Chapter Summaries

Emperor Tang Li Shimin told Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong that the Jing River Dragon King’s soul was haunting him, and the two generals guarded him as it returned. Dipankara Buddha and Maitreya Buddha struggled over the dragon king’s fate, leaving his attack on the emperor unresolved.

• Emperor Tang Li Shimin explained that the Jing River Dragon King had appeared in his dream and kept him awake, so he asked Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong to protect him.
• Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong promised to guard the emperor, and the Jing River Dragon King’s soul appeared when Emperor Tang Li Shimin fell asleep.
• Yuchi Gong fought the Jing River Dragon King, whose power was weakened by Great Tang’s dynastic fortune, and nearly destroyed his soul.
• Dipankara Buddha strengthened the Jing River Dragon King, allowing him to overpower Yuchi Gong and summon lightning against him.
• Maitreya Buddha countered Dipankara Buddha’s magic, restoring the dynastic fortune’s suppression of the dragon king and forcing Yuchi Gong to guard the emperor instead of attacking.
• Dipankara Buddha resented Maitreya Buddha’s interference but kept it from Jieyin and Zhunti to avoid losing his position as Buddha Ancestor.

Maitreya Buddha restored part of the Jing River Dragon King's soul, allowing the dragon king to escape the Great Tang palace after threatening Emperor Tang Li Shimin. With Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong unable to guard the emperor constantly, Li Shimin faced the prospect of another attack until Qin Shubao offered a plan to resolve the danger.

• Maitreya Buddha began restoring the Jing River Dragon King's soul while Dipankara Buddha fought to stop him.
• The Jing River Dragon King regained consciousness, threatened Emperor Tang Li Shimin, and escaped after Yuchi Gong tried to pursue him.
• After Li Shimin awoke, Yuchi Gong recounted the encounter and Qin Shubao warned that the dragon king would return unless the generals guarded the emperor continuously.
• Li Shimin realized the generals could not protect him at all times and feared the dragon king's threat.
• Qin Shubao announced that he had a plan to resolve the Jing River Dragon King once and for all.

Qin Shubao urged Emperor Tang Li Shimin to rely on Daoist priests to deal with the Jing River Dragon King's ghost, and Yuan Tiangang prepared a powerful exorcism formation in the palace. Yuan Tiangang warned that the dragon might appeal to King Yama, leaving Emperor Tang Li Shimin alarmed, while the chapter revealed that Heaven would not support the Western Buddhist sect's plan to intimidate him.

• Qin Shubao advised Emperor Tang Li Shimin to seek help from Daoist and Buddhist experts, and the emperor summoned Yuan Tiangang.
• Yuan Tiangang said he needed the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and a formation to confront the ghost, and Emperor Tang Li Shimin approved his request.
• The Imperial Astronomical Bureau transformed the palace into a ghost-exorcising formation, with Yuan Tiangang presiding over it.
• Emperor Tang Li Shimin promised Yuan Tiangang a reward and asked Qin Shubao what reward he wanted, while keeping Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong nearby for protection.
• Yuan Tiangang warned that the Jing River Dragon King might appeal to King Yama, and Qin Shubao cautioned that Emperor Tang Li Shimin could lose the protection of Dynastic Fortune in the netherworld.
• The narration explained that Heaven would not aid the Western Buddhist sect's plan to intimidate Emperor Tang Li Shimin, though the sect still held some influence in the netherworld.

The Jing River Dragon King’s attempt to reach Emperor Tang Li Shimin was stopped by Yuan Tiangang’s ghost exorcism formation. Dipankara Buddha persuaded Maitreya Buddha to join him in breaking the formation, while secretly planning to shift blame for the Journey to the West plan’s eventual failure onto Maitreya.

• The Jing River Dragon King arrived at Emperor Tang Li Shimin’s palace to demand his life, but Yuan Tiangang’s formation suppressed his soul and made him hesitate.
• Maitreya Buddha mocked Dipankara Buddha over the failing Journey to the West plan, and Dipankara offered to hand control of it to Maitreya and enter seclusion if Maitreya secured the Land and Water Dharma Assembly.
• Dipankara Buddha privately intended to use the handover to make Maitreya responsible for the plan’s failure and strengthen his own standing with Jieyin and Zhunti.
• Dipankara Buddha proposed that he and Maitreya work together to break Yuan Tiangang’s formation, and Maitreya agreed.
• The Jing River Dragon King remained trapped outside the formation, torn between his hatred of Emperor Tang Li Shimin and the danger of being annihilated.

