Chapter 993
Leaving Lion Camel Ridge
The Golden-Winged Roc looked at Sun Wukong and Chu Yang, who were entangled by black winds and clouds, and a smug smile appeared on its face. It did not linger any longer, spread its golden wings, and carried Tang Sanzang into the sky. Its speed increased, and in the blink of an eye, it sped towards the direction of Lion Camel Ridge.
"Master! Master!" Sun Wukong saw the Golden-Winged Roc carrying Tang Sanzang away, his eyes filled with anxiety and anger. He suddenly exerted his strength, and the Golden Cudgel slammed hard against Hei Feng's back. With a loud "bang", Hei Feng cried out in pain and let out a shrill scream. His body staggered forward and almost fell to the ground.
"You wicked demon, I, Old Sun, have no time to waste words with you!" Sun Wukong roared, ignoring the black wind, turning around, and leaping off in the direction the Golden-Winged Roc had flown away. "You wicked demon, don't run! Put down my master, or I, Old Sun, will chase you to the ends of the earth and kill you!"
Chu Yang also saw the Golden-Winged Roc fly away with Tang Sanzang. He was extremely anxious. He suddenly exerted his strength, and the flames on his fingertips grew brighter and brighter. He slammed his fist into Hei Yun's chest. With a loud "bang", Hei Yun was sent flying and crashed heavily to the ground. He coughed up black blood and struggled to stand up, but he couldn't get up no matter what.
"Bajie, you stay here and watch over these two wicked demons. Don't let them get away! I'm going to help Brother Monkey. Let's chase after Master together!" Chu Yang shouted to Zhu Bajie. After speaking, he turned around, leaped into the air, and sped off towards Sun Wukong at an extremely fast speed.
"Alright! Alright! Brother Chu Yang, don't worry! I, Old Pig, will definitely keep a close eye on these two wicked demons and make sure they don't get away!" Pigsy nodded hurriedly. Although his face was full of fear, he still mustered his courage, picked up the rake from the ground, and stood in front of Black Wind and Black Cloud, watching them warily, afraid that they would take the opportunity to escape.
Black Wind and Black Cloud struggled to their feet, their faces filled with exhaustion and resentment. They looked at Pigsy and sneered, "You idiot, you think you can stop us? You're delusional! Today, we will get rid of you and return to report to the King!"
"Hmph, you two wicked demons, how dare you be so insolent!" Pigsy gripped his rake tightly and shouted at Black Wind and Black Cloud, "Although I, Old Pig, am not as skilled as Brother Monkey and Brother Chu Yang, I am not someone to be trifled with! If you dare to run away, I, Old Pig, will smash you to death with one stroke of my rake!"
Black Wind and Black Cloud exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of disdain in each other's eyes. They knew that Pigsy was mediocre and no match for them. If they joined forces, they could easily get rid of Pigsy and return to report to the Golden-Winged Roc.
"Fool, prepare to die!" Black Wind roared, charging towards Pigsy first, his fists clenched, and he slammed them hard into Pigsy's chest. Black Cloud followed closely behind, charging towards Pigsy and punching him hard in the head.
Pigsy's eyes narrowed, he gripped his rake tightly, and swung it fiercely at Black Wind and Black Cloud. With a crisp "clang," he blocked their attack. The rake collided with his fist, sparks flying, and the impact made Pigsy's arm go numb, causing him to stagger back several steps.
"What incredible strength!" Pigsy's face was full of surprise. He hadn't expected these two little demons to be so strong. But he didn't back down. He knew he had to stop them and not let them escape, otherwise he would be letting down Brother Monkey, Brother Chu Yang, and his master.
"You wicked demons, stop being so arrogant! I, Old Pig, will fight you to the death!" Pigsy roared, gripping his rake tightly once more, and charged towards Black Wind and Black Cloud. The rake swung through the air, making a "whooshing" sound, and each strike was powerful and heavy. Although his skills were not as good as Black Wind and Black Cloud, he still fought with all his might, trying to buy time for Sun Wukong and Chu Yang to return.
Meanwhile, Sun Wukong and Chu Yang were speeding off in the direction the Golden-Winged Roc had flown. Sun Wukong's somersault cloud was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, he caught up with Chu Yang.
"Brother Chu Yang, hurry! Come with me, Old Sun, and catch up with that wicked demon to rescue Master!" Sun Wukong shouted to Chu Yang, his voice filled with anxiety and anger. "That wicked demon is too fast! We must speed up, otherwise, once he returns to Lion Camel Ridge, it will be very difficult for us to rescue Master!"
