17 Eternal Paradise

Eternal Paradise is the seventeenth episode of Gensoumaden Saiyuki. It is a filler episode, but the first of the Deseret Arc.

Summary
''"When we meet a mysterious lady in the desert, she leads us to the village of Tofugai. But when we arrive, we find out that it's an abandoned ghost town. Not to mention the weird demon shaped statues sitting around everywhere. Hey wait a second! Why are my feet turning to stone? What's going on here? Does that woman have something to do with this?" - Son Goku''

The Sanzo Ikkou are driving through a desert they've just run out of water. They are heading to the next town on the map, Tofugai. Hakkai brings Jeep to a sudden halt when he sees a young youkai woman. She implores them to take her to Tofugai before collapsing, unconscious. Under Sanzo’s orders, they take her on board and they continue on their way.

They find themselves at the edge of a vast canyon where the map says Tofugai is supposed to be. The youkai woman mysteriously wakes up and informs them the Tofugai is located at the bottom of the gorge. Sanzo tell Hakkai to get them down there. Hakkai responses saying that Hakuryuu can’t fly in his current state, but—following their ever fearless leader’s commands—Hakkai back’s Jeep up only to charge forward over the canyon’s edge.

After a brief crash landing at the bottom, the youkai woman gets out and tell the ikkou to wait at the gate until it opens. After that, they can find her at the tower in the center of the town. The Sanzo ikkou enter the town only to find that it had been abandoned. The reach the tower and find it surrounded by stone sculptures of youkai in their rabid state. A voice comes out over a loud speaker saying that only the chosen ones can save them. Seconds later, the three youkai members of the Sanzo ikkou are holding their head in pain. They all watch in fear as Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku turn to stone before Sanzo’s very eyes. Sanzo reaches out to do something, but retracts his hand as moments early, another statue had disintegrated violently under his touch.

The youkai woman, Kouran, tells Sanzo that her master, Wuhan, prophesied that heroes would come to save their village. When Sanzo fires his gun at her, she vanishes down a shaft. Sanzo follows, only to be lead to a bunker under the tower where the remaining member of the town, children and elderly, are hiding. Kouran takes Sanzo to see Master Wuhan. Sanzo has some choice words for this old mummified monk.

The tower is starting to collapse and Wuhan’s finally dissolves. Sanzo leads the towns people and Kouran back to the surface where the petrified towns folk have reawakened. Kouran uses the powers of the towns people to seal the village away, awaiting the day when the Minus Wave has ceased and the town can live in peace once more.

The Sanzo ikkou are on the road again, right where they left off, but with one seriously bad case of déjà vu.

Quotes

 * "Hakkai, if we don't get this pervy water sprite into town, he's going to dry up." - Son Goku to Hakkai


 * "Pardon me, but Sanzo... Hakuryuu is unable to fly in his current form.. and it's a long way down this gorge." - Cho Hakkai to Sanzo


 * "This mist... It's as thick as pudding." - Son Goku


 * "Hey! Those thing are for smacking people with, not throwing." - Sha Gojyo to Sanzo


 * "Wait, if I touch them they might denigrating also. She lured us here so she could snare us like the rest of them. You've got some nerve." - Genjo Sanzo


 * "It is said that one day, four holy men will arrive. If they be demon, they will turn to stone in the city. If they be human, they will surely help us. This is master Wuhan prophesy." - Kouran to Sanzo


 * "Master Wuhan was everything to us. His prophesies brought us wealth and allowed us to live in peace until that faithful day. The day the mist descended on the gorge. Our fellow towns people working in the fields were suddenly over come by a murderous rage and attack us." - Kouran to Sanzo


 * "A mummified monk. He died while meditating, preserving him instantly." - Genjo Sanzo


 * "You say this is your town? Your town? Just who in the Hell do you think you're talking to sir? I bet you feel like a saint, taking pity on these poor helpless towns people even after you're dead... You're the one ruling to people of this town!" - Genjo Sanzo to Wuhan


 * "Sanzo, We will continue living, but we cannot continue living in the world as it is now. We will wait for day when peace will return to us." - Kouran to Sanzo


 * "Peace, within a tiny glass globe." - Genjo Sanzo


 * "Shut up or I'll turn you all into stone!" - Gnejo Sanzo