Chapter 745
Wukong's Fury Leads to a Head-on Confrontation with Buddha
"what--!!!"
Sun Wukong's eyes were bloodshot and almost dripping with blood! Boundless shame, anger, and resentment burned his internal organs like poisonous fire, making his soul tremble! He raised his head, which had been suppressed, and roared hoarsely towards the high, Buddha-bright sky.
"Buddha—! You old bald monk—! Despicable and shameless! Bullying the weak! What kind of Buddha are you! What kind of compassionate one are you! I, Old Sun, refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this—!!!"
His voice, distorted and broken by extreme anger and humiliation, still echoed like the mournful howl of a dying beast, resounding throughout the world shrouded in Buddha's light.
"I, Old Sun, will never forget this humiliation! One day, I will... I will trample your sacred mountain and stain your Great Thunderclap Temple with blood! I will cast you hypocritical bald monks down to the mortal realm! If I do not avenge this, I swear I will not be human—no, I swear I will not be a monkey!!!"
The golden Buddha figure loomed high above, its face compassionate and serene, as if listening to the final howls of a lost dog.
That majestic and powerful voice, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, was like the voice of the heavens, slowly rising, each word like a heavy hammer, striking Sun Wukong's already riddled defenses.
“Sun Wukong, you should have known the immensity of heaven and earth five hundred years ago. Five hundred years of suppression seems to have failed to enlighten you.”
The Buddha's voice carried a hint of mockery, as if watching a boring farce.
"You cannot even withstand a mere wisp of divine power, a half-step quasi-saint. You don't even have the right to look me in the eye. Yet you dare to speak of blood staining Mount Ling? How laughable, how overconfident you are."
That compassionate gaze fell upon Sun Wukong's struggling form, yet it was more chilling than the sharpest sword.
"If I can suppress you once, I can suppress you a thousand times, ten thousand times."
Five hundred years ago, it was as easy as turning my hand; five hundred years later, I can still trample you under my feet. Your so-called Great Sage Equal to Heaven is, in my eyes, nothing more than a slightly stronger, higher-jumping monkey. Giving you a chance to atone for your sins and embark on the righteous journey to the West is an act of Buddhist compassion, offering you a glimmer of hope. Yet you are ungrateful and repeatedly cause trouble.”
Although the words remained calm, the underlying threat was chilling and undisguised.
"The Journey to the West is ordained by Heaven, an inevitable trend. You, Sun Wukong, are an indispensable link in this trend. I have countless ways to make you 'willingly' embark on this path, or... to force you to complete it. I might even make you lose the very opportunity to set foot on this path. Do you understand?"
As the last word fell, a terrifying scene of the universe's birth and death, and the cycle of cause and effect, seemed to flash by in the slits of the Buddha's slightly narrowed eyes.
That was not a direct form of oppression, but a higher level of absolute control and declaration over destiny and the future!
Sun Wukong trembled violently, as if a bucket of ice water mixed with despair had been poured over him from head to toe! For the first time, when facing Buddha, besides anger and humiliation, he felt a deep-seated...fear!
He knew the methods of the Western Paradise well! After the Investiture of the Gods, the Jie Sect was destroyed. What became of the many unruly and powerful figures who were "converted" by the Western Paradise?
Qiu Shou Xian, Ling Ya Xian, and Jin Guang Xian were once three of the Seven Immortals who served the Jie Sect. How majestic they were! Now they are nothing more than the Green Lion, White Elephant, and Golden-haired Hou under the seats of Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Avalokiteshvara, reduced to mounts and suffering endless humiliation! As for Wu Yun Xian, he is locked in the Eight Treasures Merit Pool like a guard dog, never to escape!
They did resist, they did attempt to fight to the death. But under the immense power, meticulous calculations, and... the tacit approval of the Sage, they ultimately had no choice but to submit. Their fates were controlled, their wills were worn down, they were shackled, and they became tools for the Western Paradise to demonstrate the "vastness" of Buddhism, tools used to "play a monkey show" for the Three Realms!
Sun Wukong was not afraid of death, and was not even afraid of being suppressed.
What he feared was that, like those predecessors, he would be controlled for eternity, his very thoughts of revenge slowly extinguished, and his last shred of dignity trampled into the mud, like a caged beast, a spectacle for others to watch, becoming a pathetic and laughable "monkey show" that would never end!
