The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 87 - 085: A Hundred Thousand Strong Army Approaches

Chapter 87: Chapter 085: A Hundred Thousand Strong Army Approaches

Wukong went to the West Cow He State, entrusted Wusheng with the Peaches of Immortality as a gift for his teacher, and then returned to Dongsheng Immortal State.

Wukong thought to himself, "I wonder if my teacher will appreciate the peaches in recognition of my filial piety, and then offer his support?"

Having grasped the mysteries of the unity of the Three Teachings, Wukong understood that Patriarch Subhuti’s cultivation was absolutely extraordinary, likely not even inferior to that of a Saint! He contemplated that if Subhuti were to lend a hand, how could Tathagata capture him? However, Wukong had no certainty about this; after all, his teacher was profoundly inscrutable, and even the willingness to part with the Peaches of Immortality grown from the Mother Peach Tree in Queen Mother’s Yao Pond left him wondering whether Subhuti would value these three thousand Purple Patterned Yellow Core peaches.

Wukong secretly pondered, "This teacher of mine is clearly a Taoist expert, so why did he choose the name ’Subhuti’?"

Suddenly, another thought struck him, "Patriarch Subhuti," "Not to mention various matters," "Forbidden to mention various matters,"—the meaning was clear. He was warning his disciples not to speak of his affairs!

After all, the "Three Stars Sect" was an obscure sect. He taught Wukong his skills, letting him cause mischief without exposing himself. Even if Wukong mentioned studying under Subhuti, outsiders wouldn’t know who Subhuti truly was. They might even mistakenly believe a Buddhism master taught Wukong, which seemed to be an extremely calculated move! Nevertheless, it was likely that this Patriarch had significant ties with Laojun, otherwise, why would he have provided two imitation magical treasures?

Wukong encountered no troubles on his journey and entered the Water Curtain Cave, proclaiming, "Brothers, Old Sun is back!"

The Ox Demon King inquired, "Where did you take those peaches to give away?"

Wukong replied with a laugh, "I gave them to my fellow disciple to bring to our teacher to enjoy."

The Ox Demon King said, "You are indeed very filial!"

The Six Great Kings had already held a grand Peach of Immortality banquet and invited the Seventy-Two Cave Demon Kings. They distributed the peaches so that each Demon King received ten, and some Little Demons with True Immortal cultivation also got one or two. They received the peaches and were now joyfully and boisterously celebrating at the feast.

Their Peach of Immortality banquet had already been noticed by the Heavenly Court, causing both Queen Mother and the Jade Emperor to feel utterly humiliated. They immediately dispatched one hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals to besiege Flower-Fruit Mountain. Now that Wukong was not the same as before, and with the support of his six brothers, it would be even more difficult for the Heavenly Court to capture him.

"We are deeply grateful to the Seven Great Saints for bestowing the Peaches of Immortality. We will spare no effort in your service!" the Seventy-Two Cave Demon Kings profusely thanked as they bowed down.

The Six Great Sages each had their own forces, but none were as mighty as Wukong’s. The Seventy-Two Cave Demon Kings were all at the level of Taiyi Golden Immortal First Heaven and, after consuming the peaches, their mana would surely advance further, saving them countless years of arduous cultivation. Wukong had stolen three hundred and sixty thousand Peaches of Immortality, of which just over five thousand were distributed, and together with the three thousand Purple Patterned Yellow Core peaches given to his teacher, there were around three hundred and fifty thousand left.

Each of the Seven Great Saints selected a few of the finest Purple Patterned Yellow Core peaches for themselves, and the rest were once again secured by Wukong with the Swallowing Dragon Stele, to be taken out when needed.

The Peng Demon King said, "Wukong, having stolen all the Heavenly Court’s Peaches of Immortality, the Queen Mother and the Jade Emperor will undoubtedly not let this go easily; you must be cautious in your response."

Wukong replied with a smile, "Third Brother, rest assured. We fear not that old Jade Emperor. When he comes, it will be time to let him witness the might of the Flower-Fruit Mountain’s Seven Great Saints!"

