Volume 3: A Long Journey Chapter 303: The Might of the Great Peng Upon learning that the Armored Divine Ape had undergone a drastic change in attitude, Wukong was overjoyed. In his form as Zhuanxu, he left Qitianling and circled around the Tongtian River. The riverbanks were a dismal green, slightly lighter in color, but it was still impossible to cross. Remembering something, Wukong used magic to create a large circle around the area, preventing anyone from entering. This was done to protect ordinary people from accidentally coming here and losing their lives, thus earning him some merit. After doing this, Wukong did not return to Chen’s village but flew westward. Da Yu and the others had been out fighting for a day; it was unknown whether they had encountered any obstacles. More than two thousand li west of Qitianling lay the Jisaiguo. When Wukong reached east of Jisaiguo, he saw a desolate mountain where the demons and soldiers of Qitianling were camped. Wukong descended and found the main tent, where the Bull Demon King, the Golden-Winged Great Peng, and the Nine-Spirit Sage were sitting idly. As soon as they saw Wukong enter, the Bull Demon King shouted first, “Wukong, come and judge this!” Wukong smiled and asked, “What needs judging?” The Bull Demon King replied, “Da Yu took us out but just left us in these desolate lands, while he himself went to the city to enjoy himself with Hou Yi!” Wukong said, “Senior Da Yu has his own plans. He is the commander of our army—who else should we listen to?” The Bull Demon King grumbled, “I thought things would be more interesting once we came out, but it’s still so boring!” Wukong said, “To the west is Jisaiguo, a city full of ordinary people. If you want to fight, go ahead.” The Bull Demon King snorted and ignored Wukong. At that moment, Da Yu and Hou Yi entered the tent. After greeting Wukong, they sat down and said, “We just explored Jisaiguo. There, Buddhism is promoted and Taoism suppressed; the whole country is filled with Buddhist pagodas and temples.” The Bull Demon King exclaimed, “Then let’s tear them down!” The Golden-Winged Great Peng said, “It’s easy to destroy temples, but hardest to change people’s hearts. Do you really want to kill all those who believe in Buddhism?” The Bull Demon King replied, “How could I, an old ox, harm ordinary people?” Da Yu said, “We’re not here to show force. Our goal is to prevent the people here from remaining foolish believers. So brute force won’t work; we need to find a clever way.” The Bull Demon King asked, “If that’s the case, why bring so many soldiers?” Wukong replied, “Since Qitianling wants to expand outward, someone must occupy the land. Every village, fortress, mountain, and ridge needs an agent of Qitianling—only then can we rule from the root. Otherwise, if we take it today but lose it tomorrow, what’s the point?” The Bull Demon King was stunned and sighed, “Now that you put it that way, I realize the Heavenly Court is truly powerful. There are land gods, mountain spirits, and river monsters everywhere in the world—this will take a tremendous amount of effort.”

Wukong said, “That’s natural. But Qi Tian Ling doesn’t aim to conquer the whole world; by taking control of just a few thousand miles around the ridge, they can gauge the attitudes of both sides. If anything happens in the future, it will serve as a buffer.”
The Bull Demon King replied, “This task is quite troublesome. Where’s the satisfaction in fighting and killing?”
Wukong said, “If we cut off the source of prosperity in the Western Heaven, I’m afraid someone will come looking for us. By then, there will surely be battles to fight!”
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On the Spirit Mountain, Tathagata sat in the Mahavira Hall, preaching to everyone. A monk came to report that Qi Tian Ling had raised an army and was marching westward.
Tathagata stopped preaching and smiled at everyone, saying, “People always struggle over matters that aren’t urgent.”
Anuo said, “Buddha, even so, I’m afraid demons will invade the world and harm sentient beings.”
Tathagata replied, “If one realizes one’s true nature, all sentient beings are Buddhas. Those who can’t be harmed should not be troubled, and those bound by worldly illusions need not be cared for.”
Not understanding Tathagata’s meaning, Anuo stepped back in silence.
Tathagata continued, “Manjushri and Samantabhadra, take the Arhat elders with you to take a look. If anyone harms the disciples of my Buddhist sect, they must be punished.”
