A monk, sweat streaming down his face, struggled up the long stone steps, pant legs hitched for the climb.
Saint Samuel slowly stepped out from the pavilion, reaching out a hand to block his path.
"What has happened?"
The monk looked at Saint Samuel in a panic. After a moment of stunned confusion, he quickly stepped back, bowed, and said, "Reporting to Venerable Saint Samuel, something has happened—there's been a falling out."
"Oh? A falling out?" Venerable Lingji emerged from the pavilion, excitement in his voice. "Between the demon monkey and Tripitaka?"
"No..." The monk stammered, "It's between the demon monkey and Master Sage Subhuti."
At this, Venerable Lingji was momentarily taken aback.
Saint Samuel turned his head, smiled faintly, and said, "See, things don't always go as expected. Perhaps... this is only the beginning. There will be many more unforeseen developments."
......
The Golden Staff swept across the sky, carving ripples through the clouds. Unchecked, unwilling to be checked, spiritual energy rampaged through every corner, surging and wild. Lightning flared and lashed about in the sky; though the day was clear, it had already become a storm-tossed chaos.
The Daoist disciples of Crescent Star Cave had fled more than a hundred li away, yet could still clearly feel the intensity of the battle.
Faced with this, perhaps no one in all of Heaven and Earth could intervene...
In the distant sky, two streaks of golden light collided. In just an instant, the intense, distorted wave of light reached them, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
Even at a distance of a hundred li, even for cultivators, the force was overwhelming. If they were mere mortals, they would surely have perished instantly.
High in the sky, Lord Lao stroked his long beard, slowly approaching the battlefield.
The fierce wind swept past him, ruffling his temples. Under the violent currents and colliding spiritual energy, the clouds beside him formed and dispersed rapidly. The battle was already at its peak, yet Lord Lao seemed completely unhurried.
"Your Majesty!" General Lee rushed into the Imperial Study. All the immortals present, even the Jade Emperor, were momentarily stunned.
"Your Majesty! The demon monkey and the Six-Eared Macaque have started fighting!"
"They're fighting again?" Taibai Jinxing, standing by the dragon desk, straightened his back and said, "It's not the first time—what's there to worry about?"
General Lee frowned slightly and said, "This time is different. They're fighting inside Crescent Star Cave."
"Crescent Star Cave?" For a moment, all the immortals present were stunned.
The Jade Emperor stroked his long beard, hesitating before asking, "And what about Master Sage Subhuti?"
......
At this very moment, in the eye of the storm, Master Sage Subhuti still stood there, dazed.
Wild winds swept sand and stone past him, destroying everything they touched. The ground beneath his feet was constantly reshaping in the midst of the fierce battle.
Yet Master Sage Subhuti still stood there, dazed, his brows tightly furrowed, as if already faintly anxious.
"Master! Help me—!" a voice echoed in his mind.
He looked up and saw the Six-Eared Macaque being brutally dragged down by Monkey, slammed from high in the sky to the ground, causing waves of dust to surge. Unconsciously, his hand clenched tight around the dust-brushing whisk.
"Old man, today I'll finish you—I'll finish off your mess—!"
Before Master Sage Subhuti could react, Monkey had already leapt down, stabbing with his staff, the Golden Staff rapidly extending and landing heavily where the Six-Eared Macaque fell.
At that moment, the ground beneath Master Sage Subhuti's feet shook violently.
"What right do you have! I am Sun Wukong too! Why is it me that Heaven's Tribulation wants to claim?" Six-Eared Macaque's roar echoed in the sky, soon drowned out by the raging storm.
"Because I'm your elder—!" With no hesitation, Monkey vaulted into the sandstorm stirred up by Six-Ears, and the next moment, the fierce sounds of battle rang out—they were fighting underground!
Looking out, the whole earth seemed to roll like the surface of a storm-tossed sea. Valleys rose into mountain ridges in an instant, only to be flattened the next. Rivers turned into waterfalls, then broke off in the next moment. The winding mountains and rivers, in their eyes, seemed as soft as tofu.
The whole world was trembling; if they kept fighting like this, perhaps they'd battle all the way to the Netherworld...
At this moment, everyone present looked faintly purple-faced.
This was an unprecedented battle, fiercer even than six hundred years ago: two supreme travelers clashing without restraint, pure force against force!
......
Inside Holy Mother Palace, Anna Yang stared blankly at the teacup trembling on her desk. Suddenly, she turned to see every building in Lionback Kingdom shaking, with monsters fleeing in panic.
"What is happening?"
A demon general quickly appeared behind Anna, bowing and reporting, "Holy Mother, the disturbance seems to be coming from the direction of Crescent Star Cave. Today, the Great Sage has already dispatched troops toward Crescent Star Cave."
At these words, Anna Yang's gaze narrowed to a slit.
"Find out exactly what has happened."
