Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

"Go...good! Go quickly! Hurry up and go to suffer...uh, no, I mean go to experience tribulations and seek the true scriptures!"

She almost let something slip, but quickly stopped herself. She no longer had time to ponder Tang Sanzang's unusual behavior; her heart was already filled with the desire for promotion.

She gave Lin Zhu and Tang Wang one last complicated look, then her figure blurred, transforming into a streak of seven-colored light as she hurriedly flew towards her own training ground. She needed to immediately go into seclusion and attempt to break through to the half-step Quasi-Saint level!
Lin Zhu sensed the sudden surge of energy from Guanyin Bodhisattva as she departed, an energy that was almost breaking through a critical point, and a mysterious and playful smile appeared on his lips.

So you're already in a hurry to digest your merits? Heh, fine, let the Western Paradise properly 'warm up' these merits for me first. When the time is right, I'll have my own methods to take them back with interest!

He silently calculated in his mind that Tang Sanzang would encounter his first tribulation after leaving the Tang Dynasty, as well as his "old friend" who was imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain and was about to be released.

It was time to prepare a 'gift' for that monkey's release from prison. Lin Zhu thought of the legendary innate spiritual root—the Yellow Plum. At the same time, he also thought of his senior and junior sisters on Kunlun Mountain.

After a brief farewell to the Tang King, Lin Zhu's true form flickered and tore through space, heading towards Kunlun Mountain, the ancestor of all mountains.

……

Meanwhile, inside the Great Thunder Temple in the Western Paradise.

The moment Tang Sanzang stepped out of Chang'an and officially began his westward journey, the entire Great Thunderclap Temple seemed to be infused with an invisible vitality! The previously somber atmosphere, which had been somewhat oppressive due to the series of setbacks, was suddenly broken!

"Om-!"

A vast and peaceful golden light of merit began to flow into the river like a trickle. Although it was far from being magnificent, it was indeed the feedback from the Heavenly Dao brought about by the start of the Journey to the West calamity!

"It's starting! It's starting!!"

"Jin Chanzi has finally set off!!"

"The signs of the great revival of Buddhism have appeared! Heaven blesses the Western Paradise!"

The three thousand Buddhas were so excited that they could hardly contain themselves. Many of them even wept with joy and embraced each other in celebration!
Even the Buddha, who sat in the center, whose golden body had become somewhat dim due to the stripping away of countless merits, now seemed to be infused with new vitality. His radiance flowed, and although his aura had not yet fully recovered to its peak, it had become much more stable and returned to that mysterious quasi-saint realm!

As the leader and biggest beneficiary of the Journey to the West plan, the Buddha Tathagata felt the most clear and immense feedback of merit!

A relieved smile finally appeared on his usually calm face.

Finally... it has begun!

Although the process was tortuous and the cost heavy, the Journey to the West has finally begun! As long as it proceeds according to plan, no one can stop the rise of the Western Paradise!

Of course, deep in his heart, the worry about Lin Zhu, this "anomaly," and Tang Sanzang's unstable state still lingered like a dark cloud.

But he also understood that things had come to this point, and there was little he could do to control the situation. He could only clasp his hands together, lower his head, and silently pray in his heart.

"Hopefully... everything goes smoothly and there are no more unexpected changes."

……

In the human world, at Mount Kunlun.

Lin Zhu's figure had just appeared outside the mountain gate, and before he could properly appreciate this familiar fairyland scenery, he keenly sensed four extremely powerful auras approaching him at an extremely fast speed from the depths of the mountain!

He looked up and saw four streaks of different colors streaking across the sky in the distance, gracefully approaching!

The leader, dressed in palace attire, possessed an elegant and noble demeanor, with a hint of majesty and composure between her brows. She was none other than the direct disciple of the Jie Sect and the actual person in charge of the Kunlun Mountain lineage—the Holy Mother Wudang!
Behind her followed three stunningly beautiful and charming female immortals, the Three Immortal Maidens of the Clouds—Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao!
The youngest of them, Bixiao, was the most lively and carefree. Upon seeing Lin Zhu from afar, she let out a joyful exclamation and, like a fledgling swallow returning to its nest, transformed into a streak of emerald light and rushed into Lin Zhu's arms, hugging him tightly!

"Senior Brother Lin Zhu! You're finally back! I've missed you so much!"

The girl's clear voice was filled with deep affection.

Immediately afterward, Qiongxiao, dressed in a pale yellow dress, youthful and beautiful with a touch of naivety, flew over and unceremoniously took Lin Zhu's arm, affectionately rubbing her cheek against his. She raised her beautiful, watery eyes, her gaze like that of a young woman waiting for her husband to return from a long journey, carrying a hint of resentment as she complained.

