The Protagonists' Chat Group: Beyond the Boundaries — Chapter 368

Chapter 368: Golden Cudgel, Cloud Somersault, Fiery Golden Eyes – If I’m not the real monkey, who is?

The Peacock Great Bright King (Kong Que Dà Míng Wáng) emanated an extremely fierce, murderous Aura, his divine light swirling, ready to kill Shi Jian and Shi Hao instantly for their crime.

[Inorin’s Note: The Peacock Great Bright King is a powerful Buddhist Bodhisattva, originally a celestial beast, the mother of the Peacock and Great Peng (Roc) siblings, and often associated with the Buddha himself.]

However, Tang Seng (Xu Que’s current persona) stepped forward at this critical moment and loudly reprimanded the Bodhisattva: “You are the Peacock Great Bright King, a revered Buddhist Bodhisattva! You should understand the principles of the creation of Heaven and Earth and the Reincarnation of the Heavenly Dao! That Golden-Winged Great Peng’s nature was wicked, committing genocide and great sin! He deserved this tribulation!”

“It was this poor monk who ordered Wukong and Bajie to subdue the demon! If you have any dissatisfaction, you can certainly blame this poor monk!”

This version of Tang Seng was truly unyielding, fully committed to his character.

Upon hearing this, the Peacock Great Bright King’s anger intensified: “Golden Cicada (Jīn Chán), do you really think I wouldn’t dare to kill you just because you have the Heavenly Mandate on you? You were my subordinate!”

[Inorin’s Note: Golden Cicada (Jīn Chán) is the name of Tang Sanzang’s previous incarnation. The Peacock Great Bright King was once close to the Buddha’s circle.]

“If this poor monk was at fault first, even if the Bodhisattva asked this poor monk to commit suicide to atone for the sin, this poor monk would have no words to say. I would die with a clear conscience! However, I have a clear conscience in this matter! This Golden-Winged Great Peng deserved to die for his crimes!” Tang Seng responded calmly, folding his hands.

The terrifying pressure of the Peacock Great Bright King—a King-level entity—bore down on the mere mortal projection of Xu Que.

Any other Mortal would have been instantly crushed to death.

However, Xu Que, as Tang Seng, stood perfectly straight, unyielding.

“Hmph! Even if the Golden-Winged Great Peng deserved to die, you could have destroyed his Physical Body and allowed his Soul to Reincarnate and redeem himself!”

“Why did you beat him until his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering? Annihilating his true spirit?!”

The Peacock Great Bright King’s tone was sorrowful, laced with grief. Born from the same mother (the original Phoenix), although the Golden-Winged Great Peng was somewhat unpromising and arrogant, they were brothers after all.

There was genuine affection between them.

The Peacock Great Bright King didn’t mind the Golden-Winged Great Peng suffering some losses or hardships—a beating from society would do him good.

However…

Shi Jian and Shi Hao were too ruthless! They beat the Golden-Winged Great Peng until his essence was annihilated, and they even barbecued his corpse!

This was absolutely an unending hatred, destroying his brother completely.

Upon hearing the Peacock Great Bright King’s words, Tang Seng knew that today’s matter could not be resolved peacefully with words alone.

However, as a mere Mortal monk, he didn’t know what to do at this moment.

If he truly had to face the Peacock Great Bright King, he couldn’t endure the fight.

Shi Jian and Shi Hao, portraying Wukong and Bajie, also stepped forward, standing protectively by their Master’s side.

Shi Jian stood with his staff, speaking without reservation:

“Our journey to the West to obtain scriptures is in accordance with the Heavenly Dao. The Golden-Winged Great Peng acted Heaven-Defyingly, destroying a nation and slaying millions. That is his first great sin. Annihilating the souls of his victims is his second great sin. With these two sins, what if we kill him, destroying his soul forever?”

“As for why he was beaten until his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering… Look around you! There are resentful spirits and countless corpses everywhere! Why don’t you ask the Golden-Winged Great Peng why he didn’t give those Mortals a chance at Reincarnation?”

Shi Hao stretched his limbs, his Nine-Toothed Rake resting casually over his shoulder, and also added:

“You, Peacock Great Bright King, usually don’t discipline the Golden-Winged Great Peng properly, indulging his arrogance. You only appear now, after he causes irreparable trouble. It’s too late to mend the fold after the sheep have been lost. This is the consequence of your own lax actions!”

