Lionback Kingdom.
It was still the same old courtyard, still the same old pavilion. Only this time, there were far more guards outside. Rows of spears stood tall, and countless spell formations were laid in the shadows. Armed demon generals lurked everywhere, ready to strike.
Standing on tiptoe, Aiden Chen peered through the window lattice at the scene outside. Even at his young age, he could sense the thick aura of killing intent in the air, and couldn't help but grow anxious.
"Master, is Uncle Wukong going to lock us up? Will he..."
"He won't." Clara Heart gently stroked Aiden Chen's head and stammered, "Since Master Sage Subhuti has already intervened, he would never let us be in danger. Don't worry."
Aiden nodded silently, feeling a bit more at ease. Yet Clara's own heart was still uneasy.
Six hundred years ago, in that great battle, didn't Subhuti lose all nine of his disciples?
This time, will he really put her life first? Or... is she just another bargaining chip?
Thinking this, Clara could only smile helplessly.
Across past and present lives, she had almost never truly held her own fate; she had always been just a drifting leaf in the raging current.
"Master..." Damon Six-Ears asked in confusion, "Why are you laughing?"
"It's nothing, just a trivial matter. Not worth mentioning." Subhuti slowly shook his head, then continued, "Now that you've understood what I told you earlier, the rest is simple. The Buddhist Order's weakness is the Dharma. Tripitaka is their fatal flaw. They released you for one reason only—to deal with your other self. More precisely, to create calamities for Tripitaka on his journey west. So..."
"So?"
"So." Subhuti fixed his gaze on Damon Six-Ears, lowering his voice and enunciating each word, "Your strength is not necessarily a good thing. If you are strong, you will have no allies. On the contrary, if you appear weak, you will gain support. Think carefully about how you obtained your current weapon."
Hearing this, Damon Six-Ears suddenly understood.
The Traveler's Path is skilled in killing and conquest, but under heaven, how many have truly reached its summit? Step by step, Subhuti walked to the meditation cushion, sat down with a bow, and said leisurely, "If this world is like a chessboard, how many players are there? No matter how strong you are, you cannot withstand attacks from all sides. Conversely, even if you are weak, with enough support, you can still reach the top and create momentum. In the Three Realms, it all comes down to 'momentum.' You must read the situation, strategize, and seize the initiative to remain undefeated. If all you have is brute strength, in the end, you are just working for others."
Damon Six-Ears listened quietly as Subhuti, like a rambling old man, paced back and forth, continuing his explanation.
Buddhism teaches that all four elements are empty, leaving only the Dharma. That is why Lord Buddha can cultivate Heavenly Dao Non-Self. Even if you reach the peak of the Traveler's Path and restore Heavenly Dao Infinity, you still cannot match him. At equal levels, Buddhist disciples are far stronger than Daoist ones. But Buddhism also has a weakness.
The Fourfold Emptiness means ordinary weaknesses no longer exist in them—fear, greed, even pure malice can't be found. They have no emotions and rarely make mistakes, having become pure embodiments of reason. Thus, their only weakness lies within the Dharma itself.
Only by truly understanding the Dharma can one hope to defeat them.
At this point, Damon Six-Ears' brows had furrowed deeply. He stared blankly at Subhuti.
Seeing this, Subhuti changed his tone and sighed, "The Buddhist Order is not your greatest threat at this moment, but as your master, I must speak of them first. Why? Because they are your greatest support, and also your eternal threat. You must understand this clearly. In your struggle with your other self, no matter who wins, no matter who becomes the one and only Sun Wukong, the Buddhist Order will never let you live in this world."
Hearing this, Damon Six-Ears shrank his neck slightly, lost in thought.
Monkey had said something similar during their first battle. At the time, he understood, but it never struck him as forcefully as it did now, coming from Subhuti's mouth.
Stroking his long beard, Subhuti continued, "Only those who truly understand the Dharma can defeat the Buddha. In the past, Lord Lao was one such person; now, Master Tripitaka is another. Lord Lao's Heavenly Dao Non-Action no longer exists, so in this world, only Tripitaka can defeat the Buddha and help you escape your predicament. No matter what, you must ensure Tripitaka's safety. Only then will you have a chance at ultimate victory."
