Chapter 416

In the dim scripture depository, Buddha light faintly shone.

In a serene setting, the handsome monk put his palms together and explained Buddhist teachings to his identical self.

Yet one was alone, while the other was tightly bound by layers of Buddha light.

"If I do not enter hell, who will?"

"If I cannot even save myself, how can I save all beings?"

Jin Chanzi held a flower and smiled; the Zen aura rising from him made Mu Yi unconsciously retreat.

"You want to become a Buddha? Impossible—you will ultimately return to instinct!"

"I am the true entity; you are merely a counterfeit spawned by false scriptures!"

The bound Jin Chanzi roared madly.

Mu Yi stroked his chin; the situation was clear.

Simply put, the Buddha light on Spirit Mountain is not protecting Spirit Mountain but suppressing Jin Chanzi, or rather the Six-Winged Golden Cicada.

Legend says Jin Chanzi was the leader of the ancient five poisonous insects, namely the Six-Winged Golden Cicada; after being converted by the Buddha, he became the Buddha's second disciple, Jin Chanzi.

Now it is evident that what is suppressed beneath Spirit Mountain is the true form of the Six-Winged Golden Cicada.

In fact, both are Jin Chanzi, and even Tang Sanzang is Jin Chanzi.

They merely represent different aspects of Jin Chanzi.

The Six-Winged Golden Cicada represents the id, filled with primal desires and violence, embodying pure bestiality.

Jin Chanzi represents the superego, a completely unworldly Zen aura, an existence nearly capable of instant Buddhahood, embodying pure divinity.

Tang Sanzang represents the ego, a human existence lying between Jin Chanzi and the Six-Winged Golden Cicada, embodying humanity.

Only then did Mu Yi truly understand how Jin Chanzi's so-called proving of the Way is accomplished.

It can also be called 'gathering the three corpses to become a sage.'

This method is also recorded in the Heavenly Court.

By completely unifying one's bestiality, humanity, and divinity, one proves the Way of the Primordial Unity, becoming part of Jiuzhou's true form; with sufficient accumulation, one can cross the final step.

The matter of the Candle Dragon may be true, but it is also true that this world was later used as a trial ground for Jin Chanzi.

Or rather, whether this world is truly real remains questionable.

Buddhism says, 'One grain of sand, one world; one flower, one leaf, one Tathagata.'

In each of the three thousand worlds there is a Buddha named Anit; in his dream he still has three thousand worlds, thus cycling endlessly, without beginning or end.

Jin Chanzi follows that kind of path; Mu Yi really cannot say for sure.

"At least he can now be certain that the one who killed Tang Sanzang with a single strike earlier was definitely not the Six-Eared Macaque; whether it was someone Jin Chanzi hired himself, or the Buddha Namo Great Sage Sharira Vishnu protecting the Way, remains unknown."

"At least now it is certain that Tang Sanzang is gone."

"Donor, later I will use Buddhist teachings to convert the Six-Winged Golden Cicada; the matters afterward will still require your trouble."

"\"What matters later? \" Mu Yi felt uneasy."

"\"I will explain this part! \""

A monkey draped in a kasaya appeared in the scripture depository; Jin Chanzi clasped his hands and performed a Buddhist salute, after which the monkey ignored the Six-Winged Golden Cicada's roar, reached out, grabbed Mu Yi, and took him away from the depository.

After the change of scenery, Mu Yi appeared in the Mahavira Hall, where the monkey naturally sat in the center of the hall, the spot originally meant for the Buddha.

Then he lifted his kasaya, and Murphy and the others were also released.

Everyone looked at each other, and finally they all silently bowed to the monkey.

The monkey who had become a Buddha—his identity was self-evident.

"Namo Great Sage Sharira Vishnu Buddha—Sun Wukong."

In a certain world, Sun Wukong achieved the status of the ancestor of all Buddhas and completed transcendence.

"\"No need for these pretenses! \""

"\"Originally, bringing Tang Sanzang to Spirit Mountain would have completed your mission; the rest he could handle himself, which would also count as a great fulfillment. \"

"\"However, a problem indeed arose: the intervention of the Net, the intervention of the myriad ancient Shan Hai tribes, and the rampage of Candle Dragon time. \"

"\"The duty of guarding the westward journey was originally mine, but my counterpart in the secondary world has not yet been born, so only you can accomplish it. \"

Sun Wukong said this while sighing.

"\"Do you know which gate was the most difficult on the Journey to the West back then? \""

"\"It must be the Daughter Kingdom! \" Shen Wanqian coughed repeatedly, yet still firmly gave his answer."

