Chapter 18

During the new book period, recommendation votes, collections, and member clicks are incredibly important. Please all book friends, give us a hand.

---

Tang Sen called out to the image of Guanyin, hoping she could hear him, but he didn't know if this would work. Perhaps he needed to find a Guanyin temple and pray to her statue; otherwise, it would be a disaster.

Sun Wukong, who was listening nearby, pouted and said, "Hey, what's your relationship with that scheming woman Guanyin? Among the bunch at the Great Thunderclap Temple, the one I hate the most is Tathagata, and the second is Guanyin. If you're friends with Guanyin, we can only part ways."

Tang Sen shrugged, "I have no special relationship with her. If I must say, I'm one of her targets for deception. If she wants to continue deceiving me, she has to help me out." This wasn't a lie; it was Tang Sen's genuine feeling, so he spoke with honesty.

Sun Wukong stared at his eyes for a while, "Hmm, you don't seem to be lying... Alright, I, Old Sun, am also one of her targets for deception. We can be considered fellow sufferers. No wonder we ended up together."

They had only exchanged a few words when Xiaobailong fell from the sky, once again transforming into human form, and clutched her waist, whimpering, "Ouch... I've been kicked again. I'm not good at fighting..."

Tang Sen put away his phone, hoisted the injured Xiaobailong onto his back, and ran, whispering, "Let's run for our lives. We'll try to hold on as long as we can. I don't know if Sister Guanyin can come to our rescue."

Looking up, he saw that Juling Shen was still sitting on a cloud above them. He took out many small axes from his chest and threw them at Tang Sen and the others. Tang Sen ran forward while dodging the flying axes, cursing, "Damn, you're really becoming more like a cloud doll. Watch out, Super Mario might come to take you down."

Juling Shen laughed heartily but didn't respond, focusing on throwing the axes. In reality, he could have caught up on his cloud, swung his axe, and finished them off, but he still had some fear of Sun Wukong. Five hundred years ago, Sun Wukong had toyed with him, leaving him beaten and disoriented. It was impossible for him to be completely unafraid of Sun Wukong.

Now, Sun Wukong was heavily injured, but Juling Shen still didn't dare to get too close, fearing that Sun Wukong might have a hidden ace up his sleeve. Therefore, throwing axes from a distance was the safest option.

This gave Tang Sen a chance to buy time. The cloud doll's axes were annoying but not fatal, especially for the son of a hardcore Super Mario player. Influenced by his mother in childhood, he had played Super Mario for a long time, and his skill in dodging cloud dolls was at a master level.

Tang Sen lunged forward to dodge an axe, then bent backward to avoid another one that grazed his chest and abdomen, making him break out in a cold sweat. Seeing another axe coming, he jumped behind a towering tree, intending to use it as a shield. Suddenly, he realized that the tree wouldn't stop the axe and quickly jumped to the side. Indeed, the axe effortlessly cut the tree in half and continued flying forward. Fortunately, Tang Sen had already dodged, avoiding being cut in half.

"Damn, the real celestial generals are tough," Tang Sen complained.

"Average, when I'm not injured, I could take on a hundred of these," Sun Wukong huffed.

"Can you stop boasting? We'll see when you're healed," Tang Sen said with a bitter smile, dodging another axe that nearly took off half his head. He continued, "You boast so much, yet you were injured by Erlang Shen in one move. What's this talk about taking on a hundred?"

Sun Wukong's face turned red, "Cough, Erlang Shen is one of the more powerful celestial generals. Five hundred years ago, I fought him to a draw. This time, we both ended up injured. That damn woman didn't win."

"I'm dizzy. I've only seen strong men, not strong women like you," Tang Sen said, dodging two more axes. Suddenly, he thought, "Wait, what did you say? That damn woman? Isn't Erlang Shen a man?"

Sun Wukong laughed, "She's a woman. The male form you see is just a disguise to make her look more intimidating. Her true form is a flat-chested, board-backed lolita with no figure."

Tang Sen: "..."

Damn, you're criticizing someone for being flat-chested? Aren't you flat-chested too?

