Recaps

Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujin broke free of the Tightening Hoop Spell and defeated Shiva’s Yoga God transformation at the Water-Land Dharma Assembly. When the Yoga God claimed he could not remove their hoops, the Golden Hoop Immortal used his Omni-Simulation System and a Loosening Hoop Spell to take them off.

• Sun Wukong awakened after the Victorious Fighting Buddha disappeared, and Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujin used the opening to escape the Tightening Hoop Spell and attack the Yoga God.
• Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujin overwhelmed the Yoga God, who surrendered and asked the Tang Emperor to spare him.
• The Tang Emperor ordered the three mighty figures to punish the Yoga God but not kill him, and then demanded that he remove their Tightening Hoops.
• The Yoga God claimed he could not remove the hoops, prompting the Tang Emperor to call for someone capable of doing so.
• The Golden Hoop Immortal stepped forward and recited the Loosening Hoop Spell, removing the hoops from Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujin.

At the Water-Land Dharma Assembly, Ma Sui revealed himself as Golden Hoop Immortal, removed the three hoops, and merged them to attain sainthood as the Primordial Chaos Hoop Saint. After his system was reclaimed, Zhou Qingqing received a mysterious golden hoop bearing Primordial Chaos mystic patterns, prompting the Three Pure Ones to reconsider the nature of circles and Chaos.

• Golden Hoop Immortal loosened the Western hoop from Shiva, then revealed himself as Ma Sui, a Jie Lineage disciple of Daoism.
• Ma Sui merged the three hoops into one and used it to attain the Dao, becoming the Primordial Chaos Hoop Saint.
• Ma Sui crushed the former hoops, blessed the Tang Empire with imperishable golden powder, and told the Yoga God that the hoops had originated from him, not Western Buddhism.
• The Omni-Simulation System announced that its mission was complete and was removed from Ma Sui after he attained sainthood.
• Amitabha Buddha pursued the departing cheat but lost track of the Primordial Chaos Hoop's aura, while Zhou Qingqing received a golden hoop with Primordial Chaos mystic patterns.
• The Three Pure Ones connected the hoop's circular form with their new insights into Primordial Chaos and Chaos.

Golden Hoop Immortal left the Water-Land Dharma Assembly after attaining Primordial Chaos, while the Yoga God seized the chance to request an exchange of teachings with Tang Sanzang. The chapter ended with the Yoga God asking to meet the Tang Emperor’s Imperial Brother.

• The Three Pure Ones recognized that Golden Hoop Immortal had gained a clue about Primordial Chaos, though they knew Qingqing could not yet understand it fully.
• Golden Hoop Immortal realized his eldest senior sister wanted him to leave, so he departed Blue Planet after pranking the Yoga God.
• The Yoga God recovered from his fear of the Primordial Saint and acknowledged that Buddhism had lost face at the assembly.
• The Yoga God asked the Tang Emperor to let him exchange teachings with Tang Sanzang, whom he identified as the Imperial Brother.

Tang Sanzang challenged the Yoga God after watching his companions fight, and the Tang Emperor agreed to give their guest time to recover first. The Yoga God accepted the delay, leaving Tang Sanzang's first battle still ahead.

• Tang Sanzang watched the Yoga God fight and regretted that he had not joined the others in battle.
• Tang Sanzang asked the Tang Emperor to let him face the Yoga God.
• The Tang Emperor proposed giving the Yoga God time to recover so the Tang Empire would not seem to win unfairly.
• The Yoga God accepted the chance to rest before fighting Tang Sanzang.

Tang Sanzang prepared to face the recovered Yoga God by drawing on powers he had cultivated in secret, while Zhou Qingqing’s inner thoughts amused and alarmed the Heavenly Venerates. Sun Wukong judged Tang Sanzang’s preparations and waited for the duel to begin.

