Primordial Era: Starting by overwhelming the Sages, Hongjun was stunned!

Xuanzang took a deep breath and put his hands together in prayer:

"Amitabha."

"May I ask which benefactor is following this humble monk?"

"Could you please show yourself?"

silence.

No one answered.

Xuanzang waited a moment, then gently shook his head:

"If you're unwilling to show yourself, then so be it."

"This humble monk is on his way to the Western Paradise; the journey is long and arduous."

"If you are destined to meet me, we will meet again."

After saying that, he turned around and continued walking.

In the void not far behind him, Sun Wukong scratched his head:

"This monk is quite clever."

"They actually managed to sense me, Old Sun."

He grinned:

"Want to see me? You'll have to wait a few more years!"

Lingshan.

Great Thunder Temple.

The Buddha sat serenely on a lotus throne, his eyes slightly closed.

Below, Guanyin's hands are clasped together in prayer:

"Venerable One, Xuanzang has already left Chang'an."

The Buddha slowly opened his eyes:

"understood."

Guanyin said softly:

"That Sun Wukong..."

The Buddha raised his hand to stop her:

"No rush."

"He will come."

Guanyin was taken aback:

"Why is the Buddha so certain?"

The Buddha looked out of the hall, towards the direction of the Eastern Land:

"Because he is the protagonist destined by fate."

"Because that road was originally prepared for him."

"because......"

He paused, his gaze deep:

"The person behind it all not only saved him, but also got him to follow Xuanzang."

There must be a deeper meaning.

"We'll just wait."

Guanyin clasps her hands together in prayer:

"Your disciple obeys."

Liangjie Mountain.

This place was originally called Wuxing Mountain.

Five hundred years ago, Buddha struck down with his palm, which transformed into a towering mountain to suppress the monkey who had wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace.

Five hundred years later, the mountain has crumbled, and the monkey is gone.

All that remained were scattered rubble and a solitary earth god temple at the foot of the mountain.

Inside the temple, the Earth God huddled under the incense table, trembling.

Three days ago, the mountain suddenly exploded.

He witnessed a figure in a black robe descending from the sky.

I witnessed it with my own eyes: the Five Elements Mountain shattered with a single gesture from that person.

I witnessed with my own eyes the monkey that had been trapped for five hundred years burst out from the rubble and roared to the sky.

Then they left.

What remains is a shattered mountain and a terrified local deity.

The Earth God trembled and muttered to himself:

"It's over...it's over...If Buddha punishes me, I'm afraid I won't be able to save my old life..."

Just as I was muttering to myself.

suddenly.

Footsteps could be heard outside the temple.

The Earth God froze, then poked his head out from under the incense table.

A figure stood at the temple entrance.

The figure was dressed in a golden kasaya, holding a nine-ringed staff, with delicate features and a dignified appearance.

He was a monk.

Xuanzang.

He gazed at the broken mountain before him, his brow furrowed slightly.

"How could this place be like this?"

The Earth God stared blankly at him.

monk?

Where did this monk come from?

What are you doing in this desolate wilderness?

Xuanzang also saw him.

He put his hands together in prayer position:

"Amitabha."

"This humble monk is Tang Xuanzang, who comes from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East, and is on his way to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek scriptures."

"May I ask, sir, where is this place?"

The Earth God stared wide-eyed:

"You...you're going to the Western Paradise to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures?"

Xuanzang nodded:

"Exactly."

The Earth God opened his mouth, but couldn't speak for a long time.

This monk...

That's incredibly audacious!

With such delicate skin and frail flesh, and no strength to even kill a chicken, how dare you go to the Western Paradise?

But then he suddenly became excited.

The pilgrim!

This is the pilgrim on his journey to the West!

The pilgrims sent by Buddha to retrieve the scriptures!

He grabbed Xuanzang's sleeve:

"Master! You've come at the perfect time!"

"Minor deity...minor deity has important news to report!"

Xuanzang was taken aback:

"Please speak, sir."

The Earth God took a deep breath:

"Does the Venerable Master know what kind of mountain this is?"

Xuanzang shook his head.

Land justice:

"This mountain was originally called Five Elements Mountain!"

