At the Golden Light Cave of Mount Qianyuan, within the True One’s cave dwelling.
Immortal light encircled layer upon layer, from the mountain-protecting grand formation to the cave-protecting grand formation, and finally to the heaven-concealing formation hidden in the secret chamber—all had been fully activated.
True One kept poking his head out occasionally to glance at the anomalies in the sky. His demeanor suggested that with just a moment’s inattention, the Dao Ancestor might appear directly behind them.
“This isn’t reasonable,” Jade Tripod softly remarked, looking down at the unconscious Nezha before him as he placed a finger on Nezha’s forehead.
Jade Tripod could see the fragmented images surfacing in Nezha’s mind—scenes from Chen Tang Pass of young Nezha’s interactions with the high-ranking servant ‘Wang Chang’an.’ Wang Chang’an was, of course, the alias Li Changshou had used back then.
Why could Nezha recall these memories?
The memories of all living beings that the Dao Ancestor had modified using the power of Heaven and Earth’s origin could only be resisted by cultivators who had reached a certain level of cultivation and could shield themselves with their own Dao. Or through mutual assistance, like how Jade Tripod had helped True One, and Treasure helped Fire Spirit.
Considering that Nezha and Yang Jian served as deities in the Heavenly Court, Jade Tripod hadn’t protected these two disciples at the time, allowing their memories of Li Changshou to be modified by the Dao Ancestor.
Nezha forgot Uncle Chang’an’s existence, with Li Jing filling the void;
Yang Jian also forgot the Grand Supreme Elder’s true background—though his memories contained many shadows of the Grand Supreme Elder, his understanding became that he was merely the Jade Emperor’s messenger, with the Jade Emperor orchestrating everything.
But after several hundred years, the memories sealed by the Dao Ancestor had somehow been broken through by Nezha…
Jade Tripod investigated carefully and said again, “This truly isn’t reasonable.”
“No, it’s perfectly reasonable,” True One stood aside with his hands behind his back and spoke leisurely.
“Why?”
“Just saying,” True One smiled sheepishly, “Just wanted to be contrarian.”
Jade Tripod: …
“I’m wondering if this might be some scheme.”
Jade Tripod sighed, walked back to his meditation cushion, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes in contemplation.
True One moved closer to his beloved disciple, and following the same method, placed his finger on Nezha’s forehead for a thorough examination.
After careful consideration, this True One spoke again:
“It makes sense. In this life, Nezha was closest to his Uncle Chang’an, who had the deepest influence on him. But from this, it seems those blue ripples didn’t reduce beings’ memories, but rather sealed these impressions. Perhaps we can find a way to restore his complete memories of ‘Uncle Chang’an.'”
Jade Tripod said:
“I fear it’s another scheme. The Dao Ancestor might want the Orthodox Teaching to oppose the Heavenly Court, breaking the Master’s eternal undefeated destiny so he can move against the Master. In today’s world, Zhunti has perished, Third Senior Uncle is imprisoned somewhere unknown, First Senior Brother is sealed within the Purple Void Palace, Holy Mother has long been constrained by Heaven’s Way, and Saint Jieyin recently lost power and has retreated from the Great Wilderness stage. Only our Master remains unscathed now.”
Yang Jian said: “Master, disciple feels there shouldn’t be such scheming.”
True One smiled and sighed: “Oh? Do you think that existence above the heavens still fears losing face over this? *cough*… What difference would it make if Nezha recovered his memories of Uncle Chang’an? The world has already become what it is—Sacred Teachings retreating, the Heavenly Court rising. Your Uncle Chang’an simply had different opinions from our Ancestral Master; this situation was their consensus. Since things are already this way, why create more changes?”
Jade Tripod glanced at True One, who winked back at him.
They had to maintain stability and put on a show for Heaven’s Way—in case the Dao Ancestor was watching this place, it would give them better odds of survival.
The way of survival in the Great Wilderness.
“Then how should we handle this?”
Jade Tripod asked: “Should we let Nezha remember naturally, or for safety’s sake, seal these memories again?”
“Seal them,” True One’s eyes showed some reluctance, but he quickly made his decision, “We can only seal them.”
Jade Tripod rose and walked to Nezha’s side, gently tapped his forehead several times, and tenderly dispelled the phantom images appearing in Nezha’s spirit platform.
True One seemed to have more to say, his gaze somewhat complex.
Beside them, Yang Jian showed slight disappointment.
