Chapter Summaries

Zhou Ming broke through to the Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, gaining the ability to see the Primordial World's hidden karmic ties. After reuniting with the Wu Clan and Tongtian, he began expounding the Dao to help them overcome their bottlenecks, leaving them immersed in his teachings.

• Zhou Ming merged the three Heaven-Opening Marks, understood the Great Dao of Strength, and broke through to the Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.
• Di Jiang, Houtu, and Zhu Jiuyin congratulated Zhou Ming as he revealed that he could see hidden karmic threads and would eventually sever the Primordial Wilderness's marks from the Wu Clan.
• Zhou Ming assessed Tongtian's rebuilding foundation and found Zhu Rong, Gong Gong, Xuan Ming, and the other Ancestral Wu stalled just short of their breakthroughs.
• Zhou Ming explained that the Ancestral Wu needed deeper understanding of their Laws' Origin Essence and offered to expound the Dao to them and Tongtian.
• Zhou Ming began teaching the Great Dao, and his Law runes helped Zhu Rong, Gong Gong, and Tongtian gain new insights into their paths.

Zhou Ming guided Zhu Rong and the other Wu siblings into enlightenment, bringing them within reach of Hunyuan, while Tongtian Sect Master also advanced toward the threshold. He then decided the Wu Clan must sever its ties to the Primordial World and move into the Pangu Realm, and raised his hand to begin.

• Zhou Ming expounded the Great Dao in Pangu Hall, leading Zhu Rong, Gong Gong, Xuan Ming, Qiang Liang, and the others into deep enlightenment.
• Di Jiang, Houtu, and Zhu Jiuyin rejoiced as Zhou Ming said the enlightened siblings could reach Hunyuan within ten thousand years and praised Tongtian Sect Master for relinquishing his Saint Position.
• Zhou Ming sent Zhu Rong and the others to their Quiet Rooms to continue their enlightenment.
• Zhou Ming told Di Jiang, Houtu, and Zhu Jiuyin that the Wu Clan had to sever its Karma with the Primordial World and move every clansman into the Pangu Realm to escape Hongjun's leverage.
• Di Jiang, Houtu, and Zhu Jiuyin agreed that moving their people would secure the Wu Clan's foundation and leave it free to face the Heavenly Dao.
• Zhou Ming declared that he would use his Hunyuan Grand Unity power to sever the Wu Clan's ancient bonds, then placed his palm against empty space.

Zhou Ming used Pangu Hall’s legacy to sever the Wu Clan’s Karma with the Primordial Wilderness despite Hongjun’s intervention. After the Saints sensed the Wu Clan’s freedom and Zhou Ming’s breakthrough, he ordered the clan to return to Buzhou Mountain and prepare to migrate.

• Zhou Ming revealed the Wu Clan’s web of Karma, but Hongjun used the Heaven’s Dao to block his attempt to sever it.
• Zhou Ming summoned Pangu’s Will through Pangu Hall and shattered every strand of Karma binding the Wu Clan to the Primordial Wilderness.
• Hongjun acknowledged that he had lost the chance to manipulate the Wu Clan through the Heaven’s Dao and vowed to deal with Zhou Ming after merging fully with it.
• Jieyin, Zhunti, Primordial Lord Tianzun, Taiqing, Nuwa, Hong Yun, Fuxi, and Shennong sensed or learned that Zhou Ming had become a Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal and freed the Wu Clan.
• Zhou Ming ordered all Wu Clan members outside Buzhou Mountain to return and prepare to migrate.

Zhou Ming moved the Wu Clan into the Pangu Realm, then the remaining Ancestral Wu attained the Hunyuan realm. When Zhu Rong and Gong Gong urged an attack on Hongjun, Zhou Ming said they would wait until the Great Prosperity of the West left the Heavenly Dao vulnerable.

