Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

The sound wasn't loud, and even carried a hint of casualness, yet it clearly pierced through the mountain's barrier, reaching his ears and seemingly resonating directly in his heart.

"Great Sage, how have you been?"

The sound came abruptly, not carried by the mountain wind, nor heard by his ears, but rather seemed to penetrate the rock and soil of the Five Elements Mountain, which contained vast Buddhist power, and resounded clearly and without obstruction in Sun Wukong's heart, carrying a sense of long-lost familiarity and a touch of casualness.

At the foot of the mountain, the head, with only its messy fur and half a face visible, suddenly jolted. Sun Wukong, who was immersed in internal deduction and silent waiting, was instantly stunned.

This voice... how many years has it been since he last heard it? Five hundred years? No, it seems to be even longer, so long that he thought some memories had been crushed into dust by the weight of the mountain and the erosion of Buddhism.

With difficulty and a hint of disbelief, he strained to lift his eyelids. His gaze passed over the limited expanse of moss-covered, weed-covered gravel and mud before him, looking toward the source of the sound.

A figure could be seen walking slowly down the mountain path in the distance.

The man, dressed in pristine white, walked beneath the desolate Five Elements Mountain, like a celestial being standing alone, or a lone goose detached from the Three Realms. His aura was serene and otherworldly, completely out of place with the surrounding environment, suppressed by Buddhist teachings and shrouded in deathly silence. Even the sunlight falling on him seemed to soften and distance itself.

In a single glance, Sun Wukong's fiery eyes, which had been imbued with a dark golden hue for five hundred years and contained countless sharp edges and ferocity, suddenly lit up, like two blazing sparks suddenly erupting from a dormant volcano! It was him! It really was him! The one who had once been both teacher and friend, who had guided him during his most arrogant, ignorant, and confused period of exploration, yet who had never restrained him in the slightest!
"Is...is it you?!"

Sun Wukong's voice was dry and hoarse, the result of not speaking normally for too long, but the ecstasy and excitement contained within it were like molten lava that had been suppressed for five hundred years, instantly breaking through all obstacles, and even carrying a few sobs and trembling.

"Old...Old Lin?! Lin Zhu?!"

He struggled to move, but apart from his head and right arm, the rest of his body was pinned down by the mountain, unable to move. He could only crane his neck, his eyes fixed on the approaching figure, as if afraid that if he blinked, the figure would vanish like countless lonely and desperate dreams.

"it's me."

Lin Zhu had already approached, and slightly lowered his head to look at the monkey, which was trapped under the mountain and only part of its body was visible. It looked disheveled, but its eyes were still as bright as ever. A gentle smile appeared on his face.

"After five hundred years, the Great Sage's demeanor... well, he has gained a bit more composure."

He spoke casually, even with a hint of mockery, but his eyes held no disdain or pity, only a calm reminiscing.

"I, Old Sun...I, Old Sun, am perfectly fine! I won't die!"

Sun Wukong roared urgently, as if trying to prove something, but his voice became even hoarse with excitement, and his eyes uncontrollably became hot and moist.

Five hundred years! Apart from the occasional passerby who pointed and gossiped, apart from the mountain gods and local deities who were ordered to guard him but remained silent, and apart from the annoying Buddhist chants that tried to penetrate his mind day after day, he had never spoken to any of his "old friends" again!

Upon seeing Lin Zhu, the loneliness, resentment, and grievances that had been building up for five hundred years surged forth like water bursting its banks, but he forcibly held back, staring intently at the other with his moist yet even brighter eyes.

Lin Zhu seemed to understand his feelings and didn't say anything more. He simply raised his hand and took out an ancient vermilion lacquered wine gourd from somewhere. He uncorked it, and a clear and mellow aroma of wine immediately filled the air, faintly carrying a powerful spiritual energy.

He bent down and brought the gourd's opening to Sun Wukong's chapped lips.

Without the slightest hesitation, and without even having time to thank him, Sun Wukong immediately opened his mouth and began to swallow greedily.

The sweet, warm liquor flowed into his throat, nourishing his parched body, which had been sustained for five hundred years by only occasional rain and the torturous "copper molten metal." A surge of pure spiritual energy quickly spread throughout his body, giving him a sudden burst of energy. Even the demonic power suppressed by the mountain seemed to become more active.

"Gu dong... gu dong..."

After gulping down seven or eight mouthfuls, Sun Wukong finally let out a long breath, his eyes shining even brighter. The effects of the alcohol and his spiritual energy surged, coupled with the excitement of seeing an old friend, and the hatred and anger that had been suppressed for so long could no longer be contained, erupting with a roar!

