Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was overjoyed and said, "You're the one who told me to leave, so don't regret it."

As for Tang Sanzang, he was a highly accomplished monk. Even though Sun Wukong kept calling him a bald donkey and his face turned ashen, he still calmly said, "Go, this humble monk will not regret it."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong cheered and rode away on a cloud.

At this mountain pass, only Tang Sanzang remained. Tang Sanzang had intended to bury the others, but he had no idea of ​​this scene, so he could only mount his white horse and leave.

After traveling several miles from the mountain pass, and no longer seeing the bodies of the bandits, he dismounted and began chanting sutras, hoping to help them find peace.

However, he kept silently chanting in his heart, "Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor. I'll kill those surnamed Sun, and I'll pray for the souls of those surnamed Tang. Retribution will be swift in the future, so don't choose the wrong target."

Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor. Those surnamed Sun who are killed, those surnamed Tang who will find peace in the afterlife. Retribution will be swift; Mo Yan chose the wrong target.

After about half an hour, Tang Sanzang looked up and saw that it was getting late. He then mounted the white dragon horse with a clear conscience, thinking to himself: "Retribution will surely come, and it shouldn't find me again."

Then, with a flick of the reins, they headed west.

As for Sun Wukong, having obtained it, he was naturally happy and played around for a while before preparing to return to Flower Fruit Mountain.

Even if the Great Sun Dragon Bodhisattva Master blames him in the future, he will have a reason to deal with it. If the Dragon Bodhisattva Master asks about the matter, he can say that there were bandits robbing the road and they even wanted to kill him. In order to protect Tang Sanzang and for the sake of future travelers, he had no choice but to kill those bandits.

Unexpectedly, his good deed led to him being chased away by Tang Sanzang, leaving him nowhere to go. He had no choice but to return to his hometown, Flower Fruit Mountain.

It seems that a confrontation is inevitable in the future. Even the bald monk Tang Sanzang couldn't offer a clear explanation.

Chapter 530 Persuading Wukong

As for Wukong, after leaving Tang Sanzang and traveling around, he wanted to return to his Water Curtain Cave on Flower Fruit Mountain after a day or two.

The monkey decided to go as it pleased, and rode the clouds to the blessed land of Flower Fruit Mountain. He was worried that the Great Sun Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva would come to cause trouble, but he didn't think too much about it and immediately prepared to go to his hometown in the blessed land of Flower Fruit Mountain.

However, just as he was riding the clouds to Huaguo Mountain, a restriction suddenly appeared out of thin air, blocking his way.

Sun Wukong was unwilling to admit defeat, so he immediately took out his staff and started smashing at the barrier in front of him. After smashing for a while, Sun Wukong got tired and lay down on the ground to rest for a moment.

Just then, Li Xiuyuan appeared in front of Sun Wukong without anyone noticing. Li Xiuyuan said, "Disciple, weren't you imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain? Why are you out today?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong looked up and saw that it was Li Xiuyuan. He immediately knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Master, Master, your disciple pays respects to you. Master, I've missed you so much! I haven't seen you for five hundred years since we parted ways."

Li Xiuyuan pretended to be serious and asked, "Tell me, how did you get out of Wuzhi Mountain?"

Sun Wukong sighed and said, "Master, you don't know how much I've suffered these past few hundred years. Every day I've been pressed under the Five Fingers Mountain, unable to move an inch. Until a few days ago, a Great Sun Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva told us to be a pilgrim on a pilgrimage."

I met a monk named Tang Sanzang who rescued me, and I escorted him all the way to the Western Paradise to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures, working tirelessly without complaint.

Two days ago, I encountered some bandits while passing through a mountain, and I killed them all. Unexpectedly, that stinking monk not only didn't thank me, but actually chased me away.

Li Xiuyuan smiled upon hearing this and said, "That Tang Sanzang is just a mortal, with only mortal eyes and a mortal body. He can't defeat demons or bandits. That's why he needs your protection. If you don't protect him, how can a mortal like him travel to the Western Paradise?"

Sun Wukong greatly admired Li Xiuyuan. Back when he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, Li Xiuyuan had also wreaked havoc there, but compared to Li Xiuyuan, Sun Wukong's actions were nothing.

He himself only fought his way to the heavens, but was later defeated by the Buddha and imprisoned under the Five Finger Mountain, unable to move for five hundred years. Li Xiuyuan, on the other hand, fought his way to the heavens, beat up the four Jade Emperors, and even broke the Zhou Tian Star Array. His strength was comparable to that of a saint, and his battle in the Heavenly Court made him famous throughout the Three Realms.

Unlike myself, who was imprisoned under the Five Fingers Mountain for five hundred years, and even after being rescued, I had to act as a bodyguard to protect Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

However, upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was very dissatisfied to hear Li Xiuyuan speaking up for Tang Sanzang, and said, "Why is Master always taking that monk's side? He's the one who chased me away."

