I am submissive in Journey to the West, I strike hard at the gods

Guanyin nodded, turned into a beam of light and disappeared. Behind her, in the thatched hut, Tang Sanzang clasped his hands in prayer, Zhu Bajie yawned and complained, Sha Wujing added fuel to the fire, and Sun Wukong leaped to the treetop and gazed at the horizon.

In an instant, the campfire flickered in the desert, illuminating the resolute figures of the four travelers, and the flame of Journey to the West seemed to be quietly rekindled.

Lingshan, Leiyin Temple.

As soon as Guanyin landed, she went straight to the main hall, her skirts fluttering and her lotus-like steps creating a breeze.

She knelt before Zhunti's seat, her voice urgent: "Master! Your disciple has escaped and returned, and has important news to report! The pilgrimage team has not yet disbanded, and Elder Tang Sanzang's cultivation has reached the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm. He was protected by the Ancestral Dragon Pearl and the Ancestral Dragon Spear in the Ancestral Dragon Abyss."

Furthermore, an interdimensional passage leads directly to the Dragon Realm, with cracks appearing and threatening great calamity! The elder entrusted his disciple to convey his implorion to Buddha to swiftly dispatch a powerful expert to seal it!

Inside the hall, the Buddha turned his head upon hearing this, but Zhunti remained seated, the Seven Treasures Tree swaying gently, his face showing no emotion whatsoever.

He spoke slowly, his voice calm and indifferent: "Oh? An interdimensional passage? Peak Great Luo Golden Immortal? Guanyin, you were imprisoned by Jiang Wang for two years, were you ever affected by his illusions?"

Guanyin was taken aback and looked up, saying, "Master, this is not an illusion! I saw it with my own eyes. Elder Tang Sanzang entrusted it to me personally, and Sun Wukong also recounted his experiences over the past two years. The demonic chaos at Black Wind Mountain and the trials at Ancestral Dragon Abyss were all incredibly real."

That passage concerns the three realms; how can we be careless?

Zhunti chuckled, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes: "Silly child, you've been brainwashed by that demon."

Jiang Wang's scheming is far beyond our imagination.

He knew our Buddhist sect had laid a trap, and its destruction was imminent in seven years, so he set this scheme, using your words to lure me into his trap! The fortuitous encounter at the Ancestral Dragon Abyss? Clearly, he secretly bestowed treasures upon Tang Sanzang, helping him to feign cultivation, using the guise of an interdimensional passage to stir up trouble in the Three Realms, and buy time to refine the Chaos Pearl! Hmph, Journey to the West? It's nothing but bait; how could our Buddhist sect fall for it?

Upon hearing this, Buddha frowned slightly: "Master, what Guanyin said, is there some truth to it..."

"real?"

Zhunti waved his hand to interrupt, and pointed the Seven Treasures Tree at the light and shadow in the hall, recreating the scene of the thatched hut. "Look at that stagnation, it is clearly Jiang Wang's scheme to lure us in! I have seven years of patience, and I have my own backup plan."

Guanyin, please rest for now and do not mention this matter again.

"Send the order: the Buddhist order is to close for retreat; any activity related to the Journey to the West must be considered a scheme by demons!"

Upon hearing this, Guanyin felt as if her heart was being torn apart.

Knowing the majesty of the Sage Zhunti, she dared not say more and could only retreat outside the hall, gazing westward with tears welling up in her eyes.

"Elder... how could the matter of the passage be a deception? The safety of the Three Realms is of paramount importance..."

Unbeknownst to her, in the bamboo forest of Chang'an at that moment, Jiang Wang was resting with his eyes closed, a smile playing on his lips—Guanyin had been removed, the Journey to the West had restarted, and experience points were surging in like a tide.

His plan, though carried out silently, has transformed the inherent vigilance of Buddhism into an invisible deviation.

In the desolate thatched hut, Tang Sanzang opened his eyes and murmured, "The Bodhisattva has departed; the journey to the West is now within reach."

Sun Wukong leaped down from the treetop, hoisted his staff, and said, "Master, I smell a great demon. I'm afraid the Bodhisattva's journey will be fraught with difficulties!"

Pigsy munched on fruit, Sandy added fuel to the fire, and the four of them smiled at each other. Under the glow of the campfire, the bond between master and disciples grew even stronger.

Meanwhile, far away in Chang'an, Jiang Wang opened his eyes, feeling the torrent of experience points from the system notification, and muttered to himself, "Buddhism, you guessed wrong."

This is just the beginning.

