CHAPTER 382: CHAPTER 5: THE FALL OF THE TATHAGATA, THE RISE OF THE MIGHTY_1

"Messenger, Old Sun is here! Right here!"

Sun Wukong’s excited and agitated voice echoed through the skies, drawing the attention of the Powers of the Three Realms to him.

Does this monkey know her?

Who is she?

Could it be some clown the monkey invited—bah, I mean reinforcements!

The Jade Emperor, Empress Mother of the West, Tathagata Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and other Powers of the Three Realms were puzzled. The vast and terrifying aura emanating from Zen Silver Gauze, despite being across boundless time and space, still felt suffocating. Such a powerful individual could not have gone unnoticed. Yet, they wracked their brains and could not recall when such a mighty figure had appeared in the Three Realms.

Who exactly is she? Did she come for this monkey?

The Journey to the West tribulation is about to begin, and according to the Heavenly Dao’s grand trend, the Buddhism Gate is set to prosper. Does she intend to defy the Heavens and disrupt our great plan for the Buddhism Gate? Tathagata’s eyes shone with Buddha light as caution filled his heart. At this critical juncture, with the Journey to the West tribulation about to start, the emergence of such a powerful individual made anyone uneasy. He would not allow any unforeseen incidents to occur.

HUM.

Buddha light flared, and Tathagata’s figure vanished from the Great Thunder Sound Temple on Mount Ling.

"Messenger, just remove the seal above, and Old Sun can get out!"

"Please, Messenger!" Sun Wukong shouted excitedly. He couldn’t bear to stay there a moment longer.

"You impetuous monkey!" Zen Silver Gauze looked down, glancing at the monkey below, before her gaze settled on Tathagata’s decree. It wasn’t the mountain that suppressed the monkey, but the power of Tathagata contained within this decree.

"Disperse!" Zen Silver Gauze simply pointed. Under the shocked and disbelieving gazes of countless Powers of the Three Realms, the Golden Command on Five Finger Mountain instantly burst into flames and turned to ash.

Instantly, Sun Wukong felt his body lighten, as if a colossal weight had been lifted. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, aimed straight at the heavens.

"AAAHHH! Old Sun is getting out!" A long howl, one of extreme suppression followed by joyous release, erupted from Sun Wukong’s mouth. The earth quaked, and the cloud-piercing Five Finger Mountain exploded with a POP! like a balloon. Countless fragments of rock flew in all directions as a furry monkey with a face like Lei Gong soared into the sky, somersaulting joyously amidst the sea of clouds.

"Hahaha, Old Sun is out!"

"I’m out..."

Sun Wukong leaped and bounded on the sea of clouds, while the Powers of the Three Realms were collectively dumbstruck.

「Lingxiao Palace.」

The Jade Emperor regained his composure, a faint smile playing on his lips as he glanced towards Western Ling Mountain. Now Tathagata must be panicking! The grand trend of the Heavenly Dao dictated that the Buddhism Gate was to prosper. He couldn’t prevent it; he could only participate and get a share of the benefits. Life is like that, isn’t it? If you can’t resist, you might as well lie back and enjoy it. However, seeing someone cause trouble for Tathagata still pleased him greatly. In any case, no matter the outcome, it wouldn’t significantly impact his Heavenly Court. Many Immortal Gods in the Heavenly Court felt the same way, smirks appearing on their faces as they prepared to watch the unfolding drama.

"Thank you, Messenger! Thank you, My Lord!" After tumbling a few times in the sea of clouds, Sun Wukong performed a somersault and landed before Zen Silver Gauze, deeply grateful. Though he was rebellious and untamed, he clearly distinguished between gratitude and grudges: repaying kindness with kindness, and vengeance for grievances.

"Messenger, come, let’s return to Flower and Fruit Mountain! Let Old Sun play the host and entertain you properly!" Sun Wukong said.

"We might not be able to leave just yet," Zen Silver Gauze said calmly, without moving.

"Hmm?" Sun Wukong frowned, puzzled.

The next moment, he abruptly looked up, his eyes filled with boundless ferocity, his demonic nature displayed in full.

Just then, a ray of golden light shone down, tearing through the thick clouds with its dazzling radiance. A colossal golden Buddha emerged from the clouds. The Buddha was immense, seated there, so vast that its entirety couldn’t be seen at a single glance. As the Buddha appeared, faint Buddhist chants permeated the air between heaven and earth—sacred and serene, making one involuntarily feel the urge to take refuge in the Buddha.

