Erlang Shen has a third truth-seeing eye in the middle of his forehead.
Chinese myths portray Erlang Shen, as a powerful god who has a magical third eye in the middle of his forehead that sees truth.
Er Lang Shen was also able to use his eyes as a weapon.
In Buddhism he is considered a protective deity and the second son of the Northern Heavenly King Vaishravana.
He is warring deity... he carries a three-pronged, two-edged polearm and has a Heavenly Dog that follows him around...
Er Lang has access to and is conversant with theThree-Point Double-Blade Knife. According to the legends of the old tradition at Shaolin this weapon was called: Fang Tian Ji (Chin.: 方天戟) or "Four Directions Heaven Lance" In ancient times...
The Fang Tian Lance was considered a sacred weapon.
In the book Feng Shen Bang (Canonization by the gods) Er Lang Shen used this weapon.
This weapon could be extended or shortened at will. Extended, one could use it as a ruler to measure the universe and heavens...
It is said that during the early 10th century CE, Er Lang appeared as Guankou Shen, an incarnation of the famous Li Bing of Qin prefecture (modern-day Sichuan) who was celebrated as a hero for quelling the Minjiang River and building the famous Dujiangyan---waterworks of the third century BCE.
He then was identified with the second son of Li Bing. He was recognized by the Song emperors.
Another tales states that throughout the course of Erlang's duel with Sun Wukong, Erlang had been the stronger adversary.
After many transformations that were performed in their duel (Sun Wukong fleeing as a fish; Erlang and Sun Wukong becoming larger birds, and so forth).
Near the conclusion of the battle, he managed to see through Sun Wukong's disguise (as a temple) using his third-eye.
He eventually defeated Wukong through teamwork with several other gods; Lao Tzu personally had dropped his refined golden ring that had hit Sun Wukong on the head, giving Erlang a chance to bring him down, and Erlang's dog bit him in the leg.
After Sun Wukong had been captured (to which Sun Wukong retorts that they are cowards for attacking from behind), he and his heavenly soldiers would burn random areas of the Bloom Mountains.
Erlang would once again be seen far later into the novel, in which he would assist Sun Wukong through chance by fighting against a certain ancient Dragon King and his allies...
Another legend tells of Li Erlang suppressing a fire dragon that lived in the mountains north of Dujiangyan by climbing to the top of Mount Yulei, turning into a giant and building a dam with 66 mountains then filling it with water from Dragon Pacifying Pool.
Yuan drama and Ming vernacular fiction reconstructed the god's image and created new tales, which contributed to the popularity of another identity of Erlang Shen---Yang Jian, who monopolizes the image of Erlang Shen in popular literature.
It is argued that Erlang's father is the scholar Lau Yin Cheung a scholar and his mother is the Holy Mother of Mount Hua.
She was admonished by the Jade Emperor for this unlawful human-deity union and imprisoned under Mt Hua.
When Erlang came of age, he split the mountain with an axe to free his mother...
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