Chapter Summaries

Jiang Liuer and Sect Master Tongtian waited with the caravan until the wealthy young lady revealed herself as a Nine-headed Serpent seeking her stolen Demon Core. The serpent could not harm Jiang Liuer and turned its attack on Sect Master Tongtian, whom Jiang Liuer defended as his disciple.

• Sect Master Tongtian distracted the middle-aged guard and the caravan with food and wine while Jiang Liuer stayed in the carriage with the young lady.
• After nightfall, Jiang Liuer climbed out of the carriage and joined Sect Master Tongtian, explaining that he had helped the young lady because she needed Tang Monk's flesh to survive.
• The carriage transformed into a Nine-headed Serpent, whose human middle head belonged to the wealthy young lady.
• The Nine-headed Serpent accused Jiang Liuer of stealing its Demon Core and repeatedly attacked him, but its tail slid harmlessly past him.
• The Nine-headed Serpent shifted its attack to Sect Master Tongtian, and Jiang Liuer called him his disciple and warned the monster about his power.

Sect Master Tongtian and Jiang Liuer left after Tongtian killed the Nine-headed Serpent, then stopped at a temple hall so Jiang Liuer could sleep. Tongtian accepted a system quest to find Monk Wuxiang and gained Formless Power, then searched the hall’s past for clues.

• Sect Master Tongtian killed the Nine-headed Serpent and left with Jiang Liuer, while a beautiful girl revealed the encounter to her senior sister and learned Tongtian had taken the Red Pill.
• Sect Master Tongtian and Jiang Liuer reached a temple hall after walking all night, and Jiang Liuer fell asleep on the altar table.
• Sect Master Tongtian covered Jiang Liuer with a fur coat and reflected on killing Amitabha Buddha and warning others not to target them.
• The system offered Sect Master Tongtian a choice between finding Monk Wuxiang and continuing west, and he chose to find Monk Wuxiang.
• Sect Master Tongtian gained Formless Power and used his divine ability to view scenes from the temple hall’s past.

Sect Master Tongtian uncovered clues about the Formless Tribulation Realm and found the dormant Monk Wuxiang and a mysterious young woman nearby. At Eagle Sorrow Stream, Little White Dragon attacked him after eating Tang Sanzang’s horse, and Sect Master Tongtian forced him to choose between returning the horse and carrying Tang Sanzang west.

• Sect Master Tongtian used his divine abilities to trace Monk Wuxiang’s past, discovering that he came from the Formless Tribulation Realm and that the Buddhist hall had been an Amitabha Buddha sanctuary.
• Sect Master Tongtian reconstructed the beautiful young woman and Monk Wuxiang from their auras and searched their primordial spirits for information about the Formless Tribulation Realm.
• Jiang Liuer woke briefly, tossed Sect Master Tongtian his sable coat, then went back to sleep while Sect Master Tongtian prepared to continue toward Gao Family Village.
• Sect Master Tongtian searched near the Buddhist hall and found Eagle Sorrow Stream, where Little White Dragon appeared after eating Tang Sanzang’s white horse.
• Little White Dragon attacked Sect Master Tongtian, who trapped and slapped him before revealing himself as Sun Wukong and demanding that Little White Dragon return the horse or carry Tang Sanzang west.

Sect Master Tongtian transformed Little White Dragon into White Dragon Horse and returned with him to Jiang Liuer. He then found Monk Wuxiang and a beautiful woman trapped in a cave beneath Eagle Sorrow Stream, broke the cave’s foreign formation, and discovered that both were turning into cocoons.

