Chapter Summaries

Sun Wukong put Chen Yi through a staged death and cultivation to prepare him for the eighty-one ordeals, while Holy Mother Wudang gave Li Shimin manuals meant to strengthen Great Tang and the Human Race. Li Shimin agreed to distribute them throughout the realm and summoned his senior officials to review them.

• Chen Yang laughed as Sun Wukong named Chen Yi Sanzang, then Sun Wukong threw Chen Yi into a cauldron and killed him as a staged ordeal.
• Sun Wukong revived Chen Yi, trained him in the cauldron for forty-nine days, and warned him to cultivate daily before turning thirty-one.
• Holy Mother Wudang met Li Shimin and explained that Jie Sect intended to help Great Tang resist Buddhism’s plans to spread eastward.
• Holy Mother Wudang presented Li Shimin with manuals on medicine, militia training, and military-civilian skills, including methods to strengthen the people and the state.
• Li Shimin agreed to issue an order spreading the manuals across the realm and summoned Fang Xuanling, Zhangsun Wuji, Du Ruhui, and Wei Zheng to examine them.

Li Shimin began Great Tang’s fifteen-year development plan, while Chen Yi entered officialdom and Sun Wukong was appointed to oversee the empire’s warhorses. Great Tang unified Jambudvipa before Buddhism could respond, leaving Tathagata furious that Xuanzang had not become a monk and had risen to Vice Minister of War.

• Li Shimin ordered Wei Zheng to pressure the great clans into surrendering their land as Great Tang began its first Five-Year Plan.
• At the plan’s end, Chen Yi placed third in the jinshi examination, and Sun Wukong counted his lost Top Scholar title as the third ordeal.
• Li Shimin sought skilled horse breeders for the coming western campaign, and Chen Yang arranged for Xiao Yan to answer the call.
• Sun Wukong arrived in Chang’an and accepted appointment as Bi Ma Wen, responsible for Great Tang’s warhorses.
• Great Tang completed its remaining plans and unified Jambudvipa while Buddhism was occupied restoring the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool.
• Tathagata discovered that Xuanzang had never become a monk and was now Vice Minister of War, then insisted that the journey to obtain the scriptures remained inevitable.

Chen Yi and Sun Wukong began Great Tang’s western campaign, defeating the first demon they encountered and leaving the army to expand beyond the border. At Eagle Sorrow Stream, Little White Dragon joined them as a mount, and Xiao Yan arrived to confront Guanyin over the three hoops.

• Chen Yi accepted his appointment as a general, while Sun Wukong explained that the expedition would ultimately target the Western Sect and that most of their allies were already in place.
• Great Tang assembled a three-million-strong army, including Yuwen Chengdu and other resurrected generals, and Chen Yi and Sun Wukong led the campaign west from Chang’an.
• Chen Yi killed General Yin at Shuangcha Ridge, then let the following soldiers deal with the lesser demons detected by their Demon-Seeking Bells.
• Sun Wukong and Chen Yi traveled to Eagle Sorrow Stream, where Little White Dragon agreed to serve as Tang Sanzang’s mount in exchange for the promise of attaining the Taiyi Dao Fruit.
• Guanyin confronted Sun Wukong with the tightening hoops, but Sun Wukong demanded the hoops back and called for Xiao Yan, who appeared and challenged her to return Immortal Jingu’s true form.

Xiao Yan fought Guanyin, using the Hongmeng Measuring Ruler and his Emperor Flame to counter her attacks. As Guanyin summoned her Benevolent Thought Avatar, Xiao Yan prepared a powerful technique, and Sun Wukong hurried Tang Sanzang away from the battle.

• Chen Yang sensed Xiao Yan fighting Guanyin and felt reassured because Guanyin had not fully recovered from her injuries.
• Guanyin recognized Xiao Yan's Hongmeng Measuring Ruler, and the two fought to a stalemate as Tang Sanzang watched with Sun Wukong.
• Guanyin used the Jade Purification Bottle to launch three swords of Three Lights Divine Water at Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Yan unleashed the Five Rounds of Blazing Fire Method, and its five flame beasts swallowed Guanyin's water swords.
• Guanyin summoned her Benevolent Thought Avatar to fight alongside her, so Xiao Yan coated the Hongmeng Measuring Ruler with Emperor Flame.
• Sun Wukong recognized Xiao Yan's impending technique and flew several hundred li away with Tang Sanzang.

Sun Wukong recruited the Black Bear Spirit into the Jie Sect and, with Chen Yang’s help, arranged a cultivation method for him. The pilgrimage party then reached Gao Village to meet Marshal Tianpeng, who was preparing to undergo his trials at Fuling Mountain Cloud Stack Cave.