• The Three Pure Ones recalled Qingqing’s past and heard her boast about her first venture beyond Eastern Kunlun.
• Tang Sanzang reviewed his Netherworld Ghostfire and Book of Life and Death powers while the Yoga God restored his magical power.
• Qingqing considered staging a Journey to the West performance of A Korean Odyssey after the calamity, startling the Heavenly Venerates.
• Sun Wukong sensed Tang Sanzang’s lamp-flame origin and prepared to judge him by whether he could win decisively.
• The Yoga God announced that he had finished recovering and challenged Tang Sanzang to begin their fight.

Tang Sanzang accepted the Yoga God's challenge and used the Heaven-Burying Scripture to bury his past lives, gaining strength to match the Yoga God's increasingly dangerous movements. As Tang Sanzang continued uncovering and burying earlier selves, his bones repeatedly broke and healed, and the trial remained underway.

• The Yoga God chose to test Tang Sanzang with yoga rather than fight him directly, and Tang Sanzang followed his movements using what he had learned from the Heaven-Burying Scripture.
• Qingqing's system gave Tang Sanzang a task to bury himself, and he used the Burial of Humans Chapter to bury Sui Sanzang.
• Sha Wujin recognized Tang Sanzang as the monk he had killed repeatedly, while Amitabha Buddha observed the burial power and tried to understand its source.
• Tang Sanzang kept pace with the Yoga God, so the Yoga God escalated to his Divine Dance, which threatened to shatter Tang Sanzang's bones.
• Tang Sanzang sensed another past self beyond Sui Sanzang and continued burying his previous lives as his bones broke and reconnected.

Tang Sanzang kept pace with Shiva’s incarnation, the Yoga God, by burying his past lives and reclaiming their power. After finding and burying the Six-Winged Golden Cicada’s origin, he activated ten lifetimes of reincarnation and began matching the Yoga God’s 8.4 million postures.

• The Yoga God regulated his breath and intensified his yoga practice, while Tang Sanzang used the power gained from burying his past lives to keep up.
• Tang Sanzang buried his ninth lifetime, regained the rhythm of the Dao, and impressed the people watching at the Water-Land Dharma Assembly.
• The Yoga God revealed his challenge of 8.4 million postures, and Tang Sanzang searched his sea of consciousness for the remaining origin he needed.
• Tang Sanzang found a golden cicada molt and buried it, activating ten lifetimes of reincarnation and completing his quest.
• Tang Sanzang absorbed the knowledge and power of his ten lifetimes, then matched the Yoga God’s postures with countless afterimages.

At the Water-Land Dharma Assembly, Tang Sanzang extinguished the Yoga God’s destructive fire rings with Demonic Ring Purification, then broke free of the Yoga God’s ascetic stillness. The Yoga God launched a chain of attacks with a venomous snake and his third eye’s divine fire, leaving Tang Sanzang in danger.

• The Yoga God surrounded Tang Sanzang with destructive fire rings, but Tang Sanzang summoned a Dharma robe and extinguished them with Demonic Ring Purification.
• Tang Sanzang pressed his attack, but the Yoga God used his ascetic posture to immobilize him with the power of stillness.
• Tang Sanzang broke free of the immobilization, and the Yoga God summoned a venomous snake around his neck to attack him.
• The Yoga God opened his third eye and unleashed divine fire upon Tang Sanzang.

Tang Sanzang gained Daoist scriptures to counter the Yoga God’s poison and flames, but the Yoga God stripped them from him and prepared a final attack. Tang Sanzang claimed the system reward of Tathagata's Divine Palm and struck first, while Shiva recognized that its power came from Buddhism’s own figures.

