Volume One: Unsayable, Chapter 39: The Magic Artifact Completed

Reading the Tao Scripture brought about creation; Wukong was quite pleased. The creation power inherent in the Tao Te Ching was pure and orderly—the more it was generated, the greater its usefulness. Since reading the scripture could bring about creation, why not read it whenever he had time?

As he prepared to read Volume Two, the De Scripture, Wukong suddenly thought of using his clones to recite the scripture together to see what effect it would have. He exerted his supernatural powers and created two identical Wukongs on either side, dividing his original spirit into three parts to recite the thirty-eight chapters of the De Scripture together.

“True virtue appears virtuous yet is not truly virtuous; false virtue appears unvirtuous yet is not truly unvirtuous…” Before long, all thirty-eight chapters were read. Wukong checked the creation power within his three clones and found that it had increased by six hundred in total. It turned out that the creation power in both volumes of the Tao Te Ching was similar, and the three clones could not bring about any further increase.

Wukong thought about it and couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. Neither his dantian nor his original spirit became stronger by splitting into clones—it was merely dividing itself into parts. The method of gaining creation power through reading the scripture relied entirely on the original spirit; even when divided into three, he remained the same. His actions were no different from those of a fickle monkey—truly laughably childish.

As Feng Tong had said, using clones as a means of cultivation should only be done when one has grown strong enough that using half of one’s strength in battle poses no danger, allowing one to split off clones to focus on cultivation. Right now, with so many troubles unfolding and the Seven Great Saints not yet fully revealed, he might face danger and trials at any moment, so it was not feasible at the moment.

But since the King of Yuyon had not yet emerged from seclusion, he had to do something. Wukong had an idea: he would assign the three clones—one to recite the scriptures, another to practice the thirty-six transformations, and the third to hone the Qi Tian Staff technique. Though it was only a makeshift solution, it allowed progress in all areas.

Three more years passed. Wukong’s clones had recited the Tao Scripture countless times, and his skills in the Heavenly Gang Transformation and the Qi Tian Staff technique had improved significantly. His own cultivation also advanced greatly, much to his satisfaction.

One day, as if sensing something, Wukong exulted, “The King of Yuyon has finally reappeared—presumably the magic artifact is ready.” He leaped out of the Water Curtain Cave and went to the base of the White Rhinoceros Mountain to seek the King of Yuyon.

Indeed, the King of Yuyon was standing there in the mountains, his eyes filled with joy as he held the white circle in his hands. Wukong was amazed. In this journey to the West, any artifact in the form of a circle should not be underestimated—ranging from the golden hoop on the head to Laozi’s Vajra Axe, each was incredibly powerful and hard to counter. Surely, the King of Yuyon’s circle was also an extraordinary artifact.

Wukong stepped forward and said, “Congratulations, brother! You’ve truly completed this treasure.”

King Yuyin said, “This Flower-Fruit Mountain Range is indeed far superior to Aolai Peak. The quality of this treasure is extraordinary—far beyond my expectations.” He picked up the ring in his hand; it seemed to be made of shiny silver, capable of stretching and emitting flames, with its size adjustable at will. “This ring is called the God-Slaying Ring. My master gave me the raw material and taught me how to refine it. Its function is to sever the spiritual connection between an opponent and their magical artifacts, allowing one to take control of those artifacts. What do you think?”
Wukong replied, “The day you fought Brother Niu, you already took his iron staff. Now, after eight more years of refinement, what progress has been made?” King Yuyin chuckled and said, “There’s no greater use for it.”
Wukong was surprised. “If it’s useless, then why continue refining it?”
King Yuyin explained, “This refinement is only the initial stage. Further work—engraving symbols and drawing arrays—must be done meticulously before it can truly be called a ‘God-Slaying Ring!’ By then, even the Taiyi Golden Immortal would flee at the mere sight of it.”
Wukong was astonished. The ring was so powerful—no wonder it had such a formidable name. King Yuyin didn’t hide anything and explained in detail the effects of the treasure, which pleased Wukong greatly.
At that moment, on a distant peak, Fengtong stood atop it, sensing King Yuyin’s presence. His excitement was indescribable. He never expected that after ten thousand years, he would meet the two brothers here again. In a few days, after rescuing Wuzhiji, most of the Seven Divine Apes would arrive—what a tremendous joy!
King Yuyin also sensed something unusual. Frowning, he asked Wukong, “Is that person standing on the peak one of our own?”
Wukong smiled. “Of course. It’s a very close friend of mine. Come, let me introduce him to you.”
The two went to the peak’s top. Fengtong glanced at King Yuyin and said calmly, “King Yuyin, it’s time for you to wake up.”
King Yuyin’s body trembled. He clearly felt the strange sensation brought by Fengtong. Then, his eyes grew vacant as he sat cross-legged, as if struck by a devastating blow.
Wukong grew worried. Fengtong reassured him, “It’s fine. He’s just waking up. So many memories from the past are flooding his mind, so it’s natural for him to be dazed for a while.”
The three monkeys stood on the peak, their slender bodies seemingly fragile enough to be blown away by a gust of wind. Yet they stood or sat there like statues, as if they had existed since the beginning of time, unchangeable by anyone.
Three days later, King Yuyin opened his eyes, stood up, and smiled gently at Wukong and Fengtong. “I’m back!”

