Chapter 121: The Victorious Fighting Buddha

Over the past three days, Hua Feng and his companions had been exploring a miniature city built deep underground. Its scale was so vast that even with Hua Feng’s initial spiritual probing, he could not reach its boundaries. Furthermore, due to the energy barriers restricting various areas, there were many sectors he had failed to map out clearly. Having hurriedly handled the minor chores at the farmhouse as instructed by Shen Qiu, he turned his full attention to attending classes.

The very first lesson of their curriculum turned out to be an account of the mythological figures of ancient China. Hua Feng struggled to understand how this related to the purpose of their arrival here. As for the opening ceremony, even as students from all corners of the globe arrived one by one, there was still no sign of it; everything seemed to deviate from what they had previously planned.

"Xiao Meng, what do you make of this situation?" Hua Feng whispered, leaning close to Yun Meng’s ear. "Do you think we might have come to a fake school?"

Yun Meng, her ear tickled by the warmth of his breath, pulled away slightly and replied, "That doesn't seem right. Even if we made a mistake, surely others wouldn't have come to the wrong place too? Besides, look at the students and teachers—everyone appears so spirited and sharp, as if everything is unfolding exactly as it should. And the most peculiar thing is this teacher lecturing us on Chinese mythology; although I cannot perceive a single ripple of energy from him, I have a vague feeling that his strength might surpass that of your father, the Snow Lord of the North."

Hua Feng still remembered the time in the school corridor when, driven by curiosity, he had released a sliver of spiritual energy to probe the old man’s dantian. The result was like a stone sinking into the ocean—not a single ripple or tremor returned. It was as if he were facing empty air rather than a living being. This uncanny sensation sent a shiver of dread through him.

While he knew there were always experts beyond experts, this profound sense of the unknown still left Hua Feng feeling deeply unsettled. On the podium, the teacher continued to speak before the holographic display, seemingly uninterested in giving anyone a chance to interject. From his narration, Hua Feng gathered his surname was Sun. This Mr. Sun’s teaching style was incredibly rigid, yet because everyone present had overcome great difficulties to reach this place, no one dared to show even the slightest bit of negligence, forcing them to listen with absolute focus.

"Students, next we shall examine the major tribulations Sun Wukong faced on the journey to the Western Heaven. Pay attention! I’m tapping the board—these are key points."

"At White Tiger Ridge, the White Bone Spirit transformed three times, attempting to capture Tang Seng, only to be seen through and struck down by Sun Wukong each time. Zhu Bajie seized the opportunity to sow discord, and Tang Seng, unable to distinguish truth from falsehood, banished Sun Wukong. Upon returning to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, Sun Wukong used his magic to slay the thousand hunters encroaching on his home and borrowed celestial nectar from the Four Dragon Kings to wash the mountain green. He replanted elms, willows, pines, and fruit trees, restoring the mountain to its former glory."

"In the Black Pine Forest, Tang Seng was captured by the Yellow-Robed Monster. Fortunately, Princess Baihuaxiu of the Baoxiang Kingdom saved him, releasing Tang Seng and pleading with him to deliver a message to her father so that he might be rescued. Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng were no match for the monster; Sha Seng was captured, and Tang Seng was transformed into a tiger. Zhu Bajie wanted to return to the Gao Village, but after the White Dragon Horse’s earnest persuasion, he went to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit to fetch Sun Wukong. The monkey king subdued the demon, and the four disciples continued their journey west."

"At Lotus Cave in Flat-Top Mountain, the Golden Horned King and Silver Horned King sought to capture Tang Seng, wielding five powerful treasures: the Purple-Gold Red Gourd, the Sheep-Fat Jade Purifying Bottle, the Seven-Star Sword, the Banana Leaf Fan, and the Rope of Immortality. Sun Wukong engaged them in a battle of wits and strength, overcoming numerous hardships before finally subduing the two demons."

"The King of Wuji was drowned in a well by a lion-monster for showing disrespect to the Manjushri Bodhisattva. The lion assumed the King's form. The King's ghost begged Tang Seng for help; Bajie retrieved the corpse from the well, and Wukong obtained a golden elixir from Taishang Laojun to revive him. Together with the Crown Prince of Wuji, they exposed the fake king, revealing the lion-monster to be the mount of Manjushri."

