Once upon a time on Flower Fruit Mountain, a monkey with some serious skills popped up. He found a master, learned some tricks, swiped the Dragon King’s Ruler of the Seas, and declared himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.
But then he went and messed up the Peach Banquet.
This rocked the heavens and the earth.
Instead of some celestial officials, a whopping hundred thousand heavenly soldiers showed up this time, along with the Four Great Kings and even that aloof Divine True Monarch who hears no decree. Who among them didn’t have sky-high powers and an ego to match?
A massive battle was about to erupt, but instead of hiding his face, the monkey appeared to hear a voice filled with mischief:
“They all think I’m just a mischievous monkey, unruly and hard to discipline, sulking because I wasn’t invited to that peach party. So now I’m wreaking havoc.”
“But if the heavens get poked once….”
“From now on, if the Heavenly Palace gets chaotic, who needs Sun Wukong?”
The air thickened as ominous clouds rolled away like waves in a cosmic storm. Even without setting foot on a single realm, one could feel that overwhelming pressure.
He raised his eyes, and his pupils gleamed like molten gold, shimmering like a fierce firestorm.
He stood tall between heaven and earth, and when he declared his existence, no one dared to object.
Yet, Commander Qu’s almost frozen thoughts brought forth a different story.
Jing Ke assassinating Qin.
Crown Prince Dan was terrified that the Yan Kingdom would be wiped out by Qin and requested Jing Ke to take the Yan Kingdom’s Dou-Kang map to the Xianyang Palace to assassinate Ying Zheng.
Jing Ke had an assistant named Qin Wu Yang.
After arriving in the palace, this courageous kid, who was already slicing and dicing at thirteen, was quaking in his boots at Ying Zheng’s might.
But Jing Ke remained cool as a cucumber, calmly brought forth that map, and revealed his dagger.
Those who boast about their bravery are often weak; only in front of someone weaker can they strut around. When facing someone stronger, they become a thousand times more cowardly, just like Qin Wu Yang.
But true courage is fearless, driven by conviction, ready to challenge the Qin King, soar to the skies, and stir up the Heavenly Palace.
So began the grand uproar.
That divine will to battle heaven and earth suddenly dispersed and converged at his brow.
In an instant, a massive surge of spiritual light flooded his mind, even stronger than during his last encounter with the “Wukong Seeking You” scroll.
“Law of Heaven and Earth!”
“External Body and Internal Law!”
“Three Heads and Six Arms!”
“Secrets of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven… Stability Spell… Energy Gathering and Dispersion… Drawing a Boundary…”
Various divine powers flashed through his mind—some he had encountered in art pieces, others completely foreign, and some left him utterly speechless.
He felt like a tiny boat being swamped by relentless waves.
In this haze, a thought flickered in his mind.
Family support is absolutely essential!
This divine will was overloading him, probably offering everything it had, but who knows if he could soak it all in.
The monkey had really dished out way too much. So many times as a kid, he had ignored the fairy ladies and just stared at the monkey instead…
His face flushed as his heart raced uncontrollably.
Just then, a gentle moonlight illuminated his soul, nurturing his consciousness and restoring peace.
Ice Chunk?
There was no time to ponder or thank Ice Chunk for the assist.
He hurriedly focused on the divine will he could barely decipher.
“Secrets of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!”
As the teaching entered his mind.
In a daze, he saw a figure battling amidst the dark clouds.
The golden monkey raised his mighty staff; the jade sky sparkled for miles.
This was the foundation of the strong challenging the strongest, and also the method of overcoming the mighty with mere scraps!
Just this one divine power made him feel overwhelmed, almost unmanageable.
Five Apertures of Guan Shen? Not enough!
Just then.
The moonlight burst forth!
A enchanting musical note rang in his ears.
One minute ago.
“Another divine one has gathered.”
Ying Bing had just emerged from the Jade Phoenix Realm, having subdued a blue-footed god’s will and absorbed its essence, masterfully mastering one form.