• Di Jiang, Houtu, and Zhu Jiuyin gathered the Wu Clan at Buzhou Mountain, and Zhou Ming moved the clan and the land beneath them into the Pangu Realm.
• Zhou Ming announced the Pangu Realm as the Wu Clan’s new home, while Di Jun, Taiyi, and Wangshu witnessed the arrival.
• After ten thousand years of cultivation, Zhu Rong, Gong Gong, Xuan Ming, Qiang Liang, Shebishi, Tian Wu, Xi Zi, and Ru Shou emerged from seclusion as Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortals.
• Zhou Ming declared that all thirteen Ancestral Wu had attained the Hunyuan realm, and Zhu Rong and Gong Gong called for a fight against Hongjun.
• Zhou Ming told them to stabilize their cultivation and wait until the Great Prosperity of the West made the Heavenly Dao most vulnerable before settling accounts with Hongjun.

Jieyin and Zhunti decided that Buddhism’s completed foundation and stalled fortune made the Great Prosperity of the West their next priority, but they needed the major powers’ consent. They chose to visit Zhou Ming at Pangu Hall first, since his approval could determine whether the plan proceeded.

• Jieyin and Zhunti praised Tathagata for reorganizing Buddhism and integrating the Great Vehicle and Lesser Vehicle teachings.
• Zhunti said Buddhism’s fortune had reached a bottleneck in the barren Western Lands, and Jieyin agreed that the Great Prosperity of the West could no longer be delayed.
• Zhunti noted that the Heavenly Court, the Human Clan, and the Wu Clan could obstruct the plan, while Jieyin warned that they would all seek a share of its merit and destiny.
• Jieyin and Zhunti concluded that Zhou Ming’s approval was essential because of the Wu Clan’s influence and his ties to Hongyun.
• Jieyin and Zhunti left Spirit Mountain to visit Zhou Ming at Pangu Hall on Buzhou Mountain.

Jieyin and Zhunti visited Huoyun Cave to seek the Human Clan’s consent for Buddhism to spread its teachings eastward. Hongyun agreed to cooperate only if the Human Clan suffered no harm, and after the Saints accepted that condition, he turned to discussing the distribution of benefits.

• Hongyun and Fuxi learned that Jieyin and Zhunti had arrived, and welcomed them into Huoyun Cave, where the Human Clan’s forefathers had gathered.
• Zhunti said Zhou Ming had agreed that the Wu Clan would not interfere and asked the Human Clan to support Buddhism’s eastward spread.
• Hongyun agreed to cooperate but forbade any methods that caused bloodshed, casualties, or other substantive harm to the Human Clan.
• Zhunti argued that some harmful measures might be necessary, but Hongyun rejected them and declared that Human Clan lives could not be sacrificed for Buddhism’s prosperity.
• Jieyin and Zhunti accepted Hongyun’s conditions, and Hongyun proposed that they next discuss the distribution of benefits.

Hongyun demanded one tenth of the Merit from the West’s Great Prosperity on behalf of the Human Clan, arguing that their support would be essential and expose them to Karma. Jieyin and Zhunti could not afford a fixed share, so they proposed dividing Merit according to each party’s contribution, and Hongyun accepted on the condition that every detail be settled beforehand.

• Hongyun demanded one tenth of the Merit from the West’s Great Prosperity for the Human Clan.
• Zhunti explained that the West’s Merit was already committed to debts, previous promises, contributors, and repayment to the Heavenly Dao.
• Hongyun and Fuxi argued that the Human Clan’s support and exposure to Karma justified its share of the Merit.
• Jieyin asked Hongyun to change the terms, then proposed dividing Merit according to each party’s contribution and Karma.
• Hongyun accepted the proposal but insisted that contributions and Merit distribution be clearly defined before the undertaking began.

Jieyin and Zhunti gathered the Saints at the Heavenly Court to negotiate the eastward spread of Buddhist Dharma and the division of its Merit. Haotian agreed to support the Great Prosperity of the West while insisting on clear rules, and Taiqing opened the negotiations by asking how labor and Merit would be counted and divided.

