Chapter 929: Jiuling Dies, Maitreya Appears!

A sharp sound echoed amidst the dullness, constantly reverberating in the ears.

The speed of Sumeru Mountain's collapse increased, not only from external force; due to the collapse, internal power seemed to be erupting as well.

Soon, it shifted from collapse to explosion.

Both Sun Wukong and Tang Luo were swept into the torrent of power, unable to break free for a moment, before them lay a expanse of red-white.

If someone were to launch a sneak attack now, it could yield unexpected results.

Unfortunately, Tang Luo and Sun Wukong were temporarily unable to act, and Jiuling Yuansheng and Maitreya were no better off, making a sneak attack impossible.

After a while, the sound and the red-white hue vanished, leaving everything before them silent.

Tang Luo stood in the chaotic void, surrounded by a large number of 'fragments' drifting about—these fragments were Sumeru Mountain.

The vast Sumeru Mountain had already shattered into its present state.

These fragments varied in size; the large ones resembled mountains, while the small ones were like huge boulders.

Tang Luo stared at them for a while and noticed something special about the fragments.

The fragments were not the imagined remnants of Sumeru Mountain in the traditional sense; they were, in fact, worlds one after another.

Sumeru Mountain originally consisted of the three thousand great, medium, and small worlds; its current fracturing did not utterly destroy Sumeru Mountain nor the three thousand worlds.

Instead, it separated the three thousand worlds.

It was like a building constructed from three thousand bricks of varying sizes, now taken apart again into those three thousand bricks.

For the beings living in the three thousand worlds, there was no world destruction, no catastrophe of heaven falling.

At most, they felt something akin to an earthquake; as for the quake's intensity, it's hard to say.

The three thousand worlds themselves differ in strength; even among peers of the same tier—small, medium, and great thousand worlds—their sizes vary, and their shapes are endlessly strange.

It is not three types, each type consisting of a thousand identical fragments.

"This thing…" Tang Luo frowned slightly, "Could the whole Sumeru Mountain possibly be Maitreya's treasure?"

The instant that thought arose, a nearby irregular world about a person's height emitted golden light and lunged at Tang Luo.

Tang Luo dodged in the chaotic void, avoiding the world's impact.

Although this too is chaotic void, it is not a place of total chaos; it is closer to the edge of a world.

No extra effort was needed to keep himself from drifting with the flow; controlling direction and distance posed no problem for someone of Tang Luo's caliber.

That world's impact seemed merely a trigger.

As that world moved, the surrounding worlds also began to stir, encircling Tang Luo and attacking him in succession.

Tang Luo dodged several times, flinging away an incoming small thousand world.

That small thousand world struck another medium thousand world, exploding instantly, and that medium thousand world also showed numerous cracks.

After dodging a few times, Tang Luo entered an intangible, invisible, inaudible state, lotus blossoms blooming beneath his feet, and he vanished without trace.

He sensed a place from which a faint surge of power emanated.

It should be Sun Wukong fighting.

Not long after, Tang Luo arrived there; sure enough, Sun Wukong was locked in fierce combat with Jiuling Yuansheng.

Sun Wukong employed Heaven-Earth Embracing, transforming into a colossal ape; the great thousand worlds, mountain-sized, barely reached his knees.

He wielded two golden hooped staffs each as long as his body, thick as half his torso, sweeping sideways and smashing down.

The terrifying force's 'gale' blew the surrounding three thousand worlds far away, making approach impossible.

Jiuling Yuansheng, who fought Sun Wukong, was in a rather special state.

His basic form was a massive, constantly shifting irregular black flesh mass, only revealing a stable shape when clashing with Sun Wukong.

For example, when blocking Sun Wukong's attack, the black flesh mass would take on Black Tortoise form.

When attacking, it would shift into White Tiger, Evil Beast, and the like.

More often, only parts changed—one part acquiring traits of one monster, another part taking on traits of another.

Various means emerged endlessly, ever-changing.

Sun Wukong's response, however, was just one: smash!

With power so great that Jiuling Yuansheng could not withstand it, coupled with the indestructible Golden Hooped Staff, he smashed forward.

He smashed sideways, downward, upward.

Unreasonable force shattered Jiuling Yuansheng's attacks; his defense merely managed to barely impede Sun Wukong's offense.

No matter how you transform, I break it with a single force!

Jiuling Yuansheng was beaten back by Sun Wukong, retreating step by step and gradually falling into a disadvantage.

"Howl!"

A roaring howl rang out—a sonic divine ability: tiger's roar, dragon's chant, lion's shout; sound waves condensed into tangible, endless chains that locked onto Sun Wukong.

The chains coiled around Sun Wukong's Golden Hooped Staff, his hands and feet, barely confining him in the chaotic void.

The chains, taut, snapped quickly.

Sun Wukong struggled to break free.

Seizing the gap as Sun Wukong broke free, Jiuling Yuansheng's black flesh mass exploded, transforming into countless monster bodies that assailed Sun Wukong from all directions.

"Crash!"

The chains shattered completely; Sun Wukong grew two extra necks and heads on his shoulders, and an additional pair of arms, each wielding a Golden Hooped Staff.

Three heads, six arms!

He stood firm in the void, six arms waving; the massive Golden Hooped Staff whirled, leaving layer upon layer of afterimages, like an unchanging reef on the shore.