“If you know what’s good for you, retreat quickly and don’t disturb our master and disciples on our journey to the West. Otherwise, we will kill you too, and let you and your brother become a pair of desperate, barbecued brothers!”

“However, if both of you die, the Phoenix clan will have no descendants in the Three Realms!” Shi Hao’s words were even more shocking, hitting a deep, mythical nerve.

Tang Seng and Sha Seng were utterly dumbfounded by their disciples’ shocking arrogance.

Bajie, the real one, was too courageous to talk.

The Peacock Great Bright King was even more enraged, his feathers bristling, and he sneered, “I’d like to see how you two mere demons, even with the power of the Great Dao, will kill a Bodhisattva!”

With that, he no longer hesitated and immediately unleashed his ultimate Divine Ability.

The Peacock Great Bright King possessed extraordinary strength and cultivated the Mahayana Orthodox Buddhist Dharma. When he started fighting, his Aura was terrifyingly immense, transcending the world.

Five-colored brilliance shone, and a large wisp of misty Qi flew out, sweeping everything away like withered leaves.

The Peacock Great Bright King’s first move was his most proficient, fearsome Five-Colored Divine Light.

[Inorin’s Note: The “Five-Colored Divine Light” (Wǔ Cǎi Shén Guāng) is the Peacock King’s iconic ability, symbolizing the Five Elements and capable of capturing or nullifying almost any weapon or enemy.]

The Five-Colored Divine Light symbolizes the Five Elements, representing the fundamental Heaven and Earth Origin Qi, which corresponds perfectly to the Five Elements Techniques of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

Anything caught within the Five-Colored Divine Light would instantly lose its power, essence, and mass.

The Five-Colored Divine Light brushes away everything!

Shi Jian and Shi Hao showed no fear at this sight.

They also began to act instantly.

The Peacock Great Bright King was considered a top-tier figure in the Journey to the West world.

But compared to the chat group members… they were not particularly afraid of him.

This was because, apart from his formidable cultivation, the Peacock Great Bright King’s strongest ability was his Five-Colored Divine Light.

Which was, at its core, the Five Elements Technique.

And the Five Elements Technique…

Everyone in the chat group had cultivated the Great Five Elements Technique!

The Great Five Elements Technique (Dà Wǔ Xíng Shù) is close to the fundamental Dao of the Universe!

In terms of the power of the core Divine Abilities, the Great Five Elements Technique was conceptually even superior to the Peacock King’s Five-Colored Divine Light!

Shi Jian and Shi Hao simultaneously unleashed the Great Five Elements Technique using their respective techniques:

Azure Emperor Wood Emperor Scripture!

Black Emperor Water Emperor Fist!

White Emperor Gold Emperor Slash!

Red Emperor Fire Emperor Qi!

Yellow Emperor Earth Emperor Dao!

Five peerless Five Elements great techniques were simultaneously unleashed, filling the entire Heaven and Earth with the overwhelming, perfected Dao of the Five Elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

In an instant, Killing Intent surged across the sky, causing Heaven and Earth to lose their color under the cosmic clash.

“Let’s fight in the Heaven Beyond Heaven!”

After an initial exchange, it was clear that the mortal world could not withstand their power.

With a clear, mutual understanding, they moved their battle into the higher dimensional space of the Heaven Beyond Heaven.

This exchange of blows between them…

Immediately startled the entirety of the Three Realms and Six Paths.

Countless divine and demonic gazes were cast towards this place.

“Is that the Peacock Great Bright King? Who in the world provoked this fierce god now?”

Upon seeing the boundless Five Elements Qi permeating the Heaven Beyond Heaven, the high-level beings of the Three Realms and Six Paths were started.

This Peacock Great Bright King was a known ruthless individual.

Even the Buddha himself had once been swallowed whole by him.

Such a figure, though not often active in the Three Realms, was notorious for his ferocity.

No one dared to provoke him casually.

Now…

Someone provoking him was one thing.

But they even forced him to use his ultimate Five-Colored Divine Light in a full-scale battle?

And then…

When they saw the figures fighting the Peacock Great Bright King…

They were even more bewildered.

Sun Wukong?

Zhu Bajie?

These two were fighting the Peacock Great Bright King to a standstill, hand in hand?

Is this right?

