Chapter 74 - 74 74 The Great Saint is Very Spiritual

74: Chapter 74: The Great Saint is Very Spiritual 74: Chapter 74: The Great Saint is Very Spiritual Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva could only leave in a dejected state. Returning to the Pure Land, Amitabha Buddha sat upon the Nine-Colored Lotus Platform and asked, “What did that monkey say?” Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva recounted everything about his journey there. Of course, he omitted one detail, namely his assertion that Amitabha Buddha would definitely be victorious. What the outcome for Amitabha Buddha would be, Mahasthamaprapta did not know. He was certain that if he had spoken that line, he definitely would not have seen Amitabha Buddha’s outcome, because Amitabha Buddha would definitely kill him. It was now universally acknowledged that he was the newly emerged crow’s mouth of the Three Realms. Amitabha Buddha frowned and after a long silence, he finally said, “If I’m not mistaken, Sun Wukong has known for a long time that Tathagata is not dead, he might even know more details than us.” Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva was shocked, thinking about the behavior of Sun Wukong and the others, it was indeed possible. When he mentioned that Tathagata was not dead, their reaction was too calm, as if they had already known this news. Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva tentatively asked, “My Buddha, if we take action to help the Heavenly Court reclaim the Netherworld, I wonder if it’s possible?” Amitabha Buddha said indifferently, “Do not bring up this matter again. The conflict between me and Tathagata is an internal strife of the Buddhist Realm, and the Heavenly Court is the external enemy. If the Buddhist Realm wants to expand and even govern the Three Realms, turning them all into Buddha’s Kingdom, we absolutely cannot pull each other back.” All the Buddha Bodhisattvas present showed expressions of admiration. Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva’s mouth twitched. Amitabha Buddha’s words sounded nice, but when he contacted Sun Wukong to ask him to help Heavenly Court, wasn’t that pulling back as well? It was just the difference between indirect intervention and direct interference. He finally sensed a flaw in Amitabha Buddha, who was too cautious and seemed considerate but actually hesitated a lot, often retreating at crucial moments. Moreover, even though Amitabha Buddha was thick-skinned, he cared too much about others’ opinions. With such a disposition, how could he gain the upper hand in his struggle with Tathagata? Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva sighed inwardly and stood aside. At Huaguo Mountain, everyone went their separate ways. Ying Hook returned to the Yellow Springs Nether Sea. And Immortal Master Erlang returned to the Guan River Mouth. Having severely beaten the Jade Emperor, Immortal Master Erlang felt much more relieved. Sun Wukong reached the mountaintop, feeling the rhythm of nature and quietly reflecting on the Dao. Lu Dongbin was training some young monkeys, setting them on the path of cultivation. These young monkeys were also exceptionally talented, with a few able to transform already, assisting on the side. They were learning the authentic methods of the Daoist Sect from Lu Dongbin, all exuding a pure aura, clearly identifiable as descendants of the Daoists. Demons cultivating orthodox Daoist methods generally would not be subdued and eliminated by demon hunters. Finally, the battle in the Netherworld began. After half a month of standoff, Great Emperor Ziwei dispatched Marshal Tianpeng with a hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals to join forces with the Yellow Emperor inside the realm of the dead. The great battle erupted. Nobody expected the Buddhist Realm to be so resolute. Two Buddha ancestors presiding, along with several great Bodhisattvas, firmly blocked the Heavenly Court’s grand army. The fierce battle turned the Netherworld into a slaughterhouse, turning people’s brains into those of dogs. Out of two hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Divine Generals, only one hundred eleven thousand remained alive after the battle. The Buddhist Realm also saw many of its formidable beings fall, and most of its Buddhist Soldiers were annihilated. Yet, there was a continuous influx of Buddhist Soldiers, and hidden experts of the Buddhist Sect joined as well. Maitreya Buddha was covered in blood, some from his opponents, some from himself. His smile was gone, his expression solemn, looking at the Heavenly Court’s grand army before him, his eyes sparkling with a sharp light. Lamp-Burning Buddha, surrounded by a somewhat dim Buddha’s Light, suffered heavy injuries from the Yellow Emperor’s relentless attacks. Zhu Bajie’s Nine-Toothed Rake dripped with golden blood, the blood of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. However, he also had a large gash across his chest, severely wounded. The battle had reached a point where both sides were equally injured. Nobody anticipated that both sides would be so resolute. This was just the beginning of the war, and both sides had already lost half of their forces. The Yellow Emperor frowned deeply and said solemnly, “It seems the Buddhist Sect is truly determined to recapture the Netherworld. Marshal Tianpeng, could you possibly request Great Emperor Ziwei to send more troops? With our current strength, we cannot overcome the Buddhist Sect.” Zhu Bajie forced a smile. He shook his head slightly and said, “Your Majesty, Great Emperor Ziwei has already reached his limits by dispatching a hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals. He dares not weaken his own strength too much. You should understand his concerns.” The Yellow Emperor was well aware of this. Apart from Lady Houtu, all of the Four Heavenly Kings coveted the position of Great Heavenly Venerate. Currently, their strengths were roughly equal, and if any side suffered too great a loss, they would lose the eligibility to compete. Nobody wanted to overly weaken their own forces. That Great Emperor Ziwei could send a hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals was already quite substantial. Compared to the other three, Great Emperor Ziwei was significantly stronger. After some thought, the Yellow Emperor then said, “Now, if we want to recapture the Netherworld, there is only one way. We must trouble Marshal