Patriarch Bodhi led the group on their Journey to the West. Before long, the roaring River of Flowing Sand barred their way.
Roughly eight hundred miles wide, the river was turbid and turbulent. Waves churned like angry beasts, concealing endless perils.
"Old Sha, looks like we've reached your old home!" Bajie glanced sideways at Shaseng, muttering with a complicated expression.
Wukong leaped to the riverbank, thrust the Ruyi Jingu Bang into the ground, and laughed out loud:
"Ha, ha, ha! Old Sha, you ate Master nine times in your past lives. Now that Master has recovered his memories, you'd better watch out—he's going to beat you to a pulp!"
Shaseng wore an awkward expression, keeping his head lowered. After all, this was where he had once lived as a demon and had even been ordered to torture the Six-Eared Golden Cicada.
Just then, Tang Seng suddenly lunged forward in a single bound, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks upon Sha Wujing as he roared angrily:
"How dare you eat me, and string my skulls together like beads! Today, your master is going to beat you to death!"
"Master, spare my life!" Sha Wujing cried out in agony, shrieking endlessly.
Taotie clicked his tongue from the sidelines: "I had no idea Old Sha was so fierce. Even as much as I love to eat, I'd never dare harbor evil thoughts against Master Bodhi."
Hearing this, Jinchanzi felt his heart skip a beat. He cast a stealthy glance at Patriarch Bodhi and muttered to himself:
"I used to indirectly eat quite a few Bodhi seeds. Surely Master won't beat me like that too."
"Little Liu, come here. I've been remembering some things..."
Panic instantly gripped Jinchanzi. He hurriedly dropped to his knees, shimmied bit by bit to Patriarch Bodhi's feet, tightly hugged his leg, and pleaded:
"Spare me, Master! It was that accursed Rulai who fed them to me."
"Is that so?" Patriarch Bodhi looked at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
As the others chattered, all eager to watch Tang Sanzang make a fool of himself, a gigantic column of water suddenly surged from the center of the river, and a fiercely majestic Zulong soared out into the air.
Zulong's massive body was as huge as a mountain, blotting out the sky and sun. Its entire scale-clad form shone with a mysterious purple-gold brilliance, each individual scale seeming to contain world-destroying might.
Zulong's eyes burned like blazing torches, and the raging flames it spewed out looked capable of reducing everything to ashes. Its intimidating presence chilled the bone.
"Who dares disturb my peace!"
Zulong's voice rolled like thunder, making everyone's ears ring and leaving their heads spinning with dizziness.
"I'll settle accounts with you later."
Patriarch Bodhi maintained a calm expression and said in a clear voice, "We are Daoists on our way to Lingshan to beat up Rulai and marry Guanyin. We are merely passing through and mean no offense."
Zulong, however, refused to buy it. It roared furiously, "Don't even think about passing easily. Receive a few of my moves first!"
With that, Zulong whipped its pillar-like body through the air, charging toward the group with the force of towering waves and churning billows.
Wukong showed no fear. Battle intent burned in his eyes as he raised the Ruyi Jingu Bang and charged forward.
The Ruyi Jingu Bang flashed with golden light in Wukong's hands like a miniature golden sun. It collided with Zulong's gigantic claws, instantly bursting into dazzling sparks that scattered like brilliant stars.
Bajie let out a mighty roar as well: "Monster, taste old pig's might!"
Wielding the Nine-Toothed Rake, he joined the fray.
The Nine-Toothed Rake gleamed with a chilling light, every strike carrying the force of a thousand jun. Wherever it passed, the very void seemed to be torn apart, emitting a sharp, grating hiss.
Yet Zulong possessed immense, peerless strength. With a mere wave of its dragon claws, an invisible shockwave swept outward like a gale, instantly driving both Wukong and Bajie back several zhang.
Zulong spat a scorching breath of dragon fire from its maw. Like a torrent of magma, wherever this breath touched, rocks instantly melted into billowing clouds of thick smoke, and the ground was scorched a blazing red.
At the sight of this, Patriarch Bodhi's hands moved in a flurry of mudras as he chanted incantations.
In an instant, a Daoist light as brilliant as the Milky Way shot toward Zulong like a shooting star. Runes circulated within the radiance like mysterious stellar trajectories, brimming with unfathomable, boundless power.
Struck by this beam of light, Zulong's body jerked to a sudden halt, and it let out an agonized roar.
Seizing the opportunity, Wukong moved like lightning, instantly transforming into a golden phantom.
The Ruyi Jingu Bang danced in his hands into a watertight defense, wave upon wave of staff shadows striking with earth-shattering momentum, every single move targeting Zulong's vital points.
Bajie also pulled out all the stops, swinging the Nine-Toothed Rake down upon Zulong like a violent storm. Every rake stroke churned up a turbulent wave of violent energy.
Gradually, Zulong began to feel unequal to the task. It roared angrily, its massive body trembling, and unleashed a powerful spell once more.
In the blink of an eye, winds and clouds shifted; the world seemed shrouded in darkness.
The river water surged backward, forming a colossal water tornado that swept toward the group.
Just as the two sides reached a stalemate, a sharp glint flashed in Patriarch Bodhi's eyes like lightning piercing the darkness.
He brought his hands together in front of his chest and shouted: "Dragon-Suppressing Art!"
An incomparably powerful pressure instantly descended upon Zulong like a inescapable net, rendering it completely immobile.