The night wind was bleak, the bamboo forest rustled, and another piece was quietly placed on the chessboard of Journey to the West.

The aftershocks of the Lingshan Grand Hall had not yet subsided when Zhunti sat alone by the pond, and fragments of heavenly secrets were faintly visible among the branches and leaves of the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree.

He repeatedly deduced that in the light and shadow of the Ancestral Dragon Abyss, Tang Sanzang's golden light was too dazzling, and Sun Wukong's fiery eyes were even more eerie.

"Jiang Wang, do you think a single pearl and a spear can disturb my mind? Seven years of the Heavenly Dao's cycle, so what if you refined the Chaos Pearl? The Nine Revolutions Profound Technique's follow-up is ultimately just a mirage!"

He snorted coldly, waved his sleeve to disperse the light and shadow, and the chanting in the hall resumed, but it could not hide the trace of worry in his heart—information was like fog, and deviation was like an abyss; who could know the truth? Guanyin retreated to a side hall, sat cross-legged on a lotus seat, and closed her eyes to chant sutras.

The humiliation of two years of imprisonment was still vivid in his mind, and Jiang Wang's laughter, like a demonic chant, lingered from the purple-gold gourd.

"The real Tang Sanzang... in the body of a crab, sunk to the bottom of the river, how could he know that the Journey to the West had changed?"

She shook her head and sighed. Tang Sanzang's entrustment weighed heavily on her heart. She had personally glimpsed a dragon's roar through the crack in the interdimensional passage, which was sinister and terrifying.

Sun Wukong's account is even more vivid: the Black Wind Mountain was filled with howling winds, Pigsy wielded his rake like a whirlwind, Sandy held his staff to suppress the demon, and Sun Wukong wielded his golden cudgel so hard that the sky and earth were darkened. Finally, he forced the demon king to retreat. When they entered the Ancestral Dragon Abyss, the dragon soul roared and the treasure light shone in all directions. At the moment when Tang Sanzang attained enlightenment, the golden lotus bloomed, and the Great Luo Realm was achieved naturally.

"Bodhisattva, this opportunity seems to be ordained by Heaven."

Sun Wukong's words echoed in her ears; how could she believe it was a scam? On the ancient northwestern road, the young man galloped on horseback, his gourd empty, one elixir missing, and his face showed "disappointment."

Bi Xian: "Oh dear, the Bodhisattva has run away. What if the master blames us? Oh well, we can just say it was an accident to Ancestor Fuxi."

As soon as he had a thought, Jiang Wang's divine sense responded: "Well done, kid."

Greed is the key; the journey to the West has begun; experience points +10000.

The boy grinned and continued walking, his green robe fluttering in the wind like an invisible thread, subtly drawing in various forces.

In the bamboo forest of Chang'an, Jiang Wang rose and entered the secret room.

The Chaos Pearl floated in his palm, and within its hazy gray light, the incantation for the third stage of the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique faintly appeared: "In the beginning of chaos, the profound technique was reborn..."

He sat down cross-legged, his experience points flowing in like a river. The bead trembled slightly, and a wisp of chaotic energy merged into his meridians. The pain was like being pierced by ten thousand needles, but it brought him unparalleled pleasure.

"Guanyin, you are free now. You may continue your journey to the West."

That old bald monk from the Buddhist order misunderstood my heart.

He chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming like stars, his strategy unfolding like a game of chess, already brewing his next move.

A desert thatched hut, night deepens.

Pigsy snored loudly, Sandy kept watch at night, Monkey King slept leaning on his staff, and Tang Sanzang was in deep meditation, with the Ancestral Dragon Pearl shimmering around him and the Ancestral Dragon Spear resting on his knee, its dragon patterns seemingly possessing a spirit.

In his dream, he saw a crack in the passage, with the shadows of dragons looming and the three realms swaying. When he awoke, his monk's robe was soaked with sweat.

"Bodhisattva, please return quickly..."

He murmured, his eyes unwavering.

The clouds and sea of ​​clouds on Mount Ling surged. Zhunti pushed open the temple door and summoned Tathagata for a meeting: "Guanyin is pure and kind-hearted, but I fear there may be unforeseen circumstances."

Go and comfort her, and tell her not to worry about the journey to the West; wait patiently for seven years.

The Buddha accepted the order and departed, but a doubt lingered in his heart: "Is Jiang Wang plotting something? Or has the secret of heaven changed?"

