Chapter 37 - Shattering the False Golden Eyes, Qi Surges to the Dipper Mansion
Chapter 37: Shattering the False Golden Eyes, Qi Surges to the Dipper Mansion
Qin Chuan left the Doushuai Palace. The Monkey King still had to stay in the Eight Trigram Furnace for a total of seventy-seven days—forty-nine days, so there was still plenty of time.
In the original story, during the entire refining process in the Eight Trigram Furnace, the Monkey King not only developed the “Fiery Golden Eyes” (Huo Yan Jin Jing) but also gained a golden liver and silver lungs, along with a copper head and iron brain.
At first glance, it seemed like he had become even stronger, but in fact, Taishang Laojun deliberately weakened the effects of the nine-turn Golden Elixir that the Monkey King had secretly eaten from those gourds.
Since fire overcomes metal, the golden liver and silver lungs, copper head and iron brain, how could they compare to a complete adamantine body of invincibility?
When the Tathagata Buddha imprisoned the Monkey King under the Five Elements Mountain for five hundred years, he daily fed him copper juice and iron pills. Aside from breaking the Monkey’s will, this also helped to maintain his combat strength as much as possible.
Otherwise, after five hundred years of no practice, the Monkey King would still be able to fight the Bull Demon King on equal terms—that’s precisely why.
Now that Qin Chuan has reached a tacit understanding with Taishang Laojun, the Monkey King’s strength will only become greater than in the original story.
Outside the Lingxiao Hall, Wang Lingguan will likely not be able to stop the Monkey King this time. The Thirty-Six Thunder Generals of the Thunder Mansion will probably be called in advance; otherwise, if the Monkey King really storms into the Lingxiao Palace, it will be a big problem.
Qin Chuan soared through the air and soon arrived at Huaguo Mountain.
What was once a blessed land and cave heaven was now a mess—broken tree roots and ruins filled the mountains, desolation everywhere.
Qin Chuan went straight to the Water Curtain Cave, which was silent and empty, with no sign of the monkey troops.
“Alas!” Qin Chuan sighed softly. The one hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals had all been sent back to the Investiture of the Gods list by him, so how could the monkeys and their descendants at Huaguo Mountain all remain safe?
Even though the Three Holy Mothers had ordered leniency, out of the forty-seven thousand monkeys and descendants, half surviving was already a good outcome.
“Come out, all of you!” Qin Chuan took two steps forward and sat down where the Monkey King used to sit, calling out to the surroundings.
Behind the Water Curtain Cave, a stone head slowly peeked out. Seeing Qin Chuan, the eyes immediately brightened, and a loud call went out: “It’s King Qin! It’s King Qin!”
In an instant, from all directions, noisy voices rose as countless monkeys leaped out from the shadows, cracks, and crevices, revealing themselves one after another.
“Are you all alright?” Qin Chuan asked, looking at the four old monkeys leading them.
The four elite generals were still alive, which was quite good. Even without him, Huaguo Mountain wouldn’t have fallen to the point of being hunted down by ordinary hunters as in the original story.
Generals Beng and Ba, along with Marshals Ma and Liu, stepped forward tearfully and reported:
“Reporting to King Qin, ever since that day we were captured by the Heavenly Soldiers, some of the children have suffered torment in the Heavenly Prison, while others have been serving sentences inside Heavenly King Li’s exquisite tower. We have lost track of how the days and months have passed outside.”
“Not long ago, that Heavenly King in the Celestial Palace released us all back to Flower-Fruit Mountain. It must be thanks to King Qin’s efforts outside—otherwise, we wouldn’t know when we could ever see the daylight again.”
“Some of the weaker children have already died in the Heavenly Prison, and the seventy-two cave demons were nearly wiped out when they were captured. Now, only a few remain!”
Hearing this, the monkeys in the Water Curtain Cave were almost in tears. Though they had once caused a great upheaval in the Heavenly Palace and Flower-Fruit Mountain’s name resounded through the Three Realms, the price had been enormous.
Qin Chuan nodded and said softly, “This matter is quite complicated. You all need not worry too much. From now on, just live freely here in this blessed land and cultivate well. I promise no more Heavenly Soldiers will come to trouble you!”
“As for those monkeys and descendants who have passed away, I will make a trip to the Underworld and request leniency from King Yama, so that those monkeys may be reincarnated.”
A monkey asked doubtfully, “King Qin, you once said that you crossed out all the monkeys from the Book of Life and Death. After we die, we may only become restless spirits and won’t be able to reincarnate. How can that be?”
