Sun Wukong's Vast Divine Powers

The so-called "Giant Buddha" was actually the entire mountain in front of the ancient temple. Yet with the naked eye, one could see only half of the "Giant Buddha's" body. The other half, put poetically, had to be seen with the "mind's eye"; more plainly, one had to fill it in with imagination—imagine a massive mirror beneath the mountain range, reflecting the upper half of the "Giant Buddha" symmetrically to form a colossal Buddha statue "one thousand three hundred zhang tall and two hundred fifty-six zhang wide"!

The stone cave sealing Great Sage Equal to Heaven Sun Wukong was located at the Buddha's eye. Since there was a lotus pond there, filled with blooming lotus leaves, it was called the Buddha Eye Lotus Pond.

Standing beside the Buddha Eye Lotus Pond, the group saw emerald-green lotus leaves sprouting from the cracks between shattered rocks before them, with pink lotuses blooming in delicate splendor. Most striking of all, amid the many pink lotuses stood an exceptionally large white lotus—spotless, pure, and carrying a faint air of solemnity.

"What a strange place," Prince Important said, tapping his fan against his palm. "According to feng shui, this place has mountains but no water, its terrain is broken and fragmented, and the blazing sun hangs overhead. It is clearly a place fated to end a family line, yet such beautiful lotuses can grow here. Strange, truly strange!"

"That white lotus..." Chen Xuanzang murmured. "Come, let's go take a look." As he spoke, he jumped down and hopped across the rocks toward the white lotus. The others followed. When they reached the pure white lotus, Chen Xuanzang said in surprise, "There's a cave beneath it. Sun Wukong must be inside. Let's take a look first."

"Wait!" Prince Important stopped him, his brow tightly furrowed. "I