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

Outside the South Heavenly Gate, the battle raged fiercely.

Sun Wukong wielded his golden cudgel, maneuvering swiftly and decisively, blocking left and right attacks.

He was met with attacks from seven star deities in turn.

These seven people are the seven eastern constellations of the Twenty-Eight Mansions: Horned Dragon, Neck Dragon, Root Badger, Room Rabbit, Heart Fox, Tail Tiger, and Winnowing Basket Leopard.

The Twenty-Eight Mansions are the elite fighting force of the Heavenly Court, possessing great supernatural powers and working in perfect harmony.

Besides the Seven Stars who are currently engaged in battle, other righteous gods from various departments are also continuously arriving to provide support.

The Thunder Department had already laid out a thunder array all around, and heavenly soldiers and generals surrounded it layer by layer, forming a net that completely trapped the monkey.

Despite being surrounded, no one was able to capture him for a time.

Although this monkey has only cultivated to the early stage of Taiyi Golden Immortal, its abilities are not to be underestimated.

Its supernatural powers are ever-changing, and when combined with that golden cudgel, the combat power it unleashes is so great that even a mid-stage Taiyi expert dares not easily take it head-on.

With each swing of the stick, the stars scattered.

They had already learned their lesson—this iron rod was deadly upon contact and wounding even when it grazed the body; it was something that could not be directly confronted.

Whenever the stars retreated, Wen Zhong would order the Heavenly Lords to unleash heavenly thunder to strike; but the monkey would wield his golden cudgel into a vortex, and the thunder would shatter upon contact, turning into streaks of fire that scattered in all directions.

The fierce battle had raged for a full hour in front of the South Heavenly Gate.

Wen Zhong felt a chill run down his spine: This Golden Monkey Grand Marshal truly lived up to his reputation; no wonder he could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Golden Crow as a brother. If it were an ordinary Taiyi Golden Immortal, he would have been captured and brought to justice in this first round of encirclement and suppression.

Half an incense stick's time later, he had already sent a letter to the Jade Emperor, requesting reinforcements.

Logically, they should have arrived by now.

Just as they were pondering, the Twenty-One Constellations appeared on the clouds, and they were the remaining members of the Twenty-Eight Constellations.

Following closely behind, the Nine Luminaries and the Twelve Divine Stars led 50,000 heavenly soldiers and generals in a massive invasion.

Before long, the four marshals of Lingxiao Palace—Wang Mo, Yang Sen, Gao Youqian, and Li Xingba—also arrived, each carrying their own magical treasures.

Seeing the monkey's staff flashing and its power astonishing, all the gods and generals looked surprised.

I had heard that his cultivation had reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal level, but I never expected him to be so brave.

At this moment, all twenty-eight constellations pressed forward, surrounding the monkey's head and launching a fierce attack.

The monkey showed no fear, swinging its golden cudgel like a windmill, blocking left and right, and not losing ground at all.

Upon seeing this, Wen Zhong raised his hand and gestured: "Set up the formation and prepare the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder."

A Thunder God advised in a low voice, "Grand Tutor, the Jade Emperor has ordered that this monkey be captured alive and brought to the Lingxiao Palace. If we use the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, I'm afraid..."

Wen Zhong's gaze swept over the figures leaping and fighting on the battlefield, and he said in a deep voice, "It's alright, you won't die. But remember—don't accidentally hurt your colleagues."

Upon receiving the order, the Heavenly Lord immediately joined forces with his colleagues to form hand seals.

The clouds in the sky trembled slightly, a faint blue light appeared, and wisps of divine lightning, gleaming with a cold light, began to condense and take shape.

In the center of the battle, Kang Jinlong seized an opening and, taking advantage of the moment when the stars were distracted, suddenly raised his sword and slashed at the monkey's head!

"clang--!"

Sparks flew wildly, and the clashing of metal rang out shrilly.

Kang Jinlong looked down and saw that a small nick had appeared in the divine knife in his hand. He was shocked: What a hard head!

The monkey, its head throbbing from the blow, roared and spun around to retaliate, sweeping its staff horizontally.

Kang Jinlong hastily raised his sword to block, but with a loud "boom," the divine weapon shattered, his tiger's mouth split open, and he was sent flying hundreds of feet away, a sweet taste rising in his throat.

Just as the monkey was about to give chase, the other constellations swarmed in, forcing it to withdraw and defend, stabilizing its position.

It should be noted that at this time he had not yet consumed the peaches of immortality or stolen the elixir of immortality, and his strength was far from reaching the peak he had when he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace.

