Chapter 257: Meeting a Water Ape Mid-Journey, Assisting in the Battle Against the Bodhisattva

White clouds drifted leisurely, and misty water rose all around, covering an area of about an acre; it looked like a massive feather supporting a body, or like willow catkins spreading across the void, a vast expanse of snowy white.

It was extremely soft, fluffy and yielding.

Fang Longye lay half-reclined in this mass of floating clouds, crossing his legs and holding the Two Instruments Divine Gourd, sipping various Immortal Brews one mouthful at a time.

Comfortable and carefree~

"Glug, glug, glug—"

Fang Longye drank several types of Immortal Brew as if they were cola, gulped down a large amount, and then let out a wine-belch: "Ha—refreshing!"

Having reached the perfection of the Golden Immortal realm, the Taiyi realm was now within reach. It could be said that he had finally caught a glimpse of the scenery of the Great Dao on this path of cultivation.

Naturally, it was delightful~

As for why he was so leisurely, it was naturally because he had plenty of time.

He had agreed with the Yurong Wang to meet at the Huai River Dragon Palace. And at the moment, the Yurong Wang had not even set off yet!

Even if the Yurong Wang had the means to traverse the void, Fang Longye would still have plenty of time to arrive.

"Eh?"

Just then, Fang Longye's gaze shifted, for he had seen a very interesting scene in the distance.

He immediately clapped his hands and laughed aloud: "Not bad, not bad, there is another show to watch!"

He then turned his cloud and headed in that direction.

Returning to the time when Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva and the Water Ape Great Sage were there.

Just as the two were confronting each other, with swords drawn and bows bent, they immediately sensed something.

As soon as they raised their eyes, they heard a clear, bright sound coming from mid-air, followed by the sound of surging water permeating the surroundings; someone had arrived.

A moment later, layers of water light descended from the firmament, spanning more than ten thousand zhang, deep and dark like ink.

It was like a rainbow bridge.

Following that, an auspicious cloud, about an acre in size, drifted down along the water.

On that auspicious cloud lay a peerlessly handsome man, holding a wine gourd in one hand and drinking heartily, while tapping out a rhythm with the other, singing aloud: "What use is heaven and earth? They cannot serve as mat or quilt; what use are wind and moon? They cannot be eaten or drunk."

"What use is fine dust? All things are within it; what use is change? The Dharma of the Dao forms itself."

"What use is facing the wall? One does not see the surging waves; what use is the stick's shout? One only gets a big bump on the head."

"What use is giving me life? I cannot laugh; what use is destroying me? It does not diminish my wild pride."

"Walking the path of the eight wildernesses while singing, forgetting both object and self, roaming the nine heavens."

"Straw sandals and bamboo hat, walking for a thousand years; the eternal sky, roamed in a single morning."

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Free and unfettered, the Divine Immortal Laozi cannot control me!"

"Ho ho ha ha ha ha—"

The tune had a strange style, but as it fell into the ears of the two, there was suddenly a sense of boldness and grandeur.

"May I ask which Dragon Lord is before me? This humble monk is Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva, decreed by the Rulai of the Western Lands. I ask the Dragon Lord to lend me a hand to subdue this bold and lawless demon!"

Although this Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva had not yet attained the Taiyi realm, his cultivation was indeed much higher than that of the Water Ape Great Sage.

At a glance, he saw the unhidden Aura of the newcomer and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the lyrics sung by this Dragon Lord when he appeared just now were somewhat unconventional, he was not unable to understand them.

After all, he was a Golden Immortal from the Dragon Clan! In any case, with this body of Merit and clear light, and being of the Dragon Clan, no matter how one looked at it, it was impossible for him to be close to this wild demon.

Therefore, he even had the heart to perform a Buddhist salute, inviting the newcomer to join the battle.

Meanwhile, the Water Ape Great Sage's expression turned ugly, and he thought to himself, "This is bad~"

He feared that this Divine Dao avatar of his would be lost here this time.

If things went poorly, it might even implicate his true original body.

For this newcomer was bathed in clear light, and above his head, Xuanhuang Merit condensed into Golden Flowers and tassels, spilling down, even faintly showing signs of producing a Merit Golden Wheel.