Waves striking the reef shatter only the waves themselves.

Jiuling Yuansheng's 'Monster Horde Rage' attack made no headway against Sun Wukong's three heads and six arms.

Even, the staff's shadow danced wildly, expanding outward, aiming to smash every surrounding monster to death.

Just at this moment.

In the distance, the three thousand worlds shimmered with Buddha light, Buddhist chants echoed, and golden Buddha light formed a huge Buddha.

Those Buddhas were golden all over, like statues in a temple, with golden halos behind their heads, one hand raised before the chest, the other pushing out.

A giant palm loomed and pressed toward Sun Wukong.

Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng's demon horde frenzy suddenly parted, letting the giant palm pass through, and together they surrounded Sun Wukong.

The staff's shadow collided with the demon horde and giant palm, continually being compressed.

The core of those golden Buddhas, the three thousand worlds, began to shrink continuously—an attack that sacrificed the entire world as its cost.

The golden Buddhas became the main attackers, Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng's demon horde gradually dwindled, and he reverted to his original nine-headed beast form.

Sun Wukong's swinging golden hoop staff left afterimages that continually shattered, his room to move dwindling, like a trapped beast still fighting.

The form of heaven and earth gradually shrank, and the three-headed, six-armed body began to blur.

Seeing him about to be crushed by endless Buddhas, hundreds of bone-palm great seals arose from the void, pressing toward those golden-bodied Buddhas.

Thousand Hands Cannot Defend! Glazed Nirvana Great Hand Seal!

The two divine abilities were simultaneously employed by Tang Luo; cracks covered the golden Buddhas' bodies, internal power drained, and the fragile world trembled and began to shatter.

Sun Wukong flickered, suddenly returning to his normal form, grabbed the golden hoop staff with both hands, turning into a golden streak that pierced the copper walls and iron bars of the weakening giant palm, rushing straight at Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng.

This change completely caught Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng off guard.

While battling Sun Wukong fiercely, he also didn't notice Tang Luo approaching in the Three Unbreakables form.

In the hurry, Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng opened his nine mouths, and blazing flames, azure light, gale winds, black mist... poured out.

As long as he could block Sun Wukong even for an instant, he could launch a counterattack or defend.

Sun Wukong gripped the golden hoop staff and charged toward the oncoming wave of destruction.

But even using point to break surface, the power consumption was unavoidable.

This strike might not be enough to finish the battle.

Just before the two collided, a bloody talisman appeared and landed on Sun Wukong.

An illusory iron armor covered him, flashing by.

Blood Talisman: Iron Armor!

This is a skill that Tang Luo has fully mastered, turned into a divine ability; its effect cannot be compared to when it was merely a skill, and it can grow stronger with Tang Luo's will.

Now the Iron Armor is in the 'ultra-strong' state.

The Iron Armor protected Sun Wukong as he charged into the wave of destruction, while it itself was constantly worn down, yet it negated all attacks.

In an instant, Sun Wukong had already rushed before Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng.

The golden flowing light pierced Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng, and Sun Wukong appeared behind him.

He spun the golden hoop staff with both hands, giving a heavy thrust in the void.

As he moved, the surrounding golden Buddhas happened to dissipate completely; these Buddhas were merely a temporary attack born from sacrificing the world.

After being blocked by Tang Luo's attack, it was already at the end of its strength.

And Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng slowly turned, cracks continually surfacing from within his body.

Half of his nine heads stared at Sun Wukong, half at the appearing Tang Luo; his eyes were full of anger, reluctance, and malice.

"I am the king of all demons!!"

The central lion head roared at Sun Wukong; beneath it, the intangible black mist turned into a real neck, and cracks spread.

Sun Wukong turned, looked at Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng, and grinned: "Yes, yes, yes."

Full of perfunctory mockery.

"One-on-one, I definitely won't..." Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng was about to say more.

Sun Wukong swung the golden hoop staff and smashed it forward; Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng was like a broken rag doll, sent flying.

"You're about to die, and still so much nonsense." Sun Wukong curled his lip.

"What one-on-one? I, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven Sun Wukong, have come this far: out of ten times, eight were surrounded by others, and the remaining two I surrounded others."

"Even if back then I dueled Yang Jian one-on-one, I was still tricked with a Vajra pestle; otherwise he and Yang Jian could have fought for three hundred million rounds."

"And yet you talk about one-on-one? Just now, when besieging Mile, you were smiling, and after dying you bring up one-on-one."

"Shameful!"

Sun Wukong couldn't be bothered with Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng's Zhou Dian-style last words: "Although I'm dead, you two are against me, I, Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng, refuse to accept!"

The flung Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng's body began to crumble and weather, soon completely vanishing in the chaotic void.

"Master..." Sun Wukong looked at the pale-faced Tang Luo.

Tang Luo slightly shook his head, looking around.

Just now, the Thousand Hands Cannot Defend and the Great Hand Seal were jointly employed, shattering hundreds of golden Buddhas and worlds.

But the three thousand worlds number three thousand, which is only about one-tenth of that.

Now the floating three thousand worlds around began to move, not as an attack, but gradually forming a golden road.

At the road's end, a figure wearing a golden monk's robe slowly appeared.

Mile!