The Lord Buddha's words echoed simultaneously in the minds of everyone present—both the demon army and the Buddhist ranks.
The chaotic battlefield instantly fell silent. Every person, friend or foe, turned to look toward Monkey.
Facing the wind, the Lord Buddha slowly raised his head, expressionless, tightening his grip around Lindsay’s throat. "I suggest you think carefully about this pact."
"S-stop... let her go..." Rhino, who had just regained a bit of clarity, struggled to reach for the Lord Buddha. Before he could touch him, his body was flung violently from the warship.
A group of demon soldiers rushed forward to catch him.
From start to finish, the Lord Buddha didn’t spare Rhino a single glance.
Lindsay couldn’t speak—her eyes wide, brimming with tears, gazing desperately in Rhino’s direction.
All the surrounding soldiers gripped their weapons nervously, but not one dared step forward.
The disparity in power was simply too great; none could summon the slightest courage to challenge this true deity.
Monkey stood quietly, leaning on his Golden Staff, eyes wide as he stared at the Lord Buddha. After a long moment, he spoke softly: "The supreme Shakyamuni of the Buddhist order—do you threaten others with a single woman?"
"Bodhi never was a tree, nor is the bright mirror a stand. I have long since awakened, seeing through all things in this world—what difference is there between men and women? Yet I am not bargaining with you using your goddaughter, but with the fate of Blossom Mountain and all the demons of the Three Realms. Do you remember what I told you? Only by casting aside everything will you be strongest. If you cannot let go of the seven emotions and six desires, you are nothing but brute force now. There are countless ways to stop you—like this one. But accepting this pact is your only chance to stop me. You should treasure it."
Monkey bared his teeth in a twisted grin, every inch of his face twitching. Eyes wide, he exhaled a thin mist, looking like a snarling demon as he spoke slowly: "Do you think there is any reason left for us to coexist?"
Faintly, everyone could sense the spiritual energy in the air surging out of control.
The clouds overhead twisted into a massive vortex, lightning leaping and fire swirling across the sky—a scene like the end of the world.
Every hair stood on end.
Monkey trembled slightly, every muscle taut to the limit, veins spreading across his body like roots, the spiritual power within him growing so intense it teetered on the edge of losing control.
His hand gripping the Golden Staff creaked with strain.
"Do you hate me?"
"What do you think—!"
Monkey’s hoarse roar instantly swept through every corner, the force within making everyone flinch.
The Buddhas, who had been so close, now scrambled away in terror.
Monkey glared, gritting his teeth as he slowly, slowly clenched his fist. The sound of his knuckles cracking was chilling.
"She could have lived, if only I hadn't met her in this life. Then Lord Lao wouldn't have had to... But you seized Birdie's soul, reincarnated her as Belle, set a death trap... used me to fight the Heavenly Court, to fight Lord Lao. Ha ha ha... And then, you ambushed Blossom Mountain and slaughtered my demons. After all that, do you think we can still coexist?"
He paused, then grinned savagely, enunciating each word: "Either you die, or I die. Otherwise, this war will never end!"
Uncontainable fury blazed in his heart, pushing his emotions to the brink of losing control.
Everyone could see it.
Watching Monkey burn with rage, the Lord Buddha slowly smiled, his expression full of confidence.
The demons’ eyes darted back and forth between Monkey and the Lord Buddha, all of them terrified. King Roc even shrank back half a step.
The Lord Buddha watched Monkey in silence for a long time, then spoke softly: "Is that what you believe?"
"Isn't it?"
"Cause brings effect. Everything in this world is a cycle of karma. If it were only me, how could today’s outcome have come to pass?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing in particular. I just suddenly feel, as you said, this pact is indeed meaningless. So, I've changed my mind."
Everyone—Buddhist and demon alike—was shocked.
"Cancel..." Monkey frowned, his eye twitching sharply.
