From a naive and ignorant young monkey with exceptional talents to a powerhouse at the Half-Emperor level, the Six-Eared Macaque had taken less than five hundred years. Amongst all the deities and Buddhas in the heavens, aside from those special beings born with imnse innate strength, the Six-Eared Macaque could be deed a rare genius once in a millennium.
However, all these achievents seed insignificant in front of the Ling Ming Stone Monkey, Sun Wukong. They were born at almost the sa ti, yet Wukong had ascended to the status of a Demon Emperor, an Emperor-level powerhouse, five hundred years ago—a position almost at the pinnacle of this world.
As his master had explained, nine is the ultimate number in this universe, signifying that each power or race, or systematic entity, could have at most nine Emperor-level powerhouses. The Heavenly Dao divides them: all demons belong to the Demon Clan, which ans there can be at most nine Demon Emperors within the entire clan.
Heaven too has its bounds, encompassing all those who follow the Taoist Arts and ascend through Taoist sects. Lastly, there is Buddhism—any cultivator who studies the Buddhist Law and takes Buddha as their belief falls within Buddhism's influence, with a maximum of nine Buddhas. The Buddhas of Buddhism, just like the Immortal and Demon Emperors, are equivalent in rank but differ in na.
Having spent five hundred years in cultivation, now only at the Half-Emperor level, the Six-Eared Macaque felt a profound sense of discontent. Thus, upon leaving the Northern Ju Lu continent, he didn't even hesitate and headed straight for East Shengzhou.
This journey had two purposes: one was to visit his monkey tribe compatriots at Flower Fruit Mountain, and the other was to find that Ling Ming Stone Monkey, Sun Wukong, and challenge him to a battle.
Although his master had said that Wukong would be his most steadfast brother, this did not diminish the Six-Eared Macaque's determination for that one battle.
From the Northern Ju Lu continent to East Shengzhou, it had taken years of aimless drifting across the ocean, whereas now, a single month was enough.
The Six-Eared Macaque sat atop a Flying Cloud, and couldn't help but take out the Dragon Blood Staff given to him by his master. Initially, the Six-Eared Macaque had simply acquired the heartwood from a millennium-old Bloodwood tree without any special refinent.
But the Dragon Blood Staff in his hands now was different; the entire staff exhibited a bewitching crimson color, with a small red dragon constantly moving along the staff's body. Yet when the Six-Eared Macaque reached out to touch it, his hands only felt the cold surface of the staff, as if the dragon didn't exist at all—although his eyes could certainly see it.
After pondering for a long ti without understanding, just as he was about to stow it away, he suddenly recalled the refinent thod his master had taught him. Therefore, the Six-Eared Macaque placed the Dragon Blood Staff across his crossed legs, gripped it tightly with both hands, and closed his eyes. Simultaneously, his Divine Sense surged out, enveloping the staff completely.
He felt every detail of the Dragon Blood Staff intimately; initially, there was no reaction from his Divine Sense—he only felt a sowhat chilly staff. However, as ti passed, an expression of astonishnt increasingly appeared on the Six-Eared Macaque's face, as though the tiny staff in his hands contained so enormous secret.
Thus, an entire day and night passed in such revelation for the Six-Eared Macaque.
When sunset arrived on the second day, the Six-Eared Macaque suddenly opened his eyes. Then, with one toss of the Dragon Blood Staff in his hand, he shouted loudly, "Crimson Blood Roaming Dragon Staff, transform."
No sooner had his voice echoed than a three-zhang-long crimson Divine Dragon split off from the Dragon Blood Staff thrown aloft. This crimson Divine Dragon's scales were crystal clear, looking as if they were carved from red crystals.
On closer inspection, one could see this approximately three-zhang-long crimson Divine Dragon possessed five claws—a supre being within the Dragon Race, a Five-Clawed Divine Dragon.
As soon as the crimson Divine Dragon appeared, it imdiately swooped downward and began to circle around the Six-Eared Macaque ceaselessly.
Far from displaying any surprise at this scene, the Six-Eared Macaque looked excited. It seed that he had begun to gradually master the Dragon Blood Staff, although its na should now be the Crimson Blood Roaming Dragon Staff!
With a joyous shout, the Six-Eared Macaque held the Crimson Blood Roaming Dragon Staff aloft, and the speed of his Cloud Riding increased by a third.
At that mont, the Six-Eared Macaque's six ears suddenly twitched, and he involuntarily slowed down his swift flight, even coming to a stop midair. Yet as soon as he halted, the sound he had just heard was no longer there. This puzzled the Six-Eared Macaque—he possessed Innate Divine Abilities, with six ears that could discern celestial sounds and discern all truths.
