Primordial Era: A brick knocks Hongyun unconscious, and he seizes the throne at the start.

The Liusha River, with its turbid waves reaching the sky.

General Sha Wujing, now known as Sha Wujing, was chained to a rock at the bottom of the river. The necklace made of seven skulls on his chest swayed with the water, making a hollow clanging sound.

Every seven days, the pain of the flying sword piercing his chest would arrive as scheduled, causing him to roar and writhe, stirring up the entire Flowing Sand River.

But today, just as the flying sword reached his chest, the dusty "Soul-Stabilizing Talisman" in his arms began to heat up slightly. A gentle yet resilient power protected his heart meridian, reducing the piercing pain by 70%.

Although the pain was still unbearable, it was no longer to the point of losing consciousness.

"The talisman bestowed by the immortal is indeed miraculous..." Sha Wujing gritted his teeth and endured, his gratitude towards the mysterious Taoist (Lu Chen) growing even stronger.

When the pain subsided slightly, he looked down at the seven skulls on his chest. These were the skulls of Jin Chanzi's previous seven incarnations. For each incarnation he devoured, the Buddhist sect would "reward" him with one skull, stringing them together into a necklace. It was both a "merit" and a mark of shame.

"Jin Chanzi... I'm sorry." Sha Wujing smiled bitterly, "I was forced into this situation."

Suddenly, a whooshing sound came from the river. Sha Wujing looked up and saw a cloud of auspiciousness descend, and Guanyin Bodhisattva, holding a jade vase and standing on a lotus platform, appeared on the water.

"General Curtain Roller," Guanyin's voice was gentle yet carried an undeniable authority, "You have been subjected to torture here for hundreds of years. Have you ever repented?"

Sha Wujing struggled to kneel down (despite being chained): "Bodhisattva! Your disciple knows his mistake! I beg the Bodhisattva for mercy to save your disciple from this sea of ​​suffering!"

"You broke the glass cup, offending the Emperor's countenance; this sin is difficult to atone for," Guanyin said. "However, considering your past merits, the Buddha, in his compassion, grants you a glimmer of hope. Soon, a pilgrim from the East will pass through this place, and you must protect them on their westward journey to atone for your sins. Once your merits are complete, you can attain the golden body of an Arhat, and returning to the Heavenly Court will not be difficult."

Sha Wujing sneered inwardly, but feigned a tearful expression of gratitude: "This disciple is willing! This disciple will certainly do everything in my power to protect the pilgrims!"

"Good." Guanyin nodded, flicked her finger, and a beam of Buddhist light entered Sha Wujing's brow. "This is the basic chapter of the Arhat Subduing Demon Skill. Practice it well and do not harm passersby again."

After transmitting the Dharma, Guanyin glanced at the seven skulls on his chest, her eyes slightly deep, but she said nothing more and rode away on a cloud.

After Guanyin had gone far away, Sha Wujing straightened up and touched his brow. The "Arhat Subduing Demon Skill" could indeed help him control his demonic nature, but it also contained the power of Buddhist salvation. If it weren't for the "Soul-Stabilizing Talisman" protecting him, he might have truly become a loyal dog of Buddhism as he practiced it.

"The immortal is incredibly insightful..." he murmured.

Just then, the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman in his bosom heated up again, and Lu Chen's voice entered his mind:

"Sha Wujing, do you want to know the truth about the glass lamp from back then?"

Sha Wujing trembled: "Please speak, Immortal Master!"

"Concentrate and watch me cast my spell."

A beam of gray light shot out from the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman, transforming into a water mirror in the air. The image within the mirror shifted, revealing the Lingxiao Palace from hundreds of years ago, on the day of the Peach Banquet—

Celestial music filled the hall as the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother sat solemnly, surrounded by immortals and deities exchanging toasts. The Curtain-Rolling General (Sha Wujing) held a crystal goblet, pouring wine for the Jade Emperor. This goblet, crystal clear, was a gift from the Western Paradise, known as the "Eight Treasures Crystal Goblet," capable of purifying impurities in wine and enhancing its exquisite flavor.

Just as Sha Wujing filled the cup to seven-tenths full, a barely perceptible wisp of pale golden Buddhist power seeped out from an extremely tiny crack in the base of the glass cup. This Buddhist power, upon contact with the wine in the cup, instantly triggered a subtle surge of spiritual energy!

"Snap!"

Without warning, the glass cup shattered, spilling the nectar all over the Jade Emperor!

The scene freezes on the moment when the Jade Emperor is furious, the immortals are astonished, and Sha Wujing is bewildered.

"This...this is!" Sha Wujing's eyes widened in horror. "That glass lamp...it was tampered with long ago?!"

"Indeed." Lu Chen's voice was calm. "This cup was a gift from the Buddhist sect, and a secret mark was embedded during its forging. When you poured wine for the Jade Emperor at the Peach Banquet, a Buddhist monk (actually a hidden Arhat incarnation) lurking in the hall secretly activated Buddhist power, triggering the mark and causing the cup to crack on its own. Thus, your crime of 'accidentally breaking a gift from the emperor' is confirmed."

Sha Wujing gritted his teeth, and the seven-skull necklace around his neck moved without wind, emanating an aura of resentment.

"Why...why did you choose me?!"

"Because you are a close advisor to the Jade Emperor, loyal and upright, yet you do not belong to any faction, making you the most suitable 'pawn'," Lu Chen said. "Breaking the glass lamp angered the Jade Emperor, you were banished to the mortal realm, suffered in the Flowing Sand River, and then devoured nine lifetimes of Jin Chanzi, deepening your sins and karma... In this way, when the pilgrims arrive, Buddhism will come to 'save' you, and you will be completely devoted, becoming the most 'grateful' member of the pilgrimage team."

What a deep scheming! What a vicious plot!

Sha Wujing roared to the sky, his voice shaking the Flowing Sand River and startling the fish and shrimp into fleeing. The seven skulls on his chest emitted a ghostly light, as if they were resonating with each other.

"Jin Chanzi... so it turns out we were both just pawns!" He grinned bitterly at the skull. "Rest assured, this grudge... I, Sha Wujing, will remember it!"

After a long while, he calmed down and respectfully said to the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman, "Immortal Master, Wujing understands. From now on, I will obey your instructions!"

"Alright," Lu Chen said. "You should stay here and cultivate quietly. When the pilgrims arrive, act according to the plan. Remember, be outwardly obedient, but secretly gather your strength. When the time is right, I will help you break free of your shackles and seek justice."

"Wujing... I obey!"

Sha Wujing sat cross-legged at the bottom of the river, circulating the "Arhat Subduing Demon Skill," but secretly used the power of the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman to divert the Buddhist power of salvation to the side, absorbing only the methods for tempering the physical body.

Under the gray light of the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman, the seven skulls on his chest slowly absorbed the Yin energy from the Flowing Sand River, undergoing some unknown change...

Inside the bricks of the chaotic world.

Lu Chen withdrew his divine sense and looked at another water mirror.

The mirror reflected the Western Sea, its waves surging. Ao Lie, the third prince of the Western Sea Dragon King, was bound to the Dragon-Slaying Platform and about to be executed for the crime of "setting fire to the bright pearl in the palace."

"Little White Dragon, it's time for you to make your appearance."

With a flicker of his figure, he used brick magic to head towards the West Sea.

The Journey to the West team is almost complete.

And this mastermind is tirelessly and quietly revising the script for each "actor".