"Yes." Upon hearing this, Erlang immediately took the Divine Sword and returned to Guanjiang Estuary to catch up.

Meanwhile, the Great Sage had arrived at the mouth of the Guan River. He transformed himself into Erlang Shen, descended from the clouds, and went straight into the temple. The ghost judges, unable to recognize him, kowtowed to greet him. He sat in the middle, checking the incense offerings. He saw the sacrificial offerings returned by Li Hu, the blessing promised by Zhang Long, the petition for a son by Zhao Jia, and the good wish for health by Qian Bing. Just then, someone reported, "Another grandpa has arrived!" The ghost judges hurriedly looked, all terrified. The True Lord asked, "Is there some Great Sage Equal to Heaven who has just arrived?" The ghost judges replied, "We haven't seen any Great Sage, just one grandpa checking things inside." The True Lord burst in. The Great Sage, seeing him, revealed his true form, saying, "Young master, no need to shout, this temple now belongs to the Sun family." The True Lord immediately raised his three-pointed, double-edged divine sword and slashed at his face. The Monkey King used a nimble movement to dodge the sword, pulled out his embroidery needle, swung it, and it became as thick as a bowl. He rushed forward and returned the blow face to face. The two, shouting and arguing, fought their way out of the temple gate. Half-shrouded in mist and clouds, they fought their way back to Flower Fruit Mountain, causing the Four Heavenly Kings and their followers to become even more wary. Meanwhile, Kang, Zhang, and the others, together with the True Lord, worked diligently to surround the Monkey King.

After the Mighty Demon King had dispatched the True Lord and his six brothers to lead troops to capture the demon, he returned to the mortal realm to report. The Jade Emperor, Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Queen Mother, and all the celestial officials were speaking in the Lingxiao Palace when Guanyin said, "Since Erlang has gone to battle, we have not received any news all day." Guanyin clasped her hands and said, "This humble monk requests Your Majesty to go with the Dao Ancestor to the South Heavenly Gate and personally investigate the situation." The Jade Emperor said, "That makes sense." He then prepared his carriage and went with the Dao Ancestor, Guanyin, the Queen Mother, and all the celestial officials to the South Heavenly Gate.

Some celestial warriors, soldiers, and strongmen had already arrived. Looking out from the doorway, they saw the celestial soldiers had laid a net, surrounding the Great Sage on all sides; Li Jing and Nezha, holding their demon-revealing mirrors, stood in the air; and the True Lord had the Great Sage encircled in the center, engaged in a fierce battle. The Bodhisattva spoke to Laozi, saying, "What do you think of Erlang Shen, whom I recommended? He truly possesses supernatural powers and has already surrounded the Great Sage, but has not yet captured him. I will now assist him and we will surely capture him."

Laozi asked, "What weapon will the Bodhisattva use? How will he assist him?"

The Bodhisattva said respectfully, "I will throw down the jade bottle and willow branch to hit that monkey; even if I can't kill him, I'll at least knock him down so that Erlang Shen can catch him."

Lao Jun said, "Your bottle is made of porcelain. If you hit it, it will be fine. But if you miss its head or it hits its iron rod, won't it break? Don't do anything yet. Let me, Lao Jun, help it out."

The Bodhisattva asked with a somewhat strange expression, "What weapons do you have?"

Laozi laughed, "Yes, yes, yes." He rolled up his sleeves, took a ring from his left shoulder, and said, "This weapon is forged from Kun steel. I refined it with the Elixir of Immortality, imbuing it with spiritual energy. It is capable of transformation, impervious to water and fire, and can trap all things; it is called the Vajra Ring, also known as the Vajra Sling. Back when I passed through Hangu Pass and converted the barbarians to Buddhism, I relied heavily on it. It is most useful for self-defense. Let me throw it down and give him a good whack." After speaking, he threw it down from the Heavenly Gate, and it landed in the Flower Fruit Mountain camp, hitting the Monkey King squarely on the head. The Monkey King was preoccupied with fighting the Seven Sages and did not know that this weapon had fallen from the sky and struck his crown. He lost his footing, stumbled, got up, and ran away.

