Chapter Summaries

Sun Wukong saved Xuanzang from three Mountain Bandits, then revealed he had disguised himself as the monk Xuanzang had met. Snow forced them to lodge at an Old Man’s cottage, where Xuanzang began sewing a fur garment for Sun Wukong.

• Sun Wukong disguised himself as a Sand Monk, freed Xuanzang, and lured the Mountain Bandits to the Sea-Stabilizing Divine Needle Iron, which crushed two of them while the third escaped.
• Sun Wukong caught up with Xuanzang and revealed his disguise; Xuanzang scolded him and lectured him about compassion as they traveled.
• At sunset, Xuanzang and Sun Wukong asked an Old Man for lodging, and the Old Man welcomed them despite being frightened by Sun Wukong’s appearance.
• Snow fell overnight, and Sun Wukong covered the shivering Xuanzang with a quilt; the next morning, the Old Man invited them to breakfast.
• Xuanzang and Sun Wukong stayed another day because of the heavy snow, and Xuanzang took out pelts and sewing tools to make Sun Wukong a fur garment.

Xuanzang and Sun Wukong continued their journey after leaving Taibai Jinxing’s cottage, while Yaochi rejected the Jade Emperor and Parallel Chi Yu completed his transformation into an Endless Source Lord. The chapter ended with the Future Self attempting to bind Parallel Chi Yu and discovering that his opponent had reached equal rank and authority.

• Sun Wukong killed the mountain bandit who had fled from the cottage, and Xuanzang later chanted a Rebirth Sutra over his body.
• Xuanzang and Sun Wukong left the grieving Old Man behind, and the Old Man revealed himself as Taibai Jinxing after they had gone.
• Yaochi firmly rejected the Jade Emperor, who later left the Heavenly Court for the Lower Realm, where the Future Self secretly planted Black Qi in him.
• Parallel Chi Yu’s consciousness rose to the Void Source Lord Rank, fused with the clear qi, and solidified into a Dao Body matching the Future Self’s Endless rank.
• The Future Self demanded that Parallel Chi Yu fuse with him, but Parallel Chi Yu resisted and counterattacked with equal authority, leaving the Future Self stunned.

The Future Self fused with Calamity Source and restrained Parallel Chi Yu, then began merging with him. On the westward journey, Guanyin arranged for Xuanzang to place a Tightening Hoop on Sun Wukong, compelling him to control his killing and continue protecting Xuanzang.

• The Future Self and Calamity Source joined their authorities, restrained Parallel Chi Yu, and began merging with him.
• Guanyin disguised herself as an old woman and gave Xuanzang a basket containing a golden felt hat while Sun Wukong was away.
• Sun Wukong put on the hat, revealing a Tightening Hoop, and Xuanzang used its mantra to make him suffer until he admitted his wrongdoing.
• Xuanzang explained that Guanyin had given him the hoop, and Guanyin appeared to promise it would disappear after the journey and gave Sun Wukong Three Daos Hair.
• Sun Wukong accepted Guanyin's explanation, and he and Xuanzang resumed their journey westward.

Sun Wukong agreed to help the Gao Family capture the pig demon who had claimed Gao Cuilan, and freed her from the enchanted courtyard. He disguised himself as Gao Cuilan and let the demon carry him to Cloud Stack Cave, where he began testing the demon while trying to discover its identity.

• At Gao Family Village, Village Lord Gao and his household told Xuanzang and Sun Wukong how a righteous guard had revealed himself as a pig demon on his wedding day and later imprisoned Gao Cuilan.
• Xuanzang asked Sun Wukong to subdue the demon, and Sun Wukong agreed despite believing the pilgrimage’s tribulations were arranged by the Western Lands and the Heavenly Court.
• Sun Wukong broke the demon magic on the courtyard gate, reunited Gao Cuilan with her mother, and then restored the courtyard and took Gao Cuilan’s appearance.
• When the pig demon arrived on the ninth night, Sun Wukong teased him in disguise and let him carry him away from Gao Family Village.
• At Cloud Stack Cave, Sun Wukong kicked the pig demon into the cave wall, but the demon got up smiling and approached him again.

