Chapter Summaries

Nezha battled Great King Si, escalating the fight with his three-headed, six-armed form and a sky-filling barrage of weapons. As the weapons descended, Great King Si threw the Diamond Ring, which began pulling them all inside.

• Great King Si reluctantly fought Nezha after the lesser demons provoked him, while Wukong ordered Deng Hua and Zhang Fan to prepare a Thunder Wedge strike.
• Nezha transformed into three heads and six arms, and Great King Si matched his form as they traded attacks.
• Deng Hua and Zhang Fan hesitated to strike because the two fighters were tangled in combat.
• Nezha multiplied his weapons into a vast barrage and commanded them to fall on Great King Si.
• Great King Si tossed the Diamond Ring, which reversed the weapons’ descent and drew them into the White Ring.

Wukong returned to Heaven to recruit the Fire Virtue Star Lord after Nezha lost all his weapons to Great King Si’s ring. The Fire Department arrived at Jindou Mountain, where Li Jing volunteered to engage the demon and draw out the ring so the gods could attack with fire.

• Nezha’s weapons were swept away by Great King Si’s ring, and Wukong called him back from the fight.
• Deng Hua and Zhang Fan told Li Jing they had held back their Thunder Wedges because the ring might take them too.
• Li Jing said water and fire could not be swept away, and Wukong went to invite the Fire Virtue Star Lord to burn the demon.
• Wukong persuaded the Fire Virtue Star Lord to bring the Fire Department down to Jindou Mountain.
• Li Jing proposed fighting Great King Si himself and dodging the ring while the Fire Department set the demon ablaze.

Li Jing challenged Great King Si at Jindou Cave while Wukong and the heavenly forces watched. Great King Si’s memories faltered during the duel, but he used the Diamond Ring to absorb the Fire Department’s heavenly flames and retreated into his cave, still unsure who he was.

• Li Jing joined Wukong and agreed to confront Great King Si, who emerged from Jindou Cave after hearing that a pagoda-bearing man had arrived.
• Li Jing fought Great King Si with his Jeweled Saber while asking what the Dao Ancestor had arranged for him, and Great King Si grew confused and began forgetting his identity.
• Wukong called Li Jing back and ordered Fire Virtue Star Lord to unleash the Fire Department’s heavenly fire against Great King Si.
• Great King Si instinctively threw the Diamond Ring into the flames, and it absorbed the fire and the Fire Department’s weapons.
• Great King Si returned to his cave as his demons celebrated, then wondered who the Great King was.

Great King Si celebrated his victories but was shaken when mandarin oranges awakened a memory he tried to suppress. Meanwhile, Wukong sought the Water Virtue Star Lord’s help and left with the Yellow River Water Earl God King and his river-holding White Jade Bowl to confront the demon.

• Great King Si accepted his demons’ feast, then froze when they served his favorite mandarin oranges and heard a young voice ask if he ate them.
• Great King Si ate an orange and ordered the demons to keep singing and dancing.
• Wukong told the defeated Fire Virtue Star Lord and the other heavenly generals that he would seek water to overcome Great King Si and recover their weapons.
• At the North Heaven Gate, Wukong exchanged greetings with Heavenly King Dhritarashtra before going to the Black Vast Palace.
• The Water Virtue Star Lord assigned the Yellow River Water Earl God King to help Wukong and showed him the White Jade Bowl, which could hold the entire Yellow River.
• Wukong left the Heavenly Gate with the Water Earl to use the bowl against Great King Si.

Wukong and the Yellow River Water Earl went to Jindou Cave with a plan to flush out the demons and recover the stolen treasures, but Great King Si unexpectedly agreed to hand them over. The cave doors opened, and Great King Si used the Diamond Ring to sweep up the treasures, leaving Wukong and the Water Earl dodging its attack.

• Wukong and the Yellow River Water Earl collected half a bowl of Yellow River water and met Li Jing, Nezha, Deng Hua, Zhang Fan, the Fire Virtue Star Lord, and the Fire Department Gods at Jindou Mountain.
• Wukong told the Water Earl to pour water through Jindou Cave’s doorway while he slipped inside to retrieve the stolen treasures, but Great King Si ignored Wukong’s first demands to open the door.
• After Wukong pounded on the cave doors and demanded the treasures, Great King Si asked what the stored weapons were and casually decided to give them back.
• Great King Si used the Diamond Ring to sweep all the treasures into it, then ordered a lesser demon to open the doors.
• When the cave doors opened, Wukong recognized the Diamond Ring’s attack, grabbed the Water Earl, and dodged as the White Jade Bowl nearly tipped over.