• Jieyin and Zhunti persuaded Hongyun to invite Taiqing, Primordial Lord Tianzun, Nuwa, and Haotian to discuss the Great Prosperity of the West.
• Taiqing, Primordial Lord Tianzun, and Nuwa received Jieyin's messages and set out for the Heavenly Court.
• Haotian and Yaochi greeted the six Saints at the South Heaven Gate and hosted them in the Yaochi Immortal Realm.
• Jieyin and Zhunti explained their plan to spread Buddhist Dharma eastward and described their preliminary agreement with the Wu Clan and the Human Clan.
• Haotian agreed to support the plan but demanded clear rules to protect the Heavenly Court's role and interests.
• Taiqing asked how the work would be counted and how the Merit would be divided.

Jieyin and Zhunti proposed that the Saints jointly fund the Journey to the West and share its Heavenly Merit, prompting them to compete for places among the scripture seeker's protectors. The core party was settled, with the remaining trials and support to be arranged later, and Haotian foresaw turmoil across the Three Realms.

• Jieyin proposed that the Saints contribute people and resources to the scripture-seeking journey in exchange for shares of its Heavenly Merit.
• Taiqing secured a place for his disciple's grandson, Bian Zhuang, and Haotian claimed another for the Curtain-Rolling General; Primordial Lord Tianzun and Nuwa also sought places for their factions.
• Jieyin assigned one place to Taiqing and one to Haotian, while Zhunti invoked Primordial Lord Tianzun's debt from the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation to make him yield the Chan Sect's claim.
• Zhunti reserved the last protector's place for the Wu Clan in recognition of Zhou Ming and the clan's service to the Three Realms.
• Nuwa and Hongyun agreed that the Dragon Clan would provide the scripture seeker's mount, and Nuwa offered to arrange additional trials along the route.
• Jieyin said Tathagata would coordinate the detailed arrangements with the factions, and Haotian remarked to Yaochi that the Three Realms were about to become lively.

After the Spirit Monkey was born, Tathagata convened Spirit Mountain to begin preparing the Journey to the West. He appointed Guanyin Bodhisattva to coordinate the One Hundred and Eight Tribulations and arrange secret protection for the monkey.

• Tathagata told the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas that the Spirit Monkey had descended and preparations for Journey to the West had begun.
• Tathagata appointed Guanyin Bodhisattva to coordinate with the factions, verify tribulation candidates and responsibilities, and record contributions for future Merit distribution.
• Tathagata ordered Guanyin Bodhisattva to send reliable Buddhas secretly to Flower-Fruit Mountain to protect the Spirit Monkey without interfering with his growth.
• Tathagata instructed Spirit Mountain to make the western scripture journey its foremost priority and support Guanyin Bodhisattva's work.
• The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas pledged their cooperation, and Tathagata dismissed the assembly.

The Five Directions Jie Di continued watching the carefree Spirit Monkey on Flower-Fruit Mountain and marveled at his natural strength and exceptional origins. Maha Jie Di revealed that Guanyin Bodhisattva planned to guide the monkey out to sea to seek the Dao soon, while the guardians remained vigilant and wondered what would make him leave his comfortable life.

• Golden-headed Jie Di, Silver-headed Jie Di, Parika Jie Di, and Maha Jie Di discussed their centuries-long assignment to watch over the Spirit Monkey without interfering.
• The Spirit Monkey split a massive boulder with one slap despite never having cultivated, and the Jie Di discussed his extraordinary foundation as a being born from Treasure-Dividing Rock.
• Maha Jie Di told the others that Guanyin Bodhisattva planned to guide the Spirit Monkey out to sea to seek the Dao in the near future.
• The Jie Di tempered their excitement and agreed to keep guarding the Spirit Monkey until he officially left Flower-Fruit Mountain.
• Parika Jie Di wondered how the Bodhisattva would persuade the Spirit Monkey to leave, and Maha Jie Di noted that the monkey sometimes sat alone staring out at the sea.

After an old monkey died, the Spirit Monkey learned that he too would eventually face death and decided to seek immortality across the sea. The Five Directions Jie Di recognized that the old monkey had been planted by the Bodhisattva and awaited the Spirit Monkey’s departure from Flower-Fruit Mountain.