Sun Wukong exposed Zhu Ganglie’s past and captured him, but Tang Xuanzang recognized him as the disciple sent to join the pilgrimage and gave him the name Bajie. After leaving Gao Family Village, Zhu Bajie joined Tang Xuanzang and Sun Wukong on their journey west.

• Sun Wukong tricked Zhu Ganglie into revealing that he was Tian Peng, once the Navy Marshal, and that he had been waiting for the scripture seeker.
• Sun Wukong revealed his identity, defeated Zhu Ganglie, bound him, and brought him to Gao Family Village.
• Tang Xuanzang introduced himself as the scripture seeker, and Zhu Ganglie greeted him as his master; Tang Xuanzang gave him the nickname Bajie.
• The Gao family celebrated the village’s return to peace, while Zhu Bajie still hoped to see Gao Cuilan and the family refused to let him remain with her.
• Village Lord Gao offered the pilgrims gifts, and Zhu Bajie secretly took some before Gao Cuilan came to see him off and gave him a handkerchief.
• Zhu Bajie said farewell to Gao Cuilan, took up the luggage, and followed Tang Xuanzang and Sun Wukong west.

Xuanzang and his disciples became trapped in mist-shrouded mountains until Nest Zen Master appeared, taught Xuanzang Buddhist methods, and cleared their way west. In the void, Future Self remained locked in battle with Parallel Chi Yu while Chi Yu watched the westward journey and noticed the Yellow-Haired Rat beneath Spirit Mountain.

• Xuanzang’s party repeatedly returned to their resting place despite Sun Wukong scouting the mountain and extending the Ocean Stabilizing Divine Needle along the path.
• Nest Zen Master approached Xuanzang, introduced himself as one waiting for an old friend, and discussed Buddhist teachings with him.
• Nest Zen Master imparted Buddhist methods to Xuanzang, then dispersed the clouds and revealed the road west.
• Xuanzang’s party left the mountains two days later, and Xuanzang bowed in gratitude to Nest Zen Master.
• Future Self and Parallel Chi Yu remained evenly matched in their authority battle as Calamity Source began assimilating Future Self.
• Chi Yu continued watching the westward journey and noticed the Yellow-Haired Rat beneath Spirit Mountain.

Yellow Wind captured Xuanzang and blinded Sun Wukong with his wind and sand. As Zhu Bajie led the injured Sun Wukong toward the Heavenly Court for help, they met Lingji Bodhisattva, who said he could resolve the calamity.

• Yellow Wind carried Xuanzang into Yellow Wind Cave while Zhu Bajie slept, then ordered his demons to guard the monk.
• Sun Wukong returned, discovered Xuanzang was missing, and learned from the Earth God that Yellow Wind lived in Yellow Wind Cave.
• Sun Wukong confronted Yellow Wind, fought him for over a hundred rounds, and was blinded when Yellow Wind blew sand into his eyes.
• Zhu Bajie followed Sun Wukong to a riverbank and then led him toward the Heavenly Court, secretly pleased at his senior brother's suffering.
• Lingji Bodhisattva encountered Zhu Bajie and Sun Wukong and offered to resolve the Great Sage's calamity.

Lingji Bodhisattva gave Sun Wukong the Wind Fixing Pearl, allowing him to defeat Yellow Wind and rescue Xuanzang. The pilgrims then entered a misty forest, where Red Boy captured Xuanzang, and Sun Wukong confronted him at Holy Infant Cave.

• Lingji Bodhisattva healed Sun Wukong's eyes and gave him the Wind Fixing Pearl to counter Yellow Wind's sandstorm.
• Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie defeated Yellow Wind's demons, and Lingji Bodhisattva took Yellow Wind away as Sun Wukong entered the cave and freed Xuanzang.
• The pilgrims heard a child crying in a misty forest, and Xuanzang insisted they rescue the child despite Sun Wukong's suspicions.
• After Zhu Bajie carried the child, he threw him into a pit, whereupon the child revealed himself as Red Boy and captured Xuanzang in a burst of smoke.
• Sun Wukong learned from the local earth god that Red Boy was Bull Demon King's son, then went with Zhu Bajie to Holy Infant Cave and challenged him.
• Red Boy emerged with a Red Tassel Spear, rejected Sun Wukong's claim that they were family, and attacked.

