Upon their first meeting, Sun Kong launched into a barrage of taunts.
Jin Chanzi was stunned. He had no quarrel with Sun Kong, so why the harsh words? Although Jin Chanzi was merely an elder, he had cultivated in Ling Shan for hundreds of thousands of years. He was originally one of the ten ancient demonic insects, the Six-Winged Golden Cicada, existing since the primordial dawn of creation. In fact, Jin Chanzi was significantly older than the Great Sage Buddha. It was only after being subdued by the Buddha that he began cultivating Buddhist Dharma. After such a long period of cultivation, if he were to be angered by Sun Kong's few taunts, then all his training would have been in vain.
"Amitabha," Jin Chanzi said with a gentle smile, immediately striking back. "Although my cultivation is not high, as the second disciple under my Buddha, I dare not be lazy. On the other hand, you, monkey, have spoken ill of me upon our first meeting. No wonder my Buddha is unwilling to accept you into his fold."
Sun Kong was taken aback. With Jin Chanzi's quick wit and adaptability in verbal sparring, he was in no way comparable to the dull-witted Tang Sanzang. It was as if an entire reincarnation had changed him into a different person. Was this, then, Tang Sanzang's true form? However, when it came to verbal combat, Sun Kong had never feared anyone. Furthermore, Jin Chanzi knew nothing about him, while Sun Kong knew Jin Chanzi better than anyone. With such a disparity in intelligence, how could Sun Kong possibly lose?
"It matters not to me," Sun Kong continued his taunts. "Ling Shan is scenic, the air is good, and the spiritual energy is abundant. It's far better than my Flower-Fruit Mountain. In just a few days, I, Old Sun, have broken through from Golden Immortal to Grand Unity Golden Immortal. If I were given five hundred years, I would ascend to the heavens! On the other hand, Elder, your cultivation is to be dispersed due to a single nap. I truly pity you. How about this, you give me your cultivation, alright?"
Grand Unity Golden Immortal? Jin Chanzi stared blankly at Sun Kong, his face filled with shock. He knew that Sun Kong was only four hundred years old. To achieve Grand Unity Golden Immortal in such a short time. In contrast, he, a dignified Six-Winged Golden Cicada, one of the ten ancient demonic insects, had cultivated for tens of millions of years and was only at the Golden Immortal realm. The gap between them was so vast that it made him feel ashamed enough to burrow into the ground!
Indeed, gods and immortals placed a greater emphasis on lineage than mortals. Innate beings were inherently more powerful than acquired beings. However, even among innate beings, there were differences. That monkey was a Spiritual Stone Monkey, born from the Western Heaven's Mani Pearl, a born prodigy. In just four hundred years, he had made countless gods and immortals feel ashamed. Meanwhile, Jin Chanzi had wasted tens of millions of years and was inferior even to a monkey. What was the point of his existence!
"After this descent into reincarnation, I will be a mortal," Jin Chanzi wailed, clutching his head. "To cultivate to Golden Immortal again would be an unknown number of years, and Grand Unity Golden Immortal would be even more distant! I am not reconciled!"
Every cultivator held an absolute attachment to their cultivation. Even those in the Buddhist sect, who preached emptiness, had an extraordinary pursuit of golden bodies and Buddhahood. Otherwise, Tang Sanzang would not have risked venturing alone to the Western Heaven to seek scriptures after a single word from Guanyin. Of course, the primary reason for Jin Chanzi's extreme reaction was the comparison with Sun Kong. He had cultivated for tens of millions of years to only reach the Golden Immortal realm, while Sun Kong had achieved Grand Unity Golden Immortal in just four hundred years. The gap was so immense that it caused Jin Chanzi extreme psychological imbalance. This imbalance made him even more reluctant to part with his cultivation. And this was precisely what Sun Kong wanted to see!
"Does Elder know the Bull Demon King?" Sun Kong suddenly spoke, mentioning the Bull Demon King, who had absolutely nothing to do with Jin Chanzi.
"The Divine Bull Arhat?" Jin Chanzi frowned, his expression slightly unnatural. "I have heard of him." It was likely that he had heard more than just a casual mention of the Bull Demon King. A demon bull, just upon arriving at Ling Shan, was granted the title of Arhat. This meant he had directly joined the formal establishment of Ling Shan. This was in stark contrast to Jin Chanzi, who, despite spending hundreds of thousands of years there, was still a temporary worker. It was unrealistic to say that Jin Chanzi had no thoughts about this. But what could he do?
"To be honest, Elder, the Bull Demon King is my sworn elder brother," Sun Kong said with a sly smile. "Before he joined Ling Shan, he was merely at the Golden Immortal realm. But a few hours ago, after meeting me with Guanyin, he successfully broke through to Grand Unity Golden Immortal. Such a major event, and Elder is unaware?" Sun Kong looked at Jin Chanzi with a smile, implying that he, Sun Wukong, had played a part in the Bull Demon King's successful breakthrough.
"What?" Jin Chanzi was utterly shocked. The Bull Demon King achieving Grand Unity Golden Immortal was indeed a significant event. Throughout the Three Realms, Grand Unity Golden Immortals were the backbone of the immortal ranks. Not only were they officially recognized, but they also deserved to receive incense offerings from mortals. The famous gods and immortals like Erlang Shen and Nezha were all Grand Unity Golden Immortals. Although the Bull Demon King was only an Arhat upon joining Ling Shan, with his successful breakthrough to Grand Unity Golden Immortal, he could potentially attain the status of a Bodhisattva in the future. Conversely, Jin Chanzi was inferior even to a demon bull. How could he feel balanced!
"If I, Old Sun, could also help Elder achieve Grand Unity Golden Immortal, would Elder still be willing to fall into reincarnation?" Sun Kong asked, sighing and sitting down cross-legged. "Once you enter reincarnation, all this cultivation will be wasted. Since that is the case, I, Old Sun, do not wish to do such thankless work!" He closed his eyes, appearing as calm and composed as an old monk in deep meditation. This greatly elevated his aura. Sun Kong was so calm because he knew he had Jin Chanzi cornered. On one hand, he could achieve Grand Unity Golden Immortal; on the other, he would defy the orders of the Great Sage Buddha. What choice was there to make?
"If I could break through to Grand Unity Golden Immortal earlier, why would my Buddha look down upon me?" Jin Chanzi pleaded, clasping his hands together and kneeling before Sun Kong. "Once I achieve Grand Unity Golden Immortal, my Buddha will surely retract his decree, or at the very least, allow me to become an Arhat. Please, Great Sage, you must help me!"
Retract the decree? The monk's thoughts were too naive, Sun Kong sneered inwardly. The Great Sage Buddha intended for Jin Chanzi to enter reincarnation so that he would eventually undergo the Journey to the West in five hundred years. In the future, upon achieving Buddhahood, he would become the Candana Merit Buddha. At that time, let alone Grand Unity Golden Immortal, even Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal would not be out of reach. Unfortunately, due to his status, Jin Chanzi was not privy to such inner workings. Instead, he was easily swayed by Sun Kong, focusing only on immediate benefits. Refuse reincarnation? The Great Sage Buddha would likely not agree! "Without Tang Sanzang, how will you journey to the west?" "Without the Journey to the West, I, Old Sun, can naturally join the Buddhist sect!"