Journey to the West: Please Call Me the White Bone Demon

Guanyin Bodhisattva stood in mid-air, the churning crimson sea of ​​fire seemingly about to completely engulf her.

The outline of the blazing array was reflected in those lowered eyes. Ten pillars of fire shot into the sky, and red and copper rings intertwined. Heat waves rolled within the array, and a golden-haired creature could be vaguely seen struggling to survive in the center of the sea of ​​fire.

Golden lotuses slowly bloomed beneath the lotus platform, isolating the scorching heat emanating from the array.

Huian Xingzhe Muzha stood three zhang behind her, bowing his head and not daring to speak. He felt that although the Buddha's light around the Bodhisattva was warm, it directly blocked the originally terrifying array aura.

Well, whoever was behind it is another story.

Guanyin sighed softly and slowly raised her jade hand.

That hand was as smooth and white as mutton fat jade, with rounded fingertips, devoid of any worldly air, yet possessing a gentle strength that brought peace to the heart.

She first joined three fingers together and gently touched the center of her forehead, as if to calm the ripples in her heart. Then, with her palm facing down, she held the jade bottle on her wrist with her other hand.

The jade bottle is warm and smooth all over, with flowing cloud patterns on its body, and contains four layers of seawater.

Guanyin tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on the tender green willow branch at the mouth of the bottle.

The willow branches are dotted with new buds, their twigs supple, yet they bear the power of merit.

She gently pinched the middle section of the willow branch between her thumb and forefinger, her movements extremely light.

"Go."

The willow branch trembled slightly before being pulled out of the bottle.

Three drops of the Three Lights Divine Water had already touched the branch. The water droplets were crystal clear and shone in the sunlight, but they did not fall and remained steadily hanging on the tip of the willow leaf.

With a flick of her wrist, Guanyin caused the willow branch to trace an extremely slow arc in the air, so slow that one could clearly see the veins of each willow leaf, yet so fast that it left only a fleeting afterimage.

Three drops of divine water left the branch, transforming into three thin, clear rays of light that silently fell onto the blazing array.

The moment the first drop of divine water touched the wall of fire, the crimson flames seemed to be suddenly suppressed by an invisible hand, emitting a soft "hiss" sound, and the fire suddenly subsided.

As the second drop of divine water fell, the fire dragon that had been churning on the fire wall let out a low, mournful cry, the red light on the copper ring dimmed, and the heat wave in the formation was suppressed by thirty percent.

When the third drop of divine water fell, the entire Blazing Flame Array trembled slightly, the ten pillars of fire shook simultaneously, and the red copper ring at the array's core cracked with a barely perceptible sound.

Guanyin watched this scene, her lips not smiling, but her eyes revealing a complex mix of emotions.

If this were during the time of the Investiture of the Gods, her cultivation would be far inferior to what it is now. She would only be hovering around the threshold of Quasi-Saint. Although her magical power was pure, it was far from the level she is in today.

Back then, the Ten Deadly Formations were not so easily broken.

She remembered it clearly: the Ten Heavenly Lords set up the Ten Deadly Formations, and the disciples of the Jie Sect and the people of the Chan Sect fought fiercely until the sky darkened.

The Blazing Flame Array is one of them. It is presided over by Bai Tianjun. Crimson flames surge within the array, and copper rings intertwine. Anyone who enters the array is either killed or injured. Even the Twelve Golden Immortals, including Guang Chengzi and Chi Jingzi, were helpless and nearly suffered losses.

At that time, the only way to break the formation was to rely on Lu Ya Dao Ren's Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife.

When the Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife was unsheathed, the gourd opened, a white light appeared, and the blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, heading straight for the core of the formation.

Although Bai Tianjun's formation was ingenious, it was no match for the magical treasures and supernatural powers, and he ultimately perished and his cultivation dissipated.

Guanyin recalled the appearance of Lu Ya when he appeared: wearing a Taoist robe, a lotus crown on his head, holding a seven-treasure gourd in his hand, and smiling as he said, "This humble Taoist has arrived," before unleashing a flying knife.

That scene remains vivid in my memory to this day.