"\"Yes, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven can clear away the demons and monsters on his road, but only his own difficulty—no one can help him with that! \""

"\"It is the same now; inside the scripture depository, the struggle between bestiality and divinity cannot be interfered with—originally divinity should have equaled bestiality in strength. \"

"\"But the Candle Dragon's turmoil scrambled the timeline, causing Heavenly Court, Underworld, and Spirit Mountain to all revert to the ancient era; all immortals and Buddhas vanished, because during this period there was no Heavenly Court, Underworld, or Spirit Mountain. \"

"\"The Six-Winged Golden Cicada is an ancient ferocious beast; even if it happens to be within Spirit Mountain's temporal turbulence, it is unaffected by this temporal change and is instead greatly strengthened. \"

"\"Thus, bestiality surpasses humanity and divinity. \"

"\"This is his tribulation; I cannot intervene! \""

"\"But your task is not yet finished! Therefore we need you! \""

"\"Without humanity's aid, Jin Chanzi will surely fail; the Six-Winged Golden Cicada will break its seal, and your mission is to destroy it! \""

Mu Yi furrowed his brow.

"\"Wasn't it you who struck down Tang Sanzang? \" Mu Yi puzzled."

"\"Tang Sanzang is human, possessing humanity; if you had faced the tribulations head‑on, stepping firmly to this point, Tang Sanzang would likely have transformed from pure humanity into a coexistence of humanity and divinity. \"

"\"But now Tang Sanzang arrives at Spirit Mountain too easily, so he remains merely a mortal; if left unchecked, he will only cause the Six-Winged Golden Cicada to devour both humanity and divinity, at which point what you will face could be a complete entity. \"

Mu Yi's mouth twitched slightly; indeed, because of the snipers' interference, they had almost been fleeing for their lives all along, and Tang Sanzang had undergone no growth whatsoever.

He used the demons' hands to bring Tang Sanzang to Spirit Mountain—a good idea.

But fate had already marked the price of the gift in secret; taking shortcuts comes at a cost.

"How strong could the Six‑winged Golden Cicada be?" Mo Fei asked after pondering for a moment.

"At least a notch stronger than the Heavenly Great Sage Niu Mo Wang!"

Hearing Sun Wukong's reply, Mu Yi's complexion darkened; he didn't have a second celestial‑Buddha‑level soul ready to self‑detonate.

Moreover, the impression Niu Mo Wang gave them at first was already stronger than that of the Ant King of Heaven or the Xieju; now they have to face an even stronger one, and the difficulty is no joke.

"Great Sage, could you lend us a hand!" Mu Yi, licking his face, tried to win Sun Wukong's favor.

"I can't help you! Within this world, I cannot act!" Sun Wukong shook his head.

"I mean, could the Six‑Eared Macaque help us?" Mu Yi tried to exploit a loophole in the rules.

Sun Wukong's eyes lit up, he scratched his cheek, thought for a moment, and still shook his head.

"No. Even the Six‑Eared Macaque cannot act. You four were brought by the Golden Cicada, already caught in this calamity, whereas I was summoned by the Buddha; the loophole in the disaster is not so easy to exploit!"

"Then may I borrow your identity for a moment?" Mu Yi asked persistently.

"You want Niu Mo Wang and his crew to help you?" Sun Wukong understood Mu Yi's intent in an instant.

"That's actually a good idea!" Sun Wukong nodded. "But I cannot handle this myself!"

"Rest assured, we'll take care of it ourselves!"

Jing Liuyun spoke, then instantly transformed into a Six‑Eared Macaque.

"Not bad, very similar!"

Sun Wukong nodded; Jing Liuyun's transformation was trivial to him, yet he could see the essence of Jing Liuyun's move—it was indeed extraordinary.

"Very well, I will lend you a hand!"

Sun Wukong said, pulled the Ruyi Jingu Bang from his ear, and tossed it to Jing Liuyun.

"Hui—hui!"

A clear voice rang again beneath Spirit Mountain.

"Prepare for battle; I will finally send you to the side of those demon kings!" Sun Wukong waved his kasaya, and Mu Yi and the others felt the world spin; the next moment they found themselves on a chaotic battlefield.

The Golden‑winged Roc and Peng Mo Wang clashed in the sky.

Blue Lion, White Elephant, White Ox, and Giant Jiao fought together.

"Everyone! An ancient ferocious beast is about to break its seal; we cannot fight among ourselves now! We must join forces!" Jing Liuyun shouted urgently.

Niu Mo Wang and his group, seeing their own Old Seven, hesitated with startled doubt and halted first.

Blue Lion, White Elephant, and Great Goose, the three demon kings, looked at the appearing Six‑Eared Macaque with considerable apprehension and could not stop fighting; they didn't want to be outnumbered.

"What on earth is happening?" Niu Mo Wang asked gravely.

Honestly, ever since the Green Ox Spirit seized Golden Horn and Silver Horn and fled, with Huangmei, Huangfeng and other demon kings in pursuit, unease has been rising in his heart.

Now that the Six‑Eared Macaque appears, he naturally hurried to ask.

"Below Spirit Mountain lies an ancient ferocious beast that is about to break its seal now."

"This beast is called the Six‑winged Golden Cicada. It is greedy by nature; although it possesses supreme wisdom, it subsists solely on the lives of the Six Paths, its appetite a bottomless pit. Moreover, its shell is hard, unafraid of blades, spears, fire or water, and is unsullied by the Five Elements."