"Whether one seeks Buddha or Dao, even the Buddhist path values the heart’s nature. If your nature is flawed, you can never attain true Dao; even if you do, it won’t last. I have long abandoned the seven emotions and six desires, seen through everything. Even if all Buddhas died, I would not shed a tear. But you—" The Lord Buddha slowly released Lindsay, smiling softly. "You don’t even know your nine senior brothers have already died in battle, defending Blossom Mountain for you."
"Nine senior brothers..."
Instantly, Monkey turned in horror to Shortbeak.
Before Shortbeak could reply, before Monkey could recover, the Lord Buddha raised his hand—and Lindsay was beheaded!
The whole world fell silent.
Everyone stared, watching her head trace an arc through the air before slowly falling.
Even Lindsay herself hadn’t had time to react.
Scarlet blood sprayed, her body collapsed to the ground, her face frozen in terror. It happened so suddenly she didn’t even leave any last words.
Every demon and every Buddhist stood stunned.
Monkey’s mouth hung open, staring in horror, unable to speak.
After a brief moment, Rhino wailed and tried to rush forward, but was held back by the demon soldiers.
"Don’t doubt it. I personally ordered Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata to do this. Kill the Nine Immortal Disciples, sever Subhuti’s wings, break his Dao-heart. Only then could I prevent another ‘Non-Action’ patriarch after Lord Lao. As for the Blossom Mountain demons—they were merely bait to lure the Nine Immortal Disciples, of no real importance." The Lord Buddha’s lips curled as he gazed at Monkey, his voice soft: "Your power comes from obsession, from anger, from pain—and yet you refuse to let go. So today, I’ll see just how much pain you can endure, whether it matches your Heaven’s Way cultivation—Limitless."
His narrowed eyes slowly shifted, landing on Shortbeak.
"Your name is Shortbeak, isn’t it? You’ve followed this demon monkey since Dragon’s Pool—you count as life-and-death brothers."
Shortbeak recoiled in terror, turning to flee.
In panic, Monkey leapt to block Shortbeak’s path.
Yet the Lord Buddha silently passed straight through Monkey’s body, plunging a hand into Shortbeak’s chest and pulling out his heart, holding it in his palm.
The world was so quiet only the wind could be heard.
"Go... go quickly... he... he’s definitely..."
Blood gushed from his mouth, cutting off his words.
Wind swept past Monkey’s ears, stirring his fur.
His mouth hung open as he slowly turned, seeing that familiar figure swaying in the wind, about to collapse.
"Shortbeak... Shortbeak..." Monkey blinked dumbly, tears streaming down his face.
Right in front of his eyes, the brother who had followed him for over a hundred years staggered, dropped to one knee, and blood gushed from the hole in his back like a fountain.
The heart in the Lord Buddha’s hand still beat faintly. He turned his back to Monkey, expressionless, gazing at the heart in his palm. "Do you remember your Birdie? Today I’ll show you—after more than a hundred years of cultivation, you’re still just as helpless, just as useless, just as... incapable of doing anything. Clinging desperately to your obsession, in the end, you’ll only lose more. And it will be irreparable."
Shortbeak collapsed soundlessly, his body twitching slightly before finally going still.
With a soft 'pop,' the Lord Buddha crushed the heart in his hand to dust.
All the demons screamed, and even the Buddhists seemed to realize something, retreating like a tide.
Amid the chaos, the Lord Buddha gently shook the blood from his hand and smiled: "He had a wife, didn’t he? An owl and a pigeon—quite a pair. But after all these years, they never conceived, so he died without an heir. What a pity. Should I send her along for a reunion?"
"Stop... stop it... I said stop!" Monkey trembled, reaching for the Lord Buddha.
But the Lord Buddha was 'void'—no matter what, Monkey couldn’t grab him.
Ignoring Monkey, the Lord Buddha raised his head and sighed softly: "Too late. You should have agreed the moment I offered the pact, but you hesitated and missed your chance. Worse, you showed me your weakness. If not for that, they wouldn’t have died. You always make mistakes, every single time, because you care too much about the past and those around you. That’s why you can never make the right choice."
