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

His scalp tingled, and an indescribable fear welled up in his heart—the aura of this sword was even more terrifying than the one he had seen in the underworld.

It's not surprising. The Demon Emperor Sword and the Primordial Chaos Heaven-Slaying Sword are both top-tier divine weapons. Although one is innate and the other is acquired, their power is roughly equal.

The only difference is that the Demon Emperor Sword was specifically designed to counter the immortal bodies of the Witch Clan from the very beginning, which happens to be a perfect counter to beings with strong physical bodies like monkeys.

His senses were thus heightened, and he could almost hear the tremors emanating from the depths of his bloodline.

He muttered to himself, "Where did my senior brother get such a divine item this time? Adding to the one from before, he has so many treasures that it makes people envious."

He looked down at the iron bar in his hand and sighed inwardly. Indeed, comparisons are odious.

In the distance, Wen Zhong slowly lowered his arm, his gaze falling on the long sword that shimmered with golden light. He was first stunned, then his expression changed drastically.

"The Demon Emperor's Sword? You trespassed into the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury... How dare you... How dare you!" His voice trembled, and before he could finish speaking, he was already burning with rage, his beard and hair standing on end.

Ye Feng chuckled lightly, "Now, do you think I can still leave?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and summoned the Demon Emperor Sword. In an instant, killing intent soared to the sky, and its cold light shone everywhere. With a flick of his wrist, a sword light that pierced through heaven and earth slashed down, heading straight for the Southern Heavenly Gate!

"Be careful!"

Wen Zhong shouted a warning, but it was too late.

The Demon Emperor Sword, dormant for millennia, unleashed its earth-shattering power upon its emergence. This sword strike was as if the very essence of Heaven itself had descended; wherever its light reached, gods, immortals, demons, Buddhas, and witches were annihilated. All living beings before it were as fragile as paper, utterly vulnerable.

The heavenly soldiers on that side instantly changed color, their entire bodies enveloped in golden light.

The next instant, the golden light landed, and more than 30,000 heavenly soldiers were reduced to ashes. A large area in front of the South Heavenly Gate was instantly turned into a desolate wasteland.

Even with a net stretching to the heavens and the earth, what good is it?

Faced with absolute power, even celestial soldiers are ultimately too fragile.

Before the South Heavenly Gate, the lightning net laid down by the Thunder Department was still there, but wherever the golden sword light swept past, all the lightning in the sky was annihilated, offering no resistance whatsoever.

The four Heavenly Kings outside the door changed their expressions drastically, cried out in alarm, and dared not linger. They all rose up in their escape lights and fled for their lives.

boom--!

The deafening roar reverberated through the heavens, and could be clearly heard even in the distant Lingxiao Palace.

The Southern Heavenly Gate, which had stood for countless years, was split in two. As the sword light fell, the gate collapsed, and the majestic pass, built of jade stones from the heavens, could no longer withstand such power.

However, the sword's momentum did not stop. The moment it severed the South Heavenly Gate, the sword light suddenly split, transforming into thousands of fine, golden sword energies that rolled back, instantly raining down like rain, their target the remaining heavenly soldiers and star lords.

Wen Zhong roared, "Be careful! This sword energy is imbued with the True Fire of the Sun; do not let it touch you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled the black Qilin sharply, wielding his double whips like wheels to protect his entire body, making it impenetrable.

The stars and celestial deities each used their supernatural powers to resist with all their might.

Zhang Kui, the Seven Killings Star Lord, pulled his wife onto the One-Horned Cloud Beast, clamped his legs together, and the cloud soared into the sky, disappearing in an instant, even the rain of swords couldn't catch up.

The other celestial beings and stars do not possess this supernatural power and can only endure it.

Lou Jingou stood at the front and barely managed to block two sword energies. When the third one came, his protective magic shattered, and the sword light pierced his left shoulder, causing him to spit out blood.

Gui Jin Yang also groaned and staggered backward, his abdomen pierced, and he vomited blood incessantly.

If they were like this, one can only imagine how the other constellations fared. As the sword energy raged, screams filled the air, and countless people were wounded.

Even the Thunder Gods began to struggle.

All the gods and Buddhas in the sky were rendered breathless by Ye Feng's sword.

He smiled broadly, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect while holding his sword, and said loudly, "Gentlemen, farewell. Now that you've made it onto the Investiture of the Gods, even if you perish in body and spirit today, as long as your true spirit remains, you will eventually be resurrected. When we drink together tomorrow, please don't hold grudges."

