Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

Notification: Experience Points +100.

Notification: Experience Points +100.

Notification: Experience Points +100.

...

That day, Jiang Liu sat cross-legged as usual, quietly cultivating the Green Lotus Taoist Scripture, his mind entering meditation. During that period, he completely lost track of time.

This state was profound and mysterious. Even the continuous system notifications did not startle Jiang Liu.

The entire room was very quiet.

However, at this moment, suddenly, Jiang Liu felt a sense of palpitations, his body sweating coldly. His eyes widened, and his breathing became rushed involuntarily.

Stretching out his hand, he placed it on his chest. Jiang Liu could feel his fierce heartbeat. In the quiet night, it thumped loudly, like a beating drum.

"What's going on? Where are these palpitations coming from?"

After a long while, the feeling of palpitations gradually subsided, but Jiang Liu felt inexplicably uneasy.

This was already the second time tonight that he had been jolted awake from his cultivation.

There were no signs, as if a great disaster was about to befall, yet he could not see where the danger lay.

This feeling made Jiang Liu very uncomfortable.

Was it the emergence of a Heart Demon? Or was he about to experience Deviation? Or was there some hidden danger lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike?

Jiang Liu was completely clueless and felt utterly lost.

After thinking for a long time and coming up with nothing, Jiang Liu shook his head, suppressed these thoughts, and sat back down to continue cultivating the Green Lotus Taoist Scripture.

...

The night passed without incident, and the next day, as usual, the disciples woke up. After washing up and eating breakfast, they got up and continued on their Journey to the West.

Unknowingly, a month had passed since they left the Wood Immortal Hermitage.

During this month, he had gained just over 100 million Experience Points.

Looking at his character interface, he needed 300 million Experience Points to level up. Now, he had already reached 170 million, so his experience bar was more than half full.

If things went as expected, he would probably reach level 61 in a little over a month.

Of course, if he could trigger a few missions, that would be even better, and his leveling time might be further reduced.

"Master, you've looked particularly pale these last couple of days. Haven't you been resting well?" Zhu Bajie walked beside Jiang Liu, scrutinizing him for a moment before suddenly speaking.

"Eh? Indeed!"

Sun Wukong, who was carefree, naturally hadn't noticed, but, hearing Zhu Bajie's remark, turned his head to look and agreed.

"Master..." Following Zhu Bajie and Sun Wukong's comments, Sha Wujing also nodded his head.

Before Wujing could speak, Jiang Liu waved his hand to interrupt him, imitating Wujing's tone and sarcastically said, "Big brother and second brother are right, aren't they?"

Wujing: "..."

Well, what can I do? Everything I wanted to say, Master has already said, so there's no need for me to speak anymore.

"Actually, lately, I really have been somewhat troubled!" After teasing Wujing, Jiang Liu's expression became more serious as he nodded and said.

"Lately, when I'm cultivating in the dead of night, I often feel palpitations, as if some terrifying danger is approaching me!"

Originally, he hadn't managed to make sense of these issues himself and did not intend to tell Sun Wukong and the others. But since they had asked today, Jiang Liu thought for a moment and felt it was better to tell them.

If there really was some danger, at least they would be mentally prepared in advance.

"Oh? You feel palpitations sometimes? As if a great danger is approaching!"

The words of Jiang Liu indeed changed the expressions of Sun Wukong and his two brothers, who looked at each other and exchanged glances.

"What's wrong? Do you all know something?"

Seeing the reactions of his three disciples looked unusual, Jiang Liu was puzzled and asked in surprise.

"Hehehe, Master, this is really good news!" Upon hearing Jiang Liu's query, Sun Wukong suddenly said, laughing.

"Congratulations, Master, felicitations!" Following Sun Wukong's words, Zhu Bajie also spoke up with a joyful expression.

Wujing: "..."

It seems that everything I wanted to say has already been mentioned by my big and second brothers. There's nothing left to say?

Wujing opened his mouth, just about to agree with what the eldest and second brothers said, but recalling Jiang Liu's complaints, Wujing decided it was better to keep his mouth shut.

"Congratulations to me!? Why!?" The words of Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie left Jiang Liu even more baffled.

He constantly felt a sense of palpitation, which, logically, should be a bad omen, not something good; however, his two disciples were actually congratulating him?

How did this come about? Since when had this feeling of palpitation possibly turned into a good omen?

"Master, you have no idea!"

Hearing Jiang Liu's words, Sun Wukong chuckled and said, "Generally, cultivators wishing to succeed on the Immortal Path must endure three disasters! Only after overcoming these three disasters can one truly achieve an Immortal Body!"

