Chapter 744
Guanyin chants mantra, Tang Sanzang faints from pain
However, as soon as she moved, a long, strong hand gripped her wrist firmly like an iron clamp!
"Great Bodhisattva Guanyin, are you in such a hurry to go down there because you want to personally explain the instruction manual for this 'protective treasure' to Elder Tang?"
Lin Zhu's voice rang out slowly, carrying an undisguised mockery.
"If you go down now, wouldn't that be blatantly telling those two below that the 'ugly old woman' was you in disguise? Your misuse of my name will be completely exposed. What will Elder Tang think then? What will Sun Wukong think of you, and of the Western Paradise?"
"You let go!"
Guanyin struggled fiercely, her eyes almost spitting fire as she glared at Lin Zhu.
"Lin Zhu! You did this on purpose! You deliberately distracted me with those absurd words, and secretly instructed Sun Wukong to trick Tang Sanzang into wearing the golden headband! You are deliberately trying to ruin my great mission in the Western Paradise!"
"Oh dear, that's not quite right."
Lin Zhu looked completely innocent, but the force in her hand did not lessen at all.
"When did I order the monkey around? I was merely... well, to be fair, debunking a rumor and protecting my own legitimate rights. As for Elder Tang insisting on wearing it on his head, that only proves that your 'treasure' from the Western Paradise is too attractive, even the pilgrims couldn't resist it."
Oh, by the way, when you wear this thing, do you have to chant a mantra for it to work? What's it called again? The Mantra of Calming the Mind? Guanyin Bodhisattva, do you know how to chant it?
His words, seemingly out of curiosity, were actually quite venomous, directly pointing out the key issue—the headband required a spell to activate it!
Guanyin was so angry that she was furious, but she couldn't break free because of the difference in strength. She was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
Seeing that Tang Sanzang below had already put on the headband, what if he touched it carelessly, or the monkey became curious and tried to study it, or even... what if he accidentally recited the incantation himself? The consequences would be unimaginable! How could a mortal withstand the power of the headband's incantation?
In utter helplessness and extreme anxiety, the familiar mantra for the golden headband, personally taught by the Buddha, unconsciously surfaced in Guanyin's mind.
She recited the two lines almost without thinking, in a low and hurried voice.
"Om Mani Padme Hum... Hmm, tight!"
She chanted extremely fast and in a very low voice, subconsciously trying to "confirm" whether the spell was effective, or rather, it was a conditioned reflex born of extreme anxiety.
However, a spell is a spell, especially a supreme Buddhist spell that connects to the laws of heaven and is specifically designed to bind powerful beings. Even if it's just a fragment, even if the sound is very soft, as long as it comes from the mouth of the one who bestowed the spell and is connected to the corresponding binding band, its power will be instantly activated!
"Well--!!"
Below, Tang Sanzang, who was happily touching the golden circlet on his head and feeling the coolness of the "magic weapon," suddenly froze on his face! Immediately afterward, an indescribable, excruciating pain, as if it were about to crush and pulverize his entire head from the inside out, erupted without warning from the depths of his skull!
"what--!!!"
A piercing scream, so shrill it was inhuman, suddenly shattered the silence of the mountains! Tang Sanzang clutched his head with both hands, his fingers digging into his scalp. He was like a shrimp thrown into a vat of boiling oil, instantly curling up and collapsing to the ground, writhing and thrashing in agony! He looked less like a human and more like a maggot struggling for its last breath!
He felt as if his skull was being squeezed and deformed by an invisible force, his brain seemed to be boiling, stars were flashing before his eyes, his ears were ringing and shrill, and thin strands of blood were seeping from his seven orifices! The dark golden headband was shining brightly at this moment, and the runes on it were flowing and contracting wildly, digging into his flesh and even his bones!
"My head... is going to explode! Help... Immortal Lord... Wukong... save... save me..."
Tang Sanzang's screams grew weaker and weaker, and his rolling around became smaller and smaller. Finally, in extreme pain, his eyes rolled back, his body suddenly stiffened, and he completely fainted, collapsing to the ground. Only the tight headband still shone with an ominous light, slightly embedded in his deformed scalp.
The Guanyin in the clouds covered her mouth the moment she uttered the incantation, her face ashen white! Looking down at Tang Sanzang's miserable state below, writhing in pain and finally fainting, she felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, as if she had fallen into an ice cave!
"It's over..."
Guanyin's mind went blank, and her hands and feet were ice-cold.
She actually... she actually recited the Tightening-Headband Mantra to the pilgrim Tang Sanzang, the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi and a man who had cultivated for ten lifetimes?! Although it was only two lines, and although Tang Sanzang didn't die, but... this karma, this cause and effect...