No ordinary sound could escape his hearing. Thus, it seed unlikely he had been mistaken; rather a being with strength far surpassing his own had arrived.
With this thought, the Six-Eared Macaque simply decided to descend slowly to the ground, controlling the Flying Cloud with ease. At this ti, he was at the edge of Western Niu Hezhou, above a boundless vast forest. The Six-Eared Macaque dispelled the Flying Cloud and, with a leap, descended onto a towering ancient tree.
As the Six-Eared Macaque descended from the ancient tree to the ground, he noticed an old monk seated underneath the tree. The monk was sitting cross-legged on a Ninth Grade Lotus Pedestal, but he didn't radiate any strong aura; he seed just like an ordinary old monk.
However, this could deceive others, but not the Six-Eared Macaque. It was rely that the old monk's strength was too overwhelming, allowing the Six-Eared Macaque only to vaguely discern that the person before him was no ordinary monk. As for who it could be, the Six-Eared Macaque could only sense a vast Buddha's power.
"Benefactor, you've been gazing at this poor monk for quite so ti. Has this monk offended you in any way?" The old monk seed to feel the Six-Eared Macaque's stare, or perhaps he heard the sound of the Six-Eared Macaque landing from the tree, and hence he spoke up to inquire.
"You monk are quite peculiar, possessing the strength to reach the heavens yet pretending to be an ordinary person. Could it be that you're planning to deceive soone?" Although the Six-Eared Macaque did not know the extent of this person's abilities, he was not overly scared. After all, a true powerhouse must harbor a heart without fear.
"Heh heh, patron, you have quite the eye. However, this poor monk does indeed behave this way, not wishing to deceive anyone, but rely to help a certain individual understand the true self within their heart."
"Hehe, in this world, I dare not claim much, but it would be exceedingly difficult for anyone to deceive . Are you sitting here waiting for soone, monk?"
In fact, the reason the Six-Eared Macaque spoke so much to this monk was because, from the mont of his birth to the present, aside from his initial interactions with his monkey tribe siblings, he only had his young master to speak with. However, it seed his master was not one for idle chatter.
During his several hundred years in the Nine Heavens Palace, aside from cultivation, he could only speak to the air, which, for an active monkey, was indeed quite lonely and stifling.
Now that he had finally left the Nine Heavens Palace and encountered a monk he had never seen before, the Six-Eared Macaque's interest was piqued imnsely.
The monk continued to keep his eyes closed and did not look to see who he was speaking with, but simply replied, "The person this poor monk is waiting for is you."
"Huh? Waiting for ? Ahaha, that's really amusing. You don't even know who I am, do you? You really are an interesting monk," laughed the Six-Eared Macaque.
"Are you perhaps one of the four great monkeys of the monkey tribe, the Six-Eared Macaque?"
"What? You actually know? Then tell , why are you waiting for ?"
"Heh heh, it is only because there is a great unwillingness in your heart, patron. You seek soone, but that person is not at your intended destination."
"Oh? You know who I seek? Then where are they?"
"The one you seek has set off with a monk nad Tang Sanzang toward the Western Paradise. At this mont, they are on their way."
"Why do you know so much? What are you trying to achieve by telling all this?" Initially driven by curiosity, the Six-Eared Macaque suddenly realized that the old monk was indeed specifically waiting for him. How could the Six-Eared Macaque not be astonished?
"Five hundred years in Beiju Luzhou have already granted you enough strength, perhaps, you are the one most suited to be the king of the monkey tribe. Five hundred years have caused the monkey tribe to forget about you. In their hearts, now there is only the Ling Ming Stone Monkey, Sun Wukong, with no thought whatsoever of a Six-Eared Macaque. In their eyes, you have long been dead."
"Yet, you have been silently giving your all for the monkey tribe behind the scenes. Who knows of this? Therefore, you need a battle. Go forth, go defeat the Ling Ming Stone Monkey, and from then on, you shall be the true king of both the monkey tribe and the Demon Clan. The title of the Beautiful Monkey King, Great Sage Equalling Heaven should be yours, Six-Eared Macaque!"
"Go on, go find him. On the way to the Western Paradise, there's a monkey, a pig, and a half-demon, plus a monk. Go find him and then, defeat him!"
The voice was still echoing in the air, but the old monk had vanished. What remained was only the Six-Eared Macaque, his eyes revealing a fierce desire to battle. However, in his eyes, besides the desire to fight, there was unexpectedly... a sense of being controlled by soone else!
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