Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

For the team undertaking the Journey to the West for Scriptures, the fact that Fairy Zixia stayed with the team and formally confirmed her feelings with Sun Wukong was merely a small interlude.

After all, the journey to the west must continue. That same night, after Jiang Liu and his companions held a party celebrating the formal confirmation of feelings between Sun Wukong and Zixia, Zixia continued with the scripture-seeking team for about seven or eight more days before finally saying goodbye and returning to Guanghan Palace.

Although Zixia wished she could stick with the scripture-seeking team day and night like glue, she was explicitly told by the Jade Emperor to stay at Guanghan Palace and naturally could not leave for too long.

Besides, the scripture-seeking team couldn't possibly have an outsider accompanying them for a prolonged period, right?

The White Dragon Horse, hooves toward the west.

After Zixia left, Jiang Liu and his companions naturally continued their journey westward.

With a daily travel of about thirty to fifty miles, the days passed quite pleasantly.

However, one day, as Jiang Liu sat on the back of the White Dragon Horse, cultivating the Green Lotus Taoist Scripture, he noticed Sun Wukong leading the way ahead, but with his head down, silent and uncommunicative.

This stirred a slight movement in Jiang Liu's heart.

What's the matter? Has Sun Wukong become sentimental after confirming his relationship with Zixia?

This demeanor didn't seem characteristic of the legendary Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong.

"Wukong!"

Thinking it over, Sun Wukong had indeed become more reticent these past few days. Jiang Liu called out to him.

"Master, is there anything you need?" Hearing Jiang Liu's call, Sun Wukong turned around and asked.

"Nothing in particular, just that I feel something seems a bit off with you!" Jiang Liu said, shaking his head slightly.

"Off? Master, what do you mean?" Sun Wukong asked back, a slight bewilderment in his tone, as he felt nothing unusual about himself.

"Indeed, eldest brother, Master is right!"

At that moment, Sha Wujing spoke up from the side, making his presence felt, "Eldest brother, I too feel that your recent demeanor seems a bit off. Is there something troubling you?"

"Perhaps it's because Fairy Zixia left, so eldest brother's heart is somewhat anxious?" Zhu Bajie also interjected at that moment, his face wearing a teasing smile.

"Get lost, blockhead, it's not at all what you think!" Hearing Zhu Bajie's words, Sun Wukong gave him an annoyed look.

At this, Sun Wukong paused for a moment, then turned to Jiang Liu and said, "Master, do you know what I and Zixia experienced before confirming our feelings for each other?"

"I don't know!" Upon hearing this, Jiang Liu shook his head.

At the same time, his expression also carried some curiosity as he looked at Sun Wukong.

The power of the Book of Inquiry could help Sun Wukong truly understand his feelings, Jiang Liu knew this.

But how exactly did the power of the Book of Inquiry clarify things for Sun Wukong? This too was something Jiang Liu was curious about.

It was just that, recently, Jiang Liu hadn't asked about it.

"Zixia and I experienced a world that seemed both dreamlike and illusory..." Sun Wukong said gravely to Jiang Liu.

As he spoke, Sun Wukong detailed how he and Zixia had inexplicably found themselves at the Flower Fruit Mountain, where all the Monkey tribes were brutally slaughtered and, finally, how Zixia died before his eyes.

"Oh, so it was just a false illusion after all!" Hearing Sun Wukong recount what happened in the world of the Book of Inquiry, Zhu Bajie waved his hand dismissively, looking nonchalant.

"You blockhead..."

Hearing Zhu Bajie's words, Sun Wukong shook his head and said, "Although that false world was all an illusion, who can guarantee that it won't become reality in the future!"

"Our journey to the Western Heaven, what is our goal, don't forget, if we fail, then the false illusions will become reality!"

As Sun Wukong's words fell, it made the entire Journey to the West team feel much more solemn.

One had to admit, Sun Wukong's words indeed made sense.

Going to Spirit Mountain was to overturn the heavenly gods and Buddhas. If they failed, the consequences were very clear to everyone.

What Sun Wukong saw in the illusion could indeed become reality.

"Therefore, disciples, on this journey west, we can only afford to succeed. Failure is not an option!" As Sun Wukong finished speaking, seeing his disciples looking serious, Jiang Liu also spoke up.

Jiang Liu's words led everyone to nod solemnly!

Indeed, they could not afford to fail.

With their backs to the wall, there was no turning back, and their resolve only grew stronger.

...

