Recaps

Wukong gathered the gods to rescue Tang Sanzang from the demons at Golden Rhinoceros Mountain, but the Green Ox’s Diamond Bangle defeated their forces until Taishang Laojun intervened. Ao Tu then pursued his own plans in the Western Liang Women’s Kingdom, where Tang Sanzang’s party arrived and faced the consequences of drinking from the Mother-Child River.

• Wukong restored the Tangerine Grove and tried to free Tang Sanzang, but the Blood Sea King and the Single-Horned Rhinoceros defeated him and captured Tang Sanzang again.
• Wukong and Ao Tu summoned heavenly troops, star lords, and other allies, but the Single-Horned Rhinoceros repeatedly took their weapons and treasures with the Diamond Bangle.
• Guanyin and other Bodhisattvas joined the campaign, but the demons routed the gods, captured many immortals, and struck down Guanyin.
• Wukong recognized the Diamond Bangle and went to Tushita Palace, where Golden Horn and Silver Horn revealed that the Green Ox had taken Taishang Laojun’s treasure to the mortal realm.
• Taishang Laojun made Wukong work in the Herb Fields, then helped Wukong rescue Bajie and Sha Wujing before calling the Single-Horned Rhinoceros back in its Green Ox form.
• Ao Tu arranged for his disciple Alu to occupy a monastery and later pray for rain in Fengxian County, then traveled to the Western Liang Women’s Kingdom and defeated the Scorpion Demon.
• Ao Tu helped the Scorpion Demon abduct the queen, married the queen, and began arranging the Nine-Curved Yellow River Formation while awaiting Tang Sanzang’s party.
• Tang Sanzang and Bajie drank from the Mother-Child River, and Wukong went to seek water from the Birth-Cancelling Spring, but Ruyi True Immortal spilled the water Wukong had drawn.

Wukong and his companions became entangled in Ao Tu’s conflict with the Daughter Kingdom, and Ao Tu’s Yellow River Formation stripped Wukong and several divine allies of their powers. After repeated attempts to defeat Ao Tu failed, Yunxiao helped settle the conflict, and Ao Tu left with Manjushri for Kunlun Mountain.

• Wukong exposed the Scorpion Demon’s impersonation of the Queen and joined forces with Ao Tu, who had captured the Queen and refused to give her up.
• Wukong, Nezha, Erlang, Bajie, Red Boy, and Ruyi True Immortal tried to free the Queen, but Ao Tu defeated and captured them before eventually releasing them.
• Guanyin Bodhisattva failed to persuade Ao Tu to leave with her, and the Queen chose to return to him after Wukong brought her back to the Daughter Kingdom.
• Ao Tu used the Nine-Curved Yellow River Formation to separate the pilgrims, then trapped Wukong and Kasyapa and stripped them of their cultivation.
• Heavenly forces and Guanyin Bodhisattva tried to break the formation, but Ao Tu defeated their efforts and captured more divine allies.
• Wukong visited Spirit Mountain, secretly used the Wooden Buckets to restore his cultivation, and recruited the Three Xiao Ladies to help challenge Ao Tu.
• The assembled gods attacked Ao Tu’s formation, but he captured Guanyin Bodhisattva’s treasures and broke their assault before Old Mother Lishan intervened.
• Yunxiao met Ao Tu, advised him about improving the formation, and helped reconcile him with Manjushri, who invited him to Kunlun Mountain.

Ao Tu allied with Six-Eared Macaque and used a bandit inn to obstruct Tang Sanzang’s party and provoke a dispute between Tang Sanzang and Wukong. After rescuing Six-Eared Macaque from Mahamayuri Bodhisattva, Ao Tu established another Flower-Fruit Mountain and captured the pilgrims, then agreed to investigate the sun with Wukong while Tang Sanzang remained captive.

• Ao Tu won the Yuanshi Artifact Classic from Yuanshi Tianzun, then received a punishment to refine Golden Elixirs after Alu obtained forbidden rain for Fengxian County through deception.
• Ao Tu subdued Six-Eared Macaque, offered to help him replace Wukong, and took over a bandit gang to establish the Homecoming Inn.
• Tang Sanzang spared the bandits after their attempt to rob the pilgrims and spent two months guiding them toward honest work, but they resumed robbery.
• Wukong used the Golden Sarira to reform the bandits, but its influence faded and Wukong killed Yang Meng when he threatened his wife with a knife.
• Wukong quarreled with Tang Sanzang over Yang Meng’s death and sought answers from Tathagata Buddha, who sent Mahamayuri Bodhisattva to subdue the two demons.
• Ao Tu rescued Six-Eared Macaque from Mahamayuri Bodhisattva, who took the bandits away, ate them, and delivered their souls to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
• Ao Tu and Six-Eared Macaque established another Flower-Fruit Mountain and Water Curtain Cave, challenged Wukong, and imprisoned the pilgrims and their guardian gods.
• Wukong visited Ao Tu in the Flower Realm for medicine after Tang Sanzang collapsed from his injuries, and they agreed to investigate the sun while Tang Sanzang remained captive.

Wukong and the pilgrims became entangled in Ao Tu’s conflict with Mahamayuri Bodhisattva, then resumed their journey and found Flaming Mountain blocking the western road. Their efforts to obtain Princess Iron Fan’s fan failed, and the arc ended with Tang Sanzang missing and the group searching for him.

• Ao Tu transformed into a Golden Crow and fought Mahamayuri Bodhisattva, but a mysterious woman stopped him from detonating himself and helped him escape with Six-Eared Macaque.
• Bajie, Sha Wujing, and Wukong rescued Tang Sanzang from the Prison Cave and took him to the stonecutter’s family, where Tang Sanzang apologized for the bandits’ attack and gave the stonecutter an elixir that healed his leg.
• After Tang Sanzang recovered, the pilgrims resumed their journey, while Ao Tu visited the Bull Demon King and received the Plantain Fan to study.
• Wukong and Bajie asked Princess Iron Fan to lend them the fan so they could cross Flaming Mountain, but she refused because of her grudge against the pilgrims.
• Wukong stole what he thought was the Treasure Fan, but the fake fan intensified Flaming Mountain’s flames, and the Local God told him that Wukong had caused the mountain’s fire.
• Wukong sought the Bull Demon King’s help, but Six-Eared Macaque and the Bull Demon King fought him, captured Bajie and Sha Wujing, and ultimately let the pilgrims leave without the fan.
• Tang Sanzang went to a mountain temple after seeing Buddha-Light and began planting bodhi trees to hold back Flaming Mountain’s flames, while Wukong and the others searched for the Bull Demon King.
• Wukong returned to Flaming Mountain and discovered Tang Sanzang was missing, then led the group to Plantain Cave, where Princess Iron Fan and Red Boy attacked them and sent them fleeing toward Blazing Thunder Mountain.