The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 97 - 095: The Three Pure Ones Discuss Matters in Doulu Palace

Chapter 97: Chapter 095: The Three Pure Ones Discuss Matters in Doulu Palace

Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch and Leader of Heaven-Penetrating, the two of them, arrived at Laozi’s Doulu Palace to discuss matters.

The three laid out meditation cushions, sitting in front of the Bagua Oven.

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating had a strange expression as he said, "Great Elder Brother wouldn’t really have turned that Peach Tree Spirit into an elixir, right?"

Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch also said, "This Peach Tree Spirit comes from an extraordinary background. If Elder Brother really turned her into an elixir, you’d better be prepared."

Yet Laozi simply shook his head, saying indifferently, "I did not."

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating calculated with his fingers, and his expression immediately changed, "You threw that Macaca into the Eight Trigrams World?"

The so-called Eight Trigrams World was understood by Celestial Emperor Fuxi from the He Tu and Luo Shu. Using the orientation of the Eight Trigrams, he arranged eight different worlds, namely Qian Heaven Realm, Kun Land Realm, Lei Zhen Realm, Xun Wind Realm, Kan Water Realm, Li Fire Realm, Gen Mountain Realm, and Dui Lake Realm.

"Celestial Emperor Fuxi created these eight great worlds as a contingency. Should a great cataclysm of heaven and earth arrive, all the beings from the Four Great Continents could enter them. However, before the heavenly secrets are due, entering this Eight Trigrams World could unfortunately lead to endless reincarnation. Only those with great fortitude, great wisdom, great divine power, and a strong destiny could come out, not even us Saints should enter lightly!" Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch glanced at Laozi and frowned.

These eight characters are the source of the world, not something ordinary people could manipulate. At least, among them, only Laozi, with the highest accomplishment, could use them. Moreover, it seemed that Laozi had reached a state where he could transform these eight characters into the Xia Dynasty Dragon Seal, a truly terrifying feat.

Laozi then said, "That’s why I let the Peach Tree Spirit enter the Bagua Oven. This Peach Tree Spirit has a mysterious power protecting her, allowing her to stay lucid in the Eight Trigrams World. With her help, that Macaca shouldn’t have any problems. Moreover, the Macaca has obtained the ’Sutra of the Other Shore’ and is cultivating Amitabha Buddha’s secret techniques. If his luck and perseverance aren’t too bad, he should be able to comprehend the mysterious secrets of the Bagua."

The eyelids of Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch and the Leader of Heaven-Penetrating twitched, feeling that their Great Elder Brother was audaciously reckless. Not to mention what would happen if the Peach Tree Spirit died inside, if Wukong died there, the entire calculation would surely be nullified. Only now did they realize that among the three brothers, Laozi was, in fact, the one with the most daring will.

Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch, priding himself on his clever calculations, would not dare to bet like this either. These two were key to the layout; should both be lost inside, what then?

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating paused for a moment, then laughed out loud, "Excellent, excellent, excellent! Great Elder Brother, you truly are not a straightforward person. The ability to take an unorthodox approach surpasses even Yuan Shi and me! If this time, neither of the two emerges from inside, I would like to see how you would handle that."

Laozi spoke calmly, "One must use strong medicine for dire illness, and strict measures for troubled times! Now the Buddhist sect comes surging in, and I have calculated that a tribulation is approaching. Time is but flowing water to us. Without taking significant actions during this period, it simply won’t do."

In front of others, Laozi appeared agreeable, but at this moment, he exuded an aura of spirit and audacity, as if all the heroes under heaven were within his grasp.

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating said, "Indeed, but Elder Brother, in undertaking such an important matter, should you not also discuss it with us?"

Laozi smiled, "It was a spontaneous idea, and it’s too late for regrets now. Let it be, and let’s hope the Macaca has a great fortune to emerge from it."

Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch said, "After all, he’s endowed with the destiny to mend the heavens, so there’s not a lack of hope. How did Elder Brother come out in the past?"

Laozi then said, "When Fuxi created this realm, he borrowed my Tai Chi Diagram. Owing me a great favor, he took me with him on a tour. The Eight Trigrams World is indeed profound and esoteric. When the time of heavenly secrets arrives, it will naturally converge into a world. If the time has not come, entering it would only lead to confusion, trapped in endless cycles of reincarnation. Without the ability to comprehend the profound secrets, to break through the illusions, one would be trapped inside forever."

Yuan Shi and Heaven-Penetrating both frowned repeatedly, even Saints did not have the confidence to walk out easily, and yet he threw the Macaca in there.

Laozi continued, "Of course, Saints can make it out, but it would take a great deal of time. Fuxi is indeed a rare genius, able to create such worlds. Even if a great disaster befalls heaven and earth and we are defeated, at least we can preserve some sparks for this world."

Even Saints find Fuxi’s divination and prophesying abilities astonishing, and they are unsurpassed in their brilliance. He calculated down through the ages. However, not everything can be foretold. The future could easily change due to a minor factor. He can’t foresee every unknown. Not even the Heavenly Dao can achieve that.

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating sighed, "Since that is the case, let’s see if this Macaca has fortune enough to emerge from the Eight Trigrams World!"

Laozi said, "I have refined a pair of Flaming Eyes for him. If he cultivates this divine skill to a profound level, it will be remarkable."

The Leader of Heaven-Penetrating said, "Flaming Eyes can pierce through the origin. If we help him like this and he still fails to show resolve, we’ll have to bear the consequences."

All three of the Three Pure Ones sat in silence, quietly watching the fiery Bagua Oven.