Upon closer inspection, it was even more astonishing.

These two demons were actually suppressing the Peacock Great Bright King’s Divine Light with their own, superior Five Elements Divine Abilities?

Could the Peacock Great Bright King’s supposedly invincible Five-Colored Divine Light ever be suppressed?!

Where did this monkey and pig learn Five Elements Divine Abilities?

Weren’t these two good at the 72 Earthly Fiends and 36 Heavenly Spirits techniques, respectively?

How are they also proficient in perfected Five Elements Divine Abilities?

Countless gods and Buddhas in the Three Realms and Six Paths were collectively dumbfounded!

Even the Peacock Great Bright King himself was utterly bewildered at this moment.

What kind of Divine Ability was his Five-Colored Divine Light? It was supposed to brush away everything, invincible!

But now, facing the Great Five Elements Technique of these two unexpected assailants…

It was like a mouse seeing a cat, constantly being countered, disrupted, and suppressed.

This made the Peacock Great Bright King feel extremely uncomfortable and frustrated.

He felt as if he couldn’t fully unleash his Divine Abilities and power.

After several rounds of intense battle in the Heaven Beyond Heaven, the Peacock Great Bright King realized the futility of his signature move. He stopped using the Five-Colored Divine Light and began to use other, complex Buddhist Divine Abilities.

A single thought in the Spiritual Platform is the Major Thousand Worlds. Countless golden lights permeated, and he began to use supreme Buddhist Divine Abilities.

The Peacock Great Bright King had spent a long time in Buddhism, even being elevated by the Buddha himself, and had learned most of its high-tier techniques.

Countless Buddhist lights shone from his body. Wherever the Buddhist light shone, the entire universe brightened, and countless Divine Lights illuminated the void.

Ten thousand golden lamps rose in the Void Realm.

He did indeed have the magnificent appearance of a powerful Buddhist Bodhisattva.

Boundless golden light shone upon Shi Jian and Shi Hao, attempting to convert or subdue them.

The two brothers sneered at this sight.

“Buddhist methods? We know them too!”

The two withdrew their Great Five Elements Technique and began to unleash the Great Deliverance Technique (Dà Dù Huà Shù).

[Inorin’s Note: The “Great Deliverance Technique” is one of the Three Thousand Great Daos from Eternal Life, a powerful Buddhist technique of conversion and mind-control, here used as a counter-conversion technique.]

This was also a supreme Buddhist Divine Ability.

It was one of the Three Thousand Great Daos!

Boundless Buddhist light, perhaps even purer than the Peacock King’s, also emerged behind the two, with countless images of stern, ancient Buddhas appearing.

The Buddhist lights of both sides clashed, instantly cancelling each other out.

A relic appeared above the Peacock Great Bright King’s head. He opened his mouth and spat out a five-colored lotus, which brushed towards Shi Jian and Shi Hao, aiming to capture them.

Shi Jian vibrated the Golden Cudgel (Rú Yì Jīn Gū Bàng) in his hand. Auspicious clouds surrounded him, and the phenomena of Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang, and the Two Poles and Four Symbols appeared around him.

A huge Bagua diagram emerged.

“Peacock Great Bright King! We have already witnessed your Five-Colored Divine Light! Now, let us show you the Yin and Yang Qi of your good brother, the Golden-Winged Great Peng!”

[Inorin’s Note: The Golden-Winged Great Peng is often associated with the primordial elements of Yin and Yang.]

The Yin and Yang Qi moved towards the Peacock Great Bright King.

This Yin and Yang Qi and the Peacock Great Bright King’s Five-Colored Divine Light shared the same elemental origin. In the hands of the Great Peng, they could not display their true Divine Might against his brother.

However, in Shi Jian’s hands, fueled by immense power…

That was truly Divine Might!

The Peacock Great Bright King circulated his Five-Colored Divine Light desperately. As the Five Elements Divine Light surged, Shi Jian’s Yin and Yang Qi scattered the attack.

But the next instant…

The Yin and Yang Qi reformed into a rotating Bagua, and then transformed the scattered Five-Colored Divine Light back into pure Yin and Yang Qi, assimilating it.

The Yin and Yang Qi and the Five-Colored Divine Light went back and forth, mutually generating and countering each other!

They belonged to the same fundamental power level.

Only surging precious light and blooming lotuses were seen in the final stalemate.

