The golden-furred giant monkey, standing proudly amidst the clouds, was engulfed by chaos and drawn into a self-contained realm. Powerless to resist, it was swept into Meng Qi’s sleeve, leaving behind only its earth-shaking roar that pierced the heavens and shattered the clouds.
Plop! Plop! Meng Qi’s sleeve immediately transformed like a heart, continuously expanding and contracting, as if it might explode at any moment, unable to contain the Heaven-Defying Great Sage.
His gaze deepened, revealing the Daoist Yi-Liuli Lamp. The colorless, tiny flame bloomed with alternating black and white radiance, spreading across the heavens, illuminating all causal connections of the myriad phenomena in the world.
Bang!
Meng Qi’s sleeve exploded, and a golden giant staff rapidly elongated and thickened, reaching up into the celestial palace clouds and down into the earthly winds and waters. A furry giant hand pressed onto the end of the staff.
Looking up, Meng Qi saw the monkey king’s hairy face and thunderous mouth; he directly obscured the sky. His eyes were like two giant stars, blazing red, penetrating Meng Qi. Before such a Heaven-Defying Great Sage, Meng Qi felt as tiny as an insect, like the comparison between a human and their planet, filled with an overwhelming sense of insurmountability.
Yet, the Overlord’s Blade in Meng Qi’s grip had already cleaved through the air with ferocity before mysteriously disappearing, plunging a vast expanse into impenetrable darkness where nothing remained visible.
In a flash of lightning and sparks, the purple blade light reappeared, drifting and ethereal, manifesting everything non-material and exposing the hidden stellar threads between the ferocious giant monkey and the ancient bronze coffin!
Even if fantasy steps into reality, it must still abide by the most fundamental principles. Originating from the Seven-Aperture Demon Heart, it inevitably bears causal connections!
Meng Qi’s true intention was to seize the fleeting moment when Sun Wukong disrupted the *Sleeve Cosmos* and *Void Seal*, finding an opportunity to sever this connection. Otherwise, such a formidable being—even if constrained by the Demon Sovereign’s presence here with only one heart and unwilling to awaken prematurely—could only display the power of a peak Human Immortal. Yet, he would still possess various divine abilities and instincts to conceal and protect crucial causal links, making them difficult to sever.
Once severed, without the fantasy power of the Seven-Aperture Ice Heart as support and without the “precondition” of its appearance, the “Heaven-Defying Great Sage” manifestation—the “consequence”—would undoubtedly vanish!
Strike the snake at its vital point; the Heaven-Defying Great Sage might be mighty, but now he was but a puppet, and without the strings, he could no longer move!
The long blade slashed, miraculously landing precisely on this brilliant stellar thread.
Past causes and present effects alike vanished into thin air!
Crack! A sound of illusion shattering rang out. Sun Wukong, raising his golden staff, froze high above, his body gradually fading back into the realm of fantasy.
Meng Qi redirected his blade light toward the ancient bronze coffin, intending to emulate the Overlord and strike back against the Demon Sovereign!
Strike the man before his horse, capture the bandit before his leader. At this moment, if they wished to rescue Master Lu first, who knew what new tricks the Demon Sovereign might pull!
Inside the half-opened bronze coffin, the demon heart with seven apertures suddenly beat violently again, seemingly squeezing out more blood, spraying forth brilliant seven-colored rays.
The light sketched and reshaped the ferocious and arrogant golden giant ape!
Is there no end to this! Meng Qi’s scalp prickled with unease.
This time, the translucent Seven-Aperture Demon Heart lost its crystalline clarity, gradually reverting to its initially appeared dark and sinister form.
The golden giant monkey stood between the heavens and earth, his golden staff plunging into the earthly winds and waters, seemingly planted there. His pair of blazing red eyes glared furiously at Meng Qi. Then he shook his body, his form rapidly expanding. His head pierced through layers of white clouds, overlooking from above, while his feet trod upon the earthly winds and waters, like a towering mountain connecting heaven and earth.
