"Who are you?" Sun Wukong glanced sideways at Li Jing.
"I am the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, Li Jing." Li Jing spoke in a deep voice, with a faint hint of pride.
In the Heavenly Court, he, Li Jing, commanded many heavenly soldiers. That alone was enough to make him proud.
"The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, Li Jing." Sun Wukong tilted his head and thought for a moment. "Never heard of you. I'm talking to that old Jade Emperor. What right does a little soldier like you have to speak?"
Naturally, Sun Wukong did not really mean those words.
Sun Wukong knew Li Jing from Journey to the West.
However, even in the original history, Li Jing had not been his match. Now that Sun Wukong had changed his destiny, the gap between them was even greater.
Therefore, Sun Wukong had no intention of showing Li Jing any respect.
If it had been Nezha—the son of Li Jing—then he might have found him somewhat worth noticing.
"You..." Upon hearing this, Li Jing's expression turned furious, and the aura around him began to surge.
"Enough, Li Jing. Do you know where you are?" the Jade Emperor asked calmly from his high seat.
The conversation between Sun Wukong and Li Jing had not stirred even the slightest ripple in him.
"Your Majesty, this subject understands." Li Jing hurriedly replied. "It was Li Jing's recklessness. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
"Return to your position." The Jade Emperor waved his hand.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Li Jing took a deep breath and retreated to his position.
"Sun Wukong, are you willing to come to the Heavenly Court and serve as an official?" the Jade Emperor slowly asked.
As for Sun Wukong, the Jade Emperor currently had no desire to waste too many words.
"I'm willing to come to the Heavenly Court and become an official. According to Taibai Jinxing, my official position should be quite important." Sun Wukong smiled.
"That's right." The Jade Emperor smiled. "From now on, you will come to the Heavenly Court and become Bimawen. Someone, take Sun Wukong down and bring him to the place where Bimawen serves."
"Yes, Your Majesty." An Immortal and God below respectfully nodded.
"Court dismissed."
As one Immortal and God after another departed, only Taibai Jinxing and the Jade Emperor remained.
"Taibai Jinxing, you have something to tell me?" the Jade Emperor asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty. This time, while I was at Flower-Fruit Mountain, I encountered someone whom I should never have been able to meet." Taibai Jinxing took a deep breath.
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, emanating Demonic Energy, still caused Taibai Jinxing's heart to tremble.
"Who?" the Jade Emperor asked in a deep voice.
"Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva."
"It was him." The Jade Emperor's gaze shifted.
As a Bodhisattva of Buddhism, he was almost second only to Buddha Tathagata and the others.
As for the other Buddhas of Buddhism besides Tathagata, most of them could not compare to Ksitigarbha, much less Guanyin.
"Moreover, I saw that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was emanating astonishing Demonic Energy at the time. But Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is a Bodhisattva!" Taibai Jinxing could not help saying.
A Bodhisattva was emanating Demonic Energy.
This had completely overturned Taibai Jinxing's worldview.
"Your Majesty, should we tell Buddhism about this?"
"Tell Buddhism?" The Jade Emperor let out a cold laugh. "What does Buddhism's business have to do with us? Taibai Jinxing, you may leave first. Remember, there is no need to tell Buddhism about this."
"Yes, Your Majesty. This subject takes his leave." Taibai Jinxing respectfully saluted and left the Hall of Lingxiao.
"Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva... Interesting. Interesting."
Fourteenth Section: Severing Ties with Buddhism
Deep within the Heavenly Court.
Haotian had also learned about Ksitigarbha's fall into demonic cultivation, which left him somewhat astonished.
"Ksitigarbha has fallen into demonic cultivation." Haotian muttered to himself. "That means the astonishing Demonic Energy just now came from Ksitigarbha."
Ksitigarbha's status within Buddhism, although it could not compare with Guanyin's, was still known to many powerful figures.
After all, he was a Quasi-Saint powerhouse.
However, compared with truly top-tier powerhouses such as Haotian, Zhenyuanzi, and Tathagata, Ksitigarbha's strength still fell far short.
