Sun Wukong slightly furrowed his brows.

"How shall we contend?"

He asked.

"I have a Golden Bowl here."

A Golden Bowl appeared in the Buddha's palm as he said, "Inside it, there's a minor world where one day outside equals ten years inside. Great Saint enters, and if you come out after one day, then Great Saint wins. If you cannot come out..."

The Buddha did not finish, but Sun Wukong already understood.

He took the Golden Bowl and peered inside, where it seemed like countless tiny people were moving around.

Sun Wukong closed his eyes and concentrated, his Divine Soul leaving his body and entering the Golden Bowl.

"Amitabha."

The Buddha stretched out his hand and cast a ring of light, enveloping Sun Wukong within it.

Ao Luan and the little Phoenix could not avoid it and were immediately repelled and bounced out.

"Brother!"

Ao Luan tried to break into the circle of light.

"Venerable Guanyin."

The Buddha said, "I will continue the sermon. Take them out."

"As commanded."

Guanyin, standing by, folded her hands in acceptance of the holy decree and departed with Ao Luan and the little Phoenix on a cloud.

Ao Luan tried to resist, but she was no match for Guanyin, and in a blink of an eye, she found herself outside the Great Heroic Treasure Hall.

The grand doors of the hall shut with a bang behind her.

"Why did you pull me out!"

Ao Luan asked Guanyin.

"Fairy, keep your peace."

Guanyin replied, "This is Lingshan, Buddha's word is trustworthy; he wouldn't harm the Great Saint."

Ao Luan looked at her, "You're not Water Moon."

The people of Wanling Country did not know why the Water Moon Fairy had left; Ao Luan was among the few who knew the inside story.

Because she knew, she felt Guanyin should not have pulled her out.

This Bodhisattva was no longer the familiar Water Moon Fairy.

"Water Moon is me."

Guanyin smiled, "Yet I am not her."

This answer differed from what she had told Sun Wukong.

Ao Luan furrowed her brows, "Can't a Bodhisattva be Water Moon?"

"Cannot."

Guanyin answered.

When she discarded the Buddhist Law and turned into a mortal, her behavior became influenced, more human-like, that version of her is Water Moon.

But now she had returned to normal.

Ao Luan calmed down, "What exactly is the challenge that my brother accepted?"

"That Golden Bowl contains a world."

Guanyin explained, "It's something the Buddha created to forge the Pure Land."

She told Ao Luan that the Golden Bowl contained a prototype of the Pure Land.

After Sun Wukong's Divine Soul entered, he would undergo rebirth in the Lotus Pond, lose his memories, and spend ten years in the Pure Land.

Ao Luan's heart skipped a beat, "Did brother know he would lose his memories?"

"Of course."

Guanyin replied.

Sun Wukong, with his vast Divine Skills, could see through the essence of the Golden Bowl at a glance.

He must have been well aware while accepting this contest.

Ao Luan slightly furrowed her brows.

"Fairy, let us take a walk."

Seeing Ao Luan unable to let go of her attachment, Guanyin led her away from the Great Heroic Treasure Hall to the bank of a vast river.

This river was nearly as large as the Tongtian River, yet there was only one log bridge leading to the other side.

"This place is called Lingyun Crossing; a hundred years ago, the Great Saint once crossed that bridge. Would you like to cross?"

Guanyin asked Ao Luan.

Ao Luan looked at the log floating on the surface of the water: "What will happen if I walk across?"

"You can let go of your obsessions and achieve enlightenment."

Guanyin answered.

Ao Luan stood motionless.

Guanyin sighed softly, then continued to talk about Sun Wukong's contest.

"The Pure Land in the Northern Continent is not yet complete, yet it is more complete within that Golden Bowl."

Naturally, the Golden Bowl is more capable of beguiling the human heart.

Ao Luan listened to the sound of the river, but was no longer swayed by Guanyin's words.

She understood Sun Wukong; he could not be confused by anything: "Brother's heart of Tao is firm, he will definitely come out after a day."

Guanyin secretly shook her head and turned her gaze towards the little Phoenix.

This little one seemed quite interested in Lingyun Crossing, standing at the edge of the log bridge, she ventured a little foot out, then suddenly jumped on.

"Oh?"

Guanyin was surprised.

The little Phoenix stood on the log bridge, and the bridge did not wobble.

However, it is very difficult for ordinary people to stand steadily on the bridge, unless it is someone with great wisdom.

"This girl has the roots of wisdom."

Guanyin looked at the little Phoenix somewhat unexpectedly.

The little Phoenix walked on the bridge a bit, then walked back, seemingly unaffected.

Guanyin was astonished, such a talented individual, and she had never noticed before.

"Girl, would you like to be my disciple?"

Guanyin asked aloud.

"No."

The little Phoenix looked up at her and immediately refused: "I prefer the Great King."

Guanyin felt somewhat disheartened.

Everything about the Great Saint was agreeable, just somehow, he always managed to take away the disciples she fancied.

Turning her head back, Guanyin found Ao Luan standing by the river lost in thought.

"Sister, what are you doing?"

The little Phoenix asked.

"Listening to the scriptures."

Guanyin replied.

If it weren't for Sun Wukong's intervention, Ao Luan would have already been her disciple.

She was naturally connected to the Buddhist sect and could feel the influence of the Pure Land more than ordinary people.

Ao Luan felt something amidst the splashes at Lingyun Crossing, and after regaining clarity, her whole body felt cool and her head warm and wise.

She felt a familiar sensation, as if in front of this river, all troubles were trivial.

"So, it's like this..."

Ao Luan realized, she had experienced something similar before.

"The Pure Land is like Brother's inner world."

The inner world of Sun Wukong she felt in the Southern Continent was also vast and warm, Ao Luan's personal troubles seemed trivial in that inner world.

"Buddhism, is it about letting go of attachment?"

Ao Luan asked.

Guanyin stepped beside her: "Without breaking the attachment, one cannot achieve enlightenment."

Ao Luan understood: "You can't convert Brother."

She discovered the greatest difference between Sun Wukong and the Buddhist sect.

Sun Wukong and the Buddhist sect shared similar ideals, but his heart harbored greater attachments; he yearned for the future, while Buddhism sought self-enlightenment, letting go of attachments.

Ao Luan was completely reassured; she did not believe her brother would lose.

There was only one way to make Sun Wukong lose.

A day's time passed in a blink.

In the Great Heroic Treasure Hall, the Buddha stopped preaching.

"A day has passed, Manjusri Bodhisattva, see what the Great Saint is doing."

"By your command."

Manjusri Bodhisattva walked over to Sun Wukong, looked into the bowl, and then his face showed surprise.

"Reporting to the Buddha, the Great Saint is listening to the scriptures."

He said: "He is above in the attic, listening to the preaching, and Buddha Light is manifesting on him."

The Buddha showed a smile: "He truly has an affinity with our Buddhist sect."

Yet, following that, the Eastern Buddha curiously walked over to see, but his expression suddenly changed.

"A great mistake!"

He suddenly said.

The Buddha looked at him: "What happened?"

"Buddha, the Great Saint's attachments have not vanished."

The Eastern Buddha replied: "He regards the teaching of the Tao as a mere academic pursuit."

He saw more clearly than Manjusri Bodhisattva; Sun Wukong seemingly listened to preaching, but his heart of Tao had not changed in the least.

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