Lingtai Square Inch Mountain, Slanted Moon Three Star Cave!

Goten's pupils constricted, and he sidestepped to avoid the blow!

The blade grazed his cheek, slicing off a few strands of hair!

Goten retreated two steps and touched his face—it was bleeding.

"Oh?"

His eyes lit up.

"You are strong."

Yang Jian's expression remained unchanged. With a flick of his wrist, the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear swept back in a bizarre arc!

Goten did not retreat—he slammed his fist into the blade!

Clang!!!

A deafening sound of clashing metal exploded within the temple! Dust rained down from the walls!

Yang Jian stepped back slightly.

Goten—did not move an inch.

A flicker of change finally appeared in Yang Jian's pupils.

"Good strength."

"You're not bad yourself." Goten shook his hand—the vibration from the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear had left his fist tingling.

The two stood in a standoff, moonlight spilling through the broken roof to form a silver boundary line between them.

Just then—

"Howling Celestial Dog."

Yang Jian said softly.

A slender hound lunged out from the darkness—aiming straight for Goten's throat!

Goten had not expected a sneak attack—he instinctively raised his arm to block—

The Howling Celestial Dog clamped its jaws onto his arm!

Sharp canine teeth pierced his skin—Goten winced in pain and gave a violent jerk, flinging the Howling Celestial Dog away!

But his arm was already marked with deep tooth prints, blood streaming down.

"A dog?" Goten looked at the wound on his arm, then looked back up at Yang Jian. "You bring a dog to a fight?"

"All is fair in war."

"Well said."

Goten took a deep breath—golden energy erupted once more!

This time—he held nothing back!

His figure vanished from where he stood!

Yang Jian's pupils constricted, and he held the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear horizontally to block—

Boom!!!

Goten's fist slammed into the blade, sending Yang Jian skidding back several yards, his feet carving two deep furrows into the ground!

"Interesting!" Goten shouted, his second punch already following up!

Yang Jian was forced back step by step by the storm of his relentless strikes—each punch carried the weight of a thousand pounds, numbing his palms!

In just three seconds—Goten landed forty-seven punches!

Yang Jian retreated forty-seven steps!

On the final step—

He backed into the wall of the temple.

Goten's forty-eighth punch—stopped three inches from his face.

The force of the punch blew Yang Jian's hair back.

"You lost," Goten said.

Yang Jian looked at him in silence, then—put away the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear.

"Indeed."

His expression remained calm, devoid of the shame of defeat or any anger.

"I cannot beat you. At least—not right now."

Goten withdrew his fist. "Then are you still going to capture me?"

"I am," Yang Jian said. "But I will not do it now."

He turned and walked toward the door.

When he reached the threshold, he paused for a moment.

"That direction—Lingtai Square Inch Mountain—Patriarch Bodhi." He did not turn his head. "Until he heals Zixia, the Heavenly Court will not send anyone else. This is the limit of what I can do."

Goten was stunned.

"You... are helping me?"

"I am not." Yang Jian's voice remained devoid of emotion. "I simply... do not like to take advantage of others in their time of need."

He walked away.

The Howling Celestial Dog followed behind him, disappearing into the night.

Zhi Zun Bao poked his head out from a corner. "He... left?"

Goten nodded.

He stared in the direction where Yang Jian had vanished, remaining silent for a long time.

Then, he looked down at the dog bite wound on his arm and began to laugh.

"This world... is far more complex than I imagined."

The fifth day. High noon.

The desert finally came to an end.

Ahead appeared a stretch of rolling green hills—lush, moist, and full of life.

Goten's eyes lit up.

"We're almost there."

They quickened their pace. Zhu Bajie was already as exhausted as a dog—no, even more exhausted than the Howling Celestial Dog—sprawled on the ground, unable to get up. Sha Wujing silently hoisted him onto his back and continued walking.

Zhi Zun Bao walked at the very front—he did not know why himself, but his heart was beating faster and faster.

It felt as if something deep within the mountains was calling to him.

They walked for another half a day.

As the sun began to set—

The clouds and mist parted.

A verdant mountain peak appeared before them—it was neither high nor treacherous, but the entire mountain was shrouded in a faint, golden halo.

Before the mountain gate stood a stone tablet.

Ten characters were carved into the stone—

Lingtai Square Inch Mountain.

Slanted Moon Three Star Cave.

Goten came to a halt.

He could feel it—the "qi" of this mountain was completely different from anywhere else in this world.

The "qi" here—it was the first time since arriving in this world that he had felt something—that bore a certain resemblance to the "qi" he was familiar with.

An old man with white hair stood before the mountain gate, his back turned to them.

He wore a simple Taoist robe and held a horsetail whisk in his hand.

He did not turn around.

But his voice reached everyone's ears with perfect clarity.

"Goten—"

"You are three days slower than this old man expected."

Goten was stunned.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something.

But Patriarch Bodhi spoke first.

"Come in."

He finally turned around—it was an aged but spirited face, with eyes far too bright for an old man.

His gaze passed over Goten and landed on Zhi Zun Bao.

Then, he smiled.

A smile full of hidden meaning.

"You have come as well."

"I... I have come." Zhi Zun Bao did not know why, but his voice trembled slightly.

Patriarch Bodhi nodded, as if everything were within his expectations.

"Five hundred years."

He turned and pushed open the mountain gate.

"—Come in."

Golden light surged from behind the gate, illuminating everyone.

Carrying Zixia on his back, Goten took his first step forward.

Ahead—lay a new beginning.

Next stop—Lingtai Square Inch Mountain, Slanted Moon Three Star Cave.