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

After saying that, he disappeared in a somersault.

Suddenly, only Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing remained in the circle, along with a white dragon horse shivering from the cold.

The wind grew even stronger.

I don’t know when it started, but what was originally just heavy snowfall suddenly turned into a biting, eerie wind.

The wind didn't blow on your face, but instead went straight into your collar and cuffs, carrying a chill like shards of ice, freezing you to the bone in the blink of an eye.

Tang Sanzang huddled in the circle, his hands clasped together, his lips turning purple from the cold: "Amitabha... This... this wind is so strange... it's ten times colder than before..."

Bajie, rubbing his frozen hands, glanced outside the circle and said, "Master, how about... we go inside to avoid the wind? When Master (referring to Wukong) comes back and sees us frozen, he'll be worried."

Sha Wujing was also shivering from the cold: "Yes, Master, it's not too late for us to come out after our elder brother comes back from begging for alms..."

Tang Sanzang hesitated for a moment, but ultimately succumbed to the cold and said in a trembling voice, "Well... fine... just don't go too far out of the circle..."

Pigsy was overjoyed and was the first to dart out, slamming his nine-toothed rake into the ground: "Let's go! There must be a fire inside!"

Tang Sanzang and Sha Wujing followed closely behind, and even the White Dragon Horse trotted to keep up.

In the wind and snow, three thatched huts came into view.

Bajie kicked the door open, and a wave of heat rushed out. Inside, a blazing charcoal fire was burning, and a pot was sitting on the fire, with rice soup bubbling and foaming, filling the room with a fragrant aroma.

"Hahaha! There really is someone living there!"

Pigsy happily rushed to the fire, rubbing his hands together and grinning from ear to ear, "Huh? Where did everyone go?"

The room was quiet, except for the crackling of the charcoal fire; there was not a sound of human voices.

Sha Wujing looked around, then suddenly pointed to the corner of the wall: "Brother, look..."

In the corner lay three skeletal remains, with tattered monk robes still hanging on them, clearly belonging to the monks who had been tricked into coming here on their pilgrimage.

Bajie ignored them, his eyes fixed on what was hanging on the clothesline by the fire—three brand-new cotton vests, thick and soft, with fine stitches, and emitting a faint sandalwood scent.

"Oh my goodness, this homeowner is so kind!"

Pigsy grabbed the two pieces of clothing, put one on himself, and threw the other to Sandy, saying, "Quick, put these on! They'll keep you warm!"

Sha Wujing hesitated for a moment, but he was also freezing and quickly put it on.

The moment the cotton vest touched the skin.

"Hey!"

A strange sound rang out, and the two cotton vests suddenly transformed into two large blood-red nets. The mesh of the nets contracted, instantly binding Pigsy and Sandy tightly, so tightly that the two could not even move their fingers!

"Oh my god!"

Pigsy was so terrified that his nine-toothed rake clattered to the ground. "What the hell is this thing?!"

A flash of firelight inside the house, and all the warm scenes of the thatched hut, charcoal fire, and rice pot vanished, replaced by eerie stone walls, phosphorescent flames, and stark white bones!
The three of them had been moved to the center of a huge cave. A thick iron chain hung above their heads, with a copper bell hanging from the end of the chain, its mouth facing Tang Sanzang.

Tang Sanzang was so frightened that he fell to the ground with a thud, his face deathly pale: "Bajie...you, you all..."

Pigsy struggled desperately, but the net tightened more and more, making his eyes bulge out: "Master, save me... I... I've fallen for your trap again..."

Deep within the cave, a low, cold laugh slowly echoed.

"Tang Sanzang, with his mortal eyes and limited vision, dares to travel west to obtain Buddhist scriptures?"

In the darkness, a pair of scarlet eyes slowly lit up, filled with endless mockery and cruelty.

"I have been waiting for you... for a very long time."

The wind and snow continued to howl, but Sun Wukong was still 108,000 miles away, searching for alms from a family that didn't even exist.