Sun Wukong failed to defeat Red Boy’s Samadhi True Fire, then tried to rescue Xuanzang by disguising himself as the Bull Demon King. Red Boy saw through the trick, captured Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, and Sun Wukong’s soul went to Mount Luojia to seek Guanyin, who had already left to help.

• Red Boy burned Sun Wukong with Samadhi True Fire, and Sun Wukong escaped into a river before recovering three days later.
• Sun Wukong disguised himself as the Bull Demon King and tried to free Xuanzang, but Red Boy recognized him and drove him from the cave.
• Sun Wukong sent Zhu Bajie to seek Guanyin while he secretly returned to the cave, but Red Boy overheard their plan.
• Red Boy disguised himself as Guanyin, lured Zhu Bajie and Sun Wukong into the cave, and had them bound and imprisoned with Xuanzang.
• Sun Wukong’s soul traveled to Mount Luojia, learned from Shancai that Guanyin had gone to help Xuanzang, and flew after her.

Sun Wukong helped Guanyin capture Red Boy and rescued Xuanzang and Zhu Bajie from the Holy Infant Cave Residence, but the Bull Demon King blamed him for Red Boy joining Buddhism. At Eagle Sorrow Stream, a White Dragon swallowed Xuanzang’s horse, and Sun Wukong wondered whether the dragon was related to the East Sea Dragon King.

• Sun Wukong lured Red Boy onto Guanyin’s spiked Lotus Throne, and Red Boy agreed to follow Guanyin into the faith.
• Sun Wukong freed Xuanzang and Zhu Bajie, killed the Little Demons, and burned the Holy Infant Cave Residence.
• The Bull Demon King learned that Red Boy was alive but had joined Buddhism, and he ended his brotherhood with Sun Wukong.
• At Eagle Sorrow Stream, Zhu Bajie drank from the pool, and a White Dragon seized and swallowed Xuanzang’s white horse.
• Zhu Bajie fought the White Dragon underwater, and Sun Wukong struck it as it surfaced, driving it back into the pool.
• Sun Wukong sent Zhu Bajie back to lure out the White Dragon and wondered about its connection to the East Sea Dragon King.

After helping the White Dragon become Xuanzang’s new mount, Sun Wukong was driven away from the pilgrimage group after killing a demon disguised as an old woman. When Xuanzang was transformed into a tiger and imprisoned in Chechi Kingdom, Zhu Bajie persuaded Sun Wukong to return and rescue him.

• Sun Wukong learned from the East Sea Dragon King that the White Dragon belonged to the South Sea Dragon King’s family, then sought Guanyin’s help.
• Guanyin ordered the White Dragon to take the form of a horse and carry Xuanzang westward.
• Three months later, Sun Wukong killed a disguised demon, and Xuanzang drove him away from the group.
• In Chechi Kingdom, a demon Dao Master transformed Xuanzang into a tiger and had him caged; Zhu Bajie failed to defeat the demon, and the White Dragon was wounded trying to assassinate him.
• The White Dragon urged Zhu Bajie to fetch Sun Wukong, who initially refused to help until he learned Xuanzang’s life was in danger.
• Sun Wukong flew with Zhu Bajie toward Chechi Kingdom to rescue Xuanzang.

Sun Wukong rescued Xuanzang from Nine Netherworlds and helped him recover the true royal lord of Chechi Country so the group could exchange their Travel Permit and continue west. In the Void, a streak of Golden Light killed Calamity Source, while the Future Self warned Parallel Chi Yu that a great calamity awaited him.

