"Master, look ahead." Rather than answering directly, Chu Yang gestured with his chin toward the official road ahead.
As an oddly rhythmic breeze swept past, the thin mist ahead gradually dispersed. An immensely magnificent city suddenly appeared on the horizon.
Its walls soared into the clouds, built entirely from pure white boulders polished smooth as mirrors, without a single seam or trace of moss. Not a single soldier patrolled the walls. Only several white banners fluttered in the wind with eerie regularity, even their swaying identical down to the slightest degree.
The city gates stood wide open. Above them hung a massive white jade plaque, bearing three large characters in an upright, rigorous, almost rigid script:
"Immaculate City."
"Immaculate City?" Tang Monk read the words on the plaque, a hint of admiration flashing through his eyes. "A fine name. Free of defilement and dust—this is the highest realm sought by the Buddhist faith. Sun Wukong, Benefactor Chu, this appears to be a pure land of exceptionally devout faith. Let us enter the city and rest for the night."
"Pure land, my ass!" Sun Wukong spat. "I, Old Sun, have traveled far and wide for so many years, but I've never seen a city this strange! The gates are open, yet there isn't even a gatekeeper. It's quiet inside like a graveyard, and you still dare go in, Master?"
Chu Yang drew the Karma-Severing Ignorance Sword and carved a deep line into the ground with its tip. He stared coldly at the white city. "Master, Brother Monkey is right. When something is abnormal, there must be something behind it. This city appeared without warning, and the scenery around us is far too deliberate. It is clearly targeting us. We should go around it."
"Go around?"
The instant Chu Yang finished speaking,