Chapter 019: The World Honored One Enters the Dream to Subdue the Demon Head

It is said that Wukong, his two brothers, along with a surviving subordinate of the Jiao Demon King, had sailed their ship into the midst of Beiming, which is the furthest reaches of the North Sea. Mystical and unfathomable, Beiming is rumored to be the birthplace of the Kunpeng, and since ancient times, like the South Sea Ruins, it has been regarded as one of the perilous existences in this Saha World.

With the God-Beating Whip and the lanterns protecting the battleship, they moved slowly through the waters. Once again they encountered a ferocious ghost, but immediately a Taoist appeared from within the light of the lanterns, reciting the Sutra for Crossing Sentient Beings by the Spiritual Treasure Celestial Venerable, and swiftly transformed those ghosts, sending them into the cycle of reincarnation.

The sea was pitch-black, shrouded by fog, and even with the Heavenly Vision activated, the Jiao Demon King found it difficult to see far. The fog greatly hindered their sight.

The group of four suddenly felt drowsy, as if the fog held something sinister. They tried to stay awake, but their minds wouldn't obey, and the True Qi within their Primordial Spirit circulated with great difficulty. In an instant, all four of them collapsed onto the deck, falling asleep.

Beings of the Dao of Immortals could fast and go sleepless, and many, in their leisure, were like Ancestor Chen Tuan, who could sleep for years, even decades.

"Senior Sister?"

When Wukong woke up, he saw Wusheng standing at the bow of the ship, smiling sweetly and gesturing for him to come closer.

Wukong touched his head and asked, "Senior Sister, where are we?"

Wusheng replied, "Where else would we be but Three Stars Cave? Where did you think we were?"

Just as Wukong was about to speak, Wusheng pressed her finger to his lips and said seductively, "Don't speak! I'm taking you to see Master."

Wukong's heart skipped a beat. He stepped back, Jingu Bang already in his hand, and demanded, "Who are you?"

Wusheng's expression turned odd as she said, "Am I not your Senior Sister? Come on, Wukong, I'll take you to Master."

By nature, Wusheng was indifferent, often blunt with Wukong. He immediately realized something was off. It was fortunate he had two Primordial Spirits to alert each other, or he might have been fooled. He remembered that he had entered the North Sea with the Ox Demon King, the Jiao Demon King, and the Dragon Whale, and had sailed into Beiming amid a mysterious fog, then fallen into a deep sleep. But now the Ox Demon King, the Jiao Demon King, and the others were nowhere to be seen. Anxious, he wondered if they had already been killed by "Wusheng".

"Wukong, are you looking for us?" The Jiao Demon King, the Ox Demon King, and the Dragon Whale appeared at the bow of the ship.

"Are you all right?" Wukong asked.

"Of course, we're fine, all thanks to your Senior Sister who saved us. Otherwise, we really would have been in trouble," said the Ox Demon King in his deep, booming voice.

Suddenly, Wukong realized something, sharpened one end of the Jingu Bang, and stabbed his own thigh, causing blood to pour out, skin and flesh turning inside out, yet he felt no pain. However, he could vaguely sense his life essence slowly draining away with the blood. Quickly stopping the bleeding, his wound healed with a thought.

"Wukong, what are you doing!" the Jiao Demon King exclaimed.

Wukong took a step back. Ever since he had separated from the Heavenly Dao and viewed the world from the perspective of the Heavenly Dao, he had gained a level of great wisdom rare in mortals. After a short reflection, he knew this was a dream, yet the dream felt incredibly real. At the very least, getting hurt resulted in the actual loss of life essence.

Where there are thoughts, there are dreams. Wukong had been thinking about why Wusheng had come to the North Sea, and so Wusheng appeared. Then he wondered where the Ox Demon King and the others had gone, and just like that, they appeared too. Wukong wondered about Tang Sanzang's whereabouts... and sure enough, he saw the venerable Tang Sanzang, hands together in prayer, smiling at Wukong. But this Tang Sanzang, who had already turned to ash due to the reversal of the Heavenly Dao by the Rebirth Box's power, had perished.

Wukong gripped the Jingu Bang tightly, saying, "There is a type of demon head known as 'Dream Demon,' who invades the Divine Sense of people in certain environments and controls their dreams... Although no one has seen such a Dream Demon, it is indeed a real entity, and I did not expect it to be hiding in the North Sea. However, a Dream Demon has no real cultivation and can only kill a person within the dream before taking over their body."

The expression of "Wusheng" shifted, her face darkened, turning into a hideous demon with a green face and ferocious fangs, and she cackled, "Unexpectedly, you, Demon King, managed to see through my true form! You're quite learned to know about the Dream Demon."

Wukong propped the Jingu Bang on the deck, casually saying, "Although Dream Demons are fearsome, one who possesses great fortitude can awaken from the dream after expelling the Dream Demon, and thereby gain a deeper understanding of the Dao. This world is composed of both illusion and reality. To see through the delusions is to cultivate... since you have delivered yourself to me, I must slay you to prove my Dao!"

The Dream Demon manifested a huge scythe in her hand, and the Ox Demon King and the others also roared loudly, charging at Wukong together.

Wukong took a step back, swinging the Jingu Bang. His staff skills, honed across two lifetimes, were unmatched. Even as the four attacked him with all their techniques, he managed to cope. With a shout, he used the Seventy-Two Transformations to manifest Three Heads and Six Arms, growing two extra heads on his neck and four more arms on his back, each holding a Jingu Bang, shielding himself completely.

