Volume 3: A Long Journey, Chapter 215: Power Before the Array

“Ah!” Wukong was shocked. Qi Tianling had gone to the Western Heaven—what caused this?
Laojun said, “It’s because Dayu is looking for his descendant, the Great Sage and National Advisor King Bodhisattva, to go to the Western Heaven to find him. Meanwhile, the Heavenly Court took advantage of Qi Tianling’s weakness and sent troops to attack as well. Now everything is in chaos.”
“Why did the Heavenly Court launch a surprise attack on Qi Tianling?” Wukong asked.
Laojun replied, “It’s all about power struggles. Qi Tianling brought rain without permission, angering the Jade Emperor. The Emperor mistook the rain for something sent by a sea monster and sent his troops to suppress it, only to suffer a crushing defeat. Later, he learned it was Chi Songzi who brought the rain. With the Jade Emperor’s fragile pride, he naturally wanted to regain face. Now, with Qi Tianling facing attacks from two sides, the situation isn’t hopeful.”
Wukong chuckled and said, “If the Heavenly Court and the Western Heaven only have such superficial strength, they probably can’t do much.”
Laojun said, “Since Hou Yi single-handedly defeated the four great bodhisattvas in the Western Heaven last time, Qi Tianling has gradually formed a tripartite balance with the Heavenly Court and the Western Heaven. Such a time when immortals, Buddhists, and demons coexist has never happened before.”
Wukong pondered for a long time before saying, “I must go and see for myself. I can’t stay here feeling uneasy.”
Laojun smiled and said, “I knew you couldn’t stand idleness. But if you go, anyone who notices will realize Sun Wukong is missing from the pilgrimage team and will doubt you.”
Wukong nodded and said, “I’ll have to trouble you, Laojun, to cover for me.”
Laojun waved his hand and said, “Go ahead. It’s my fault I’m involved in this.”
Wukong bowed to Laojun and rushed off to Qi Tianling in a hurry. Seeing Tang Seng and Zhu Bajie walking dejectedly on the ground, Laojun transformed into Wukong’s appearance and chased after them.
This time, Wukong naturally owed a favor to Laojun. With the great battle between Qi Tianling, the Western Heaven, and the Heavenly Court, it was obvious Laojun would benefit. But since Laojun and Wukong were honest with each other, this wasn’t a conspiracy nor a scheme.
Wukong transformed into the form of Zhuanxu mid-air and soon arrived at Qi Tianling. Indeed, countless auspicious clouds covered Qi Tianling, with numerous heavenly soldiers confronting the people on the ground. Wukong breathed a sigh of relief—he had arrived just in time.
King Yu of Wind sensed Wukong’s presence from afar and was overjoyed. When Wukong landed, he greeted everyone, saying, “I’ve returned from my journey—almost missed all the excitement.” Everyone understood what was going on. With so many people around, they naturally couldn’t expose Wukong’s true identity.

