" Amitabha Buddha, little monkey, do not be impatient. You have a karmic connection with my Western Sect, and you will know this in the future."
The Buddha didn't say much to the monkey, but Tathagata chanted a Buddhist prayer and turned to look at Taibai Jinxing.
"I'll trouble you, Star Lord, to inform the Great Heavenly Venerable. I apologize for coming without prior notice; it is indeed a disturbance."
A group of Arhat and Bodhisattvas gathered Tathagata the Buddha, casually chanting Buddhist scriptures in low voices, much to the displeasure of the Heavenly Court gods and immortals.
Arrogant! Absolutely outrageous!
Even though I know that your Western Sect has Sage's prophecy that it should prosper during this calamity of the Journey to the West, isn't it far too presumptuous of you to casually lead a group of people to the South Heaven Gate to demand people?
For a moment, all the gods who had been watching from the Heavenly Court felt a surge of anger rising in their chests.
With the rise of the Western Sect, the incense offerings made under the rule of the Heavenly Court were to be divided up.
Originally, everyone was just a minor deity or immortal and didn't care. The higher-ups made the decision, and they couldn't resist. But your Western Sect so arrogant, aren't you afraid things might change?
Little did they know that everything is most vulnerable to sudden changes; even things set by Sage can be subject to unforeseen circumstances.
Unfortunately, despite the anger of the immortals, only Xu Xiao and that monkey dared to stand up and criticize them, which is truly pathetic.
" Wukong, step back. Let the Great Heavenly Venerable make the final decision."
Having already learned his lesson, Xu Xiao stepped forward, grabbed the monkey's shoulder, and pulled him back, while softly reassuring him telepathically.
'This guy is a high-ranking figure in the Western Sect; we can't afford to offend him for now. Let's wait and see.'
'He came for you, and there are some things I need to make clear to you beforehand.'
Immediately afterwards, Xu Xiao gave the monkey a general account of the Journey to the West, telling him that he was the protagonist of the destiny of heaven and earth, and that the Western Sect had come for him.
After hearing Xu Xiao's telepathic message, the monkey was momentarily stunned, and after a while, it stammered in response:
"Immortal, could it be that my birth was predetermined from the very beginning? Was it all for this damned journey to the West to retrieve the scriptures?"
Xu Xiao remained silent for a moment, but finally nodded.
"Yes, your birth was planned, but the choice is yours, Wukong."
"At least in my opinion, you are very different now than before; at least you have the opportunity to choose."
Of course, making a choice doesn't necessarily guarantee its effectiveness; it all depends on the arrangements made by the important figures behind the scenes.
In such a world, the notion that one's fate is in one's own hands, the notion of resentment, and the notion of effort are all Utakata that burst easily.
Even if you are Golden Immortal, or even Daluo, under the arrangement of a higher level, you will still have to be forced to drink water by having your neck pressed down.
The monkey remained silent for a long while before finally uttering a sound.
"So, immortal, you only contacted me because I was an important factor in the Journey to the West?"
Their eyes met, and Xu Xiao nodded and then shook his head.
"Yes and no."
"I did approach you because you are an important factor in my Journey to the West, and because I wanted to change your fate, but I did not intend to exploit you."
"Monkey, believe it or not, I actually knew your fate a long time ago, and I even admired you."
"My aim in guiding your life is both to help you change your destiny and to use this as proof of my attainment of enlightenment. I hope you understand."
"I have no intention of harming you."
I believe you!
The monkey's eyes regained their vitality, and then a smile appeared on its face.
"Regardless of your motives, Immortal, you haven't harmed me at all."
"You told me the truth, letting me know all the ins and outs. I will remember your kindness forever!"
His gaze was sincere, and his tone earnest; it didn't seem like he was lying.
This relieved Xu Xiao, as he didn't want to incur the wrath of the monkeys before even beginning his Journey to the West.
He had no intention of harming the monkey; everything he did was simply to reverse the monkey's cause and effect.
If successful, he could use this to interfere with the journey to the Journey to the West, and then obtain a massive amount of Power of Variables by Reversing the Dao of Cause and Effect, ultimately using this to attain the Daluo Golden Immortal.
The Power of Variables is arguably the strongest power he has ever encountered, and it could allow him to rise to the top in one fell swoop.
Of course, doing so comes at a considerable cost and is quite risky, especially now that Xu Xiao's identity is almost public knowledge, and the Western Sect is also making its position public.
If he is not careful, the cause and effect will not be reversed, and he will have to bear the wrath of the entire Western Sect. At that time, even Zhenwu and the others may not be able to protect him.
But life is a gamble, and with the opportunity right in front of him, Xu Xiao didn't want to miss it.
This time, let's see if the conflict is out in the open and whether the Daoist Sect is willing to engage in a real battle with the Western Sect.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty summons you to the palace."
A short while later, Taibai Jinxing returned in haste and gestured for the Buddha to Tathagata.
"I humbly obey the Great Heavenly Venerable's decree. This humble monk has been rambling on."
The Tathagata's entourage passed through the South Heaven Gate and entered. Taibai Jinxing turned his gaze to Xu Xiao and his companion.
"Please, Cao and Fellow Daoist Sun, also come along. His Majesty requests your presence."
"Thank you for your help, Star Lord. I appreciate your kind words earlier."
Xu Xiao thanked Taibai Jinxing for his actions earlier; if it weren't for the other party's intervention, he would have Tathagata fallen into Tathagata's trap.
"You're too kind, Zhi Cao. We're both from the same Daoist Sect sect, so we should help each other out. But from now on, it's up to you to mediate."
Star Lord Taibai chuckled softly, then led Xu Xiao and the other man inside.
Those deities of sufficient rank who were positioned in front of the South Heaven Gate naturally entered the Lingxiao Palace to watch the spectacle, while those without the necessary qualifications gathered outside the South Heaven Gate to await firsthand information.
The Spirit Mountain Tathagata waited for the Heavenly Court to summon the person, and the Heavenly Court officials directly refuted him; the atmosphere was thick with Yakumi.
I wonder what kind of mediation the Jade Emperor will make.
As the crowd filed in, the Lingxiao Palace became lively.
When Xu Xiao brought the monkey in, he happened to see Tathagata bowing to the Jade Emperor.
"This humble monk pays his respects to the Great Heavenly Venerable. I have come without prior notice and have disturbed you. Please forgive me."
"You're too kind, Your Excellency."
The Jade Emperor, seated at the head of the table, showed neither joy nor sorrow, his attitude unclear. He simply asked a casual question.
"Your Excellency has come from the Western Spirit Mountain Peak, but we do not know why?"
"This humble monk has come here for the sake of the Journey to the Westward Calamity. I humbly request the Great Heavenly Venerable to grant this monkey to my Western Sect for the sake of this great tribulation, so that the Heavenly Dao at peace."
The Tathagata spoke frankly, bringing the issue directly to the forefront.
Xu Xiao's actions were too secretive in the early stages and too swift in the later stages.
At first, no one knew that this unfamiliar minor official from the Heavenly Court would have such a significant impact on the journey to the Journey to the West.
It was merely to enlighten the monkey and give it some common sense guidance. Even the Tao Te Ching was analyzed several times by the Buddhist Sect masters, who failed to detect any conspiracy.
I never expected that he had studied the nature of monkeys so thoroughly.
It started with a tiny, minor influence, but has now completely changed the monkey's personality and life, forcing the Western Sect to take drastic measures.
This is a case of a thousand-mile dike collapsing due to an ant hole, something the Western Sect never anticipated.