Sun Wukong’s birth was like a myth.

One day, lightning struck a boulder atop a mountain. The stone cracked like an egg, and a monkey came out from within.

Born from stone and with a body as hard as stone, it was called a stone monkey.

No one knew whether it was a spiritual creature or a yokai, but the stone monkey defined itself as a yokai, and a monkey.

Countless monkeys lived on Mount Huaguo.

That extraordinary stone monkey naturally became the king of the monkeys.

That was when it made its dwelling in the Water Curtain Cave and called itself the Monkey King.

After meeting Patriarch Subhuti and receiving the dharma name Sun Wukong, that finally became his name.

Why would a venerable high monk like Patriarch Subhuti take a monkey as a disciple?

If one had to guess, perhaps he recognized Sun Wukong’s potential.

From the moment of his birth, Sun Wukong was an unreasonable existence.

Though he was not born a heavenly god, but as a yokai with a physical body, Sun Wukong was invincible under Heaven.

He came and went through the Underworld, the yokai realm, and the Heavenly Realm as if walking through his own home, and in the end, he even entered the land of the dead and erased his name from the Ledger of Life and Death.

Back then, Sun Wukong, who had been nothing more than a yokai, obtained immortality.

From then on, he became part of the divine.

After that, Sun Wukong stormed the Heavenly Realm, plucked the beards of the heavenly ministers, and threatened the heavenly gods into giving him the title Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

In the end, he was subdued by Shakyamuni Tathagata, but it did not end there.

For the great achievement of completing the journey to the West with Tripitaka, Shakyamuni Tathagata gave Sun Wukong the name Victorious Fighting Buddha.

It meant, ‘a Buddha who wins in battle.’

In other words, the stone monkey born on Mount Huaguo became a Buddha in the end.

And so Sun Wukong became a yokai king, a great immortal of the Heavenly Realm, and at the same time, a Buddha.

That kind of monster was walking out of the cave.

Jeobeok, jeobeok, jeobeok

The footsteps sounded ordinary.

As the two lumps of fire that had floated in the darkness drew closer, Sun Wukong’s face slowly came into view.

Indeed, his appearance itself was not very different from the avatar they had just met.

However, his blazing Golden Pupils Fiery Eyes and what he wore were different.

The golden armor shining on him was the Chainmail Golden Armor he had taken from the Dragon King.

The helmet adorned with phoenix feathers was the Phoenix-Winged Purple-Gold Crown.

The shoes were the Lotus-Thread Cloud-Walking Boots.

Each one was an item on the level of a treasure.

And what was that golden rod he carried boldly on his shoulder?

It was clearly the famous Ruyi Staff, the Ruyi Golden Staff.

Sun Wukong grinned broadly.

“Looks like you’re moved to meet this Teacher Son in the flesh.”

He smiled like that at Yi-gang.

Nezha, wrapped around Yi-gang’s waist together with the Red Armillary Sash, was quiet.

Sun Wukong had the Golden Pupils Fiery Eyes that saw through anything, but could he not notice Nezha?

“Otherwise you wouldn’t be standing there like an idiot. Right?”

“Yes. It is an honor to meet the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, famed far and wide.”

For now, Yi-gang played along with Sun Wukong.

“Of course it is. Hm, so why did you come?”

Yi-gang, about to answer, froze for a moment.

Sun Wukong was still smiling. There was no killing intent, no hostility at all.

Yi-gang’s instincts kicked in.

The feeling that he would clash with Sun Wukong felt like certainty.

「Your feeling isn’t wrong.」

Nezha’s small, whisper-like voice backed up Yi-gang’s dread.

“We are disciples of Guardian Gate.”

In a calm tone, he repeated what he had told the avatar earlier.

They wanted to cross Gonggu Mountain to strike the Evil Cult, and he asked if they could pass.

“They really are maggot-like bastards. There are plenty of immortals in the Heavenly Realm who hate them too.”

Sun Wukong said it with a rolling smile.

At first glance, it almost sounded friendly toward Yi-gang, but the words that followed were not.

“But it can’t be helped. I can’t step aside. This Victorious Fighting Buddha is doing something very important.”

“What… thing is that?”

“There’s a dragon hiding in here, one you rarely see under Heaven.”

Sun Wukong pointed deeper into the cave.

Yi-gang’s eyes widened slightly. He clearly said, ‘There is a dragon.’

Yi-gang had not expected a dragon to truly exist.

