Tang Sanzang had no idea that he was experiencing a tribulation set up by some powerful figure; he was merely an onlooker listening to the story.
For a day and a night, Tang Sanzang ate dry rations and drank water, listening to the story told by the stone demon.
"Monk, now tell me, what are your thoughts and opinions after hearing my story?" The stone demon's eyes widened, and it raised its moon-white stone arm, ready to punish Tang Sanzang with a meat pie if he didn't like what he said.
Naturally, with that punch, Tang Sanzang's mortal body would be turned into a meat patty, or even minced meat.
"Stone Demon, this is your own experience, isn't it?" Tang Sanzang's expression was natural, filled with compassion.
"That's right, you monk, hurry up and talk, or Laozi smash you to death."
Tang Sanzang sighed, thinking to himself, "This stone demon's life is full of ups and downs. He was forced to seek medicine for his wife's life, thus becoming a stone demon. After finding the medicine, he returned to find that his wife had already been cured and had even been cuckolded. However, from the details of his story, it's clear that his wife's illness was feigned. Furthermore..."
"Monk, when are you going to stop? Just say what you have to say!"
"Calm down, benefactor." Tang Sanzang glanced at the stone demon, continuing to ponder, "If I directly criticize this stone demon for being too foolish and too wicked, I'll inevitably get a beating to death. If I praise it for killing its wife and avenging her, I'll inevitably be criticized for being heartless and ignorant of the emotions between men and women, and I'm afraid I'll be in trouble with that too..."
Inside the Purple Cloud Palace, Zhunti frowned, looking at Xiao Tian's projected avatar, and asked, "Fellow Daoist, what is the answer? Could it be that this trial is about to start with Golden Cicada suffering a setback?"
"Of course not. In fact, as for how to answer that, I think we should wait and see."
In the mortal realm, Tang Sanzang had been pondering for too long, and the stone demon was about to unleash a punch.
"My lord, your story has a clear theme, a novel plot, and is captivating. If it were compiled and circulated, it would surely become famous for all time, serving as a warning to the world and awakening the true goodness and beauty within people's hearts."
The stone demon was stunned.
"That makes sense, monk. So, what price in silver do you think would be a good price for this book?"
"Amitabha Buddha, then you must ask your own heart," Tang Sanzang said, closing his eyes in silence.
"You monk, you can leave now. Thanks for coming up with a good idea for Laozi. I'm definitely suited to be a story-writing demon."
Watching the stone demon leave excitedly and joyfully, Tang Sanzang chanted a Buddhist prayer, looked at the spot where the white horse had been smashed to death and turned into a bloody pulp, dug up some soil, buried it, and then chanted sutras on the spot to help it pass on to the afterlife.
A month later, starving and with his complexion turning from plump and fair to sallow, Tang Sanzang was unaware that he had entered the Earth Immortal Realm and arrived at the place of his first disciple, Sun Wukong, who had escorted him on his journey to the West.
"Amitabha Buddha, this mountain is so strange. Only Tang Sanzang was able to conquer it. What exactly is on it? And why is it inscribed with my name? Could it be a coincidence?"
Tang Sanzang looked at the mountain in front of him with a puzzled expression.
"It must be a coincidence."
Purple Cloud Palace.
" Golden Cicada just passed away like that!" Zhunti was a little dumbfounded.
"Looks like I'm not going to take this first disciple anymore. Let bygones be bygones," Xiao Tian's projected avatar smiled.
Zhunti's lips twitched. In the later stages, Sun Wukong would inevitably be needed to help Tang Sanzang slay demons and weaken the Demon Clan race. How could he let such a powerful candidate slip by?
" Zhunti, you're still casting spells? That's immoral! Are you kidding me?"
Zhunti's expression remained unperturbed, and he said naturally and seriously, "Since it is ordained by Heaven, this first guardian of the pilgrimage was already Fate; whether it comes sooner or later is the same."
Xiao Tian inwardly chuckled at Zhunti's act of Zhunti magic to make Tang Sanzang return to that mountain.
