Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

"What should we do! The Jade Emperor is here, what should we do, what should we do?" the Queen Mother asked anxiously.

Then he added, "If he sees you here, he'll kill you and me. I know her."

The Six-Eared Macaque was originally in disguise and was naturally playful. Upon seeing this, he stopped pretending to be a gentleman and transformed back into his monkey form, startling the Queen Mother into screaming.

Upon hearing this sound, the Jade Emperor thought something major had happened and instantly appeared beside the Queen Mother. There he saw "Sun Wukong" laughing heartily.

"You old Jade Emperor, your wife is truly amusing. I intended to frighten her, but who knew that upon seeing me transformed into a refined gentleman, she would become shy and demure, like a virgin. Where is the dignity and image of the Queen Mother? Haha!" The Six-Eared Macaque laughed so hard his chest was pressed against his back.

The Jade Emperor had rushed over because he was worried about the Queen Mother's safety, but he never expected things to turn out like this. He was already halfway to being cuckolded.

Upon seeing this, the Queen Mother hurriedly explained, "No! No! Jade Emperor, please let me explain."

The Jade Emperor, who was the Son of Heaven of Nine Dragons, could not bear such embarrassment, so he angrily shouted: "Have I not treated you well? How could you do such a despicable thing?" But with outsiders present, he could not say more, so he thought to himself: "Today I must leave this demon monkey here, otherwise my embarrassing situation will be known throughout the Three Realms in the future."

No sooner said than done, he charged forward, saying nothing more! "You demon monkey, prepare to die!"

Unexpectedly, the Six-Eared Macaque stepped onto his somersault cloud and ran away, mocking, "Old Jade Emperor, I, your old Sun, will come to play again another day. I'll take my leave now."

But after all, the Jade Emperor had already entered the realm of the Primordial Golden Immortal, which was something that the Six-Eared Macaque, a Primordial Golden Immortal at this time, could not compare to.

His first move was the Zhou Tian Star Formation, one of the three great ancient formations. Even Li Xiuyuan, a Grand Immortal of the Primordial Chaos, found it extremely troublesome. This Six-Eared Macaque could not possibly withstand it.

But just as the mantis stalks the cicada unaware of the oriole behind, when Wutian summoned the Six-Eared Macaque to cause trouble in the Heavenly Palace, he took out his World-Destroying Demon Lotus to help him, after all, Wutian knew the Jade Emperor's strength at this time.

It must be said that Wutian's intelligence is almost comparable to that of the real Wutian; every step of his plan seems to have been meticulously considered. This is because Wutian is currently preparing to lead the demonic path, as the leader of the Demonic Sect, to conquer the Heavenly Court and Mount Ling.

The moment the World-Destroying Demon Lotus was unleashed, it flew hundreds of thousands of miles away. The Jade Emperor wanted to give chase, but was stopped by the Queen Mother and could only give up in frustration.

He roared at the Queen Mother, "You harlot, what explanation do you have?! If you don't give me a proper explanation today, see how I deal with you!"

The Queen Mother was already in tears. She had thought she had found a confidant, someone to whom she could confide her deepest secrets, but she never imagined she had been so thoroughly fooled by a monkey. "If he were truly sincere to me, I would be willing!" she thought. "But now, all I feel is pure hatred." She thought, "Sun Wukong, I'll make you pay!"

However, it was too late to say anything at this point, but he still had to explain. After all, he was in the wrong, and besides, the Jade Emperor wouldn't let it go so easily.

"Jade Emperor," the Queen Mother asked hesitantly.

However, the Jade Emperor was, after all, the supreme ruler, and he had some restraint, so he said, "Let's go back first, and we'll talk about it when we get back."

But the Queen Mother knew this. This seemingly powerful and glamorous Jade Emperor was, in reality, more vengeful than anyone else. Despite her outward appearance of glory, the Jade Emperor had long since lost all interest in her. Although to outsiders she might still possess her charm, to him she was merely a figurehead; after all, the empress's favor was easily lost!

Especially after Li Xiuyuan caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace with the God-Slaying Spear, his temper has grown even more. In recent years, after becoming a Saint, he has become even more unfriendly to me, using martial arts as an excuse to not see me for half a month at a time.

Inside the royal palace, the Jade Emperor looked at the Queen Mother with a stern face. He said, "From now on, in the eyes of outsiders, everything will remain the same. When there are no outsiders, you may leave as you see fit." With that, he shattered the table with a palm strike and waved his hand away.

Upon arriving at the Lingxiao Palace, he immediately summoned the Six Ding and Six Jia, the Four-Finger Merit Officer, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Thirty-Eight Divine Generals, the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, and the Four Heavenly Kings. He declared, "That Buddhist demon monkey dares to disregard my Heavenly Court, treating me as nothing! Does he truly believe I am invincible? I hereby order the Six Ding and Six Jia, the Four-Finger Merit Officer, and the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King to lead 100,000 heavenly soldiers to capture that demon monkey!"