Seeing that Dayu and other ancient figures were not present, Wukong asked, “Who else is here in Qitian Ridge at this time?” Fengtong replied, “Dayu has gone to the Western Heaven with the God of Gold, the God of Wood, the God of Fire, Chi Songzi, Hou Yi, and several others. Accompanying them are forty or fifty ancient mythical beasts such as Bifang, Yingzhao, Taotie, and Shangyang. With so many people and powerful beasts, they should be safe on this journey.” Wukong nodded and asked, “Is Uncle Qilin in the cave?” Fengtong said, “He is inside, talking with Brother Yuansheng.” Relieved, Wukong thought that with Qilin here to guard, who in the Heavenly Court could match them? Glancing sideways, he saw the Black Bear Spirit standing timidly among the crowd. Wukong waved for him to come over and asked, “Is it comfortable living here?” The Black Bear Spirit replied, “It’s good, but I’m bored. It would be great if it were as lively every day.” Wukong thought that these beasts were all restless by nature. At that moment, the Bull Demon King was shouting in the sky. He naturally saw Wukong’s arrival, but being eager for battle, he didn’t even greet him. The heavenly troops were still led by the Tower-Bearing Heavenly King, forming a dense force. Though not numbering a hundred thousand, they were still around sixty to seventy thousand. After scolding in the sky for a while with no reaction from the heavenly troops, the Bull Demon King returned sheepishly and told Wukong, “They’ve all hid inside their turtle shells.” Wukong asked, “If they’ve come but won’t fight, why?” Just then, countless auspicious clouds appeared in the distance. It turned out that the Heavenly Court first ordered Li Jing to arrange the troops and use a tactic to increase their numbers, making them appear even more formidable. Looking around, Wukong saw that these heavenly troops were indeed very powerful. In the Purple Micro Palace, the Left and Right Assistants led the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper and the Twenty-Eight Constellations; Emperor Gouchen stood with 108 thunder generals; the Supreme Lord of Saving Sufferers led many Taoists from the Eastern Extreme Mysterious Palace; the Northern Black Heaven God brought the Turtle and Snake generals along with 36 heavenly generals; the Southern Eternal Life Emperor led his two disciples, the Crane Boy and the Deer Boy… Not to mention the Nine Brightness Star Lords, the Six Ding and Six Jia, the Ten Courts of Hell, and the heavenly generals and immortals. Even many scattered immortals who received salaries from the Heavenly Court came as well. Seeing this formation, Wukong realized that almost all the prominent forces in the Heavenly Court had arrived. He said, “What a clever way to take advantage of the situation—this will indeed be a fierce battle.” With reinforcements arriving, the morale of the heavenly troops soared, and Li Jing also smiled. He greeted them one by one. Standing at the front of the formation, Li Jing ordered his heavenly generals to descend and challenge them. The generals descended from the clouds and said, “Who dares to rain without permission? Surrender quickly to avoid destruction.” Previously, the demons in Qitian Ridge were led by Fengtong, but now that Wukong had arrived, he naturally became their leader.

Wukong saw that both sides numbered well over a hundred thousand, and he couldn’t help but sigh bitterly. If a battle broke out, it would be chaotic, with no tactics working—only strength would matter. But since they had already formed their battle lines, they couldn’t allow their morale to drop.

Wukong stepped forward and laughed loudly, “What a magnificent display of strength and courage! The world is ever-changing; nature follows its own laws. Rain, snow, wind, and frost—all have their own destinies!”

The heavenly general, though arrogant, praised him, saying, “Well said! Controlling clouds and bringing rain isn’t something that can be done at will.”

Wukong replied, “By ‘heaven,’ I mean the sky above our heads; by ‘earth,’ I mean the ground beneath our feet. The Heavenly Court and the Netherworld are nothing but gatherings of ordinary people who seize control from mortals and oppress the weak. How dare they call themselves heaven and earth?”

Li Jing recognized Wukong—after all, Wukong had been to the Tongming Hall with Hou Yi, and though he hadn’t fought, his status was clear. So Li Jing said, “Friend Zhuanxu—”

“Tch!” Wukong spat out and cursed, “Who are you to speak to me on equal terms? Not to mention you, even if your master came here, he would still be my junior!”

Many of the heavenly soldiers didn’t know Zhuanxu, and seeing him speak such rebellious words, they began to discuss it among themselves. Seeing Li Jing about to lose his temper, Wukong used a supernatural power and roared like thunder, “I am the ancient emperor Zhuanxu! When I was emperor, there was no such thing as a Heavenly Court. You lot, with just a little supernatural power, dare to call yourselves gods? How utterly ridiculous!”

Whether they were heavenly soldiers or demons, few knew the origin of the Heavenly Court. They all thought it had existed since the beginning of time, and that people had revered it for generations. This belief was deeply ingrained. Hearing Wukong’s words, the heavenly soldiers grew skeptical.

Meanwhile, the demons of Qitianling cheered in unison. After all, the Heavenly Court had always treated humans as superior, trampling upon other beasts, birds, and plants without mercy, arousing long-standing resentment. Wukong’s words filled them with satisfaction—they wished the Heavenly Court would perish soon.