Seeing this, Shi Hao did not hesitate in the slightest. He raised his Nine-Toothed Rake (Jiǔ Chǐ Dīng Pá) and struck it towards the Peacock Great Bright King’s head.

The Peacock Great Bright King saw him attack and dared not be negligent.

With a flip of his hand, a Three Treasures Jade Ruyi (Sān Bǎo Yù Rúyì) appeared in his grasp.

This Jade Ruyi blocked the Nine-Toothed Rake.

But the next instant…

A sword suddenly appeared in Shi Hao’s hand.

It was precisely the powerful Great Luo Sword Embryo!

A surge of Chaos Qi slashed towards the Peacock Great Bright King.

The Peacock Great Bright King was too slow to dodge and was struck hard by the Great Luo Sword Embryo. His Dao Body suffered immense damage, visibly cracking.

“What kind of sword is this?! How could it break my Buddhist Golden Body so easily?!”

The Peacock Great Bright King was greatly alarmed, recognizing the profound nature of the weapon.

“The sword that will kill you!” Shi Hao snorted coldly, his Killing Intent palpable.

“I told you long ago, if you remain unrepentant today, I will send you to meet your brother!”

“I’ve already eaten roasted Golden-Winged Great Peng, but I haven’t yet tasted roasted Peacock! I hear the feathers make a good garnish!”

The Peacock Great Bright King was furious upon hearing this, but he also sensed that the situation was dire.

These “Sun Wukong” and “Zhu Bajie”…

They were not normal! They were far beyond the scope of any tribulation in the Three Realms.

“You two are definitely not Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie! What are your true identities?!”

The Peacock Great Bright King questioned him while desperately recovering from his injuries.

Shi Jian took advantage of his distraction and raised the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod in his hand, striking it directly towards his head.

It landed squarely on his face.

“If I’m not Sun Wukong, then I ask you, isn’t this in my hand the Golden Cudgel? Is this not the Cloud Somersault I used just now? Do I not have Fiery Golden Eyes?”

“With the Golden Cudgel, the Cloud Somersault, and the Fiery Golden Eyes… if I’m not Sun Wukong, then who am I?!”

The Peacock Great Bright King was dizzy from this blow, his composure completely shattered.

His heart was filled with rage and terror.

However, at this moment, his mind was not completely clouded by anger.

The current situation was overwhelmingly unfavorable for him.

He was already contemplating escape!

…

The battle between the three in the Heaven Beyond Heaven naturally alarmed countless high-level beings.

Countless gods and demons in the Three Realms and Six Paths sensed it.

The real Monkey King and the real Zhu Bajie, who were currently relaxing and enjoying themselves on Flower-Fruit Mountain (having been freed from their journey early), naturally also sensed the cosmic disturbance.

“Someone is causing such a huge commotion?”

The Monkey King asked curiously, then he used the supreme Divine Ability of Fiery Golden Eyes (Huǒ Yǎn Jīn Jīng), looking directly into the Heaven Beyond Heaven.

The next instant…

He was dumbfounded.

“Brother Monkey, Brother Monkey… What did you see? Did you see those new fiends?”

Zhu Bajie asked curiously from the side.

The Monkey King spoke with some uncertainty: “I saw… I saw the two of us… are currently suppressing the Peacock Great Bright King! Fighting him to a standstill!”

…

It is said that after the Peacock Great Bright King decided to flee, he quickly put his escape plan into action.

He suddenly erupted with boundless golden light. The golden light transformed into a massive golden bridge, extending from his position, instantly forming a golden Dao of retreat.

The Peacock Great Bright King revealed his true form (the massive, multicolored peacock) and immediately fled into the distance, moving with terrifying speed.

His body was permeated with Five-Colored Divine Light, which he swept towards Shi Jian and Shi Hao as a last-ditch counterattack.

This Great Master Peacock was, after all, a highly cultivated King-level being, and as he was a bird who achieved the Dao, his speed was naturally terrifyingly fast.

In the blink of an eye, he had escaped an immeasurable distance.

When Shi Jian and Shi Hao saw this, they did not continue to pursue him.

Because…

The direction the Great Master Peacock fled…

Was directly towards Fang Han’s position.

The Great Master Peacock ran straight into a supreme predator.

The Great Master Peacock still had a small chance to survive against the two brothers’ combined assault.

