Chapter Summaries

Sun Wukong accepted Zhao Gongming’s binding, leaving himself unable to protect Sanzang as a defense against the Buddhist sages. The Interception Sect disciples surrounded Sanzang, and Bixiao struck him so hard that he flew tens of thousands of miles and lay motionless in a crater.

• Sun Wukong stopped resisting Zhao Gongming’s Dragon Binding Rope, thinking his helplessness would shield him from blame by Jieyin and Zhunti.
• Daoist Duobao and the Interception Sect disciples surrounded the terrified Sanzang while the bound Sun Wukong looked on.
• Sanzang invoked his status as Jieyin and Zhunti’s personal disciple, but Qiongxiao mocked his standing and the others showed no fear.
• Bixiao lost patience with Sanzang and struck his chest with a palm.
• Sanzang flew across tens of thousands of miles, smashed through mountains, and landed motionless in a vast desert crater.

Bixiao crippled Sanzang with a single palm strike, while Zhao Gongming had already subdued Sun Wukong. As onlookers judged the Buddhist pilgrimage defeated, an enraged voice suddenly thundered across the universe.

• Bixiao's palm strike sent Sanzang tens of thousands of li into a vast pit and left him grievously crippled.
• Loose cultivators witnessing the battle marveled at Bixiao's strength and concluded that Sanzang and the Buddhist pilgrimage were finished.
• Bound by the Dragon Binding Rope, Sun Wukong saw Sanzang's condition and accepted that he had done what he could to protect him.
• Bixiao withdrew her hand without sparing Sanzang another glance.
• An unseen speaker roared, "Wretches! How dare you do this?!"

Zhunti's avatar descended after the Jie Sect Disciples attacked Sanzang and challenged them for interfering with the Dao Ancestor-sanctioned Journey to the West. Daoist Duobao remained unbowed and declared that no outsider could enter the Eastern World's territory.

• Zhunti's avatar appeared in the sky, and his presence terrified the watching cultivators and pressed down on the Jie Sect Disciples.
• Zhunti's avatar saw the bound Sun Wukong and the badly wounded Sanzang, then rebuked Daoist Duobao and the others for interfering with the Journey to the West.
• Zhunti's avatar invoked the Dao Ancestor's personal sanction, and the watching cultivators expected Duobao's group to retreat.
• Daoist Duobao showed no fear and said they knew nothing of the Dao Ancestor's sanction, only that no outsider could set foot in the Eastern World's territory.

Daoist Duobao used his hidden threat against Sanzang to force Zhunti's incarnation to hesitate, even as Zhunti challenged him to explain his defiance. Sage Houtu then appeared and answered Zhunti’s warning.

• Daoist Duobao defied Zhunti's incarnation while secretly locking his killing intent onto Sanzang.
• The watching cultivators realized Duobao was threatening to kill Sanzang, whose survival was essential to the Buddhist School's Journey to the West plan.
• Zhunti's incarnation unleashed his pressure on Duobao and the Interception Sect disciples, then demanded, “You dare?”
• Sage Houtu appeared and answered, “Why wouldn't we dare?!”

Houtu arrived to support Daoist Duobao and the Interception Sect, then warned Zhunti that Sanzang’s soul would be in her hands if he died. Zhunti’s avatar grew wary as Duobao moved to act against Sanzang.

• Houtu appeared and told Duobao and the others to act without concern because she would shoulder the consequences.
• Houtu said she would take Sanzang’s soul into the Underworld and make proper arrangements for him if he died.
• The watching cultivators realized Houtu could control Sanzang’s fate through reincarnation and struggled not to laugh at the threat.
• Zhunti’s avatar recognized that he could not easily interfere once Sanzang’s soul entered the six paths of reincarnation.
• Duobao thanked Houtu and thrust out a finger.

Daoist Duobao killed Sanzang with a finger strike in front of Zhunti's avatar, destroying the Buddhist School's central pawn in the Journey to the West plan. Zhunti's avatar erupted in rage, leaving Duobao and the Interception Sect facing the Sage's wrath.

• Daoist Duobao pierced Sanzang's brow with a finger strike, causing his body and Primordial Spirit to explode.
• Cultivators watching the killing were shocked and concluded the Interception Sect had carefully planned Sanzang's death.
• The onlookers turned their attention to Zhunti's avatar as his fury became apparent.
• Zhunti's avatar raged over Sanzang's death and the collapse of the Buddhist School's plan, while the Interception Sect disciples faced his impending retaliation.

