Adapting this epic into a 70-page graded reader is a monumental task. The Oxford Dominoes edition succeeds by focusing on the core narrative arc: the pilgrimage to India to retrieve sacred Buddhist scriptures (sutras).

The story shifts when the monk Tang Sanzang (often referred to as the Master or Tripitaka) rescues Monkey. Thus begins the formation of the team. The Dominoes edition introduces the other key members of the pilgrimage: