The moon glided through drifting clouds, scattering its silvery light. Leaves trembled gently in the wind, shadows swaying with each breeze.
Under the night sky, Blossom Mountain was so tranquil it seemed like a painted scroll come to life.
If one did not know the truth, no one could imagine that in such a paradise, a vast demon army lay hidden, sharpening their blades and preparing for war.
By the deep pool at the entrance to Cascade Cave, Jade Cauldron wore a look of deep puzzlement.
Looking around, he saw only a woman in blue quietly seated on a rock, her gaze fixed on the rippling waves of the pool.
No matter how he looked, this place did not resemble the headquarters of the grand plan Monkey had spoken of.
"This way." The Monkey King leapt through the waterfall and into Cascade Cave, and Jade Cauldron hurried after him.
Stepping inside Cascade Cave, an entirely different scene unfolded before them.
At the wide entrance, two small braziers flickered. Three demon guards knelt on one knee as soon as they saw the Monkey King arrive.
"My lord!"
"Go inform Yang Chan that Jade Cauldron has arrived."
"Yes, sir!"
With Jade Cauldron in tow, the Monkey King strode past the three Spirit Channeling demon guards without a backward glance, heading deeper into Cascade Cave.
Jade Cauldron, however, could not help but turn and size up the three little demons.
Only now did Jade Cauldron realize he had truly arrived at the headquarters of a demon force. But three Spirit Channeling demons guarding the gate—wasn’t that a bit too shabby?
This was a far cry from the grand undertaking Monkey King had described.
As they ventured deeper into Cascade Cave, Jade Cauldron saw more and more demons. They greeted the Monkey King in small groups; most were at the Spirit Channeling Stage, with a few at the Spirit-Refinement Stage.
The braziers for illumination grew larger, and the surroundings gradually brightened.
When they reached the upper hall, Jade Cauldron was taken aback.
Blazing firelight painted everything crimson. The vast space, with its meticulously repaired walls, looked nothing like a typical demon lair.
Dozens of demons were arguing heatedly around a stone table in the grand hall, but when they saw the two newcomers, they all fell silent.
Every gaze sharpened, landing warily on Jade Cauldron.
Shortbeak and Rhino saluted by tapping their breastplates, while the rest of the demons knelt on one knee.
"My lord!"
"What are you discussing?" Monkey King walked over, bracing himself against the stone table.
On the tabletop lay a sheepskin map showing the defensive layout of the hundred-mile region around Blossom Mountain.
"Starting this month, we need to adjust surface defenses. We're planning to cut some positions—the gaps below are growing larger." Shortbeak glanced at Jade Cauldron behind Monkey King and asked quietly, "Who is this?"
Monkey King stepped aside and introduced, "This is Jade Cauldron Immortal, an old friend of mine."
"Jade Cauldron Immortal? One of the Twelve Golden Immortals?" Shortbeak squinted suspiciously.
"Yes, that's me." Jade Cauldron quickly cupped his hands and smiled.
The demons all cupped their hands in greeting, but their faces were cold and stiff, the courtesy purely formal.
After all, humans fear demons—and demons fear humans just as much.
Shortbeak seemed about to ask more, but after glancing at Monkey King, he closed his mouth.
Seeing their unease, Monkey King gestured and said, "From now on, Jade Cauldron Immortal may help us develop new weapons. Everyone must cooperate. Whatever Jade Cauldron says, treat it as my own command. Understood?"
At this, the demons were stunned.
Take orders from a human? If it were Anna Yang, they would have no objection—but Jade Cauldron Immortal? How could that be?
Monkey King's eyes flashed and he barked, "Do you understand?"
"Understood!" The demons quickly nodded in agreement.
"All right, carry on. I'll show Brother Jade Cauldron around."
Monkey King patted Shortbeak on the shoulder. Under the demons' watchful eyes, he led the somewhat anxious Jade Cauldron further inside.
Just now, Jade Cauldron had clearly spotted two demons at the Spirit-Transformation Stage, and Spirit-Refinement demons were everywhere.
