In that instant, the Six-Eared Macaque froze.
Beads of sweat as big as soybeans slowly rolled down his forehead, and his eyes, wide as bronze bells, stared blankly at Monkey.
At that moment, what flashed through his mind were the words King Earth-Store had spoken when he was first resurrected.
Is this the 'other self' King Earth-Store spoke of?
Only by defeating him, letting him be taken by Heavenly Tribulation in my place, do I have a chance to survive in this world...
At this thought, the Six-Eared Macaque’s lips slowly curled into an unnatural smile.
Many-Eyes the Centipede, King Liontusk, and Nine-Headed Wyrm were all stunned, each one staring in terror, holding their breath, frozen in place but ready to flee at any moment.
Yet Monkey’s attention never wavered from the Six-Eared Macaque.
A gentle breeze swept by, carrying a few fallen leaves.
In the distance, countless wounded demons were still howling, and the chaos stirred up by Monkey showed no sign of subsiding.
"Come on, you coward!" With a shrill cry, the Six-Eared Macaque shot out of the swirling dust.
"Stop!" Monkey roared. The Golden Staff suddenly extended skyward, then swept sideways, striking the Six-Eared Macaque square in the waist and sending him flying. The force of the blow tore the dust cloud apart, revealing Monkey's figure.
"Well struck! Well struck! But not hard enough! Hahaha!" Clutching his waist, the Six-Eared Macaque used the momentum to flee wildly westward, leaping several miles into the city.
"I'll slaughter you!" Monkey sprang into the air and pursued him along the ground.
The war between the two monkeys had begun.
The Golden Staff spun rapidly in Monkey's hands, striking blow after merciless blow. Yet, the Six-Eared Macaque, matching his speed and footwork, always managed to dodge nimbly. Everything caught in their path was shredded to dust.
Lionback Kingdom's city, packed with buildings, crumbled under the fierce battle, a massive scar stretching across the mountains into the distance.
Staring at the towering columns of smoke, King Liontusk was dumbfounded.
"What do we do next?" He suddenly turned to Many-Eyes.
At that moment, Nine-Headed Wyrm was also watching Many-Eyes. But Many-Eyes only stood there, face dark, saying nothing.
This battle was never theirs to join...
...
"Report! Sun Wukong and the Six-Eared Macaque have clashed on the Western Isle!"
In the Imperial Study, the Jade Emperor suddenly rose and asked urgently, "Who has the upper hand?"
"Sun Wukong holds the advantage. The Six-Eared Macaque keeps fleeing, but Sun Wukong can't finish him!"
The small Imperial Study was crowded with nearly all the chief ministers of Heaven, including General Lee and Grandmaster White. Their eyes shifted between the Jade Emperor and the reporting celestial soldier, but not a single word was spoken—no opinion, no sigh.
All was silent.
...
"If you've got guts, stop running!"
The Golden Staff swept sideways, instantly flattening a towering mountain.
"Hey, if you've got the guts, put down the Golden Staff and fight!" The Six-Eared Macaque quickly shifted his stance and darted north.
Gripping the Golden Staff, Monkey surged after him.
...
"Report! Honored One, the two demon monkeys have started fighting."
Among the Arhats, someone quickly asked, "Where are they fighting?"
"Well..." The reporting monk hesitated, stammering, "A moment ago it was on the Western Isle, but now, they're probably headed for the Northern Jambu Continent."
"They're headed for the Northern Jambu Continent?"
"Yes." The monk nodded. "The Six-Eared Macaque has no suitable weapon and can only keep running. The Monkey King keeps chasing, so..."
"No suitable weapon?" Buddha smiled faintly, closed his eyes, and sighed, "In your treasury, isn't there a 'Wish-Following Iron Rod,' equal to the Golden Staff? Why not lend it to the Six-Eared Macaque?"
As he spoke, Buddha opened his eyes and looked toward Saint Samuel.
