Just as the Six-Eared Macaque's body was about to touch the seawater, the Jade Tablet hidden at Monkey's waist suddenly began to flash.
In that instant, both of them froze.
A fierce duel was interrupted by an utterly unexpected gap.
Six-Eared Macaque and Monkey's gazes simultaneously turned toward the Jade Tablet. Those two identical pairs of eyes flickered with tension.
In the next moment, both seemed to realize something at the same time.
Monkey clenched his teeth, pushing his spiritual power to the limit and furiously pressing down on Six-Eared Macaque. Six-Eared Macaque, disregarding his worsening wounds, fought back with all his strength.
The deadlock continued, but now it was not only Six-Eared Macaque who was sweating—Monkey was too. Six-Eared Macaque's wounds were tearing open at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Victory still seemed to be tilting rapidly toward Monkey. Yet, despite the pain twisting his face, Six-Eared Macaque managed a faint smile.
"Heh heh, Tripitaka's in trouble, right? That's the Jade Tablet you left them to call for help. Fate won't let me die, ha ha ha! Fate won't let me die! I'm not meant to die yet!"
Hearing this, Monkey's face instantly changed. Eyes wide, he said nothing and kept pushing his power higher. He soon reached his limit—any further, and he'd break into the Heavenly Dao itself.
Suddenly, Six-Eared Macaque, who had just paused, began to sink again. The brief smile on his face gave way to panic.
As their spiritual powers collided, the seawater behind Six-Eared Macaque formed a massive whirlpool-like ripple. Now, droplets from that ripple were already splashing onto the fur on his back.
The chill made every single hair on his body stand on end.
"Heh heh heh heh, you want to end this quickly? Dream on! I will never let you have your way!" In that life-or-death instant, Six-Eared Macaque burst out laughing.
He stopped using Iron Sentinel to block Monkey's Golden Staff, and instead rammed his chest directly against it.
Normally, such a move would have doomed him even faster, but now it became his lifeline.
Taking advantage of that fleeting gap, he yanked Iron Sentinel free with his nearly useless hand, braced it behind himself, and shouted, "Grow!"
Instantly, Iron Sentinel shot out, transforming into a giant pillar—one end planted on the seabed, the other firmly pressed against Six-Eared Macaque's back.
With that move, Monkey's hard-won advantage vanished in an instant.
Pain turned Six-Eared Macaque's face faintly blue, but he still forced a grin. "Tripitaka's dead—can you still stand against Tathagata? Even if I die, I'll drag you down with me! Ha ha ha ha!"
"You!"
Monkey was now trembling with rage. But what could he do?
This battle had already circled the Three Realms several times—everyone knew about it. Unless absolutely necessary, Marshal Silver would never use the Jade Tablet lightly. Clearly, something serious had happened to Tripitaka.
Just then, the Jade Tablet, which had been flashing nonstop, suddenly dimmed and fell silent.
Monkey stared wide-eyed at the Jade Tablet, frozen in shock.
In that instant, even his strength weakened slightly. Yet Six-Eared Macaque did not seize the chance to strike back—perhaps he no longer had the power. He simply watched Monkey quietly, as if waiting for the final outcome.
Clearly, the situation over there was already at its breaking point. Otherwise, why would even the calls for help have stopped?
After a moment's hesitation, Monkey changed tactics—from pressing downward to hauling Six-Eared Macaque upward with all his might.
Six-Eared Macaque could not be allowed to live—he was Monkey's innate enemy, that hostility even fiercer than what existed between Monkey and Tathagata. As long as Six-Eared Macaque lived, Monkey would have to stay on guard. If he missed this chance, next time... it would never be this easy.
But Tripitaka's side was in dire peril. With no other choice, Monkey could only drag the now utterly weakened Six-Eared Macaque along with him.
Yet Six-Eared Macaque seemed to instantly see through Monkey's intent. He began to shrink back desperately, using every trick he had to resist. Though Monkey's strength still slowly pried him away from Iron Sentinel, the pace was agonizingly slow—so slow that Monkey grew frantic.
In the midst of this tug-of-war, Monkey suddenly tore open the wound on Six-Eared Macaque's shoulder, ripping away a huge patch of fur. With a loud "bang," Monkey shot off like an arrow, turning into a streak of golden light and vanishing southwest.