Li Xiuyuan said, "Since you have received the favor of the Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva and promised him something, how can you give up halfway? You must do what you promised."

Sun Wukong could tell from Li Xiuyuan's words that he was being blamed, so he immediately asked, "Master, do you mean I should go back and find that monk?"

Li Xiuyuan smiled and said, "My disciple is truly clever. Since you have promised, you should do it. Go ahead."

Having just suffered an injustice at Tang Sanzang's place, Sun Wukong was unwilling to go again and begged for mercy, saying, "Master, I do not wish to serve that bald monk anymore. Please grant my request."

Li Xiuyuan looked at Sun Wukong and smiled, "Master knows you've been wronged, but be careful. When you get back, I'll conjure up a few bandits to capture Tang Sanzang. Then you can go and rescue him, and he'll be eternally grateful to you."

Sun Wukong wavered slightly upon hearing this, but he was still somewhat unwilling and said, "Master, I don't want to go. I never want to go back to that bald monk's side again."

Seeing Sun Wukong's stubbornness, Li Xiuyuan said again, "Wukong, if you go to help Tang Sanzang obtain the scriptures, I will teach you a great supernatural power, how about it?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong immediately became interested and asked, "Supernatural power? What kind of supernatural power?"

Li Xiuyuan said, "This supernatural power is called Fiery Eyes. As long as you use this supernatural power, you can tell at a glance whether it is a demon, a human, or a deity or Buddha. No matter how powerful a demon is, it cannot escape the Fiery Eyes."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's mouth watered, and he asked, "Is it really as miraculous as Master described?"

Li Xiuyuan laughed and said, "Of course, would I need to lie to you?"

Upon hearing this, Wukong immediately said, "If Master were to pass on this supernatural power to me, and conjure up a few bandits to bind Tang Sanzang so that I could go and rescue him, I would save face and gain something in return. I am willing to go."

Li Xiuyuan laughed and scolded, "You little monkey."

Li Xiuyuan then waved his right hand, revealing a furnace. He said, "This is the Eight Trigrams Furnace of Laozi in the Tushita Palace. Go inside and explore it. You will be able to refine the Fiery Eyes of Truth." He then opened the top of the furnace, waiting for Sun Wukong to enter.

Wukong, however, was somewhat timid and asked, "Master, what if I go in and the eternal flames in the Eight Trigrams Furnace burn me to death?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan shook his head helplessly and said, "With your master here, I will certainly not let anything happen to you. If you didn't want this supernatural power, that would be fine, but you made me go all the way from the Heavenly Court to the Tushita Palace to find this furnace."

Sun Wukong certainly didn't want to miss out on this supernatural power, nor did he want to displease Li Xiuyuan. In addition, he trusted Li Xiuyuan completely, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Master, your disciple will go in now."

Hearing Sun Wukong say this, Li Xiuyuan laughed and said, "It's good that you're so obedient. Why would your master want to harm you? Hurry up and go inside. Once you've mastered the Fiery Eyes, you'll be going to find Tang Sanzang. Don't delay."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong immediately nodded, then transformed into a ray of light and entered the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

Li Xiuyuan looked at Sun Wukong, who had already run into the furnace, and said, "It's very difficult to endure in the furnace, but you just need to endure it for a while, and you'll be done."

Chapter 531 Sharp Eyes

As for Sun Wukong, he entered the Eight Trigrams Furnace in Li Xiuyuan's hands and underwent the test of ten thousand years of mysterious fire in order to develop fiery eyes.

As soon as he entered the furnace, a raging fire burned towards Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong dodged left and right, but he could not avoid it all. His monkey buttocks were charred.

Sun Wukong was also at a loss, and immediately asked the outside, "Master, should I avoid this Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Flame or not?"

Li Xiuyuan calmly replied, "Let it be. If you can avoid it, then take it; if you can't, then don't. Be careful, your master will protect your life, but you'll suffer a little."

After a while, Sun Wukong could no longer bear the raging flames and cried out, "Master, Master, I can't take it anymore! Open the furnace and release him quickly!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but scold, "You monkey, you're always so clumsy! You refuse to send Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West at the slightest disagreement. And the moment you have a thought, you end up in the furnace. Now that you're feeling uncomfortable, you want to give up? Things in this world aren't always as simple as you think, where everything can be undone!"

When you wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace that day, do you think Buddha didn't kill you, or why the Heavenly Court let you fight back? It was all because of your master's sake.

Do you know that because you were imprisoned under the Five Finger Mountain, your master went to find the Buddha, first beat him up, and then beat up Dipankara Buddha? Otherwise, why would that Bodhisattva ask the pilgrim to rescue you?