“Master, Uncle Master, disciple feels these memories are invaluable to us. This isn’t about right or wrong, about the world’s structure, or disputes between great teachings. At the very least, we should know what happened and what conflicts occurred. There should be some explanation for what’s right and what’s wrong.”
“What use is knowing these things? What use is having an explanation?” True One shook his head and said seriously, “It won’t change anything, it will only bring more trouble.”
Yang Jian’s gaze was clear and his expression calm as he continued:
“But if we don’t even know the true face of heaven and earth, what right do we have to speak of executing heaven’s justice? What right do we have to be immortal officials of the Heavenly Court?”
Jade Tripod looked at his beloved disciple and said gently: “Very well, I’ll tell you some things.”
True One smiled: “I’ll go add a few more layers to the formation.”
“Let poor Dao handle this.”
Jade Tripod spoke calmly, as rainbow-colored light waves rippled from his forehead, enveloping the entire cave dwelling in their glow.
The sleeping Nezha smacked his lips, destined not to hear these words.
Jade Tripod said:
“Yang Jian, you are much more steady than Nezha. Telling you these things, you shouldn’t lose control. What do you want to know? Your background has deep connections with Nezha’s ‘Uncle Chang’an’—both your parents were his registered disciples. The reason your mystic arts are so powerful is because ‘Uncle Chang’an’ gave you many benefits. In your current memories, a large part remains unmodified—it was the Grand Supreme Elder who gave you mystic blood, led you into the Heavenly Court, and Spirit Mountain was ordered to protect you, but it wasn’t by the Jade Emperor’s decree. When he was in the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor mostly listened to him. During the years when ‘Uncle Chang’an’ controlled the Heavenly Court’s divine authority, you, Nezha, and even the three teachings of the Dao were arranged by him until you could barely breathe. What poor Dao admires most is your Uncle Chang’an. It was he who removed the variables in your destiny and gave you opportunities exceeding your original limits.”
Jade Tripod organized his thoughts and continued:
“The Saint-slayers weren’t Lord Zhao Gongming and his wife. The Saint-slayers were Zhao Gongming and your Uncle Chang’an. That Saint-slaying fundamentally changed the Great Wilderness’s destiny, to the point that later the Dao Ancestor had to tear off his previously disguised hypocritical face and directly send down heaven’s punishment to destroy the Severing Teaching and forcefully promote the Canonization. It was quite ironic. The Dao Ancestor who in ancient times kept saying the Purple Void Palace wouldn’t appear in the mortal world, in the end still couldn’t resist showing his fierce face. This shows that ‘Uncle Chang’an’ was close to accomplishing what he set out to do, making the Dao Ancestor disregard appearances and directly intervene to break the rhythm of his actions.”
True One muttered nervously in a small voice:
“Junior Brother, addressing the Dao Ancestor so directly… is that alright?”
Jade Tripod said: “Poor Dao cultivates the heart, a place Heaven’s Way cannot reach. Heaven’s Way can calculate three thousand great Daos, but cannot calculate what lies in the hearts of all living beings. Even when mortals imagine wildly, they can construct all sorts of strange and extraordinary worlds. No matter how much calculating power Heaven’s Way has, it cannot calculate what lies in beings’ hearts. It can only forcefully give or erase thoughts, nothing more.”
True One and Yang Jian nodded simultaneously.
At this moment, it seemed as if there was no generational gap between them.
They sat in the Golden Light Cave of Mount Qianyuan, listening to Jade Tripod tell the story of that ‘Uncle Chang’an.’
…
“Hmm—”
At Spirit Mountain’s Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas.
The Buddhist leader sat quietly on his throne, his hundred-zhang-tall golden body emanating gentle radiance, appearing especially solemn and majestic against the backdrop of wooden fish sounds and sutra chanting.
And in the very center of this golden body, in a space like a mustard seed universe, there was a small dwelling.
Treasure Master now sat among piles of treasures, calculating how many spirit treasures he had spent forging this great golden body, thinking about how to lead Buddhism to prosperity in the future.
Make the best of the situation.
Although he had been sect leader for some years and arranged Spirit Mountain in good order, the Buddha’s reputation grew increasingly prominent throughout heaven and earth.
But overall, he still felt somewhat unadapted.
Treasure also didn’t know if it was First Senior Brother’s divine power or Heaven’s Way’s power constantly influencing his Dao’s heart, sometimes making him nearly devoid of emotion and feeling, retaining only the nature of the Dao.
It should be Heaven’s Way’s power.
