txolops Chapter 73, Five Villages Temple: Subduing the Mountain King
Chapter 73, Five Villages Temple: Subduing the Mountain King
Upon hearing this, the one-horned monster was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter: "Hahahaha! You scoundrel, you sure know how to brag!"
"In terms of martial arts, we were evenly matched just now, and I couldn't defeat you. But you don't know I have other tricks up my sleeve."
Li Fa asked, "What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?"
The monster laughed and said, "My single horn was born of heaven and earth and cultivated over countless eons. It has knocked down Mount Tai and pierced through the North Sea."
Let alone you, a mere mortal, even an iron-cast Arhat or a bronze Vajra cannot withstand a single blow from me!
Since you claim to be indestructible, dare you let me take your place?
Li Fa laughed, "Anyone can brag. You try and see if you can sway me in the slightest. If you can't, then obediently kneel down and kowtow three times, and acknowledge me as your elder brother!"
What a monster! It immediately revealed its true form, which was indeed a unicorn with a white body, a black tail, and a horn on its forehead.
Sure enough, he was running towards them. Li Fa dared not be careless and immediately used the Earth Escape Technique, connecting his feet to the earth's veins and rooting them to the ground. He also added the power of immense strength and indestructibility.
The one-horned monster charged headlong into the building, and with a deafening roar, it was as if the mountains had collapsed and the earth had split open!
Li Fa swayed slightly, but managed to withstand the blow without moving an inch!
The unicorn monster's headbutt made him feel dizzy, as if he had crashed into Mount Kunlun, so strong that he saw stars and lost his bearings.
He stumbled back several steps, taking a long time to recover.
Seeing his expression, Li Fa laughed and said, "How about it? Can you handle me? You'd better kneel down and kowtow three times, and acknowledge me as your elder brother!"
Upon hearing this, the unicorn's expression shifted, and he remained speechless for a long time.
He was terrified, but too proud to admit it, so he stubbornly insisted, "You...you cheated! You must have used some kind of sorcery!"
Li Fa laughed and said, "Cheat? I'm standing right here letting you challenge me without moving an inch. What kind of cheat is that? If you're not satisfied, feel free to challenge me again. If I even flinch, then I'll admit defeat."
The one-horned monster dared not fight back any longer, inwardly lamenting its predicament.
But he refused to admit defeat directly, so he transformed back into human form and said, "Although I pushed you back, you didn't use your true strength to attack me. So I'll let you attack me, let you chop and hack as you please. If I blink, I'll consider you the winner, and I'll naturally submit."
Li Fa said, "Of course, of course! I won't use a knife or an axe. I have a method here that uses a flying sword to pierce the heart, specifically to sever the primordial spirit. Would you like to try it?"
Upon hearing this, the monster's expression changed. Although he had a head of bronze and arms of iron, it was only due to his racial talent and was not truly indestructible. His primordial spirit was quite fragile, so of course he could not withstand the flying sword piercing his heart.
He shook his head repeatedly, saying, "I admit defeat, I admit defeat. Old Taoist, you have so many tricks up your sleeve, may I ask which master you are?"
Li Fa rolled his eyes and laughed, "That's strange. I won't hide it from you. I am Ji Huazi, the eldest disciple of Wuji Tianzun. There's a poem to prove it:"
The Great Dao, without limit, gives rise to the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji), which in turn divides into Yin and Yang. The interaction of Yin and Yang is called the ultimate transformation, and from this, heaven and earth and all things flourish.
Having endured three calamities and five tribulations, it has become a supreme elixir. Impervious to swords and spears, fireproof, indestructible, and water-resistant.
Stealthily disappearing without a trace, the Five Elements Escape moves with unparalleled ease. A flying sword can pierce the heart and sever the head; its transformations are ever-changing and powerful.
Before the Three Pure Ones, he is addressed as a junior; under their guidance, his Dharma name spreads far and wide. The Four Emperors and Five Elders are granted seats; the Nine Luminaries and Ten Capitals praise his virtuous conduct.
Go ask around the world, and you'll find everyone who says I, the Celestial Master of Extreme Transformation, am the strongest!
Upon hearing this, the unicorn was even more horrified. He was also frightened by Li Fa's abilities and never expected that Li Fa was just bragging.
So he thought to himself, "I didn't expect this old Taoist to have such a terrifying background. He can speak up for the Three Pure Ones and the Five Elders. Even the Four Emperors and the Five Elders have to give him some face. It's my good fortune to meet him today. I might as well take this opportunity to curry favor with him."
He said respectfully, "So you are the Immortal Ji Huazi! I have long admired your name, my apologies for not being more respectful! May I ask what brings you to this desolate mountain wilderness?"
