In the howling wind, the moment Lord Genesis first laid eyes on Kunlun Mountain, he was utterly stunned.
Wildfire crept along the mountain’s dense forests, burning as effortlessly as fire on paper, tracing arc-shaped lines of flame. Every Daoist temple was ablaze, pillars of fire reaching skyward.
The billowing smoke could only be described as blotting out the sky and sun.
Lord Skygate, following close behind Lord Genesis, was equally speechless with shock.
Amidst the raging flames, Six-Ears Damon lifted his head and met their gaze across the distance, then turned and shouted loudly, "Withdraw—!"
Instantly, the monsters weaving through the smoke, like a swarm of flies, sprang into action and swiftly retreated westward, following Six-Ears Damon.
Before leaving, Six-Ears Damon turned back and flashed a provocative smile at Lord Genesis.
"Trying to leave!" Gritting his teeth, Lord Genesis was about to charge forward, but was yanked back by Lord Skygate behind him.
"What are you doing?"
"Don’t go! Saving lives is the priority now. Didn’t you feel it just now? His power has almost completely recovered—this is not the right moment to fight!"
The two locked eyes in silence.
Turning back, Lord Genesis stared blankly at the devastated Kunlun Mountain, his eyes bloodshot. It was only after a long moment that his clenched fists loosened slightly.
His figure flickered and he swiftly descended onto the peak where Goldlight Cave once stood.
Now, all that remained was scorched earth. Looking around, aside from collapsed walls and broken beams, the ruins were littered with corpses.
"Master..."
Just as Lord Genesis was panicking, a faint voice called out.
Following that weak voice, Lord Genesis quickly found Master Taiyi, buried beneath charred splinters of wood.
At this point, even the leader of the Three Pure Ones could no longer care about appearances. He hurriedly reached out, lifted the beam from Master Taiyi, and helped him up.
"How are you?"
"Master, I'm all right..." Master Taiyi struggled to open his eyes and spoke haltingly, "But Spirit-Treasure is gone... It was Six-Ears Damon..."
Of the three hundred disciples of Linqing Monastery, only one remains. A thousand years of foundation destroyed in an instant! Please, Master, seek justice for us!
Of the hundred and fifty disciples of Baiyu Gate, all served faithfully and never broke the rules. Now, after this massacre, only a handful remain. Please, Master, seek justice for us!
...
In that moment, almost every Daoist who could still move knelt and wailed, their cries piercing to the heart.
Yet Lord Genesis only clenched his teeth and closed his eyes.
We cannot act! Six-Ears Damon is now fully grown in power. Even if we join forces, we cannot defeat him without great cost. If we push him too far, he may break through to Heaven’s Way... If we wait, he will go after Monkey, and we can reap the benefits. But if we act now, we will only injure each other and let Monkey profit.
'Shut up!' a Daoist suddenly stood and shouted at Lord Skygate, 'Of course you don't care—none of your disciples died!'
Stunned by the rebuke, Lord Skygate rolled up his sleeves and retorted, 'Where did you come from, little disciple? This is not your place to speak! Have I not lost disciples? In the Investiture War, the Sundered Sect lost more disciples than all of Kunlun Mountain combined. Where are they now? I kept silent then too!'
After Lord Skygate's rebuke, the disciple shrank back.
But at that moment, voices of agreement flared up like wildfire from every direction.
You Sundered Sect gambled and lost willingly—how can that compare to Kunlun?
Kunlun was ambushed by a demon monkey—so many dead, no bones left, even souls lost. How is this like the Investiture War?
If the mighty Celestial Sect can be destroyed by a demon, what use is our sect?
All at once, the crowd erupted in angry condemnation, leaving Lord Skygate flustered.
Some furious Daoists rolled up their sleeves, eyes red, ready to fight Lord Skygate. He was left speechless.
Enough! Quiet down, all of you.
At Lord Genesis’s command, everyone fell silent and looked at him expectantly.
Kunlun Mountain is no longer safe. Take all survivors and move to my Mi’luo Palace! As for Six-Ears Damon, I will handle him!
At his command, the Daoists bowed reluctantly. "We obey, Master."
...
News of Kunlun Mountain's devastating defeat spread rapidly across the Three Realms, stunning nearly everyone—including Monkey himself.
Heaven had already issued a proclamation; all Three Realms knew of Six-Ears Damon, but no one expected him to attack Kunlun Mountain, kill four Golden Immortals, and escape even with Lord Genesis and Lord Skygate arriving in haste.
What does that mean?
With Lord Genesis’s speed, rushing from the Thirty-Fifth Heaven to Kunlun Mountain took only the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.
