Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

Blossoms fell like a shower from heaven, and golden lotuses surged from the earth.

At the Great Thunder Monastery on Spirit Mountain in the Western Heaven, the Tathagata, with His eight-foot Golden Body, sat solemnly upon the Lotus Platform, with marvelous chants of Zen wisdom flowing from His lips.

The numerous Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats seated below were spellbound, immersing themselves in the exquisite subtleties of the Buddhist Law, creating an aura of peace and majesty.

Lost in the profundities of the Buddhist Law, unconcerned with the passage of days and months, they scarcely noticed time passing until the anomalies in the heavens and earth faded away, and the sacred chants of the Tathagata ceased as well.

The Bodhisattvas and others of the Buddhist Realm all bowed deeply to the Golden Body of the Tathagata on the Lotus Platform, and then orderly and respectfully took their leave.

"Great Bodhisattva Guanyin, please, remain a moment," just as Guanyin was also preparing to leave, the Tathagata suddenly spoke.

"May I ask what instructions the Buddha has for me?" Guanyin turned around, her fingers forming the gesture of holding a lotus, and asked with a serene expression.

"Once, the Golden Cicada was reborn in the Lower Realm to embark upon the great mission of spreading the Buddhist Law to the East. He must be nearing adulthood now, correct?" said the Tathagata, the eight-foot Golden Body as stable as a mountain, His expression calm.

"The Lower Realm has already held the Incense Offering Ceremony, and he has formally rejoined the Buddhist Sect. All preparations for spreading the Buddhist Law to the East have been made," Guanyin acknowledged with a slight nod.

"From the Great Tang in Eastern Land, over one hundred eight thousand leagues, with treacherous mountains and rivers, and countless demons…" the Tathagata looked down at Guanyin as He spoke.

"The treachery of the mountains and rivers is too much for an ordinary horse. I have prepared a White Dragon, the son of the Western Sea Dragon King, who can transform into a Dragon Horse to give him strength on his feet. As for the countless demons, I have decided on three protecting escorts, all possessed of extensive Divine Skills.

The first is the Great Sage Equalling Heaven, the second is Marshal Tianpeng, and the third is General Juanlian..." Guanyin was well-prepared and responded smoothly.

"Ah, furthermore, on the Journey to the West, the years are long and old. Aside from external forces like the treacherous landscape and demonic afflictions, there will also be changes within the heart. On the journey, he will encounter beautiful demons, and peerless beauties..." The Tathagata nodded slightly and then continued.

"Amitabha Buddha, as the common saying goes, 'Once you've seen the vastness of the sea, shallow waters will no longer appeal; when you've seen the clouds over Mount Wu, ordinary clouds seem unremarkable.' Matters of the heart are most valuable when singular. If, in this life, the Golden Cicada falls in love with a single woman, devoting his heart to her, then he would be inaccessible to others.

Thus, along the path to the West, other temptresses will not easily sway his heart. I have already obtained a strand of the Red Thread from the Matchmaker God a few days ago..."

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"Well then, this is most commendable."

...

"Is that Foutu Mountain? What a massive mountain..." Aboard the Heavenly Dragon Ship, Jiang Liu gazed down at the destination of this journey, silently marveling to himself.

By estimation, the mountain seemed almost ten thousand meters tall. In the territory of the Great Tang, the climate was generally pleasant, but due to its altitude, the peak was covered in pure white snow.

"Let's descend!" Having reached the territory of Foutu Mountain, Master Fanhai, controlling the Heavenly Dragon Ship, began its gradual descent.

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After all, this demon-suppressing mission was led by the Imperial Court, and he was merely there to assist.

As the Heavenly Dragon Ship descended, one could see many Cultivators already gathered at the base of Foutu Mountain.

Not only the people from the Great Buddha Temple but also other sects' Cultivators from places such as Dragon Tiger Mountain and Zhongnan Mountain had responded to the Emperor of Tang's Imperial Decree to come and offer their support.

Within the borders of the Great Tang, the territory was vast, and there were many Cultivator sects and even more demon forces, but when it came to the most influential force, it naturally had to be the Great Tang Imperial Court...

