[System Notification] The host inadvertently inquired about the Kapilavastu Kingdom in the mortal realm and the Sakyamuni Mountain, shocking Tathagata, who is related to this place, making him feel that his great secret could not be kept.
[System Notification] Out of helplessness, Tathagata prepared to tell the host the origin of this matter, and an ultimate secret related to Sakyamuni Mountain!
[Reward] One of Tathagata's thousands of innate spiritual treasures!
Seeing Tathagata's ashen face, Sun Kong had no mood to check the usual shocking rewards. He kept questioning.
Finally.
A great secret was indeed revealed from Tathagata's mouth!
A great secret related to Tathagata himself.
It was also a great secret closely related to the future of Lesser Vehicle Buddhism and the future Medicine Buddha.
It was also an ultimate secret related to the future destiny of the beings on Spirit Mountain!
"Kong Kong, do you still remember when you wanted my left-hand seat but were blocked by everyone?"
"Of course, I remember. But didn't we change seats later? I've been the Acting Vice Buddha since then. What does this have to do with that Sakyamuni Mountain?"
"The connection is profound. To put it deeply, Sakyamuni Mountain was chosen by the two saints of the Western Teachings as a Buddhist mountain for me when they took a fancy to me, in preparation for Lesser Vehicle Buddhism to establish itself in the娑婆 (Suōpó) Pure Land in the future."
"This is a crucial step for our Lesser Vehicle Buddhism to survive the Journey to the West calamity and flourish in the future."
"To put it shallowly, it is related to whether I can sever my three corpses, and more importantly, whether the future Medicine Buddha can descend. Without it, it's fine for me personally, but if the future Medicine Buddha cannot descend, our Lesser Vehicle Buddhism will never achieve perfection."
"I know your Buddha heart is pure and your Buddha nature is deep. Although you usually like to court death and shock others for amusement, your true intention is still towards your own kind."
"Therefore, I will tell you everything from beginning to end!"
As they spoke, both Sun Kong and Tathagata showed unprecedented solemnity. Because of their cooperation over the past five hundred years, the previous friction and conflicts were gone. Instead, another kind of affection, comparable to the mother-son bond between Sun Kong and Nuwa, had been cultivated: the bond between foster father and adopted son!
Under this, Sun Kong was unusually docile for the first time, listening obediently, without causing trouble or courting death.
Tathagata, too, revealed the ultimate secret of Sakyamuni Mountain without reservation for the first time.
What he said was as follows.
Kapilavastu Kingdom!
An inconspicuous kingdom among the myriad kingdoms in the mortal realm, with a total population of less than a million, but behind it lay a destined place of opportunity chosen for Tathagata by the two saints of the Western Teachings after the Investiture of the Gods calamity.
Sakyamuni Mountain!
A small mound, no more than a thousand zhang high and a hundred li in circumference, even shorter than the shortest mountain in the Immortal Realm, yet it was an important Buddhist mountain related to the future of Lesser Vehicle Buddhism.
This matter traced back to the Investiture of the Gods calamity tens of millions of years ago.
Back then, the Human Teachings and Chan Teachings joined forces to defeat the Jie Teachings, but they also suffered heavy losses. The Twelve Golden Immortals collectively lost their cultivation and had to re-cultivate.
Among them, four individuals, who were now the Four Great Bodhisattvas like Guanyin on Spirit Mountain, had an affinity with the Western Teachings and were converted by Daoist Zhunti.
On the Jie Teachings' side, their foremost inner disciple, Daoist Duobao, having an even deeper karmic connection with the Western Teachings and possessing immense cultivation, was converted by the two sect leaders personally.
On the day of the actual conversion, the Sage Taiqing, Laozi, sensed it. To prevent the Daoist sect from completely losing such a top disciple as Duobao, he sent his evil corpse, Laozi.
Laozi, leading a green ox, escorted Daoist Duobao out of the border between the Southern Jambu Continent and the Western Niuhe Continent, Hangu Pass.
This was the so-called "transforming barbarians into Buddhas"!
Afterward, the two saints of the Western Teachings discovered from Daoist Duobao that besides his deep affinity with the Western Teachings, he also carried the karma of establishing his own sect and becoming its leader.
That is, the current Spirit Mountain, the Great Thunderclap Temple, or, to put it more directly, Lesser Vehicle Buddhism!
"What happened next?"
"Isn't Spirit Mountain doing well in the Western Niuhe Continent? Why would we go to the so-called 娑婆净土?"
"Little Lai Lai, tell me honestly, would our Lesser Vehicle Buddhism prosper even more if we went there, and even surpass the Greater Vehicle Buddhism?"
"Could it even make you the eighth Saint?"
After hearing half of it, Sun Kong's eyes gleamed. Combining Tathagata's confession with his memories from his past life, he couldn't help but recall various plots from popular prehistoric fantasy novels.
Indeed.
Although Lesser Vehicle Buddhism was small, due to Tathagata, it had the potential to surpass Greater Vehicle Buddhism and achieve unlimited growth!
This was not just fabricated by those authors.
It was real.
Moreover, judging from Tathagata's words, if this matter succeeded, not only would he have a chance to become the eighth Saint and Lesser Vehicle Buddhism could fully separate from the Western Teachings, but even Sun Kong and other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas could ascend to heaven and achieve unprecedented advancements.
Setting aside others.
His original title of Victorious Fighting Buddha would likely be changed to Victorious Fighting Buddha Ancestor.
Or even higher!
Upon thinking of this.
Sun Kong's entire being became fervent. If it weren't for the fact that he was talking to the most trusted Tathagata, he might have disregarded everything and resorted to two more courting death methods to stir up trouble!
"Kong Kong, there's no need for you to be so excited. Although this matter has a certain possibility, the path to becoming a Saint is extremely difficult and complex. How can a Sakyamuni Mountain and a 娑婆净土 be enough?"
"Good boy, good boy, sit beside your foster father and listen to him carefully."
"After I finish telling you this matter, it will be equivalent to revealing heavenly secrets in advance, and I will be punished by heavenly retribution. Don't cry, you can use this opportunity to go to the mortal realm and monitor those people for me."
After five hundred years of tempering, Tathagata was no longer as easily provoked into rage and losing his composure by Sun Kong's words as he was back then.
This time, he seemed more like a Buddha.
However, to his surprise, Sun Kong chuckled and, with a single sentence, almost reverted Tathagata to his former self!
"Foster father, I'm not crying. This was my plan all along. Whether there's heavenly retribution or not, I'll have to trouble you to go down."
"Don't flatter yourself too much..."
Before he could finish, Tathagata's defenses were breached.
He immediately cursed!
"Enough!"
"Stop talking! I understand everything. You kid, after five hundred years, you still love courting death, acting so wildly, and constantly opposing me. Do you think you'll get away with it?"
"Sit properly and listen to my teachings obediently. If you dare to interrupt me again, believe it or not, I won't take you to 娑婆净土 in the future!"
Tathagata was once again angered by Sun Kong's courting death nature.
However, fortunately, Sun Kong didn't provoke him too much this time; it was just a small joke. Seeing Tathagata so angry that his beard was puffed out, Sun Kong quickly resumed his docile demeanor.
Seeing this, Tathagata finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued.
He spoke of how his presided 娑婆净土 must be presented with the reliance on Sakyamuni Mountain.
He also spoke of how the future Medicine Buddha's descent would be hoped for after the construction of the 娑婆净土.
And further mentioned that Sakyamuni Mountain also had a great connection with Sun Kong!