The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 193 - 188: Suddenly Hearing the Scripture, Realizing Bodhi 2

Chapter 193: Chapter 188: Suddenly Hearing the Scripture, Realizing Bodhi 2

Spiritual Treasure Lord was the most idle, and having been defeated in the divine enthronement among the Three Pure, he was also the weakest. The troublesome matter of mentoring disciples was likely to fall upon him.

"During the divine enthronement, only the Mother of Non-Duality from under the Spiritual Treasure Lord did not ascend to the Canonization Altar. Could my elder sister Wusheng, be the Mother of Non-Duality?" Daoist Equal to Heaven pondered in his heart. This thought made sense; having escaped one calamity, she was the final spark for the Sect of Interception. It wasn’t impossible for the Spiritual Treasure Lord to let her reincarnate to cut off the karmic forces attached to her.

When Daoist Equal to Heaven arrived at the gates of Biyougong Palace, he was stopped by a Child who said, "Where does the Daoist come from? The Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch is preaching in the Jade Pure Sky, this is the Upper Pure Heaven!"

However, Daoist Equal to Heaven said, "Could the Immortal Child kindly inform the Great Lord of the High Purity that this poor Daoist has urgent matters to discuss with him, concerning the Tathagata, and it must not be neglected!"

Upon hearing this, the Child’s face changed, and he hurriedly entered the Biyougong Palace to meet the Leader of Heaven-Penetrating who was lecturing on the "Yellow Court Classic." He said, "Elder, there’s trouble! A Daoist outside claims to have urgent matters to discuss, concerning the Old Buddha of the Western Heaven, and wishes to speak with the Elder."

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating opened his eyes, placed down the scriptures in his hands, dismissed his disciples, and asked, "Which Daoist?"

The Child replied, "I don’t know. When I heard it was such an urgent issue, I forgot to ask for his name and came directly to inform you, Elder."

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating nodded slightly and said, "Let him in!"

Taking the command, the Child immediately went out to let Daoist Equal to Heaven come in.

Following the Child, Daoist Equal to Heaven entered the Biyougong Palace. Upon seeing him, the Leader of Heaven-Penetrating slightly frowned and gestured for the Child to leave.

Daoist Equal to Heaven immediately strode forward and knelt before the Leader of Heaven-Penetrating, crying, "Master! Your disciple has had such a hard time finding you."

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating’s face showed a bizarre expression and said, "Sun Wukong, why are you wailing here? I am certainly not your master."

Daoist Equal to Heaven pleaded, "Master, ever since parting from the Three Stars Cave, I have never seen my venerable master. It turns out I was unaware that you’ve been taking care of me in secret all this while. My bold arrival this time is indeed too disrespectful! I earnestly hope my venerable master can forgive me."

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating could not help but laugh and said, "You monkey, trying to deceive me! I am not your master!"

Daoist Equal to Heaven persisted, "It’s all my stupidity, not realizing sooner that my master is Spiritual Treasure Lord!"

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating asked, "How do I resemble your master?"

Daoist Equal to Heaven cried, "Master, please stop pretending. Your disciple is so lonely before the Tathagata, yet you still have the heart to see me suffer! Since the ancient divine enthronement, all disciples under my master were fated to suffer. Could it be that my master also wants to see your disciple meet his fate at the hands of the Tathagata?"

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating’s expression changed between gloom and brightness and said, "You Macaca, talking nonsense again! You come to my Biyougong Palace to run wild, possibly unaware of the peril, seeking my discontentment?"

Daoist Equal to Heaven crawled forward and clutched the Leader of Heaven-Penetrating’s leg, crying, "Master, if you must kill, then kill me. Your disciple will bear no grief! I would rather die by my master’s hand than fall into the clutches of the Tathagata!"

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating pushed him away, suddenly laughed, and said, "You Macaca! Get up!"

Daoist Equal to Heaven quickly rose and said, "I still implore my venerable master to show me a clear path."

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating could not help but sigh and said, "You, knowing your own past and present lives and having plans, still come to me seeking guidance?"

Upon hearing this, Daoist Equal to Heaven was taken aback and exclaimed, "It seems you really are my master!"

This fellow, who had initially been covered in sorrow and tears, suddenly broke into a playful grin, appearing rather comical.