At a glance, he could see that he and this man-eating demon god were not cut from the same cloth.

What's more, after hearing the words of that old bald donkey, he also saw that this newcomer indeed belonged to the Dragon Clan.

This made him even more distressed~

He knew full well what kind of dogs the Dragon Clan were. They flirted with the Dao, the Brahma, and the Heavenly Court all day long, posing as the righteous path.

Now that this old bald donkey was inviting him in the capacity of a Bodhisattva, the newcomer would surely have to give the old bald donkey some face.

Two fists are no match for four hands; he was already struggling against the old bald donkey, a veteran perfected Golden Immortal.

As a result, another perfected Golden Immortal had arrived; one could imagine that he would not be able to win.

The two had strange thoughts, one happy and one angry.

However, the subsequent actions of the newcomer exceeded their expectations.

"Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva?"

The newcomer was none other than Fang Longye. He put away the Two Instruments Divine Gourd, sat up, lowered his head and muttered to himself, as if pondering something.

A short while later, he looked up at Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva and said with a half-smile: "Why are you so certain that I will stand on your side?"

It was just that after this Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva stated his name and origin, Fang Longye felt a sense of familiarity.

He pondered for a moment~

He recalled that this was the very Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva mentioned in the chapter of Journey to the West from his past life where Sun Wukong encountered Huangmei Dawang—the one who first subdued Shuimu Niangniang and later captured the Water Ape Great Sage.

It was just that at this moment, it was still the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Buddhism had not yet spread to the East, and this Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva had not yet established a dojo at Xuyu Mountain in Nanzhan Buzhou.

Fang Longye dispersed the drunkenness from his body.

Looking at the big monk before him, he said leisurely: "Perhaps, I have some connection with this one before me!"

Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva's heart sank, yet he maintained a gentle and compassionate expression on his face, saying, "Dragon Lord, you jest!"

Fang Longye chuckled softly, said no more, and instead turned his head to look at the other person, smiling, "It seems, fellow Daoist, you are the Water Ape Great Sage?"

"I am indeed!" The Water Ape Great Sage's heart filled with joy, secretly wondering if this newcomer might be a helper. Sure enough, Fang Longye's next sentence immediately made him overjoyed.

"I would have you know, fellow Daoist, I have a good friend named the Macaque King—"

"Could it be the Macaque King from Beiju Luzhou, surnamed Yuan and named Ming?" the Water Ape Great Sage confirmed.

"Exactly!" Fang Longye said with a beaming smile, nodding.

Previously, the first time he heard of the Water Ape Great Sage, he immediately associated him with the Macaque King's mother.

And this time, preparing to head to the Huai River, he naturally did some homework in this regard, so as to avoid the floodwaters washing away the Dragon King's temple.

For this reason, he specifically asked the Macaque King if the Water Ape Great Sage was related to him.

It was just as expected; this Water Ape Great Sage of Nanzhan Buzhou was indeed the Macaque King's maternal uncle.

"That makes sense—it seems the Shuimu Niangniang mentioned in Journey to the West is likely the Macaque King's mother!"

Fang Longye's gaze was piercing as he looked back and forth between the Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva, whose expression had turned gloomy, and the Water Ape Great Sage, who, despite his joy, could not hide his boundless hatred for the former, and he thought to himself.

After all, the death of one's parents is a sorrowful matter for others, and Fang Longye was, after all, just an outsider, so it was not appropriate to ask the Macaque King too much.

With insufficient information, for a time, he had been unable to connect the Shuimu Niangniang, mentioned in passing in Journey to the West, with the Macaque King's mother.

Now, pondering it this way, he felt suddenly enlightened.

And soon, the Water Ape Great Sage's words confirmed his conjecture.

"This Dragon Lord, I do not know what your relationship with Ming'er is exactly."

"But I am willing to offer all my family assets as a reward, to ask the Dragon Lord to help me and strike down this bald thief!"

"To avenge this blood feud for the killing of Ming'er's mother!" "Amitabha!" This Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva from the Western Paradise recited a Buddhist name and sighed, "Benefactor, when will this cycle of vengeance end! This poor monk admits that when I subdued your sister, my hand was too heavy."

