Chapter 749: Wukong Ascends to Heaven Again, Bodhi Sits in the Lotus Pool

Chapter 750: Wukong Reascends to Heaven, Bodhi Sits by the Lotus Pool

That single word “Gun” made Jie Yin Sheng Ren smile for several hours, his mood suddenly lifting with joy.

Heaven's Way had its own troubles today!

Li Changsheng watched the ever-changing scenes in the cloud mirror, his face etched with concern, his focus entirely on Sun Wukong.

Deep down, he was secretly thrilled...

These two juniors had no sense of martial virtue!

How could they be so fierce toward the esteemed Jade Emperor's envoy from Heaven's Court?

As for the impostor Tai Bai Jin Xing who appeared, trying to stop the battle between Nezha and Sun Wukong, he was met with a scolding instead, yet the old man's expression remained unchanged.

Nezha and Sun Wukong were fighting with full intensity, clashing in the air and leaving trails of afterimages.

The ghosts and gods of the ten directions were stunned, and veteran experts felt their eyelids twitch.

It was Li Jing who reacted quickly, summoning his pagoda and issuing orders for the dozens of heavenly generals behind him to join the fight.

The heavenly generals formed the Tian Gang Great Array, forcibly separating Sun Wukong and Nezha, though they were all shaken by the force of the attacks, their blood churning and spirits unsteady.

Nezha glared at Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong glared back at Nezha.

But each was held back by the Tian Gang Great Array, one forced into the sky and the other to the ground.

It seemed as if one of them had to fall right there today.

After the chaos, the heavenly soldiers and demon soldiers withdrew their formations.

Sun Wukong shouldered his iron staff, his monkey fur stained with blood and his armor darkened with red, his gaze locked on Nezha, who was surrounded by heavenly generals in the air. His lips twitched slightly.

“Little brat.”

Nezha, who had just calmed down, erupted in anger, his hair disheveled as he shouted:

“You stinking monkey! Say that again and see what happens!”

“Hmph.”

Sun Wukong let out a cold laugh and said casually:

“Next time we'll fight.”

“Scared of you?”

Nezha snorted, retracted his six-armed form and various treasures, and flew low on his wind-fire wheels toward the East Heaven Gate, not even returning to the military camp.

Although Nezha couldn't understand why Heaven's Court, which could easily wipe out the demons here, insisted on recruiting this stinking monkey instead.

But after today's battle, he had to admit the monkey wasn't bad.

He was pretty strong.

The heavenly generals didn't dare say much about Nezha's impulsiveness.

Nezha wasn't foolish; he knew that as long as the “Jade Emperor's envoy, Tai Bai Jin Xing,” showed up and read the imperial decree, this prolonged war would end, and there'd be no more chances to fight.

Sun Wukong's aura quickly returned to its peak. He glanced at the immortals and gods above, spat out a mouthful of blood, slung his golden-hooped staff over his shoulder, and turned to walk toward the demon crowd.

In the clouds, Li Jing looked at Tai Bai Jin Xing, his brows furrowed tightly.

Jade Emperor's personal appointment, Great Sage Equal to Heaven...

That title was far too grand.

Did Heaven's Court lack experts like Sun Wukong? Clearly not.

Perhaps there were schemes and strategies at play here that a military commander like him couldn't fathom. What was the point of all this?

“Order the troops to withdraw,” Li Jing said solemnly, and the generals behind him responded in unison.

Tai Bai Jin Xing transmitted a message to Li Jing:

“Marshal Li, pull your forces back to the East Heaven Gate. Let's put this battle on hold for now.”

Li Jing pondered for a moment, seeming about to speak but ultimately choosing to stay silent wisely.

He bowed to Tai Bai Jin Xing and began issuing orders for the heavenly troops to return to the East Heaven Gate.

However, he didn't issue a full retreat, instead having the army set up camp outside the East Heaven Gate, ready to advance on Hua Guo Shan at any time.

As the heavenly troops above began to withdraw, the demons on Hua Guo Shan erupted in excitement.

But many of the older demons who had thought they understood Heaven's Court's intentions were now confused; they had believed Heaven's Court was using the seven great demon saints as bait to lure and annihilate the demon race in one fell swoop.

Now, they were proven wrong.