• Sect Master Tongtian convinced Little White Dragon to join the journey west, and Sakyamuni Buddha appeared and transformed him into White Dragon Horse.
• Sakyamuni Buddha explained that Sect Master Tongtian had saved him from cultivation deviation, then departed for Spirit Mountain.
• Sect Master Tongtian and White Dragon Horse returned to Eagle Sorrow Stream, where White Dragon Horse ate a pile of food while Jiang Liuer slept.
• Sect Master Tongtian searched Eagle Sorrow Stream and found a cave beneath its pool, but a foreign formation blocked the entrance.
• After nearly three hours of trying, Sect Master Tongtian broke the formation and found Monk Wuxiang and a beautiful woman inside, their bodies beginning to turn into cocoons.

Sect Master Tongtian discovered that Monk Wuxiang had come from the Formless Tribulation Realm and had been transforming into a beautiful administrator sent to arrest him. After killing Monk Wuxiang and taking the administrator’s original body, he rejoined Jiang Liuer and White Dragon Horse, who continued their journey toward the Western Heaven.

• Sect Master Tongtian read Monk Wuxiang and the beautiful girl’s primordial spirits, learning about their origins and why the girl had come to arrest him.
• Sect Master Tongtian copied Monk Wuxiang, but Monk Wuxiang woke and attacked him, sending him flying twice.
• Sect Master Tongtian transformed into a golden-furred ape, swallowed Monk Wuxiang, and crushed his body and primordial spirit.
• Sect Master Tongtian left counterfeits of Monk Wuxiang and the beautiful girl in the cavern and carried away the girl’s original body.
• Sect Master Tongtian returned to Jiang Liuer and White Dragon Horse, then revealed that White Dragon Horse had replaced Jiang Liuer’s lost horse.
• White Dragon Horse confirmed that he was the Third Prince of the West Sea Dragon Palace and explained that becoming Jiang Liuer’s mount was his punishment.

Jiang Liuer, White Dragon Horse, and Tongtian continued their Journey to the West, and Tongtian offered to help White Dragon Horse grow strong enough to seek revenge on the Nine-Headed Insect himself. The group reached Guanyin Monastery, where Tongtian sensed evil and demonic aura as Jiang Liuer donned his Brocade Kasaya.

• Jiang Liuer talked for hours until White Dragon Horse galloped wildly to make him stop.
• Jiang Liuer teased White Dragon Horse about his revenge and promised to help him punish the Nine-Headed Insect, but White Dragon Horse insisted on taking revenge himself after completing the journey.
• Tongtian warned White Dragon Horse that gaining enlightenment would not make revenge easy, then offered to teach him Daoist techniques and provide pills.
• Jiang Liuer spotted a beautiful cluster of buildings and led the group to Guanyin Monastery, where Tongtian sensed evil and demonic aura.
• Jiang Liuer put on his dazzling Brocade Kasaya before entering the monastery, while two unfriendly bald monks stood guard at the entrance.

Jiang Liuer arrived at Guanyin Monastery wearing his dazzling Brocade Kasaya, drawing the abbot’s greedy attention as the travelers settled in for the night. After the Kasaya disappeared, Jiang Liuer went looking for it and found that Sect Master Tongtian had been led to a hidden chamber where the abbot and other monks were feasting.

• Jiang Liuer introduced himself to the monks at Guanyin Monastery, and the abbot hurried to welcome him after spotting the Brocade Kasaya.
• The abbot led Jiang Liuer, Sect Master Tongtian, and the White Dragon Horse to a secluded courtyard while repeatedly eyeing the robe with greed.
• Two monks brought vegetarian meals and fled after seeing the White Dragon Horse laughing eerily.
• Jiang Liuer and Sect Master Tongtian settled into separate meditation rooms, while the White Dragon Horse slept at the courtyard entrance.
• Jiang Liuer woke to find his Brocade Kasaya missing, but Sect Master Tongtian did not answer when he called.
• Jiang Liuer went searching and discovered that Sect Master Tongtian had followed a monk to a hidden chamber where the abbot and other monks were reveling.

Jiang Liuer confronted the old monk who had stolen the Brocade Kasaya, while Sect Master Tongtian wondered whether it was fake and searched for the real one. The kasaya trapped the old monk, and Jiang Liuer’s attackers killed each other as the garment tightened again.