"Old Lin! You've come at the right time! You be the judge for me, Old Sun!"

Sun Wukong's voice suddenly rose, filled with overwhelming resentment and unwillingness.

"That old Buddha! And those bunch of incompetent, hypocritical bastards in Heaven! They conspired against me, Old Sun! They've kept me trapped in this godforsaken place for a full five hundred years! Five hundred years!"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, and his only mobile right arm swung violently, his fist slamming into the rock beside him with a dull thud, sending pebbles tumbling down.

"I'll eat iron pellets when I'm hungry and drink molten copper when I'm thirsty! They want to wear down my will with this inhuman torture, to make me, Old Sun, submit! Dream on!"

Sun Wukong bared his teeth, his eyes flashing with ferocity, and the suppressed malevolence surged up once more.

"I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong! Born of Heaven and Earth, a spiritual stone monkey! How could I bow down to those hypocrites?! For the past five hundred years, every day, every moment, all I've thought about is how to settle this blood debt with them after I get out!"

He suddenly raised his head, staring intently at the seemingly unchanging sky above, as if he could pierce through the void and see the Western Paradise. His voice seemed to come from the depths of hell, carrying a deep-seated hatred and a vow.

"I, Old Sun, swear to Heaven! No, I swear to Buddha! When I get out of here, I will definitely storm Mount Ling and personally smash that Buddha's golden body! I will destroy his Mahavira Hall! I will let all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens know what price they will pay for plotting against me, Old Sun!"

The furious declaration echoed through the valley, carrying a sense of hysterical outburst, yet it felt incredibly real.

Five hundred years of inhuman oppression and torture did not wear down his edges; instead, it refined his arrogance and rebellious spirit into something even purer and more extreme.

Lin Zhu listened quietly until Sun Wukong stopped panting, then he sighed softly and shook his head.

"Five hundred years have passed, and your fiery and impulsive nature hasn't changed at all. You're still the Great Sage Equal to Heaven who dares to tear a hole in the sky."

"Changed? Why did it change?"

Sun Wukong was panting heavily, but his eyes were as sharp as knives.

"It's changed! Is this still me, Old Sun? Old Lin, tell me quickly, when can I get out of here? I can't stand this hellhole for another second! I want to get out! I want revenge! I want to settle this debt of five hundred years with the Buddhist sect and with all those who schemed against me!"

His tone was urgent, filled with a longing for freedom and a burning desire for revenge.

Looking at the raging flames in his eyes, Lin Zhu knew that the five hundred years of suppression had not only failed to achieve the Buddha's goal of "internalization," but had instead planted a more dangerous and uncontrollable seed.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"It will be soon. You will be free in less than three days."

"really?!"

Sun Wukong was stunned at first, then a surge of joy welled up in his heart. His ferocious face shone with undisguised excitement, and he almost danced with joy, but unfortunately his body was pressed down.

"Hahaha! Good! Good! I've finally waited for this day! I, Old Sun..." His ecstasy came to an abrupt halt as he remembered the conditions for his escape, and his face instantly darkened, like the sky before a storm.

"Is it that damned pilgrim who came to let me out? And then he wants me to protect him on his journey to the Western Paradise, to be his slave, in exchange for some kind of 'enlightenment'?"

His voice was filled with sarcasm and suppressed rage.

Lin Zhu nodded.

"This is ordained by Heaven, and it is also a deal between the Buddha and the Heavenly Court. You must escort the pilgrims on their journey to the West in order to gain your freedom, which can also be considered an atonement for your sins."

"Atonement? What crime have I committed?!"

Sun Wukong roared, but then the anger on his face gradually turned into a chilling grin, a grin filled with endless coldness and killing intent.

"Good, good destiny, good deal. They want me to be their dog, but I'll show them that what's released is a mad monkey that can tear the heavens apart! The Western Paradise wants peace? Heh heh, I'll make sure it never has a day of peace!"

He squeezed out the last few words through clenched teeth, his voice low, yet carrying a resolute determination and a chilling undertone.

He wasn't just talking; the deep scheming and coldness in his eyes showed that he already had a concrete "action" plan in mind, enough to disrupt the established game.

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhu raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at Sun Wukong.

"Oh? From what you're saying, after escaping, besides protecting the pilgrim, you have other plans?"

Sun Wukong did not answer directly, but looked deeply at Lin Zhu with his dark golden eyes, and then slowly nodded, everything was understood without words.

He acquiesced.

Lin Zhu stared at him for a moment, then suddenly turned her gaze away, looking at the distant, vast mountains, her tone calm yet carrying a hint of warning.

