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

He roared out the last sentence with all his might, his voice piercing through the clouds and filled with endless grief and accusation!

The Golden-Headed Jiedi's heart skipped a beat, as if his deepest secret had been exposed. His solemn mask almost crumbled, and a flicker of panic, unnoticed even by himself, flashed in his eyes. But he quickly regained his composure, forcibly suppressing the discomfort, and his face returned to one of compassion and solemnity, his voice taking on a distant and ethereal quality, like that of the Buddha preaching.

"Amitabha. Tang Sanzang, you have suffered. We are the Five Directions Protectors under the Buddha of the Great Thunder Temple in the Western Paradise. It is only because your nature is pure and bright that the demons dared not eat you immediately."

The demons here were all transformed from mountain spirits and tree demons, destined to face this calamity, a necessary trial on your journey west. Now that the calamity has passed and the demons have been vanquished, you should rest well and recuperate. In the future, devote yourself to worshipping Buddha and diligently seeking the scriptures; you will surely have the protection and assistance of all the gods and Buddhas.”

As he spoke, he waved his hand to untie the ropes binding Tang Sanzang, and then emitted a gentle Buddhist light to temporarily stop the bleeding from his severed finger, but did not allow the finger to regenerate—in his view, such injury was perhaps part of the ordeal, and he would have to understand it himself or seek the true scriptures to find the solution in the future.

Having done all this, the Golden-Headed Guardian felt he had done his utmost and his explanation was "reasonable" enough, so he did not wish to linger any longer.

Tang Sanzang's gaze and questioning made him feel somewhat uncomfortable, even vaguely uneasy. He just wanted to leave as soon as possible, report the situation here, and by the way... ask that damned Venus why he broke his promise!
"Take care of yourself and have a safe journey ahead."

After speaking, the Golden-Headed Jiedi turned around and was about to leave in golden light along with the other four Jiedi.

However, the moment he turned around, a blood-stained, cold, trembling, yet unusually forceful hand suddenly reached out from behind and grabbed his gleaming gold collar!
"stop!!!"

Tang Sanzang had somehow managed to break free of the remaining ropes and stood up unsteadily. His left hand, where it was missing, was enveloped in a faint, hemostatic Buddhist light, while his right hand gripped the Golden-Headed Jiedi like an iron clamp.

His face was still wet with blood and tears, and new tears mixed with the previous stains slid down again, but the madness and coldness in his eyes were even more terrifying.

"Western Paradise...Five Directions Protectors...Hehe...Hahaha!"

Tang Sanzang laughed, but his laughter was more unpleasant than crying, full of madness and mockery.

"What a fine 'protection from all the gods and Buddhas'! What a fine 'inevitable tribulation'! Where were the gods and Buddhas when my brothers died tragically?! Where were the protectors when my followers were devoured alive?! You...you immortals and Buddhas who claim to be compassionate and protect the Three Realms...is this how you 'protect' them?!"
It's like secretly watching innocent people die tragically, only to emerge at the very end to clean up the mess, and then putting on a savior's act?!

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his grip becoming incredibly strong, almost tearing the sacred collar of the Golden-Headed Jiedi. He exuded an extremely unstable aura, a mixture of grief, despair, and a certain dark and violent energy, with faint black energy swirling deep in his eyes—a sign that his latent demonic nature was beginning to show uncontrollably after being stimulated to the extreme!

"What nonsense are you talking about! Let go of me!"

The Golden-Headed Jiedi was truly panicked. It wasn't that he feared Tang Sanzang could harm him, but rather his current state, his accusations that were piercingly pointed, and even more so, his eyes burning with demonic flames, seemingly able to see through parts of the truth! He instinctively felt that he couldn't let Tang Sanzang continue, nor could he afford to entangle himself with him any longer! He had to leave immediately!

"We were merely passing through this place when we sensed demonic energy, which is why we took action! We acted out of a sense of justice, how dare you make unfounded speculations and slander gods and Buddhas here!"

The Golden-Headed Jiedi shouted fiercely but was actually weak inside. At the same time, his body shone with Buddhist light, and a gentle yet irresistible force surged out, easily shaking off Tang Sanzang's tightly gripping hand.

Tang Sanzang was so shocked that he stumbled back a few steps and fell to the ground. He looked up at the Golden-Headed Jiedi, who was suspended in mid-air, surrounded by Buddhist light, but appeared somewhat flustered and disheveled. The flames in his eyes gradually subsided, turning into a bottomless, cold darkness.

He stopped roaring and stared intently at Jin Tou Jie Di with that look in his eyes, as if he wanted to etch his image, along with everything he had seen that day, into the deepest part of his soul.

The Golden-Headed Jiedi felt uneasy under his gaze and dared not linger any longer. He hurriedly addressed the other four Jiedi, who also looked somewhat uneasy.

