Over ten years had passed, and he had endured all the suffering alone.
Simon Stone, the Stone Monkey, seemed long accustomed to bearing all pain. For him, no matter what he had to endure, he was willing to grit his teeth and push through.
The years had carved scars into his body, but gifted him a heart as solid as stone—strong enough to withstand all the suffering of the world.
As long as he could reach his ultimate goal, then every scar on his body would shine with brilliance. This battered body, this heart riddled with wounds—everything would become a testament to victory. If he could reach the other shore, it would all be worth it.
But tonight, as all the memories intertwined before him and his emotions grew overwhelming, he suddenly had a moment when he didn’t want to endure anymore. He wanted to vent, to give up, to die, to end this absurd drama…
"Maybe death wouldn’t be such a bad ending," he thought.
He dashed madly, each step pounding the stone floor, the ground cracking beneath him—so heavy that even his heart and lungs trembled.
Yet at this moment, that feeling brought the Monkey King an unusual sense of comfort.
Pain and blood—these were like indispensable drugs to him, granting his mind a fleeting peace. He chased after them, obsessed and crazed.
As he drew near, he raised his fist and struck with all his might.
Danny Crimson crouched slightly, turned his hand, and caught the blow with steady precision.
His movements were fluid and seamless—almost flawless.
The Monkey King pulled hard on his captured fist, using the momentum to flip his entire body and sweep toward Danny Crimson’s neck.
The attack came fierce and wild, without any set form, yet it was executed with cunning skill. Even Danny Crimson’s expression shifted slightly; as the Monkey King’s knee was about to strike his neck, Danny Crimson had nowhere to dodge.
However, there was still a gap of two cultivation ranks between them. In terms of reaction, speed, strength, and experience, the Monkey King was at a clear disadvantage—how could he possibly succeed so easily?
Danny Crimson tore free from the Monkey King’s grip, forcibly changing the trajectory of the Monkey King’s airborne kick.
If this was merely defense and hadn’t truly resolved the crisis, then Danny Crimson’s next move would be enough to astonish every disciple present.
With a swift turn, Danny Crimson slammed his shoulder hard into the Monkey King’s back.
"Crack!"
The crisp sound echoed, heard clearly by everyone present, sending chills down their spines.
A heart-wrenching howl followed, with a spray of fresh blood arcing through the air.
He was hurled harshly to the ground, dragged for several meters, leaving a deep trail of blood.
Such force left all the disciples watching in terror.
The blow seemed gentle, but in truth, Danny Crimson had channeled all his energy into his shoulder. With a single strike, if it had landed on any other cultivator at the Spirit Channeling Stage—especially those of the Path of Enlightenment—it would have been fatal.
Danny Crimson was an extremely proud man. If he said he’d use one hand, he wouldn’t use two. Yet even so, he fought with all his might!
Cold moonlight shone upon the earth, torches crackled, and the whole world fell silent. Everyone held their breath.
For a long, long time, the Monkey King lay motionless on the ground, as if dead.
Yet no one believed that the Monkey King would simply fall like that. No matter how powerful Danny Crimson’s attack was, no one believed it.
He was a monster—a true monster, one who felt no pain and feared no death, as if he possessed immortality.
No matter how badly he was injured, he would always rise again and fight on.
Laughter rang out—dry and hoarse—echoing through every corner. When it reached the ears of the disciples, it sent a chill through their hearts.
Under the moonlight, the Monkey King—his body covered in wounds and blood—barely managed to support himself, trembling all over.
Anna Yang’s expression grew grave, while tears welled up in Belle’s eyes.
Elder Sky couldn’t help but step forward, reaching out. "Senior brother, stop—he..."
Before he could finish, the Monkey King was already struggling to his feet. With a cough, blood spilled from his mouth. Every bone in his body crackled and his skin was covered in scrapes, blood flowing freely.
His hands hung weakly before his chest, and his bowed head was shrouded in moonlit shadow—no one could see his expression.