• Sun Wukong accepted the Black Bear Spirit as his disciple, named him Xiong Da, and promised that he and the mountain spirits could cultivate on Black Wind Mountain.
• Chen Yang transported Xiong Da to East Sea Golden Turtle Island, devised a cultivation method for him, instructed him for two and a half years, and sent him back.
• Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang rested near the Guanyin Zen Monastery, then continued their journey toward Gao Village.
• Sun Wukong told Tang Sanzang that Marshal Tianpeng was cultivating at Fuling Mountain Cloud Stack Cave and was due to undergo trials before joining the pilgrimage.
• Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang changed into human disguises and arrived at Gao Village, where Elder Gao came out to welcome them.

Sun Wukong’s group completed Holy Mother Wudang’s trial by discussing the Dao with her and the Three Xiao Goddesses. As they approached Wuzhuang Temple, Zhenyuanzi sensed that Sun Wukong was after his Ginseng Fruit and ordered Qingfeng and Mingyue to hide the fruit before welcoming the travelers.

• Tianpeng explained that the Heavenly River Navy would build one hundred stone bridges across the Flowing Sands River for Great Tang’s western campaign.
• Holy Mother Wudang brought the Three Xiao Goddesses to the mortal world and hosted Sun Wukong’s group at a manor, where they discussed the Jie Sect’s Shangqing Immortal Method for over a month.
• Bi Xiao, Qiong Xiao, and Yun Xiao wished Sun Wukong well as he prepared to continue west.
• Tang Sanzang asked how they would handle the Wuzhuang Temple trial, and Sun Wukong said they would simply eat the Ginseng Fruit instead of knocking down its tree.
• Zhenyuanzi used the Earth Book to sense Sun Wukong’s intentions and told Qingfeng and Mingyue to pick and hide all the Ginseng Fruit.
• Sun Wukong’s group arrived at Wuzhuang Temple, and Zhenyuanzi welcomed them inside.

Sun Wukong and his companions rested at Wuzhuang Temple while Great Tang’s army advanced into the Western Continent. At White Tiger Ridge, Tang Sanzang exposed the White Bone Demon, and Xue Rengui killed her incarnations with three arrows.

• Sun Wukong searched Wuzhuang Temple for Ginseng Fruits, then persuaded Zhenyuanzi to give five to the travelers.
• The travelers waited for Great Tang’s army to advance before setting out with Xue Li, whose past life had been the White Tiger Star Lord.
• Sun Wukong revealed that Xue Rengui would become King Zhuanlun after completing his merits and assigned him to subdue the White Bone Demon.
• At White Tiger Ridge, Tang Sanzang saw through the demon’s disguises and called for Xue Li to attack.
• Xue Rengui shot down the White Bone Demon’s three incarnations, ending the White Tiger Ridge tribulation.

Sun Wukong's group passed the trials at Baoxiang Kingdom, Flat-Topped Mountain, and Wuji Kingdom while Hongjun released the saints from Purple Heaven Palace. Chen Yang brought Xiao Yan to Eight Views Palace and gained a major breakthrough, leaving him vastly stronger.

• Kui Mulang welcomed Sun Wukong's group at Baoxiang Kingdom, which Qin Qiong's Great Tang army had nearly conquered.
• Tianpeng defeated Gold Horn and Silver Horn at Flat-Topped Mountain after they tested his abilities.
• Immortal Qiushou surrendered Wuji Kingdom to Great Tang and became its protector-general.
• Hongjun sent the saints out of Purple Heaven Palace and defied Heavenly Dao by releasing them all.
• Chen Yang took Xiao Yan to Eight Views Palace, where Laozi welcomed them after Yuanshi Tianzun hurried away.
• The System Prompt raised Chen Yang's strength to Hunyuan Infinite Daluo Golden Immortal, gave him the Chaos Green Lotus, and advanced his alchemy skills to the Great Dao Realm.

Chen Yang visited Laozi after the Sages were released from Purple Heaven Palace, then went to confront Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao. He exposed Luo Hou’s takeover of part of the Heavenly Dao’s authority and effortlessly captured Luo Hou’s true spirit, leaving him to be refined in the Chaos Green Lotus.

• Chen Yang asked Laozi for the Six Ding Divine Fire’s source and for Xiao Yan to study alchemy, then revealed that he had attained the Primordial Dao Fruit rather than Sagehood.
• Chen Yang left Xiao Yan with Laozi and went to Purple Heaven Palace to speak with Hongjun.
• Luo Hou revealed that he had infiltrated the Heavenly Dao and planned to seize Chen Yang’s body and memories.
• Chen Yang summoned the Chaos Green Lotus, the Chaos Bell, and the Immortal Extermination Sword Formation, then tore Luo Hou’s true spirit from the Heavenly Dao.
• Chen Yang cast Luo Hou’s spirit into the Chaos Green Lotus to be refined, while Luo Hou screamed in disbelief at Chen Yang’s Limitless Realm.

