Chapter 333: The Peculiar Old Ape, Meeting the Dragon King of the East Sea

Seeing Sun Wukong urging him, Yuan Hong shook his head and chuckled, saying, "No need for such trouble~"

Having said that, he immediately flipped his palm and took out a Talisman Order, the size of a palm, with various distorted patterns on it, resembling dragons and cranes, shining with brilliant gold, and emitting a marvelous, clear sound.

It was nothing else~

It was precisely the special means of contact that Fang Longye had previously left for Yuan Hong, which could span great distances and instantly bring him to Fang Longye's side~

As he sent his own Dharma power into it, the Talisman Order immediately let out a hum, and in an instant, as if clouds had parted in a clear sky and the great sun had come to shine, it erupted with astonishing radiance.

Countless scenes, strange and bizarre, appeared, accompanied by all sorts of marvelous sounds resonating.

Moving back and forth, lingering around.

Yuan Hong naturally took all the information since Sun Wukong's return and left it in writing, like a trickling stream, pouring it into the Talisman Order in his hand.

A moment later,

Suddenly, a crane's cry rang out, and a large crane gracefully emerged from the various strange phenomena, holding a Red Copper Treasure Pearl in its beak, looking exceptionally spirited.

It was exactly what this Talisman Order had transformed into~ One could see this large crane holding the Red Copper Treasure Pearl in its beak, flying gracefully in the air, and after just a single instant, it connected with time and space and vanished into the dark, mysterious void.

The strange phenomena slowly dissipated, and the scene fell silent for a moment~ After Yuan Hong finished transmitting the message to his master, he looked at the dumbfounded Sun Wukong and secretly chuckled to himself, what a country bumpkin, so ignorant! "Alright! What are you still standing there for~"

He jumped over, patted Sun Wukong on the shoulder, and signaled, "Let's go!"

"Let's go~"

Sun Wukong came to his senses and clicked his tongue.

Without saying much more, he directly rode his cloud, with the Somersault Cloud leading the way, while Yuan Hong followed behind; the two of them, one after the other, soon arrived at Huaguo Mountain.

……

Meanwhile, far away in Beiju Luzhou, just as Sun Wukong and Yuan Hong had finished riding their cloud and left Kanyuan Mountain, almost back-to-back, Fang Longye had already received Yuan Hong's message.

He had even finished reading through the entire contents of that Red Copper Treasure Pearl~ "Hmm, I suppose I should make a trip~"

Fang Longye pondered to himself.

Although he had already given instructions to Yuan Hong, it would be inexcusable not to witness such a famous scene as the Monkey causing a ruckus in the Longgong with his own eyes~

Of course, curiosity is just curiosity.

He did not intend to go in his true form; it wasn't that he couldn't spare the time, but rather that it wasn't worth it.

He wasn't planning on fighting anyone, nor did he have the urge to meet Sun Wukong immediately; splitting off a thought-avatar to go over would be enough~ In any case, he would not go out of his way to meet Sun Wukong~ Even if getting to know Sun Wukong, the protagonist of Journey to the West, would certainly have its benefits~

After all, things obtained by chasing after them aren't real bargains. Besides, running over all excited to meet him would be too demeaning~

Especially since he had finally managed to rely on his head start to leave a mysterious and unfathomable image in that monkey's mind, he had to maintain it well~ Shaking his head, he immediately manifested a stream of iridescent light from the top of his head, which shot up into the sky, so fast it was indescribable, and plunged straight into the dark, mysterious void.

It was precisely a thought-avatar, split off and following the connection in the dark, crossing the boundless void to go directly to where the East Sea was.

Having reached his current realm, he truly possessed divine abilities unimaginable in the past.

A mere thought split off to form an avatar could still possess quite formidable power. At the very least, it was more than enough to deal with an ordinary Golden Immortal.

