Chapter 59: Consecutive Battles

In the distant night sky, a three‑meter‑tall figure, looking like the "Black Dwarf Star" that served Thanos in The Avengers, fixed a cold, grim gaze on Tang Seng's party.

Yet over a thousand "helm‑clashing armors" and translucent "ghost generals" brandishing spears and broadswords rushed toward the inn like a black cloud.

"Sun Wukong, you still think you're so mighty. The Great King can casually grant a treasure, and you'll be duped out of your fire‑eye golden sight! This Lion Camel City holds a hundred thousand wronged souls—watch how I, Xiao Zuanfeng, catch you!"

As soon as the words fell, the inn's roof was blown away with a roar; Sun Wukong, imposing, leapt into the sky, gave his golden staff a light swing, and over a hundred "ghost generals" vanished in ash.

Another swing erased several hundred more.

Xiao Zuanfeng stepped back slightly, shook a palm‑sized "Soul‑Summoning Banner" in his hand, which swelled with the wind to over two zhang tall; the city's scattered wronged souls were drawn into the banner, coalescing into a three‑zhang‑tall, three‑headed six‑armed evil ghost!

The evil ghost strode forward, easily crushing the city's structures, and slapped a palm‑sized blow at Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong sneered, "The ancestor of evil ghosts, even Yama himself, I …!"

Before he could finish, Sun Wukong was slapped away by a palm‑sized blow, his entire body slammed into the city wall, trapped in a way that he couldn't pull free.

This scene left everyone on and off the screen dumbfounded.

A single evil ghost could fling Sun Wukong—what a joke.

Fortunately, Xiao Zuanfeng promptly explained, "The wronged souls in this city have been steeped in Buddhist teachings, unlike those of the underworld!"

With the inn's roof gone, Tang Seng clasped his hands together and murmured, "How could this happen, how could this happen?"

Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng guarded their master, continuously wiping out the evil ghosts that attempted to ambush.

Over at Sun Wukong's side, his body quivered, blasting the city wall apart.

He flew above the evil ghost and sneered, "Buddhist teachings? Even if you turn into a protective Vajra, I'll still crush you!"

With that, he swung his golden staff, engaging the three‑headed six‑armed evil ghost in a melee.

After about seven or eight exchanges, one strike obliterated an evil ghost's head, and another strike crippled half its body.

Seeing this, Xiao Zuanfeng finally grew fearful; his three‑meter‑tall body shrank to palm size, a black vapor as thin as a chopstick, whooshing away into the distance.

Sun Wukong couldn't let him flee; with another staff strike he eliminated the evil ghost and shot off at great speed.

The black vapor, under the bright moon, raced through the Lion Camel Ridge at breakneck speed; Sun Wukong pursued tightly, but the vapor suddenly turned and rushed into a cave.

Sun Wukong sneered, "Running back to its den? I'll crush it completely today!"

He surged forward, flying in after it, but heard a "bang" behind him, as if something had sealed the cave mouth.

"Ahahaha!"

"Ahahaha!"

"Sun Wukong, Bi Ma Wen, you've been duped!"

"Everyone says monkeys are clever, but I think they're downright stupid! A small trick and we've captured him!"

Two massive mountains flanking the cave transformed: one became a roughly three‑zhang‑tall, stout white elephant spirit with an elephant head and human body; the other turned into a three‑zhang‑tall, majestic green lion spirit with a lion's head and human body.

The central peak transformed into a bottle over two meters tall.

Inside the "cave", Sun Wukong, played by Wu Jing, showed a trace of panic on his face.

He reached out to the "wall", smooth as jade. He struck forcefully with his golden staff, yet left not even a dent.

Approaching the cave mouth, he found the same material, with no cracks or seams whatsoever.

"What kind of demons are you, daring to trick your master Sun?" As soon as the words left his mouth, a massive fire erupted inside the cave.

