Rebirth in Journey to the West: Sun Wukong

Moreover, from the very beginning, Sun Wukong had no intention of prolonging the battle with Manjushri Bodhisattva. Without a Divine Weapon in hand, he couldn't use his ultimate move to win, only able to stalemate Manjushri Bodhisattva by using the Power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation and True Solar Fire. However, his clones weren't limited like this!

With the Ruyi Silver-Hooped Rod in his clone's hands, its power was equal to his own. With just Manjushri Bodhisattva's Dharma Body, trying to block the clone's full-powered attack was a delusion!

"Heaven-Breaking Thirty-Six Sticks!"

A roar echoed from the distance. Following the Heaven-Breaking Seventy-Two Sticks, Sun Wukong's clone unleashed the even stronger Heaven-Breaking Thirty-Six Sticks without pausing. The terrifying destructive power felt almost tangible even dozens of yards away, startling onlookers.

"Trouble!"

Manjushri Bodhisattva's face drastically changed as Sun Wukong's clone revealed even more powerful ultimate moves. The destructive power was almost on par with a Quasi-Saint Realm powerhouse. His Dharma Body couldn't withstand it!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of booming sounds erupted, fire soared into the sky, creating a massive mushroom cloud. The violent shockwave spread in all directions, creating huge cracks on the ground. The Earth rumbled and sank in ever-expanding circles with each impact.

"Ugh!"

A flush of red spread across Manjushri Bodhisattva's face, veins on his forehead bulged, and a trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth. His Dharma Body was destroyed!

It was ground into dust by Sun Wukong's Heaven-Breaking Thirty-Six Sticks!

"Good opportunity!"

Feeling the power channeling through the Demon-Subduing Pestle suddenly weaken, a thrill surged in Sun Wukong's heart; his eyes lit up as the Chaos Primordial Force inside him burst forth, wrapping itself around the Demon-Subduing Pestle through the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realms.

"Wu Wu~!"

Strange whistling sounds emanated from the Demon-Subduing Pestle. Manjushri Bodhisattva's eyes bulged as he felt the Buddha Primordial Force he had channeled into the pestle being rapidly assimilated and vanishing by a bizarre force—not the usual effects of Reincarnation Strangulation but a force that directly assimilated and devoured his Buddha Primordial Force, and at an alarming rate!

What, what kind of power is this?

The horror on Manjushri Bodhisattva's face didn't last long. After the Buddha Primordial Force on the Demon-Subduing Pestle rapidly assimilated by the Chaos Primordial Force, it emitted a mournful wail, its brilliance scattered, and it started to fall downwards, captured in Sun Wukong's outstretched left hand.

"This Magical Treasure is not bad. I, Old Sun, will take it!"

With a chuckle, Sun Wukong stored the Demon-Subduing Pestle in a replica Qiankun Bag. Manjushri Bodhisattva felt the connection to the pestle abruptly sever, spitting out another mouthful of blood and stumbling back several yards before stabilizing, his face ashen.

The mushroom cloud in the distance gradually dispersed in all directions, and as the firelight vanished, the figure of Sun Wukong's clone appeared. Manjushri Bodhisattva's Dharma Body had completely vanished, pulverized beneath the Ruyi Silver-Hooped Rod—the clone landed flying on a cloud behind Manjushri Bodhisattva, effectively cornering him with Sun Wukong standing in front and behind.

"Manjushri Bodhisattva, do you still think I, Old Sun, can't hold you back?"

Sun Wukong's golden pupils were filled with mockery, coldly staring at Manjushri Bodhisattva. With the battle having reached this point, Manjushri Bodhisattva's Dharma Body destroyed and his Lifebound Magic Treasure seized, his strength plummeted, leaving him nearly powerless. The thought of escaping was utterly delusional!

"How unexpected! After dominating the Three Realms for so many years, to think that I would fall in this Land of Barbarians, at the hands of such a Demon Monkey! What a joke, what a joke! Cough, cough!"

Manjushri Bodhisattva gave a bitter laugh, the stabbing pain in his chest intensifying, causing him to cough violently. He was severely injured and stood no chance in a battle against Sun Wukong now, especially with Sun Wukong's clone mere bystander.

"A joke? I, Old Sun, don't think so!"

Sun Wukong sneered, "You Buddhists always mouth off about compassion and saving all beings, but where are you when you're actually needed? Nothing but hypocrites preaching kindness with hands stained with blood!"

"He who kills must be prepared to be killed! You've harmed so many from my Flower-Fruit Mountain, today is your day to pay with your life!"

An alarming killing intent surged from Sun Wukong, equally matched by his clone. The Six Paths of Reincarnation Realms suddenly expanded manifold, rumbling as they advanced towards Manjushri Bodhisattva. Sun Wukong's clone, meanwhile, channelled full Chaos Primordial Force into the Ruyi Silver-Hooped Rod, which dramatically increased in size and hammered down on Manjushri Bodhisattva like Mount Tai.

"Amitabha! Reckless beast, cease your hand!"