"Red Boy, the son of the Bull Demon King, occupied Fire Cloud Cave, coveting the flesh of Tang Seng. Because Wukong’s fiery eyes were sensitive to smoke, he could not overcome Red Boy’s Samadhi True Fire. He summoned the Bodhisattva to subdue the demon, who then turned Red Boy into the Boy of Good Wealth. In the Black Water River, a crocodile dragon disguised himself as a ferryman to lure Tang Seng and Bajie onto his boat, dragging them into his underwater palace. Sun Wukong sought the help of Moang, the Crown Prince of the West Sea Dragon King, to capture the dragon."

"In the Kingdom of Chechi, the three immortals—Tiger Power, Deer Power, and Sheep Power—were made State Preceptors for their success in bringing rain during a drought, leading the King to honor Taoism and persecute Buddhism. Wukong and his disciples challenged them to a contest of magic, defeating them one by one and forcing them to reveal their true forms."

"A carp from the lotus pond before Guanyin Bodhisattva cultivated into a demon, calling himself the Spirit-Inspiring King, and demanded the sacrifice of children in the Tongtian River. Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie transformed into children to drive him off. The demon froze the river to lure Tang Seng onto the ice, kidnapping him into his underwater palace, until the Bodhisattva arrived to retrieve the spirit back to the Southern Sea."

"Taishang Laojun’s mount, the Green Ox, took advantage of its sleeping keeper to steal the Diamond Snare and descend to earth, capturing Tang Seng in the Golden Helmet Cave. Wukong’s staff was snatched away, and even after he sought reinforcements—the Fire Virtue Star Lord, Li Jing, the Heavenly Host, and the Eighteen Arhats—they all had their weapons stolen by the Green Ox using the snare. Only by seeking out Taishang Laojun was the ox finally subdued."

"The four continued westward. Tang Seng and Zhu Bajie became pregnant after drinking from the Mother-Child River; Sun Wukong defeated the Ruyi Immortal and retrieved water from the Abortion Spring to resolve their condition. When the Queen of the Women's Kingdom attempted to marry Tang Seng, Wukong and his companions tricked her with fake travel documents to continue their journey, only for Tang Seng to be kidnapped by a Scorpion Spirit in the Pipa Cave. Wukong summoned the Mao-Sun Star Lord, who transformed into a giant rooster to force the scorpion to reveal its true form and perish."

"The Six-Eared Macaque took the opportunity to transform into Sun Wukong, stealing their luggage and documents, and turning minor demons into the likenesses of Tang Seng, Bajie, and Sha Seng to deceive the Buddha. The two monkeys fought from the heavens to the underworld; Guanyin, Tang Seng, the heavenly deities, and Ksitigarbha could not distinguish the true from the false. It was only before the Buddha at Thunderclap Monastery that the imposter was revealed, and the Six-Eared Macaque was slain by Sun Wukong."

"The four disciples reconciled and pressed on to the West. At the Flaming Mountains, they sought the Banana Leaf Fan from Princess Iron Fan to extinguish the flames. Resentful that Wukong had sent her son, Red Boy, to the Western Heaven as a servant, she refused. After several battles of wits and strength, and with the help of various gods, they subdued the Princess and the Bull Demon King, extinguished the fire, and continued their journey."

"In the Jisa Kingdom, the disciples cleared their names of a false accusation by sweeping the pagoda. With the aid of Erlang Shen and the Seven Sages of Meishan, they purged the Green Wave Pool, slaying the Myriad-Saint Dragon King and the Princess, and injuring the Nine-Headed Insect."

"At the Lesser Thunderclap Monastery, a boy who beat the chime for Maitreya Buddha stole the Golden Cymbals and the Human-Seed Bag, descending to earth to become the Yellow-Eyed King. He staged a fake monastery to lure the pilgrims, trapping Wukong in the cymbals. He used the bag to capture all of Wukong’s reinforcements—the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Five Dragon Gods, and others. At the critical moment, Maitreya Buddha arrived, tricking the demon into swallowing a watermelon Wukong had transformed into. The demon surrendered, and the Buddha reclaimed his treasures."