But against the utterly ruthless Fang Han…

It would be quite miserable indeed.

The world mechanism created by this Grand Purity Saint (Laozi) is based on the final power level, not just the numerical value.

And Fang Han, without a doubt…

Is the strongest mechanism monster in the chat group! The most powerful embodiment of logical consequence! He is unstoppable by conventional means.

He has Divine Abilities if he wants them.

He has Magic Treasures if he wants them.

…

After driving away the Great Master Peacock and letting Fang Han handle the rest, Shi Jian and Shi Hao went to find the real Tang Sanzang and the real disciples again, who were hiding near Emperor Pass.

“Master! That Great Master Peacock ran away!”

The two spoke to Tang Sanzang, pointing into the sky.

Tang Sanzang was still utterly bewildered by the chaos he had witnessed.

After sorting out his thoughts, he was just about to speak…

Unexpectedly, a familiar voice suddenly came from afar again.

“Master! Master! We’re back!”

Another Monkey and Pigsy appeared here.

Tang Sanzang was confused when he saw this: “How are there two Wukong and two Bajie now?!”

“Master, these two are fakes! We two are the real Wukong and Bajie!”

The real Wukong and the real Bajie shouted.

Shi Jian and Shi Hao looked at each other, revealing mischievous smiles: “Master, don’t listen to them! We two are the real Wukong and the real Bajie!”

The two sides immediately got into a furious argument, quarreling back and forth, each claiming authenticity.

They just couldn’t sort out the truth, as both pairs possessed the same iconic auras and weapons.

Tang Sanzang and Sha Wujing finally managed to separate the four of them.

The real Wukong, enraged, said: “I am the real Wukong! My Old Sun is proficient in seventy-two transformations, the Cloud Somersault, and I also have this As-You-Will Golden-Hooped Rod borrowed from the Dragon Palace, which can be big or small, as big or small as I wish!”

“Do you know seventy-two transformations? Do you have the Golden-Hooped Rod?!”

While speaking, he infinitely enlarged the Golden-Hooped Rod while performing various transformation techniques.

Shi Jian, seeing this, picked his ears with the tip of his own staff: “Who doesn’t know seventy-two transformations? Who doesn’t know the Cloud Somersault? Who doesn’t have the As-You-Will Golden-Hooped Rod?”

He also enlarged his Golden-Hooped Rod, then performed seventy-two transformations, perfectly mimicking the Monkey King’s forms.

His Golden-Hooped Rod was naturally a genuine copy.

A genuine item, along with the cultivation technique, had been “copied” directly from the Heavenly Dao Library by the chat group.

When the Monkey was knocked unconscious by Yang Qi…

Shi Jian “copied” everything from the Monkey’s entire body, including his memories of his skills.

Although Shi Jian was not a monkey by nature…

But everything on him was the Monkey’s genuine article.

This was Shi Jian’s strongest, most ridiculous point.

Someone asked: Lao Shi, Lao Shi (Old Master), everyone in the group is a prodigy, the protagonist of a certain world. Being strong is normal. But why are you so strong?

Shi Jian’s answer would be: Then I ask you, if I can Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V, isn’t that enough?

Copying and pasting is already an invincible path!

Although I possess no innate skills, I can copy all skills seen.

Although I possess no innate talent, I can copy all talents seen…

Am I still not strong enough? Look at my eye!

Tang Sanzang’s head was spinning from being argued with by the two Monkeys and two Pigs.

“This master is shallow in knowledge. I truly cannot tell your true identities! How about you go find someone else to verify this?”

He spoke cautiously. The safest option was always to delegate the problem.

Hearing him say this, the real Monkey and real Bajie’s eyes lit up.

“Find someone else! Let’s go find Bodhisattva Guanyin! She was the one who sent us on the journey to the West to obtain scriptures. She must recognize us!”

“Go find her then! Who’s afraid of whom!” Shi Jian and Shi Hao echoed, eager for the next round of chaos.

The group of six hurried, fighting and arguing all the way, towards Bodhisattva Guanyin’s Dao field.

“I am the real one!”

“No! I am the real one!”

Guanyin’s head ached when she heard the furious voices approaching.

True and false Wukong.

True and false Bajie.

Not to mention whether she had a reliable way to distinguish them at this level.

Even if she could distinguish them…

She wouldn’t dare to distinguish them!