And such thought-avatars could be created in almost any number. He could easily split off millions of them without much burden on his true body~

This was the Taiyi realm, surpassing the Golden Immortal; without the aid of an extraordinary Spirit Treasure, almost no Golden Immortal could fight across realms~

Even a Taiyi Loose Immortal who had just entered this realm remained high and mighty~……

Dongsheng Shenzhou, Huaguo Mountain.

The ancestral vein of the Ten Continents, the source of the Three Islands.

When Fang Longye's thought-avatar arrived, using Yuan Hong as a beacon and following the connection in the dark, he and Sun Wukong had already reached Huaguo Mountain.

They were being surrounded by a group of monkeys.

Big ones, small ones, old ones, gray ones, black ones, golden ones, long-haired ones, short-haired ones—everything was there, jumping and bouncing, back and forth.

It was very noisy~

"Great King, are you going to the East Sea Longgong?"

One of the Four Old Apes, a Tongbei Ape, was asking.

"That's right~"

Sun Wukong nodded and said nonchalantly, "The armor and weapons you all wear, although not common gear, are not exactly divine weapons or precious armor either; they can't keep up with your growth~"

He was quite eloquent, not mentioning his own needs at all, only showing the concern of a Great King for his subordinates, and said, "My children under my command naturally need to be equipped with good divine weapons and armor, so this Great King has decided to take a trip to that East Sea Longgong!"

"East Sea Longgong~"

Hearing this, the old ape nodded immediately and said, "That is indeed a good place to go; it just so happens that the Great King can also ask that old Dragon King for a suitable weapon~"

As he spoke, he pointed his finger toward the Water Curtain Cave in the distance and said, "Under this Iron Plank Bridge in our Water Curtain Cave, the water leads directly to the East Sea Longgong, but the Great King must be careful."

"This old ape is not simple~"

Upon hearing these words, Fang Longye's avatar, hidden in the dark void, felt a stir in his heart.

He remembered that in Journey to the West, it was these four old apes who had directed Sun Wukong to go seek training.

It was also they who told Sun Wukong that the Iron Plank Bridge led directly to the East Sea Longgong and instigated him to ask the East Sea Longgong for a suitable weapon~.

They certainly are very knowledgeable, heh~

Previously, Yuan Hong was able to tip off Sun Wukong and speak of the mysteries of the Water Curtain Cave's Iron Plank Bridge, stealing this old ape's original role, all under his instructions~

And he was able to know the mysteries of this Iron Plank Bridge precisely through the Journey to the West in his memories.

Yet this old ape, who never stepped out of the gate, knew it so clearly~ Strange, very strange~ As his thoughts turned, Fang Longye cast his gaze over, examining these four old apes carefully, especially the Tongbi Yuanhou who had spoken of the Iron Plank Bridge.

But no matter how he probed, the result was the same as his first arrival at Huaguo Mountain.

These four old apes had nothing special about them; he couldn't see any problems. Except for their somewhat profound gaze, which was likely due to having lived for a long time.

There was nothing else~ "Could it be that I'm overthinking it?"

Fang Longye thought to himself.

Of course, the greater possibility was that his realm was still insufficient at this moment to see through the methods of a great power.

While Fang Longye's thoughts fluctuated, Sun Wukong, hearing the old ape's words, could not think that far ahead.

Facing the old ape's reminder to be careful, he was completely indifferent, waving his hand and saying, "Don't worry!"

He straightened his body, and his entire aura surged into the sky; the monkey fur on his body shone brilliantly under the sunlight, as if it were crafted from pure gold.

"Since I attained the Dao, I have mastered the Seventy-two Earthly Fiend Transformations, and the Somersault Cloud possesses immense supernatural power. I am skilled in invisibility and evasion, in invoking the Dharma and controlling it; there is a path to the heavens, and a gate to enter the earth. I walk the sun and moon without a shadow, and pass through metal and stone without obstruction; water cannot drown me, and fire cannot burn me."

"In this vast world, where can I not go? It is just the East Sea Longgong!"

Sensing Sun Wukong's piercing aura, the monkeys and grandchildren beside him could not help but shout in unison: "The Great King is mighty!" "The Great King is mighty!"

