Chapter 395: The Record of Bajie's Journey West

"What kind of demon could that possibly be? So formidable? To actually cause the destruction of an entire kingdom?"

Although the small kingdoms of the Western Regions were basically one city per kingdom, and this was in the middle of a desert where there likely wasn't even a village nearby, relying entirely on an oasis, such an event of "slaughtering a city and destroying a kingdom" still counted as a major incident.

"I do not know either. When I was in my first life, I was a novice monk in Jinguang Si. There was just a sudden, terrifying sweep of blood rain, and then the Buddha Treasure was lost. Following that, an Elder arrived from the Tang Dynasty."

It was a pity that Xu Jia had already controlled Huanglian Daoren to leave this place; otherwise, he would have realized that this scene was clearly the "Nine-Headed Insect Steals the Buddha Treasure" chapter from Journey to the West.

"That Elder from the Tang Dynasty possessed vast Divine Ability and profound mastery of the Dharma. He was on his way to Heavenly Punishment to seek the true scriptures. Having attained the true essence through his practice, he was already a Bodhisattva among men, guarded by the Five Directions Jieti Protectors, protected by the Four Duty Merit Officers, and attended by Diamond Arhats."

"This Elder was named Bajie. He claimed to have received an oracle from the Green Dragon Venerable to go to Heavenly Punishment to take a look, because the Green Dragon Venerable said that the place where the Buddha Dharma originated in Heavenly Punishment was currently undergoing a destruction of the Buddha, and that the journey west must begin with a single step..."

Baiyun Chanshi fell into memory, as if he had returned to the time ten lifetimes ago when he was still a little novice monk.

"Bajie Dashi, seeing us suffer difficulties due to the loss of the Buddha Treasure, volunteered to retrieve the national treasure."

"Later, we learned that within the desert water eye, which is Bibo Pool, there lived a Bibo Pool Dragon King. Because this Dragon King was the only Water Deity Dragon King in the desert, he was highly respected and worshipped, and was extremely wealthy. However, despite having a million in assets, he only had one daughter. At first, he wanted to form a marriage alliance with the West Sea, but although the West Sea Dragon King was interested in the trade route through the Western Regions of the desert, he did not want his own son to become a son-in-law living in the bride's home."

"Since the West Sea would not do, to the north of this desert, in the Su Sea—a land of bitter cold, salt, and barrenness—there lived a demon king named the Nine-Headed Monster, also said to be a Pao Xiao bird."

"This Pao Xiao bird had previously been in the land of the Great Tang, causing chaos at the Salt Pond. It was rumored to be the essence of Chiyou's severed head, which had been subdued by a Heavenly Master and exiled here."

"Because he coveted the million in assets of the Bibo Pool Dragon King, he stole the Buddha Treasure to use as a betrothal gift, intending to become a son-in-law living in the bride's home."

"Bajie Dashi subdued the Pao Xiao Nine-Headed Bird, retrieved the Buddha Treasure, and returned it to the King. The King, deeply feeling that although he had the Buddha Treasure, he lacked the power to protect it, joined with the three princes of the kingdom to learn arts from Bajie Dashi."

"Bajie Dashi claimed to cultivate both Buddha and Dao, strictly observing the precepts. The King and princes learned from him, and from then on wore simple clothes, ate simple food, and also attained the Dharma."

"Bajie Dashi then continued his journey west."

"From then on, the entire Jinguang Guo worshipped Bajie Dashi, calling him the 'Great Sage State Teacher King Bodhisattva'. He was the teacher of the King, and the King also attained the status of a Bodhisattva, becoming the Jinguang Manifested Saint King Bodhisattva... Because the Dharma truly manifested holiness, Jinguang Guo soon became a nation of Buddha-cultivators. Everyone strictly observed the precepts; those who did not labor did not eat, and they were free of greed and lust... They voluntarily offered their wealth to build a temple, as described in the Buddhist scriptures, with floors paved in gold, waiting for Bajie Dashi to return from Heavenly Punishment so they could continue to offer worship and listen to his teachings."

"But they never saw Bajie Dashi return, and instead, the Buddha Kingdom gradually declined... until a storm of yellow sand buried the entire nation... and this Golden Ancient Kingdom disappeared from history from that point on."

Baiyun Chanshi spoke very vividly. Gongye Xingyun asked, "Could it be that what is sealed behind this treasury is that Nine-Headed Bird? The essence of Chiyou?"