Deviations are like shadows, and games are like tides. On the chessboard of the three realms, various forces come and go, unaware that the difference in information has quietly rewritten the outcome.

The young man arrived at Fuxi's residence, where ancient trees reached the sky and mysterious yellow energy swirled around.

He knocked on the door and entered, presenting the gourd: "Senior, I offer you the divine elixir."

Fuxi took it, raising an eyebrow slightly: "One is missing?"

The boy scratched his head, feigning ignorance: "I got greedy on the way and ate one, hehe."

Fuxi laughed heartily, unconcerned: "Young man, greed is human nature."

Go for it. "

The young man withdrew and secretly sent a message to Jiang Wang: "Done!"

With experience points surging again, Jiang Wang closed his eyes and smiled, everything proceeding as planned.

Inside the Guanyin Hall, she rose and gazed towards Chang'an. Jiang Wang's figure appeared like a ghost. "Demon, why did you release me?"

Unbeknownst to her, this action had restarted the Journey to the West, and in the torrent of experience, Jiang Wang's Nine Revolutions Profound Technique quietly broke through a major barrier.

Under the desolate starry sky, the pilgrimage team began to snore. Suddenly, Sun Wukong opened his eyes, his monkey nose twitching: "There is still the fragrance of the Bodhisattva. The journey to the West is about to begin!"

He leaped up, his staff flashing like a wheel, alerting his surroundings.

Pigsy muttered in his sleep: "Delicious, delicious..."

Sha Wujing smiled, Tang Sanzang entered meditation, and the Ancestral Dragon Spear hummed, as if responding to the will of Heaven.

In the secret chamber of Chang'an, Jiang Wang opened his eyes, and the Chaos Pearl shone brightly: "Third transformation, complete!"

He got up, pushed open the door and went out. The moonlight in the bamboo forest was like water. On the western horizon, a golden light appeared—it was the trajectory of Guanyin returning to the mountain, but it carried a slight ripple of deviation.

On Mount Ling, Zhunti couldn't sleep at night. Under the moonlit Seven Treasures Tree, he deduced the secrets of heaven: "Jiang Wang, you won this move? No, in seven years, our Buddhist sect will prevail!"

Unbeknownst to him, information is like a knife, and deviations are like a net; the journey to the West has quietly slipped out of his control.

Above Mount Ling, clouds and mist swirl, and auspicious light shines everywhere.

The Sage Zhunti sat serenely on a lotus throne, his face kind and gentle, yet exuding an unfathomable majesty.

Guanyin Bodhisattva stands below, her hands clasped together, a hint of worry in her expression.

"Bodhisattva, that scoundrel Tang Sanzang has refused to continue the journey to the West because he is dissatisfied with the attitude of our Buddhist sect. What should we do about this?"

Zhunti's voice was like a booming bell, causing the golden bells in the hall to tremble slightly.

Guanyin lowered her head slightly and said, "Your Majesty is wise. Tang Sanzang was concerned about the greater good, but he was thrown into a mess by Jiang Wang."

He has already begun to consider resigning; if he is not appeased in time, things may change.

Zhunti stroked his beard and smiled, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "It's alright."

The eighty-one tribulations are inherently difficult to forge true gold.

The variables brought about by Jiang Wang perfectly fill the gaps.

The plan to abolish Tang Sanzang's cultivation should be put on hold for now.

Go and comfort him, tell him that Buddhism has its own secrets, and he shouldn't panic.

Upon hearing this, Guanyin felt somewhat relieved, but also felt a faint sense of guilt.

She accepted the order and went to report the sage's decree to the Buddha. The Buddha nodded in tacit approval, and then she transformed into a golden light and descended upon the journey to the west in an instant.

At this moment, Tang Sanzang and his disciples stood on a hillside. Tang Sanzang sat cross-legged on a futon, his face ashen, chanting Buddhist mantras, but he could not hide the depression in his heart.

Sun Wukong leaned against his golden cudgel, squinting as he surveyed his surroundings. Zhu Bajie lazily munched on wild fruit, while Sha Wujing silently stood guard to the side.

"Master, why are you doing this? We finally survived this ordeal, and now you want to go on strike?"

Pigsy swallowed the fruit, speaking in a muffled, gruff voice.

Tang Sanzang sighed and said, "Bajie, you don't understand."

