"Don't kill me! Please, I'm begging you! I'm only at the Spirit-Refining stage—even if you kill me, it won't dispel much of your baleful qi!"
Monkey's face remained expressionless as he swung his Golden Staff, smashing that pleading face into a bloody pulp.
Watching the blood mixed with brain matter seep out, the Daoist disciples behind him all turned deathly pale.
"You're overthinking it. I didn't kill you to dispel my baleful qi... I killed you simply because I wanted to." Dragging his Golden Staff, still stained with blood and brain, he walked forward step by step, slaughtering the Daoist disciples who were too weak to even flee, no matter how they begged or wailed.
The screams echoed one after another, lingering outside South Heaven Gate for a long, long time.
After killing the last Daoist disciple, the entire area outside South Heaven Gate fell silent, leaving only the whistling wind blowing across the blood-soaked ground.
He stood quietly, gazing at South Heaven Gate and the massive red shield formed by the barrier array, his pitch-black eyes looking somewhat vacant.
Everyone inside South Heaven Gate was deeply uneasy.
It wasn't fear that he would break in, but a pure terror at the horrifying scene outside.
After a long while, he exhaled a faint mist and staggered as he said, "Actually, I was once a person."
"A person?" Everyone frowned deeply. "What is he trying to say?"
Leaning on his Golden Staff, he stared at South Heaven Gate and spoke slowly: "Even after I became a monkey, I still wanted to be a person... But you never gave me that chance. So I could only become a demon, become what you wanted—a monster, doing the things you expect a demon to do."
Everyone swallowed hard.
"Everyone should pay the price for what they've done—including me... In the end, I'll die too. But before that, I want to finish what I set out to do."
Inside South Heaven Gate, silence reigned. Everyone listened quietly.
After a long silence, he spoke softly: "The Heavenly Dao Stone is already broken. Lord Lao's 'Non-Action' no longer exists."
"What did he say? Lord Lao's 'Non-Action' no longer exists?"
Everyone was stunned—even the Jade Emperor, sitting on the dragon throne in the Hall of Divine Majesty, couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Monkey shouted hoarsely, "Open the gate. I won't harm any of you. My target is only Lord Lao—let me kill that old bastard... As long as you let me kill him, you can do whatever you want with me afterward."
Slowly raising his head to gaze at the drifting clouds above, he looked at the back of his own blood-stained hand and murmured, "I've brought enough disaster to the Three Realms. After I kill him, you can do whatever you want to me—I only want to kill him. No... not just him. Zhenyuan, Lord Genesis, Lord Skygate. All these mighty ones deserve to die. Only if they're all dead can humans and demons possibly coexist in peace. After that, if you want to scatter my soul, I won't complain. But if you insist on keeping the gate closed, and I somehow get inside, none of you will survive... Do you understand what I'm saying?"
...
In Mi’luo Palace, Lord Genesis and Lord Skygate were both momentarily stunned.
...
In the High Sky Throne Hall, the Jade Emperor quietly said to the attendant beside him, "Take some men and break into Tusita Palace—no matter what, you must see Lord Lao."
"What? Break into Tusita Palace?" The attendant was so shocked that he dropped his ceremonial tablet.
"Just say that I sent you to ask Lord Lao to subdue the demon monkey. Take some soldiers—no matter what, you must see him... If possible, try to check whether his Heavenly Dao Stone is intact."
...
Lowering his head slowly, Monkey stared expressionlessly at South Heaven Gate.
"Open the gate. Don't worry, those four no longer have the strength to stop you. Just open the gate and let me kill them, and the Heavenly Court won't have to be slaves to the mighty anymore. Afterward, I will die without complaint."
Everyone inside the gate looked at each other, completely baffled.
...
In Tusita Palace, Lord Lao hunched over and smiled slowly: "It seems I've truly earned his hatred."
Zhenyuan sat silently to the side.
...
At the core of the underground formation, Nezha slowly raised his head and glanced at his father, then whispered: "Dad, do you think what the demon monkey said is true?"
"Does it really matter?" General Lee snorted. "At this point, if we open the gate, even if the demon monkey isn't there, the demon army could take his place... Would you really entrust your life to whether a demon monkey keeps his word? For us, the only choice is to hold our ground."
Nezha lowered his head and said nothing more.
Turning to face the Four Heavenly Kings, General Lee said quietly, "There is a traitor in the Heavenly Court; I'm sure you all have sensed it. No matter what, we must hold the core of this formation. If anything happens to it, everything will be lost."
All the heavenly generals present looked grim.
King Northmore hesitated and said, "I have something I’m not sure I should say."