The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 223 - 218: Zhuge Performs the Ritual to Dispel Inauspicious Stars at Five Zhang Plain

Chapter 223: Chapter 218: Zhuge Performs the Ritual to Dispel Inauspicious Stars at Five Zhang Plain

The tale tells of the Daoist Equal to Heaven emerging from seclusion, journeying to the region of Qishan where, upon arriving at Shangfang Valley and witnessing sudden torrential rain extinguish the raging fire, doubt crept into his heart. Investigating further, he saw Sima Yi escaping the predicament of Shangfang Valley, rendering Marquis Wu of Zhuge’s ingenious plan futile. Rage swelled within him and he sought out Flying Liann, resulting in a fierce battle.

Despite Flying Liann’s considerable mana, he was foremost a strategist and a civil official; seldom did he engage in combat. Overwhelmed by a barrage of magical powers and spells unleashed by the Daoist Equal to Heaven, Flying Liann sustained injuries all over his body, barely escaping with his life from the hands of the Daoist Equal to Heaven.

The Daoist Equal to Heaven’s face twisted with anger as Samadhi True Fire blazed over his entire figure. He cursed continuously, "To think that he’d nearly kill me! That damned scoundrel!"

With bow bent and arrow nocked, he drew the Sky-Breaking Divine Bow taut, resembling a full moon, and released an arrow!

Chi You’s Dharma Body exploded the moment it was struck by the arrow, but the Flying Liann it had been protecting had already vanished without a trace.

The Daoist Equal to Heaven’s brows knitted together as he thought, "This Flying Liann sure knows how to run. He disappeared in the blink of an eye! No wonder he managed to save his own life during the great wars of Ancient Times; his ability to flee is indeed remarkable!"

Flying Liann had used some magic to escape, vanishing in an instant. The Daoist Equal to Heaven, unable to vent his fury, left with a heavy heart.

Moments later, the Daoist Equal to Heaven returned, scanning the area only to find no trace of Flying Liann. He snorted, "That trickster really did run away!"

He turned to leave once more, and it wasn’t long before Flying Liann surfaced from the ground. Breathing a sigh of relief, he said, "That evil daoist is truly vicious, even cultivating both Buddhism and Daoism. Formidable indeed!"

The voice of the Daoist Equal to Heaven suddenly rang out, teasingly taunting, "Flying Liann, no matter how crafty you act like a ghost, you’ll still have to drink the water I’ve washed my feet in!"

Flying Liann’s complexion changed and he was about to flee when a Great Golden Core from the Daoist Equal to Heaven struck him, shattering him instantly.

But once shattered, he transformed into a wooden figure. The Daoist Equal to Heaven picked up the wooden figure, frowning deeply, and cursed, "This cunning bastard, turned out to be a decoy puppet!"

This time, he truly left.

Meanwhile, Zhuge Liang, hearing of the allied forces of Sun Wu being defeated by Cao’s Army, couldn’t help feeling deeply pained. His eyes rolling back, he nearly fainted, coughing twice and spitting out blood.

Zhuge Liang sighed deeply, "My mind is in turmoil, and my old illness has returned; I fear I may not survive!"

That night, as Kongming observed the celestial patterns, he saw the dimming of his principal star and knew his life would not be long. With his talent in foreseeing destiny and controlling fate, he knew he might not avoid this calamity, a calamity brought on by his burning of the Rattan Armor Soldiers, which had shortened his lifespan by a decade.

Jiang Wei asked, "Prime Minister, since you know the celestial signs, why not use the Prayer and Exorcism Ritual to extend your life?"

Zhuge Liang sighed, "The decrees of heaven, how can I predict them?"

Zhuge Liang ordered Jiang Wei to lead forty-nine strongmen to guard the camp, while he arranged forty-nine Life Lamps inside the tent, intending to use the Prayer and Exorcism Ritual to beseech heaven for a decade more of life. The decree of heaven is hard to defy; Zhuge Liang had no certainty whether he was fated to die but could only try his best.

The Daoist Equal to Heaven, seeing Zhuge Liang’s life drawing to an end, could not help but furrow his brow in contemplation, "Such a person has far too expansive fate and deep karma. If I were to erase his name from the Book of Life and Death in the Underworld, I might incur significant karmic force and tarnish my own fate, making it hard for me to escape the judgment of the Heavenly Dao! I can only do my utmost to protect him, hoping his prayer to extend his life succeeds. Alas, had it not been for that Flying Liann’s interference, the lineage of Sima would have perished in Shangfang Valley; how could there be the future event of the Three becoming Jin?"

The Daoist Equal to Heaven was set on safeguarding Zhuge Liang’s life, hoping his prayer would succeed. However, would the Buddhist sect simply sit idle? Zhuge Liang’s life was nearing its end, and they would surely not allow him to succeed. A fierce fight was likely on the horizon!

Sima Yi too was a man of great talents. Otherwise, how could he have withstood the fierce forces led by Zhuge Liang? Observing the celestial patterns at night and seeing the star of Western Shu on the verge of falling, he rejoiced, realizing that Zhuge Liang was likely suffering from a relapse of his old illness and his life was nearing its end. Thus, he commanded his forces, sending Xiahou Ba with a thousand soldiers to scout ahead.

Zhuge Liang was praying and exorcising within the tent, as lamp after lamp was lit, signaling the near completion of the significant task.

Daoist Equal to Heaven felt a secret joy in his heart and said, "If this Zhuge Liang manages to extend his life, then great things can be accomplished!"

Suddenly, a ferocious gale arose. Knowing that a powerful master was causing mischief from the shadows, Daoist Equal to Heaven used his divine skills to protect the tent, preventing the strong wind from blowing inside and safeguarding Zhuge Liang in his entirety.

"Who dares defy fate like this!" emerged a figure from the clouds—it was none other than the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon Bodhisattva.

Upon seeing him, Daoist Equal to Heaven realized that his old adversary had arrived and said gravely, "Zhuge Kongming’s contributions are crucial for the nation’s fate; it is only right that he extends his life by a decade, as it is also the will of heaven!"

However, the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon Bodhisattva sneered, "Step aside quickly, lest this humble monk is forced to act and you lose your life! We monks harbor compassion and do not wish to kill lightly!"

Daoist Equal to Heaven stood tall and unyielding, saying, "If you seek to cut short Zhuge Liang’s life, you must get past me first! Just try!"

The Great Mighty Celestial Dragon, infuriated, threw a punch towards Daoist Equal to Heaven’s face—an immensely powerful strike as if Mount Tai itself were pressing down. The punch, roaring forward, stirred even fiercer winds around them, and were it not for Daoist Equal to Heaven’s divine skills countering it, the tent sheltering Zhuge Liang might well have been blown away!

Daoist Equal to Heaven shouted, "If you insist on rushing headlong into Hell, then do not blame me for striking you down ruthlessly! Receive your fate!"

Daoist Equal to Heaven then unleashed his awe-inspiring divine might, with his hair and whiskers standing on end, resembling a celestial deity, fierce and unyielding, and collided with the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon with full force!

With this clash, the very void trembled, resonating with a humming sound.

Seeing Daoist Equal to Heaven’s mana was also great, the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon preferred not to entangle further and rushed toward the tent, aiming to extinguish Zhuge Liang’s life lamp!

But how could Daoist Equal to Heaven let him do as he wished? He thundered, "Bald donkey, where do you think you’re going? Face me in battle!"

He then summoned his Great Divine Power, imitating heaven and earth, and spat out a Great Golden Core, hurtling it towards the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon.

The Great Mighty Celestial Dragon, with no other choice, sensing the wind and thunder surging from behind, knew if the Great Golden Core struck true, he could be gravely wounded. He had to turn back, unleashing the Power of Dragon and Elephant, and struck with both fists, sending forth a fist seal the size of a small mountain to meet the Great Golden Core head-on. Seizing the opportunity, Daoist Equal to Heaven charged again, clashing violently with the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon.

"Kill!" Daoist Equal to Heaven roared furiously. Success or failure lay in this single move. If the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon applied his divine skills to snuff out Kongming’s life lamp, then the fate of Western Shu would also be completely extinguished; the historical event of The Three Kingdoms coming under Jin would likely become unavoidable.

Though he was also an inheritor of the fortune of Fuxi, having meddled too deeply in human affairs, he would still face divine punishment. Moreover, as Buddhism and Daoism had forged an understanding, if he interfered too much, even the Tathagata might not agree. Hence, this battle would determine the course of the entire Three Kingdoms!

If Daoist Equal to Heaven could ensure that Kongming safely completed the prayer and exorcism ritual, then he would be able to extend his life by a decade, and the fate of Western Shu would naturally prosper, while the fate of the Sima Clan would be suppressed. The historical division of the realm amongst the Jin would clearly not occur.

Meanwhile, Xiahou Ba had already led a thousand soldiers rushing towards Five Zhang Plain, intent on probing the situation of the Shu Army.

As the fate of Kongming remains uncertain, please listen to the next episode for the resolution.

PS: Busy! Busy! Busy! This Chapter is a bit shorter, please bear with it. As we approach the end of the year, I believe everyone is quite busy, so please be understanding. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Starting Point (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)