Tianpeng to undertake this task.” Zhu Bajie was instantly alert and immediately said, “Your Majesty, please speak. As long as it is within Tianpeng’s ability, he will not shirk it.” “Please invite Great Sage Equalling Heaven and Immortal Master Erlang to aid in the battle, then we still have a chance of victory,” the Yellow Emperor said. Zhu Bajie outright refused. “Your Majesty, please do not mention it again. This task, Tianpeng cannot accomplish. When my Monkey brother was suffering, who thought of rescuing him? Now that he is free, you think to invite him to aid in battle? Don’t you find it a bit laughable?” The Yellow Emperor sighed. He knew this principle too well, yet there was no other solution at the moment. What they lacked was a top-tier war god to breach the opponent’s defense and strike through. “Moreover, with the current situation, even if my brother Monkey came here, and we invited Immortal Master Erlang as well, it would be tough to break through the Buddhist Realm’s defense line. Who knows how many masters they have deployed?” Zhu Bajie continued speaking. Then, with a smirk on his face, he said, “In fact, we don’t need to be in a hurry about this matter. The Netherworld is controlled by the Buddhist Realm, the Daoist Immortals should be the ones truly anxious, not us. If they are not rushing to act, why should we? We can just set up camp here and wait. When our strength is sufficient, we can reclaim the Netherworld.” In the heavens, there were many whose strength exceeded that of Sun Wukong. Not to mention others, Taiyi Suffering Heavenly Venerate alone possessed unfathomable strength. The True Martial Demon-Subduing Emperor was highly esteemed; almost all demons and evil immortals trembled at the mere mention of his name. The Dharma Protector God of the Daoist Sect, Spiritual Official, once stood evenly matched with Sun Wukong in the Hall of Light; his strength was imaginable. These individuals should be the ones to act, not rely solely on his brother Monkey. Immortal Master Erlang, after fighting north and south, had slain countless harmful demons and immortals, earning great merit. Why should he risk himself in emergencies? Can’t those lofty immortal gods exert a little effort too? Zhu Bajie could invite them, but he chose not to. The Yellow Emperor understood Zhu Bajie’s intention. He sighed once more, understood his thoughts, and chose to say no more. Thus, he had to order his men to remain stationed without initiating any hostilities. The Buddhist Realm also didn’t dare provoke lightly, for it could lead to a great war. If other immortals from the Heavenly Court intervened, the Buddhist Realm might not withstand the numerous skilled individuals from the Daoist Sect. Lu Dongbin reported the dynamics of the Netherworld to Sun Wukong. His network was extensive, making it easy for him to gather information. Sun Wukong pondered for a moment before smiling and saying, “This fool, he has become smarter and more loyal as he ages.” Lu Dongbin was puzzled. Sun Wukong had no intention of explaining. He gazed towards the Eastern Continent; the power of incense and fire had significantly grown in recent days. It made Sun Wukong curious, eager to check it out. He took Lu Dongbin and others with him and directly left Huaguo Mountain for the Eastern Continent. “Great Sage Temple? Could it be a place where they worship the Great Saint?” Lu Dongbin and the others were also surprised. They saw that within the Great Sage Temple, the incense was thriving, with crowds lining up in turn to offer incense to the Great Saint. “Why not?” Sun Wukong kept a straight face. He felt the growing strength of the incense and fire within him and was pleased, yet his expression remained calm. Everyone scratched their heads. Given Sun Wukong’s character, it was indeed baffling that he would accept these offerings. Lu Dongbin caught someone and asked, “Uncle, why do you worship the Great Saint?” The man, also a fisherman, glanced at Lu Dongbin and said with a smile, “Young man, you must be from out of town, right?” “Yes, just passing through here.” Lu Dongbin replied. Seeing him dressed like a scholar, the uncle became even more polite and cheerfully said, “In our area, we have always had the tradition of worshipping the Great Saint. For thousands of years, the Great Saint has protected us, and just a few months ago, he appeared twice in succession to remove demons and save us. Now, within a hundred miles, everyone is a devotee of the Great Saint.” The uncle paused, then added with a smile, “Young man, the Great Saint really is miraculous. I see you are not married yet; why not worship the Great Saint and ask for a marriage partner? You might meet your true love today.” “The Great Saint also manages matchmaking?” The uncle proudly said, “The Great Sage Equalling Heaven has boundless supernatural powers; you can ask for anything, but don’t do evil deeds, for the Great Saint won’t bless you then. If your prayers aren’t answered, consider whether you have done something wrong.” Sun Wukong’s mouth twitched; was he really that effective? When had he ever fulfiled such requests? Without a doubt, it must be Ksitigarbha’s doing. “I understand now, thank you, uncle.” Lu Dongbin’s mouth twitched, suppressing a smile, and he thanked the uncle. The uncle then left with a smile. “Since the Great Saint is so miraculous, let me go in and seek some blessings,” Lu Dongbin joked. Sun Wukong looked at him but said nothing. He applied a little mana on the divine statue. At that moment, the statue glowed, enveloping all those who were kneeling before it, eliminating all their diseases. Some people with severed limbs even grew new ones. The worshippers of the Great Saint nearly went mad with excitement, reaching an emotional climax. The Great Saint manifested miracles, regrew severed limbs, and cured diseases; these were genuine divine feats. Sun Wukong could feel the power of incense and fire transmitted to him, which surged more than ten times instantly. This made even Lu Dongbin somewhat envious; he wondered if he should also perform some miracles since he too had a temple. However, in recent years, fewer people were worshipping him. The power of incense and fire could enhance one’s realm. “Let’s go.” Sun Wokung discovered that Ksitigarbha was not here, so he left with his companions. There were two other places likewise providing him with the power of incense and fire; he guessed that new temples had been built there.