• Sun Wukong defeated Nine Netherworlds, killed the striped tiger, and restored Xuanzang to human form.
• Sun Wukong rescued the true royal lord from a cave, and the royal lord later summoned Xuanzang and his companions to the palace.
• The royal lord exchanged Xuanzang's Travel Permit, and Xuanzang's group left Chechi Country after a simple meal.
• A streak of Golden Light separated Calamity Source from the Future Self and destroyed Calamity Source.
• The Future Self urged Parallel Chi Yu to fuse with him, but Parallel Chi Yu refused and was told that a great calamity awaited him.

Chi Yu appeared in the Void and freed his Future Self from the need to merge, then sent Parallel Chi Yu back to the Primordial Line, where he became the Parallel Primordial Era’s Heavenly Dao. On the westward journey, Xuanzang was abducted by the Flowing Sand River’s water demon, and Sun Wukong prepared to attack the river.

• Chi Yu revealed himself to Parallel Chi Yu, explained that he had helped him reach the Endless Source Lord realm, and told his Future Self that Self-Palm required self-understanding.
• Chi Yu released the Future Self from their bond and sent Parallel Chi Yu back to the Primordial Line, erasing his memories of their meeting.
• Parallel Chi Yu became the Heavenly Dao of the Parallel Primordial Era, received Hongjun’s service, and watched Xuanzang’s party travel west through an illusory panel.
• Xuanzang’s party reached the Flowing Sand River, where Zhu Bajie fought a water demon while Xuanzang refused to take a shortcut across the river.
• The water demon defeated the White Dragon Horse and carried Xuanzang into the river; Zhu Bajie could not find the demon’s cave, and Sun Wukong returned to discover Xuanzang missing.
• Sun Wukong summoned the Ocean Stabilizing Divine Needle and swung it at the Flowing Sand River, demanding that the demon return Xuanzang.

After Sun Wukong investigated the Flowing Sand River demon, Guanyin Bodhisattva revealed that he was the former Curtain Lifting General and had him join Xuanzang’s party as Sand Monk. The group crossed the river and later entered a misty forest, where a village girl approached while Sun Wukong was away.

• Sun Wukong questioned the Jade Emperor about the Flowing Sand River demon, then brought Wang Lingguan to identify him as the former Curtain Lifting General.
• Guanyin Bodhisattva instructed Xuanzang to accept Curtain Lifting General as a disciple, transformed his skull necklace into Buddhist beads, and Xuanzang named him Sand Monk.
• Sand Monk used the beads as a boat to carry Xuanzang and the others across the Flowing Sand River.
• After months of travel and encounters with minor demons, the group entered a misty, miasma-filled forest and rested by a boulder.
• Sun Wukong drew a circle of Golden Light around Xuanzang and left; a village girl arrived with food, and Sand Monk stopped Zhu Bajie from leaving the circle.

Sun Wukong killed three demons disguised as a village girl, an old woman, and an old man, but Xuanzang believed he had slain innocents and punished him with the Tightening Hoop Mantra. After Sun Wukong struck down the third demon despite Xuanzang’s command, Xuanzang expelled him from the journey west.

• Zhu Bajie took the village girl's food, and Sun Wukong struck her down before revealing that the food had become poisonous creatures.
• The demon escaped into a cave, transformed into an old woman, and later confronted Xuanzang in the forest.
• Sun Wukong saw the old woman was possessed by a skeleton and killed her, so Xuanzang used the Tightening Hoop Mantra and ordered him to leave.
• The demon possessed an old man and lured Xuanzang into mourning his supposed dead family, then attacked him.
• Sun Wukong struck down the old man despite Xuanzang's warnings and mantra, prompting Xuanzang to expel him and set off with Zhu Bajie and Sand Monk.

After Xuanzang cast Sun Wukong out, a shadow that had split from Wukong impersonated him and attacked Xuanzang. At Flower Fruit Mountain, the real Wukong revealed his plan to form his own scripture-fetching party, but Sand Monk rejected him and was captured.