After a moment's hesitation, Damon Six-Ears bowed deeply and said, "Disciple will obey Master's teachings."
Subhuti nodded silently.
Raising his head, Damon Six-Ears looked at Subhuti and said, "But Master, the threat I face now is not from the Buddhist Order, but from my other self... and Heavenly Tribulation. Please, Master, guide me!"
Seeing Damon so sincerely seeking guidance and behaving so obediently, Subhuti couldn't help but laugh.
Above in the pavilion, Lord Lao, holding a chess piece, suddenly let out a chuckle.
"Master..." Damon Six-Ears asked in confusion, "Why are you laughing?"
"It's nothing, just a trivial matter. Not worth mentioning." Subhuti slowly shook his head, then continued, "Now that you've understood what I told you earlier, the rest is simple. The Buddhist Order's weakness is the Dharma. Tripitaka is their fatal flaw. They released you for one reason only—to deal with your other self. More precisely, to create calamities for Tripitaka on his journey west. So..."
"So?"
"So." Subhuti fixed his gaze on Damon Six-Ears, lowering his voice and enunciating each word, "Your strength is not necessarily a good thing. If you are strong, you will have no allies. On the contrary, if you appear weak, you will gain support. Think carefully about how you obtained your current weapon."
Hearing this, Damon Six-Ears suddenly understood.
The Traveler's Path is skilled in killing and conquest, but under heaven, how many have truly reached its summit? Step by step, Subhuti walked to the meditation cushion, sat down with a bow, and said leisurely, "If this world is like a chessboard, how many players are there? No matter how strong you are, you cannot withstand attacks from all sides. Conversely, even if you are weak, with enough support, you can still reach the top and create momentum. In the Three Realms, it all comes down to 'momentum.' You must read the situation, strategize, and seize the initiative to remain undefeated. If all you have is brute strength, in the end, you are just working for others."
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"I understand! Thank you for guiding me, Master. I can never repay your kindness!"
Thud, thud, thud—Damon Six-Ears bowed three times in succession.
"Good, then go. If anything happens, you can always return to Crescent Star Cave and seek me out."
"Thank you, Master!" Damon Six-Ears raised his head, his eyes darting about, but then he paused.
"What is it? Is there something else?"
"Hehe." Damon Six-Ears grinned, scratched his head, and said a bit sheepishly, "Master, I have one more question I'd like to ask."
Subhuti raised his eyes slightly, "Speak."
"I want to know... I want to know if there's a way for Clara Heart and Anna Yang to..."
At this, Subhuti suddenly burst out laughing.
Damon Six-Ears didn't continue, but simply widened his eyes and looked at Subhuti expectantly, hoping for advice.
"The two of them only recognize your other self. Why is that?"
"Uh..."
"What do you lack compared to your other self?"
"Memories!"
"And where do memories come from?"
"Uh..."
Seeing Damon Six-Ears looking completely bewildered, Subhuti propped himself up on his knees and said meaningfully, "Memories naturally come from spending time together. Now both of them are in your hands. As long as you read the situation clearly, know what to do and what not to do... Without old memories, you can create new ones."
...
Soon after, Damon Six-Ears bid farewell to Subhuti and left Crescent Star Cave. Compared to his excitement upon arrival, his face now showed even greater ambition and confidence.
Up in the pavilion, Lord Lao, still seated before the chessboard, glanced at the belatedly returning Subhuti and smiled faintly.
Subhuti walked step by step back to his seat, picked up a chess piece, and sighed softly, "This Heavenly Dao truly is unfathomable. The Heavenly Dao Stone may be broken, and the Three Realms' trajectory may be disrupted, but the word 'fate' still remains."
"What are you trying to say?"
Grasping a chess piece, Subhuti brushed aside his sleeve, studying the chessboard intently as he said softly, "I'm just saying, if the soul from beyond the heavens hadn't merged back then, perhaps this is what my tenth disciple was truly meant to be..."