• Tang Sanzang formed Daoist scriptures into a dharma robe, sealing away the Yoga God’s poison and flames.
• The Yoga God covered himself in bone ash and used his power to separate the scriptures from Tang Sanzang, who found he could not bend to retrieve them.
• Tang Sanzang claimed his stored system reward and obtained Tathagata's Divine Palm, which the Heavenly Venerates connected to Shakyamuni Tathagata and Patriarch Bodhi.
• The Yoga God gathered his essence, energy, and spirit and prepared to unleash the Heaven-Burning Karmic Dance.
• Tang Sanzang struck the Yoga God with Tathagata's Divine Palm before retrieving the scriptures, breaking his preparations.
• Shiva recognized the palm’s links to Shakyamuni and Patriarch Bodhi, while Amitabha Buddha realized that his junior brother’s incarnation had caused trouble for Buddhism.

Shiva used the Hand Drum to revive the Yoga God, who tried to challenge the Tang Emperor’s authority after losing to Tang Sanzang. The Tang Emperor ordered the envoy executed, and Tang Sanzang killed him with Tathagata’s Divine Palm strengthened by the scripture scrolls, leaving Amitabha Buddha frustrated and waiting for the Scripture Seeking Team’s westward journey.

• Shiva shook the Hand Drum and used its power of faith to make the defeated Yoga God stand again.
• The Yoga God appealed to the Tang Emperor, claiming Tang Sanzang had no right to kill a foreign envoy, but the Tang Emperor rejected his excuses and ordered Tang Sanzang to execute him.
• The Yoga God attacked with the Heaven-Burning Karmic Dance, and Tang Sanzang used Tathagata’s Divine Palm together with the two scripture scrolls to destroy him.
• The Heavenly Venerates discussed the Water-Land Dharma Assembly’s end, while Amitabha Buddha resolved to wait for the Scripture Seeking Team to leave the Tang Dynasty and face the coming counterattack.

The Tang Emperor decreed that Tang Sanzang and his companions would travel west to spread the Tang Empire’s teachings. The team accepted the mission and prepared to set out, with Sun Wukong focused on confronting anyone who blocked them and Zhu Bajie determined to return safely for Cui Lan.

• The Tang Emperor entrusted Tang Sanzang and his companions with carrying the teachings west and gave them authority over the mission.
• Tang Sanzang accepted the decree and vowed to carry the true scriptures westward and proclaim the Tang Empire’s majesty.
• Sun Wukong said he would use his staff against anyone who obstructed their procession.
• Zhu Bajie pledged to keep everyone safe for Cui Lan.

The Preaching Squad left Chang'an after pledging to spread the Dao, and Ao Lie transformed into a dragon car so they could travel together. As the squad headed west, Amitabha Buddha and Shiva worried they would reach the Five Manor Temple too soon, and Shiva prepared to send another Transformation Body to delay them.

• Sha Wujin, Ao Lie, and the other members of the Preaching Squad pledged to join the journey, and the Tang Emperor gave Tang Sanzang their travel documents.
• The Preaching Squad departed Chang'an, and Ao Lie transformed into a dragon car to carry everyone west.
• Sha Wujin took the driver’s seat while Zhu Bajie rode in front and Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong sat in the back.
• Amitabha Buddha realized the dragon car could disrupt his arrangements and resolved to stop the squad before it reached the Five Manor Temple.
• Shiva decided to send one of his remaining Transformation Bodies to slow the Preaching Squad down.

Shiva sent his Beast Lord incarnation to obstruct the Preaching Squad, giving him divine weapons to attack them from afar. Sun Wukong and the others stopped the arrow, but the Beast Lord then unleashed waves of empowered beasts to impede their journey.

• Shiva summoned the Beast Lord and gave him a bow, arrow, axe, and Dharma seal to use against the Preaching Squad.
• The Beast Lord drew his divine bow and fired a powerful arrow toward the traveling Preaching Squad.
• Sun Wukong sensed the attack and raised his staff as Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and Little White Dragon Ao Lie joined forces to block it.
• Ao Lie deduced that Shiva or one of his incarnations was behind the attack, while the Beast Lord watched from afar.
• The Beast Lord used his authority to transform nearby animals into varied beast hordes and sent them to obstruct the Preaching Squad.

