Encountering a Monster at Zhenhai Temple (Twenty)

Meanwhile, Ao Tu occupied the Blood Sea land, hosted a banquet for everyone, and promised them benefits.

Most of the immortals agreed.

Such practices of using Incarnation to perform divine duties are already quite common in the Three Realms.

This would bring additional benefits to the immortals; and it would allow Ao Tu to quickly set up his scaffold. It was a win-win situation.

Then, a female Asura performed a dance, her posture was very beautiful, and she was said to be the daughter of the Thousand-Eyed Asura King, Princess of the Asura Clan.

Bajie stared, his eyes wide, and he even forgot to eat the fruit in his hand.

Wukong chuckled to himself, "You idiot, if you flirt with Princess Asura here, you'll probably be thrown into the Eighteen Levels of Hell!"

Bajie shuddered and exclaimed, "No! No!"

The group enjoyed a day together, and then departed one by one.

Nezha, slightly drunk, also came to say goodbye.

Because Ao Tu was sitting in the Main Seat at the banquet, he didn't feel comfortable going up to Ao Tu to drink with him, so he just drank a cup by himself and only got slightly drunk.

Ao Tu pulled him aside and said, "Don't rush off."

Nezha asked, "Why aren't we leaving?"

Ao Tu said, "I heard you were injured, why aren't you getting any treatment?"

Nezha waved his hand and said, "It's just a minor injury, nothing to worry about. It'll heal on its own in a couple of days!"

Ao Tu possessed the Heavenly Eye and could see that he had injuries on his shoulders, hands, legs, and feet. He pulled him back and eventually cured him with the Glazed Medicine.

Nezha sat casually in the chair, his feet propped up on the armrests, and said helplessly, "I already told you it's just a minor injury, what a waste of all the good medicine!"

Ao Tu laughed and said, "I got this medicine for free, so I don't mind spending the money."

Nezha said, "You have a large family fortune! Are there any fruits left? Are there any sweet ones?"

Ao Tu said, "What? They all took some, but you didn't take any at the banquet?"

Nezha said, "I can't tell the difference between bitter and sweet, so I only took one bitter one, thinking I'd take two sweet ones to my mother and little sister."

Upon hearing this, Ao Tu ordered someone to bring a bagful.

Nezha laughed and took it, saying, "You really do have a large family fortune. I said I wanted two, but you brought over a whole bagful. Be careful you don't squander your entire fortune."

Ao Tu laughed and said, "I knew you were concerned about your reputation, so you didn't dare to eat anything sweet after eating something bitter at the banquet. I brought you some sweet food so you wouldn't go back and gossip about me."

Nezha smiled, jumped up, waved, and rode away on his Wind Fire Wheels.

In the following days, Ao Tu arranged for the demons to take up positions in the Blood Sea, while simultaneously concealing his own Great Dao within the Blood Sea.

Ao Tu plans to create Evil Realm in the Blood Sea and Good Realm on Spirit Mountain. He first hides the Great Dao in the Blood Sea, so that he can create Good and Evil Realms at the same time after conquering Spirit Mountain.

This will also form the basis for Ao Tu's Attainment of the Dao.

The Patriarch Styx, standing by, asked, "Cult Leader, what sect are we?"

Ao Tu said, "It has not yet been established."

The Patriarch Styx said, "Since it hasn't been established yet, what flag will be hung in the Blood Sea in the future?"

Ao Tu thought for a moment, then took out a merit flag, which was the array flag of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array. After the battle at Pan Si Ling, the Demon Emperor's incarnation dissipated, the Sun Flag of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array was destroyed, and the remaining Moon Flag and Star Flag turned into merit treasures, which was this item.

Ao Tu once saw that the Good Corpse used this flag as Teaching Flag, so he instructed the Minghe to make a copy of the flag and place it in the land of the Blood Sea.

Minghe agreed.

More than a month later, everything was completed, and Ao Tu led Wukong, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and others back to the Bottomless Cave.

Wukong told Tang Sanzang about the trip, and Tang Sanzang was overjoyed to hear it.

Ao Tu was also delighted, for he actually had another piece of good news he hadn't told Tang Sanzang and his disciples. That was, after subduing the Blood Sea, he and Minghe would be the two of them to obstruct the Journey to the West next time.

However, as the saying goes, good things shouldn't be told all at once, so Ao Tu held back and kept quiet, planning to tell Tang Sanzang and his disciples all at once next time.

Wukong gave the two fruits he had saved to Tang Sanzang and Sha Wujing.

Tang Sanzang was a Mortal, while the fruit was a divine object, extremely bitter. Tang Sanzang took a bite, but couldn't help but swallow it.

Upon seeing this, Bajie said, "If Master isn't eating it, let me have it!" With that, he took the fruit and swallowed it in one gulp.

Wukong smacked him, saying, "Idiot, this is for Master, why did you eat it?"

Bajie grumbled, "You didn't even pick a good one for Master! This fruit is so bitter, how can Master eat it?"

Wukong said, "Though the suffering is bitter, there are benefits!"

Bajie said, "Master has already eaten the Ginseng Fruit, but he still needs this little bit of benefit. I'll eat it for him to avoid putting him in a difficult position."

