"Sun Dasheng, is it?"
"No problem, the four of us have completed the storyline as per the script. You and your master's group have passed. Hurry up and have the Heavenly Dao come out and distribute the rewards."
"We don't want to get too close to you disciples. If it weren't for the personal invitation from Patriarch Burning Lamp, we wouldn't have come at all."
"What kind of rotten place is this, stinking to high heaven? It's worthy of us, the Four Saints Manifesting, to show up?"
"Don't tell me you don't intend to give out rewards?"
What a display by the Four Great Bodhisattvas!
What a spectacle by the Four Saints Manifesting!
Simply because Patriarch Burning Lamp's gift arrived too late, coupled with Sun Kong's not-so-friendly relationship with them, Lishan Laomu, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.
They had treated the seventeenth tribulation as a trivial matter, something that could easily earn merit and rewards with just a casual effort.
Their dismissive attitude.
Their perfunctory actions.
Not only did Sun Kong shake his head repeatedly, but he also felt speechless and deeply regretful about the degeneration of the Spirit Mountain Buddhas and the corruption of the high-ranking members of the Jie School.
Even Jin Chanzi, who was supposed to revere Buddhism the most, was utterly infuriated at this moment!
"This, what is going on?"
"Wukong, although we, master and disciples, knew the plot of the seventeenth tribulation, we absolutely had no intention of being perfunctory. We were waiting for them to test us, why are they leaving?"
"Could it be that these four Bodhisattvas think that a casual perfunctory effort will earn them merit rewards from the Heavenly Dao?"
"What the heck is going on?"
"Back when my Master, Tathagata Buddha, was here, he would never have... Damn it!"
Even Jin Chanzi, such a standard second-generation disciple of Mahayana Buddhism, couldn't help but curse, which showed how disgraceful the actions of the Four Great Bodhisattvas were.
Just then.
Not only did Jin Chanzi curse, but Wuzhiqi and Zhou Wuxian, standing beside him, also stepped forward, ready to retort.
However, they were all stopped by Sun Kong.
As for Nezha, having encountered these Bodhisattvas before, he dared not utter a single word.
The reason why Sun Kong was so anxious to stop everyone.
Was for no other reason than this.
Even before the four arrived, and before Sun Kong led Jin Chanzi and the others into the manor to undergo the seventeenth tribulation.
Sun Kong had already activated his Fiery Golden Eyes and seen through the hearts of these four Bodhisattvas!
If Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra had become complacent and lazy due to years of unfulfilled aspirations, and were unwilling to get too close to Sun Kong,
Then, Lishan Laomu, who hailed from the Jie School, had purely followed the path of the Demon Sealing Tablet, increasing her cultivation and power but reducing her original Taoist virtue and comprehension.
Regardless.
In Sun Kong's perception, Lishan Laomu was on the same level as Zhao Gongming, the Three Sanxiao Maidens, and the Four Great Saint Mothers.
She was undoubtedly one of the most elite disciples of the Jie School.
If not for the influence of the demon race, if the Investiture of the Gods hadn't become the Demon Sealing Tablet, she wouldn't have degenerated to this extent, but alas...
Sigh!
It had to be said.
The second war between Taoism and Demonism had begun, and the demon race was revitalizing. The formation of the Demonic Dao Alliance had truly changed many people, not in the least comparable to Sun Kong, the ancestor of all beings!
In this regard.
Sun Kong's mood was half regretful and half disdainful.
He certainly wouldn't waste his time talking too much with these four irredeemable individuals.
He immediately stated his position!
"Oh ho, are the four Bodhisattvas going to play perfunctory?"
"It's not impossible."
"However, as your junior, Sun, I will kindly remind you, be careful not to end up playing yourselves. What if the merit reward is also perfunctory? Aren't you afraid?"
Out of his past friendship with Guanyin and others, and out of his respect for these four Bodhisattvas who should have been admired, Sun Kong offered a reminder.
It could be considered that he had done his utmost.
But he didn't expect.
The more kindly he reminded them, the more Lishan Laomu and the other three perceived it as mockery. Coupled with centuries of conflict, grudges, and factional differences, they didn't take a single word of his to heart.
And so.
The final outcome was a happy one for all!
As expected.
The Heavenly Dao that appeared afterward, just as Sun Kong had predicted, seeing that these four were so perfunctory in the first round of the Journey to the West tribulation in the Earthly Immortal Realm, the rewards it gave were also perfunctory!
"The seventeenth tribulation of the first round of the Journey to the West in the Earthly Immortal Realm, Four Saints Manifesting, successfully passed perfunctorily. All participants in this tribulation shall receive merit rewards, the amount varying, determined by destiny."
"The first person to have merit, Sun Wukong, the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, of the New Flower Fruit Mountain, and the Deputy Buddha of Spirit Mountain, for his kind reminder and for resolving the tribulation, is specially rewarded."
"Reward: Sun Wukong, 800 Heavenly Dao Merit, 80,000 Journey to the West Merit!"
This first part was the same as in every previous tribulation, always given to Sun Kong first.
Next.
It was for these four Bodhisattvas.
"Sister Lishan, there's no need to talk too much to these scripture-bearers. They truly believe they grasp the truth, not realizing that we have obtained the Dinghaizhu internally, and externally, we have Heavenly Dao merit rewards."
"Anyway, this tribulation is completed, and there was no difficulty. There's no need to pay attention to his taunts. We will receive ample rewards."
Before the voice of the Heavenly Dao could be heard, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva actually had the leisure to take this opportunity to sarcastically chide Sun Kong for his unwarranted meddling.
But they didn't expect.
In the very next second, the "reward" that the four of them heard made them instantly explode with fury, like shrewish women in the mortal world, jumping and raging.
For no other reason than this.
Even though the Heavenly Dao's power was largely constrained by the Demonic Dao, basic fairness and justice still existed. Seeing that these four people had so contemptuously treated it and acted perfunctorily.
It truly lived up to the saying that perfunctory acting only leads to perfunctory rewards!
"The second person to have merit, the three Bodhisattvas and Lishan Laomu who manifested as the Four Saints, for their flippancy and arrogant attitude, are specially rewarded."
"Reward: Lishan Laomu, an elite of the Jie School, and the other three, 0 Heavenly Dao Merit, -10 Journey to the West Merit. This meager reward is given because you all showed up. If anyone dares to treat the Journey to the West tribulation with such arrogance next time, this Heavenly Dao will definitely impose a heavier punishment!"
These words, if unsaid, would have been fine.
When they were not said, Lishan Laomu and the other three still felt self-important.
But once they were spoken, it instantly blew up the four of them, making them incredulous. At the same time, it made all the Sages in the heavens and all the discerning individuals from both the Taoist and Demonic factions.
Burst into laughter on the spot!
...
"Third Brother really doesn't know how to teach disciples. Just because of Sun Houzi, he deliberately made Lishan Laomu act arrogantly, isn't that asking for trouble with the Heavenly Dao?"
Laozi exclaimed with emotion.
"Third Brother deserves it. Besides colluding with the Demonic Dao, he also let his disciples treat the Journey to the West tribulation this way. No wonder there are no good rewards."
Yuanshi Tianzun mocked.
"This is impossible. My disciples are all of extreme Taoist virtue and comprehension. How could they not understand the situation and deliberately waste... Could it be that the 'Demon Sealing Tablet' really affected their minds?"
Tongtian Jiaozhu was anxious and angry seeing Lishan Laomu's carelessness.
...
As for Sun Kong.
Not wanting to be surrounded by four shrewish women.
He quickly got up!