Chapter 61

From the moment the four disciples entered Lion Camel City, the film focused on fight scenes, which escalated layer by layer, tightly interlocking.

Had it not been for chasing the little gust of wind, Sun Wukong would not have mistakenly entered the Yin-Yang Qi Bottle, causing the master and others to be captured.

Without the Earth Elder's report saying there were three demon chiefs, Sun Wukong would not have mistaken them for the Green Lion, White Elephant, and Gold-spotted Leopard, and after defeating the three demon chiefs he would not have let his guard down, allowing the Golden-winged Great Peng to sneak attack and succeed.

Amid this series of fight scenes, although there were interspersed dramatic scenes, the overall pace was still too tense and stimulating.

It is also a special-effects blockbuster with superb visual effects, making many viewers both pleased and exhausted.

Fortunately, after Sun Wukong was captured, a large amount of dramatic scenes were used to transition the plot, allowing the audience's tense nerves to relax somewhat.

Some filmmakers, critics, and journalists in the audience could not help whispering, 'This plot, these effects, are too thrilling!'

"I feel like fifty million US dollars couldn't have covered this!"

"These demons don't follow Buddhist law but military strategy; they're really scheming!"

"The demons are too strong; on the Great Sage's side are all pig teammates, really can't be carried!"

As the audience discussed, the plot had reached Sun Wukong transforming and escaping, flying a circle around the city, discovering that its defenses were indeed strict and impregnable.

It is absolutely impossible to take the master and others away without alerting the few demons.

Helpless, Sun Wukong could only turn into a fly, slipping into the Green Lion Demon's belly while it yawned, and then tossing about inside its stomach.

In pain, the Green Lion Demon revealed its true form: a green-haired lion over ten meters long, more imposing than any Jurassic dinosaur.

While rolling and howling inside Lion Camel City, it is unknown how many buildings it knocked down and how many lesser demons it crushed.

The few demon chiefs, helpless, could only agree to release Tang Seng and his disciples from the city.

Having left Lion Camel City, Tang Seng galloped on his horse, with Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Seng guarding left and right, continually shouting 'Quick, quick, quick!'

The four disciples ran for most of the day, noticing the trees ahead growing sparser and the weather becoming increasingly hot.

Zhu Bajie sweated like rain, and in his snore he said, 'Brother Monkey, could it be that you momentarily lost your head, took the wrong direction, and returned to Flaming Mountain?'

Sun Wukong replied, 'You idiot, even if I were dazed again, I wouldn't lose all sense of direction; we're definitely heading west!'

Suddenly a loud laugh rang out, and a voice from the air said, 'Sun Wukong, you've fallen for another trick!'

Sun Wukong looked up and saw the Golden-winged Great Peng spreading its wings and rushing from behind, clutching a mountain-shaped boulder two zhang high beneath its claws.

The Golden-winged Great Peng swung its claws, hurling the boulder toward where Tang Seng was.

In the wind it expanded, becoming a small hill.

Tang Seng, riding on his horse, couldn't help but show a fearful expression.

Sun Wukong had no choice but to fly forward and catch the small hill. Just as he was about to throw it away, he suddenly felt the weight on it increase—it was the Golden-winged Great Peng landing on it and transforming into human form.

"Sun Wukong, you always boast about your havoc in Heaven and how mighty you are, but in my view you're just a headless wild monkey. With a few petty tricks I can make you spin around and trample you underfoot. A monkey's a monkey—even after serving a few days as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven in the celestial court, you actually believed you were an immortal!"

Landing on the ground, Sun Wukong, gritting his teeth while bracing the small hill, said, 'You demon, hiding your head and showing your tail, dare not fight face-to-face, yet you have the nerve to masquerade as a true god before me—Pah!'

"The Golden-winged Great Peng portrayed by Zhao Wenzhuo, also not angry, smiled and said, 'For now I am a demon, but after eating Tang Seng's flesh I will gain immortality, which also counts as attaining enlightenment!'"

"Sun Wukong, his eyes nearly bursting with anger, roared, 'You wish! As long as I still have a breath...'"

Mid-sentence, the small hill seemed to suddenly increase in weight, slamming Sun Wukong hard to the ground, leaving only his head and hands exposed.

Sun Wukong strained his hands to push up, but found the small hill utterly unmoving, and his expression turned to horror.

Beside him, Tang Seng's face showed utter shock as he pointed at the Golden-winged Great Peng and said, 'You, you—how do you have the Buddha's mantra talisman?'

As it turned out, a mantra talisman had been pasted on the small hill, inscribed with: Om mani padme hum!

It was nearly identical to the one on Five Elements Mountain.

"Ahaha, ahaha!"

Another burst of laughter came, and it was the Green Lion Demon, White Elephant Demon, and Gold-spotted Leopard Demon—three demon chiefs—leading several dozen greater demons with wolf-head leaders, descending from the sky.

"He is the Buddha's maternal uncle—how could he possibly have the Buddha's mantra talisman?" the White Elephant Demon said with a lewd laugh.