Li Fa said, "I have a past relationship with Zhenyuan Daxian, and I have come to Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain to visit my fellow Daoist and reminisce about our old times."
Upon hearing this, the unicorn's heart stirred.
He came to the Wanshou Mountain area hoping to ask Zhenyuan Daxian for help, but unexpectedly, he was kicked out by the disciples of Wuzhuang Temple before he could even enter the mountain gate.
Out of resentment, he gathered a group of lesser demons to rob the road here, partly to vent his anger and partly to tarnish the reputation of Longevity Mountain and force Zhenyuan Daxian to come out and meet him.
I happened to run into Li Fa today. He said he had a past relationship with Zhen Yuanzi and was very powerful. It would be better to ask him for help than to struggle here on my own.
Thinking of this, the monster immediately put on a mournful face and said sorrowfully, "I have been greatly wronged, please, sir, do me justice!"
Seeing his expression, Li Fa chuckled inwardly, but pretended to ponder and asked, "What grievance do you have? Tell me slowly, and if you have a valid point, I will judge for you."
The monster said, "My name is Baili Bo. I was originally from Jinping Prefecture. Later, I offended Lingshan. He sent Vajra Arhats to capture me, but I overpowered the Vajra and knocked down the Arhats. Fearing that I would be hunted down by the Buddhist sect, I fled to the Eastern Land, hoping to find a safe place to live."
Li Fa said, "I see. But if you want to use your grievances to oppose the Buddhist sect of Lingshan, I'm afraid I can't help you. The Buddhist sect is powerful, and although I have some supernatural abilities, I don't want to offend them easily."
The monster quickly shook his head and said urgently, "It's not that, it's not that! When I fled to the East, I came to White Tiger Ridge. Because I was hungry, I ate the white tiger on the mountain and hunted all the tigers and leopards on the ridge. I built a cave there and settled down. I lived there peacefully for many years."
Unexpectedly, more than ten years ago, a corpse demon appeared out of nowhere, transforming into a woman of stunning beauty. She flaunted her charms outside my cave, trying to seduce me in every way. I was overcome with lust and married her.
But who would have thought that this Corpse Demon was wicked? Years ago, he actually found an old monster, and the two of them joined forces to deal with me.
That old monster was incredibly powerful; he severely injured me and even stole my life-bound relic. That corpse demon seized my cave, occupied my mountain, and drove me out. For years, I've been forced to wander, suffering endless torment—I'm truly resentful!
After saying this, the monster looked at Li Fa expectantly, hoping that he would lend a helping hand.
Upon hearing this, Li Fa's heart stirred.
White Tiger Ridge? Corpse Demon? Isn't this the territory of the White Bone Demon? But in the original story, the White Bone Demon was a lone monster, so how come an old monster has appeared here? And even stole the relic of this one-horned monster?
He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Do you know who that old monster is?"
The unicorn shook its head and said, "To be honest, I don't know his name either. I only know that he is incredibly powerful. He wields a steel knife and has some kind of exquisite inner core. He is extremely formidable."
Upon hearing this, Li Fa almost burst out laughing. The exquisite inner core—wasn't this old monster none other than the Yellow Robe Monster?
In the original story, it was called the Relic Exquisite Inner Core. It seems that after Kui Mulang descended to the mortal realm, he encountered Baili Bo and, seeing that he had a natal relic, he snatched it and refined it together with his own Exquisite Inner Core, merging the two into one, thus creating the infinitely powerful Relic Exquisite Inner Core.
Li Fa pondered in his heart: The Yellow Robe Monster is Kui Mulang, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions in the heavens. Because he had a secret affair with Baihua Xiu Fairy of Pixiang Palace, he descended to the mortal world as a demon and entrenched himself in Boyue Cave of Wanzishan Mountain. His supernatural powers are indeed not weak.
Now that he has refined Baili Bo's natal relic, his strength has increased even more. If I were to go to his door now, it's hard to say whether I could take him down instantly.
Furthermore, whether it is the Corpse Demon White Bone Spirit or the Yellow-Robed Monster Kui Mulang, they are all preordained on the journey to the West, and are a tribulation for Tang Sanzang and his disciples.
The merit record on my body will most likely issue a quest related to these two people. If I take action to eliminate them now, it will probably disrupt the triggering of the merit quest and cause me to miss out on the generous rewards. It would be a loss, so I absolutely cannot go now.
Most importantly, if the task of the Merit Chart is to kill the White Bone Demon or the Yellow Robe Monster, then you have to wait for Sun Wukong to come.
After all, the title of "Chosen Working Monkey" isn't given lightly. We need to let the monkey go up and wear it down first, so we can save ourselves some trouble.