Chapter 498

Sun Wukong walked through the Star Sea carrying his Iron Staff, his steps light.

Translation: Sun Wukong walked through the Star Sea carrying his Iron Staff, his steps light.

Sun Wukong walked through the Star Sea carrying his Iron Staff, his steps light.

Yao's hand was gripped by him, the warmth from her fingertips making him feel steady.

Translation: Yao's hand was gripped by him, the warmth from her fingertips making him feel steady.

Yao's hand was held by him, the warmth from her fingertips making him feel steady.

That fight just now was really satisfying.

Translation: That fight just now was indeed satisfying.

Senior Brother had turned into a tree, Master was waiting for him on Fangcun Mountain to drink tea, and in the Three Realms no blind creature dared to pop out and cause trouble.

Translation: Senior Brother had turned into a tree, Master awaited him on Fangcun Mountain for tea, and in the Three Realms no blind creature dared to pop out and cause trouble.

Senior Brother had turned into a tree, Master waited for him on Fangcun Mountain for tea, and in the Three Realms no blind creature dared to pop out and cause trouble.

How good.

Translation: How good.

How good.

He was thinking about going back to pick a few peaches to offer to his master when the starlight beneath his feet suddenly trembled.

Translation: He was thinking about going back to pick a few peaches to offer his Master when the starlight beneath his feet suddenly trembled.

It's not an illusion.

Translation: It wasn't an illusion.

He looked down—the void beneath his feet was beginning to ripple.

Translation: He looked down—the void beneath his feet was beginning to wrinkle.

Like a crumpled sheet of paper, folds spread from afar at great speed.

Translation: Like a crumpled sheet of paper, the folds spread from afar at great speed.

"Wukong."

Translation: "Wukong."

Yao's voice carried alertness.

Translation: Yao's voice carried alertness.

Sun Wukong loosened his grip on her hand, the iron staff sliding from his shoulder to his palm, held horizontally before him.

Translation: Sun Wukong released her hand, the Iron Staff sliding from his shoulder to his palm, held horizontally before him.

His gaze swept toward the distance.

Translation: His gaze swept toward the distance.

The galaxy that had been steadily rotating just three breaths ago now tilted.

Translation: A few breaths ago the star system was still turning steadily, now it's tilted.

The outer stars of the entire galaxy seemed to have been kicked from below, their orbits shifting, colliding, and bursting into countless fragments.

Translation: The outer stars of the whole star system seemed kicked from below, their orbits shifting, colliding, exploding into countless fragments.

The fragments then slammed into the inner planets.

Translation: The fragments then slammed into the inner planets.

A chain reaction.

Translation: A chain reaction.

"Damn."

Translation: "Damn."

Sun Wukong cursed.

Translation: Sun Wukong cursed.

He saw a sight farther away—not just one galaxy.

Translation: He saw farther—more than one star system.

The one on the left, its core star was collapsing.

Translation: To the left, the core star was collapsing.

The one on the right, the entire nebula was torn in half, revealing a black rift in the middle.

Translation: To the right, the entire nebula was torn in half, revealing a black rift in the middle.

The rift was still expanding.

Translation: The rift was still expanding.

Farther away, within the limit of his Great Sage Equality Dao's perception, at least seven galaxies were collapsing simultaneously.

Translation: Farther out, within the limit of what his Equal Heaven Path could sense, at least seven star systems were collapsing simultaneously.

The reason was something he could figure out with his toes.

Translation: The reason was obvious even to his toes.

The fight just now with that old thing involved too much power.

Translation: The fight just now with that old thing had used too much power.

The opposing primal forces of creation and destruction, plus the negating power released by that old thing, intertwined three energies in the real universe, tearing apart the underlying structure of space.

Translation: Creative and destructive primordial sources clashed, plus the old thing's released Power of Negation; three energies tangled in the Real Universe, twisting the spatial foundation into a mess.

At the time it felt satisfying, but he didn't notice.

Translation: At the time it felt great, so he didn't notice.

Now the aftereffects have arrived.

Translation: Now the aftereffects have arrived.

Real cosmic space is not a solid slab.

Translation: Real cosmic space isn't a solid slab.

It has a load limit.

Translation: It has a load limit.

Those energy remnants were like buried thunder, conducting who knows how far, finally exploding at the most fragile node.