The bamboo leaf, long since crushed and forgotten, was quietly clinging to the sole of Pigsy's shoe, and as he struggled, it gradually emitted a faint green light.

The light grew brighter and brighter.

Blindingly bright.

It was so bright...it sent chills down my spine.

Jindou Mountain, its continuous peaks turning a dark blue-green in the twilight, and deep within its belly, the cold wind howls at the entrance of Jindou Cave, carrying the smell of damp earth and blood.

The torches inside the cave cast a dim yellow light, reflecting off the water droplets rolling down the stone walls like tears about to fall.

Tang Sanzang's wrists were bound behind his back with black gold ropes, the ropes tightening so much that his fingertips turned blue.

That rope was originally a demonic rope, capable of sealing a person's magical power. He was only a mortal, and at this moment he felt as if his bones were about to be broken.

He was pushed and shoved by two blue-faced little demons, staggering as he stumbled into the center of the cave.

Seated on the throne in the hall was a demon king in brocade robes, wearing a purple-gold crown with delicate beads hanging from its rim. As he slightly turned his head, the beads jingled crisply.

The demon king was handsome, but his eyes held a deep, cold blue hue, like the bottom of a very deep lake, which sent chills down one's spine.

"Holy monk, how are you?"

The Demon King's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a sticky, lewd laugh, with the last syllable drawn out like a viper's tongue.

Tang Sanzang barely managed to stand still, looked up at him, and said in a weak but still clear voice: "This humble monk is just a wandering monk who is passing by this treasure mountain and has no intention of offending you."

"May I ask, Your Majesty, why have you captured my master and me?"

The Demon King chuckled, picking up a tassel from his robes with his fingertips and slowly twirling it: "What is it? It's for your flesh, like Tang Sanzang's."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Tang Sanzang's face as if admiring a delicacy about to be eaten. "Take a bite, and you'll live three hundred years; eat a bowl, and you'll live forever... I've been waiting for this day for quite a long time."

At the corner of the hall, Pigsy and Sandy were chained by their collarbones and hung from two stone pillars, unable to move.

Pigsy's enormous body was almost deformed by the constriction, veins bulging on his forehead, yet he still grinned and shouted at the Demon King, "You ox-nose, if you have the guts, release me, old Pigsy! Do you think you can just eat my master's flesh like that? Be careful you don't choke to death!"

Sha Wujing whispered to him, "Second Brother, don't talk nonsense!"

The Demon King, however, seemed to find the joke extremely amusing. He raised his hand to adjust his sleeves, his smile deepening: "Choking to death? I'll have to try."

With a wave of his hand, a dozen or so lesser demons rushed into the hall, carrying a huge copper pot. Pine firewood had already been lit under the pot, and the flames licked the bottom of the pot, making a hissing sound, but the water did not boil for a long time, as if deliberately letting those few people taste fear first.

Tang Sanzang's face was pale, but he still forced himself to remain calm and said with his palms together, "Your Majesty, this humble monk has spent his life eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures. Although my physical body is mortal, I have still enjoyed ten years of purity."

"Those who force themselves upon others to eat are guilty of a sin, and their lives are shortened; how much more so for monks?"

The Demon King narrowed his eyes, suddenly stood up, and slowly walked down the jade steps, each step causing the ground to vibrate slightly.

He walked up to Tang Sanzang, bent down, almost nose to nose, and whispered in a voice as low as a lover's murmur: "What if I said... I just like to eat in peace and quiet?"

Tang Sanzang was forced to take a half step back by the dark blue in his eyes, but the little demon suddenly pressed down on his shoulder, making him unable to move.

Just then, Pigsy suddenly roared, "You impudent ox! Do you even know who my senior brother is?!"

The Demon King raised an eyebrow, intrigued: "Oh? Tell me about it."