• Sect Master Tongtian received a choice between finding the real Brocade Kasaya or reclaiming the stolen one, with different rewards offered.
• Jiang Liuer confronted the old monk and warned two armed monks not to attack him, but their blows repeatedly missed.
• The old monk put on the Brocade Kasaya, which tightened around him and began breaking his bones.
• The old monk begged Jiang Liuer for help, then accused him of setting a trap and ordered the two monks to seize him.
• The two monks attacked Jiang Liuer again but struck each other with their weapons and died, while the kasaya tightened around the old monk once more.

Sect Master Tongtian investigated the counterfeit Brocade Kasaya and concluded that the real one was connected to Guanyin Monastery, leading him to suspect Black Wind Mountain. A Bear Demon then stole Jiang Liuer’s fake kasaya and carried it back to its cave.

• Jiang Liuer took the fake Brocade Kasaya from the old monk, while Sect Master Tongtian examined the monk and two young monks but found no useful clues.
• Jiang Liuer admitted that his kasaya was fake and said the real Brocade Kasaya had vanished years earlier and could suppress a Small World.
• Sect Master Tongtian failed to divine the real kasaya’s location, then used his Heavenly Eyes and Earthly Ears to find Black Wind Mountain near Guanyin Monastery.
• A Bear Demon arrived at the monastery and sent anesthetic insects into the courtyard, making Sect Master Tongtian pretend to faint.
• The insects stole Jiang Liuer’s fake Brocade Kasaya, and the Bear Demon returned with it to its cavern on Black Wind Mountain.

The Bear Demon revealed that he possessed the true Brocade Kasaya, hidden inside a massive goldstone chest, while Sect Master Tongtian discovered the demon could speak the language of the Formless Tribulation Realm. Tongtian suspected the Bear Demon was concealing both his extraordinary status and his true strength as he prepared to cultivate.

• The Bear Demon put on a counterfeit Brocade Kasaya, drank wine, and told his subordinates to bring out his treasure.
• Sect Master Tongtian recognized the enormous chest as valuable goldstone and realized its worth mattered more to him than completing his mission.
• The Bear Demon opened the goldstone chest and revealed the true Brocade Kasaya inside.
• The Bear Demon chanted in the language of the Formless Tribulation Realm, causing the true kasaya to rise as runes appeared on the counterfeit one.
• Sect Master Tongtian recognized the runes as noble language and inferred that the Bear Demon came from an elite class and was hiding his real strength.

Sect Master Tongtian escaped the Bear Demon’s Brocade Kasaya and fought him to a standstill in Black Wind Cave. Guanyin Bodhisattva of the South Sea then appeared, and the Bear Demon immediately fell to his knees and begged for mercy.

• The Bear Demon trapped Sect Master Tongtian inside the Brocade Kasaya’s Small World, but Sect Master Tongtian found a way to escape.
• Sect Master Tongtian attacked the Bear Demon while he feasted with five companions, killing two and sending the other three fleeing.
• The Bear Demon attacked with a black spear, and Sect Master Tongtian repeatedly swallowed its tip and shaft with his cavernous maw.
• Sect Master Tongtian and the Bear Demon fought for several hours without either gaining the upper hand.
• Guanyin Bodhisattva of the South Sea appeared in Black Wind Cave, and the Bear Demon fell to his knees and begged for mercy.

Sect Master Tongtian returned the Brocade Kasaya and goldstone to his possession, then resumed the journey west with Jiang Liuer and White Dragon Horse. They reached Gao Family Village, where Tongtian realized they were about to meet Marshal Tian Peng, his Second Senior Brother.