The Buddha's words shattered the last vestige of hope and delusion in his heart.
"Obey the headband and protect Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West. When you succeed, you will become a Buddha and leave behind a beautiful story for the Three Realms. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
The Buddha's voice rang out again, carrying a kind of condescending "compassion," yet also like a final ultimatum.
Sun Wukong was overwhelmed by shame and rage, which nearly drowned out his reason.
He wanted to roar, to rebel, to smash this so-called "legend" along with this false Buddhist light to smithereens! However, the Buddhist palm on his body, which seemed to represent the will of the entire world, and the terrifying power of a half-step quasi-saint, firmly pressed all his strength and all his resistance into the mud!
To perish together? At this moment, it seems like a huge joke! He is not even "jade," but just a stone that can be crushed at any time, while the other party is that high and unbreakable "mountain"!
Loneliness, helplessness, and bone-chilling despair, like countless fine poison needles, pierced his arrogant exterior and deeply penetrated his soul.
He could almost hear three thousand Buddhas watching coldly from behind the endless void, emitting silent, contemptuous sneers.
His dignity as the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, his reliance as a Golden Immortal, were easily shattered like fragile glass before this absolute power and scheming, scattered all over the ground, leaving only endless humiliation and... a cold resignation.
It seems that only two paths remain before us.
First, by donning the golden headband and becoming a dog of the Western Paradise, he could perform the role they had arranged and perhaps eventually earn the empty title of "Victorious Fighting Buddha," becoming a "model" for the Western Paradise to enlighten all beings and demonstrate the boundless power of Buddhism. From then on, there would be no more Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, only an obedient "Sun Xingzhe" in the Western Paradise.
Second, he could self-destruct his physical body and primordial spirit, risking annihilation to end it all. But... given Tathagata's methods, could his primordial spirit truly escape smoothly? Even if he were to escape by a hair's breadth, the Western Paradise is vast, spanning the Three Realms; where could he possibly go? The Heavenly Court? The Underworld? Or some unknown corner to eke out a living?
Ultimately, he will either be found and suffer an even worse fate, or he will be like a rat in a sewer, never to see the light of day again. Or even... he might be imprisoned in the same nine-story dungeon he once served, unable to live or die.
When he was chosen by the Western Paradise as this "pawn," he seemed to have no choice. Even "death" became a luxury. To live without seeing any hope or dignity—that was the greatest suffering.
The Buddha's appearance remained expressionless, as if everything before him was merely a page in a pre-written script.
The affairs of the Three Realms are under our control, and the Journey to the West is favored by the Heavenly Dao. Even saints would find it difficult to overturn it, let alone a monkey that has already been put on a leash and held in our hands.
He said no more, but the enormous Buddha shadow gently tugged at the sleeve formed by Buddha's light.
Below, on the head of Tang Sanzang, who was still unconscious, the dark gold headband with flowing runes seemed to be summoned by an invisible force. It trembled slightly and automatically fell off his slightly deformed and blood-stained scalp, turning into a stream of dark gold light.
With a "whoosh," it flew up and hovered in front of Sun Wukong, who had been suppressed by the Buddha's palm and had returned to his normal human size. The headband hovered quietly, its dark golden light shimmering faintly. The fine runes writhed like living things, exuding a cold, eerie, yet deadly allure.
It was so close to Sun Wukong's face that it was almost within reach.
"Put it on."
The Buddha's voice regained its cold, unquestionable quality, like a decree of heaven, echoing in Sun Wukong's ears and throughout the world shrouded in Buddhist light.
"Go on your journey to the West, my good boy. You... can't escape."
There's no escaping it...
These three words, like the last straw, completely broke down the crumbling defenses in Sun Wukong's heart.
The surging demonic power around him receded like a tide; the struggling and unyielding Dharma of Heaven and Earth collapsed with a crash, and the golden light dissipated; he reverted to his original hairy face and thunder god's mouth appearance, fell from mid-air, staggered a few steps, and barely managed to stand up.
At this moment, his face no longer held any arrogance or rage, only a deathly numbness and emptiness remained, his eyes unfocused, like a walking corpse whose soul had been ripped out.
Slowly, extremely slowly, he raised the hand that had once wielded the golden cudgel, stirred up the Milky Way, and struck the Heavenly Palace. His arm felt as heavy as a thousand pounds; every subtle movement exhausted all his strength.
His gaze was fixed on the dark golden circle that was so close yet seemed so far away.
