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

Outside Chang'an City, there is a ten-mile-long pavilion.

Banners fluttered and drums resounded. Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, personally led civil and military officials to see off Xuanzang, the pilgrim on his journey to the West.

Xuanzang, draped in a brocade robe and holding a nine-ringed staff, stood with a serene expression. Beside him stood two people—on the left was an "old monk" who was an incarnation of Guanyin Bodhisattva, and on the right was Lu Chen disguised as "Qingfeng Daoist".

"My lord, your journey to the Western Paradise is long and fraught with peril," Li Shimin said, raising a toast in farewell. "I wish to become sworn brothers with you; from this day forward, the Tang Dynasty will be your stronghold!"

Xuanzang bowed and accepted the wine cup: "Your Majesty's kindness is something I could never repay even with my life. I will definitely retrieve the true scriptures and bring peace and prosperity to our Great Tang Dynasty."

The emperor and his ministers drank together, a touching scene.

Guanyin watched from the sidelines, but in her heart she was considering something else: According to the original plan, the pilgrims' first stop after leaving Chang'an, "Shuangcha Ridge," should have been their first ordeal—the three demons, General Yin, Lord Xiongshan, and Master Te, would block their path, devour Xuanzang and his entourage, and then Venus would come to their rescue. This would both highlight the danger of the calamity and demonstrate the Heavenly Court's assistance.

As she was secretly sending messages and arranging for the three demons to prepare, she suddenly heard Lu Chen (Qingfeng Daoist) speak:

"Your Majesty, as the Protector and Inspector of the Way, it is my duty to clear the way for the Holy Monk. I have heard that there is a demonic aura lingering in the Shuangcha Ridge area recently. Perhaps I could go ahead and investigate to eliminate the hidden dangers, so that the Holy Monk can travel with peace of mind."

Li Shimin was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Daoist Master, you are very thoughtful! If this can be done, I will be even more at ease."

Guanyin's face stiffened, and she hurriedly said, "Amitabha. The hardships on the journey to the West are all trials ordained by Heaven. If we clear them away beforehand, it might be against our will..."

"Alas, Bodhisattva, you are mistaken," Lu Chen interrupted with a smile. "The Holy Monk is but a mortal. If he were to encounter great danger at the very beginning, what if something went wrong? Wouldn't that jeopardize the great journey to obtain the scriptures? A gradual approach is the right way. It's not too late to face the test when the Holy Monk has gradually improved."

These words were perfectly worded, and Li Shimin nodded repeatedly: "The Daoist Master's considerations are thorough!"

Guanyin was speechless and could only watch helplessly as Lu Chen rode away in his escape light towards Shuangcha Ridge.

Shuangchaling is located in the foothills of the Qinling Mountains and has a steep terrain.

The three demons, General Yin (Tiger Spirit), Lord Xiongshan (Bear Spirit), and Master Te (Wild Ox Spirit), had already received a secret message from Guanyin and were currently grinding their teeth and claws in the cave, waiting for the "Holy Monk's Flesh" to come to their door.

"I heard that Tang Sanzang is the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, and eating a piece of his flesh can grant immortality!" General Yin licked his sharp teeth, drool dripping from his mouth.

"The Bodhisattva said to only eat the servants and not harm Tang Sanzang's life," Xiong Shanjun said in a muffled voice. "We'll retreat once Venus comes to our rescue."

Just then, a soft laugh suddenly came from outside the cave:

"Gentlemen, have you been waiting long?"

The three demons were shocked and rushed out of the cave. They saw a Taoist priest in a green robe hovering in mid-air, carrying a dusty brick on his shoulder, with a warm smile.

"Who are you?!" General Yin shouted angrily.

"I, Qingfeng, have come to offer you three a stroke of good fortune." Lu Chen landed, patted the brick in his hand, and said, "I've heard that you three are living a hard life as mountain kings here. I have a good job for you—three thousand miles to the west, there is a place called 'Valley of Ten Thousand Demons,' which is in need of a few demon generals to guard the mountain. The spiritual energy there is abundant, the blood and food are plentiful, and there is also the inheritance of ancient demon magic. If you three are willing to go, I can make an introduction."

The three demons looked at each other in bewilderment. The Valley of Ten Thousand Demons? Never heard of it.

"We are here on the orders of the Bodhisattva to wait for the pilgrims. How can we leave without permission?" the special official warned.

"Bodhisattva?" Lu Chen raised an eyebrow. "Which Bodhisattva? Is it Guanyin?"

The three demons' expressions changed slightly, and they dared not answer.

Lu Chen smiled knowingly, then gestured with his hand, revealing three hazy gray pills in his palm: "These are 'Transformation and Essence-Consolidating Pills,' which will help the three of you completely solidify your human forms, eliminating any risk of demonic energy leakage. If you wish to go to the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons, these pills will serve as a gift. If not…"

He shrugged the brick on his shoulder; its surface swirled with chaotic patterns, and an aura of pressure that sent shivers down the spines of the three demons emanated from it: "This humble Taoist has no choice but to 'ask' the three of you to move to another spot."

