Chapter 155: Peacock Great Mahamayuri Bodhisattva

A terrifying battle erupted deep underground, accompanied by the mournful cries of rocs and eagles.

The earth trembled incessantly, shifting as if a subterranean dragon were rolling over, and some massive entity was about to burst forth from the ground.

The Green Ox chuckled and said, "The lion is more than enough to deal with this feathered beast, but this eagle possesses divine speed and is quite adept at escaping. I might as well go and join in the fun."

With that, he stamped fiercely upon the ground, forcibly kicking the head of the great Kun-roc—which was just about to break through the surface—back down into the depths.

Another cry of agony echoed out.

The Green Ox laughed heartily and dove underground: "Lion, let's lure this feathered beast up into the heavens together, lest we shake the earthly veins and ruin our accumulated merit."

"Agreed!"

As they spoke, deep beneath the earth, the Nine-Spirited Saint and the Green Ox each revealed their true forms. They grabbed the creature and dragged it up into the sky, unleashing their divine powers to create a state of one-sided suppression.

Had the Golden-Winged Great Peng not possessed such incredible escape velocity, he likely would have had no power left to resist.

At that very moment, the firmament resonated with countless shrill cries and ferocious roars; it was the formidable army of demonic soldiers brought by the Golden-Winged Great Peng.

Then, the army of demons, which had previously been descending in a fierce dive, came to an abrupt halt. They stared up into the sky in sheer disbelief. What was it that they beheld?

Their own lord, whose terrifying might was known far and wide, was now being practically beaten to a pulp by a mere lion and ox, his feathers constantly being sheared from his body.

"Th-th-this... Our lord is being beaten! Should we go and help?"

"Help my foot! Even our lord can't defeat them; if we go up there, we'll just die just as easily. We'd better steer clear of their锋芒 (razor-sharp edge) for now and figure out a way to rescue our lord later."

"Steer clear of their edge? Since you've come, don't even think about leaving."

Nezha and Huaguang's eyes flashed with excitement. Coming down to the mortal realm this time was truly the right choice; not only could they stretch their muscles, but they could also reap merits.

Thus, the two of them positioned themselves to the south and the north, forming a pincer movement to trap the demonic army.

"Junior Brother, these demons are utterly foul and have harmed countless innocents. Go and join Nezha and the others in subduing these fiends," the voice of the Nine-Spirited Saint resounded.

Cao Kong was slightly startled. Even amidst such a fierce battle, his senior brother still maintained an air of effortless ease. Truly, he lived up to being a spiritually enlightened being personally praised by their master.

He immediately burst into laughter and said, "Two divine generals, I have come to assist you!"

With that, he trod upon the wind and positioned himself in the east, forming a threefold encirclement of the demonic army along with Nezha and Huaguang from the east, south, and north.

Nezha also laughed heartily and said, "Since we parted ways last time, I heard your cultivation has made tremendous progress. Today, allow me to witness it for myself."

Ma Lingyao smiled boldly and declared, "Let's see which of the three of us slays the most!"

Cao Kong laughed aloud, "As you wish."

Instantly, he stationed himself at the Xun position (southeast), opened his mouth, and exhaled without holding anything back, driving his divine powers to their absolute limit.

Within his wood mansion, the flower of divine power bloomed brilliantly. The eight winds arose between heaven and earth, born from the positions of the Eight Trigrams, transforming into monstrous tornadoes that surged toward the army of demons.

Huaguang was not surprised, as he had long known that Cao Kong possessed such a unique and formidable skill.

Nezha, however, clicked his tongue in wonder, thinking to himself that Cao Kong truly lived up to being a disciple of the Celestial Worthy of Taiyi Salvation from Suffering; his rate of progress was nothing short of terrifying.

Then, the two divine generals made their moves: one drove his fire-wheel, while the other held a fire-pellet, releasing the True Fire of Samadhi in perfect unison.

At that instant, the wind was ominous and chilling, causing heaven and earth to change hue. Formless, shadowless, and traceless, it blew so fiercely that the red sun lost its radiance and every star in the firmament was thrown into utter disarray.

At the same time, that fire was exceedingly ferocious, its blazing flames filling the sky with fangs of fire, its glorious might turning the entire earth crimson.

Boom!

The wind and fire had already formed a raging, unstoppable wildfire. Encountering this divine wind and true fire, the nearly ten-thousand-strong demonic army had no power to resist whatsoever. Their lifetimes of cultivation turned to nothingness, their flesh and blood reduced to ash, falling from the sky like a shower of rain.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng had already been beaten to the brink of defeat under the combined assault of the Green Ox and the Nine-Spirited Saint. He could not defeat either of them in a one-on-one fight, let alone when they joined forces.

Now, witnessing this scene and watching his foundation of several millennia being burned to ash by the wind and fire, he could not help but weep tears of blood, his eyes turning crimson.

"Ah, ah, ah! You destroy my demonic hosts! My hatred and enmity with you are as deep as the sea!"

"Worry about yourself first."

