Volume 3: A Long Journey, Chapter 296: Dividing Forces to Resist

The Bull Demon King seemed reckless on the surface, but was actually meticulous beneath. When surrounded by others, he loved to talk nonsense, yet when alone, he would ponder deeply. Though he was a disciple of Laojun, he had grown very comfortable in Qitianling and treated it as his own home, without any selfish motives. Having heard much from others, he already understood the situation in Qitianling. As the ancient military strategists said, “When enemies attack, use troops to resist; when floods come, use earth to block them.” Everyone knew what the Heavenly Court intended. If they didn’t act now, were they waiting for others to attack first?
“We in Qitianling have a large army and many generals. Even if we divide our forces, we needn’t fear. Why are they allowed to set fires but not us to light lamps?” asked the Bull Demon King.
Upon hearing this suggestion, Wukong felt a sense of clarity. While those who preferred cautious actions were still thinking of strategies, the Bull Demon King had expressed exactly what he himself had in mind.
As soon as the Bull Demon King spoke, the Great Peng said, “Well said! I’ve known my second brother for so many years, but this is the first time I’ve heard words that sound so pleasing to my ears!”
“Tch! Every word I say is valuable advice. When have you ever listened?” retorted the Bull Demon King.
Fuhai Jiao said, “Second brother, you’re right! There are several large rivers to the east of Qitianling, which will give our aquatic creatures a chance to show their strength!” Wu Zhiqi patted Fuhai Jiao’s shoulder and gave the Bull Demon King a thumbs up, saying, “Good!”
Seeing so many people supporting his idea, the Bull Demon King grinned widely and laughed heartily.
Dayu said, “It’s indeed a clever plan!”
Everyone agreed, with not a single dissenting voice. Thus, the plan to expand Qitianling east and west was finalized.
Although the plan was decided in just a moment, there were still many important details to discuss carefully. Qitianling’s influence grew stronger by the day, with more and more demons and beasts coming from the four great continents. By now, their number had reached eighty or ninety thousand.
Including Wu Zhiqi and Fuhai Jiao, there were dozens of immortals above the rank of Taiyi Golden Immortal on the mountain, and hundreds of celestial immortals. With such a powerful force, they could indeed accomplish earth-shattering feats.
Wukong said, “I’ve seen that the Heavenly Court expands not by amassing large armies to threaten others, but by sending a few immortals to mortal lands, using their supernatural powers to intimidate them, and then issuing orders from above. Naturally, the common people dare not disobey. Therefore, if Qitianling wants to expand, it shouldn’t rely on military battles but on strategic decisions.”
“In that case, do we not need to send any demons?” asked the Great Peng.
“Not exactly. If there’s really a conflict, those in charge of communication will still need help,” replied Fengtong.