Heaven's Court had issued a decree to recruit Sun Wukong and grant him the title of Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

What was the reasoning behind this?

Had Heaven's Court suddenly taken a liking to the demon race's appearance and decided to incorporate more demon elements, bringing in a promising young demon king like Sun Wukong?

Did that make sense?

It was absurd!

Utterly absurd!

So why all the fighting before? Was it just to build atmosphere and boost Sun Wukong's fame?

Most of the powerful experts watching from afar were filled with such doubts, unsure what Heaven's Court was up to.

In Ling Shan, at Jie Yin Sheng Ren's thatched hut.

Li Changsheng gazed at the cloud mirror, where the fake Tai Bai Jin Xing was descending toward Hua Guo Shan, seemingly to discuss the recruitment. He sighed inwardly.

The Dao Ancestor was truly a master of scripts.

Without enough pressure, he would stick to his predetermined path, unmovable even by eight oxen.

Li Changsheng silently mocked this in his heart, but then the cloud mirror showed new trouble brewing on Hua Guo Shan.

The fake Tai Bai Jin Xing arrived on the clouds, surrounded by radiant immortal light, and called out from afar to Sun Wukong, who was surrounded by the demon kings:

“Great Sage! Great Sage!”

“Hmm?”

Sun Wukong turned his head and glanced at the old man, issuing an order for a group of monkeys to rush forward, tie him up, and hang him from a tree near the victory banquet.

This sight shocked many immortals and gods in Heaven's Court, and it made a certain cow demon, who knew the true identity of this fake Tai Bai Jin Xing, break out in a cold sweat.

That cow demon was, of course, Sun Wukong's sworn brother, the leader of the seven great demon saints and the one responsible for the Lao Jun having to ride the lesser golden and silver beasts—the Niu Mo Wang.

Niu Mo Wang watched as the monkeys quickly tied up the white-robed old immortal and hung him from the tree, left speechless.

Good heavens, the will of Heaven's Way, a manifestation of the Dao Ancestor, was being tied up just like that?

Niu Mo Wang sidled up to Sun Wukong, his thick eyebrows and big eyes flickering with a hint of light, and whispered:

“Brother, think carefully, my brother. This is a chance to resolve the situation at Hua Guo Shan. Don't be rude to Tai Bai Jin Xing.”

Sun Wukong snorted but just called his sworn brothers to drink and eat peaches, ignoring the question directly.

Clearly, he was still angry.

Niu Mo Wang didn't press further and was carried away by the crowd of demons to drink and boast, undoubtedly praising his seventh brother's bravery again.

The old man hanging from the tree looked rather awkward but maintained his smile.

High above, on the throne in the Ling Xiao Hall, the Jade Emperor's lips curved into a faint smile.

In the heavenly soldiers' camp lingering over Hua Guo Shan, some heavenly generals suggested rescuing Tai Bai Jin Xing, but Li Jing stopped them.

Li Jing said:

“This esteemed figure must have his own plans. We shouldn't speculate.”

And so, the generals could only watch from afar.

In the saint's residence on Ling Shan, Jie Yin Sheng Ren wore a kindly smile, watching the scene with great interest. He even introduced the fake Tai Bai Jin Xing's identity to his disciple Xu Bodhi.

Li Changsheng feigned surprise:

“This is a manifestation of Heaven's Way? I thought it was just a puppet.”

Jie Yin Sheng Ren replied:

“The Dao Ancestor sent this manifestation to supervise His Majesty the Jade Emperor.”

He continued:

“The Jade Emperor has grown too close to that taboo figure, making even Heaven's Way wary of him.

Bodhi, what are your thoughts on Heaven's Court—or rather, Heaven's Way—recruiting Wukong as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?”

“This seems like a good thing on the surface, but there must be other schemes,” Li Changsheng pondered briefly and said slowly. “Earlier, the Dao Ancestor mentioned this to me by the stone fetus.

It appears the Dao Ancestor wants Sun Wukong to gain fame as an example of a being that rebels against heaven but is ultimately tamed, warning others to come.

Beyond that, it relates to the prosperity of the Buddha Gate.”

“Excellent.”

Jie Yin Sheng Ren sighed softly:

“The Dao Ancestor's plans are like this, so we needn't worry too much about Wukong's safety.”

