The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 104 - 102: The Great Saint Sun Challenges Yao Pond

Chapter 104: Chapter 102: The Great Saint Sun Challenges Yao Pond

Wukong drove away the horde of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals and chased after the Jade Emperor towards Yao Pond, his VLOOKUP(A1025,[1]Sheet1!$A:$B,2,0) carrying him swiftly, catching up to the Jade Emperor.

Wukong shouted, "Old Jade Emperor, where do you think you’re fleeing to?!"

The Jade Emperor glanced back, saw Wukong approaching, and quickly pushed the You Yi Ling Officer aside, bidding him to intercept, while he himself rushed toward Yao Pond.

Suddenly, from the direction of Yao Pond, a Taoist flew towards them. This Taoist called out, "Your Majesty, no need to panic, I am Huang Tuqiu from Yao Pond! By the Queen Mother’s command, I am here to stop the Demon Monkey."

The Jade Emperor was overjoyed and said, "Your efforts are appreciated, loyal subject!"

This Huang Tuqiu was one of the eighteen great experts of Yao Pond. The Queen Mother had dispatched eighteen Daluo Golden Immortal experts to guard Yao Pond, and Huang Tuqiu was even a formidable second-layer Daluo Golden Immortal, having mastered the laws to bend and twist them, making his Divine Skills unpredictable and his mana exceptionally powerful.

Upon seeing someone blocking him, Wukong was not annoyed and said, "And who might you be? Don’t come jumping in front of your grandpa and get yourself killed for nothing!"

Huang Tuqiu retorted angrily, "Impudent Demon Monkey, you are indeed audacious! Let’s see if you can get past me first."

Huang Tuqiu whipped out a scroll, within which there were eighteen types of weapons, each held by a siren-like, enchanting woman. During times of Three Calamities and Five Tribulations, when the Heavenly Demon confuses hearts, these women, who were all Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons, were captured by Huang Tuqiu. This mysterious scroll of his had the power to seize the formless and shadowless Heavenly Demons, imprison them inside, and then refine them, turning them into slaves. It was indeed a significantly potent Magical Treasure!

The eighteen Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons emerged from the scroll, each wielding one of the eighteen types of weapon-laden Magical Treasures, all enchanting in appearance but shrouded in demonic aura.

"Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons? This bird actually has such a skill to capture Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons!" Wukong thought to himself, gripping the God-Beating Whip in his left hand and the Jingu Bang in his right.

"Kill!"

Huang Tuqiu uttered a single command, and the eighteen Heavenly Demons charged at once.

Wukong wrote the character "Xun" in the void, and immediately a wild wind began to howl. Huang Tuqiu said, "I am not someone who got around the Three Calamities and Five Tribulations by hiding! I’m not afraid of your wicked wind!"

A chill rose from the soles of his feet, but he quickly suppressed it. Wukong cursed, "How about this fire, are you afraid of that?"

A vast expanse of purple flame roared towards Huang Tuqiu, turning his face the color of earth in fright. He hastily raised the scroll in defense, stretching it across the air to block the purple fire.

The scroll must have been a Magical Treasure from Ancient Times; otherwise, where would such intense power come from? Huang Tuqiu was originally an ordinary man who by chance came upon this scroll. From it, he learned cultivation techniques and elixirs, and thus began his journey to Cultivate Immortality. With the help of this scroll, his mana constantly increased, and having great willpower, he withstood the Three Calamities and Five Tribulations. Later, he ascended to heaven and was recruited by the Queen Mother into Yao Pond to serve as an offering, guarding the Mother Peach Tree.

The peaches on this Mother Peach Tree were no ordinary peaches; they were the very kind that Wukong had eaten in the Three Stars Cave, exceedingly precious.

Wukong shook himself and transformed into Three Heads and Six Arms. The eighteen Heavenly Demons attacked, their various Magical Treasures shining bright and dazzling.

