In a split second of confusion, a wave of utter exhaustion crashed over him, as if his whole body had been plunged into an icy cavern.
Damon Six-Ears stared in terror at his own hand. He watched, wide-eyed, as wrinkles spread across his palm like the roots of some wild plant, quickly crawling into every corner.
Next, under his horrified gaze, those wrinkles began to split open bit by bit. Beneath the skin, there was only fur...
“What... what’s happening? Didn’t I drink enough blood already? How could this be...”
"Without enough vital qi, your body will collapse just the same." A voice echoed in Damon Six-Ears’ mind.
He whipped around and saw the Earth-Store King standing right behind him!
“You... when did you get in here?”
“Just now.” The Earth-Store King smiled faintly, moonlight slanting through the window lattice onto his face, giving him an eerie look. "The moment you lifted your teacup, I came in. You didn’t sense a thing, did you?”
“I...”
Damon Six-Ears wavered, unconsciously shifting his body to put as much distance as possible between himself and the Earth-Store King. It was then that he suddenly noticed—standing behind the Earth-Store King was Clara Heart!
At that moment, Clara Heart was suspended in midair, wrapped in a faint, shimmering golden light. Her eyes were tightly shut—she seemed to have already fainted.
"You haven’t absorbed any qi for far too long—your cultivation is plummeting... Have you forgotten you still have a rival to face, and a Heavenly Tribulation to survive?"
"Didn’t she leave? How is she in your hands?"
"With the state you’re in now, you think you can defeat your other self? That’s far too naive."
"I’m asking why she’s in your hands!"
With a roar, Damon Six-Ears bared his fangs, veins bulging across his forehead. Combined with the cracks slowly spreading over his skin, he looked utterly ferocious.
In the next instant, the door was flung open. Several demon officers rushed in from outside in single file.
“Out! All of you, get out!”
The demon officers, barely steady on their feet, panicked at Damon Six-Ears’ shout. Their gazes toward the Earth-Store King were filled with shock.
“Do I need to say it again?”
The officers exchanged glances, then one by one retreated helplessly, closing the door behind them.
Once again, only Damon Six-Ears, Clara Heart, and the Earth-Store King were left in the room.
From start to finish, Damon Six-Ears kept his eyes wide, staring fiercely at the unconscious Clara Heart. The Earth-Store King, meanwhile, watched Damon’s rage with a calm, indifferent expression.
"Why don’t you ask her yourself?" The Earth-Store King took a long breath and sighed softly. "I happened to pass by as she was trying to leave, so I brought her back and returned her to you. You ought to thank me, you know."
"I’m the one who let her go!"
"Oh? Is that so?" The Earth-Store King glanced at Clara Heart, then said slowly, "Why let her go? She’s the perfect bargaining chip for defeating your rival."
"What I do is none of your business!" Damon Six-Ears roared again.
His shout was like the roar of a wild beast. Outside the door, the demons couldn’t help but shrink back, but the Earth-Store King only paused for a moment, then smiled.
"None of my business... heh, tell me—who brought you back into this world?"
"Are you trying to get credit from me?"
"I just want to ask you—do you still want to go back to that pitch-black place you came from?"
At those words, Damon Six-Ears’ eye twitched, a chill piercing straight to his heart—his fur even stood on end.
"Don’t tell me you think that just because Master Sage Subhuti acknowledged you, you’re the real Sun Wukong?" The Earth-Store King gave Damon Six-Ears a contemptuous glance and sighed, "Everything in life—first comes bitterness, then sweetness. If you taste the sweet first, the bitter follows. The other you surely understands this, which is why he became the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. And you..."
Staring at Damon Six-Ears, the Earth-Store King let out a mocking laugh, making Damon’s teeth grind audibly.
After a long moment, the Earth-Store King said softly, "If you want to defeat your other self, I can teach you. If you don’t... you can muddle through your days however you wish. I won’t force you."
With that, the Earth-Store King waved his hand, sending Clara Heart floating toward Damon Six-Ears, who caught her steadily.
"If she wakes and asks about her little disciple, just tell her he’s gone to study Buddhism with me. Once he succeeds, she’ll see him again. Also, don’t let her run off again—spare me having to catch her for you a second time." A breeze slipped through the window lattice, and in an instant, the Earth-Store King’s figure scattered like fine sand, vanishing without a trace. Only his voice lingered in Damon Six-Ears’ mind: "As for your own affairs... once you’ve made up your mind, come tell me."
Damon Six-Ears clenched his teeth, letting out low, hostile growls—but there was nothing he could do.
Without vital qi, he was nothing—not even able to sense the Earth-Store King slipping into the room unnoticed.
...
At that moment in Phoenix County, Tripitaka bowed his head, gazing at the Jade Tablet that could contact Damon Six-Ears. He took a deep breath and tucked it into his robe.
Not far away, on the rooftop, Monkey peered through a drafty window, watching Tripitaka with deliberate casualness.
Beside him, Prince Adrian whispered, "Great Sage, do you think Tripitaka really wants to find Damon Six-Ears?"
Monkey turned and gave him a cold, hard glare.
"It’s not impossible, Great Sage. Think about it—how many times have you and Tripitaka argued lately? Maybe he really is considering it. I think you should just apologize to Tripitaka before it’s too late, or he might really switch sides and join Damon Six-Ears." Prince Adrian paused, then mused, "But if you think about it, Tripitaka siding with Damon Six-Ears wouldn’t be so bad. It looks like Damon has really figured things out and understands what’s at stake. If he helps Tripitaka achieve enlightenment, that’s a good thing, right? As long as Tripitaka attains the Dao, does it matter who he follows?"
"Can you shut up?"
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"Uh?" Prince Adrian snapped back to his senses and hurriedly shut his mouth.
"Why hasn’t the rain come yet? Didn’t Li Jing promise to send Lionback Kingdom’s rain here?"
"It won’t be so fast." Prince Adrian waved his hand, "To send Lionback Kingdom’s rain here, Lionback has to have rain first, right? Where is it raining every day? Just wait—it’ll only be a few days."
Hearing this, Monkey snorted coldly and turned to leave.
......
Clara Heart slowly opened her eyes.
What greeted her was a dim cave dwelling, lit by a solitary lamp. She herself lay on a crude stone bed.
Faint sounds echoed from far away, too indistinct to make out.
"Where... is this place?"
She struggled to sit up, but just then a wave of pain struck, leaving her mind blank.
In her daze, her hand brushed against something sharp, startling her into pulling back. Looking closely, she slowly let out a breath.
It was only a table.
This place must have a long history—the table itself was battered and falling apart. Splinters of wood jutted out; touching it by accident felt like pricking her finger on a needle.