In mythological dramas, Bai Suzhen and Sun Wukong are undoubtedly two characters who have attracted much attention.
However, when we compare these two characters side by side, we find an interesting problem,
Bai Suzhen has been cultivating for nearly 2,000 years, while Sun Wukong has only cultivated for more than 500 years, but the latter's ability seems to be far superior to the former.
This difference has sparked a lot of discussion, so let's take a look at the combat effectiveness of the two mythical characters in all aspects.
Born with qualifications
According to the record of "Warning the World", Bai Suzhen was a thousand-year-old snake spirit in the Southern Song Dynasty, and if we extrapolate forward, she may have started her cultivation in the Western Han Dynasty at the earliest.
After a long period of time, by the time of the Southern Song Dynasty, Bai Suzhen had been cultivating for about 1,700 years.
Sun Wukong's cultivation process was much shorter, but the progress was rapid, and it only took him three years to practice seventy-two changes, which is rare in myths and legends.
Although Sun Wukong was indeed born extraordinary, his cultivation time was far less than that of Bai Suzhen, and he was pressed under the Five Elements Mountain for more than 500 years before learning the scriptures.
First of all, we need to understand the ontology and qualifications of Bai Suzhen and Sun Wukong.
Bai Suzhen is a thousand-year-old snake demon who has cultivated to perfection, and as a snake, her cultivation path is destined to be full of hardships.
In many myths and legends, snake cultivation is often regarded as one of the most difficult paths, probably because the snake's form is far from that of a human and takes longer to adapt to the human form, let alone master various spells.
Despite this, after a long period of cultivation, Bai Suzhen finally reached the realm where she was about to ascend to the realm of becoming an immortal, and this perseverance and talent were indeed admirable.
In contrast, Sun Wukong's starting point is much higher, he is a stone monkey conceived from an ancient strange stone between heaven and earth, and has absorbed a large amount of heaven and earth essence from the beginning of his birth.
This makes Sun Wukong a true spirit from birth with extraordinary potential.
It can be said that Sun Wukong's talent far exceeds that of ordinary people, and even exceeds that of many immortals.
Faculty comparison
In myths and legends, the inheritance and the spells learned often determine the maximum of a character's abilities.
Let's first take a look at Bai Suzhen's background.
Bai Suzhen is a registered disciple of Li Shan's mother, Li Shan's status is quite high in the Taoist immortal system, she is regarded as the head of the female immortals, and her status is comparable to that of the Queen Mother of the West.
However, this status seems to be noble, but in fact it has not brought too many substantial benefits to Bai Suzhen.
As a registered disciple, Bai Suzhen does not seem to have been taught by Li Shan's mother's special skills.
In such a situation, Bai Suzhen may rely more on her own efforts to cultivate than to get special guidance.
Despite this, such a background at least provided Bai Suzhen with some shelter, making her a lot less troublesome in the cultivation process.
In contrast, Sun Wukong's mentorship is more orthodox and direct. He was a personal disciple of Patriarch Bodhi and received systematic and comprehensive guidance.
Patriarch Bodhi not only taught Sun Wukong the seventy-two changes of earth, but also taught superb spells such as somersault clouds.
This one-to-one method of personal transmission has enabled Sun Wukong to master many powerful spells in a short period of time.
In terms of the spells learned, Bai Suzhen and Sun Wukong are also very different.
Bai Suzhen's main practice is the Taoist Xuanmen Dharma, which focuses on the improvement of inner cultivation, pays attention to harmony with the nature of heaven and earth, and is often more flexible and changeable in practical application.
And Sun Wukong's most famous spell is none other than the seventy-two changes, which allows him to change his form at will, which has a great advantage in battle and escape.
In terms of magic weapons, Bai Suzhen and Sun Wukong have their own strengths.
Bai Suzhen possesses the Yellow Sword and the Samadhi True Fire, both of which are extremely lethal.
The Yellow Sword is capable of restraining all kinds of evil spirits, while the Samadhi True Fire is one of the most powerful flames in Taoism, and is said to be able to incinerate everything.
Sun Wukong's signature magic weapon is the Ruyi Golden Hoop Stick, which is a divine weapon that can change in size at will.
In addition to this, he is also proficient in somersault clouds, a fast-moving spell that gives him an advantage in battle.
It is worth noting that although Sun Wukong's spells are more powerful, Bai Suzhen's spells also have unique advantages in some aspects.
For example, when dealing with certain types of youkai or solving certain special problems, Bai Suzhen's spells may be more effective.
This difference also reminds us that when evaluating the abilities of mythological characters, we should not simply compare who is stronger, but should consider their respective characteristics and performance in different situations, which is one of the reasons why Chinese mythological stories are rich and colorful.
The peak combat power of both sides
Bai Suzhen and Sun Wukong are two famous characters, and their interactions with other immortals and their respective combat effectiveness show very different styles and abilities.
First of all, let's take a look at Bai Suzhen, as a snake demon who has been cultivating for many years, Bai Suzhen maintains a delicate balance with Heavenly Court.
In some versions of "The Legend of the White Snake", Bai Suzhen once asked the Queen Mother for the elixir to save her lover Xu Xian.
This move showed that she had some connection with the high-level immortals of the Heavenly Court, and it also showed that she had a certain status in the Heavenly Court.
For the messenger of the underworld such as black and white impermanence, Bai Suzhen showed a respectful attitude.
She understands that these demons are only performing their duties, so when dealing with them, they tend to outwit rather than attack.
In contrast, Sun Wukong's relationship with heaven and earth is tense.
In the underworld, Sun Wukong directly broke in, altered the book of life and death without authorization, and disrupted the order of the underworld, not to mention in the Heavenly Palace.
Sun Wukong's most famous deed is "Havoc in the Heavenly Palace", a feat that not only demonstrated his great strength, but also completely angered the Heavenly Court.
In fact, Bai Suzhen's strength is often underestimated, but her ability is actually quite amazing.
In some versions of the story, Bai Suzhen once broke into the Nantian Gate, a feat that proves that her strength should not be underestimated.
If we compare Bai Suzhen's ability with the four mounts under the Four Heavenly Thrones of Heavenly Court, her strength may be on par with these divine beasts, and may even surpass them.
And Sun Wukong's peak performance is undoubtedly to make trouble in the Heavenly Palace, in this earth-shattering battle, Sun Wukong single-handedly fought against 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals in the Heavenly Court, and even top combat forces such as Nezha and Erlang God were difficult to subdue him.
Not only did he fight against the gods, but he also broke into the Tushi Palace and stole the golden pill of Taishang Laojun, so in comparison, Bai Suzhen is obviously not enough.
We need to recognize that when evaluating the strength of mythological characters, we should take a multi-dimensional view, not only by their mana, but also by their intelligence, character, and performance in different situations.
For example, although Baek So-jung may not be as good as Monkey King in a head-on confrontation, her wisdom and strategy have played a key role in many situations.
epilogue
In general, the difference in the abilities of Bai Suzhen and Sun Wukong stems from the combination of many factors.
Their stories not only show the richness of Chinese mythology, but also reflect the profound influence of Taoism and Buddhism on Chinese culture.
By studying these mythological figures, we can better understand the philosophical ideas and values in traditional Chinese culture.