Volume 3: A Long Journey, Chapters 233–234: The Power of Equality

The Bull Demon King appeared rough-looking, but in truth he had long known that the Great Peng was no longer what he used to be. The Great Peng had silently approached from behind him without him even noticing, yet he had spoken arrogantly while remaining cautious inwardly.

When he saw the Great Peng’s iron wings charging at him, he thought, “Do you really dare to compete with me in strength?” So the Bull Demon King threw a punch in response. The collision between their fists and wings produced a metallic clang. The Bull Demon King was pushed back three steps, while the Great Peng circled twice in the air.

Rubbing his burning fists, the Bull Demon King praised, “Good Great Peng! Truly worthy of being my brother!” The Great Peng was also shocked—turns out the old Bull hadn’t been idle all these years. Though his own cultivation level was higher, he hadn’t gained an advantage.

Having not fought anyone in many years, the Great Peng was eager for a fight. He shouted, “In this battle today, I will reclaim my position as the leader of the Eight Saints!”

The Bull Demon King chuckled and said, “Elder Third, come on!”

The Golden-Winged Great Peng soared high, swelling in size as it revealed two giant claws like steel hooks. It descended from the sky, aiming to grab the Bull Demon King by the head. That address of “Elder Third” really annoyed him, prompting him to use his rarely employed claws.

Seeing the fierce attack, the Bull Demon King slightly lowered his head and shot upward from the ground. His two horns, which grew longer in the wind, acted like sharp blades to meet the attack.

Knowing the Bull Demon King’s horns were incredibly hard, the Great Peng twisted mid-air, stopping its dive and switching to a sideways flight. The Bull Demon King’s horns missed their target, and it was too late to turn around.

Just as the claws were about to grab the Bull Demon King’s left side, a bull hoof appeared like a ghost, kicking straight at the Great Peng’s claws. Another head-on collision ensued. Caught off guard, the Great Peng tumbled in the air once more, while the Bull Demon King rolled in the air as well, greatly surprised.

If the first collision was merely a test, this time the Bull Demon King used all his strength. He hadn’t expected the Great Peng to have such formidable strength, capable of matching him. Since the Great Peng was already faster than him, things might indeed turn out in his favor today.

Fighting with their true forms, the Great Peng had three advantages: its wind and thunder wings, hook-like claws, and spear-like beak. The Bull Demon King relied on his two horns, four hooves, and his body as strong as diamond, impervious to weapons—making their battle closely contested.

Seeing that the Bull Demon King was indeed extremely powerful, the Great Roc changed its movement tactics again, becoming much faster than before—its true form barely visible, with only afterimages streaking through the air. As a result, the Bull Demon King immediately fell into a disadvantageous position. His movements were already slow, unable to keep up with the Great Roc’s lightning-fast speed, leaving scratches on his back. Though the wounds didn’t pierce the flesh, they caused intense pain.

Seeing the Bull Demon King in decline and unable to turn things around, a voice suddenly rang out from a mountain in the distance: “That bird, be careful!” Followed by the sound of a bowstring, an arrow appeared out of thin air and pierced the Great Roc’s left wing. This arrow wasn’t meant to injure but to serve as a warning; thus, though it seemed to have struck the wing, it merely lodged among the feathers.

The Great Roc had already become wary upon hearing the shout, but when it heard the bowstring sound, it dismissed it with arrogance, thinking, “Is there anyone in this world who can shoot an arrow at me?”

Yet, upon closer inspection, the arrow had been shot a few moments earlier than the sound of the bowstring, which was even more alarming. The Great Roc then soared higher and looked around, spotting a man standing on a mountain thirty miles away, calm and composed, with neither bow nor arrow in sight. How had he fired that arrow just now?

That man was naturally Hou Yi. Seeing a strange giant bird fighting against the Bull Demon King for a long time and the Bull Demon King suffering losses, he couldn’t help but step in to assist.

The Great Roc examined Hou Yi carefully. Standing on the mountain top, he had an ordinary appearance, yet he exuded an aura as solid as mountains, inspiring awe in others. The Great Roc asked, “Was that arrow shot by you?”

Hou Yi nodded calmly.

The Great Roc growled, “Be careful.” It spread one wing slightly and turned three times in the air like lightning, leaving behind hundreds of afterimages. The Bull Demon King was even more terrified upon seeing this move—turning out the Great Roc hadn’t used its full strength during their earlier fight, having reserved at least 70% of its power.

By the time he saw the Great Roc’s figure again, it was already within ten feet of Hou Yi. With its towering height, it only needed to stretch its wings slightly to reach Hou Yi.

But the Great Roc could no longer move, staying frozen in place as it awkwardly stared at the arrow aimed at its left eye. Stammering, it said, “You… how did you figure it out?”

It had no doubt that if it had moved even a little more, the arrow would have pierced it. This man truly filled it with deep fear.

