Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!

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"It seems you prefer the punishment drink to the respectful toast!" Lingji snorted coldly as his mana surged around him!

Kang Anyu couldn't withstand it and was forced back several steps in an instant.

"Impeding the Journey to the West and acting against heaven, not providing punishment would only make the world look down upon our Buddhism!" Lingji glared furiously and, without a sign, slapped out with his palm.

His coming to Guan River Mouth wasn't with thoughts of kindness. The Heavenly Court's Mysterious Gate had sent the Golden Spirit Holy Mother to obstruct the grand affairs of Buddhism; today, he would take his revenge right here, on Yang Jian!

The Overwhelming Buddha Palm was not something Kang Anyu, a mere minor Daluo Golden Immortal, could contend with, and he was immediately smacked deep into the ground.

"Big brother!" The other five brothers' eyes widened as they saw Kang Anyu being smashed into the ground. They each transformed into comets, racing forward to battle Lingji.

Yang Chan's face turned deathly pale, panicking as she used her mana to scoop Kang Anyu from the pit, releasing her mana to heal him.

However, Kang Anyu had already fallen unconscious, gravely injured.

And how could Yang Chan, herself a mere minor Heavenly Immortal, heal wounds inflicted by a Daluo Golden Immortal?

Faced with the encircling crowd, Lingji's mouth curled in disdain as he shot out five continuous palms, offering no chance of defense!

The remaining five brothers arrived quickly but were sent away even faster. Yet Lingji did not intend to stop, gripping the Flying Dragon Staff he charged at the five, clearly intending to put them to death.

These so-called Plum Mountain six brothers were of no consequence. Using their deaths as a warning to others couldn't be more appropriate.

But just at the critical moment, a large hand with distinct joints clamped onto the Flying Dragon Staff, holding it steady in mid-air.

"Such killing intent, Lingji?"

The newcomer stood tall, his face cold, and the once-closed vertical line on his forehead now fully open, revealing his lethal intent!

"Your Buddhism constantly preaches righteousness yet acts more despicably than anyone when striking down!"

Lingji's complexion darkened: "Yang Jian!"

Now that the pretense was gone, no need for any facade. He pulled the Flying Dragon Staff toward himself, but it did not budge.

Yang Jian's hand was like a pair of iron tongs, making Lingji's strength disappear like a stone dropped into the ocean.

"Overestimating your abilities!" Lingji roared out, the Flying Dragon Staff suddenly undergoing a transformation, changing into a gigantic Eight-Clawed Golden Dragon!

The massive body fiercely broke free from Yang Jian's grasp and, opening its blood-filled maw, charged towards Yang Jian.

The disturbance had already alarmed the great divine skill users between heaven and earth, and the Jade Emperor's Haotian Mirror revealed all of the images.

"This Buddhism has gone too far!" The Immortals were outraged one after another, a mere three days had been agreed upon, yet Buddhism was conducting itself so brazenly, with blatant disregard!

However, the Jade Emperor's expression was one of surprise, as if he had uncovered something.

Spirit Mountain.

"For Bodhisattva Lingji to personally lead the charge, he truly is a role model for our Buddhism!"

"Indeed, excellent."

Watching the images amplified by the Tathagata's increased mana, the followers of Buddhism had smiles on their faces, each one of them extremely pleased.

Guanyin and the other two great Bodhisattvas wore satisfied expressions. We may not provoke you, Golden Spirit Holy Mother, but can we not overcome a mere minor Yang Jian! Do you dare to obstruct our Journey to the West?

Once the Journey is complete, and Buddhism flourishes, it'll be interesting to see how the Mysterious Gate withstands!

The Buddha's appeared to enjoy the spectacle, but the expressions on the faces of only two Buddhas became slightly more solemn: one was Tathagata, and the other was Dipankara.

Watching the soaring dragon, Lingji's eyes sparkled with thrill. His Flying Dragon Staff was crafted from the corpse of the ruling king of the Ancient Dragon Clan, the Eight-Clawed Golden Dragon, with bloodline purity surpassing the current dragons of the Four Seas by a hundredfold!

Now, with the mana of his own Daluo Golden Immortal powering it, he wanted to see how a mere Taiyi Golden Immortal could possibly withstand it!

"Big brother!" The only few conscious brothers of Plum Mountain shouted loudly, their faces filled with extreme anxiety.

