Chapter 631
An earth-shattering battle!
The separation of his primordial spirit from his body was already extremely taxing, and he had also been seriously injured in the previous battle, making him even weaker at this moment. If it weren't for his unwavering belief, he would probably have collapsed long ago.
He dared not linger for a moment, flying all the way towards Luojia Mountain in the South China Sea—now, only Guanyin Bodhisattva could save him and help him retrieve his luggage and travel documents.
After flying for an unknown amount of time, the outline of Luojia Mountain in the South China Sea finally came into view.
The familiar auspicious clouds and the familiar purple bamboo forest warmed Sha Wujing's heart and relaxed his tense nerves slightly.
He mustered his last bit of strength and landed outside the bamboo forest. Just as he was about to call for help, he saw a figure emerge from the bamboo forest.
The figure wearing a phoenix-winged purple-gold crown, a golden chainmail armor, and holding the Ruyi Jingu Bang (a magical staff), who else could it be but Sun Wukong?
"It's you!"
Sha Wujing's spirit was instantly blinded by rage. He was convinced that the Sun Wukong in front of him was the fake Monkey King who had impersonated his master and senior brother on the new Flower Fruit Mountain and shattered his physical body! Old and new grudges surged into his heart. Ignoring his own weakness, he gathered his last bit of magic power, transformed it into an illusory demon-subduing staff, and smashed it fiercely towards Sun Wukong.
Sun Wukong was preoccupied with the matter of inheritance and was about to bid farewell to Guanyin to explore the depths of the South Sea when he suddenly felt a sharp aura approaching.
He was startled and instinctively dodged to the side, but the attack came too suddenly and was filled with a resolute hatred, so he was unable to completely avoid it.
"boom"
With a loud thud, the illusory staff slammed solidly into his chest. Sun Wukong felt a strange power surge into his body, his blood churning, and his body was involuntarily sent flying backward, crashing heavily into a purple bamboo with a "crack."
With a loud crash, the thousand-year-old purple bamboo was broken in half.
"Ugh!"
Sun Wukong clutched his chest, coughing up blood, his eyes filled with astonishment and rage. "Sha Wujing! Have you gone mad? Why did you suddenly attack me?"
Sha Wujing's primordial spirit was also weakened; that attack had almost exhausted all his strength.
He pointed at Sun Wukong, his voice trembling with rage: "You monster! How dare you impersonate me, steal my luggage and travel documents, and shatter my physical body! I will never let you live under the same sky!"
"What disguise? What luggage document?"
Sun Wukong was even more confused. Just as he was about to retort, he saw Guanyin Bodhisattva slowly walk down from the lotus platform and say calmly, "Wujing, do not make a move."
The person before me is the real Sun Wukong.
"Really?"
Sha Wujing's spirit was stunned, his eyes filled with confusion, "But...but in the new Flower Fruit Mountain, there is another Wukong who looks exactly like him. He is also with a fake me and a fake Bajie. Master is with him too!"
Guanyin nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over Sun Wukong, and slowly said, "Wukong, are you aware that a six-eared macaque has recently appeared on the new Flower Fruit Mountain in the East Sea? It is adept at imitating the forms of others and confusing the public."
It seems he impersonated you and Wujing, and kidnapped Tang Sanzang and Bajie.
"The Six-Eared Macaque?"
Sun Wukong frowned, and suddenly understood. "No wonder I felt something was off when I heard the summoning of the Chaotic Demon Ape's legacy. It seems that the appearance of this Six-Eared Macaque is also related to that legacy! He dared to impersonate me and even kidnap my master and junior brother. He is truly audacious!"
Sha Wujing suddenly realized his mistake and felt ashamed: "Brother Wukong, I misunderstood you. Please don't take offense."
Sun Wukong waved his hand. Although his chest still ached slightly, he was more concerned about Tang Sanzang's safety and the Six-Eared Macaque's provocation: "Never mind, ignorance is no excuse."
That six-eared macaque dares to be so arrogant! I will expose his true colors and tear him to pieces!
Guanyin looked at the two of them and said slowly, "That Six-Eared Macaque is quite powerful and skilled in transformation. It would be good for you two to travel together and look after each other."
"Go quickly to the new Flower Fruit Mountain, rescue Tang Sanzang, and retrieve the travel permit. Don't let that demon monkey ruin the great journey to the West!"
"I will obey the Bodhisattva's decree!"
The primordial spirits of Sun Wukong and Sha Wujing responded in unison.
Sun Wukong stood up, stretched his limbs, and the pain in his chest gradually subsided. He brandished his golden cudgel, a fierce glint in his eyes: "Junior Brother Sha, let's go! Let's meet that Six-Eared Macaque and see what he's really capable of!"