"These three calamities are the Heavenly Thunder, Yin Fire, and Strange Wind!" As Sun Wukong spoke, Zhu Bajie picked up the thread and said, "This Heavenly Thunder strikes down from the heavens; if one overcomes it, their body becomes strong and robust!"

"This Yin Fire arises from the Yongquan acupoints at one's feet, burning straight through the viscera; if one overcomes it, their organs become exceedingly resilient! No longer as fragile as a mortal flesh!"

"Finally, there is the Strange Wind, blowing in from the Spirit Platform at the top of the head; if one can overcome it, their Divine Soul stabilizes, and their Divine Sense greatly increases!"

"Though these three disasters are perilous, they also provide tremendous opportunities. Only those who overcome them truly have an Immortal Body and can shed their mortal form!"

"So that's how it is…" Hearing Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie's explanation, Jiang Liu suddenly understood what was happening.

Considering the settings of modern cultivation novels from his past life, isn't this what they described as the time to cross over Tribulation when becoming an immortal?

However, in ordinary cultivation novels, crossing the tribulation involved only the Heavenly Tribulation.

But in this Journey to the West mythological plane, apart from Heavenly Tribulation, there were also Fire Tribulation and Wind Tribulation.

"So, as I get closer to level 61, and closer to becoming immortal, the three disasters are also gradually approaching me? Is this the cause of my palpitations?"

At this moment, Jiang Liu understood, and he realized why his three disciples had all extended their thanks to him.

"However, Master…"

Yet, Little White Dragon Aolie, who had been silent beneath Jiang Liu, couldn't help but speak up at this moment and said, "Although it's indeed joyous to achieve an Immortal Body after overcoming the three disasters, if one fails to overcome them, it leads to utter annihilation. Throughout history, countless have perished under these three disasters!"

Little White Dragon Aolie's words chilled Jiang Liu's heart.

Indeed, crossing tribulation was beneficial if successful, but the consequences of failure were indescribable.

In his past life, Jiang Liu was aware of the situations described in some cultivation novels, and the perilous nature of crossing tribulation was unanimously acknowledged within every cultivation novel.

"Hmm, Xiaobai does have a point!" Following Little White Dragon Aolie's words, the joyful expressions on the faces of Sun Wukong and the others faltered.

Zhu Bajie pondered for a long time, then said, "The three disasters are indeed extremely formidable and perilous; through the ages, only about one or two in ten people have successfully evaded them!"

"Moreover!"

At that, Zhu Bajie paused slightly, turned to Jiang Liu, and said, "Normally, the more one has thrived in slaughter, the harsher the three disasters one faces, Master, considering the path you have taken…"

"This…" Hearing Zhu Bajie's words, Wujing and Little White Dragon Aolie looked visibly disturbed.

They knew that the Master had risen through slaughter. If the Master were to face tribulation, the three disasters would certainly be much more severe than usual.

"Psh, what are you all afraid of!"

Yet, Sun Wukong, who was beside them, seemingly unconcerned, waved his hand and then, looking at Jiang Liu, said, "Master, to others the three disasters might be extremely terrifying, but to you, they are nothing!"

"Oh? Why is that!?" Hearing Sun Wukong's words, Jiang Liu asked in surprise.

Even Zhu Bajie and Wujing, along with those nearby, looked at Sun Wukong in astonishment.

While Sun Wukong's abilities were undeniably exceptional and widely recognized, his knowledge was quite limited. In many areas, his insight was far less than Zhu Bajie's, not to mention Wujing's and Little White Dragon Aolie's!

Yet today, facing these formidable disasters, he claimed they were nothing?

Could it be that he knew of some other methods to overcome them, something completely unknown to them?

"You all should know, since the three disasters are more severe for those who have committed extensive slaughter, conversely, they are weaker for those who have accumulated merit by their side!" Sun Wukong looked at Zhu Bajie and the others and spoke.

"That's true, but, Master, you don't seem to carry any merit with you, do you?" Zhu Bajie nodded and said, puzzled as he looked at Jiang Liu.

"Master, take out the lotus you obtained a few days ago and blind his pig eyes!" Sun Wukong turned to Jiang Liu and said.

"Could it be?" Hearing this, Jiang Liu had a thought.

He raised his hand, and the dark gold eighteen-rank Merit Golden Lotus hovered in front of him.

The rich merit was almost tangible.

"Merit Golden Lotus!?"

Seeing the dark gold lotus in Jiang Liu's hand, Zhu Bajie widened his eyes in disbelief and exclaimed, indeed feeling as if his eyes were blinded.