"Bang!"

With one swing of his staff, Wukong sent the Dragon Whale careening into the sea, then kicked the Jiao Demon King in the chest, knocking him down. A strong punch landed on the Ox Demon King's jaw, and with just a few punches and kicks, he had downed all three. Wukong realized that although these three displayed their own mana, the execution was awkward and unnatural, clearly showing that the Dream Demon had simulated them in his dream but couldn't control them smoothly.

Wukong brought his staff crashing down on the crown of the Dream Demon's head, toppling the creature to the ground, and scolded, "Is that all you're capable of?"

Yet, the Dream Demon rose from the ground, seemingly unharmed, and sneered, "Dreams encompass all manner of emotions. Without achieving Buddhahood, how can you subdue their hearts? I have already captured the fear in your heart."

Wukong's fur stood on end as he watched the Dream Demon slowly bring his hands together in prayer. The green-faced, fanged terror gradually transformed into a face that was both gentle and majestic. A halo emerged behind its head, and its entire body shone with golden light. The swirling black mist turned into a golden kasaya, and while it smiled serenely, the light in its eyes was icy cold.

"Tathagata!!!" Seeing the eighteen-foot-tall Buddha before him, Wukong could not help but feel fear, stepping back abruptly. This great Buddha was none other than Tathagata.

"Amitabha Buddha, Sun Wukong, you have caused endless chaos within and beyond the Three Realms. You are destined to be consumed by the Karmic Fire and suffer eternally in the cycle of reincarnation!" Tathagata proclaimed with divine composure, his voice like thunder.

Everything in a dream is illusory, yet the simulated Tathagata had mana almost equal to that of the real one!

Wukong had entered a dream state, and every occurrence within the dream also had its own cause and effect. Though dreams are imaginary, they can still conjure reality out of nothing.

However, what happened next stunned Wukong. Tathagata, with eyes wide in fury, rebuked, "Audacious demon, how dare you use my Dharma Body to wreak havoc! You deserve death a thousand times over!"

With one swift motion, Tathagata slapped his forehead, and the green-faced, fanged Dream Demon was smacked right out of his third eye, tumbling to the ground, unable to rise immediately.

"Your fear is so powerful, penetrating illusions and touching upon reality, nearly understanding the Heavenly Dao?" The Dream Demon had not anticipated this; he had used Wukong's fear to conjure a Tathagata, but he had not expected that Tathagata from Mount Meru would sense it and send a thought into this nefarious dream. This was truly a suicidal act.

Before the Dream Demon could speak, Tathagata had already grasped him in his palm. Though it was but a dream, his strength was no different from that of his true self seated in the Great Hall of Mount Ling. The Dream Demon, devoid of mana, relying only on the dreams of others to intimidate and manipulate, was now powerless in Tathagata's grip and could not budge an inch.

Tathagata declared, "Such a malevolent being must not remain in this world."

Tathagata transcends all of the Three Realms and Six Paths, a sage in self-awareness, enlightenment of others, and fruition of actions. His mana is beyond anyone's comprehension! The Dream Demon dared to exploit his image and incurred the wrath of Tathagata. Highly esteemed figures value their dignity. For a mere Dream Demon to defile the Lord of the Buddhist Realm, it was indeed a death wish.

Wukong understood that the Dream Demon's impersonation must have alerted Buddha Ancestor. Such beings, with thoughts as countless as Ganges sands, know instantly if someone dares to profane them. A mere thought from them, manifesting in a malevolent dream, could take over the conjured body as if genuinely present.

"Karmic Fire!"

A blaze of golden flames suddenly emerged around the Dream Demon held within Tathagata's palm, unbearably hot, causing the Dream Demon to wail in agony. When Tathagata attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, he withstood the Karmic Fire for five hundred years, exhibiting immense fortitude. This Karmic Fire, born of numerous evil deeds, represented both punishment and destruction. Perhaps only Grand Supreme Lord, the ancestral master of playing with fire, could compare to its intensity.

The Dream Demon thrashed, leaped, and screamed in pain in Tathagata's palm, but Tathagata's heart was as firm as stone until the flames gradually subsided, leaving the Dream Demon a pile of ash.

Wukong, putting on a brave face, asked, "Are you Tathagata?"

Tathagata merely smiled and nodded, responding lightly, "I am Tathagata. And how may I address you?"

Knowing well that he was just being courteous, Wukong replied, "My name is Sun Wukong, the Demon King of Flower-Fruit Mountain! Such great power you possess, can you not teach it to me?"

Tathagata wondered how he had come to be in this dream and replied, "I cannot teach you that. However, you must first tell me, how do you know me, and what brought me to this dream?"

Contemplating, Wukong answered, "I saw many people in the Southern Toad Continent worshipping your statue, praying for your blessings. Just now, I was overwhelmed by this demon in my dream, so I called upon you for protection in my heart, and lo, you arrived! Haha, Tathagata, you do seem somewhat efficacious!"

Wukong knew that Tathagata would not cause him any trouble now, and since he was not supposed to recognize Tathagata, his response was off the cuff.

Tathagata internally nodded, feeling slightly pleased, and said, "I see."

Hearing that the people of the Southern Toad Continent were praying for his blessing made him happy. It was a sign of how far his Buddhist Law had spread.

To find out what happens next, please stay tuned for the following part.