Unless the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was talking nonsense, it had to be true.

“As you know, dragons hoard treasures. They say this dragon holds a remarkable dragon pearl, so I came to have it handed over to me.”

For a moment, Yi-gang did not properly understand what Sun Wukong was saying.

There were lots of flashy words, but wasn’t the meaning simple?

Robbery.

“I tried to sweet-talk it, but it barred the door, hid, and won’t come out.”

Tapping the Ruyi Staff like that, he looked like a true degenerate.

「That vicious robber bastard!」

Nezha spat a curse as well.

At the claim that he could not allow passage because he had to take the dragon pearl from the dragon, Yi-gang frowned too.

What should he do?

Should he give up, try to persuade him somehow, or push harder.

But Sun Wukong didn’t give Yi-gang any options.

“Huh? Huhhh?”

Sun Wukong leaned his face in with an exaggerated expression.

What he was looking at was Yi-gang’s Shooting Star Fang.

“Isn’t this a sword made of meteorite iron? And it’s no ordinary sword. It has cut countless things over time, so divinity has settled into it!”

“I’ve seen countless treasures, so I can tell.”

Sun Wukong grinned.

A monkey’s teeth showed. He looked greedy.

“Will you hand that meteorite-iron sword over to me? It looks perfect for my collection.”

“That’s an unreasonable request.”

Yi-gang’s reply was calm.

No particular emotion showed.

But did Yi-gang’s feelings reflect in Sun Wukong’s Golden Pupils Fiery Eyes?

“You’re angry. You’re definitely angry. Are you angry at my gentle offer?”

“I can’t let this slide. It’ll damage the Great Sage Equal to Heaven’s dignity. I have to take that blade at the very least.”

Sun Wukong tapped the Ruyi Staff.

It was blatant bullshit. It was unmistakable intimidation.

Yi-gang let out a long sigh and drew Shooting Star Fang.

Was he going to hand over the Immortal Divine Sword’s relic without protest?

“Your face says you won’t give it up nicely.”

Of course, that wasn’t the case.

And then, Nezha, who had been quiet, spoke to Yi-gang.

「I’ll help you, so land one good hit on that bastard. If you do, I’ll grant you any wish.」

His voice was grim, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

「If you want, I’ll even fight the Evil Cult’s former lords for you.」

Nezha had said he and Sun Wukong were archenemies.

Did archenemies resemble each other? Sun Wukong made a similar offer.

“Fine! Let’s see it. If you can make even one of my knees touch the ground, I’ll grant your request too.”

“Fine. But.”

Yi-gang looked around.

It was a cave and a mountain large enough for a dragon to come and go.

But it still wasn’t enough.

“This place could collapse, and it’ll be too loud. Let’s fight farther away.”

“Fine.”

Sun Wukong smiled and nodded.

He rushed in, leaving only an afterimage.

It was movement close to the speed of sound, too fast to be summed up with a phrase like shifting forms and swapping positions.

A fist that could shatter a mountain slammed into Yi-gang’s ribcage.

It wasn’t a crack or crunch. It was a thunderous boom.

In that instant, Yi-gang raised Shooting Star Fang and blocked Sun Wukong’s fist.

But he couldn’t disperse that sheer force.

Yi-gang was flung backward.

Sun Wukong followed with a satisfied expression.

“Good. I’ll take you along.”

Maybe he liked that Yi-gang endured that one move.

Sun Wukong grabbed Yi-gang’s Shooting Star Fang with a hard hand.

Despite the sharp blade, his hand didn’t get cut.

Yi-gang ended up being lifted while the sword was held.

Yi-gang didn’t force himself free. Sun Wukong was trying to carry Yi-gang away by the sword.

It was monstrous strength that could not come from such an average frame.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-

It sounded like a flooded river surging down.

Yi-gang was pushed back in an instant by Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong even kicked off the ground and leapt up.

“Uh… Yi-gang!”

Below, Jin Mu and Dam Hyun were visible.

They had their mouths hanging open in shock.

“Hahahah!”

Sun Wukong flew, whoosh, whoosh, while holding Yi-gang.

“To think the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was here.”

Yu Jeong-shin gave a bitter smile and scratched his chin.

On the other hand, Taoist Cheok-gol frowned as if worried.

“Isn’t he famous for being vicious?”

“Yes, that’s true, but.”

“Even when he appeared recently, he blocked Gonggu Mountain’s entrance with an avatar.”

