The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 114 - 112: Who Determines the Rise and Fall of the Human Path

Chapter 114: Chapter 112: Who Determines the Rise and Fall of the Human Path

The Demon Kings refined the essence blood of the Evil God, each one making substantial progress in strength, and nearly all of them were about to enter seclusion to digest their gains.

The Ox Demon King also felt that he was just short of an opportunity to ascend to the Second Heaven of the Da Luo Golden Immortal. He needed a moment of epiphany, to feel the principles, before he could truly understand how the laws came into being.

Laws are determined by the Heavenly Dao, while the rules are established by the Great Dao. Though they differ by only one word, the discrepancy is as vast as a thousand miles.

To reach the Second Layer as a Da Luo Golden Immortal, one needs to grasp such laws. Take, for instance, a ball. When tossed down a slope, it rolls downward. Yet once you understand the law, you can make it roll uphill, defying common sense. The laws set by the Great Dao are what weave together to form the universe, representing time and space. Such powerful laws are exceedingly difficult to master.

Upon mastering these laws, one must reverse life and death to reach the Third Layer, the Immortal Realm. As long as a wisp of the Primordial Spirit remains, one can revive. Thus, to deal with experts above the Third Level of the Great Luo Golden Immortal, one must annihilate their Primordial Spirit to ash. If even a thread of the Primordial Spirit escapes, they might well recover, which is what makes the Immortal Realm so formidable!

The Ox Demon King said, "Brothers, just focus on your seclusion. I will serve as your protector!"

The others responded, "We appreciate it, Big Brother!"

The Peng Demon King said, "It seems I won’t break through so easily either. I’ll stay behind to watch over Flower-Fruit Mountain."

The Jiao Demon King added, "I’ve only just become a Da Luo Golden Immortal. Refining the essence blood of the Evil God hasn’t had much impact for me, so I’ll stay as well."

The other three went into seclusion. They were originally among the pinnacle experts of the Taiyi Golden Immortals and were on the verge of breaking through after refining the essence blood of the Evil God.

If one’s cultivation does not lead to becoming an immortal, in the end, it’s all for naught. The quest of the Dao of Immortals lies in the pursuit of knowledge. Individuals like Ancestor Chen Tuan, who could advance their cultivation through sheer laziness and sleep, are extremely rare.

The Daoist Equal to Heaven whistled, and out from the depths of the cave abode came a Daoist clad in black. Everyone looked and felt that this Daoist exuded a profound steadiness, like an abyss, in his black Taoist robe. His features might not be extraordinary, but the profound aura suggested an underlying sharpness brewing, a wilder edge than a tempest, resembling a divine sword sheathed and ready.

"Haha! I, Enlightenment Dao, have met all my elder brothers." This was Wukong’s third manifestation, Enlightenment Dao.

Sun Wukong, Enlightenment Dao; one sought to understand the great emptiness, the other the Great Dao. They complemented each other indeed.

The Daoist Equal to Heaven then said, "This is the Third Primordial Spirit, Enlightenment Dao. He was just recently forged into a corporeal form through Fetal Transformation and Easy Shape-Shifting and needs much more polishing."

The Fetal Transformation and Easy Shape-Shifting technique was truly formidable, allowing one to change the structure of one’s flesh and mold it into the most accustomed form. Moreover, with Wuzhiqi’s potent body as a base, the newly reforged body was exceptionally extraordinary.

"What are your plans next?" asked the Ox Demon King.

"This body of Enlightenment Dao will remain hidden within Flower-Fruit Mountain, feasting on Peaches of Immortality to refine the body quickly. Besides, this Third Primordial Spirit is somewhat fragile, requiring considerable time to strengthen. As for this body," said the Daoist Equal to Heaven, "I plan to venture into the mortal world to take a look around."

"Why venture into the world? The mortal realm is rife with karma. If you get entangled in it, you might regret it too late," said the Ox Demon King.

The Daoist Equal to Heaven laughed. "Ancestor Chen Tuan has already gained some fame in the mortal world. I plan to have a showdown in Luoyang, but my renown isn’t significant enough yet. I must become known as a virtuous sage first, then make my calculations."

Wukong, having conversed with Laojun in the Doulu Palace, had an inkling of the Daoist sect’s intentions as well as the Buddhist sect’s methods. He intended to stir things up below and see if Buddhism could be suppressed.

The spread of Buddhism wasn’t slow, owing to the advocacy of the Huahu Scripture. It was gradually being accepted by the people of the Eastern Land, and White Horse Temple built in Luoyang was attracting more incense offerings as people began to recognize Buddhism.

Buddhist monks now often intervened to help those who prayed, and word of their deeds spread far and wide, drawing even more worshippers to the temples. Generally, immortals seldom interfere in mortal trifles. After all, to them, mortals are no more than ants, engaging with them mostly to secure the future of their Way and their source of worship.

Certainly, immortals do possess emotions. Many a prayer story has touched the hearts of immortals and Bodhisattvas, prompting them to act, but such instances are rare. Most immortals remain preoccupied with their own practices, without the leisure to delve into human affairs. Would it be possible for them to attend to every minor plea from billions across the Four Great Continents, and actually intervene? Unlikely.

The continued growth of Buddhism was something Wukong did not want to see, and of course, neither did the Three Pure Ones. But with the Han Dynasty supporting the Buddhist sect, they were helpless; even Laozi, the patriarch of the Human Teachings, could only stand by and watch. If he intervened, it would bring consequences he did not want. He knew Wukong’s mind and thus let him be, for if Wukong indeed caused some trouble for the Buddhist sect, that would certainly please him greatly.

