Chapter 194 - 187: No Turning Back in the Boundless Sea of Suffering
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It was said that when the Great Sun Tathagata returned to the Esoteric Sect, he summoned the sect’s masters to challenge Water Curtain Cave.
However, the gates of Water Curtain Cave were tightly closed, and the Myriad Immortals Formation had been activated. No matter how much they were cursed at, not a single demon emerged, nor was a single word spoken in reply. Now, Water Curtain Cave was the leader of the Demon Tribe, and a defeat there was tantamount to the defeat of the entire Demon Tribe. Thus, in Wukong’s absence, it was best to merely defend their stronghold.
Water Curtain Cave had long since changed; because members from various tribes had gathered there, all the great beings with divine powers had moved mountains, controlled rivers, planted spiritual medicines, flowers, and trees, expanding Water Curtain Cave more and more. Nevertheless, each cave abode was equipped with a teleportation formation. In case of emergency, one could teleport directly to the main peak of Water Curtain Cave.
Frustrated by this, the Great Sun Tathagata’s forehead throbbed with veins, but he was powerless to act otherwise. Since the Hong Jun Taoist Patriarch had already decreed that Saints were not to intervene, he naturally did not dare to defy the order. He had to withdraw his forces back to the Esoteric Sect and wait for the right moment when they could finally kill the rebellious Sun Wukong!
Meanwhile, the battle between the Great Tang of the Eastern Lands and Western Heavenly Tianzhu Country was unceasing, with the sky alit with war fires. Fortunately, after Li Shimin’s Reign of Zhenguan, the Great Tang had amassed substantial resources, enabling them to sustain this protracted war. In contrast, the national power of Tianzhu couldn’t match that of the Great Tang, whose people were devout Buddhists and thus neglected their lands as they worshipped Buddha frequently. Furthermore, the Tianzhu emperor was far less wise and capable than Li Shimin. This disparity naturally became evident once they engaged in battle.
After Ksitigarbha King joined the fray, Immeasurable Light Buddha clashed with him twice, suffering defeats each time. The Tang army advanced irresistibly, capturing three strategic cities. Once these fortresses were controlled, a steady supply of provisions and reinforcements could be secured, making them defensible positions for either attack or retreat. Even in the event of peace talks, the Tang army had significantly levered the advantage.
Half of the Buddha Land of the Western Heaven was a desert, but the area occupied by the Tang army was fertile and rich in water resources, a vital section of Tianzhu Country’s food supply. If peace talks were to happen now, while both sides recuperated, the first to recover would undoubtedly be the Great Tang. By then, conquering Tianzhu Country would be even easier. So no matter how difficult it was, the king of Tianzhu vehemently refused peace unless the Great Tang yielded the land.
Where could Li Zhi, this cunning little emperor, consent to such terms? So, the battle raged on, with the Tang army already controlling a quarter of Tianzhu’s territory. With the Great Tang’s national strength, continuing the war for several more years, even a decade, would not be an issue—it would only be a matter of whether Tianzhu could endure it!
Although it was a war between mortal nations, it was intertwined with the fate of both the Buddhist and Taoist paths. If Tianzhu fell, then Buddhism was in peril; if Great Tang were defeated, it would damage their own fortunes.
To contain Ksitigarbha King, there was support from the Medicine Buddha, Pharmacist Buddha, and Peacock Great Bright King Bodhisattva, while the other Buddhas were busy with the plans to rebuild the Spiritual Mount. The battle at Mount Putuo had greatly depleted their energy.