By the sea, seven black dots slowly appeared on the horizon. Then, as if the entire surface had been ripped open, waves burst and scattered.
Master Taiyi, leading his fellow disciples, swiftly ascended and skimmed toward land. They flew over mountains and, in a blink, vanished into the east.
Only then did the Four Heavenly Kings arrive, trailing behind.
......
Dharma-Quest Kingdom.
Once again, Tripitaka sat upright on the high preaching platform, his measured voice rising and falling as he spoke the sutra.
Below the platform, countless devout citizens sat quietly with their families, listening. Despite the crowd numbering in the tens of thousands, there was miraculously almost no noise at all.
This was the final sermon of the journey, and also the largest. Even distant towers and rooftops were packed with people—it was no exaggeration to call it a city emptied for the event.
To show reverence for Tripitaka and acceptance of his doctrine of equality among all beings, the king of Dharma-Quest Kingdom had even taken off his royal robes, dressed in plain cloth, and sat below the steps.
The incense burners placed all around burned rare sandalwood; everything proceeded in perfect order.
Barry Bear stood beside Tripitaka, expressionless, already drenched in sweat.
He kept feeling as if everyone was staring at him, their gazes mocking, making him completely uneasy. He couldn’t even focus on what Tripitaka was saying.
In the distance, Monkey stood on a rooftop, leisurely watching Barry Bear shuffle his feet. Leaning back slightly, he said to Marshal Silver, "Why don’t you go watch from the opposite side?"
"What, is something wrong?"
"Spirit Mountain isn’t far now, and holding a sermon like this... I’m worried something might happen."
Looking at Monkey, Marshal Silver couldn’t help but laugh, nodding meaningfully.
Seeing this, Monkey’s brows furrowed instantly. "What’s so funny?"
"Nothing, really. It’s just that, connecting it to what happened before, I’ve realized you have a major weakness." Marshal Silver grinned, getting up to head for the opposite rooftop as Monkey had asked.
Just then, Monkey’s Golden Staff barred his way.
"Don’t go. Explain yourself."