Sha Wujing's spirit nodded, and with the help of a wisp of Buddhist light emanating from Guanyin, it regained some of its power. It transformed into a stream of light and followed behind Sun Wukong, flying towards the direction of the new Flower Fruit Mountain in the East Sea.
The two rode on auspicious clouds at great speed, and soon arrived at the new Flower and Fruit Mountain again.
Looking from afar, in the open space in front of the cave, the Six-Eared Macaque was still impersonating Sun Wukong, standing with the fake Sha Wujing and the fake Zhu Bajie, while Tang Sanzang sat to the side, looking somewhat uneasy, clearly sensing that something was amiss.
"Six-Eared Macaque! You monster, how dare you cause trouble here!" Sun Wukong roared, his voice echoing through the valley like thunder, causing the leaves around him to rustle.
Hearing the voice, the Six-Eared Macaque turned his head and saw the real Sun Wukong. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, which then turned into a mocking smile: "Oh? He really came? Perfect, let me show you who is more suitable to be the eldest brother of this pilgrimage team, and who deserves to possess this opportunity of heaven and earth!"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Enraged, Sun Wukong flashed forward and was already in front of the Six-Eared Macaque. His golden cudgel, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, smashed straight down on the Six-Eared Macaque's head. "Take this from your old Sun!"
The somersault cloud broke through a faint membrane, like a shooting star falling into a chaotic and ignorant little world.
Sun Wukong stood on the cloud, feeling that the spiritual energy around him was so thick that it was almost tangible. With each breath, wisps of chaotic energy entered his meridians through his mouth and nose, making the hair on his body stand up slightly. He felt both unfamiliar and faintly intimate, as if connected by blood.
Below was not the mountains and vegetation one might have imagined, but a vast, boundless plain of black rocks. The rocks were covered with fine cracks, as if they had weathered countless years. In the center of the plain, an ancient altar stood abruptly. The altar was built of unknown bluish-black boulders, each stone engraved with twisted and intertwined ancient runes. The runes were dim and lacked luster, yet they exuded an aura of majesty that suppressed eternity.
Around the altar, nine stone tablets, also carved from dark blue-black boulders, are arranged in a ring. The tablets are towering into the clouds, with smooth, mirror-like surfaces. Intricate murals can be vaguely seen on them, but they are too far away to see clearly.
Sun Wukong descended from the clouds and slowly landed on the black rock ground in front of the altar. The moment his feet touched the rocks, a chilling coldness spread up his body. At the same time, he keenly sensed that the laws of this small world seemed to be completely different from the outside world, more ancient and more violent. The chaotic aura in the air made the monkey hairs on his body stand on end, yet he also felt an indescribable sense of comfort, as if parched land had encountered sweet rain.
He composed himself, his gaze falling on the first stone tablet on the far left, and slowly walked over.
As you approach the stone tablet, the details of the murals come into clear view.
On the stone tablet, the first mural depicts a boundless chaos. Within the chaos, air currents surge and lightning intertwines. In the pitch-black chaos, a point of golden light suddenly shines, growing brighter and brighter until it transforms into an enormous ape.
This ape was ten thousand feet tall, covered in golden fur, each hair as sharp as a steel needle. When it opened its eyes, two beams of golden light pierced through the chaos, illuminating the surrounding darkness. Its body exuded a majestic aura that looked down upon the world and dominated all others, as if it were born to be the ruler of chaos.
As Sun Wukong gazed at the Chaos Demon Ape in the mural, a surge of heat welled up in his heart, and the blood in his body seemed to begin to flow faster. Although the demon ape in the mural was only a static depiction, it seemed to have a life of its own. Its innate domineering and arrogant nature resonated with him, and he couldn't help but clench his fists, a burning light flashing in his eyes.
He continued looking to the right along the stone tablet. On the second mural, the Chaos Demon Ape was wielding a giant, pitch-black club, fighting against several equally enormous Chaos Demon Gods.
The chaotic demons came in all shapes and sizes; some had human bodies and snake tails, some had three heads and six arms, and some had a single horn on their faces. Each of them exuded a terrifying aura that could destroy the world, and they held various powerful chaotic treasures in their hands.
The Chaos Demon Ape showed no fear. With each swing of its giant club, chaotic energy surged, and each strike contained the power to create the world. A Chaos Demon God was unable to dodge in time and was struck head-on by the giant club. His body instantly shattered and dissipated into the chaotic energy that filled the sky.
