Twenty-five trials.
No simple monster count.

Origin & ordealA self-cultivated black bear who steals the brocade cassock during the Guanyin Monastery fire.

FateGuanyin subdues him and takes him to guard the rear of Mount Potalaka.

Origin & ordealA yellow-furred marten spirit whose Samadhi Wind blinds Wukong and scatters his rescuers.

FateLingji Bodhisattva subdues him with the Flying Dragon staff.

Origin & ordealA corpse spirit who takes three human disguises and attacks the pilgrims’ trust rather than their weapons.

FateWukong exposes and kills her on the third attempt, revealing the skeleton beneath.

Origin & ordealThe celestial star Kui Mulang, living below for thirteen mortal years with Princess Baihuaxiu of Baoxiang.

FateThe other lunar mansions return him to heaven, where the Jade Emperor demotes him to furnace duty.

Origin & ordealLaozi’s gold- and silver-furnace attendants, armed with five stolen treasures on Flat-Top Mountain.

FateLaozi reclaims the objects and restores the captured spirits to their boy attendants’ forms.

Origin & ordealManjusri’s blue-maned lion, who throws the king into a well and rules in his likeness for three years.

FateManjusri reclaims the lion; Laozi’s elixir restores the true king.

Origin & ordealThe son of Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan, whose True Fire of Samadhi defeats Wukong.

FateGuanyin traps and converts him, giving him the role of Sudhana.

Origin & ordealA nephew of the West Sea Dragon King who occupies the river palace and plans a feast on Tripitaka.

FateCrown Prince Mo’ang captures him for judgment by the dragon court.

Origin & ordealThree animal spirits whose ritual power dominates Cart-Slow Kingdom and persecutes its Buddhist monks.

FateEach dies during the contests with the pilgrims and reverts to animal form.

Origin & ordealGuanyin’s goldfish, cultivated by listening to scripture before demanding child sacrifices at the River of Heaven.

FateGuanyin catches him in a purple-bamboo basket and carries him home.

Origin & ordealLaozi’s green bull, carrying the Diamond Snare that can seize almost every divine weapon.

FateLaozi identifies, subdues, and rides his mount back to heaven.

Origin & ordealA scorpion whose poisonous sting once hurt the Buddha; she later abducts Tripitaka as a desired partner.

FateThe Dawnstar rooster’s cry overcomes and kills her.

Origin & ordealA perfect Wukong double whom Guanyin, the demon-revealing mirror, and even Dizang’s beast do not publicly distinguish.

FateThe Buddha identifies him; Wukong kills him immediately.

Origin & ordealWukong’s former sworn brother and family refuse the palm-leaf fan after Red Boy’s capture.

FateCelestial and Buddhist forces subdue Bull Demon King; the true fan extinguishes Flaming Mountain.

Origin & ordealThe dragon princess’s consort, complicit in stealing the pagoda relic of Jisai Kingdom.

FateErlang’s hound tears off one head; the wounded creature escapes north rather than being reclaimed.

Origin & ordealMaitreya’s cymbal attendant, using stolen cymbals and a human-seed sack to stage a false Thunderclap Monastery.

FateMaitreya poses as a melon farmer, traps him, and retrieves both boy and treasures.

Origin & ordealGuanyin’s mount, armed with stolen purple-gold bells and holding the queen of Zhuzi.

FateGuanyin reveals and reclaims both mount and bells.

Origin & ordealSeven spiders and their centipede senior use webs and thousand-eyed golden light against the pilgrims.

FateWukong kills the spiders; Pilanpo breaks the light and takes the centipede into service.

Origin & ordealA three-king regime: Manjusri’s lion, Samantabhadra’s elephant, and the golden-winged roc.

FateThe mounts return to their masters; the Buddha personally subdues the roc.

Origin & ordealThe South Pole Star’s deer prescribes children’s hearts while a fox spirit controls the court.

FateThe star reclaims his deer; the pilgrims kill the fox and save the children.

Origin & ordealOnce spared after stealing offerings at Vulture Peak and treated as kin by Li Jing and Nezha, she later abducts monks.

FateWukong traces her tablets to heaven; Li Jing and Nezha descend to arrest her.

Origin & ordealA leopard spirit of Hidden-Mist Mountain who uses a staged corpse and separation trick against the pilgrims.

FateThe deception fails; Wukong and Bajie break the cave and kill him.

Origin & ordealYellow Lion steals the pilgrims’ weapons; his nine-headed ancestor is the mount of the Taiyi Savior.

FateYellow Lion dies; the celestial master calls the nine-headed lion to heel and rides him home.

Origin & ordealThree rhinos pose as Buddhas to consume lamp oil and fight with cold, heat, and dust powers.

FateFour wood-aligned celestial beasts exploit the natural counter and capture them in true form.

Origin & ordealThe Moon Goddess’s medicine-pounding rabbit, impersonating an Indian princess to force a marriage with Tripitaka.

FateThe lunar deity identifies and returns her to the moon; the true princess is restored.