• Sun Wukong left Xuanzang's group, while a Black Shadow split from his body and flew into the forest.
• For months Xuanzang traveled without Wukong, and Zhu Bajie and Sand Monk went missing while trying to find food and water.
• A figure claiming to be Sun Wukong brought Xuanzang food, struck him unconscious, and departed to fetch the scriptures himself.
• After Xuanzang told them what happened, Sand Monk went to Flower Fruit Mountain and confronted Sun Wukong.
• Sun Wukong revealed fake versions of Xuanzang and Zhu Bajie and invited Sand Monk to join his new scripture-fetching party.
• Sand Monk killed the fakes, refused to join Wukong, and was bound and taken away on Wukong's orders.

Sun Wukong searched for a way to remove his Golden Hoop, then returned to Flower Fruit Mountain and confronted an identical double. After Tathagata identified the impostor and Sun Wukong rejoined Xuanzang, Zhu Bajie sensed that something about him was different.

• Sun Wukong failed to get Guanyin or the Heavenly Court's immortals to remove his Golden Hoop and returned to Flower Fruit Mountain.
• Sun Wukong fought his double and sought help from Sand Monk, the Jade Emperor, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, but none could distinguish them.
• At the Great Thunderclap Temple, Tathagata explained the origins of the Five Insects and revealed the anomaly Six Ears; one Sun Wukong tried to flee, and the other killed him.
• Tathagata sent Sun Wukong and Guanyin to reunite with Xuanzang, and Guanyin explained that Sun Wukong had not struck him.
• Sun Wukong rescued Sand Monk and returned to Xuanzang, while Zhu Bajie later noticed that Sun Wukong seemed different and stopped calling him Senior Brother.

The Leopard Head Demon King captured Xuanzang after Sun Wukong left to beg for alms and fetch water. After Sun Wukong saw through the demons’ trick of presenting a fake head, Black Fox suggested they use Xuanzang himself.

• The Leopard Head Demon King learned that Xuanzang’s group had arrived at Lonely Wind Ridge and watched Sun Wukong kill a scout demon.
• The Leopard Head Demon King waited for Sun Wukong to leave, then swept Xuanzang away in a strange wind.
• Zhu Bajie and Sand Monk searched for Xuanzang and found a cave entrance that their weapons could not penetrate.
• Sun Wukong returned, learned Xuanzang had been captured, and confronted the cave residence.
• Black Fox brought out a fake head and claimed the demons had eaten Xuanzang, but Sun Wukong exposed the wooden stump and Zhu Bajie killed a demon at the entrance.
• The Leopard Head Demon King asked Black Fox what to do, and Black Fox proposed using the real Xuanzang.

Sun Wukong saw through the demons’ fake head and staged a departure with Zhu Bajie while searching for Xuanzang. After rescuing Xuanzang and a young couple, he trapped and burned the demons, then reunited with Sand Monk before the pilgrims continued west.

• Black Fox showed Sun Wukong and the others a real human head, and they pretended to mourn while the demons celebrated inside the cave.
• Sun Wukong stopped Zhu Bajie from attacking the cave and secretly searched for another entrance with him.
• A woman led Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie to the Stone Forest, where Sun Wukong freed Xuanzang and the woman’s husband.
• Sun Wukong returned to the cave in disguise, immobilized the demons, and set the cave on fire.
• Xuanzang reunited with Sand Monk, and the group accepted the rescued couple’s hospitality before resuming their journey west.

Xuanzang and his disciples visited Great Guanyin Monastery, where the Old Abbot coveted Xuanzang’s Brocade Kasaya and arranged to steal it during a staged fire. The fire destroyed the room, and the kasaya vanished, leaving Sun Wukong demanding answers from the weeping Old Abbot.

• Xuanzang and his disciples entered Great Guanyin Monastery and met the Old Abbot.
• The Old Abbot showed off his kasayas, and Sun Wukong presented Xuanzang’s Brocade Kasaya, which the Old Abbot begged to borrow overnight.
• The Old Abbot’s monk advised him to claim the kasaya, then ordered Sand Monks to set fire to the Old Abbot’s room.
• Sun Wukong saw the arson and protected Xuanzang’s room with a barrier while the fire consumed the Old Abbot’s room and nearby houses.
• The Old Abbot claimed Xuanzang’s kasaya had burned away, and Sun Wukong demanded to know where it was.