Chapter 616: Golden Immortal Sun Wukong (Two-in-One)

Zhu Bajie shouted loudly!

Hot, it's too hot!

It was as scorching as being placed on a fire to roast; at this moment, he could finally understand the feeling the dead monkey had in the Eight Trigrams Furnace back then—it was simply not something a person could endure.

The blood all over his body was boiling and burning like fuel, his five viscera were all scorched.

His skin was crimson, just like a branding iron that had been hammered ten thousand times.

The key was that he was not Sun Wukong; he did not have an Indestructible Vajra Body.

If this continues, he really is going to become a roast suckling pig.

"Dead monkey, you pray for your own luck; I, Old Zhu, will also pray for my own."

Zhu Bajie sighed and lamented, hurriedly reciting the Fire Avoidance Formula to hold on and wait, hoping only that this tribulation would end soon.

……

"Mayflies shaking a tree, ridiculously overestimating their own strength!"

"A mantis trying to stop a chariot, only to be crushed to pieces. Sun Wukong, isn't it better to admit defeat? Why must you insist on going against the heavens?"

Yinjiao Dawang shouted loudly, attempting to break Sun Wukong's psychological defenses.

"Hehehe, monster. My Old Sun has a spine of defiance; how could I easily admit defeat?"

Sun Wukong's skin and membrane had already split open, large amounts of blood spilling out, the soil beneath his feet already stained red; although his spine was bent, his will to fight against the heavens stood tall and unyielding.

"Asking for trouble!"

As the words fell, Yinjiao Dawang continued to chant, the power of Qi Luck and Karma from the Three Teachings and Divine Mountain continuing to increase, endless and continuous; that boundless pressure pressed down from the sky, and the sound of crisp bone fractures came from within Sun Wukong's body.

Crack!

Crack!

Struggle after struggle, resisting the unstoppable pressure with all his might.

He did not know how many times it had been; the moment the thought of giving up arose in Sun Wukong's heart, he immediately discarded it.

When his consciousness was dazed, Sun Wukong cast a complex and unfathomable gaze toward Xuanzang.

His memory drifted to the situation of their first meeting under Five Elements Mountain many years ago.

That was a breezy and sunny afternoon; one man and one monkey met as if by fate.

At that time, Sun Wukong did not yet know that the young man before him would be his future master, nor did he know that this master could fight even better than he could.

Xuanzang also looked at Sun Wukong; although he did not speak, the tacit understanding between master and disciple did not need words to be expressed—a single glance was enough.

"Master... My Old Sun really cannot hold on anymore."

A trace of guilt and helplessness flashed in Sun Wukong's eyes; his strength was still too weak, and in the face of the schemes of the gods and Buddhas in the sky, it was not enough to overturn them with a single staff.

In the end, he still failed to live up to his master's expectations.

If he hadn't made this bet with Yin Jiao, then none of this would have developed to this point.

With his master's magic power, this tribulation would be nothing but a mere formality.

Sun Wukong slowly closed his eyes; even if he were exhausted, he would stand.

Whoosh!

A wisp of cool breeze blew gently past, like a gentle palm brushing over the monkey fur on Sun Wukong's face.

Time stood still at this moment; all things in heaven and earth were stagnant.

In the spiritual world, it was vast and boundless.

Sun Wukong stood on the surface of the sea of spirit, looking around in some confusion.

This seemed to be Huaguoshan; there were green mountains and clear waters, the sky was incomparably blue, and there were birds singing and flowers fragrant.

How did he come here? Or was this a final flash of consciousness before death?

On the mountaintop sat a figure, surrounded by clouds and mist, his appearance unclear; Sun Wukong only felt a sense of familiarity and closeness, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

"Who are you? Why are you in my Old Sun's mind?" Sun Wukong asked.

The figure did not turn around, leaving only his back to him, and a weathered voice came, saying:

"Wukong, are you prepared to give up just like this?"

Sun Wukong became increasingly confused; this voice was too familiar, but he just couldn't remember where he had heard it.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck, and he said: "Are you Master? Is it you, Master!"

At this time, the Master Sun Wukong spoke of was not Xuanzang, but the first master who taught him magic, Puti Patriarch.

Puti Patriarch, the master of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave, a reclusive Immortal, his magic power unfathomable, well-versed in the techniques of the Three Teachings; those in the world who knew his origins were few and far between.

Toward Puti Patriarch, Sun Wukong was naturally both respectful and fearful, not daring to have the slightest disobedience.

Therefore, back when he was taken to the Zhuyao Platform by the Heavenly Court and interrogated by gods and Buddhas, he never exposed his master's sect.

Besides that, ever since leaving the Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave, as time passed, the impression of Puti Patriarch in Sun Wukong's mind became increasingly blurred, and he could no longer restore a complete outline.

Perhaps even if Puti Patriarch were standing in front of him now, he would not recognize his master's identity.

This was also the most mysterious and unfathomable aspect of Puti Patriarch!

Sun Wukong was already a Golden Immortal, yet he could not remember the face or appearance; one could see how vast his supernatural powers were.