Upon hearing this, the Heaven-Penetrating Sect Hierarch realized that this fellow was indeed deceiving him. Enraged, he kicked him, but the kick was not heavy. Daoist Equal to Heaven didn’t dodge and let himself be kicked, immediately feigning a fall to the ground, shouting, "Ouch, Master, you are a venerable Saint. You should be gentle, lest you kick your disciple to death!"

Watching his playful, grinning demeanor, the Heaven-Penetrating Sect Hierarch couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head slightly, and said, "You, Macaca, appear steady, but still you show such imprudence!"

Daoist Equal to Heaven immediately got up, smiling sheepishly, and said, "Calm your anger, Master, calm your anger!"

In the Ancient Times of Divine Enthronement, when the Sect of Interception was utterly defeated, the status of Heaven-Penetrating within the Three Pure naturally plummeted, and thus, the task of taking disciples fell to him. After all, tutoring Sun Wukong was a headache-inducing task that neither Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch nor Laojun wished to expend effort on.

On further reflection, it could be guessed that Subhuti was an incarnation of the Heaven-Penetrating Sect Hierarch.

Firstly, Mount Square Inch and the verses from the "Yellow Court Classic" were connected, as mentioned earlier in the scriptures.

Secondly, in the mortal world, it is said that the Spirit Treasure Lord had Thirty-Six Types of Transformations and Seventy-Two Transformations. Although he imparted to Wukong the methods of Nu Wa and Fuxi, it also covertly complied with heavenly destiny.

Thirdly, the Three Stars Cave harmoniously resembles the Three Pure, which could arguably be a reason.

Fourthly, Subhuti imparted to the woodcutter the "Yellow Court Classic," which is a treasured canon of the Supreme Clarity Daoism. How could outsiders obtain it?

Fifthly, although the method taught by Subhuti embodied the Unity of the Three Teachings concept, it also revealed the essence of the "Yellow Court Classic."

Sixthly, the owner of the Ruyi Jingu Bang was Da Yu, who achieved the Dao of Immortals by practicing the method of the Spiritual Treasure Celestial Venerable. What virtues and abilities did Wukong possess to obtain the Ruyi Jingu Bang? This might be a form of sect inheritance.

Seventhly, the power of Wusheng’s mana was shockingly formidable. Even if she were only a hidden Scattered Immortal, why did most people still not recognize her? Clearly, she was a formidable character who had reincarnated to fulfill a destiny.

Eighthly, when Subhuti knocked on Wukong’s head three times, he set a riddle that corresponded with the "Yellow Court Classic," discussing the three dantians and the Dao of the three Yellow Courts.

Ninthly, in a former life, Zhen Yuanzi said he worshipped neither the Three Pure nor any deity but Heaven and Earth, yet why did he ascend to listen to the teachings as soon as the decree from Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch came? And moreover, to the Mira Palace in Shangqing Tian! Could this not be a decree by the Heaven-Penetrating Sect Hierarch to let Wukong cause trouble and hinder his Journey to the West?

To find out what happens next, please tune in to the following part.

PS: The following is free.

Up to now, some issues have arisen, leaving my mind unsettled, but I will still finish this book as it may be my last. The recent plot developments have been less than satisfactory, partly because I’ve been ill and also due to the disturbing events. No more complaints.

This Chapter has hastily revealed Subhuti’s true identity; though it might seem rushed, the book is nearing six hundred thousand words, roughly estimating it’s about time, and pushing forward the plot is a good opportunity. According to the original "Journey to the West," this behind-the-scenes character subtly points to the Spiritual Treasure Celestial Venerable, and since "Divine Enthronement" was written after "Journey to the West," your guesses about Daoist Zhunti are not possible. There are also theories that Subhuti is Dipankara Buddha and Rulai Buddha, Grand Supreme Lord; these theories also have their logic. But I’m writing this story in a way that I believe is most credible.

Additionally, I may merge two Chapters into one big Chapter in the future to write more smoothly without disturbances.

No one can write a perfect web novel; only traditional literary masters can craft works of perfection over years or decades. Please forgive any inadequacies, as various factors have somewhat incapacitated me, and I have done my best. I will also strive in the upcoming Chapters.

End of this part. (To be continued. If you like this work, I welcome you to visit Starting Point (qidian.com) to cast a recommendation or monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)