After Sanzang died, Zhunti's incarnation seized his remnant soul and Sun Wukong before leaving, choosing to preserve the Buddhist School's chance of restoring Golden Cicada rather than fight Sage Houtu. Houtu dismissed Daoist Duobao and the Interception Sect, leaving the confrontation an incomplete victory for them and the Journey to the West calamity unresolved.

• Zhunti's incarnation captured Sanzang's remnant soul and Sun Wukong, then escaped through a rift in the void.
• Onlookers recognized that Zhunti had acted rationally to preserve Sanzang's chance of reincarnation and keep Sun Wukong for the Buddhist School.
• Daoist Duobao and the Interception Sect concluded that Sanzang's death was a victory, though Zhunti's possession of the remnant soul left the Buddhist School a chance to turn events around.
• Houtu told Daoist Duobao to return to Golden Ao Island and said the Buddhist School's future actions were not his concern.
• Houtu vanished, and Daoist Duobao acknowledged that the Interception Sect had reached the limit of what it could accomplish.

Sect Master Tongtian watched his disciples kill Sanzang and drive Zhunti away, recognizing that the delay could give Gu Changqing time to return. Zhunti reached Great Thunderclap Temple furious at the Interception Sect.

• Sect Master Tongtian observed Daoist Duobao and the Interception Sect's disciples confront Zhunti, while Sage Houtu pressured Zhunti into retreating with only Sanzang's remnant soul and Sun Wukong.
• Tongtian approved of his disciples' actions and reflected that the Buddhist School would need decades to rebuild Sanzang's body and restart the Journey to the West.
• Tongtian expected Gu Changqing to return during that delay and alter the course of the conflict.
• Zhunti appeared at Great Thunderclap Temple and angrily cursed the Interception Sect, his surging Buddha light cracking the hall's golden floor.

After Sanzang’s death halted the Journey to the West, the Buddhist School’s disciples feared the consequences and waited for Saint Zhunti to decide what to do. In Zixiao Palace, Dao Ancestor Hongjun considered the blow to his plans and concluded that the Journey to the West would need more support.

• Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and the Buddhist School’s disciples mourned Sanzang’s death and discussed how difficult it would be to reincarnate him and resume the pilgrimage.
• Maitreya Buddha acknowledged that the Buddhist School could not have safely faced the Interception Sect’s disciples and Sage Houtu, while Houtu’s authority over reincarnation had forced Zhunti’s incarnation to retreat.
• Medicine Tathagata urged the disciples to wait for Saint Zhunti to calm down, and the Great Thunderclap Temple fell into tense silence.
• Dao Ancestor Hongjun reviewed the events in the Eastern World and recognized that Sanzang’s death had disrupted his plans for Buddhist fortune.
• Dao Ancestor Hongjun blamed the Interception Sect and Daoist Duobao, then decided the Journey to the West would need more support.

Hongjun reassessed the threat Gu Changqing posed and sent his will to the Heavenly Court as additional support. The Elder of Chaos worried that Gu Changqing might find Lord Taisu and learn how to counter the Taisu True Exposition, while the golden edict raced toward its destination.

• The Elder of Chaos feared Gu Changqing had found Lord Taisu and could expose the weakness of the Taisu True Exposition.
• Hongjun emerged from his deliberations and sent a golden Heavenly Dao edict toward the Heavenly Court.
• The Elder of Chaos wondered why Hongjun had chosen the Heavenly Court, whose forces lacked any Sage, but decided to wait for Haotian to arrive.
• The golden edict sped through the void toward the Heavenly Court as turmoil disturbed the Outer Chaos Region.

Gu Changqing listened to Lord Taisu teach the Way of Taisu while pretending to drink and lounge indifferently. After the teaching ended, Lord Taisu discovered that Gu Changqing’s Dao of Hunyuan had resonated with the Way of Taisu and formed a new origin aura, leaving him shocked.