Dipankara Buddha and Maitreya Buddha broke Yuan Tiangang’s Ghost Exorcism Grand Formation, allowing the Jing River Dragon King to threaten Emperor Tang Li Shimin again. As Yuan Tiangang’s thunder technique failed to stop the Dragon King from reaching the sleeping quarters, Emperor Tang Li Shimin faced a potentially fatal attack.

• Dipankara Buddha and Maitreya Buddha broke the Ghost Exorcism Grand Formation to let the Jing River Dragon King pressure Emperor Tang Li Shimin.
• Yuan Tiangang rushed to the sleeping quarters after discovering that the formation had fallen, while Emperor Tang Li Shimin blamed him for failing.
• The Jing River Dragon King defeated Yuchi Gong, and Qin Shubao tried to stall him by directing his anger toward Wei Zheng.
• A magical force from beyond the Thirty-three Heavens stopped the Jing River Dragon King from turning to seek revenge on Wei Zheng.
• Yuan Tiangang struck the Jing River Dragon King with the Five Thunders Orthodox Method, but the Dragon King ignored the attack and charged at Emperor Tang Li Shimin.
• Emperor Tang Li Shimin sensed a life-threatening strike but did not know how to respond.

Dipankara Buddha’s scheme to frighten Emperor Tang Li Shimin into seeking Buddhism’s help succeeded, while Yuan Tiangang was imprisoned after his formation failed to stop the Jing River Dragon King. Li Shimin agreed to invite a Buddhist master to perform a Water and Land Dharma Assembly, and Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong went to Jingshan Temple to summon Cihang.

• Dipankara Buddha’s lingering magic made the Jing River Dragon King flee when Buddhist chanting sounded, and Dipankara returned to Mount Sumeru after declaring the plan successful.
• Emperor Tang Li Shimin had Yuan Tiangang thrown into the heavenly prison and asked Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong how to respond to Buddhism’s intervention.
• Yuchi Gong urged Li Shimin to destroy the Buddhist temples, but Qin Shubao advised him to let Buddhism and Daoism restrain each other.
• Li Shimin accepted Qin Shubao’s advice and asked him to recommend a Buddhist master who could deal with the Jing River Dragon King.
• Qin Shubao named Cihang of Jingshan Temple, and Li Shimin assigned Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong to invite him.
• The next day, Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong brought Li Shimin’s decree to Jingshan Temple and announced a Water and Land Dharma Assembly to deliver the souls of those who had died unjustly.

Emperor Tang Li Shimin’s decree to have Buddhist monks hold the Water and Land Dharma Assembly sparked Daoist resentment and infighting among the monks of Jingshan Temple. Qin Shubao appointed Cihang to preside over the assembly, then reported his choice to the emperor, who remained wary about whether it would work.

• Emperor Tang Li Shimin announced that Buddhists would conduct a Water and Land Dharma Assembly to transcend the souls of those who had died unjustly, angering Daoists and delighting Buddhist disciples.
• The monks of Jingshan Temple fought over who would host the assembly and excluded Cihang, while Maitreya Buddha watched helplessly from outside the Thirty-three Heavens.
• Qin Shubao ended the dispute, ordered Cihang to preside over the assembly, and threatened the monks by smashing a courtyard wall.
• The monks accepted Cihang as host, and Maitreya Buddha decided Qin Shubao had helped protect the Journey to the West plan.
• Qin Shubao reported the events to Emperor Tang Li Shimin, who asked whether Cihang’s Buddhist teachings were truly profound.

Emperor Tang Li Shimin arranged for Monk Cihang to lead a Water and Land Dharma Assembly outside Xuanwu Gate to address the Jing River Dragon King's vengeful soul and signal the Tang Empire’s openness to Buddhism. On the ceremony’s first day, the monks began chanting, and Li Shimin arrived with his ministers to observe.

