Chapter 81: Treasure-seizing In Lotus Cave
It is said that Ao Tu had captured Sun Wukong.
On the other side, Sha Wujing protected Tang Sanzang, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.
Just then, Golden Horn Great King arrived with a host of little demons, surrounding the Master and disciple.
Tiger Vanguard charged forward first, wielding a Tiger Head Saber, and fought with Sha Wujing for over twenty rounds, showing signs of defeat.
Seeing this, White Bone Spirit flew out, exhaling an ominous wind from her hands.
Golden Horn Great King gave a command, and all the little demons rushed forward, armed with sabers, clubs, spears, hooks, wolf fang clubs, three-pronged forks, nine-section whips, and iron caltrops, all striking at Sha Wujing.
Sha Wujing wielded his Treasure Staff, struggling to resist the horde of demons. However, even a good man cannot fight many, and a hero is no match for a crowd. The little demons grabbed his legs, held his arms, tugged at his elbows, and pinched his nose, making him unable to move.
Golden Horn Great King took out a Treasure Bottle from his embrace, called the Jade Pure Bottle, and threw it, smashing it down on Sha Wujing’s head, knocking him to the ground.
The little demons then tied Sha Wujing tightly with ropes, and also tied up Tang Sanzang, bound the two to the horses, and led the horses back to the cave mansion, cheering all the way.
On the other side, Ao Tu also brought Sun Wukong, returning to the cave mansion with Silver Horn Great King.
Golden Horn Great King and Silver Horn Great King raised their cups and said:
“This time, we are greatly indebted to Elder Brother’s plan for capturing the entire Tang Sanzang and his disciples. My brother and I toast you!”
Ao Tu raised his cup and said, “Please!”
The three drank together, and all the monsters in the cave rejoiced.
Ao Tu held the Purple Gold Red Gourd and said to Silver Horn Great King:
“Virtuous Younger Brother, on my path of cultivation, I have encountered some obstacles. Today, I see your gourd is an innate treasure. May I borrow it to study it.”
Silver Horn Great King heard this and said, “Elder Brother, what are you saying? They are all our own treasures, feel free to take them and study them.”
Ao Tu said, “Good, let’s drink!”
Golden Horn Great King and Silver Horn Great King said, “Drink!”
After the feast, the monsters rested, and Ao Tu took his treasure and returned to his room to study.
This Purple Gold Red Gourd is an innate treasure. As Ao Tu studied it, he saw a form of innate laws manifest, with infinite wondrous methods and endless transformations, all interconnected and in chaotic unity.
Ao Tu used the laws within the gourd to verify himself, and they resonated with the innate laws within his body. Ao Tu observed them one by one, understanding where the laws within his body were complete, where they were insufficient, where they were lacking, and where they were different.
Ao Tu’s body had eighteen hundred dragon bones and one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred dragon scales, corresponding to the number of a complete cycle and an epoch.
Each dragon bone and each dragon scale were imprinted with billions of laws. Observing them was like glimpsing the universe, as if seeing the birth and death of all things, and the changes of the cosmic cycle.
Ao Tu studied them one by one, not daring to neglect even a tiny bit.
On the path of the Dao, if there is even the slightest carelessness, it will be destroyed in an instant.
While observing, Ao Tu discovered that he could understand and comprehend ninety percent of the laws contained within these innate laws, such as the Five Elements, Yin and Yang, absorption and exhalation, creation, and so on.
However, there was one law that stood apart from the others, as if it were within chaos, within primordial chaos, beyond profound mystery, and above the Great Beginning. It was impossible to understand or comprehend.
As Ao Tu observed this law, his brow furrowed tighter. His mind was immersed in it, unable to extricate himself. As if in the dark, he fell into chaos, and visions flashed before his eyes of a giant, as well as a lotus, a jade disc, and a giant axe passing by.
Ao Tu could not see clearly. As he tried to look closer, his mind rapidly depleted, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, falling to the ground on the spot.
Not long after, the little demons waiting outside discovered the situation and quickly reported it.
Golden Horn and Silver Horn, upon hearing the news, rushed over, but were helpless and did not know how to save him.
