Ao Tu preached the Dharma, and all living beings listened.
He spoke of the Arhats Path: severing afflictions, escaping reincarnation, and attaining liberation from all conditioned practices; the path of liberation through lesser teachings for those of lesser capacity, through greater teachings for those of greater capacity, and through exhausting all karmic burdens for those with no capacity.
Having comprehended this teaching, one could cultivate a golden body and attain the fruition of an Arhat, unaffected by the seven emotions and six desires, unbound by the Three Realms and Six Paths.
Ao Tu himself had long since reached this realm. He simply had not entered Spirit Mountain to attain the rank of Arhat, but the realm of cultivation itself was the same. Moreover, because he had integrated the teachings of a hundred schools, his exposition of this teaching was all the more authentic.
The Little Demons and Tang Sanzang listened quietly nearby. Although their insufficient cultivation left much that they could not understand, they remained immersed in it, utterly entranced.
Bajie and Sha Wujing also pondered it carefully and benefited considerably.
When the Kirtimukhas and Sangharamas arrived and heard this wondrous teaching, their hearts filled with bitter regret. Wishing only that they could have heard it in full, they hurried to find places to listen.
The Eighteen Arhats paled in shock upon hearing this wondrous teaching. He truly is a demonic fiend, openly expounding the Arhats Path at will! Unless this fiend is eliminated, the Buddhist tradition will be destroyed!
The Eighteen Arhats stepped forward together and rebuked him. "Audacious fiend! How dare you establish a false Thunderclap here, preach demonic teachings, and impersonate Buddha!"
Hearing this, Ao Tu stopped preaching.
Everyone snapped out of their trance.
Ao Tu looked at the Eighteen Arhats and smiled. "You say I have