"Little ones, wait a moment, your Great King will return shortly!"

Hearing the shouts of his monkeys and grandchildren, Sun Wukong felt his blood boil, and he even forgot about Yuan Hong, who was standing to the side.

Without a second thought, he turned a somersault and reached the head of the Iron Plank Bridge, performed the Water-Closing Method, pinched the incantation, and plunged into the waves with a splash.

He parted the water and headed straight for the bottom of the East Sea.

This monkey, how is he even more impatient than me! Yuan Hong sighed, hurriedly followed, and after chasing hard, caught up with Sun Wukong.

The two monkeys stepped on the water, splitting the waves and cutting through the surf, accompanying each other as they headed straight for the underwater Longgong.

Fang Longye, hidden in the void, took a deep look at the four old apes. Seeing nothing unusual, he flicked his body and followed as well.

……

Yuan Hong and Sun Wukong were both in the Golden Immortal Realm, so even though neither was skilled in water techniques, their pace was not slow, and before long, they arrived at their destination.

A sharp shout was heard as a Patrol Sea Yaksha appeared, blocking their path, and said, "Who are you? Stop at once."

A Yaksha?

Sun Wukong fixed his eyes on him, golden light dancing in his pupils, and he took a breath, just about to speak.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Hong, who had received instructions from his master many years ago, took a step forward, faced the Patrol Sea Yaksha, and scolded, "You wretch Li Yu, have you gone blind? You don't even recognize me, Old Yuan?"

The voice was as loud as a bronze bell, heard by all around.

He had quite the arrogant and bossy air.

This Patrol Sea Yaksha, named Li Yu, looked closely and could not help but smile apologetically, "So it is the Chiming Divine General. I didn't notice for a moment, please forgive me, please forgive me!"

He certainly recognized this person; he was a subordinate of the Young Lord Yuanlong, specifically guarding the East Sea branch residence, and had frequently interacted with their Longgong over the years—"And who is this?"

Li Yu glanced at Sun Wukong, his heart stirred, and he asked—"The one before you is the Heaven-born Sacred Handsome Monkey King Sun Wukong of Huaguo Mountain, a close neighbor of your old Dragon King. Why don't you go and report this quickly?"

Remembering his master's instructions, Yuan Hong shook the Iron Staff in his hand and recited the script: "Tell your old Dragon King to get ready and welcome us outside the palace gate."

Hearing this, the Patrol Sea Yaksha looked at Sun Wukong, a flicker of imperceptible strangeness passing through his eyes.

"I will go at once—"

After nodding in response, he tugged on the reins of his mount's neck, unfurled the Water-Parting Spike in his hand, and with the sound of hoofbeats, returned the way he came.

Sun Wukong, watching the Patrol Sea Yaksha disappear, turned to look at Yuan Hong, his eyes filled with admiration, and said, "Your master's name is indeed useful. Just by stating a name, this Yaksha went off so eagerly—"

"Haha—"

Yuan Hong was full of pride and looked around with authority, saying, "Of course—my master is a Young Lord of the Dragon Clan, how would a mere East Sea Dragon King dare to be disrespectful?"

He patted Sun Wukong on the shoulder and boasted, "Don't worry, brother—with me here, I will definitely make that old Dragon King bring out the best divine weapons and precious armor for you!"

It was truly a monkey's temperament; so quickly, he had cast Sun Wukong's extraordinary nature to the back of his mind.

While calling him brother, his actions were entirely that of a "little brother, big brother will look after you" attitude.

Crucially, Sun Wukong, who did not understand his own origins, was at this moment full of gratitude toward Yuan Hong and said happily, "Then many thanks, Brother Chiming—"

This left Fang Longye, hidden in the void, unable to stop laughing; these two monkeys were truly one daring to speak and the other daring to believe!

This Patrol Sea Yaksha was not so simple; he was actually a Golden Immortal at the Great Perfection, with a cultivation level higher than both Yuan Hong and Sun Wukong.

