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The 'Scarlet Flame Overlord' had already become a mangled corpse. A gaping hole had been blasted through its chest, its heart reduced to shreds of flesh. The whole body was swollen and purple, like someone drowned, but by now, it was dead beyond any doubt.
“Sigh! This Great Sage Equal to Heaven has broken the Buddhist precept against killing again. But hey, this is demon-slaying for the greater good—Buddha won’t blame old Sun for it. Now let old Sun send you off! Amitabha, Amitabha—” Sun Wukong chanted a Buddhist verse, pointed his left hand at the Scarlet Flame Overlord’s corpse, and—whoosh!—a dazzling golden ray shot out, striking the body. Instantly, the Scarlet Flame Overlord melted away like a candle in a raging fire, turning into a wisp of blue smoke that drifted up and vanished. Thus, the infamous demon who terrorized the world, the Scarlet Flame Overlord, was finally destroyed by someone even more powerful—the now-enlightened Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong—reduced to nothing but smoke! Just as the saying goes: ‘Heaven’s will turns, karma is unpredictable, evil deeds bring evil retribution, and payback never fails!’
"Boom!" After sending off the Scarlet Flame Overlord, Sun Wukong swung his Ruyi Jingu Bang once more. Golden light burst forth, instantly dispersing the black-red demonic haze that had blanketed hundreds of meters around. Warm sunlight pierced through, shining onto the earth again. Under Sun Wukong's supreme might, all traces of demon energy were wiped clean!
Seeing the Scarlet Flame Overlord finally destroyed, Shawn Young let out a long sigh of relief. He’d used up all his true energy to cast the Azure Lotus Invocation, draining both his qi and spirit. At this point, his reserves were nearly depleted, and he felt dizzy, barely holding on by sheer willpower.
Still, Shawn was surprised he’d managed to summon Sun Wukong for help. In theory, he knew that using Taoist methods shouldn’t allow him to call upon Buddhist deities—after all, Sun Wukong was a figure of the Buddhist pantheon, while Shawn practiced Taoism. Both schools had their own invocation rituals, and usually, the gods they summoned belonged to their own tradition.
After sweeping away the demon haze, Sun Wukong was about to leap onto his cloud and soar into the sky when Shawn hurriedly called out, “Great Sage, please wait!!”
“What now? You little brat, so clingy! Old Sun already took care of that demon for you! Listen, I don’t meddle in mortal affairs, you hear?” Sun Wukong paused at Shawn’s shout, turned around, and glared at him with eyes like lightning.
“Oh—my humble self is Shawn Young of the Taiqing Sect. I nearly fell into the Scarlet Flame Overlord’s clutches, but thanks to your divine intervention, Great Sage, I’m eternally grateful! Your lifesaving grace will forever be remembered, inspiring me to work harder in my cultivation and learn from you, hoping to one day achieve enlightenment and step into the immortal realm!!” Shawn was shaken by Sun Wukong’s blazing golden eyes, feeling an overwhelming pressure that made his scalp tingle. Still, he knew Sun Wukong liked flattery, so he quickly bowed deeply and showered him with praise, doing his best to show proper Taoist disciple etiquette.
Sun Wukong swept his gaze over Shawn, seemingly seeing through his thoughts. He let out a mischievous laugh, “Heh heh—kid, you sure know how to talk! And you want to learn from old Sun, huh? You’ve got your little scheme all worked out, haven’t you? Heh heh—”
Shawn’s thoughts were laid bare by Sun Wukong, and he blushed. But seeing that Sun Wukong didn’t seem offended, he mustered his courage and said, “Great Sage, I—well, I’m not the brightest cultivator. I keep running into Heavenly Tribulations during my training—every time, I get burned by demonic fire. I’ve searched everywhere for answers but still can’t crack the puzzle. Great Sage, your powers are boundless and your compassion infinite. Please, have mercy and give me a hint or two!”
Sun Wukong’s fiery eyes spun around Shawn, making him feel as if every secret in his body and soul had been exposed. He was stunned, but knew Sun Wukong was using his powers to probe his mind, so he stood there obediently, letting Sun Wukong see everything.
Sure enough, Sun Wukong quickly saw through Shawn’s mind and let out a mischievous laugh. “Heh, you little Taoist, you and old Sun aren’t even on the same path! You’re a real playboy, always tangled up with women, practicing the most risqué dual cultivation techniques, yet training with the pure Yang inner elixir of Taoism. That makes your power grow fast, but also brings on Heavenly Tribulations. Still, you’re a man of character—never soft on evil. And since your sect’s founder, Master Furnace, once played chess with my teacher, Master Bodhi, I’ll give you a few pointers and some help!” (Note: Sun Wukong’s master was the reclusive sage Master Bodhi, who lived on the Spirit Mountain in the Western Continent—a low-key but immensely powerful immortal!)
“Ah! Thank you, thank you, Great Sage!!” Shawn was overjoyed. He knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance—getting advice from a legendary god like Sun Wukong was priceless!
“Heh—alright, alright, no need to be so formal, little Taoist! Old Sun hates all that stuff. Just remember, I’m only helping you because I’m in a good mood!” Sun Wukong barked at Shawn.
“Oh, got it, got it!” Shawn bowed repeatedly, agreeing.
“You’re cultivating the pure Yang inner elixir, so you’ve got plenty of yang energy. But the path of mortal cultivation is all about balancing yin and yang, sun and moon—following the true Way. You, little Taoist, are fated for romance and a wild life. Practicing the Dragon-Phoenix dual cultivation technique is actually a great strategy. But you had a strange encounter before—five years ago, the Scarlet Viper poison entered your body, causing excess yang fire. That’s why you’re suffering now! As your power grows, so does the tribulation.” Sun Wukong revealed the reason for Shawn’s recurring Heavenly Tribulations!
(This chapter isn’t finished yet~.~. Please click next page for more exciting content!)
“Ah—so it was that snake! Great Sage, what should I do?!” Shawn finally understood. He’d never found a way to suppress the mysterious demonic fire in his body, but now that Sun Wukong had explained the cause, he saw the light.
“Whether human, demon, ghost, or beast, all have their own path to cultivation. To ascend, one must face Heaven’s tests—this is your tribulation. You can’t force your way through it, but fate will provide! Old Sun can’t reveal everything, but I’ll tell you this: only by merging with someone who has the Shadowborne Constitution can you neutralize the Scarlet Viper poison in your body! Everything is arranged by destiny! That’s all I’ll say.” Sun Wukong declared.
“Oh—the Shadowborne Constitution!! Where am I supposed to find that?” Shawn muttered in disappointment.
“Heh—no need to search. If it’s destined for you, it’ll show up sooner or later. One day, you’ll face a great life-or-death crisis. Old Sun will help you to the end, so here—take this ‘lifesaving monkey hair’! When you need it, just recite my name and it’ll get you out of trouble. But don’t use it unless it’s a real emergency!” Sun Wukong didn’t waste words. He reached behind his neck, plucked a golden monkey hair, and with a flick, dropped it into Shawn’s palm.
“Thank you, Great Sage!!” Shawn was thrilled, clutching the golden monkey hair tightly. He’d just received a legendary treasure of immense power—truly a stroke of luck!
“Little Taoist, you’ll face many twists and turns in the future. Never forget to stay true to yourself and dedicate your life to slaying demons and upholding the Way! Old Sun is off—” Sun Wukong chanted a Buddhist verse, leapt into the air—whoosh!—and shot straight into the sky, transforming into a blazing beam of golden light. Thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and the world returned to normal.