Hearing his brothers' weak voices, Yang Jian's cold face grew even colder.

A fist, thundered forth!

The collision between the fist and the Golden Dragon emitted a deafening noise, shaking the entire Guan River Mouth with the tremendous energy released.

"Big brother!"

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Yang Chan knelt to the ground, shaken by the explosion of golden light. Her heart leapt into her throat as a tear shimmered and circled in her eye.

"Amitabha..." Lingji chanted the name of Buddha disdainfully, as if to mock, did he really think that just because he was called the War God of the Three Realms, he could be beaten by anyone?

Ridiculous!

Pfft!

Before Lingji could regain his composure, a whooshing sound echoed through the air.

Lingji's face changed drastically as he saw the Flying Dragon staff, which had transformed back from its attack, flying back towards him.

He caught it in a hurry—such immense strength!

Lingji's face twisted instantly as he was hurled back hundreds of meters, crashing straight into a mountain!

As the golden light faded, the figure emerged unscathed: clad in light yellow robes, donning a Flying Phoenix Hat, eyes wide with fury, carrying the might of heaven and earth, their elegance undiminished.

Lingji struggled out from the mountain and rushed to Yang Jian's side.

His once serene and dignified appearance was now in tatters, dirty and disheveled like a monk in penance.

The difference between the two was immediately apparent.

"How is this possible, how are you unharmed, how did you overcome my Flying Dragon staff!" Lingji growled through gritted teeth.

The gap between a Daluo Golden Immortal and a Taiyi Golden Immortal was vast, not something that could be bridged by mere aptitude!

Even if Yang Jian was the Jade Emperor's own nephew, a union of a celestial and a mortal was impossible!

Yang Jian said nothing, as immense mana surged from within him, and the phantom of Three Flowers appeared above his head.

Lingji's body shook violently, his pupils dilated suddenly.

Heavenly Flower top grade, Earth Flower eighth grade, Human Flower top grade!

"Daluo Golden Immortal, with flowers blooming twenty-eight grades!" Though Haotian and Tathagata were thousands of miles apart, they both exclaimed in shock, losing the composure of superior beings.

Around Tathagata, the tangible Buddha Energy dissipated instantly, and Haotian rose to his feet so abruptly that his imperial crown was nearly tilted.

With the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top, the prospect of being a Quasi-Saint of twenty-one grades was within reach, and the aptitude of a Saint at twenty-seven grades!

In the Three Realms, there were only two individuals who had reached beyond the thirtieth grade.

One was Saint Taiqing with flowers blooming thirty grades; the other was the astounding Dao Ancestor with flowers blooming thirty-three grades.

Yang Jian's blooms at twenty-eight grades already surpassed Saint Zhunti, and ranked alongside Saint Nuwa and Saint Jieyin.

That meant, if there weren't a fixed number of six Saints decreed by heaven, Yang Jian would have fully possessed the aptitude of a Saint!

Is this reasonable? It's not reasonable!

The Holy Mother Yaoji, Yang Jian's mother, had rather poor origins and his father was even a mortal. Although he has remarkable aptitude by the standards of the current Three Realms, when compared to the ancients, it's like comparing a minor magician to a great sorcerer!

The awakening of the Three Flowers is greatly influenced by one's origins, and even Haotian, with a blooming of twenty-four grades, had shallower roots. For Yang Jian, whose origins were even more modest, to bloom twenty grades would have already been quite an achievement.

But now, he had bloomed twenty-eight grades!

"Am I dreaming?" the spectators murmured to themselves, their faith in life shaken.

The Buddhists were even more aghast, their mouths agape and jaws nearly hitting the floor.

"You... how can you possibly be a Daluo Golden Immortal! Or is it that..." Lingji's hand trembled as he pointed, his complexion turning pale, involuntarily taking a half step backwards.

Clearly, he was deeply frightened by Yang Jian's blooming of twenty-eight grades.

A smirk curled at Yang Jian's lips as he concealed the Three Flowers, "You can be a Daluo Golden Immortal but I can't be one?"

Although he said this, Yang Jian's heart was also turbulent.

He thought everything was settled, but the beef noodles that had helped him break through to become a Daluo Golden Immortal had taken effect once again.

An extraordinary energy had compelled his Human Flower to blossom, reaching the tenth grade!