• An old monkey died in Water Curtain Cave, and the Spirit Monkey asked what death meant and whether he would die too.
• The old monkey told the Spirit Monkey that he could seek immortality by crossing the East Sea, finding masters, and learning the Great Dao of longevity.
• The Spirit Monkey ordered the monkeys to gather spirit fruit and cut trees so he could build a raft and sail out to seek Buddhas, immortals, and divine sages.
• The Five Directions Jie Di realized the old monkey’s Golden Light marked him as the Bodhisattva’s pawn, whose words had prompted the Spirit Monkey to seek the Dao.
• Maha Jie Di told the Five Directions Jie Di to remain on assignment until the Spirit Monkey actually left Flower-Fruit Mountain, and Golden-headed Jie Di sent word to The West.

The Spirit Monkey left Flower-Fruit Mountain on a bamboo raft to seek immortality, while the Five Directions Jie Di watched over him and the Dragon Clan secretly guided him across the sea. After months at sea, he reached Nanzhan Buzhou and set his sights on the mountains inland.

• The Spirit Monkey said goodbye to the monkeys of Flower-Fruit Mountain and pushed his raft out to sea.
• The Five Directions Jie Di followed the Spirit Monkey, staying close to ensure he safely crossed the ocean.
• The Spirit Monkey endured a storm and days of drifting, while the Dragon Clan sent an undercurrent to guide his raft.
• After several months, the Spirit Monkey spotted land and paddled toward the coast of Nanzhan Buzhou.
• The Spirit Monkey landed on the beach and declared that he had come to find immortals.

The Spirit Monkey searched across Nanzhan Buzhou for more than a decade before an old man directed him to the Western Ox Continent and Mount Fangcun. As the Spirit Monkey entered the mountain to seek immortals, the Five Directions Jie Di were stopped by its barrier and ordered by Tathagata Buddha Ancestor to return to Spirit Mountain.

• The Spirit Monkey traveled through Nanzhan Buzhou asking people where he could find immortals, enduring mockery and rejection as the years passed.
• The Five Directions Jie Di followed the Spirit Monkey and waited for the opportunity that would lead him toward the Western Ox Continent.
• An old man told the Spirit Monkey that immortals could be found in the Western Ox Continent, so he built a raft and crossed the sea.
• The Spirit Monkey reached Spiritual Terrace, Cubic Inch Mountain, and began climbing toward its halls and immortal aura.
• The Five Directions Jie Di tried to follow him into Mount Fangcun but were repelled by an invisible barrier.
• Tathagata Buddha Ancestor told the Five Directions Jie Di that their task was complete and ordered them to return to Spirit Mountain, which they did.

The Spirit Monkey found Patriarch Bodhi at Slanting Moon, Three Stars Cave and became his disciple. Patriarch Bodhi named him Sun Wukong and sent him to live and study with the other disciples.

• The Spirit Monkey met a woodcutter who told him that Patriarch Bodhi lived at Slanting Moon, Three Stars Cave on Spiritual Terrace, Cubic Inch Mountain.
• The Spirit Monkey reached the cave, where a boy attendant said Patriarch Bodhi had foreseen his arrival and led him inside.
• The Spirit Monkey told Patriarch Bodhi about his origins and his search for immortality.
• Patriarch Bodhi gave the Spirit Monkey the surname Sun and named him Sun Wukong.
• Patriarch Bodhi ordered the boy attendant to arrange Sun Wukong's lodging and have him cultivate and perform cleaning duties with the other disciples.

Zhunti and Jieyin discussed Sun Wukong’s extraordinary innate foundation and whether Buddhism could keep him after the Journey to the West. They decided to have Bodhi train him fully, prioritize completing the pilgrimage and repaying their Karma, and reconsider his future allegiance afterward.

• Zhunti told Jieyin that Sun Wukong had become Bodhi’s disciple and that Bodhi believed the monkey could complete his training within a few years.
• Jieyin cautioned against rushing Sun Wukong’s training, but accepted that his deep innate foundation could allow him to progress quickly.
• Zhunti proposed keeping Sun Wukong in Buddhism as a future pillar, and Jieyin agreed it might be possible if they respected Zhou Ming’s boundaries.
• Jieyin told Zhunti to focus first on the Journey to the West and their debt to the Heavenly Dao, then consider whether Sun Wukong wanted to remain in Buddhism after the pilgrimage.

