On the journey to the Journey to the West, Xu Xiao was accompanying Xuanzang.
Suddenly, boundless Power of Variables surged into the Great Dao, causing a stir in his heart.
Xu Xiao tried to deduce the Great Dao of Cause and Effect, but was suppressed by the calamity energy and the darkness, and could not find any direction.
'With such a large number of Power of Variables, it seems that something big is about to happen on this journey to the Journey to the West. I wonder if it's the Western Sect or the Heavenly Court?'
Xu Xiao stopped his calculations. If he couldn't calculate the cause and effect in this world, who else could it be besides the Western Sect and the Heavenly Court?
The influx of such a powerful Power of Variables into the Great Dao is enough to demonstrate that the subsequent changes will be significant enough to alter the course of Journey to the Journey to the West.
'However, no matter how many tricks you employ, little do you know that everything is within my calculations, unless you, the Buddha and Bodhisattvas of the Western Sect, directly tear off the mask and fight me in person.'
'Otherwise, variables would be more advantageous to me. The faster the Power of Variables accumulates, the sooner my opportunity for enlightenment will arrive.'
Xu Xiao had already planned for all the changes.
Unlike the Western Sect that planned everything, Xu Xiao already knew all the subsequent developments and sought to change them.
For him, whether things develop for the better or for the worse is the same; the outcome is unknown for the time being, but the Power of Variables is a tangible gain.
As long as he isn't completely crushed, the more exciting and chaotic the Journey to the Journey to the West becomes, the greater the benefits he will gain.
The group soon passed by Gao Village. Since there was no storyline of the Havoc in Heaven in this life, Zhu Bajie did not appear.
Although Xuanzang felt some regret, he ultimately said nothing. After resting well, he embarked on his journey to obtain the scriptures once more.
As they traveled day after day, the pilgrims soon arrived at a kingdom covered in sandstorms—the Kingdom of Kingdom of Flowing Sands.
The area is located in the desert, and the people there live in poverty. Fortunately, the local customs are relatively simple and honest, and they did not reject Xuanzang and his party.
Xuanzang and his companions stayed overnight at the home of an old man surnamed Wang. After hearing about their origins, the Old Wang couldn't help but advise them:
"Thirty li to the west lies the eight-hundred-li Yellow Wind Ridge, Yamanaka many monsters roam. If you wish to go west, that is an unavoidable place; it would be best to return the way you came."
"If all else fails, we'll have to go through the old city of the Ancient Kingdom of Sahali; there might be a detour there."
Old Wang's persuasion failed, he offered another suggestion.
Wukong, however, paid no attention and argued with the old man for a long time, saying that obtaining the scriptures from the West depended on each person's own ability, no matter how high the mountains were, how far the road was, or how rampant the demons were.
The old man stopped trying to persuade them, and after spending the night there, the three of them set off again.
Xu Xiao secretly estimated that they had arrived at the territory of the Yellow Wind Monster and were about to witness the legendary Samadhi Divine Wind.
The Yellow Wind Monster was a tragic character. He was originally a yellow-haired weasel who had attained enlightenment at the foot of Spirit Mountain. Because he stole the pure oil from the Glazed Lamp, he was afraid that the Vajra would capture and punish him, so he fled to the mortal world and transformed into a monster.
He possessed exceptional martial arts skills, enough to fight a monkey to a standstill, and most remarkably, he had an Samadhi Divine Wind.
It can darken the heavens and earth, and scare away ghosts and gods. It can split rocks and collapse cliffs, and its blows can end a person's life instantly!
It can be considered a renowned killing technique in the world.
'However, the Yellow Wind Monster isn't inherently evil. In fact, he has many connections with the Buddhist Sect. Let's see if we can start with him.'
Xu Xiao's heart stirred, and he immediately activated the Dao of Variables, intending to reverse the opponent's fate.
However, he soon discovered that the Yellow Wind Monster's fate was intertwined with many causes and effects. After the Power of Variables was introduced, it only caused a slight deviation and did not directly alter everything as before.
'It seems the Yellow Wind Monster has been targeted by the Buddhist Sect; things are probably not going to be peaceful for him from now on.'
Xu Xiao decisively gave up on investing Power of Variables; it was just a Yellow Wind Monster, and he couldn't influence anything about it.
Rather than investing heavily in Power of Variables and alerting the enemy at this point, it's better to put things aside for now. Perhaps this can turn the tide at a crucial moment.
The group traveled at a leisurely pace, and within a day they arrived at a city, or more accurately, an abandoned city.
The few remaining ruins reveal that this place was once a human-built site with a glorious history, but its former prosperity is no longer visible.
As night was approaching, Xuanzang decided to stay overnight in the city and see if he could find a way around Yellow Wind Ridge.
Wukong and Xu Xiao, on the other hand, had no problem with it. Although there was a faint demonic aura above the dilapidated city, the two, being highly skilled and daring, didn't care at all.
They accompanied Xuanzang into the city, stopping and starting along the way.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, Xuanzang could see that the dilapidated city was full of traces of the Buddhist Sect, but unfortunately, they were all abandoned now.
The towering Buddha statues collapsed, the temples fell into ruin, and the inscriptions on the broken walls were erased by human hands.
Everything about it exudes a sense of the decline of Buddhism.
Xuanzang remained silent, only silently chanting Amitabha Buddha a few more times. Afterward, the three of them found a relatively clean little house and rested there temporarily.
As night fell, the abandoned city began to come alive again.
Several rustling figures emerged from the ruins of the city and cautiously made their way toward the place where Xuanzang was staying.
They moved stealthily, with a hint of timidity and caution, clearly aware of the terror emanating from the inhabitants.
Inside, Xuanzang had already finished his daily practice and was fast asleep.
Xu Xiao and the monkey were meditating in a corner of the room when suddenly the monkey opened its eyes and sniffed the air.
"Big brother, there's a foul smell, it smells like a monster."
Xu Xiao opened his eyes and nodded. "There is a demonic aura, but the smell is a bit strange. It doesn't smell like the foul odor of a bloodthirsty, flesh-eating demon."
"Brother, wait a moment, I'll go see which blind demon dares to cause trouble here." The monkey nimbly got up, transformed into a flying insect, and headed outside.
" Wukong, don't rush to kill them. Let's observe what they're up to first," Xu Xiao said, stabilizing the situation.
According to the original novel, the Yellow Wind Monster was a cowardly fellow. Even when Tiger Vanguard used a trick to capture Tang Sanzang, he was worried about the Monkey King's reputation and dared not eat his flesh.
Today, they had just entered the city to rest when this little demon came knocking on their door, which was quite strange.
"Understood, brother, I know what to do." The monkey replied, then silently flew towards the door.
Xu Xiao nodded silently, letting the monkey gather information while he stayed by Xuanzang, constantly monitoring the causal fluctuations in all directions.
Although he didn't know what the Buddhist Sect was planning, he was certain it wouldn't be good for him.