Without a doubt…

The ones who were suppressing the Great Master Peacock earlier were the fake Wukong and fake Bajie.

So the crucial question was: If she recognized which one was fake…

Who would be beaten next? The problem-makers? Or the one who exposed the problem-makers? It was too risky.

Guanyin looked left and right, then asked a few symbolic, surface-level questions to both pairs.

Both sides answered them perfectly, their answers derived from the Monkey King’s copied memory.

She feigned a troubled expression: “The transformations of these fake Wukong and fake Bajie are too exquisite! I also cannot distinguish them!”

“How about you go to the eighteen levels of Hell and seek Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha? He has a Divine Beast named Diting, who can listen to people’s inner voices and thoughts…”

“He will surely be able to distinguish the true from the false!”

This Bodhisattva Guanyin had also expertly thrown a bomb.

The real Monkey was overjoyed: “Good, good! We will go find Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha right away!”

The four of them fought and ran again, arriving in the Underworld, at the gates of Hell.

They found Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha.

After explaining their purpose, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha sent out his Divine Beast, Diting (Dì Tīng).

Diting’s twelve ears flapped back and forth, listening to the inner voices of the two Monkeys and two Pigs!

[“I am the real one, this prodigy doesn’t know where he came from, stealing my identity. I hate him!”]

[…]

[“It’s one thing for a prodigy to impersonate Senior Brother, but how can there be a prodigy impersonating my Old Pig too! Undignified!”]

[…]

Some people’s inner voices were completely exposed.

Some people had no inner voices at all (Li Changshou’s clone was too well-maintained).

Who was suspicious, wasn’t it obvious at a glance?

Diting felt overwhelming disdain in his heart.

Distinguishing true from false? This was too simple for it.

“Diting, have you distinguished the true from the false?”

Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha asked.

Diting puffed out its chest, then immediately shrank back, its voice small and terrified: “Master…”

“I… I can’t tell! I really can’t tell at all!”

Diting really didn’t dare to distinguish.

It knew quite a lot about the situation in the Three Realms and Six Paths.

When the Great Gourmet (Shi Hao) was displaying his culinary skills earlier…

It had observed it using a special, forbidden method.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng, the Golden-Furred Green Lion, the Six-Tusked White Elephant…

They were simply full of color, aroma, and taste… No.

They were simply miserable. Barbecued.

Just now, Diting even felt the naked, hungry gaze of a certain pig (Shi Hao’s clone) looking directly at him.

Diting trembled even more.

It wanted to say: Not only could I not distinguish, but my own meat is probably not tasty enough either!

After he finished speaking, he quickly shrank behind Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, hoping to disappear.

“Great Sage, this demon’s methods are too extraordinary. Diting also cannot distinguish the truth!”

Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha spoke, throwing the problem further away.

The real Monkey became agitated: “If even Diting can’t distinguish, what should we do now?!”

Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha heard this and said: “How about going to the Heavenly Court to try again? The Heavenly Court is full of talents and magical mirrors…”

This Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha had also successfully thrown a dangerous “hot potato”…

These true and false Wukong and Bajie were like a powerful bomb.

They could explode at any time…

Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha didn’t care when it exploded.

As long as it didn’t explode in his hands.

“Then let’s go find the Jade Emperor!”

The real Monkey spoke agitatedly, then glared fiercely at Shi Jian.

The group of six hurriedly flew towards the Heavenly Court again.

When they arrived at the Heavenly Court…

The people in the Heavenly Court already knew about the latest developments.

Now they were all utterly lost in thought, praying for the problem to go away.

The Jade Emperor, however, was quite interested, looking like he was watching a good show.

He warmly received the four of them, welcoming the chaos.

After hearing the Monkey explain the reason for their return…

The Jade Emperor said: “Let Taibai distinguish them! He is most familiar with you, Great Sage, having invited you to the Heavenly Court so many times!”

Taibai Jinxing, who was suddenly tagged, was a bit helpless.

He could only stroke his beard and examine the two Monkeys up and down.

“You are the real Great Sage…” he spoke to the real Wukong.

The real Wukong was about to show a joyful expression.

But unexpectedly, Taibai turned his head and looked at Shi Jian, then also said: “You… you are also the real Great Sage…”

The real Monkey’s face instantly turned crimson with rage.

“What are you distinguishing, you useless old man?!”