The Beast Lord repeatedly ambushed the Preaching Squad from within the beast horde, slowing their journey despite their ability to destroy his manifestations. Qingqing decided to give Sun Wukong a system, and Supreme Pure Laozi predicted it would support him or rally others rather than make him overpowered.

• The Preaching Squad fought another encircling beast horde while searching for the Beast Lord hiding among the beasts.
• The Beast Lord emerged as a four-armed ancient god manifestation and attacked the squad from behind, but their combined powers destroyed it.
• The squad realized they could defeat the Beast Lord's manifestations but could not destroy him at the root.
• Qingqing decided to give Sun Wukong a cheat, surprising the Heavenly Venerates in Three Pure Ones Hall.
• Supreme Pure Laozi predicted that Sun Wukong's system would provide support or rally everyone's enthusiasm rather than make him especially powerful.

Zhou Qingqing bestowed a Ranking System on Sun Wukong to spur on the Preaching Squad, but Sun Wukong hesitated to accept it and tested whether Violet Fairy could hear its voice. Amitabha Buddha sensed the unstable cheat and mistook Sun Wukong’s hesitation for special treatment, while Zhou Qingqing recognized his resistance as familiar defiance.

• Supreme Pure Laozi predicted that the next system would motivate the Preaching Squad, and Zhou Qingqing created a Ranking System to rank its five members.
• After the Beast Lord vanished, the Preaching Squad waited aboard Little White Dragon Ao Lie, while Sun Wukong brooded over his failure to defeat the Beast Lord.
• The Ranking System appeared to Sun Wukong and asked him whether he wished to bind it, so he tried to find out whether Violet Fairy could hear its voice.
• Zhou Qingqing misread Sun Wukong’s question as a plan to reject the system, and the Three Pure Ones Heavenly Venerates reacted with amusement.
• Amitabha Buddha sensed the incomplete system and concluded that Sun Wukong was resisting a cheat that allowed him to choose whether to accept it.
• Zhou Qingqing realized Sun Wukong had not chosen yet and privately compared his defiance toward his master with her own supposed respect for hers.

Sun Wukong used his reversed Three Flowers to give the mysterious system a tangible form and began driving out its functions, unaware that Qingqing had created it. Qingqing let him damage the system rather than force him to accept it, while Amitabha Buddha watched in surprise.

• Sun Wukong rejected the system and used his power of origin to try to drive it out.
• Qingqing decided not to force the system onto Sun Wukong and allowed him to keep attacking it.
• Sun Wukong's expression changed, surprising Tang Sanzang and the others aboard the dragon carriage.
• Amitabha Buddha sensed that Sun Wukong's system was weakening and confirmed that Sun Wukong was truly driving it out.
• Sun Wukong reversed his Three Flowers, made the formless system tangible, and damaged its functions while praising his master's power.

Sun Wukong stopped purging the Ranking System after discovering it was harmless, bound to its damaged version, and used it to create a ranking scenario about dealing with the Beast Lord. After returning to normal, he began to reveal his system to the Preaching Squad, while Amitabha Buddha heard him say “XX.”

• Amitabha Buddha sensed that Sun Wukong’s system had lost eighty percent of its power and mistakenly believed Zhou Qingqing and the Three Pure Ones had stopped the purging.
• Sun Wukong decided the remaining system was harmless, asked whether it could still speak, and chose to bind with the Ranking System.
• The damaged system listed five ranking categories and let Sun Wukong independently publish ranking scenarios.
• Sun Wukong added the situation involving the Beast Lord as a ranking scenario and regained control of his vision and movements.
• Sun Wukong told the Preaching Squad he had obtained an “XX,” and Amitabha Buddha heard the disclosure.
• The Preaching Squad asked Sun Wukong what system he had obtained.

