High in the void, the two voices faded one after the other, leaving not the slightest echo.
After a brief silence-
"Pfft."
Wukong could not help bursting out laughing on the platform.
Bajie pulled his great ears forward to cover his whole face, his shoulders shaking.
The corner of Little White Dragon's mouth twitched. His cool expression nearly cracked; lately, he kept finding it impossible to hold back.
Sha Wujing looked left, then right, and scratched the back of his head, utterly bewildered. He had no idea what his fellow disciples found so funny.
Great Mao Lord Mao Ying gave an awkward little cough, lowered his head, and pretended to straighten the White Jade Fly-Whisk resting in the crook of his arm.
Taibai Jinxing tilted his head toward the sky, his white beard lifting slightly and his eyes half closed, wearing an expression that said, This old Daoist heard nothing.
"Xuanzang, sit down."
Guanyin Bodhisattva turned toward Xuanzang, her voice gentle and calm:
"This is also a fine chance to see how much your disciples have improved."
The Bodhisattva paused.
"If you insist on entering the arena, you will be spurning the Celestial Venerable's kindness. Besides, you would be underestimating your disciples."
"They are your disciples. After all this journeying together, do even you not trust them?"
Xuanzang froze for a moment at her words.
"Do you still remember what I told you when you set out?"
"Too much rigid honesty makes it easy to fall into demonic delusion."
Guanyin Bodhisattva looked at him and shook her head slightly.
"They have followed you all this way, and you have taught them throughout, by both word and example. At this point, why should you need to show favoritism to help them?"
"Take Wukong. In the previous Director of Fate Match, did