This action, seemingly aimed at capturing the demon monkey, was actually a deliberate test by the Jade Emperor to probe the Buddhist sect. If the Buddhist sect were to come out, he would have to devise a more elaborate plan; but if the Buddhist sect ignored him, he could capture the demon monkey. It was a win-win situation. After all, he was now a Grand Luo Golden Immortal, and his ambitions had long since surpassed his current level. However, he had remained cautious due to his fear of the two sages of the Western Paradise, and now he had the perfect opportunity to use this pretext.

Dipankara Buddha was also nearing his passing, and Wutian, watching the weakening of both sides, was quite pleased with himself as he observed the power struggle. How would the balance of power in the Three Realms shift? For them, an unprecedented catastrophe was slowly descending upon the Three Realms...

Chapter 830 Bodhidharma's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms - Eighteen Arhats

Meanwhile, Li Xiu, who was cultivating in seclusion in the Pangu Palace, was comprehending the laws of the Dao. He knew that his steps should not, and could not, linger here; the Heavenly Dao and even the Great Dao were the goals he sought. He was creating an achievement unprecedented and unparalleled.

Meanwhile, the Evil Corpse Wutian had firmly established himself as a Grand Luo Immortal and mastered the God-Slaying Spear. Furthermore, thanks to his machinations, the Heavenly Court had grown dissatisfied with Buddhism and even showed signs of challenging them to a duel.

Sun Wukong was ambushed in the underworld and rescued by Tang Sanzang. The two were on their way back to Buddhism. Little did they know that the Six-Eared Macaque's rampage in the Heavenly Palace had caused Sun Wukong considerable trouble.

The Jade Emperor dispatched the Six Ding and Six Jia, along with the Four-Finger Merit Officer, leading 100,000 heavenly soldiers to the Western Paradise, at the foot of Mount Ling.

Because at this time the Heavenly Court and Buddhism were still one family and had not yet reached the point of tearing each other apart, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King stepped forward and said, "I am Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, and I have been ordered by the Jade Emperor to escort the demon monkey Sun Wukong back to the Heavenly Court for trial."

The Buddhist chant reached the hall, causing Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang, who had just returned from the underworld, to exchange bewildered glances. Sun Wukong, however, was not one to shy away from trouble, and having been tricked by King Yama Qin Guang for some time, he was looking for an outlet for his frustration. He was about to go into battle when Tang Sanzang stopped him. After all, as their master, Jin Chanzi was not as impulsive as the monkey. A moment's thought revealed that acting rashly was unwise.

Then, addressing Maitreya Buddha, the nominal ruler of the Western Paradise, he said, "Buddha, let the future Buddha, Bodhidharma, go out and see what's going on. After all, after a period of arduous cultivation, Bodhidharma, now the leader of the Eighteen Arhats, has already reached the strength of a perfect Golden Immortal. It would be good for him to undergo some training. As the saying goes, 'Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles,' talk is cheap. Let this future Buddha gain the respect of the masses. Perhaps he might even have an opportunity to break through. However, becoming a Great Luo Golden Immortal isn't something one can achieve easily, but he still needs to try and gain experience. Besides, the Buddhist sect has no fewer powerful figures than the Heavenly Court. Even if we can't defeat them, protecting ourselves is certainly not a problem."

What do you think?

After listening, Bodhidharma knew that they were all Li Xiuyuan's confidants and were doing this for each other's benefit, so he didn't refuse. He stood up and said, "Alright, then let me meet this Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King."

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the foot of Mount Ling: "Who is making such a racket here? Do they think that our Buddhist sect has no one to rely on?"

Upon seeing this, Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, assumed that Bodhidharma was still a perfected immortal and laughed, "So it's Bodhidharma." Hearing that he was now the future Buddha among the Buddhas of the Western Paradise due to Li Xiuyuan's promotion, he added, "Haha, future Buddha, I am here on the orders of the Jade Emperor to escort the demon monkey Sun Wukong back to the Heavenly Court for trial. Will you stop me?" It was practically a modern-day version of the fox borrowing the tiger's power.

Bodhidharma, having experienced many trials and tribulations, replied to Sun Wukong, "I wonder, Your Majesty, what has our Victorious Fighting Buddha done to warrant such a grand commotion from the Jade Emperor to demand his release from the Western Paradise?"

