Journey to the West: The roadblock! – Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Demons In The Mortal Realm
Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss, Great Thunderclap Temple.
Tathagata began expounding the great dharma, proclaiming and demonstrating the True Sutras, speaking of the supreme wondrous dharma, the six paramitas. Auspicious vapors swirled, auspicious clouds wound around, manifesting the appearance of the bodhi, golden lotuses everywhere in the realms, shining from east to west.
Ten thousand bhikshus, three thousand jiedi, four great bodhisattvas, and immeasurable holy buddhas each held pearl festoons and banners, rare treasures, arrayed in the Great Thunderclap Temple.
When the sutras were finished, Tathagata’s disciple Ananda stood up and said:
“World Honored One, yesterday the bell ringer dragon, the fifth son of Dragon King of Jing River, Ao Tu, was negligent in his duties, missing the bell-ringing time, and should be punished accordingly.”
Tathagata said: “Is Ao Tu present?”
A person walked out from among the monastic assembly, youthful in appearance, with dragon horns on his head, bright golden eyes, it was Ao Tu.
“Disciple Ao Tu meets the World Honored One.”
Tathagata said: “What Ananda said, is it true?”
Ao Tu said: “It is not true. Yesterday Venerable Ananda deliberately cast a spell to make this disciple fall asleep, causing me to miss the bell-ringing time, and used this to coerce this disciple to go to the mortal realm to obstruct the pilgrim. This disciple refused, so Venerable Ananda reported this disciple today.”
Tathagata sat high on the lotus platform, his expression without the slightest fluctuation, and said: “Did you miss the bell-ringing time?”
Ao Tu said: “I did.”
Tathagata said: “In that case, you are penalized to receive three thousand strikes from the incense board.”
Ao Tu emphasized: “It was Venerable Ananda who cast the spell, which caused this disciple to miss the bell-ringing time.”
Tathagata said: “Ananda will have his own chastisement.”
Hearing this, Ao Tu took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said no more.
He was a traverser, possessing the body of the fifth son of Dragon King of Jing River, Ao Tu. His father Dragon King of Jing River was schemed to death, he and his several brothers had nowhere to go, and finally under the arrangement of his uncle Dragon King of West Sea, each was assigned a position.
Some took positions in rivers, some guarded palaces in the Heavenly Court, some managed the Sky-Supporting Pillar for the Jade Emperor, Ao Tu was steady by nature and was assigned to the Western Heaven to ring the bell for Buddha Ancestor.
As a traverser, he actually had a system.
【Roadblocker in Journey to the West System】
【Beginner’s Gift Pack: True Dragon Essence Blood (issued）】
【Main Quest: Roadblocker in Journey to the West (not started, requires entering Journey to the West Great Tribulation to activate）】
【Content: Obstruct the pilgrim, prevent the great flourishing of Buddhism.】
【Reward: Settled based on obstruction time.】
Ao Tu originally had no intention of using this system.
Because to activate the system quest, he had to participate in the Journey to the West Great Tribulation; within the great tribulation, heavenly secrets are obscured, and a slight carelessness could lead to death and dao dissipation, and the system did not specify what rewards it offered.
He was of the Dragon Clan, with a long life, his days in the Western Heaven were peaceful and stable, his cultivation improving daily, there was no need at all to enter the great tribulation for adventure.
Unfortunately, fate plays tricks on people, the beginner’s gift pack from the system was a drop of True Dragon Essence Blood. Ao Tu’s true body was a four-clawed yellow dragon, his bloodline close to the five-clawed true dragon but impure, this drop of essence blood was of great benefit to him.
Ao Tu could not resist the temptation, absorbed the essence blood, and his realm broke through from late-stage Heavenly Immortal to Mysterious Immortal realm.
The original Ao Tu was only a Heavenly Immortal, too weak to qualify for participating in the great tribulation. But after breaking through to Mysterious Immortal, relying on the Dragon Clan’s innate divine abilities, he was no longer weak, and in water, he could even fight Sun Wukong a little.
Therefore, Ao Tu was targeted by Ananda.
Ananda schemed to send him to the mortal realm to serve as a tribulation for the pilgrim, then appear to subdue him, thereby acquiring merit.
Ao Tu originally thought Tathagata would uphold justice for him, but now it seemed Tathagata clearly favored Ananda more.
