The instant the Six-Character Mantra was broken.
Atop Mount Ling, Tathagata Buddha Ancestor opened his eyes and gazed toward Five Finger Mountain from afar. The faint smile on his face froze for an instant...
"You monkey..."
Faced with Sun Wukong's provocation, Tathagata truly wanted to discipline him again. He could have directly used his divine power to strengthen the Six-Character Mantra, but after much consideration, he ultimately sighed and gave up.
"Forget it, forget it..."
"He's just an unruly monkey!"
"Why bother arguing with him?"
At least the monkey had saved him some face by having Tang Sanzang make a grasping motion in advance. It could be explained as Tang Sanzang having "removed" the Six-Character Mantra. In any case, wasn't he the one who got to decide what had happened?
Tathagata felt somewhat reassured.
"It has finally begun..."
Over at Five Finger Mountain.
After fiercely glaring at the Western Sect.
Sun Wukong shook his body, and not a speck of dust remained on him... Every monkey hair gleamed with a faint radiance. At first, Tang Sanzang had wondered whether taking a monkey as his disciple was really appropriate...
But when he saw Sun Wukong's imposing appearance.
After his cultivation had greatly increased, the hair on his face had become much sparser. His eyes were bright and spirited, containing divine light. He even looked rather refined and handsome!
A thought could not help surfacing in Tang Sanzang's heart:
Maybe a monkey wouldn't be so bad after all!
Just as he was thinking this, Sun Wukong leaped down from midair and appeared before Tang Sanzang. Looking entirely familiar with him, he said first:
"What are you standing around for?"
"Let's begin the apprenticeship..."
Then, cupping his hands toward the Tang Sanzang who had come back to his senses, he said:
"I, Old