Chapter 579: Laojun Has Made His Move

"Master, we are all human, why is your cultivation realm improving so fast? It's rarely seen throughout the ages."

On the road to the west, Bajie was still rambling on and off.

"Your master studies and practices diligently, day and night. It is only natural to have the cultivation I have today," Xuanzang said.

"Master is right," Xiaobailong praised.

"Master is human, you are a pig. Can these be the same?" Sun Wukong laughed.

"Dead monkey, you're undermining me again," Bajie raised his middle finger and cursed.

But in his heart, he was grumbling: Master studying and practicing diligently, day and night? That's truly a ghost story.

If cultivation could reach the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm just by working hard, then this world would have countless Saints.

Hard work can only allow a cultivator to reach a certain realm, but after encountering a bottleneck, one might be stuck forever without talent.

It is truly rare to see someone like Master, for whom breaking through to Great Luo Golden Immortal is like a daily routine.

Even if Master is the reincarnation of the ten-life virtuous Buddha Jinchanzi, it shouldn't be like this.

After all, Jinchanzi himself never broke through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

Sigh, could this be the power of a chosen one?

Bajie sighed; he was a Golden Immortal back in the day, too.

In terms of magic power, he was not inferior to that stinky monkey at all, but now he is dragged down by this pig body, and even breaking through to Golden Immortal is exceptionally difficult.

"Master, do you have any secret methods? Can you teach your disciples?" Bajie asked.

For a moment, Sun Wukong, Xiaobailong, and Baigu Furen all pricked up their ears.

Master's realm is there for all to see, and so is his cultivation speed.

To be this fast, there must be a trick, right?

Xuanzang said calmly: "Nothing else, only proficiency."

"Master, doesn't your conscience hurt?" Bajie couldn't help but say.

He regretted it the moment he finished speaking; he saw Xuanzang's gaze was gloomy and chillingly cold.

Bajie's entire soul trembled, feeling that he would be stewed in the next second.

But fortunately, Xuanzang immediately returned to calm and continued:

"Although your master cultivates fast, I also have my troubles. For example, my recent cultivation speed is clearly not as fast as before. For instance, I once set a small goal to become a Saint in one year, but now almost three years have passed, sigh."

"..." Bajie.

"..." Sun Wukong.

"..." Baigu Furen.

The few disciples were completely stunned and deeply struck; wasn't this statement a bit disrespectful to them?

Become a Saint in one year? Is becoming a Saint that easy?

"Disciples, your master hopes you will be down-to-earth and step-by-step march toward the peak. Don't be like your master, aiming too high," Xuanzang sighed.

"Master, you had better not speak," Sun Wukong hung his head, deeply struck.

"Monkey Brother is right, Master. Comparing people to people is infuriating," Bajie was on the verge of tears.

Xiaobailong looked blankly at his bulging muscles and suddenly felt that cultivating to be a Great Muscle Tyrant wasn't so appealing anymore.

Master is too abnormal.

"Master, do you see that mountain? It seems a bit strange?"

The taciturn Shaseng pointed to a mountain peak surrounded by mountains in the west and said.

Everyone looked over and saw, on the horizon dozens of miles away, a ten-thousand-foot-tall mountain standing without a peak.

There were still many peaks around it, but compared to this mountain, they were much shorter, and the surroundings were filled with trees and shrubs, with rugged and uneven ground.

"This mountain has no top? Could it be that the mountain peak went bald!" Bajie said.

"What nonsense are you spouting, you fool? Look closely, that mountain without a top is surrounded by demon aura, and the level is not low; I fear a great demon is entrenched there," Sun Wukong said, golden light flashing in his eyes.

His Fiery Eyes can identify demon aura and leave the Demon Race with nowhere to hide. In Sun Wukong's eyes, the area around that top-less mountain is filled with monsters and ghosts, the smell in the air is pungent and irritating, and mortals simply cannot step foot there; it is riddled with crises.

Xuanzang looked over and also saw this strange mountain.

A mountain without a top? In Journey to the West, it seems there is only Pingding Mountain where Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao stayed.

This is also a tribulation of the Journey to the West, and even a crucial one, because it involves the Profound Gate.

And the incarnation of a Saint, Taishang Laojun.

In the original work, to test the Scripture Seeking Group, Taishang Laojun sent his two fire-tending boys down to the mortal world to become demons, taking up residence in Lianhuafeng of Pingding Mountain as the great demons Jinjiao Dawang and Yinjiao Dawang.

This tribulation is also a relatively large one in the entire Journey to the West; this tribulation is not about comparing magic power but fighting with Spirit Treasures. Sun Wukong suffered quite a few setbacks and could do nothing against Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao.

If Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao weren't so stupid, Sun Wukong wouldn't have been able to defeat them one by one.

Of course, Xuanzang was more inclined to believe that Taishang Laojun was going easy on them.

With so many Supreme Spiritual Treasures, let alone Sun Wukong, to be honest, most Great Abilities in the Three Realms would have to kneel if they came.

"But I am already a Great Luo Golden Immortal now? Dealing with this tribulation shouldn't be a big problem. I just don't know if Taishang Laojun left any backup plans?" Xuanzang pondered.

According to the current variables, Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao cannot be treated according to the original script.

Just like Baigu Furen, was she just a small monster in the original work?

Now she has directly become a Demon God by origin?

With Taishang Laojun's foundation, it is not impossible that he might have let Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao become Great Luo Golden Immortals.

After all, everyone in the Three Realms knows that Laojun has a lot of Pills.

If not for considering the balance of power in the Three Realms, Laojun might be able to wholesale Great Luo Golden Immortals using Pills.

Although such Great Luo Golden Immortals achieved through Pills cannot compare to those who cultivate the Law, and lack some special means of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, their strength would not be too bad.

"The demon aura is so strong, Master, why don't we go around this mountain," Bajie suggested.

"You fool, what are you afraid of?" Sun Wukong laughed.

"Better to avoid trouble than to invite it; Old Pig thinks it's best to play it safe," Bajie replied.

Xuanzang glanced at Bajie and said nothing.

Bajie's origins were connected to Laojun, so he likely knew some of the inside story regarding this tribulation.

"Bajie, I have protected you too well. So, go and scout the path for me this time. If there are truly many demons, come back and explain the situation," Xuanzang said.

"Hehehe," Sun Wukong snickered.

"..." Bajie.

Within the bounds of Pingding Mountain, Bajie grumbled and complained all the way, frantically venting:

"Master is really something; he always gives this kind of thankless task to Old Pig."

"This tribulation was stirred up by Laojun; there's a big problem here."

"Although there is no issue with Master's cultivation, we disciples are the ones who will suffer."

"Sigh, the Eighty-One Tribulations—is it really testing Master or testing us!"

"That damn Houzi is no good either, laughing at Old Pig."

"Forget it, I don't care anymore. Old Pig will find a cool, shady spot to take a nap, and when the sun goes down, I'll head back."

Bajie spotted a large rock, lay down against it, closed his eyes, and began to snore like Thunder.

Before long, a group of minor demons suddenly jumped out from the grass, pulled out a giant net, and trapped Bajie.

Bajie struggled symbolically for a moment; in that 0.01 seconds of reaction time, he could have completely taken down these minor demons.

But after thinking about it, there seemed to be no need.

And so, Bajie continued to grumble and complain while keeping his eyes closed to take a nap.