"Good!"
Since Tathagata had said so himself, what was there for him to fear?
Zhenyuanzi said, "Since you, Tathagata, have spoken, this poor daoist will keep it from you."
Before Zhenyuanzi made any move at all, Sun Wukong looked at the scalding Oil Cauldron and became afraid—utterly terrified.
"No!"
"Don't!"
"Buddha, Bodhisattva, save Old Sun! Old Sun knows he was wrong, he knows, he knows he was wrong!"
"Great Immortal, Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi, Old Zhu really was wrong!"
Sun Wukong admitted his mistake.
Even Tathagata had not denied that his golden body would be broken if he entered the Oil Cauldron. This proved it was true—the cauldron was no ordinary Oil Cauldron.
This Oil Cauldron was extraordinary, unlike any other.
Though he possessed an indestructible diamond body, it was still far inferior to Tathagata's golden body.
Even Tathagata's golden body could not withstand this Oil Cauldron.
How could his mere indestructible diamond body endure it?
Having understood everything,
Sun Wukong could only beg for mercy.
He was afraid.
He feared that, just as Zhenyuanzi had said, the moment he entered the Oil Cauldron, he would be fried through in an instant.
Hearing Sun Wukong's plea, Zhenyuanzi turned around and patted his monkey face. "Afraid now?"
"Only now do you know fear?"
"Don't you think it's a little too late?"
As he spoke,
Zhenyuanzi did not hesitate. With a sweep of his hand, Sun Wukong fell into the scalding Oil Cauldron.
"Aah!"
Sun Wukong let out a miserable scream.
In that instant,
a fragrance spread through the air.
The scent of something being fried to a crisp.
Tang Xuanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Seng broke out in cold sweat, which poured down like rain. They had clearly been frightened out of their wits.
That fragrance drifting through the air could very