Sun Kong, as an exception, tore apart a total of eighty-one monkey hairs to create a monkey hair clone with a hundred times the power, for the sake of Tathagata's reincarnation.
Then.
He whispered a few words into its ear and, with a casual gesture, handed it the "Book of Earth" he had obtained from Zhen Yuanzi a few days prior, instructing it to deliver it to Tathagata!
"This journey will be without disaster or tribulation. No one will pay much attention to such an out-of-the-way place, but you must not be careless in protecting Tathagata's reincarnation."
"You need to do this, and then this, do you understand?"
The monkey hair clone dared not slack off and respectfully received the order before setting off.
As it was not as fast as Sun Kong's Chaos Acrobatic Cloud.
Therefore, it took a full three months for the monkey hair clone to traverse the temporal rift from the New Flower-Fruit Mountain to the realm of Earth Immortals and the mortal world. After passing through the rift, it arrived at the Mount Sakyamuni in the mortal realm.
As soon as it landed.
Before it could even sense the residual demonic energy, it faintly perceived that this seemingly dead mountain, Mount Sakyamuni, harbored a seed beyond ordinary imagination.
That seed was incredibly resilient.
It was taking root and sprouting.
The seed possessed an innate, supreme Buddha-heart, Buddha-nature, and Buddha-principle.
Truly worthy of growing in a place filled with dense demonic energy, amidst the machinations of the New Six-Eared Macaque and others.
It could truly be said to be unstained by the mud it grew from.
This moved the monkey hair clone deeply!
And so.
Following Sun Kong's instructions, the monkey hair clone unfurled the "Book of Earth," forming a yellowish-brown shield that masked heavenly secrets.
It guarded the seed for nine days and nights.
Initially, it shielded it from the wind and sun.
Midway, it removed the biting insects and devouring grass.
By the end, after enduring nine days and nights of wind and frost, the seed finally seemed to have accumulated enough strength. It sprouted and took root rapidly, and from within it came a sigh that had been absent for a long time.
It was none other than.
The voice of Tathagata himself from that past era!
"This Buddha-Ancestor has finally succeeded in reincarnating, a cause for great celebration. Hmm? Isn't this a monkey hair clone of my adopted son, Sun Houzi?"
"I never imagined that the one who cared most for me was not the Buddhas of Spirit Mountain, nor the Two Sages of the West, but you."
"So be it, this Buddha-Ancestor shall now manifest and cultivate anew. Though it will be arduous, it is far better than being chilled to death by the indifferent gazes of the Buddhas of Spirit Mountain."
"With this tribulation, this Buddha-Ancestor has not only transcended the original Spirit Mountain and the Lesser Vehicle Buddhism but has also thoroughly severed the karma of the Elder Lord transforming the barbarians into Buddhism."
"This can be considered a blessing from karma!"
After a few moments of reflection, the seemingly ordinary seed split open into nine petals, each emitting a fragrant lotus aroma.
In the blink of an eye, it restored the Mount Sakyamuni, which had been polluted by demonic energy, and the entire Kapilavastu, which had been abandoned and emptied.
This demonstrated Tathagata's immense power!
Following this.
A naked infant leaped forth. He had eyes like lightning, brows like swords, radiated golden light, possessed an awe-inspiring presence, and could travel a thousand miles in a single step, inspiring billions of worship.
He pointed his right finger to the heavens and his left finger to the earth.
Just as he was about to utter the phrase, "In heaven and on earth, I alone am honored."
He was suddenly struck with a sharp crack by the nearby monkey hair clone!
"Ouch! Who dared to knock on this Buddha-Ancestor's head? Don't they know that knocking on a Buddha's head is a capital offense? Don't they know that knocking on a child's head will stunt his growth?"
Perhaps due to reincarnation, Tathagata's reincarnated form lacked the solemnity, seriousness, authority, and gravitas of his past life. Instead, he possessed a more playful and lively disposition.
He was no longer like the Tathagata Buddha of old, who would wield his authority at the drop of a hat.
He was more like a newborn child.
But it had to be said that compared to the Tathagata Buddha of the past, who clung to his pride and suffered for it, and who had been tormented by Sun Kong to the point of tears, he truly loved his current self.
The monkey hair clone, seeing that Tathagata's reincarnation had indeed successfully manifested, even exhibiting some of Sun Kong's mischievous personality, was inwardly delighted.
However, he relayed his本体 Sun Kong's words, instantly intimidating the reincarnated Tathagata!
"My master said that your successful reincarnation today is due in no small part to my protection and care. Therefore, you must listen carefully from now on and not mess things up."
"Otherwise, before you can cultivate to become a Buddha again and establish the Pure Land of Sukhavati, my master will absolutely annihilate you in an instant, forcing you to reincarnate once more."
After these two simple warnings, the reincarnated Tathagata was indeed quite frightened. Although he grumbled inwardly, thinking that Sun Kong, his adopted son, was being dishonorable by bullying him before he had recovered from his reincarnation.
Yet, outwardly, he truly did not dare to offend this adopted son.
If nothing else.
Just the fact that he could accurately predict his reincarnation time and dispatch someone to protect him showed that this adopted son's strength was growing by the day. He was certainly not someone he could contend with before achieving Buddhahood for the second time.
"Even heroes avoid immediate confrontations."
"Moreover, this Buddha-Ancestor is someone who has seen the world. I absolutely cannot anger this volatile, self-destructive Sun Monkey."
"Otherwise, if I were truly to be reincarnated by him again, who knows how long it would take to recover in the next life."
Thinking this.
The reincarnated Tathagata dared not offer any rebuttal. Instead, he obediently followed Sun Kong's arrangements, acting exactly as instructed.
"My master said that although you have severed the karma of Lesser Vehicle Buddhism and the Elder Lord transforming barbarians into Buddhism, you still have the karma of the Pure Land of Sukhavati, so you must not be careless."
"The mortal realm is hardly monitored by any gods, Buddhas, immortals, or demons. The New Six-Eared Macaque and his cohorts have also left in haste. Since you have been reborn here, make this your base and develop slowly. Don't be reckless, and don't rush into large-scale battles."
"This 'Book of Earth' is temporarily lent to you. You can use it well until you have an opportunity to leave. It will be sufficient to ward off threats below the Quasi-Sage level."
"From now on, you are no longer Tathagata Buddha, nor Duobao Daoist. You should simply change your title and call yourself Sakyamuni."
"Although Kapilavastu and that Mount Sakyamuni are empty and devoid of luck, they are the most suitable places for you to start anew and cultivate. I hope you cherish this opportunity. If you encounter any other troubles, remember to notify us."
Having said this, the monkey hair clone did not linger. He temporarily lent the "Book of Earth" to the reincarnated Tathagata, Sakyamuni.
Then, it exploded on its own, transforming into eighty-one monkey hairs that scattered around Mount Sakyamuni.
This served as a final layer of protection for his adopted father.
Seeing this.
Sakyamuni could not help but shed a few tears, and thus began his long journey of recovery and cultivation!
...
On the other side.
The Golden Cicada, cast into a wooden basin and adrift, had not recovered his cultivation and had no protection. However, he had passed through the journey relatively smoothly.
Furthermore, as days turned into months, he was able to drink water and eat fish as an infant, finally not suffering too much.
Three months later.
Due to the Pangu's essence blood within him, the Golden Cicada developed rapidly.
He prematurely grew into a handsome young man.
And recovered one-tenth of his cultivation.
Just as he was about to go ashore to personally seek out Chan Master Wuchao.
He was suddenly ambushed by a group of bandits!