Chapter 46: The Great Sage Equal to Heaven of Flower Fruit Mountain Stands, Shocking Heaven and Earth
Upon hearing the words "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven," Sun Wukong seemed to find his destiny. He was so overwhelmed with excitement that he couldn't contain himself, scratching his head and cheeks incessantly. With eyes burning with intensity, he looked toward Shi Yue, clearly seeking the opinion of his sworn brother.
Shi Yue couldn't help but feel an immense surge of heroic spirit, so he nodded and said, "Do as you wish."
Beside him, The Six-Eared Macaque, Six Paths, was equally thrilled, eyes blazing as he looked at Sun Wukong.
With the support of his two brothers, Sun Wukong suddenly gritted his teeth and declared, "Then I'll be the 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven'! Let's see how that old Jade Emperor will respond!"
Kneeling below, the Unihorn Ghost King barely smirked, but Shi Yue’s gaze quickly fell upon him. A flash of purple glinted in his eyes as an unparalleled pressure bore down upon the Unihorn Ghost King, forcing him to remain prostrate on the ground without daring to move a muscle, beads of sweat forming instantly on his forehead.
At this moment, Shi Yue's voice echoed, "Unihorn Ghost King, for your contributions, you are hereby appointed as the Vanguard General. When the Heavenly Court comes as our enemy, you shall lead the troops to battle. If you achieve merits in killing or capturing enemies, you will be rewarded further; but if you dare to retreat or falter, this Great King will not show mercy!"
Shi Yue's final shout made the extraordinarily excited Sun Wukong pause for a brief moment. Nevertheless, Shi Yue was his brother, born from the same rock, so without hesitation, he said, "Unihorn Ghost King, why don't you thank my brother for the honor?"
The Unihorn Ghost King quickly kowtowed, sweating profusely, and shouted, "Thank you, Great King, for the honor. I will serve with all my might."
Shi Yue thought, sure enough, he's one of those from the 'way of immortals.' And calling himself a 'humble person'? Doesn't he see how inhuman he looks? Does he truly believe entering the world of immortals and Buddhahood makes him one?
Turning to Sun Wukong, Shi Yue suddenly smiled and said, "Since you, brother, are the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, I, Shi Yue, will not be left behind. From now on, I shall be the Great Sage Measuring Heaven."
"Great!"
Sun Wukong was overjoyed and continued, "We brothers shall not fear the Heavenly Court. I become the Equal to Heaven, to stand alongside the Jade Emperor, and you, brother, shall become Measuring Heaven, to measure just what skills that old Jade Emperor truly possesses. What do you say, Six Paths?"
The Six-Eared Macaque, Six Paths, had a gleam in his eyes and declared, "With one brother equal to heaven and another measuring heaven, I, Six Paths, will be the Demon Lord of Six Paths of Flower Fruit Mountain, forever following you both as a shield."
Sun Wukong scratched his head, acknowledging the reasoning but feeling slightly uneasy. While Six Paths had a grand title as the Demon Lord of Six Paths, it didn’t quite compare to his own as The Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Yet, Shi Yue chose the title the Great Sage Measuring Heaven, which seemed to imply that if Sun Wukong was "Equal to Heaven," Shi Yue would "Measure Heaven," including his own brother. Sun Wukong gave Shi Yue a begrudging look, feeling somewhat overshadowed, but ultimately dismissed it, realizing his own title was the most resounding.
This scene sent a shiver through the Unihorn Ghost King's heart, realizing that these figures didn't consider The Heavenly Court worthy of concern. He couldn't help but worry about what the future held for him.
Putting aside Unihorn Ghost King's worries, after Shi Yue, Sun Wukong, and Six Paths declared their titles, they instructed their steward, Ma Monkey Tai Bai, to craft three banners: one for The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, another for the Great Sage Measuring Heaven, and another for the Demon Lord of Six Paths.
A few days later, as the three massive banners were erected on Flower Fruit Mountain, a tension seemed to settle over the earth, like an impending storm.
The three banners stood at different locations on Flower Fruit Mountain, forming a triangle. They fluttered in the wind above Sun Wukong's Water Curtain Cave, Shi Yue’s stone dwelling, and The Six-Eared Macaque Six Paths’ cave.
The banners were distinct in color: "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven" was gold, "Demon Lord of Six Paths" was dark, and "the Great Sage Measuring Heaven" was black, each reflecting their bearer’s weapon. Sun Wukong thought proudly that his was the most striking, finally outshining his brother Shi Yue.
With the rise of The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the heavens and earth were taken aback!
In the wavering crystal palace of the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea, all four Dragon Kings gathered.
Dragon King of the Western Sea said, "Elder brother, are you sure The Heavenly Court intends to attack Flower Fruit Mountain?"
Dragon King of the Western Sea, his gaze profound, replied, "I've received confirmation. The Heavenly Court plans to send a hundred thousand celestial soldiers to besiege Flower Fruit Mountain. This time Flower Fruit Mountain likely won’t escape unscathed."
Dragon King of the North Sea asked, "Brother, shouldn’t you withdraw from the East Sea to avoid getting caught in the crossfire?"
Dragon King of the South Sea dismissed the concern, "I heard Flower Fruit Mountain has only three Great Kings. How can they oppose The Heavenly Court? They'll be turned to dust in no time."