Just as Manjushri Bodhisattva was about to be obliterated under the dual assault of the Ruyi Silver-Hooped Rod and the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realms, suddenly a strong spatial fluctuation appeared in the sky. A Golden Buddha Hand shimmering with Buddha's Light reached down from the clouds, rumbling as it pressed towards Sun Wukong.

"It's Tathagata!"

Sun Wukong was all too familiar with that golden hand, a nightmare that had perennially haunted him in his past life, never forgotten for a single moment!

Tathagata Buddha still couldn't help but make a move!

A flash of fear passed through Sun Wukong's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by fierceness and defiance, "Tathagata, what does it matter if you make your move? Standing tens of thousands of miles away, you think a mere large hand of your Dharma body can cross space and snatch someone from me? You're grossly underestimating me!"

"Today, you will not be able to save this person!"

"Heaven-Breaking Thirty-Six Sticks! Break for me!"

At the thought, the Ruyi Silver-Hooped Rod, which had been striking Manjushri Bodhisattva, flew from a clone's hand towards Sun Wukong, who caught it, unleashed the Chaos Primordial Force with a roar and performed the Heaven-Breaking Thirty-Six Sticks. His rod transformed into thirty-six rod shadows, striking down at the descending hand of Tathagata Buddha's Dharma body.

"The Ancestral Buddha has made a move! Stinking monkey, I'll see how arrogant you can be this time!"

Seeing the golden hand stretching down from the sky, Manjushri Bodhisattva's face lit up with joy. Although it was merely a hand of Tathagata Buddha's Dharma body with limited strength, Tathagata Buddha had elevated to the realm of Heavenly Dao Saint on the sheer merit and fortune of Buddhism.

Once one became a saint, it was as if a carp leaped over the dragon gate; even just a hand of the Dharma body crossing space held destructive power that the Demon Monkey, Sun Wukong, could not contend with!

Under a saint, all are as mere ants—this was no mere saying!

"How I act is none of your concern, for you won't live to see it!"

"Six Paths of Reincarnation, Annihilation!"

A cold snort came from behind; even more terrifying than before, the Power of Six Paths of Reincarnation reappeared. Manjushri Bodhisattva shockedly turned around, only to see Sun Wukong's clone forcefully expanding the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realms towards him.

"No, you can't do this!"

Manjushri Bodhisattva struggled to break free, but it was too late. The Power of Six Paths of Reincarnation surged out of the realms like chains, tightly binding him and pulling him toward the Animal Path.

The terrifying Power of Reincarnation surrounded Manjushri Bodhisattva from all directions, and the protective aura he conjured using the Buddha Primordial Force lasted less than two breaths before being completely crushed by the Power of Reincarnation, which then wrapped around his body like endless piercing blades.

"Sun Wukong, you dare to kill me, the Buddha won't let you go!"

Screams emanated from the Animal Path Reincarnation Passage. The corner of Sun Wukong's clone's mouth curled into a scornful smile, and he coldly responded into the passage, "It's no longer your concern whether Tathagata will let me go! Aren't you lofty beings looking down on our Demon Clan?

I'll let you perish in this Animal Path Reincarnation Passage; in your next life, experience what it feels like to be livestock on someone else's dinner table!"

"Annihilation, Reincarnation!"

With a low growl, Sun Wukong's clone pressed his hands onto the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realms, fully unleashing it. The Power of Reincarnation within the Animal Path completely erupted, engulfing Manjushri Bodhisattva entirely. His screams abruptly ceased.

Manjushri Bodhisattva, one of the Four Great Bodhisattvas of the Western Buddhist Sect, was utterly annihilated by the Power of Reincarnation, his True Spirit sucked into the deepest part of the Animal Path Reincarnation Passage, entering the Reincarnation Light Gate.

"Boom!"

As Manjushri Bodhisattva was annihilated by the Six Paths of Reincarnation, the rod shadows of the Heaven-Breaking Thirty-Six Sticks also heavily collided with the descending golden hand, each rod shadow cracking upon impact, slowing down the descent of the golden hand, though it did not stop falling.

"Six Paths of Reincarnation Punch!"

Sun Wukong's clone also charged forward, the Power of Six Paths of Reincarnation surging through his entire body. He hurled a punch at the golden hand, the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realms flying out from his fist, spinning and enlarging as it collided with the golden hand.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Sizzle~!"

The rod shadows continued to strike the golden hand, and the Six Paths Reincarnation Realms clashed with it, spinning and releasing the Power of Reincarnation, which severely ground against Tathagata Buddha's golden hand, emitting a grating noise.

Heaven-Breaking Thirty-Six Sticks and the Six Paths of Reincarnation Punch, under the dual assault, finally halted the golden hand of Tathagata Buddha, which had crossed space from the high heavens, from pressing further, but Sun Wukong and his clone trembled all over, their bones creaking under the immense pressure emanating from the golden hand.

"The hand of Tathagata is still formidable! Heavenly Dao Saint, truly not someone I can contend with now!"

Grimly biting down, Sun Wukong mustered all his Chaos Primordial Force to fend off the golden hand, knowing full well just how vast the gap was between Tathagata Buddha and himself; it was indeed an understatement to call it as vast as the disparity between clouds and mud!

The road ahead is still long!

But for now, he had to deal with this golden hand first!