The Gray Sun melted.
There was no thunderous crash, no tremor.
That Gray Sun, that boundless Wind and Moon, melted away layer by layer.
A warm light shone through the center of the Gray Sun.
It was dazzlingly bright, yet it was not the Buddha Wheel's earlier golden light, but warm sunlight.
The heavenly light enveloped the entire Royal Palace, and everything from the roof ridges to the long stairway abruptly fell quiet.
All the women froze as they felt that sunlight.
They were like people who had slept for a very long time and suddenly awakened.
Just then, a piercing shriek abruptly rang throughout the Royal Palace.
The enormous scorpion shadow in midair suddenly curled in on itself. Its two huge pincers shook violently, and wisps of black vapor gushed from the gaps in its joints.
Its eight long legs scrabbled endlessly at empty air, scraping out a chorus of ear-piercing screeches.
Its tail reared high, each segment bending forward, its stinger still aimed squarely at Xuanzang on the long stairway.
But it could no longer strike.
Crack.
With a faint sound, the first hairline fracture appeared on the stinger.
The cracks spread down its tail, crawled across its armor, and covered its entire body.
Pieces of black armor curled up and peeled away, turning into black vapor before they reached the ground.
"Filthy monk!"
The enormous scorpion head abruptly lowered, its gaze passing over Wukong to fix relentlessly on Xuanzang.
"You ruined their beautiful dreams!!"
Its voice trembled, as though countless voices were being squeezed out of different places at once, some old, some young, some crying, some laughing.
"You destroyed this pure land!"
Xuanzang stood at the top of the long stairway.
Sunlight poured down from the sky and fell upon him, tracing an exceedingly faint