Moreover, he manifested three heads and six arms, each bearing the same hairy visage and thunderous mouth, the same blazing eyes, and the same ferocious and tyrannical expression. In each of his six hands, he brandished a golden staff, his aura surging to terrifying heights, as though he were the supreme ruler of this world.
“Grow! Grow! Grow! Grow!” He roared fiercely, the three divided golden staffs simultaneously elongating and thickening.
With a resounding boom, the entire Ice Palace trembled violently. The monkey burst through the Tenfold Frozen Absolute Ice Heart Array, ripped apart the white clouds and the azure sky, and shattered the roof of the cave dwelling. Majestic and awe-inspiring, he looked every bit like his former self during his legendary rampage in Heaven.
I can too! Meng Qi himself was within the Dharma and Heavenly Phenomenon transformation, now exerting his full power, his body growing once more, equally filling the Heaven and Earth derived from the cave dwelling, like a divine being standing proudly in the world.
He too manifested three heads and six arms. One hand wielded the Overlord Blade, another grasped the Limitless Yellow Banner, while a third supported a jade box condensed from earthly winds and waters. One hand held the Yin-Yang Mirror with its contrasting black and white sides, another carried a purple bell-shaped heart, and the last bore the ancient Heaven-Overturning Seal of immense weight.
Among his three heads, one radiated the Supreme Primordial Celebration Cloud of the Infinite Origin, another had the Pangu Banner erupting from its Niwan Palace, while the third revealed eyes that discerned all karmic consequences. Its forehead split open, forming an ethereal projection of the Daoist Glazed Lamp before it. His entire form appeared half-substantial, half-illusory, flickering intermittently between existence and the void.
Meng Qi completely merged the Yuan-Shi Nine Seals with the Ba-Jiu Mystical Art—this was the true “Immortal Yuan-Shi Body”!
With this body manifested, when Meng Qi looked upon Sun Wukong again, he no longer felt the previous sense of insurmountability and dared to face him directly.
At that very moment, the colossal golden monkey, standing tall between heaven and earth, simultaneously opened the Niwan Palaces of its three heads, each emitting a radiant Pure Light that converged in mid-air.
In an instant, the chanting of Buddhist scriptures resounded through the void, majestic and solemn. Countless golden Bodhi flowers descended like rain from the heavens, fragrant and pure. Within the radiant Pure Light emerged a bluish-gold Buddha, translucent from head to toe, as if entirely forged from glazed glass, imperishable through countless kalpas. A Wisdom Eye opened upon his forehead, illuminating all realms and worlds, capable of penetrating layer upon layer of illusions.
The familiar sensation instantly brought two thoughts surging into Meng Qi’s mind:
“The Bodhi Golden Body!”
“The Victorious Fighting Buddha!”
The Heaven-Defying Great Sage and the Victorious Fighting Buddha had actually appeared before him simultaneously!
Is this even possible? Is the Victorious Fighting Buddha the Buddhist form of the Heaven-Defying Great Sage Sun Wukong? Has he mastered both the Immortal Dao Body and the Bodhi Golden Body?
As these thoughts surged, Meng Qi’s mind finally condensed into two sentences:
“Unscrupulous, ganging up two against one…”
“You’re the Heaven-Defying Great Sage!”
This azure-blue Victorious Fighting Buddha sprouted two additional heads from his neck and four more arms on his body, now manifesting the same three heads and six arms!
One of the heads smiled faintly, forming the gesture of plucking a flower with its thumb and middle finger, causing Meng Qi’s mind to go blank as if he had suddenly attained enlightenment. If not for the natural flow of the chaotic radiance, which absorbed all thoughts, he would have already fallen into the trap.
The third move of the Tathagata Palm, “Flower-Picking Smile”!
The other two heads, with the central one emanating glazed light from its Bodhi wisdom eye, pierced through layers of illusions. Golden beams shot toward Meng Qi like swords and blades, severing afflictions, dispelling demons, cutting karmic ties, revealing the past, and foreseeing the future. Wielding the vajra wisdom sword, it cleaved through countless shackles to attain the Great Path. This was the fifth stance of the Tathagata Palm—”Vajra Illumination.”