"Alright! Brother Monkey, I understand!" Chu Yang nodded firmly. He exerted all his strength to speed up and keep up closely behind Sun Wukong. "Brother Monkey, don't worry, we will definitely catch up with that wicked demon and rescue Master! Even if he returns to Lion Camel Ridge, we will still break in and rescue Master. We will never give up!"
"Good! Well said!" Sun Wukong nodded, his eyes filled with determination. "Even if it means braving seas of fire and climbing mountains of knives, I, Old Sun, will rescue my master! That wicked demon, and the three great demon kings of Lion Camel Ridge, I, Old Sun, will not forgive them!"
The two quickened their pace, speeding towards Lion Camel Ridge. High above, the wind howled, and the mountains and forests below rushed past like a revolving lantern. They could clearly see the Golden-Winged Roc, carrying Tang Sanzang, rushing towards Lion Camel Ridge, drawing ever closer.
"You wicked demon! Stop! Release my master!" Sun Wukong roared at the Golden-Winged Roc, his voice echoing through the heavens. "I, Old Sun, have caught up with you! Today, I will kill you and rescue my master!"
Hearing Sun Wukong's voice, the Golden-Winged Roc turned around and saw Sun Wukong and Chu Yang rapidly catching up to him. A hint of surprise crossed his face, followed by a disdainful sneer: "Sun Wukong, Chu Yang, you two are quite fast! However, catching up with me and rescuing Tang Sanzang won't be so easy! I'll be back at Lion Camel Ridge soon. Once there, I'll have my elder brothers and 48,000 lesser demons. Even if you catch up with me, you won't be able to save Tang Sanzang; instead, you'll risk your own lives!"
"You wicked demon, stop spouting such nonsense!" Sun Wukong sneered, speeding up again. "Even if we reach Lion Camel Ridge, I, Old Sun, am not afraid! Back in the day, I, Old Sun, wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, and even the Jade Emperor had to give me some leeway. Your 48,000 lesser demons of Lion Camel Ridge, along with your three great demon kings, even if they join forces, are no match for me, Old Sun! Today, I, Old Sun, will definitely rescue my master and raze Lion Camel Ridge to the ground!"
Chu Yang also shouted at the Golden-Winged Roc, "Golden-Winged Roc, put down your master and surrender immediately, and perhaps we can spare your life! Otherwise, when we catch up with you, we will definitely tear you to pieces and avenge our grievances!"
"Hahaha, what a pipe dream!" The Golden-Winged Roc laughed loudly, his tone disdainful. "You two think you can make me surrender? What a joke! Let me tell you, I will not let Tang Sanzang go. If you have the guts, come and chase me!"
As he spoke, the Golden-Winged Roc accelerated once more, spreading its golden wings and flapping them with astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, it drew ever closer to Lion Camel Ridge. The outline of Lion Camel Ridge was now clearly visible—its dark, sinister peaks filled the air with a dense, oppressive demonic aura. Sun Wukong and Chu Yang also exerted all their strength, speeding up to keep up closely behind the Golden-Winged Roc, closing the distance between them. They knew that once the Golden-Winged Roc returned to Lion Camel Ridge, rescuing their master would become even more difficult. They had to catch up with him and rescue their master before he returned to Lion Camel Ridge.
"Master, please hold on a little longer! I, Old Sun, will be there to save you soon!" Sun Wukong shouted to Tang Sanzang, his voice filled with anxiety and determination. "That wicked demon will soon be defeated by me, Old Sun. Don't be afraid!"
Tang Sanzang was held captive by the Golden-Winged Roc, unable to move, his face filled with fear. But upon hearing Sun Wukong's voice, a glimmer of hope returned to his heart. He whispered, "Wukong, Chu Yang, be careful. Don't be reckless. That Golden-Winged Roc is incredibly powerful. You must be careful in dealing with it. Don't hurt yourselves trying to save me."
"Master, don't worry! We will be careful, and we will definitely get you out of here!" Chu Yang shouted to Tang Sanzang, his tone firm. "Just hang in there a little longer, we'll catch up with that wicked demon soon!"
Hearing the conversation between Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, and Chu Yang, the Golden-Winged Roc showed a hint of impatience on its face and shouted sternly, "Shut up, all of you! Tang Sanzang, don't count on Sun Wukong and that mortal coming to save you. When you get to Lion Camel Ridge, the three of us brothers will swallow you whole and use you as nourishment to enhance our magical power! Sun Wukong, Chu Yang, don't waste your energy. You can't catch up with me at all, and even if you do, you can't save Tang Sanzang!"
