Volume 4: The Revelation Unveiled Chapter 468: The Way and the Heart

Xuan Nu’s body trembled as she immediately looked toward the Thirty-Six Heavens, exclaiming, “This is bad!”
Wukong also used the secrets of the Mysterious Sky Art to look, and saw that a dozen or so Buddhas were attacking Yuan Shi with flying swords, while the Three Pure Ones were fighting desperately to resist. It seemed that Tathagata, fighting against five with one, had a clear advantage.

Xuan Nu said, “With the Jade Emperor and Empress gone, it’s likely only the Three Pure Ones know the secret of the Open-Minded Beast.”
Wukong smiled and said, “Even if we can’t obtain the Thousand-Foot Jade, we must still save the Three Pure Ones.” He turned to the Five Divine Apes and said, “Follow me to the heavens!”
He then said to Xuan Nu, “I’ll leave this place to you.” Xuan Nu understood that Wukong meant for her to prevent the Bodhisattva of Mud Plow from taking the Thousand-Foot Jade. As long as it remained on Kunlun Immortal Island, there would still be a chance.

Seeing Wukong lead the Five Divine Apes toward the Thirty-Six Heavens, Xuan Nu, Qilin, Dayu, and the others felt greatly relieved. The Creative Divine Ape had finally been born and could stand on its own.

When Wukong and his companions arrived at the Thirty-Six Heavens, they encountered those dozen Buddhas attacking them with flying swords. Zi Wei was in grave danger, so Wang Yu quickly threw out the God-Slaying Circle. Refined under Xuan Nu’s guidance, it was now nearly perfect, its power far exceeding before.

As the God-Slaying Circle hovered in the air, the five flying swords aimed at Zi Wei flew into it like swallows returning to their nest without hesitation. Wang Yu retrieved the five swords and was overjoyed— the Immortal-Piercing Sword and the Immortal-Extinguishing Sword were right there!

When the Holy Mother of Lishan saw Wang Yu arrive and knew of the power of his circle, she simply threw the two flying swords in her hands. The Three Pure Ones of Zi Wei did the same. Wang Yu was ecstatic and caught all of them with his God-Slaying Circle. The Immortal-Punishing Sword was the most precious of all, and since Wang Yu belonged to the metal element, how could these magical weapons function against him?

Seeing Wang Yu’s greatly enhanced cultivation, Tathagata’s expression turned solemn. Soon after, the Five Divine Apes appeared behind him. At first, Tathagata was pleased upon seeing them, but upon realizing their cultivation levels, his expression changed drastically. He never expected that each of the Five Divine Apes surpassed the level of saints, and as for that Intelligent Divine Ape, he couldn’t even fathom its true realm!

Many believed that beyond saints lay the Way of Heaven. But for Tathagata, who had once been infinitely close to it, he knew that reaching the level of a saint meant nothing. The saintly realm itself was divided into three levels: human saint, earth saint, and heaven saint.

And even beyond saints was not the Way of Heaven. One still had to transcend the realms of yin and yang and chaos to reach the supreme realm of the Way of Heaven. This cultivation path became increasingly difficult as one ascended, and even with diligent effort, it would take a million years to achieve— one had to find alternative paths and take unconventional routes.