Simply put, he, Treasure, was just a ‘Spirit Treasure Person.’ If someone else sat in this position, the effect might be slightly worse, but they wouldn’t be irreplaceable.
Treasure smiled bitterly and summoned a ‘Water-Condensing Immortal Orchid Mirror’ to look at himself.
A dignified Buddhist countenance, curly hair, growing stout, enlarged earlobes.
“Ah,” Treasure sighed.
Truly no longer the dashing figure of years past.
He wondered how Master was faring now, and whether the surviving junior brothers and sisters had met with calamity in the Three Thousand Worlds.
His cooperation and agreement to seize power for the Western Teaching was actually because Lord Lao had promised to look after the Fire Spirit and the others…
Over these years, Treasure had been thinking that if he had half of Junior Brother Changgen’s strategies and half his understanding of the Great Dao, perhaps there would have been another Saint-slayer, rather than Western Teaching’s ‘base stealer.’
How dull.
At this moment, he was here, his Dharma body unable to move and his true form even more constrained, serving as Buddhism’s facade and currently its cornerstone.
Now that the Saints weren’t appearing, with Senior Brother Xuandu of the Human Teaching and Junior Brother Changgen having left the world, he, Treasure, was indeed among the few strongest masters, his power surpassing those veteran powerhouses.
Having him guard Buddhism’s position was truly a good arrangement.
Ultimately, perhaps the Dao Ancestor simply didn’t take him, a heaven-defying rebel, seriously.
‘Ah, Changgen.’
Treasure sighed softly. Just as he was about to take a rest, he saw two figures approaching together from outside the great hall.
They were his ‘junior brother and sister’ Manjusri and Cihang.
Currently, they served as Bodhisattvas in charge of religious affairs and were gradually rising figures of renown in the Great Wilderness.
Treasure roused himself and activated his Dharma body. The hundred-zhang-tall golden body’s radiance shone brilliantly as its eyes slowly half-opened.
Manjusri and Cihang’s entrance into the hall slightly disrupted the rhythm of the monks’ wooden fish drumming at the sides.
Manjusri bowed his head: “Greetings, Buddha.”
Treasure spoke slowly: “What matter brings you here?”
“Buddha,” Manjusri said, “Now there are numerous temples across the Five Continents, with the Western Ox-Gift Continent especially covered in temples, and countless beings have joined our Buddhist faith. Currently, Buddhist precepts continue from Western Teaching, and though supplemented, they have become quite insufficient. We have drafted new Buddhist precepts and regulations, requesting Buddha’s review.”
With these words, Manjusri slowly pushed a scroll toward Treasure, landing it in the Dharma body’s palm.
Treasure Master looked it over a few times, feeling that though these precepts were many, it wasn’t a bad thing; if they could constrain Buddhist disciples, there would be less chaos in the world in the future.
He said: “Proceed with the Great One’s method.”
Manjusri smiled: “We obey Buddha’s decree.”
Beside him, Cihang added: “Buddha, although there are now many Buddhist temples in South Jambudvipa Continent, these temples cannot enter the prosperous regions of the South Continent, and when Buddhist teachings spread among mortals, they often become biased and distorted. Why not select one or two high monks to spread Mahayana Buddhism in the Southcontinent? This way we can protect the teaching’s destiny and also save all beings.”
“This is quite good,” Treasure said gently, “Then let Bodhisattva Guanyin be responsible.”
Cihang immediately seemed to have more to say but held back.
Whoever raises the issue handles it.
What a hands-off manager.
Treasure also felt somewhat embarrassed. His Dharma body’s palm condensed some flowing light, transforming into several verdant tree branches that fell into the jade pure vase Cihang was holding.
A posterior spirit root, willow branches.
Giving some benefits before assigning work, that at least provided some foundation.
Cihang couldn’t say much more and bowed to accept the command. Suddenly remembering what Saint Jieyin had previously instructed in his voice transmission, she said:
“Buddha, perhaps give this poor monk one or two helpers.”
Treasure asked: “What kind of helpers does the Great One want?”
“Recently there are widespread rumors on Spirit Mountain that treasure light often flashes from the Golden Lotus Treasure Pool…”
Before Cihang could finish speaking, a golden light flew from between the Buddha statue’s brows. The Dharma body instantly shrank to about one zhang in size, sitting on a golden lotus platform that appeared before Cihang.
A wave of majesty spread out, which Treasure immediately concealed.
“Treasure light? Lead the way.”
Ahem, it wasn’t due to some instinctive reaction.
