"Master, don't give up. There's still a chance."
Dust swirled and drifted from his fur. A ferocious face, bloodshot eyes, taut muscles, and a trembling hand clutching his head—Damon Six-Ears stared at Tripitaka, leaning on the Golden Staff, and took slow steps forward.
"Master, master... hold on. We will win. All beings will understand your true intentions, they will, they will... As long as you reach Spirit Mountain, you will attain enlightenment!"
At this moment, everything fell silent. Everyone present stared blankly at Damon Six-Ears—even Tripitaka was no exception.
"What's wrong with him?" Barry Bear asked in a low voice.
Marshal Silver, who was clutching Barry Bear tightly, was also stunned. After a long pause, he answered quietly, "That Golden Circlet..."
Almost at the same moment, Marshal Silver pushed his spiritual power to its limit, bracing himself like a shield in the path of the Golden Staff. The blow sent blood spraying from his mouth, but he endured it!
"Put down your murderous intent," Saint Raymond replied coldly.
Perhaps because Damon Six-Ears' own spiritual power was golden, no one had noticed this crucial detail until now. But the Golden Circlet was tightening—what did that mean?
Did he break a Buddhist precept? In just this short moment, what precept could he possibly have broken?
......
High in the sky, Mother Nuwa's figure soared past. Trailing closely behind her were the massive Emerald Wall—and Heavenly Tribulation.
The seawater on the surface continued to churn restlessly.
"I won't submit! Ahahaha! I've endured everything, but today I won't! As long as... as long as I get used to this pain, nothing in the world will ever stop me again! Hahaha!"
On the mountainside, Saint Raymond sat cross-legged, eyes closed, hands folded together, silently chanting the Tightening Spell.
In the blink of an eye, Anna Yang and King Roc vanished with their group. On the empty sea, only Clara Heart remained, blinking dazedly.
After a long moment, she took a deep breath and summoned her spiritual power to chase after them.
......
Just as everyone else was still baffled, Damon Six-Ears switched the Golden Staff from his left hand to his right, gripping it so tightly that it creaked.
"No! He's going to kill Master Tripitaka!" Marshal Silver cried out in alarm.
In a flash of lightning and fire, Damon Six-Ears struck. The Golden Staff in his hand suddenly extended, sweeping horizontally toward Tripitaka.
If that blow landed, Tripitaka—being merely mortal—would have no chance of survival. Fortunately, Marshal Silver acted as well.
Almost an instant before Damon Six-Ears attacked, Marshal Silver released his grip on Barry Bear and lunged toward Tripitaka, tackling the already unsteady monk to the ground.
In the next moment, the Golden Staff swept over their heads, sending the monks who had mocked Tripitaka flying and spitting blood. Some died before they even hit the ground; others were smashed to pieces, not even given a chance to scream.
Those who didn't react in time—Barry Bear, Marshal Silver, and Prince Adrian the Little White Dragon—were also caught by the blow. They were flung away, but thanks to their cultivation, their lives were spared.
Of course, survival was all they could hope for. Barry Bear flew nearly a mile through the air before landing and skidding another hundred yards, carving a deep trench in the earth until he crashed into a centuries-old giant tree and finally stopped—barely able to stand.
As for Marshal Silver and Prince Adrian, their luck was worse.
Marshal Silver was flung less than thirty yards before crashing heavily into the mountainside, shaking the entire mountain and absorbing the full force of the blow. He passed out instantly. Prince Adrian, meanwhile, was hurled skyward and vanished from sight.
Retracting the extended Golden Staff and gripping it tightly, Damon Six-Ears gasped for breath and laughed manically. "So you dodged—so what? You'll still die. Do you really think they can save you?"
Step by step, Damon Six-Ears walked toward Tripitaka, laughing all the while. That laughter soon turned into violent coughing, and he spat out a thread of blood.
"I understand now. The Golden Circlet is tightening because you've formed killing intent toward Master Tripitaka!" Marshal Silver struggled to his feet, reached out, and summoned the Nine-Toothed Rake into his palm. Bracing himself, he faced Damon Six-Ears head-on.
"Just you?" Damon Six-Ears sneered, the corners of his mouth curling upward.