"It should not be. The Nine-Headed Bird was subdued by Bajie Dashi and transformed into his weapon, the Nine-Toothed Rake, used for his farming; it is a ritual implement for holding the precepts. I fear it is some other demon, or perhaps the demon who incited the Nine-Headed Bird to steal the Buddha Treasure in the first place... In any case, the truth will be revealed today."

"What exactly is this Treasure of Jinguang, and why do so many people want it?"

Baiyun Chanshi said, "The Treasure of Jinguang is said to be the wick of the Coffin Lamp of the Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha. Worshipping it can ensure favorable weather, peace for the nation and its people, and sustain the living beings of a region."

"But if it is stored with Nine-Leaf Lingzhi Grass, it can stimulate the medicinal properties, producing all sorts of strange phenomena. Slowly refining this exotic fragrance can easily increase one's Daoist Practice, and if swallowed in one gulp, as long as one does not die, it can increase one's Dharma Power by ten thousand years."

"Ten thousand years of Dharma Power!"

The Three Demons exclaimed. Although even with ten thousand years of Dharma Power, one might not necessarily ascend and achieve Didao, it was certain that with even a little application, one would be invincible under heaven.

Baiyun Chanshi sighed, "But how could an ordinary person refine this ten thousand years of Dharma Power?"

"I was thinking, the King's family all became Bodhisattvas after just a bit of cultivation. Never mind ten thousand years, five hundred years of Dharma Power makes one an Arhat, and a thousand years makes one a Bodhisattva. I think none of us can refine the whole thing, so we might as well divide it and eat it together," the Sand Demon suggested, his eyes darting around.

"Hard to say. What if the demon is inside, slowly refining it? A thousand years have passed; maybe it has already refined it all. If we open this door, we might release a demon with ten thousand years of Dharma Power, and none of us will be able to escape." "The kid from just now was clever; he handed over the key and ran."

Baiyun Chanshi did not speak, only saying, "That demon must have been sealed until it just woke up, otherwise the Golden Ancient Kingdom would not have appeared in the world."

"On the contrary, the longer it stays inside, the more likely it is to have recovered its Daoist Practice."

"Then let us work together to break this place open!"

……

Baiyun Chanshi, Gongye Xingyun, and the Desert Three Demons looked at each other, reaching a tacit understanding...

"Buddha Light Illuminates Everywhere!"

"Stars Shift and Heavens Turn!"

"Three Lives Divine Sand!"

"Wind Rolls Scattered Clouds!"

"Descending World Red Lotus!"

The five of them each unleashed their ultimate moves, striking together at the phantom of the Bodhisattva.

The Bodhisattva phantom sighed, swung its blade to strike, and murmured, "To warn against false speech—how can one attain the truth by deceiving all living beings?"

With one strike of the blade, it vanished into smoke amidst the siege.

The five of them withstood the blade-Qi of the God Immortal Realm and suffered some injuries, but they could not spare the time to regulate their breathing. Baiyun Chanshi, that cheater, the more he was injured and the more he self-mutilated, the more mysterious his aura became and the higher his Daoist Practice grew.

He walked forward and pushed open the golden gate. Immediately, the demon-sealing Talismans written on the door faded and dissipated into dust. There was nothing evil inside the door.

Golden light flickered. The Buddha Treasure was a golden bead, bright and brilliant like a small sun.

………

Xu Jia controlled Huanglian Daoren to return. Sand-escaping for one hour covered fifteen hundred miles; the speed was quite decent. He soon arrived at the Glazed Temple.

The next moment, Xu Jia requisitioned this physical body again. Huanglian Daoren's eyes grew double pupils, and the clay statues in the temple instantly lost their luster.

"Eight Treasures Merit Sword!" Xu Jia held this sword and immediately felt peace within his heart, as various Buddhist classics from the past welled up in his mind.

But the next moment, with a "Boom—", looking into the distance, he saw a thousand-foot Golden Body emerge at the site of the Golden Ancient Kingdom. This Golden Body had a thousand hands, and on the thousand hands were a thousand eyes, each eye emitting "Golden Light".

Wherever the Golden Light shone, everything turned into gold.

Only a staggering streak of sword light leaped up and headed toward his direction.

"There really is a problem!" Xu Jia sighed to himself.

(End of chapter)