Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Victorious Fighting Buddha Sun Wukong Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Victorious Fighting Buddha Sun Wukong Wukong eventually located the reincarnation of Golden Cicada, Tang Sanzang, and thereafter embarked on the journey to the West for the scriptures.

Tang Sanzang also yearned for the Mahayana Sutras. He was well-versed in the Buddhist scriptures, almost able to cite them with ease. However, for some reason, Wukong, looking at him, always felt uneasy, a mysterious flame burning within. Whenever this flame threatened to explode, his headband would painfully tighten, immediately extinguishing the fire.

“Amitabha Buddha, it turns out the headband Bodhisattva Guanyin gifted me has such wonderful uses. Truly a fine item!” thought Wukong to himself.

After overcoming many challenges, they finally neared the Western Heaven, having traveled for a full eight years.

That day, a woman blocked their path.

This woman was clad in purple, her appearance graceful and gentle, making her seem approachable. Were it not for the sword she carried, one might take her for a delicate lady from some household. There she stood on a narrow path that only allowed single-file passage, her eyes on Wukong, flickering with indescribable brilliance, a mix of heartache and excitement. She was Zixia.

Zixia said, “Stone Monkey!”

Wukong, seeing Zixia block the way, only felt her face looked familiar but couldn’t recall who she was, thus he frowned and asked, “Madam, could you please make way for us?”

Zixia’s heart sank. She stared deeply at him and said, “Stone Monkey, don’t you remember me? I am Zixia!”

Wukong’s frown deepened until it knitted tightly together, and he asked, “Madam, are you mistaken? My name is Wukong, not Stone Monkey.”

Zixia could only smile bitterly and muttered, “Wukong, Wukong… ‘Understands emptiness, becomes a Buddha on the spot’?”

Wukong laughed and said, “Exactly, so please make way, madam. I need to head to the Western Heaven to seek the Mahayana Sutras, attain true enlightenment, and liberate all beings, achieving the title of Victorious Fighting Buddha.”

The smile on Zixia’s face turned even more bitter, as if she had just tasted gall but was forced to pretend joyfulness. Zixia then said, “Stone Monkey, have you truly forgotten me? I’m Zixia, Zixia! I have been by your side for tens of thousands of years. How could you just forget me like that? Are you pretending not to recognize me because you’re afraid of implicating me? But… I’m not afraid! Even if it means death, I want to be with you!”

Tripitaka stepped forward and said, “Who are you, madam? Please do not block the way, we need to continue our journey to the West for the scriptures.”

Zixia, seeing Tripitaka, couldn’t help but blame him for everything about Wukong and angrily exclaimed, “Monk, watch the sword!”

She drew her Purple Green Sword and stabbed towards Tripitaka’s chest.

Tripitaka was shocked. This gentle-looking woman, why would she suddenly attack? It truly frightened him out of his wits. Fortunately, Wukong reacted swiftly, crossing his iron staff to deflect Zixia’s sword. Had it been a usual demon, perhaps Wukong would have struck her twice with the staff and killed her, but somehow, seeing her stirred a familiar feeling in his heart, and he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Zixia said agonizingly, “You’re fighting against me!”

Wukong, holding his iron staff against Zixia’s Purple Green Sword, said, “Madam, you should not attack people at will!”

Zixia sheathed her sword, biting her lip and said, “I didn’t expect you to have become like this!”

Wukong asked, “Become what?”

Zixia suddenly laughed, a very forlorn laugh, turned around and began walking away. As she left, she said, “When you attain the title of Victorious Fighting Buddha, that will be the day I marry another. I will have someone send an invitation to the Western Heaven.”

These words slightly pained Wukong’s heart, but his resolve toward Buddhism was firm, and he didn’t dwell on it much, thinking perhaps this woman was someone he knew in a previous life. Let it be, nothing could stand in the way of his quest for the scriptures and the Buddhist heart.

Tripitaka said, “Wukong, snap out of it, let’s move on.”

Wukong came to his senses and said, “Oh! Forgive me, Master Tripitaka, I was just lost in thought.”

Tripitaka said, “No matter, no matter.”

The two of them continued on their way to the Western Heaven, with Wukong vanquishing demons along the road. After a full fourteen years, they finally reached the base of Thunderclap Monastery.

“Amitabha Buddha, all is well!” Tripitaka donned his kasaya, the Buddha’s light flickering immensely bright.

Wukong looked at the Thunderclap Monastery ahead, his long-held wish fulfilled, and finally, he was about to achieve true enlightenment.

The venerable Kasyapa and Ananda came to lead Wukong and Tripitaka to the Thunderclap Monastery. After a short walk, they entered the Mahavira Hall.

Atop a massive lotus pedestal in the Mahavira Hall, Tathagata sat high and smiled, “Amitabha Buddha, Tripitaka, Wukong, you both have toiled for fourteen years, traversed thousands of miles, and endured the eighty-one calamities. Finally, you have arrived here today. I now confer upon you both the Mahayana Sutras. Tripitaka will return to Chang’an to preach my Mahayana Buddhism, and Wukong, having fulfilled your merit, can become a Buddha right here on the spot.”

“The Buddha is merciful!”

Both Tripitaka and Wukong fell to their knees, overcome with emotion. After fourteen years of hardships, they finally achieved true enlightenment.