With his Flaming Eyes, Wukong naturally wasn’t afraid of the light they emitted. A Heavenly Demon, unaware of his ability, charged at him, only to be struck by Wukong’s staff on the crown of the head, instantly scattering her soul with a scream, becoming another ghost under Wukong’s staff.

The remaining seventeen Heavenly Demons suddenly vanished, then just as quickly, they reappeared, slicing through the void. Caught off guard, Wukong took a blow from one of the Heavenly Demons on the left side of his head, sending a jolt of pain through him. He quickly swung the God-Beating Whip, but the Heavenly Demon had already disappeared back into the void.

"These Heavenly Demons can freely traverse the void? Indeed quite formidable, I must be cautious!" Wukong thought to himself.

Two more Heavenly Demons slipped out from the void, aiming a sword and a fork at Wukong’s chest and ribs. This time, Wukong was ready and parried with his Jingu Bang, knocking away the steel fork, then swept away the incoming sword with the Golden Whip of Wang Lingguan.

Huang Tuqiu, after fending off the Purifying Purple Flame with the scroll, folded it and upon seeing Wukong having killed one Heavenly Demon, felt a secret pang of loss. Heavenly Demons were not easily captured, able to move through the void unknowingly; before reaching Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal status, it was exceedingly difficult to catch them, let alone these graceful female Heavenly Demons. Besides using these Heavenly Demons to fight his enemies, he also occasionally enjoyed them as servants.

This was Wukong’s first encounter with Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons, which were extremely problematic. Being able to move through the void with unforeseen ease and elusive to track made them difficult to contend with. Fortunately, Wukong deployed Three Heads and Six Arms, otherwise, he would have suffered greatly under their assault.

Originally, these Heavenly Demons did not possess much mana, their primary ability being to bewitch and sway hearts. However, by sealing them within the scroll, Huang Tuqiu was able to control them, allowing them to cultivate mana, which by now had reached the strength of Taiyi Golden Immortals.

But these Heavenly Demons were overly troublesome, and though only at the level of Taiyi Golden Immortals, they were already causing a headache. Huang Tuqiu could only manage to catch the Heavenly Demons with the assistance of his scroll. When the Heavenly Demons came to bewitch his Taoist heart, instead, he captured them with the scroll.

"Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Dui, Gen!"

Wukong swiftly inscribed eight characters onto the void, sketching out an Eight Trigrams Diagram that materialized an image of a Taoist. Cloaked in an Eight Trigrams Robe and stepping in Yin-Yang Shoes, with a splendid beard that reached his chest, it was none other than the visage of Emperor Fuxi. As the Bagua spun, the Heavenly Demons burrowed through, only to find, to their dismay, that they could no longer traverse the void!

The vast expanse of the void had been suppressed by Wukong using the Bagua, with the world’s essence constructed from these eight aspects. The Bagua Diagram manifested and, with the will of Fuxi entwined within, it immediately subdued the vast void. The Heavenly Demons could no longer utilize their innate abilities to shuttle through the void.

"Master, save us!" The Heavenly Demons cried out in distress.

The God-Beating Whip and the Great Year Whip in Wukong’s hands merged into one, becoming a Yin-Yang colored Divine Dragon that swept around, grinding the void until it fissured.

Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons, unfathomable and mysterious, were creations of the Heavenly Dao designed to test the will of mortals. Those with wavering will were doomed to fall victim to the demons’ guile, meeting their end with their spirits extinguished.

Huang Tuqiu was alarmed. He hastily tossed the scroll in his hand, intending to recall the seventeen Heavenly Demons.

Yet Wukong had no intention of giving him the chance. Displaying three heads and six arms, each wielding a magical treasure, the Heavenly Demons, now deprived of their ability to traverse the void, were no match for him. With a spin of the Bagua Diagram, Wukong shielded the extending scroll from reaching the void.

Indeed, Wukong was relentless and ruthless. Each demon had a figure svelte and supple, faces exhibiting feigned timidity—enough to make anyone hesitate. But who was Wukong, after all? Originally a fierce Demon Fiend indifferent to love, who had survived great life-and-death trials, these creatures certainly could not bewitch him.

