Now, the ordeal at Tongtian River had come to an end.
Ao Tu led the gods back to Heaven to report, while Guanyin Bodhisattva returned straight to the Southern Sea. The people of Chen Family Village celebrated joyfully, and every household invited Tang Sanzang and his disciples, their four great benefactors, to a feast.
Everyone had benefited, and not a soul was unhappy.
Amid their joy, however, they had forgotten someone. The Blood Sea King had suffered this ordeal for no reason-how could he possibly let the matter rest?
Let us return to when the gods had surrounded and attacked the Blood Sea King.
The Blood Sea King had feigned a desperate fight to the death, frightening the Great Sage Equal to Heaven into flight, Guanyin Bodhisattva into hiding, and Perfected Lord Taixi and the Third Lotus Prince into retreat.
The Blood Sea King seized the chance to take the White Bone Spirit and Tiger Vanguard with him and escape. Before leaving, he even remembered to punish Great King Linggan to vent his anger.
The Blood Sea King fled westward, crossing Tongtian River, until he spotted a great mountain in the distance, lofty and precipitous, with layered crags and strange rocks;
Its trees grew thick and its forests deep, its streams murmured through ravines. Spirits raced through the mountains, and demons drilled their troops on the peaks and cliffs. Tier upon tier of mountain caves hid their depths even in daylight; rank upon rank of stone grottoes sent demonic auras surging to the clouds! It truly was a fine place!
The Blood Sea King flew into the mountains and landed before a crowd of demons.
They were a group of Little Ox Spirits, wielding sabers and spears as they practiced their martial arts.
Their leader was a little yellow ox.