Could this be a Buddhist treasure picked up by the Great Sage?
Jiang Liu'er excitedly grabbed a red packet and found a forearm-length Vajra Pestle forged from eight materials: gold, silver, copper, iron, bone, stone, wood, and jade.
The entire artifact gleamed bronze, stained with dried Buddhist blood. Upon closer sniffing, it carried the same scent as the blood of the Five Direction Guardians!
Perhaps imbued with spiritual awareness, when Jiang Liu'er wondered about its purpose,
the pestle suddenly flashed golden. Jiang Liu'er experienced an epiphany—it could discern good and evil karma, judging all transgressions in a person's life.
It remained inert toward the virtuous.
But toward the wicked, it blazed with golden light.
What a treasure!
[Altar Cleanser]: "Good heavens, Brother Monkey! How many times have you looted Spirit Mountain? Ah, this old pig snagged something nice. Forget what I said earlier, hehehe..."
Jiang Liu'er found it amusing how quickly Elder Bajie changed his tune.
Yellow-Browed Patriarch: "This... isn't this my treasure? Why did I end up grabbing my own artifact?"
[Great Sage Equaling Heaven Sun Wukong]: "Oh, that? I bumped into you earlier and felt annoyed, so I took it."
Yellow-Browed seethed with rage.
This monkey truly knew no bounds—how was he even more ruthless than their side's Horse Tender?
Then it struck him: the one suffering was his counterpart from another realm.
Why should he be angry?
[Muscular Tang Sanzang]: "[Image]. Isn't this Tathagata's Lotus Throne? No wonder they all turned against you—you stole Shakyamuni's seat cushion!"
[Great Sage Equaling Heaven Sun Wukong]: "Not the whole throne. That thing's too heavy—I couldn't lift it. So I chipped off a corner with my staff. Turns out that fragment transformed into a new Lotus Throne. Still counts as treasure."
[Great Sage Equaling Heaven Sun Wukong]: "Speaking of, that throne was tough. I struck it with full force—my palms still ache, and my soul nearly shook loose!"
[Altar Cleanser]: "Blimey! Brother Monkey's burned all bridges with Spirit Mountain!"
Jiang Liu'er gaped. The Great Sage had truly crossed a line.
While Buddha attended a celestial banquet, he tried to steal the Lotus Throne.
Failing to take it whole, he smashed off a piece...
This...
If Buddha caught him again, would he be imprisoned for another five centuries? Or five more on top?
By comparison, the Vajra Pestle in Jiang Liu'er's hand seemed the least conspicuous treasure.
Yet to him, it rivaled the Heaven-Piercing Sword as a divine artifact!
After thanking the Great Sage in the group chat, Jiang Liu'er happily stored the treasure in his Xumi Ring.
......
Elsewhere, Golden Light Temple.
Abbot Faming, having led the temple for barely a month, received two peculiar "devotees."
One tall, one short—though the shorter stood average height. Both wore scholar robes, bearded and dignified.
The taller visitor nearly scraped the doorframe, dressed plainly with a sorrowful, weary face.
"Amitabha. You two have prayed from dawn till dusk. What troubles you?"
With the temple empty save for them, Abbot Faming found their persistence odd and inquired directly.
The robed scholar offered incense—his hundredth stick that day—and replied, "A subordinate of mine, lacking skill, picked a fight and lost his weapon."
He glanced at the tall man, who hung his head in shame.
"The weapon is unique. Without it, he'll reincarnate as livestock in three months," the scholar continued. "He begged my help."
"If I abandon him, what will my other subordinates think?"
Abbot Faming said, "Seeking divine aid to recover lost items may prove futile."
The scholar smiled. "What if finding one person could retrieve it?"
"Who?"
"Jiang Liu'er."
"I don't know him." The abbot knew he lied—Jiang Liu'er was special. Perhaps a misunderstanding?
Caution prevailed; he withheld the truth.
The scholar chuckled. "Monks shouldn't lie. If you spoke thus in the Tongue-Ripping Hell, would a hundred tongues suffice?"
Abbot Faming's heart skipped. He'd guessed these visitors weren't mortal but hadn't expected ties to the underworld.
"I'm but a humble monk. Your meaning escapes me."
"No matter. I'll ask others."
The scholar transformed into a judge, the tall man into a ghost official. Both vanished.
Only emptiness remained in the Buddha hall.
"Amitabha."
The abbot realized...
Jiang Liu'er might have caused grave trouble.
......
Five days later.
After traveling nonstop for a day and night, Jiang Liu'er remained energetic while Hu Yuyu and Shou Qing slumped exhausted.
They paused to rest.
Hu Yuyu meditated, ancestral fox illusions swirling around her. Shou Qing devoured rations—weakest of the trio, he struggled most.
Jiang Liu'er grew fonder of the Vajra Pestle daily.
He shattered boulders and cratered the ground, exclaiming, "Marvelous! It crushes all hardness! A strike to the head would split skulls—shatter souls!"
Summoning the Heaven-Piercing Sword, he noted newfound control. Unlike before, it no longer automatically aimed for hearts.
Only then did he notice another treasure: a Soul-Snatching Rod stolen from underworld guards.
"A fine weapon, but not mine. Should return it."
He twirled the rod, summoning howling winds and swirling shadows. Each swing churned dust across three zhang.
"Perfect for me!" Delighted by its length and straightness, he mused, "But Elder Faming said to stay virtuous... Best return it later."
Resuming their journey, they reached a vast river at dusk. Cold gusts made Jiang Liu'er shiver.
A lantern-lit boat approached the shore.
"A ferry!" Shou Qing cried. "Boatman! Take us across? We'll pay!"
The boat shifted course toward them.
As it neared, two figures became visible—
One tall.
One short.
"Master, is the river foggy?" Hu Yuyu slurred, dizzy. "Strange... I only ate two buns earlier."
Her vision blurred. She felt weightless.
Suddenly, Jiang Liu'er gripped her wrist and Shou Qing's collar, dragging both backward.
Shou Qing blinked. "What's wrong?"
Jiang Liu'er hissed, "My Vajra Wrath Body Tempering Art is perfected, yet I'm freezing. Something's wrong here."
Hu Yuyu gasped—her perspective split. She saw Jiang Liu'er holding her... yet also saw her own body from afar.
"Master! My soul's leaving my body!"
......