Tathagata tapped his finger on Wukong, and then a golden kasaya appeared on Wukong’s body, dazzling and eye-catching.

“Sun Wukong, after eighty-one trials, protected Tang Sanzang on his Journey to the West to retrieve the sutras and promoted the great Mahayana Buddhism, defeating demons along the way, acquiring great merit. Today, he is conferred the title of Victorious Fighting Buddha! The Victorious Fighting Buddha is the foremost combat Buddha in our Buddhist sect, commanding two hundred million Buddhist soldiers,” Tathagata said, bringing his hands together in prayer.

“Amitabha Buddha, thank you, Buddha Ancestor!” Wukong brought his hands together, a lotus platform materialized in the void, he sat on the lotus platform, and flew among the three thousand Buddhas, achieving the title of Victorious Fighting Buddha.

Tathagata then said to Tripitaka, “Tripitaka, you have retrieved the true sutras. Go back to the Eastern Divine Region and promote the teachings of our Mahayana Buddhism. In time, I will let you enter the Western Heaven and become a Buddha.”

Tripitaka bowed and said, “Thank you, Buddha Ancestor!”

Tathagata instructed, “Ananda, Kasyapa, go fetch the scriptures for Tripitaka.”

The two received Tathagata’s orders and went to the Scripture Pavilion, returning with the Buddhist Family’s Mahayana Buddhist scriptures for Tripitaka.

Knowing that Tripitaka’s mana was weak, and now that Wukong had become a Buddha and would not accompany him back, Tathagata pointed his finger and forcibly raised Tripitaka’s cultivation level to the realm of merging with the void, just one step away from attaining the cultivation level of an Earth Immortal. Tathagata said, “I transmit to you two Dharma Gates and bestow upon you one Magical Treasure, go forth to the Eastern Divine Region.”

With a wave of Tathagata’s sleeve, suddenly a Buddha’s light fell down, enveloping Tripitaka and the scriptures, and he took them towards Chang’an City in the Eastern Lands.

“Victorious Fighting Buddha,” called Tathagata.

“Disciple is here,” Wukong emerged from the three thousand Buddhas, his hands together, solemn and unmatched, and responded softly.

“You should go to the Scripture Pavilion and peruse the scriptures. The Buddhist texts are at your disposal,” Tathagata said with a smile.

Wukong, although he had been ordained only halfway and had studied the lesser vehicle of Buddhism with Tripitaka for fourteen years, it was, after all, inferior to the Mahayana Buddhism, and now Tathagata wanted him to study the scriptures of the Mahayana in the Scripture Pavilion. Since it was about indoctrination, it had to be thorough.

Wukong said, “Thank you, Buddha Ancestor.”

Thus, Kasyapa led him to the Scripture Pavilion.

Consequently, in the Western Heavenly Buddha Land, temples of the Victorious Fighting Buddha were established. The story of the Victorious Fighting Buddha overcoming eighty-one trials during the Journey to the West was widely known; even young children were familiar with the name Sun Wukong. For a time, the Thunderclap Monastery flourished in offerings, even subtly surpassing the most revered figures such as the Four Great Bodhisattvas and Immeasurable Life Buddha.

Zixia stood in front of the Thunderclap Monastery, her eyes empty, murmuring, “Sun Wukong, Sun Wukong… have you really attained enlightenment and become a Buddha on the spot?” Suddenly, she gave a sorrowful smile, then whisked her sleeves and left, laughing and shouting as she went, “Buddha, they are all my enemies, enemies!”

Zixia headed towards the Western Heavenly Mountain.

“Venerable lady, please stop, this is a place of Buddhist tranquility,” a novice monk blocked Zixia’s path.

“It’s precisely because it is a place of tranquility that I wish to find tranquility!” said Zixia.

“Venerable lady… this place is not suitable for women to enter.” The novice monk blushed, finally managing to say.

Zixia raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why?”

The novice monk was unable to respond.

Zixia scoffed, “Isn’t the greatly compassionate and merciful Bodhisattva Guanyin a woman? Why can she enter? Oh! I see, perhaps it’s because Bodhisattva Guanyin was once Ci Hang Taoist, a hermaphrodite? So you allowed her entry?”

Hearing Zixia insult Bodhisattva Guanyin, the novice monk was greatly angered and exclaimed, “What brazen woman dares to speak such insolence!”

Zixia retorted, “Young master, are you not breaking the rule against anger?”

The novice monk, upon hearing this, immediately froze, quickly muttered “Amitabha Buddha” to himself, and then said, “The impoverished monk was disrespectful just now. I hope the venerable lady will not blame me. Venerable lady, since this is a place of Buddhist tranquility, please do not disturb it!”

Zixia then said, “I am a good friend of Victorious Fighting Buddha Sun Wukong. Go and notify him that I have come to deliver an invitation!”

The novice monk said, “If you had said earlier that you were a friend of Victorious Fighting Buddha, that would have been better!”

No matter where one goes, some connections are necessary, even in these tranquil Buddhist places, how ironic. Seeing the novice monk dash up the mountain to deliver the message, a mocking smile appeared in Zixia’s eyes.

Latecomers validated this with a poem, which says: “The essence of heaven and earth nurtured the Stone Monkey, by the Sky-mending Rock, Ziwei was born. Intent on becoming a Buddha, severing love bonds, alone by the creek, feeling the chill.”

To find out what happened next, please listen to the following part.