Zulong struggled with all its might, light flashing across its body, but it remained utterly unable to break free from this potent binding.
"Fine, fine. Your abilities are extraordinary; I am willing to follow you."
Zulong finally lowered its arrogant head, its eyes filled with reluctance.
Patriarch Bodhi smiled faintly and said, "Then you shall be my mount and aid me on my Journey to the West."
Though it harbored lingering resentment, Zulong had no choice but to accept.
As the group continued on their way, Wukong playfully bantered with Shaseng: "Junior Brother Sha, you know this River of Flowing Sand inside and out. How come you didn't give us a heads-up before we ran into this trouble again?"
Shaseng said helplessly, "Eldest Senior Brother, I didn't foresee this either."
Bajie chimed in as well: "Junior Brother Sha, back when you were a demon here, did you ever lay eyes on this Zulong?"
Blushing, Shaseng replied, "Second Senior Brother, please don't make fun of me."
Laughter filled their journey, little knowing that a new crisis awaited them ahead.
As it turned out, this Zulong was one of the primeval demon gods. Its body contained a mysterious and potent power, drawing the secret covetous gazes of numerous demon gods.
Meanwhile, atop a nearby mountain peak, a mysterious demon god watched them, scheming how to seize Zulong's power.
At that moment, a thick, ink-dark mass of storm clouds drifted across the sky, thunder rumbling like galloping horses.
Streaks of black lightning darted through the dark clouds, as if attempting to tear the sky asunder.
"Not good! This looks like another unexpected trouble!" Patriarch Bodhi furrowed his brow, gazing up at the sky with a solemn expression.
Before his voice had even faded, a bolt of black lightning as thick as a giant python plunged straight down from the heavens, carrying a destructive aura as it struck directly toward Zulong.
Zulong roared angrily, attempting to break free from its bindings to dodge the lightning, but it was powerless to move.
Patriarch Bodhi waved both hands, and a multicolored shimmering shield instantly materialized above Zulong.
Upon the surface of the shield, runes circulated and light flickered, successfully blocking the black lightning's attack.
"What fiend dares launch a sneak attack!" Patriarch Bodhi shouted loudly, his voice echoing through the heavens and earth like a great bronze bell.
A dark shadow slowly emerged from the dark clouds—it was the Thunder Demon God.
He was tall in stature, crackling with arcs of lightning that danced around his entire body, while madness and greed gleamed in his eyes.
"Zulong's power belongs to me!" the Thunder Demon God roared wildly, his voice brimming with arrogance and tyranny.
Patriarch Bodhi sneered, "With mere ability like yours, you think you can seize it?"
With that, he formed hand seals and chanted an incantation.
Instantly, a faint veil of purple Qi suffused the surrounding air. Runes flickered within the purple mist, and a powerful wave of energy rippled outward in all directions.
Wukong, Bajie, and Shaseng likewise struck their battle stances, preparing to meet the enemy.
Right at this critical juncture, a clear, crisp cry rang out from the horizon: "Enough of your insolence!"
Nezha was seen speeding through the air, stepping on the Wind Fire Wheels and wielding the Fire-tipped Spear.
Nezha looked dashing and valiant, his eyes filled with the light of justice as he shouted: "Thunder Demon God, you have committed countless evils; today shall be your day of reckoning!"
Upon spotting Nezha, the Thunder Demon God's expression shifted slightly, though he still put on a tough front: "Nezha, you brat, you dare come ruin my plans!"
Nezha chuckled: "I, Nezha, have always stood for justice. How could I allow a demon god like you to run amok here!"
With that, Nezha flourished the Fire-tipped Spear and engaged the Thunder Demon God in battle.
For a time, spear radiance and lightning intersected, flashing with blinding light as the fierce battle raged on.
However, the Thunder Demon God was undeniably powerful, and Nezha gradually found himself on the defensive.
The armor on his body had already sustained multiple breaches, and beads of sweat dotted his brow.
Seeing this, Patriarch Bodhi prepared to step in and lend a hand.
Suddenly, a crisp burst of laughter rang out from the air: "Ha, what a lively scene!"
The group looked up to see an immortal maiden dressed in colorful robes and holding a flower basket descending gracefully—it was He Xiangu.
He Xiangu said sweetly: "Thunder Demon God, you have reaped what you sowed through your wrongdoings. Today you shall surely face punishment!"
With that, she plucked a flower from her basket and waved it gently; its petals transformed into countless sharp blades that flew toward the Thunder Demon God.
Caught off guard by this sudden assault, the Thunder Demon God suffered multiple wounds on his body.
Seizing the opportunity, Nezha launched a counter-offensive, his Fire-tipped Spear blazing with brilliant light as it thrust straight for the Thunder Demon God's vital points.
Realizing the situation was turning sour, the Thunder Demon God attempted to flee.
At that moment, Patriarch Bodhi formed hand seals with both hands and chanted: "Body-Fixing Spell!"
The Thunder Demon God was instantly frozen in place, utterly unable to move.
Combining their strength, Nezha and He Xiangu dealt the Thunder Demon God a decisive and crushing defeat.
Filled with admiration at the sight, Nezha immediately dropped to his knees before Patriarch Bodhi:
"The Patriarch's magic powers are vast and profound! Nezha wishes to take you as his master, join you on your Journey to the West, and demand justice for Wukong!"
Patriarch Bodhi readily consented.