Chapter 133

133. Chapter 131 Xuanzang again discusses his experiences, everyone is angry.

Ao Mo'ang, upon hearing Xuanzang say he would start from the beginning, immediately became energetic; since it's from the beginning, everything they're interested in should be audible.

"You should know that before my reincarnation I was called Jin Chanzi," Xuanzang said, looking at everyone.

"I know this; you were originally a golden cicada on the Bodhi tree that the Tathagata cultivated, and due to the influence of the Tathagata's Buddha power you eventually gained a trace of Buddha-nature, and after you took human form the Tathagata took you as a disciple." Dapeng said.

Xuanzang nodded.

"Master, how did it end up like this in the end?" the Black Bear Spirit asked.

"After becoming the Tathagata's disciple I have been cultivating at the Great Thunderclap Temple; one day, while the Tathagata was lecturing on the sutras, I gained a new insight and debated with him; in the end the Tathagata said my mind was unsettled, I said it was heretical nonsense, and without further ado he struck me down!"

"Ah? Just because you had a different understanding of his sermon, he killed you?" Ao Mo'ang was astonished; this really is incomprehensible!

"That's right, it was just such a small matter, and he struck me down, then sent me into reincarnation, supposedly to let me gain experience and temper my mind and Buddha-nature, how ridiculous!" Xuanzang said to everyone, self-mockingly.

"Originally I also truly thought that way, so when I was in my first lifetime of reincarnation I received Guanyin's guidance and embarked on the journey to fetch the scriptures."

"Wait, Master, you said you embarked on the journey to fetch the scriptures in your first lifetime, so what about now?" the Black Bear Spirit was a bit confused; his little head couldn't wrap around it!

"Listen as I slowly explain."

"Yes!" the Black Bear Spirit quickly nodded and then sat down honestly to one side.

In my first life, I was merely a mortal; to describe my strength as being unable to truss a chicken is not an exaggeration. Back then, the Honghuang was not as peaceful as it is now. I endured countless hardships, cheated death several times, and finally made it to Spirit Mountain, arriving at the Great Thunderclap Temple. I thought I could return to Spirit Mountain just like that, but what awaited me was endless suffering.

When Xuanzang spoke to this point, his aura fluctuated violently; Sun Wukong, seeing this, shook his head. Every time Xuanzang spoke of this, he could not control his aura, but anyone in his position would not remain calm.

In the following time, Xuanzang told Dapeng and the others how he had been dismembered and eaten, and then how he had been reborn.

Xuanzang even told everyone about his descent into demonhood; he had originally planned not to mention it, but after Guanyin's threats, he felt that speaking of it would not be a big deal. Of course, before revealing his demonic transformation, he still needed to conceal the heavenly secrets.

"Demonic transformation?" Everyone except Sun Wukong widened their eyes in unison.

Seeing everyone like that, Xuanzang's Buddhist power almost instantly turned into demonic qi, and his aura rose from that of a Golden Immortal to a Taiyi Golden Immortal.

"Actually, there's nothing surprising about Master Xuanzang's descent into demonhood. If you encountered the same thing, you would surely fall as well, and you could hardly do better than Master Xuanzang." Sun Wukong said at that moment.

"That makes sense. If I were in Master Xuanzang's position, I'd have gone mad long ago." Dapeng said.

"Nine lives—I have been reincarnated nine full times, and I have been dismembered and eaten nine times. Do you think I would give them a pleasant look?" Xuanzang asked, looking at everyone.

"Hiss!!!" Upon hearing Xuanzang say that, everyone sucked in a breath of cold air.

Nine lives, indeed—Master Xuanzang's descent into demonhood makes perfect sense.

"I have a question: in your previous lives, Master, you were merely mortals; what could Spirit Mountain possibly want from you?" The Black Bear Demon said, somewhat puzzled.

"Do you know why Guanyin set up the ninety-nine eighty-one trials on this pilgrimage?" After hearing the Black Bear Demon's words, Xuanzang said this.

"I don't know!" The Black Bear Demon shook his head.

"You should know, right?" Xuanzang looked at Dapeng and the others.

"It must be merit." Dapeng said after thinking.

"Exactly, it's merit!" Xuanzang nodded.

"Then" Ao Mo Ang looked at Xuanzang.

"That's right, it's also merit; they ate my flesh from my previous lives precisely for merit." Xuanzang said with a smile.

"I have been reincarnated nine times; this is my tenth life. In this life, my flesh is even more delicious—eating a bite grants immortality." Xuanzang smiled at everyone.

The next second, a strange fragrance emanated from his body. Dapeng and the others were fine, but the Black Bear Demon, upon smelling it, immediately drooled, and an unconscious greed appeared in his eyes.

Seeing the greed in the Black Bear Demon's eyes, Xuanzang retracted the anomalous phenomenon, and the Black Bear Demon immediately regained his composure.

