The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 300 - 265: Summoning Heavenly Thunder and Rain Mage to Destroy Buddha

Chapter 300: Chapter 265: Summoning Heavenly Thunder and Rain Mage to Destroy Buddha

The battle between Rain Mage Chi Songzi and Venerable Maitreya was fierce and indeterminate. Seeing billions of beings within the Maitreya Buddha Kingdom moving like zombies, merely reciting scriptures to supply him with incense power and wishes, Chi Songzi was incensed!

As a national minister, serving the country and the people, Chi Songzi, as the Rain Mage, was in charge of the weather during Shennong’s time, ensuring the Southern Toad Continent had favorable winds and rain, resulting in peace and prosperity. But now, he saw someone had imprisoned billions of beings, each devoid of their own thoughts, all brainwashed. How could he not be furious?

Within the "Divine Firmament Torrential Rain," there was a divine skill called Nine Heavens Thunder Movement, which was immensely powerful, capable of almost destroying heaven and earth, calling down the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder in unison, twisted into one, to annihilate the enemy.

However, cultivating this divine skill was exceedingly troublesome; one had to understand the Heavenly Dao Laws. This meant that this divine skill could only be executed by masters above the Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal Second Layered Heaven Law Realm. Moreover, one had to sacrifice to the Heavenly Dao and communicate with it to be able to draw upon the Nine Layers of Divine Thunder; otherwise, even with great divine skills, invoking three to five layers was already the limit.

Now, Chi Songzi was using his true body to entangle Maitreya, preventing his escape, while his avatar practiced the ancient Gang Dou Step, communicating with the Heavenly Dao. Suddenly, a world materialized in his hands, creation from the void, and out came a horde of pigs, dogs, cattle, and sheep—tens of thousands of them turned into powder in an instant, used to sacrifice to the Heavenly Dao.

Indeed, using beings with souls to sacrifice to the Heavenly Dao was optimal. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, emperors sacrificed slaves to the Heavenly Dao. The creator could create beings from the void, conjuring life, but they lacked souls, resembling puppets without any thoughts, so the effect was minimal.

However, Chi Songzi, since ancient times, had ensured favorable winds and rain in the Southern Toad Continent, accumulating great merit. Having done this significant task over many years, he had formed a deep connection with the Heavenly Dao. Now, using these soulless beings for sacrifice, he could still communicate with the Heavenly Dao! That was where his might lay.

What one kept in mind would echo back. Chi Songzi often prayed to the Heavenly Dao, blessing all beings. After years of such prayers, the Heavenly Dao naturally echoed in response.

He was the Rain Mage, but he still had to act in accordance with the Heavenly Dao—how much rain the Heavenly Dao ordered him to bring, he had to deliver exactly that much. Anything more or less would result in divine punishment. After the Middle Ancient Times, the task of the Nine Heavens enforcers to monitor heaven and earth nearly waned, falling upon the Jade Emperor instead. As the Great Heavenly Master, he governed the Three Realms; when the Jing River Dragon King randomly brought rains, the Jade Emperor had Wei Zheng behead him.

"He’s actually making a sacrifice! Kong Xuan, if you don’t take down that fan now, once Chi Songzi’s sacrifice is successful, we’ll all be in trouble!" Shiqi Buddha still didn’t believe Kong Xuan had given his all.

Nevertheless, Kong Xuan shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Look at Princess Iron Fan’s Banana Leaf Fan, the wind is getting stronger and stronger, and the fire is fueled by the wind, making the Purifying Purple Flame ever more terrifying! I am now using the full force of my Five-Colored Divine Light just to resist it, and your Shiqi Great Array is also helping. I wish I could snatch her Banana Leaf Fan, but I must act within my capacity. If the Purifying Purple Flame burns me, not even the Buddha Ancestor could save you!"

Shiqi Buddha could not find a reason to argue with Kong Xuan. It seemed that both were indeed employing their full power just to resist Princess Iron Fan, but Shiqi Buddha felt something was amiss.

Kong Xuan quickly glanced over, only to see Chi Songzi stepping faster and faster on the Gang Dou Step, almost leaving only an afterimage, while thunderclouds were already gathering in the sky.