Even an indestructible body is not perfect; it will still feel pain when struck, and may even be injured if it encounters strong weapons.

After a long and fierce battle, seeing more and more soldiers gathering in the sky, the monkey gradually felt the pressure and became anxious. Suddenly, he roared to the sky and swept his golden cudgel around, forcing back the enemies attacking from all sides.

Taking advantage of the gap, it transformed into a golden light and shot straight towards the South Heavenly Gate!

However, the heavenly soldiers had already sealed off all sides, and when they saw the enemy advance, thousands of weapons rained down like a torrential downpour.

Even with a strong physique, one feels a surge of blood and qi, and a tightness in the chest. Although no wounds are visible, it is extremely difficult to endure.

What's particularly troublesome is that these celestial soldiers are connected by their magical powers, forming a "Heavenly Net" formation. They are highly skilled in daily practice, wielding their weapons with unparalleled precision, and are staggered in front and behind without interfering with each other.

As soon as the front row's attack subsided, the back row immediately took over, layer upon layer, like an endless tide.

The monkey was eventually forced to retreat, and as soon as it regained its footing, the Twenty-Eight Mansions surrounded it again, and the sounds of battle shook the heavens.

At this moment, the Nine Luminaries, who had been observing for a long time, finally joined the battle, taking part in the constellation's camp and working together to annihilate them.

Suddenly, a dark cloud appeared on the horizon, rushing towards them and closing in in an instant.

The dark clouds dispersed, revealing two figures—both riding one-horned black smoke beasts, arriving through the air.

The two landed and bowed to Wen Zhong, saying, "Grand Tutor, we have come to assist in the battle on the orders of the Great Heavenly Venerable."

It was none other than Zhang Kui, the Seven Killings Star Lord, and his wife, Gao Lanying, the Peach Blossom Star Lord.

These two were also renowned and fierce generals.

In the ancient War of the Investiture of the Gods, Zhang Kui was a general of the Shang Dynasty, guarding Mianchi. He and his wife possessed extraordinary magical powers, and together they slew the five sacred mountain gods. The current Emperor of the Eastern Peak, Huang Feihu, was killed by them…

In addition, he killed Tu Xingsun and Deng Yuchan, and captured Yang Jian alive twice, which made him a formidable figure in the Zhou camp.

Unfortunately, he was ultimately outmaneuvered by Yang Jian, who murdered his mother and slaughtered his mount, the Unicorn Black Smoke Beast, causing him to lose his composure and ultimately meet his demise.

After his death, he was listed as a deity and appointed as a star lord.

Upon seeing his arrival, Wen Zhong's face lit up with joy: "Zhang Kui, you've come at the perfect time! Order the Twenty-Eight Constellations and the Nine Luminaries to temporarily withdraw. You will go forward and engage in close combat, finding an opening for me to unleash the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder."

Zhang Kui nodded in agreement, then turned to his wife and said, "My lady, you should make the first move. I will meet the enemy first. You should seize the opportunity to use your Golden Needles and not miss it."

No sooner had he finished speaking than he let out a sudden shout, spurred his mount with his knees, and the black clouds surged and transformed into a streak of jet-black lightning, instantly charging into the center of the battlefield.

"All colleagues, please step aside for now. Zhang Kui is here!"

Before he could finish speaking, the long sword in his hand struck down like lightning, slamming into the monkey's neck.

With a loud clang, the blade collided with the body, sparks flying everywhere.

The monkey's head was slightly tilted, and a white mark was clearly visible on its neck.

Zhang Kui's pupils contracted, only then realizing that the monkey's physical strength was no less than that of Yuan Hong, the former leader of the Seven Sages of Meishan.

But he showed no fear, instead swinging his sword even faster, the force of his blade like a surging river, continuous and unending. His unicorn-like beast swirled with smoke as it moved, creating a dense mass of figures, as if a thousand troops were attacking simultaneously. Seeing this, the Twenty-Eight Constellations retreated, knowing Zhang Kui's prowess and happy to remain uninvolved.

At the height of the battle, Gao Lanying stood on a cloud and finally found an opening. She took the red gourd off her back, opened the seal, and aimed it at the monkey's eyes.

As the incantation was softly recited, forty-nine thin golden rays shot out from the gourd's mouth in an instant, aiming straight for its eyes.

The monkey was suddenly alert and hastily used its arm to shield its face, taking Zhang Kui's knife while protecting its eyes.

A clang of metal rang out as the golden needles pierced his arm, forcing him to retreat repeatedly.

Wen Zhong's eyes turned cold, and he raised his hand, shouting sharply, "Nine Heavens Divine Thunder—Descend!"