Qin Chuan chuckled and shook his head: “The Book of Life and Death? That thing is a trick to fool ghosts!”
“It’s not the real Book of Life and Death—just a secondary volume. Ultimately, it’s decided by the officials below.”
Waving his hand, Qin Chuan dispersed the monkeys, then used a secret method to head straight to the Underworld.
The token he bore, imitating the Earth Deity Hou Tu Huang, was much more effective in the Underworld than in the Celestial Palace. Upon his arrival, the Ten Kings of Hell knelt in welcome, and special matters were expedited. This ‘difficult’ matter was handled immediately.
At the Naihe Bridge, the Lady of Balance was nowhere to be seen—only a hollow shell of Meng Po (Lady Meng) remained.
She must have known his purpose and refused to interfere.
What a pity—if he could have brought the Lady of Balance down here, even if her true self couldn’t leave the Underworld, his incarnation imitating Hou Tu Huang would surely be one of the top divine practitioners in the Three Realms.
After leaving the Underworld, Qin Chuan returned to Flower-Fruit Mountain, passed the Great Grade Heavenly Immortal Technique to Ao Xuehou, and began a brief seclusion. To make his move in the Journey to the West, he first had to become a Grand Daoist Golden Immortal.
But breaking through the Grand Daoist barrier was no easy task. Countless famous gods and immortals in the Three Realms had been stuck at the Taiyi Golden Immortal stage for many years without progress.
Time flew, and from the day Qin Chuan began his seclusion, thirty-nine years had passed.
In the Thirty-Third Heaven’s Doushuai Palace, Taishang Laojun’s whereabouts were a mystery—no one knew where he had gone.
Inside the alchemy chamber, the Eight-Trigram Furnace suddenly trembled violently, with tremendous momentum.
The top of the Eight-Trigram Furnace exploded with a roar, and a pitch-black figure burst forth. Its vaguely monkey-shaped outline was visible.
The Golden and Silver Child attendants were shocked and tried to stabilize the furnace’s tremors, but were blasted away by an overwhelming aura.
The figure’s eyes snapped open wide, two beams of golden light shot up to the heavens, its energy bursting forth like a cosmic force. All the gods and immortals of the Celestial Palace turned their heads to watch.
The Monkey scratched his ears and cheeks, wildly joyful, shouting loudly, “Hahaha! Taishang Laojun, the Jade Emperor, and the Eight-Trigram Furnace failed to refine me! Instead, it restored my original self, reopening my Broken-Delusion Golden Eyes, and forged me into an invincible Vajra body!”
The Monkey laughed heartily, leapt into the air, kicked the Eight-Trigram Furnace flying, pulled out his Golden Cudgel from his ear, and flew out of the Doushuai Palace.
The Nine Luminaries Star Lords blocked his path, Thunder God and Lightning Mother tried to stop him. Countless heavenly soldiers and generals surrounded him, but the Monkey unleashed his Golden Cudgel and struck wildly.
The stars dimmed, and the heavenly soldiers fled in panic. The Monkey rushed straight into the Tongming Hall, reaching the Lingxiao Hall outside—no one could stop him.
“Impudent monkey, cease your arrogance!”
A furious roar shook the momentum of the gods in the Celestial Palace. The Monkey fixed his gaze and saw a red-faced, bearded warrior wearing golden armor and a red robe, with three eyes glaring fiercely. His feet stood on wind-fire wheels, holding a golden seal in his left hand and a golden whip in his right—an imposing and valiant celestial general.
This was none other than Wang Lingguan, the leader of the fifty heavenly officials, a revered protector deity of Taoism and a top general before the Jade Emperor!
Behind Wang Lingguan stood thirty-six thunder generals, solemn and imposing. Though all were Golden Immortals, silver snakes of electricity danced around them, their aura perfectly unified, clearly no amateurs.
Having suffered in the Eight-Trigram Furnace, the Monkey’s rage surged now. Regardless of who came, he raised his cudgel and struck. Wang Lingguan roared and charged forward.
What a fierce battle ensued!
Outside Lingxiao Hall, battle clouds parted as the Great Sage swung his cudgel, summoning wind and thunder.
The Golden Cudgel sliced through the air, stars trembled. Wang Lingguan’s might shook the Nine Heavens.
Electric silver snakes flashed and danced; the thirty-six generals’ energy soared like a rainbow.
Immortals and sages clashed, shaking heaven and earth—victory or defeat, no one could tell who would prevail.