"In the Spider Web Cave and the Yellow Flower Temple, Sun Wukong battled the Spider Spirits and the Centipede Spirit, eventually subduing them with the help of the Bilanpo Bodhisattva."

"The Green-Haired Lion, the Yellow-Toothed Elephant, and the Golden-Winged Peng occupied the Lion-Camel Ridge and Kingdom, wielding massive power. Wukong subdued the first two but could not defeat the three combined. Hearing that Tang Seng had been eaten, he went to the Western Heaven to beg the Buddha to remove the tightening fillet. The Buddha revealed the truth and personally led the host of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to conquer the three demons."

"In the Kingdom of Bhikshu, the King was bewitched by a white deer—the mount of the Longevity Star—disguised as the royal father-in-law, who sought to use the hearts of 1,111 children as medicine. Wukong saved the children and defeated the demon, and the Longevity Star arrived to reclaim the deer."

"A golden-nosed white-haired rat spirit in the Bottomless Pit of the Trap-Empty Mountain kidnapped Tang Seng to force him into marriage. Wukong discovered the spirit was the adopted daughter of Li Jing; he went to the heavenly court to lodge a complaint, and Li Jing and Nezha took the spirit back to the heavenly realms for judgment."

"The King of the Kingdom of Extermination vowed to kill 10,000 monks. Wukong used his magic to shave the heads of the King, his queen, and all his officials, prompting the King to turn toward kindness and rename the land the Kingdom of Respecting Monks. In the Hidden Mist Mountain, the Nanshan King sought to eat Tang Seng, but was put to sleep by Wukong’s drowsy insects and finished off by Bajie’s rake."

"The four arrived in the Kingdom of Tianzhu, where the governor sought rain. Wukong discovered the cause, persuaded the governor to do good, and rain fell. They reached Yuhua Prefecture, where they taught the princes martial arts, only to have their weapons stolen by a Yellow Lion Spirit. After retrieving them, the spirit fled to his grandfather, the Nine-Headed Lion, the mount of the Taiyi Savior of Suffering. Wukong traveled to the East Extreme Palace to request the Savior’s help, and the beast was subdued."

"Arriving at the Jinping Prefecture, Tang Seng was abducted during the Lantern Festival by three rhinoceros demons—Pihan, Pishu, and Pichen. Wukong summoned the Four Wood Star Lords to capture and behead them."

"In the heart of Tianzhu, Tang Seng was struck by a silk ball thrown by a fake princess—the Jade Rabbit of the Moon Palace—who wished to marry him. Wukong saw through the ruse, joined forces with the Lunar Star Lord to capture the rabbit, and rescued the real princess."

"At the home of the wealthy Kou in the Tongtai Prefecture, the family was raided and the elder Kou was killed. The pilgrims were imprisoned as bandits; Wukong descended to the underworld to recall the elder's soul, and the truth was laid bare."

"The four disciples endured thousands of hardships and finally reached the sacred land of the Western Heaven. They met the Buddha, but because they offered no gifts to the venerable Ananda and Kasyapa, they were given scriptures without words. The ancient Dipankara Buddha sent the White Bear Venerable to warn them, and they returned to the monastery, offering the purple-gold alms bowl given by the Tang Emperor to obtain the true scriptures—thirty-five collections totaling 5,048 scrolls. However, they were still one trial short of the eighty-one. At the Tongtian River, they were dumped into the water by the Old Turtle, wetting the scrolls."

"Tang Sanzang returned the scriptures to Chang'an, and his true body returned to the Western Heaven. For his immense contributions, Sun Wukong was titled the Buddha Victorious in Strife, and Bajie, Sha Seng, and the White Dragon Horse were also honored. The five became enlightened, sharing in eternal bliss."

"Thus, the story of the Buddha Victorious in Strife and the journey to the West essentially concludes."

Hua Feng thought to himself: *Oh, give me a break! You’ve just had us review the entire Journey to the West. After these hours of non-stop lecturing, what on earth was the point of all this?*