• Emperor Tang Li Shimin accepted Qin Shubao’s recommendation of Monk Cihang and ordered the Water and Land Dharma Assembly held outside Xuanwu Gate.
• Emperor Tang Li Shimin arranged a kasaya for Monk Cihang to show favor to Buddhism and reassure the power behind the Jing River Dragon King’s troubles.
• Monks from Jingshan Temple and other Chang'an temples gathered to seek positions in the ceremony, while Monk Cihang prepared rituals and planned forty-nine days of scripture recitation, extendable to eighty-one.
• Maitreya Buddha kept the Jing River Dragon King’s soul under his control and intended the ceremony to strengthen Buddhism’s standing in the Tang Empire.
• Monk Cihang led 1,314 monks to Xuanwu Gate, where they began chanting on the first day of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.
• Emperor Tang Li Shimin invited his ministers to accompany him to observe the ceremony, and the monks turned their attention toward him as he arrived.

Monk Cihang hosted Emperor Tang Li Shimin at the Water and Land Dharma Assembly and secured a promise to renovate Jingshan Temple. As Buddhist figures prepared for the altered Journey to the West, Arhat Dragon Subduing and Arhat Tiger Subduing entered Chang'an disguised as beggars, where a greedy monk confronted them over the Nine-Ringed Staff.

• Emperor Tang Li Shimin and Monk Cihang exchanged public courtesies, and the emperor promised to renovate Jingshan Temple and let Cihang visit the palace.
• After leaving the assembly, Emperor Tang Li Shimin privately recalled the Jing River Dragon King and looked coldly at the Buddhist statues.
• Maitreya Buddha arranged for Six-eared Macaque to await Monk Cihang beneath Five Finger Mountain and planned to use the Journey to the West to claim Buddhism's position of Buddha Ancestor.
• Jieyin and Zhunti infused the Brocade Kasaya and Nine-Ringed Staff with their power to protect the scripture seeker from a Saint's strike.
• Arhat Dragon Subduing and Arhat Tiger Subduing disguised themselves as beggars and entered Chang'an to deliver the treasures to Goddess of Mercy after the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.
• A monk who had not joined the assembly stopped the two arhats and demanded Arhat Dragon Subduing's Nine-Ringed Staff.

Arhat Dragon Subduing tried to keep the Nine-Ringed Staff out of others’ hands while finding a way into the Water and Land Dharma Assembly. He persuaded Cheng Yaojin that the staff held powerful Buddhist blessings, but warned that Cheng was not fated with Buddha and would be crushed if he held it.

• Arhat Dragon Subduing refused the Old Monk’s attempt to obtain the Nine-Ringed Staff and demanded five thousand taels for it.
• On the final day of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, Arhat Dragon Subduing and Arhat Tiger Subduing went to Xuanwu Gate to deliver the staff and Brocade Kasaya to Monk Cihang.
• Cheng Yaojin let the disguised beggars pass and asked Arhat Dragon Subduing to sell him the Nine-Ringed Staff.
• Arhat Dragon Subduing demanded five thousand taels of gold and claimed the staff could protect its holder from misfortune and guide them to the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss.
• Arhat Dragon Subduing told Cheng Yaojin that he was not fated with Buddha and that the staff would turn into a mountain and crush him if he held it.

Cheng Yaojin brought Arhat Dragon Subduing and Arhat Tiger Subduing before Emperor Tang Li Shimin, where Arhat Dragon Subduing revealed the power of his Buddhist treasures. As the Water and Land Dharma Assembly neared its end and the Jing River Dragon King's soul was about to be delivered, the Dragon King appeared again before them.

• Cheng Yaojin took Arhat Dragon Subduing and Arhat Tiger Subduing to Emperor Tang Li Shimin and explained the Nine-Ringed Staff's power.
• Arhat Dragon Subduing avoided demonstrating the Nine-Ringed Staff at first and revealed the Brocade Kasaya, filling the palace with Buddhist light.
• Emperor Tang Li Shimin apologized to Arhat Dragon Subduing and proposed giving the Brocade Kasaya to Monk Cihang after the assembly.
• Arhat Dragon Subduing demonstrated the Nine-Ringed Staff by making golden lotuses inscribed with Buddhist scriptures bloom across the ground.
• Emperor Tang Li Shimin offered the two monks a thousand taels of gold, but they refused it.
• As the Water and Land Dharma Assembly neared its end, the Jing River Dragon King appeared before Emperor Tang Li Shimin and the others.

