The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 257 - 236: The City of Thunder is Hard to Tame

Chapter 257: Chapter 236: The City of Thunder is Hard to Tame

The Daoist Equal to Heaven and Wukong led Guanyin to the South Sea Ruins, where they met Ancestor Buddha Sakyamuni. It was then that Guanyin realized she had nearly made a grave mistake; while the Tathagata on Mount Meru planned to spread false scriptures to gain followers, she had been unwittingly aiding tyranny by wholeheartedly promoting the Journey to the West.

The three of them, hearing Siddhartha Gautama Buddha expressing his fear that someone might deduce their location through calculation, dared not stay any longer. The Daoist Equal to Heaven drew his bow and shot an arrow to break the Heavenly Dao restriction on the sea surface, and they made their escape from the sea.

Guanyin, seeing the Daoist Equal to Heaven bending his bow and shooting an arrow to break the sea surface, couldn’t help but marvel, "Was it you who last time shot an arrow that nearly killed the Jade Emperor and broke through the Southern Sky Gate?"

The Daoist Equal to Heaven couldn’t help but laugh, "Bodhisattva is indeed perceptive! It was indeed I."

Once the three of them left the South Sea, Guanyin said, "Now that the Journey to the West has been set in motion, Wukong, do you have any plans?"

Wukong replied, "Buddhism and Taoism will be competing during the Journey to the West, each employing their own methods. My mana is already that of a Daluo Golden Immortal of the Third Heaven, so I will go to the Sea of Thunder to temper myself further and reach another level! Then we’ll see who can match me! If someone from the Buddhist sect tries to block the way, I’ll just dispatch them directly."

The Buddhist sect had also planted some of its disciples along the Journey to the West path, a situation with complicated relationships that still needed to be deciphered.

Guanyin was shocked and said, "You’ve only been cultivating for such a short time, and now you’re about to become a Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal?"

Wukong nodded, "Mhm! My cultivation method is quite unique, and I’ve had access to plentiful resources, so advancing my realm has been easier."

Guanyin sighed inwardly, feeling frustrated by the comparison, as she had been cultivating for so long and was only approaching the Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal Second Layer. Once she reached the level of Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal, progressing further became extremely difficult. Despite many years passing, she made little advancement, but she was finally nearing the threshold, on the verge of grasping the Heavenly Dao Laws and reaching the realm of the Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal Second Layer of Heaven.

Wukong then said, "Bodhisattva, wait for me to temper my Primordial Spirit, and then you can take me to find Xuanzang. I’ll protect him on his Journey to the Western Heaven to acquire the scriptures."

Guanyin smiled and said, "Good!"

With one somersault, Wukong leaped up, and now it was deep autumn. The thunder of late autumn was the most terrifying, as this season signaled the onset of decay for all things, bringing a sense of destruction. Spring thunder, though fierce, fell in the most vibrant season of the year, which is why most people choose to temper their Primordial Spirit or to face tribulation in the spring.

The thunder of winter was also dreadful, making autumn and winter the least suitable seasons for tempering the Primordial Spirit.

Guanyin thought to herself, "This monkey head is indeed bold enough to dare temper his Primordial Spirit during the deep autumn, not fearing the possibility of being struck dead by lightning! But since Ancestor Buddha Sakyamuni has claimed he is a person who follows the mandate of heaven, perhaps he’s not someone that can be easily understood by the average person."

Speaking of Wukong, he ventured into the heart of the Sea of Thunder where the thunder was monstrous, far stronger than any of his previous temperings, possessing a destructive force that continually ravaged his vitality! However, having cultivated the Integration of the Three Teachings for a long time, with the Great Dao as heaven, Buddhist Law as earth, and Confucianism as man, the Unity of the Three Talents gave birth to all things, offering endless cycles of life.

"It turns out my master’s teaching of this method has a deeper meaning. ’Tao Gives Birth to One, One Gives Birth to Two, Two Gives Birth to Three, Three Gives Birth to All Things’! Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism are the most extensive schools of thought, the most flourishing in scholarship! ’Man Follows the Law of the Earth, Earth’s Law Becomes Heaven, Heaven’s Law and the Way, The Way Follows Nature!’ These phrases encapsulate the true essence of cultivation," Wukong realized with enlightenment. Although the autumn thunder possessed a destructive force, his Unity of the Three Talents and infinite cycles of life meant his vitality could not be completely destroyed.

The teachings of the Taoist Sect are vast and complex, some even contradictory, but when it comes down to cultivation, it’s as simple as: "Tao Gives Birth to One, One Gives Birth to Two, Two Gives Birth to Three, Three Gives Birth to All Things; Man Follows the Law of the Earth, Earth’s Law Becomes Heaven, Heaven’s Law and the Way, The Way Follows Nature." These are the maxims within cultivation.

Wukong clenched a spell between his fingers and sat cross-legged in the heart of the Sea of Thunder, swallowing and spitting out thunder, when suddenly a yellow flash in front of his eyes startled him, "What’s this?"

A crack suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the void, and what floated out was a tattered Kasaya!

"It’s a Kasaya! Probably one from ancient times. Hold on, why hasn’t this Kasaya disintegrated in the Sea of Thunder? It must be no ordinary artifact; I must take a look!" Wukong immediately circulated his Primordial Spirit and chased after the streak of yellow light.

Amidst the gold of the thunder, spotting the streak of yellow light wasn’t easy. He pursued it passionately, venturing into the deepest part of the Sea of Thunder.

There, within the lightning, surprisingly stood a city constructed from thunder, the City of Thunder, where countless Ancient Thunder Cannons were mounted on the city walls. These cannons immediately sensed Wukong’s presence and launched attacks!

"These are Ancient Thunder Cannons from the Ancient Thunder God, a Divine Skill that has long been lost. I never expected the City of Thunder to have existed all along in the Sea of Thunder!" Wukong was taken aback.

Being targeted by the Ancient Thunder Cannons, he instantly felt hair-raising terror, with all his hairs standing on end, and he hurriedly wielded the Jingu Bang, repelling water and thunder with its swings.

At least one hundred and eight Ancient Thunder Cannons aimed at him, bombarding him continuously.

With the Jingu Bang in his hands emitting a silver radiance, Wukong deployed his Divine Skills and martial prowess, repelling the thunderbolts one after another.

In this place that was already the Sea of Thunder, the Ancient Thunder Cannons had an endless supply of energy to bombard constantly. The one hundred and eight cannons fired in succession without pause, crackling and booming as if provoking a celestial dragon’s upheaval, relentless in their assault and shaking the Four Great Continents to their core.