Manjushri and Samantabhadra inwardly groaned. They had experienced the strength of Qi Tian Ling’s forces before—even Tathagata had been repelled by Hou Yi’s three arrows. How could they possibly resist them?
But since it was Tathagata’s order, who dared disobey? So they said “Amitabha” together and led the eighteen Arhats and the eight Vajras out of the Mahavira Hall. As soon as they stepped outside, they encountered Maitreya.
Manjushri and Samantabhadra bowed to him, surprised. Maitreya rarely came here. Was the sun rising in the west today? Maitreya said, “I heard that the demons of Qi Tian Ling are acting strangely, so I came to discuss strategies with the Buddha.”
Manjushri replied, “The Buddha has ordered us to go and protect the teachings.”
Maitreya smiled and said, “Very good. Then I don’t need to go in either. I’ll just follow you.”
Manjushri and Samantabhadra were overjoyed. Maitreya possessed powers that reached heaven and earth, likely on par with Tathagata. With him by their side, even if they lost, it wouldn’t be their fault. Behind Maitreya stood the Yellow-Eyed Boy, who also bowed to Manjushri and Samantabhadra.
Knowing how favored the Yellow-Eyed Boy was, the two bodhisattvas hurriedly returned the bow.
The group left the Spirit Mountain and headed east.
In the clouds, Maitreya took out two magical treasures and handed them to the Yellow-Eyed Boy, saying, “When you meet those demons, don’t show mercy!”
The Yellow-Eyed Boy received a pair of golden cymbals and a cloth bag, exclaiming in joy, “Thank you, Buddha!”
These two treasures were extraordinary. Manjushri and Samantabhadra watched them with envy, giving the Yellow-Eyed Boy another respectful glance. Maitreya led the group forward, and soon they reached the east of the Jisi Kingdom.

Sure enough, traces of demons appeared in the barren mountains. Venerable Maitreya said, “Manjushri, you and the Eight Vajra Kings go and probe first. Use diplomacy before force, and find out what the demons really intend.” Manjushri, along with the Eight Vajra Kings, flew over on clouds. Yongzhu Vajra King shouted from above, “How dare so many demon soldiers disturb the mortal world!” The Bull Demon King, who was sitting in his tent, heard the shouts above and was overjoyed. He grabbed an iron rod and rushed outside. Upon arriving outside, he saw Manjushri Bodhisattva and the Eight Vajra Kings standing high above, watching him menacingly, while Buddha Eastern Wind and the Eighteen Arhats observed from afar. He turned around and shouted, “Hurry up and come out! We’ve already come to attack!” Wukong laughed and said, “Let’s keep teasing him a bit longer.” Everyone remained seated motionless. Sure enough, the Bull Demon King rushed back in and shouted, “What are you doing? Are you a coward?” Seeing the Bull Demon King enraged, everyone laughed and said, “Weren’t you looking for a fight? Why are you coming back?” The Bull Demon King spat and said, “What kind of brothers are these, leaving me outside?” The Great Roc said, “Second brother, I dare to go out alone. Do you believe it?” The Bull Demon King replied, “Go out and see. I doubt you’ll say the same thing then.” The Golden-Winged Great Roc raised its head and stepped out of the tent. Seeing Manjushri and the Eight Vajra Kings standing on the clouds with their wings spread, it proudly said, “What bring you to my Qitian Ridge?” Yongzhu Vajra King, upon seeing the Great Roc, didn’t dare to speak. Manjushri Bodhisattva laughed and said, “This place is thousands of miles away from your Qitian Ridge. How could it be part of your territory?” The Great Roc replied, “By that logic, this place is also tens of thousands of miles away from the Spirit Mountain. So what bring you here?” Manjushri said, “Great Roc, you’re a notable figure. How can you speak in such a shameless manner?” The Great Roc sneered and said, “Stop putting on a sanctimonious act. It’s all about seizing territory through strength, isn’t that right?” Embarrassed by the Great Roc’s words, Manjushri drew the Wisdom and Silence Vajra Sword and said, “Very well. Since you’ve spoken, let’s see what skills you have!” The Great Roc took out its Square Heaven Halberd and drew a diagonal line in the air before instantly charging into the crowd of the Eight Vajra Kings. The halberd wasn’t particularly remarkable, but the Great Roc’s movement was so fast, like a phantom, constantly shifting. Before one strike faded, it was already moving elsewhere, leaving the Eight Vajra Kings in a flurry, each fearing for themselves. Seeing the Great Roc avoiding battle, Manjushri wielded the Wisdom and Silence Vajra Sword. With a flick of his hand, he chased after the Great Roc. The sword’s power was immense, and the Great Roc didn’t dare to confront it head-on. Despite turning several times, it still couldn’t get rid of it. The Eight Vajra Kings blocked all sides, trapping the Great Roc in the center. The Vajra Sword descended from above, aiming straight at the Great Roc.

