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

He longed to escape, his mind racing with alarm bells, yet he knew that any attempt to flee in front of these four was nothing but wishful thinking. He could only endure this inhuman torture while secretly searching for a possible opportunity, his heart filled with helplessness and anxiety.

While Lin Zhu was enjoying a blissful time in the gentle embrace of the Kunlun Mountains, on the other side, Tang Sanzang and his disciples on their journey to the West encountered a real and bloody life-or-death ordeal.

Not far from the border crossing, the group entered a desolate mountainous area. It was afternoon, and the once clear sky suddenly turned stormy with howling winds. Rolling black clouds appeared out of nowhere, instantly obscuring the sun. The gale whipped up sand and gravel, stinging their faces and making it impossible to open their eyes.

"Oh no! This wind is ominous!"

The experienced monk Lu immediately sensed something was wrong, and pulled the still somewhat dazed Tang Sanzang behind him, drawing his own broadsword.

His knife looked quite old, but the blade was gleaming.

Before the words were even finished, strange cries echoed from all around. From behind the rocks, in the woods, and at the foot of the slopes, fifty or sixty bizarre figures suddenly appeared. Some had protruding fangs, some had horns on their heads, and some were covered in black fur. They wielded rusty knives, forks, and clubs, and instantly surrounded the small pilgrimage team. A demonic aura filled the air, and a foul stench wafted through the air.

The leader was a burly man nearly ten feet tall, with a ferocious tiger's head on his head, a clear "king" character mark on his forehead, and eyes like copper bells, radiating fierce light. He was the demon king of this mountain range, who called himself General Yin.

Behind him followed two demons whose auras were noticeably stronger. One was as muscular as a black bear with a face full of scars; he was Xiong Shan Jun. The other was dressed like a scholar but had a bull's head; he was Te Chu Shi.

The two attendants who volunteered to follow the emperor in Gongzhou City thought that "accompanying the emperor on his journey to the west to obtain Buddhist scriptures is a great merit, and upon their return they will surely be promoted and honored to their ancestors." Little did they expect that they would actually encounter man-eating monsters that only existed in stories after leaving the prosperous city! Seeing a group of blue-faced, fanged monsters roaring and charging towards them, the two were so frightened that their souls left their bodies and their legs cramped.

"A monster!"

"Help! Don't eat me!"

A terrified scream tore through the wind. The two of them no longer cared about the imperial brother or any merit. They threw down their luggage and turned to flee for their lives in the direction they had come from, completely leaving Tang Sanzang and Lu Heshang behind.

"Bastard thing!"

Upon seeing this, Monk Lu was so angry that he cursed, but he had no time to pay attention to anything else.

He held his sword horizontally, shielding the pale-faced Tang Sanzang behind him, his eyes wide open, and roared at the approaching demons.

"You fiends, how dare you block my way! Do you know that this is Tang Sanzang, the younger brother of the Emperor, who is on the orders of the Tang Emperor and guided by Guanyin Bodhisattva, on his way to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek Buddhist scriptures! Get out of here at once, or you will bring about your own destruction!"

His voice was loud, trying to intimidate with his reputation, but his heart was ice-cold.

A demonic aura surged before him, and the leaders were incredibly fierce, far beyond his mortal martial arts skills. But he could not retreat; behind him was Tang Sanzang, his childhood companion, a brother he shared with though not by blood.

"Monk, run! I'll hold them off!"

Without turning his head, Monk Lu roared and shoved Tang Sanzang. He then faced the first few demons who rushed at him and swung his sword! With a flash of light, he managed to knock back a wolf-headed demon, but that was all. More demons howled and pounced on him.

Tang Sanzang was pushed and staggered, his heart filled with shock and fear. He saw Lu Sanzang being entangled by several monsters in an instant, his broadsword struggling to defend himself, facing imminent danger. How could he possibly escape alone? The bond he had shared with Lu Sanzang since childhood overwhelmed his fear, and he cried out in a trembling voice.

"Brother Lu! We'll go together!"

As he retreated in terror, trying to dodge the little demons that bypassed Monk Lu and lunged at him with sneers, several fragmented images suddenly exploded in his mind amidst the chaos and extreme crisis—it seemed that a golden Arhat was shattered in a roar, a dignified Buddha was struck by a sharp fist shadow, and even... a white-robed Guanyin seemed to have been swept by a fierce fist wind.
"Om-!"

An indescribable heat and violence suddenly surged from the deepest part of his heart without warning, like a volcano that had been dormant for countless years suddenly erupting! The demonic flames instantly ignited his blood, and an unprecedented sense of power, accompanied by overwhelming rage, filled his entire body.

"Go away!"