While they were talking, they dodged several more axes.

Juling Shen gradually became impatient. Although he still feared Sun Wukong, he drew his axe, preparing to attack up close.

Tang Sen saw his move and knew it was bad...

Sure enough, the cloud doll descended instantly, and the axe came straight at Tang Sen. Caught off guard, he almost got hit. Fortunately, Sun Wukong, despite being injured, still had some strength and pushed them all into the grass, narrowly avoiding the axe.

Juling Shen let out a triumphant laugh and raised his axe to slash at the grass.

At that moment, the sky lit up with a thousand rays of light, and a golden lotus throne descended from the heavens. Guanyin, dressed in a white ancient gown, holding a jade bottle in her left hand and a willow branch in her right, stood on the lotus throne, radiating an aura of solemnity and divinity.

Guanyin had clearly observed the situation from the sky before descending. She positioned herself between Tang Sen and Juling Shen, preventing Juling Shen from attacking Tang Sen.

Seeing her, Juling Shen seemed startled, his face showing a hint of panic. But he quickly regained his composure, put away his axe, and bowed to Guanyin, "It is the Bodhisattva Guanyin from the Southern Sea. I failed to welcome you properly. Please forgive me."

Guanyin's gaze swept over Tang Sen and Sun Wukong. Clearly, she was there to help, but for some reason, she didn't speak to Tang Sen directly. Instead, she gave him a meaningful look and turned to Juling Shen, "I happened to be passing by and saw a fight. What is the reason for this conflict?"

No one would believe she just happened to be passing by. It was clear she came prepared, positioning herself to mediate. Juling Shen thought this but said, "Bodhisattva, I was ordered by the Heavenly Court to capture the fugitive Xiaobailong... and I happened to encounter the demon king Sun Wukong, who caused chaos in the Heavenly Palace 500 years ago. I intended to capture them both, disturbing your peace. I apologize."

Tang Sen found it amusing that Juling Shen didn't mention his name at all. He thought, "Well, you and Erlang Shen were clearly after me, with me as the primary target and Sun Wukong as the secondary. Xiaobailong was just caught in the crossfire. But now that Sister Guanyin is here, the primary target is Xiaobailong, the secondary is Sun Wukong, and I... not even mentioned. What a joke."

This obvious lie, Guanyin seemed to ignore, responding, "So it's about capturing a fugitive... I heard Xiaobailong's crime was accidentally burning the imperial pearl. Why must she be sentenced to death? Heaven has a benevolent nature. Why not give her a chance to redeem herself?"

Juling Shen laughed, "I have no authority to pardon a fugitive, but since the Bodhisattva suggests it, I will not trouble her today. I will report back to the Emperor and let him decide."

Guanyin smiled, "As for Sun Wukong... 500 years ago, she caused chaos in the Heavenly Palace, and the Buddha Tathagata imprisoned her under the Five-Finger Mountain for 500 years. Such a long imprisonment must have tamed her. I request that you report back to the Heavenly Court and also pardon her."

Juling Shen chuckled, "Since the Bodhisattva suggests it, I will report it. Let's call it a day. We'll meet again another time..." He turned to Tang Sen and the others, his eyes flashing with a menacing look, as if saying, "Don't think you're safe just because someone is helping you. We have a long way to go."

Juling Shen bowed to Guanyin and led the remaining celestial soldiers, flying away on a cloud.

Throughout the entire exchange, neither mentioned Tang Sen, but Juling Shen's menacing look clearly targeted him. Guanyin's stance also clearly indicated that she was primarily protecting Tang Sen. If Juling Shen tried to attack Tang Sen, Guanyin's willow branch would immediately intervene. As for Sun Wukong and Xiaobailong, they were just a cover... An ordinary person might not notice this, but Tang Sen, who grew up under others' strange gazes, was adept at sensing such hidden currents. His brows furrowed deeply.

---

During the new book period, recommendation votes, collections, and member clicks are incredibly important. Please all book friends, give us a hand.

[AD begins on the previous page]

[AD ends on the previous page]