• Lord Taisu continued teaching Gu Changqing the Way of Taisu inside the Chaos Secret Realm.
• Gu Changqing secretly used Illuminating the Heavens to absorb and comprehend every word while appearing drunk and inattentive.
• Gu Changqing’s Dao of Hunyuan resonated with the Way of Taisu as the teaching progressed.
• Lord Taisu noticed an ancient, primordial aura emerging from Gu Changqing and realized it combined the substance of Taisu with the wholeness of Hunyuan.
• Lord Taisu stared in shock at the new origin aura he had never encountered before.

Gu Changqing integrated Lord Taisu’s teachings into his Dao of Hunyuan, then announced he was returning to the Primordial World. Before leaving, he offered to help Lord Taisu escape his confinement someday, stirring unexpected hope in the ancient being.

• Gu Changqing absorbed and integrated the Way of Taisu into his Great Dao of Hunyuan, astonishing Lord Taisu.
• Gu Changqing thanked Lord Taisu for his teachings, while Lord Taisu silently fumed at how much he had gained from the encounter.
• Gu Changqing said he had spent long enough in Chaos and was returning to the Primordial World, prompting Lord Taisu to feel relieved.
• Gu Changqing paused before leaving and told Lord Taisu he might help him escape his confinement someday.
• Lord Taisu watched Gu Changqing vanish and was left quietly anticipating the possibility of escape.

Lord Taisu reassessed Gu Changqing as his best hope of escaping the Chaos Secret Realm and waited for him to break the deadlock. Gu Changqing returned from the Outer Chaos Region to the Primordial World Heaven and Earth, where countless beings recognized his arrival.

• Lord Taisu recalled how Gu Changqing had fused the Way of Taisu into his Hunyuan Great Dao after hearing a single discourse.
• Lord Taisu decided that Gu Changqing was a far better hope for his escape than the Elder of Chaos and hoped he would succeed.
• Gu Changqing emerged from the Outer Chaos Region on a brilliant streak of sword light, carrying his Wine God Gourd.
• Living beings across the Primordial World Heaven and Earth sensed Gu Changqing's wine intent and Hunyuan Wuji might and recognized the Wine Sword Immortal's return.

Gu Changqing returned from the Outer Chaos Region without revealing whether he had found Lord Taisu or gained his teachings. He headed straight for Golden Ao Island, where the Interception Sect disciples eagerly rushed to welcome him and learn the outcome of his journey.

• Gu Changqing returned to the Primordial World, prompting cultivators to speculate that he had either failed to find Lord Taisu or gained nothing from him.
• Gu Changqing ignored the watching crowds, drank from the Wine God Gourd, and rode his sword light toward Golden Ao Island.
• The Interception Sect disciples spotted Gu Changqing arriving and hurried out from across Golden Ao Island to welcome him.
• The disciples watched Gu Changqing with fervent anticipation, wondering whether he had obtained the Taisu True Exposition and could help the Interception Sect avoid suppression by the Elder of Chaos.

Gu Changqing returned to Golden Ao Island and sighed instead of answering the Interception Sect disciples’ questions about Lord Taisu, leaving them fearing he had failed to find help against the Elder of Chaos. In Zixiao Palace, the Elder of Chaos heard the sigh and concluded that Gu Changqing had not found Lord Taisu, so his unease disappeared.

• Gu Changqing returned to Golden Ao Island, where the Interception Sect disciples crowded around him and asked whether he had found Lord Taisu and a way to oppose the Elder of Chaos.
• Gu Changqing drank from his Wine God Gourd and sighed, leaving the disciples stunned and uncertain about what had happened.
• Daoist Duobao tried to question Gu Changqing, while Golden Spirit Holy Mother and Hong Yun watched him with concern.
• The Elder of Chaos sensed the scene from Zixiao Palace and took Gu Changqing’s sigh as proof that he had failed to find Lord Taisu.
• The Elder of Chaos lost his lingering unease and smiled, convinced that Gu Changqing could not discover Lord Taisu’s whereabouts.

The Elder of Chaos mistook Gu Changqing’s sigh for proof that he had gained nothing from Lord Taisu, while Dao Ancestor Hongjun remained uneasy. The two discussed revised safeguards for the Journey to the West, then the Elder proposed seizing the Interception Sect’s supreme treasures for the Profound Gate.

