Heaven-Defying Rebel Sage
Chapter 202 - 195: Pointing the Sword at Kunlun to Seize the Bell

Chapter 202: Chapter 195: Pointing the Sword at Kunlun to Seize the Bell

Wukong had emerged from the Reincarnation Netherworld and was now traveling alone to Water Curtain Cave.

Midway through the journey, a thought struck him. He decided to make a detour to the Western Heavenly Buddha Land to assess the battle situation before making comprehensive plans. He wondered about Xue Rengui’s cultivation level; with his talent, he feared that Xue might have already reached the High Immortal Realm.

With a somersault, he mounted his Somersault Cloud and headed towards the Western Heavenly Buddha Land.

Along the way, he saw that every city he passed had Great Tang’s banners waving. Buddhist temples were demolished, replaced by Taoist Temples, cutting off the Buddhist Sect’s Incense Willpower—truly pulling the rug out from under their feet. In no time, he arrived at White Elephant City. Before the city was a sea of people, shimmering with spears, swords, maces, and halberds. A dazzling display that blinded the eyes.

How valiant was the Tang army? A poem exemplifies their bravery:

"The general fierce as a tiger, battle steeds that soar with clouds.

Iron armor gleaming radiantly, black robes adorned with dragon patterns.

With a heart of valor conquering Tianzhu, loyal spirits wrap the fallen.

Swords that startle Buddha’s heart, sabers that claim the souls of Bodhisattvas."

Xue Rengui was seen leading the troops at the front lines, locked in fierce battle: "Billowing killing intent pierces the Nine Heavens, looming war clouds obscure the earth." A ferocious fight ensued, leaving the Tianzhu army in disarray, helmets and armor cast aside as they fled into White Elephant City, with as many as eight thousand captured. This victory greatly bolstered the Tang army’s momentum, who repeatedly challenged Tianzhu to send more troops for battle. This battle indeed froze the hearts of Tianzhu people, no longer daring to fight, and they hung up a truce sign.

Nezha and Xu Fu were unable to join the fray; slaying these ordinary soldiers would only accumulate karma, yet the high-level experts in the city, those above Taiyi Golden Immortal, cowardly refused to come out. The only one taking delight in battle was Bai Qi. In these ten years alongside the Tang army, they had amassed considerable military achievements. Bai Qi cultivated the path of slaughter, so having killed for ten years, his cultivation level had climbed, stepping into the Great Luo Golden Immortal Realm.

"Wukong is here," said Nezha, whose sharp eyes spotted Wukong flying from the sky. He quickly soared into the air to greet him.

Bai Qi, having enjoyed the fight, now donned a white robe, shedding his bloodstained demon god appearance for that of a delicate scholar. Seeing Wukong, he too approached, along with Xu Fu.

Seeing his teacher had arrived, Xue Rengui was visibly excited. He ordered his troops to clean up the battlefield and came forward to greet him.

Xue Rengui bowed and said, "Master!"

Wukong gave a slight nod and responded, "Hmm, very good."

Xue Rengui understood that his master was commending him for leading the troops in battle these past few years, bringing Tianzhu to the brink of national ruin—a commendable deed aiding the Demon Tribe’s counterassault against the Buddhist Sect.

"How long will it take to take down this White Elephant City?" Wukong inquired.

"The defense in White Elephant City is strong, but their provisions are thin. Our army has been besieging the city for five months, and with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva holding the fort, the Buddhist Sect dares not dispatch great Divine Power wielders with provisions. Now, seeing the dire straits of Tianzhu, the Buddhist Sect has let go and doesn’t interfere. Immeasurable Light Buddha and the other Buddhas have all retreated back to the Western Heavenly Mountain," Xue Rengui reported his military achievements to Wukong, "As for capturing White Elephant City, there isn’t much desire to do so. Give it another three months, and it will fall without a fight."

Wukong smiled and remarked, "Excellent!"

Great Divine Power wielders could accelerate the ripening of seeds, but did it mean that the presence of such a powerful deity on the inside entailed an absence on the outside? The banishing enforcement set by Ksitigarbha King was impenetrable, leaving nobody capable of breaking it. Forget about hastening crop growth; under the pressure of a Primordial Golden Immortal, even mana struggled to circulate smoothly.

At this moment, Ksitigarbha King too sensed Wukong’s arrival and emerged from his tent, with Diting following. Folding his hands in prayer, he said, "The Buddha has come."

