King Bullhorn slammed a Buddha to the ground, instantly reverting to his true form—a colossal bull—charging forward to trample the fallen foe. But three other Buddhas joined forces, conjuring a ring of light that blasted him away.
King Macaque darted around the edges of the battlefield, exploiting his speed to launch ambushes on one wounded Buddha after another.
Marshal Silver and General Curtain rallied several demon generals, forming a battle array that instantly carved out a stable foothold amid the chaos.
Louis Quickpaw ran about the battlefield’s center, sleeves flapping, shouting orders and commentary. But even wounded, any Buddha outclassed him; all he could do was holler blindly.
Every Buddha present was already wounded. Though they held an overwhelming advantage in cultivation over Monkey’s demon army, now they could only be driven back and forth. Still, it was merely being chased—none of the demons had the power to bring them down. In fact, if the Buddhas truly resolved to fight, it was anyone’s guess who would be chasing whom.
Of course, all this was mere background. What truly decided victory or defeat was only the handful at the heart of the battlefield.
Monkey stood there, gasping for breath, facing Saint Raymond—who was still pouring his own blood into the Six-Eared Macaque. Beside Saint Raymond stood King Earth-Store and Manjusri.
Of these, King Earth-Store remained at full strength, Manjusri was already wounded, and Saint Raymond was unable to fight at all. The enemy’s trio had their combat power halved. Yet even so—what could Monkey do?
Wasn’t Monkey himself also a spent arrow from a taut bow? Though the three facing him were all Buddhist cultivators and no match for his Extreme Traveler’s Path in direct close combat, they were still three Buddhas whose cultivation nearly matched his own.
At this point, even facing King Earth-Store alone would be difficult for him—let alone taking on all three at once.
The outcome of this battle seemed set long ago—irreversible. Perhaps that’s why the Buddhas have no heart for fighting on.
Time trickled by. Off to the side, the Six-Eared Macaque remained motionless, kneeling with empty eyes like the dead, letting Saint Raymond’s blood pour freely into his body.
......
In Tusita Palace, Lord Lao took a deep breath and sipped his tea.
"What do we do next?" Lord Skygate stroked his long beard. "The Buddhist Order has truly taken the Six-Eared Macaque under its wing... So, what should we do?"
"Do nothing."
"Nothing?"
"That’s right," Lord Genesis replied. "Do nothing. The key to restoring Non-Action lies with the Monkey who still remembers. We all know his temperament. Unless he comes to you, if you go to him... heh."
Lord Genesis chuckled, leaving the rest unsaid.
Lord Lao shook his head helplessly, tacitly agreeing.
This scene, in Lord Skygate's eyes, was unbearably frustrating. Suppressing a surge of anger, he gritted his teeth and said, "That monkey really is blind. At this point, he still clings to Tripitaka? Does that bald donkey truly have the power to help him overturn fate? If not, then maybe..."
His gaze flickered. Lord Skygate turned to Lord Lao, lowering his voice: "Then let Six-Ears Damon win!"
At these words, both Lord Lao and Lord Genesis paused in surprise.
"Exactly! Let Six-Ears Damon win!" Lord Skygate clenched his fists. "If Six-Ears wins, Heavenly Tribulation will reclaim that monkey's soul, and the Heavenly Dao will naturally be restored. By then..."
"If that monkey's soul is taken, who will deal with Six-Ears Damon then?" Lord Lao countered without hesitation.
This question left Lord Skygate momentarily stunned.
Lord Lao took a deep breath and continued, "By then, he’ll likely have rejoined the Heavenly Dao’s boundless flow. If we want to stop the Westward Quest, we’ll have to get past Six-Ears Damon first. Who will face him? You, or me? And besides, there are the Buddhas of the Buddhist Order—and behind them, Lord Buddha Shakyamuni himself."
At this, Lord Skygate could only slam his fist onto his own knee, furious. "But what if that monkey really has a heart of iron and refuses to come to us? What then? If we lose this time, it won’t be as simple as waiting a few hundred years to recover!"
"No matter what, we only have one option now." Lord Lao raised a finger and spoke softly: "Wait."
......
Within the Temple of Nuwa, Master Sage Subhuti still sat quietly, unmoving.
From within the Emerald Wall came Mother Nuwa’s voice: "Old Bodhi."
"Hm?"
"That prophecy you spoke of—how much do you believe in it?"
"Completely."
"Completely? Even now?"
"Of course." Master Sage Subhuti stroked his long beard. "Saint Raymond just bestowed the Golden Circlet; the true and false Monkey King—hasn’t it all come to pass? It just wasn’t quite what we imagined. In any case, the Westward Quest will continue, but whether the result is what we want, who can say."
"Since that’s so, do you hope for the journey to continue as Saint Raymond wishes—Six-Ears Damon escorting Tripitaka westward?"
Master Sage Subhuti fell silent for a long time, then spoke: "Saint Raymond wants the Westward Quest to have an outcome. As for whether the Dao is truly proven or not, he doesn’t really care."
"So you hope the original Monkey will continue to protect Tripitaka?"
Master Sage Subhuti nodded slightly. "That would, of course, be best. But alas, at this point, I can no longer intervene."
"You may not be able to intervene, but perhaps... this palace might still do something."
At this, Master Sage Subhuti was taken aback.
......
In the deadlock, Saint Raymond finally severed the river of blood he’d been channeling into Six-Ears Damon. With a casual swipe, his wrist wound closed completely.
He slowly withdrew his hand into his sleeve. Though all Buddhas bore golden skin, so outwardly no change was visible, his Buddha-light had clearly dimmed—now barely brighter than any ordinary Buddha.
All around, everyone froze, quietly watching the still-kneeling Six-Ears Damon.
Monkey watched him in silence.
After a long moment, a shaft of golden light descended from the heavens, illuminating him. Instantly, brilliance surged forth.
He slowly raised his head to meet the golden light above.
In that instant, sutra-chanting once again filled every corner of the world. Yet, looking around, not a single Buddha was seen chanting.
After a while, Monkey realized the source of the chanting was Six-Ears Damon’s trembling lips…
Just as Monkey was startled and prepared to act, Six-Ears Damon slowly stood up and turned back.
His face bore no expression at all—plain as a wooden carving. Mouth slightly open, he spoke softly: "From today onward, I will escort him westward."
"You’ll escort him westward?" Monkey snorted with laughter. "What if I refuse?"
"It’s not up to you." Six-Ears Damon replied with absolute certainty. Yet his eyes seemed unfocused, as if on the verge of sleep.
With a wave of his hand, the discarded Golden Staff flew instantly into his grip!