Tang Sanzang's recitation of the Tight-Fillet Spell had instead brought Sun Wukong back to his senses.
But although Sun Wukong had regained his wits, he still could not break out of the formation.
Then Sun Wukong remembered the three Life-Saving Hairs Guanyin Bodhisattva had given him. He plucked one out and turned it into a drill, intending to bore through the formation.
Ao Tu had been watching Sun Wukong's movements from the formation platform all along.
With the formation between them, he could see Sun Wukong, but Sun Wukong could not see him.
When Ao Tu saw Sun Wukong pluck out a Life-Saving Hair, he feared that Sun Wukong would damage his Formation Diagram. He uttered, "Withdraw!" At once, the sky cleared and the earth brightened, the red sand dispersed, and everything was drawn back into the diagram.
Sun Wukong looked around and spotted Ao Tu nearby, putting away the Formation Diagram. Furious, he shouted, "Demon dragon, you again! What foul magic did you use to harm Old Sun? Take this!"
He raised his cudgel and struck!
Ao Tu blocked with the Dark Gold Iron Staff Spear, and his arms instantly went numb.
In martial skill, Sun Wukong's prowess was unquestionably among the very best.
Ao Tu did not use the Five-Fire Divine Flame Fan right away. He wanted to test Sun Wukong's strength so he would have a clearer measure of it in the future.
Ao Tu opened his mouth and spat out a swath of golden light, laden with murderous energy.
Sun Wukong cried, "Grow!" He enlarged the Golden Cudgel until it was as thick as a mountainside and planted it before him, blocking all of Ao Tu's golden light.
With a dragon's roar, Ao Tu transformed into a Five-Clawed Golden Dragon. Riding clouds and mist, he spewed golden light and charged at Sun Wukong.
Sun Wukong mounted his Somersault Cloud and met him with the Golden Cudgel in hand, utterly fearless.
The two battled in the air, divine dragon against spirit monkey.
Ao Tu thrust out his dragon claws, unleashing ten streaks of golden radiance.
Wukong whirled his iron cudgel like a raging gale.
Ao Tu had sent Tiger Vanguard to watch Bajie and Tang Sanzang. Hearing the sounds of battle, he hurried back to help.
There was no denying that Sun Wukong was truly formidable.
His strength alone was far beyond that of ordinary immortals and gods, and his martial skill was exceptional as well. A brush of that iron cudgel meant death; a knock meant doom. The slightest touch split the skin, the lightest scrape tore the sinews. Though somewhat exaggerated, those words spoke to how difficult he was to fight.
Relying on the innate gifts of his Dragon Race bloodline, Ao Tu forced himself to battle him for over thirty exchanges. Gradually, he began to lose ground. A blow from the iron cudgel struck his tail, knocking off two or three scales. He dropped to the ground and returned to human form.
Tiger Vanguard stood in front of Ao Tu and said, "My king, go on ahead! I'll cover your retreat!"
Ao Tu said, "Easy. We haven't reached that point yet."
Sun Wukong laughed. "Enough boasting! Today, I'll send both you demons to your deaths!"
Ao Tu laughed. "Bimawen, I can't beat you in martial skill. But skill alone doesn't win a fight! Behold my treasure!"
Ao Tu brought forth the Five-Fire Seven-Bird Fan and waved it three times. At once, fierce flames soared into the air, their blazing light shooting skyward.
"Not good!" Sun Wukong knew how powerful the fan was. He turned a somersault and fled.
Ao Tu did not pursue him relentlessly. Instead, he flew to Sha Wujing's house and blew out a gust of wind, overturning it.
Inside the house, Tang Sanzang and Bajie were blown tumbling to the ground. Ao Tu seized them both and flew into the Flowing Sand River.
Seeing this, Sha Wujing followed them into the Flowing Sand River.
There was a pillar at the bottom of the Flowing Sand River. After Sha Wujing had been banished there, he had suffered punishment every seven days, bound to this pillar while flying swords pierced his chest and sides more than a hundred times.
Ao Tu bound Tang Sanzang and Bajie to the pillar together.
When Tang Sanzang saw Ao Tu, he remembered his ordeal at Yellow Wind Ridge. Tears fell like rain as he said:
"How pitiful! A monk who has left the worldly life behind, yet I've met this demon again and been captured and brought here. Who knows whose banquet that monkey disciple of mine is attending, or where he's gone to seek his pleasures? When will he return? How could he know that I've met a demon and am suffering here!"