Subduing, however, doesn’t always mean battling.
The blue-footed god was adept with water and music.
As long as she resonated with the flow of water and the rhythm of sound, that was considered a victory.
With this, Ying Bing breached her limits and achieved the Five Apertures of Guan Shen.
“What’s he up to?”
A friendly reminder: If you think this book is good, make sure to add it to your shelf to avoid losing track next time!
She looked at Li Mo, who was now blushing, breathing a bit erratically. He was pulsing with an extremely unfamiliar yet vast divine will.
Was he… accepting some kind of divine legacy?
Ying Bing tilted her head.
That was definitely not the will of the Jade Phoenix.
Recently, she hadn’t seen him observe any divine will either—where was this coming from?
And it wasn’t even any divine shape she knew of…
Furrowing her brows, she noticed his consciousness was waning, so she took out an ancient zither.
“Ding dong—”
A gentle, flowing sound echoed; even those who hadn’t observed divine will would feel calm upon hearing this tune.
Zither music turned into soft waves, enveloping the Young Man.
Li Mo’s face instantly brightened.
“Is he about to break through?”
Ying Bing sensed a shift in his conscious state.
She went with the flow.
Li Mo, with his eyes closed, twitched his eyelids as if he sensed something and immediately relaxed his mind.
From that essence of consciousness, she felt a remarkably grand and complex divine rhythm—unyielding and yet extremely difficult to control.
It was like trying to tame a stubborn mule.
She had no choice but to be patient, using the moonlight as a guide and music as the medium, slowly leading him onward.
Finally, within his consciousness, it seemed like a faint sound emerged, unheard by human ears.
A barrier broke.
And thus, a new realm unfolded.
“How does it feel?”
Ying Bing put the zither away, moved beside him, and squatted down, hugging her legs while staring at him.
Li Mo remained with his eyes closed, mumbling as if dreaming.
“Cheering at sunrise… Sun Wukong.”
“Just because of the monster mist… starting over…”
Ying Bing’s eyes widened.
Sun Wukong… who is that?
Last time he mumbled about herself.
This time he mentioned Sun Wukong, clearly someone significant to him…
She glanced out the window at the morning sky and didn’t rush to call him.
Instead, she sat at the table, sipping tea under the soon-to-be-rising dawn, casting her gaze at him softly.
It seemed even she felt she had been staring at him for too long.
So she thought about the upcoming battle.
“Though the South Border isn’t at the heart of Da Yu, it took a great deal of manpower and resources to expand.”
“This city siege even involves the Da Shang relics.”
“Why, when Emperor Jingtai strongly supports King of South Border’s expansion, does he suddenly seem to hinder him, even asking him to report back to the Imperial Capital during battle?”
Ying Bing’s lids lowered slightly.
Everyone who knew this would find it puzzling.
Could this be linked to the later turmoil in Nine Heavens and Ten Earths?
And the fact that no one became immortal in Nine Heavens and Ten Earths—could that also be connected?
Just then, Li Mo opened his eyes.
He spotted the Ice Chunk nearby, and after a brief surprise, he held back from interrupting the girl’s thoughts, staring at her delicate features illuminated by the morning light, calm yet deeply serene, her lashes shimmering radiantly with a hint of sanctity.
“You’re awake.”
Ying Bing realized he had been secretly watching her for who knows how long.
“Just woke up.”
“How do you feel?”
“Hmm, refreshed. Hey, let’s head to the city wall. Do you think Commander Qu will jump in surprise when he sees us?”
Li Mo stretched, got up, and pushed open the door.
“Childish Ghost.”
Watching the cheerful back of Li Mo, Ying Bing gently tucked her scattered hair back and pinned it with a hairpin, feeling that those worries didn’t seem so pressing anymore.
…
PS: Sorry for the delay, dear readers. I was a bit cautious with this chapter, and I will post another update a little later. Mwah!
