Journey to the West: The gods and Buddhas panicked when the monkey was trapped inside him.

The journey to the west was long and arduous, and the three of them traveled and stopped frequently, and several months passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, a high mountain blocked their way.

The mountain peaks were layered and shrouded in mist, making them appear quite precipitous.

Tang Sanzang reined in the white dragon horse, looked up, and smiled back at his two disciples.

"Wukong, Bajie, look at this mountain. It's so steep. I'm afraid there are some demons lurking here again."

"If we really encounter any monsters, I will have to rely entirely on the two of you to protect me."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong turned around and waved his hand dismissively.

"Master, don't worry. No matter how powerful the monster is, as long as it dares to show its face, I, Old Sun, can send it to see the King of Hell with one blow."

Pigsy, carrying his load, looked up and laughed.

"Master, you've guessed wrong this time."

"This mountain is not some kind of demon mountain. It is called Futu Mountain. There is only one enlightened Zen master on the mountain, named Zen Master Wuchao. It is very peaceful and there is no danger."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang became somewhat curious.

"Oh? There are Zen masters practicing here? Pigsy, you seem to know quite a bit about this place."

Pigsy chuckled, a hint of smugness on his face.

"That old Zen master had some spiritual skills and methods. He usually built a nest of firewood and lived in a tree."

"Back when I was still a hermit in Yunzhan Cave on Fuling Mountain, I traveled here and met him a few times."

"He even wanted to take me as his disciple so I could cultivate with him, but I didn't agree at the time."

As they spoke, the three of them had already reached the mountainside.

In the distance, on a huge cypress tree, stood a bird's nest woven from countless straws.

The bird's nest was enormous, looking more like a small thatched hut, giving it a somewhat ethereal feel.

An old Zen master dressed in a black robe was sitting cross-legged in the bird's nest, chanting sutras with his eyes closed.

This must be the Zen Master Wuchao that Pigsy mentioned.

The Zen master seemed to sense someone approaching, and slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the three of them.

Tang Sanzang dismounted, straightened his monk's robe, clasped his hands together, and respectfully took a few steps forward.

"This humble monk comes from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East. I am on a mission to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek scriptures. I am passing by Baoshan and have come here to pay my respects to the Zen Master."

Zen Master Wuchao floated down from the nest and landed in front of the three people, returning their greeting with his hands clasped together.

"Holy monk, you have come from the East; you must have had a long and arduous journey."

His gaze lingered briefly on Tang Sanzang before turning to Zhu Bajie behind him, a hint of surprise on his face.

"Aren't you Zhu Bajie from Fuling Mountain?"

"Why have we come here today?"

Pigsy stepped forward with a smile to greet him.

"Replying to the Zen Master, thanks to the guidance and enlightenment of Guanyin Bodhisattva, I, Old Pig, have already turned over a new leaf."

"Now that we have taken this great Tang Dynasty monk as our master, we will protect him as he journeys to the Western Paradise to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures."

Upon hearing this, Zen Master Wuchao smiled and nodded repeatedly.

"Okay, okay, okay!"

"It is a great blessing for you to have this opportunity to become a disciple of the holy monk. You will surely achieve enlightenment in the future."

He gave Zhu Bajie an approving look, then turned his gaze to Sun Wukong beside him.

"And who is this elder?"

Sun Wukong crossed his arms, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, and looked at him with a half-smile.

"Oh? You don't recognize me, Old Sun?"

Zen Master Wuchao shook his head, his expression serene.

"This humble monk has been practicing meditation in these mountains for many years and has little contact with the outside world. I have indeed never met the elder."

Sun Wukong sneered inwardly.

Keep pretending.

In these three realms, who doesn't know me, Old Sun, if they have even a little bit of cultivation?

Moreover, since you are a Buddhist, it's even more impossible that you don't know me, Old Sun.

Upon seeing this, Pigsy quickly introduced Sun Wukong.

"Zen Master, this is my eldest brother, none other than Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace more than six hundred years ago and whose might shook the Three Realms!"

Zen Master Wuchao showed just the right amount of surprise on his face, and then bowed to Sun Wukong.

"So it was the Monkey King in person! My apologies, my apologies."

"This humble monk has long admired the Great Sage's illustrious name; to meet him today is an honor beyond measure."

Sun Wukong twitched the corner of his mouth, but didn't say anything more.

We're all actors; it's just a matter of who can act the most convincingly.

After exchanging pleasantries, Zen Master Wuchao looked at Tang Sanzang, his expression becoming serious.

"The journey to the Western Paradise is long and arduous, with towering mountains and treacherous forests and countless demons along the way. It is truly a perilous journey."

Tang Sanzang's expression was calm, but his gaze was firm.

"No matter how far the journey, I will walk step by step and eventually arrive."

"No matter how many demons there are, with my unworthy disciple protecting me, I can turn danger into safety."

"Seeking the true scriptures is my lifelong ambition. Even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, I will never retreat even half a step."

Zen Master Wuchao looked at him quietly and saw an unwavering determination in his clear eyes.

He nodded approvingly.

"The holy monk's heart in seeking the Way is as firm as a rock, which I admire greatly."

"However, the journey westward was fraught with obstacles, especially the inner demons."

"Today, this old monk will impart this scripture to you. If you encounter demonic obstacles on your journey in the future, simply recite this scripture silently, and you will be able to keep your mind clear and turn misfortune into good fortune."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang bowed deeply in gratitude.

"Amitabha Buddha, thank you Zen Master for bestowing the sutra."

At that moment, Zen Master Wuchao orally transmitted the secret method, reciting the entire Heart Sutra word by word to Tang Sanzang.

Tang Sanzang possessed profound wisdom and a photographic memory; after hearing the scriptures only once, he memorized the entire text.

After the transmission of the scriptures was completed, Zen Master Wuchao looked at Tang Sanzang and gave him earnest instructions.

"The journey to the Western Paradise is long and fraught with dangers; Holy Monk, never forget your original aspiration."

Zen Master Wuchao nodded, then glanced at Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie before turning around and disappearing into the forest without saying anything more.

......

After traveling for more than a month, the three of them ate in the wind and slept in the open, and the journey was peaceful.

On this day, they arrived at a steep mountain ridge.

The mountain ahead was treacherous, with strange rocks that looked as if they had been carved by a knife and axe, and the strong wind whipped up the loose stones, making a whistling sound in the air.

As we reached the bend in the mountain valley, a piercing shriek suddenly ripped through the air.

A striped tiger, walking upright, suddenly leaped out of the grass and firmly blocked the three people's path.

The tiger was large and strong, carrying two red copper knives; it was none other than the Tiger Vanguard of Yellow Wind Cave.

Tiger Vanguard grinned maliciously and pointed his precious sword at Tang Sanzang in front of him.

"Where did this mortal monk come from, daring to trespass into our Yellow Wind Ridge? He'd better stay here and be our snack!"

Upon seeing this, Pigsy excitedly put down his baggage.

"Great, we've been traveling for months, and finally some blind monster has run into us."

"Master, please sit tight on the horse."

"Watch me, Old Pig, go and confront this tiger demon."

Pigsy volunteered and charged forward, brandishing his rake.

Sun Wukong, standing behind, glanced at Tang Sanzang sitting on his horse and immediately spoke.

"Master, this monster seems to have some brute strength; I'm afraid Pigsy alone can't defeat it."

"I, Old Sun, will go and lend Pigsy a hand so we can finish this quickly."

Without waiting for Tang Sanzang's reply, Sun Wukong pulled out his golden cudgel and charged forward.