For a moment, all eyes turned to Saint Samuel, silently watching him. Yet Saint Samuel simply stood motionless, quietly gazing at the empty ground ahead, as if deep in thought.
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After a long while, he shook out his sleeves, walked down the steps under everyone's gaze, pressed his palms together, and silently bowed to Buddha.
Then, he turned and walked out of the hall, his face expressionless.
...
In the blink of an eye, the two were already fighting above the North Sea.
The Six-Eared Macaque leapt into the water. Monkey plunged in after him.
Instantly, the once-calm sea boiled like a cauldron, currents churning violently.
In the pitch-black depths, the two began a game of hide and seek.
At that moment, the North Sea Dragon King, having received word early, was hiding with his family in a heavily fortified, cramped room. Yet everything around them trembled; fragments of stone even fell from the ceiling from time to time.
Outside, rampaging currents battered the palace. Even the defensive formations set by the Dragon Palace were beginning to buckle under the onslaught.
Every crash and rumble struck terror into the old Dragon King's heart.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid." He reached out, embracing the Dragon Queen and his young child, whispering, "They'll leave soon, very soon..."
A squid demon squeezed its soft body next to the old Dragon King and whispered, "Your Majesty, this place can't hold."
"Of course I know it can't hold! I don't need you to remind me!"
"Father." The young crown prince looked up and whispered, "Why don't we hide in Heaven? Heaven must be safer."
"Foolish child." The old Dragon King hugged his child tightly, face drawn, "Heaven isn't safe either. Six hundred years ago, we fled to Heaven, and it only got worse... Ah, in the end, nowhere is safe. We'll just stay here, just stay here."
...
In the ruins of Lionback Kingdom, Many-Eyes, Nine-Headed Wyrm, and King Liontusk stood quietly atop a broken tower.
Many-Eyes kept his head down, deep in thought. Nine-Headed Wyrm and King Liontusk exchanged glances.
"What now? Looks like he's going to lose." King Liontusk looked at Nine-Headed Wyrm, speaking with hidden meaning. "If he falls, what should we do?"
"I don't know either." Nine-Headed Wyrm frowned in panic. "We never should have chosen him. He's not the real Great Sage, and he can't win. At this rate..."
"Should we... all join in?"
Nine-Headed Wyrm snorted and laughed, "What could we do? Step in, get hit by the staff, and be obliterated?"
"I mean..." King Liontusk said earnestly, "I mean, help the one with the staff. We probably can't do much, but at least... at least when this is over, maybe we'll survive. Don't you think?"
"Help the other side?" Nine-Headed Wyrm was stunned, then managed a bitter smile.
Yes, why did I ever choose to ally with these people? When things go wrong, all they think of is betrayal... With allies like these, does it make any difference?
"I've thought of a brilliant plan!" At that moment, Many-Eyes lifted his gaze and said quietly, "But I'll need both of you to cooperate, and muster every bit of force you can."
...
In the dense forest outside Mount Hua, King Roc gripped the Jade Tablet, incredulous.
"What did you say? He wants you to capture Xuanzang at this moment?"
"That's right." King Liontusk's voice came from the other end of the Jade Tablet: "He said to besiege Wei to rescue Zhao. As long as we take Xuanzang, Monkey will have to split his attention. The Six-Eared Macaque can escape."
King Roc sneered twice and cut the connection.
"That Many-Eyes, what a cunning plan. If the Six-Eared Macaque escapes, where will you hide? Drag us down with you?" He muttered a few words, then turned to a nearby demon general. "When you delivered the message, what did he say?"
"He said... he said not to worry, as long as the information was correct, he wouldn't hold a grudge over what happened before." The demon general hesitated, then asked softly, "My lord, what should we do now? Should we inform the Great Sage as well?"
"No." King Roc slowly shook his head, eyes wide. "We can't let him know. He can't be distracted now; he needs to keep chasing the Six-Eared Macaque. We can't intervene either. If the Six-Eared Macaque turns the tables, we'll be doomed. We must inform Louis Quickpaw and the others, have them move in for the rescue!"