"Now that this matter is settled, let's go!"

After saying that, five golden rays shot into the sky, shattering the cave ceiling and disappearing without a trace, leaving only the lingering scent of sandalwood in the air and the monk on the ground with a bloodied finger and a lifeless gaze.

Amidst the golden light, the Golden-Headed Jiedi's face turned ashen, and he cursed inwardly.

"Damn Venus! You were supposed to clean up the mess, earn the credit for saving the emperor, and appease Tang Sanzang, so why are you so late?! You forced us to show ourselves and caused us all this trouble! That Tang Sanzang... he's a complete madman! What bad luck! Now we've done nothing but save people and instead of getting any credit, we're being resented! This Journey to the West is truly a nightmare!"

Just as the tragedy occurred in the cave below, and the Five Directions Protectors hastily intervened and then fled in disarray, far above in the heavens, at the edge of auspicious clouds, a completely different scene unfolded.

Venus, with his white hair and beard, exuding an otherworldly air, stood side by side with a man, leisurely gazing at the faint outline of the mountains below. Surprisingly, both of them held handfuls of spiritually potent melon seeds, which they were happily cracking open, while a small jade dish filled with melon seed shells rested on the clouds beneath their feet.

Standing side by side with Venus is Lin Zhu, who has just managed to escape from the gentle yet suffocating "cage" of Kunlun Mountain.

His face was still slightly pale, and there was a hint of weariness deep in his eyes, but his breathing was generally steady. However, there was a faint aura of coldness and aloofness surrounding him, as if he had not yet completely recovered from the "torture" and aura of the four fairies from Kunlun Mountain.

"Tsk, young friend Lin, it's really thanks to your timely reminder."

Venus spat out a piece of melon seed shell, looked down, and said with lingering fear and relief.

"If you hadn't stopped me, I would be the one being glared at by that Tang Monk with those cannibalistic eyes, unable to defend myself! The scene... tsk tsk, I could feel the Golden-Headed Jiedi's frustrated and panicked look even from this distance, hahaha!"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but laugh, completely losing his usual solemn demeanor.

Lin Zhu also cracked open a melon seed, but his movements seemed somewhat absent-minded, as if part of his mind was still in the cloud-shrouded palace of Kunlun Mountain.

He glanced down and said calmly.

"Senior Venus, you're too kind. I just happened to arrive and saw that Tang Sanzang's followers and brothers had been devoured by the demons. I knew that this was the Western Paradise deliberately using demons to remove those 'impurities' around him who shouldn't exist and couldn't share the merit of the journey to the West. If you had gone down then, you could have saved Tang Sanzang, killed the demons, and earned some merit, but you would have inevitably faced Tang Sanzang's overwhelming anger and questioning of 'why did you stand by and watch him die?'"

He was in turmoil, on the verge of collapse, his demonic nature surfacing; he wouldn't care whether you were following orders or had your own reasons.

Venus nodded repeatedly, deeply agreeing.

"Excellent, excellent! Young friend, you see things very clearly! At first, I thought that being ordered to save the emperor was a wonderful job, and I could even get a good reputation in front of Buddha and the Jade Emperor. Now that I think about it, I'm really scared."

This Tang Sanzang… after this ordeal, his character will likely undergo a complete transformation. Look at the way he questioned the Golden-Headed Guardian just now—where was the trace of a devout and gentle monk? He was practically…like a ferocious beast driven to the brink of destruction, ready to devour its prey!

As he spoke, he pointed towards the cave below. Although separated by clouds and distance, with their cultivation levels, they could clearly perceive everything that had just happened inside the cave, including Tang Sanzang's cold questioning, his frantic pulling, and the Golden-Headed Jiedi's final panicked escape.

"Young friend, what should we do next?"

Venus put away his joking expression and looked at Lin Zhu with a questioning look in his eyes.

He knew that although the young man in front of him did not seem to have the highest level of cultivation, he had a mysterious background, extraordinary experiences, and was inextricably linked to this grand plan of the Journey to the West. His insights and judgments were often unexpected.

Lin Zhu placed the remaining melon seeds in the jade dish, clapped his hands to brush away the non-existent crumbs, shifted his gaze from below to the more distant western horizon, and said calmly.

"Senior Venus may return to Heaven and inform His Majesty that since I have already intervened in the Journey to the West, I will keep an eye on things. Tang Sanzang's tribulations here have passed, and although he harbors resentment, he has no choice but to continue his journey to the West. As for the rest... I have my own plans."

Upon hearing this, Venus's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He stroked his long beard, nodded, and smiled.

"In that case, I will not ask any further questions. With your words, young friend, His Majesty should be at ease. I will now return to report."

He knew that Lin Zhu was involved in a lot of things, and there were some things he couldn't ask too much about. Since the other party promised to handle it, that was the best outcome.

