The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 277 - 244: Yuan Shi’s Bold Calculations of Various Heavens_2

Chapter 277: Chapter 244: Yuan Shi’s Bold Calculations of Various Heavens_2

Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch schemed against Tathagata, nearly succeeding; this time he planned against the Projections of the Heavens. So bold was he that even Heaven-Penetrating and Laozi felt a sense of alarm.

"Bang Bang Bang Bang——!"

Nine muffled thuds in succession, nine coffins appeared beside the Three Pure, the coffins opened, and people leapt out. The flesh of these people had lost the dryness of the past, they even had a bit of color—apparently, they had recuperated fairly well and had refined who knows how many roots of the Mother Peach Tree.

"Infinite longevity and happiness! Gentlemen, you have finally shown yourselves," Laozi turned his head, bowed deeply, and said with a smile.

"Three Pure, long time no see! I hear this scheme was from the hand of Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch? Are the Projections of the Heavens really about to descend?" Zhong Tian asked gravely.

"Indeed! This scheme is all my doing, only a link was missing, perhaps it was destined by fate, Tathagata’s life was not meant to end! If Tathagata wants to save the pepino fruit tree, other than coming to us, it would be to seek the descent of the Essence of Heaven and Earth from All Buddhas. Tathagata, caring for face more than life, would rather risk his own life than ask us! Therefore, he will surely ask the Various Heavens. Just now, I don’t know if you heard, but the bell on Mount Meru has started ringing; now that the All Buddhas gather, it seems they are preparing to set up a Guiding Great Formation, to guide the Projections of the Heavens and the Essence of Heaven and Earth!" Yuan Shi spoke very calmly, one palm held up vertically in front of his chest as he bowed deeply to the nine people.

"You’re audacious enough, one wrong step here could disrupt the tranquility of the Four Great Continents with their Projections!" Zhong Tian spoke out, "This time, let us not hold back. Let us strive to annihilate their projections in one strike, capturing the power within their projections, for their power is sourced from the same origin as ours."

"Zhong Tian, we Three Pure will naturally assist you," the Leader of Heaven-Penetrating said with slightly closed eyes and a faint voice.

"We are nameless, Zhong Tian is merely a name concocted by your Daoist Sect," Zhong Tian spoke, "But your Taoist influence is so vast, this name has fallen upon my head. It’s as the ’Tao Te Ching’ says, the strong are deemed worthy!"

The Taoist ’Taixuanjing’ states: ’The Nine Heavens call one as Zhong Tian, two as Xiantian, three as Cong Tian, four as Geng Tian, five as Sun Tian, six as Kuo Tian, seven as Jian Tian, eight as Shen Tian, nine as Cheng Tian.’

Heavenly Dao controls everything, heaven is divided into nine levels; these nine people are the Lords of the Nine Heavens, existing since the creation of heaven and earth, they are nameless, and it is only the Daoist scripture ’Taixuanjing’ that has detailed these Nine Heavens. The ’Taixuanjing’ is no ordinary text, derived from ’Zhou Yi’’s structure: one mystery, three realms, nine provinces, twenty-seven divisions, eighty-one schools, and seven hundred and twenty-nine praises, mixing the teachings of Confucianism, Daoism, and Yin and Yang.

The ’Taixuanjing’ was written long ago but only spread to the mortal world during the Han Dynasty. Like the ’Tao Te Ching,’ which Laozi had completed long before, was retained by Yin Xi when he passed by Hangu Pass, hence the ’Five Thousand Words of Morality’ came into being. It was later during the Spring and Autumn period that he enlightened Confucius, further perfecting this text into the ’Tao Te Ching.’

The ’Taixuanjing’ came into existence after the ’Yi,’ as Fuxi laid out the Bagua in the vast void, deriving the worlds of All Heavens, creating the ’Yi,’ and then a sage of the Mystic Sect composed the ’Taixuanjing.’ From there on, the Lords of the Nine Heavens had names.

Laozi couldn’t help but smile, saying, "Even if Dao has a name, you as heavenly beings, how could you be nameless? I find the names in the ’Taixuanjing’ mentioned are much more pleasant to the ear than those of the other heavens."

Zhong Tian and others showed no emotion; they stood aloft like the vast heaven itself, overseeing all beings below, meting out punishment for faults, rewarding merits, slaying those against heaven, and granting life to those who align with heaven!

If we consider the Heavenly Dao as the Emperor, then they are the Imperial Envoys tasked with supervising heaven and earth, acting impartially without the slightest selfish intent.