"If we cannot slay it now, once it recovers we will all suffer the consequences."

Jing Liuyun spoke earnestly, but Niu Mo Wang frowned upon hearing it.

He sensed the Six‑Eared Macaque's tone differed from before; it seemed eager yet carried an extremely unfamiliar aura.

"Old Seven, do you remember what we said before setting out?" Niu Mo Wang squinted, probing.

"Of course, to infiltrate Spirit Mountain, become a Buddha and be an ancestor!"

Jing Liuyun said it as a matter of course; earlier, Sun Wukong had already implanted the memory into his mind.

Regardless of what Niu Mo Wang asked, he could answer fluently.

Niu Mo Wang's brow furrowed deeper; Jing Liuyun's answers were flawless, yet he still instinctively felt something was off.

However, reality gave Niu Mo Wang little room for doubt.

"Hui—hui!"

Another clear cicada chirp sounded, but this time everyone sensed the violent, brutal meaning within it.

The three demons of the Lion‑Camel Nation communicated briefly, then withdrew directly; they lacked manpower, not a match for the Seven Great Saints, and even with Niu Mo Wang's side incomplete, they faced difficulties.

Moreover, the upheaval at Spirit Mountain made them realize this was likely not a good place, so they chose to pull back and watch from across the river—a decent option.

Seeing the three demons of the Lion‑Camel Nation retreat.

"Big brother? Us?" Jiao Mo Wang asked softly as he approached Niu Mo Wang.

"Follow Old Seven's advice: strike first for strength!"

Although Niu Mo Wang still hesitated, he ultimately decided to act according to Jing Liuyun's suggestion; regardless of what lies opposite, the sheer brutal aura alone indicated it was certainly not a benign foe.

Although Niu Mo Wang doubted why the Six‑Eared Macaque was mixed with the humans who previously escorted Tang Sanzang, he could still discern the relative importance.

"Boom!"

The Great Hero Treasure Hall collapsed with a thunderous crash, and Spirit Mountain began to crumble; the Six‑winged Golden Cicada started to crawl outward from the dense Buddha light beneath Spirit Mountain.

Its massive size and brutal aura all testified to the terrifying power of this ferocious beast.

"Golden Cicada, you have lost!"

The Six‑winged Golden Cicada cackled wildly; with the celestial beings gone, it also eliminated the Golden Cicada, leaving no obstacles.

It intends to destroy the entire world.

"Act!"

Niu Mo Wang, wielding a mixed‑iron staff, struck first; just as when he first met Mu Yi's group, the staff transformed into a gigantic form and slammed toward the still‑partially sealed Six‑winged Golden Cicada.

"You petty little demon, you're courting death!"

The Six‑winged Golden Cicada roared; though not yet freed, its magical power surged like an abyss, and the mixed‑iron staff was blasted away before it could even strike down.

"Big brother!" The Jiao Demon King wielded a three-pronged sea-probing halberd, stirring wind and water; several water dragons twined around the halberd and slammed into the Six-Winged Golden Cicada.

However, the Six-Winged Golden Cicada's carapace was hard, fearless of blades, spears, water, or fire, unstained by the five elements; the water dragons slammed into it, leaving not a trace of injury.

The Jiao Demon King's expression turned grave; he immediately discarded his weapon and assumed his true form.

What a ferocious evil dragon! Standing a thousand zhang tall, with menacing horns, it roared at the Six-Winged Golden Cicada and lunged straight at it.

The Six-Winged Golden Cicada was shocked and enraged; the Jiao Demon King actually tried to stuff it back into the seal, which infuriated the cicada. Its wings shot out like flying blades, instantly leaving two deep, bone-revealing wounds on the Jiao Demon King's true form.

The Jiao Demon King, in pain, loosened his grip; the Six-Winged Golden Cicada then struggled fiercely, trying to break free of the seal.

"Attack!" How could Mu Yi and the others just stand by and watch?

They immediately launched an attack; though they were no match for the Six-Winged Golden Cicada head-on, now with the Bull Demon King and Jiao Demon King taking the lead, they naturally would not hold back their power, giving it their all.

A rain of blows fell on the Six-Winged Golden Cicada, yet Mu Yi's damage was the greatest; empowered by the god-slaying force, his attacks pierced its defenses, causing obvious injury.

With a breach opened, the rest naturally pursued and struck relentlessly.

The Six-Winged Golden Cicada's eyes turned blood-red, but hampered by the seal, it could only feel the pain on its body, then struggle desperately to break free, forcing Mu Yi and the others to pay a bloody price.

"This is what you forced me to do!"

Under the siege of all, sensing the threat of death, the Six-Winged Golden Cicada roared; its aura instantly waned, yet its body turned into a stream of light that shot out of the seal.

"Golden cicada shedding its shell?"

Mu Yi and the others looked at the corpse left in the seal, then at the Six-Winged Golden Cicada that had escaped, and instantly felt that great calamity loomed.