Li Jing was extremely arrogant, claiming that this matter was on the Jade Emperor's orders. "Sun Wukong doesn't take the Heavenly Court seriously. He caused a huge disturbance in the Heavenly Palace as soon as he sprang from the stone, and the Jade Emperor, being magnanimous, didn't take it to heart. But just now he's caused trouble again in the Heavenly Court. Tell me, shouldn't he be brought back for trial?!" Li Jing said confidently. After all, the Jade Emperor's strength had now reached the level of a saint, and he was no longer what he used to be.

After listening, Bodhidharma chuckled and said, "A few days ago, Wukong went to the underworld to demand an explanation because the Jinghe Dragon King was wrongfully killed and he was like a brother to the White Dragon of the Eight Heavenly Dragons. He just returned to the Buddhist sect a moment before you. How can you say that he is causing trouble in the Heavenly Palace again?"

Besides, why would Wukong bother running around your Heavenly Palace? Why not come to my perfectly good Buddhist temple? The implication is that your Heavenly Court is comparable to the sacred Buddhist site.

Li Jing was momentarily speechless, then said, "How would I know? Maybe that monkey has gone mad. This is definitely your excuse. Tens of thousands of people in Heaven saw that rascal flee to the Lingxiao Palace after being confronted by the Jade Emperor. How could it be false? We are all immortals, do you think we would be deceived?!"

Upon hearing this, the Buddhist monks realized that something was amiss. Tang Sanzang then transmitted his voice to Bodhidharma, saying, "It seems that the Heavenly Court will not let this go, but we are not afraid of anything."

Upon hearing this, Bodhidharma understood that his attitude was to protect Sun Wukong. After all, this Hunyuan Daluo Sanxian was not a pawn to be discarded at will, especially since he and Bodhidharma were both disciples of Li Xiuyuan.

They said, "We won't hand Wukong over to you easily today until we've investigated this matter thoroughly. If you want him, you'll have to see how capable you are." After all, those who came were merely front-line soldiers, the so-called cannon fodder. The real masters were always observing. So, they didn't need to give the other side too much face in terms of their own strength.

Li Jing: "Very well! It seems we cannot avoid this battle today. Guards!"

"Here!" the 100,000 heavenly soldiers shouted in unison.

"Yes!" The six Ding and six Jia, along with the four-finger official, responded in unison.

This was quite shocking, but Bodhidharma, who had already reached the Golden Immortal stage, was extremely excited. After all, he had been cultivating diligently for a long time and had not fought. Only he himself could clearly feel this passion and desire.

In a flash, the Six Ding and Six Jia, along with the Four-Finger Merit Officer, rushed forward and charged at Bodhidharma. Relying on their numerical advantage—after all, they were all early-stage Golden Immortals, and their strength was immeasurable—Bodhidharma knew that a direct confrontation would be disadvantageous. He quickly retreated to dodge the attack.

Because at this time Bodhidharma had become the Dragon Subduing Venerable, and the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms had become his signature move, in the blink of an eye, he used the Dragon Tail Swing, a move that could overwhelm mountains and seas, to its fullest extent.

The Six Ding and Six Jia, along with the Four-Finger Merit Officer, were also guardian deities. Together, they managed to dissipate the dragon's tail. However, Bodhidharma remained as steady as Mount Tai, while the other side retreated several steps.

Upon seeing this, Bodhidharma unleashed another attack that shocked the world, its power surpassing even the Dragon Tail Sweep from before.

The Six Ding and Six Jia, using their combined power, absorbed the energy and returned it to Bodhidharma. There seems to be something remarkable about it.

Seeing this, the Four-Finger Servant was not willing to let go of any opportunity and attacked simultaneously from the four directions of front, left, right, up, and down!

Chapter 831 Bodhidharma Battles the Six Ding and Six Jia, and the Four Duty Officers

But Bodhidharma remained motionless.

Li Jing, standing to the side, laughed and said, "If Bodhidharma is so insignificant, yet he is the future Buddha, then it seems I could become the ruler of the Western Paradise."

Just as a sparrow cannot know the ambition of a swan, insignificant people are like frogs at the bottom of a well, unable to see the vast world outside. There are always mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people. Bodhidharma used his strength to show everyone all this.

He was using that technique, multitasking. He wanted to unleash the full power of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, to live up to his master Li Xiuyuan's expectations of him. Bodhidharma's limbs moved nimbly, his aura gathering around him! Faster and faster, until finally...

The moment I opened my eyes, it was dazzling with golden light!

The first move, "The Dragon Regrets Its Ascent," the second move, "The Flying Dragon in the Sky," and the third move, "The Flying Dragon in the Field," are combined and thrown out with the left hand!

The fourth move, "Wild Goose Gradually Approaching the Land," the fifth move, "Hidden Dragon, Do Not Act," and the sixth move, "Sudden Attack," are combined and thrown out with the right hand!

