Longevity by Grinding Skills

Chapter 510: Chapter 510: Igniting the Calamity

Master Sanzang was finally roused and rushed to the Central Courtyard.

His simple monk’s robes fluttered without a wind, a clear sign that his heart was in extreme turmoil.

However, when he saw the scene in the courtyard clearly—

—the immeasurably valuable Celestial Spirits and Earthly Fiends Immortal Peach Tree, the greatest treasure of Zhenyuan Temple, had been reduced to charcoal; chaotic Gang Evil Origin Qi was dissipating all over the ground; and two Daoist Children lay in pools of blood, their life or death unknown...

The look of compassion and composure on Sanzang’s face finally crumbled.

’This was so far beyond what he had anticipated.’

’Was the thousand-year grand plan of Puchen Pure Land about to be ruined by a reckless monkey?!’

Even with his excellent temperament and self-cultivation, the sight almost made him faint from shock.

’Like this, they had jumped right into the trap set by the Primordial Sect.’

"Ah!"

This Saint Monk, who had always been gentle and peaceful, was now like a lion whose tail had been stepped on. He let out a sharp, unseemly roar, his fair face flushing red as he pointed a trembling finger at Wukong, shaking with uncontrollable rage.

"Reckless monkey! You wretched creature! You wild, untamable Demon Monkey!"

Sanzang’s composure completely shattered. He screamed himself hoarse, cursing Wukong at the top of his lungs.

"You... you’ve caused a catastrophe! A true catastrophe!

I warned you again and again not to cause trouble, not to stir up disaster!

But you! Greed is one thing, but you... you actually dared to destroy this celestial treasure.

Do you have any idea what kind of karma this entails?! This is the ultimate treasure of the Daoist temple of the Nine Heavens Pure Origin, Responding to Thunder and Inducing Transformation, Marvelously Existing True Monarch Pu Du!

It represents the honor of the Primordial Sect and its Nine Great Immortal Mountains!"

A storm of thunder and lightning raged in his mind.

’If it had been the treasure of any other True Monarch, not one from the Three Sects, its destruction would be manageable. At worst, they could have just offered compensation.’

’But the Primordial Sect had drawn a line in the sand, clearly baiting a hook for them to swallow.’

’He had warned him a thousand times, yet Wukong still took the bait.’

Sanzang’s heart pounded with rage. From the moment he was chosen by the World Honored One Tathagata, initiated as the World Honored One’s representative in the mortal realm, and set out to spread the Buddhist Dharma in the Eastern Wilderness, he had faced setbacks. But he’d always believed that with the potential of his avatar’s Innate Dao Embryo, the support of the Puchen Pure Land, and the grand Rituals secretly guiding him, achieving the Zizai King Buddha Fruit Position would be difficult but inevitable.

The Eastern Wilderness was vast and resource-rich. Plagued by Demon Fiend calamities and free from the influence of the Wansheng Sword Sect and the Primordial Sect, it was the perfect fertile ground to establish an Earthly Buddha Country and accumulate Supreme Will Power.

All he needed to do was make the Demon Fiends of the Eastern Wilderness Realm suffer a bit. Later, he could even guide the converted into the Puchen Pure Land, adding to its foundational strength.

However, this Zhenyuan Temple had abruptly appeared across his planned route. The appearance of True Monarch Pu Du and the temptation of the Celestial Spirits and Earthly Fiends Immortal Peach Tree were all part of a blatant conspiracy.

Sanzang knew that the world was full of calamities; establishing an Earthly Buddha Country was never going to be easy.

He had thought he could control the situation, or at least maintain a superficial peace for the time being.

Wukong stealing the Immortal Peaches, while troublesome, had been manageable. It would have just required paying a price and offering an apology.

But now...

This reckless monkey had actually smashed the Immortal Root, this Treasure Tree.

He had also injured—and possibly even killed—the True Monarch’s Daoist Children.

This wasn’t just a slap in the face to True Monarch Pu Du!

This was kicking down the gates of the Primordial Sect’s Nine Great Immortal Mountains!

More than that, it was tearing to shreds the compassionate facade of "Spreading the Buddhist Dharma eastward for the universal salvation of all" that the Puchen Pure Land had cultivated for centuries. It exposed them to the accusation of "unleashing a demon to commit violence and destroy another’s priceless treasure."

’With that one blow... the path to spread the Dharma eastward is likely... completely severed!’

Sanzang’s heart grew cold with despair, and his vision began to tunnel.

’The earthly incarnation of Amitabha Buddha had been slain by Pure Yang True Monarch’s One Sword, No Return. Although he was still the mortal representative of the World Honored One Tathagata, he now lacked his ultimate trump card.’

’And True Monarch Pu Du now had a perfect reason to make his move.’

’The grand Ritual and the Purifying Buddha Light Wishing Power required for the Zizai King Buddha Fruit Position would now be hopelessly tainted by this incident. The Demon Fiends of the Eastern Wilderness would be even harder to subdue, and even the reputation of Puchen Pure Land’s lineage in the Taihua Spirit Ruins Realm would suffer a heavy blow.’

’He had thought this was a chess game he was certain to win, only to suddenly discover his own piece was completely uncontrollable and had just flipped the board itself.’

At Cold Crow Pass, Xu Yunfan grinned from ear to ear as he watched the scene unfold, practically dancing with joy.

’A spectacle of this magnitude would undoubtedly draw the full attention of both the Puchen Pure Land and the Primordial Sect.’

’That True Monarch Pu Du had clearly laid this trap to ensnare the Puchen Pure Land.’

’Otherwise, the wards on that Immortal Peach Tree would never have been broken so easily by a single blow from Wukong.’

’Now that the Primordial Sect had gotten its wish, if the Puchen Pure Land wanted to quell this disaster, they would have to pay a steep price. And as for spreading the Buddhist Dharma in the Eastern Wilderness... the Primordial Sect would surely demand a share.’

Wukong was also stunned by Sanzang’s sudden, violent reaction. As the Immortal Tree was completely destroyed, the strange aura it emitted—the one that had agitated his Heart and Spirit—vanished. The fury stoked by the Evil Qi receded as quickly as it had come.

Staring at the lifeless, charred tree and the two Daoist Children, and no longer under Xu Yunfan’s subtle interference, an endless wave of regret finally surged from the depths of his heart, washing away his earlier ferocity.

"Master... Master, please calm down!"

Wukong hurriedly put away his Iron Rod, his face filled with unprecedented panic and remorse. His voice was unsteady. "It was me, I was too hasty, I lost control... I... I’ll go apologize to the True Monarch right now. He can kill me or torture me..."

"Apologize?! You reckless, incorrigible monkey!"

But Sanzang, in his heart-searing rage, couldn’t hear a word. His pointing finger trembled even more violently, and his voice was shrill. "Your apology isn’t worth a single one of that tree’s roots, not even if you paid with every hair on your body.

Your nature is immutable, your demonic heart can’t be purged! I must have been blind to let a monster like you accompany me on this pilgrimage! Do you have any idea..."

"Enough."

A soft utterance, cold to the extreme, cut off Sanzang’s nearly hysterical tirade.

At some unknown point, a figure shrouded in Clear Mist Immortal Light had appeared beside the charred remains of the Immortal Peach Tree.

It was none other than the Nine Heavens Pure Origin, Responding to Thunder and Inducing Transformation, Marvelously Existing True Monarch Pu Du.

The hazy halo of light around his face had dissipated, revealing a face that appeared young, with brows slanting sharply up toward his temples, but his eyes held the ancient depth of an abyss.

Right now, however, his face was devoid of expression. His gaze was like an eternal Cold Pool, its bone-chilling regard sweeping over the shattered, blackened stump that had lost all its luster. Then, his eyes fell upon Qingfeng and Ming Yue, who lay on the ground, their lives hanging in the balance.

There wasn’t a trace of anger in his gaze, which made it all the more terrifying. In fact, the glimmer of delight deep within his eyes was completely unconcealed, and the sight of it sent a chill through Sanzang’s heart.

’It’s over.’

He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over Sanzang and his three disciples one by one. It finally landed on Wukong, who clutched his Iron Rod, his face a mask of remorse and terror.

"Smashing my Treasure Tree, beating my Daoist Children..."

True Monarch Pu Du’s voice was calm, as if he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.

"I intended to treat you as honored guests. I never imagined I would instead be inviting a pack of wretched, malevolent creatures who bring disaster upon the world."

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