Bajie raised his voice to its highest point, his voice resounding throughout the cave: "My eldest brother is none other than the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, who wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago! If he knew that you dared to touch a single hair on my master's head, he would make sure that not a single blade of grass grows in your Golden Gourd Cave!"

"Sun Wukong..."

The Demon King repeated it in a low voice, his pupils suddenly contracting.

Those three words were like an invisible hammer, slamming hard into his heart.

Five hundred years have passed, and even now, the Heavenly Court still grits its teeth at the mention of that Monkey King, let alone a mere mountain demon king like him? A moment of silence fell over the hall, broken only by the crackling of the pine firewood beneath the copper pot. After a long while, the Demon King slowly straightened up, the smile still lingering on his lips, but a sinister glint in his eyes: "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven… what a grand title."

He turned around, put his hands behind his back, and strolled back to his high seat. His voice suddenly turned cold. "Men, take these three to the back cave and keep a close watch on them."

"Let me think it over... how to entertain that mischievous monkey, then we can start cooking."

The little demons readily agreed, some dragging and some pushing, leading the three masters and disciples deeper into the cave.

Pigsy howled in pain as the iron chains tightened around him, Sandy remained silent with his head down, but as Tang Sanzang passed in front of the Demon King's throne, he suddenly whispered, "Your Majesty, the wronged souls on the road should look back often."

The Demon King paused, but without turning around, he simply said, "Holy Monk, you are overthinking it."

"I never look back."

Meanwhile, on Shouyang Mountain, towering pines and rolling sea of ​​clouds create a breathtaking scene.

At the mountaintop stands an ancient stone temple, with no walls in front, only eight massive red-gold pillars supporting the sky.

Inside the hall, on a long blue stone table, Jiang Wang sat in the main seat. Opposite him sat eight figures, some wearing imperial crowns, some wearing raincoats, some wearing dragon robes, and some wearing feathered robes. These were projections of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of the human race.

On the table lay a huge map of the Three Realms, with red and blue dots intertwined, marking the point where the Heavenly Court and the extraterrestrial demons were about to clash.

Fuxi lightly traced a line on the map with his fingertip, and a crack appeared, splitting Kunlun Mountain from the East Sea: "The next great war between heaven and man will be at the latest seventy years, and at the earliest... within thirty years."

If Journey to the West continues according to its original plan, and Tang Sanzang successfully obtains the scriptures, the fortunes of Buddhism will soar. Even with the Heavenly Court's immense resources, it might not be able to suppress the Buddha.

Shennong sighed, "But if I die halfway through the journey to the West, the Buddhist fortune will be cut off, and the mortal world will be in great chaos, with countless lives lost."

The Yellow Emperor looked at Jiang Wang and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, you are now in charge of the system, making you the most transcendent person outside the Three Realms."

What's your take on this situation?

Jiang Wang's fingertips traced the rim of the teacup. Before he could speak, that familiar yet cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind:
[Ding—Emergency Mission Issued] [To ensure the continued progress of the Journey to the West Calamity, the host must choose one of the following two options:] [Option 1: Use the host's authority to forcibly upgrade the Green Ox Demon's Vajra Bracelet, enabling it to imprison Sun Wukong for thirty years.]

Completion reward: 100% comprehension of the Five Elements Law.

Option 2: Have Tang Sanzang take the Spirit Transformation Pill, transforming his mortal body into a spiritual body, and seal it into the Vajra Bracelet as its spirit for thirty years.

Completion Reward: 3 Innate Spiritual Treasure Upgrade Cards.

[Task time limit: one hour.]

[Punishment for abandoning the mission: Cultivation level will be reduced to Human Immortal, and the system will be banned for one hundred years.]

】

Jiang Wang tightened his grip, and a thin crack appeared on the edge of the teacup.

Thirty years... In the past, the longest delay in the Journey to the West was no more than three years, but this time it has increased more than tenfold.

The system is determined to freeze the progress of Journey to the West at the "Golden Gourd Cave".

This disaster.