She first instinctively breathed a sigh of relief—thankfully, Tang Sanzang had only fainted from the pain and hadn't died instantly from a head injury. Otherwise, the immense karma of harming a pilgrim would have been enough to shatter her Bodhisattva body, tarnish her spiritual attainment, or even send her directly into the cycle of reincarnation, condemning her to eternal damnation!
But then, an even greater fear gripped her—Sun Wukong was still right next to her!
Sure enough, when Tang Sanzang suddenly clutched his head and screamed in agony, Sun Wukong was stunned for a moment. Then, when he saw the brightly shining headband on Tang Sanzang's head that was tightly piercing his flesh, a raging fire mixed with icy killing intent erupted in his chest like a volcano!
"West—Heaven—!!!"
Sun Wukong spat out those two words through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse and filled with boundless hatred! He watched helplessly as his master, who had just been "refusing" the treasure from him, was now suffering such torture because of this so-called "treasure," and was in unbearable pain!
"Using the name of the God of Hell... what you've sent are these vicious instruments of torture! To sow discord between my master and me... and you even want to make me, Old Sun, wear them and become your lackey?! You think you can make me wish I were dead just by chanting your spells, and force me to obey your commands?! What a vicious heart! What a cunning scheme!" Sun Wukong was furious, his lungs felt like they were about to explode! If Lin Zhu hadn't warned him beforehand, if he hadn't been cautious, he would be the one writhing on the ground in agony, his life hanging in the balance!
If he were still that naive, helpless wild monkey from five hundred years ago, he might accept his fate and feel fear.
But now that he knows the truth about the so-called "journey to the West" and has witnessed Lin Zhu's unrestrained arrogance and willingness to extort even the Western Paradise, the seeds of rebellion have already been sown in his heart! He is unwilling to be a pawn any longer, and even less willing to become a lackey controlled by others!
"This is outrageous!!!"
Sun Wukong roared to the sky with a deafening roar that shook the surrounding wilderness and made the mountains and forests tremble! Boundless malevolence and demonic power surged from his body as if they were tangible, stirring up the wind and clouds! His eyes were bloodshot, and his golden cudgel burst out with dazzling golden light, pointing towards the sky. His voice was like a vow from the deepest hell.
"Buddha! Bald monk! I, Old Sun, am not finished with you today! You think you can use this vicious thing to restrain me? You think you can make me a monkey on a stage for you to manipulate? Dream on!"
Today, even if I, Old Sun, risk my life to the fullest, I will disrupt your plans and smash your stage! I'd rather die than be your puppet! I, Old Sun, will not swallow this insult! I will take my life from you!!
He knew that fate might be hard to defy, and that the Western Paradise was overwhelmingly powerful, but the indomitable spirit of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven within him had been completely ignited! Even if it meant being a moth drawn to a flame, even if it meant mutual destruction, he was determined to make a scene! Just like when he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, even if the outcome was suppression, he would make sure that the Three Realms remembered him, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, who would rather die than submit!
Lin Zhu, perched on a cloud, looked down at Sun Wukong, who was enraged and nearly lost his mind. He shook his head slightly, showing little surprise. "Still too young and too impetuous."
He muttered to himself.
"Thinking that a desperate fight will free you from the fate of being a pawn? How naive. This Journey to the West chessboard has more than one player, and it won't let a pawn jump off the board and shatter on its own."
As if to prove his words, just as Sun Wukong, enraged, raised his golden cudgel, his demonic power surging to its peak, preparing to disregard everything and leave this place of trouble, or even directly storm Mount Ling to demand an explanation—
"Amitabha--"
A magnificent and resounding Buddhist chant, seemingly originating from beyond the heavens and echoing deep within everyone's heart, came gently like a morning bell and evening drum. In an instant, it overwhelmed Sun Wukong's furious roar, calmed the restless forest, and even made the churning clouds in the sky pause!
Immediately afterwards, boundless golden light suddenly shone on the horizon! The light was pure, vast, and filled with an unquestionable majesty and holiness, instantly dyeing half the sky gold!
Auspicious clouds emerged from nothingness, layer upon layer, converging into the shape of a lotus throne. The sound of chanting aloud filled the air, solemn and dignified, as if countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were chanting scriptures at the same time, transforming this desolate mountain wilderness, which had just experienced bloodshed and suffering, into a sacred mountain and a fairyland on earth!
At the center of the boundless Buddha light and auspicious clouds and chanting, a colossal, towering golden Buddha phantom, radiating a gentle yet all-encompassing aura, slowly coalesced and manifested! Although it was merely a manifestation of spiritual light and not the true form descending, the vast and unfathomable pressure of Buddhist power had already enveloped the entire Two Realms Mountain region!
It was the Buddha of the Western Paradise, an avatar of Tathagata, who, following the strange movement of the golden headband and the soaring demonic aura of Sun Wukong, crossed the endless void and descended here!