The two Great Ones Cihang and Manjusri exchanged glances, then respectfully led the way to the Lotus Treasure Pool behind Spirit Mountain.
That place was close to Saint Jieyin’s secluded dwelling, so it was usually rarely visited, and as the days grew long, it had become somewhat desolate.
Treasure rarely left the great hall, and his spirits were quite high at this moment.
Spirit Mountain had changed enormously over these years. Palaces had sprung up everywhere, the entire mountain had been completely transformed, and even the mountain mass had expanded somewhat.
The Buddha Juliu Sun in charge of this matter wanted to build the entire Spirit Mountain into a great temple, establishing it as Buddha’s cultivation ground and making it a holy land in the hearts of countless Buddhist disciples.
Before long, Treasure, Manjusri, and Cihang arrived beside the treasure pool. Treasure observed from afar, his nose twitching as he sniffed…
He’d been deceived—there was no treasure.
“Is it here?”
“It is here.”
Cihang gently flicked a finger, and a point of treasure light circulated, instantly making the treasure pool transparent.
At the bottom of the pool, a golden cicada lay bound by layers of seals, trembling its wings slightly in a corner.
Treasure naturally recognized this golden cicada’s background—it was that primordial fierce beast taken as a Saint’s disciple, the Six-Winged Golden Cicada, Golden Cicada Child.
Years ago, it was nearly blown up by Junior Brother Changgen but was saved by the Western Teaching’s Saint.
—Though Treasure hadn’t appeared in person, he had witnessed this scene through a small window formed by the Four Swords of Demon Slaying while beside his master.
Cihang said: “This golden cicada can be put to great use.”
But Manjusri said: “The golden cicada’s nature is violent and cruelly bloodthirsty. Our Buddhist sect has many capable people, why use it?”
Cihang rarely argued with others, but this time spoke firmly: “We’ll just reshape its soul.”
Treasure saw something in this and spoke slowly:
“The golden cicada is as good as dead, now surviving only by its innate divine abilities. Why not reshape its soul with Buddhist methods and teach it carefully? Since it’s here, it must have karmic ties with our Buddhist sect and can be used by Buddhism, also proving the principle that in the sea of suffering, turning back leads to the shore.”
Manjusri pondered: “Buddha speaks truly.”
Cihang inadvertently glanced at Saint Jieyin’s dwelling and sighed inwardly, continuing to discuss how to handle the golden cicada and how to make it useful later.
Sometimes, she truly acted out of compassion, often doing things that put her in difficult positions.
Soon, the three of them determined the golden cicada’s future path.
It was mostly Cihang speaking, with Treasure and Manjusri listening beside her.
Cihang’s plan was thus:
First let the golden cicada heal its wounds and help it recover its origin to reshape its human form, a process that would take several hundred years.
After several hundred years, let the golden cicada appear on Spirit Mountain, have Buddha accept it as a disciple and give it background, then find an excuse to send it into reincarnation to be reborn in a prosperous region of South Jambudvipa Continent.
Have the golden cicada travel from east to west, actively bringing Mahayana Buddhism back to the South Jambudvipa Continent, naturally spreading Buddhist teachings in places where human destiny converges.
With this matter settled thus, Treasure looked Cihang over a few times and asked with a smile:
“Great One, do these words come from the Buddha of Ten Thousand Worlds or from Heaven’s Way?”
Cihang was stunned for a moment, then replied with a smile: “Aren’t they the same?”
Treasure smiled: “Indeed, they’re about the same. Then proceed thus, with the Great One overseeing the entire process.”
“Yes.”
Cihang agreed, her expression showing neither joy nor anger, though she couldn’t help but sigh several times inwardly.
The golden cicada child’s future path was thus arranged.
It had no right to know about any of this.
Meanwhile, in the northwest of South Jambudvipa Continent, at Square Inch Mountain of the Spirit Platform.
Li Changshou sensed something and carefully calculated with his fingers, then couldn’t help raising his eyebrows.
The golden cicada would emerge after three hundred years? The ‘Scripture Seeker’ had been arranged?
Hmm?
Wasn’t that exactly when the monkey would return after completing his studies and start frantically interacting with the Heavenly Court?
That’s right, the Golden Cicada Child seemed to reincarnate not just once but would go through nine or ten cycles of reincarnation.
Golden Cicada Child…
Li Changshou maintained his meditation posture on the surface while secretly pondering.
He wondered if the rumors he had spread about the Golden Cicada Child long ago still had any effect.