Wukong recovered the captured treasures from Great King Si, who acted as if he did not recognize him and denied having the Golden Cudgel. The released fire implements then erupted out of control, causing a flood on Jindou Mountain as Wukong rushed to protect his master and Nezha tried to restrain Fire Dragon.

• Great King Si returned the captured treasures but claimed he did not have Wukong's Golden Cudgel and dismissed Wukong as an ordinary monkey.
• Wukong revealed the Golden Cudgel, questioned Great King Si's behavior, and called after him as he went back into the cave.
• Fire Dragon and the other fire implements unleashed flames that melted the mountain snow and sent torrents of water down Jindou Mountain.
• Wukong ordered Fire Virtue Star Lord to stop the flames and the Yellow River Water Lord to reclaim the flood, but the Water Lord could only predict where the water would gather.
• Wukong realized the flood was heading toward his master and flew toward the southwestern slope.
• Fire Virtue Star Lord and the Fire Department tried to contain the fire implements, while Nezha pinned Fire Dragon down with the Fire-Tipped Spear as the flood continued to rise.

Nezha and the Fire Virtue Star Lord restrained the fire dragon while Li Jing’s Heavenly Soldiers worked to control the flood and rescue creatures. At Jindou Mountain, Wukong anchored the flood with the Golden Cudgel, and the Earth Deities and Heavenly Soldiers helped turn the torrent into a stable lake.

• Nezha held down the fire dragon as the Fire Virtue Star Lord and the Fire Department gods sealed it, while Li Jing divided the Heavenly Soldiers into rescue and flood-control formations.
• The Mountain God warned Xuanzang’s group of an avalanche, and Bajie, Sha Wujing, and A-Hu carried Xuanzang up the slope to safety.
• The Earth God and Mountain God dug a deep pit to divert the flood, and Little White Dragon tried to freeze the water before his wounded horn gave way.
• Wukong rescued Little White Dragon, drove the Golden Cudgel into the lakebed, and used its divine power to calm the flood and stabilize the basin.
• A hundred Heavenly Soldiers arrived and secured the lakeshore as the Earth Deities expanded the basin, forming an enormous lake.

Fire Virtue Star Lord captured Fire Dragon while Nezha rushed off to find his missing fire implements. As Jindou Cave burned and flooded, Great King Si used the Diamond Ring to extinguish the flames and draw out the water, then stood alone in the ruined cave; meanwhile, Xuanzang woke beside Wukong and the others.

• Fire Virtue Star Lord sealed Fire Dragon inside the crimson flag, and Nezha flew away after realizing his fire implements were missing.
• As fire and flood overwhelmed Jindou Cave, Great King Si stood still while the little demons died around him and a child’s voice called him “Little Ox.”
• Great King Si removed the Diamond Ring and drew the heavenly flames out of the cave, then used it to pull away the floodwaters.
• Great King Si returned to the empty Front Hall and found that every orange was gone.
• Wukong returned from the lake and checked on Xuanzang, who opened his eyes and spoke to him.

Xuanzang woke after the battle and learned that Little White Dragon had been badly injured and the bull in Jindou Cave seemed to have lost his memory. Xuanzang asked Wukong to take everyone to see the benefactor, insisting that no one be left behind.

• Bajie and Little White Dragon welcomed Xuanzang after he woke, and Xuanzang asked about Little White Dragon's injury.
• Wukong told Xuanzang that the bull had returned the weapons and no longer recognized him.
• Xuanzang said someone had entrusted him with a task and asked Wukong to take him to see the benefactor.
• Bajie tried to secure compensation from Wukong for his and Sha Wujing's missing weapons, but Wukong said they might have washed away.
• Sha Wujing offered to stay behind with the injured Little White Dragon, but Xuanzang ordered everyone to go together.

Xuanzang recovered and led his disciples on foot toward Jindou Cave to meet the benefactor who had entrusted him with something. They reached Li Jing and the heavenly troops, who had helped contain the disaster.

• Xuanzang used the Nectar Buddha Wheel to ease Little White Dragon’s injuries, though his broken horn did not grow back.
• Xuanzang said they would discuss the mysterious benefactor after meeting him, and chose to walk instead of riding A-Hu.
• The Earth God and Mountain God offered to guard the group’s luggage as Xuanzang and his disciples set out together.
• The group crossed the damaged, snowmelt-flooded mountains while Bajie talked about finding his Rake and A-Hu remained silent.
• Near Jindou Cave, Wukong introduced Li Jing, and Xuanzang thanked the Heavenly King for his help.