• Guanyin Bodhisattva spared Bear Demon and took him away, while Sect Master Tongtian kept the Brocade Kasaya and goldstone and plundered Black Wind Cave.
• Sect Master Tongtian returned to Guanyin Monastery before dawn, and he and Jiang Liuer teased each other before setting out with White Dragon Horse.
• The group traveled more than fifteen hundred li in one day, and Tongtian reflected on how no one could fully understand another person's sorrow.
• The travelers reached Gao Family Village, and Tongtian realized that Marshal Tian Peng was there as his Second Senior Brother.

Jiang Liuer used a Buddhist ability to entrance two guards at the entrance to Gao Family Village, while Sect Master Tongtian and White Dragon Horse discussed the Western Teachings and Sun Wukong’s past. The village master arrived and accused Jiang Liuer of being a demonic monk, opposing their entry.

• Jiang Liuer introduced himself as Tang Sanzang and asked the two guards to let his group stay in Gao Family Village.
• Jiang Liuer’s words caused the guards, Sect Master Tongtian, and White Dragon Horse to feel compelled to listen, and the guards knelt and kowtowed to him.
• Sect Master Tongtian told White Dragon Horse that he had killed Guanyin Bodhisattva and Amitabha Buddha after escaping Five Finger Mountain.
• The village master arrived with a group of villagers, ordered the guards to stand up, and heard one man call Jiang Liuer a demonic monk who should not be allowed into the village.

Jiang Liuer and Sect Master Tongtian came to Gao Family Village, where Village Chief Gao asked them to rescue his daughter from a Pig Demon. After Sect Master Tongtian cleared the vines around Miss Gao’s tower, they found her waiting for a man, and her furious reaction to seeing them left her true situation uncertain.

• Village Chief Gao revealed that a Pig Demon had taken his daughter and begged Jiang Liuer to help rescue her.
• Jiang Liuer said Sect Master Tongtian could handle the demon, and Tongtian agreed to help.
• Sect Master Tongtian removed the vines surrounding Miss Gao’s embroidery tower, allowing everyone to enter.
• Jiang Liuer and Sect Master Tongtian heard Miss Gao playing the qin and speaking as though she were waiting for her beloved to arrive.
• Village Chief Gao called out to his daughter, and Miss Gao turned toward the group with disappointment and anger in her eyes.

Miss Gao insisted that Zhu Bajie was her devoted husband and asked Sect Master Tongtian to check on him. Tongtian found Zhu Bajie living in Yun Zhan Cave, where Zhu Bajie greeted him.

• Miss Gao told Jiang Liuer and the old village master that she loved her husband and had never been bewitched or harmed by him.
• Miss Gao explained that she had insisted on marrying Zhu Bajie and asked Sect Master Tongtian to see whether he was safe.
• Sect Master Tongtian vanished from Gao Family Village and appeared outside Yun Zhan Cave.
• Sect Master Tongtian entered the cave’s hidden Small World and found Zhu Bajie, who greeted him with a complicated expression.

Sect Master Tongtian reunited with Marshal Tian Peng, offered him a place in the Western Teachings, and returned with him to Gao Family Village. There, Village Chief Gao feared for his family but learned they might gain immortality, leaving him to reconsider his judgment of his son-in-law.

• Marshal Tian Peng told Sect Master Tongtian how he had been framed and driven from the Heavenly Court, and Sect Master Tongtian invited him to join the Journey to the West and the Western Teachings.
• Sect Master Tongtian discussed Miss Gao with Marshal Tian Peng and told him he could recover his former strength.
• Marshal Tian Peng and Sect Master Tongtian returned to Gao Family Village, where Marshal Tian Peng revealed that he was the Pig Demon and Sect Master Tongtian explained his Heavenly Court past.
• Sect Master Tongtian told Village Chief Gao that his family could gain immortality, and Village Chief Gao insisted he would not betray his daughter for the opportunity.
• Jiang Liuer urged Village Chief Gao not to assume his son-in-law was a monster, but Village Chief Gao demanded to know what evil creature was in his jurisdiction.