Agony throbbed in his head; his whole body trembled, and the scene before his eyes had already begun to blur.
......
On the mountainside, Saint Raymond sat cross-legged, eyes tightly shut, hands folded together, silently reciting the spell.
......
The Golden Circlet suddenly constricted. In that instant, the Golden Staff dropped from Damon Six-Ears' hand with a clang, hitting the ground.
In the distance, Barry Bear, clutching his chest wound and barely managing to stand, froze in shock.
Veins bulged suddenly on his forehead. Immediately after, they saw Damon Six-Ears clutch his head and scream. He flipped backward—not leaping into the air, but crashing heavily to the ground, rolling in agony.
Clouds of dust flew up—Damon Six-Ears was completely consumed by madness.
He kept howling and thrashing, pounding the ground with his fists.
......
Saint Raymond slowly opened his eyes and looked toward Damon Six-Ears, his silent chanting speeding up even more.
......
Rocks were shattered, trees toppled, and the ground was pounded into deep craters—Damon Six-Ears raged on in madness.
Tripitaka slowly propped himself up and sat cross-legged, as if all that was happening outside had nothing to do with him.
"Stop chanting! Stop chanting!" Damon Six-Ears suddenly roared.
"Put down your murderous intent," Saint Raymond replied coldly.
"I won't!"
"Put it down."
"I won't!"
Saint Raymond's lips trembled even faster.
A shrill laugh pierced the sky—Damon Six-Ears' rolling grew even wilder.
"I won't submit! Ahahaha! I've endured everything, but today I won't! As long as... as long as I get used to this pain, nothing in the world will ever stop me again! Hahaha!"
Saint Raymond's lips trembled even faster still.
......
High above, Mother Nuwa's speed had reached its peak. Still, it wasn't enough.
"Wait for me... Don't die!"
......
While Saint Raymond and Damon Six-Ears remained locked in stalemate, Barry Bear had already rushed to Tripitaka's side and, without a word, hoisted him onto his back.
"Master, don't give up. There's still a chance."
Carrying Tripitaka, Barry Bear broke into a run, racing madly toward Spirit Mountain.
"Trying to escape? Not that easy!" Amid the chaos, Damon Six-Ears raised his hand—the Golden Staff appeared in his grip.
At this moment, his vision was already blurred, but by feeling alone, he could still pinpoint Tripitaka's location.
The Golden Staff in his hand suddenly extended and swept out!
The blow missed Barry Bear and Tripitaka, but struck Marshal Silver instead.
Almost at the same moment, Marshal Silver pushed his spiritual power to its limit, bracing himself like a shield in the path of the Golden Staff. The blow sent blood spraying from his mouth, but he endured it!
"Marshal..." Barry Bear looked back at Marshal Silver.
"Run!" Marshal Silver shouted, mouth wide, voice hoarse.
There was no more time to think—Barry Bear turned and ran with all his strength, Tripitaka on his back.
"Get lost!"
The force of the Golden Staff surged—Marshal Silver was sent flying.
Yet as Damon Six-Ears tried to step after Barry Bear and Tripitaka, the agony from the Golden Circlet intensified again. He staggered, nearly dropping to his knees.
......
Slowly turning his head, Saint Raymond realized he was no longer chanting alone. Manjusri, Saint Samuel, Earth-Store King, Venerable Lingji, and all the Buddhas on the mountainside had joined him, palms together, silently reciting the sutra.
......
"Come on! Let's see if a few Buddhas can stand against the Heavenly Dao's Limitless Way!"
Damon Six-Ears roared and charged, smashing hard into the mountainside.
With a thunderous crash, the mountain collapsed.
In the next instant, Damon Six-Ears burst from the swirling dust and smashed into the opposite cliff.
His five senses were drowned in agony; he was on the verge of collapse. Yet even so, he refused to give in, stumbling after Barry Bear and Tripitaka.
......
"Master, master... hold on. We will win. All beings will understand your true intentions, they will, they will... As long as you reach Spirit Mountain, you will attain enlightenment!"
Barry Bear ran with all his might, muttering nonstop along the way—a rare thing for him.
In a daze, Tripitaka slowly opened his eyes, gazing at his only disciple's determined face. Silent, silent.