The Dragon King of the East Sea’s eyes gleamed with cunning, "You forget the divine iron in my East Sea. This time, The Heavenly Court may suffer a great loss and lose face across the three realms. Not to mention Great King Shi Yue and Great King Six Paths, dealing with Sun Wukong alone won’t be easy. Just watch, this is only the beginning."
Dragon King of the South Sea sighed, "Ah, my Southern Sea is now taken by Guanyin of Buddhism. It’s truly infuriating."
The Southern Sea held a mountain known as Mount Potalaka. Instead of claiming the entire sea, Guanyin Bodhisattva, known as the teacher of seven Buddhas, resided only on Mount Potalaka, which was her chosen abode.
Atop the mountain, clear springs flow gently, and lush, verdant forests abound. The paths are treacherous, with craggy ridges and rocky valleys. At the summit lies a pond with water clear as a mirror, beside which stands a grove of purple bamboo. In front of this grove sits the renowned Goddess of Mercy, Avalokiteshvara, in meditation upon a King Kong gemstone radiating a soft white light, her beauty beyond compare.
As The Great Sage Equal to Heaven rose in Flower Fruit Mountain, this Bodhisattva sensed it, opened her eyes briefly with a sigh, shook her head gently, and then returned to her deep meditation, letting her soul wander the void.
In the Grand Hall of Mahavira at Vulture Peak, Buddha Tathagata also briefly opened his eyes before closing them again, leaving the gathered Buddhas and Arhats bewildered. They whispered among themselves before resuming their meditation.
.Unexpectedly, Great Peacock Wisdom King Bodhisattva, who typically remained indifferent, also opened her eyes briefly, causing another buzz of murmurs to Inside the Grand Hall of Mahavira, with only Tathagata Buddha’s disciple, the Golden Cicada, remaining unaffected.
Meanwhile, in the Netherworld's Blood Sea of the Styx, a chilling cackle echoed, followed by the sea roaring like rolling thunder, as its blood-red waves surged like mighty rivers.
The establishment of The Great Sage Equal to Heaven in Flower Fruit Mountain was felt across the three realms by those with great powers, signaling that someone had dared to challenge the celestial balance. In this disruption of the heavenly order, many prepared to watch the events unfold.
While The Heavenly Court had yet to respond, the mortal realm was rife with rumors and tension, spreading like wildfire. Countless factions lay low, eager to see what would transpire.
The Bull Demon King, having fled Flower Fruit Mountain, also caught wind of the news and boasted to an old fox spirit he had recently befriended, "That Sun Wukong, my sworn second brother, has such courage to claim equality with heaven. Truly worthy of being my sworn brother."
The old fox spirit, appearing as a frail human elder, sipped his wine without looking up and retorted, "If he's your sworn brother, why don't you lend him a hand?"
Taking a swig himself, The Bull Demon King replied, "You don't understand. My sworn brother possesses extraordinary powers, with strength only slightly inferior to mine. Even if The Heavenly Court sends an army, it would be a trivial matter for him. If I went to help, it might insult my brother's abilities. Let's wait and see, ha ha."
The fox spirit remained composed and silent. Nearby, an alluring white-faced woman approached, casting a seductive glance at The Bull Demon King, making him feel weak with pleasure. His eyes gleamed as he drooled, and when she came close to pour wine, his large hairy hand reached out to pinch her behind.
Cloud Pathway Cave of Mount Fuling, now home to the small demon king The Marshal of the Heavenly Canopy Ma Guangtai, also caught wind of the rumors. Surprised that someone dared more than he himself had, Ma Guangtai had only slept with The Jade Emperor's daughter, but now a great demon king was brazenly claiming to be equal to heaven and even raising banners—plainly a rebellion! He couldn't help but admire the Great King of Flower Fruit Mountain.
Ma Guangtai, now known as Zhu Ganglie, had recently married, but tragically, his wife died mysteriously a few days ago, leaving him deeply sorrowful. In his heart, he thought, "As if I—old Zhu—could worry about such matters now, after losing my wife. Let's see what this monkey can do. If he can overthrow The Heavenly Court, I'll go join him."
In a residence near Guanjiangkou, Erlang Shen, Yang Jian, who had reached the level of Taiyi Celestial Immortal, was electrified by the news, his eyes flashing brilliantly, and his blood surging with excitement. Someone daring to raise a banner and rebel, claiming to be equal to heaven!
A nearby monkey demon king asked, "Big brother, what do you think?"
Erlang Shen snorted, "Let's wait and see. It seems that the Great King of Flower Fruit Mountain has some ability, but my uncle's Heavenly Court is not so easily overcome. We will see how things unfold first."
In the White Bone Cave of Aparagodaniya in the West, the White Bone Demon, whom Sun Wukong had helped transform, also heard the news from her lesser demons. Although she had taken the form of a stunning woman and her cultivation was still low, as a Body of Pure Yin, even true and celestial immortals preferred to avoid her.
Upon hearing the news, an inexplicable melancholy engulfed her. Returning to the White Bone Cave, she seemed lost in thought, motionless for a long time. Then her mind drifted back to the figure that had helped her transform, the unforgettable demon king. Her lips curled into a wistful smile as she murmured, "Flower Fruit Mountain, The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, what kind of person must he be..."
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