After seven years of waiting, Sun Wukong finally heard Patriarch Bodhi offer to teach him skills, but he rejected every school that could not grant immortality. Patriarch Bodhi struck him three times and left, and Sun Wukong hurried back to his quarters, apparently grasping the meaning of the blows.

• Patriarch Bodhi noticed that Sun Wukong's temperament had matured and that the power within him was beginning to stir.
• Patriarch Bodhi asked Sun Wukong what he had learned in seven years, and Sun Wukong said he still sought immortality.
• Patriarch Bodhi described four schools of learning, but Sun Wukong refused each because none could make him immortal.
• Patriarch Bodhi struck Sun Wukong three times, scolded him, and left the hall.
• Sun Wukong endured his senior brothers' criticism, then rushed toward his quarters after pondering the three strikes.

Sun Wukong deciphered Patriarch Bodhi’s hint and received the true path to immortality along with the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends Transformations. Bodhi told him to return nightly for instruction as Sun Wukong began his training.

• Sun Wukong entered Patriarch Bodhi’s quarters at the third watch, and Bodhi praised him for understanding the hidden signal.
• Sun Wukong insisted that he sought only immortality, so Patriarch Bodhi explained that the teachings from the four paths were merely side paths.
• Patriarch Bodhi taught Sun Wukong a fundamental cultivation method, and Sun Wukong made extraordinary progress in a single night.
• Patriarch Bodhi transmitted the formulas for all one hundred and eight transformations into Sun Wukong’s mind.
• Patriarch Bodhi instructed Sun Wukong to train with the other disciples by day and return each night for further lessons.

After ten years on Mount Fangcun, Sun Wukong reached Grand Unity Golden Immortal and mastered 108 transformations, so Patriarch Bodhi sent him away to preserve the planned Journey to the West. Zhunti and Jieyin prepared to monitor him, and Tathagata notified the other factions that the journey was about to begin.

• Sun Wukong practiced his transformations while Patriarch Bodhi decided his growing strength threatened the planned tribulations and that he had to leave Mount Fangcun.
• Patriarch Bodhi told Sun Wukong he had learned enough and ordered him to leave, forbidding him from revealing who had taught him.
• Sun Wukong reluctantly obeyed, paid his respects to Patriarch Bodhi, and flew east from Mount Fangcun.
• Zhunti and Jieyin discussed Sun Wukong's cultivation and arranged for Tathagata to watch his movements.
• Tathagata sent messages to the Heavenly Court, Mount Shouyang, Kunlun Mountain, Empress Wa's Palace, and Huoyun Cave, announcing that the Journey to the West would soon begin.

Zhou Ming and the Ancestral Wu completed the transfer of Pangu’s Will into the Pangu Axe, leaving Zhu Jiuyin to guard it while it stabilized. Back at Pangu Hall, they learned Minghe had succeeded in the Method of Corpse Severing and discussed the coming Havoc in Heaven, deciding they could watch the staged conflict unfold.

• Zhou Ming and the Ancestral Wu transferred Pangu’s Will into the Pangu Axe, leaving a trace at Buzhou Mountain to mislead the Heavenly Dao.
• Zhou Ming ordered Zhu Jiuyin to remain in the Pangu Realm and guard the axe while its Will stabilized.
• At Pangu Hall, Houtu reported that Minghe had succeeded in the Method of Corpse Severing and was stabilizing his cultivation before a possible Hunyuan breakthrough.
• Houtu told Zhou Ming that Sun Wukong had stolen the peaches, disrupted the Queen Mother’s Peach Banquet, and eaten Taishang Laojun’s golden pills, bringing the planned Havoc in Heaven close.
• Zhou Ming and the Ancestral Wu discussed the staged conflict between Sun Wukong, Haotian, and the forces of The West, and Zhou Ming said they had arrived in time to watch.