The remaining head showed mercy, its lips moving and hands forming seals, conjuring numerous Buddhas in the air around Meng Qi. It was as if they were chanting the Tight Helmet Curse, their voices like the buzzing of mosquitoes, penetrating straight into the heart. Moreover, each Buddha displayed divine powers, their golden palms densely covering Meng Qi like the Tathagata Palm technique—”Universal Salvation.”
The Victorious Fighting Buddha, true to his Buddhist name, unleashed three strikes of the Tathagata Palm simultaneously upon his arrival!
On the other side, the Heaven-Defying Great Sage opened all his acupoints, causing the surrounding void to instantly become unfathomably deep. One could see layers upon layers of universes, golden crows and jade rabbits, the Milky Way galaxy, and countless planes of existence.
The Golden Rampage Monkey pierced through everything, standing at the heart of the multiverse’s illusion. Swinging his three golden staffs, he unleashed a strike powerful enough to obliterate all worlds.
当然，即便他全盛时期也未必能办到，如今气势只剩几分，咆哮着撞向孟奇。
On one side were three moves of the Tathagata Palm; on the other, the golden monkey wielding his thousand-jin cudgel. Even Meng Qi, with his hardened mind after countless trials, couldn’t help but feel his scalp prickling.
He suppressed the trembling within his heart, refusing to retreat even a step. The chaotic Celebration Clouds cast eerie rays of light, enveloping him completely. With one hand, he shook the bell-like purple heart, producing mystical chimes that unsettled the Heaven-Defying Great Sage, causing him to falter for a brief moment. With the other hand, he sent the jade box soaring through the air, its lid opening wide to engulf him. The earthly winds and waters surged forth with devastating force, leaving no corner untouched as they clashed violently against the three golden staffs.
On the other hand, the Yin-Yang Mirror flipped, casting black light onto the Victorious Fighting Buddha’s Bodhi Golden Body, causing it to reveal a trace of extinction. Yet the Bodhi Golden Body was neither born nor destroyed, neither impure nor pure, indestructible through countless kalpas. The extinction flickered in and out, but this provided Meng Qi the opportunity to raise his hand, drop the ancient seal, freeze the surrounding void into a cage, and merge the phantom of the Pangu Banner with the Overlord Blade.
A flash of blade light, directly slashing toward the Victorious Fighting Buddha!
Meng Qi defended and attacked simultaneously, giving his all.
Meanwhile, the Dao-Yi Glazed Lamp illuminated, awaiting the opportune moment to sever the ties of causality.
Boom!
The golden staff shattered the jade box, striking Meng Qi’s chaotic glow from the Wuji Seal.
But at this moment, all light vanished, all colors faded. The Primordial Explosion Blade confronted Universal Salvation, Flower-Picking Smile, and Vajra Illumination.
Silently, the cave dwelling within a radius of several miles began collapsing inch by inch, the repair force struggling to keep up with the destruction.
Everything contracted, seemingly condensing into a single point encompassing all things.
However, the point split apart. The Rampage Giant Ape and the Victorious Fighting Buddha leaped out simultaneously—one with its fur in disarray, the other with a deep crack in its golden body, slowly healing.
The point completely shattered, revealing Meng Qi. His Tai-Shang Wu-Ji Yuan-Shi Celebration Cloud receded back into his Niwan Palace, with golden light faintly surrounding his body. Covered in numerous wounds, one of his heads bore a faint finger mark, slowly causing that head to fade into silence—as if awakening to the Dharma—while his overall aura sharply declined.
Meng Qi’s Dao-Yi Glazed Lamp missed the opportunity by a hair’s breadth.
At this moment, he felt quite frustrated. If only he had one more divine weapon sword, he could have used it with the Overlord Blade to unleash the “Chaos Devouring the Cosmos” technique from the Return to Primordial, preventing the Wu-Ji Seal from being solely defensive.
