Mist-Shrouded Mountains, Nest Zen Master

For half a month westward, Xuanzang's party encountered no difficulties and arrived at Futu.

Layers of emerald mountains gleamed beneath golden light; at sunset, they beheld the Zen Master in the Crow's Nest.

After Xuanzang took Zhu Bajie as his disciple and left Gao Family Village, they traveled west for half a month. The journey had been smooth, with no trace of demons. They now arrived at a place of layered emerald mountains, wreathed in white mist, a rather illusory land.

Amid the verdant mountains stood an Azure Sky tree that was especially eye-catching. Above it rested a crow's nest resembling a Lotus Platform.

Above the crow's nest, a black-robed monk sat cross-legged in the air, his eyes closed. Waves of Buddhist light radiated from his entire body, making him appear extraordinarily sacred.

When Xuanzang and the others entered the mountains, the monk in the crow's nest opened his eyes and smiled with a nod before vanishing.

"Hehehe, Master, hurry! Hurry!"

Within the party, Zhu Bajie swung his broad sleeves, carried the Nine-Toothed Rake over his shoulder, and excitedly jogged ahead to lead the way.

Sun Wukong carried the Ocean Stabilizing Divine Needle as he drifted and leaped through the sky, utterly at ease.

"Bajie, slow down. Your master can barely keep up."

Tang Xuanzang, clad in a kasaya atop the white horse, looked somewhat hurried. A load of luggage rested on either side of the saddle.

When they left Gao Family Village, Zhu Bajie had still been carrying the load. After more than ten days of labor, Xuanzang saw that Bajie was quite exhausted and ordered him to place it on the horse's back.

Freed of the burden, Zhu Bajie was naturally thrilled and skipped along the way with a foolish grin.

Compared with Sun Wukong, Xuanzang preferred Zhu