Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

Due to the disruptions caused by Jiang Liu and his group, although the final Peach Banquet was eventually completed, there were some imperfections.

With the end of the Peach Banquet, various immortals and Buddhas naturally returned to their respective places.

Jiang Liu, along with Sun Wukong and his entourage, also left the Heavenly Court, but did not hurry to descend to the Lower Realm.

Because the Tathagata seemed to have some matters to address at this time.

"Xuanzang..."

The Tathagata spoke to Jiang Liu in a somewhat earnest tone: "The Journey to the West for Scriptures has nearly reached its end; I await you at the Great Thunder Monastery! In the meantime, do not cause too much trouble!"

"Understood! I will strictly comply with Buddha's Decree!" Jiang Liu bowed his head, showing no signs of dissent.

Seeing Jiang Liu's demeanor, the Tathagata nodded in satisfaction, paused for a moment, and continued, "With your current cultivation level and abilities, those who can defeat you in the world are few! Once you complete the Journey to the West, I will bestow upon you the title of Merit King Buddha!"

"If you can one day break through to the Great Luo and reach Quasi-Saint Realm, perhaps further advancement to the status of Future Buddha might not be impossible!"

"The status of Future Buddha is something I dare not hope for!" Jiang Liu was startled upon hearing the Tathagata's words and hurriedly bowed his head.

"Even though Maitreya Buddha has fallen, and despite his resurrection, his cultivation has dropped from the Great Luo Realm. If you can break through in the future, it's not entirely impossible, but this idea should be considered once you achieve the breakthrough. For now, go forth!"

Looking at Jiang Liu, the Tathagata encouraged him with a phrase but did not dwell on the issue, waving him away.

"Farewell, Buddha!" Jiang Liu, leading the Journey to the West Pilgrimage Team, respectfully saluted the Tathagata, then set off to the Lower Realm!

"Master, did the Tathagata say you might lead the Buddhist Sect in the future? That's quite a big promise!" After descending to the Lower Realm, Sun Wukong couldn't help but say to Jiang Liu.

"What the Tathagata said was not a promise, just a casual remark! He merely drew a pie for me; it can't be taken seriously!" Jiang Liu shook his head in response to Sun Wukong's words.

At this, Jiang Liu paused slightly, then looked at Sun Wukong with both amusement and exasperation, "You monkey, even if it were a promise, it might not be fulfilled!"

"Why were you pressed under Five Elements Mountain back then? Have you perhaps forgotten?"

"I, Old Sun, certainly have not forgotten!" Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's eyes flashed with a hint of resentment and he replied angrily.

Actually, being defeated by the Tathagata and pressed under the Five-Finger Mountain wouldn't make Sun Wukong too resentful; what could he do when outmatched?

But being pressed under the Five-Finger Mountain was due to being deceived by the Tathagata; this was the root of Sun Wukong's resentment.

If back then the Tathagata hadn't fooled him, saying he could leave if defeated as long as he didn't cause trouble in the Heavenly Court again, would he have foolishly jumped into the Tathagata's palm?

Wasn't that allowing oneself to be at the mercy of others?

In the Mortal World, Jiang Liu and his group continued their Journey to the West for Scriptures; let's set this matter aside for now.

Elsewhere, after watching Jiang Liu and his group leave, the Tathagata did not hasten back to Great Thunder Monastery but remained stationary, seemingly waiting for someone.

After a moment, the Golden Hair Lion arrived at the Tathagata's presence, bowing in salutation.

"Bodhisattva of Golden Light, how many tribulations have occurred in the Journey to the West for Scriptures thus far?" The Tathagata asked the Golden Hair Lion.

"Reporting to the Buddha, it has reached sixty-three!" Hearing this, the Golden Hair Lion responded.

"Sixty-three tribulations? That leaves only eighteen more!" Hearing the Golden Hair Lion's reply, the Tathagata's eyes brightened slightly.

Unexpectedly, after appointing Bodhisattva of Golden Light as the coordinator of this Journey to the West, the number of tribulations has gone so smoothly recently.

Indeed, appointing him to coordinate the Journey to the West was a very wise choice; the stronger the capabilities, the less troublesome it becomes!

"Very well, once the Journey to the West is completed, you will certainly be rewarded according to your merits!" Showing satisfaction, the Tathagata nodded.

"As a member of the Buddhist Sect, it's my honor to contribute a modest effort!" With head bowed, the Golden Hair Lion naturally spoke eloquently.

Observing the Golden Hair Lion's attitude, the Tathagata nodded slightly, then continued, "Regarding the Peach Banquet incident, what is your opinion?"

"What does the Buddha mean by this?" Upon hearing this, the Golden Hair Lion seemed puzzled, looking at the Tathagata without understanding his intent.

The Tathagata specially waiting here, the Golden Hair Lion naturally understood it couldn't just be to inquire about the number of tribulations!

But regarding the Peach Banquet incident, what opinion could he have? Wasn't he just a spectator in this matter?

"Bodhisattva of Golden Light, you should know that the Journey to the West spans 108,000 miles, and the eighty-one tribulations are a predetermined fate!" After a moment of silence, the Tathagata spoke to the Golden Hair Lion.

"Understood!" Golden Hair Lion nodded, continuing to gaze at the Tathagata with a questioning look.

"Therefore, if we arrange the eighty-one tribulations ourselves, then everything will be under our control!"