At this moment, the Purple Gold Red Gourd, for some unknown reason, floated into the air and spewed out a stream of innate chaos Qi, which struck Ao Tu’s face. Ao Tu’s body stirred, and he gradually opened his eyes.
Golden Horn Great King rejoiced, saying, “He’s awake! He’s awake! I thought this gourd for holding pills was useless, but I didn’t know it had such a function!”
Silver Horn Great King said, “That’s strange. When this gourd was in my hands, why did it never act like this?”
Ao Tu slowly awoke, and the gourd automatically fell into his embrace.
Golden Horn Great King and Silver Horn Great King quickly asked, “Elder Brother, what happened to you just now?”
Ao Tu replied, “I was observing the Great Dao and became engrossed in it, accidentally losing my focus.”
Golden Horn Great King exclaimed, “Elder Brother, you must be careful! If you lose your true spirit in the Dao, even an immortal cannot save you!”
Ao Tu said, “I understand. I will never dare to take such a risk again in the future.”
Silver Horn Great King said, “It’s all my fault for forgetting to remind you. This gourd is a treasure from the beginning of heaven and earth, containing sixteen innate laws. You must never study them! I once tried to study one of them and immediately my mind was depleted, I spat out three liters of blood, and dared not touch it again. I only considered it an object for holding people!”
Hearing Silver Horn Great King’s words, the Purple Gold Red Gourd couldn’t help but shake uneasily in Ao Tu’s embrace.
Ao Tu soothed the Purple Gold Red Gourd and said nothing more.
In fact, he had already mastered eleven of the laws contained within the Purple Gold Red Gourd.
Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Yin, Yang, Creation, Transformation, Absorption, Exhalation.
On the other side, Wukong, bound by the Golden Rope, was imprisoned along with Tang Sanzang and the others.
Outside, the little demons were setting up a stove.
Fine Ghost and Clever Worm, the two, were directing a host of little demons to build a giant stove.
“The Greatest Great King said that tomorrow we will put the Tang Sanzang and his disciples into an iron pot and stew them to eat. Today, we must finish building the stove so we can all enjoy Tang Sanzang’s flesh tomorrow!”
Hearing this, the little demons worked diligently on building the stove.
Fine Ghost and Clever Worm then directed a few little demons to bring a lot of firewood.
A little demon asked, “Boss, what do we need this firewood for?”
Fine Ghost said, “How can you be so stupid? Of course, we need to burn the newly built stove, otherwise, it won’t work!”
Clever Worm said, “We also need to burn that large iron pot while we’re at it. Let’s add some oil to lubricate it, otherwise, the meat stewed in a new pot won’t taste good!”
The little demons nodded as if they understood, and then continued to work diligently.
Anyway, as long as the Great King told them to do something, they would do it.
In the prison cell, Bajie said with a mournful face:
“We’re finished now, all captured! Those monsters said they’re going to stew us tomorrow. I don’t know who will go into the pot first and who will go in later.”
Sha Seng said, “Second Junior Brother, why are you worrying about that?”
Bajie said, “Think about it, the one who goes in first will sink to the bottom and won’t be able to die immediately. They’ll drown. The one who goes in later will be on top and will be boiled to death.”
Sha Seng said, “Then drowning might be a little easier!”
Tang Sanzang heard this and felt a bit scared, saying, “My disciples, do you have any way to escape?”
Bajie said, “Our Eldest Senior Brother has been captured, and he’s tied so tightly, there’s no way!”
Wukong said, “Master, do not fear, Old Sun will find a way to save you!”
Bajie said, “Your hands and feet are tied, how can you save us?”
Wukong said, “I have my own way.”
Wukong wriggled his body and moved closer to Sha Seng, saying, “Junior Brother Sha, bite off a tuft of my hair.”
Sha Seng opened his mouth and bit off a tuft of hair.
Wukong turned the hair into a file and told Sha Seng to file through the ropes to free him.
The Golden Rope is a treasure, how could it be filed through?
It actually could.
It turned out that although the Golden Rope itself could not be filed through, there was a golden ring at the end of the Golden Rope, which was added later and connected to the rope. This ring could be filed through, and once the golden ring was filed through, the Golden Rope would naturally come undone.
