Chapter 026: The Great Demon

Just then, a strange beast suddenly leaped out, blocking Wang Bo's path.

This beast had a tiger's head, a single horn, dog's ears, a dragon's body, a lion's tail, and qilin hooves. It looked like a dragon but not quite, like a tiger but not quite, like a lion but not quite, like a qilin but not quite, like a dog but not quite... Wang Bo recognized it at once.

It was the auspicious beast that sat beneath the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha.

Dìtīng!

Despite its strange appearance, the dragon's body symbolized auspiciousness, the tiger's head wisdom and courage, the dog's ears keen hearing, the lion's tail patience, and the qilin hooves stability. It was a spiritual beast that could discern all things in the world through hearing, especially skilled at reading people's hearts.

“The Lord Kṣitigarbha is chanting sutras. Please stop here, sir.”

Wang Bo nodded and halted, indicating that he did not wish to disturb Kṣitigarbha's chanting.

Dìtīng glanced at Wang Bo and asked, “Why have you come here?”

Wang Bo thought that Dìtīng, as Kṣitigarbha's auspicious beast, had followed him for many years and might know everything about Mount Ling. Without hesitation, he stated his purpose.

“I have come for Mount Ling. I want to know what exactly happened there.”

Dìtīng asked, “And what if you know?”

Wang Bo thought the question sounded familiar, but he replied, “If I know, I'll go to Mount Ling and see for myself.”

Dìtīng asked again, “Mount Ling is sealed. Countless immortals have gone there to inquire about the matter, but none have entered. What can you do?”

Wang Bo said, “Whether I can do anything depends on your answer.”

Dìtīng was silent for a moment, then said, “Since you wish to know, I will tell you. Mount Ling is sealed because a great demon has come there.”

“A great demon?” Wang Bo frowned.

“Indeed. This demon was originally the chief of the demons in the Desire Realm of Buddhism, the Sixth Heaven Demon King Mara. Before the Tathāgata Buddha attained enlightenment, he repeatedly obstructed the Buddha but was defeated, causing no great stir.”

Dìtīng paused here, then continued, “But for some reason, decades ago, this demon suddenly encountered a stroke of fortune, greatly increased his power, attacked Mount Ling, defeated the Buddha, and proclaimed himself the Buddha Without Heaven.”

“The Buddha Without Heaven? Are you sure?” Wang Bo couldn't help asking.

Dìtīng nodded, “Indeed, the Buddha Without Heaven. What, do you know him?”

Wang Bo said, “Then is his magical treasure a black lotus of destruction?”

Dìtīng nodded again, “Yes, the demon's magical treasure is indeed a pitch-black lotus.”

“I see. So it's him.” Wang Bo finally knew who the great power that forced Mount Ling to seal itself was—the big boss from the world of *The Journey to the West: The Sequel*.

“From your tone, it seems you know that great demon.”

“Sort of.” Wang Bo nodded. He did know of that great demon, but that demon didn't know him. “By the way, after the Buddha Without Heaven defeated the Tathāgata, why did he seal Mount Ling?”

As far as he knew, that one was not the type to rest on his laurels.

Dìtīng shook his head and said, “It wasn't the great demon who sealed Mount Ling. After the demon defeated the Buddha, the many bodhisattvas and arhats of Mount Ling were no match for him. To prevent the demon from wreaking havoc in the Three Realms, the Buddha, together with the bodhisattvas and arhats of Mount Ling, used all their dharma power to seal Mount Ling, turning it into a cage to stop the demon from emerging.”

Wang Bo: ...

So that's how Mount Ling came to be sealed.

No wonder countless immortals couldn't set foot on Mount Ling. The seal was not just from the Tathāgata Buddha alone, but from all the bodhisattvas and arhats on Mount Ling.

This group of Buddhist disciples worked together to establish a seal that even the Buddha Without Heaven couldn't break in a short time.

“Thank you.” Wang Bo cupped his hands in thanks to Dìtīng, then turned and left.

Dìtīng's voice came from behind, “Are you going to Mount Ling now?”

“Yes.” Wang Bo nodded.

“The great demon sealed on Mount Ling is unprecedented. Once released, the Three Realms will surely suffer. Do you know that?”

“I know. But rest assured, I won't let him out.” Wang Bo understood Dìtīng's concern. After reassuring him, he transformed into a streak of light and left Kṣitigarbha's dojo.

Watching Wang Bo leave, Dìtīng turned to Kṣitigarbha and said, “Bodhisattva, I have told this man everything as you instructed. But is this really all right?”

Kṣitigarbha stopped chanting, pondered for a moment, and said, “This man may be the turning point for Mount Ling.”

Dìtīng said, “Let us hope so.”

After a moment, the sound of chanting sutras and Buddhist hymns resumed.

...

Wang Bo left the underworld at lightning speed and headed for Mount Ling, but all the while he was recalling the origins of the Buddha Without Heaven.

The Buddha Without Heaven was originally the great Dharma protector of the Buddhist realm, the Bodhisattva Kinnara, who had a bright future. He was sent by the then World-Honored One Buddha, Uposadha, to preach.

By the way, although the Tathāgata Buddha was the Buddha of Mount Ling,

before the Tathāgata, the World-Honored One of Buddhism was Uposadha.

Of course, this World-Honored One only appeared in the world of *The Journey to the West: The Sequel*; in actual Buddhist scriptures, there is no such person.

However, Kinnara does exist. Also known as “Heavenly Music,” meaning “Music Heaven” or “Song God,” he is one of the “Eight Classes of Heavenly Beings” in Buddhism. Kinnara has male and female forms; males have a horse head, while females have dignified features.

But obviously, in the world of *The Journey to the West: The Sequel*, Kinnara was not a song god but a close confidant of the World-Honored One Buddha, Uposadha.

After Kinnara arrived at his destination, the local Brahmin high priest demanded that he accomplish three tasks that ordinary people could not, before agreeing to let him preach there.

The first was to make a descendant of a local family of thieves, named A-Liu, stop stealing; the second was to make a local brawler, named A-Dao, stop fighting; the third was to make a local prostitute, named A-Xiu, stop being a prostitute.

As a bodhisattva and the Buddha's confidant, Kinnara naturally had his skills; otherwise, the Buddha would not have sent him to such a place to preach.

However, after he completed them, the high priest went back on his word and wanted to execute Kinnara. In reality, the high priest could not kill Kinnara, after all, Kinnara was at least a bodhisattva.

Ordinary people were no match for a bodhisattva.

He deliberately let himself be captured by the high priest, intending to display his supernatural powers at the moment of execution and subdue the high priest once and for all.

But A-Xiu, who had been a prostitute, did not know of Kinnara's powers. To save Kinnara, she broke her vow to stop being a prostitute, accepted the high priest's conditions, and then committed suicide.

Originally, this matter could not be blamed on Kinnara, but the Buddha believed that he had been moved by worldly desires and had caused a death, deeming him unworthy to remain a Buddhist protector and expelling him from Buddhism.

Having completed his mission of preaching yet receiving such unjust treatment, he became filled with hatred for the Buddhism he once believed in, ultimately completely darkening into the immensely powerful great demon, the Buddha Without Heaven.