Journey to the West: Starting from Changing Sun Wukong’s fate
Chapter 174 - 175 Xuanzang: Practice the Great Dao in One’s Heart

Chapter 174: Chapter 175 Xuanzang: Practice the Great Dao in One’s Heart

This is actually 174, it’s just that the serial number is wrong.

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In the Western Buddhist Sect, the Buddhist Law is too absolute, with many parts that clash with each other.

This was mainly because, at the beginning, when Jieyin and Zhunti founded their teachings and made great vows, it had an impact.

Eager to establish their teachings, they borrowed boundless merit from the Heavenly Dao to achieve saintliness and were also in a hurry to spread Buddhism and promote its doctrines, which naturally led to a congregation with uneven levels of followers.

Unlike the Daoist Ancestor Taiqing or the Jade Void celestial Venerable, they didn’t have an Innate Supreme Treasure to anchor their fate.

This led to an unstable foundation for Buddhism.

Consequently, this also led to the prophecy of a future calamity known as the "Star Disaster."

Of course, the Two Saints of the West, Zhunti and Jieyin, were aware of this.

So now, they naturally hastened the Journey to the West, aiming to gather more fate and merit for Buddhism before the advent of the Star Disaster.

Perhaps, this was the slim chance for Buddhism’s survival.

However, as Xuanzang heard Wang Yang’s words, he still had some disagreements with the doctrines of Buddhism.

Once devoted to Buddhism, his aspirations were suddenly torn, making it unbearable for him, and inevitably, Demonic Qi began to invade him.

Why does Buddhism save those with destiny, yet they have to bear the karmic consequences because they live near a fishmonger?

Why is it that laying down the butcher’s knife can lead one to immediately attain Buddhahood?

Yet a Buddha must go through hardships to become enlightened?

In the past, he had not put everything in front of himself to see; everything seemed to make sense.

He feared seeing the contradictions and even wished to become one of Wang Yang’s dead souls under his knife, but that was just self-deception.

Wang Yang was right, it wasn’t that he didn’t understand, but that he didn’t want to understand.

In that moment, his once pure heart was stained black.

Even signs of demonization appeared.

From Buddha to demon.

In fact, such cases were not uncommon in the Western Paradise.

Throughout the ages, it had happened before.

At this moment, the Two Saints of the West were sitting under the Bodhi Tree and vaguely sensed something.

"Brother, have you noticed something?"

Zhunti furrowed his brows slightly, showing some concern.

Amitabha Buddha, sitting beside him, nodded after looking at his junior brother.

They could sense that there was a change in the momentum of the Journey to the West.

Everything seemed to be under their control previously, with Sun Wukong already sealed, just waiting for the Journey to the West’s Calamity to begin after five hundred years.

However, now there were sudden changes.

The key was that they couldn’t sense why this change occurred.

It was a premonition that, if not careful, the Journey to the West’s Calamity might be destroyed.

Amitabha Buddha and Zhunti quickly began to deduce, seeking the reason behind it.

It wasn’t just the Two Saints of the West, beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens in the Daoist Palace within the Chaotic Void, Daoist Ancestor Taiqing and Jade Void celestial Venerable also sensed the changes.

"Unforeseen variables have arisen, I fear that the preset Journey to the West’s Calamity might encounter some misfortune!"

Daoist Ancestor Taiqing slowly opened his eyes, and as they opened, his gaze pierced through the endless void and landed within the Earth Immortal Realm.

By his side, Jade Void celestial Venerable also slowly opened his eyes and spoke slowly, "It should be so. After all, Buddhism, with its shallow roots, might rely on schemes to temporarily develop faster than the Daoist Sect. However, Buddhism is ultimately a heterodox path!"

The Jade Void celestial Venerable had always looked down on any major paths besides the Daoist Sect.

Not only did the Four Great Saints notice something, but some other top powers also sensed it.

However, their attitudes were different.

But they could not sense where the problem had arisen.

Wang Yang was covered in numerous powerful Formations, and since the Calamity had obscured the breath of heaven and earth, it was naturally difficult for the Saints to sense anything easily.

Moreover, the reincarnation of the Golden Cicada Child was just one of his ten lives, which for most people could be said to be insignificant.

Even the Two Saints of the West did not send anyone to protect him.

Because the earlier lives were not important, only the journey to the Western Direction to seek scriptures was of utmost importance.

Therefore, no one knew that at this moment, Xuanzang, the reincarnation of the Golden Cicada Child, was undergoing a change.

The body of the Golden Cicada Child emitted some black Qi, and his eyes lost their clarity, turning black.

It was as if a Demon Chief was slowly consuming Xuanzang.

Wang Yang looked at Xuanzang, showing a helpless expression on his face.

He had confirmed that this Xuanzang was the one he was looking for.

Besides, although he wanted to change Xuanzang’s destiny, he did not want to change it so completely.

After all, he just wanted to alter his attitude towards Buddhism, not to turn him into a demon.

So now, he was left with only two choices.

One was to let Xuanzang completely demonize, and the other was to resolve Xuanzang’s demonization.

In silence, Wang Yang looked at Xuanzang, who was becoming ever more demonized.

"Little Monk, do you know why the Buddhist philosophy is as such?"

Wang Yang slowly opened his mouth and said.

"The little monk truly wishes to know, please do not hesitate to enlighten me, Benefactor!"

Xuanzang opened his mouth slowly, although his eyes were still filled with the seven emotions and six desires, he managed to suppress the demonic thoughts in his heart with a sliver of reason.

"There is no fault in Buddhist Law, but the fault lies in people!"