"I did not expect that your sister would be so unyielding as to commit suicide."

"Originally, I only wanted your sister to return with me to the Western Paradise to listen to the Dharma, wash away the baleful aura on her body, and attain great freedom and great liberation."

"Is it not good to be free from shackles and unrestrained from then on?"

As he spoke, layers of Buddha light folded behind him, and scriptures like the Ganges River flowed, each word colliding to emit wondrous sounds, propagating the doctrine of merit, reaching deep into people's hearts.

"Pfft—"

Fang Longye on the side sneered, "Free from shackles and unrestrained? Is it to lay down the butcher's knife and become a wooden puppet?"

"When will the cycle of vengeance end? Why didn't you say that before? Now that the blade is at your neck, you know how to repent?"

"Dragon Lord!" Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva turned his head to look at Fang Longye, his gaze shifting from gentle and compassionate to cold and piercing, saying, "It seems the Dragon Lord is determined to intervene?"

Fang Longye took the Panlong Spear in his hand, spun it in a flourish, and smiled, "What, is that not allowed?"

"I am doing this for fairness and justice; I cannot stand by and watch you Brahma sect members come to our Nanzhan Buzhou to bully people!"

"I don't know where those 'ox-noses' of the Profound Sect have died off to! To actually indulge an old bald donkey like you to come to my Nanzhan Buzhou and commit crimes!"

"How shortsighted!"

"Little do they know, today you dare to subdue demons and eliminate monsters in my Nanzhan Buzhou, tomorrow you will dare to oppress us good immortals and gods."

"The day after, who knows, you might climb onto the heads of those 'ox-noses' and defecate!"

Good fellow, this sonorous speech, sounding like metal and stone, directly slapped a big label on him.

Looking at that righteous and awe-inspiring appearance, it was as if he were truly a native of Nanzhan Buzhou.

"Benefactor—" Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva's expression changed upon hearing this, and he no longer used the respectful title of Dragon Lord. Afterward, he returned to being gentle, though his eyes revealed intense killing intent, saying, "You had better consider this clearly!"

"The killing intent of this evil demon is heavy; one can tell just by looking at the baleful aura surrounding him. He even devoured my little disciple earlier."

"With such sins that are hard to erase, is the benefactor certain he wants to side with him?"

"As a Dragon Lord, the benefactor has always been noble and pure; do not lead yourself astray!"

Every word and sentence contained the great power of the Lion's Roar, sounding like the morning bell and evening drum, thought-provoking, intending to let those lost on the path know of their grave sins and return to the right path as soon as possible.

At the same time, amidst the gentle and powerful words, there was no lack of threats.

Yet Fang Longye had hit the nail on the head; this Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva's purpose in coming to Nanzhan Buzhou was truly impure.

It was precisely to break through the blockade of the Profound Sect and lay the groundwork for the future Buddha Dharma Eastward Transmission.

After all, although the Buddha Dharma Eastward Transmission had long been decided from above, the specific effect it could achieve depended on the game between the Dao and Brahma sides.

As an outsider who had not yet established a foundation, he naturally had to be wary of the local powers.

And facing Fang Longye's rhetoric, he was terrified of provoking some Profound Sect members and alerting the enemy.

"Clang—"

Fang Longye struck the Longyin Bell above his head and sneered, "Enough nonsense! Let's do it!"

"I was just considering what gift to bring when I meet Brother Yuan in a few days!"

"It's quite a coincidence; I imagine if I take down this old bald donkey as a greeting gift, Brother Yuan will be endlessly grateful to me—"

His voice was firm, without any change.

It was just that he had reached the perfection of the Golden Immortal realm and his hands were itching, so how could he let go of a whetstone that was just right?

As for worrying about his Brahma sect background?

Hah—a nobody who doesn't even know who he, Fang Longye, is, merely holding the title of Bodhisattva, what is there to fear? Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva sensed the firmness in his words, and the last trace of a smile on his face faded as he said coldly, "Since the Dragon Lord insists on meddling in such grievances, then do not blame this old monk for being impolite!"