Seeing that the sword was about to pierce the Great Peng from top to bottom, the Great Peng folded its wings and, using the wind force, managed to move its body two feet backward, thus avoiding Wen Shu’s seemingly certain strike. Wen Shu quickly chanted a spell, causing the Huiji Vajra Sword to spin in the air like a windmill around its handle before slashing at the Great Peng again. With no way to avoid it, the Great Peng had no choice but to block with its Fangtian Halberd. With a loud crash, the Vajra Sword was sent flying several feet away, and the Great Peng’s movement was also halted for a moment. The Eight Vajra Warriors raised their Vajra Staves and attacked the Great Peng all at once, using the same move. None of these eight could match the Great Peng alone, but together they possessed great strength—this technique was called “Vajra Fury.” If it hit, the Great Peng would suffer severe damage. The Great Peng smiled bitterly. He thought that having reached the level of Hunyuan Jinxian would allow him to move freely, yet he was now forced into a flurry of action by Wen Shu’s precious sword. He raised his Fangtian Halberd to block, only to feel a large blue cauldron appear in midair, shielding him. His block ended up in empty space. With another loud crash, all eight Vajra Staves struck the cauldron. Then the Eight Vajra Warriors all let out a “heh” sound and spat out blood, flying backward dozens of feet. The Great Peng flew out from beneath the cauldron and saw that Dayu had somehow appeared in the air—it was he who had used the Yu Cauldron to protect the Great Peng. The Great Peng was shocked. What kind of magical artifact was this? Dayu hadn’t even made a move, yet the rebound force alone had severely injured all eight Vajra Warriors! Dayu put away the Yu Cauldron and said to Wen Shu, “Attacking in numbers with such shamelessness—if you have the courage, let’s fight!” Wen Shu didn’t dare accept the challenge and turned to leave. The Great Peng, having just suffered under the group’s attack, shouted, “Don’t go!” He used his swift movement skills to circle upward, moving even faster than Wen Shu, and intercepted him head-on. Dayu said, “Good, you two fight alone; I won’t interfere!” Knowing that his Fangtian Halberd was not as powerful as Wen Shu’s magical weapon, the Great Peng simply put it away and revealed his giant claws, attacking Wen Shu with them. Wen Shu responded by slashing with his sword, and the two fought in the air. In terms of cultivation level, the Great Peng was naturally inferior to Wen Shu, but Wen Shu underestimated the Great Peng’s intentions, constantly fearing that Dayu might attack from behind. This distraction allowed the Great Peng to hold his own. The Great Peng’s movements were extremely fast, and his occasional strange tactics also threw Wen Shu into chaos. On the ground, the Bull Demon King cheered loudly at the Great Peng’s impressive feats, saying, “Third brother is amazing! Fight him! Or shall second brother do it for you?” Hearing this, Wen Shu became even angrier. As a noble Bodhisattva, he was being treated like a practice opponent. The Great Peng grew bolder in the fight, swinging his iron wings and sharp claws.

Seeing that the morale was low, Wenshu fought while retreating, and after a few rounds, Dapeng led them away.
Noticing the perfect opportunity, the boy with yellow eyebrows secretly took out a golden cymbal. When Dapeng was not paying attention, he used the cymbal to trap Dapeng inside it.