After saying this, Venus bowed to Lin Zhu, and auspicious clouds gathered beneath his feet, transforming into a gentle breeze. A magnificent white crane with a crimson head appeared out of thin air, let out a long cry, and carried him gracefully towards the South Heavenly Gate in the Ninth Heaven, disappearing into the depths of the sea of ​​clouds in the blink of an eye.

Lin Zhu stood alone atop the cloud, glancing once more down at the desolate cave below, and at the figure of the monk slumped to the ground outside the cave, seemingly devoid of all life.

His face showed neither joy nor sorrow. He seemed unmoved by Tang Sanzang's overwhelming resentment, shattered faith, and burgeoning demonic nature, and had no intention of going down to comfort or persuade him.

"The calamity is already set, and people's hearts will change. The journey to the West... has only just begun."

He muttered something to himself in a detached tone.

Immediately, he stopped and turned around, riding a streak of light that was inconspicuous yet incredibly fast, heading straight into the depths of Xiniu Hezhou, towards the next predetermined location—the Five Elements Mountain.

Five Elements Mountain, also known as Two Realms Mountain, is not particularly rugged or precipitous, yet it exudes a heavy and desolate aura that suppresses everything. This mountain was not naturally formed; rather, it was created five hundred years ago by the Buddha Tathagata, who, with boundless Buddhist power, extended a palm. His five fingers transformed into five connected peaks, and the lines of his palm became mountain streams and ravines. The place suppressed in his palm was none other than Sun Wukong, who once stirred up chaos in the Heavenly Court and was known as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!
Within this mountain lies the Buddha's lifelong Buddhist cultivation and suppressive intent, constantly emanating a power that erodes willpower and dismantles rebellious spirit, like the finest sandpaper, attempting to smooth out the sharp edges and ruthlessness of the suppressor within the mountain from the inside, so that it submits from the heart and converts to Buddhism.

The Buddha's original intention was to let this naturally born, unruly, and intelligent stone monkey, in the absolute solitude and the weariness of Buddhism over the past five hundred years, feel his own insignificance and the boundless nature of Buddhism, and finally submit from the inside out, willingly becoming a protector for the pilgrims, traveling the 108,000 li journey to atone for his past sins and to fulfill the great plan of spreading Buddhism to the East.

However, at this moment, Sun Wukong, who was pressed to the bottom of the mountain with only his furry head and a right arm that could barely move showing, did not have his once bright and powerful eyes become dim, subdued or confused as the Buddha had wished.

Five hundred years passed, the life at the foot of the mountain was monotonous and repetitive, with only the wind and rain. The ever-present erosive power of Buddhist teachings within the mountain was indeed like a trickle, trying to erode his will. But for Sun Wukong, this power seemed to have become another "whetstone".

When he was first suppressed, he roared in anger and struggled relentlessly, like a trapped, raging beast, full of youthful impulsiveness and reckless rage. But five hundred years is too long, long enough for the most intense anger to subside and for the most impulsive recklessness to be replaced by reflection.

He was unable to break free from the Five Finger Mountain imbued with the Buddha's power—that was a fact. But through repeated silent struggles and endurance, he began to truly examine his own strength, review his past gains and losses, contemplate the rules of heaven and earth, and even... try to perceive the Buddhist aura that was constantly trying to penetrate and change him.

His eyes were no longer as dazzling and sharp as they had been five hundred years ago. Instead, they had become much more restrained, settling into a deeper, darker gold, like metal that had been tempered by the fires of the earth and buried deep underground, waiting to see the light of day again.

The hothead of yesteryear, after five hundred years of solitary "facing the wall" and invisible "tempering," did not lose his ferocity. Instead, it was deeply suppressed into the deepest recesses of his eyes, transforming into a calmer, more resilient, and even more terrifying killing intent and determination.

He is like a peerless, deadly sword sheathed in an ancient scabbard, its edge still sharp, its cold light concealed, waiting only for the right moment to suddenly unleash its power and shake the world!

He already had a clear plan in mind.

The plan wasn't about how to immediately break free from this trap—he had tried countless times and knew that brute force wouldn't work.

He was waiting, waiting for the "pilgrim" that Buddha had destined to come, waiting for the "cooperator" who could unveil the Buddhist scroll on the mountaintop and release him.

He needs freedom, he needs the promised "fruition," and even more so... a chance to completely settle certain karmic debts and reclaim certain things.

Five hundred years of silence and reflection have made him understand many things and let go of many unnecessary attachments, but some things, like a brand, have become clearer and clearer.

As he stood at the foot of the mountain, silently circulating the demonic power within his body—power that had been suppressed for five hundred years yet had become even more concentrated and pure—and meticulously refining every detail of his plan, a gentle breeze rustled through the mountain grasses, carrying with it a sound from afar. (End of Chapter)