Journey to the West: The Golden Cicada Returns After Nine Lifetimes, and I'm Done Fetching the Scriptures

Jin Chanzi underwent nine lifetimes of reincarnation and made the journey west nine times. Not once did he reach Spirit Mountain. Sha Wujing hung his nine heads around his neck, where they floated in the Flowing Sand River without sinking for five hundred years. All the gods and Buddhas were waiting for the Pilgrim of the tenth lifetime to arrive. Until one day. All nine skulls opened their eyes at once. The Flowing Sand River reversed its course, and lotuses bloomed from white bones. A monk who had died nine times rose anew from the remains of his nine lifetimes. With one palm, he subdued Sha Wujing, then turned and charged toward Five-Finger Mountain. He tore up the Buddha’s edict, shattered the divine mountain, and freed the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. When Guanyin arrived, all she saw was Sun Wukong standing before a white-bone lotus throne, the Golden Cudgel resting on his shoulder. On the throne, Xuanjin sat clad in white, nine skulls slowly revolving behind him. “Bodhisattva, I died nine times, and I finally understood something.” “Whoever wants to fetch these scriptures can do it.” “I only want to walk this road west and bring out, one by one, the demons, humans, dragons, and ghosts you wrote into the trials.” “When I reach Spirit Mountain, however many people are behind me...” “That is how many enemies will stand before Spirit Mountain.”