Chapter 758

Sha Monk also did not, as in the original plot, merely reveal himself as an ordinary white horse.

Although he did not reveal his true form, Sha Monk still showed a hint of the extraordinary, moving at the speed of an ordinary thousand-li steed, crossing mountains as if they were nothing and passing through water without hindrance.

As a result, the journey speed of the pilgrimage team surpassed that of the original plot by more than tenfold.

Seeing this, Daoist Randeng could not help but frown.

Sha Monk and Tang Seng's behavior did not match their original plan.

In their original plan, Sha Monk and Tang Seng were both meant to be liabilities.

But now it seemed they had no intention of dragging anyone down.

Nevertheless, Daoist Randeng did not pay it much mind.

Sha Monk and Tang Seng's performance was unimportant; the most crucial member of the entire pilgrimage team was Sun Wukong.

As long as Sun Wukong was dealt with, all problems would be resolved.

As the pilgrimage team raced forward, time gradually passed, and night soon fell.

Since it was night, the pilgrimage team naturally needed to find a place to rest.

At that moment, a courtyard appeared before the pilgrimage team.

Upon seeing the courtyard, Luo Fu immediately recalled a trial from the original plot: The Four Saints Testing the Zen Heart.

This suddenly appearing courtyard was nearly identical to the one described in the original plot.

But in the original plot, several Bodhisattvas had acted together to test the pilgrimage team.

Without mentioning others, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva were all Quasi-Saint-level powerhouses.

These three were all Chan Sect's Twelve Golden Immortals, already Great Golden Immortals during the Investiture of the Gods Era.

The Chan Sect's ultimate roots and the Twelve Golden Immortals' origins were all strong; after countless aeons, they had surely all broken through to the Quasi-Saint layer.

Alongside these three, Li Shan Laomu was surely also a Quasi-Saint-level powerhouse.

According to Luo Fu's wager with the Fuyufu Sect, no powerhouses above Quasi-Saint level were permitted to interfere in the Journey to the West.

Luo Fu wanted to know: without Li Shan Laomu, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, or Samantabhadra Bodhisattva acting, how could the Fuyufu Sect possibly stage the so-called "Four Saints Testing the Zen Heart"?

When the courtyard appeared, night also fell.

"This courtyard appearing in the wilderness is far too suspicious—it's clearly a trick of the Fuyufu Sect. Everyone must be cautious."

In the chat group, Sha Monk warned.

"Old Sun also finds it suspicious. Everyone must be careful."

Sun Wukong also voiced his opinion.

The other three all responded in agreement, and everyone grew quietly alert.

Despite knowing the courtyard was suspicious, none of them showed any intention to retreat.

Because they all knew that merely avoiding the problem would not solve it; given the Fuyufu Sect's shamelessness, if they did not enter this courtyard today, they might find themselves suddenly enclosed by one appearing out of nowhere as they walked.

Escaping could not solve the problem; only actively confronting it and swiftly breaking through the Ninety-Nine Trials was the true solution.

As everyone remained alert, a beautiful woman dressed somewhat revealingly suddenly opened the door.

"Honorable guests, have you come to seek lodging?"

The beautiful woman, upon seeing the pilgrimage team, warmly approached to ask if they wished to stay.

This scene left Luo Fu, who had been closely watching the team, utterly speechless.

He had realized: unlike the original plot, due to his involvement, the Fuyufu Sect no longer seemed to be putting on a show.

The woman's behavior made it obvious she was an impostor.

The pilgrimage team were all bizarre-looking; a normal woman, upon seeing Sun Wukong and the others, would not immediately feel enthusiastic and invite them in—hard to believe there was no trickery here.

The woman was not only warm, but deliberately and subtly tried to draw closer to Zhu Bajie.

Clearly, she intended to tempt Zhu Bajie.

Among the pilgrimage team, Zhu Bajie was the most susceptible to temptation.

Unfortunately, the Fuyufu Sect did not know Zhu Bajie had been replaced.

The current Zhu Bajie would not be tempted by such crude methods.

Not just Luo Fu, but every member of the pilgrimage team recognized the woman's deception.

Yet all of them silently agreed not to mention it, and instead followed her in unspoken unison into the courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard, they were not met with anything pleasant, but a gruesome scene.

Dozens of bloodied, flesh-stripped monkeys hung from the courtyard, and one monkey was being flayed alive, its agonized screams echoing endlessly through the grounds.

"My Master prefers monkey-skin coats; others say the finest monkey-skin coats must be made from live flaying."

The woman explained beside them.

Her warm words were filled with cruelty.

As she spoke, she always subtly glanced toward Sun Wukong.

This bloody scene had an obvious purpose—it was clearly aimed at Sun Wukong.

"Amitabha!"

Tang Seng clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddha's name; the bloody scene unsettled him.

If he was unsettled, how much more so Sun Wukong?

The moment he saw the bloodied, flesh-stripped monkeys, Sun Wukong involuntarily gripped his Ruyi Jingu Bang tighter.

Had his reason not held firm, he would have already smashed the woman to death with his staff.

Everyone fell silent again, allowing the woman to lead them deeper into the courtyard.

Soon, the pilgrimage team arrived at a grand hall.

As if her task was complete, the woman led them into the hall and then departed on her own.

Just after the beautiful woman left, a mysterious musical sound suddenly echoed through the hall.

Sun Wukong and the others were all drawn in by the mysterious music, their eyes filled with rapture.

At that moment, countless golden Dao patterns began to appear in the once-ordinary courtyard, enveloping the entire space.

As the Dao patterns emerged, the courtyard vanished, revealing its true form: a vast golden magical array.

"Your Buddhist sect really will stop at nothing."

Seeing the scene within the courtyard, Luo Fu could not help but turn to Daoist Randeng and sneer.

To flay a monkey alive before Sun Wukong's eyes, hoping to shatter his will—such a tactic is truly despicable.

"Amitabha!"

Daoist Randeng said nothing, only uttered a Buddhist chant; even he found the Western Two Saints' methods despicable.