Taibai Jinxing seemed to realize that what he said was a bit inappropriate, and his old face flushed: “Reporting to Your Majesty! This old subject also cannot distinguish which one is the real Great Sage! My old eyes are failing!”

The real Wukong became frantic: “How can you all not distinguish either?! Back then, my Old Sun was thrown into the Eight Trigrams Furnace by Laozi and refined into Fiery Golden Eyes, causing a ruckus in the Heavenly Palace!”

“That’s right! Fiery Golden Eyes! You, this fake prodigy, know seventy-two transformations and the Cloud Somersault, but you can’t possibly know Fiery Golden Eyes, can you?!”

Wukong seemed to have found his ultimate hope, and golden light instantly burst from his eyes.

Shi Jian smiled serenely when he saw this: “I am real, you are fake! I also know Fiery Golden Eyes!”

Golden light instantly burst from Shi Jian’s eyes as well, equally potent.

The two Sun Wukongs used their Fiery Golden Eyes to look at each other.

Four intense golden lights flickered back and forth in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

The people in the Heavenly Court were stunned.

There’s even this kind of operation!

“Impossible! Impossible! My Fiery Golden Eyes were refined in the Eight Trigrams Furnace! How can you also know them?! Besides Laozi, who else is in the Eight Trigrams Furnace?!”

The real Monkey shouted, looking wildly at the Daoist ancestor.

The immortals in the Heavenly Court looked strangely at Laozi, who was present.

Laozi’s face immediately turned bitter.

‘This can even be dragged to me?!’

The two Monkeys and two Pigs started arguing furiously in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

The Jade Emperor grew tired of listening and also began to throw a final bomb: “Great Sage, even the Heavenly Court cannot distinguish the true from the false of you two! How about you go to Spirit Mountain to seek the Buddha himself!”

“Let him distinguish them!”

The real Monkey was not as excited as before this time, realizing the severity of the problem.

Tang Sanzang, Bodhisattva Guanyin, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, the Heavenly Court…

So many top-tier authorities couldn’t distinguish them.

How could the Buddha himself distinguish them?

However, with the mindset of trying even if there was no hope left…

He still agreed to go.

“Then let’s go to Spirit Mountain! The Buddha must know!”

A group of people rushed towards Spirit Mountain again.

When they arrived at Spirit Mountain…

Spirit Mountain was clearly in a state of high alert.

Obviously…

They also knew exactly what had happened.

And they also knew about the fake Wukong and fake Bajie suppressing the Great Master Peacock.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so cautious.

The Buddha was indeed extraordinary.

As soon as he made a move, dispatching his envoys to settle the dispute…

It was truly domineering.

“Please, Fellow Daoist, show mercy. I am willing to offer a small gift as compensation…”

As soon as the Buddha made contact, it was all about human relations and political maneuvering.

He secretly transmitted a message to Shi Jian.

Unsure of the true origins of Shi Jian and Shi Hao, and fully aware of their extraordinary, world-defying strength, the Buddha had no confidence in subduing them through force.

Therefore, this Buddha did not use force.

Instead, he played the game of human relations, offering immense treasure.

He was very generous with his offers.

“Your Buddhist Great Master Peacock attacked my two brothers earlier. Your local gang is a bit impolite and arrogant!”

Shi Jian replied via sound transmission, holding the high ground.

“What does Fellow Daoist want for compensation?”

“More money (treasure)!”

Looking at the generous conditions promised by the Buddha, Shi Jian felt that the Buddha of this world was perhaps not as detestable and cold as written in some novels.

He seemed quite pragmatic, even benevolent when dealing with powerhouses.

The Buddha engaged in serious human relations negotiations with Shi Jian and Shi Hao.

They settled the matter properly, reaching an agreement on resources and future non-interference.

Then…

After the real Monkey explained the whole story to the Buddha…

The Buddha smiled calmly, picked a single, perfect flower, and pointed directly at the real Monkey: “You are real.”

Then he looked at the real Bajie.

“You are also real.”

The real Monkey and real Bajie were overjoyed when they heard this.

They felt that at this moment, the Buddha was like a parent who had given them new life and vindication.

All the scars and bumps on the Monkey’s head suddenly seemed so pleasing to the eye.

“Finally! Someone can recognize my Old Sun!”

The Monkey’s eyes welled up with grateful tears.