Chapter 609: Shaking the World
"The one who defeated you was none other than Tathāgata," he said, "You were pressed under the Five Finger Mountain for five hundred years, yes, five full centuries, you drank molten iron and copper every day, and after five hundred years, another monk would rescue you, desiring your protection on his quest for scriptures. But you refused to submit, and eventually, both he and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva tricked you, fitted you with a golden circlet, and whenever the monk would recite the Tight-Binding Curse, you would be in unbearable pain."
"In this way, you began to escort the monk to the Western Heaven, encountering countless demons and ghosts along the way. The majority had powerful backers, some being the mounts of mighty deities. You had no choice but to seek help from former foes, and so, bit by bit, the name of the Supreme Heaven Great Sage diminished."
"In the end, you became the Victorious Fighting Buddha under Tathāgata, no longer the Monkey King, and even less the Supreme Heaven Great Sage."
Qin Jun began to recount to Sun Wukong the future that was originally his.
Sun Wukong’s expression grew increasingly ugly upon hearing this. If things were truly as Qin Jun described, then his life would be worse than a dog’s.
Ultimately, everyone turns into what they hate the most. Although Sun Wukong despised this now, by the time he set foot on the westward journey, he was no longer the untamed Supreme Heaven Great Sage but had become more mature, eventually turning into the Victorious Fighting Buddha.
Whether as the Victorious Fighting Buddha or the Supreme Heaven Great Sage, both were forms of himself.
In Qin Jun’s view, the Victorious Fighting Buddha was Sun Wukong after he had matured through trials and tribulations, while the Supreme Heaven Great Sage phase of Sun Wukong was still brash and naive, thinking he could have anything he desired.
The transformation of Sun Wukong actually aligned with the life of most people.
"Think about it carefully; serving under me as a general would certainly be exhilarating. Compared to being a king, you’re probably more eager for battle and freedom. Normally, I would not restrain you or treat you like some driven hound," Qin Jun said with a smile. Sun Wukong didn’t answer but tilted his head, pondering the future Qin Jun had described.
It was clear that the future laid out by Qin Jun had shaken him.