Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 130 Reward Settlement
Meanwhile, Tang Sanzang and his disciples successfully crossed the Blackwater River.

Ao Tu then received a reward.

[Rewards are being calculated; a total of 392 days of interception.]

[Received a Green Lotus Root as a reward.]

[You have received the Jade Lotus Golden Pill as a reward.]

[Reward: Great Fairy Blood.]

[Reward: Spiritual Root - Bitter Bamboo.]

[You have received the Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe as a reward.]

[Received the reward: Ancient Buddha Relic.]

[Reward: Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array Diagram.]

The extra 27 days will automatically be carried over to the next side quest; the next side quest is: The Battle of Wits in Chechi Kingdom.

Seven different rewards appeared in Ao Tu's hands.

Among them, the Jade Lotus Root and the Jade Lotus Root Golden Elixir are relatively ordinary. The Jade Lotus Root is considered a kind of celestial object, about the size of a palm, and looks like a piece of green jade. Mortals who eat it can strengthen their bodies and prolong their lives. The Jade Lotus Root Golden Elixir is even more effective than the Jade Lotus Root.

The Great Demon Blood is a drop of bright red blood, and Ao Tu can sense that it contains a great deal of power.

Ao Tu used his double pupils to observe, and through the essence blood, he peered into the past. He saw a strange beast dwelling on the stone mountain, with five tails and one horn, resembling a red leopard, named Zheng.

This is the essence and blood of the ancient mythical beast, Zhen.

Ao Tu put away the essence blood without absorbing it. Although this drop of essence blood was very powerful for him, he had already absorbed the Demon Emperor's essence blood, so absorbing this drop of great demon essence blood would have no effect.

It would be better to keep him here; he can be used for alchemy, pill making, or as a reward for his subordinates in the future.

The Spirit Root Bitter Bamboo is a three-foot-long spirit bamboo.

As a spiritual root, the effects of the bitter bamboo are slightly weaker compared to the previous Grade 3 Golden Lotus and Grade 3 Black Lotus.

Eating bitter bamboo can lead to enlightenment; it is the best choice for alchemy; and it can be used to forge weapons such as swords and staffs.

However, consuming it all at once is the most wasteful thing to do.

If possible, it's best to cultivate it and let it grow slowly and steadily.

The Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe is an extremely powerful defensive magical treasure.

If a mortal wears this immortal robe, he will be immune to weapons and all magic.

The Buddha once bestowed upon Tang Sanzang a brocade cassock, known as a Buddhist treasure, which could save him from disasters and prevent him from falling into the cycle of reincarnation. However, its actual effect was not as expected.

If Tang Sanzang had worn the purple celestial robes on his journey to the West, he probably could have traveled all the way to the Western Paradise without being harmed in the slightest by most of the monsters along the way.

The final two rewards are the ancient Buddha relic and the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array Diagram.

These are the two most important treasures this time.

Ao Tu was the first to look at the ancient Buddha relic.

It was a golden relic, roughly round but not quite regular, with some black grime on it.

Ao Tu tried to use his double pupils to observe it and investigate its origin.

In an instant, Ao Tu's mind was lost in time, vanishing without a trace. He didn't know how much time had passed when he saw a sacred place with numerous Buddhist temples. An ancient Buddha sat cross-legged in the center, his figure blotting out the sky and standing tall in the void.

Before Ao Tu could examine it closely, the ancient Buddha sighed and said, "The general trend is hard to change..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a giant hand reached out from the sky, holding a scripture, and smashed it down from above, shattering the ancient Buddha into countless pieces. Blood rained down from the sky, and a piece of bone and blood flew towards Ao Tu.

In the blink of an eye, Ao Tu regained consciousness and closed his double pupils.

After examining the relic in his hand, Ao Tu stopped investigating.

Relics are a powerful aid to cultivation. Simply keeping them by one's side can increase cultivation speed and improve comprehension.

Now, all he should do is become stronger.

Finally, Ao Tu looked at the diagram of the Zhou Tian Star Array.

The array diagram, no bigger than a palm, was made of some ancient material and looked unremarkable on the outside. But it was actually the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array Diagram, comparable to a primordial spiritual treasure.