Bai Qi and the others couldn’t help but express their surprise, exclaiming, "The Buddha? Since when did Wukong believe in Buddhism?"

Ksitigarbha King stated, "The Buddha’s light shines bright and vast, illuminating the Ten Directions Country, and all realms far and wide, invincible in battle, known as the Victorious Fighting Buddha."

Bai Qi asked curiously, "If you have already become a Buddha, then why attack the Western Heavenly Mountain?"

Wukong retorted, "It’s precisely because I intend to tear down that group of pretender Buddhas on Western Heavenly Mountain and achieve the true Victorious Fighting Buddha. Right now, I possess only the heart of a Buddha and not yet the Buddha Ancestor’s merit. How can I become a Buddha?" Wukong gave a slight smile, "My Buddha is different from those hypocritical ones. My Buddha seeks the path of the true heart."

"Well said, well said," Ksitigarbha King responded with repeated praises after hearing this.

Xue Rengui then said, "Master, after I capture White Elephant City, may I follow you in devoted cultivation?"

Wukong knew that Xue Rengui would still be needed if they were to attack the Heavenly Court. Given Xue Rengui’s current shallow cultivation level, even if he led a million soldiers from the Demon Tribe, he feared that an expert could dispatch a Flying Sword to take his head from a thousand miles away. The war against the Heavenly Court wouldn’t be a "minor skirmish" like the one between the Great Tang and Tianzhu. In that conflict, the Three Realms would surely plunge into chaos, the sky and earth turning upside down! As the saying goes, "When deities fight, mortals suffer," and that’s exactly the principle here.

After pondering for a moment, Wukong said, "Rengui, your cultivation level is still shallow, and the battle between Buddhists and demons is about to begin, with an uncertain and unstable situation. I’ll write a letter for you, and you go to Qingyang Temple to seek Taoist Master Yuan Tiangang’s guidance in cultivation. Once the battle between Buddhists and demons is over, I will summon you."

Hearing Wukong’s reluctance to allow him to follow in cultivation, Xue Rengui couldn’t help but feel disappointed. But a student must reverence their teacher as they do a father, so how could he not listen? He bowed his head and said, "I understand, master. Once White Elephant City falls, I will go to Qingyang Temple to seek Taoist Master Yuan."

Wukong drew a talisman in the void and immediately wrote a letter for Xue Rengui to take with him.

"Do not be disheartened—when the time comes to battle the Heavenly Court, you will have your moment to show off. This move and the battle with the Buddhist Sect are battlefields for Primordial Golden Immortals and Great Luo Golden Immortals; your presence would be futile, you’d merely be cannon fodder for no reason," Wukong assured Xue Rengui, who looked gloomy.

After hearing this, Xue Rengui nodded eagerly and said, "Understood!"

Ksitigarbha King asked, "My Buddha, do we have assurance in this battle?"

Wukong smiled and said, "I’ve heard that Tathagata is once again forging the Wheel-Turning Sage King Seal at the Western Heavenly Mountain, even going as far as melting the five Ming Kings into it. He is now gathering Incense Willpower from all over the world, with the support of various Buddhas. The seal he is forging must be extremely formidable. Although my Great Revolution Seal is also powerful, it has not yet reached perfection. The Wheel-Turning Sage King is the highest deity within the Buddhist Sect—it’s likely unbeatable by comparison."

The Wheel-Turning Sage King Seal!

This seal had once appeared on the battlefield between Great Tang and Tianzhu Country. The Heaven-Defying Taoist managed to resist it with his Great Revolution Seal, but this seal was hastily forged for that battle. With Tianzhu’s defeat now irretrievable, Tathagata decisively called together the Buddhas. He accumulated years of Incense Willpower and the Eight Treasures Merit to create a true Wheel-Turning Sage King Seal! Wukong’s Great Revolution Seal was not yet perfected, and when compared, it would surely be at a disadvantage. Meanwhile, one of the Five-Directional Banners, the Plain-Colored Cloud Boundary Flag, was bound by the Buddhist Sect’s Green Lotus Treasure Color Flag. To contend with this seal, an even more powerful Magical Treasure would be needed.

"The Buddhist Sect’s forging of the Wheel-Turning Sage King Seal is indeed troublesome," Ksitigarbha King said with a frown and deep in thought.