As the ’Tao Te Ching’ states: ’The reason heaven and earth can last and continue is that they do not exist for themselves, hence they can exist forever.’ How could heaven and earth endure if they were selfish? These Nine Heavens were meant for this purpose; any selfish thoughts would be a violation against Heavenly Dao, and to defy the Heavenly Dao would render them intolerable by the Heavenly Dao, and they would naturally be eradicated. The creator of the Nine Heavens is Heavenly Dao, and the destroyer also, if the Imperial Envoys were corrupt, the Emperor would naturally behead them."

What is Heavenly Dao? The Heavenly Dao is still subordinate to the Great Dao! And what is the Great Dao? That is nature.

As the Great Dao directs, so must the Heavenly Dao proceed; not even Hongjun can reverse the will of the Great Dao. To defy heaven there might still be a slim chance of survival, but to defy the Dao is truly to seek one’s destruction, to court a dead end! If the Great Dao decrees that heavenly beings decay after a thousand years, then the Heavenly Dao must naturally enforce this law, otherwise, the Heavenly Dao itself would naturally collapse.

All was natural, the Great Dao made it so, no one could control the Great Dao, it was a will, unspeakable, unthinkable, unobservable, unmentionable, non-dwelling, nonexistent, existent...

Cheng Tian waved his hand to stop the small talk and said, "Now, All Buddhas have already rushed to Mount Meru, and this Guiding Great Formation will take some time. We have been waiting for several days already."

The Three Thousand Guiding Great Array, arranged through three thousand Buddhas, naturally, if there were only two thousand Buddhas, then it would be the Two Thousand Guiding Great Array. This formation method, which summons other entities from the endless space-time, the more powerful the formation, the less energy they lose in the endless space-time.

It was similar to drawing mountain spring water from a mountain. The spring water was drawn down through bamboo pipes, and surely, much would be lost along the way. These bamboo pipes were like the Guiding Great Array, and the better the bamboo pipe, the less water would be spilled. This is the same principle, so the stronger the individuals making up the formation, the better!

This time, Yuan Shi borrowed Hongjun’s idea to scheme against Tathagata, hoping to slay him, but unfortunately, there was a missing link. They did not expect that the Great Freedom Heavenly Demon Lord would show up halfway and ruin the plan! After all, he was an existence that could kill Wukong instantly, forcing Hongjun to intervene and stop him. This time, they schemed to intercept the Projections of the Heavens of the opposing side with their Nine Heavens, to absorb the Power of the Heavens within and recover from the injuries.

Tathagata had summoned All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas through the Golden Bell of Mount Meru. They gathered at Mount Meru, all this tremendous assembly to save a single pepino fruit tree, Tathagata felt somewhat bitter in his heart.

Only to see continuous flashes of Buddha Light atop Mount Meru and the sound of Zen music echoing, countless Buddhas either riding clouds or walking up the mountain.

These Buddhas, upon reaching Mount Meru and seeing Tathagata, immediately bowed and said, "Namo Amitabha Buddha!"

Tathagata felt extremely relieved in his heart and laughed, "Everyone, there’s no need for such formalities. Today, I summoned you here for an important task!"

"What is the important matter, Buddha Ancestor? Just speak, and if we can do it, we will certainly contribute our effort!" said All Buddhas.

Tathagata said, "Hmm, I need all of you to form a formation to summon some people over. There will be a great use for them then!"

All Buddhas said, "Buddha Ancestor, if you request it, we shall not shirk our duty!"

Under Tathagata’s instructions, All Buddhas went to the plaza of Mount Meru, which had been cleaned and arranged with many meditation cushions. Each Buddha chose a cushion and sat down. Soon, three thousand Buddhas were sitting around the central ground while many Bodhisattvas and Vajra Arhats took their places on the outer perimeter.

Tathagata nodded smilingly and said, "Everyone, hold the Guiding Dharma Seal, recite the ’Guiding Divine Spell,’ and guide along with this poor monk."

All Buddhas agreed, saying, "Yes!"

Tathagata then sat down on the central meditation cushion, with a gentle shout, clasped a Dharma Seal in his hand, and started reciting the spell.

The Various Heavens began to exert their power too, only to see the sky instantly twisting, as if about to open into a vast hole.

"Tathagata has already begun summoning the Projections of the Heavens. Everyone get ready! Charge in and slay the Projections of the Heavens; do not let them descend completely onto West Cow He State, for if they begin to stir, much fortune may be damaged, and the epoch of the great disaster might be brought forward!" Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch said gravely.

After all, the outcome is uncertain. Please tune in next time for the resolution. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, we welcome you to visit Starting Point (qidian.com) to vote for it, submit your Monthly Ticket, and support us. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)