Sun Wukong learned that Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujin, and Little White Dragon Ao Lie all had systems of their own, each with a different ability. When Ao Lie attributed their systems to the Lord of Ten Thousand Dragons and the Dao Venerable, Sun Wukong reacted with a strange expression.

• Amitabha Buddha listened as the group discussed Sun Wukong's system but still could not understand what it meant.
• Sun Wukong asked Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujin, and Little White Dragon Ao Lie if they had systems too.
• Tang Sanzang revealed that his system had helped him break through the veil of the womb, find suitable Daoist arts, and become Three Burials.
• Zhu Bajie explained that his system rewarded him for repeating tasks, while Sha Wujin showed how his system let him extract power and create his Glazed World.
• Little White Dragon Ao Lie said the Lord of Ten Thousand Dragons had given him a system that enabled his many dragon forms and Divine Dragon summon.
• Ao Lie named the Lord of Ten Thousand Dragons and the Dao Venerable as the ones who could give them systems, and Sun Wukong's expression changed.

Sun Wukong activated his Ranking System and announced that the group would be ranked by how quickly they defeated the Beast King. The Preaching Squad eagerly accepted the challenge, while the Calamity aura intensified and the hidden Beast Lord faced a harder fight ahead.

• Sun Wukong admitted that his system was the Ranking System and activated it for the group.
• The system announced the Counterattack Against the Beast King scenario, ranking participants by their speed and promising rewards or punishments based on their placements.
• Tang Sanzang and the others welcomed the rankings and said they wanted to place first, while Sun Wukong kept quiet about the system's damaged functions.
• Amitabha Buddha could no longer hear the Preaching Squad because of Calamity restrictions, but he saw that Sun Wukong's system had made them lively.
• The Calamity aura grew denser as Qingqing remained largely unaffected, and the hidden Beast Lord was left facing the group's renewed drive.

The Beast Lord continued harassing the Preaching Squads and chose Little White Dragon Ao Lie as his next target. Ao Lie transformed from his carriage and unleashed a new fused ability, nearly striking the Beast Lord’s true body, while the rankings remained undecided.

• The Beast Lord resumed his harassment plan, which he called Fly Style, and decided to target Little White Dragon Ao Lie.
• The Preaching Squads noticed the Beast Lord’s approach, but Ao Lie refused to let the others take his chance and threw them out of his carriage before transforming into a dragon.
• Ao Lie combined Dead Spirit Bloodfire and Three-Life Causal Flame into Causal Bloodfire and attacked the Beast Lord.
• The Beast Lord sacrificed nearby beasts to sever the flames’ causal links before they could reach his true body.
• Ao Lie judged that his performance might earn him an “A Cut Above” ranking and resolved to keep strengthening his ability.

The Beast Lord discovered that the Preaching Squad had become far stronger, but his retreat let Tang Sanzang seize the initiative with two powerful scriptures. Amitabha Buddha watched in alarm as Zhou Qingqing’s cheat seemed to have changed the squad’s strength, though Zhou Qingqing had only claimed there was nothing wrong with the cards.

• The Beast Lord tested the Preaching Squad with another herd, found Little White Dragon back in dragon-car form, then retreated when Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujin’s weapons filled him with unease.
• The Heavenly Venerates in the Three Pure Ones Hall noted that Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujin had failed to hurt the Beast Lord, leaving Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong under pressure to perform.
• The Beast Lord returned and was caught by Tang Sanzang, who wrapped him in two scripture scrolls and chanted rapidly.
• Sun Wukong called Zhu Bajie an idiot and praised Sha Wujin, while the Heavenly Venerates remarked that their cores remained consistent across reincarnations.
• Zhou Qingqing recognized Tang Sanzang’s familiar chatterbox nature, and Amitabha Buddha concluded that Zhou Qingqing’s cheat had transformed the Preaching Squad’s strength.