"Great Elder Brother, Tathagata is now using your name to spread the teachings of the Daoist sect of the Western Religion. He’s completely shameless, yet you do not intervene?" Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch inquired.

Laozi said indifferently, "Just let him be, why bother with such things? Buddhism could still rely on Confucianism to spread even if it did not depend on me. By letting Buddhism rely on me, they can appear a step lower in status. Hehe, when the time comes, I will drain Tathagata of his influence, and then he’ll realize how potent it is!"

Buddhism propagated its teachings under the guise of "Laozi Converts the Barbarians," a concept the Three Pure Ones were entirely aware of. However, Laozi seemed indifferent; it was inevitable that Buddhism would spread. Rather than allowing them to cling to Confucianism, it was better for them to depend on Taoist teachings, which also inherently placed them under Taoism’s nominal authority.

Indeed, in the past, Laozi travelled west through Hangu Pass and took Daoist Duobao to the Western Religion, to become Duobao Tathagata. He also created a divine weapon, the Vajra Bracelet. Later, to spread the teachings, Tathagata reincarnated as Siddhartha Gautama, making Buddhism even more widely known. However, the currently circulating "Laozi Huahu Jing" was purely fabricated by Buddhism to spread its doctrines in the Eastern Land, and when the time comes, they would outright deny its origins.

Tathagata’s actions seemed to curry favor with Laozi, suggesting that Buddhism was founded through his reincarnation, thus indirectly admitting Buddhism was subordinate to Taoism. Not only was Laozi very much in favor, but so were the Daoist sects in the mortal world, who didn’t seek trouble with Buddhism, a testament to Tathagata’s crafty tactics!

Tathagata was indeed shrewd and cunning; such a minor loss mattered little, for he would reclaim it manyfold in days to come.

Leader of Heaven-Penetrating suddenly remarked, "This Macaca is formidable, having seen through yet another layer of the world’s illusion. He might truly comprehend the Mysterious Eight Trigrams and become another who can wield the Eight Characters, following in the footsteps of our eldest brother."

Laozi stroked his beard repeatedly, chuckling, "I just hope he can manage it. It would also be best if that Peach Tree Spirit could hold on. Otherwise, when that person arrives, it wouldn’t bode well for us to intervene."

Both Yuan Shi and Leader of Heaven-Penetrating nodded in agreement, replying, "Yes."

Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch suddenly said, "This time, it should be Tathagata’s move."

"Hmm... The trouble he’s caused is big enough, and the Jade Emperor intolerant by now, will surely be unable to resist seeking Tathagata’s help. This is exactly what we’ve been anticipating!" Laozi declared.

Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch sneered, "That Zhang Bairin really doesn’t know what’s good for him! When the heavens unleash the killing calamity, it will be necessary to call for the God-Beating Whip to settle the score with him."

Leader of Heaven-Penetrating War God gave a forced smile, "Zhang Bairin was never fit to be the Jade Emperor; it was only due to fate that he assumed the position. The upcoming calamity is set to be even more severe than the ones in the Middle Ancient Period. It’s the perfect opportunity to dispose of him!"

Laozi mused, "Hmm... I wonder how the Master is doing. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen any trace of him."

Hongjun was the first immortal, born in Chaos, who enlightened Pangu the Great God and commanded him to create the world. The Three Pure Ones are transformations of Pangu’s Primordial Spirit. His physical body, meanwhile, turned into twelve streams of turbid qi which became the twelve ancestral witches.

Leader of Heaven-Penetrating said, "Being unfathomable, the Master surely has his plans. Have you both recovered your physical bodies?"

Laozi replied, "It’s not that easy; my physical body is still in the nourishing phase, having sustained severe injuries during the Middle Ancient War."

Yuan Shi commented, "My physical body is also still recovering. I hope it can be fully restored before the killing calamity arrives. Otherwise, this calamity won’t be easy to withstand!"

Thinking about the killing calamity, the Three Pure Ones felt a sense of powerlessness—it would be an apocalyptic event even more terrifying than those of the Middle Ancient Period! The very thought of that great battle, which even claimed Nu Wa, one of the Saints, still filled them with dread.

"Did you obtain any useful information from the Heavenly Illuminating Holy King?"

"He knew little about the matter, and we’ve already executed him."

The Heavenly Illuminating Holy King was captured by Wusheng in the War God Mystic Realm and eventually fell into the hands of the Three Pure Ones. They gleaned no worthwhile intelligence from him and had him killed. Despite being a powerful general under the command of Various Heavens during the Middle Ancient War, he was seriously injured by the Tongbei Monkey and managed to escape, only to end up within the Map of Mountains and Rivers seeking to refine it. Unfortunately for him, his luck ran out, and Wusheng captured him.

Yuan Shi asked, "Elder Brother, is there a way to repair the Map of Mountains and Rivers?"

Laozi replied with a wry smile, "The Map of Mountains and Rivers is an Innate Supreme Treasure; how could it be so easily restored?"

Leader of Heaven-Penetrating suggested, "I’m afraid we can only wait for the Master to emerge and use his Qiankun Ding to refine the Map of Mountains and Rivers."

Laozi said, "Macaca possesses a fragment of the Five-colored Crystal Stone, which I’ve also attempted to use for repairs, to no avail. I’ve since incorporated that fragment into his Jingu Bang."

"Oh!"

Both of them nodded, no longer indulging in further discussion.

After all, the Bagua World is fraught with danger, and Wukong’s fate remains uncertain. Please join us next time to see how the story unfolds.