The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 243 - 228: Take Advantage of the Situation to Secure a Win and Retire

Chapter 243: Chapter 228: Take Advantage of the Situation to Secure a Win and Retire

The Daoist Sect had won two rounds in a row, which the Buddhist sect found hard to accept.

Especially after the second match, where Mahoraga lost to Daoist Equal to Heaven in a test of strength, which left the followers of Buddhism incredulous.

With a heart full of resentment, Mahoraga knew that had the table not restricted much of his power, he would have broken Daoist Equal to Heaven’s wrist long ago. Daoist Equal to Heaven, of course, was aware of Mahoraga’s terrifying physical strength. He would never have foolishly competed in strength against such a person if not for the rules of the literary duel and the Layered Wave Force. To lose would be bad enough, but certainly, others would treat him as a fool.

Daoist Equal to Heaven held the Bodhi in his hand, slowly fidgeting with it, and thought to himself, "This time has been quite worthwhile, winning a Bodhi – a rare treasure indeed. I’ll refine it thoroughly when I get back, integrating it into my Dharma Body to strengthen its power."

Lu Dongbin said with a smile, "Congratulations, Daoist friend, on gaining a Bodhi. After you refine it, your mana will indeed advance another step."

Daoist Equal to Heaven’s spirits lifted, and he laughed heartily, saying with cupped hands, "I must thank Buddha Ancestor for his generosity!"

The crowd’s expressions shifted subtly, finding him overly arrogant for openly mocking Buddha Ancestor. Of course, Tathagata felt it beneath himself to argue with such a junior; it would be a blow to his prestige! Tathagata too harbored resentment in his heart, vowing to eradicate this Daoist one day, to avoid continuous opposition and the ire it provoked.

"Good! For the next match, let Medicine Buddha take the stage. I wonder which True Person from the Daoist sect would like to cross hands?" stated Tathagata impassively. He had lost two rounds in a row; the loss of treasures was secondary, but the loss of face was truly bothersome.

The South Pole Immortal Emperor stepped forward and said, "I’ve long heard of Medicine Buddha’s proficiency in medical skills to aid all under heaven; I shall compare medical skills with Medicine Buddha!"

The South Pole Immortal Emperor, also known as Longevity Star Elder, is naturally exceptional in his medical abilities. Medicine Buddha, with his two thousand Medicine Forks, relieves the world of all suffering, which makes him an extraordinary Buddha Ancestor.

Glassy Pure Light Medicine Buddha stepped forward, pressed his palms together, and said, "Namo Amitabha Buddha, then I shall learn from Longevity Star Elder’s techniques!"

Martial arts carry the Dao, and medicine practices the Dao. Among the ten paths, nine are martial; martial arts safeguard the Dao, and medicine walks the Dao. Zhang Daoling once spread the Taoism of the Heavenly Masters by healing and saving people, as did Zhang Jiao, who expanded the Taiping Sect from its roots in medicine. Medicine and Dao complement each other, and one cannot exist without the other.

This match, a Buddha Ancestor against a Great Emperor of the Heavenly Court, was sure to be intriguing. It was a competition of medical skills, yet how were they to compare?

Emperor of Eternal Life and Medicine Buddha, similar in nature, were both forces of salvation amid suffering in Buddhism and Daoism, distinguished in their medical proficiency, liberating mortals plagued by illness.

"How would Emperor of Eternal Life like to compare these medical skills?" inquired Medicine Buddha.

"Healers control life and death, flesh and bones! At our realm, achieving this is as simple as a snap of the fingers. For this contest, let’s take a piece of Nine Heavens Divine Wood. We shall both mature the wood within the duration of an incense stick, and whoever prolongs the wood’s age the most, ensuring the incense ash does not fall, wins," proposed Emperor of Eternal Life.

Indeed, at their level, bringing life or death, flesh or bone, was as easy as turning over one’s hand, making the contest difficult to judge.

Maturing a material is a method that considerably depletes True Qi. True Qi is divided into the Five Elements: Jin, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth. Wood-Affiliated True Qi, which is used for healing, represents vitality; Jin signifies sharpness, Water suggests tranquility, Fire connotes explosiveness, and Earth symbolizes stability.

The People of the Immortal Path heal and save people with Wood-attribute True Qi. He was challenging Medicine Buddha to see who could more perfectly control Wood-attribute True Qi to mature a piece of the extremely rare Nine Heavens Divine Wood.

"But I don’t have this Nine Heavens Divine Wood," Medicine Buddha said, shaking his head.

While the South Pole Immortal Emperor lacked many things, he had an abundance of such materials. Pulling out two cuts of black withered wood, he said, "I happen to have an extra piece of Nine Heavens Divine Wood here, which I’ll lend to Medicine Buddha. Let’s see who can mature this divine wood for the longer period within the time of an incense stick."

"For this round, is Tathagata willing to wager again?" asked the Leader of Heaven-Penetrating, glancing at Tathagata.

"Of course, some bets should be made. What does Venerable Lingbao have to place against the bet?" Tathagata inquired.

As the Celestial Venerable commonly known as Lingbao, he naturally had many treasures. He brought out an item from his robe, saying, "I have a Ruyi here with me, and I shall wager it against Tathagata."

Spiritual Treasure was often seen holding a Ruyi, making it his personal Magic Artifact. Using it for the wager was indeed a big move.

Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch and Laozi exchanged looks, noticing their junior’s temperament had not changed after so long. If he did not act, all was quiet, but once he did, it was always such a bold act.

Tathagata’s eyelids twitched. With the Heaven-Penetrating Sect Hierarch offering his personal Ruyi, he must wager something equivalent or else be seen as stingy. Although Tathagata had great faith in Medicine Buddha, parting with such treasures was painful nonetheless.

Vidyaraja said, "Let me provide the wager for this match, as I am the foremost among Vidyarajas. Here I have a Lotus Platform, also one of my treasured possessions, to bet against Venerable Lingbao!"