Rulai returned.
He solemnly apologized to the two Sages. "This disciple failed to properly handle Sun Wukong's matter. Please punish me, Buddha Ancestors."
Jieyin shook his head.
"Sun Wukong is covered in supreme treasures from head to toe. Let alone you, even we could do nothing to him."
The Sages of the Mystic Gate could see the origins of Sun Wukong's treasures.
Naturally, the Two Sages of the West could as well.
The two Sages certainly would not blame Rulai.
Even if they had faced a Sun Wukong like that, they would have had no solution whatsoever!
Fortunately, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had intervened.
Otherwise, both Haotian and Rulai might have perished!
That would have been an enormous sin for Buddhism.
Haotian was the ruler of the Three Realms and governed the Three Realms and Six Paths under the Sage's decree.
He occupied an extremely important position within the Heavenly Dao.
If he perished, the Heavenly Dao would certainly punish the West.
A perfectly good show had nearly resulted in Haotian's death. It was truly unexpected.
Likewise,
Rulai was no different. He was the current leader of Western Teachings.
He also bore the Luck of Buddhism.
If Rulai perished, how could they accomplish the Rise of the West?
Fortunately, the Dao Ancestor had acted. Otherwise, even if Buddhism was not finished, it would have suffered tremendous losses. As for rising to greatness? Who knew when that would happen!
Rulai solemnly said, "Rest assured, Buddha Ancestors. The next time I see that Monkey, I definitely will not give him the chance to wield his staff."
The lingering fear still haunted him.
He had never imagined that the Monkey's staff could be so terrifyingly powerful.
Rulai dared swear it.
He had nearly been sent into Nirvana by that staff!
It was utterly horrifying.
Rulai sternly warned himself, "Even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit. Next time, I absolutely will not be so arrogant!"
The lesson had been far too painful.
Although Rulai had gained a blessing from misfortune and received Dao Ancestor Hongjun's guidance, which had revealed every path leading to the Peak Dao Integration Realm,
if the Dao Ancestor had not descended and displayed his divine might,
he would have died here.
How could Rulai not be afraid?
Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged glances, then both shook their heads with bitter smiles.
Zhunti warned, "World Honored One, when you next encounter Fellow Daoist Wukong, you must treat him with courtesy. You absolutely must not neglect proper etiquette!"
What?!
Rulai did not understand!
This Monkey clearly had deep Karma with Buddhism.
Could they simply let a lawless Monkey like him go unconstrained?
Rulai trusted his Dharma Eye. To make that Monkey obediently undertake Journey to the West, they had to use force to suppress his wild nature.
Nothing else would work!
Zhunti helplessly said, "World Honored One, Fellow Daoist Wukong is no longer a Quasi-Saint... he is Hunyuan!!"
What?!
Rulai nearly turned to stone!!
That Monkey... no, that Sun Wukong had actually become a Quasi-Saint?
This could not be real, could it?!
Jieyin explained:
"Why do you think Dao Ancestor Hongjun did not continue suppressing Sun Wukong?"
"It was not that he did not want to, but that he could not."
"He cast his technique through your body and had already reached his limit. To completely suppress Sun Wukong, his true body would have to come in person."
"But if his true body came personally, he might very well anger the great power behind Sun Wukong!"
"If that great power became enraged, Dao Ancestor Hongjun would have no confidence in handling him!"
Rulai immediately fell silent!
He felt his primordial spirit violently stirring within his Sea of Consciousness.
This was a Heavenly Secret!
There was actually a great power behind Fellow Daoist Sun Wukong as well?!
A great power even Dao Ancestor Hongjun could not withstand!
Was there still such a great power within the Primordial Era?
Rulai was utterly shocked!
Zhunti said solemnly, "World Honored One, you must never provoke Fellow Daoist Sun Wukong. His wrath is not something you can bear!"
Rulai solemnly acknowledged it.
Now that he knew Sun Wukong's true cultivation, he would have to be insane to provoke him.
That was Hunyuan!
Rulai could not help feeling envious.
Though Hunyuan was not Sagehood, they did not need to undergo ordinary great tribulations.
Only during an Immeasurable Eon would they need to deal with one.
Clearly, Sun Wukong's cultivation had been slightly lower than his before.
Yet he had not expected that in such a short time, Sun Wukong's realm would soar so wildly.
Not only that, he had directly crossed the threshold of Quasi-Saint and reached the Hunyuan Realm.
It was as though, for Sun Wukong, the barrier between Quasi-Saint and Hunyuan did not exist at all.
But Rulai was only envious.
He possessed a Great Dao heart. Though the battle at the Hall of Lingxiao had been incredibly perilous, it had at least allowed him to understand the path that would one day lead directly to the Peak Dao Integration Realm.
He might not have Sun Wukong's opportunities now,
but in the future, Rulai was confident that he would certainly be no worse than Sun Wukong!
The Great Dao was boundless; what mattered was who could walk to the very end.
Rulai's expression was exceptionally resolute.
He was full of confidence in his path of cultivation.
Jieyin and Zhunti had been watching Rulai closely.
After telling Rulai about Sun Wukong, they had been rather worried that he would suffer a blow.
But unexpectedly,
although Rulai showed a faint trace of envy, his fighting spirit only grew stronger.
The two Sages of Buddhism were especially pleased.
Zhunti smiled. "World Honored One, how are the preparations for the Rise of the West progressing?"
Rulai cast Sun Wukong's matter aside, his expression becoming especially grave.
"Jin Chanzi has entered reincarnation and has now begun walking the Path of Scripture Seeking."
After Jin Chanzi reincarnated as a human,
he was an orphan every time, adopted by a Buddhist temple from childhood.
Every time, he became a monk; every time, he headed west!
Yet he never succeeded even once.
Every time, he met with misfortune and became some great power's meal!
He would continue reincarnating until the tenth-generation Tang Sanzang was born. Only then could he embark on the Path of Scripture Seeking.
Buddhism used this method to borrow the Luck of the Human Race—ten lifetimes of reincarnation, ten lifetimes as a virtuous man of Merit, ten lifetimes with his Primordial Yang intact. Even among the Human Race, such a person was exceedingly rare.
He carried a considerable portion of the Human Race's Luck and Merit.
It could be said that this would greatly increase Tang Sanzang's chances of surviving the journey, while also providing immense publicity.
A good man who cultivated for ten lifetimes and kept his Primordial Yang intact had joined Buddhism.
Did that not prove that Buddhist teachings were boundless?
The three great powers were exceedingly skilled at such petty tricks!
The two Sages of Buddhism nodded in satisfaction.
Rulai hesitated again. "Buddha Ancestors, the reincarnations of the Three Thousand Buddhas I sent out... have not been going smoothly!"
Hmm?!
Jieyin and Zhunti were immediately startled.
The Rise of the West was imminent. They should have received the blessing of Heavenly Dao Luck; it should have been a case of heaven and earth joining forces when the time was right, with everything proceeding smoothly.
Why were their disciples' reincarnations going poorly?
Rulai hurriedly said:
"This disciple used the Dharma Eye to observe the Three Realms and Six Paths, and discovered that very few of Buddhism's reincarnated Buddhas were cycling through the Human Path. More of them were in the Animal Path and the Hell Path..."
Jieyin and Zhunti flew into a rage!
Someone was plotting against their Western Teachings behind the scenes!
The two Sages joined hands, raised their palms to observe the lines, and divined the heavens. They immediately discovered the cause.
Zhunti casually drew a circle and used the Water Mirror Technique.
He said furiously, "Empress, why are you making things difficult for our disciples?"
Before you continue