Black Wind Cave.
The Black Bear Spirit was powerfully built, clad in dark armor, and broad-shouldered. He held the female bear Cuihua in his arms, shamelessly cuddling with her in full view of everyone. Their antics left the others doubled over with laughter.
"Fellow Daoists, I've brought a few newly refined Golden Immortal pills with me on this visit to Black Wind Cave. How about we enjoy them together?"
Inside the cave dwelling.
A fair-faced scholar in white robes, holding a folding fan, spoke slowly.
His name was Ling Xuzi. He was an Azure Wolf by origin and had attained the Early Taiyi Golden Immortal realm a thousand years ago. He and the Black Bear Spirit had become close friends.
Though his cultivation wasn't especially high, he was skilled at alchemy and was quite famous for thousands of miles around.
"Hahaha! At last, I get to enjoy Daoist Brother's pills again. If your pills hadn't helped me stabilize my foundation back then, I wouldn't have broken through to the Peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm."
"Servants, hurry and fill Daoist Brother Ling Xuzi's cup with the finest wine!"
The Black Bear Spirit spoke heartily, his voice rumbling like thunder.
Just then.
Sun Wukong stepped forward and thumped his chest. "Back when Old Sun rampaged through the Heavenly Court, I stole Taishang Laojun's immortal pills. Unfortunately, I swallowed them all long ago to improve my cultivation."
"But today, Old Sun has a fortuitous opportunity to offer you fellow Daoists."
"You all know that my junior brother Huanglong and I are accompanying our master, Tang Sanzang, to the Western Spirit Mountain to seek the scriptures. But that old scoundrel Jinchi has kidnapped my master. If you help me rescue him and slay Jinchi, that evil fiend, you'll earn a great deal of