The Nine-Spirited Saint said coldly. This monstrous beast had dared to attempt to kill Cao Kong, making it clear that he was picking a fight with Taiyi's lineage. With that, the lion's paw descended once more, stripping away countless feathers and causing the bird to vomit blood continuously.

What fell here were not merely his feathers and blood; they were evidently his cultivation and dao attainment. Even if he survived this battle, he was destined to spend countless long years in seclusion to recover.

......

In the Pure Land of the Western Paradise, the Tathagata Buddha was expounding the Dharma from his lotus throne. Lotuses spilled from his lips, and his voice resonated like thunder.

All the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats seated below each gained their own enlightenment; some wore gentle smiles, some held flowers in silence, some wore sorrowful expressions, and others glared with wide-open eyes—a myriad of expressions manifested.

Among them was a Bodhisattva known as the Great Peacock 明王 (Wisdom King), who was the progeny of the Phoenix. At that moment, her heart and mind were unsettled, so she pinched her fingers to divine the future, and her expression changed drastically.

Without even bidding farewell, she transformed into a five-colored rainbow and departed.

The Tathagata Buddha maintained a solemn and majestic dharma form. Possessing the ability to perceive the past and the future, he already understood what had transpired. His gaze was deep and calm, without a single ripple.

Karmic ties, karmic ties.

At that very moment, a visitor arrived from the Eastern Heavens—a Daoist priest bearing a sword, wearing an imperial crown adorned with pearls, draped in rosy cloud garments, embodying the true form of the wondrous Dao.

The Buddha pressed his palms together and said, "This old monk was unaware of the Celestial Worthy's grand arrival and failed to welcome you from afar."

The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas seated below also pressed their palms together in greeting.

The Celestial Worthy nodded in return and said, "This poor Daoist came to this Western Pure Land of Paradise without notifying the Buddha beforehand. Please forgive my discourtesy."

He then added, "Just now, however, why did I see the Mother of the Buddha transform into a rainbow and leave the Western Heavens?"

The Buddha replied, "I already know the Celestial Worthy's purpose. My Buddhism possesses Seven Treasures, which I am willing to present to the Celestial Worthy."

"Why does the Buddha do this?" the Celestial Worthy asked calmly.

The Buddha answered, "I am willing to use the Buddhist Seven Treasures to compensate for the improper actions of the Mother of the Buddha, and spare the Peng-roc to await whatever comes later. Should he commit any further acts invoking disaster, his life and death shall depend entirely on providence."

Knowing precisely what the Buddha was referring to, the Celestial Worthy nodded and said, "Very well." He then accepted the Seven Treasures, and his figure vanished.

The Tathagata Buddha gazed calmly upon the gathered Buddhas, and none of them spoke.

......

Before long, a streak of five-colored divine light flashed across the space before the Golden-Winged Great Peng. The Nine-Spirited Saint and the Green Ox exchanged a tacit glance, and then their palms and hooves descended.

Boom!

The five-colored divine light shook violently, its hues gradually fading. Seizing this momentary respite, the Golden-Winged Great Peng made a decisive choice, flapping his wings repeatedly in an attempt to escape with his life.

Taking advantage of the opening, the Nine-Spirited Saint opened his mouth and inhaled sharply, preventing the roc's supreme speed from fully erupting. The Green Ox employed his divine power and, with quick eyes and swift hands, reached out and grabbed a mass of flowing gold.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng's aura grew even weaker, yet he dared not linger for a single second. Leaving behind a harsh threat, he fled for his life. His figure quickly shrank into a tiny black dot before vanishing without a trace.

At that moment, the five-colored divine light transformed into a peacock, her aura slightly suppressed. Evidently, the previous strike from the Nine-Spirited Saint and the Green Ox had not been entirely comfortable for her either.

Having converted to the Buddhist teachings and knowing that the Golden-Winged Great Peng had been in the wrong first, she had no desire to say much more and prepared to transform into a rainbow and depart.

Yet she discovered that the Nine-Spirited Saint was blocking her path.

"Why is the Bodhisattva obstructing us from subduing demons?" the Nine-Spirited Saint asked calmly.

Knowing she was in the wrong, and having heard tales of this lion's exploits from the previous kalpa, the Peacock Great Wisdom King Bodhisattva was well aware of his disposition. Moreover, the figure backing him was entirely unprovokable. Silently, she asked:

"What would you have of me?"

"Ahem."

Suddenly, the ox coughed. He raised the mass of flowing light in his hand, which had transformed into a brilliant golden feather, and studied it quietly: "Pretty, truly pretty."

The Peacock Great Wisdom King Bodhisattva looked at this seemingly honest-looking ox, and then gazed at the Nine-Spirited Saint, who stood before her as imposing and immovable as Mount Tai.

For a moment, she felt a tightness in her chest and shortness of breath, cursing inwardly: 'Two scoundrels.'

"Take it."

With a single word uttered by the Peacock Great Wisdom King Bodhisattva, a five-colored feather drifted out from her body. The moment this feather left her, her aura immediately dimmed by a fraction.

She then swept her gaze across the assembled company and departed with a cold snort.