At this moment, calling out the words "Master" and looking at the back surrounded by mist was merely Sun Wukong's instinct.

To Sun Wukong's words, the mysterious back did not react at all.

Like an exiled immortal sitting high above the clouds, aloof from the world.

Thump!

Sun Wukong knelt down and said with remorse: "Master, my Old Sun has failed your teachings. After leaving the Three Stars Cave, I caused such great chaos, thinking I had learned heaven-defying skills, becoming arrogant, causing monstrous disasters, and being suppressed for five hundred years."

"This is your tribulation, Wukong. It is not your fault; what has been, will be again."

The mysterious back said, his words lingering, like a hermit sitting alone through the ages.

"A tribulation? May I ask, Master, how should I go about resolving this tribulation?" Sun Wukong asked.

"The answer is within your heart; you must find the answer yourself," the mysterious figure said.

"???" Sun Wukong was bewildered and couldn't help but scratch the back of his head.

"Master, my brain isn't very good at this; you might as well just tell me what to do."

As he finished speaking, the mysterious figure shrouded in clouds and mist turned around. At that moment, Sun Wukong's heart jumped into his throat.

Step by step, the person walked out from the clouds and mist, their facial contours gradually becoming clear.

Upon seeing this person, this face, Sun Wukong's jaw dropped, his mouth hung wide open, and he exclaimed in shock:

"Master, why is it you?"

At this moment, the "Master" was no longer Puti Patriarch, but his current master, Xuanzang.

Sun Wukong was confident his senses could not be wrong; what he had sensed before was Puti Patriarch, not Xuanzang.

But now, the two actually possessed the same face, which was simply inconceivable.

"Flowers are not flowers, mist is not mist. Wukong, what you see is not necessarily the truth," Xuanzang said calmly.

Hearing this, Sun Wukong scrutinized the Xuanzang before him, then compared him to the current one; they were indeed exactly the same, without the slightest difference.

If one had to name a difference, it was that the Xuanzang of this spiritual world appeared more weathered, his body filled with the aura of accumulated time, making him worthy of respect just like a true elder.

But the problem remained: what connection was there between Master Puti and Master Xuanzang?

Could it be that there really were people in this world who looked so similar?

Sun Wukong was confused, his inner thoughts suddenly becoming chaotic, and he asked:

"Since it is not the truth, Master, then tell me what is the truth. Also, why are you here? Why didn't I, Old Sun, know? You wouldn't be peeking into my thoughts all the time, would you?"

Hearing this, "Xuanzang" reached out and knocked Sun Wukong on the head, saying crossly, "You monkey, you have no sense of propriety."

Although he had been knocked, Sun Wukong grinned; the feeling was right, this was exactly that feeling.

It was the same feeling he had when he was being disciplined by his master while learning his arts back in the day.

"Wukong, what you see is merely a Space-Time Afterimage that does not belong to this time and space," Xuanzang said.

"A Space-Time Afterimage? I, Old Sun, don't quite understand. Master, just tell me what exactly is going on?" Sun Wukong said directly.

Xuanzang stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes clear and spiritual, yet as unfathomable as the Void, making one feel a sense of dread, as if he were about to devour someone.

"Heavenly secrets must not be leaked!"

In that very instant, Sun Wukong turned to stone on the spot, nearly falling apart.

What a line—"heavenly secrets must not be leaked." If he weren't unable to beat his master, he would have asked for instruction regardless.

"Even if I told you, Wukong, when you leave this spiritual world, you will forget everything here and will not remember it, so there is no meaning in saying it," Xuanzang said.

"Alright then," Sun Wukong spread his hands helplessly.

"Since that's the case, Master, how should the current predicament be resolved?"

"I, Old Sun, really can't hold on much longer. Yinjiao Dawang's Mountain Moving Art is just average, but the mountains he moved over have a massive background and contain boundless power. It involves the Qi Luck of the Three Teachings; as a disciple, I am alone and weak, and I cannot resist it."

Sun Wukong sat on the ground with a thud, his face full of dejection.

"So, disciple Wukong, are you preparing to give up?" Xuanzang said.

"Master, of course I, Old Sun, won't give up. At most, my flesh will be shattered, but as for overturning these three Divine Mountains, I, as your disciple, can no longer do it," Sun Wukong said.

"It is indeed difficult for you to resist the Qi Luck of the Three Teachings with your Golden Immortal cultivation. However, the Great Dao is fifty, and its evolution is forty-nine; one escapes, and within that, there is a glimmer of survival," Xuanzang said.

"Master, tell me quickly! What exactly is that glimmer of survival?" Sun Wukong asked hurriedly, his eyes burning.

"That is a long story."

"I, your master, will keep it brief. Wukong, I should have told you about your origins before," Xuanzang said.

"You have. I, Old Sun, was transformed from the Nuwa Stone used for Mending Heaven, and afterwards, I absorbed the essence of the sun, moon, and heaven and earth for ten thousand eras, gestating a divine fetus, and only then did I, Old Sun, come to be," Sun Wukong replied.