Hou Yi shook his head and said, “If you were less flashy, perhaps you’d have a chance to get close to me.” Da Peng suddenly realized that all his twists and turns were useless in front of this man and only served to waste time. Just as a glimmer of hope arose in his heart, Hou Yi added, “But even in close combat, you’re no match for me.”
Da Peng roared, “Old Ox, come here!”
Seeing Da Peng defeated, the Ox Demon King happily approached and asked, “What do you need from me, third brother?”
Hou Yi was taken aback. “Third brother? Could he be…”
“That’s right. He is the Great Golden-Winged Peng, one of the Eight Saints I often mention. Back then, we determined our rankings through combat—I was second, and he was third.”
Da Peng glared at the Ox Demon King and asked, “Who is this?”
The Ox Demon King replied, “Have you heard of the ancient Hou Yi?”
Da Peng exclaimed in shock, “Could he be a descendant of Hou Yi?”
The Ox Demon King smirked. “He is Hou Yi himself!”
Da Peng felt a wave of fear. He never expected he would have to compete with Hou Yi. When Hou Yi ruled the world, he was probably still in his eggshell. So he quickly bowed and said, “I was competing with my second brother and didn’t mean to disturb an elder. I’m truly sorry.”
Hou Yi returned the bow, and the Ox Demon King said in surprise, “Wow, is this still the arrogant Da Peng? You weren’t like this before. Why have you changed so suddenly?”
Da Peng smiled bitterly. “It’s not that I’ve changed. I just heard my elder brother talk about Elder Hou Yi’s archery skills, so I had to show respect.”
Hou Yi asked, “Oh, I remember now. Your elder brother is the Peacock.”
Da Peng replied respectfully, “That’s correct!”
The Ox Demon King grew curious and pressed, “How did the Peacock mention Hou Yi? Tell me.”
Hou Yi said, “It’s all old news. What’s there to say?”
Since the Ox Demon King and Hou Yi were already familiar with each other, he simply said to Da Peng, “If you don’t tell me, I’ll keep asking you every day.”
Seeing that Hou Yi had no intention of stopping him, Da Peng continued, “Back then, the world was in chaos, with fierce beasts rampaging—beasts like Zao Chi, Da Feng, Xiu She, and others, all of whom were no less powerful than you. Elder Hou Yi would take on one of them at a time with just his bow, killing them with a single arrow—no second arrow needed.”
The Ox Demon King clicked his tongue and said, “I’ve heard of that too.”
Da Peng continued, “After that, the Nine Babies started causing havoc among the people. Each of the Nine Babies had nine heads, meaning nine lives. It was said this beast had reached the Hunyuan realm, but Elder Hou Yi still killed it with nine arrows, hitting all nine heads at once.”
The Ox Demon King gasped in shock. The Hunyuan realm, killed with a single arrow! That was absolutely astonishing.

Dapeng said again, “This isn’t even the most terrifying part. Have you heard of the ferocious beast Ya Mei? It has a snake’s body, a human face, and tiger claws. It can move freely on land and water, as fast as the wind. Even Jiu Ying would flee at the sight of it, for its body is made of iron, making it immune to fire, water, swords, and guns. It is said that back then, Dayu, together with Zhu Rong and Ju Mang, tried to surround it and kill it, but it escaped effortlessly. Half a month later, the elder Hou Yi encountered Ya Mei and killed it with a single arrow.”
Encountered! Killed!
Hearing this, the Bull Demon King’s blood boiled with excitement. What an amazing Hou Yi! He never expected such terrifying combat prowess. Hou Yi remained calm, as if Dapeng were telling a story about someone else. Waving his hand, he said, “Ya Mei’s vital point is at its back; it was just lucky.”
Dapeng wanted to say more, but Hou Yi and the Bull Demon King said, “You brothers haven’t seen each other in a long time. Why not invite them into the cave for a feast and a chat?”
The Bull Demon King slapped his thigh. “Right, right! Third brother, don’t be upset. Let’s go see our eldest brother right away!”
Along the way, the Bull Demon King mentioned again how Hou Yi had repelled Buddha with three arrows, making Dapeng’s reverence for Hou Yi even greater. When the Bull Demon King mentioned that Dayu and the others were at Qitian Ridge, Dapeng finally understood what Erlang Shen had meant. His blood surged with excitement; he longed to rush to the Western Heaven right away.
Following Hou Yi and the Bull Demon King, Dapeng reached the main peak of Qitian Ridge. Feng Tong and Wang Yu were overjoyed to see Dapeng. Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng had been in the Qilin Cave the whole time and rushed here as soon as he heard the news. He ordered his subordinates to prepare a grand feast, ensuring that every monster, big or small, on the entire ridge would benefit.
At this point, Dapeng had no intention of mentioning anything about second or third brothers. He thought his cultivation was enough to make him stand out among the monsters, but after meeting Dayu, Chi Songzi, and the others, he realized he was far inferior. Even Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng, after decades of careful guidance from the Qilin, was no less powerful than him. As for Feng Tong and Wang Yu, though their cultivation didn’t seem very high, one exuded a strong sense of wood energy, while the other had a fierce aura. If a fight really broke out, it was hard to say he could surely win.
Seeing that Qitian Ridge was far more formidable than Mount Flower-Fruit back then, Dapeng was overjoyed. Without hesitation, he drank heartily.
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After more twists and turns, Tang Seng and his three disciples thanked Guanyin Bodhisattva and headed west. After this setback, Zhu Bajie felt deeply ashamed and remained silent throughout the journey, just carrying his luggage in silence.
After days of traveling through harsh conditions, they encountered a high mountain blocking their path ahead.
Tang Seng said while sitting on his horse, “There’s a big mountain ahead. We need to be careful.”
Wuhui laughed and said, “It seems Master is starting to fear mountains now.”

Wukong said, “Even if there are demons, I’m not afraid of them.” So he soared on the clouds to take a look and saw that this mountain was extraordinary, filled with an aura of immortality. It was by no means a place inhabited by demons. He clearly remembered having been here before—it was the Wuzhuang Temple where Zhenyuanzi resided.

Recalling the time when he first met the Great Roc, he was led here and fell for its trick of shedding its skin like a golden cicada. Both he and the Bull Demon King were captured by Zhenyuanzi’s hidden powers. Thinking back to those events, Wukong couldn’t help but look worried. Given the Great Roc’s nature, it surely couldn’t stay still for even a moment. Having not heard from it for so many years, could it be that it had been imprisoned?

After going through great hardships, he finally set out on the journey to obtain the scriptures. Zhenyuanzi, I really want to see what your plans are. In any case, this time I must taste the ginseng fruit!