"Rip—"

As soon as Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva finished speaking, the space behind him shattered like glass, splashing in all directions.

Fang Longye said nothing, directly tore through space, arrived behind Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva, surged with power, and struck with his spear.

This strike was restrained as one, seemingly not causing much of a stir.

But looking closely, one would find that where the spear tip passed, time and space had vanished, presenting a rare darkness.

Everything, absolutely everything, was swallowed into it, containing great danger, great terror, and great killing intent.

At the instant of the strike, Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva just wanted to move, but the surrounding space-time seemed to have solidified, causing him to stiffen.

Immediately, his entire physical shell was blasted into powder by a single strike of the Panlong Spear.

A thunderous roar, like a heavy hammer striking into the clouds, smashed open ten thousand rays of golden light, with flowing colors radiating in all directions.

Wherever it reached, clusters of light appeared like sky-filling flames burning fiercely, or like the radiance before the extinction of stars, illuminating all sides.

At the same time, the figure of Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva appeared from another direction, shifting from void to reality, his appearance handsome and his monk's robe magnificent, only his expression was one of shame and anger.

"A Golden Immortal Perfection, huh~" Fang Longye watched with his eyes, the corners of his mouth twitching, a long sigh in his heart.

Both are Golden Immortal Perfection; neither is better at concealing reality than the other. Perhaps in terms of strength, there might be a world of difference, but their discernment is equivalent.

He could see clearly that this Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva had not performed even the slightest bit of physical cultivation.

But as a Golden Immortal Perfection, his essence, Qi, and spirit were integrated into one, and he similarly possessed the means to gather and disperse or change form.

It was just not as profound as he, a practitioner of both Dharma and physical cultivation! "Sure enough, realm is the true path! Other means have an advantage now, but further on, I fear they will be relegated to mere trifles."

An inexplicable realization arose in his heart. However, at this moment, there was no time for him to reflect or ponder.

Seeing Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva recover, he did not say anything more, but simply sat cross-legged on a lotus throne, his hands forming a Dharma seal.

The Great Brightness Auspicious Cloud above his head seemed slow but was actually fast; golden light intertwined, and in the center was the image of a sarira, with scriptures appearing and vanishing, and amidst Brahma sounds and Buddhist chants, there was a faint lotus fragrance that condensed without dispersing.

Then he patted his ushnisha with his hand, and from the Great Brightness Auspicious Cloud, a beam of Buddhist light shot out, striking down with a roar; it was different from the pure brightness at the beginning, instead containing a destructive fury.

The fury burned high, surging and turbulent.

It carried indignation at the numbness of the secular world, resentment at others for blaspheming the Dharma, and the distress that the world could not return to ultimate bliss forever.

A Bodhisattva has the fearlessness of victory, the Great Brightness that eclipses the sun and moon, and also the fury to destroy the world.

……

This series of actions seemed slow, but in reality, counting from the moment Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva reappeared, it was but a flash of lightning.

"Clang—"

Caught off guard, the Buddhist light struck directly onto Fang Longye's true body, immediately emitting the sound of metal colliding.

It shattered the space behind him, and Fang Longye was actually knocked directly into the spatial turbulence.

The Buddhist light lingered on his body like electric sparks, popping up from time to time with continuous residual force.

Yet, despite the sparks flying everywhere, this beam of Buddhist light never truly broke his defense.

He was forced to bounce up who knows how high, like a fish leaping out of the water.

Of course, it was not that he had not suffered any damage at all.

Looking closely, one could discover that on his incomparably strong true body, there were crisscrossing bloodstains, and many scales had fallen off. In the spatial turbulence, he appeared quite disheveled.

However—

Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva, who had not performed a single bit of physical cultivation, could achieve flesh and blood regeneration and the ability to gather and disperse at the Golden Immortal Perfection realm.

How much more so for him, who had always persisted in both Dharma and physical cultivation?

With just a flash of light, he recovered as before.

Boom—

Fang Longye rushed directly out of the spatial turbulence, tore through space, and arrived behind Guoshi Wang Bodhisattva again.

A brilliant black and white divine light burst forth, once again blasting him into powder.

(End of chapter)