"Correct. In the Ancient Era, when Nuwa was Mending Heaven, the Heavenly Dao bestowed boundless Merit. A portion of this Merit went to the Emperor, and another portion remained on the Nuwa Stone used for Mending Heaven.

That is to say, Wukong, you possess a portion of Mending Heaven Merit.

This portion of Mending Heaven Merit is the purest Heavenly Dao Merit. If you can draw it out, it will naturally greatly enhance your cultivation, and even breaking through to Great Luo Golden Immortal would not be a problem.

This is also the reason why the Western Sect wanted to take you into Buddhism; Buddhism needs the Mending Heaven Merit you possess," Xuanzang explained.

Sun Wukong was no fool; hearing this, he immediately realized and said, "So that's how it is. No wonder Rulai only suppressed me, Old Sun, at Five Elements Mountain back then; it turns out he was waiting for this."

"Secondly, Wukong, you have another origin," Xuanzang said.

"Master, are you referring to the Chaos Demon God, the Chaos Demon Ape?" Sun Wukong asked.

"Correct. When Pangu opened the heavens, the Demon Gods perished. The Primordial Spirit of the Chaos Demon Ape split into four and entered this world, reincarnating as the World-Mixing Four Monkeys, and you, Wukong, are one of them. Your body contains a portion of the Chaos Demon Ape's Demon God inheritance. If you can trigger this power, you can also break the current deadlock," Xuanzang said.

After listening, Sun Wukong scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Master, I understand everything you say, but I, Old Sun, don't know how. It's like having a mountain of gold; I, Old Sun, can only look at it, but I can't take it at all."

"Hehe, then let your master help you. Wukong, sit down. Follow your master and recite," Xuanzang said.

Sun Wukong immediately sat cross-legged, his expression serious, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent.

"You carry the pole, I lead the horse!"

"You carry the pole, I lead the horse!"

"Dare I ask where the road lies~"

"Dare I ask where the road lies~"

Outside, Sun Wukong, who had already been nearly crushed and was covered in blood, suddenly shot golden light from his eyes, grinning with his fangs bared. That blinding golden light reached up to the Thirty-Second Heaven and down to the Nine Nether Underworld.

At this moment, the Three Realms shook, and the heavens and earth trembled!

"I, Old Sun, want this sky to no longer be able to cover my eyes, want this earth to no longer be able to bury my heart, want all living beings to understand my intent, and want those Buddhas to vanish into smoke!"

Every word and every sentence emerged from the mouth of Sun Wukong at this time. Compared to the calm deep within his heart, his exterior appeared as if he were mad, as if he had lost consciousness. A sense of insanity made the heavens and earth sway.

"What is happening?" Yinjiao Dawang was shocked, suddenly feeling a powerful force continuously repelling the power of the Three Teachings.

The Sun Wukong who had originally been about to collapse actually showed signs of rising again.

"This aura?"

Baigu Furen was also shocked; she felt that Sun Wukong's state at this moment was inexplicable, and she could even see the shackles binding Sun Wukong shattering—that was a sign of a rise in cultivation.

This was a sign of breaking through to Great Luo Golden Immortal!

But how could it be possible? Even if Sun Wukong's talent were superior, he could not advance to Great Luo Golden Immortal so quickly; the threshold of Great Luo was simply not that easy to cross.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible for her to be trapped at the perfection of Golden Immortal for hundreds of thousands of years.

"Wukong is about to break through to Great Luo Golden Immortal," Xuanzang said.

Baigu Furen could see it, so naturally, he could see it too, though his confusion was the same.

According to Xuanzang's estimation, it would take Wukong at least three thousand years or even longer to break through to Great Luo Golden Immortal at his current cultivation level.

He just didn't expect it to be this fast; what on earth happened to make Wukong touch the Great Luo Domain?

"Master, are you telling the truth?"

Xiaobailong widened his eyes, his muscles twitching uncontrollably, especially around his chest.

"Mm, it is indeed close, but I do not know if Wukong can break through successfully," Xuanzang said.

Because at this moment, the power of the Three Teachings was still pressing down on Wukong's back; if the people of the Heavenly Court and Buddhism did not want Sun Wukong to break through, they might strike from the shadows.

Of course, the possibility from the Heavenly Court side was smaller; after all, he and the Jade Emperor had sworn brotherhood, and they would not go that far at present.

The most likely source was Buddhism; Rulai should not sit by and watch Sun Wukong break through to Great Luo Golden Immortal.

A Sun Wukong who had not yet broken through to Great Luo Golden Immortal dared to wreak havoc in the Heavenly Palace, lawless and unruly!

If he were to break through, there was no telling what kind of trouble he would cause.

However, no matter what happened, he would protect Wukong.

His disciple, he would protect!

"Good heavens, Senior Brother is actually going to become a Great Luo Golden Immortal." Heixiong was dumbfounded and dizzy.

At the same time, in the firmament, an extremely vast force of Heavenly Dao Merit transformed into a golden Hashira, enveloping Sun Wukong's body.

I will try to combine two chapters into one from now on and upload them at once, dear readers.