The three demons trembled violently. The Taoist's aura was unfathomable, and that brick was even more terrifying; a mere touch would likely obliterate them completely!

"Go! We'll go!" General Yin was the first to yield, accepting the pills. "But... how do we explain this to the Bodhisattva?"

"Simple." Lu Chen flicked his finger, and three streams of chaotic energy entered the three demons' bodies. "This energy can simulate your aura and demonic power fluctuations, leaving an illusion here. When the pilgrims pass by, the illusion will stage an 'attack' scene, guaranteed to be indistinguishable from the real thing, even the Bodhisattva won't be able to see through it."

The three demons were both surprised and delighted. This Taoist priest had extraordinary abilities, and following him seemed to offer a better future than listening to the Bodhisattva's arrangements!

The three demons immediately took the pills, and their demonic energy was completely suppressed, transforming them into three burly men. Lu Chen opened a temporary chaotic passage and sent them to the real "Valley of Ten Thousand Demons"—actually a space within the Chaos World bricks, which he had long since transformed into a paradise for demons, and which had already taken in many "destined" demons.

After seeing the three demons off, Lu Chen set up an illusion array at Shuangcha Ridge to ensure everything was foolproof before returning to Chang'an.

Three days later, Xuanzang officially set off.

As Guanyin watched Xuanzang depart with only two servants and a white horse (transformed from Ao Lie), a sense of unease crept into her heart. She secretly sensed the direction of Shuangcha Ridge, only to find that the demonic aura still lingered, and the three demons' auras remained stable, as if everything was normal.

"Perhaps that Daoist Qingfeng failed to eliminate the hidden dangers?" Guanyin thought to herself. "Very well, let Tang Sanzang undergo a trial first to dampen his arrogance."

Xuanzang and his party slowly traveled westward, arriving at Shuangcha Ridge several days later.

Miasma swirled on the ridge, ancient trees reaching for the sky. As we walked, suddenly a tiger's roar echoed, and a fierce wind arose! A piercing-eyed, white-browed tiger leaped out, blocking our path!

"Monster! Protect the holy monk!" Two servants drew their swords to protect their master.

The tiger, however, was merely bluffing. It pounced a few times but was repelled by the servant's sword. It roared and fled into the forest. Soon after, a bear and an ox appeared, but they were all bark and no bite, and after a brief struggle, they retreated.

The whole process was thrilling but ultimately safe.

Xuanzang, still shaken, asked, "This...this is a demon?"

Lu Chen (Qingfeng Daoren) stroked his beard and laughed, "The Holy Monk is blessed with boundless good fortune; demons dare not approach him. It seems that on this journey to the West, we are protected by gods and Buddhas."

Xuanzang clasped his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name, but a trace of doubt flashed through his mind—those three demons, why did they seem somewhat...unrealistic?

In the distance, amidst the clouds, Guanyin watched this scene with a furrowed brow.

Something is wrong!

How could the three demons be so incompetent? They couldn't even defeat two mortals? She secretly activated her magic to investigate, but sensed that the demonic energy at Shuangcha Ridge remained, while the energy within the three demons' cave was stable, as if they were recuperating.

"Could it be that these three demons are only paying lip service and not giving their all?" Guanyin thought angrily. "Once this matter is resolved, they must be severely punished!"

Just as she was about to reprimand him telepathically, she saw Venus arrive on a cloud—according to the plan, he should appear to save the day at this moment.

"Holy Monk, you have been frightened!" Venus descended from the clouds, beaming. "I have come to assist you on the orders of the Jade Emperor. Those three demons have been scared away by me, Holy Monk, you may proceed with peace of mind."

Xuanzang quickly bowed and thanked him.

Guanyin watched from the clouds, her mind filled with doubts, yet she couldn't find any fault with it. Everything seemed to be proceeding according to plan, but... it was too smooth, eerily smooth.

She looked at Lu Chen and saw that "Qingfeng Daoren" was chatting and laughing with Taibai Jinxing, as if it were a chance encounter.

"What exactly did Qingfeng do?" Guanyin's eyes grew cold.

Meanwhile, inside the Chaos World brick.

General Yin and his three demons were lying by the spiritual spring, eating fresh fruit and drinking honey wine, feeling extremely comfortable.

"Brother, this place is a hundred times better than Shuangcha Ridge!" Xiong Shanjun mumbled, munching on a spirit peach.

"That Taoist priest is truly a master!" exclaimed Master Te. "If I had known such a place existed, who would have listened to the Bodhisattva's dictates?"

General Yin gazed at the sky above the brick-inlaid world and suddenly asked, "You tell me... what exactly is the Taoist priest after going to all this trouble to bring us here?"

The three demons remained silent.

After a long silence, Xiong Shanjun said in a deep voice, "Who cares what he's after? It's better than being a pawn. This Taoist priest... at least treats us like 'human beings'."

The first difficulty of Shuangcha Ridge was thus passed "without incident or danger".

The pilgrimage team continued westward, and ahead lay the Two Realms Mountain—the Five Elements Mountain.

Lu Chen followed beside Xuanzang, looking at the majestic mountain in the distance, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Monkey, get ready."

"Your scene is almost here."