He slowly turned to Monkey, smiling as he brushed past and floated upward.
"Who’s next? Rhino? Shadow? Oh, and Anna Yang. You probably don’t know, but on the Moon Tree you burned, there was a blossom for you and her. What’s it like to watch your beloved killed before your eyes? But she should be saved for last—pain must deepen step by step, or you’ll go numb, and that would be troublesome."
"Stop!"
Monkey chased the Lord Buddha, darting wildly and swinging his staff, but the Lord Buddha only drifted slowly through the air.
The wind swept like a hurricane, shaking even the demon warships to their core.
Yet no matter how Monkey attacked, he never touched the Lord Buddha. The staff just kept passing through him, and the Buddha didn’t even frown.
"Stop now—or else! Or else I’ll slaughter your Buddhists and destroy Spirit Mountain!"
The Lord Buddha spun to face Monkey, still drifting backward, and pointed west with a smile: "Spirit Mountain is that way. Most of my disciples are there—kill them, destroy them. Without death, how can there be life? Do you think I care? I told you, I’ve already let go, so I have no weaknesses. But yours are everywhere. Ha ha ha ha... Today, I’ll show you just how strong you really are!"
With that, the Lord Buddha waved his hand.
Suddenly, many demons among the army went mad, howling and stabbing their comrades—slaughter erupted, friend and foe alike.
"Stop! You bastard!"
The staff suddenly extended, and Monkey swung at the Lord Buddha again—only to miss as always.
With a thunderous crash, a distant mountain was flattened by Monkey’s blow, and several Buddhas standing there were smashed to pulp.
But the Lord Buddha kept smiling. "Why don’t we have a killing contest? You slaughter my Buddhists, I’ll slaughter your Blossom Mountain demons—let’s see who kills faster, and who kills more."
The look on his face left Monkey dumbfounded.
Only now did he truly believe the Buddha had no heart. He didn’t care about his followers at all...
Slowly, the Lord Buddha’s gaze fell on Shadow, who was barely alive and supported by several demon soldiers. He turned to Monkey with a faint smile.
In an instant, Monkey became a flash of gold, hoisting Shadow onto his shoulder and sprinting west.
He poured all his strength into accelerating—wind like blades sliced past, space twisted from the force, and everything around him blurred into streaks trailing behind.
"Great Sage... thank you."
"Just call me Monkey-brother."
"Monkey... brother, I’m sorry. Your senior brothers came to save us... but we couldn’t save them..."
Monkey blinked blankly, still accelerating madly.
Tears welled in his eyes and vanished instantly in the roaring wind.
In a daze, he remembered that frail, helpless rat-demon he’d met on the road to Dragon’s Pool. All he owned was a dagger scavenged from a Skyward Legionnaire’s corpse, which he hid carefully from the other demons—yet before marching to his death, he gave it to Yisu.
He remembered Big Bull, White Ape, Shortbeak, his nine senior brothers, and all the people and events along the way.
He’d met so many people, so many demons—some selfish, some fearless, some mediocre, some wild... Each struggled to survive, but in the end, none did.
And he himself had tried so hard to avoid that path, but in the end, his rage drove him to attack Heaven.
The Heavenly Dao Stone was destroyed, but the Dao itself remained. Everything seemed like destiny—just the same play in different colors.
Did the real Sun Wukong, when crushed beneath Five Elements Mountain, feel this same pain?
He didn’t know. He only knew that if someone gave him another chance, another path—if he could choose between being crushed beneath the mountain or watching his brothers die—he’d choose the mountain, and obediently go fetch the scriptures.
But that chance was long gone. Because of his stubbornness, because of his pride, he chose a different road—and in the end, the pain cut deeper than ever.
Compared to that, what’s five hundred years?