As the Heavenly Dragon Ship landed, the Cultivators below came forward to greet them. As the foremost temple of the Buddhist Sect, the fame of the Great Buddha Temple was indeed well-known throughout the Great Tang.

Setting aside other factors, just witnessing the people from the Great Buddha Temple descending from the Heavenly Dragon Ship indicated their stature; other sects did not have such an impressive Dharma Treasure for travel.

Master Fanhai and the surrounding cultivators had all paid their respects to each other, with many acquaintances engaging in conversations.

Of course, disciples from other Buddhist Sects and even those from the Taoist Sect, during their conversations, had mentioned Daoji with his nine incense scars and Xuanzang with his twelve incense scars from the Incense Offering Ceremony.

Among them, Xuanzang drew the most attention.

A Buddhist Disciple with twelve incense scars was unprecedented; it certainly meant a reincarnation of a Western Bodhisattva.

Furthermore, the debate between Jiang Liu and Li Chunfeng, which resulted from Saint Monk Longhai's reward of ten thousand taels of gold, had spread far and wide. The Formless Gatha composed during that event was now treated as a Supreme Treasure by monks all over the world.

"Master Fanhai, it is said that Master Xuanzang returned to Jinshan Temple, left behind the Formless Gatha, and then vanished without a trace. How is he faring now?" A high-ranking monk asked Master Fanhai with his hands clasped together.

Although Jiang Liu was still a young monk who had just undergone the Incense Offering Ceremony, his existence with twelve incense scars made even high-ranking Buddhist monks refer to him as "Master Xuanzang."

"Amitabha, since his return from Jinshan Temple, Xuanzang has been in deep retreat at the Great Buddha Temple, undergoing arduous cultivation," Master Fanhai answered the inquiring monks.

To practice in seclusion was indeed correct, and entering the Demon-Suppressing Hall counted as such a retreat. The difference was that he wasn't cultivating Buddhist Law, but methods for Subduing Demons and Eliminating Evil.

"I see. Upon the day Master Xuanzang emerges from seclusion, I will surely visit the Great Buddha Temple to pay my respects," the high-ranking Buddhist monk said, nodding in understanding. From Master Fanhai's words, he clearly believed that Master Xuanzang was still in seclusion and had not emerged.

In response to these words, a slight smile appeared on Master Fanhai's face, and he offered no further explanation.

Indeed, his statement was purposely ambiguous, hinting that Xuanzang was still in retreat. After all, Xuanzang's current task to subdue demons on Foutu Mountain wasn't something to be widely publicized.

Not to mention what the demons would think if they learned of this news, but the competition between the Buddhist and Taoist Sects was also something to be wary of.

Jiang Liu stood silently behind Master Fanhai, clearly hearing these conversations. The topic would inadvertently shift to him in just a few words, allowing Jiang Liu to genuinely sense his current fame.

Although some time had passed since the Incense Offering Ceremony, and he had been living a life of seclusion ever since, the current situation seemed to say that although the brother was not in the World, tales of his legend continued to circulate in the World.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Setting aside the exchanges happening at the foot of Foutu Mountain for the moment, before long, the sound of war drums echoed from the horizon, followed by the appearance of a palace-like flying vessel, resplendent and imposing—none other than the Heavenly Master Hall of the Great Tang had arrived.

Since their purpose was to Subdue Demons and Eliminate Evil, naturally, the Heavenly Master Hall had no intentions of sneaking around. Coming with the Emperor's Imperial Decree, why would they act covertly?

Hence, before the flying vessel came close, the sounds of war drums announced their arrival, exuding the grandeur of royalty.

Similarly, the flying vessel of the Heavenly Master Hall descended near Foutu Mountain, and a succession of cultivators from the Heavenly Master Hall followed, disembarking from the vessel.

Jiang Liu watched the people from the Heavenly Master Hall, his eyes suddenly brightening as he was captivated by the sight of a figure dressed in fiery red garments, with a valiant figure—none other than Princess Gaoyang.

Equally, Jiang Liu caught Princess Gaoyang's attention. As their gazes met, it seemed as if the surroundings faded into insignificance…