She was standing on a cloud when she watched the white light pierce through the sea of ​​fire and instantly shatter Bai Tianjun's protective aura. She was both shocked and relieved.

Fortunately, the person who set up the formation was of low cultivation level.

If the Blazing Flame Array today were set up by Bai Tianjun himself back then, even with the Three Lights Divine Water in hand, she would never dare to so casually sprinkle three drops in an attempt to break the array.

I'm afraid I'll still have to swallow my pride and go to that Taoist Lu Ya to ask him for the treasure.

But who is Lu Ya?

The once fierce and powerful Lu Ya is now...

When Guanyin thought about that guy's background, she felt a little resistant and didn't want to think about it anymore.

Moreover, she has now attained the Great Luo Fruit position, severed her two corpses, and achieved the cultivation of a Quasi-Saint.

The Three Lights Divine Water has countless uses, and it was naturally more than capable of dealing with this obviously flawed, artificially constructed Flame Array.

Although the person who set up the formation was not weak, he was far from reaching the level of Bai Tianjun back then. Although the formation was similar in form, its power was still worlds apart.

The moment the three drops of divine water fell, the entire Blazing Flame Array began to shake violently.

One by one, the pillars of fire collapsed, the crimson copper ring shattered into countless points of light, and the heat wave in the formation quickly dissipated, revealing the disheveled golden-haired figure in the center.

Sun Wukong, holding his golden cudgel, his hair charred black and his monkey face covered in ash, was squatting on the ground muttering to himself.

Seeing the sea of ​​fire suddenly dissipate, he looked up abruptly and saw the compassionate and solemn figure in the air. He was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed, and somersaulted out.

"Bodhisattva! You've finally arrived! I, Old Sun, was almost turned to ashes by that demon!"

Guanyin sighed again as she looked at him.

This mischievous monkey, who is usually fearless, has now been forced to use his life-saving hair, which shows how bizarre the methods of the person behind the scenes are.

She put the willow branch back into the jade bottle, and the lotus platform slowly descended, landing in front of the small courtyard where Tang Sanzang was imprisoned.

The monkey blew a breath.

"Certainly!"

The surrounding guards froze instantly.

Sun Wukong kicked the courtyard gate open.

"Master, Master, I've come to save you!"

Tang Sanzang, tears streaming down his face, cried out, "Wukong~"

He had just finished catching up with the monkey when he suddenly noticed Guanyin Bodhisattva standing to the side and quickly bowed in respect.

"With the Bodhisattva's mercy, this disciple has been trapped here for over half a year, nearly jeopardizing the pilgrimage to the West..."

Guanyin gently lifted Tang Sanzang with her magic and said softly, "Xuanzang, there is no need to blame yourself. This matter was caused by an unforeseen event from beyond the heavens, and it is not your fault."

She turned to Muzha and said, "Go to the Wave Moon Cave quickly and bring out Bajie and Sha Wujing. If you encounter that demon, just say, 'Kui Mulang, why aren't you back in your place?' The demon will not dare to stop you."

Mu Zha accepted the order and left.

Guanyin did not leave immediately, but instead looked up towards the direction of White Tiger Ridge in the distance.

"So that's where it was hidden."

"Just who is this person?"

She thought to herself.

The Ten Deadly Formations should have been lost after the Investiture of the Gods, but now it has reappeared on the journey to the West, and it is specifically targeting the pilgrimage team. She certainly does not believe it is just a coincidence.

If the person who set up the formation hadn't been lacking in cultivation, she would probably have had a real headache today.

Fortunately, fortunately...

Guanyin gently swayed the willow branch. She vaguely felt that there was more to this matter than just a blazing array. The journey to the West was supposed to be filled with eighty-one tribulations, but this one came in a very strange way.

Sun Wukong had regained some of his strength and, wielding his golden cudgel, shouted, "Bodhisattva, that demon is hiding in White Tiger Ridge! I, Old Sun, will go and smash him into mincemeat!"

Guanyin raised her hand to stop him: "Wukong, don't be impatient. Although you were not seriously injured in that formation, you still suffered some pain. Let's see what this humble monk can do."

Having said that, she reached out with her slender fingers to grab at the air.

……