"What happened? Is this humble monk lost?"
Upon seeing the mountain again, with the huge characters "Only Tang Sanzang can conquer it" and an ordinary apricot-yellow scribbled banner, Tang Sanzang realized that something was amiss.
"Gurgle..."
At this moment, Tang Sanzang saw two children walking towards him from a high slope not far away. The children were carrying unusual fruits and a well-packaged box of snacks.
He was starving, so he mustered the last of his strength and rushed over.
"Young benefactors, could you spare some food for this humble monk? I have only drunk some water in the past three days."
Upon seeing the pale, emaciated Tang Sanzang, the two children quickly retreated, guarding their food. The older one couldn't help but sneer, "We went through so much trouble to get this food from that mountain over there, and we haven't even eaten it ourselves. If you want some, go get it yourself. You think you can just pretend to be a poor monk and freeload by putting something on your face? We've seen so many groups of monks lately; we're already on guard."
Tang Sanzang was dumbfounded.
With the two children gone, Tang Sanzang had no choice but to set off again, using his last bit of strength to continue his journey and see what was going on.
"What kind of junk food are they sending out? I, Old Sun, don't like any of this! Next time that little fairy comes, I'll teach her a lesson. Doesn't she know I, Old Sun, don't like durian?"
A gentle breeze carried a sound to Tang Sanzang's ears, and at the same time, a whistling sound approached.
Before Tang Sanzang could even see what was happening, he was hit all over the head by a durian thrown by Sun Wukong.
Already Weaken, hungry, and thirsty, he suffered a brain hemorrhage and collapsed to the ground.
In the Purple Cloud Palace, all the saints remained silent.
"Hehe, this mischievous monkey is really naughty! Zhunti, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and go save Golden Cicada!" Xiao Tian said.
Zhunti's face almost turned green. Sun Wukong was, after all, a demon branded with Xiao Tian's name. Sun Wukong threw a durian that knocked Tang Sanzang unconscious; shouldn't Xiao Tian have intervened?
Zhunti was unhappy, but he could only endure it. He understood that this Great Tribulation was actually helping his Western Sect to grow stronger.
In an instant, Zhunti swiftly transmitted the message to Bodhisattva Guanyin.
Guanyin Bodhisattva arrived just in time. She sprinkled a drop of innate spiritual liquid from the Jade Pure Bottle, which fully revived Tang Sanzang, who was on the verge of death from intracranial hemorrhage, and restored his skin to a healthy, rosy state.
Tang Sanzang, his eyes still half-closed, saw Bodhisattva Guanyin and immediately bowed in greeting.
" Tang Sanzang, the journey to the Western Heaven to obtain the scriptures is fraught with danger. There is a disciple in the mountains who will escort you on Western Heaven journey. Go and find him quickly."
"Thank you, Bodhisattva!"
After Bodhisattva Guanyin departed on a cloud, Tang Sanzang turned his gaze and saw the blood-stained durian, and couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
"Should we really take this wicked disciple with us on the journey?"
"He probably didn't die on the journey to the Western Heaven, but was played with and killed by that wicked disciple."
then!
In the Purple Cloud Palace, Zhunti's face darkened.
" Golden Cicada still can't shake off his stubborn personality; he needs guidance." Jieyin a worried expression.
"Hehe, Zhunti, you can continue."
Zhunti was furious. Golden Cicada had really angered him. The big characters on the mountain were so obvious. He was just giving him a bodyguard with high cultivation for free. Why couldn't he use his brain?
Zhunti the spell again.
This went on and on, time and time again, until Tang Sanzang got annoyed.
"This wicked disciple, I will never accept him! He almost killed me before we even met! Although monks are compassionate, that doesn't mean they don't have tempers! I have two hands and feet. The journey to the Western Heaven may be arduous, but I can still reach it even without this bodyguard!"
Zhunti was furious!
Golden Cicada left that mountain once again!
" Zhunti, forget it. Since he doesn't want Sun Wukong, I'll get him another one."