Tang Sanzang arrived at Xuanwu Gate, converted the Jing River Dragon King with Mahayana Buddhism, and revealed his intention to spread his teachings. Maitreya Buddha’s Journey to the West plan was disrupted, while Tang Sanzang gained Emperor Tang Li Shimin’s attention.

• Monk Cihang told Emperor Tang Li Shimin that the Jing River Dragon King had only been suppressed and proposed traveling west for the true scriptures.
• Tang Sanzang’s Buddhist teaching dispelled the Jing River Dragon King’s resentment and restored its lost soul and spirits.
• Daoist Duobao suppressed Maitreya Buddha and the two arhats, while saying Master of the Heavens knew of his actions.
• Tang Sanzang introduced himself to Emperor Tang Li Shimin as Xuanzang, a practitioner of Mahayana Buddhism.
• Emperor Tang Li Shimin welcomed Tang Sanzang and credited him with resolving the Jing River Dragon King’s suffering.

Tang Sanzang gained Emperor Tang Li Shimin’s permission to travel to Spirit Mountain and present Mahayana Buddhism, hoping to challenge Western Buddhism. After receiving the Brocade Kasaya and Nine-Ringed Staff, he prepared to set out that day, with Emperor Tang Li Shimin offering to see him off.

• Tang Sanzang explained that Mahayana Buddhism taught that everyone could become a Buddha, unlike Lesser Vehicle Buddhism, and asked to travel west to present his teachings.
• Emperor Tang Li Shimin approved Tang Sanzang’s journey and suggested he receive two Buddhist treasures from Arhat Dragon Subduing.
• Monk Cihang agreed that Tang Sanzang had a stronger connection to Buddhism and gave up his claim to the treasures, so Tang Sanzang received the Brocade Kasaya and Nine-Ringed Staff.
• Arhat Dragon Subduing and Arhat Tiger Subduing left Xuanwu Gate and returned to Spirit Mountain after failing their mission.
• Tang Sanzang said he would leave for the west that day, and Emperor Tang Li Shimin offered to see him off.

Tang Sanzang left Chang'an with Monk Cihang, who questioned his Buddhist beliefs while learning about Mahayana Buddhism. As they journeyed west, cracks opened in the Primordial Chaos, and Wu Feng received a mission to repel the invaders.

• Emperor Tang Li Shimin escorted Tang Sanzang from Chang'an, gave him a horse and travel supplies, and learned the journey might take three to ten years.
• Monk Cihang followed Tang Sanzang and asked him to explain Mahayana Buddhism, but Tang Sanzang encouraged him to form his own understanding.
• Monk Cihang led Tang Sanzang's horse and struggled to reconcile his idea of a Buddha with the belief that everyone could become one.
• Daoist Duobao observed that Tang Sanzang had begun converting Goddess of Mercy to Mahayana Buddhism.
• Cracks opened in the spatial barrier around Shuangcha Ridge, and Wu Feng sensed the Primordial Chaos was under threat.
• Wu Feng received a mission to protect the Primordial Chaos and repel the invaders.

Wu Feng announced a continuous mission to defend the Primordial World from invaders seeking to disrupt the Journey to the West and weaken the Heavenly Dao. As the cultivators prepared to participate, Heavenly Emperor Haotian remained focused on arranging the Heavenly Court's Eastern Journey.

• Wu Feng's General Store issued a mission to preserve the Heavenly Dao's planned course and repel invaders in the Primordial World.
• Wu Feng gathered the cultivators in the Chat Group and warned them that the mission was dangerous and would take place on their home ground.
• Sun Wukong vowed to protect the Primordial World and Tang Sanzang, while Ksitigarbha urged him not to underestimate the invaders.
• Wutian eagerly anticipated the mission because he needed Exchange Points, while Heavenly Emperor Haotian worried it would distract from his preparations for the Eastern Journey.
• Heavenly Emperor Haotian investigated the Jing River Dragon King's execution and saved soul only briefly before returning to his Eastern Journey arrangements.

Wu Feng announced that invaders were using the Eighty-One Tribulations as anchor points to enter the Primordial World, and assigned the Chat Group to protect Tang Sanzang on his journey west. As the group debated the danger and potential rewards, Daoist Duobao asked whether the guardians of the scriptures would be chosen as before.