The order was as firm as a mountain; thunder roared in the heavens above, and a thick bolt of blue lightning struck down from the sky, its power like a world-destroying divine punishment.

Just as the monkey lowered his arm, he saw the lightning bolt descending upon him, and his expression changed slightly.

Just then, a heavenly soldier cried out in alarm. Several heavenly soldiers rose into the air, and a figure burst through the void.

This person moved with the speed of a phantom, appearing as soon as he lunged at Qing Lei, swinging his bamboo staff—

The seven-colored light flashed and disappeared in an instant.

With a light tap of the staff, the devastating pillar of lightning crumbled and vanished into nothingness, transforming into countless electric snakes.

"The Nine Heavens Divine Thunder...it can actually be broken?!"

Even Wen Zhong's expression changed.

Immediately afterwards, the man twisted his wrist, causing the bamboo staff to curl back, and the scattered lightning actually converged in reverse, rushing back towards the gods of the Heavenly Court!

The Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Thunder Gods, the Nine Luminaries, the Twelve Earthly Branches, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Seven Killings Star, and the Peach Blossom Star Lord all paled in fear.

They knew that this lightning specifically harmed the primordial spirit, containing the power of the Heavenly Dao, and that even a trace of it could lead to the destruction of one's soul.

"Thunder God, weave a net to protect all beings!"

Wen Zhong pulled hard on the reins of the black unicorn and gave a stern command.

The twenty-four Thunder Gods simultaneously unleashed their magical treasures, and the lightning nets instantly expanded, intertwining to form a curtain that enveloped all the heavenly soldiers and star officials.

A bolt of lightning struck the net, crackling loudly, but was absorbed and broken down by the strange materials within the net, ultimately harming no one.

The gods secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Wen Zhong took the opportunity to look down at the battlefield and saw the person who had suddenly entered. His gaze suddenly sharpened.

He shouted in a deep voice, "Emperor Tai! Do not remain obstinate! That monkey killed the Martial Virtue Star Lord, violating the Heavenly Rules. If you protect him, you are accomplices! If you are willing to repent, you can still plead your case before the Great Heavenly Venerable!"

By this time, the monkey had recovered and gave a wry smile: "Brother, if you had come any later, I, Old Sun, would have really become roast meat."

Ye Feng smiled faintly, looked him up and down, and seeing that he was alright, nodded and said, "He's quite a tough-skinned monkey."

The monkey was so angry it bared its teeth and almost jumped up and down.

What kind of praise is that?

Ye Feng looked up, cupped his hands, and smiled: "Grand Tutor Wen, it's been a long time. But surrendering is not an option. Please convey to the Great Heavenly Venerable that the Heavenly Palace is too restrictive, and I will return to the mortal realm for a while. As for the matter of Lord Wude, he is already dead, so it's not a big deal. If the Heavenly Court changes its mind in the future, prepares sufficient ceremonial regalia, and personally goes to Flower Fruit Mountain to invite him, then we may be able to discuss it again."

During his time in Heaven, he made many friends and had pleasant conversations with several immortals, but Wen Zhong was not among them.

The two had only met a few times and were just casual acquaintances.

The reason for this is that Wen Zhong is a righteous god designated by the Investiture of the Gods. He is bound by the list and has many official duties. Even if he is on good terms with Ye Feng, he still has to obey the Jade Emperor's decree without any room for maneuver.

Upon hearing this, Wen Zhong ceased his persuasion and coldly stated, "Since the Emperor is so determined, I have nothing more to say. However, a net has already been laid outside the Southern Heavenly Gate. Does Your Majesty truly believe you can escape unscathed?"

Ye Feng smiled faintly, unconcerned: "Whether you can leave or not isn't something you can just say."

Having said that, he carefully tucked the bamboo staff back into his sleeve, section by section, and then flicked his sleeve—

Clang!

A blinding golden light burst forth, accompanied by a clear and melodious sword cry that resounded throughout the nine heavens.

A golden crow phantom rose up from behind him, its wings spread, its radiance illuminating the thirty-three heavens. The intense light was like the sun burning the sky, and even the righteous gods such as Wen Zhong had to raise their hands to shield their eyes.

An ancient sword appeared in Ye Feng's hand, its blade exuding a sense of vastness, antiquity, nobility, and chilling killing intent.

Around the sword blade, the void seemed to be kneaded by an invisible force, ripples of distortion spreading across it.

The approaching monkey shuddered suddenly, letting out a mournful howl. Its fur stood on end, as if it had encountered a natural enemy, and it instinctively retreated rapidly.