Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

"Woo woo..." The tiger's voice was low and deep, as if it was begging Long Xiangtian for mercy. Long Xiangtian looked at the tiger lying on the ground and felt a pang of pity, hesitating whether to let it go.

Just as he hesitated, the tiger struggled and pounced on the dragon, knocking it to the ground and opening its blood-red maw to bite his neck.

Long Xiangtian held its neck tightly with both hands, preventing its scheme from succeeding, a sinister glint in his eyes.

That beast almost took advantage of his compassion and succeeded. Long Xiangtian couldn't imagine what would have happened if he hadn't reacted in time. He broke out in a cold sweat at the thought.

It seems I can no longer show mercy to this beast, otherwise no one can guarantee that he won't be the one to die.

Long Xiangtian hardened his heart, used all his strength, and twisted the tiger's head off. At that moment, a relic floated out from the tiger's body, while the tiger's body turned to ash and dissipated into the air.

In the Heavenly Palace, Bodhidharma, together with the Eastern Emperor and the Purple Emperor, knocked Wutian down from the Heavenly Court, severely injuring him. Upon seeing this, Bu Jingyun and Nie Feng fled in panic, and the Heavenly Court returned to its former tranquility for a time.

The immortals withdrew, leaving only the Jade Emperor sitting on the dragon throne in a daze. Others were secretly watching his position. He wondered if he could unite Buddhism and let gods and Buddhas coexist, so that he could become emperor.

After being banished from Heaven, Wutian first occupied Yama's palace to recuperate, and then drove Yama out of Yama's palace.

After this battle, Wutian's power was greatly reduced, and the world returned to peace. However, this peace is only temporary; it is the calm before the storm.

Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, and the Six-Eared Macaque searched for Zhu Bajie but had no clue. When they arrived at a desert, Tang Sanzang sensed the direction in which Zhu Bajie was.

As luck would have it, the group crossed the desert and arrived at the Monster Forest. The Monster Forest was home to many monsters, some of which had reached the level of a Grand Luo Immortal. Only a very few were now at the level of a Golden Immortal, and of course, most of them were Golden Immortals.

These high-level magical beasts each have their own territory, and no other low-level magical beast dares to overstep their authority or infringe upon it.

As soon as Sun Wukong and his companions entered the Demon Beast Forest, they saw two demon beasts at the level of Hunyuan Daluo Jinxian fighting. When they spotted each other, the two demon beasts stopped fighting and looked at Sun Wukong and his group warily.

Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang were also observing them: one was a celestial ape at the level of a Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal, and the other was a nine-tailed fox demon at the same level.

The apes of heaven and earth are known for their strength and speed, yet they are also agile. In short, they are strong and fast. The fox demon clan is skilled in seductive arts, especially the rare nine-tailed fox demons. Such high-ranking fox demons are enough to give everyone a hard time.

It seems we're facing another tough battle today.

The nine-tailed fox's body began to emit a captivating fragrance, which could make people lose their senses and become confused. This was the innate ability of the fox demon clan, and it was also the most deadly to enemies. Unless you had an exceptionally strong will, you would not be able to get past this hurdle.

"Everyone, quickly close your breath and don't smell these odors." Sun Wukong was the first to realize the nine-tailed fox demon's intention and thought to himself that this was bad. If people inhaled the gas, they would lose their senses in a second.

Thanks to Sun Wukong's reminder, the monks, the six-eared macaque, and the red-bottomed macaque did not inhale the strange fragrance. However, Tang Sanzang, who was closer, inhaled a little of the fragrance. Before anyone could react, Tang Sanzang attacked Sun Wukong and the monks who were closest to him, while the innate ape attacked the six-eared macaque and the red-bottomed macaque.

The nine-tailed fox demon controlled Tang Sanzang with her seductive arts. She originally thought that he was a Buddhist monk with a strong will and would not be interested in women, but she never expected that he would be controlled so easily.

Perhaps it's because Tang Sanzang never got close to women! Humans and gods alike are drawn to each other; attraction between the sexes is an unchanging truth since ancient times.