Since they had taken human form while retaining only some demonic traits, the White Elephant portrayed by Hung Jin-pao bore a considerable resemblance to the Two Elders of Mount Hua from *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber*.

Tang Seng beside them was so frightened he seemed about to freeze, murmuring, 'The Buddha's maternal uncle? How can this be, how can this be?'

"The Green Lion Demon played by Chen Zhihui sneered, 'Let you die with full understanding: I am a disciple of Manjusri Bodhisattva, he is a disciple of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, the leopard is a follower of the Ancient Buddha Deng, and even this surrounding environment seems familiar—didn't you notice? To eat your flesh, I specially borrowed the Flaming Mountain's fire from the Bull Demon King.'"

He then opened his huge mouth and blew outward, like a bellows, instantly igniting the surroundings into a raging blaze!

Tang Seng, terrified, fell from his horse, while Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng exchanged a glance and shouted together, 'Let's fight them to the death!'

Zhu Bajie's stature suddenly swelled to over three zhang tall, taking a human body with a pig's head, and he brandished his rake, striking at the demon chiefs' heads.

Sha Seng grew even larger, over five zhang tall, his face bluish-black and extremely ferocious, waving his staff as he charged straight at the Golden-winged Great Peng.

Seeing this, Tang Seng hurriedly crawled toward Sun Wukong, tears streaming incessantly.

"Wukong, I fear this lifetime I may not reach the Western Paradise!"

"Master, don't say that; once Wujing reveals the mantra talisman and I emerge, I will surely rout the demons and protect you all the way to the Western Paradise. You have cultivated through ten lifetimes to get this far—how could you speak of giving up?"

"Tang Seng continued to weep, 'If the Buddha's maternal uncle wants to eat me, what's the point of going to the Western Paradise?'"

"Master, you said you wanted to go—why not ask the Buddha?"

"Tang Seng nodded, 'I can't make it after all!'"

"Hardly had the words been spoken when Sha Seng collapsed heavily to the ground, both arms completely broken."

"Tang Seng hastily said, 'Remember to ask me one thing!'"

"As he spoke, Zhu Bajie was like a deflated ball, being kicked and punched by the Green Lion, White Elephant, and Gold-spotted Leopard."

"Bajie, Sha junior!"

"Seeing this, Sun Wukong's eyes nearly burst with anger as he strained his hands to push up, but a foot descending from the sky slammed his head hard into the ground."

"As I said, you were supposed to die here—how dare you still resist? I told you to resist, I told you to resist, you country bumpkin of a monkey, what makes you think you deserve the title Great Sage Equal to Heaven?"

"The Golden-winged Great Peng, as if jealous of Sun Wukong's fame, trampled him madly, to the point that even the Green Lion, White Elephant, and Gold-spotted Leopard beside them exchanged bewildered glances."

"He's not a filthy monkey, he's the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!" Tang Seng suddenly exclaimed from nearby.

"The Golden-winged Great Peng laughed, 'You actually aren't afraid of death?'"

Ding Haifeng's portrayal of Tang Seng, his expression extremely resolute, 'Not afraid, this humble monk has cultivated over ten lifetimes; to say I fear death would be a joke!'

Golden-winged Great Peng sneered, 'I underestimated you; say your last words, though you won't be able to keep a whole corpse!'

The Blue Lion, White Elephant, and others followed with sneers, their eyes full of greed.

Tang Seng sighed and said to the assembled demons, 'May I chant the Rebirth Mantra once for our four disciples?'

Ahahaha!

Ahahaha!

The demons laughed until their stomachs hurt, 'Good, good, go ahead and chant, out of respect for being a high monk of the Buddhist sect, I'll grant you this dignity!'

Tang Seng sat cross-legged, hands clasped together, murmuring the chant, when suddenly golden light blazed from his body, and the surrounding flames burned even more fiercely.

Oh no, he's not chanting the Rebirth Mantra; he, he's about to enter Nirvana!

A few demons panicked, wanting to step forward to stop him, but were blocked by the Buddha Light and could not advance at all.

The heavily wounded Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing crawled toward Tang Seng's position, shouting 'Master! Master!'

Sun Wukong howled in agony, tears streaming nonstop from his eyes.

What kind of Great Sage Equal to Heaven is he, actually being sealed twice by the Buddha's seal and stepped on by a bird-person?

The master within arm's reach could not protect him, watching helplessly as he was driven to suicide by the demons.

The mournful music suddenly swelled, and Tang Seng entered Nirvana within the Buddha Light, his body transforming into a golden relic that flew to Sun Wukong's forehead and merged into it.

Aaaaaaaaaah!

Sun Wukong howled in agony again, bursting forth from the small hill. The Buddha's seal that bound him was also shattered to pieces in the explosion.

Sun Wukong waved his hand, gathering the surrounding flames and scattered rocks before him; molten rock formed armor, blazing fire became a cape, he pulled the Wish-fulfilling Golden Hooped Staff from his ear, and with a single strike the Blue Lion spirit turned to dust, the light's passage shattered rocks, split the earth into a deep valley stretching a hundred li.

There's simply not enough time, so I can only write this much for now.

(End of chapter)