Seeing Laozi's assistance, Yang Jian knew everyone had arrived and the monkey couldn't escape. Remembering his ancestor's instructions, he also recalled his grudge against the monkey. A thought flashed through his mind, and he summoned his loyal hound, Xiaotian. This hound had served him for many years and understood his intent. Seeing the monkey trying to run, it quickly caught up, biting his calf and causing him to stumble. The monkey lay on the ground, cursing, "You damned fool! Instead of disturbing your parents, you come to bite me!" He tried to get up but couldn't. The seven sages grabbed him, pinned him down, bound him with ropes, and pierced his collarbone with a hook, rendering him unable to transform. Unbeknownst to him, Yang Jian secretly pressed a jade talisman into his body.

Laozi then put away the Vajra Bracelet and invited the Jade Emperor, Guanyin, the Queen Mother, and all the immortals to return to the Lingxiao Palace. Below, the Four Heavenly Kings and the other gods, including Li Tianwang, all withdrew their troops and approached the young saint to congratulate him, saying, "This is all thanks to you, young saint!" The young saint replied, "This is due to the Heavenly Venerable's great fortune and the power of the gods; what merit have I made?"

Kang, Zhang, Yao, and Li said, "Brother, there's no need for further conversation. Let's take this fellow to the Upper Realm to see the Jade Emperor and ask for his judgment."

The True Lord said, “My good brothers, you have not yet received the Heavenly Mandate and are not allowed to meet the Jade Emperor. Have the Heavenly Armored Divine Soldiers escort you while I and the Heavenly King go to the upper realm to report back. You lead your troops to search the mountain here. After you have searched it clean, return to Guankou. I will ask for my reward and claim my merit before returning to celebrate with you.”

The four Grand Marshals and two Generals obeyed. The True Lord and his followers then rode on clouds, singing a triumphant song, and celebrated their victory. Before long, they arrived outside the Hall of Universal Brightness. The Heavenly Master reported, "The Four Heavenly Kings and their followers have captured the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, the demon monkey, and have come here to receive the decree." The Jade Emperor issued a decree, ordering the Mighty Ghost King and the Heavenly Soldiers to escort the wretch to the Demon-Slaying Platform and have his body torn to pieces. Alas! Truly: Deceit now suffers the torment of punishment; even heroic spirit will eventually cease.

The Twelve Old Lords designed the alchemical monkey

Wealth and fame are predetermined by past lives; never deceive yourself. Uprightness and integrity, loyalty and goodness bring profound rewards. A little arrogance brings divine retribution; if you don't encounter it now, wait for your time. Ask the Lord of Spring why calamity befalls you now. It's because your heart is too high, your ambitions are boundless, and you disregard rules and regulations.

Meanwhile, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven was escorted by the heavenly soldiers to the Demon-Slaying Platform and bound to the Demon-Subduing Pillar. They tried to hack and slash him with swords and axes, but to no avail. The Southern Dipper Star commanded the fire gods to set fire to him, but even that could not burn him. Then the thunder gods were ordered to strike him with lightning bolts, but even that could not harm him in the slightest.

The mighty ghost king and his entourage reported, "Your Majesty, we do not know where this Great Sage learned this protective technique. We have tried to cut him with swords and axes, and even been struck by lightning and burned by fire, but we have not been able to harm him in the slightest. What can we do?"

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor said, "This fellow is like this, how should we deal with him?"

Just as Guanyin was about to step forward, Laozi stepped forward first and said, "That monkey ate the peaches of immortality, drank the imperial wine, and stole the elixir of immortality. He ate all five of my elixirs, some raw and some cooked, and used the Samadhi Fire to forge them into one piece, making his body as hard as steel, so he cannot be harmed. It would be better for me to take them and put them in the Eight Trigrams Furnace to refine them with both gentle and fierce fire. Once my elixir is refined, his body will turn to ashes."

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