“Teacher,” Xu Bodhi asked quietly, “When you divined Wukong's fate earlier, did you foresee any disasters or tribulations?”

Jie Yin Sheng Ren said gently:

“There are tribulations. The heavenly secrets reveal he has a fate of imprisonment, and later, a great disaster of life and death.”

“A great disaster of life and death?”

Li Changsheng's eyebrow twitched slightly. Could it be the true and false Monkey King? Or some scheme by the Buddha Gate?

What Jie Yin Sheng Ren had divined were the heavenly secrets showing the most likely path, not a fixed future.

Li Changsheng didn't dwell on it.

If he won his later confrontation with the Dao Ancestor, then Sun Wukong's so-called fate wouldn't matter.

The cloud mirror continued to display the scenes: on one side, Tai Bai Jin Xing was hung from the tree, teased by a group of monkey spirits—it was quite humiliating; on the other, Sun Wukong was drinking and celebrating with the demon kings.

Jie Yin Sheng Ren's smile never faded.

This Tai Bai Jin Xing was a manifestation of Heaven's Way, represented the Dao Ancestor, and even bore the appearance often used by the former Heavenly Emperors of the Western Teachings' arch-enemies.

Triple the delight!

Li Changsheng felt no schadenfreude about this. If the Dao Ancestor quibbled with a monkey, it would be beneath him.

He observed the demon kings around Sun Wukong and, through the cloud mirror, overheard their conversations.

The demon race was advising Sun Wukong to go to Heaven's Court as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

Niu Mo Wang was drinking alone in the corner, and Sun Wukong's other sworn brothers weren't speaking up, but several veteran demon kings were persistently advising him:

“Great Sage, Heaven's Court doesn't want to escalate the war. They're giving us a way out.

Think about it, Great Sage. If the heavenly soldiers and generals all attacked, even if they won in the end, they'd pay a heavy price in blood and bodies—that's something Heaven's Court can't tolerate.

And if Heaven's Court officially recognizes your title as Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the Three Realms will all acclaim it. Then, wherever you go in the world, you'll be unmatched!”

Sun Wukong glanced at the old pigeon spirit's thumbs-up and snorted, continuing to boredly eat his banana.

“Great Sage, this is a tremendous opportunity. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven title from Heaven's Court is completely different from one we claim ourselves.

If you accept the appointment and go to Heaven's Court to enjoy the privileges, we'll take care of Hua Guo Shan for you. We won't let your monkeys and grandchildren suffer any hardship!”

“Great King!”

An old monkey shouted:

“Last time, Heaven's Court tricked you. Who knows if there's some scheme this time!”

Sun Wukong nodded in agreement:

“Hah, we shouldn't try to outsmart these heavenly immortals. They're crafty as can be.”

Another old monkey chimed in:

“Great King, clashing with Heaven's Court doesn't benefit us at all.

This ongoing war has caused heavy casualties on our side. Though we've repelled the heavenly soldiers each time, every group has lost at least a third of their forces, while the heavenly soldiers' losses are minimal.

Heaven's Court has hundreds of true gods. Nezha is just one of them, and his father Li Jing hasn't even fought yet. There are more experts to come.

The Three Realms are under Heaven's Court's control. If we keep resisting... it's a dead end.”

“You old monkey!”

A great demon stood up and scolded:

“What nonsense are you spouting? Seize him! Throw him into the oil pot!”

The old monkey trembled and hurried to kneel, but instinctively, he saw a flash of light, and the fierce demon was sent flying, a juicy peach stuffed in his mouth, his sharp teeth shattered in an instant.

Sun Wukong snorted coldly but didn't even glance at the demon. He sat on his stone seat, lost in thought, his face darkening.

The victory banquet fell silent.

Suddenly, Sun Wukong said:

“Bring Tai Bai Jin Xing over here.”

The monkeys responded and untied the fake Tai Bai Jin Xing from the tree, carrying him toward Sun Wukong.

Many demon kings lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact, while others left their seats to steer clear.

At that moment, the fake Tai Bai Jin Xing was like an ordinary old man, showing no magical power or aura. He was carried by his hands and feet straight to Sun Wukong.

The monkeys shoved him forward with force, and he staggered, barely steadying himself.

