"Supreme Lord of the Lesser Vehicle Buddhist Sect, Tathagata Buddha, you are a supreme figure renowned throughout the Three Realms. Why, even now, can you not comprehend the actions of various saints?"
"Heh heh heh, I truly pity you. Perhaps, even until now, you still believe that the others who incited you to lodge a complaint are all delaying that Lingming Stone Monkey for your sake?"
The monkey spoke with astonishing prescience, his mere two sentences laying bare Tathagata's recent encounters and the unattended situation in his rear.
Upon hearing this, Tathagata was greatly alarmed.
A brief calculation.
He even deduced that Sun Kong had bribed everyone with a pot of sacred water soup.
His heart raged.
Utterly furious.
But compared to the crisis in his rear, the monkey's various acts of whistleblowing were more deliberate. Drawing upon years of cultivation experience, Tathagata instinctively prepared to use his Buddha's Eye.
To discern this monkey's origin and motives.
Unexpectedly.
He, a quasi-saint of the lower grade, who could employ the "Three Spirits Buddha Eye" capable of observing the heavens, earth, and mortal realms, the most powerful Buddha's Eye in Buddhism besides the two sect leaders.
Yet, he could not see through this monkey at all!
Even.
If he forced himself to look longer, a terrifying and bizarre power within the monkey's primordial spirit would rebound, even injuring him, Tathagata Buddha!
"What kind of monkey are you?"
"You should have been an ordinary Fierce and Restless Four-Eyed Macaque, a Six-Eared Macaque. Why have you undergone some fortuitous encounter and transformed?"
"Speak, before this Buddha, no scheme or conspiracy can hide. Confess voluntarily, and there is still hope. Otherwise, this Buddha will not hesitate to act on behalf of heaven and eliminate you, an anomaly that defies the heavenly mandate!"
Tathagata was indeed Tathagata.
Although, in his single-minded pursuit of complaint, he had overlooked the surrender of the other Buddhas, and his cultivation was insufficient to discern the cause of the Six-Eared Macaque's transformation.
However, this was, after all, the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the main stage of Buddhism.
The passive amplification was ninety percent.
External demons and heretics would be weakened by ninety percent.
The net effect was a one hundred and eighty percent increase in the combat power of the Buddhist adherents!
Coupled with Tathagata being the third-in-command of Buddhism, his decree to subdue demons was truly a decree to subdue demons. Apart from the saints, no one dared to question him.
These few casual questions unleashed waves of magical power, akin to the force of collapsing heavens and earth, surging towards the unusual Six-Eared Macaque!
If this strike landed, regardless of any fortuitous encounters or transformations the Six-Eared Macaque might have undergone, he could not possibly contend with Tathagata, whose cultivation was far superior to a Grand Unity Golden Immortal.
This was Tathagata's prediction.
And his intention.
To the extent that he had not even considered unleashing the ultimate divine abilities of his two corporeal embodiments, but was calmly awaiting the outcome.
But suddenly!
The Six-Eared Macaque, who should have been easily subdued, not only remained unharmed but, with a bizarre smile, retreated rapidly, moving as if in his own domain within the Buddhist stronghold.
This instantly shocked Tathagata!
"You Six-Eared Macaque are contaminated with demonic energy?"
"This is impossible!"
"Long ago, after the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation and before the Lich Tribulation, during the struggle between Taoism and Demonism, the Demon Ancestor Luohu was annihilated by the Ancestor of Taoism, Hongjun. It is impossible for any orthodox demonic energy to remain."
"Even the three who claim direct lineage from the Demon Ancestor Luohu, Patriarch Minghe, Patriarch Huangquan, and Patriarch Youming, have not cultivated such orthodox demonic energy. How can you, a mere Six-Eared Macaque, possess it..."
Tathagata's shock might matter to others, but it seemed to elicit no surprise or fright from the Six-Eared Macaque.
Instead, it made the Six-Eared Macaque smile even more triumphantly!
"Good Tathagata, bad Tathagata, but neither can control Sun Wukong normally, let alone foresee my future. No wonder you were so terrified when I didn't obediently await the Journey to the West and become your pawn, playing the game of real and fake Sun Wukong?"
"Heh heh, let's not talk about these things. There's nothing to say to a fool like you. I've already given the reminders and warnings I needed to give."
"Whether you listen or not is your business. Whether Lingshan perishes or the Journey to the West falters is also your business. I won't worry too much about it."
"Listen carefully!"
"The powerful figure behind me has also noticed that Sun Wukong, and the Journey to the West concocted by you and the Heavenly Court. I hope you will pay more attention in the future, otherwise, if your merits are stolen one day, do not blame us for being ruthless!"
After saying this.
The Six-Eared Macaque, who should have been restricted by the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, or rather, the new Six-Eared Macaque who had undergone a fortuitous encounter and cultivated bizarre demonic energy.
Without waiting for Tathagata to truly exert his power and capture him, he seemed utterly unafraid of the Buddhist restrictions. With a few leaps and bounds, he vanished from Tathagata's sight.
Seeing this, Tathagata instinctively moved to prostrate again at the gates of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss to inform the two sect leaders.
But was rejected once more!
Helpless, Tathagata could only return to Lingshan, carrying his worries about the return of demonic energy, his exasperation with Sun Kong, the troublemaker, and other complex emotions.
As soon as he landed.
As expected, it was just as the new Six-Eared Macaque had said. His desperate plea for help was in vain, and the two sages had closed their doors to him. He returned exhausted to find a scene of utter devastation.
Where was this Lingshan anymore?
Looking at the vegetables, fruits, and sacred water soup scattered everywhere, it was no different from a Peach Banquet that, while not happening in the Heavenly Court, was indeed taking place in Lingshan!
"Damn impudent monkey! You claimed to have joined early to repay the favor of my and Patriarch Bodhi's and Empress Nuwa's patronage, but in the end, you're treating me like the Jade Emperor to play with?"
"This time, you could bribe Randeng and others to grant you the power to arbitrarily bestow Buddhahood. Next time, will you even depose this Buddha and make me your slave?"
"This Journey to the West originally concerned the interests of many people. How is it that in the end, only this pitiful soul truly cares?"
As the Buddha, Tathagata had long since eradicated his worldly desires and should not have been prone to anger and outbursts. But this time, feeling too wronged, he could not bear it.
After much thought.
Tathagata, without informing anyone of his return, while holding his aching head, took a few leaps and headed towards his first master, the one he was most ashamed to face.
Towards Mount Jinao, where the Sect Leader Tongtian resided!
...
Meanwhile.
The new Six-Eared Macaque did not return to his original desolate northern region of the heavenly realm.
Instead, he arrived in a region at the junction of the southwestern corner of the Immortal Realm and the southwestern corner of the Mortal Realm, one of the Three Realms.
This place, being extremely remote, was likely unknown to ordinary people. However, in reality, it was a demonic land from ancient times.
Simply put.
This was one of the thirteen backup strongholds specially established by the Demon Ancestor Luohu before he was defeated and annihilated by the Ancestor of Taoism, Hongjun.
The other twelve strongholds were either too conspicuous, destroyed by Ancestor Hongjun, or by the six great saints beneath Hongjun.
Only this one had been preserved to this day!
"Master Brother Six-Eared has returned?"
As soon as the new Six-Eared Macaque landed, three old fellows, whose cultivation was not inferior to Tathagata's, greeted him with such reverence!