Most importantly, he saw it clearly.

This Patrol Sea Yaksha was so easy to talk to not just because of Yuan Hong, his subordinate; he was also paying close attention to Sun Wukong! Clearly, there had been arrangements made long ago—Yuan Hong was quite good at boasting.

No wonder they could become so compatible in such a short time—after all, they were both monkeys who knew how to bluff and loved to talk big, so naturally, they found each other pleasing—and 'with him here, the East Sea Dragon King would definitely bring out the best divine weapons and armor for Sun Wukong'? To be honest, even if he, the Young Lord of the Dragon Clan, went there in person, he might not be able to make the East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang bring out his hidden treasures—but wasn't this exactly his goal? He wanted to confuse the situation, shift the credit, and take the favor of Sun Wukong obtaining the Golden-Hooped Rod and his armor upon himself—it was truly 'borrowing flowers to offer to the Buddha'—

It was fortunate that Ao Guang did not know that Fang Longye, his cheap son-in-law, was actually harboring such an intention, otherwise he might be angered to death—

……

Before long, the Patrol Sea Yaksha hurried back, leading the two monkeys toward the Longgong.

"Let's go!"

The carried-away Yuan Hong waved his hand as if summoning a lackey, signaling Sun Wukong to follow.

This made Fang Longye, hidden in the void, laugh and scold his subordinate in his heart: "You really know how to act like a fox exploiting a tiger's might! Were you brothers with Xiaotian Quan in your past life—"

Just like that, the two monkeys swaggered along, led by the Patrol Sea Yaksha, and arrived before the Crystal Palace.

They saw the seawater was clear and shallow, presenting a dark green hue, shimmering with light, and inside were coral trees the size of mountains, colorful and brilliant.

The Crystal Palace stood beneath the coral, with golden-green light bursting forth all around, filled with Immortal light and auspicious vapors—

Yuan Hong was surprised to discover that the East Sea Dragon King had actually come out to welcome them.

They saw that before the Crystal Palace,

there was a middle-aged man, wearing a crown on his head, his dragon horns shining with golden brilliance, dressed in a dragon robe, leading a group of Dragon Princes and Longnu, shrimp soldiers and crab generals, standing at the entrance.

Heaven and earth be my witness!

He had just been bluffing, relying on his master's protection. He never thought that the two of them could truly make the East Sea Dragon King come out to welcome them—thinking of this, he felt a jolt and turned his head to look at the Handsome Monkey King beside him.

Bouncing and jumping, looking here and there, he was completely a country bumpkin who had never seen the world—

He had gotten carried away!

Could it be that this one was the real Great Buddha?!

Just think, how could someone his master specifically paid attention to be simple—

And he had actually been calling this person brother?

He really was thick-skinned!

Just as Yuan Hong came to his senses and was secretly reflecting, Sun Wukong hopped over to Ao Guang and shouted, "Are you the East Sea Dragon King?"

"Indeed~"

Ao Guang first cast a glance at Yuan Hong, which made him tremble with fear, cursing himself for his big mouth~ Then, he withdrew his gaze, a smile appearing on his face, and he bowed to Sun Wukong, saying: "Immortal, I am the East Sea Dragon King, Ao Guang. This is not a place to talk, please come inside~"

The two Monkeys, one heartless and carefree, hopping and skipping, the other slow-witted and fearful, followed Ao Guang into the Crystal Palace.

After Sun Wukong entered, he looked around curiously, seeing gold and jade covering the ground, Lotus Lamps hanging, precious pearls dangling, and agate curtains, all filled with the luster of pearls and treasures.

Every object, every ornament, exuded precious light and auspicious Qi, swirling endlessly, all of them shining brilliantly; at a glance, one could tell they were no ordinary items~

It was truly rich and luxurious! He could not help but rejoice in his heart: "This brother Chi Ming truly did not lie to me; such a lavish place must surely have extremely precious treasures!" (End of chapter)