Wang Yang opened his mouth slowly, "Just as a knife is a tool and not a weapon, but when it falls into human hands, it becomes a weapon—why is this so?"

Hearing Wang Yang’s words, the demonic nature in Xuanzang’s eyes seemed touched, he kept looking at Wang Yang, waiting for him to continue.

He had listened to Buddhist Law since childhood, comprehending Buddhist Law, yet everything today shattered his original fixed perceptions.

One could say it completely overturned his imagination.

All that he had once known, the compassion that once was, now seemed somewhat sorrowful.

"The reason a knife becomes a weapon is not the fault of the knife itself, but of the one who wields it. Buddhist Law itself is also not at fault, but those who wield it are!"

"If the wielder of the law is just and acts for the heavens, for the sake of the beings in the Three Realms, truly for the liberation of sentient beings, then Buddhist Law is a doctrine that saves people and governs the world!"

"However, if the wielder of the law acts only for personal desires, to gather disciples and accumulate the karmic force of myriad offerings, then Buddhist Law becomes a doctrine that opposes the world!"

Wang Yang spoke slowly.

Listening to Wang Yang’s words, each word fell on his ears, sounding in Xuanzang’s ears like thunderous roars.

Continuously resounding in his mind.

"Buddhist Law is not at fault, the fault lies in the law enforcers, the knife itself is not at fault, the fault lies in the person holding the knife!"

As he muttered this to himself, the black qi on his body began to gradually dissipate.

His eyes, which had been filled with violent redness, also gradually retreated.

The countless horrific demons and monsters that had been gathering behind him now also seemed to be gradually dissipating.

It seemed as if his doubts and confusion about Buddhist Law were being explained at this moment, and he had returned to his original heart.

The patrons around them noticed none of these changes, as if nothing had happened at all.

Xuanzang stood up and gave Wang Yang a courteous bow.

But Wang Yang noted the strange changes in Xuanzang’s aura. It was no longer the original purity of Buddhist qi, but had become complicated and even showed signs of a Daoist transformation.

Originally, the Two Sages of the West were from the Daoist Sect, who later, for the sake of achieving sainthood, founded Buddhism, starting with Dao and attaining Buddhahood.

Yet Xuanzang was moving from Buddhism to Daoism.

However, since Xuanzang had never encountered Daoism, the transformation at this moment could be described as neither Dao nor Buddhism.

His once blood-red eyes now also completely reverted back to calm colours.

Yet a surge of earth-shattering madness was brewing.

"Benefactor, the little monk understands, Amitabha Buddha!"

Xuanzang stood up, free of any confusion.

He then turned to leave.

Watching Xuanzang’s departing figure, Wang Yang felt a sense of complexity within and could not help but ask, "Where are you going?"

Xuanzang answered calmly, "Naturally, to follow the Great Dao within my heart!"

Hearing this, Wang Yang shook his head and said, "Do you know how dangerous the Three Realms are right now, filled with countless powerful beings? With only your own strength, how can you walk the Great Dao you envision?"

Xuanzang wanted to change Buddhism, but with a Saint at Buddhism’s helm, how could he allow such easy changes?

Furthermore, as a proponent of Buddhism’s prosperity, the Buddhist Saint would not permit Xuanzang to change it so easily.

For Xuanzang to think he could easily change things now was simply foolish.

Of course, Wang Yang did not find anything wrong with Xuanzang wanting to follow his heart’s desires; it’s just that for Xuanzang, housed in a mortal body, wanting to make a change was simply like a fool dreaming.

On hearing Wang Yang’s words, Xuanzang paused his steps, and the step he was about to take was withdrawn.

Then he turned back to face Wang Yang, joined his palms together and said, "Although the little monk is ignorant of the structure of the Three Realms that Benefactor speaks of, he knows that the Benefactor has something to say. Please feel free to speak!"

Xuanzang looked at Wang Yang and spoke.

This statement let Wang Yang breathe a sigh of relief in his heart.

At least Xuanzang had no intention of stubbornly pursuing his own ideas.

Looking at Xuanzang, Wang Yang showed a hint of a smile and then said to Xuanzang, "Sit down!"

Xuanzang nodded and sat down again in front of Wang Yang.

He then looked at Xuanzang and said, "I see that your Buddhist heart is firm and you have the innocence of a child. Whatever thoughts you have now, you may speak freely, perhaps I can resolve your doubts!"

After hearing Wang Yang’s words, Xuanzang nodded and recounted all about his upbringing in contact with Buddhism and taking it as his duty to propagate Buddhist Law to Wang Yang.

Do you want to universally save those you encounter by chance?

Although Wang Yang had long confirmed it, after hearing Xuanzang’s words, he couldn’t help feeling even more moved—that Xuanzang was indeed one of the ten lifetimes of Xuanzang.

Now, Sun Wukong, following his plan, was already suppressed by Tathagata, buying time for his true self and temporarily escaping the grasp of All Heavens’ Immortals and Buddhas.

Or more accurately, Sun Wukong had sealed himself off, making a slight alteration to the Calamity of Journey to the West.

The lead of Journey to the West obviously was Xuanzang, and thus he would naturally be under the watch of All Heavens’ Immortals and Buddhas.

Xuanzang also said that upon seeing this fateful person, he wanted to perform universal salvation.

Wouldn’t that mean someone intentionally let Xuanzang, the reincarnation of Golden Cicada, find him?

Both Sun Wukong and his master were from Patriarch Bodhi—could it be that Patriarch Bodhi had specially arranged this?

Looking at Xuanzang, Wang Yang frowned...