Translation: Those energy residuals were like thunder buried underground, transmitted who knows how far, finally exploding at the weakest node.

"How many?"

Translation: "How many?"

He asked Yao.

Translation: He asked Yao.

Yao closed her eyes for an instant, the Phantasmal Dao's perception spreading out then retracting.

Translation: Yao closed her eyes for a moment, the Illusory Dream Path's perception spreading out then retracting.

Her expression changed.

Translation: Her expression changed.

"Seventeen galaxies are undergoing irreversible collapse."

Translation: "Seventeen star systems are undergoing irreversible collapse."

"Are there any living people inside?"

Translation: "Are there any living people inside?"

"Nine."

Translation: "Nine."

Sun Wukong grabbed a handful of hair from his head.

Translation: Sun Wukong grabbed a handful of hair on his head.

The mortals within those nine galaxies.

Translation: Mortals in the nine star systems.

How many lives is that?

Translation: "How many lives is that?"

He didn't want to calculate.

Translation: He didn't want to calculate.

Even so, it's a number that makes the scalp tingle.

Translation: Even so, it's a number that makes the scalp tingle.

The iron staff spun twice in his hand, its end striking the void and emitting a dull thud.

Translation: The Iron Staff spun twice in his hand, its tip striking the void and emitting a dull thud.

He was so anxious he wanted to curse.

Translation: He was anxious enough to want to curse someone.

In battle he was efficient—one blow of the staff solved any problem.

Translation: In battle he was efficient—one staff strike solved any problem.

And now?

Translation: Now what?

The enemy is gone, leaving a mess everywhere.

Translation: The enemy's gone, leaving a mess all over.

This is ten thousand times harder to clean up than fighting.

Translation: This is ten thousand times harder to clean up than fighting.

He can't possibly just staff the collapsed galaxies back together, can he?

Translation: He couldn't possibly use his staff to paste the collapsed star systems back together, could he?

Wrong, he can try.

Translation: Wrong, he could try.

Sun Wukong's form flickered, his heavenly law form expanding.

Translation: Sun Wukong flickered, manifesting his Dharma Aspect Heaven Earth.

A crimson-gold giant ape spanned the starfield, thrusting his staff into the nearest expanding spatial rift.

Translation: A red-gold giant ape spanned the starfield, thrusting his staff into the nearest expanding spatial rift.

The creative power on the staff surged in, vine-like patterns glowing green, sealing the rift's edges.

Translation: The Creative Force on his staff poured in, the vine patterns glowing green, welding the rift's edges shut.

The rift stopped expanding.

Translation: The rift's expansion halted.

But that's all it did.

Translation: But that was all it did.

Besides, two new cracks split open nearby.

Translation: Meanwhile, two new rifts split open nearby.

From farther away came a low rumble as another star exploded.

Translation: From farther away came a low rumble—another star exploded.

Sun Wukong withdrew his Dharma Aspect, fell back beside Yao, his face filled with irritation.

Cannot be plugged.

He touched the back of his head, his teeth grinding creakily.

Press this side and that side explodes, press that side and this side cracks. I'm not a mason—

He didn't finish his sentence.

Yao broke free of his hand.

Sun Wukong froze, turned his head to look at her.

Yao didn't look at him.

She floated forward a few steps, stopping in mid-air.

Starlight shone from all directions onto her, outlining her with a soft silver edge.

She closed her eyes.

Her arms slowly opened, as if to embrace the entire Star Sea.

Her expression was unusually calm.

The Yao who had been arguing with him about planting flowers just now seemed like a different person.

Sun Wukong recognized this calm.

This was her expression before undertaking something great.

Yao—

Don't make noise.

She only said two words.

Sun Wukong kept silent.

Then he saw it.

Behind Yao, a sheet of light rose in the void.

It wasn't the fierce light used for battle.

It was the color of dreams.

Gentle, flowing, slightly warm Rainbow Light unfurled from behind her, like a shaken-out silk cloth, spreading in all directions.

Illusory Dream Avenue.

But it was different from before.

Previously, Yao used the Illusory Dream Avenue to weave a closed Dream Realm, trapping things inside.

This time, she did not close the boundaries of the Dream Realm.

