......
Suspended in midair, Monkey panted heavily, carefully sizing up the newcomer.
The monk wore plain white robes, his hair on top curled into tight knots, his skin radiating a golden glow all over. Slightly plump, he appeared kind and gentle, yet his face was as emotionless as a golden statue—no trace of feeling could be read from his features.
Judging by his bearing, he must be a Buddha of exceptionally high rank.
Monkey squinted and asked, "Do you know who I am?"
The monk's lips curled into a faint smile. "Great Sage Equal to Heaven—who doesn't know you?"
"And who are you?"
The monk pressed his palms together and bowed slightly. "I am Prince Buxun. My Dharma title is Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata."
"Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata?"
Monkey knew of 'Buxun'—Prince Buxun, the former incarnation of Avalokiteśvara. But what exactly was this 'Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata'?
Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata gazed quietly at Monkey, his stare so intense that Monkey felt a little uneasy.
"Did you come here just to wait for me?"
"You flatter me, Great Sage. I could hardly manage such a feat. I merely happened to pass by and saw you here challenging the barrier, so I came to ask what was going on."
"Oh?" Monkey turned, pointing his Golden Staff at Spirit Mountain. "How do I enter Spirit Mountain?"
"Great Sage, your heart holds no Buddha-dharma. You cannot enter Spirit Mountain."
Monkey let out a cold laugh. "Do you find it amusing to play tricks with me?"
He glanced back at Spirit Mountain, hesitated for a long moment, but in the end did not lengthen his Golden Staff to pierce straight through and break the strange maze formation.
"Since you're already here, I'll be blunt." He reached into his sleeve and produced the torn page from the Book of Life and Death, handing it toward Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata. "There's a seal on this page, said to be tied to Buddhism. Help me break it."
Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata smiled gently but did not reach out to take it.
Monkey tilted his head and added, "Any condition is negotiable. Name a reasonable price, and I'll accept it."
......
Suspended in midair, the Monkey panted heavily, carefully sizing up the newcomer.
The monk wore plain white robes, his hair on top curled into tight knots, his skin radiating a golden glow all over. Slightly plump, he looked kind and gentle, yet his face was as emotionless as a golden statue—no trace of feeling could be read from his features.
Judging by his bearing, he must be a Buddha of exceptionally high rank.
Monkey squinted and asked, "Do you know who I am?"
The monk's lips curled into a faint smile. "Great Sage Equal to Heaven—who doesn't know you?"
"And who are you?"
The monk pressed his palms together and bowed slightly. "I am Prince Buxun. My Dharma title is Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata."
"Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata?"
Monkey knew of 'Buxun'—Prince Buxun, the former incarnation of Avalokiteśvara. But what exactly was this 'Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata'?
Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata gazed quietly at Monkey, his stare so intense that Monkey felt a little uneasy.
"Did you come here just to wait for me?"
"You flatter me, Great Sage. I could hardly manage such a feat. I merely happened to pass by and saw you here challenging the barrier, so I came to ask what was going on."
"Oh?" Monkey turned, pointing his Golden Staff at Spirit Mountain. "How do I enter Spirit Mountain?"
"Great Sage, your heart holds no Buddha-dharma. You cannot enter Spirit Mountain."
Monkey let out a cold laugh. "Do you find it amusing to play tricks with me?"
He glanced back at Spirit Mountain, hesitated for a long moment, but in the end did not lengthen his Golden Staff to pierce straight through and break the strange maze formation.
"Since you're already here, I'll be blunt." He reached into his sleeve and produced the torn page from the Book of Life and Death, handing it toward Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata. "There's a seal on this page, said to be tied to Buddhism. Help me break it."
Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata smiled gently but did not reach out to take it.
Monkey tilted his head and added, "Any condition is negotiable. Name a reasonable price, and I'll accept it."