Amidst laughter, he beckoned to the monkey, and the two of them disappeared through the half of the South Heavenly Gate that had not yet completely collapsed, vanishing in an instant.

Ye Feng and the monkey broke free, their escape light suddenly accelerating as they sped towards the lower realm.

Although the Celestial Realm is above the Four Continents, its space is extremely special, and it can only be entered and exited through the Celestial Gate.

The Heavenly Court does not have only one entrance; it has Heavenly Gates on the east, west, and north sides.

However, those three gates are closed year-round and protected by barriers, making them impassable.

The South Heavenly Gate is the only passageway.

This is why Ye Feng only cleaved it in half—if the entire South Heavenly Gate were destroyed, he and the monkey would be trapped in the Heavenly Palace, and the only way to return to the mortal realm would be to forcibly break through space.

But the space within the Heavenly Palace was incredibly stable...

Ye Feng curled his lip, thinking to himself: those below the Quasi-Saint level, don't even think about it.

The two moved at great speed, plummeting vertically after leaving the celestial realm, passing through the layer of thunder and fire, and suddenly their vision opened up to a clear blue sky with no obstructions.

After determining their location, the two took off on a cloud towards Flower Fruit Mountain.

After flying for more than an hour, the distant peaks were covered in lush greenery, and Huaguo Mountain was already faintly visible.

As soon as they descended from the clouds, the monkey soldiers patrolling the mountain noticed and shouted, "Grandpa's back! Great-Grandpa's back too!"

After landing, the two looked around and saw that the scenery of Huaguo Mountain remained the same, with green mountains and clear waters flowing as before, just as it had been when they parted years ago.

The monkeys escorted them toward the Water Curtain Cave. In no time, the news spread like wildfire throughout the entire mountain. The Four Great Monkey Generals and the Seventy-Two Cave Demon Kings all rushed over, and even the Black Bear Spirit hurriedly arrived.

Compared to the past, there are many more unfamiliar faces. In addition to the four monkey generals who have attained immortality, the black bear spirit, and the various demon kings, many monkeys who were still young in the past have now grown up and are strong and healthy.

Fortunately, Wukong had taught them some cultivation methods before, so the monkeys were able to cultivate continuously. Also, since their names had been removed from the Book of Life and Death, as long as their cultivation was sufficient, they could remain young forever.

For example, the old ape who looked quite old when he left has not only not declined, but now appears to be full of energy and vitality.

A banquet was set up inside the Water Curtain Cave, with clear wine, platters full of fruits, and a large group of monkeys gathered to welcome the two kings.

After drinking the third cup, the old ape rose and asked with a smile, "Great King, Great King, you two have been gone for over forty years. What positions do you hold in Heaven? Are you so carefree and happy that you've even forgotten us, your children and grandchildren?"

The monkeys all looked curious upon hearing this.

The black bear spirit listened intently. Among the demons, there were two opposing views on the Heavenly Court: one group scorned it, regarding Heaven as a place of humiliation and subservience; the other group, like monkeys, valued titles and positions, believing that holding a post in the Heavenly Palace was a glorious achievement for their family.

Although the Black Bear Spirit came from the mountains, he practiced Buddhism and did not reject the Heavenly Court. Given the opportunity, he might very well be willing to join the ranks of immortals.

Of course, if someone is subdued by Guanyin Bodhisattva to become a minor deity who guards the mountains and forests, that's a different story.

Wukong was taken aback upon hearing this and asked in surprise, "It's been over forty years since my senior brother and I left?"

Ye Feng chuckled and replied, "One day in heaven is one year on earth. We stayed in the heavenly realm for a little over a month, while forty-three years have already passed on earth."

Wukong suddenly realized and couldn't help but marvel at how different the order of time in the world truly was.

He then waved his hand and laughed, "It's not exactly an important position, just being named 'Golden Monkey Grand Marshal,' which is barely acceptable. But my senior brother got the title of 'Emperor Tai,' how impressive!"

The black bear spirit immediately stood up and said, "Since that's the case, why don't you two stay in the Heavenly Palace and enjoy yourselves instead of returning?"

Wukong glanced at Ye Feng furtively, and seeing that Ye Feng remained calm and made no move to respond, he shook his head and said, "Don't mention it. The Heavenly Court appears glorious on the surface, but it is actually narrow-minded. That Martial Virtue Star Lord has a long-standing feud with me, and he has been making things difficult for me at every turn. In a fit of anger, I killed him with my staff, and had no choice but to rebel against the Southern Heavenly Gate—which implicated my senior brother."

