Chapter 457: Journey to the West

The invited guest team has entered the instance world for a team battle, merging Ricardo·M·Lu's penalty mission. Current instance level: E~S+

Special main quest unlocked: Journey to the West

Quest difficulty: S

Demons and monsters plague the land; calamity qi permeates the Three Realms and Six Paths. The disaster concealed since the Divine War has reached its ultimate nine-nine peak. Now, at the height of the Buddhist-Taoist conflict, the one destined to bear the calamity—bearing the weight of saving the world—shall lead his disciples to the Western Heaven's Lingshan to retrieve the Mahayana Dharma and liberate all beings.

Yet heaven's winds are unpredictable: Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the White Dragon Horse have perished for unknown reasons; the destined roles lie vacant.

Currently, the Tang Emperor awaits in Chang'an City for a high monk to journey west and retrieve the Mahayana Dharma.

Quest requirement: Replace the five pilgrims and complete the Journey to the West.

By selecting the relics of the pilgrims, you may temporarily assume their identities and inherit part of their cultivation and divine abilities until the instance mission is complete; upon completion, these cultivations will be permanently retained.

Team instance (Calamity) mission: Each reincarnation team will receive corresponding identities. Killing demons, monsters, immortals, gods, Buddhas, and other beings along the pilgrimage route grants corresponding points. Killing members of other reincarnation teams grants 100 points. When a team accumulates 1000 points, it may exit the instance and exchange them for reincarnation points.

Note: Tang Sanzang's flesh is an unparalleled divine medicine. Killing the pilgrim Tang Sanzang grants a hidden reward; consuming his flesh in the proper manner grants vast cultivation and merit.

Due to your acquired special main quest, your team may conceal its reincarnation identity and will not appear on the points leaderboard.

Quest (Guide): Lead new recruits to complete the mission. Each new recruit's death deducts 200 team battle points. Each new recruit's mission completion grants 100 team battle points. (New reincarnation recruits cannot be killed by teammates.)

Faded murals, crumbling brick walls, tiles and bricks fired in different eras lined up; red lacquer on beams and pillars had peeled off; even the solemn Buddha statues were coated in thick dust.

A few pale golden strands of morning light pierced through the patched mulberry-paper windows; upon the altar once meant for incense and offerings now lay a begging bowl, a cassock, a nine-toothed rake, a black iron rod, a crescent-shaped wooden staff, and a dragon-scale sword.

These items appeared long untouched; apart from the cassock, all bore cobwebs and signs of wear.

They lay silently asleep within the ruined temple, buried with the past—until several figures appeared out of nowhere, shattering the stillness and stirring up dust.

"Damn, this is seriously badass." Lu Mingfei finished reading the quest and stared at the objects on the wooden table: "Journey to the West?"

"Adaptation isn't random fabrication; elaboration isn't nonsense." Su Lin examined the black iron rod, feeling the setting had turned grim: "This would require a public apology to the entire nation."

In this world, Tang Seng and his disciples are all dead. Since they were the destined ones, who killed them?

"There's a new recruit guide mission too." Meng Qi glanced sympathetically at the man and woman still asleep on the hay pile: "Bad luck—newbies thrown into this instance."

Though he sensed both were no ordinary mortals, each possessing considerable inner power, such strength would be insufficient in a high-level team battle instance.

"The door's sealed by some strange force—we can't get out." Han Li tried pushing the broken wooden door, but it didn't budge; through the crack, he could see moss-covered stone steps and an overgrown courtyard beyond.

Shi Hao drew the Dharma Sword Embryo and said: "Should I just blast it open and force our way out?"

Han Li shook his head. "Not advisable. We know too little about this world."

"Looks like we need to pick our roles first." Su Lin approached the altar and studied the items: "Don't we have to find the disciples one by one—Five Elements Mountain, Gao's Village?"

"What is Journey to the West? Do you know?" Shi Hao asked.

"Check it yourself." Su Lin imprinted the relevant information into a divine thought and sent it to Shi Hao: "Liu Li Ge probably knows, right?"

Han Li gave a slight nod. "In the modern era, I've seen it."

Others in the group had similar mythological legends in their respective worlds.

Su Lin removed his hairpin, letting his hair fall loose, and changed into a simple white robe: "Alright, let's pick our roles before the new recruits wake up."

As he spoke, he reached for the cassock and begging bowl.

A hand shot out like lightning, gripping Su Lin's wrist tightly; he turned and frowned in confusion.

"Amitabha." Meng Qi clasped his hands in Buddhist greeting, solemnly saying: "This may be suspicious. We should proceed cautiously with unknown objects."