In the mortal world, a demon force like this would be formidable indeed. Even the legendary Six Western Demon Kings probably command no greater power. To infiltrate such a force alone—whether it was Jade Cauldron or even Master Taiyi, it would be daunting.
Fortunately, judging by what he’d just seen, Monkey King held immense prestige among these demons. That alone put Jade Cauldron somewhat at ease.
Catching up to Monkey King, Jade Cauldron asked quietly, "Where are we going now?"
"We haven’t finished the tour yet."
"No need to see every little corner."
"These aren’t just corners."
"Huh?"
In a flash, they reached the entrance to the underground city.
"From here down is my real headquarters," Monkey King said, pointing at a vertical tunnel.
"We go down there? Headquarters?" Jade Cauldron was bewildered. If the real headquarters was below, what was everything above?
He crouched nervously at the tunnel mouth, stroking his beard and peering inside.
It was pitch-black, bottomless—nothing could be seen.
He muttered to himself, "There’s no ladder. How do we get down?"
"If you want to go down, there’s always a way. Come on!"
Before Jade Cauldron could react, Monkey King grabbed his collar and leapt into the tunnel together.
Jade Cauldron’s scream echoed as they plummeted through the shaft. When they finally stopped, a scene of iron and blood unfolded before their eyes!
A sprawling underground city blazed with firelight, the air hot and thick. Demons everywhere sweated as they worked. Shouts, chanting, fighting, and arguing rang out in waves.
Bustling crowds made it feel just like a human city.
Standing before this city, they felt as small as grains of dust.
At the sight before him, Jade Cauldron's jaw dropped. He stared at Monkey King in shock, speechless for a long moment.
His outstretched finger hovered, unsure where to point.
This wasn’t just a demon force—this was an empire, hidden underground!
After a long while, he managed to close his mouth, swallowed hard, and asked, "You... did all this?"
Monkey King nodded slightly and tugged his sleeve. "Come, let me show you around."
With that, Monkey King led Jade Cauldron on a flight downward. Along the way, countless demons cheered and howled like wild beasts.
The noise was deafening.
To a human, this place was hell itself.
Jade Cauldron glanced around in panic, his hand trembling slightly inside his sleeve.
Flying ahead, Monkey King explained, "The surface is far too dangerous. Under Heaven's watchful eyes, I could never develop freely. So I built this place and disguised myself as an ordinary demon force. At least for now, it won't be discovered, and I can buy some time."
Landing beside a massive dragon keel on the bottom level, Jade Cauldron gazed up at the enormous warship skeleton.
Huge wooden pulley arms hovered overhead, shifting slightly. Craftsmen on the suspended platforms carved wood intently. Shackled, ragged Heavenly soldiers discussed techniques with demon artisans.
Amid shouts, demon laborers pushed carts loaded with freshly cut logs, while uniformed soldiers wielded whips behind them.
Monkey King pointed at the dragon keel. "This is the newest warship skeleton—the fourth generation, though it's still unfinished. It's just a prototype and won't see battle. Demons had no craftsmen; at first, we relied entirely on captured Heavenly artisans to build the first generation. Gradually, my people learned the craft. The first three generations have already been dismantled, and the underground docks aren't built yet, so we lack space for storage. Anyway, the earlier versions weren't fit for the battlefield. Building now is purely for training more craftsmen—we can't depend on Heaven's captives forever. Soon, they'll be your best assistants."
"You're building warships here—how will you get them to the surface?" Jade Cauldron asked, puzzled.
Monkey King glanced at Jade Cauldron and grinned, pointing toward the distant deep pool.
At the edge of the deep pool, rows of aquatic demons ferried baskets of sand and mud into the water.
"That waterway leads straight to the Eastern Sea, though it's too narrow for now and only used to haul out excavated debris. Plans for digging an underground canal are underway, and the blueprints are being drawn up. Soon, the first batch of docks will be underground."
Jade Cauldron blinked, mouth open in astonishment, unable to speak for a long moment.