Chapter 023: Death and Resurrection

The moon set and the sun rose. When evening came, Wang Bo figured it was about time, so he rose and took his leave of Milo, returning from the Saint Seiya world to the Journey to the West world.

At this moment, the sky in the Journey to the West world was already nearing dusk.

Although the flow of time in the two worlds was similar, the hours were still slightly different—a kind of time difference, so to speak.

Wang Bo walked out of the room where the world-crossing gate was placed and came face to face with Xiaoqing.

“You’re back.” Xiaoqing rushed over, grabbed Wang Bo, and said, “Something’s happened. Come with me quickly.”

Wang Bo’s heart skipped a beat. “What happened?”

In an instant, the two arrived at the mansion’s main hall. As soon as Wang Bo entered, he saw Miss Duan holding Chen Xuanzang, who was covered in blood, crying almost to the point of being a tearful mess.

Wang Bo felt terrible.

Holy crap, how did Chen Xuanzang end up like this? Wang Bo could clearly see that Chen Xuanzang’s face was pale, his eyes tightly shut, his breathing stopped, and his heart had ceased beating.

This was a dead man, damn it.

Wang Bo hurried over to Chen Xuanzang in three steps. Miss Duan, her eyes blurred with tears, looked at Wang Bo and pleaded, “Please, save him. You must save him.”

Wang Bo examined him carefully and confirmed that Chen Xuanzang was indeed dead. His soul had left his body and was now who knows where.

Perhaps it had already entered the gates of hell.

This was utterly unbelievable. Chen Xuanzang was dead? Why would Chen Xuanzang die? It didn’t make sense.

What about the Buddhist sect? Where were the Bodhisattvas and Arhats of Buddhism?

How could they watch Chen Xuanzang die? This was a matter concerning the great enterprise of the Journey to the West to retrieve scriptures and spread the Dharma eastward.

If Chen Xuanzang died, who would complete the scripture-retrieval mission?

Would they have to wait for Chen Xuanzang’s next incarnation? That shouldn’t be. After all, this was the tenth reincarnation of Golden Cicada, and within Buddhism, the number ten held significant meaning.

The Shurangama Sutra says: “The cultivation of the ten stages is complete, achieving the root of samadhi, finishing the practice, and ascending to the fruit of Buddhahood.”

In the orthodox Journey to the West, Xuanzang’s first nine lives were devoured by Sha Wujing, and only the tenth life achieved the right fruit. Why not the ninth, the eighth, or the eleventh?

Because ten signifies perfection.

The tenth life was the final one, symbolizing that Golden Cicada had completed his merits and could ascend to the fruit of Buddhahood, becoming a Buddha.

And in the end, Chen Xuanzang indeed became a Candana Merit Buddha.

But now, Chen Xuanzang was dead, and none of the celestial Buddhas and immortals had come to his rescue. What the hell was going on? Could the great enterprise of the Journey to the West have collapsed?

What the hell was Mount Ling playing at?

Wang Bo grew more puzzled and hesitated for a moment about whether to intervene. Although Chen Xuanzang was dead, with his own strength, reviving Chen Xuanzang was hardly a problem.

After all, Wang Bo knew the art of soul recall.

But Wang Bo wasn’t sure what the Buddhist sect was up to, so he hesitated for a while.

Seeing Wang Bo hesitate, Miss Duan thought he couldn’t save Chen Xuanzang either, and she cried even more sorrowfully.

Just then, Wang Bo suddenly felt a gust of eerie wind blow in. This wind came so abruptly that even the steps outside the door were covered with a thin layer of frost.

Wang Bo looked up, a faint glow appearing in his eyes, and gazed at the courtyard outside the hall.

Inside the spacious courtyard stood three ghosts.

The man on the left was dressed in a black robe, with a fierce face, a broad and stout body, a small head, and a dark complexion. On his official hat were written the four characters "天下太平" (Peace Under Heaven).

The man on the right was clad in a white robe, with a beaming smile, a tall and thin figure, a pale face, and a long tongue protruding from his mouth. On his official hat were written the four characters "一见生财" (Wealth at First Sight).

Seeing their attire, Wang Bo immediately recognized their identities.

Hei Bai Wu Chang! (Black and White Impermanence)

Between Hei Bai Wu Chang stood a monk in a kasaya, none other than Chen Xuanzang.

Hei Bai Wu Chang noticed Wang Bo's gaze on them, gave a slight bow to Wang Bo, and then vanished, leaving behind a bewildered Chen Xuanzang.

Seeing this, Wang Bo sighed. Before he could even perform the soul-returning technique, Hei Bai Wu Chang had already delivered Chen Xuanzang's soul. What more could he say?

Wang Bo beckoned and performed the soul-returning technique.

Chen Xuanzang's soul was drawn by an invisible force, flew over in an instant, and fell into Wang Bo's hand. Wang Bo slapped it back, sending the soul into Chen Xuanzang's body.

Then he took out a Horse Talisman and placed it in Chen Xuanzang's hand.

The Horse Talisman immediately exerted its powerful healing power, beginning to treat Chen Xuanzang, who had just returned.

Chen Xuanzang's severed breath began to recover, a trace of color returned to his pale face, his stagnant blood started to flow, and he came back to life.

But his soul had just left his body and needed to reintegrate, so he would not wake up for a while.

Miss Duan, who had been weeping bitterly, heard Chen Xuanzang's heartbeat and was momentarily stunned.

"Don't worry," Wang Bo comforted her. "He's back."

Seeing Chen Xuanzang return from the brink of death, Miss Duan couldn't help but show a hint of a smile, but the tears at the corners of her eyes were not yet dry. Her expression, half crying and half laughing, was amusing.

Wang Bo said, "Miss Duan, what exactly happened? Why did Master Xuanzang suddenly pass away?"

Miss Duan wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said through gritted teeth, "It was Zhu Ganglie. He killed Chen Xuanzang. I will never let that pig off. I will tear him into pieces."

"Zhu Ganglie?"

Wang Bo nodded. Given Zhu Ganglie's strength, killing Chen Xuanzang was no problem. Since Miss Duan hadn't died, it meant that Chen Xuanzang had not yet obtained the Mahavairocana Sutra, let alone learned the Buddha's Palm.

Now he was just an ordinary person; it was only natural that he couldn't defeat Zhu Ganglie.

But the question was...

"Miss Duan, when you escaped back, did you encounter anyone?" Wang Bo asked.

Miss Duan shook her head and asked in confusion, "Why do you ask?"

Wang Bo thought for a moment and laid out his doubts. "Miss Duan, you may not know this, but Master Xuanzang is the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, the second disciple of the Tathagata Buddha. He bears a heavy responsibility. The Buddhist sect would not stand by and watch him die. Logically, when Master Xuanzang was in danger, someone should have appeared to save him."

When Wang Bo entered earlier, he saw that Chen Xuanzang was already dead.

How could the Buddhist sect be so careless?

Were they so certain that Wang Bo could save Chen Xuanzang?

At that time, Wang Bo was in another world. Even the Tathagata Buddha could not have calculated when Wang Bo, in that other world, would return.

Let alone calculating that he would know the soul-returning technique.

If the Tathagata Buddha were truly that powerful, the ruler of the Three Realms would not be the Jade Emperor of Heaven.