The Macaques King, never one to shy from conflict, cackling and scratching his ear, said, "Exactly, exactly! We’ve taken so many peaches, there’s no reason to think of returning them. Let’s store them properly, and enjoying one or two daily will naturally increase our mana progressively."

Yet Wukong said, "Fifth Brother, the peaches are indeed splendid, but after consuming them, we must still spend time to cultivate properly, or else we’ll only be building castles in the air."

With a nod, the Peng Demon King agreed, "Wukong speaks the truth. While the peaches are exceptional and can enhance mana, one must still dedicate time to cultivate, or else it all turns to a castle in the air; how can that be good?"

The Jiao Demon King, holding a peach, devoured it in one bite, not even spitting out the core, and chuckled, "These Peaches of Immortality truly taste marvelous! No wonder the immortals in the Heavenly Court are so excited for the Peach Banquet."

Though the foundation of the Heavenly Court was longstanding, the theft of three hundred and sixty thousand peaches by Wukong had greatly enraged the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother. Yet surely they maintained some reserves. Despite the peaches being precious, Wukong’s heist gave them an excuse to cancel the Peach Banquet, saving a considerable expense and directing the wrath of the divine immortals entirely towards Flower-Fruit Mountain. A little loss of face was inconsequential, so long as they preserved their strength—that was paramount.

Wukong and his five brothers couldn’t help but roll their eyes at the Jiao Demon King, who had just eaten eight peaches in one go. At that moment, he felt an abundance of True Qi within him. He was already nearing the Da Luo Golden Immortal First Heaven level, and after consuming eight peaches, he was on the verge of making a breakthrough.

"Ouch! I’m going to seclude myself for cultivation. If the Heavenly Court’s army attacks and you cannot handle them, call for me. Once I break through to the Da Luo Golden Immortal level, watch as I slaughter in all directions, teaching those Heavenly soldiers a lesson of no return!" The Jiao Demon King bellowed and raced out of the Water Curtain Cave like his tail was on fire, retreating to his own cave to seclude himself.

For Wukong to enhance his cultivation was many times more difficult than for his brothers present. He had to sustain three Primordial Spirits and practiced the method that unified Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, which consumed a great deal of True Qi. The amount of True Qi he needed was unknowable compared to ordinary people! Of course, this was also one of his great strengths. Even though cultivating his capability was challenging, he could still stand his ground against immortals of higher realms without falling short.

Among the seven brothers, the Ox Demon King possessed the highest mana, already at the peak of the Da Luo Golden Immortal First Heaven Karmic Realm, beginning to comprehend the rules. Once he grasped enough principles and absorbed sufficient True Qi, he could ascend; next was the Peng Demon King, who was no less capable, only a bit behind the Ox Demon King in attaining enlightenment, being also at the Da Luo Golden Immortal level. After that was the newly ascended Wukong, followed by the Jiao Demon King.

In magical combat, victory cannot solely be determined by the level of one’s mana. Even a Taiyi Golden Immortal with the Pangu Banner could defeat a Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal—it’s entirely possible. The more powerful the magical treasure, the more True Qi it consumes. One must be careful not to be drained dry by these artifacts.

As for the Heavenly Court’s side, the Jade Emperor appointed Li Jing as the Great Marshal of Exorcism, in command of one hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers. He also dispatched several experts from the Celestial Palace to join his command and march towards Flower-Fruit Mountain.

One hundred thousand troops, majestic and mighty, with banners covering the sky, and the sounds of gongs and drums like thunder. Their shouts reverberated, each one full of spirit.

Nezha said, "Father, His Majesty has assigned us so many experts this time. We must take down Flower-Fruit Mountain; otherwise, we’ll have to meet people with covered faces later on!"

Li Jing was filled with confidence; he was supported by a dispatch of many leaders, including the Four Heavenly Kings, the Nine Luminaries, the Twenty-Two Constellations, and more, to command. There was no need to worry about capturing Sun Wukong!