He knew that once he put it on, he would no longer be the "Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the Handsome Monkey King," nor the carefree spirit who "transcended the Three Realms and was not within the Five Elements."
He will become "Sun Wukong," a pawn on the journey to the West, a puppet tightly controlled by the golden headband. His once boastful words of "being equal to the heavens" have become the most laughable joke; his heart is higher than the sky, but he is just an ant, and can only be manipulated by others.
"Why... is it me, Old Sun..."
Sun Wukong's voice was hoarse and dry, like sandpaper being rubbed, carrying a deep-seated despair and resentment.
"What did I, Old Sun, do wrong to deserve such humiliation..."
There was no answer. Only the enormous Buddha shadow in the sky cast a cold and indifferent gaze; only the complex and unfathomable eyes of Guanyin Bodhisattva in the distant clouds; and, higher up, the thoughtful gaze of a certain languid figure.
"what--!!!"
Sun Wukong suddenly let out a howl like a wounded beast, and slammed his other fist into the ground! "Boom!"
The earth trembled, cracking open several bottomless ravines, and dust flew everywhere! But what could this meaningless venting change, other than making his fists bleed?
In the sky, Buddha and Guanyin simply watched quietly, as if watching a monkey frantically struggling in a cage until it was finally exhausted, their eyes carrying an air of complete composure and a hint of barely perceptible mockery.
They didn't stop it because they knew it would be futile.
Finally, the dust settled slowly. Sun Wukong stopped slamming his fist on the ground. He hung his head, his shoulders heaving violently, and his rapid breathing was exceptionally clear in the deathly silence.
The raging flames seemed to gradually die out in the icy water of despair, leaving only endless bitterness and ashes.
Slowly, he loosened his tightly clenched fist, which was covered in mud and blood. Then, his trembling hand, which had reached for the tight band, finally, with a hesitant and heavy movement as if all the strength in his life had been exhausted, slowly reached out towards the suspended, dark golden circle that shimmered with a cold luster...
Just as Sun Wukong's trembling hand, stained with mud and blood, was about to touch the cold, tight headband—
"Huh? This circle looks familiar."
A voice, distinctly playful and lighthearted, rang out abruptly in this deathly silent world shrouded in Buddhist light and echoing with chanting, completely out of place with the grim and despairing atmosphere of the moment.
"It seems to be... the one I lost? Oh dear, so it was left here. Returning it to its rightful owner, returning it to its rightful owner."
The sound wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present with crystal clarity, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattering the suffocating stillness.
Everyone, including the towering golden Buddha statue, the pale-faced Guanyin in the clouds, and the despairing and numb Sun Wukong on the ground, couldn't help but look in the direction of the sound with a hint of disbelief and astonishment.
Suddenly, a figure in white appeared beside the ditch created by Sun Wukong, standing less than three steps away from the floating headband.
He bent slightly, extended a pair of fair and slender hands that seemed untouched by dust, and with a casual movement as if picking up a pebble from the roadside, he easily and deftly scooped up the tight band that radiated an ominous dark golden luster and was covered with flowing runes. He held it in front of his eyes and examined it with great interest, as if checking its quality.
Lin Zhu!
This troublemaker! This jinx! This anomaly that everyone least wants to see right now, yet always seems to appear at crucial moments!
The Buddha's enormous form, formed from Buddha's light and originally compassionate and majestic, visibly stiffened and distorted for a moment!
Although he quickly regained his serene and emotionless Buddha-like appearance, the vast Buddha-light surrounding him rippled slightly, revealing that his inner peace was not as serene as it appeared. His aura of superiority and absolute control seemed to have been forcibly cracked open.
Guanyin Bodhisattva's delicate body trembled, her face instantly turning deathly pale. She subconsciously took half a step back, as if she had seen some monstrous flood or been caught red-handed doing something wrong. Her eyes were filled with panic, regret, and... just as she feared! The thing she feared most had finally happened!
That scoundrel, he really didn't leave! He's been watching the whole time! He was just waiting for this crucial moment to jump out and cause trouble!
On the ground, Sun Wukong, who had already resigned himself to his fate and stretched out his hand, froze completely as if struck by an invisible lightning bolt! His hand, reaching for the magic circlet, remained suspended in mid-air, his fingertips just a hair's breadth away from its original target, unable to move forward even an inch. (End of Chapter)