Tang Sanzang had been disguising himself for the sake of obtaining the scriptures, and he believed that this was his true nature until he encountered the nine-tailed fox demon, which finally revealed his true nature.

Seeing how easily she had controlled Tang Sanzang, the nine-tailed fox demon turned her attention to Sun Wukong. She began to use her seductive arts on him, but unfortunately, Sun Wukong was born from the seven-colored stone that Nuwa used to mend the sky, and he had no desires for heaven or earth. For Sun Wukong, it was all in vain.

Sun Wukong also vaguely sensed the nine-tailed fox demon's consciousness invading his mind, and knew that the problem lay with him.

Once this problem is solved, Tang Sanzang's mind will immediately return to normal.

Sun Wukong winked at the monk, then flipped over and appeared before the nine-tailed fox demon. Seeing Sun Wukong's sudden appearance, the nine-tailed fox demon tried to flee.

......

Chapter 981 Nine-Tailed Fox Demon

Sun Wukong used his Ruyi Jingu Bang to strike the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon. At the critical moment, the Six-Eared Macaque performed a backflip and pounced on Sun Wukong. It turned out that the Nine-Tailed Fox was trying to bewitch him with her charm.

Like Sun Wukong, the Six-Eared Macaque also discovered the fox demon's seductive arts. Watching Sun Wukong defeat the nine-tailed fox demon, he suddenly felt a pang of pity for her.

He truly hadn't expected that in such a brief moment of distraction, the Nine-Tailed Fox would seize the opportunity and directly control his consciousness.

Sun Wukong knew the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon was about to be captured, but the monk kept hindering his steps, preventing him from getting close to the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon.

The two groups fought fiercely, but in the end, the Heavenly Monkey was exhausted and was defeated first, giving Sun Wukong a chance to recover. The Nine-Tailed Fox Demon was exposed in her true form by a single blow from her staff.

After dealing with the nine-tailed fox demon and the celestial ape, everyone was in a very sorry state. Tang Sanzang never expected that he would be the first person to be bewitched by the nine-tailed fox demon, and neither did the others.

Ouyang Lan accidentally entered the Monster Forest. It has to be said that she was quite lucky. She entered the Monster Forest for a day and a night without encountering any particularly powerful monsters. However, when she tried to return, she found herself lost and had no idea how to get out of the place.

Heartbroken, Ouyang Lan spent the night in a tree. She thought a lot that night, but still couldn't figure it out. She couldn't believe that Long Xiangtian would betray their relationship.

However, Duan Mingzhu's feelings for her were seen through her eyes, and she had truly fallen in love with him. Therefore, she couldn't imagine what it would be like if Long Xiangtian left her.

She tossed and turned all night, unable to fall asleep, her mind filled with too many worries, yet she didn't know where to vent them.

Meanwhile, Long Xiangtian was also unable to sleep. He regretted why he had been so distracted in that situation. Now, Ouyang Lan had run away from home and disappeared without a trace. If he had another chance, he would definitely not let that Miss Duan get any closer to him.

It's too late to say anything now. If anything happens to Ouyang Lan, he will definitely break down. At this moment, he feels like every day is an eternity.

As dawn broke, Ouyang Lan drifted off to sleep without realizing it. When she woke up the next day, a cute little bird was flying around above her head, staring at her, and then it became attached to her. It was this little bird, whose species she didn't know, that saved her several times when she was in danger.

But good luck doesn't last forever. One day, Ouyang Lan was wandering aimlessly in the Monster Forest when a pack of ice wolves suddenly appeared. These wolves weren't high-level, but there were many of them. She only had a bird for company, and as expected, Ouyang Lan and her bird were pitifully suppressed by the pack of wolves.

Ouyang Lan once thought that these wolves were playing with them, like cats playing with mice until they were dead. Otherwise, why wouldn't they bite them to death with a single branch, instead giving them the opportunity to escape under their noses time and time again, only to be dragged back again and again?

After several escape attempts and recaptures, Ouyang Lan had lost all hope.