Chen Yang helped Hongjun break free from the Heavenly Dao and planned to settle accounts with the Western Sect, while Xiao Yan attained the Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal. The chapter ended with Chen Yang and Hongjun plotting to claim the west for the Human Race’s Great Tang.

• Chen Yang told Hongjun that Luo Hou had schemed behind his supposed Dao-merging and offered to help free him from the Heavenly Dao.
• Jie Yin and Zhun Ti met Tathagata at the Great Thunder Sound Temple and ordered Guanyin to ensure Red Boy joined Buddhism, claiming the Journey to the West’s remaining merit for their sect.
• Xiao Yan absorbed Laozi’s divine flames, evolved the Flame Mantra into the Dao of Fire, and attained the Hunyuan, burning the Eight Views Palace to nothing.
• Xiao Xiao and Xiao Lin advanced into the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, while Xiao Xuan was startled by Xiao Yan’s breakthrough and Lin Dong had already reached that realm through martial Dao.
• Chen Yang freed Hongjun from the Heavenly Dao and shattered its true spirit, then proposed taking the west for the Human Race’s Great Tang.

Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang confronted Red Boy at Drillhead Mountain, and Sun Wukong prepared to send him to the Heavenly Court after he admitted his wrongdoing. Guanyin and Zhun Ti intervened to claim Red Boy, but Xiao Yan arrived as a Sage and challenged Zhun Ti, leaving a battle with Jie Yin and Zhun Ti about to begin in Chaos.

• Sun Wukong seized Red Boy and spanked him until Red Boy begged for mercy, while Tang Sanzang proposed punishing him for his misdeeds.
• Sun Wukong decided to send Red Boy to serve under Zhao Gongming as a Sudhana Boy, but Guanyin appeared and demanded that Red Boy be handed over to her.
• Sun Wukong refused Guanyin and stood against Zhun Ti when the Western Sage arrived and demanded Red Boy.
• Xiao Yan appeared, revealed his Sage-level power, and challenged Zhun Ti to settle the matter in Chaos.
• Zhun Ti summoned Jie Yin, and the two Western Sages faced Xiao Yan in Chaos as a great battle loomed.

Xiao Yan defeated Jie Yin and Zhun Ti in Chaos, but Hongjun ordered the Western Sages to resume overseeing the Journey to the West. Ten years later, the Great Tang army reached the foot of Mount Ling, leaving Jie Yin and Zhun Ti furious and bewildered.

• Zhao Gongming arrived to help Sun Wukong confront Guanyin over Red Boy, and a battle began.
• Xiao Yan fought Jie Yin and Zhun Ti, then used his Buddha's Fury Flame Lotus to overwhelm them after they failed to borrow power from the Heavenly Dao.
• Hongjun appeared with Chen Yang, stopped the fight, and ordered Jie Yin and Zhun Ti to return to the Journey to the West plan.
• Hongjun left to visit Earth, and Chen Yang took Xiao Yan home before the pilgrimage continued.
• Ten years later, the Great Tang army reached the foot of Mount Ling, and Tathagata identified its leading general as Wang Xuance.

Wang Xuance and the Great Tang army reached Mount Ling, where Chen Yang and the Primordial Chaos Xuan Sect joined forces with the Human Race, Heavenly Court, and other powers to defeat Buddhism and judge its followers. After Jie Yin and Zhun Ti were destroyed and the Journey to the West ended, Chen Yang reached a new realm in Heavenly Dao Space, and his system bid farewell as the book concluded.

• Wang Xuance prepared the Great Tang army to attack Mount Ling, while Fuxi, Xuanyuan, and Nuwa confronted Jie Yin and Zhun Ti.
• Laozi, Yuanshi Tianzun, Duo Bao, the Jade Emperor, and other allies gathered to support the Human Race and oppose Buddhism.
• Chen Yang sent Jie Yin and Zhun Ti into Chaos, where Xiao Yan, Lin Dong, and Xiao Xuan fought them, while Tang Sanzang read the decree sentencing Buddhist followers according to their karma and merit.
• After Xiao Yan and the others returned with Jie Yin and Zhun Ti, Chen Yang annihilated their true spirits and refined them into puppets.
• Chen Yang entered Heavenly Dao Space with Xiao Yan, advanced to Hunyuan Taiji Great Luo Golden Immortal, and watched his system end its mission.