"You're right." Su Lin nodded, then reached again for the cassock and bowl.

"What I mean," Meng Qi seized his other hand and smiled, "is that this danger should fall to me. I carry countless karmic ties—I'm not afraid of this."

"I'm afraid? One burst and it's over." Su Lin smirked: "I've at least led the Buddhist order."

"Thirty days leading the Buddhist order? You don't even have your own honorific title!" Meng Qi tried to snatch the items but was restrained by Su Lin.

Lu Mingfei puzzled: "Why fight over Tang Seng's role? Monkey King's role's way cooler."

"Tang Seng?" Miss Kelaien emerged from his thoughts, pointing at the two: "Whoever takes Tang Seng's role becomes the master to the others."

Got it—so we're already ahead in seniority, right?

"There are five pilgrims, but seven of us." Lu Mingfei interrupted: "How do we assign roles?"

Two of us won't get assigned roles—and won't gain the temporary cultivation from the relics.

"Don't worry about me." Han Li shook his head. "I'll just accompany you. I won't participate."

Su Lin smiled: "Liu Li Ge, you're worried these relics are suspicious—maybe cursed or a target magnet."

"Both." Han Li smiled in agreement.

Compared to the others, his crisis response is currently the team's weakest point—better to stay out of danger.

"I don't want the inheritance either." Miss Kelaien was attempting divination by flicking coins: "Magic might help a bit, but this kind of inheritance barely affects mythic beings."

No need to worry about inheritance allocation—now the key question is: who takes Tang Seng's role? Who takes Monkey, Pig, Horse, and the baggage carrier?

"I'm destined for the Buddhist path! Do you know Zhen Ding Tathagata?"

"I'm destined too! Want to see my merit light?"

The Buddhist path is truly blessed to have you two.

Miss Kelaien seemed to snap. He snapped his fingers, plunging the two recruits who were about to wake back into sleep. "Hurry up and decide."

"Shall we debate who has the deepest Buddhist cultivation?" Su Lin smiled. "Let's manifest our Dharma Forms and see whose Buddhist power runs deeper."

"." Meng Qi thought this man was identical to those shameless bald monks.

Your Dharma Form—who knows what else you'll sneak into it?

He released his grip. Su Lin immediately seized the cassock, begging bowl, and ringed staff.

"Then…" Meng Qi reached for the weapon resembling the Ruyi Jingu Bang—bringing back a Ruyi Jingu Bang after a trip would be nice.

"Wait." Shi Hao grabbed Meng Qi's hand. "I feel I'm suited to play Sun Wukong."

You? You'd be better off playing Zhu Bajie—you eat like a pig.

Of course, Meng Qi only thought this as a joke—he didn't say it aloud.

"I have inherited the Eight-Nine Heavenly Arts of the Chaos Demon Monkey, including the Seventy-Two Transformations and the Three Heads, Six Arms technique." Shi Hao smiled slightly and said:

"See? Isn't this perfect?"

Zhu Bajie suits you better.

"I have studied the Eight-Nine Mystery Arts, which include the Heaven-Striking, Sea-Treading Staff Technique, the Void-Stepping Somersault Step, the Return to Emptiness of All Things, Sentient Flesh and Blood, the Bodhi Wisdom Eye, and the Seventy-Two Transformations. Logically, I am the more suitable one." Meng Qi smiled likewise.

"Sounds plausible." Shi Hao raised an eyebrow. "Here's what we'll do: show me your Eight-Nine Mystery Arts. I'll compare them and know whether you're suitable."

"Exchanging techniques isn't out of the question. I'll take the loss, but in return, you must compensate me with two Treasure Arts, and during this time, you must play Sun Wukong." Meng Qi proposed. "Of course, I'll also offer compensation to the others."

"Deal." Shi Hao nodded with a smile, turning to Li Huowang and Lu Mingfei. "That leaves the three of us to divide the rest."

"Huh?" Lu Mingfei suddenly realized—in just a few sentences, these people had already assigned the roles of Sun Wukong and Master Sanzang.

Only left.

Zhu Bajie, Sha Monk, and a horse?!

"Liu Li Ge, I've got an idea—I'll be Sha Monk, and you take the inheritance." Li Huowang spoke first. "I'll alter my own memories, fool myself—when enemies come, they'll think I'm Sha Monk, and you can ambush them from behind."

"That's a good plan. You're in the light, I'm in the shadows." Han Li narrowed his eyes, thinking.