Dayu said, “The Qitian Ridge stretches for eight hundred li, and its length from north to south is even several thousand li. In my opinion, for this expansion, we should focus on the east and west. Once a plan is made, we must act with thunderous force and extraordinary measures to intimidate them—there must be no slow progress, lest chaos arise.”
“That’s obvious!” Wukong replied.
Tongfeng said, “If so, let me draft a plan. Since the Heavenly Court is expanding westward while the Western Heaven remains unchanged, considering the urgency of the situation, the Qitian Ridge should first expand eastward. About five or six thousand li eastward lies a great river called the Tongtian River. We can use this river as a boundary and claim the land west of it as our own.”
“This river is eight hundred li wide and leads straight to the Western Seas; it’s naturally connected to the Northern Sea as well. We can have Brother Jiaolong lead the aquatic creatures to station there, taking advantage of the strategic location. I doubt anyone from the Heavenly Court would dare cross the river.”
“About one or two thousand li west of the Tongtian River lies another great mountain called Jinpao Mountain. This mountain is also extremely dangerous, though much smaller than the Qitian Ridge. It’s not a problem to station fifteen or twenty thousand troops there. We can send the three elders—Chisongzi, Jumang, and Rushou—along with elite troops from eight of the seventy-two caves to occupy this mountain as a backup and a second line of defense.”
“More than a thousand li west of Jinpao Mountain lies the Western Liang Women’s Kingdom. It’s not wise for us to invade and harass them, but we can send Zhurong with dozens of female demons to guard the area. If anyone dares to spread their teachings there, they can be captured immediately.”
“East of the Qitian Ridge, these are the three key areas. As for the other scattered villages, I doubt the Heavenly Court attaches much importance to them. We can simply send demon kings from various caves to patrol them every other day—that should suffice.”
Before Tongfeng could finish speaking, someone cried, “That’s not good!” It was the Bull Demon King and the Golden Winged Roc. It turned out that these two had been overlooked in the plan.
Tongfeng said, “Brothers, calm down. This is the plan for the east. Moving westward… to be honest, it’s a bit more dangerous.”
“Why is that?” Wukong asked.
Tongfeng replied, “If the Heavenly Court expands westward, the Western Heaven will surely know. If the Qitian Ridge also expands westward at the same time, what would you do if you were Buddha?”
Wukong thought for a moment and said, “I would indeed feel uneasy. Even if Buddha has a secret agreement with the Heavenly Court, suspicion would still arise.”
“That’s why expanding westward would likely face obstacles at every step. The Western Heaven is now indifferent to everything the Heavenly Court does, indicating they intend to give up control of the eastern territories. Buddha must have his own plans. Even if the Heavenly Court moves further west, they won’t be able to cross the Qitian Ridge. But if the Qitian Ridge expands westward, there will be no obstacles,” Tongfeng explained.
Dayu said, “I’ll go west.”
Qilin said, “I’ll go too!”
Tongfeng smiled and waved his hand, saying, “I already have plans in mind. Please join me in discussing them.”

“Head west, but it won’t be like going east. We must proceed slowly and never rush. It’s obvious—west is still stable, not as pressing as the situation in the east.”
“Elder Qilin, you must not move. Qi Tian Ling needs you to take charge.” As Feng Tong spoke, Qilin glared at him, thought for a moment, then stayed silent.
Feng Tong said, “Elder, please don’t be upset. If you don’t move, neither will I, Feng Tong, nor Wang Yu. Wu Zhi will return to the North Sea. There are reasons why I can’t explain much.” Though he didn’t say it, Wukong understood that Feng Tong’s intention was to prevent the Divine Ape from showing up, so as to avoid complications and attracting even more powerful figures.
“For the journey west, we need to organize our troops for battle—prepare thoroughly, just like going to war, with proper deployment. The commander must be cautious and wise. I think Elder Dayu is the most suitable. As the vanguard, my third brother is swift as the wind and fast as lightning—naturally, he’s the right choice.”
“Besides that, we need a deputy commander. Who could that be…”
“Of course, it’s Elder Hou Yi,” said the Golden Winged Roc. He admired Hou Yi’s archery skills greatly and naturally wanted to recommend him.
Feng Tong shook his head. “I have a candidate in mind, but I’m not sure if they’ll agree.”
The Bull Demon King shouted, “Who wouldn’t agree? They’re not even from Qi Tian Ling!”
Feng Tong replied, “That person isn’t from Qi Tian Ling at all.”
The Bull Demon King was stunned. He suddenly realized who Feng Tong meant.
Feng Tong continued, “I’m talking about Elder Qingqiu.”
“Ah!” Wukong exclaimed first. Buddha was searching everywhere for Qingqiu—how could Feng Tong put her in such a prominent position?
Feng Tong asked, “Does Wukong think my plan is a bit risky?”
Wukong smiled bitterly. “If you already know, why go through with it?”
“Because we need to use Qingqiu as bait to lure Buddha out, then have Elder Hou Yi shoot secretly. Buddha is very wary of Hou Yi’s archery skills. If he knew Hou Yi was the commander, he’d likely be on guard already. That’s why I made this arrangement. I’m not sure if it’s proper.”
No wonder Feng Tong spent so much time planning—the whole thing was just a ruse. With the commander, deputy commander, and vanguard identified, the news would naturally spread to the West. When Buddha saw that Dayu, Qingqiu, and the Roc were all involved—three people with long-standing grudges against the West—he would surely think they were there to avenge themselves, never guessing that someone would dare target him.