When the Rainbow Light spread, Sun Wukong could feel—that it wasn't an illusion.

That was a real world.

There was Heaven, earth, wind, and water.

There were sunrise and sunset, tides rising and falling.

A complete, self-consistent world with its own independent operating rules was forming behind Yao.

It was too big.

So big that Sun Wukong had to raise his head to see its edge.

And it was still expanding.

When the edge of the Rainbow Light touched the nearby collapsing star system, there was no collision, no resistance.

It seeped in like water into sand, silently covering it.

The collapse stopped.

On the shells of the planets that were breaking apart, a half-transparent film of Rainbow Light appeared.

The cracks beneath the film remained, but did not expand further.

The torn earth floated in the Rainbow Light, preserving the instant before it shattered.

The star system's collapse was frozen.

It was not a repair.

It was a replacement.

Yao was using the Dream Realm to fill the structures blown apart in reality.

Those shattered space nodes, those severed causal chains, those collapsed physical constants—she did not try to fix them.

She directly used the Illusory Dream Avenue to weave equivalent substitutes, embedding them.

Like when a building's Load-bearing Wall breaks, she didn't go look for cement and bricks, but directly used the Dream Realm to create a New Pillar to prop it up.

Sun Wukong watched the Rainbow Light spread at visible speed, engulfing the second star system, then the third.

Yao's complexion was turning pale.

But the corner of her mouth was curved.

It was faint, but she was indeed smiling.

What are you laughing at?

Sun Wukong stood behind her and asked.

Yao didn't open her eyes.

I was thinking, the last time I exerted myself this much, it was still to stop you, this foolish monkey.

That time I almost got myself caught up in it.

This time I won't.

Her voice was soft, but steady.

"Last time I carried it alone. This time—"

The rainbow light reached the fifth star system.

Yao's arms trembled slightly, but her voice remained calm.

"This time you just stand behind me."

"Don't go anywhere."

Sun Wukong didn't move.

He just stood two steps behind her.

The iron staff was planted beside his feet, his arms crossed.

Watching that patch of rainbow light continue to expand.

The sixth, the seventh.

Yao's forehead beaded with sweat.

A very thin layer, made to sparkle by the starlight.

When the rainbow light covered the eighth star system, her breathing grew heavy.

But she didn't lower her hand.

The ninth.

The last one.

The edge of the rainbow light reached the collapsing star system farthest out.

There, half the star had already exploded, debris and radiation storms mixed together, and at least three planets inhabited by mortals had not yet been affected.

The rainbow light enveloped them.

The debris stopped.

The storm froze.

The living beings on those three planets didn't even realize they had just passed before the Gate of Ghosts.

Yao lowered her hand.

She turned around, opened her eyes, and looked at Sun Wukong.

There was bloodshot in her eyes, her complexion pale, but her smile was genuine.

"All cleaned up."

Sun Wukong stared at her for two seconds.

Then he stepped forward and patted her on the head.

Not hard, just a pat.

"Next time, give me a heads-up before doing something like this."

"Even if you told me, you couldn't help."

"I can fan you."

Yao laughed at his words, her strength gave out, and she fell forward.

Sun Wukong caught her in one swoop and let her lean on his shoulder.

The Star Sea grew quiet.

Nine patches of rainbow light covered the nine star systems; from afar it looked like someone had stuck nine colorful patches on a black night curtain.

Not pretty.

But it works.

Sun Wukong carried Yao, who was leaning on his shoulder, lifted his iron staff with his other hand, and continued toward Fangcun Mountain.

After walking less than three steps, he stopped.

The vine patterns on the iron staff suddenly lit up.

It wasn't him activating it.

It lit up on its own.

Sun Wukong lowered his head to look at the staff.

The gold-and-green intertwined vine patterns on the staff were throbbing like a heartbeat, flickering bright and dim.

The frequency grew faster and faster.

In the direction of Fangcun Mountain, Bodhi's right hand, clenched into a fist, relaxed at the same moment.

In his palm, the throbbing golden light leaked out between his fingers.

The old man opened his eyes.

His gaze swept past countless star fields, past Yao's woven nine rainbow-light patches, past his foolish disciple carrying the iron staff—

and landed somewhere even farther.

There was nothing there.

But Bodhi saw it.

A pool of still, dead water.

It was approaching.