"Junior Sister He, have we truly made a mistake? If only we had fully followed Master's instructions and secretly come to the mortal realm to cooperate with Monkey King.
Now look at us.
Damn it, those infernal demons didn't show any neutrality as Master commanded and let us go. We are severely wounded, with no allies to help us, and unable to notify Master.
What are we to do down here?
We can't just wait for the next wave of the demon army's attack, can we? By then, they might be so enraged that they'll take it out on us.
Sigh!
To think I, Lü Dongbin, was once the Eastern Divine Immortal and one of the most renowned deities in the Eastern Continent of Divine State, where Sun Dasheng resided. I even had the chance to befriend him, yet I myself... Damn it all!"
This was the most humiliating and grievous injury he had ever sustained. The once refined gentleman, the self-righteous Taoist of Pure Yang, Lü Dongbin, was gone.
He spewed curses and regretted his actions in front of his junior sister.
Not for any other reason.
It was because he felt they had been utterly bamboozled by Lao Tzu.
But no matter what, he could vent his frustrations once or twice, but he absolutely dared not do so a third time, lest Lao Tzu divine it and make them even more embarrassed!
Lü Dongbin's despondency was something that He Xiangu, on the other side, although not replying, tacitly agreed with in her heart.
In the past, they had both taken pride in being disciples of Lao Tzu, the foremost sage below the Dao Ancestor.
Now, they felt an urge to shed that identity as soon as possible.
But her courage was even less than Lü Dongbin's.
Let alone complaining.
Even the slightest hint of dissatisfaction towards Lao Tzu in her heart was feared to be discovered by him, so she quickly suppressed the thought and remained silent with him!
One day passed.
Two days passed.
Three days passed.
Although no enemies attacked from outside, the only ones left behind were Lü Dongbin and He Xiangu, along with a million corpses.
How could this not make the two of them even more despondent?
In the end.
To protect himself, Lü Dongbin gritted his teeth and severed his two legs, which were contaminated by demonic energy. Enduring excruciating pain, he used his broken Pure Yang Sword to float out from beneath the ruins of Jiayuguan inch by inch.
First, he kindly helped up He Xiangu, who had lost all her limbs, and retrieved her Three-Marvel Lotus. Seeing that this innate spiritual treasure had long been corroded by demonic energy.
A strange pang of pain struck him.
He handed it to He Xiangu, who was on the verge of tears, with a sigh.
Then, he barely managed to circulate his energy, absorbing the spiritual energy of a radius of ten thousand miles to slightly recover some of his cultivation.
Just as he was about to take He Xiangu, with whom he had to depend on each other for survival, and leave the ruins of Jiayuguan first.
All grievances could be settled later.
But little did they know.
At this very moment, Lü Dongbin and He Xiangu simultaneously saw a person who should not have stayed, waiting for them, holding two bowls of holy water soup!
That person was none other than.
The junior whom they had previously looked down upon.
The very same Li Bai whom Sun Kong had secretly instructed to stay behind with the holy water soup three days ago!
Upon seeing Li Bai.
Lü Dongbin and He Xiangu, who had been holding on by sheer willpower, instantly broke down in tears.
Without even thinking, the two knew that Li Bai and the holy water soup were Sun Kong's last hope, deliberately left for them.
And yet, they had mistaken Sun Kong for truly abandoning them.
Truly damnable.
Truly not as benevolent and righteous as Sun Kong!
"Wuwuwu."
Lü Dongbin, this iron-clad sword immortal, actually cried.
"Li... Fellow Daoist Li, may I ask if you were sent by Great Sage Sun specifically to rescue us, senior and junior? This holy water soup..."
Women still had better emotional intelligence. Seeing her senior brother sobbing uncontrollably and unable to speak clearly, He Xiangu quickly asked.
"Wuwuwu."
Lü Dongbin was still crying.
"Precisely so. Although Great Sage Sun could not openly vindicate you, he knew that the disciples of the Grand Pure Saint had to remain neutral, but after all, they did contribute to the Tang Dynasty."
"Therefore, he specially instructed me, Li, to stay behind in secret."
"These two bowls of holy water soup are not some peerless treasures, but I believe they will be very effective for your healing. Drink them quickly."
Li Bai did not mind Lü Dongbin's crying, nor did he mind that he had been looked down upon by many rogue cultivators, including these two. He generously offered the holy water soup.
"Wuwuwu."
Alas, poor Lü Dongbin seemed to be crying out of habit and had not yet recovered.
"Slap!"
"Senior Brother, how can you cry for so long in front of Fellow Daoist Li?"
"Quickly come and thank Fellow Daoist Li, thank Great Sage Sun. I don't care what you do in the future, but I, He Xiangu, swear to the Heavenly Dao that I will never offend Sun Dasheng's lineage again."
"Although our Master instructed us to remain neutral, and we dare not disobey."
"However, in the future tribulations of Journey to the West, or in either of the two cycles of Journey to the West, if Great Sage Sun needs me, He Xiangu, he can find me anytime, and I will not refuse!"
He Xiangu indeed had more backbone than Lü Dongbin. While drinking the holy water soup and instantly healing her injuries, she actually made an oath to the Heavenly Dao.
She truly lived up to being the heroic woman who had convinced Sun Kong during the second tribulation.
Seeing this, Lü Dongbin, who had been crying for half the day, finally stopped. Without further ado, he followed her example, drank the holy water soup, and healed his internal and external injuries.
However, he did not join He Xiangu in making the oath, clearly having his own ulterior motives.
But since Li Bai had not received orders from Sun Kong to force them to swear, he merely gave Lü Dongbin a small look of disdain and then left on his own.
Lü Dongbin and He Xiangu, not wishing to be left alone and become targets for the demon army that would soon arrive, quickly returned to Chang'an, Tang Dynasty.
It was at this time.
Sun Kong, who had been escorted by everyone to the Western Teachings' Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, was, as expected, healed by the two Saints of the Western Teachings in an instant.
As Sun Kong and the others were about to return to their respective territories, agreeing to cooperate again next time.
Suddenly.
A voice from the Heavenly Dao echoed from the Ninth Heaven.
It was the reward for the eighth tribulation!
"The first cycle of Journey to the West in the Earth Immortal Realm, Eighth Tribulation, the Two Realms Mountain Pass, successfully passed. All those who participated in this tribulation shall receive merit rewards, the amount varying and determined by Heaven."
"The first person of merit, the Great Sage Equalling Heaven, the Handsome Monkey King of New Flower-Fruit Mountain, the Deputy Buddha of Spirit Mountain, Sun Wukong. For his unparalleled wisdom and courage in resolving the tribulation, he is hereby rewarded."
"Reward: Sun Wukong, Heavenly Dao Merit 800, Journey to the West Merit 80,000!"
As expected, Sun Kong, who had contributed the most, received the most merit rewards.
Everyone, including Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti, congratulated and envied Sun Kong.
But little did they expect.
Just as the first wave of merit rewards from the Heavenly Dao was announced.
The second wave of merit rewards arrived.
And, they were all for Sun Kong.
However, the dispenser of this second wave of rewards was not the Heavenly Dao, nor anyone else.
But it came from the Demonic Path!