Ye Feng smiled and said, "Since you call me Senior Brother, we should share both good and bad fortune. If you leave, how can I, alone in the Heavenly Court, peacefully be that 'Great Emperor'?"

Upon hearing this, Wukong felt a surge of warmth in his heart and was speechless with emotion.

The Black Bear Spirit nodded and said, "Now that we have killed the Star Lord, the Heavenly Court will certainly not let it go. But with the divine powers of Your Majesty and Master, why should we fear their heavenly soldiers and generals? Why not set up our own sect on Flower Fruit Mountain and live a carefree life?"

His gaze was intense as he proposed, "I've heard that in ancient times, the Heavenly Court was originally ruled by my demon race. Now that you, sir, are an incarnation of the Golden Crow and have the title of 'Great Emperor Tai,' why not establish another Heavenly Court on Flower Fruit Mountain to rival that Heavenly Court? Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

The four monkey generals were greatly moved upon hearing this and all stood up to agree.

He thought to himself: If the Great King really establishes a Heavenly Court here, we can be appointed as Heavenly Kings and Marshals, and become powerful and influential in the region. What an honor!

The old ape slapped his hand on the table and exclaimed, "Excellent! Excellent! This is the right thing for the two kings to do. However, Your Majesty's supernatural powers are unparalleled, and calling yourself 'Grand Marshal' is a bit of an understatement. How about changing your title—since Your Majesty is called 'Emperor Tai,' why doesn't Your Majesty call yourself 'Emperor Equal to Heaven,' to echo that title? What do you say?"

Wukong's eyes lit up, and his heart skipped a beat.

Back when he was in the Heavenly Palace, he was quite envious of the title "Emperor Tai".

At this moment, the Black Bear Spirit added, "The title 'Great Emperor' is an old system of the Heavenly Court. I have heard that many powerful demons in ancient times used the title 'Saint'. There was a saying of the Ten Great Demon Saints during the primordial era. Why don't you follow the example of the sages and change your title to 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven', and the Great King can be called 'Great Sage Supreme Emperor', to show that you have a different origin from the Heavenly Court."

Upon hearing this, Wukong was overjoyed, saying, "Brother, what you say is exactly what I wanted to hear."

It should be noted that when the nine demon kings swore brotherhood, Ye Feng specially brought in the Black Bear Spirit to make up the numbers in order to counterbalance the Bull Demon King's faction.

Before the demons arrived, the Black Bear Spirit knew his place and dared not rashly address Ye Feng and Wukong as brothers.

But now the situation has changed, and Wukong can call him brother without any problem.

He silently repeated the four characters "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" several times, and a surge of joy welled up in his heart. He suddenly leaped up and proclaimed loudly, "Excellent! From now on, I, Old Sun, will be called the Great Sage Equal to Heaven! Children, quickly make a large banner and hang my name up so that the Three Realms will know that a Great Sage has emerged from Flower Fruit Mountain!"

His gaze shifted to the black bear spirit, and he grinned, "Brother, your skills are not weak either. Now that I have bestowed upon you the title of Great Sage, you should also have a resounding name."

The black bear spirit scratched his head and smiled憨厚ly: "Then... I'll call myself the Black Wind Great Sage."

The demons had reached a decision, and all their gazes turned to Ye Feng. Wukong clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Senior brother, now that our Flower Fruit Mountain is strong and well-equipped, why not pledge allegiance to you, raise the banner of the legitimate demon race, rebel against the Heavenly Court, and establish our own kingdom? Wouldn't that be exhilarating?"

The other demons looked at him with gleaming eyes and anticipation.

Ye Feng slowly sipped his wine, his expression indifferent, and said nothing.

Looking at the group of enthusiastic monsters, he sighed silently in his heart.

What a bunch of stupid idiots who don't know what's good for them.

How could they possibly know the true power and resources of the Heavenly Court? Yet they themselves knew perfectly well.

The monkey calls himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, which sounds arrogant, but in the eyes of the Jade Emperor and his ilk, it's nothing more than a monkey show, at most making people laugh, and it won't alarm a real powerful being to take action to suppress him.

Moreover, he had previously shown off his bamboo staff to the Jade Emperor, implying that he had a sage backing him up, which would naturally make the other party wary.

But if they were to actually raise the banner of the ancient demon court—that would be tantamount to flipping the table.

That's like lighting a lamp in a latrine—pure suicide!