The Grand Palace of Lingxiao.
The Jade Emperor's expression was anything but pleasant.
He glared at Taibai Jinxing as if he were about to devour him.
"I ordered you to bring the demon monkey back. Why did that demon monkey run off to Spirit Mountain?"
"If you do not give me a satisfactory answer, I will not let you off lightly!"
The Jade Emperor said in a deep voice.
In the great hall, all sorts of strange eyes turned towards Taibai Jinxing.
Some were confused, others gloated.
Especially Li Jing and Wu Qu Xing, who had advocated for capturing Sun Wukong.
If Taibai Jinxing had not persuaded the Jade Emperor, where would all these unexpected troubles have come from?
This time, Taibai Jinxing had shot himself in the foot; he deserved it!
"Your Majesty, this old minister is truly wronged!"
"This old minister truly doesn't know what happened."
"Clearly, Sun Wukong was talking well, and he even expressed interest in ascending to heaven before he left."
"I thought this monkey was just lost and had gone to the wrong place, who knew he would go to Spirit Mountain!"
"This old minister truly doesn't know how to explain. If Your Majesty wishes to punish me, this old minister can only accept it!"
Taibai Jinxing said with a crestfallen face.
Just as he said, Taibai Jinxing still didn't know what had happened until this moment.
But none of this mattered.
What truly mattered was that Sun Wukong had skipped the chaos in Heaven and the eighty-one tribulations and directly converted to Buddhism.
This made the karma that originally belonged to the Heavenly Court become void.
Not only the Jade Emperor was anxious, but also the various deities who participated in the Journey to the West.
Among them were great deities such as Li Jing, Nezha, Erlang Shen, and Zhen Yuanzi.
If these great deities were to demand an explanation from Taibai Jinxing, his life would truly be unbearable!
"Hmph!"
"Sun Wukong is a demon immortal under the jurisdiction of our Heavenly Court. Even if I don't want him, I cannot just let the Buddhist sect benefit from him."
"However, it is also a considerable loss for the Buddhist sect for Sun Wukong to join them so easily."
"Let's see how Tathagata makes his decision!"
The Jade Emperor sighed and said with a helpless expression.
...
...
Spirit Mountain.
The Great Thunderclap Temple.
All the Buddhas stared at the monkey outside the mountain with distressed expressions.
"Amitabha."
"Everyone, stop just staring and quickly come up with a plan!"
Tathagata said with a splitting headache.
Sun Wukong had been at Spirit Mountain for nearly half an hour, and the Great Thunderclap Temple had been silent for just as long.
No one knew what Sun Wukong was up to.
Nor did anyone know how to handle this unexpected event.
"Reporting to my Buddha."
"Although the purpose of the Journey to the West is to recruit Sun Wukong into the sect, he is involved in too much karma."
"If he joins the sect at this time, the Journey to the West may not be able to begin."
"The karma of our disciples is a minor issue, but this disciple worries that the deities of the Heavenly Court will not give up if they lose their karma."
"Therefore, this disciple believes we should resolutely refuse!"
Guanyin said solemnly.
Upon hearing this, Tathagata nodded.
He naturally agreed with Guanyin's statement.
The purpose of the Journey to the West was to revitalize Buddhism.
But the prerequisite was the decline of the Heavenly Court.
To put it plainly, the resources of the Three Realms were limited. The rise of one force would inevitably be accompanied by the decline of another.
However, the Heavenly Court was not a soft persimmon. How could it allow the Buddhist sect to snatch its position?
Therefore, the Buddhist sect planned the Journey to the West as a condition for exchange.
In this Journey to the West, the deities of the Heavenly Court could gain a large amount of karma.
Even if the Heavenly Court's status was lost in the future, at least the deities' strength would not diminish.
"Another great tribulation is coming. Even the Heavenly Court is not qualified to defy the heavens and change fate."
"The great prosperity of my Buddhist sect is the will of Heaven. What is the Heavenly Court?"
Manjushri sneered dismissively.
Despite his words, few of the Buddhas agreed with Manjushri.
During the Investiture of the Gods tribulation, Tongtian Sect Master and his disciples of the Jie Sect had also tried to defy the heavens and change fate.
Although they ultimately failed, they paid a heavy price for the Primordial World.
Countless deities and demons suffered heavy casualties, and many innate treasures were destroyed.
Would such a tragic scene be repeated?
"Amitabha."
"Heaven has compassion for all beings."
"I do not wish to see living beings suffer, and neither does the Jade Emperor."
"This Journey to the West is the panacea to ease the conflict between Spirit Mountain and the Heavenly Court. How can it be treated lightly?"
"Guanyin, you will represent Spirit Mountain to persuade Sun Wukong and send him back!"
With that, Tathagata clasped his hands together and entered into deep meditation.
"Excellent!"
Guanyin responded and stepped onto the lotus platform.
Seeing this, the Buddhas also felt at ease.
Spirit Mountain returned to its usual peaceful state, as if the commotion of half an hour ago had never happened.
Outside the Great Thunderclap Temple.
A lotus platform slowly floated over.
Guanyin, dressed in white, was like a celestial maiden.
No, she was a being even more ethereal and transcendent than a celestial maiden.
Some said Guanyin was once a male.
This is incorrect.
She was one of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, with the Daoist name Ci Hang Daoren.
But she was the only female disciple among the Twelve Golden Immortals.
And she was also a great beauty.
"You impudent monkey, your eyes are so unruly!"
Guanyin glared fiercely at Sun Wukong, displeased.
"Heh heh!"
Sun Wukong scratched his head awkwardly.
He had finally seen a woman other than a female monkey, and she was so beautiful. Who wouldn't want to look at her a few more times?
It was really not his fault!
"Bodhisattva, this disciple Sun Wukong sincerely wishes to convert to Buddhism."
"Please take me in, Bodhisattva!"
Sun Wukong clasped his hands together, his face full of sincerity.
The same words could no longer shock anyone.
Guanyin's indifference was the best explanation for this.
"I ask you, why do you wish to join my sect?"
"I ask you again, the Buddhist sect has many rules. You are naturally restless, how will you restrain yourself?"
Guanyin gave a two-part question right away.
This made Sun Wukong think of job interviews in his previous life.
The questions from the HR department were also so tricky!
Indeed.
Whether it was the Heavenly Court or the Buddhist sect.
To put it bluntly, they were two large companies.
Companies would have some covert struggles for profit.
What's more, they were a group of deities who held real power and were very strong?
Thinking this way, many things became much easier to understand.
"My Buddha often says that all beings are equal."
"As long as one sincerely seeks Buddha, they are a disciple of Buddha."
"Why is it that when it comes to me, Old Sun, you, Bodhisattva, treat me differently?"
"Besides, cultivation is about the heart, not behavior."
"As long as I, Old Sun, sincerely seek goodness, what does it matter if I am restless?"
Sun Wukong retorted directly.
"This..."
Guanyin was speechless.
She never imagined that a naturally mischievous monkey could utter so many grand principles.
This was not what the intelligence said!
"Back then, Ma Yuan wildly killed beings, and the Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal betrayed his master. Patriarch Jieyin and Patriarch Zhunti only said, 'You have a karmic connection with my Buddha,' and accepted them as disciples."
"I, Old Sun, sincerely seek Buddha, why are you, Bodhisattva, so hesitant to agree?"
Sun Wukong struck while the iron was hot, questioning her again.
Guanyin panicked.
"This is bad, I'm actually arguing with a monkey."
"This is a minor loss of face, but if I can't argue with him and he joins the Buddhist sect, it will be terrible!"