But what did he know of how many among these people were merely paying lip service to him? On the surface, they obeyed the Jade Emperor, but in secret, they respected only the Three Pure Ones.

This time Li Jing came full of confidence, swearing to flatten Flower-Fruit Mountain.

"Such a task should have been overseen by Emperor Hook Chen or Great Emperor Zhenwu. Nevertheless, since the Jade Emperor has entrusted us with this, we naturally must capture and bring that demon monkey to justice as a deterrent to others!" Li Jing stroked his long beard and chuckled.

In his hand, he held the Exquisite Pagoda, shining with golden light, his expression one of great pride. He would certainly not return empty-handed this time. Even if that demon monkey were made of iron, how many nails could he possibly crush?

The army arrived in the midst of Flower-Fruit Mountain’s mountain range and found a stable location to set up camp, ordering troops to bury pots for cooking.

However, these meals were no ordinary food; they were specially prepared to increase mana and keep the soldiers energized.

The sheer presence of this hundred thousand-strong army was not insignificant. Soon a little demon discovered their approach and reported it inside the Water Curtain Cave.

"Your Excellency, the Great Saint, that Marshal of Exorcism, Li Jing who came last time, leading one hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, is heading towards our Flower-Fruit Mountain! They are currently establishing camp at the side peak, burying pots to cook." The little demon reported with a bow.

Upon hearing this, the six demon kings instantly perked up.

The Ox Demon King, rubbing his hands with great anticipation, chuckled, "Last time that Li Jing came, Old Bull did not make a move. This time I’ll make sure he comes but doesn’t go back."

"The Exquisite Pagoda in hands of that Li the Pagoda-Carrier is also extraordinary, given by the Lamp-Bearing Immortal. Once captured inside, it is very difficult to escape. Big Brother still should not be careless," remarked the Macaque King, who knew the affairs of the Three Realms well. Despite his impetuous nature, he still voiced a warning to the Ox Demon King.

The Ox Demon King laughed, "No need to worry, Fifth Brother. Li Jing might have the Exquisite Pagoda, but Old Bull has the Purple Flame Lamp!"

Wukong then said, "Good, good! Let the brothers exercise against these Heavenly Generals. The demon soldiers of Flower-Fruit Mountain have been idle for a long time. Each one’s mana has greatly increased. As they say, ’Train an army for a thousand days to use it for one moment.’ This battle will certainly let that old Jade Emperor understand the prowess of the group of demons at Flower-Fruit Mountain!"

"Exactly, exactly! How can I uphold my title as the ’Exorcising Great Saint’ if I do not drive away these Fur Gods?" laughed the Yu Rong King, grabbing a jug and filling it with liquor. "I’ll take the lead in this battle. I’m good at Earth Escape, and will launch a surprise attack on their camp right away."

Wukong added, "Perfect! The Heavenly Court’s Army has come in a rush, weary from the long journey. They’re now cooking to regain strength. Brother, it’s the perfect time to catch them off guard. The rest of us will follow up with an ambush and first drive them out of Flower-Fruit Mountain."

The Heavenly Court’s generals underestimated the demon kings of Flower-Fruit Mountain. They set up camp without any guard, waiting to be fully satiated with food and wine. By the next day at dawn, once they arranged their Heavenly Net, they planned to annihilate all the demons of Flower-Fruit Mountain.

The Yu Rong King agreed with a laugh, taking three Exorcism Hoops in hand, grabbing a handful of dirt, and scattering it into the air. Using the Earth Escape technique, he headed for the Heavenly Court’s Army camp on the side peak.

Wukong commented, "Let’s go out too. It’s the perfect chance to strike them when they’re unprepared."

Impatient, the Ox Demon King had already grabbed his Mixed-Iron Staff and said, "Let’s see Sixth Brother stir them into utter chaos. We’ll jump in afterwards, and that will be truly exhilarating!"

The assembly of demon kings picked up their weapons, then cast escape techniques and followed after the Yu Rong King.

As for how the battle went, please listen to the next part for the resolution.