Ao Tu prepared to use his magic to open the array diagram for a closer look, but he was afraid that opening it outside would disturb the heavens with its precious light. So he put the array diagram inside the five-colored divine light and then opened it with his magic.

As soon as a corner was opened, the array diagram, radiating five-colored divine light, forcibly pulled the stars, causing the sun to shift eastward and the moon to rise. Ao Tu was alarmed and quickly put the array diagram away.

At that time, the four of them had just crossed the Blackwater River.

Wukong looked up at the sky and said, "How strange! How strange! The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. It is now the time of Shen (3-5 PM) when it is setting in the west. How come I just saw the sun rising in the east?"

Bajie said, "Brother, why do you care about rising in the east or west? It's getting late, let's find a good place to camp for the night. Sha and I will watch over Master, and you go find a kind family to beg for a meal so we can eat our fill and make our way on our journey tomorrow!"

Wukong said, "You idiot, wasn't it because the weather was acting strangely that I was afraid there were monsters?"

Bajie said, "What kind of monster could have such abilities? You must be seeing things."

Wukong couldn't think of anything else, so he said, "Alright, there's a hillside ahead. Let's rest for the night in a sheltered spot at the foot of the hill. You two watch over Master, and I'll go beg for alms."

Tang Sanzang and his disciples stopped to rest in a sheltered spot on the hillside.

Wukong took the alms bowl and rode a cloud to beg for alms.

On the other side, Ao Tu put away the formation diagram and did not linger any longer, riding the clouds towards Chechi Kingdom.

[Enter the mission area]

[Current Side Story: The Battle of Wits in Chechi Kingdom]

[Mission Requirements: Block the pilgrims in the Chechi Kingdom area. Rewards will be calculated based on the time taken to block them.]

[Task Rewards: 3 days/Triple-stage Golden Elixir, 7 days/Kunlun Immortal Tea, 1/Half a month/Acquired Spiritual Treasure - Whisk, 1 month/Acquired Spiritual Treasure - Pill Furnace, 1 season/Breath Soil, 6 months/Ancient Buddha's Vow Power, 1 year/Zhou Tian Star Array Flag, 3 years/Innate Spiritual Treasure - River Map and Luo Book, 12 years/Chaos Bell, 60 years...]

Current progress: 27 days

Looking at the refreshed rewards, what caught Ao Tu's attention the most was naturally the power of the ancient Buddha's vows.

Ao Tu himself also knew some Buddhist teachings.

Buddhism emphasizes "using vows to guide actions, and using actions to prove vows." The power of vows is the most core force, but Ao Tu is not a traditional Buddhist disciple, so he has not tried it.

I wonder what he will do when he receives the reward.

Ao Tu rode the clouds all the way to the capital of Chechi Kingdom. Looking down from the clouds, he saw auspicious light shining on the capital, with five-colored clouds, indicating that the country was prosperous and the people were thriving. It was truly a wonderful place.

Ao Tu descended from the clouds and transformed into the appearance of a Taoist priest.

He was seen:
He wore a black cloud-patterned crown and a purple robe.

Her black hair was coiled into a bun, secured with a jade hairpin.

With his right hand he shakes a whisk, and with his left hand he strikes a fisherman's drum.

He wore a gold belt around his waist and carefree shoes on his feet.

When they arrived at the city, it was already nightfall, and the city gates were about to close. Many people were coming and going.

People from the city who go to the outside of the city for business must return to the city; people from the outside of the city who go to the inside of the city for business must leave the city.

Therefore, they were all crowded together.

Ao Tu followed behind in line.

The soldiers on the city wall, seeing Ao Tu's attire from afar, called out:
"Please step aside and let the Taoist priest enter first."

Upon hearing the sound and seeing Ao Tu behind him, the people respectfully made way for him.

Ao Tu was thus able to enter the city.

After entering the city, Ao Tu bowed to the soldiers guarding the city and the people who made way for him to express his gratitude.

The soldier said, "You're too kind, Taoist priest. May I ask where you come from?"

Ao Tu said, "I am a wandering Taoist priest. I have heard that your country has three Taoist masters whose Taoist skills are profound and who hold the position of national teacher. Therefore, I have come here to discuss the Tao with the three Taoist masters."

(End of this chapter)