What a clumsy monkey!

Why did I send you on your journey to the West to retrieve the scriptures? Once you attain enlightenment and become a Buddha, who would dare look down on you? No one would say I took a wild monkey as my disciple. Your master did all this for your own good, but you've proven to be so unruly.”

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong understood and immediately said, "This disciple was unaware of Master's kindness and begs for forgiveness. This disciple will not go out again until I have mastered the Fiery Eyes of Truth."

All of Sun Wukong's doubts were now resolved: why could a monkey like him command the respect of all the heavenly gods and generals? Even the Buddha himself dared not kill him, and could only imprison him under the Five Fingers Mountain.

Later, for no apparent reason, a Bodhisattva appeared and rescued him, sending him to the Western Paradise to retrieve the scriptures and attain Buddhahood. It seems all of this was because he was Li Xiuyuan's disciple. No one else dared to touch him.

Thinking of this, Sun Wukong felt even more grateful to Li Xiuyuan and calmed down inside the furnace.

Meanwhile, Sun Wukong dodged and weaved inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace, constantly shifting his position, but the Ten Thousand Year Mystic Fire still burned off all his monkey fur, and his skin was charred black.

Sun Wukong's eyes were burned by the Ten Thousand Year Mystic Fire and he could not open them. After a long while, eighty-one quarters, Li Xiuyuan said, "Wukong."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong asked, "Master, is it alright now?"

Li Xiuyuan nodded and smiled, "You've reached the eighty-one mark. You've mastered the art of sharp eyes."

Sun Wukong was overjoyed upon hearing this and said, "Then Master, please let me out quickly."

Li Xiuyuan said, "No!"

Sun Wukong was puzzled and asked from inside the furnace, "Master, I have already mastered the Fiery Eyes of Truth, why won't you let me out? If you don't let me out, I'm really going to be burned to death."

Li Xiuyuan said indifferently, "You monkey, you're too careless. This time you abandoned Tang Sanzang and almost ruined my important business, so I have to punish you. I'll punish you by making you stay in the furnace for a little longer to burn away your mischievousness."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong felt bitter. He had been driven away by Tang Sanzang, yet he was still to be punished by his own master. He was speechless for a moment and could only silently endure it.

Outside the cauldron, Li Xiuyuan's continuous admonitions could be heard: "Disciple, do you know that when I first began cultivating immortality, I had to be tolerant in every way, unlike you, who have a master to rely on, and no one dares to touch you."

However, there are always people more capable than your master. There are those stronger than him, and those who don't respect him. In the future, you should think twice before acting.

Master knows you feel wronged, but Wukong, if you don't know how to humble yourself, you will get into big trouble one day, and even your master won't be able to protect you.

When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. When you travel west with Tang Sanzang, you must obey his every word and be patient with him. Once you reach the Western Paradise, I've already paved the way for you. I'll directly appoint you as a Buddha, placing you alongside the Tathagata Buddha, so no one will dare look down on you then.

"I've said all I could say, and done all I could do. Wukong, you'd better take care of yourself."

Sun Wukong knew, of course, that Li Xiuyuan meant well for him, and he was so moved that he burst into tears of gratitude. He said, "Disciple has learned a lot and will certainly follow Master's teachings."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan nodded calmly. After a moment, he spoke again, "Wukong, come out. I'll be there in a quarter of an hour."

Then, Li Xiuyuan opened the furnace. Sun Wukong transformed into a streak of light and flew past.

Seeing that Sun Wukong was charred black, with only his eyes blazing, Li Xiuyuan reached out and sent a stream of light that landed on Sun Wukong, instantly restoring him to his original state.

Only then did Li Xiuyuan speak up: "Wukong, try out your Fiery Eyes of Truth. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong immediately activated his Fiery Eyes of Truth, scanning the surroundings with great satisfaction.

Wukong then used his senses to look around and said, "Master, these Fiery Eyes are really amazing. They can tell the true form of anything at a glance."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan smiled calmly and said, "Is Wukong satisfied?"

Wukong dared not say no. He put his hands together and bowed to Li Xiuyuan, saying, "This disciple is quite satisfied with this supernatural power. Thank you for your kindness, Master."

Li Xiuyuan waved his hand and said, "It's nothing, get up quickly."

After Sun Wukong stood up, he said, "Master, am I really going to ride on that Tang Sanzang's disciple and be enslaved by him all the way? I am truly unwilling."

Li Xiuyuan scoffed and said, "Wukong, how can you not understand? This is precisely your cultivation. Once you deliver Tang Sanzang to the Western Paradise, you will have completed your cultivation and become the Buddha. Once you become the Buddha, besides your master, who else will dare to criticize you?"