Journey to the West: With a supernatural understanding, he entered Fangcun Mountain at the beginning
Chapter 7 - The Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea

Chapter 7: The Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea

Fruit-and-Flower Mountain was the ancestral vein of the ten continents and the source of the three immortal isles. It stood independent since the separation of clear and turbid, formed after the division of primordial chaos.

However, Qin Chuan speculated that this “separation of clear and turbid” likely did not refer to the legendary era when Pangu split the heavens and earth. Instead, it might have originated from the cataclysmic battles of the ancient Fengshen calamity, where the clashes of five supreme sages shattered the primordial world. The four largest fragments became the Four Great Continents of the present age.

After all, if this land had truly existed since the dawn of creation as a sacred paradise, even if the Monkey King were the chosen protagonist of heaven and earth, mighty beings would surely have sought to claim it for themselves.

Qin Chuan descended on a cloud and suddenly heard a cacophony of simian cries. Focusing his gaze, he saw—Amid a sea of monkeys, the Monkey King was wielding a great blade with practiced ease, surrounded by tens of thousands of his kin. The clamor was deafening, the flash of steel dazzling—a spectacle of wild energy.

The Monkey King moved with agile grace, each swing of his blade cutting through the air with a fierce whistle, inciting roars of approval from his followers.

“Qin Chuan!”

Sharp-eyed as ever, the Monkey King spotted him immediately and waved him over.

“Monkey, you’ve really got yourself a fine place here.”

Qin Chuan approached, admiring the scenery of Flower-Fruit Mountain. The surrounding monkeys, initially wary of the human stranger, quickly relaxed upon seeing their king’s familiarity with him.

Life hadn’t been easy for the monkey tribe during their king’s absence.

“Hahaha! What brings you here?”

The Monkey King gestured to his subjects and declared, “Listen well, my children! This is Qin Chuan, my sworn brother from our days of cultivation. You shall address him as Great King Qin!”

“From now on, his word carries the same weight as mine!”

“Great King Qin! Great King Qin!”

The mountains and valleys erupted in chattering acclaim. Qin Chuan found the experience oddly fascinating.

The monkeys varied widely in cultivation—some, like the four elder monkeys standing close to their king, had already ascended to immortality, while others, mostly the younglings, had no cultivation at all. Yet without exception, even the smallest among them possessed awakened intelligence and human speech.

Was it the unique spiritual energy of Flower-Fruit Mountain, or was there another secret at play?

After some observation, Qin Chuan found nothing unusual.

“I stayed home for a few days and got bored, so I came looking for you. By the way, Monkey—where’d you get that blade?”

At the question, the Monkey King’s expression darkened. “You wouldn’t believe it. While I was away training, some demon scum seized my home and tormented my people. A few days ago, I crushed him and took his weapon.”

Qin Chuan suddenly remembered—after returning to his mountain, the Monkey King had indeed dealt with the so-called “Chaos-Born Demon King.”

The Monkey King grinned fiercely.

“After finishing that wretch off, I flew two hundred li over the waters and emptied the armory of the Ao Lai Kingdom. Now my troops train day and night—let’s see which fool demon dares trouble Flower-Fruit Mountain again!”

Qin Chuan gazed across the landscape—everywhere he looked, the monkeys of Flower-Fruit Mountain were armed to the teeth.

Swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, tridents… every imaginable weapon was in their grasp. Nurtured by demonic energy, these arms far surpassed ordinary divine weapons. Foolish demons who dared challenge them were long gone—next time, they’d be facing an organized, well-trained army.

“Great King!”

A long-armed monkey leaped forward, kneeling before the Monkey King. “The Seventy-Two Cave Demon Kings await outside, paying their respects!”

The Monkey King grinned.

“Bring them in!”

Soon, a parade of beasts—wolves, tigers, leopards, lions, elephants, bears, deer, even divine hounds—filed into the Water Curtain Cave. They offered treasures: golden bones, enchanted armor, jade artifacts… Qin Chuan sat to the side, idly biting into a peach as he observed these so-called “Demon Kings.”

Most of them haven’t even attained immortality. No wonder they’ll be crushed so easily in the future.

During the feast, many Demon Kings stole glances at Qin Chuan, licking their lips at the sight of a human. He responded with a faint smile—just a wisp of his Golden Immortal aura sent a shiver through the crowd.

Though only a Golden Immortal in rank, in a real fight, even the Monkey King—a Taiyi Golden Immortal—would witness the true meaning of “earth-shaking, ocean-splitting power.”

The Monkey King suddenly sighed mid-celebration.

“All of you have fine weapons, but this old blade of mine is disappointing. What’s to be done?”

Qin Chuan nodded.

“I’ve been thinking the same—I need a proper weapon too.”

At this, four aged monkeys—each touched by immortality—stepped forward. One, a long-armed gibbon, spoke.

“Great Kings, you are transcendent beings. Mortal arms are beneath you. But tell us… can you traverse the waters?”

The Monkey King smirked. “With my 72 Transformations and divine might, is there any place I cannot go?”

Qin Chuan’s gaze lingered on the gibbon, eyes sharp with hidden meaning. “Your king and I share the same heritage. Heaven, earth, the underworld, the deepest seas—we walk where we please.”

Unfazed, the gibbon continued.

“Then you should know—beneath our Water Curtain Cave lies a path to the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea. Why not visit the Dragon King and demand a weapon worthy of your power?”

The Monkey King laughed, grabbing Qin Chuan’s arm. “Come, brother! Let’s pay our ‘neighbor’ a visit. Surely the old dragon won’t refuse!”

With twin splashes, they cast Water-Parting Spells, descending into the ocean depths.

As they swam, Qin Chuan mused aloud.

“Monkey, I recall you saying that when you left to seek immortality, these monkeys were merely long-lived, with no cultivation to speak of. Yet now they wield such power. How?”

Distracted by the wonders of the sea, the Monkey King blinked. “Ah, I asked them too. They claimed to have found a cultivation manual hidden in the cave.”

“A relic of the previous owner, no doubt. I skimmed it—useless compared to our Great Pinnacle Heavenly Immortal Art. Reaching Celestial Immortal would be its limit.”

“Lucky I never stumbled upon it. Otherwise, I’d have never met you or our Patriarch, doomed to mediocrity.”

Qin Chuan nodded.

“I see.”

But inwardly, he frowned, “The Water Curtain Cave isn’t that large. The Monkey King ruled for centuries before leaving. Yet out of tens of thousands of monkeys, none discovered this manual until after he departed?”

“This scriptwriter’s logic is… lacking.”

As they spoke, a magnificent crystal palace emerged before them:

Jade seas hid the Dragon King’s domain,

Coral towers gleamed ‘neath the sun’s reign.

Shrimp soldiers, crab generals stood guard,

Pearls and silver threads wove robes unscarred.

Crystal curtains swayed in the gentle tide,

Seaweed danced where the light would glide.

The Dragon King feasted gods with cheer,

Ambrosia flowed—no end was near.

They had arrived—the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea!