suppressed here.

That day, Li Xiuyuan did some calculations and concluded that Tang Sanzang would soon be going to the Western Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures, so he should submit to Sun Wukong and have him protect Tang Sanzang.

However, Sun Wukong had been trapped at the foot of the mountain for five hundred years, so he must have harbored a lot of resentment. Li Xiuyuan was prepared to use his words to persuade him properly.

Suddenly, a little boy appeared at the foot of the Five Elements Mountain, skipping and hopping all the way down.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, he suddenly squatted down and exclaimed, "Great Sage, Great Sage!"

Suddenly, a monkey's head emerged from the weeds at the foot of the mountain and said, "Little boy, you haven't brought me any fruit for several months."

The boy scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Great Sage, I've grown up. My parents have enrolled me in the town's school. I won't be able to come back for two or three months."

Sun Wukong looked dejected, but he was still very eager, saying, "What delicious food did you get? Let me try it quickly."

The boy quickly stepped forward and pulled out a lot of food from his pocket...

At this moment, Li Xiuyuan was on Wuzhi Mountain.

Li Xiuyuan muttered to himself, "I didn't expect this monkey to have such a close friend here. It seems I really shouldn't neglect to bestow some good fortune upon him."

Then, Li Xiuyuan flicked his hand, and a streak of light landed on the boy. Li Xiuyuan laughed and said, "Cowherd, you must study hard. I, the Buddha, guarantee you will become the top scholar!"

Unbeknownst to Li Xiuyuan, he had already silently altered the boy's fate, ensuring that he would become a top scholar in the imperial examinations when he grew up.

Although Li Xiuyuan is not a saint now, he is a near-saint comparable to a saint, so changing the karma of an ordinary person is quite simple for him.

After a while, the boy reluctantly left, turning back every three steps to look at his reflection, tears streaming down his face. Sun Wukong shook his head and called out, "Child, go on, go on. Come see me again when you have time. Don't forget!"

The little boy walked further and further away, gradually leaving this land. At this moment, Sun Wukong suddenly felt a little lost.

The autumn wind started blowing again, scattering leaves all over the ground. A few leaves even landed on Sun Wukong's head. Sun Wukong shook his head and finally managed to get the leaves off his head.

Suddenly, someone recited a poem: "The autumn wind rises again, bringing a sense of desolation, blowing down withered leaves that cover the ground. Five hundred years later, it will be as tall as the mountains, but I wonder if I will still remember it?"

This poem stirred up Sun Wukong's heartache. When he looked up, he saw a Bodhisattva standing right in front of him.

The one who appeared at this moment was the Bodhisattva of the Great Sun Dragon, whose good form. Sun Wukong naturally remembered and recognized him, and immediately said, "Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva, has your master come to save me?"

Li Xiuyuan smiled slightly and said calmly, "That's natural."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong became even more excited and exclaimed, "Then hurry up and get me out of here!"

Li Xiuyuan chuckled and said, "I've come to rescue you, but not in this way."

Sun Wukong, in his haste, blurted out, "How can we save you? Please, Bodhisattva, explain! Please, Master, Bodhisattva, explain!"

Li Xiuyuan smiled and said, "Soon, a monk will set off from the Tang Dynasty to the Western Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures. You can then become his disciple and escort him on his journey to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures. Once you achieve enlightenment, you can become a Buddha in your own right."

Sun Wukong was immediately displeased upon hearing this. "Let me out! Just let me out! Why make me escort the pilgrims? This is too much for me!"

Even if he wanted to be a Buddha, Sun Wukong wouldn't want to be one. Compared to that, the monkey still felt more comfortable and carefree.

Li Xiuyuan could see that Sun Wukong was quite unhappy, but he still tried to persuade him, "Wukong, you don't understand. If you become a Buddha, no one will call you a demon monkey. They will all treat you like the Buddha Tathagata."

Sun Wukong scoffed, "I don't care!"

Li Xiuyuan immediately lost his temper and said, "If you are unwilling to go to the Western Paradise, do you want to be imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain here for ten thousand years? The journey to the West to obtain the scriptures will only take a few years. Besides, who knows if anyone will still remember you, this monkey, after ten thousand years? Who will be kind enough to let you out?"

Bodhisattva, if you accept my good intentions, I will definitely take good care of you in the future.

"If you don't want to go to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures, then I have the means. You'd better make your own choice."

This monkey, though it has the most despicable appearance and is inherently wicked, is actually very cunning. It doesn't want to be suppressed here for the rest of its life.

Even going to the Western Paradise to retrieve the scriptures should be much easier than this. Thinking of this, and seeing that the Great Sun Dragon Bodhisattva was angry, he immediately begged for mercy, saying, "Bodhisattva, please don't be angry. I, the monkey, will listen to your teachings. I am willing to go to the Western Paradise to retrieve the scriptures!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan smiled and said, "That's good. When you come out in the future, I will definitely treat you well. If you encounter any trouble in the future, you can come to me, and I will solve it for you."

If you ever offend someone you can't afford to offend in the future, you can ask me to help you out.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong thought to himself: "I've really found a powerful backer! But if Tang Sanzang obeys me in the future, I'll protect him and send him west. If he doesn't, it'll just give me an excuse to slip away."

Since the Bodhisattva rescued me, they won't suppress me again, right?

Thinking of this, Sun Wukong became even more impatient and asked, "Bodhisattva, when will the monk arrive?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan laughed and said, "There's no need to be in such a hurry. The monk will arrive in just two or three days."

I'm telling you, when that monk comes, you can explain the situation to him.

There's a talisman on this mountain that only that monk can remove. When he comes, make him remove the talisman, and you'll be free from the magical restrictions. Then you can smash this Five Finger Mountain to pieces and vent your anger.

Furthermore, the Buddha who suppressed you is also at odds with me. If you suffer any injustice in the future, you are welcome to come and seek me out.”

Chapter 527 Journey to the West

"You can also take him as your master. You will need to take good care of him in the future. The journey to the West to obtain the scriptures is a major event, and you must make sure he is well taken care of." After saying this, Li Xiuyuan left.

Li Xiuyuan turned and left, leaving only Sun Wukong on Five Finger Mountain.

Sun Wukong was eager to leave soon, but haste makes waste, and he had to wait another two or three days before the Tang Dynasty monk arrived.

A few days later, Sun Wukong was fast asleep when he suddenly felt someone passing by. He looked up and saw a monk.

Wukong called out, "Tang Dynasty monk, Tang Dynasty monk, here, here."

The monk had regular features and a handsome face, exuding an aura of righteousness. Hearing the voice, he looked around and finally saw Sun Wukong below.

The monk, with a kind face, slowly squatted down. He looked at the monkey without surprise and asked, "How do you, monkey, know that I am a monk from the Tang Dynasty?"

Wukong laughed and said, "The Great Sun Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva asked me to wait for you again and protect you on your journey to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures. Please let me out quickly."

Tang Sanzang was at a loss. Looking at the towering mountain, he couldn't help but complain, "You monkey, you're talking nonsense. I'm just a mortal with mortal eyes, how can I possibly rescue you from this towering mountain?"