"Hey, wait a minute!!!" Lu Mingfei screamed, clutching his head. "Aren't you just making me the White Dragon Horse?!"

"Huh?" Shi Hao said in surprise. "You're not choosing Zhu Bajie? Then I'll take it."

"You want me to choose? Wait—" Lu Mingfei hadn't finished speaking when Shi Hao had already picked up the Nine-Toothed Rake.

Now, only one thing remained: the Dragon-Scale Treasure Sword.

"A Black Dragon Horse isn't bad either." Su Lin patted Lu Mingfei on the shoulder. "Thank you, my good disciple."

"Get lost!" Lu Mingfei shook his head violently, stepping back warily. "Whoever wants to be a horse, be one! Let a grown man ride me?! Not in a million years—this is about my dignity!"

Kleine: "No choice—might as well let Su Lin enter one of the Calamities…"

Swish—

Su Lin sheathed his sword, frowning. "Why didn't you finish speaking and just stand there like a post? I won't ride you, you won't turn into a horse—just be a background extra."

"..." Lu Mingfei fell silent for a moment, skeptical. "Really?"

"Just turn into a horse for show."

Tang Seng's journey to the Western Heavens took over a decade—can we really make him run for that long? If so, this mission would be unbearably tedious.

"All settled?" Kleine, wearing a monocle, materialized from the air beside them. His face now bore seven-tenths resemblance to Amon.

"Good." Su Lin nodded.

The group gathered around the two reincarnators lying on the hay pile—their names on the squad list: Zhang Heng, Chu Lingyun.

Feels like the names of two protagonists, doesn't it?

Snap! Miss Kelaien snapped his fingers. The male reincarnator regained consciousness first, twitching several times before slowly coming to.

Su Lin kept smiling. "Good. You're the most qualified among those who came this time."

He paused, stunned.

Why did my voice echo?

He glanced aside—Lu Mingfei, Meng Qi, Kleine, and others waved their hands casually, looking elsewhere as if nothing had happened.

Fortunately, the reincarnator seemed slightly disoriented, his aura chaotic, with traces of alertness and lingering killing intent. Judging by his pupil shape, he'd likely spent too long in darkness and hadn't yet adjusted to the light.

Probably, he endured a fierce battle before entering the reincarnation space…

"Are you alright?" Su Lin asked with concern.

Zhang Heng stared at Su Lin, about to speak—then noticed the man beside him, dressed as a mage, wearing a monocle on his right eye socket.

The man sensed his gaze, smiled faintly, and adjusted the monocle carved from crystal. "Sir, are you well?"

Zhang Heng's eyes grew vacant again. He collapsed back onto the hay, a faint, mocking smile on his lips—mocking the heavens, or perhaps this unjust fate…

"Fine. Perfect." Zhang Heng muttered to himself.

The woman beside him, dressed in ancient imperial court robes, rose and bowed. "Chu Lingyun, greetings to all fellow cultivators."

"The information should already be implanted in your minds," Su Lin nodded. "Quickly gather yourselves—we're leaving to gather intelligence."

With that, Su Lin turned and pushed open the wooden door. This time, it opened smoothly—no unknown force blocked it.

Meanwhile, Zhang Heng had already checked all his teammates' names. His vacant eyes flickered with a trace of light.

Leaving aside whether the squad's name sounded odd, the other two people in the team…

【Shi Hao and Lu Mingfei?】

'Who?!' Zhang Heng's pupils contracted sharply, then he steadied himself, slowly rising from the ground.

【With no other choice, I must use the Mind-Reading Technique to communicate with Young Master. As fellow newcomers to this squad, we ought to look out for each other.】

'Is this how you invade others' privacy?'

【My apologies. Later, Lingyun will offer the cultivation method of the Mind-Reading Technique as compensation.】

'...'

【Just now, Lingyun unintentionally overheard some scattered thoughts in Young Master's mind. Zhang Young Master seems to know these people's identities? If possible, could you share some information with Lingyun?】

'You're quite cunning.'

【Lingyun apologizes again.】

Zhang Heng saw 'Gu Yue Fang Yuan' and the others walking toward the entrance of the ruined temple. He stopped, standing still, as if observing something above the temple gate.

He tried to calm his thoughts—it wasn't difficult; he'd encountered similar psychics or demons before. But…

He couldn't calm down at all.

Merely seeing those names made him want to exit the reincarnation space.

【Could it be…】

"Could you be a modern person?"

Zhang Heng froze at the voice beside him, only to see another 'Amon' appear silently at his side.

The other grinned, revealing an exaggerated smile: "You know us, don't you?"

(End of Chapter)