This plan to exploit ventilation indeed seems promising. Once Buddha is injured, morale in the Western Heaven will plummet, and Qi Tian Ling will undoubtedly gain the upper hand. Looking further ahead, the Western Heaven is already unstable; if Buddha is defeated, who knows what the restless Eastern Buddha might do. If this plan succeeds, it would lead to utter chaos.

However, Wukong felt that relying on ventilation was a bit too optimistic. Dayu said, “Though this plan is tempting, it’s too risky. We don’t even know what Qingqiu thinks. It’s better to put it aside for now.”

Ventilation replied, “Good. If we follow proper strategies, there’s no need to divide the generals. We should follow the orders of Dayu and Houyi, advancing steadily without rashness. If we really want to conquer territory, we must take one inch and defend it.”

The Bull Demon King asked anxiously, “What about me? What about me?”

Ventilation smiled and said, “Of course, you’re included. You and Brother Dapeng will each lead sixteen demon kings to assist Dayu and Houyi as they advance westward.”

The Bull Demon King asked, “Where should we attack?”

Ventilation replied with a smile, “We’ll fight and see. If the Western Heaven tries to fight to the death, we should stop immediately—there’s no need to force them.”

The Qilin said, “Well said! Qi Tian Ling doesn’t aim to rule the world. We just need a place to survive. With the two armies balanced, there must be a limit.”

Wukong said, “Now that the leaders are chosen, there’s one more thing to discuss.”

Ventilation asked, “What is it?”

Wukong replied, “The Western Heaven and the Heavenly Court occupy land to spread their teachings. Qi Tian Ling also needs a reason to do the same.”

Ventilation said, “If they want to spread their teachings, we can simply refuse. Seizing all life and resources in the world is the worst thing imaginable. How can we just sit idly by?”

Wukong knew that “we” in Ventilation’s words actually referred to the Divine Ape.

Everyone hadn’t fought in a long time and was eager to go into battle. They were ready to deploy their troops at any moment. Ventilation said, “Though this plan was hasty, we’re not ordinary people fighting. If anything goes wrong, we can adjust it later. For now, everyone may go ahead.”

The crowd rushed out. Wu Zhiqi said, “Then I’ll return to the Northern Sea.”

Wukong suddenly remembered something and called out, “Wait a moment. I still have a question.”

Wu Zhiqi turned around. Wukong said, “Let them continue discussing here. You and I should find a quiet place.”

Wukong suddenly remembered that Wu Zhiqi had once told him that in ancient times, immortals from heaven and earth had fought over the Creation Furnace, and in the end, it was seized by a cunning and ruthless Taoist priest. He had previously heard Laojun recount ancient secrets and knew that there was not just one Creation Furnace but actually two. He wanted to ask which one had sparked the competition among immortals and demons across the world!

After leaving the Qilin Cave, Wu Zhiqi said, “Wukong, your cultivation has improved so rapidly—it’s truly enviable.”

Hearing this, Wukong felt ashamed and began to talk about how he had obtained fifteen ginseng fruits. Wu Zhiqi laughed and said, “What’s the problem with that? You don’t realize that those with a Creation Body have a much greater desire for the spiritual treasures in the world than ordinary people. If it were me, I wouldn’t even think of sharing them with others. Back then, the seven of us searched for peaches on the Peach Tree—whomever grabbed one first got it; there was no such thing as sharing.”