The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 239 - 226: Equal to Heaven Calls Out to Fight the Heavenly Dragon

Chapter 239: Chapter 226: Equal to Heaven Calls Out to Fight the Heavenly Dragon

The battle between Great Emperor Zhenwu and Buddha of Immeasurable Life was fierce, a contest of wits and strength. By the end, the Buddha of Immeasurable Life was at the end of his tether.

Both the Buddha of Immeasurable Life and the Buddha of Immeasurable Light were formidable among the Three Thousand Buddhas, while Zhenwu himself was a Great Emperor of the Taoist Sect. The duel between these two was spectacular indeed.

Although the Buddha of Immeasurable Life was still desperately holding on, any cultivator could see he was about to be defeated. After all, Great Emperor Zhenwu was still calm and collected, while the Buddha of Immeasurable Life was already drenched in sweat and even spouted vital blood, clearly at the end of his rope! Otherwise, he would not have damaged his vital essence to temporarily increase his mana.

The last cup of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life was forced into a precarious state by Great Emperor Zhenwu, its corner already nicked by thunder.

Great Emperor Zhenwu shouted, "Break!"

The thunder struck down, and the teacup of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life shattered into pieces, scattering across the table.

Struck as if by lightning, the Buddha of Immeasurable Life spewed a mouthful of fresh blood, staggered back two steps, and with hands clasped together, said in a trembling voice, "Namo Amitabha Buddha, this monk admits defeat!"

Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch nodded with a smile and asked, "What does Tathagata think?"

With a flip of his hand, Tathagata now had ten sparkling Golden Sand Pills in his palm. He laughed and said, "It seems that Great Emperor Zhenwu is a cut above. The Buddha of Immeasurable Life has truly learnt a lot this time; perhaps there will be a chance for another lesson in the future. These ten Golden Sand Pills will be kept by Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch for now."

With a sweep of his sleeve, the ten Golden Sand Pills in Tathagata’s palm vanished. The Celestial Venerable laughed and said, "Then I shall gladly accept them for now, and if Tathagata can win them back later, that would of course be the best."

Tathagata gave a calm smile, but inside, he felt quite displeased; the Buddha of Immeasurable Life had lost to Great Emperor Zhenwu, putting the Buddhist sect at a disadvantage.

Great Emperor Zhenwu bowed to the Buddha of Immeasurable Life and said indifferently, "Thank you for letting me win!"

Though the Buddha of Immeasurable Life was extremely annoyed inside, there was nothing he could do. He just pressed his hands together and bowed, saying, "I am grateful for Great Emperor Zhenwu’s guidance! If there is another opportunity, I will surely seek further instruction from Great Emperor Zhenwu."

Great Emperor Zhenwu could tell from his words that he was not convinced and wanted a real fight. As the one who suppressed the demons of Uttara Kuru Kingdom, Great Emperor Zhenwu was hugely domineering and would not be afraid. He merely replied with a cold laugh, "Very well, very well. If the Buddha of Immeasurable Life has the time one day, we shall have a proper fight."

With a cold huff, the Buddha of Immeasurable Life retreated, having been seriously injured, since he had lost a great deal of vital blood and was now feeling dizzy and confused.

The Buddha of Immeasurable Light took the Buddha of Immeasurable Life aside and seated him at a table.

"Great!"

"Impressive, Great Emperor Zhenwu! Truly formidable!"

"Worthy of being Great Emperor Zhenwu, such power to suppress demons is not something ordinary people can match!"

With the victory of Great Emperor Zhenwu, the Taoists below applauded and cheered, feeling that they had gained face. This initial victory brought unparalleled satisfaction to their hearts.

Great Emperor Zhenwu gave a salute to everyone present and said, "I thank all my Taoist friends, I am honored!"

"There is no need for formality, Great Emperor Zhenwu!"

The assembled Taoists also bowed and said that this victory for Great Emperor Zhenwu was truly delightful for them.

Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch also felt extremely exhilarated. If the ten Heavenly Sandalwood Beads had been won, it would not have been a pleasant outcome, even for a Saint. Tathagata losing ten Golden Sand Pills must have also been painful. Back when the Old Master dispatched the Green Ox Demon to obstruct the Journey to the West, capturing countless Magical Treasures, Tathagata had no other option than to send an Arhat with fifteen Golden Sand Pills to deal with the Green Ox Demon. The Green Ox Demon took them all, and then the Old Master came forward to take the Green Ox Demon away. In fact, those fifteen Golden Sand Pills were a way for Tathagata to indirectly express goodwill towards the Old Master.

Great Emperor Zhenwu gave a slight smile and sat down in the seat of honor among the emperors. The other four Great Emperors—Great Emperor Qinghua, Great Emperor Ziwei, Hooked Chen Great Emperor, and Emperor of Eternal Life—also congratulated Great Emperor Zhenwu on his victory.

Buddha of Immeasurable Life appeared sullen, but a Buddha and Bodhisattva beside him offered a few words of comfort, and he too calmed down.

Laozi clapped his hands with laughter, "That was indeed a fine battle! The old Dao really enjoyed it. I wonder if anyone else is willing to come out and show us a move or two?"

Daoist Equal to Heaven suddenly stood up, laughing loudly, "I’ve long heard that the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon Bodhisattva possesses unparalleled physical strength, the foremost among all venerables of the Western Heaven. This humble Daoist Equal to Heaven have had the pleasure of sparring with the Bodhisattva twice. Today, I’d like to arm-wrestle with the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon Bodhisattva and see who has greater strength!"

At his laughter, the sandalwood round table, which had held up until then, suddenly broke. It turned out that the combat between Great Emperor Zhenwu and Buddha of Immeasurable Life had already reduced the sandalwood table to powder; it just hadn’t collapsed due to a lack of external force.

Among the Buddhist Bodhisattvas, the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon immediately stood up and looked towards Daoist Equal to Heaven. They had dueled once at the Five Zhang Plain, and now hearing himself being singled out, he braced himself and bellowed, "Good! Daoist Equal to Heaven, last time we did not determine a winner before being interrupted by others! Today, let’s thoroughly compare our abilities!"

When the Daoist true persons heard that Daoist Equal to Heaven was going to compete in strength with the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon, they were utterly astonished. Who didn’t know that the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon’s strength could shake Mount Sumeru? That Mount Sumeru stands tens of thousands of Zhang tall, and to be able to shake Sumeru, how terrifying must that strength be?

Daoist Equal to Heaven’s expression was cold as he clasped his hands together and said, "Please!"

The Great Mighty Celestial Dragon stepped out from the crowd, clasped his hands together, his appearance majestic, and said, "Good! How shall we conduct this duel of strength?"

Daoist Equal to Heaven smiled and said, "Let’s take a new table. We’ll arm-wrestle on it. Whoever is forced down or breaks the table will be deemed the loser."

He certainly knew that the displays of strength by Buddhism and Daoism were merely a test of skill, not a fight to the death, so deciding a winner through a non-lethal showdown was indeed the best outcome.

People from the Buddhist sect were also shocked. They knew very well the strength of the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon; unmatched in power, able to shake Sumeru, even the Buddha’s physical strength was no match for the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon within Buddhist ranks. Now a Taoist had appeared, aware of the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon’s formidable body, yet still eager to test his strength. It remained to be seen whether he truly had the ability or was simply a fool ignorant of his limits!

"Ha ha, to actually compare physical strength with the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon, this Taoist really doesn’t know his place. I’m afraid he’s going to suffer a rather ugly loss soon!"

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva couldn’t help but laugh, and the Buddhist Bodhisattvas on the side all sniggered quietly.

A glint flashed in Tathagata’s eyes as he smiled and said, "Since in the first round, both Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch and I put forth prizes, then naturally, the second round should also have some stakes."

Laozi said, "Let me take this round. I have just concocted a batch of Nine Turns Golden Immortal Pills, forty-nine in total. These pills can extend life, revive the soul, and resurrect the dead. May I inquire, Buddha Ancestor, what prize will you put forth?"

Tathagata pondered for a moment and answered, "This monk will offer three Bodhi seeds. These three seeds should compare favorably with the forty-nine Golden Pills offered by Laojun."

Laozi said, "Very well, very well!"

With a sweep of Laozi’s robe, a gourd fell to the table, and with a flip of Tathagata’s palm, three glittering Bodhi seeds also landed on the table.

Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch smiled at Great Emperor Zhenwu, "This contest arose because you won ten Golden Sand Pills; here, you shall have three of them."

Three Golden Sand Pills fell into the hands of Great Emperor Zhenwu, who bowed in thanks to the Immortal Monarch.

Laozi turned to Daoist Equal to Heaven and said, "If you win, one of these three Bodhi seeds will be yours!"

Daoist Equal to Heaven nodded, waved his hand, and a square table flew in and landed in the middle of the square. He and the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon took their places, ready to test each other’s strength.

Indeed, the strength of Daoist Equal to Heaven was nothing to scoff at. After all, the Tongbei Monkey also belonged to those with unparalleled innate gifts; ’Tongbei’ signifying the greatness of his arms.

As to the outcome, please stay tuned for the next part of the story. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Starting Point (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and Monthly Tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)