Xuanzang met the gods who had helped contain the heavenly fire, and Nezha returned Bajie and Sha Wujing’s weapons. After Nezha revealed his Buddhist ties and tried to claim Wukong as his martial nephew, Xuanzang called for the demon hiding in Jindou Cave to come out.

• Li Jing, the Fire Virtue Star Lord, the Yellow River Water Earl, Deng Hua, and Zhang Fan greeted Xuanzang and apologized for the fire and flood.
• Nezha arrived and returned Bajie’s Nine-Toothed Rake and Sha Wujing’s Demon-Subduing Treasure Staff.
• Wukong introduced Nezha to Xuanzang, and Nezha explained that the Buddha had saved him and given him a new body.
• Bajie recounted Nezha’s history, and Li Jing confirmed that the Buddha had bestowed his Exquisitely Translucent Sarira Wish-Fulfilling Golden Treasure Pagoda.
• Nezha asked Wukong to call him Martial Uncle, but Wukong refused and urged Xuanzang to resume their search for the demon.
• Xuanzang faced Jindou Cave and called for its demon to come out.

Xuanzang led his disciples into Jindou Cave to speak with the motionless figure inside, while Li Jing and Nezha stayed outside to guard the entrance. Wukong and Bajie discovered that the cave’s ash carried the fragrance of elixirs from the Old Lord’s Doushuai Palace, and Xuanzang said the answers would come when they met their benefactor.

• Wukong saw a lone figure standing motionless inside the empty cave and confirmed that Nezha had not entered it.
• Xuanzang decided to enter with his disciples, while Wukong persuaded Li Jing and Nezha to remain outside and guard the entrance.
• Li Jing sent the other gods and heavenly soldiers away, leaving himself and Nezha to watch Jindou Cave.
• Wukong created a ball of golden light to illuminate the cave, and Bajie noticed that the ash smelled like elixirs.
• Wukong recognized the fragrance as the same one found in the Old Lord’s Doushuai Palace and asked Xuanzang why they had all been brought there.
• Xuanzang told Wukong to wait until they met their benefactor, when the answers would come.

Xuanzang and the pilgrims reached Jindou Cave’s Front Hall and found Great King Si standing motionless with the Diamond Ring. Xuanzang struck him with the Bitter Bamboo Ruler, broke off his horn, and awakened him, then told him his master had given him a name.

• Wukong inferred that the strange changes involving A-Hu, Little White Dragon, and the old bull were connected to mounts and pill refining, while Bajie complained that the others were keeping him in the dark.
• The group entered Jindou Cave’s Front Hall, where they found Great King Si standing motionless with the Diamond Ring in his hand.
• Wukong discovered that Great King Si’s body had become rigid like a tree, and Bajie suspected the power came from the cave’s dome and the ring.
• Xuanzang struck Great King Si’s head and horn with the Bitter Bamboo Ruler, breaking off the horn and stirring life in his empty eyes.
• Xuanzang asked Great King Si his name and told him that his master had given it to him.

Xuanzang began telling Great King Si a long story using the broken horn, conjuring a vision of the world's creation. As heaven and earth faced a catastrophic calamity, Xuanzang revealed that nearly every living thing in Jambudvipa was doomed to perish.

• Great King Si reacted to the word "master," denied having a master or a name, and declared that he was a tree.
• Xuanzang picked up Great King Si's broken horn and offered to tell him a long story, while Wukong and the others gathered around to listen.
• Xuanzang used the Unimpeded Luminous Buddha Wheel to burn the horn, and its smoke transported the group into a vision of primordial chaos.
• Xuanzang narrated how the Dao Ancestor opened heaven and cleaved earth, then created Nuwa, who molded humanity from clay.
• Xuanzang described a catastrophe in which heaven and earth began collapsing together, heavenly fire rained down, and earthly waters surged upward, killing nearly all life in Jambudvipa.

Xuanzang recounted how Nuwa mended the sky, Yu subdued the floods, and the Dao Ancestor later split open the ancient tree. The tree became Green Ox, who recognized the young Dao Ancestor’s call and stood bewildered before him.

• Xuanzang showed how Nuwa sacrificed herself to mend the heavens, ending the heavenly fire and allowing the floodwaters to recede.
• The Dao Ancestor taught the human ancestors, and Yu measured and dredged rivers until the floods were guided into the sea and people began to prosper.
• Xuanzang described the Dao Ancestor finding the ancient tree after it had lost its branches and leaves, then splitting it open with a touch.
• Green Ox emerged from the fallen tree, looked around in confusion, and heard the Dao Ancestor call him over.

Xuanzang recounted a creation story to Great King Si, who briefly stirred but remained unawakened. Wukong challenged the tale’s purpose, its portrayal of the Dao Ancestor, and its chronology, ending by asking who the Heavenly Dao was.