He raised his eyes and looked at the eight ancient human emperors opposite him, his voice calm and unwavering: "Gentlemen, please excuse me for a moment."

Fuxi nodded slightly: "Please proceed, fellow Daoist."

Jiang Wang stood up, and in a flash, he was out of the stone hall and standing above the sea of ​​clouds.

The wind whipped his black hair and the hem of his clothes, like a flowing ink painting.

He lowered his eyes, his gaze piercing through mountains and rivers, landing on the inconspicuous cave dwelling on Jindu Mountain.

"...forcing me to protect the Three Realms and the Journey to the West."

He chuckled softly, his voice as cold as ice, "So be it."

He raised his hand, and a crystal-clear pill appeared in his palm, its surface shimmering with spiritual light and faintly emitting Buddhist chants.

The Spirit Transformation Pill, at the first grade, can allow mortals to ascend to immortality, while at the ninth grade, it can allow a Great Luo Golden Immortal to shed their physical body and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation.

Jiang Wang's is a thirteenth grade, created specifically for sealing.

With a flick of his finger, the Spirit Transformation Pill transformed into an almost invisible stream of light, piercing through the clouds and mist, and heading straight for the Golden Gourd Cave.

The back cave of Jindou Cave is cold and damp.

Tang Sanzang was locked alone in a stone chamber, with iron chains piercing through his shoulder blades. Blood dripped down the chains, forming small, dark red puddles on the ground.

He sat cross-legged, his lips bloodless, yet he continued to chant scriptures in a low voice.

The scripture was gentle, like a lamp that was about to go out, illuminating the small patch of darkness at his feet.

Suddenly, a wisp of extremely thin spiritual light pierced through the crack in the stone wall, moving silently along the ground like a transparent little snake, and slipped into his slightly parted lips.

Tang Sanzang stopped abruptly halfway through his recitation.

He opened his eyes wide, and a dazzling white light, almost blinding, reflected in his pupils.

The light burned from his throat all the way to his dantian, then exploded into countless tiny stars, which then turned into a tide, washing over his limbs and bones.

The excruciating pain lasted only a moment. The next instant, he felt light all over, as if his bones and blood had been drained away, leaving only an empty shell.

But the shell is still there, the shell is still sitting cross-legged, still chanting scriptures with its head down, and even has a peaceful smile on its lips.

The real Tang Sanzang had transformed into a semi-transparent spirit, floating aimlessly in mid-air.

He looked down at his almost transparent palms, then looked up and saw his "physical body".

He was still chanting scriptures, but couldn't help but show an expression of disbelief.

"donor……"

He heard a very soft voice beside him, like the wind, like a sigh, "This humble monk has no other choice."

The spirit Tang Sanzang suddenly turned around, only to see a very faint shadow. The shadow raised its hand and gently pressed it against his brow.

In an instant, the world turned upside down, and the Golden Gourd Cave, the iron chains, the copper pot, the torches... everything shattered into dust.

He was swept away by a gentle yet irresistible force, passing through countless layers of darkness, and finally falling into a small and deep place.

It was a gleaming gold bracelet, with densely packed ancient seal script engraved on the inside of its surface.

The bracelet's interior space is small, yet it forms its own world, complete with mountains, water, clouds, and mist.

As soon as Tang Sanzang's spirit landed, he felt his limbs were heavy, as if he were nailed to the void by invisible chains, and could no longer move.

"Thirty years..."

He heard that voice sighing from a very distant place, "You will return in thirty years."

Exactly as it was, not a single memory is missing.

The sound faded away, the diamond bracelet trembled slightly, and then returned to silence.

Outside the cave, Jiang Wang withdrew his fingers and stood with his hands behind his back.

The night wind whipped up the hem of his clothes, like black flames.

Almost simultaneously, the Green Ox Demon, seated high in the cave, suddenly opened his eyes, a fleeting glint of deep blue light flashing in the depths of his pupils. (End of Chapter)