Chapter 411: A Rare Moment of Enlightenment
After a while, Ye Tian returned to his room. Meanwhile, upon hearing about the immense benefits of bathing in this spring, Xu Cailian seized the opportunity to take a dip under the cover of night when no one was around.
"This spiritual spring is truly extraordinary. I can already feel my body being purified."
At this moment, she felt an indescribable sense of comfort. If she had known about such a place earlier, she would have come long ago. However, the world is vast, and without the right fate, some places are simply unreachable.
She now understood that if not for Ye Tian, she would never have found her way here.
"I must cultivate diligently. The next time the Golden List Livestream is held, I must secure a place on it!"
This thought filled Xu Cailian's heart. Since her master had gone to such lengths for her, she had to advance her strength quickly—otherwise, how could she live up to his expectations?
Meanwhile, Tang Sanzang and his disciples continued on their journey. The scorching heat made Zhu Bajie particularly uncomfortable.
"This weather is really something. Just walking a little while makes me so thirsty," Zhu Bajie grumbled as he plopped down on the ground.
"Hey, Monkey Bro, it's way too hot! Let's sit down and have a drink of water."
"But we've already wasted a lot of time," Sun Wukong replied. "If we stop here for water, we'll only lose more time."
Tang Sanzang wiped the sweat off his forehead. In the past, he had always been strict about time and preferred to hurry along. However, today felt different. No matter how fast they moved, it wouldn't make much of a difference.
After all, if they pushed themselves too hard and collapsed, it would be too late for regrets.
"The weather today is indeed quite hot," Tang Sanzang said. "Let's take a break here. Once we've rested, we'll continue our journey."
Hearing this, Zhu Bajie grinned. "See, Monkey Bro? Master agrees we should rest first. We can continue once we've recovered."
"Master, are you sure about this?" Sun Wukong asked.
"Yes," Tang Sanzang confirmed.
Despite agreeing, Sun Wukong still felt uneasy. Earlier, while traveling, he had sensed a demonic aura lingering in the forest. That meant demons were nearby.
His instinct was to leave the area as quickly as possible and avoid unnecessary trouble.
But looking at his weary companions now—Tang Sanzang's flushed face, Zhu Bajie sprawled out, and even Bai Longma looking utterly exhausted—he realized they truly needed a break. If they kept going, Tang Sanzang might actually suffer from heatstroke.
"Master, rest here for a while. I'll fetch some water for you."
"Alright, Wukong."
Sun Wukong went to the river, filled a bowl with water, and brought it back to Tang Sanzang.
"Master, here, drink this."
Tang Sanzang took a sip. "Mm, this water is so clear. Wukong, you should drink some too."
"Yes, Master," Sun Wukong replied as he drank.
"Wukong, you've worked so hard on this journey. Without you, we wouldn't have made it this far. I'll still need your protection in the future, so I hope you'll continue to take care of me."
"Master, why are you speaking so formally? Protecting you is my duty!"
Sun Wukong smiled but furrowed his brows. The demonic aura around them was growing stronger.
Tang Sanzang noticed his expression and asked, "Wukong, what's wrong? You seem preoccupied."
"Master, haven't you noticed?"
"Noticed what?"
"There's demonic energy all around us. If I'm not mistaken, there are demons lurking nearby. I originally wanted to hurry us along and avoid them, but since you all need to rest, we'll have to be extra cautious."
"D-Demons?!"
Tang Sanzang was startled. He had thought this place was peaceful, with its clear mountains and flowing rivers. It never crossed his mind that demons might be hiding here.
But he never doubted Sun Wukong—if Wukong said demons were nearby, then there were definitely demons nearby.
He grew anxious. "Wukong, what should we do? I don't want to get captured by demons! Should we keep moving?"
Sun Wukong wanted to leave too, but then he glanced at Bai Longma. The poor horse looked utterly exhausted.
"Master, I think we should continue resting here. Just look at Bai Longma—he's completely worn out. Even if you can hold on a bit longer, I doubt he can."
Zhu Bajie chimed in, "That's right, Master! Monkey Bro is right. Since we've already stopped, let's take our time to rest before moving on."
"But didn't you hear what Wukong said? There are demons nearby! What if we get caught? What if they try to eat you?"
Tang Sanzang shot Zhu Bajie a questioning look.
However, Zhu Bajie simply chuckled. "I don't care about demons or whatever. Right now, I just want to sleep. Besides, even if we move forward, can you guarantee we won't run into demons ahead? There's no way to tell. So stop worrying and just rest."
Hearing this, Sun Wukong was taken aback.
Zhu Bajie… had actually reached a rare moment of enlightenment.