"This time, it seems that Maitreya will find it hard to escape calamity! Chi Songzi is not considered a person of the Daoist path; when he slays, he has no reservations," Kong Xuan said with his eyes slightly closed, then turned his head to deal with Princess Iron Fan’s Banana Leaf Fan.

Shiqi Buddha shouted, "Venerable Maitreya, be extremely careful, the divine skill that Chi Songzi is using is absolutely extraordinary!"

Maitreya’s heart chilled, and he felt a terrifying sense of dread.

The Nine Heavens above sensed that someone was sacrificing to the Heavenly Dao, attempting to draw down thunder, a vast thunder which they could feel. Otherwise, with so many people cultivating Divine Sky Taoist Magic and conjuring Divine Thunder below, would they have to inquire every time? Wouldn’t that exhaust them to death?

"Someone is sacrificing to the Heavenly Dao, attempting to draw down considerable thunder from the Nine Heavens!" Cheng Tian said gravely.

"Granted!" Xiantian said, "This person is definitely a mighty figure from ancient times; otherwise, they couldn’t be so in tune with the Heavenly Dao. If they draw down the Divine Thunder, we can’t prevent it. Otherwise, it would be a violation of the Heavenly Dao."

The Nine Heavens had no emotions; heaven and earth are uncompassionate. This compassion referred to emotions. In their actions, they only followed the rules of the Heavenly Dao, never exceeding even half a step, lest they be reckoned with by the Heavenly Dao instantly. If they go against the Heavenly Dao, they lose their reason to exist.

"Granted!"

"Granted!"

"Granted!"

...

The Nine Heavens simultaneously roared, the Heavenly Dao Laws operated, and above the Nine Layers of Heaven, the thunderbolts intertwined, each displaying a different color.

At this moment, Maitreya felt an incredibly terrifying heavenly majesty, as if he was not facing Chi Songzi but having to contend with the entire Heavenly Dao!

Chi Songzi’s avatar exploded instantly; the Hundred Herbs Cauldron from Wukong’s hand flew over and was caught, tossed into the sky with one hand, as nine ferocious and terrifying thunderbolts fell straight into it.

"Nine Heavens Thunder Movement, Bagua Shatter, Seven Stars Dim, Six Jia Retreat, Five Elements Reverse, Four Symbols Collapse, Three Talents Extinguish, Two Instruments Return to the Origin, Tai Chi in Chaos!" Chi Songzi chanted the incantations, which, as the name suggested, signified that under the Nine Heavens Thunder Movement, the Bagua would shatter, the Seven Stars would dim, the Six Jia would have to retreat... This string of incantations showcased just how terrifying the power of this divine skill really was.

Although Chi Songzi cultivated the Mystic Sect’s techniques, he did not belong to the Taoist forces. Buddha, Dao, and the ancient powers appeared to be independent factions. Chi Songzi had been solitary and had not shown himself for many years, let alone maintain any contact with the Taoist Sect. Now that he intended to slay Maitreya, even the Tathagata could not fault Laojun.

Laojun himself probably never anticipated that all his scheming would lead to Maitreya’s potential demise this time, no doubt he was laughing heartily in the heavens at this moment.

Wukong was also watching, dumbstruck, as the movement of the Nine Heavens Thunder invited all the divine thunder from the Nine Heavens above. It was fortunate that the Hundred Herbs Cauldron was Shennong’s most powerful Magical Treasure; otherwise, they could only seek a Saint to borrow a Magical Treasure capable of handling such terrifying thunder.

They saw the Hundred Herbs Cauldron flip over, its mouth pointed towards Maitreya, and a vast expanse of lightning burst forth, a mixture of nine distinct colors altogether, representing the nine divine thunders. They interwove with each other, crackling fiercely, their might escalating tens of thousands of times more terrifying than before!

Under this celestial might, even the spirit of Maitreya nearly faltered, sensing the danger of his ordeal.

"Great sorrow, great sorrow, great sorrow..." Maitreya repeated these words. The typically cheerful visage of Venerable Maitreya was replaced with a visage of sorrow, which conveyed an altogether different kind of Zen and divine skill.