"You bad senior brother!"

"They haven't come back to see us for so long, have they been bewitched by some fox spirit in Heaven?"

As the eldest disciple, the Holy Mother of Wudang, although she appeared rather reserved, simply standing quietly not far away, the image of Lin Zhu was clearly reflected in the depths of her calm eyes. There was a faint, almost imperceptible moisture in the corners of her eyes, indicating that her inner world was far from as calm as it appeared.

In the warm atmosphere of this reunion, Bixiao, who was nestled in Lin Zhu's arms, suddenly raised her head, blinked her innocent big eyes, and said loudly, "I'll never be surprised!"

"Senior Brother Lin Zhu!"
"When you come back this time, just take us sisters... and Senior Sister Wudang, all of us, and marry us! Okay?"

Standing on the mountain path outside Kunlun Mountain, Lin Zhu felt that the gust of wind just now had come strangely, and his feet had become inexplicably slippery. If it weren't for Fairy Bixiao's quick eyes and hands—or rather, her "quick hands and waist"—catching him around the waist, he would have probably fallen quite gracefully. However, the price of this "catching" was now clearly being transmitted to his senses.

The girl's soft body pressed tightly against his back, her arms wrapped around his waist, showing no sign of letting go.

"Lin Zhu, Lin Zhu, are you alright?"

Bixiao's voice came from behind his shoulder, filled with undisguised excitement and concern. Her warm breath on his ear made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"You scared me to death! If you had broken something, my eldest sister, second eldest sister, and senior sister would have been heartbroken, and I would have been heartbroken too!"

"No, it's okay."

Lin Zhu tried to straighten his back, but found that he was being held rather tightly. He dared not struggle, fearing that making a big movement would make things more ambiguous. He could only keep his body stiff and let his gaze drift toward the eaves of the palace shrouded in mist not far away.

"Thank you, Fairy Bixiao. The mountain wind is quite cold. I think... we should go into the hall first and talk later?"

He awkwardly tried to change the subject, hoping that this overly direct and intimate contact would end quickly.

To everyone's surprise, Bixiao not only didn't let go, but hugged him even tighter, rubbing her cheek against his back. Her voice came through in a muffled tone, but she said something that made Lin Zhu's scalp tingle.

"Going into the hall? That would be great. My second sister was just saying the other day that the hall feels so empty, it's only lively when you're here. She also said that if you could..."

She paused, as if recalling something, and then continued innocently.

"Oh, she said she wants you 'on her waist'? I don't quite understand, does she mean you should also hug her waist? Like I'm hugging you now?"

Lin Zhu felt a sudden "boom," a rush of heat to his head, and his face instantly burned. His waist? This...this Fairy Qiongxiao, who usually appears so dignified and serene, how could she...?

Before he could process the deeper meaning of those words, he heard Bixiao continue talking to herself.

"My elder sister is also wondering. A few days ago, she sighed at the plum grove outside the window and said, 'The plum rain hasn't wet it.' What does that mean? Does it mean that the rain on the plum blossoms didn't wet anything? Or does it mean something else is 'wet'?"
The eldest sister was standing nearby at the time. When she heard this, her expression was also strange. She even glanced at the eldest sister and said something like, "The heart is burning with heat, so it's best to rest quietly." Then the eldest and second sisters' faces turned red instantly, like the rosy clouds behind the mountain. They looked beautiful, but why were their faces red? With each additional word Bixiao spoke, the temperature on Lin Zhu's face rose a notch, especially when she repeated "not yet wet from the plum rain" and "heart burning with heat." He simply wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into immediately.

Would these fairies really whisper their private conversations so loudly in front of a man? Out of the corner of his eye, he could even see that a few steps away, the two fairies, Qiongxiao and Yunxiao, were already blushing.

One stared down at the tips of her shoes, as if they were embroidered with the supreme Dao, while the other turned her face away, revealing only her burning red earlobes. Her body, wrapped in palace attire, seemed to be trembling slightly, whether from shame or anger, it was hard to tell.

Just as Lin Zhu was feeling incredibly embarrassed and wished he could learn the Earth Escape Technique on the spot, a clear, cold voice rang out just in time, like a celestial melody that saved him from suffering.

"Bixiao."

The Holy Mother Wudang had appeared before them unnoticed. A jade-like hand gently yet firmly covered Bixiao's mouth, preventing her from saying anything even more shocking. "Stop talking nonsense."

She spoke calmly, her gaze sweeping over Lin Zhu's almost fuming face, a fleeting, almost imperceptible smile flashing across her eyes before returning to its usual composure.

Bixiao made two "uh-uh" sounds, blinking her round eyes, full of confusion, as if she didn't understand why she couldn't speak.

