Chapter 585: This Principle You Must Understand

Sun Wukong rolled on the ground, causing no destruction whatsoever, merely crushing some flowers and plants.

While the Tight-Fillet Spell inflicted pain upon him, it also restrained his power.

Rendering him incomparably weak.

Yet Sun Wukong's eyes, suffused with red light, stared wide open, refusing to close.

"Eldest Senior Brother, why bother?" Zhu Wuneng crouched before Sun Wukong and said, "If we obediently go to the West to retrieve the scriptures, and upon success everyone is 'reinstated to their former posts', wouldn't that make everyone happy? We're all our own people, so let's not have internal strife. Look at that demon — he's been standing there watching the show for a long time. Why don't you go kill him to vent your anger?"

"Plague Pig, Old Sun admires you." Sun Wukong suddenly laughed, laughing so hard he rolled all over the ground.

No one knew what he was laughing at.

The fake smile on Zhu Wuneng's face gradually faded: "Eldest Senior Brother, if you won't fight, why not let Old Sha do it?"

"I'll do it, I'll do it." Sun Wukong slowly climbed up, patting the dust off his body, and looked at Ao Yulie, "I'll let you die very quickly, without any pain."

"Wait a moment." Ao Yulie reached out his hand and said, "I think this is a misunderstanding."

The fierce aura Sun Wukong had flashed in that instant just now was enough to glimpse the whole leopard through a tube — confirming this was a monkey he could not defeat.

Ao Yulie deeply knew that putting on a brave front had no future.

In the many years of his learning career following his Master, Ao Yulie had profoundly understood one principle: fleeing is shameful but useful.

Because the backer behind him was truly fierce.

If the backer wasn't there, then be a bit more steady, act according to one's heart, and the backer would naturally return.

With his rich dragon life experience, Ao Yulie lived very happily.

Now facing the ferociously grinning "is Sun Wukong but isn't my Eldest Senior Brother" monkey, Ao Yulie felt he naturally should also act according to his heart.

"A misunderstanding?" Sun Wukong reached a hand to dig in his own ear.

A slender needle faintly emitting golden light fell into his hand, then instantly grew large.

He lightly slammed it onto the ground; the staff pierced into the earth, cracks spreading to Ao Yulie's feet.

Ao Yulie looked at that Golden-Hooped Rod — one end gold, the other end plunged into the ground, revealing nothing unusual.

The middle was red, the staff radiating dazzling brilliance.

Making one unable to help but want to praise: "What a divine weapon!"

But then thinking that this divine weapon might smash onto his own head in a moment, Ao Yulie had no mood to admire or praise this Golden-Hooped Rod.

Sun Wukong gripped the Golden-Hooped Rod and slowly lifted it upward; faintly, the gold of one end could be seen emerging.

Like a rising sun slowly revealing a point above the sea surface, ascending.

Ao Yulie's eyes turned into golden vertical pupils, a pair of dragon horns grew out, dragon scales faintly appearing on his body.

He understood that the moment Sun Wukong pulled the staff free from the ground would be the moment of attack.

He, Ao Yulie, would face this monkey's terrifying staff strike.

But understanding was useless; Ao Yulie had already been firmly locked onto by the monkey — the slightest movement would trigger an earth-shattering attack.

It would not come lighter than that "agreed-upon" staff strike.

Ao Yulie's glabella throbbed with a stabbing pain, as if someone were aiming a cold blade at it, piercing in.

That was cold killing intent.

"In a moment this staff will fall on your glabella," Sun Wukong plainly told Ao Yulie this fact.

No more fierce aura permeated, no rustle of wind or grass stirred — only a mountain-like heavy pressure descended upon Ao Yulie.

Sun Wukong looked at Ao Yulie: "Truly just a little mud loach."

Ao Yulie in his half-dragon-man state had already revealed his identity — without a doubt, this was a true dragon.

But so what?

It merely made the White Dragon Horse lift its head and glance at Ao Yulie one extra time.

"Can't hold out." Ao Yulie thought inwardly; the condensed power welling up in his body stagnated slightly.

"Bad!"

Ao Yulie realized something was wrong — if he continued accumulating power, that staff strike might have had a sliver of hope of being blocked.

But now that his breath had leaked, this staff strike — he could almost say he was dead for sure!

Right at the moment Ao Yulie stagnated, Sun Wukong moved; the Golden-Hooped Rod left the ground, whistling as it stabbed toward Ao Yulie's glabella.

Sweeping up a gale!

The gale blew Ao Yulie's long hair and robes, giving him not a shred of propulsive force, but instead forming an invisible power that firmly pinned him in place.

All Ao Yulie could do was swing his dragon claws.

Five layers of afterimages condensed into one, five consecutive slashes — meeting attack with attack!

Pure defense is a dead end (then be rescued by Master); he isn't like Second Senior Brother with that thick skin and tough flesh, nor like Third Senior Brother who has now walked a purely defensive path.

Only by attacking is there a chance to survive!

Yet even as he attacked, Ao Yulie closed his eyes — just in case he couldn't withstand it, he wouldn't have to face death head-on when he died.

"Clang!"

The sound of a great bell reverberated by his ear; Ao Yulie retreated two steps and abruptly opened his eyes.

That Golden-Hooped Rod was only twenty centimeters from him; the golden staff's owner wore a slightly surprised expression.

Before the tip of the Golden-Hooped Rod, a black long spear lay across horizontally, its shaft to its head adorned with gilt patterns.

The Spear of Xuan Transformation!

A hand gripped the spear shaft — very steady, not the slightest waver.

"Step back, let your Master handle this."

Hearing this voice, Ao Yulie's legs went weak, his eyes reddened, he nearly cried out — sure enough, he was still Master's most favored disciple and mount!

"Whoosh!"