Sun Wukong used the power of reversal to break the Calamity’s travel restrictions and pursue the Beast Lord, determined to win first place in the Ranking System. He defeated the Beast Lord and earned the top ranking, while the Three Pure Ones considered a reward for Little White Dragon Ao Lie.

• After Tang Sanzang nearly killed the Beast Lord, the Beast Lord escaped, leaving the group worried that Sun Wukong might not earn any ranking points.
• Sun Wukong poured the power of reversal into Somersault Cloud and restored its ability to travel a hundred and eight thousand li in one somersault.
• Amitabha Buddha realized that Sun Wukong had broken his restriction and could leave the pilgrimage team to pursue the Beast Lord.
• Sun Wukong used Somersault Cloud to reach the Beast Lord, then attacked him with Heavenly Law, Earthly Manifestation and the Golden-Hooped Staff.
• Sun Wukong killed the Beast Lord and ranked “awesome” in the Ranking System’s first settlement.
• Qingqing decided to give Little White Dragon Ao Lie a Crying Horse ornament, and the Three Pure Ones considered restarting horse betting in the Heavenly Court.

Sun Wukong’s new Ranking System ranked the Preaching Squad and issued rewards and punishments. As Amitabha Buddha considered the system’s effects, Bole and Zhao Gongming announced a New Year Festival in the Heavenly Court.

• Sun Wukong ranked Little White Dragon Ao Lie a cut above, and Ao Lie received a Crying Horse charm and a smart aromatherapy diffuser.
• Sun Wukong ranked Tang Sanzang top-tier, granting him priority in the next scenario, and received god-tier status with exclusive titles for his achievements.
• The system ranked Sha Wujin NPC and Zhu Bajie utter trash, activating pain and annihilation punishments for them.
• Amitabha Buddha noticed Sun Wukong’s system was affecting the squad and suspected most of it had been expelled.
• Bole appeared as the new Bimawen with Zhao Gongming and announced a New Year Festival for the Year of the Horse, which Amitabha Buddha suspected would involve horse-race betting.

The New Year Festival’s horse race ended with the white Dragon Horse’s victory, and Zhao Gongming used the gathered wealth aura to attain Primordial Chaos as the God of Wealth. He celebrated by sending red envelopes, but Zhou Qingqing and the Three Pure Ones were shocked by how little they contained.

• Amitabha Buddha joined the New Year Festival and bet on a black Dragon Horse, while the Three Pure Ones observed that the event’s wealth would help Zhao Gongming attain sainthood.
• Bole’s expanded competition drew vast participation, and the black and white Dragon Horses became the final contenders.
• The white Dragon Horse won the race, and the resulting surge of wealth aura helped Zhao Gongming attain the Dao and reach Primordial Chaos.
• Zhao Gongming announced that wealth would come through legitimate transactions and sent red envelopes throughout the Primordial World.
• Zhou Qingqing complained that her red envelope contained only 0.01, and the Three Pure Ones checked their own envelopes and found the same amount.

Amitabha Buddha concealed a deadly new version of the Four Saints Test the Zen Mind, but Zhou Qingqing noticed the scheme and the Three Pure Ones helped her see through it. The Preaching Squad faced a trial where one member’s failure would doom the whole team, while Amitabha Buddha watched to see how they would fare.

• Amitabha Buddha hid the altered Four Saints Test the Zen Mind behind an illusory dreamscape, making the Preaching Squad appear to advance toward Five Manor Temple as usual.
• Zhou Qingqing detected that something was wrong, and the Three Pure Ones Heavenly Venerates joined forces to send her a divine ability that broke the illusion.
• Zhou Qingqing saw that the new rules meant one person’s hesitation or failure would trap the entire Preaching Squad.
• Zhou Qingqing noted that Shiva had helped former Chaos Demon Gods adapt to the Primordial World, making the trial far more dangerous than its original version.
• Amitabha Buddha remained satisfied with Shiva’s tribulation and watched to see how the Preaching Squads would perform.