That ferocious appearance was enough to make everyone’s hearts tremble.
The dry laughter continued, but gradually grew warmer and more frenzied.
"Coming for more?" Danny Crimson’s eyes narrowed slightly.
If he couldn’t win, then why did he keep fighting?
What an utterly unbelievable monkey, Danny Crimson thought.
Before anyone could react, a roar erupted. The Monkey King raised his head, clenched his fists, and unleashed all his strength as he charged at Danny Crimson.
A flicker of panic flashed in Danny Crimson’s eyes, but he quickly assumed a defensive stance.
Another sprint, another wild dash—the Monkey King leapt high, swinging his limbs as he lunged at Danny Crimson.
Moonlight shone on his back, casting a shadow across Danny Crimson’s face.
"Utterly foolish!" Danny Crimson spat, narrowing his eyes. He drew in his left fist, stomped the stone slab to pieces, and struck—the blow landed squarely on the Monkey King’s abdomen.
The blood-soaked body shook violently in midair, on the verge of collapse.
There was no howl; a jet of blood spurted from his mouth, landing squarely in Danny Crimson’s eyes.
"Agh!" Danny Crimson couldn’t help but squeeze his eyes shut. For a split second, he clearly saw the Monkey King, blood streaming from his mouth, laughing.
Struck so hard in the abdomen, yet showing no sign of pain—he was laughing.
A chill ran through Danny Crimson’s heart.
He instinctively raised his right hand to wipe the blood from his eyes, but in that moment of distraction, the Monkey King struck.
In battles between cultivators, victory depends not on spiritual power or rank, but on willpower!
In such a life-or-death struggle, even a moment’s distraction could prove fatal.
Both hands shot forward, fiercely grabbing Danny Crimson’s left hand. Ten bloody marks appeared as the Monkey King yanked his body back from what should have been a retreat.
In the next instant, before Danny Crimson could recover, the Monkey King sprang forward, using Danny Crimson’s left hand as leverage, and clung to him tightly.
Biting!
Howls rang out—this time, it was Danny Crimson’s voice.
In his panic, Danny Crimson toppled over, and the Monkey King pounced on him, biting and clawing. No matter how Danny Crimson struggled, he couldn’t break free.
For all his strength, Danny Crimson was left only with desperate struggle!
All the disciples shivered with fear.
The world fell silent; in the cold night, only Danny Crimson’s screams remained.
"This..." Elder Sky couldn’t help but gape, stomping lightly before soaring through the air toward the pair.
Just then, the completely disheveled Danny Crimson gripped the Monkey King’s waist with both hands, using all his strength to shove him away and kick him.
The kick was so powerful that the Monkey King was sent flying over twenty meters, drifting like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the rooftop with a loud bang—smashing through and tumbling into the house below!
Countless shards of tile rained down like hail.
"Senior brother..." Elder Sky landed in front of Danny Crimson, stunned and unsure whether to step forward.
Danny Crimson sat collapsed, trembling all over, staring in disbelief at his own blood-covered body.
He reached out and touched his shoulder—his armor had been torn open, and deep bite marks sent waves of pain through him.
His whole body burned with pain, covered in countless wounds—his opponent’s claws had even pierced through his armor.
Everyone stared in shock, at a loss for words.
The door to the house creaked open, and the blood-soaked Monkey King squeezed through the gap, collapsed to the ground, then struggled back to his feet. Leaning against the wall, he looked up at Danny Crimson, gasping for breath, a feverish grin on his face.
He reached out and pulled a shard of tile from his shoulder. His ruined face was left with only one half-closed eye, yet he stubbornly took up a fighting stance.
In that moment, silence fell. Everyone watched the Monkey King, whose tenacity defied all imagination.
His body was on the verge of collapse—clearly unable to fight any longer. Yet why did he persist?