• Xuanzang urged Great King Si to think again, but Great King Si lowered his head without waking.
• Bajie praised Great King Si’s extraordinary origins, and Little White Dragon asked Xuanzang why he had forgotten everything.
• Wukong questioned why the story had been told and why it described the Dao Ancestor as tirelessly creating and repairing the world.
• Wukong calculated that a cosmic cycle lasted 129,600 years and compared that span with the Jade Emperor’s kalpas and the lifespans of immortals and dragons.
• Little White Dragon agreed that ancient records described spans far longer than a single cycle, while Sha Wujing and A-Hu struggled to grasp the numbers.
• Wukong declared that Xuanzang’s account did not add up and asked who the Heavenly Dao was if the Old Lord had created heaven and earth.

Xuanzang explained kalpas and great kalpas to Wukong and the others, showing how worlds form, endure, are destroyed, and return to emptiness. He clarified that the Dao Ancestor endured countless kalpas, but Pangu cleaved open Primordial Chaos and was later revered as Yuanshi Tianzun.

• Xuanzang explained that a small kalpa was one rise and fall in human lifespans, while formation, abiding, destruction, and emptiness together made a great kalpa.
• Xuanzang showed how the abiding kalpa brought three minor disasters—war, plague, and famine—and how fire, water, and wind destroyed worlds during the destruction kalpa.
• Bajie connected the emptiness kalpa to Wukong’s name, and Wukong kicked at him and dismissed the idea.
• Xuanzang explained that the Three Thousand Worlds formed and perished on different timescales, so kalpas did not all last equally long.
• Xuanzang said the Dao Ancestor endured kalpa after kalpa, but another being cleaved open Primordial Chaos: Pangu, later revered as Yuanshi Tianzun.

Xuanzang and his disciples discussed conflicting accounts of who created heaven and earth, as Bajie, Sha Wujing, and Little White Dragon recalled scriptures and legends depicting different creators. Wukong was left asking Xuanzang which account to believe and who had told him about them.

• Bajie recited scriptures portraying Yuanshi Tianzun as an eternal Heavenly Venerable who opened new epochs and taught the Dao.
• Bajie described Taishang Laojun dwelling in the void as worlds and all things took shape, leaving Wukong to wonder which figure had opened their heavens.
• Bajie said many great deities were credited with creating heaven and earth, and Sha Wujing recalled a legend identifying the Great Heavenly Venerable, also called the Jade Emperor, as Pangu and the creator.
• Little White Dragon shared a Dragon Tribe legend in which a giant dragon's body became the world and its turning separated yin and yang.
• Wukong asked Xuanzang which account he should believe and who had told him all of it.

Xuanzang explained that heaven and earth arose through the shared karma and perceptions of sentient beings, then questioned Great King Si about contradictions in the Dao Ancestor’s account. He left the mystery of Great King Si’s origins unresolved while admitting that he had sought the truth by comparing the Dao Ancestor’s and Yuanshi Tianzun’s stories.

• Xuanzang showed his disciples a vision of Wukong’s life and explained that each being’s world expanded with what they experienced and learned.
• Xuanzang taught that no eternal creator opened the heavens and that heaven and earth arose through collective karma, while true nature and the Great Dao endured.
• The disciples answered Xuanzang’s question about who opened the heavens, and he praised them for receiving his teaching.
• Wukong pointed out that Great King Si’s origins remained unsettled, and Xuanzang named three contradictions in the Dao Ancestor’s account.
• Xuanzang said he had compared the Dao Ancestor’s and Yuanshi Tianzun’s accounts to establish the truth, and Wukong struck Bajie when he mocked that explanation.

Xuanzang used the broken horn to reveal the early history of humankind and tell how Fuxi began recording the world around him. After Fuxi followed Dragon Horse to the Wei River, he met Yuhua Zi, who offered to become his master.

• Xuanzang described early people living in tribes, keeping records with knotted cords, sheltering in caves and nests, and struggling to hunt and eat raw meat.
• Fuxi watched fire and became a leader among humankind, then recorded the sun's shadows, weather, rivers, animals, and other patterns on a mountainside.
• As Fuxi pondered the mysteries of thunder, rain, and day and night, Dragon Horse appeared from a cave, and Little White Dragon recognized him.
• Fuxi followed Dragon Horse along the Wei River until he found Yuhua Zi resting on a bluestone.
• Yuhua Zi introduced himself, and Xuanzang revealed that he was the Supreme Dao Ancestor in disguise; Yuhua Zi offered to be Fuxi's master and invited him to ask questions.