He looked up and met Sun Wukong's face head-on, with the Thunder Mouth baring its fangs and the golden-hooped staff pressing on his shoulder, as if ready to strike at any moment.

Tai Bai Jin Xing hurriedly shouted:

“Great Sage, don't resort to violence! Don't resort to violence! This humble old one is here on His Majesty the Jade Emperor's orders to deliver the decree. Please, put down the iron staff—put it down!”

Sun Wukong snorted coldly:

“So? Has Heaven's Court gotten scared?”

Tai Bai Jin Xing gave an awkward smile and said:

“Great Sage, you're mistaken. Heaven's Court hasn't even used a fraction of its strength yet. It's just that in the Three Realms, all living beings are subjects of Heaven's Court, and His Majesty the Jade Emperor is merciful, unwilling to unleash a massacre.

Moreover, because of your extraordinary bravery, His Majesty has taken a liking to you and specially grants you the title of Great Sage Equal to Heaven, allowing you to receive a salary in Heaven's Court.

Great Sage, you previously thought the Stable Keeper was too lowly, but you should know that the positions for ranked gods in Heaven's Court are full, so we couldn't grant one before.

But this time, when you ascend, you'll receive the treatment and authority of a third-rank god. You'll cultivate and seek enlightenment in Heaven's Court, basking in merit and soon attaining the Da Luo path. Isn't that wonderful?”

“Oh?”

Sun Wukong's eyes darted around. He released the fake Tai Bai Jin Xing's collar and asked:

“What about my Hua Guo Shan then?”

“Hua Guo Shan... Hua Guo Shan,” the fake Tai Bai Jin Xing laughed. “From now on, Hua Guo Shan will be your territory, personally designated by Heaven's Court.

If you accept the appointment, Heaven's Court won't pursue or suppress the demons in Hua Guo Shan.”

Sun Wukong sat back on his stone seat, hesitating slightly.

Another demon king nearby spoke up, urging Sun Wukong to follow Heaven's Court's decree and also trying to curry favor with the Jade Emperor's envoy.

Soon, Sun Wukong looked toward Niu Mo Wang in the corner and called out:

“Big Brother Niu, what do you think?”

Niu Mo Wang thought to himself that this was trouble. He looked up, grease dripping from his mouth, and chuckled:

“Brother, if you accept, it's good for Hua Guo Shan, for the demon race, and for you personally.

Just remember us brothers when you make it big.”

“Alright then.”

Sun Wukong looked at the golden-hooped staff in his hand, weighed it a few times, stood up, and said:

“I'll trust Heaven's Court one more time.”

Niu Mo Wang felt the fake Tai Bai Jin Xing's gaze on him and quickly flashed a fawning smile.

A glimmer flashed in Tai Bai Jin Xing's eyes, but he just smiled warmly and didn't speak to Niu Mo Wang.

This was exactly:

Heaven bestows the Great Sage title, but his heart is unwilling; Wukong shoulders his staff, and all grows quiet around him.

“Fear there's a scheme.”

In the thatched hut on Ling Shan, before Jie Yin Sheng Ren, Xu Bodhi slowly uttered these five words, and Jie Yin Sheng Ren nodded with a smile, agreeing fully.

Jie Yin Sheng Ren said:

“The Dao Ancestor's schemes are beyond what we as teacher and disciple can fathom. Let's not meddle.

Since you've returned to Ling Shan this time, why not stay here for a while? Once the matter with Wukong is settled, I can remove the shackles on your Dao realm.”

Xu Bodhi showed delight and stood up:

“Thank you, Teacher.”

Jie Yin Sheng Ren asked:

“Where do you want to cultivate?”

“My previous cave seems to have been taken,” Li Changsheng sighed, glancing out the window at the various spots. He saw the distant lotus pool and said, “I'll cultivate by that pool and also guard the gate for you, Teacher.”

Jie Yin Sheng Ren smiled with satisfaction, raised his hand, and made a small opening in the shackles of Xu Bodhi's Dao realm, whispering:

“Cultivate well and keep it quiet.”

Li Changsheng bowed his head in acceptance, nearly bursting into laughter.

A moment later, he sat quietly by the lotus pool, closed his eyes, and with his immortal sense, locked onto the Jin Chan just a pool's distance away.

It had been effortlessly done.