The white elephant spirit laughed, "Bi Ma Wen, no need to strain; once you step into this 'Yin‑Yang Dual Qi Bottle', in a heartbeat you'll turn to ash!"

Sun Wukong, scorched by the fire, shouted in agony, "You brutes are so heartless, you even burn your own minions to death!"

The green lion and white elephant laughed again; the latter said, "Ignorant monkey, that Xiao Zuanfeng is just yin qi manifested from the Yin‑Yang Dual Qi Bottle; after turning you to ash, he still gets nourishment, ahahaha!"

The green lion and white elephant grew more smug; the former said, "Second brother, keep an eye on Bi Ma Wen here; I'll head into the city and seize Tang Seng and his disciples!"

The white elephant said, "Alright, finish quickly and we can head back to eat Tang Seng's meat!"

After speaking, the green lion vaulted onto auspicious clouds and quickly flew to Lion Camel City.

At this moment, the city lay in dead silence; Tang Seng, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Seng were descending the stairs, leading their horses, ready to exit the city first.

Then a three‑zhang‑tall, human‑bodied, lion‑headed demon landed, and it said nothing.

It flung its massive blood‑filled mouth open, swallowing Tang Seng and the others, even their luggage and horses.

The audience in the theater, both on‑screen and in Neidi, were shocked; some felt the plot was overly tight, a chain scheme, asking whether these demons were reading military strategy instead of Buddhist scriptures.

Some were amazed by the lifelike portrayals of Xiao Zuanfeng, the translucent "ghost generals", the three‑headed six‑armed "evil ghost", the white elephant spirit, and the green lion spirit, each appearing in turn and escalating; the special‑effects scenes were immensely impressive. Speaking of domestic works, even Haolaiwu, no production could reach the effects level of "Lion Camel Ridge".

Some felt the green lion spirit was thoughtful, sparing Tang Seng's party from having to return for their luggage and horses after fleeing.

Jiang Wen, who came to support the show, was even more stunned, never having expected the effects could be used this way.

"This is even stronger than Haolaiwu's!"

On the big screen, Sun Wukong inside the Yin‑Yang Dual Qi Bottle, scorched to a dizzying degree, suddenly recalled Tao Huimin's portrayal of Guanyin Bodhisattva, who bestowed upon him three life‑saving hairs.

Sun Wukong quickly extracted them, turning them into a Vajra‑diamond, drilling a vent at the bottle's base, and escaped.

He also transformed into a wisp of black vapor, flying toward Lion Camel City.

The white elephant spirit said, feeling the time was right, called out "Bi Ma Wen", but Sun Wukong didn't answer!

He called "Bi Ma Wen" again, still no answer!

"Haha, the monkey turned to ash!"

He reached to pinch the bottle's stopper, as if holding a clump of cotton, his towering frame crashed down, and the once‑immensely heavy "Yin‑Yang Dual Qi Bottle" floated lightly onto him.

The white elephant spirit hurriedly removed the stopper, pointed the bottle toward the moon, and indeed saw a tiny hole.

"Cursed Bi Ma Wen, you've ruined this treasure; how am I to explain this to Third Brother!"

Yet when Sun Wukong returned, the master and his companions were nowhere to be seen.

Sun Wukong, enraged, pulled a wish‑granting golden staff from his ear, enlarged it, slammed it onto the ground, shouting, "Land Deity, Land Deity, come quickly to see me!"

Then a short man in ragged clothes appeared beside him, actually the actor who portrayed Wu Dalang in the 1998 version of "Water Margin".

"There really is a Land Deity?"

Sun Wukong was astonished, and immediately asked: "How did you become so miserable, and where did the monster that captured my master come from?"

The Earth Deity wore a bitter face and said: "Reporting to Great Sage, the one who captured your master is not someone else, but the king of Lion Camel Kingdom, the Great King Blue Lion!"

Sun Wukong froze, "A king? Can a monster even be a king?"

The Earth Deity gave a wry smile: "They have backing!"

(End of chapter)