"The Journey to the West is currently the greatest destiny and trend in the Three Realms, affecting countless causes and conditions. The eastward spread of Buddhism is unstoppable. You harbor hatred and wish to do your own thing, and I have no right to interfere, nor can I necessarily stop you. But you need to think carefully about how to carry out your rebellious act within this great trend, and how to deal with the overwhelming backlash that will follow. Going against the will of Heaven is no easy task."

"The general trend? Destiny?"

Sun Wukong chuckled, but his eyes were as cold as ice.

"I, Old Sun, was born knowing nothing of destiny! I only know that revenge is the best revenge! They have oppressed me for five hundred years, this hatred is irreconcilable! As for the backlash..."

He paused, and an arrogant aura that seemed to look down upon the world suddenly emanated from his suppressed and broken body.

"At worst, I'll fight to the death, my soul and spirit will perish! I'll show them that I, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, am not a pawn they can manipulate and control at will! My fate and my path are determined by myself!"

He raised his head, and despite being pressed down by the mountain, he seemed to still stand tall and upright, his voice resounding and powerful.

"If the sky tries to oppress me, I will cleave it in two! If the earth tries to bind me, I will shatter it! I was born free, who deserves to be above me?!"

Looking at the monkey before him, which remained proud and sharp even in dire straits and suffered endless torment, Lin Zhu felt a faint sense of relief.

He was relieved that the five hundred years of suppression had not truly extinguished Sun Wukong's fighting spirit and self, and had not turned him into a "Sun Xingzhe" who only knew how to obey fate and walk numbly.

The Monkey King, who dared to rebel against all injustice and challenge all authority, still has his soul at its core.

"Good ambition."

Lin Zhu gave a soft compliment and said no more.

After venting his anger, Sun Wukong calmed down a bit, but he was quick-witted and immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Lin Zhu's sudden appearance at Five Elements Mountain, which is under strict "guard" by the Buddhist sect, is definitely not just a simple visit. Based on his understanding of Lin Zhu, this person seems easygoing, but in reality, he is extremely methodical and has a very strong sense of purpose.

“Old Lin,” Sun Wukong said, his outward fierceness lessened, and he looked at Lin Zhu with a probing gaze.

"You came all this way just to bring me a drink and tell me I'll be out soon, didn't you? Is there... something else?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhu smiled faintly and asked a question instead of answering.

"Great Sage, do you know what you love most in your life?"

Sun Wukong was taken aback, and answered subconsciously.

"Peony peaches! Peaches from the Queen Mother of the West's Peach Garden! They're big, juicy, and full of spiritual energy. Eating just one can greatly increase your cultivation level. And the key is the taste..."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but swallow, a look of longing and yearning appearing in his eyes, but it quickly dimmed. Suppressed here, they couldn't even find wild fruit, let alone peaches. "Old Lin, you...you can't possibly get your hands on peaches?!"

He suddenly thought of something, and his eyes lit up again, full of anticipation.

Lin Zhu shook his head and smiled.

"The peaches of immortality are a precious treasure of the Heavenly Court, and the Queen Mother cherishes them. I don't have the ability to take them so easily. Besides, even if I had them, they would be mine. How could I give them to you for nothing?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong deflated like a punctured balloon, his shoulders slumped, and he muttered something.

"You're so stingy... Then why are you saying this? Are you trying to tempt me, Old Sun?"

"There are no peaches," Lin Zhu said abruptly, flipping his wrist to reveal a fruit in his palm.

The fruit was no bigger than a fist, and its shape was not perfectly round. Instead, it resembled a flower bud that had not fully bloomed. It was a deep and noble purple color, and its smooth surface shimmered with a faint, lustrous glow.

What's even more peculiar is that it wasn't still, but rather seemed to be alive, with wisps of purple mist slowly swirling inside, and an indescribable surge of spiritual energy that was many times purer and more powerful than the spirit wine from before.

Accompanied by a profound aura that points directly to the origin of the Great Dao, it quietly spread out, instantly overpowering the pervasive sense of Buddhist power erosion around Five Elements Mountain, and even the air seemed to become much fresher and more vibrant.

The moment the fruit appeared, Sun Wukong's eyes widened! His Fiery Eyes of Truth could clearly see the terrifying energy and fragments of the Great Dao contained within it—a treasure far surpassing the Peaches of Immortality, even more pure and superior than the Golden Elixir of Laozi that he had stolen years ago! Just the faint fragrance emanating from it caused his suppressed demonic power to surge and leap with jubilation! (End of Chapter)