• The Elder of Chaos concluded that Gu Changqing had failed to find or obtain anything from Lord Taisu, while Hongjun privately felt uneasy about the sigh.
• Hongjun told the Elder of Chaos that Haotian would send Tianpeng and Juanlian to accompany Sanzang and Sun Wukong, with Maitreya, Ksitigarbha, and other Buddhist School members guarding them in secret.
• The Elder of Chaos suggested making plans to take the Interception Sect’s supreme treasures for the Profound Gate.
• Hongjun realized the Elder meant the World-Destroying Mill, the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe, and the Chaos Bead, which Gu Changqing held.
• The Elder of Chaos argued that seizing the treasures would weaken the Interception Sect and asked Hongjun what Gu Changqing could do afterward.

Hongjun agreed to join forces with the Elder of Chaos to seize Gu Changqing’s supreme treasures and destroy the Interception Sect. Back at Biyou Palace, Gu Changqing left Tongtian, Nuwa, and Houtu waiting for an explanation before admitting he had lied about gaining nothing in Chaos.

• Hongjun accepted the Elder of Chaos’s proposal to target the World-Destroying Mill and the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe, intending to weaken the Interception Sect.
• The Elder of Chaos left Zixiao Palace to begin preparations, while Hongjun privately acknowledged that their alliance might eventually turn against each other.
• Tongtian, Nuwa, and Houtu gathered at Biyou Palace after sensing Gu Changqing’s return from Chaos.
• Tongtian asked Gu Changqing whether he had truly gained nothing on his journey, and Gu Changqing answered that this had been a lie.

Gu Changqing admitted that his apparent failure in Chaos was fake and revealed that he had found Lord Taisu and obtained the Taisu True Exposition. The Three Sages rejoiced at gaining a way to counter the art, while Gu Changqing casually claimed he had frightened Lord Taisu into teaching him.

• Gu Changqing admitted that his apparent failure was fake, prompting Nuwa to ask whether he had found Lord Taisu.
• Gu Changqing nodded, confirming he had found Lord Taisu, and then told Tongtian he had obtained the Taisu True Exposition.
• Tongtian, Nuwa, and Houtu rejoiced, praising Gu Changqing and expressing concern about the hardships of his journey.
• Gu Changqing said Lord Taisu had some ability, then claimed he had scared him into obediently sharing the art.

Gu Changqing told Tongtian, Nuwa, and Houtu how he had found Lord Taisu trapped in a Great Dao Cage and forced him to surrender the countermeasure to the Taisu True Exposition. He also revealed that he had taken half the control of Lord Taisu’s Chaos Secret Realm, then left the Sages wondering why he had pretended to gain nothing.

• Tongtian, Nuwa, and Houtu were stunned when Gu Changqing said he had merely given Lord Taisu a scare.
• Gu Changqing explained that Lord Taisu had been imprisoned in a Great Dao Cage and had used his teachings to seek a way out.
• Gu Changqing said he had threatened to reinforce the cage unless Lord Taisu handed over the countermeasure to the Taisu True Exposition.
• Gu Changqing revealed that Lord Taisu had given him the countermeasure, promised future help, and ceded half the control of his Chaos Secret Realm.
• Nuwa, Tongtian, and Houtu reacted with awe and concern, while Gu Changqing said he would trap Lord Taisu again if he retaliated.
• Tongtian asked why Gu Changqing had pretended to gain nothing, and Gu Changqing’s expression turned strange.

Gu Changqing revealed that he had pretended to be unable to counter the Elder of Chaos’s Taisu True Exposition to lure Hongjun and his allies into a trap. Houtu warned that Sanzang had likely returned and that the Western Buddhist Sect would be more cautious, while Gu Changqing anticipated the true scripture-seeking party taking shape.

• Gu Changqing told Tongtian, Nuwa, and Houtu that he had feigned weakness to make the Elder of Chaos and Hongjun’s allies attack with confidence.
• Tongtian, Nuwa, and Houtu realized Gu Changqing had a way to counter the Taisu True Exposition and praised his deception.
• Tongtian rejoiced that Gu Changqing’s scheme would likely bring another defeat for Hongjun’s side.
• Houtu reminded them that Zhunti had taken Sanzang’s true spirit after Duobao and the others killed him, and said Sanzang had probably rebuilt his body and returned.
• Gu Changqing remarked that the true four-man scripture-seeking party was about to take shape.