Overwhelmed by Wukong’s presence, Li Jing’s face turned red as he shouted, “All nonsense!” But his voice was drowned out by the noise of the demons below, and few heard him.

Seizing the opportunity, Wukong continued, “The lower realms are suffering from a severe drought, and the people are living in misery. You live in the thirty-six heavens, turning a blind eye. Your hearts are no better than those of beasts. You wear the guise of immortals but are nothing but hypocrites!”

At that moment, an immortal appeared from the ten islands of immortals, dressed in a robe as white as snow. This immortal had an elegant bearing and a noble demeanor. Holding a whisk, he approached Wukong slowly and asked, “Are you truly Zhuanxu?”

Wukong replied proudly, “I doubt anyone in this world would dare to use my name.”

The immortal smiled and said, “I am not untrustful. Since you are an ancient emperor, I will respectfully address you as Emperor Zhuanxu.”
Wukong saw that the immortal was polite, and he could not afford to lose his composure either, so he returned the courtesy.
The immortal said, “What Emperor Zhuanxu said just now was incorrect. Though I am not from the heavenly court, I must speak fairly. The Supreme Heavenly Emperor has always been diligent in governance and caring for the people; his desire to help the world is as evident as the sun and the moon. How could there be such ignorance? Moreover, all beings in heaven and earth are equal. If human hearts are of such nature, what can beasts possibly do? Emperor Zhuanxu’s words clearly place beasts below humans and immortals, which is unjust, isn’t it?”
His words were subtle yet pointed, effectively framing Wukong. Since Qi Tian Ling was full of monsters, it was inevitable that some, unaware of the truth, might be incited by his words and have their morale weakened.
Wukong frowned and asked, “What is your name?”
The immortal replied proudly, “I am the ruler of Yan Zhou among the Ten Continents’ Immortal Islands. My name is—”
Wukong waved his hand to stop him and said calmly, “No need to continue. I already know. May I ask, does your island produce a creature called the Wind-Generating Beast?” Before the man could answer, he continued, “The Wind-Generating Beast is entirely green, as big as a raccoon, but with the build of a leopard. It is said to be impervious to swords and guns, unkillable by fire, and ineffective against blows. Only by blocking its nose and mouth with a stone calamus can it be killed. Consuming ten pounds of its brain mixture mixed with chrysanthemums can grant a lifespan of five hundred years. Since you are the ruler of the island, you must surely have a lifespan of thousands of years. I wonder how many Wind-Generating Beasts you have eaten?”
As soon as Wukong finished speaking, there was an uproar everywhere—everyone sought the art of immortality. Who would have thought that the ruler of Yan Zhou could enjoy immortality just by staying at home?
The ruler of Yan Zhou broke into cold sweat. This was the greatest secret of his island, strictly forbidden from being revealed. How did this man know about it? He hurriedly denied it, saying, “That’s nonsense! It’s clearly a rumor!”
Wukong didn’t press further and said, “Fine, if you say it’s a rumor, then it must be.” Looking at the man’s clothes, Wukong sneered, “I’ve also heard that there is a Fire Forest Mountain on Yan Zhou, where there live Fire-Flame Beasts. They are as big as rats, with fur three to four inches long. These beasts die if their fur is removed, but their fur can be used to make fire-washed cloth, which is whiter than snow and never stains. I wonder how many Fire-Flame Beasts you’ve had to kill to get these clothes?”
The ruler of Yan Zhou was shocked beyond measure as Wukong mentioned the secrets of his island as if they were common knowledge. He had no energy to argue anymore. Especially since if others learned about the Wind-Generating Beast, his island would never be at peace again.

He trembled and said, “It’s all nonsense! How could such a thing exist? How could such a thing exist?” His words lacked conviction, and anyone who heard them knew that what Wukong said must be true.
Wukong ignored him and shouted fiercely, “Is this what you call equality among all beings in heaven and earth? You look so righteous, but what a waste of your good looks! Trampling on living beings like this—what use is there in keeping you?”
Wukong drew out his Ruyi Staff and swept it horizontally; the powerful wind was like a blade, cutting the ruler of Yanzhou in two.