"No!"
The Green-Maned Lion was a million times unwilling.
He was the majestic mount of Manjushri Bodhisattva.
Although he was still someone's plaything beneath their crotch, even a dog had to consider its master.
Even as a mount, he was Manjushri's mount.
How could he be toyed with by a mere monkey from the wilderness?
Moreover, the Green-Maned Lion of that year was one of the esteemed Seven Immortals who served the Jie Sect.
He commanded the Taiji formation within the Myriad Immortals Formation.
A natural ancient exotic beast.
Speaking of which, he was a solid innate spirit.
It was just that during the Battle of Investiture of the Gods, the Jie Sect was defeated.
The Green-Maned Lion was defeated by Manjushri with the Pangu Banner and subsequently became Manjushri's mount.
To be frank, the Green-Maned Lion's strength was not weak.
His defeat was mainly thanks to the Pangu Banner.
That was one of the three great innate supreme treasures.
It was formed from the blade of the Pangu Axe, possessing the strongest offensive attributes in the world.
Even Saints would be wary of it, let alone a mere Golden Immortal!
But it was also that battle that shattered the Green-Maned Lion's spirit.
From then on, he wholeheartedly converted to Buddhism and willingly became Manjushri's plaything.
However, even so, as one of the Seven Immortals serving the Grandmaster of Heaven, the Green-Maned Lion still possessed pride.
At the very least, he would never easily lower himself to a rising star like Sun Wukong!
"Your master has already left."
As the Green-Maned Lion was lost in thought, Sun Kong suddenly said.
"Hmph!"
The Green-Maned Lion raised his head, exuding an untamed demeanor.
His massive body resembled the Giant Spirit God, and his green fur fluttered in the wind.
If this were a lion pride, he would undoubtedly be the king of lions.
Especially that pride made the Green-Maned Lion look incredibly handsome!
It was no wonder Manjushri doted on him so much.
Even when the Green-Maned Lion committed monstrous sins in Shituoling, he was only reprimanded and let off the hook.
Speaking of Shituoling, Sun Kong, who was familiar with Journey to the West, couldn't help but shudder.
"Skeletons form ridges, and bones pile up like a forest."
"Human hair becomes felt, and human flesh rots into mud."
"Human sinews hang on trees, dry and bright as silver."
Truly a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood!
Even the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, was genuinely startled.
One could imagine how terrifying the environment of Shituoling was.
After all, the Green-Maned Lion was a disciple of Buddhism.
Even if he descended to the mortal realm as a demon, he should have retained at least a shred of Buddhist nature.
But in the end, the entire Shituo Kingdom, with its one hundred thousand inhabitants, was devoured.
Calling his actions monstrous sins was an understatement.
Such a murderer should be ground to ashes and never be reborn.
However, the Green-Maned Lion's ending greatly exceeded everyone's expectations.
He was unharmed!
That's right, after returning to Spirit Mountain, the Green-Maned Lion was still Manjushri's mount.
Although he didn't achieve a divine rank or golden body like Tang Sanzang and his disciples.
Yet, after committing such heinous crimes, he emerged completely unscathed.
Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing reportedly burst into tears on the spot!
They had merely flirted with Chang'e and broken a lamp.
The gap between deities was sometimes greater than the gap between deities and the Heavenly Hound!
"You insolent monkey!"
"Do not think that just because my master lent me to you, you are qualified to command me."
"You are but a mere stone monkey from the wilderness, with neither divine status nor merit. How are you fit to ride me?"
"If you know what's good for you, leave Spirit Mountain quickly and do not defile this sacred place!"
The Green-Maned Lion was utterly unapologetic.
As soon as Manjushri left, he dared to insult Sun Kong.
His own master was exceedingly polite to Sun Kong; how could he, a mere plaything beneath his crotch, be so arrogant?
"Divine status?"
"Merit?"
"Since when did cultivators value such superficial things?"
"When you were one of the Seven Immortals serving the Jie Sect, did you ever fear the status of Manjushri and the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect?"
"After being a dog for so many years, you've truly started to think of yourself as one!"
"Whether I can ride you depends not on divine status or merit."
"But on my fists!"
Sun Kong sneered, revealing his true form.
He couldn't defeat Manjushri, but couldn't he teach Manjushri's dog a lesson?
"Bang!"
Suddenly, a thunderous explosion resounded.
The normally tranquil Spirit Mountain was instantly swept by winds and clouds.
A boundless spiritual energy erupted from Sun Kong's body.
He was like a whirlwind, and devastating winds surged outwards from him, centered on him.
In an instant, the Green-Maned Lion was blasted a hundred zhang away.
"Such strong wind pressure!"
"This cultivation level... has he truly achieved Taiyi Golden Immortal?"
The Green-Maned Lion was greatly shocked.
It had been hundreds of thousands of years since the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods.
He was already a Golden Immortal back then, and he remained a Golden Immortal now.
It wasn't that the Green-Maned Lion's cultivation talent was poor, but cultivation was an extremely time-consuming endeavor.
Even the Jade Emperor cultivated for two hundred and twenty-six million eight hundred thousand years to achieve Quasi-Saint status.
A mere few hundred thousand years was fleeting.
However, Sun Wukong had only been born for three hundred and forty-three years.
During this time, he spent three hundred years simply playing idly.
The true cultivation time was only the ten years spent in Fangcun Mountain, at the Xieyue Sanxing Cave.
In ten years, Sun Wukong achieved a realm that countless deities could only dream of.
Such transcendent talent could not be described as heaven-defying; it should be called terrifying!
In fact, even without the system's help, Sun Wukong's innate talent was already astonishing.
After all, not just anyone could easily reach the Golden Immortal realm.
However, the strength Sun Kong was currently displaying was even more terrifying.
Merely with wind pressure, he had terrified the Green-Maned Lion.
He, who had been so full of pride just moments ago, was now as docile as a kitten.
[Ding, Host has shocked the Green-Maned Lion, rewarded: Ten Thousand Beasts Stampede (Divine Ability)]
"Heh heh!"
"A bully who preys on the weak."
Sun Kong sneered disdainfully.
He had no time to attend to the system's reward. Seizing the moment when the Green-Maned Lion feared him was the best opportunity to subdue this beast.
While Spirit Mountain was important, matters in the human world could not be neglected.
Especially the Bull Demon King.
He was a being capable of rivaling Sun Wukong.
But more importantly, he was Sun Wukong's sworn elder brother.
This sacred land of Buddhism should have had a divine rank for the Bull Demon King, but he had given it up.
Since Sun Kong had transmigrated, he would absolutely not allow the tragedy to repeat itself.
"Everything else can be discussed."
"Only the Bull Demon King's habit of acting like a master is the most difficult to handle."
"If not for his habit of acting like a master, he wouldn't have ended up as a prisoner!"
"Alas, my heart, for my brothers, is truly worn out!"
Sun Kong shook his head and rode the Green-Maned Lion away from Spirit Mountain.
He wasn't worried about not being able to return, for after all, the vast Spirit Mountain, though the monks could run, the temple remained.
It was just that the next time he returned, Spirit Mountain would not have only one stubborn resident.
At least two!