"Five hundred years ago, Buddha suppressed the Great Sage Equal to Heaven here!"

Xuanzang's eyes flickered slightly:

"The Monkey King?"

The Earth God nodded:

"It's that same monkey demon who wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago!"

"He was trapped under the mountain for five hundred years, and three days ago... he was rescued!"

Xuanzang frowned slightly:

"They've been rescued?"

The Earth God nodded vigorously:

"Yes! They've been rescued!"

"A man in black robes raised his hand, and the mountain shattered!"

"Then the demonic monkey charged out!"

Xuanzang remained silent.

The man in the black robe...

With a wave of his hand, the mountain shattered...

He recalled the faint, almost imperceptible gaze he had received yesterday.

He recalled the gaze that had always followed him from the shadows.

Could it be...?

Seeing that he remained silent, the Earth God said urgently:

"Master! That demon monkey is extremely ferocious!"

"Back then, he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, and even 100,000 heavenly soldiers couldn't stop him!"

"Now that they've been rescued, they're bound to cause trouble again!"

"If the monk encounters him on his journey to the Western Paradise..."

Xuanzang raised his hand to stop him:

"Don't worry, old man."

"This humble monk is going on this journey to obtain the scriptures and to save all sentient beings."

"If that demon monkey truly intends to harm people, this humble monk will preach the Dharma to him and convert him."

The Earth God was stunned.

Preaching and expounding the Dharma?

How to convert that demon monkey?

This monk...

Are you out of your mind?

Xuanzang put his hands together in prayer:

"Thank you for informing me, sir."

"This humble monk will now set off on my journey."

After saying that, he turned around and continued walking.

The Earth God watched his retreating figure and murmured to himself:

"They've gone mad...they've all gone mad..."

In the void.

Sun Wukong clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he couldn't stand up straight:

"Oh my god! This is hilarious!"

"That old man was so frightened his face turned pale!"

"You dare to preach and expound scriptures to enlighten me? Hahahaha!"

He laughed so hard he rolled around on the floor.

But as he was laughing, he suddenly stopped.

He watched the figure recede into the distance.

Looking at that calm yet resolute face.

A strange feeling suddenly welled up in my heart.

This monk...

It seems like they're really not afraid.

Knowing that he was the monkey demon who caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace, he was not afraid.

They also preach and expound the Dharma to themselves.

One must also cultivate oneself.

Sun Wukong scratched his head:

"This monk is really interesting."

far away.

Kong Xuan stood with his hands behind his back.

He gazed at Xuanzang's retreating figure, and at the monkey scratching its head in the void.

The corners of his mouth rose slightly.

The journey to the West has finally begun.

And he just watched.

As this grand drama unfolds, the curtain slowly rises.

Outside Liangjie Mountain, the sky gradually darkened.

Xuanzang walked slowly, but he never stopped.

When his monk's shoes wore out, he tore off a piece of his monk's robe and wrapped it around his feet.

When he ran out of the dry rations in his bundle, he picked some wild fruits to fill his stomach.

When thirsty, drink from mountain springs; when sleepy, lean against a tree and sleep.

Heading west.

On this day, they arrived at a mountain ridge.

The mountain ridge is covered with dense forests that block out the sun. When the mountain wind blows, the branches and leaves rustle, and the faint roars of beasts can be heard.

Xuanzang looked up at the sky.

The sun was already setting in the west; if we crossed this ridge, it would probably be dark by then.

But if they don't leave, they'll have to spend the night in this desolate wilderness.

He thought for a moment, then gripped the tin staff tightly:

"Let's go."

I lifted my foot and entered the mountain forest.

The forest was dark and gloomy.

The decaying leaves underfoot were soft and yielding, making no sound when stepped on.

Xuanzang walked cautiously, his eyes scanning his surroundings. Though a monk, he was not foolish. In such desolate mountains and wilderness, wolves, tigers, and leopards often roamed.

They walked for about half an hour.

suddenly.

A low growl came from ahead.

Xuanzang paused in his steps.

I looked up.

Thirty paces away, on a blue stone, crouched a striped tiger.

The tiger was enormous, with glossy fur and a pair of eyes that gleamed with an eerie light, staring intently at him.