Huang Tuqiu charged forward, clenched a spell in one hand, and his left arm transformed into an Azure Dragon. This technique, undoubtedly from Ancient Times, utilized methods to morph his body into that of demon beasts. This divine skill, adapted from the Dragon Clan’s secret "Qinglong’s Exploring Claw," possessed the power of the Divine Dragon and could sever a section of Mount Tai with a single grasp.

"Ha! Move Stars and Exchange Constellations," Wukong changed the spell in his hand, and suddenly the Eight Trigrams Diagram began to spin, seemingly flipping the entire world upside down.

This too was one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Transformations, which, once utilized, immediately swapped their positions. Huang Tuqiu’s divine skill struck only emptiness, for Wukong was now behind him.

Wukong with a flurry of staff and whip, heedless of the Heavenly Demons’ pleas for mercy, reduced them to dust in an instant, declaring, "This place was never meant for you. I’ll send you back home!"

The wailing of the female demons continued incessantly, agitating Huang Tuqiu. As he was about to save them, the piece of the void suppressed by the Bagua Diagram burst into flames, ignited by Laozi’s Purifying Purple Flame!

With Wukong’s Whirlwind and Return Fire skill cast, the entire section of the void was engulfed, leaving all the remaining Heavenly Demons consumed by the blaze.

Huang Tuqiu felt like his heart was being twisted by knives. So many Heavenly Demons were eradicated by Wukong in an instance, not one spared. To capture them again, he would have to wait for the next calamity to approach. With the scroll in hand, he was not worried about being unable to capture more.

Wukong turned to confront Huang Tuqiu, aiming a staff blow straight for the crown of his head!

Huang Tuqiu, knowing he was no match for Wukong in terms of martial might, hastily retreated. Unleashing another Qinglong’s Exploring Claw, the divine skill struck Wukong’s ’Jingu Bang’, emitting a crisp clang and sending sparks flying.

Huang Tuqiu’s scroll opened another corner, from which flew out hundreds of Thunder Pearls.

"Boom!"

The thunder enveloped Wukong and exploded suddenly, but what would thunder frighten Wukong? Having endured the Divine Thunder of twenty-four deities of the Thunder Department for a day and a night on the Immortal Slaying Stage without so much as a scratch, he noticed something like Guifeng within the thunder. Swiftly invoking his Divine Skills, he activated Vajra Invulnerability. The thunder and Guifeng struck him, yet he remained unmoved, as steady as a mountain.

"Ah! The body of this monkey head might be comparable to the Shaman Gods of Ancient Times!" Huang Tuqiu secretly gasped in fright, his Thunder Pearls and Guifeng unable to inflict the slightest harm on Wukong.

Huang Tuqiu was not among the Immortals listed in the Heavenly Court. Otherwise, Wukong would have easily subdued him using the God-Beating Whip. There were many listed Immortals and countless lesser deities not included in the official rankings, merely guardians of the Mother Peach Tree. Thus, they were not subject to the laws of the God-Beating Whip.

Laozi was truly formidable, replicating the God-Beating Whip and even its laws though the replica was not as powerful as the original, Immortals would still have to avoid it at all costs.

Wukong laughingly scolded, "Youngster, your skills are not enough to harm me!"

Huang Tuqiu, filled with vexation, had great mana but rarely engaged in magic combat, lacking experience and no match for Wukong, a Demon King who fought his way up.

Huang Tuqiu thought to himself, "This Macaca’s divine skills and magical treasures are formidable, making him difficult to deal with! Seems I have no choice but to resort to my ultimate move, but once unleashed, even I might not be able to control it. Last time, it almost cost me my life!"

Seeing that the Jade Emperor had already gone to the Yao Pond, he breathed a sigh of relief, relieved that he was on time. If all else failed, he would simply call upon two of his Sect fellows to subdue Wukong together. The object concealed in the scroll, it was best left unused if possible.

To find out what happens next, please tune in to the next episode.