Sha Seng bit the file and filed through the golden ring, and the rope naturally detached from the ring.
Wukong freed himself, put away the Golden Rope, untied the ropes on Tang Sanzang and the others, used a sleeping spell to make the guarding little demons fall asleep, and led Tang Sanzang and the others to escape the cave carefully.
At this time, Golden Horn Great King and Silver Horn Great King were in Ao Tu’s room, so they did not discover Wukong and the others escaping.
Wukong led his Master and junior brothers out of the cave and walked westward.
Tiger Vanguard passed by the cave and, for some reason, felt that the cave was unusually quiet. Upon closer inspection, he saw that all the little demons were asleep, so he hurried to report to Ao Tu.
Golden Horn Great King and Silver Horn Great King, upon hearing this, exclaimed:
“That monkey actually escaped from the Golden Rope! Elder Brother, what should we do?”
Ao Tu said, “Don’t worry, follow me, we’ll go catch him again.”
Ao Tu, along with Golden Horn Great King and Silver Horn Great King, left the cave and pursued them, riding on clouds.
Soon, they saw Tang Sanzang and his disciples.
Tang Sanzang was urging the horse to go faster, while Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing were all beside Tang Sanzang, protecting him.
Ao Tu said, “Tang Sanzang, where do you think you’re going!”
Wukong looked back and said, “Not good, Master, hurry!” He rode on a cloud to meet Ao Tu, and they began to fight.
On the other side, Golden Horn faced Sha Wujing, and Silver Horn faced Zhu Bajie.
A fierce battle ensued.
Ao Tu leaped into the air, flying high above the Nine Heavens.
Wukong caught up with a somersault and drew his cudgel to strike.
Ao Tu extended his dragon claw, and a vast, sharp claw appeared, its dragon scales shimmering.
Wukong’s blow landed on the dragon claw, and sparks flew.
“So hard! Demon dragon, you’ve become skilled too!”
Ao Tu chuckled, “We’re both skilled.”
The two began to fight. Ao Tu extended his claws and swished his tail, his dragon roars shaking the Nine Heavens.
Wukong also unleashed his full power, his Golden Cudgel elongating to dozens of feet, striking forward and backward, soaring up and down.
After fighting for a hundred rounds, Wukong pulled out a handful of his hairs, chewed them, and used the Body Outside Body technique to create a clone, which he sent towards Ao Tu.
Ao Tu used the Three Heads, Six Arms supernatural power, blocking all the monkeys from all directions.
Seeing this, Wukong also transformed, changing into three heads and six arms, and fought with Ao Tu.
The two fought for another hundred rounds, battling beyond the nine heavens, scattering the clouds and fog, causing the sun and moon to lose their light.
A poem says:
The miraculous body outside body, the profound three heads and six arms. Scales and claws fly like fire and lightning, the iron cudgel shakes ten thousand mountains. The momentum directly shakes the heavenly gate, the supernatural power splits the clouds, hundreds of rounds cannot resolve the conflict, causing the sun and moon to lose their radiance!
After fighting for a long time, Ao Tu’s bloodline flowed, and his laws manifested. For some reason, as they fought, his right dragon claw merged and, resembling an axe, chopped downwards.
In an instant, the magic power within Ao Tu was astonishingly depleted, and his claw faintly broke through heaven and earth, with chaos swirling.
Ao Tu was astonished and instantly stopped his movement, retracting his move.
Wukong, on the other side, felt a warning bell ringing in his heart, as if he were about to face a great crisis, but it only lasted for a moment, and the feeling quickly dissipated.
Wukong thought, “Could the fight have alerted the heavenly court and drawn the attention of the Heavenly Realm?”
He could not continue to be entangled.
Wukong took out the Golden Rope and said, “Demon dragon, now, Old Sun also has a treasure!”
Ao Tu recollected himself and, seeing Wukong take out the Golden Rope, he took out the Purple Gold Red Gourd.
Wukong had previously gathered information and knew that the gourd could only capture someone if they agreed, so he was not afraid and released the Golden Rope to bind Ao Tu.
