Chapter 212: Miserable Fate, Suppressed Once Again!
Chapter 212: Miserable Fate, Suppressed Once Again!
[Guanyin Bodhisattva: Tathagata Buddha, we cannot afford any mistakes in this matter! Sun Wukong has been out of Five Elements Mountain for quite some time. Let me personally go after him!]
The journey to the West was of paramount importance, and Sun Wukong was the most crucial person after the Golden Cicada(Tang Sanzang). The others didn't hold the same level of significance.
Whether it was Marshal Canopy(Zhu Bajie) or Curtain-Lifting General(Sha Wujing), any issue with them wouldn't matter much. But Sun Wukong, on the other hand, could not afford to slip up.
He was the only one among the group heading west who didn't represent the Heavenly Palace or Buddhism. If he managed to escape, it would be extremely difficult to find a replacement for him in a short period of time.
Guanyin Bodhisattva, who also played a significant role in the journey to the West, didn't want anything to go wrong, so she was eager to chase after Sun Wukong herself.
[Tathagata: No need. He won't escape. That monkey is naturally wild, and no one can control him. He needs to suffer a bit more before he'll settle down!]
Though Tathagata's strength was not on par with the two saints, Zhunti and Jieyin, he was still the strongest figure in Buddhism after them. A mere Sun Wukong was not even worth his attention. Moreover, the monkey had been under his watch the entire time, making escape impossible.
As Sun Wukong fled, he let out a cold laugh, still watching the Golden List Livestream. He couldn't understand how Tathagata could suppress him again, given the incredible speed of his somersault cloud. By now, Huaguo Mountain was already in sight, not far away.
With his keen eyes, Huaguo Mountain was already within clear view.
Sun Wukong was overjoyed, momentarily forgetting himself. But suddenly, the scene before him became blurry, and in an instant, everything changed.
The mountains and rivers that were beneath his feet disappeared, replaced by a vast expanse of white.
This sudden change startled Sun Wukong. He couldn't understand why it had happened. But as he examined the color more closely, it felt eerily familiar. A sudden realization struck him—this was the same as when he had been trapped in Tathagata's palm centuries ago.
Unexpectedly, the same thing was happening again.
Feeling a sense of impending danger, Sun Wukong had thought that after leaving Five Elements Mountain, Tathagata wouldn't be able to find him. To his shock, despite running so far, Tathagata had still managed to catch him.
In his panic, he once again used his full strength to ride the somersault cloud in hopes of escaping the palm. However, it was all in vain. He had already tried this method centuries ago and knew there was no way to escape from Tathagata's hand.
This time, it was even harder than before. Sun Wukong couldn't even see Tathagata's five fingers. He kept flying in one direction, but no matter how far he went, there was no end in sight.
Furthermore, this time Tathagata didn't let Sun Wukong fly freely. His hand closed in, trapping Sun Wukong in a small space. It was at this moment that Tathagata's figure finally appeared.
A massive figure, larger than any mountain, looked down at Sun Wukong in his hand and spoke coldly.
"I told you before, you can't escape my palm. This is already the second time. I hope there won't be a third. You'd better obediently stay under Five Elements Mountain."
How could Sun Wukong resign himself to this fate? He kept thinking desperately of ways to escape, even attacking Tathagata's palm with all his might, but it didn't make the slightest difference. Despite his body now strengthened by the bloodline of the Primal Ape Demon, reaching the first step of the Grand Supreme Golden Immortal stage, he was still powerless against Tathagata.
The gap between them was as vast as heaven and earth, a chasm that even Sun Wukong's greatest efforts could not bridge. And all this while, Tathagata hadn't even made a move, allowing Sun Wukong to struggle on his own.
With a twisted expression, Sun Wukong shouted in defiance.
"If you have the guts, let me go again! See if I can escape this time!"
Tathagata sneered, "You failed twice already. There's no way you can escape. No matter how much you try, the result will be the same. Stay under Five Elements Mountain."
With that, Tathagata's hand flipped, and his palm once again pressed down. Sun Wukong fell beneath, and with a misty swirl, an immense pressure suddenly weighed down on him.
The feeling was all too familiar to Sun Wukong. Having just left Five Elements Mountain, he was now being pressed under it once more.
The immense pressure squeezed his internal organs together, but due to his powerful body, it didn't cause any real damage—just a lot of discomfort.
This time, though, Tathagata didn't want Sun Wukong escaping like before. The Five Elements Mountain he conjured this time was even more powerful, giving Sun Wukong no chance of resistance.
Under the mountain once again, Sun Wukong finally lowered his head in helplessness. He had gained so much strength, yet he still ended up being suppressed under the mountain. And this time, it seemed impossible to break free.
Unless Tathagata decided to release him one day, Sun Wukong was trapped here indefinitely.
Furious and unwilling, Sun Wukong roared, "Tathagata, what grudge do you have against me? Why must you treat me like this? Back when I caused chaos in Heaven, I didn't touch Leiyin Temple! Buddhism and the Heavenly Palace are two separate entities, yet you still helped that old Emperor imprison me under this mountain!"
Tathagata calmly replied, "This matter isn't as bad as you think. You just don't understand it yet. One day, you'll realize this was a blessing in disguise."
Now was the time to appease Sun Wukong. Having escaped only to be recaptured and suppressed again, Sun Wukong's spirits must have been crushed. To prevent him from spiraling into despair, Tathagata had to offer him some reassurance.
But Sun Wukong was never one to feel gratitude. He was only enraged by his own lack of power. He had escaped, only to be caught again.
What's more, the place where Tathagata had imprisoned him was the same spot as before. After all his running, he was right back where he started.
And this time, who knew how long he would be trapped. Sun Wukong was filled with even more anger and frustration. Twice now, he had encountered Tathagata, and they had never fought directly. He still had no idea of Tathagata's true strength, only that his abilities were unfathomable.
Furious, Sun Wukong realized his situation was worse than before. Last time, at least he could move his head around a bit. Now, he couldn't even move that. For someone who loved to move around, this was absolute torture.
Furious, he yelled once more toward Tathagata.
"Old Tathagata! Don't press me down so tightly! You're not afraid of me escaping anyway, so give me a little space so I'm not so uncomfortable!"