The battle scene depicted in the mural was extremely brutal, with blood staining the chaos and broken bones scattered everywhere. Although the Chaos Demon Ape was also seriously injured, its golden fur soaked in blood, it fought even more fiercely, its eyes shining even brighter. Its determination to fight to the death stirred Sun Wukong's heart, making him wish he could rush into the mural and fight alongside the Chaos Demon Ape.
The third to sixth murals fully depict the earth-shattering battle between the Chaos Demon Ape and Pangu.
In the third mural, Pangu stands in the chaos, holding the axe that opens the heavens. His body is as majestic as a mountain, and his aura is overwhelming. The Chaos Demon Ape holds a giant club and confronts him. The chaotic air currents between the two churn violently, forming a huge vortex. Heaven and earth seem to stand still at this moment.
In the fourth mural, the great battle has already broken out. The Heaven-Opening Axe splits the chaos, and a dazzling axe light cuts through the darkness, striking the Chaos Demon Ape. The Chaos Demon Ape is not to be outdone, and its giant club blocks the attack. The golden club collided with the axe light, unleashing a deafening roar. Chaotic air currents fly in all directions, and countless tiny fragments of chaos are annihilated in the air.
In the fifth mural, the two fought fiercely for thousands of years without a clear victor. The Chaos Demon Ape had lost much of its golden fur, and its body was covered with wounds of varying depths, dripping with blood. Pangu was not unscathed either; its armor was shattered, and blood was dripping from the corner of its mouth. However, neither of them showed any sign of retreat in their eyes; on the contrary, their fighting spirit was even stronger.
In the sixth mural, the style suddenly changed. Pangu seemed to have made up his mind. His body suddenly swelled, and the axe in his hand burst out with unprecedented light. Wherever the axe light passed, the chaotic energy flowed away. The Chaos Demon Ape's eyes were solemn. He gathered all his power into the giant club and charged towards the axe. However, this time, the giant club shattered into pieces after colliding with the axe light. The axe light did not diminish and heavily struck the Chaos Demon Ape. The Chaos Demon Ape's body trembled violently, and golden blood gushed out. Its huge body slowly fell down, but a trace of unwillingness and arrogance still remained in its eyes.
Sun Wukong stood in front of the stone tablet, looking at the six murals. He felt his blood boiling and he could not control himself. It was as if a flame was burning in his chest.
He could sense the Chaos Demon Ape's joys and sorrows, its bravery in fighting the Chaos Demon God, its unwavering determination in its battle with Pangu, and even more so, its indomitable spirit.
"What a magnificent Chaos Demon Ape! What an earth-shattering battle!"
Sun Wukong couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, his eyes gleaming with fervent light, "If I, Old Sun, were born in the Chaos, I would definitely fight alongside this demonic ape until the heavens and earth are turned upside down!"
He felt the power within him stirring, wanting to break free and be released. This resonance deep within his bloodline gave him immense respect and recognition for the chaotic demonic ape in the mural.
After calming his agitated emotions, Sun Wukong continued towards the next stone tablet, which was the seventh mural.
On this mural, the fallen body of the Chaos Demon Ape gradually becomes transparent, eventually transforming into strands of golden primordial spirit power. This primordial spirit power swirls and intertwines in the air, eventually splitting into four, transforming into four golden streams of light that break free from the shackles of chaos and fly off in four different directions, disappearing into the vast unknown world.
Sun Wukong's heart tightened suddenly, a strong premonition surged into his mind, and he stared intently at the mural, his breathing becoming somewhat rapid.
Immediately afterwards, the eighth mural came into view. A golden stream of light traversed through layers of space and finally landed on a beautiful, ethereal Flower and Fruit Mountain. The light merged into a huge rock on the top of Flower and Fruit Mountain. Mysterious patterns gradually appeared on the rock. Finally, the rock split open with a roar, and a stone monkey leaped out of the stone egg. It was none other than himself from back then!
"Wh...what?"
Sun Wukong's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief, and his body involuntarily took a step back, leaving a shallow imprint on the black rock ground beneath his feet.
He stretched out his hand, pointed to the stone monkey on the mural, then pointed to himself, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word for a long time.
It turned out that he was not just an ordinary rock, but a wisp of the primordial spirit of the Chaos Demon Ape! The Chaos Demon Ape was an unparalleled powerhouse who could fight even the Great God Pangu to a standstill. He was actually his descendant? This news was like a bolt from the blue, exploding in his mind and leaving him blank, with only endless shock and bewilderment.
He stood there, stunned, the astonishing truth echoing in his mind. Scenes from the past flashed before his eyes: from the carefree days on Flower Fruit Mountain, to becoming a disciple of the Bodhi Patriarch, to causing havoc in Heaven, being imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain by the Buddha, and now following Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures. Everything seemed to have changed because of the revelation of his true identity. (End of Chapter)