"As your teacher, I uphold Buddhist principles, how could I have imagined that Buddhism would scheme like this? The matter of Jiang Wang was clearly tacitly approved by those above; aren't we merely pawns?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong narrowed his fiery eyes slightly, but said nothing more, only thinking to himself: Master, Master, with your peak Great Luo cultivation, how can you still not see through this skin? Just then, a golden light suddenly appeared on the horizon, and Guanyin Bodhisattva appeared, gently swaying her jade bottle and willow branch, scattering lotus flowers.

As soon as she landed, she said, "Master Tripitaka, why do you stop? The Buddhist community naturally attaches great importance to the pilgrimage to the West."

The Sage has already given the decree: this calamity is for the purpose of refining the mind; do not doubt it, simply continue your journey westward.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang rose, clasped his hands together, and the doubt in his eyes gradually dissipated: "What the Bodhisattva said is absolutely right. I was almost deluded."

Since it is a Buddhist secret, it should be obeyed.

Guanyin nodded and smiled, but felt a pang of guilt in her heart.

She knew that these words were half true and half false, and that Zhunti's scheme was a complete deception, which Tang Sanzang believed without a doubt, all for the sake of the greater good.

She gave a few more instructions, then vanished in a flash of light.

Sun Wukong watched the departing golden light, a slight smirk playing on his lips. He secretly used his Fiery Eyes of Truth to notice the unnatural fluctuation between Guanyin's brows.

"Hmph, Bodhisattva, your lie may be clever, but it can't fool me, Old Sun!" He turned to his fellow disciples and said, "Let's go, Master."

The road ahead is still long.

The four travelers packed their bags and continued their journey westward.

Sun Wukong was restless the whole way, always feeling that Jiang Wang's shadow was following him everywhere, impossible to guard against.

Several days later, they arrived at the border of Chechi.

Outside the city, in the fields, a scene of prosperity unfolds, with people living in peace and the rice paddies rippling in the breeze.

But Sun Wukong, with his sharp ears, could vaguely hear the sound of whips lashing and cries.

He leaped into the air and landed not far away, where he saw hundreds of monks in tattered clothes, carrying heavy stones, building roads and dams under the urging of Taoist priests.

The Taoist priests, dressed in black robes and with peach wood swords at their waists, shouted, "Get to work! You bald monks, if you dare to slack off, we'll smash your dog heads!"

Sun Wukong, enraged, shouted: "You audacious demon, bullying monks! You're really tired of living!"

He swung his golden cudgel and smashed it down. The leading Taoist priest didn't even have time to scream before he turned into a pool of blood and mud.

Seeing this, the other Taoist priests scattered and fled. Sun Wukong caught up with a few of them and smashed them one by one with his staff, causing their souls to be scattered.

The monks stood frozen in place, then knelt down and kowtowed in gratitude: "Thank you, Great Sage, for saving us! We were originally monks from various temples in Chechi Kingdom. Twenty years ago, there was a great drought, and the three immortals, Tiger Power, Deer Power, and Sheep Power, used their magic to pray for rain and relieve the people's suffering."

From then on, they became the national advisors and implemented a policy of respecting Taoism and suppressing Buddhism.

Our temple was burned down, and our monks were enslaved; only Zhiyuan Temple survived.

Tang Sanzang rushed over upon hearing the news. Seeing the tragic scene, he sighed, "Amitabha! How can the Buddhist principles be trampled upon by demons? Wukong, you did well."

As your teacher, I support you in seeking justice for them.

Sun Wukong nodded, his eyes flashing with murderous intent: "Master, rest assured, I, Old Sun, will make these demons pay for their crimes in blood!"

That evening, the four of them stayed at Zhiyuan Temple.

The temple's incense offerings had dwindled, leaving only the old abbot and a few young novices, who gratefully entertained them.

After the meal, Tang Sanzang went into meditation early, Sha Wujing kept watch, and Zhu Bajie slept soundly.

Sun Wukong tossed and turned, unable to sleep. With his fiery eyes scanning the city, he noticed that the Sanqing Temple was brightly lit and there were faint sounds of music, as if some kind of ritual was being performed.

He quietly got up, transformed into a flying bird, and flew to the sky above the Sanqing Temple.

Inside the temple, the high hall was flickering with candlelight, and three Taoist priests sat in the main seats. They were none other than Tiger Power Immortal, Deer Power Immortal, and Sheep Power Immortal.

They were burly men with tiger heads, human bodies, deer antlers, and goat beards. Behind them were hundreds of disciples chanting in unison. Incense smoke curled from the altar, and the offering table was piled high with offerings: fruits, candied fruits, delicacies, and fine wines, as well as a basket of golden bananas that emitted a unique fragrance. (End of Chapter)