Change to another one?
Zhunti, Zhunti had an idea.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao Deva Path, let's discuss this. Why don't we let Sun Wukong be rescued by Golden Cicada in another place?"
"Heh, you've got some ideas, huh? But I won't do it."
Zhunti realized that Xiao Tian wanted something in return, and his face twitched.
"We already signed an IOU last time, so we're not afraid of having another one."
"Hehehe! Zhunti mustn't try to buy anything from me on credit, I don't accept second-time credit. How about this, I'll borrow your Seven Treasures Wondrous Tree for a month, and I'll return it to you in its entirety after a month."
"Really?" Upon Zhunti this, Zhunti breathed a sigh of relief.
"Of course," Xiao Tian affirmed.
"Teacher, fellow Daoists, please bear witness."
Afterwards, Xiao Tian made an oath before the Deva Path, Dao Ancestor Hongjun, and several Sage, and then obtained the Seven Treasures Wondrous Tree, Innate Supreme Treasure.
This thing, as long as the holder's magical power is strong enough, can erase the owner's mark from any magical artifact in the world.
Recently, Xiao Tian had some ideas about this and decided to study the Seven Treasures Wondrous Tree carefully, hoping to create a Chaos- grade "I Love Grinding" item!
"Fellow Daoists, I'll be leaving for a while." Xiao Tian's projected avatar chuckled and then disappeared.
Zhunti that this was a gift to the deity at the Pilgrimage Tower.
"The restrictions on my Seven Treasures Wondrous Tree have been completely refined, and I've even added a unique restriction on it. If you swear not to break the restrictions, what can you, Xiao Tian, do?"
In the mortal realm, Tang Sanzang arrived at Dragon Horse Stream, which made him very happy because he could collect some water.
Bottom of the river.
" Great Sage Sun, Tang Sanzang has arrived. It's your turn to make your appearance."
Sun Wukong ate peaches and bananas, letting Bodhisattva Guanyin's words go in one ear and out the other.
"Alright, I, Old Sun, understand. Hurry up and arrange your monster; we'll go out and kill it soon, and save that monk."
Bodhisattva Guanyin smiled and nodded.
Tang Sanzang carried water and, with faltering steps, prepared to cross a narrow path and leave the Dragon Horse Stream.
roar!
Upon hearing the roar of the beast, Tang Sanzang's expression changed drastically. He thought to himself, "Could there be tigers or wolves here? This sound doesn't seem like a tiger's."
He quickly discovered who the voice belonged to.
It was a four-eyed lion, its gaping maw staring at him, its eyes fierce and bloodthirsty.
"How could there be lions in this place?"
Tang Sanzang was a little confused.
"It's been so long since I've eaten human food, especially such a delicious monk!"
"You can talk! You're a monster!" Tang Sanzang was terrified and fainted on the spot.
At the bottom of the river, Sun Wukong sneered, "If I, Old Sun, go out and smash that guy to death with my staff, what if that monk wakes up and discovers that I, Old Sun, am in cahoots with that demon?"
Bodhisattva Guanyin remained silent.
Golden Cicada disappointed her greatly.
"Wait until he wakes up, Great Sage Sun you can go."
Thus, under the coercion of Bodhisattva Guanyin, a four-eyed lion demon who was only at the Core Formation Realm carried the unconscious Tang Sanzang into a cave.
When Tang Sanzang awoke and saw the monster, he was overcome with grief.
"Fine, if I don't go to hell, who will..."
Rumble!
Sunlight shone on the cave wall, and as the earth shook, a majestic figure descended.
"Monster! Stop eating people! Die, you old Sun!"
The four-eyed demon is dead!
Tang Sanzang was overjoyed; he was saved.
"Monk, are you from the Great Tang of the Eastern Lands?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang calmed down and quickly shook his head, saying, "Benefactor, you have mistaken me for someone else."
"Oh, Bodhisattva Guanyin, he says he's not, then never mind."
" Bodhisattva Guanyin?! Benefactor, please wait!"