Sun Wukong received news from the Underworld.

After pondering for a moment, he sent Black and White Impermanence back.

The changes in the Underworld were significant, yet seemed irrelevant.

It made Sun Wukong realize something.

"What exactly is Buddha trying to hide?"

Buddha's actions were so overt, it made Sun Wukong increasingly suspect that the origins of the anomalies were complex.

He seemed to sense the unease in Buddha's heart.

How could such a nuanced Buddha reveal his intentions so thoroughly?

He was trying his best to hide something, seemingly even at the cost of inciting conflict to divert Sun Wukong's attention.

But what could it be that he did not want Sun Wukong to know?

After contemplating, Sun Wukong returned to Wanling Country and found the Jade Emperor.

"I am already aware of the situation in the Underworld."

The Jade Emperor knew why Sun Wukong had come.

Right after King Qinguang sent Black and White Impermanence to inform Sun Wukong, he sent Oxhead and Horseface to report to the Jade Emperor.

"With Gouchen overseeing the Underworld, there won't be major issues."

The Jade Emperor wasn't too worried about the Underworld being subverted by Buddha.

With Gouchen, the Ten Kings of Hell, and the slumbering Houtu, the structure of the Underworld was sufficiently stable.

To resolve the trouble in the Underworld, the Pure Land Sect must be addressed.

Those who disappeared from the Book of Life and Death were believers of the Pure Land Sect in life, swearing allegiance to the Buddhist after death to reincarnate in the Pure Land—only by stopping the Pure Land Sect could the whole issue be stopped.

But solving the problem of the Pure Land Sect was not simple.

"We have no moral high ground."

The Jade Emperor said; they had no justification or excuse to eliminate the Pure Land Sect.

More importantly, as long as the cosmic anomalies foretold by the Pure Land Sect continued to occur, no matter how the sect was eradicated, it would resurrect.

Ultimately, the root of the rise of the Pure Land Sect was Buddha's foresight.

To break it, they must achieve parity in information.

Sun Wukong understood this as well.

He handed a Black Lotus to the Jade Emperor.

"These Black Lotuses are not part of the cataclysmic calamity."

Sun Wukong stated.

The Jade Emperor was taken aback: "How do you know?"

"I investigated."

Sun Wukong replied. He had scoured the Scripture Pavilion, examining records from the Heavenly Books prior to the calamity for various clues to ascertain several facts about the Black Lotus.

Firstly, it is unlikely to be the cataclysmic calamity.

Every cataclysm had occurred punctually and had never changed; this cycle wasn't even halfway through, and even if it was early, it shouldn't be this premature.

Secondly...

"The cause of the cosmic anomalies."

Sun Wukong said: "It's these Black Lotuses."

The Jade Emperor frowned in secret.

He had also investigated the Black Lotus but found no evidence linking it with the cosmic anomalies.

"Imperial Brother."

The Jade Emperor inquired: "Have you discovered the power of this Black Lotus?"

"No."

Sun Wukong shook his head, not knowing by what means the Black Lotus caused the anomalies.

Yet, in every place of anomaly he had visited, he found ways to discover a Black Lotus.

It seemed to be a premonition of sorts.

"This is no coincidence."

Sun Wukong declared.

The Jade Emperor frowned slightly; although he had suspicions, he was not as certain as Sun Wukong.

"Well, we will further investigate this Black Lotus."

The Jade Emperor agreed to help Sun Wukong investigate the Black Lotus.

Afterward, Sun Wukong returned to Kunlun Mountain.

The strife between the Pure Land Sect and the Underworld, the Three Realms started to become uneasy, but it all seemed unrelated to Sun Wukong.

No one told him not to bother, but he began to observe coldly.

The more frantic Buddha became, the calmer he was.

He searched for many Black Lotuses and investigated each one, but found nothing.

Aside from the first time when he saw his own image in the Black Lotus, Sun Wukong had not seen anything else.

Even if he managed to penetrate its core and the Black Lotus vanished, it no longer brought him any visionary impact.

After multiple failures, Sun Wukong finally confirmed one thing.

"I was wrong."

He made a significant misjudgment.

Sun Wukong originally thought the Black Lotus was related to him, but now it seemed that the image was just a coincidence, merely appearing at that time, and perhaps the Black Lotus was a separate event.

Inside the Black Lotus, there was actually nothing, and investigating was useless.

"Great Saint."

Soon, Gold Star Taibai arrived with an answer from the Jade Emperor.

They could not decipher the power of the Black Lotus; if it was the cause of cosmic anomalies, then only one possibility remained.

"This thing does not belong to the Three Realms."

Gold Star Taibai said, "Its power is also undetectable by us."

This suspicion had arisen many years before.

But today, they were truly convinced.

Only this could explain why both the myriad celestial beings and even the Heavenly Venerate could not determine what the Black Lotus was.

Sun Wukong was not surprised.

An answer from beyond the Three Realms was in line with his expectations.

But since this was the answer, the question changed...

"Why did it appear?"

Sun Wukong asked.

The Heavenly Book in his memory had never mentioned the Black Lotus; according to the timeline, 500 years later when the story of Journey to the West began, this thing did not exist within the Three Realms.

"How did it get in?"

Sun Wukong asked again.

How did something from beyond the Three Realms enter the Three Realms?

Gold Star Taibai bowed as he answered: "Since the formation of this cosmos, there have been rules and numerations, firm and unbreakable. The appearance of the Black Lotus must signify a breach, perhaps because..."

He suddenly dared not speak further.

"Because I shattered the Heavenly Palace?"

Sun Wukong finished for him.

"I dare not say."

Gold Star Taibai quickly bowed.

But he knew in his heart that this was very likely.

It wasn't just the shattering of the Heavenly Palace; Sun Wukong had also split the Jade Seal of the Heavenly Venerate into three.

That Jade Seal was the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao; once split, the Three Realms would naturally be greatly affected.

Moreover, Sun Wukong had also eaten one of the Jade Seals.

He had ingested the Jade Seal, transforming it into Dao Fruit, and yet there had been no cosmic backlash or anomalies afterward, which was indeed strange.

If one were to seek the reason for the Black Lotus entering the Three Realms—the most likely cause would be the Jade Seal.

"So, I am the main culprit?"

Sun Wukong asked quietly.

Gold Star Taibai dared not nod.

Sun Wukong waved his hand: "You may go now."

He let Gold Star Taibai leave.

Although this shocking answer was merely a guess, Sun Wukong was quite clear that it was most likely correct.

The root cause of the Black Lotus's appearance was perhaps his own actions.

"Did I do wrong?"

Sun Wukong reflected internally, wondering if his ongoing methods had all been mistaken.

He thought for a long time before finally clearing his mind.

"This is not something Buddha is hiding."

Although this answer resolved some of Sun Wukong's doubts and even impacted him to a certain extent,

it was not enough to shake his Dao heart or worth Buddha concealing.

Sun Wukong did not want to forget that there were more important matters due to this answer.

Only by knowing what Buddha was hiding could Sun Wukong understand the cause and effect, and make the final decision.

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