Had he done so, he could have created an opportunity, not missing by a hair’s breadth, successfully severing the causal link.
The Golden Giant Monkey and the Victorious Fighting Buddha seized the advantage without relenting, preparing to attack again, but their presence was significantly weaker than before.
Why had their presence suddenly diminished?
It could be said that the Victorious Fighting Buddha was hit by the Primordial Explosion, but the Heaven-Defying Great Sage had only sustained minor injuries…
Meng Qi’s heart stirred as a sudden realization dawned upon him. He glanced toward the Peacock Great Bright King, Kong Xuan, whose aura had also noticeably weakened!
So that’s it!
The Demon Sovereign was truly cunning and treacherous!
As his presence faded, the subtle changes around him nearly disappeared. The Heaven-Defying Great Sage, the Victorious Fighting Buddha, and the Peacock Bright King gradually turned transparent, like illusions dissolving one after another.
If the Demon Sovereign had been willing to invest earlier, he could have utilized the fantasy manifestation technique long ago. Why wait until Meng Qi and Master Lu, leveraging the breath of the true realm, modified and amplified the law of mind-realm coexistence?
Because fantasy manifestation also depends on mind-realm coexistence. Without this, it couldn’t enter reality unless the Demon Sovereign himself changed!
From the very beginning, when no enemies had yet appeared, he had been guiding them step by step—all to make Meng Qi and Master Lu modify the cave dwelling’s laws, adapting them for the manifestation of illusions. This would enable this demonic heart to unleash its full potential without disturbing its slumber.
In other words, the previous battle was equivalent to creating enemies for oneself to fight!
Thus, as Meng Qi’s aura waned and the amplification of the law faded, the Peacock Great Bright King, unharmed, and the slightly injured Heaven-Defying Great Sage likewise withdrew their presence.
Therefore, after Meng Qi abandoned the law’s amplification, they returned to the fantasy world!
Looking back, the Demon Sovereign’s schemes and machinations were truly formidable—no wonder he accomplished such great feats in the past between the Demon Saint and the Human Emperor.
As the amplification of the law dissipated, the bronze coffin vanished along with it. Meng Qi and Master Lu exchanged a glance, their mutual understanding already clear.
Without entangling with the Demon Sovereign, they seized the opportunity he was unwilling to awaken and quickly entered the Jade Pond!
The two immediately accelerated their escape speed. Taking advantage of the fact that the formation and cave dwelling had been severely damaged in the previous battle, they successively broke through multiple barriers and finally reached the crystalline spire.
Along the way, the demon heart within the bronze coffin often harassed them, but posed no real threat to the two.
The restrictions and monsters inside the spire were completely empty, seemingly annihilated by the previous Su Wuming and the four dharma bodies of the Heretic Path, leaving only the path to the Jade Pond and a few murals.
As their eyes swept over the murals, both Meng Qi and Master Lu felt a profound shock in their hearts. These depicted some of the cultivation insights recorded by the Demon Sovereign. For reasons unknown, he had extracted his own heart, severed it to create an avatar, and refined it into the Seven-Aperture Ice Soul Heart. This heart was also capable of cultivation, ultimately achieving the “Great Freedom Celestial Demon True Body,” while outwardly presenting himself as the Sage of the Ice Palace.
The Great Freedom Celestial Sovereign was the leader of the Heavenly Demons, unparalleled in the path of the mind—no wonder he could manifest illusions… Meng Qi suddenly understood. But if the demon heart was here, then what was the relic of the Ice Palace Sage in the Snow Mountain Mausoleum?
As they pondered, they had already reached the top floor of the spire, where they saw a pool of icy water—it was the entrance to the Jade Pond!
Yang Jian’s seal only targeted the topmost layer of the Ninth Heaven, which was relocated to the level of the gray stone palace, without affecting the Jade Pond.
“Be careful, there might be an ambush at the opposite entrance,” Master Lu warned.
Meng Qi nodded solemnly, not daring to show the slightest negligence.
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