"Yes!"
......
With a thunderous roar, Six-Eared Macaque soared into the sky, hovering at its very center.
He gripped Iron Sentinel with trembling hands, his armor battered and his body covered in wounds. Breathing heavily, he looked down, fear flickering in his eyes.
The whole world fell silent.
A gust of wind swept away the sand below, slowly revealing Monkey's figure.
On the pile of rubble, he gripped the Golden Staff, his own clothes just as tattered. The difference was, there were few wounds to be seen.
Every hair on his body bristled as he stared wide-eyed at Six-Eared Macaque, his face twisted in a savage grin. Blood streaked his brow, fangs bared, and that crazed smile radiated killing intent.
"Heh heh heh, what's wrong? Afraid to fight now? Weren't you just saying you wanted to replace me?"
Six-Eared Macaque trembled, his gaze slowly shifting toward Master Sage Subhuti nearby.
A voice echoed in Subhuti's mind.
"Master, help me. If I die, who will protect Tripitaka?"
At these words, Subhuti's body trembled slightly. His gaze slowly shifted toward Monkey, who stood atop the rubble.
Monkey met Subhuti's eyes, shifting his feet into a guarded stance.
I can continue the Westward Quest, but he must die. And, every condition I raised—you must agree to all of them!
At this moment, Subhuti's gaze flickered.
Not far away, Lord Lao was quietly watching, stroking his long beard.
......
"Reporting to Venerable, Six-Eared Macaque and the demon monkey have started fighting in Crescent Star Cave—it looks like they're ready to battle to the death."
At once, the hall of Buddhas erupted in an uproar.
"A fight inside Crescent Star Cave—that seems a bit..."
"Looks like Master Sage Subhuti's gamble has failed."
"A demon monkey is still a demon monkey—untamable by nature. The moment you bet on him, the outcome was already set."
"Looking at it now, Earth-Store King's move back then was truly brilliant!"
Amid the commotion, all eyes turned to the Earth-Store King. Yet he simply stood there, unmoving.
The reporting monk looked up and said, "Venerable, if we let them keep fighting, all of Western Ox-Head Continent may be destroyed. Should we...?"
With that, he quietly gazed up at Lord Buddha.
All eyes instantly converged on Lord Buddha.
After a long moment, Lord Buddha slowly shook his head and said, "Do not intervene."
......
"Master, as long as you help me, I swear lifelong obedience! If you help me, the Westward Quest is already half-won! Without him, all the demon race will follow me!" Six-Eared Macaque gritted his teeth.
Subhuti was still hesitating, his gaze flicking between Monkey and Six-Eared Macaque.
Monkey slowly retreated a step, gripping the Golden Staff tightly.
Beads of sweat rolled down his brow.
If Six-Eared Macaque and Subhuti joined forces, he would have only one path left: immediately reclaim his Heaven’s Way cultivation! As long as he ascended again, Subhuti’s help would be negligible. But... if he did that, he’d have to face Lord Buddha.
Seeing Subhuti hesitate, Six-Eared Macaque suddenly shouted, "Master! Opportunity knocks but once! If you spare him, do you really think he’ll keep going West as you wish? Only your disciple—only I—will obey you completely!"
For a moment, Subhuti seemed to have made up his mind. Gripping his whisk, he slowly turned toward Monkey, his lips parting as if to speak.
Yet just then, Lord Lao stepped in front of Monkey, smiling faintly.
In that instant, all three present—and even Clara Heart, far away—were stunned.
......
In Great Thunderclap Temple, Lord Buddha opened his eyes, his brows slowly furrowing.
"Lord Lao?"
Every Buddha in the hall widened their eyes, as if something had just occurred to them.
......
"Lord Lao intervened?" The Jade Emperor's eyes slowly shifted.
The Imperial Study was plunged into silence.
......
In the pavilion, Saint Samuel gazed up at the mountain peak and sighed softly: "The mantis stalks the cicada, but who is the mantis, and who is the yellow bird? Until the end, no one can say for sure."
......
A gentle breeze swept by, and the dust scattered across the land like a receding tide, tracing strange patterns.
Lord Lao smiled faintly at Subhuti, his gaze growing ever deeper and more unfathomable.
At that moment, Subhuti stared in shock at Lord Lao, eyes wide.
......
In Mi’luo Palace, Lord Genesis and Lord Skygate stared at each other in silence, both stunned.
"What a brilliant advance by retreat—beautiful, truly beautiful!" After a long while, Lord Genesis tilted his head and sighed helplessly: "Taking Clara as disciple, keeping a low profile for over six hundred years, ignoring worldly affairs... He fooled everyone, made us forget that Monkey still had another move to defeat Lord Buddha. That is... to let Lord Lao restore Heaven’s Way of Non-Action."
Lord Skygate spat fiercely: "That old fox!"