Tang Sanzang himself was unaware that his voice suddenly became low and full of hostility, and his original fear was replaced by a cold anger.

He stopped retreating and instead straightened his back, glaring angrily at the monsters that rushed towards him. A faint red light flashed in his eyes as he shouted.

"A bunch of ignorant and vile beasts! How dare you touch me? Today I'll show you what's what!"

He instinctively clenched his fist, as if the fragmented images in his memory gave him boundless courage and strength.

However, the anticipated scene of powerful punches that repelled demons did not materialize.

His fist slammed weakly into the bristly chest of a boar demon, like an ant trying to shake a tree.

The pig demon paused for a moment, then grinned, revealing its yellowed tusks, and let out a grotesque laugh.

General Yin, who was standing nearby, also noticed the commotion. He glanced over with his tiger-like eyes and sneered in a deep, muffled voice.

"Has this monk gone mad with fear? He thinks he can become stronger just by shouting? He really doesn't take us demons seriously at all."

Before he could finish speaking, a small demon with a bright red face and an unusually large palm rushed forward, cursing under his breath.

"Still putting on airs even when death is imminent!"

He swung his fan-like red hand and slapped Tang Sanzang hard across the face!

"Snapped!"

A crisp, loud slap.

Tang Sanzang's head jerked to the side from the blow, and a clear, red, swollen handprint instantly appeared on his face. The burning pain left him momentarily stunned.

The newly risen demonic flames and hot blood were extinguished with a hiss, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over their heads, leaving only a few scattered sparks flickering in astonishment and confusion.

What happened? Aren't I...aren't I supposed to be amazing? Those images...those feelings...

Before he could figure it out, several rough ropes had already bound him tightly, along with the monk Lu, who had fought back fiercely but was ultimately overwhelmed and pinned to the ground.

The two attendants who had escaped not far were easily caught up by the other lesser demons and dragged back like dead dogs. They were pushed and shoved into the deep mountains along with the other luggage and horses, and tied to a stone pillar in a gloomy cave.

With red handprints on his face, Tang Sanzang was firmly bound to a cold stone pillar, his heart filled with absurdity and disbelief.

He had thought that since he was the chosen one, personally selected by Buddha and arranged by Guanyin to retrieve the scriptures, he should at least have some protective magic treasures to ensure his safety in critical moments, even if he didn't possess any heaven-defying powers. Like that magnificent brocade robe—hadn't Guanyin said, "Wearing my robe, one will not fall into depravity, nor into hell"? But what was the reality? That robe was indeed magnificent, but wearing it before had almost led to his death at the hands of even stronger bandits because it was too ostentatious! Since then, he vaguely felt that the robe had been "replaced." Although the style was similar, it no longer possessed that subtle, radiant light. It seemed that Buddha had taken back the true magic treasures, giving him only this ordinary robe, which was only good-looking and sturdy, and the same went for his staff.

The promise Guanyin made—that "wearing the cassock and holding this staff will make demons flee"—now became a complete joke in front of this group of ferocious demons!
I...I've been deceived? Buddha, Bodhisattva, deceived me? This thought chilled him to the bone, making him feel more bound and desperate than the ropes binding him.

Xiong Shan Jun strolled over, stretched out his dark bear paw, pinched Tang Sanzang's delicate cheek, sniffed it, and then opened his mouth wide, spraying Tang Sanzang's face with a foul stench.

"Tsk tsk, this monk with delicate skin doesn't smell particularly special. But he seems a bit dim-witted, still staring blankly after being slapped. Forget it, I won't eat him yet, his stupidity will affect the taste."

General Yin licked his lips and stared at the other three, especially the two attendants who were trembling like leaves and whose crotches were soaked with sweat; they were practically drooling.

"Brother Xiong is right. There might be another use for this monk. Let's deal with these three appetizers first; the brothers are getting impatient."

The Special Envoy slowly stroked his non-existent beard and made the suggestion.

"General Yin, Lord Xiongshan, now that we have captured them, why not enjoy them immediately? Fresh blood is the best food."

"Exactly what I want!"

General Yin laughed heartily and waved his hand.

"Men, drag these two cowards over here and offer their hearts and livers to Xiong Shanjun and Special Envoy Brother as a snack!"

"No! No! Brother, save me! Buddha, save me!"

"Your Majesty, spare me! Spare me! I have an eighty-year-old mother at home... Ugh—!"

The two attendants' desperate pleas for mercy came to an abrupt halt.

Several lesser demons grinned and dragged them to the center of the open space. Ignoring their pig-like screams and struggles, the gleaming demon blade flashed with a cold light!
"Pfft——!"