Being from the Buddhist Sect, he naturally knew what the Wheel-Turning Sage King represented and had some idea of the seal’s might, which was likely not much inferior to that of Innate Magical Treasures! After all, this time the Buddhist Sect was staking everything on one throw—if victorious, they could prolong the Buddhist Sect’s legacy; if defeated, they would be extinguished and all ascend to the Deification Platform.

Wukong suddenly remembered something that Di Jun had mentioned: the ancient Heavenly Court’s foundation was destroyed in an instant because Gong Gong had angered Mount Buzhou, breaking the Heavenly Pillar. When the Three Pure Ones rebuilt the Heavenly Court, the Lord of Primordial Beginning melted the Eastern Emperor Bell into Mount Buzhou, reattaching the mountain. The Eastern Emperor Bell was an extremely potent existence among Innate Magical Treasures. The Demon Emperor Taiyi achieved the Supreme Dao and became a Heavenly Dao Saint with just this bell—it was almost unbeatable in the universe with the Eight Wildernesses.

With the Eastern Emperor Bell in hand, the Buddhist Sect’s Wheel-Turning Sage King Seal would be nothing to fear. Using the bell to resist, the Buddhist Sect would naturally be at a loss.

"Does anyone know about the Magical Treasure of the Demon Emperor Taiyi from our Demon Tribe in the past?" Wukong asked as a hint.

"Is Wukong referring to the Eastern Emperor Taiyi’s Eastern Emperor Bell?" Nezha exclaimed.

"Indeed... With the Eastern Emperor Bell, we need not fear the Buddhist Sect’s Wheel-Turner Sage King Seal. Tathagata has truly invested heavily this time, melting the bodies of the five Ming Kings into it. This Wheel-Turner Sage King Seal must be vastly different from the last, like heaven and earth—a vast difference that should not be underestimated," Wukong said.

"But after the Eastern Emperor Taiyi’s death, the bell vanished without a trace. Where are we to find it?" Nezha asked again.

Wukong replied, "According to the Heavenly Emperor, the Eastern Emperor Bell was melted into Mount Buzhou by the Lord of Primordial Beginning. Just need five Great Luo Golden Immortals with the Five Elements Bloodline to form a grand formation to shake it. I have obtained the River Map and Luo Book, which contain the Five Elements Formation of the Saint Fuxi."

Everyone was overjoyed upon hearing this.

Xu Fu said, "In that case, we’re in for some trouble. If the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist Sect join forces, what then?"

Wukong said, "That Jade Emperor is indecisive, only hoping to reap the benefits of a fisherman, watching the crane and clam fight, sitting on the hill to watch the tiger battle. Heh, he’d be delighted if we and the Buddhist Sect were to severely damage each other. Right now, he’s probably focusing on accumulating strength. Even if Tathagata comes begging, he’s likely to be turned away."

When Great Tang and Tianzhu went to war, the Heavenly Court also intervened. But after the Golden-Winged Great Peng King killed the seven comrades of the Celestial Emperor Qinghua and saw Tianzhu’s hopeless situation, the court withdrew their troops to avoid further losses.

"But the Jade Pool is where the Queen Mother’s foundation lies—if the Eastern Emperor Bell is taken, the Jade Pool will surely crumble. Would the Heavenly Court really just stand by?" Xu Fu analyzed.

"Heh, if that old codger, the Jade Emperor, dares to interfere, then we’ll hit his Heavenly Court first! This Eastern Emperor Bell was originally a relic of our Demon Tribe—taking it back is rightful and proper," Wukong sneered, "Even if the Jade Emperor wishes to join forces with the Buddhist Sect, those officials under him would definitely not allow it. There has always been a deep enmity between the Buddhist Sect and the Taoist Sect. If he does that, it would please me all the more."

Nezha laughed and said, "Wukong, you sly fox!"

He couldn’t help but recall the old times of the Monkey King, the Great Sage Equalling Heaven from Mount Huaguo’s Water Curtain Cave. Back then, Sun Wukong was brash and tough, arrogant to the core, being played by both the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist Sect. Now, reborn from the ashes with profound wisdom, he had both bravery and strategy, seeing the situation with utmost clarity. Nezha felt inferior, reflecting that great setbacks can lead to loss of morale, yet only a few can stand up again amidst such challenges, akin to a Phoenix Nirvana.

Their gazes involuntarily turned northwest, the direction where Mount Buzhou was located!

To find out what happens next, please wait for the following Chapter. (To be continued. If you like this work, please go to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)