Ao Tu laughed when he heard this.
Tiger Vanguard said, "You monk with your mortal eyes and flesh! You still don't know you've fallen into my king's trap!"
Tang Sanzang did not understand. Seeing Sha Wujing behind them, he asked in surprise:
"Fisherman, why are you with these two monsters?"
Sha Wujing laughed. "Holy monk, do you still not understand? I'm the third scourge!"
He then explained the whole affair to Tang Sanzang.
Only after hearing the truth did Tang Sanzang realize he had wronged Wukong. Silently, he invoked Amitabha Buddha.
In truth, Ao Tu had not been able to carry out his entire plan this time.
His original plan had been to let Bajie slowly subdue the "Evil Tiger and Poison Dragon," then have Sha Wujing capture master and disciple and take them into the river, delaying them as long as possible.
Even if Bajie went to the Heavenly Court for help, Sha Wujing's identity would probably remain hidden, since Ao Tu had turned the Flowing Sand River into the Black Water River. That would buy them even more time.
What Ao Tu had not expected was that Bajie, that lazy oaf, had no intention of seeking help at all. In the end, Tang Sanzang had lost patience and told him to find the Bodhisattva.
If Guanyin Bodhisattva came, their scheme would certainly be exposed.
Ao Tu had been forced to take Wukong's form to intercept Bajie, disrupting the entire plan and leading to their present situation.
When Bajie learned that the Sun Wukong he had seen was Ao Tu in disguise, he cursed angrily:
"You plague-stricken demon dragon! You turned into my senior brother to fool me again!"
Ao Tu seized Bajie by the ear and said:
"You oaf, you still dare curse me! Someone, set up a pot! Boil him for me to eat!"
Tiger Vanguard said, "Yes!"
Bajie panicked and hastily begged for mercy. "My king, my king! Old Pig was only joking just now. Don't eat me! My meat tastes awful!"
Ao Tu laughed and looked at the system's progress.
[Current progress: sixty-seven days]
Unfortunately, he was still twenty-three days short of a season.
Sun Wukong would probably go to seek Guanyin Bodhisattva's help next.
It would likely be difficult to earn the reward for delaying them for a season.
So be it. Pursue it by proper means; whether it is gained rests with fate.
Tang Sanzang and his disciples still had countless tribulations ahead of them. He could make another attempt later.
Outside, Sun Wukong saw that his master and junior brothers had all been captured and found the situation exceedingly troublesome.
Standing amid the clouds, Sun Wukong shouted, "Demon dragon, release my master at once! Release my master!"
Ao Tu ignored him, pretending to be deaf.
With no other recourse, Sun Wukong planted his feet, enlarged the Golden Cudgel, and thrust it into the river, unleashing a supernatural ability that churned rivers and overturned seas.
At once, the waters of the Flowing Sand River surged and heaved, raising waves and whirling into vortices. Nothing above or below could find peace.
Ao Tu said, "Sha Wujing, go out and fight that monkey. Don't linger in battle. Just feign defeat and lure him down here."
Sha Wujing obeyed, leaped out of the water, and said:
"Monkey, if you keep stirring things up, your master and junior brother will turn to mush! Stop at once! If you truly have any ability, fight me for three hundred exchanges!"
Hearing this, Wukong stopped and said:
"You monster, what brazen
nerve! You deceived my master with honeyed words, then plotted against Old Sun. Who are you? Give me your name!"
Sha Wujing said, "I'm no monster. I am the Black Water River God, Sha Tuolong!"
The name sounded somewhat familiar to Sun Wukong, but he gave it little thought. "You petty god! Take this!"
He leaped down from his cloud and swung his cudgel straight at Sha Wujing's head.
Sha Wujing raised his staff to meet it. With a clang, he was nearly knocked head over heels.
Sun Wukong gave him no quarter and struck again.
Sha Wujing barely blocked the blow, and the webbing between his thumb and forefinger split open.
Sun Wukong struck once more, nearly knocking the Precious Staff from Sha Wujing's hands.
"What a formidable monkey!"
Sha Wujing hurriedly fled into the water.
"Petty god, don't run!"
Sun Wukong chased him down.
Ao Tu had been waiting for some time. Seeing Sun Wukong approach, he activated the Houtian Spiritual Treasure, the Water-Reversing Seal. Bearing the energy of myriad waters, the little seal smashed into Sun Wukong's back, making him stagger.
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