Ananda was one of the two venerables serving at Tathagata’s side, and also Tathagata’s disciple; in terms of closeness, Ao Tu obviously could not compare.
The matter had come to this, Ao Tu very sensibly did not engage in futile resistance.
He knew very well that he, a mere Mysterious Immortal, had no room to resist at this time.
Sun Wukong was so powerful, having cultivated to the immortal Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, yet was not easily suppressed by Buddha Ancestor and fitted with the golden fillet? If he wanted to truly resist, he would at least need to reach the Grand Unity realm of one proof eternal.
For now, he could only obediently submit.
He hoped the system’s rewards could give him a chance to transcend all this in the future.
A flash of ambition passed through Ao Tu’s steady gaze; his steadiness was the helplessness of insufficient strength, if he had strength, who would choose to be steady?
Upon the treasure hall, Tathagata instructed: “Ananda, these three thousand strikes from the incense board will be carried out by you.”
Ananda showed joy and said: “As per World Honored One’s decree.”
Ananda took Ao Tu out of the treasure hall, ordered the vajra warriors to bind Ao Tu to the pillar with dragon-binding locks, held the incense board encircled by Buddha’s Light, and said:
“Ao Tu, do you know that this incense board is a magic treasure of the Buddhist Sect. It can be heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather. If you know your wrong, three thousand strikes from the incense board will merely brush lightly over your body, passing in an instant; if you remain stubborn and ignorant, not to mention three thousand strikes, even a hundred or so strikes will surely break your tendons and bones, shatter your dragon body.”
Ao Tu did not have Sun Wukong’s indestructible diamond body, so he naturally did not dare to resist forcefully, “Little Dragon knows his wrong, and is willing to obey the Venerable’s order to go to the mortal realm and obstruct that pilgrim.”
Hearing this, Ananda beamed with joy, dismissed the vajra warriors, cast a spell to untie Ao Tu, and said:
“You little dragon actually have some insight. Wouldn’t it have been fine if you were this obedient earlier? Rest assured, even if you are accidentally beaten to death by that monkey in the mortal realm, I have some friendship with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and can have him grant you a position in soul ferrying then.”
Hearing these words, Ao Tu felt no joy in his heart.
If it were others, getting a position in the underworld after death would be considered a good thing.
But he was of the Dragon Clan, after death his dragon soul would not scatter and could return to the mortal realm through soldier solution reincarnation. Ananda saying this was clearly threatening him, telling him that even in death he would not be let go, and would have to serve as hard labor in soul ferrying for Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, truly hateful.
Thinking of this person framing him for personal gain, Ao Tu wished he could skin him and pull out his tendons, but with the situation stronger than the person, he could only agree.
Ananda said: “Alright, go down to the mortal realm. I have already greeted Great Bodhisattva Guanyin; if you can do something, obstruct several tribulations, then when I subdue you later, I can gain more merit, and you will not lack benefits.”
Ao Tu was once again shocked by Ananda’s greed.
One tribulation was not enough, he actually wanted him to obstruct several?
After thinking, Ao Tu said: “Venerable, Little Dragon’s magic power is low, I’m afraid it will be difficult to obstruct the pilgrim. I wonder if Venerable can grant some magic treasure to make it convenient for me to act.”
Seeing Ao Tu asking him for treasures, Ananda immediately shook his head repeatedly, impatiently saying:
“Our Western world has always been poor, where would I have treasures? Your Dragon Clan has many treasures, why ask me for them. Hurry to the mortal realm, otherwise don’t blame my incense board for being merciless.”
Ananda urged with the incense board as a demonstration.
Seeing this, Ao Tu gave Ananda a deep look, turned and transformed into dragon form, let out a long chant, and whistled away.
Ananda sneered contemptuously; a mongrel dragon with impure bloodline dared to ask him for treasures, truly thinking himself a disciple of the Western Heaven.
Returning to the treasure hall, Ananda said to Buddha Ancestor:
“World Honored One, Ao Tu feared the punishment, broke free of his bonds, and privately fled to the mortal realm.”
Tathagata said: “Ananda, I order you to go to the mortal realm, subdue him, and bring him back to Spirit Mountain.”
Ananda said: “As per World Honored One’s decree.”