Taoist Cheok-gol seemed to have a poor impression of Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

But Yu Jeong-shin’s expression was different.

“Did he really help us?”

Taoist Cheok-gol was about Yu Jeong-shin’s sahyung.

But he was an outer-sect disciple, and Yu Jeong-shin, as Azure Forest’s Grand Library Master, managed the other Honor Flower Disciples, so Yu Jeong-shin was the one who knew more.

“He couldn’t come here, but… there was a sahyung named Do Cheon.”

Do Cheon was an Honor Flower Disciple who guided Yi-gang from the Demon Cult to Kunlun.

He helped Yi-gang enter the Crouching Dragon Basin, but he could not make it out from within.

“The one Sahyung Do Cheon borrowed power from was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.”

“That heavenly god who only cares about himself lent his power?”

Taoist Cheok-gol was greatly shocked.

Not every heavenly god lent power to humans.

And the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was arrogant and willful, someone who had never once answered a request.

“Sahyung Do Cheon was, well, it’s awkward to say, but he was good at flattery. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven even lent him a fairly large amount of power.”

“I see…”

“From what I’ve heard, he doesn’t hate people, and he’s a heavenly god with unexpected mercy and compassion…”

Yu Jeong-shin smiled faintly.

“That kid Yi-gang will talk it out and come back.”

“You really trust your disciple.”

“Haha. That’s right.”

Saying that would be a relief, Taoist Cheok-gol also relaxed.

Yi-gang had also heard about Do Cheon and Sun Wukong in advance.

So he wasn’t that worried.

He thought Sun Wukong wouldn’t be so hostile toward him.

But he was wrong.

The Ruyi Staff smashed down where Yi-gang had been.

A heap of dirt shot high, and a roar rang out.

Even with a barrier that blocked sound and sight, it chilled him to the bone.

“Wahahaha! Where are you running like a rat to? Come and take it!”

The Ruyi Staff spun with a whirl and shifted from Sun Wukong’s right hand to his left.

“I won’t even need the Ruyi Staff!”

Sun Wukong pressed Yi-gang as if he truly meant to kill him.

Truly, he was the strongest yokai king.

Yi-gang had to evade Sun Wukong’s attacks with everything he had.

「He hasn’t even used his domain yet. Before that is your chance.」

Nezha still did not reveal himself, giving only quiet advice.

Yi-gang listened and conserved his strength.

Kaga-gang!

Even as he moved to evade attacks, he used his Qi Control Sword Technique.

White Fang scattered white light and attacked Sun Wukong from all directions.

Yi-gang’s Qi Control Sword Technique was something a human could never properly respond to.

But that lethal method was broken with absurd ease.

“Like a gnat…”

White Fang, which should have sliced past Sun Wukong’s heel, was stomped down hard.

He smashed White Fang, flopping like a fish, with the Ruyi Staff.

Clang! Clang!

After several blows, White Fang bent and became a lump of scrap metal.

Yi-gang’s control did not work either.

Even in that horrific situation, Yi-gang stayed calm.

His first goal was to buy time using White Fang.

As Nezha said, Qi Control Sword did not work on a heavenly god…

Pajik.

A cluster of blue light flashed at the tip of Sun Wukong’s crown.

What he had prepared was Yi-gang’s Supreme Ultimate Technique, Thunder Lord’s Descent.

A storm of lightning raged in all directions.

However.

“Wahaha, my whole body feels refreshed.”

Even within that lightning, Sun Wukong laughed.

Blue sparks flickered even along his sharp fangs.

Meanwhile, Yi-gang hid behind the flashing lightning and closed in.

So that he could finally pierce Sun Wukong’s brow when he let his guard down.

He avoided the crown and stabbed at Sun Wukong’s exposed face with Shooting Star Fang, infused with sword aura.

Sun Wukong instead twisted his head and brought the sword’s tip to his own forehead.

Yi-gang almost lost his grip on the sword.

The sword tip couldn’t pierce Sun Wukong’s forehead bone, and stopped.

A scratch did appear on his skin, but…

“As expected of a meteorite-iron sword, to tear my skin.”

Sun Wukong smiled, licking the blood that ran down.

Bronze Head, Iron Forehead.

That epithet, a head of bronze and a forehead of iron, was something long attached to Chiyou or the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

Seeing Sun Wukong smiling, a chill ran down Yi-gang’s spine.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep