With his Great Luo Golden Immortal cultivation, Sun Wukong quickly finished reading the entire Journey to the West and consud its contents. After finishing, his face turned pale, and he beca more somber.
At this mont, he recalled what Master Bodhi had said about fate, as well as what the mysterious immortal, Alex, had spoken about defying the heavens and slaying gods.
So, was this the fate he was originally destined for? To go and wreak havoc in the Heavenly Palace, only to be suppressed under the Five Elents Mountain, then escort Jin Chanzi to the West for reincarnation, enduring nurous trials and hardships to achieve the title of Victorious Fighting Buddha?
It sounded pretty good, after all, as it ended in peace. With Buddhism as his support, he could consider himself having a strong backing in the vast wilderness.
But Sun Wukong was not satisfied at all. He could not accept this outco.
Victorious Fighting Buddha was all well and good, but constantly being restricted ant he would never regain his original sharpness.
At that point, the Great Sage Equalling Heaven would be dead, and so would Sun Wukong. What would remain would be just a monkey whose initial wild nature had been worn down by rules!
No, he didn't want this!
Sun Wukong clenched his fists.
He wanted to break fate, break the established cause and effect!
What Great Journey to the West catastrophe? Even if the saints were manipulating everything behind the scenes, he would break free—he wanted freedom!
With this resolution, Sun Wukong felt his spiritual energy rapidly circulate, and a crisp breaking sound seed to echo from within his body.
In the next mont, his spiritual power surged, and in a single thought, he shattered the thick barrier between the Great Luo Golden Immortal and the quasi-saint realms, stepping into the quasi-saint stage with one foot!
When he realized what had happened, he was astonished to find himself at the brink of becoming a quasi-saint. As long as he fully broke free from his restraints, he could step into the quasi-saint realm and achieve the sa level as Master Bodhi, the Buddha, or the Jade Emperor!
After calming his internal energy, Sun Wukong finally had ti to consider his next move.
At this point, he no longer planned to et with Bull Demon King and the others.
These so-called brothers were mostly just casual acquaintances, and the few real brothers left would be dragged into trouble if they were to befriend him after his havoc in the Heavenly Palace.
Since bonding would only lead to tragedy for both sides, it was better not to et at all!
Thus, after telling one of his monkeys to politely send off Bull Demon King and the others, he ignored them and retreated into the Water Curtain Cave to solidify his foundation.
Once his foundation was fully secured, he would go to the Dragon Palace to acquire the Ruyi Jingu Bang.
This was the weapon most suited for him, and even though he knew it was a trap, he had no choice but to go!
---
Outside, Bull Demon King and the others had long since grown impatient.
Suddenly, Peng Demon King slamd his wine cup onto the ground, complaining, "This damned monkey, we ca to greet him with courtesy, and he treats us like this!"
The Monkey King nodded, scratching his head and saying, "Such disrespect! We are all at least several hundred years older than him, and yet he acts this way. Big Brother, maybe we should just leave!"
Bull Demon King, about to speak, was interrupted by a monkey suddenly running over.
This monkey looked sowhat fearful of the six powerful kings but still mustered the courage to speak:
"Six great kings, our lord is currently unwell. It would be better to reschedule for another day!"
"What?!" The mont the monkey finished speaking, the six mighty demons exploded in fury.
The Monkey King roared, "You brat, how dare you insult !"
Peng Demon King imdiately added, "Big Brother, let's act together and show this junior a lesson. He needs to understand how to respect his elders!"
At this mont, Bull Demon King was also getting angry. He declared with authority:
"It seems our tempers have been too good!"
Seeing their big brother speak, the other demons imdiately grew excited.
After all, the Bull Demon King was at the Golden Immortal stage, just a step away from the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, and could even exchange blows with one.
With him leading the attack, they were confident they could easily take down Sun Wukong.
So of them had even darker thoughts—once Sun Wukong was dealt with, the Water Curtain Cave would be defenseless. Why not just take it over for themselves?
At that mont, the Roc Demon King suddenly revealed part of his true form, opening his massive beak to swallow the monkey in front of him.
"I'll start with you! That Sun Wukong needs to learn that no matter how powerful he is, he must respect his elders!"
Seeing the Roc Demon King attacking, the little monkey was so terrified that his soul nearly left his body, imdiately trying to flee.
But how could he possibly escape the Roc Demon King's grasp? A fierce gust of wind caught him, pulling him straight toward the demon's gaping mouth.
The other demons watched without the slightest reaction.
To them, it was just a monkey. If it died, so be it—there was no need to care.
However, what happened next took them completely by surprise.
Just as the monkey was about to be swallowed, one of its hairs suddenly radiated a dazzling golden light!
A massive force burst forth from the hair, instantly striking the Roc Demon King.
Despite possessing the powerful bloodline of the Golden-Winged Great Peng, the Roc Demon King was unable to withstand the imnse energy. In an instant, his body exploded into a mist of blood, leaving not even a trace behind!
The six powerful demons stood frozen, unable to move.
For a long while, they remained motionless, watching as the monkey scurried away. When nothing else happened, the Bull Demon King let out a dry cough, carefully avoiding any ntion of the Roc Demon King's death. Instead, he spoke as if nothing had happened:
"I think... since Great Sage Sun does not wish to see us, we shouldn't trouble him further. We can always visit another ti."
The Monkey King imdiately agreed.
"Exactly, exactly! There's always ti later—no need to rush!"
In the next mont, with the Bull Demon King leading the way, the five remaining demons hurriedly fled the Water Curtain Cave in a panic.
The scene left the monkeys bewildered. They had no idea what was going on with these so-called great kings.
Once they were far from the Water Curtain Cave, the Bull Demon King finally let out a long breath—but he did not stop. Without even saying goodbye to the others, he flew at full speed toward his own lair.
As the strongest and most knowledgeable among them, he couldn't determine Sun Wukong's exact cultivation, but he was certain it was at least within the Great Luo or Taiyi realm.
Heaven help them—when did another Great Luo or Taiyi True Immortal appear in this world?
And it was a monkey?!
What truly terrified him, though, was that this monkey might actually be at the Great Luo Golden Immortal level—or even higher.
Because from that single monkey hair, he had sensed the legendary power of the Heaven-Shaking, Earth-Rattling Divine Ability!
That was one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Divine Powers—the pinnacle of divine arts.
Only the disciples of the Three Pure Ones or other supre sects were qualified to learn such abilities.
These disciples cultivated the most orthodox Daoist techniques, and their combat strength far surpassed those who took the side paths.
Among them, those who broke through the Golden Immortal stage would undoubtedly reach the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm!
No, he had to move faster—faster!
From this day forward, he, the old Bull, would never set foot in Flower Fruit Mountain again!
Inside the Water Curtain Cave, seeing the Roc Demon King attack his fellow monkeys, Sun Wukong had originally intended to make them all stay.
But in the end, his heart was still soft. He had too little experience, and despite the shallow bonds of brotherhood recorded in Journey to the West, there was still so camaraderie between them.
Because of this, Sun Wukong chose to spare their lives.
For the next few months, he focused entirely on stabilizing his foundation.
One day, he finally erged from seclusion, having fully consolidated his strength with the power of Chaos.
Without a doubt, he was now the strongest being beneath the Quasi-Saint level.
If he were to face Yang Jian or Nezha from Journey to the West, he could now defeat them with ease!
Feeling pleased with his newfound strength, Sun Wukong decided to press forward and retrieve the Ruyi Jingu Bang from the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace.
However, he did not rush in recklessly. Instead, he pondered the best way to obtain the Ruyi Jingu Bang at the lowest possible cost.
As he continued to read through Journey to the West, he eventually ca to a decision—he would barge in head-on.
After all, the Golden Staff was a trap set by the many Buddhas in the heavens. Even if he didn't take the bait now, they would find other ways to ensnare him in the future.
Rather than allowing them to manipulate him from the shadows, he might as well take the bait on his own terms—catching them off guard in the process!
After all, open attacks were easier to defend against than hidden sches. By bringing everything into the open, he could counter each move as it ca!
With his plan set, Sun Wukong no longer hesitated. He stepped onto his cloud and headed straight for the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace.
---
This ti, he did not enter the water in the way described in Journey to the West. Instead, he used the divine ability "Turning Rivers and Stirring Seas".
This ability allowed him to manipulate rivers, lakes, and seas, creating massive tidal waves. If he could master it completely and combine it with his imnse cultivation, he would be even stronger in underwater battles than the dragon clan itself!
Carefully avoiding the shrimp soldiers and crab generals, Sun Wukong managed to reach the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace without being detected.
---
Inside the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace, the Dragon King of the East Sea was playing a ga of Touhu with the princesses of the palace.
Unlike the lively and enthusiastic dragon princesses who were fully imrsed in the ga, the Dragon King himself seed distracted, his mind elsewhere.
As the ruler of the Eastern Sea and the leader of the four seas, he was well aware of the upcoming Journey to the West catastrophe.
The dragon clan, too, had been assigned a role by the countless Buddhas of the West—they were to hand over the Staff to Sun Wukong and then pretend to file a complaint to the Jade Emperor.
He had no desire to be involved in this ss, especially since this was a tribulation that spanned the entire Primordial World.
However, the dragon race was weak. Even the lowest-ranked immortals could easily oppress them—let alone the Western Saints, who had orchestrated this catastrophe. They had no choice but to comply.
With no alternative, he was forced to agree.
In truth, he harbored no ill will toward Sun Wukong. On the contrary, he actually felt a sense of sympathy for him—after all, they were both bound by fate.
Yet, to protect himself and the four seas, he had no choice but to help the Buddhas manipulate Sun Wukong.
What a pity... a naturally born stone monkey...
At that mont, the youngest princess of the Dragon Palace noticed her father's distracted expression. After a brief mont of thought, she stepped forward and said:
"Father, I failed to hit the target twice just now. Why don't you take a turn for ?"
She was trying to distract the Eastern Sea Dragon King, pulling him away from his troubling thoughts.
Seeing his beloved youngest daughter making such a request, how could the Dragon King refuse?
"Alright, alright, I'll help you."
Another princess, noticing her sister's intent, quickly added:
"Even if Father is throwing on your behalf, if he misses, he still has to drink!"
The other princesses chid in excitedly:
"That's right, that's right! Father has to drink too!"
The Eastern Sea Dragon King's daughters giggled, their playful chatter temporarily drawing his attention away from his worries. He chuckled and said,
"Alright, alright, as you wish!"
He picked up an arrow, preparing to throw it into the pot when a shrimp soldier suddenly rushed in to report:
"Your Majesty! Sun Wukong of the Water Curtain Cave on Flower Fruit Mountain has arrived to see you!"
The Dragon King froze. That na had haunted his thoughts for months. By all logic, Sun Wukong should have arrived much earlier—why was he only coming now?
Had sothing unexpected happened?
Despite his doubts, the Dragon King knew better than to be careless. This was a demon who had drawn the attention of the Buddhas themselves. He imdiately ordered,
"Bring him in at once!"
Led by the shrimp soldiers, Sun Wukong entered the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace and ca face-to-face with the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea.
Unlike the wild and unruly image described in later stories, Sun Wukong greeted him with impeccable courtesy, bowing like a refined human cultivator.
"Greetings, Dragon King!"
The Dragon King studied him curiously. No matter how he looked, he couldn't understand why this monkey had drawn the attention of the heavens. What was so special about him that even the Buddhas had devised sches against him?
Feigning ignorance, the Dragon King asked,
"May I ask what brings such a distinguished immortal to my palace today?"
Sun Wukong, well-versed in Journey to the West, knew that by now, soone should have inford the Dragon King of his arrival. The Dragon King's attempt to act surprised was nothing more than an act.
Frankly, his acting was rather unconvincing.
Still, had Sun Wukong not already known the general outline of Journey to the West, he might not have noticed the slight flaws in the Dragon King's performance.
Holding back a smirk, he said,
"I, Old Sun, have recently completed my training and have co to seek a weapon!"
The Dragon King nodded to himself—just as expected, the monkey had co looking for a weapon.
All he needed to do was present a few ordinary weapons to humor him before guiding him to the Divine Needle Stabilizing the Seas.
"I see," the Dragon King said with a nod. "If the esteed immortal seeks a weapon, that is no trouble at all."
He turned to his attendants and ordered,
"Bring out the nine-pronged steel fork—"
But before he could finish, an imnse and terrifying aura suddenly exploded from Sun Wukong.
The sheer pressure froze the shrimp soldiers and crab generals in place, forcing even the Dragon Princesses to the ground. Only the Dragon King himself could barely stand his ground.
Feeling this overwhelming power, the Dragon King's expression changed dramatically.
'This Sun Wukong is at least a Golden Immortal, if not higher. Is he a Taiyi Dao Fruit cultivator or even a Da Luo Dao Fruit cultivator?
No wonder the Buddhas took such pains to plot against him. He is truly formidable.'
For the first ti, panic gripped the Dragon King. His earlier composure was completely gone.
The dragon race had declined over the years. With Sun Wukong's current power, he alone could slaughter the entire Eastern Sea Dragon Palace if he wished!
Just as the Dragon King was feeling utterly overwheld, Sun Wukong suddenly withdrew his aura, speaking in an indifferent tone:
"Old Dragon King, I suggest you bring out a weapon that actually matches my cultivation level.
Any low-quality, hastily made weapons? Old Sun can forge those himself."
The Dragon King knew there was no point in pretending any longer. He quickly said,
"Esteed Immortal, in my sea treasury, there is an iron staff called the Divine Needle Stabilizing the Seas. It was once used by the ancient King Yu to asure the depths of rivers and oceans.
It weighs 13,500 jin (about 8,100 kg).
I believe this treasure will surely satisfy you!"
The mont the Dragon King ntioned the Ruyi Jingu Bang, Sun Wukong's eyes glead with golden light.
"Excellent! Let's go take a look!"
With Sun Wukong and the Dragon King leading the way, the entire group set off toward the resting place of the Divine Needle Stabilizing the Seas.
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