"Master, sorry about that!" The Black Bear Demon wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth, his expression somewhat embarrassed.

"They set up these so-called ninety-nine eighty-one trials on the pilgrimage route, which is actually also for merit. Upon completing the ninety-nine eighty-one trials, when we reach Spirit Mountain and obtain the true scriptures, the West will be able to gain another portion of merit on top of its existing merit." Xuanzang said coldly, looking toward the West.

"In my previous nine lives, they dismembered and ate me; in this life, they have no intention of letting me go."

"Huh?" Everyone was somewhat surprised.

"Actually, from the moment I began my first reincarnation, the concept of the ninety-nine eighty-one trials had already been proposed, though it was not yet perfected. Until this life, even before I was born, they had already begun scheming against me; my parents and relatives in this life, under Guanyin's calculations, all died before my eyes." As Xuanzang spoke to this point, his eyes reddened slightly.

"Damn it! Is that their doctrine? For the sake of so-called merit, they stop at nothing. Spirit Mountain truly inherits the shameless excellent tradition of Zhunti!" Anger appeared on Dapeng's face.

Sun Wukong and Ao Mo Ang's faces also showed anger, especially Sun Wukong, whose body even emanated faint killing intent.

"Do you still think I am hostile toward the West?" After saying this, Xuanzang turned his gaze to everyone.

Everyone shook their heads; a glint of cold light appeared in their eyes—directed at the West, at Spirit Mountain, and also at the so-called ninety-nine eighty-one trials on the pilgrimage route.

"Rest now; we'll continue our journey tomorrow." After saying that, Xuanzang, following the others' words, went off to cultivate.

Seeing that Xuanzang had no intention of speaking further, Dapeng and the others, being tactful, did not ask anything else.

On Guanyin's side, after returning to Spirit Mountain, he immediately informed the Tathagata of the Yellow Wind Ridge incident.

"So that means the pilgrim already knows about the eighty-one tribulations?" The Tathagata's brows furrowed.

"Xuanzang didn't say a word from start to finish, but looking at his expression, he must have known." Guanyin nodded.

"What is his attitude?" the Tathagata asked after thinking.

"His attitude is terrible, and the attitude of Jinchi Dapeng and his group is also bad." Guanyin said after thinking.

"Then it's fine!" the Tathagata said, laughing after hearing Guanyin's words.

"Buddha, what does this mean?" Guanyin didn't quite understand.

"The Demon Race has already set up the eighty-one tribulations on the pilgrimage route; now that the Yellow Wind Ridge incident has occurred, Xuanzang and his party will surely think that the remaining ones are also arranged by my Spirit Mountain, so what do you say their attitude will be toward the calamities they will face next?" the Tathagata said with a smile.

"Kill! Because of the Yellow Wind Ridge incident, when they face the upcoming calamities, it will be killing; they will not hold back their weapons." Guanyin knew this was the result without even thinking.

"Exactly, it's kill! If the calamities on the pilgrimage route were set up by our Spirit Mountain, it would indeed be troublesome, but now that the Demon Race has taken charge, it has nothing to do with us; we just need to wait for the pilgrim's arrival." the Tathagata looked toward the east.

Although this westward journey has encountered many setbacks, it has now finally gotten back on track, and moreover, at a critical moment we led the pilgrim astray a bit; in the time ahead, they just need to wait.

"Ah, I see!" Upon hearing the Tathagata say that, Guanyin immediately understood.

"Venerable Guanyin, from now on you just need to oversee the whole situation; the rest can be left to the Demon Race and the pilgrim."

"Yes!" Guanyin nodded.

"Those Western people are too hateful; once we reach Spirit Mountain, we'll definitely give them a lesson." After Xuanzang set off on his journey, the Black Bear Spirit still burned with anger.

"You? Forget it, you Taiyi Golden Immortal are utterly useless." Sun Wukong mercilessly mocked the Black Bear Spirit.

The Black Bear Spirit also knew he couldn't compare to Sun Wukong and the others, so he didn't retort.

"My strength may be lacking a bit, but I can still help my master; besides, Spirit Mountain isn't lacking those of low ability." The Black Bear Spirit curled his lip.

"That works; when the time comes, you'll handle clearing out the weak forces, help us remove obstacles, and the rest we'll take care of." Said the Great Peng at that moment.

"Exactly what I meant!" the Black Bear Spirit chuckled.

"You have the intention; rather, during this period you should train well. I see your cultivation method is rather crude, but you can still cultivate to Taiyi Golden Immortal; if you switched to a better technique, perhaps you could hope to reach Great Luo."

"Third Prince, do you have a technique?" The Black Bear Spirit's eyes lit up.

"You're just looking down on him, aren't you? The dragon clan's foundation is very profound; it's just a technique." The Great Peng said with a smile.

As for the dragon clan's foundation, the Great Peng is aware, after all he is the child of the Phoenix Ancestor; the dragon clan is one of the three primordial clans, and the dragon clan's Zhulong is still alive.

"Yes!" Ao Mou'ang nodded.

"Then" the Black Bear Spirit looked at Ao Mou'ang, his eyes flashing with desire.

"Since we've come this far, I'll go back to the West Sea to find a technique for you." Ao Mou'ang nodded.

"Thank you!" The Black Bear Spirit respectfully bowed to Ao Mou'ang.

"No problem! Master Xuanzang, I'll be right back." Ao Mou'ang said to Xuanzang.

"Good!" Xuanzang nodded.

After Ao Mou'ang finished speaking, he left.

"You kid have struck luck; the dragon clan wouldn't hoard junk techniques." The Great Peng said with a laugh.

The Black Bear Spirit chuckled, looking somewhat simple-minded; seeing this, Xuanzang's face broke into a faint smile.

Soon, Xuanzang and the others entered a city.

"Let's rest here for a bit, and meanwhile wait for Prince Mou'ang." Xuanzang said to everyone.

"Good!" everyone nodded.

Just as Xuanzang and his group entered the town, Yang Jian, far away by the Flowing Sands River, also received news of them.

"Finally you've come; I've been rusting away here." Yang Jian stretched his limbs and said.

Since Panhuang had them wait for Xuanzang on the pilgrimage route, he settled down by the Flowing Sands River, and now he has finally awaited them.

"You all return to Guanjiangkou first; I'll wait here for the pilgrim." Yang Jian said to his subordinates, the Six Monsters of Mount Mei.

In this lifetime, Mount Mei has no Seven Monsters, because the Long-Armed Ape Yuan Hong has become the guardian spirit beast of Shouyang Mountain; this lifetime only has the Six Monsters of Mount Mei, who also became Yang Jian's subordinates by chance; besides these Six Monsters, there were also the original twelve hundred grass-headed gods belonging to Yang Jian, now also under his command.

"Yes, second master!" the Six Monsters of Mount Mei nodded and left the Flowing Sands River.

Knowing Yang Jian's mission, they didn't get entangled and just left directly.

"I should also go meet this pilgrim." Yang Jian muttered to himself; after saying that, he vanished from the spot.

After night fell, Ao Mou'ang found Xuanzang and the others.

"This is a technique I found in the West Sea treasury; it should suit you." Ao Mou'ang said, handing a jade slip to the Black Bear Spirit.

The Black Bear Spirit placed the jade slip on his forehead; instantly a flood of information entered his mind, the process lasting nearly ten breaths.

"Goodness, what kind of technique did you find for him? It's so rich!" The Great Peng, seeing this, asked.

"The inheritance technique of the Fire Bear Moving Immediately." Ao Mou'ang said with a smile.

"As expected of the dragon clan, the Fire Bear Moving Immediately is a bear-type divine beast from the dawn of creation!" The Great Peng said with a laugh.

"Is that Fire Bear very powerful?" Sun Wukong wondered, having been born late and thus knowing nothing about it.

"The Fire Bear Moving Immediately is a relatively powerful race from the dawn of creation, skilled in fire-type divine powers, with boundless strength, outstanding defense, and strong offensive power; back then it could contend with one of the three primordial clans, the Qilin clan. You tell me, is it strong or not?" The Great Peng explained.

"Looks like this kid really got a bargain." Sun Wukong laughed after hearing the Great Peng say that.

Just as their conversation ended, the Black Bear Spirit opened his eyes; when he opened his eyes, a flash of gold-red flame flickered in his gaze, this flame resembling the color of true solar fire, yet upon closer look it was not quite the same.

In just a moment, he had completed the re-cultivation of the technique, and a strand of his mana had turned gold-red.

"Train well." Ao Mou'ang said to the Black Bear Spirit.

"Yes!" the Black Bear Spirit nodded heavily.

"Since the Black Bear has just obtained a new technique, let him familiarize himself with it for two days, and we'll use these two days to rest properly." Xuanzang said.

"No problem!" Sun Wukong nodded.

"Fine, I have no objections." The Great Peng also nodded.

"I also have no objections." Ao Mou'ang said with a smile.

"Thank you, Master, thank you all." The Black Bear Spirit gave everyone a salute.

"Just cultivate here; we'll guard your practice!" Xuanzang said, looking at the Black Bear Spirit.

The Black Bear Spirit nodded and immediately began cultivating; as he started, strands of gold-red flame burst from his body, and the surrounding temperature began to rise.

Seeing this, the Great Peng waved his hand and set up a barrier around the Black Bear Spirit, isolating that terrifying heat; otherwise, this place could not withstand the aura emitted when the Black Bear Spirit cultivates. (End of chapter)