Now, Haotian had developed a great interest in Ksitigarbha.
"Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, why did you fall into demonic cultivation?" Haotian's eyes gleamed.
As a Bodhisattva, it was incredibly difficult to fall into demonic cultivation.
Moreover, his transformation was no ordinary descent into demonic cultivation. He had entered the Demonic Path directly.
In all of history, only Demon Ancestor Luohu had truly entered the Demonic Path. Now, there was another—Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
"Buddhism, let's see how you deal with this." Haotian laughed.
Haotian had a feeling that this tribulation of Buddhism would become extremely interesting.
Lingshan, not far from the Great Thunderclap Monastery.
A figure dressed in a kasaya slowly approached. It was Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
Just as Ksitigarbha had said earlier, it was time to settle the grudges between him and Buddhism.
There was one more thing.
There were still many items in the General Store. As Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, he could only be considered a pauper, while the Great Thunderclap Monastery possessed many valuable treasures.
It could be said that Sun Wukong and Ksitigarbha, after entering the General Store and obtaining their gains, had both become somewhat blinded by wealth.
Sun Wukong had gone to the Heavenly Court to plunder some of its treasures.
Ksitigarbha was preparing to seize the treasures of the Great Thunderclap Monastery.
After all, over the years, he had brought Buddhism considerable assistance.
Under his vow that he would not become a Buddha until Hell was empty, he had contributed a great deal of providence to Buddhism.
"The Lingshan Great Thunderclap Monastery. We're here." Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva looked at the Lingshan before him, which radiated seven-colored light, and at the enormous building of the Great Thunderclap Monastery looming within it.
It had been a very long time since he had come here after taking charge of the underworld.
"Tathagata, come out." Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva stood in the void and spoke.
His voice was deafening.
"Boom, boom, boom..."
Figures radiating golden light shot out from Lingshan one after another. Each figure carried astonishing Buddhist radiance.
There were Arhats, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas...
"That is..." Arhat Dragon Subduing looked at the figure in the distance, and his pupils contracted.
As the foremost of the Eighteen Arhats, he naturally recognized this person. It was Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
But wasn't Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva stationed in the underworld?
Why had he suddenly appeared in Lingshan, and why had he directly called out the Buddha Ancestor's name?
However, when facing Ksitigarbha, it was not his place as an Arhat to ask questions. A Bodhisattva had also emerged from Lingshan.
Guanyin Bodhisattva was a Bodhisattva no weaker than Ksitigarbha.
In the mortal world, Guanyin Bodhisattva could be said to have the greatest number of believers.
"Ksitigarbha." Guanyin Bodhisattva stepped on a lotus flower and appeared here. "Aren't you stationed in the underworld? Why have you come to Lingshan? And how dare you call out the Buddha Ancestor's name?"
"Guanyin." Ksitigarbha laughed. "What? You don't welcome me to Lingshan?"
"Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, you jest." Guanyin shook her head. "Lingshan is open to you at any time. But there are still many evil beings in the underworld. Ksitigarbha, I truly admire your grand vow."
"Hmph." Ksitigarbha spoke indifferently. "Guanyin, I have a question for you."
"Please, ask."
"As the venerable Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, I hear that your incense offerings in the mortal world are flourishing. Then what have you done for humanity?" Ksitigarbha asked.
"Ksitigarbha, for humanity, we immortals only need to offer occasional charity. Why should we do anything more?" Guanyin shook her head.
It could be said that whether they were the immortals of the Heavenly Court or the Bodhisattvas and Arhats of Buddhism, many of them could not escape their lofty attitudes.
And that was precisely why.
Although humanity was the protagonist of this world, it was extremely weak.
Back then, the Dragon-Phoenix-Qilin tribes, and even the Witch and Demon races, had been incredibly powerful as the protagonists of Heaven and Earth.
They were completely beyond comparison with humanity today.
The Immortals and Gods only needed to obtain the providence of humanity, the world's protagonist.
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