• Haotian chose to prioritize Wu Feng’s mission despite worrying that his absence could endanger the Heavenly Court’s Eastern Journey plan.
• Wu Feng warned the cultivators that powerful invaders were using the Eighty-One Tribulations to invade the Primordial World and assigned them to protect Tang Sanzang.
• Master of the Heavens realized that the changed journey could advance his plans for Mahayana Buddhism to divide the Buddhist Sect.
• General Juanlian speculated that the scripture guardians could earn enormous Exchange Point rewards, while Sun Wukong warned that their roles might change and the tribulations could be deadly.
• Daoist Duobao asked Wu Feng whether the scripture guardians would still be chosen according to the original arrangement, hoping to take part as the Journey to the West’s planner.

The cultivators in the Chat Group learned that the four scripture protector positions for the Eastern Journey would be chosen by a group-wide contest rather than assigned. After the countdown and selection, Sun Wukong and Marshal Tian Peng secured the first two positions, while the other candidates remained to be announced.

• Daoist Duobao asked whether the scripture protector positions could be replaced, and Senior Wu Feng confirmed that they would be selected anew.
• Senior Wu Feng announced that everyone in the Chat Group could compete for the four positions by accepting a mission.
• The cultivators prepared and pressed the mission button when the countdown ended.
• Senior Wu Feng announced that Sun Wukong had obtained the first disciple position and Marshal Tian Peng the second disciple position.

After the scripture guardians were selected, Tang Sanzang and Monk Cihang found Shuangcha Ridge engulfed in spatial turmoil and watched meteorites fall from spatial black holes. The meteorites revealed Autobots sent by Main God Space to scout the Primordial World and prepare to kill Tang Sanzang.

• Wu Feng drew the scripture-guardian spots, and Sun Wukong, Marshal Tian Peng, General Juanlian, and Crown Prince Jade-Faced Ao Lie regained their original roles.
• Tang Sanzang and Monk Cihang stopped before Shuangcha Ridge as dangerous spatial fluctuations blocked their route west.
• Tang Sanzang and Monk Cihang considered waiting three days before taking a detour, but a lightning strike flattened Shuangcha Ridge and spatial black holes opened overhead.
• Number One and Number Three discussed sending Transformers to scout the Primordial World before attempting to kill Tang Sanzang for ten million Main God Points.
• Meteorites crashed into Shuangcha Ridge, then split open and revealed Autobots, whom Tang Sanzang mistook for metal giants.

The Autobots built armed fortresses at Shuangcha Ridge as invaders from the Main God Space used them to gather information about the Primordial World. Fairy Bi Xiao won the mission to escort Tang Sanzang through the first tribulation, while the watching Sages mistook the invasion for Dipankara Buddha’s arrangement.

• The Autobots used local rock, metal, and their meteorite shells to build weaponized fortresses at Shuangcha Ridge.
• Wu Feng announced the first tribulation’s mission slot, and Fairy Bi Xiao won it.
• Fairy Yunxiao and Fairy Qiongxiao promised to accompany Bi Xiao to keep her safe.
• Dao Ancestor Hongjun observed the Autobots and wondered how soulless beings could live.
• Master of the Heavens and his disciples watched the Autobots arrive and judged that the three Fairies could defeat them.
• Jieyin and Zhunti mistook the Autobots for Dipankara Buddha’s arrangement and continued observing Tang Sanzang’s journey.

San Xiao reached Shuangcha Ridge after Tang Sanzang and Monk Cihang had waited three days and decided to detour west. Fairy Bi Xiao offered to clear the Autobots from the ridge, and the chapter ended with her calmly defending against their barrage.

• Fairy Bi Xiao called out to Tang Sanzang and stopped him and Monk Cihang from leaving Shuangcha Ridge.
• Tang Sanzang welcomed San Xiao's offer to help him cross the ridge, while Monk Cihang followed his lead and paid his respects.
• Fairy Bi Xiao launched a probing attack at the Autobots, killing several hundred and triggering their response.
• The Autobots fired bullets, missiles, and lasers at Fairy Bi Xiao, who blocked the attacks and judged their weapons weak.
• Fairy Yunxiao and Fairy Qiongxiao watched as Fairy Bi Xiao stood unharmed against the Autobots' barrage.