The sound of a sharp blade slicing open an abdomen was sickening. Blood gushed out like a fountain, splattering all over Tang Sanzang's head and face, who was standing not far away! Warm, salty liquid blurred his vision and flowed into his mouth.

He watched helplessly as his two followers, who had not long ago dreamed of fame and fortune, stared wide-eyed in utter despair, their internal organs ruthlessly ripped out. Their still-beating hearts were respectfully presented to Lord Xiongshan and Master Te by a little demon. Then, their limbs were chopped off, their torsos hacked to pieces, reduced to a jumble of indistinct, bloody fragments.

Half a round eyeball, complete with nerves and blood vessels, flew out in the chaos and landed right at Tang Sanzang's feet. The lifeless pupil seemed to still be staring at him.

"vomit--!"

Tang Sanzang's stomach churned violently, and he vomited, even bringing up bile. Extreme fear and nausea gripped him; he had never witnessed such a horrific, bloody, and soul-crushing scene. The hellish landscapes described in Buddhist scriptures seemed to have become a reality at that moment.

He trembled violently, like a leaf falling in the wind, and his devotion to Buddhism was shaken and cracked at that moment.

"Buddha! Buddha, save me! Guanyin Bodhisattva! Save me! Save them!"

He closed his eyes and screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice distorted by extreme fear.

However, there was no response. Only the excited howls of the demons in the cave, the crunching sound of chewing flesh and bones, and the dripping sound of blood falling.

Hidden in the rock face above the cave, five figures radiating a faint golden light and exuding a sacred aura coldly surveyed the bloody scene below. They were none other than the Five Directions Protectors, secretly tasked with protecting the pilgrims on their journey to the West.

The golden light around them was several times more solid than before, and their aura had clearly reached the Golden Immortal realm. This was the result of their cultivation level skyrocketing after the merits of their journey to the West began to be infused.

The three demon kings below—General Yin, Lord Xiongshan, and Master Te—are merely wild demons below the Heavenly Immortal realm. With the Five Directions Exorcists' current Golden Immortal cultivation, they could easily suppress and kill them, extinguishing this calamity.

But they didn't move.

The Golden-Headed Jiedi's eyes were indifferent, as if those being slaughtered below were not living beings, but merely ants. The Silver-Headed Jiedi even shook his head slightly, seemingly lamenting the fate of his two followers. The Polo Jiedi, on the other hand, exchanged whispers with the other two.

"This calamity was ordained by the Supreme Being, intended to eliminate these 'impurities' that are difficult to share the merits of and should not exist in the first place. Those two ordinary people are destined to die here to complete the calamity. Monk Lu... is also a variable that needs to be eliminated."

In Heaven, it has been agreed that Venus will come to "rescue" Tang Sanzang at the opportune moment, settling the karmic debts here and earning merit for saving the emperor. We only need to ensure Tang Sanzang's survival; the rest... we'll just have to wait and see.

And so, they remained unmoved, like cold metal and stone, watching their followers being disemboweled and their hearts ripped out, watching their flesh and blood being devoured, watching the terror and despair on Tang Sanzang's face.

This calamity was orchestrated by them, or rather, by the Western Paradise behind them.

The lives of the two attendants and the monk Lu were merely obstructive "eaters" to be eliminated in the face of the great pie of merit from the journey to the West.

"what--!!!"

Just then, a piercing scream filled with pain and rage rang out, even drowning out the clamor of the demons.

It's Monk Lu!

He witnessed two living people being tortured and devoured right before his eyes, and his heart was shattered with terror. But after the extreme fear subsided, it transformed into a burning rage! His eyes turned bloodshot, and the veins on his forehead bulged as he glared at the three demon kings who sat high above him, enjoying their blood feast. He roared with all his might.

"You beasts! You wretched creatures! We are here on the orders of Guanyin Bodhisattva to retrieve the scriptures from the Western Paradise! How dare you commit such cruelty! The Bodhisattva will never forgive you! The Buddha will never pardon you! Release him! Release the Imperial Brother!"

His roar sounded like a dying cry to the demons, which only drew laughter.

Attracted by his roar, Xiong Shanjun put down the half-eaten arm bone in his hand, stood up ferociously, and walked step by step to the bound monk Lu Heshang, a cruel smile on the black bear's face.

"Bodhisattva? Buddha? Heh heh, in this deep mountain forest, I am the Bodhisattva, I am the Buddha! You bald monk, you have quite a loud voice, but I wonder if your flesh is firm enough?"

As he spoke, he stretched out his thick, hairy arm and grabbed Lu Heshang's left arm, which was tied behind his back to the stone pillar.

"What are you doing?! Let go!"

Monk Lu struggled desperately, but couldn't budge him an inch. (End of Chapter)