The world went utterly silent—completely, suddenly silent.
Six-Eared Macaque collapsed onto the top of Iron Sentinel below.
The surging ripples on the sea gradually faded. Six-Eared Macaque lay dazed atop the pillar that Iron Sentinel had become, feeling the tremors from the ocean's depths and the cool wind rushing past. He gasped for breath.
After a long time, he broke into wild, manic laughter.
"I'm still alive... incredible. I thought—I thought I'd be sent back to that damned place again... ha ha ha ha. I actually survived, I actually survived!" He struggled to sit up, curling into a ball and clutching his stomach, laughing until he couldn't breathe, until tears streamed down his face. "It must've been Many-Eyes's doing... well done! Reward! A heavy reward! Ha ha ha! He deserves a heavy reward!"
In the end, his laughter ended in a fit of violent coughing.
Only after a long while did he recover, staring blankly toward the southwest, at the drifting clouds on the horizon, lying motionless and lost.
......
In the wind, King Bullhorn pressed the Jade Tablet to his lips, flying anxiously forward.
'What's going on? Why is there no reply? Has the ambush already started?'
Muttering constantly, he glanced back at the others who had fallen a short distance behind.
King Macaque spread his hands helplessly, and the other demon generals also looked helplessly at King Bullhorn flying ahead.
Among cultivators, flight speed is closely tied to cultivation level—especially for those on the Traveler’s Path. King Macaque can keep up, but for the others, keeping pace with King Bullhorn at full speed is impossible.
But what if they're late? What would happen?
If something happens to Tripitaka, the Westward party will surely be wiped out. But before that, would his hot-headed son rush ahead without thinking?
King Bullhorn didn't dare to imagine it.
After a brief hesitation, King Bullhorn gritted his teeth, broke away from the group, and accelerated alone.
At this moment, on the battlefield of Western Ox Continent, the two sides rushed to aid, and the battle was fierce.
With a shrill noise, countless cold arrows shot from all directions out of the darkness, each carrying deadly force. Every arrow was aimed at Tripitaka's throat.
Just one of these arrows would mean certain death for Tripitaka.
In the chaos, everyone grabbed their weapons and defended Tripitaka, knocking away every arrow.
Red Boy, used to fighting with overwhelming numbers, was stunned by the scale of the attack. He shouted, "Who dares attack? I am the Holy Infant King of Fire-Cloud Cave, son of King Bullhorn. If you..."
Before he could finish, Aiden Ao pulled him aside, saying, "Don't be foolish. Everyone here has a big name. If they're daring enough to attack, they're well prepared! I'm your Great Sage lord's brother-in-law's kid brother—practically royalty myself."
As he spoke, Aiden Ao deftly knocked away three arrows.
'Leave Tripitaka, and you will be spared!' a voice called from the darkness. Soon, tall figures emerged in the moonlight, their eyes like hungry wolves.
Though they offered surrender, it was barely an introduction. The monsters wasted no time, brandishing weapons and charging Marshal Silver and his allies.
The battle erupted.
Marshal Silver charged in, expressionless, wielding his Nine-Toothed Rake. At the same time, Barry Bear and General Curtain, defending the other two directions, were already locked in brutal combat against overwhelming odds. Soon, only Aiden Ao and the bewildered Red Boy remained at Tripitaka’s side.
The ambush was ferocious, every blade aimed without hesitation.
In the melee, blood and flesh flew. Marshal Silver and the others were quickly soaked as if bathed in a blood pool—though, except for Barry Bear, most of the blood was the enemy’s. Several corpses already lay at their feet.
Arrows kept flying at Tripitaka, the attackers unconcerned about hitting their own.
Amidst the chaos, Tripitaka sat calmly at the center of the battlefield, staring ahead with no expression.
On the edge of the battlefield, Many-Eyes parted the grass and watched from afar.
As long as we take Tripitaka, we win. But he must be captured alive.
Alive? But you just ordered them to shoot to kill.
Of course they must shoot to kill—otherwise, how would the defenders believe we truly mean to kill Tripitaka and defend with all their might, exposing a weakness? Besides, at this distance and with these arrows, if Tripitaka could be killed, that would be a miracle.