We arrived downstairs and saw countless celestial fruits and delicacies, along with fine wine.

The second senior brother started drooling frequently.

But we remembered our master's earlier warning and did not start eating immediately.

The two venerable ones nearby looked displeased: "Why aren't you and your master eating? Are you dissatisfied with our hospitality?"

Upon hearing this, the second senior brother rushed forward, grabbing with his left hand and taking a plate with his right.

He made a complete mess of the scene.

The eldest senior brother scolded: "You fool, why are you making such a mess?"

The second senior brother chased us away: "You all ate your fill before coming. Poor old Zhu here hasn't eaten anything and is starving. I'm going to eat my fill now."

"Venerable ones, they have small appetites and just had their vegetarian meal. I have a big appetite, so I'll eat first, and then they can eat later."

Seeing this, the venerable ones laughed: "Very well, we will go prepare the scriptures. Take your time."

After they left, the second senior brother suddenly began to vomit.

Master walked over with a look of compassion: "Wuneng, it's useless. You've already eaten it."

This voice, this was the voice that the master should have.

The second senior brother ignored the master and continued to retch.

At this moment, the master let out a sinister laugh and repeated in that gender-ambiguous voice, even more eerie this time.

I felt dizzy again, but the second senior brother did not feel uncomfortable and also stopped.

He looked up, and I saw his face twisted, covered in blood, with his eyes glowing red.

When I looked around again, there were no celestial fruits and delicacies, but instead human hands, heads, and even disemboweled infants.

Suddenly, I felt nauseous and wanted to vomit.

The eldest senior brother frowned deeply, his eyes flashing with fire, using his Fiery Eyes of Truth.

"Eldest senior brother, what are you looking at?"

I whispered as I leaned in.

"Nothing."

He glanced at me and walked away.

As I stood there in a daze, a large hand reached for me, grabbing my mouth.

It was the second senior brother!

He looked fierce and grabbed an arm from the table, trying to stuff it into my mouth.

I started struggling, but with our difference in cultivation, I couldn't break free.

No one else helped.

"Don't move. Bite a piece of meat and hold it in your mouth, but don't swallow it."

The second senior brother's voice?

I widened my eyes but obediently complied.

The second senior brother then covered my mouth.

"Now, spit it out."

I spat, and the second senior brother caught it with his hand.

To others, it looked like the second senior brother force-fed me a piece of meat.

"The feast bestowed by the Buddha is truly delicious. Right, Little White Dragon?"

"Huh? Yes! The second senior brother is right, it is indeed delicious."

"Just a bit greasy. Little White Dragon, come take a walk with me to digest it."

Only then did I see the second senior brother's face.

His face had become terrifying, with blood-red eyes, protruding fangs, and a mouth almost splitting to his ears.

There was a black mark on his forehead.

I remembered my father's warning:

"Anyone who was once a celestial being will have a black demonic mark on their forehead if they fall into demonic ways."

"Celestials who fall into demonic ways are more dangerous than those who started as demons. My son, you must not interact with such demonic celestials."

For a moment, I panicked. Could it be that the second senior brother has fallen into demonic ways?

But the second senior brother's cultivation was far superior to mine, and he forcefully dragged me out.

As we stepped out, we encountered the two venerable ones.

"Have you two finished your meal?"

"We feel a bit greasy and are going to pay our respects to the Buddha and digest it."

"Very well. But Little White Dragon, you have some celestial fruit residue on your mouth, not fit to meet the Buddha. After getting the scriptures, you may go."

My appearance is unfit? I instinctively touched my mouth and found some blood residue from the meat earlier.

"Alright, let's take a walk then."

After talking with the venerable ones, the second senior brother pulled me away.

When we reached a quiet place, the second senior brother began to explain.

Looking at him, I noticed that his face had returned to normal, and the demonic mark on his forehead had disappeared.

"Little White Dragon, you must remember my next words carefully and not tell anyone."

Hearing this, I cautiously looked around.

The second senior brother smiled:

"No need to worry. My Nine-toothed Rake, a treasure from the heavens given by the Jade Emperor, can isolate others' detection and create illusions."

"Little White Dragon, do you know the truth behind this journey to the west?"

I shook my head.

Although I am the third prince of the Dragon Palace and can control the wind and rain in the West Sea, boasting about "My father is Ao Run" or "My Dragon King father" is nothing here.

"Actually, I don't know either."

The second senior brother smiled slyly. I rolled my eyes, then what's the point of saying it.

"The Western Spirit Mountain and the Eastern Heavenly Court have always been at odds. The Heavenly Court has a long legacy and has always overshadowed the Spirit Mountain. But for some reason, the cultivation speed of the Spirit Mountain's Buddhas suddenly soared, and they vaguely began to surpass the Heavenly Court."

"Coincidentally, the Tathagata came to collaborate with the Heavenly Court, wanting to stage a Journey to the West. The Jade Emperor also wanted to use this to investigate the secrets of the Spirit Mountain, so he secretly sent a spy."

"That spy is me."

"Unfortunately, I found nothing along the way, until we entered the Spirit Mountain."

"What I know now is that the Spirit Mountain is not a holy land of Buddhas but a den of demons. Look at the demonic aura around us; it's almost condensing into liquid."

I recalled the blood-like thick demonic aura I saw in the Great Buddha Hall and shivered.

"So, the master's words are credible?"

I asked the question I was most concerned about.

"Probably. When the master spoke earlier, there was genuine Buddha light. But once we entered Leiyin Temple, it's uncertain."

"His voice earlier clearly showed he had fallen into demonic ways."

"And you shouldn't trust the eldest senior brother's words. I suspect that monkey has long been replaced."

"How is that possible?" I exclaimed.

"Why not? Do you remember the ordeal of the fake Monkey King?"

I nodded. Did the second senior brother mean that the current eldest senior brother is the Six-eared Macaque?

"Also, you must not do what the master said earlier."

I nodded, then suddenly realized: "But second senior brother, you ate..."

The second senior brother bitterly nodded, admitting: "Yes, it's just as you think. Those were blood and flesh that can make even celestials fall into demonic ways. Their plan is probably to make us fall into demonic ways too."

After speaking, he took out a jade comb from his sleeve along with the Nine-toothed Rake and handed them to me: "Little White Dragon, old Zhu has already fallen into demonic ways and probably can't return to Gao Village. Take this comb to Cui Lan in Gao Village after you escape the Spirit Mountain."

"Is there no other way? Maybe the Jade Emperor..."

"The flesh is already in my belly, and the demonic nature has entered my bones. I can only hold on for the rest of today." The second senior brother shook his head.

It was the first time I saw such a desolate expression on the second senior brother's face.

"If you can't get out, how can I?"

"It doesn't matter, I'll help you." He forced a smile.

"It's about time. I'll teach you the incantation, then we can go back."

After the conversation, the second senior brother's face turned hideous again, and the two demonic marks reappeared on his forehead.