The Holy Mother of Wudang released her grip and gently "peeled" her off Lin Zhu, giving the order in a calm tone.

"Lin Zhu has come from afar and probably hasn't had any hot food yet. Bixiao, go to the kitchen and see what fresh vegetables and fruits are available. Make a bowl of calming and refreshing vegetarian noodles."

"under?"

Bixiao's attention was diverted, and she scratched her head.

"Senior Sister, this term... seems a bit strange? Didn't it used to be called 'cooking noodles' or 'making soup'?"

Although she is simple-minded, she can also be quite perceptive at times.

The Holy Mother of Wudang remained unmoved.

"I want to eat your noodles today. Go quickly."

"Oh……"

Although Bixiao felt that her senior sister's choice of words was unusual, she was always obedient and didn't bother to think about it too much. She tossed her long, black hair that was draped over her shoulders and grinned at Lin Zhu.

"Then you wait here, Lin Zhu, my noodles are delicious!"

After saying that, she skipped and hopped towards the side hall. Her lively figure finally eased the tense atmosphere a little.

Lin Zhu was able to secretly breathe a sigh of relief, but the blush on her face had not faded and her heart was still beating rapidly.

He was secretly alarmed. Kunlun Mountain was indeed a land of gentle pleasures and a graveyard for heroes. In just a short moment, Bixiao's innocence, Qiongxiao's subtle metaphors, Yunxiao's charm, and the seemingly rescuing but actually controlling demeanor of the Holy Mother Wudang had woven together an invisible yet omnipresent net, causing his heart, which had been swayed by his mistake, to almost succumb.

No, we must be vigilant! We have come here for important business. If we indulge in such romantic and ambiguous feelings, we may find it difficult to extricate ourselves in the future, and our Daoist heart will be tarnished.

He took a deep breath and repeatedly told himself this in his heart.

Lin Zhu, Lin Zhu, hold on tight, don't lose your way!

While he was engaged in a fierce internal struggle and building up his vigilance, he was unaware that his forced composure, which couldn't hide his panic and confusion, was quite amusing to others.

The Holy Mother of Wudang's gaze swept across his face, and her cold, snow-white countenance seemed to soften for a fleeting moment, she thought to herself.

"She is... quite adorable."

But she naturally wouldn't say those words out loud.

The fairy maiden beside her had also adjusted her breathing and turned around. The blush on her face had faded slightly, but she looked even more beautiful.

Her eyes darted around, giving Lin Zhu a look that seemed both sorrowful and resentful. Her lips parted slightly, and her voice was so soft and sweet it could drip water.

"Young Master Lin's serious demeanor... is truly captivating."

She deliberately emphasized the word "serious," the teasing meaning of which was self-evident.

Lin Zhu's newly built psychological defenses were shattered by those eyes and words, and she hurriedly waved her hands.

"Fairy Yunxiao is joking! Um... it's windy, let's hurry inside the palace!"

After saying that, he practically fled, walking quickly toward the majestic and elegant Kunlun main hall ahead, his back view revealing utter panic.

Watching his back as he practically "darted" into the temple gate, the Holy Mother of Wudang and Yunxiao exchanged a glance.

Yunxiao covered her lips with her sleeve, chuckled softly, but a determined glint appeared in the depths of her eyes as she spoke softly.

"Running too fast."

The Holy Mother of Wudang stood with her hands behind her back, gazing towards the temple gate. Her clear, cold voice slowly rang out, only Yunxiao beside her could hear it clearly.

"It's alright. There's plenty of time in the future."

Yunxiao's smile deepened, and he added a sentence.

"In the end... he was bound to be caught."

Although their voices were soft, Lin Zhu's hearing was incredibly sharp. Coupled with his tense mind and his extra attention to anything related to himself, he heard every single word of their whispers.

"There's plenty of time... but they'll eventually fall into the net..."

Lin Zhu stumbled, nearly tripping on the gleaming jade steps of the hall. Alarm bells rang in his mind, and a chill ran from his tailbone to the top of his head.

Why do these fairies speak so... so bluntly and frighteningly! He quickly composed himself, focusing his attention on his nose and mind, silently reciting a calming mantra, daring not to let any distracting thoughts arise. At the same time, he also remembered that this world had its own rules, and with the Heavenly Dao above, even immortals and gods could not act too recklessly; there were always constraints.

Yes, it is the will of Heaven! Thinking of this, he felt a little more at ease and made up his mind to be careful with his words and actions from now on, and not to talk to them unless necessary, so as to avoid causing any more trouble.

Stepping into the spacious main hall, imbued with an ancient and Taoist charm, Lin Zhu found a meditation cushion, sat upright with his back ramrod straight, and attempted to regain the "masculine dignity" and composure he had just lost. (End of Chapter)