Sect Master Tongtian and the others confronted a Golden Armored Giant who attacked Marshal Tian Peng, while Miss Gao reunited with Tian Peng. After the danger passed, Village Chief Gao agreed to let his daughter leave with them, and Sect Master Tongtian rewarded Gao Family Village with pills and golden rain.

• The Golden Armored Giant appeared in Village Chief Gao's courtyard, claimed to be the local mountain god, and was attacked by Marshal Tian Peng.
• The Golden Armored Giant transformed into a Golden Beast and lunged at Marshal Tian Peng, but Sect Master Tongtian froze and destroyed it; its Golden Primordial Spirit escaped.
• Miss Gao appeared and called Marshal Tian Peng her husband, and the two reunited.
• Jiang Liuer asked whether Village Chief Gao would let Miss Gao leave with them, and Village Chief Gao agreed if she could be happy and safe.
• Sect Master Tongtian gave Village Chief Gao three pills, which Village Chief Gao shared with his wife and the Old Butler, restoring their youth and vitality.
• Sect Master Tongtian scattered golden rain over Gao Family Village, healing the villagers and prompting them to worship him and propose building a Longevity Shrine for Great Sage Sun.

Sect Master Tongtian and his companions reached Quicksand River, where he discovered a vast underwater city inhabited by strange lifeforms. Sha Wujing attacked them from the river, and the chapter ended with the party enveloped in his deadly black mist.

• Jiang Liuer rejected the idea of establishing a Longevity Shrine, and Miss Gao stayed in Gao Family Village while pregnant with Marshal Tian Peng’s twins.
• The group continued west with Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, White Dragon Horse, and Tang Monk, leaving only Sha Wujing to complete their party.
• The companions arrived at Quicksand River, where Jiang Liuer dozed while Sect Master Tongtian examined the strange black sand.
• Sect Master Tongtian saw a vast city and unusual lifeforms beneath the river, then spotted Sha Wujing in the water.
• Sha Wujing transformed into a Black Fish Spirit, leaped from the river, and engulfed the group in black mist.

Sect Master Tongtian and his companions recruited Sha Wujing and continued west, reaching Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain. Its attendants refused them lodging and mocked Sun Wukong, so Tongtian slapped them.

• Sect Master Tongtian dispelled Sha Wujing's attack, and Sha Wujing mistook him for Great Sage Sun before explaining how he had been banished to Quicksand River.
• Sect Master Tongtian questioned Sha Wujing about the city and creatures beneath Quicksand River, then sealed the city in a formation and captured several creatures for examination.
• Jiang Liuer gave Sha Wujing the Dharma name Wujing, and the five master and disciples resumed their westward journey.
• The group reached Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain, where attendants refused Jiang Liuer's request for lodging.
• Sect Master Tongtian told the attendants to report that Great Sage Equal to Heaven Sun Wukong had arrived, but they mocked him, so Tongtian slapped both attendants.

At Wuzhuang Temple, Sect Master Tongtian and Zhen Yuanzi discovered that the land’s changed aura threatened the Ginseng Fruit Tree, though neither could divine the cause. Tongtian accepted a system mission to eat the Ginseng Fruit and uproot the tree, and the chapter ended as attendants brought five fruits to the group.

• Zhen Yuanzi arrived after the warning bell, recognized Great Sage Sun and Sect Master Tongtian, and welcomed the group into Wuzhuang Temple.
• Jiang Liuer remarked on the temple’s blessed land before going to sleep, while Sect Master Tongtian later met privately with Zhen Yuanzi.
• Zhen Yuanzi told Sect Master Tongtian that the territory’s aura had changed, and Tongtian found that the change threatened the Ginseng Fruit Tree but could not divine its cause.
• Sect Master Tongtian chose the system mission to eat the Ginseng Fruit and uproot the tree, receiving the Source of All Evil and the Tree of Ten Thousand Worlds.
• At dawn, two attendants brought five Ginseng Fruits for the group, and Marshal Tian Peng eagerly watched them.