Everyone immediately realized the danger. Great power itself is not terrifying; what is terrifying is when such power falls into the hands of a madman and is used without restraint. At this moment, Six-Ears Damon was that madman in everyone’s eyes.
But what could they do?
The Four Dragon Kings had no solution. Years ago, Kunlun Mountain had fled to Heaven to escape Monkey, but their situation only worsened.
Left with no choice, each sent letters to Monkey, hoping to win his favor and protection.
King Bullhorn, Louis Quickpaw, and Macaque King moved their armies to Mount Hua as instructed by Monkey. Before leaving, Bullhorn forcibly placed his son Red Boy with Monkey, claiming it was a gesture of loyalty, but everyone knew it was to keep his bloodline safe.
Monkey tacitly agreed, but Red Boy grumbled endlessly.
Meanwhile, unlike the anxiety gripping the Three Realms, Lionback Kingdom was holding a grand celebration.
...
War horns echoed through the clouds; endless warships lined the sky, and the ground was covered with demon armies.
In a refined chamber, Many-Eyes the Centipede snapped his fingers, and several servants entered carrying red trays.
“Great Sage, look here.” Many-Eyes introduced each item to Six-Ears Damon: “This is the Phoenix-Winged Purple Gold Crown. This is the Chain-Linked Golden Armor. This is the Lotus-Fiber Cloud-Stepping Boots. You wore these in the past. I had them faithfully reproduced, and while there are small differences, the appearance is identical.”
Six-Ears Damon grinned and spread his arms.
The demon maidens quickly surrounded him and dressed him piece by piece.
From start to finish, Six-Ears Damon was smiling. Thinking of his recent suffering and his current triumph, he could hardly believe it.
Many-Eyes was also smiling. With only King Bullhorn and Louis Quickpaw left to be dealt with, the demon race would soon be unified, and Blossom Mountain’s glory would return.
Yet neither Lionback King nor Roc Demon King smiled by the door. This was Six-Ears Damon’s victory, not theirs. Their lives were still precarious, even worse than before joining Six-Ears Damon. How could they possibly smile?
Great Sage, there’s one thing still missing.' Many-Eyes said, enunciating each word in Six-Ears Damon’s ear: 'The Ruyi Jingu Bang.'
The Ruyi Jingu Bang? Is it in the hands of that impostor?
Yes," Many-Eyes sighed. "It’s no ordinary item, crafted by Grand Supreme Elder. Without it, your strength is greatly diminished. But rest assured, I’ve summoned master craftsmen to forge a replica using rare weapons from the Dragon Palace. It won’t match the original, but should be close."
Six-Ears Damon nodded silently.
Just then, Roc Demon King, who had been silent, suddenly spoke: 'That may not be so.'
Everyone turned to look at Roc Demon King.
What do you mean?' Many-Eyes sighed. 'Do you doubt my craftsmen?'
Of course I trust your craftsmen,' Roc Demon King shook his head. 'But I mean there’s more than one thing missing.'
Many-Eyes frowned in confusion. 'What else is missing?'
Six-Ears Damon also looked at Roc Demon King.
Roc Demon King coughed and said, 'Great Sage, you’re still missing a wife.'
Missing a wife?
Many-Eyes’s eyes flashed, while Six-Ears Damon’s widened slightly.
Yes, missing a wife.' Roc Demon King smiled. 'Great Sage, you may not remember the past, so let me remind you. You are the recognized King of Demons, and our Demon Queen is none other than Anna Yang, the Third Saintess, imprisoned for years at Mount Hua. Years ago, you stormed Heaven for Miss Windbell. Now that she’s gone, Anna Yang is the obvious choice for our Demon Queen.'
Roc Demon King knelt and declared, 'I respectfully request Great Sage to bring back the Third Saintess and reassure the people!'
Everyone in the room was stunned.
After a brief silence, Lionback King also knelt and declared, 'I respectfully request Great Sage to bring back the Third Saintess!'
Many-Eyes’s frown deepened.
Before Many-Eyes could speak, Six-Ears Damon stepped forward and helped Roc Demon King up. 'She’s imprisoned at Mount Hua?'
Yes,' Roc Demon King replied softly. 'The Third Saintess is highly esteemed among our kind. In these confusing times, if she says you are the true Great Sage, no one in the Three Realms will doubt you.'
Six-Ears Damon suddenly understood and replied, 'Very well! In that case, let us march to Mount Hua at once!'
...
Soon, the herald left the room and rushed to the army, shouting, 'By order of the Great Sage, march to Mount Hua and bring back the Third Saintess at once!'
Bring back the Third Saintess! Bring back the Third Saintess! The roar of the demons shook heaven and earth.