And without reaching the realm of the Heavenly Dao, one cannot resist the power of heaven and earth—how can such a person even hope to escape?
When the Tathagata saw Wukong, his eyes shone brightly like the Big Dipper in the dark night, and his figure seemed both solid and ethereal; he was clearly beyond the peak of Earthly Sage status. Meanwhile, the Bodhisattva of the Muddy Plow was only at the middle stage of Heavenly Sage cultivation. As for the Medicine Buddha and the other seven Medicine Buddhas, they would need to unite to reach the later stage of Earthly Sage—clearly not a match for Wukong.
The Tathagata assessed the situation: although there were only six more divine apes, with the Divine Ape King Yu seizing over a dozen flying swords, their momentum had greatly improved. He naturally knew that many more masters remained hidden on Qi Tian Ling, and presumably, a great battle was also underway on Kunlun Immortal Island.
With determination, the Tathagata made a decision. The rapid growth of the Creative Divine Ape was surely related to its acquisition of the Thousand-Foot Jade last time. If Qi Tian Ling and the Three Pure Ones were not contained now, they would never allow him to peacefully cultivate a third body. Thus, this battle could only end in victory.
The Three Pure Ones knew that the Creative Divine Ape’s cultivation had greatly increased, and all the divine apes now possessed divine weapons. The Pangu Axe, a magical weapon formed from chaos, shared a similar origin with the Creative Divine Ape. These weapons corresponded to the five elements, providing immeasurable support to the apes’ combat strength—this battle was bound to be fascinating.
The Tathagata snapped, “Surround them!”
Over a hundred Buddhas shot out like lightning, dispersing in the air—some in groups of seven or eight, others in groups of more than ten—encircling the Three Pure Ones, Zi Wei, the Five Divine Apes, and others. The Medicine Buddha and the seven Medicine Buddhas faced off against Wukong.
Wukong looked at the Tathagata seated atop the Medicine Buddha’s head and smiled, “Tathagata Buddha, long time no see?” His tone was laced with mockery, as the title “Buddha” was uttered insincerely.
The Tathagata smiled at Wukong and said, “Lingming, I indeed underestimated you.”
Wukong replied, “It’s not just me you underestimated, right? Who else in the world could catch your attention?”
The Tathagata nodded and said, “You understand me well. But this world is nothing but a furnace—why should I care about the lives of others?”
Wukong hadn’t expected the Tathagata to openly reveal this secret. “A furnace? If you already know that, then why did you come in?”
The Tathagata sneered, “Do you think I wanted to come in? If it weren’t for that person—” His words suddenly stopped.
Wukong’s mind raced, and he continued, “If it weren’t for that person locking you away, how would you have come in, right?”
“How do you know?” The Tathagata was shocked—no one besides Pangu knew this secret. Could it be that Pangu had told Wukong?

Wukong said nonchalantly, “Anyone with a brain can figure it out. You didn’t want to come in, yet you ended up here—naturally, it was someone else’s doing.” Though Wukong spoke lightly, he was also somewhat shocked. If that person could trap Tathagata in this furnace, what kind of cultivation and power must he possess? And to create such a vast world just to imprison Tathagata alone—what an extraordinary feat!

Thinking further, Pangu claimed to have come from beyond the heavens along with Tathagata. Could it be that Pangu was sent by that person to watch over Tathagata? Tathagata as the prisoner, Pangu as the jailer—this analogy seemed quite fitting. Then where did the Kunpeng and the Seven Divine Apes come from? Were they created by Pangu, or did they emerge naturally from chaos? It wasn’t surprising that Pangu could be born and die again, but what force sustained the Kunpeng and the Seven Divine Apes to remain eternal?

Then Tathagata said, “There’s nothing worth lingering for here but the troubles of life and death. You’re quite clever—don’t you want to follow me to find another better place?”

Tathagata spoke with utmost sincerity, arousing Wukong’s strong curiosity: Was that better place he mentioned real? Could it truly be a place free from the troubles of life and death, a realm of endless bliss? Would leaving this furnace mean arriving there?

Seeing Wukong moved, Tathagata added, “The heavens and earth are like a furnace, tormenting all living beings—ranging from Pangu and me to every creature, plant, and insect. In the end, we’re all the same. But few know the secret of these heavens and earth, which is why they become my enemies. If everyone knew, they’d surely fight fiercely to get out.”

Upon hearing the words “tormented in the furnace,” Wukong couldn’t help but think of the blueprint of the Creation Furnace left by Ran Deng. The seven positions depicted on it were clearly meant for the Seven Divine Apes. Hmph! Tathagata tried to deceive him with lies; in his eyes, everyone in the world was just a tool to be used!

