Chapter 731

Combat is the best nourishment for the Way of Battle, more effective than any heavenly treasure or earthly essence.

This method of enhancing strength is something Xingtian knows better than anyone—he didn't mention it at first because using this method truly can kill you.

Even with great fortune, the probability of death remains very high.

In life-or-death battles, one must embrace the mindset of certain death to find life beyond death; any trace of hesitation drastically reduces its effectiveness.

Therefore, those so-called life-or-death battles where powerful elders stand by, ready to rescue at any moment, are useless.

They might work at first, but after one or two times, their effectiveness begins to plummet.

Because you begin to realize you won't die.

How can you draw power from death if you fear it not?

Choosing this method to enhance Sun Wukong's strength means Luo Fu cannot intervene when Sun Wukong faces mortal danger.

Of course, death isn't really such a big deal.

With Luo Fu's divine powers, even if Sun Wukong truly dies, he can resurrect him anytime.

But if Sun Wukong dies too many times, his strength will stall outright and become nearly impossible to improve in the short term.

Thus, this method is a gamble.

With Luo Fu's divine powers, Sun Wukong finds it hard to die even if he tries.

But if he dies too often, he ceases to fear death—and then he can no longer draw power from it.

This was Xingtian's second unspoken reason.

He has great faith in Sun Wukong's potential.

If this gamble fails, Sun Wukong's difficulty in breaking through to the Quasi-Saint Realm will multiply exponentially.

Any shortcut is a price paid to the Way of Battle.

Xingtian isn't certain whether this method can help Sun Wukong.

Xingtian glanced again at Sun Wukong and continued:

"To break through to the Quasi-Saint layer within ten thousand years, Sun Wukong must engage in at least dozens of true life-or-death battles each year—tens of thousands of such battles, with a high probability of dying in them."

Regardless of Luo Fu's final decision, Xingtian first emphasized the danger of life-or-death battles.

Even if Luo Fu will eventually resurrect Sun Wukong, Sun Wukong must not know now.

Because once Sun Wukong knows, life-or-death battles will lose their power to enhance strength.

"Great God Luo Fu, Old Sun is willing to engage in life-or-death battles!"

Despite Xingtian's repeated warnings that life-or-death battles carry a high probability of true death, Sun Wukong answered without hesitation.

After his battle with the Buddha, Sun Wukong deeply understood the importance of strength.

Moreover, for Sun Wukong, some things matter more than life and death.

That thing is freedom.

If he cannot break the Ninety-Nine Trials, he must join Buddhism and become its dog—something far more unbearable to Sun Wukong than death.

Hearing Sun Wukong's unhesitating reply, Xingtian's eyes flickered with a hint of approval.

After all these days of training, Xingtian was deeply satisfied with Sun Wukong's pure heart and his innate talent for the Way of Battle.

Even more satisfying to Xingtian was Sun Wukong's fearlessness and indomitability.

These two traits perfectly align with the Way of Battle.

Thus, Xingtian was profoundly satisfied deep inside with Sun Wukong's unhesitating acceptance.

Only by mastering fearlessness toward life and death can one truly comprehend the Way of Battle.

Sun Wukong's unhesitating acceptance means, at least in attitude, he has already mastered fearlessness toward life and death.

"Life-or-death battles, I understand. Since Wukong is willing, I'll arrange it for you."

Luo Fu already knew how to rapidly enhance Sun Wukong's strength—even the exact method had already been decided.

He asked Xingtian only to motivate Sun Wukong, to prepare him mentally for the coming cultivation and help him better enter the state of life-or-death battle.

"Myriad transformations, Illusory Realm of Infinite Heaven!"

A faint whisper arose in Luo Fu's heart.

Immediately, Luo Fu waved his left hand lightly, and a staircase stretching seemingly infinitely appeared within the Battle Arena World.

Each step of this staircase connected to a massive arena.

"Wukong, this is your next cultivation path—I name it the Blood Battle Heavenly Path!"

Luo Fu pointed to the staircase before him and introduced it to Sun Wukong.

"Blood Battle Heavenly Path? Great God Luo Fu, what is this place?"

Sun Wukong stared at the suddenly appearing majestic heavenly path, his face filled with confusion and shock.

To create such a magnificent heavenly path with a mere wave of the hand—Luo Fu's power exceeded Wukong's expectations.

"Blood Battle Heavenly Path? I've never heard of it before—could it be something Great God Luo Fu just created?"

Compared to Sun Wukong, Xingtian was far calmer.

After all, he knew Luo Fu could open worlds with a mere gesture.

If one can open worlds, a majestic heavenly path is nothing.

"It's newly created, designed specifically for life-or-death battles. Each step of the path is an arena; once you step onto it, you must fight a blood battle every three days."

"The opponents are also created by me—they're powerful and never hold back. If you die within, you truly die, and your opponent replaces you, becoming the real you."

Luo Fu looked at Sun Wukong and spoke with icy coldness:

"Wukong, you've heard of the false Wukong—I made a pact with Buddhism not to replace the Journey's protagonist, but I never agreed not to replace the soul."

These cold words left Sun Wukong momentarily stunned.

Sun Wukong had never seen Luo Fu so cold before.

All along, Luo Fu had given him the impression of being rather gentle.

He had never imagined that the usually gentle Luo Fu would suggest replacing his soul with someone else's to join the Journey to the West.

"Old Sun knows—he will break this heavenly path. If he fails, Old Sun's body shall be given to Great God Luo Fu."

Sun Wukong gripped his Ruyi Jingu Bang tightly and said with utmost seriousness.

At this moment, Sun Wukong truly realized that the battles he would face henceforth would no longer be child's play, but real, life-or-death bloodshed.