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

Xuanzang reined in his horse and stopped in front of Liangjie Mountain.

The mountain was majestic and precipitous, with a golden Buddhist scroll gleaming on its summit. From the foot of the mountain came roars that shook the earth.

"Buddha! I, Old Sun, refuse to submit! Let me out—"

The voice was arrogant and fierce, frightening Xuanzang so much that his face turned pale: "Master Qingfeng, what... is pressed down beneath this mountain?"

Lu Chen (Qingfeng Daoren) stroked his beard and said, "Holy Monk, do not be afraid. I have heard that five hundred years ago, a demon monkey caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace and was suppressed here by the Buddha, and has not come out since. That Buddhist scroll is the seal left by the Buddha."

Before the words were finished, the voice from the bottom of the mountain suddenly changed:

"Huh? There's a living presence here! Could it be a monk from the East?"

Xuanzang was startled, but mustered his courage and said, "This humble monk is Xuanzang, sent on a journey to the west to retrieve Buddhist scriptures by imperial decree. You...you are the Great Sage Equal to Heaven who wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace?"

"It is indeed me, Old Sun!" The voice from the bottom of the mountain sang with pride. "Monk, since you are a pilgrim on the journey to the West, would you be willing to rescue me? I, Old Sun, will guarantee your safe journey!"

Xuanzang hesitated and looked at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen said in a low voice, "Holy Monk, although this monkey has caused trouble in the past, it has been suppressed for five hundred years and may have repented. The journey to the west is long, and it would be fortunate to have such a powerful protector."

Xuanzang pondered for a moment, then, moved by compassion, nodded and said, "If you are willing to sincerely turn to Buddhism and protect me on my journey to the West, this humble monk is willing to save you."

"Yes! Yes!" came the urgent voice from the foot of the mountain. "The holy monk only needs to remove the Buddhist scroll from the mountaintop, and I can come out!"

Xuanzang followed the instructions and climbed the mountain, trembling as he peeled off the Buddhist scroll.

"BOOM—!!"

The mountains crumbled and the earth split open! Amidst the flying rocks, a golden light shot into the sky, landing on the ground and transforming into a golden-haired monkey—it was none other than Sun Wukong!

However, he deliberately concealed his aura at this moment, only revealing the cultivation level of the early stage of Taiyi Golden Immortal. His Golden Eyes and Fiery Eyes were also simulated in a somewhat "unrealistic" way, making him look like he had been suppressed for five hundred years and was severely injured.

"Disciple Sun Wukong greets Master!" He bowed deeply, but a sly glint flashed in his eyes—this was a scene he had rehearsed with his master (Lu Chen) for a long time.

Xuanzang hurriedly helped him up: "No need for formalities. From now on, you will be my eldest disciple, with the Dharma name... Wukong."

"Thank you, Master!" Sun Wukong chuckled and winked at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen nodded slightly and transmitted his voice, "Well done. Next stop, Gao Village."

The group of master and disciples continued their journey westward. Although Sun Wukong was "not fully recovered," he still managed to drive away tigers and wolves along the way, which allowed Xuanzang to witness his supernatural powers and put his mind at ease.

Several days later, they arrived at the territory of Gao Laozhuang.

The village was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, but it was not a joyous occasion; instead, everyone's face was filled with sorrow. Upon inquiring, it was learned that the Gao family had taken in a son-in-law who was initially diligent and capable, but later revealed his true form as a monster with a pig's head and a human body. Now, he had taken Miss Gao as his own, causing unrest throughout the village.

"Wukong, now that you've entered the Buddhist order, you should do good deeds," Xuanzang said. "Go and subdue that monster and rescue Miss Gao."

Sun Wukong scratched his head: "Master, I, Old Sun, have been imprisoned for five hundred years, and my magical powers have not recovered. I'm afraid..."

"It's alright," Lu Chen interjected. "This humble Taoist will go with the Holy Monk and assist him with his Taoist magic."

Xuanzang nodded gratefully.

The group arrived at the Gao family's residence. Old Master Gao lamented, "That monster called himself Zhu Ganglie (Pigsy), and possessed immense strength! I've invited countless Taoist priests and monks, but none of them could defeat him!"

Just then, a muffled roar came from the backyard: "Who dares to make a sound?!"

A black wind swept by, and a fat man with a dark face, carrying a nine-toothed rake, leaped out. It was none other than Zhu Ganglie (Zhu Bajie)! At this moment, he revealed his pig appearance, with his tusks protruding and his aura fierce.

Sun Wukong roared and drew his golden cudgel: "Monster! Take this from me!"

Pigsy waved his rake to greet them.

"clang--!!"

Their weapons clashed, sparks flying! The two men each took three steps back, their strength evenly matched!

Sun Wukong exclaimed in surprise, "What a monster! It has some strength!"

Pigsy's booming voice: "You monkey aren't bad either!"

The two fought fiercely, battling from inside the village to outside, the sound of their golden cudgel clashing against their nine-toothed rake deafening. The villagers of Gao Village watched in stunned silence.

Lu Chen, watching from the sidelines, secretly transmitted his voice:

"Bajie, according to the plan, after a hundred rounds of fighting, he will gradually become exhausted."

"Monkey, watch your step, don't really hurt Pigsy."

The two fought fiercely on the field, but in reality, they were both holding back. The golden cudgel looked powerful, but when it landed on the rake, it was like a dragonfly skimming the water; the nine-toothed rake was wielded with great force, but it always "devied" by the slightest bit at the crucial moment.

After eighty rounds of fighting, Zhu Bajie was panting heavily and his movements gradually slowed down.

Sun Wukong laughed triumphantly: "Monster! Surrender now?!"

Pigsy gritted his teeth: "Don't even think about it!"

After another twenty rounds, Zhu Ganglie finally "exhausted" and was struck on the shoulder by the golden cudgel, staggering backward.

"Wukong, stop!" Lu Chen suddenly spoke up, stepping forward to say to Zhu Ganglie, "You pig demon, I see that your moves are quite methodical, not like a wild demon. Would you be willing to convert to Buddhism, protect the holy monk on his journey to the West, and atone for your sins?"

Zhu Ganglie was taken aback and looked at Xuanzang.

Xuanzang also felt compassion: "If you are willing to repent, this humble monk can accept you as a disciple."

Zhu Bajie hesitated for a moment, then threw down his rake, knelt down, and kowtowed: "This disciple is willing to take refuge! I beg Master to accept me!"

Xuanzang was overjoyed and ordained him, giving him the Dharma name "Wuneng". Because he abstained from the five pungent vegetables and three forbidden foods, he was called "Bajie".

Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "Master, this fool just fought me to a draw, how come he suddenly surrendered?"

Lu Chen smiled and said, "Perhaps it's the influence of your Buddhist teachings."

Pigsy (Zhu Ganglie) stood up and grinned, "Eldest brother, please take care of me in the future."

The two looked at each other, a knowing smile flashing in their eyes.

That night, a banquet was held at Gao Village. Pigsy had reverted to his original appearance as a fat, black-faced man. Although he still looked like a pig, he was no longer frightening. He drank wine from large bowls and ate meat in large bites—of course, it was all vegetarian food transformed into "wine and meat."

During the banquet, Old Master Gao offered a toast: "The holy monk and his disciples possess extraordinary abilities; this old man is deeply grateful!"

Xuanzang used a humble expression.

Lu Chen noticed that Zhu Bajie's eyes kept glancing towards the backyard, a hint of worry in them. A thought struck him, and he asked telepathically, "Bajie, are you worried about Miss Gao?"

Zhu Bajie (Zhu Ganglie) replied telepathically, "Master, you are wise. My feelings for Cuilan (Miss Gao) are indeed genuine. However… I have now converted to Buddhism, and I fear…"

"Buddhist precepts prohibit lust, not true love," Lu Chen said calmly. "If you truly care for her, you can leave her a protective talisman to ensure her peace and happiness in this life. If you still can't forget her after the journey to the West is completed, then we can discuss other things."

Pigsy's eyes were slightly red, and he nodded emphatically.

After the banquet, Pigsy secretly found Gao Cuilan and gave her a protective necklace made from his own tusks, leaving behind a wisp of chaotic energy to protect her soul.

"Cuilan, wait for me." He only said three words.

Gao Cuilan nodded with tears in her eyes.

The next day, the group of master and disciples left the village and headed west. The group grew to four people and one horse: Xuanzang rode the horse, Sun Wukong led the way, Zhu Bajie carried the load, and Lu Chen (Qingfeng Daoren) accompanied them.

From the clouds, Guanyin watched this scene with a slight frown.

"Zhu Ganglie was subdued far too easily... and that Qingfeng Daoist, he kept interrupting, which is really suspicious."

She tried to calculate with her fingers, but couldn't find anything unusual—there was indeed a Buddhist mark of enlightenment in Pigsy's body, and Sun Wukong's aura was indeed weak; everything was "reasonable."

"Perhaps I'm overthinking it," Guanyin muttered to herself. "The next stop should be Yellow Wind Ridge... Let's see if that Yellow Wind Monster can test my strength."

She rode away on a cloud, unaware that the "mark of salvation" within Pigsy's body had long been enveloped by layers of chaotic energy, becoming nothing more than decoration; and that Monkey King's "weak" appearance was merely an act.

On the way, Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie walked side by side, muttering to themselves:

"You idiot, you did a pretty good job acting."

"Brother Monkey, you flatter me. Those blows you gave me certainly hurt."

The two looked at each other and chuckled.

Ahead, Lu Chen glanced back at them, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Huangfeng Ridge..."

"The Yellow Wind Monster's Samadhi Divine Wind is quite a good thing."

"I need to find a way... to steal their skills."