No one understood. Just as no one understood why this Monkey King had crossed eighty thousand miles to get here, why he had knelt stubbornly at the gate and waited, why he clung to his belief even knowing defeat was certain—refusing to retreat, even unto death.
They could never understand those feelings, that willpower, that fearless resolve.
But he needed no understanding. Even alone, he would press forward, never retreating a single step!
"Save him, save him..." Windchime gazed tearfully at Yang Chan.
It was a plea.
"Please, I'm begging you. I know you have a way—please, save him..."
"He'll be fine." Anna Yang sighed helplessly, forcing a bitter smile. She turned away, deliberately raising her voice to tease, "Uncle Danny Crimson, you claimed you'd fight single-handed, but ended up using both hands and feet. Uncle, you truly keep your word. Today, we juniors have learned a lot from you."
Her words reached every Cloud Monastery disciple present. None dared laugh, but the laughter echoed in Danny Crimson's heart and would not fade.
He looked around—every Cloud Monastery disciple stared at him in fear. Every pair of eyes, every face, no matter the expression, now seemed to him like mockery.
Danny Crimson sprang to his feet, spun around, and roared, "Anna Yang! Enough of your nonsense! If not for Brother Lingyun's instructions, I would have driven you out of the Cloud Monastery long ago!"
"Is that so? You know perfectly well whether I'm speaking nonsense! My master is Elder Lingyun, and above him is Master Sage. Whether I stay or go isn’t for you to decide, Uncle! Or have you been in charge for a few days and already think the Hall of Silent Meditation belongs to you?"
Every word was heard loud and clear by all.
"You!" In an instant, Danny Crimson's face flushed purple with rage.
Anna Yang only smiled in playful defiance.
Her laughter rang in Danny Crimson's ears, unbearably harsh.
As he turned to look at Simon Stone, Danny Crimson suddenly saw mockery plain on his face.
It was provocation! Provocation!
"That monkey..." After a moment of stunned silence, fury erupted—humiliation and rage, unstoppable. Danny Crimson clenched his teeth and shouted, "I'll kill you!"
"Clang—!"
In his rage, he drew his sword—the blade flashed cold and bright!
"Stop! Brother!" Elder Sky rushed to block Danny Crimson, shouting, "If you kill him, how will you answer to Master?"
Surging spiritual power condensed on the blade.
"Move! Today, whoever stands in my way dies!" Danny Crimson roared, shoving Elder Sky aside and pointing his sword at Simon Stone.
But at that moment, his eyes widened in shock!
A white robe fluttered without wind, white hair shining, eyelids slightly raised.
At some point, Sage Subhuti and Eugene had appeared behind Simon Stone. With a gentle touch, Sage Subhuti made Simon collapse as if the last ounce of strength had left him.
Instantly, Danny Crimson, Elder Sky, Anna Yang, Windchime, and all the Cloud Monastery disciples stood frozen, staring at the old man.
Slowly turning, his white robe billowed in the wind. Sage Subhuti glanced at the two fallen disciples, his wrinkled eyes sweeping the hall with deep meaning.
Wherever his gaze fell, everyone knelt in unison.
Finally, his eyes rested on the sword in Danny Crimson's hand.
"What if I'm the one blocking you?" Sage Subhuti asked coldly.
With a clang, the sword fell to the ground. Danny Crimson prostrated himself, "Master, I... I wouldn't dare!"
Sage Subhuti stared at Danny Crimson for a long, long time, until Danny Crimson’s scalp tingled. Not a word was spoken.
Everyone fell silent. In the vast Hall of Silent Meditation, all the Cloud Monastery disciples gathered, yet not a sound could be heard.
Danny Crimson’s head sank lower and lower.
After a long silence, Sage Subhuti finally spoke.
"Eugene, tend to the two disciples. You two, go kneel in the Hall of Silent Meditation. The rest of you, disperse."
With that, Sage Subhuti slowly bent down, lifted the bloodied Simon Stone into his arms, and rode the wind away.