Wukong laughed and said, “Buddha, since you’re sure everyone wants to get out, why not reveal this secret? If we work together and pool our wisdom, wouldn’t it be easier than you working alone?”

Tathagata sighed and said, “People are overly greedy and love to fight among themselves. If I reveal it, their efforts might not even add up.”

Wukong looked troubled and said, “That’s difficult. Without seeing any benefits, who would work hard for you?”

Tathagata pointed at the Three Pure Ones and said, “These three miscreants rebelled because they didn’t receive enough benefits.”

Although the Three Pure Ones were surrounded by several Buddhas and were fully focused on confronting them, they also heard Tathagata’s words but pretended not to hear. Wukong laughed and said, “That’s completely wrong. The paths of Buddhism and Taoism are vastly different—how could there be such a thing as rebellion?”

Tathagata sneered and said, “I’m afraid there’s still something you don’t know. The three teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism in this world were all created by me. Buddha is originally Tao, and Tao is originally me! The ultimate truth of the world ultimately belongs to me!”
Wukong was stunned. So this was where Ksitigarbha meant when he said Buddha is originally Tao. After thinking for a while, he laughed heartily and said, “Tathagata, you’re defeated!”
“Oh?” Tathagata sneered and said, “Don’t speak such arrogance!”
Wukong replied, “What you say might be true, but whether it’s Buddhism, Taoism, or Confucianism, you only understand their principles, yet your actions go against them. How can you not be defeated?”
“You created Taoism but deliberately passed on its essence to the Three Pure Ones, hoping that they would gather fortune for you and seize creation. Yet the Three Pure Ones are all people who wholeheartedly pursue the truth of Tao. In their hearts, humans cannot surpass Tao. Now, when it comes to the truth of Taoism, who can you outdo? In your eyes, Taoism is just a pawn, but for the Three Pure Ones, it is the ultimate truth of the world, more important than their own lives. You lost because your heart isn’t focused!”
“You pretended to use a jade box to pass on teachings to Ratnasambhava and establish Buddhism, but in reality, you lost the true essence of Buddhism. Everything Ratnasambhava did was in the guise of a true Buddha. As for you, Tathagata, you ignore all sentient beings and have lost the true Buddhist principle of ‘equality among all beings.’ You trample lives, destroy nations, and are worse than pigs and dogs—despised by both humans and gods! With such character, you’re not even as good as an ordinary monk. How can you claim to be a Buddha?”
“Confucianism has always been weak, and I suppose you don’t care about it either. But there are still many people in the world who live by its principles. These teachings will surely be promoted, and this is certainly not your achievement as Tathagata, but the great feat of all Confucian scholars!”
“Ultimately, even a casual remark from an ordinary person can become a principle. Therefore, the three teachings you created—Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism—are really nothing. Only by being consistent in words and actions can one truly grasp the ultimate truth! Do you understand now?”
Wukong knew that Tathagata had been in this world for nearly seven aeons and was extremely eager to escape from it. It was impossible to dissuade him from this idea. But he knew the principle that attacking physically is inferior to attacking mentally. Tathagata was extremely arrogant and confident. By confusing his mind psychologically, it would surely be beneficial in the future.
Watching Wukong speak so eloquently, Tathagata sneered and said, “You’re quite eloquent. I’ve existed for millions of years. How can a few words of yours destroy my devotion to the path?”
Wukong laughed and said, “You with such weak foundations still have a devotion to the path?”
Tathagata replied, “There are countless so-called ‘ultimate truths’ in the world, all of which are just rationalizations. Have I ever cared about them at all? Sages discuss the path, while ordinary people discuss matters—both for their own selfish goals. All so-called ‘paths’ are just deceptions! Some are smarter, some are dumber, that’s all!”

Wukong retorted, “Fine, since you lack righteousness, do you even have a heart?”