"But if we don't arrange them properly, the Heavenly Dao will still ensure eighty-one tribulations occur. However, how these tribulations are triggered, how they unfold, and their ultimate outcomes would be entirely beyond our control!" The Tathagata replied.

"Are you saying, Buddha, the Peach Banquet this time is driven by the workings of the Heavenly Dao for a tribulation?" Hearing the Tathagata's words, Golden Hair Lion's expression slightly changed, understanding the Tathagata's implication.

"What else could it be?"

The Tathagata quietly looked at the Golden Hair Lion and said, "The Peach Banquet gathers powerful figures; almost half of the elite Immortals and Buddhas attend. Yet, Xuanzang's group caused a great disturbance at the banquet. This must be a sign of impending tribulation, and perhaps Xuanzang and his team have their Spirit Platforms obscured?"

In the end, the Tathagata's words carried a sense of contemplation.

During an immeasurable kalpa, those involved find their Spirit Platforms obscured, performing actions that appear quite absurd.

Similarly, this tribulation targets Xuanzang's group. Their obscured Spirit Platforms could explain their actions.

You must know, five hundred years ago, when Sun Wukong created chaos at the Peach Banquet, he did it before the banquet started, merely causing a commotion. But this time? Xuanzang's group chose to act during a gathering of powerful figures; isn't this a path to self-destruction?

This forced me to come to their rescue, paying the price of five treasures! On this Journey to the West, the Buddhist Sect's assets are nearly depleted, aren't they?

"Respectfully following the Buddha's decree! In the coming days, I will certainly expedite the coordination of the tribulations!" Golden Hair Lion understood the Tathagata's intent and quickly bowed his head.

"Hmm, in that case, consider dedicating more effort!" Observing Golden Hair Lion's demeanor, the Tathagata nodded before turning to leave.

Watching the Tathagata's departing figure, Golden Hair Lion sighed softly in his heart and then took out his Calamity Book for a look.

The Tathagata was indeed right; the Calamity Book recorded yet another tribulation.

The sixty-fourth tribulation: Another disturbance at the Peach Banquet!

"Sandalwood Merit Buddha! Just now, the Tathagata specifically found me, asking me to expedite the coordination of the tribulations!" After closing and putting away the Calamity Book, Golden Hair Lion pondered for a moment before sending Jiang Liu a message.

After all, I only need to hold tight to the Merit Buddha's leg; concerning tribulations, I only need to follow the Merit Buddha's arrangements!

"Oh? Did Tathagata specifically ask him to expedite the handling of tribulation matters? So, eager to have several Immortals and Buddhas meet the tribulation?" Seeing the message from Golden Hair Lion, Jiang Liu's mouth slightly curled up, naturally without any objections.

Initially, Jiang Liu considered discussing relocating Ming Sect's headquarters to Chang'an City of Great Tang in the coming days; but since the Tathagata eagerly wishes for several Immortals and Buddhas to encounter tribulations, how could I reject the Tathagata's kind intention?

After contemplating quietly, Jiang Liu soon identified his target for this encounter.

Then, a plan gradually became clear in Jiang Liu's mind.

"Golden Hair Lion, how much do you know about the Lapis Lazuli King Buddha?" After pondering for a moment, Jiang Liu then sent another message to Golden Hair Lion, inquiring about information related to the Lapis Lazuli King Buddha.

"Lapis Lazuli King Buddha!?" Seeing the message from Jiang Liu, Golden Hair Lion's heart slightly tensed.

At this time, Xuanzang suddenly inquires about the Lapis Lazuli King Buddha; what possibly could his intention be? Golden Hair Lion's heart is naturally as clear as a mirror.

The Lapis Lazuli King Buddha, one of the Three King Buddhas, holds a position second only to the Three-World Buddha! Is Master Xuanzang planning to target the Lapis Lazuli King Buddha?

With a shocked mind, after a long while, Golden Hair Lion took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and then proceeded to explain all the information he knew about the Lapis Lazuli King Buddha to Jiang Liu.

From the intelligence provided by Golden Hair Lion, Jiang Liu gained a rough understanding of the Lapis Lazuli King Buddha's situation.

The Lapis Lazuli King Buddha, a member of the Buddhist Sect's Three King Buddhas, is also one of the oldest members of the Buddhist Sect.

Rumor has it, during ancient times, when the predecessor of the Buddhist Sect was still the Western Religion, the Lapis Lazuli King Buddha was already part of it, and now possesses the Cultivation Level of the Great Luo Golden Immortal Peak.

Furthermore, perhaps due to the initial poverty of the Western Religion, with both Jieyin and Zhunti teaching by example, the Lapis Lazuli King Buddha's lifelong passion is collecting various rare exotic treasures from across the world.

The more peculiar the treasure, the more he favors it, irrespective of whether it's a Dharma Treasure, material, or exotic herb, and so on!

"His favorite hobby is collecting treasures, is it? No wonder!" Reviewing the information on the Lapis Lazuli King Buddha, Jiang Liu suddenly realized.

It's no surprise that Kong Xuan intended to assume the identity of the Lapis Lazuli King Buddha to scheme for my Kongdong Seal; it indeed aligns with the character of the Lapis Lazuli King Buddha, doesn't it?

Even his Buddha name is Lapis Lazuli! It's clear as day!