He wanted a better future for demons, a fair chance, a place to stand. In the end, all the struggle just led to a different kind of pain, pulling them into a war they could never win.
"It’s not your fault—it’s mine... I dragged you all into this... If only I hadn’t..."
"Really... you didn’t have to save me. Shadow’s life isn’t worth a thing—living this long is already a blessing, thanks to you. Cough... heh heh..."
"Your life isn’t worth a thing? Then whose is? My life... that’s the one truly worthless. You have to survive, no matter what—just like when we first met. Do whatever it takes—live!"
Landing on a hillside, Monkey gently set Shadow down. "I have to go back for the others. Stay here, understand?"
"Okay." Shadow nodded silently.
Monkey turned away—and froze.
Slowly, he looked back and saw the Lord Buddha standing there, a hand clamped around Shadow’s throat.
Shadow’s mouth gaped, unable to breathe or speak—he could only stare at Monkey, tears streaming down his face.
"I told you—I’m faster than you."
"Let him go..." Monkey stared at the Lord Buddha, trembling.
"Let him go? What will you offer me in exchange?"
"Anything you want—anything!"
"Really?" The Lord Buddha smiled coldly. "Just a lowly underling, and you surrender so fast? How am I supposed to keep the show going?"
With that, he flicked his hand—and Shadow’s head flew off.
Those eyes kept staring at Monkey, almost as if they were smiling...
Monkey stood trembling, mouth agape, watching the head roll to the ground, blood spraying from the neck.
Staggering, clutching his chest, he howled: "Why did you kill him? Why—! I said I’d do anything—why did you still kill him!"
"What could you offer me?" The Lord Buddha sneered, letting go so Shadow’s body slumped to the ground. He brushed the blood from his fingers and said softly, "Will you swear never to touch my Buddhists again, or submit to me as my dog? Is that what I want?"
Slowly shaking his head, the Lord Buddha sighed, "What I want is for you to destroy your cultivation. Only by breaking your Dao heart can you lose your power. But you can’t agree to that."
"How... how can I break my Dao heart?"
"I don’t know," the Lord Buddha said with a mocking smile. "Too bad—I’m not like Lord Lao, who’s mastered 'non-action,' so I can’t guess your methods. I’ll just have to try every way. I noticed you react strongly to rage—maybe, if I kill everyone close to you right before your eyes, that will break it."
"No... no, I beg you, don’t do this. If you stop now, I’ll agree to anything—even five hundred years crushed beneath the mountain, then obediently going west for the scriptures—I swear, I won’t resist..."
Monkey clutched the fur on his head, completely lost.
"Five hundred years beneath the mountain... that must be the original Dao’s track. But what about the scriptures?"
Monkey stared, stammering, "Going west for the scriptures, spreading the Buddha’s teachings in the Central Lands... expanding Buddhism’s reach..."
"Going west for the scriptures?" The Lord Buddha frowned and smiled. "Not a bad idea. But if I want to spread the teachings, I’ll send someone with the sutras myself—why need you? Besides, Buddhism is about self-cultivation; as long as you attain enlightenment, that’s enough. What does spreading it matter to me? Does having more Buddhists make me stronger?"
Monkey froze.
Only now did he realize a huge problem.
In the original Dao’s track, there was the havoc in Heaven, five hundred years beneath Five Elements Mountain—but no journey for scriptures.
Hands pressed together, the Lord Buddha took a deep breath and sighed, "So—will you go back and watch me kill them yourself, or wait for me to drag them to you, one by one, and kill them in front of you? By the way, I’ve already ordered Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata to attack Blossom Mountain again—battle’s probably started by now. If you’re too late, you might not even see them one last time."
"You... you... I’ll kill you—!"
Mouth wide, Monkey howled like a beast driven utterly mad.
His roar rippled wildly across the land—mountains, rivers, everything, even the leaves on the branches, trembled at the sound.
The next instant, he swung the golden staff with all his might, smashing it toward the Lord Buddha!