Wukong and Fengtong exchanged smiles. The King of Yuyin had returned—the divine ape feared by both immortals and Buddhas. Unlike Fengtong, he remained confident even after learning of his identity as a divine ape, taking it in stride. His strong self-confidence supported him, ensuring he would still remain the nemesis of all immortals and Buddhas.

Seeing that Fengtong seemed to want to speak to King Yuyin, Wukong quietly left the mountain top and sat at the foot to enjoy the delicacies offered by the White Rhinoceros King. Two hours later, Fengtong and King Yuyin descended together. Fengtong had already told King Yuyin about Wukong’s plans, and King Yuyin’s gaze toward Wukong now held a hint of respect. The three returned to Water Curtain Cave, where they drank heartily. During the meal, they laughed and shared amusing stories, aware that the road ahead was full of hardships and trials, yet their conversation carried a sense of solemnity.

After discussing it, they decided to set off the next day to rescue Wu Zhiqi.

Early the next morning, the three rose on clouds from Flower-Fruit Mountain, heading north to Julu Continent. After traveling just over ten miles, Wukong glanced back and suddenly saw six auspicious clouds carrying hundreds of soldiers in bright armor, hovering above Flower-Fruit Mountain.

Wukong said with a smile, “We can’t go this way.” So the three turned their clouds and returned.

Before they even reached the ground, they heard someone shout, “Heavenly soldiers have arrived! You evil monkeys and oxen, come out and surrender, or we won’t spare your lives!” On the six auspicious clouds stood six heavenly generals, each leading a hundred soldiers. From their tone, it was clear they were there to capture Wukong and the Ox Demon King. When Wukong got closer, he saw that on the first two clouds were Bi Yue Wu and Wei Tu Zhi from the Twenty-Eight Constellations. On the last four clouds stood the four heavenly generals he had once siphoned essence from in heaven.

Wukong inwardly exhaled in satisfaction—Perfect! I didn’t have to look for you; you came to me instead.

But Wukong was mistaken. Bi Yue Wu and Wei Tu Zhi belonged to the Western Seven Constellations, while these four belonged to the Eastern Seven Constellations. These four had used all their cunning to kill hundreds of thousands of mortals, and most of their essence had been taken by Wukong without reason. They had offered empty pots to the Emperor, only to provoke his furious wrath, unaware of the truth.

Now, with Bi Yue Wu and Wei Tu Zhi leading their forces to hunt Wukong and the Ox Demon King, the Emperor, seeing them as a nuisance, sent them down to atone for their sins.

Among them, the one with a fair face, red eyes, and ears hanging to his shoulders was Fang Xin Tu; the one with narrow eyes, a sharp mouth, and a seductive demeanor was Xin Yue Hu; the one with a majestic presence, radiating a kingly aura, was Wei Huo Hu; and the one with a slender waist, large head, and a slightly forward-leaning neck was Ji Huo Bao. These four had had a hard time in heaven and were already filled with anger.

Below the Flower-Fruit Mountain, chaos reigned supreme—monkeys scurried about frantically, while the 72 cave demons rushed about like wild beasts. Wukong shook his head in secret; demons were still demons, lacking order despite having some form of structure. The moment they saw the heavenly soldiers, they panicked, and he knew he would have to reorganize them properly later.

At that moment, a huge figure leaped out from a distant barren mountain, laughing loudly, “Great! Come and test the divine powers I’ve just mastered!”

Seeing a leader, the demons below calmed down and focused on watching the battle in the sky.

Wukong whispered a few words to Fengtong and Wang Yu, instructing them to hide in the distant clouds and simply hunt down any who escaped. Wukong was cautious—Fengtong and Wang Yu were highly skilled, and it was obvious at first glance that they were different from the other minor demons. If their presence were revealed, it might attract powerful enemies, so it was better for them not to draw attention for now.

The Bull Demon King, standing seven zhang tall and wielding an iron rod as thick as a pole, swept through the ranks with a single swing, aiming at Bi Yuewu. Faced with such fierce aggression, Bi Yuewu dared not confront it head-on and instead used his agility to dodge. But the 100 heavenly soldiers behind him suffered greatly. Some who were quick-witted managed to avoid it, but at least thirty or forty were hit by the rod. Limbs flew everywhere in a gruesome sight.