Ao Yulie scurried off at once; a true disciple must learn not to cause his master any trouble.

"An immortal?"

Sun Wukong looked at Tang Luo, who had blocked his staff, and asked.

Tang Luo shook his head.

"Then... a demon?" Sun Wukong asked again.

"This poor monk's secular surname is Tang, Dharma name Xuanzang." Tang Luo said.

"Xuanzang? A monk?" Sun Wukong's expression turned strange; he withdrew his staff. "Just perfect — what I hate most are monks."

He looked Tang Luo up and down, as if searching for a better spot to bring his staff down.

"What a coincidence — I haven't fought a monkey in a long time either." Tang Luo dismissed Xuan Bian, flexed his fingers twice. "We fight first, talk after."

"Take this staff from Old Sun!"

Sun Wukong roared skyward; the Golden-Hooped Rod cleaved the heavens, countless staff shadows manifesting.

As the Golden-Hooped Rod descended, the shadows converged, layer upon layer — seemingly one strike, in reality tens of thousands of attacks crashing onto Tang Luo in a single instant.

Tang Luo raised his hand, right hand forming a palm; likewise, countless palm shadows appeared, likewise gathering together.

A thousand hands cannot defend!

Every palm blocked the Golden-Hooped Rod; on the final one, five fingers closed, clamping the Golden-Hooped Rod fast in Tang Luo's grip.

Sun Wukong bared his teeth in a grimace.

"A bit weak..." Tang Luo said, pressing a palm onto Sun Wukong.

The monkey flew backward; Tang Luo followed close behind.

Moments later, thunderous booms came from the other mountains, accompanied by shaking earth and swaying peaks; countless birds and beasts fled in all directions.

Among them were fierce yaoguai, even yaojing who lorded over their own territories.

All scattered in flight, caring for nothing else.

Terrified this sudden calamity would land on their own heads — that would truly mean death without a burial place.

"A bit weak."

Zhu Bajie said.

"A bit weak?" Ao Yulie shook his hands; though that strike had been blocked by Tang Luo, his hands still felt numb — whether real or illusion he couldn't tell. "Second Senior Brother, no outsiders now; I think we can be honest, no need to posture."

Master saying it is one thing, but you keeping pace too, leaving me, Ao Yulie, all alone?

"Compared to Eldest Senior Brother, you're truly far too weak." Zhu Bajie said.

"Don't compare me to Eldest Senior Brother." Ao Yulie crouched, addressing Xiaotian Quan. "Doggy, you tell me — is that monkey really strong?"

Xiaotian Quan glanced at Ao Yulie with disdain.

"The old you might not have lost to him." Zhu Bajie said. "Cultivate properly."

"As expected, we're the orthodox line." Ao Yulie felt no shame; instead he held his head high.

Zhu Bajie looked at him and asked seriously: "Little White Dragon, I'm only now a bit curious — honestly tell Second Senior Brother, how did you cultivate before?"

"Born with exceptional talent — I'm a true dragon." Ao Yulie said.

"Even among the Dragon Clan, your strength is... forget it..." Zhu Bajie shook his head, walking out of the forest amid the trembling, heading toward this world's scripture-fetcher.

——

The trembling gradually ceased.

The surroundings were riddled with devastation; peaks collapsed, rivers flowed backward.

Tang Luo stepped on the giant ape: "Savagery to spare, power lacking — your strength cannot support your rage; you fall short."

The giant ape's four limbs sank deep into the earth; black bristles stood like steel needles.

Yet they could not harm the white-haired man standing on him.

"Who exactly are you!" Sun Wukong roared.

Tang Luo lifted his foot, stepped off Sun Wukong, walked aside: "The Buddha speaks of three thousand worlds. Wukong, do you believe that in another similar world, there exists a similar you?"

Sun Wukong reverted to monkey form, clutching his head: "What are you talking about?"

He gripped hard.

Looks like his bald head isn't necessarily from tonsure for monkhood, but from scratching it bald himself?

"This poor monk means: this poor monk is another world's, another you's master." Tang Luo paused. "Another scripture-fetcher."

"... This monk of yours is crazy, right?" Sun Wukong looked at Tang Luo's back, sneering.

Tang Luo smiled, suddenly whirled, a fist blasting toward Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong raised a hand to block, was blasted deep into the earth, nearly buried.

"Just because this poor monk can hit you, whatever this poor monk says goes — Wukong, you'd better understand that logic." Tang Luo said.

"Stinking monk!"

Sun Wukong leapt up, swung his staff, then halted mid-motion. "Fine! Your fist's bigger, you call the shots — you say you're another world's scripture-fetcher, then you are! So what are you doing running here!"

Tang Luo was about to answer when hoofbeats sounded.

The White Dragon Horse galloped in carrying Tang Seng; the Tang Seng on its back was terrified, crying loudly for help.

The White Dragon Horse paid no heed, as if struck by immense fright, charging recklessly straight ahead.

Just as it was about to crash into Tang Luo, Tang Luo waved a hand, backhanded a slap that sent the White Dragon Horse flying.

Tang Seng flew out too, smashing headfirst into a boulder — instantly "brains splattered, liver spilled."

As for the White Dragon Horse, it transformed into a white dragon; its head swollen grotesquely, body not huge — a hundred-odd meters long.

Tail thrashing the ground, struggling painfully.

"Turns out it's the true form..."

Sun Wukong's eyes blinked.

The Dragon Clan's rebellious dragon, placed under a restriction by that group of gods and turned into a horse.

Before obtaining the true scriptures, he could only be a white horse unable to speak.

Unexpectedly, the other party shattered the restriction with a single slap, "revealing his true form"!

In the Three Realms, how many people can achieve this?

That Buddha Tathagata who pressed himself under the mountain... or his master, Patriarch Subhuti?