With that, the Golden-Winged Roc quickened its pace again, speeding towards the gate of Lion Camel Ridge. The gate of Lion Camel Ridge was tall and majestic, built of dark black rock. Two tall, lesser demons stood guard at the entrance, their expressions wary, weapons in hand. Seeing the Golden-Winged Roc bringing Tang Sanzang, they quickly bowed and shouted, "Greetings, Great Roc King! Your Majesty, you've returned!"
"Yes!" The Golden-Winged Roc nodded, his tone urgent. "Quickly, open the mountain gate. I need to take Tang Sanzang to see my elder brother and second elder brother!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The two little demons responded quickly and opened the mountain gate. The gate slowly opened, revealing the eerie and terrifying interior of Lion Camel Ridge, filled with demonic energy. The faint roars of the little demons could be heard, sending chills down one's spine.
The Golden-Winged Roc did not linger. Carrying Tang Sanzang, it sped towards the interior of Lion Camel Ridge and soon disappeared into the depths of the ridge.
Sun Wukong and Chu Yang also arrived at the entrance of Lion Camel Ridge. Seeing the gate slowly closing, their faces were filled with anxiety and anger.
"You wicked demon! Don't run away!" Sun Wukong roared, leaped into the air, and smashed his golden cudgel down on the mountain gate. With a loud "bang," the gate shook violently, but it remained tightly shut and unmoved.
"Damn it! This mountain gate is so sturdy!" Sun Wukong's eyes were filled with rage. He raised his golden cudgel again and smashed it hard against the mountain gate. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" With one loud bang after another, the mountain gate shook violently, but it was still not broken open. Only a few fine cracks appeared.
Chu Yang also arrived at the mountain gate. Looking at the tightly closed gate, his face was full of solemnity. He said to Sun Wukong in a low voice, "Brother Monkey, don't waste your energy. This mountain gate is made of black rock and is very sturdy. Moreover, it is covered with a demonic energy array. It will be difficult for your golden cudgel to break it open."
"What should we do?" Sun Wukong stopped, his eyes filled with anxiety and helplessness. "Master has been kidnapped by that wicked demon and taken to Lion Camel Ridge. If we can't get in, we won't be able to rescue Master! Are we just going to watch Master be eaten by them?"
"Brother Monkey, don't worry, we can't panic," Chu Yang said softly, his eyes fixed on the mountain gate, observing it carefully. "Although we can't force our way in, we can think of other ways to sneak into Lion Camel Ridge and rescue Master. We've already sneaked into Lion Camel Ridge once before and are familiar with its layout. We can sneak in again from the south or north entrance, avoiding the eyes of the lesser demons, find Master, and then quietly leave Lion Camel Ridge with him."
Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's eyes lit up, and he said, "Yes! Yes! Brother Chu Yang, you're right! We can sneak into Lion Camel Ridge again and rescue Master! We sneaked into Lion Camel Ridge from the south entrance before. The guards at the south entrance are relatively lax. We can sneak into Lion Camel Ridge from the south entrance again, avoid the eyes of the lesser demons, find Master, and then take Master away quietly!"
"Hmm." Chu Yang nodded and said, "However, this time, the defenses at Lion Camel Ridge will definitely be more stringent than before. We must be careful, conceal our aura, and try to avoid the sight of the lesser demons. We cannot be discovered by them, otherwise, we will not only fail to rescue our master, but also lose our own lives."
"Don't worry! I know!" Sun Wukong nodded, his tone firm. "I will conceal my aura and carefully sneak into Lion Camel Ridge. I will definitely not be discovered by any of the little demons! As long as I can save my master, I will do anything, even if it means being shattered to pieces!"
"Alright! Brother Monkey, let's head to the south entrance now and sneak into Lion Camel Ridge!" Chu Yang said. "We must be careful and quick, and try to find Master and rescue him before the three demon kings devour him!"
"Alright! Let's go!" Sun Wukong nodded, said no more, turned around, and ran quickly towards the south intersection. Chu Yang followed closely behind, his figure light and agile, and quickly ran towards the south intersection.
Inside Lion Camel Ridge, the Green-Haired Lion Monster and the Yellow-Toothed Elephant Monster sat anxiously in the central palace, awaiting news from the Golden-Winged Roc. The skull lanterns within the palace still glowed with eerie green light, making their狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) faces appear even more terrifying. The air was thick with a nauseating stench of demonic energy and blood. (End of Chapter)