Journey to the West: I am the fiercest bird under Bodhi's seat

He glanced around indifferently, and the heavenly soldiers retreated, making way for an open space.

Even Marshal Tianyou was terrified, and instinctively took a step back after being glanced at by Ye Feng.

This Thai king is so powerful that he is almost comparable to the King of Gouchen!

Tianyou felt a bitter taste in his throat and was filled with remorse, feeling as if he had taken on a death mission.

The monkey below stared in disbelief, nearly dropping the golden cudgel it was carrying on its shoulder.

This senior brother... is too fierce!

Ye Feng's gaze was icy as he looked at Marshal Tianyou, his voice calm yet utterly authoritative: "You, still intend to stop this Emperor?"

Tianyou looked fearful.

He and Yi Sheng were both at the early stage of Taiyi Golden Immortal. He originally thought that even if Ye Feng was slightly stronger, he could still hold his own with the help of the formation and the heavenly soldiers.

Unexpectedly, the gap was as wide as an insurmountable chasm; they were not even on the same level.

They are now in a dilemma, caught between a rock and a hard place.

He gritted his teeth, his figure retreating rapidly, leaping into the ranks of the heavenly soldiers, and roared loudly, "Form an array—Heavenly Net!"

Fifty thousand heavenly soldiers and generals immediately responded, their magical powers connected, their auras intertwined, and they condensed into a vast light screen, sealing off the void in all directions.

Seeing this, Ye Feng frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Wukong, let's go."

He took a step forward, striking before the heavenly soldiers' magical power could be fully integrated.

He sheathed the Heaven-Slaying Halberd in his sleeve, and a bamboo staff appeared in his hand. He slashed down from the sky, striking the key link between the heavenly soldiers' magical power and his own.

Do not underestimate these heavenly soldiers.

They were all elites of the Heavenly Court, each possessing profound magical power. Even ordinary soldiers had abilities close to those of immortals, and some heavenly generals had even reached the threshold of earthly immortals.

Because they practice the same offensive techniques, their magical powers can communicate with each other. Once the formation is complete, it is like a vast ocean, endless and boundless.

Whenever a demon is subdued, heavenly soldiers scatter into the void, sealing off heaven and earth. Even a demon king at the Taiyi Golden Immortal level would find it difficult to break through the formation.

Their combined power is as vast as an abyss, extremely difficult to break.

As recorded in the old Journey to the West, the army's power was evident in both the siege of Flower Fruit Mountain and the suppression of the Bull Demon King.

In the past, Erlang Shen manifested himself and fought a great battle with the Monkey King. Heavenly soldiers surrounded the mountain, and in the end, only the Monkey King escaped, while the rest were all wiped out.

The reason he was able to escape that fight was entirely because the monkey was skilled in the Seventy-Two Transformations and, while fighting Erlang Shen, he sensed something was wrong and withdrew in time.

The Bull Demon King's battle at Flaming Mountain was different. Even after revealing his true form, he was still completely surrounded by the "Heavenly Net" laid out by the heavenly soldiers. In the end, Li Jing used the Demon-Revealing Mirror to freeze his body, and Nezha beheaded him with his spear before he was captured.

At this moment, Ye Feng frowned slightly as he looked at the heavenly soldiers and generals arrayed in the air.

But he wasn't as reckless as a monkey. During his month-long stay in the Heavenly Court, besides getting to know various immortals, he devoted himself most to investigating the true nature of the Heavenly Palace.

He had already figured out the flaws in this "Heavenly Net" formation.

With a sudden strike of his bamboo staff, he aimed straight for the core of the formation. In an instant, a burst of seven-colored light exploded, and with a deafening roar, a thousand heavenly soldiers were sent flying backward, tearing a gap in the great formation.

Ye Feng and the monkey transformed into streaks of light almost simultaneously, speeding away from the crack.

Marshal Tianyou raised his hand to stop them, but remembering how fierce Ye Feng's attack had been, his heart trembled and he instinctively retreated, only able to watch the two streaks of light disappear into the distance.

As soon as he escaped the encirclement, Ye Feng suddenly stopped.

The monkey, surprised, also stopped and said, "If we don't escape now, when will we?"

Ye Feng's expression was solemn: "The matter has been exposed. You killed Wu De Xingjun, how could the Heavenly Court let it go? Now the South Heavenly Gate must have set up an ambush. If we go there rashly, we will have a nine-out-of-ten chance of death."

The monkey was greatly alarmed upon hearing this: "Senior brother, what should we do?"