When the wolves gave them another chance to escape, Ouyang Lan decided to close her eyes and rest, perhaps because her indifference angered the wolves.

The dispersing wolf pack gradually formed a circle around them, emitting the long howls characteristic of wolves.

Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang's group encountered high-level divine beasts along the way, but they posed no great threat to them. Sun Wukong, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped and listened intently.

"Master, did you hear anything? It sounds like a pack of wolves." Sun Wukong listened for a long time, scratched his ears and cheeks, and jumped around a few times before speaking.

"Huh? I didn't hear anything! Did you hear anything?" Tang Seng listened carefully. The surroundings were quiet. He could only hear their breathing. There were no other noises. After confirming that there was no sound, he asked the others in confusion.

"I heard it, it's the sound of wolves." The six-eared macaque twitched its ears and listened carefully, finally confirming that it was the sound of wolves howling.

"Master, let's go take a look!" The howling of the wolves sounded strange, as if they were coming very fast and urgently.

"Alright then!" Tang Seng also wanted to know what exactly was ahead, and why he was so insensitive to his voice.

Filled with questions and bewilderment, Sun Wukong and his companions walked toward the pack of wolves.

Upon closer inspection, one could see a woman covered in blood, her face pale, lying under a tree, surrounded by all the other wolves.

Originally, Sun Wukong didn't want to get involved in this matter, but the moment they arrived, they were spotted by the pack of ice wolves. Perhaps knowing that the woman was already their prey, they gradually moved from the woman to surround Sun Wukong and his companions.

Now it was impossible for them to turn around and leave. Sun Wukong immediately regretted it. Why was he so curious? Now there was going to be another tough battle.

Individually, these ice wolves are weak, but when they multiply, even a Grand Luo Immortal would not gain any advantage. Moreover, they are a very intelligent species with an instinctive reaction to external dangers, and they like to wear down their enemies' fighting power and stamina like cats playing with mice.

Yet they also relished the thrill of their enemies escaping their clutches time and time again, which is why the scene just now unfolded.

It took Sun Wukong and his companions a great deal of effort to defeat the pack of ice wolves. Seeing their strength, the remaining ice wolves retreated.

The most distinctive feature of the ice wolf pack is their exceptional unity. If anyone manages to harm more than one-fifth of them, the ice wolf king will organize the other ice wolves to retreat safely. Therefore, they are considered a major bully in the Monster Forest.

Generally, magical beasts that know about them will keep their distance when they see them. Almost no magical beasts dare to enter their territory. Even if some magical beasts do dare to come, no matter if you are a Hunyuan Daluo Loose Immortal or a Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal, they will make sure you never return.

................

Chapter 982 Heavenly Court War Begins

The pack of ice wolves fled, and Sun Wukong went forward to investigate. He discovered that the girl was actually Long Xiangtian's woman. He wondered how she had ended up here, but perhaps by being with her, he could soon find Zhu Bajie's location.

Sun Wukong used this excuse to save Ouyang Lan, so Ouyang Lan will definitely know their location.

Ouyang Lan woke up from her coma two days later, by which time they had reached the outskirts of the Monster Forest.

In the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor pondered the matter and decided that he would feel more at ease if he could subdue the Buddhas. However, as time went on, things were bound to get complicated. After the battle with Wutian, the Jade Emperor's ambitions grew even more.

By this time, he had been eyeing Buddhism for a long time. He wanted to make Buddhism his own, especially since Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, and the Eighteen Arhats all had real skills.

To be honest, the Jade Emperor used to not take Buddhism seriously at all. But things are different now. With many powerful figures emerging in Buddhism, the Jade Emperor has inevitably started to have other ideas.

Previously, Buddhism posed no threat to his position, but now it's different. Bodhidharma, Sun Wukong, and Tang Sanzang all possess profound magical powers and are capable generals wherever they are.

At this moment, the Jade Emperor felt extremely regretful. Why had he given Sun Wukong to Buddhism in the first place, causing him such a heavy loss? He should have kept him to serve the Heavenly Court himself.

However, Sun Wukong is now the Victorious Fighting Buddha, so whatever ideas the Jade Emperor may have are irrelevant.