Sun Wukong suddenly turned around, his crimson eyes fixed on the golden Buddha figure that seemed to occupy the entire world. The anger and hatred in his chest did not diminish because of the opponent's power, but instead burned even more fiercely!
"Buddha—!!!"
Sun Wukong roared to the heavens, without the slightest hesitation or fear! His demonic power erupted without reservation, and his body rapidly expanded and grew taller in the golden light! In the blink of an eye, he unleashed the divine power of Heaven and Earth, transforming into a terrifying giant ape that was ten thousand feet tall, with golden hair standing on end, fangs bared, and a ferocious face like an ancient demonic ape!
The Ruyi Jingu Bang in his hand also became like a giant pillar supporting the sky, carrying a terrifying power that could shatter mountains and split the earth, and shake the universe, and smashed fiercely towards the phantom of the golden Buddha!
"You old bald monk! Using such a vicious thing to bind me! You think you can tie me down and make me your lackey of the Western Paradise?! Today, I, your old Sun, will fight you to the death! Let's see if your clone is harder, or if my old Sun's stick is more ruthless! Even if I ruin your act, I will never be manipulated by you again! Take this!!!"
Faced with this terrifying blow that could change the color of mountains and rivers and cause stars to fall, the huge golden Buddha figure merely lowered its gaze slightly, as if it were looking at a fang-scratching ant.
A cold laugh, seemingly imbued with the weight of countless years and indifference, resounded throughout heaven and earth like a divine pronouncement.
“Sun Wukong, you were able to be suppressed five hundred years ago, and five hundred years later, you are still so ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth, and overestimating your own abilities. A monkey is still a monkey. I want you to perform this monkey show, and you… cannot resist.”
The terrifying giant ape, towering ten thousand feet tall, with its golden fur bristling and fangs bared, wielded its golden cudgel, which resembled a pillar supporting the sky, with a violent aura that could shatter the heavens and split the earth, and smashed it down fiercely towards the phantom of Buddha in the sky, which seemed to be formed from boundless golden light and chanting!
This strike contained the boundless rage and resentment of Sun Wukong, who had been fooled, schemed against, and driven to the brink of despair. Its power was enough to make ordinary Taiyi Golden Immortals tremble with fear and to change the shape of mountains and rivers!
However, faced with this terrifying offensive capable of stirring up the heavens and earth, the golden Buddha figure didn't even give it a second glance. It was as if what was rushing towards them wasn't a giant club capable of shattering stars, but a mere wisp of insignificant breeze.
The enormous Buddha figure casually, even nonchalantly, raised its right hand, which was formed from pure Buddha light, and gently pressed it downwards.
There was no earth-shattering roar, no extraordinary phenomenon of laws shattering. There was only a pale golden palm, which blotted out the sky and was purely formed from the vast Buddhist Dharma and will, which appeared out of thin air from the immeasurable Buddhist light. Ignoring the distance of space, it appeared above Sun Wukong's ten-thousand-foot-tall Dharma form in an instant. Then, without haste or slowness, but with an undeniable and irresistible majesty of heaven, it gently pressed down.
"boom--!"
There was no violent collision, only a dull thud, as if the entire world had been compressed! Sun Wukong's immense power, enough to move mountains and fill seas and stir up the Dragon Palace of the Four Seas, was like an ant trying to shake a tree under this seemingly illusory golden Buddha's palm, appearing so laughable and powerless!
The towering golden cudgel couldn't even touch the Buddha's palm before being firmly blocked by an invisible barrier of Buddha's power, making it impossible for it to advance any further!
Immediately afterwards, the Buddha's palm fell, not with violent force, but with an absolute suppression as if the entire sky were overturned and the earth were turned upside down!
Sun Wukong's colossal ape form, standing ten thousand feet tall, let out a roar of extreme resentment. His golden fur bristled, his muscles bulged, and his boundless demonic power burned and surged wildly, attempting to lift up the collapsing sky! The ground beneath his feet instantly collapsed, creating a massive crater a hundred feet deep, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading wildly into the distance!
However, no matter how much he roared, struggled, used his seventy-two transformations, or activated the Great Celestial Immortal Technique, under the Buddha's palm containing the power of a half-step quasi-saint, he was like a flying insect frozen in amber. All his power, all his supernatural abilities, and all his arrogance were suppressed and imprisoned!
He couldn't even bend a finger; he could only be held down by the Buddha's palm in an extremely humiliating posture, his head bowed and his back hunched, as if he were prostrating himself before the golden deity!
Once again! Once again, they were mercilessly suppressed and humiliated by the Western Paradise, by that damned bald monk, with absolute power! Five hundred years ago it was the same, and five hundred years later, after only a few days of escape, it has happened again! (End of Chapter)