"Tathagata!" Sun Wukong gritted his teeth and instantly pulled the Golden Cudgel from his ear.

"Eat Old Sun’s staff!" Sun Wukong leaped up. The Golden Cudgel instantly grew longer, thicker, and larger, smashing down hard on the crown of Tathagata’s golden form.

"You defiant monkey! Suppressed for five hundred years, yet still untamed and unrepentant. Do you wish to be suppressed for another five hundred years?" Tathagata shook his head and extended his enormous palm. A single slap struck Sun Wukong, sending him flying backward. He crashed through a large mountain, and the terrifying force made the very earth tremble. A bottomless abyss appeared where the mountain had shattered.

"Audacious!" Zen Silver Gauze, enraged, retaliated with a backhand slap.

Vacuum Palm Seal!

A Golden Palm condensed in the sky, even larger than Tathagata’s golden body. A majestic and terrifying aura filled every inch of space. Tathagata was horrified; every cell in his body seemed to tremble. Watching the Golden Palm whistle towards him, he wanted to resist, to evade, to block. But he couldn’t move. It was as if every cell in his body was utterly suppressed.

BANG!

A deafening roar, like a planet colliding with Earth, resounded through heaven and earth. Tathagata’s enormous golden body was sent flying, crashing through five great mountains before heavily smashing into the ground.

"Tathagata, eat Old Sun’s... Huh?" Sun Wukong burst out from the ground, ready to bring his staff down, only to find Tathagata gone.

"Where’s that Old Tathagata?" Sun Wukong was puzzled for a moment, then sensed Tathagata’s aura. His sharp gaze followed it, and he was instantly dumbfounded. The entire monkey was stunned. He saw Tathagata climbing out from a pile of rubble, his once magnificent and solemn golden body now shattered and broken.

HISS! Sun Wukong gasped. He had a profound understanding of Tathagata’s strength. Yet, in the blink of an eye, Tathagata was reduced to such a sorry state? It was too tragic! What did this imply? It meant Tathagata was completely outmatched. Even though he knew Zen Silver Gauze was incredibly powerful, such a scene was still far too shocking.

It wasn’t just Sun Wukong. In the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor, the Empress Mother of the West, Tota Heavenly King Li Jing, Nezha the Third Prince, Taibai Jinxing, and all the Immortal Gods were dumbfounded. Tathagata’s strength was formidable. Even if the Jade Emperor was reluctant to admit it, he had to acknowledge that Tathagata was indeed stronger than him. But now... Could this be a being comparable to a Saint?

Impossible!

How could this be?

If the Immortal Gods of the Heavenly Court were shocked, then the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of Mount Ling were in utter disbelief, feeling as if their faith was crumbling. Their invincible World-Honored One, Tathagata, had been defeated by a single slap. This completely overturned their understanding of the world.

"Amitabha!" Tathagata brought his palms together, his expression extremely solemn as he stared at Zen Silver Gauze. "Patron, who exactly are you? Even if you possess great Divine Skills, defying the Heavens will inevitably lead to your own destruction!"

"So what if I am defying the Heavens?" Zen Silver Gauze sneered. "Who says the grand trend of the Heavenly Dao cannot be reversed? Irreversible? That’s only because one’s power is insufficient. As long as one is strong enough, there is nothing that cannot be defied."

"As for bringing about my own destruction, you won’t live to see it!" Zen Silver Gauze wasted no more words, stretching out her hand and pointing a finger at Tathagata.

Not good! Tathagata’s hair stood on end; he felt an overwhelmingly intense aura of death. He was going to die.

"Daoist friend, please wait!"

Just then, space-time fluctuated, and a voice imbued with endless profundity emanated from the void. Hearing that voice, Sun Wukong felt as if his very soul was being elevated, overcome with an urge to prostrate himself in worship. It was clear that the newcomer was immensely powerful, far surpassing Tathagata.

ZIP!

Zen Silver Gauze’s movement didn’t pause in the slightest. Her finger pierced Tathagata’s brow, and the terrifying power of the Great Path instantly obliterated his consciousness and life force.

"How audacious!"

"You’re courting death!"

Two furious voices roared simultaneously. Space shattered, the Three Realms trembled, and countless powerful experts felt a chill run down their spines, utterly horrified.