False opportunities were the most wearing of all: they wore down vigilance in the Dao heart and eroded decisiveness before battle.
None of them coveted this cultivation boost, theirs for the taking.
All five were travelers who had endured trials through purgatory, long since shedding the shallow greed for merit and profit common among ordinary cultivators.
Every member of the Preaching Squad centered their mind, their inner sanctums clear, their vigilance stretched to its utmost.
"Go."
Tang Sanzang uttered a single word, cold and crisp, without the slightest hesitation.
Their intentions aligned without a word. They turned to step through the tower's entrance and leave this bizarre library.
But they had barely moved half a step when the rustling of pages behind them abruptly stopped.
Dead silence.
Absolute dead silence.
Thousands upon thousands of floating scriptures froze in midair. Their page corners no longer trembled, all their spiritual radiance congealed, and the entire world seemed to have been stamped with a dao seal of stillness.
The open entrance closed without a sound, seamless and gapless, with no sign of any mechanism moving.
The tower itself had directly erased the principles governing its entrance and exit.
They could enter, but there was no door through which to retreat.
One step inside, and every avenue of retreat through the myriad laws was sealed.
Zhu Bajie's gaze abruptly sharpened.
He turned his head, the corner of his eye landing precisely on Sha Wujin beside him.
Their eyes met. No words were needed; their understanding was already complete.
This was the moment for the Zhu-Sha Duo to show what they could do.
"Execute!"
"Slay!"
Zhu Bajie gripped the Nine-Toothed Rake tightly, its teeth gleaming cold.
Sha Wujin raised the Moonlight Shovel, its clear radiance icy.
Two utterly distinct powers thundered together, hardness and softness