The Three Pure Ones are cautious of Tathagata, that is a fact; and equally, Tathagata is wary of them. Should they clash, it would result in mutual destruction. Tathagata had his own schemes and the Three Pure Ones had theirs. This struggle for supremacy between Buddhism and Daoism was ostensibly about competing for spiritual destiny and the Way of the Dao, but what it was truly about, who could say?

Though Laojun had discussed so much with Wukong, he had never mentioned the substantive issues, only offering ambiguous statements. Whether Wukong could discern the hints depended entirely on his own understanding.

The Ox Demon King was a disciple of Laojun’s mount, the Green Ox; Laojun’s intention in sending him to Flower-Fruit Mountain was profound, but not ill-willed. He had instructed the Ox Demon King, telling him to manage affairs on his own, and if any major issues arose, to simply report back to Doulu Palace.

The Ox Demon King said, "Do you really intend to meddle in the struggle for the throne of the Human Emperor in the Southern Toad Continent? It’s no longer Ancient Times. The laws of Heaven and Earth have changed. Those of us on the Immortal Path meddling in human affairs could accidentally entangle ourselves in karma, and if that happens, be wary lest the Heavenly Dao settles the score!"

The Peng Demon King also said, "Old Bull is right, Wukong. If you get involved in human karma, it won’t be good for you."

But the Daoist Equal to Heaven laughed strangely and said, "No harm, no harm! Do you know whose legacy I’ve obtained this time? With his legacy, my involvement in human affairs is entirely justified!"

"Whose legacy?" the Jiao Demon King asked curiously.

"It’s the Ancient Heavenly Emperor, Fuxi himself!" the Daoist Equal to Heaven laughed loudly. "Otherwise, I really wouldn’t dare to casually intervene in human affairs. With Fuxi’s legacy, what do I have to fear from human karma?"

Fuxi was the Sage Emperor of the human clan, one of the Three Emperors of Heaven, Earth, and Man, renowned for teaching humanity and creating the Path of Bagua Numerology, a being of immeasurable merit. Even now, many places still worship statues of Fuxi. Having acquired Fuxi’s legacy, Wukong naturally also inherited Fuxi’s karmic destiny of humanity, allowing him to intervene in human affairs without accruing karma.

In Ancient Times, many immortals interfered in human affairs, but after the Ancient Divine Enthronement, the Three Pure Ones consumed the Fallen Saint Elixir and the Heavenly Dao Laws changed. That was the last great purge of Ancient Times. Afterwards, any immortal who meddled in the major events of human succession would face calamity.

Wukong knew the future, understood that the Han Dynasty would soon be destroyed, and countless heroes would vie for control of the Central Plains, followed by the division into The Three Kingdoms.

This was an era of great chaos, an excellent opportunity for him to intervene in human affairs. If he succeeded, he might change history, and perhaps even his own fate.

His three brothers were surprised, thinking to themselves it was no wonder he dared to interfere in the great events of human succession, as he had acquired Fuxi’s legacy.

The Daoist Equal to Heaven laughed and said, "Are my brothers at ease now? If I weren’t certain, why would I dare meddle in the rise and fall of human affairs?"

All three nodded and said, "You must be careful. Your intervention in the rise and fall of human affairs and opposition to the Buddhist sect will surely not be taken lightly by them."

"I am well aware! I plan to make a name for myself in that Han Dynasty. Later, I can find a lord to serve and help him seek domination over the world," said the Daoist Equal to Heaven.

He thought to himself, "In my previous life, although Liu Bei lacked great talent, he was truly virtuous and deeply understood Emperor Gaozu’s way of authority and cunning, drawing talented individuals to his side; Sun Zhongmou, guarding the impregnable position across the Yangtze River in Eastern Rivers, was quite invincible, and indeed, he was both brave and strategic, making countless people lament that ’one should bear sons like Sun Zhongmou’; then there was Cao Cao in the North, a true grand hero, wielding imperial power over the feudal lords. Each of these three was a formidable leader. Let’s see how Buddhism and Daoism play their hands in this situation, while I make my moves in between!"

Although he was aware of the historical trajectory, he had not personally encountered these figures, knowing of them only by reputation. How to strategize the major events of human succession to suppress Buddhism would require a step-by-step approach, as the future was full of endless variables.

Wukong knew that after the Three Kingdoms, the land would fall under the Jin Dynasty ruled by the Sima clan. During the Two Jin eras, a new sect called ’Louguan’ emerged, venerating Laojun and his disciple Xuandu Grand Master as patriarchs, greatly strengthening the Daoist sect. By the time of the Tang Dynasty, even the majority of the Guanlong Nobility were followers of this sect.

Wukong could not understand how the Louguan Sect, so powerful, had agreed to the western pilgrimage undertaken at Emperor Taizong of Tang’s behest. There must have been more to the story.

The attitude of the Three Pure Ones was also quite peculiar, seemingly turning a blind eye to Buddhism’s maneuvers and even permitting them. Whether the Buddhist sect grew or was disrupted by Wukong seemed of no consequence to them! It was as if they actually supported the Journey to the West. Could it be that the Three Pure Ones were planning to settle their score with the Buddhists during the Journey to the West? After all, only through such a contest could they minimize their losses.

There were many things that made no sense and still needed unraveling by him step by step. He was walking a tightrope. Although he knew that the Three Pure Ones did not seem to have ill-intentions, who could discern whether they had some terrifying plot in mind? In the eyes of a Saint, everything is but lowly as a stray dog. If they calculated against him and he even unwittingly helped them count the gains, that would be a humiliation indeed.

To find out what happens next, please stay tuned for the following installment.