This time, he stayed in Heaven for much longer than before, and was appointed as the Golden Monkey Grand Marshal. He came into contact with a higher level of deities and gained a deep understanding of the true strength of Heaven.

Take, for example, Wang Lingguan, the leader of the five hundred spirit officials; his cultivation level is comparable to his. The two had sparred several times before when they were assisting in the defense of the palaces, and all the matches ended in a draw.

Therefore, he knew that once surrounded, there would be no way out.

Seeing his fear, Ye Feng chuckled inwardly—this was exactly the effect he wanted.

He patted the monkey on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Don't panic, Wukong. Although the situation is critical, I'm still here. You go straight to the South Heavenly Gate, and I'll handle the pursuers."

The monkey was stunned, and tears welled up in its eyes: "Senior brother! I've dragged you into this... But how will you escape danger after I get away?"

Ye Feng smiled calmly: "Not to boast, but unless the Jade Emperor himself comes, no one in the Heavenly Court can imprison me."

Upon hearing this, the monkey felt his blood boil and felt Ye Feng's figure grow even taller. He vowed in his heart: after returning to Flower Fruit Mountain, he would definitely go into seclusion to cultivate diligently and never be a burden to his senior brother again.

Unbeknownst to him, the moment Ye Feng patted his back, a golden talisman had quietly been affixed to his spine.

This talisman is called the "Golden Sun Talisman," and it contains a drop of Ye Feng's essence blood. Once activated, it will make the talisman holder shine brightly when flying, just like the blazing sun in the sky.

Ye Feng's expression turned serious: "Stop babbling! Get going!"

The monkey, with tears in its eyes, clasped its hands in a gesture of respect and said, "Take care, senior brother!"

Having said that, he rode the clouds and mist, heading straight for the South Heavenly Gate.

Watching him disappear into the distance, Ye Feng's lips curled into a cold smile. Only after confirming that the figure had completely vanished did he gently shake his head.

"When will this stupid monkey ever learn to be a little smarter?"

Seeing that no one was around, he lightly brushed his face with his sleeve, and his appearance changed instantly—his hair and beard turned as white as snow, and his face became kind and gentle, transforming him into an old man.

With a flick of his bamboo staff, it transformed into a whisk.

It was clearly the image of Venus.

He chuckled and rode the clouds slowly toward a certain place deep within the Heavenly Palace.

Meanwhile, the monkey sped along, and before long, it could see the majestic outline of the South Heavenly Gate.

He was secretly delighted: Once he stepped out of this door, the world would be vast and he could roam freely!

At that very moment, he suddenly felt an unbearable burning sensation on his back, and a burst of golden light erupted from his body, instantly illuminating the heavens and shaking the entire celestial palace.

The four Heavenly Kings guarding the South Heavenly Gate all paled and looked up in surprise, asking, "What has happened?"

Meanwhile, Wen Zhong was leading the Twenty-Four Heavenly Kings in searching for Ye Feng and the monkey when suddenly a golden light shot into the sky. He immediately shouted, "It's the light of the Golden Crow! Heavenly Kings, follow me to intercept them! We must stop them before they leave!"

Before he finished speaking, he turned and mounted the black Qilin, leading his men in a swift pursuit.

The monkey instantly realized what was happening, its expression changed drastically, and it roared in anger:

"My senior brother tricked me!"

With a swift tug, a golden talisman was torn off, still gleaming brightly.

He hurriedly blew out the talisman's light, his face contorted in pain.

He understood that he had become the target of everyone's criticism.

Right now, the only option is to give it our all and break through the South Heavenly Gate!

Gritting his teeth, he urged the somersault cloud forward, accelerating once again.

When the Four Heavenly Kings saw the Golden Monkey Marshal rushing from the palace, they hesitated for a moment: should they stop him or not?

They were unaware that something had changed deep within the Heavenly Palace.

Just as they hesitated, thunderclouds surged and rolled in from the horizon. A figure riding a black Qilin arrived swiftly from the center—it was Wen Zhong, the Nine Heavens Responding to the Origin and Universal Transformation Heavenly Venerable. He pointed ahead and shouted sternly, "Four Heavenly Kings, don't let that monkey escape!"

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly King of Growth was startled and instinctively summoned his magical treasure—a sword shimmering with azure light. This sword could cut through iron like mud, and was invincible in slaying demons and monsters; it could even cut through red gold and black iron in one slash.

The monkey was charging forward with all its might when it suddenly saw the cold light piercing its face. It roared angrily, "King Zengguang, how dare you stop me?"

Before he finished speaking, he reached up to his ear, and instantly grasped the golden cudgel, sweeping it horizontally with earth-shattering force.

With a loud clang, the azure sword was knocked away and disappeared without a trace.

Taking advantage of this opening, the other three Heavenly Kings attacked simultaneously. The Heavenly King Guangmu took out his jade pipa, lightly plucked the strings, and melodious celestial music flowed forth. The sound waves entered the soul, bewitching and confusing the mind; even the arrogant monkey was momentarily stunned, his movements slowing.

Seeing an opportunity, the Heavenly King Vaisravana stepped forward and summoned the Primordial Umbrella. Adorned with rare treasures, pearls and agates shimmered and sparkled. Once unfurled, it revealed a vast and indistinct world within. A powerful suction force suddenly erupted, drawing the dazed monkey into it.

The four worked together seamlessly, their steps perfectly linked, and they couldn't help but exchange a smile.

Although he was only at the late stage of the Celestial Immortal realm, comparable to the Dragon King of the Lower Realm, their combined strength and the power of their magical treasures were unmatched even by ordinary Taiyi Golden Immortals. They had guarded the Southern Heavenly Gate for many years without ever losing a shred of it.

The Heavenly King of Vaishravana silently chanted an incantation, intending to retract the umbrella into his hand. Unexpectedly, the umbrella suddenly stopped halfway, and a golden light pierced out from within the umbrella fabric—it was an iron rod that burst out of the umbrella. Immediately afterward, a flash of light appeared, and the monkey's figure reappeared.

"My umbrella!" Vaisravana cried out in anguish. This treasure was forged with his life's blood and sweat, and its repair would require countless precious materials. Now that it was broken, how could he not feel heartbroken?

Wen Zhong was hot on his heels, and the monkey, growing impatient, turned red in the eyes and charged straight at the Four Heavenly Kings.

"Get out of my way if you don't want to die!"

With a roar, the golden cudgel swept across the sky, the shockwave churning the clouds and dissipating all the spiritual energy around the South Heavenly Gate. The four of them were startled and hurriedly dodged.

"Boom!" The giant club smashed into the pillar of the Southern Heavenly Gate, sending rubble flying and causing the thousand-foot-tall gate to tilt. The monkey was secretly delighted at the sight and was about to escape.

But at that moment, as the Heavenly King Dhritarashtra retreated, he suddenly loosened his grip, and the ferret fox in his arms leaped out of the air, pouncing on the monkey and biting his hand. This beast was an ancient and exotic species, capable of devouring immortals and gods, and had caused the deaths of many immortals during the Investiture of the Gods.

The monkey, in pain, struggled to shake off the attack, but a piece of its fur had already been bitten off, and its knuckles were red and swollen. Enraged, the ferret pounced again with lightning speed, and the golden cudgel repeatedly missed its target.

The monkey snorted coldly, its whole body trembled, and a clear whistle ripped through the sky.

In an instant, it transformed into a giant bird, its entire body pitch black, with wingspans reaching hundreds of feet, nine heads side by side, and eyes blazing like torches—it was none other than the ancient ferocious bird, Guiche!

This clan once dominated the primordial world, feared by all beasts, even the Qilin became their prey, and minor demons and strange beasts would tremble at the mere mention of their name. Their clan leader was once a subordinate of Donghuang Taiyi, one of the ten great demon gods of the primordial world, and his power shook the three realms.

The cry suddenly rang out, and the ferret, as if encountering its natural enemy, went limp and was instantly seized by the ferret's sharp claws. Its nine heads pecked at it, tearing it apart and devouring it in an instant.

"My sable!" King Dhritarashtra cried out in shock, his heart breaking.

The Primordial Umbrella can be reforged, but this Flower Fox Sable is the only one of its kind; once it perishes, it will never reappear.

The ghost folded its wings and transformed back into its monkey form, about to burst out of the Southern Heavenly Gate.

"Boom!"

A deafening roar echoed through the sky as a colossal net of lightning descended from the heavens, enveloping the entire Southern Heavenly Gate. The monkey halted abruptly, too afraid to force his way through.

Looking back, he saw that Wen Zhong and the Twenty-Four Heavenly Kings of the Thunder Department had spread out their formation and surrounded him.

Wen Zhong angrily rebuked, "Golden Monkey General, your sins are heinous! Surrender now!"