Jingji Ridge.
Trees grew thick, and wild beasts raced through the woods.
A mountain valley was filled with the sweet fragrance of flowers and grass. Boundless immortal mist billowed through it, flecked with strands of golden light. Compared with the surrounding scenery, it bore the unique Dao Resonance of an enlightened master.
"Apricot girl!"
"If all else fails, the four of us old geezers will cover your escape. You can flee somewhere else. This time, we're to serve as stepping stones for the Pilgrim's tribulation. One careless mistake, and we could lose our lives and cultivation."
"You're gifted and clever. You shouldn't have to perish here!"
An old man in a green Daoist robe, with white hair and a youthful face, spoke slowly.
He was none other than Gu Songzhi, one of the Four Old Freaks.
Not long ago, Manjushri Bodhisattva had arrived at Jingji Ridge and explained the details of the tribulation to the Four Old Freaks and Apricot Fairy, ordering them to cooperate with the Pilgrim and help him overcome it.
But all five members of the Pilgrim's party were mighty figures who killed without batting an eye.
With the Four Old Freaks' meager cultivation, they couldn't hope to face Sun Wukong. They couldn't even handle Sha Heshang, the weakest among them.
If anything went wrong, they'd lose their lives!
Better to hear the Dao at dawn and die at dusk!
"Exactly!"
"Apricot girl has cultivated for less than a thousand years, yet she's already reached the Early Taiyi Golden Immortal stage, matching the four of us old geezers. As long as you devote yourself to seeking the Dao and sincerely strive to understand it, one day you'll reach the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm."
"In this Primordial World, Golden Immortals are everywhere, and Great Luo cultivators are