Wukong said, "You idiot, don't you find it hard?"

Bajie laughed and said, "I swallowed it whole, peel and pit too, so I didn't taste the bitterness!" As he spoke, he saw Sha Wujing struggling to eat the fruit, enduring the bitterness and eating it little by little, so he snatched it away and said, "Junior Brother Sha, if you don't want to eat it, I'll eat it for you!"

Sha Wujing quickly swallowed the fruit and said, "You've already eaten it all, and you still want to take mine? You have no shame!"

The four of them laughed and joked around before bidding farewell to Ao Tu.

Upon seeing this, the Rat Spirit cried to Ao Tu, saying that she had rendered meritorious service in the Blood Sea and begged Ao Tu to keep Tang Sanzang for a few more days.

Ao Tu then pretended to test Tang Sanzang's Buddhist heart and kept Tang Sanzang and his disciples for a few more days.

During this time, the Rat Spirit tried every Combat Skills to tempt Tang Sanzang, but in the end, she could not shake Tang Sanzang's sincere determination to Journey to the West, Tang Sanzang and his disciples then departed.

The rat spirit watched its Taiyi Golden Immortal Dao Fruit disappear into the distance, feeling immense reluctance to part with it, but in the end, it could only watch helplessly.

After Tang Sanzang and his disciples left, Guanyin Bodhisattva also bid farewell to Ao Tu.

Ao Tu laughed and said, "Teacher, why are you in such a hurry to leave? Staying a couple more days won't hurt."

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "Having not returned to the Southern Sea for a long time, I dare not linger any longer."

Ao Tu then watched Guanyin Bodhisattva depart.

The Rat Spirit Guanyin Bodhisattva left.

When night fell, Fourth Sister laid out the bedding.

Suddenly, they heard a noise outside; it was the Rat Spirit.

Fourth Sister said, "Your Great King, I will go and chase her out."

Ao Tu nodded, lay down on the couch, and picked up an Ancient Times scripture scroll belonging to the Patriarch Styx to read.

Fourth Sister went out with her sword to drive away the Rat Spirit.

The Rat Spirit cursed, "You little slut, always with a cold face, yet you climb into your brother's bed at night. What are you pretending to be so high and mighty for?"

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Sister was both ashamed and angry, and drew her sword to strike at the Rat Spirit.

The Rat Spirit escaped outside.

Fourth Sister chased after her, and the two fought for a long time. Fourth Sister found an opening and stabbed the Rat Spirit in the left arm. The Rat Spirit turned into an embroidered shoe and fell to the ground.

Fourth Sister realized she had been tricked and hurried back.

At that moment, the Rat Spirit, dressed in thin clothes, slipped into Ao Tu's room. Her delicate body was faintly visible beneath her light garments. A gentle breeze stirred, revealing her fair face. Her hair was styled in a cloud-like bun, adorned with a gold and jade hairpin. Her feet were shod in light embroidered shoes, one barefoot, wearing only a thin sock. She climbed onto the bed, embracing Ao Tu's leg, and said:

"Brother, since you came to my side, I have been obedient to you in everything and have never neglected you. Now that the readily available Tang Sanzang's Flesh is gone, how can I cultivate to become Primordial Unity Golden Immortal? Today I dare not ask for anything more, but am willing to serve you with my humble form, asking only for a trace of your Yang Essence. I hope you will grant my request."

As she spoke, without waiting for Ao Tu's reply, she reached up with her jade-like hand and began to unbutton Ao Tu's robe.

Ao Tu sighed and looked to the side.

Guanyin Bodhisattva appeared in her form.

The Rat Spirit was terrified and rolled off the bed, exclaiming, "You didn't leave!"

Ao Tu said, "Little sister, considering your service to me and the fact that you have never betrayed me, I will grant you the Creation of becoming a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal."

The Rat Spirit asked somewhat fearfully, "Brother, what kind of Creation is this?"

Ao Tu said, "I'll send you to the Mount Putuo in the South Sea to cultivate."

The Rat Spirit was so frightened that it threw itself into Ao Tu's arms, crying, "Brother, please don't kill me! I'll never do it again!"

Ao Tu said, "I'm offering you Creation, how could I kill you?"

The Rat Spirit wept, saying, "If I go to the Southern Sea, that old woman will surely kill me!"

Ao Tu said, "She is a compassionate and merciful Bodhisattva; she would never harm you. I vouch for her."

With that, Ao Tu pushed the Rat Spirit away.

The Rat Spirit hurriedly fled.

Guanyin Bodhisattva opened her hands, revealing a Starlight chain of precious stones. She tossed it into the air, landing on the Rat Spirit. The chain immediately locked away the Rat Spirit's lustful desires, bringing her back to her senses.

The Rat Spirit, chained up, trembled like a fish pulled from the water, drenched in sweat, and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Bodhisattva, I dare not, I dare not!"

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled and said, "This treasure was forged by your elder brother. It is locked on you today to stop your lustful desires. Once you have attained the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal Right Fruit, you can go to your brother to unlock the treasure and use it as a protective amulet."

Upon hearing this, the Rat Spirit repeatedly bowed in gratitude.

Guanyin Bodhisattva then took her to the Southern Sea.