The Jade Emperor sought out Maitreya Buddha and had a profound discussion with him: "Now that the world is in chaos, the best way to deal with the enemy is for the Heavenly Court and Buddhism to unite." In the Jade Emperor's mind, Maitreya Buddha was still the same easy-going young man he used to be, so he didn't beat around the bush and took the initiative to make the suggestion.

"Oh, Amitabha! Your Majesty is joking. I am a monk, how could I possibly be at odds with the Heavenly Court? Your Majesty, please do not bring up such absurd matters again." Maitreya Buddha was very displeased upon hearing the Jade Emperor's words and hurriedly said, "Are you kidding me? Back then, the Jade Emperor was afraid that Buddhism would hold them back, so he took the initiative to separate from them. Now, with just a word, he wants them to go back? Is that possible?"

Putting aside whether he wants to or not, what would happen if the Eighteen Arhats and Sun Wukong knew about this? Wouldn't they cheer him on?

"Maitreya Buddha, making cakes with the Heavenly Court will not harm you, and you are still the Buddha now. No one can shake your position, so you don't need to worry too much." In the Jade Emperor's mind, Maitreya Buddha was the Buddha who used to not dare to utter a single word, but he never thought that the current Maitreya Buddha was no longer the same as before.

"Amitabha Buddha, the Jade Emperor is joking. This matter should not be mentioned again. Putting aside whether I am willing or not, my subordinates certainly will not agree." Maitreya Buddha was immediately dissatisfied upon hearing the Jade Emperor's order. In the past, because his magical power was not high, the Jade Emperor always regarded him as superior.

The past is the past. He is no longer the same person he was before, and he has many talented subordinates. Only a fool would agree to merge with the Heavenly Court and be controlled by others!

"Maitreya Buddha, don't forget that without me, you wouldn't be where you are today. Now that you've grown wings, you can fly solo." The Jade Emperor was furious, partly because he had suffered too many shocks recently, and partly because he was unwilling to accept that someone he used to look down on had become stronger than him.

"Your Majesty is too kind. If there is nothing else, Maitreya will take his leave. Amitabha." Maitreya's eyes were cold. Hearing the Jade Emperor's words, he felt extremely disgusted. Perhaps the Jade Emperor would soon begin to deal with them.

The Jade Emperor watched helplessly as Maitreya Buddha left before him without taking a single cloud with him. He was so angry that he was fuming. If looks could kill, Maitreya Buddha would have died a hundred thousand times over by now.

As soon as Maitreya Buddha returned to the Western Paradise, he discussed this matter with the eighteen Arhats.

After listening to Maitreya Buddha's explanation, Bodhidharma decided to strike first to avoid being on the defensive and to catch the Heavenly Court off guard.

However, the Arhat Subduing Tiger thought differently from Bodhidharma. The Arhat Subduing Tiger believed that the Jade Emperor was just talking the talk and would never actually fight against the Western Paradise. After all, it was not an easy thing for two forces to clash.

The Western Heaven army split into two factions. One faction believed that they should strike first and attack the Heavenly Court to catch the Jade Emperor off guard, while the other faction, led by the Tiger-Taming Arhat, agreed to remain still and respond to all changes with constancy. Everyone had their own opinion, and no one was willing to compromise.

While the Buddhas in the Western Paradise were engaged in heated discussions, the Jade Emperor had already assembled his forces, led by Li Tianwang and Nezha, and marched into the Western Paradise.

After careful consideration, the Jade Emperor's desire to reclaim the Western Paradise intensified, and he couldn't wait any longer. After Maitreya Buddha, he feared that things might change if he waited too long, so he decided to strike first and take over the Western Paradise before they could react.

The Jade Emperor was making a grand plan, his only goal being to reclaim the Western Paradise. What he feared was that Wutian would recover from his injuries and come to Heaven to seek revenge. If the Western Paradise did not lend them a hand, then there was a high possibility that it would be conquered by Wutian.

The Jade Emperor dared not gamble, nor could he gamble.