The seventh move, "Crossing the Great River," and the eighth move, "Shocking the Hundred Miles," are combined and kicked out with the left foot. The ninth move, "Dragon Leaps from the Abyss," is also combined.

The tenth move, "Double Dragons Drawing Water," the eleventh move, "Fish Leaping from the Abyss," and the twelfth move, "Riding Six Dragons," are all combined and kicked out with the right foot!

The four dragon shadows, showing no sign of weakness, met the oncoming four-finger Gong Cao head-on. Meanwhile, they clashed their remaining six palms against the secret technique of the Six Ding and Six Jia.

A deafening crash echoed through the heavens and earth. The aftershocks, like pebbles dropped into a calm lake, spread outwards, and outwards again!

After the deafening roar, the Heavenly Court's Six Ding and Six Jia soldiers, along with the Four-Finger Merit Officer, were scattered and collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood. Seeing this, a familiar scene washed over Li Jing. He remembered being beaten so badly by Li Xiuyuan that he had fled to who-knows-where, only stopping because Li Xiuyuan spared him out of respect for Laozi, one of the Three Pure Ones. Now, Li Xiuyuan's disciple was doing the same thing to him…

Seeing this, he fled in fear, ordering the remaining heavenly soldiers to hold him off, shouting, "Wait for me to call for reinforcements, you hold them off!"

Upon seeing this, the Buddhist monks burst into laughter. However, they no longer dared to doubt Li Xiuyuan's arrangements. Considering that his disciple Bodhidharma already possessed such spirit, they wondered what the eccentric Li Xiuyuan himself was capable of.

At this time, Li Xiuyuan, who was cultivating in seclusion, did not use his abilities to see through everything just because he had become a Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal. This was because he was also studying the Dao of Cangwu! He also had another intention: to ensure that those he cultivated could dominate their own regions, rather than relying on himself.

The remaining heavenly soldiers cursed, "Damn it, how did we end up with such a useless commander? But as soldiers, orders are law, and we had no choice but to step forward and stop Bodhidharma's advance."

But Bodhidharma was, after all, a monk, and indiscriminate killing was not his intention. So he said, "You all leave quickly, and I will not pursue this matter. The person I want is Li Jing."

Upon hearing this, the heavenly soldiers had already fled, since it was their own commander who had abandoned them first.

Bodhidharma pressed his advantage and soon caught up with the enemy at the South Heavenly Gate.

"Li Jing, let's see where you can run now!" Bodhidharma said with overwhelming momentum.

Terrified, Li Jing crawled on the ground at the South Heavenly Gate, trying to escape. Just as Bodhidharma reached out to capture him...

Dark clouds filled the sky: "How dare you! You dare to capture my Heavenly Court's people in the Heavenly Court's territory!" The Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Thirty-Eight Divine Generals, the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, and the remaining Three Heavenly Kings appeared.

Seeing this, the defeated Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, emboldened by his master's power, straightened his back considerably and said, "That's right! What audacity!"

However, everyone knew what kind of person he was, and since the people in the Heavenly Court were all under the Jade Emperor's control, they couldn't really mock him.

But Bodhidharma was different. He laughed and said, "What right do you have to speak? Why don't we have a contest?"

Startled, Li Jing immediately fled behind them.

It turned out that the Jade Emperor divided them into a second group, right behind the front-line soldiers, to rush to the Western Paradise to capture the demon monkey. After all, no man could tolerate being cuckolded, not even half a cuckold, let alone the Jade Emperor, the supreme ruler of the Primordial Golden Immortal!

However, as Li Xiuyuan's disciple, he showed no fear upon seeing this. On the contrary, it further fueled his fighting spirit.

Without further ado, they took action. The Twenty-Eight Shinjuku, as usual, advanced in numbers, each giving their all and leaving no chance for the other, because their Jade Emperor had spoken: "If we can leave one alive, we can avoid so many problems and obstacles in the activities to come."

Therefore, aside from the Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Thirty-Eight Heavenly Generals and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends wouldn't be like the main characters in TV dramas, fighting enemies in waves only to be swept away in the end. The combined strength of these one hundred and thirty-eight heavenly gods against Bodhidharma was no joke; he was sent flying in just three rounds.

Everyone thought they would fall to the ground in pain, but to everyone's great disappointment, they did not.

If the Jade Emperor could think of something, wouldn't the wise men of Buddhism have thought of it too? Just as Bodhidharma was chasing after Li Jing, Tang Sanzang originally wanted to call the remaining seventeen Arhats to provide support, but before he could even speak, they had already set off. This was because Bodhidharma was not only one of them, but also the Dragon-Subduing Venerable, their leader.

Moreover, the Eighteen Arhats Formation brought these eighteen arhats even closer together!