Leaving aside the situation of the Journey to the West team with Jiang Liu and his companions, elsewhere, Maitreya Buddha quietly sat on his Lotus Platform in the Eastern Temple.

Lately, Maitreya Buddha had been in a foul mood.

It couldn't be helped. In the dispute over the Hongmeng Purple Qi, one of his arms was severed, and he hadn't even seen a single strand of the Hongmeng Purple Qi. Of course, Maitreya Buddha's mood was far from good.

Moreover, the main reason was to search for Guanyin in the Demon Realm, hoping she could help heal his severed arm.

But not only did he fail, he fell into a trap set by Wutian and nearly perished.

Sitting on the Lotus Platform, Maitreya Buddha raised one hand vertically and simultaneously, calmed his emotions.

As his mood gradually settled, Maitreya Buddha silently pondered the recent events.

It seemed that everything had been going wrong for him lately.

Especially unsuccessfully, why is that?

Moreover, had Wutian laid the trap in advance, awaiting his fall into it?

Had he anticipated that he would seek healing for his severed arm from Guanyin?

Pondering in his heart, thinking of the recent misfortunes, Maitreya Buddha faintly sensed as if there were invisible hands scheming against him.

Was this his misconception?

Shaking his head, Maitreya Buddha pondered internally.

He knew this was no misconception but a reality!

Everything happens for a reason!

His recent misfortune seemed orchestrated by invisible, dark hands stirring chaos behind the scenes.

So, who could this behind-the-scenes manipulator be?

While Maitreya Buddha was pondering secretly, suddenly, a flash of insight crossed his mind.

Could it be that all his misfortunes began when he took on the job from the Coordinator of the Journey to the West?

First, he lost the Green Lotus Treasured Flag, then came the injury to his arm…

Recalling his predecessor, Guanyin was in charge of the job but ended up demon-possessed.

Though Guanyin's demon possession had its reasons, after all, he just played an inducing role.

"So, is this all related to the Journey to the West Pilgrimage Team!?" After a moment of contemplation, Maitrey Buddha's attention focused on the Journey to the West pilgrimage team.

"Is it because I am in charge of the Journey to the West, trapped in the Immeasurable Kalpa, thus particularly unlucky?"

"Or is it actually all related to Xuanzang and his companions?"

Pondering silently in his heart, Maitreya Buddha felt the connection to Xuanzang to be unlikely and more like he was overthinking.

Their most powerful, Sun Wukong, was barely a Daluo Golden Immortal; how could he scheme against him?

However, once this thought emerged, it wasn't easy to suppress.

Furthermore, as this idea took hold, Maitreya Buddha also recalled his earlier suspicion that the mysterious person impersonating a disciple of Sect Master Tongtian might be linked to the Journey to the West team.

"Could it all really be related to the Journey to the West team?" After a long contemplation, Maitreya Buddha inwardly queried himself.

The possibility was slim, perhaps not even one in ten.

But even if there was a slight chance, Maitreya Buddha felt that he should verify it thoroughly.

Om!

Just as Maitreya Buddha was contemplating how to further verify with the Journey to the West team, suddenly, he saw a dazzling golden light before his eyes.

This golden light emanated an aura of emperors.

"Your Majesty!" Seeing this golden imperial aura appear, Maitreya Buddha set aside his cluttered thoughts and spoke.

As Maitreya Buddha spoke, a figure emerged within this golden aura, clad in an imperial robe—it was none other than the Great Jade Emperor.

"Buddha has shown respect!" The Great Jade Emperor, emerging from the void, responded to Maitreya Buddha's greeting.

"May I know why Your Majesty has directed divine sense here to my Eastern Temple? What do you request?" Maitreya Buddha asked the Great Jade Emperor straightforwardly, with no intention of evasion.

"I dare not instruct..."

The Great Jade Emperor shook his head, for even with his exalted status, Maitreya Buddha was not part of the Buddhist Sect or the Heavenly Court Forces, so he naturally couldn't use the word 'instruct.'

After shaking his head, the Great Jade Emperor wasted no time and spoke, "Today, I came because there is a matter I wish to discuss with Buddha!"

"Please speak freely, Your Majesty!" Maitreya Buddha nodded slightly and responded.

"It's like this, I've learned that recently both Nezha and the Erlang God visited the Demon Realm, apparently, it was about the Fire Tip Spear..."

"The Fire Tip Spear!?"

Maitreya Buddha raised an eyebrow, somewhat puzzled as he looked at the Jade Emperor. Was this matter of the Fire Tip Spear really worth the Great Jade Emperor personally seeking him out to discuss?