Behind Maitreya, a great Buddha voiced the sorrowful Buddhist scriptures, while the billions of beings within Maitreya chanted in unison, providing him with formidable power.

"Heavenly Thunder to Exterminate Evil! Nine Heavens Thunder Movement!" Chi Songzi once again harnessed a terrifying barrage of thunder, again mixing nine types of lightning. The Heavenly Dao detected Maitreya’s sins in confining billions of beings, and in response to Chi Songzi’s invocation, it unleashed a vast thunder, clearly determined to help Chi Songzi annihilate Maitreya.

The nine-colored lightning danced wildly, seemingly engulfing the entire heaven and earth. A gigantic palm reached out from Mount Meru, attempting to disperse the thunder.

But just then, two Divine Swords flew out, along with a blood-colored Lotus Platform, all activating simultaneously. The fearsome blood light spread outward, blocking the giant palm.

"Ming River, how dare you obstruct me!" the Tathagata roared in anger. Seeing Maitreya about to be slain, the Tathagata hastened to rescue him but was intercepted.

"Tathagata, last time you ambushed me, hitting me with a strike, and got Ran Deng to injure me with twenty-four Sea-Calming Pearls. Our karma has long been entwined! Today Rain Mage Chi Songzi seeks to kill your Future Buddha, how could I let you prevent such a grand affair?" boomed the arrogant voice of Ming River from the Netherworld Blood Sea. He was laughing heartily, seemingly quite pleased with himself.

The Tathagata didn’t expect Ming River to meddle at this juncture, sabotaging his grand plans. He urgently called upon the Five Great Wisdom Kings and Mahavairocana from the Vedha Continent to save Maitreya.

However, the Vedha Continent was still behind the West Cow He State. While these Wisdom Kings were immensely powerful and swift, Chi Songzi’s unleashing of the thunder was even faster. Maitreya was already pressured by the celestial might and his spirit was on the verge of faltering, leaving him without the strength to resist.

"Ming River, Ming River! You ruin my great endeavor. If I don’t kill you, I vow not to achieve Buddhahood!" the Tathagata bellowed. "Ksitigarbha King, why aren’t you acting!"

Ksitigarbha King, the nemesis of Ming River, who suppressed the Netherworld Blood Sea and prevented the Asura clan from wreaking havoc in the world, was unexpectedly inactive in stopping the Tathagata from being thwarted by Ming River, seemingly content to watch the excitement unfold.

Ksitigarbha King gave no response.

Wukong, watching secretly, thought to himself, "My goodness, so many formidable characters have been drawn out! It looks like Maitreya is doomed this time, Elder Chi Songzi has no intention of sparing him."

As the Right-hand Minister, Chi Songzi was committed to safeguarding the peace of all beings in the world. Seeing Maitreya’s actions, it was natural that he would not spare Maitreya. If the Great Confucians of the mortal world knew, they would also lambast Maitreya, condemning him to eternal infamy. Curses could counteract the power of incense and wishes. Tathagata had many followers, but if all under heaven cursed him, his incense power would surely be affected.

Therefore, people of the Immortal Path generally did not dare provoke those of the Confucianism, for a single article could saddle one with eternal infamy.

Chi Songzi declared, "Maitreya, your sins are grievous. I, acting as the agent of the Heavenly Dao, send you to heaven. Die!"

The earth shook as if reverting to primordial chaos, the dreadful thunder shaking the Four Great Continents so violently that they seemed on the verge of sinking.

"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows; like dew and like lightning. One should thus view them," the Tathagata shouted, reciting the Diamond Sutra for Maitreya.

But it was to no avail, for the sounds thundering in Maitreya’s ears, accompanied by a more fearsome celestial might, caused his spirit to start retreating.

"No form of self, person, sentient beings, nor lifespan."

"Great sorrow, great sorrow, great sorrow!"

Maitreya suddenly realized the truth; his physical body exploded, and his Primordial Spirit vanished into ashes, but his spirit did not regress further. He managed to preserve his fruit of realization, bringing relief to the Buddhas of the Spirit Mountain, but they immediately became enraged. The Respectful Ruler of the World, ordained for the future, had been slain!

To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the following Chapter. (To be continued. If you like this book, please come to Starting Point (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and Monthly Tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)