Chapter 1 Summer of the 28.8017 Billionth Year of Honghuang Era.
It was also the day that Jin Chanzi, eighteen years old and having survived the tribulation of life and death, officially received the imperial title of Imperial Brother from Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin.
Seeing the surging emotions of the crowd, Emperor Taizong of Tang dared not delay and proactively handed over the floor to Jin Chanzi and Guang Chengzi.
Upon seeing this, Jin Chanzi and Guang Chengzi did not hesitate.
Jin Chanzi stepped forward and simply expounded the principles of the Journey to the West to obtain scriptures.
"This humble monk is untalented, having received the Dharma transmission from the Tathagata Buddha in the past, and later receiving teachings from the acting Vice Buddha, Great Sage Sun, of Spirit Mountain. I deeply understand the ignorance of the common people, their sinking into the sea of suffering, and the difficulty of educating them solely through secular morality."
"At the same time, in order to comply with the will of Heaven, I humbly request Your Majesty to grant permission for this humble monk to journey west to obtain scriptures. The purpose is threefold."
"Firstly, to obtain the true scriptures, educate the populace, and report to Great Tang, and report to the common people."
"To prevent the citizens of Great Tang from continuing to fall into the sea of reincarnation."
"Secondly, to comply with the will of Heaven, complete the tribulation of the Journey to the West, and simultaneously allow every ally who helps this humble monk to receive the corresponding merit, and in the future, together support the human race and uphold the righteous path."
"Though this humble monk is untalented, I have countless allies by my side. I implore the people of the Great Tang Empire and all beings in the three realms of Honghuang to see clearly and not make the wrong judgment."
"Thirdly, and more importantly, to eradicate heavenly deviators like Li Chunfeng, Yuan Tiangang, and Yuan Shoucheng, who dare to defile the righteous path by using their Daoist identities."
"As Great Sage Sun once said, there are three thousand great Daos, and none is absolutely correct. We should absorb as many useful Daos as possible to benefit the people and serve the nation."
"Originally, we would not discriminate against the immortals of the Heavenly Court, nor the gods. However, most of them have been led astray by the Jade Emperor, daring to collude with demons and the corrupted Jie Sect."
"Such actions, are they not a misfortune for the three realms of Honghuang, and for every citizen of the Great Tang Empire?"
"Fortunately, although the demonic path is rampant and the Heavenly Court and Jie Sect have acted against righteousness, there are still those like my Buddha Tathagata, Great Sage Sun, Primordial Heavenly Venerate, and Empress Nuwa who continue to uphold the righteous path."
"The citizens of Great Tang are fortunate."
"The humans of the three realms of Honghuang are fortunate."
"We, countless beings who adhere to the righteous path and abandon the demonic path, are also fortunate!"
Jin Chanzi's words, as expected, once again shocked the six Sages, the powers that be, and countless beings in the three realms of Honghuang.
Not for any other reason.
It was because he had completely abandoned the overly pedantic and overly lofty pronouncements of the original Journey to the West, no longer blindly promoting the Western Teachings and praising the Two Sages of the West, etc.
Instead, he had adopted a populist approach.
Anyone with a bit of intelligence could hear that Jin Chanzi thanked many people, but deliberately omitted any mention of the antagonistic Sect Master Tongtian, nor the Two Sages of the Western Teachings, who were technically Tathagata's superiors.
Sun Kong and his group naturally knew the reason for this, but those who were unaware of the internal affairs paid closer attention.
In the eyes of the six Sages, Jin Chanzi's actions were more than just courting death; it was as if he had attended Sun Kong's death-courting training class.
How could such a prominent disciple of Tathagata, an elite of the Lesser Vehicle Buddhism indirectly taught by the Two Sages of the Western Teachings, suddenly be so…
"What exactly does this Sun Monkey want to do?"
"We are forced to remain neutral, yet our support for him has not diminished. Could it be that because Tathagata is gone and we cannot revive him, he is instigating Jin Chanzi to spout such nonsense?"
"Brother, regarding such a major matter, do you not intend to have Randeng intervene? If this continues, and they do not thank us for their Journey to the West, what is the reasoning behind that?"
Zhunti Daoist, one of the Two Sages of the Western Teachings, finally couldn't help but curse loudly.
It was also the first time he questioned whether it was a mistake to choose Sun Kong as his disciple all those years ago.
Hearing this, the other, Jieyin Daoist, did not speak. He simply frowned and silently calculated, trying to ascertain if Sun Kong had instigated Jin Chanzi.
However, the result was…
Even he was speechless!
"Junior Brother, stop talking. It seems Sun Monkey did not instigate Jin Chanzi this time. It is entirely due to our past mishandling of affairs at Spirit Mountain, first losing Tathagata, and then allowing the new Flower Fruit Mountain to truly establish itself."
"Although Jin Chanzi is arrogant, he indeed has the capital for his arrogance."
"This matter must ultimately be smoothed over by Randeng. It is inconvenient for us to intervene directly. But Randeng, as the second Patriarch of Ten Thousand Buddhas after Tathagata, how can he sit idly by and do nothing?"
Because he was in a bad mood, Jieyin Daoist revealed a hint of human-like anger for the first time. After speaking, he summoned his most trusted eldest disciple.
It was none other than Maitreya Buddha, who held a dual identity: the eldest disciple of Jieyin Daoist, an elite of the Greater Vehicle Buddhism, and a Buddha among the Three Thousand Buddhas of Spirit Mountain, the Patriarch of the Lesser Vehicle Buddhism.
"Master, your disciple has arrived. May I know your command?"
"Could it be about Senior Brother Randeng…"
Maitreya Buddha's face was all smiles, appearing harmless, but in reality, both in cultivation and intellect, he was one of the rare capable figures among the Buddhas of Spirit Mountain.
However, due to various reasons, he deliberately kept a low profile, allowing Buddha Tathagata and Buddha Randeng to surpass him.
Few people knew that he was actually the third-in-command of Spirit Mountain!
"It's about Jin Chanzi."
"For the specifics, you can find out from Randeng. Remember, it is best to resolve this matter peacefully, without resorting to force, to avoid internal conflict within Buddhism, which would be a laughing matter."
"Furthermore, the tribulation of the Journey to the West is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. You must be even more cautious with the 53rd tribulation and others that you are responsible for."
"Tathagata is gone, but Randeng remains. However, if Randeng also remains withdrawn and does not do his part, you will have to have a good talk with that Sun Monkey."
"Regardless, the Greater Vehicle Buddhism and the Lesser Vehicle Buddhism are all members of my Western Teachings. Seeking him out will at most involve enduring some annoyance, which is far better than letting the demonic path succeed."
It seemed that Jieyin Daoist was also a pragmatist.
Hearing this, Maitreya Buddha did not dare to delay. He left the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss to find Randeng, and also to find Sun Kong, to discuss this matter!
…
In Chang'an City.
Amidst the cheers and farewells of a million citizens, Jin Chanzi finally took his first step out of Great Tang on his journey to the West to obtain scriptures.
However, this time, he did not need Emperor Taizong to send some mortal guards for protection, nor did he trouble ordinary soldiers.
Instead, he brought a super-powered escort!
Leading the protection for this leg of Jin Chanzi's journey was none other than Chan Master Wuchao.
Others included Sun Kong's second brother, Wu Zhiqi, his third brother, Zhou Wuxian, and the remaining seven of the Eight Immortals of the Chan Sect, excluding Guang Chengzi, the new Imperial Advisor.
The strength of the lineup was formidable.
It was comparable to the battle between the Chan and Jie Sects during the Investiture of the Gods tribulation, truly unparalleled!
Upon seeing this, the seven Heavenly Court immortals stationed around Fu'an Temple in Hezhouwei were suddenly filled with panic!
They had been ordered to lie in ambush, thinking this mission would be incredibly simple, expecting to snatch the merit of the Journey to the West in minutes.
They could no longer smile.
Sun Kong's approach this time was akin to using a cannon to swat a mosquito.
Extremely insulting, and even more damaging!