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

The skilled craftsmen of the Ministry of Works built a magnificent mansion in half a day.

With its carved beams and painted rafters, the building exudes a magnificent aura, and the plaque above it bears the five characters "Qi Tian Da Sheng Fu" (Great Sage Equal to Heaven), which are strikingly eye-catching.

Venus then led him to recognize all the officials in the two departments of the palace, and all the celestial officials, large and small, came to pay homage and obey his orders.

In addition, the Jade Emperor bestowed upon him two jugs of jade liquor, ten golden flowers, and a set of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven's official robe.

The monkey was so happy that it danced with joy, almost forgetting itself.

Ye Feng also received a reward.

Five jars of imperial wine, ten pieces of jade, and twenty golden flowers were all sent to the Thai royal palace.

Ye Feng, however, did not care about any of this.

He knew in his heart that this trip to heaven was probably the last time he would stay in the heavenly palace for an extended period.

Although the Heavenly Court is magnificent and solemn, it is ultimately very restrictive and far less free and unrestrained than the Water Curtain Cave of Flower and Fruit Mountain.

If the entire Thai Grand Palace could truly be moved down to earth and settled in this blessed land of sacred mountains—that would be the best possible outcome.

As he pondered this, he stepped into his own palace.

Before the palace, the Sun Star Lord and the Pleiades Star Official had been leading a group of celestial officials in waiting for a long time.

Upon seeing him appear, everyone bowed in unison, saying, "Welcome back to the Emperor's residence."

Ye Feng chuckled and waved his hand, indicating that everyone should not stand on ceremony.

The Sun Star Lord then presented the Crimson Sun Token with both hands, his expression solemn: "Your Majesty, please accept this treasure."

Ye Feng felt a headache as soon as he saw this thing.

Previously, he had been presiding over the sunrise and sunset every day, which was extremely tedious and he had long complained about it.

He then smiled and said, "This Emperor has just returned to the Heavenly Realm and still needs to adjust his divine soul and rest. You will temporarily keep this token, and I will also trouble you to take over the duties of the Sun God for a period of time."

The Sun Star Lord nodded in agreement and did not refuse. He simply led the way respectfully and invited him into the palace.

Ye Feng was very familiar with the Thai Royal Palace. Stepping into the inner hall, he saw that the furnishings were exactly as they had been, spotless, clearly indicating that they were regularly and meticulously maintained.

He couldn't help but smile and praise, "You haven't wasted any time at all."

From then on, Ye Feng and the monkey settled down in the Heavenly Court once again.

However, this time, neither of them held real power and they became true "free spirits".

They decided to wander through the Thirty-Six Heavens together, spending their days doing nothing and living a carefree life.

Ye Feng was especially extreme – he even delegated all his original duties to his subordinates, completely washing his hands of the matter.

Every day, he would take his monkey to visit relatives and friends, drink and chat, living a carefree life like an immortal.

Now that they hold such high status, even if the immortals are unwilling, they dare not offend them easily.

This only fueled their arrogant and unrestrained behavior, making them even more reckless.

Not long after their deaths, Emperor Gouchen also received a secret report.

The hall was quiet. He summoned Marshal Tianyou and took out an object from his bosom—a flawless, pure white jade bowl.

The rim of the bowl was shrouded in mist, faintly revealing a chilling and eerie atmosphere that made people uneasy.

"Find a celestial official loyal to our side and secretly deliver this item. Be sure to keep your movements discreet and do not expose yourself..."

He whispered his instructions, his tone calm and stern.

Marshal Tianyou listened attentively, taking notes meticulously, without daring to slack off in the slightest.

In the blink of an eye, several days had passed in the Heavenly Palace.

The monkeys have long since resumed their old habits, either drinking and chatting with their former spirit officials or making friends with newly ascended deities.

He was oblivious to social hierarchy, recognizing only the title "Great Sage Equal to Heaven," and holding a position in Heaven equivalent to the Jade Emperor.

Therefore, no matter who they meet, they do not distinguish between superiors and inferiors, and speak and act freely and unrestrainedly.

On this day, Ye Feng was meditating in the palace.

He remained calm and composed, not in a hurry to act, but patiently waiting for the Jade Emperor to give the order for the monkey to take charge of the Peach Garden.

With nothing to do, I carefully reviewed the plot of "Journey to the West" from my memory, and then combined it with what I saw and heard at the moment, and repeatedly deduced its meaning.

Gradually, a realization dawned on me.

Throughout the original story, the monkey appears to be a puppet manipulated by multiple parties.

Buddhism and Taoism, along with other schools of thought, were all involved in a scheme, guiding and leading the way step by step. From beginning to end, it was nothing more than a meticulously crafted "monkey-playing game."

Therefore, regardless of the excuses, the Jade Emperor will eventually hand over the management of the Peach Garden to Sun Wukong—this is the inevitable course of events.

But before the appointment could be issued, that restless monkey came knocking on the door first.

He was extremely familiar with the Thai Royal Palace and didn't need to announce his arrival; he simply slipped inside.

Seeing that Ye Feng was cultivating with his eyes closed, he didn't hold back at all, grinning and saying, "Senior brother, such a beautiful day and night, wouldn't it be a waste to just sit here and practice? I know a wonderful place, would you like to go together?"

Ye Feng opened his eyes helplessly and sighed, "What trouble are you trying to cause now?"

The monkey immediately became displeased: "How is this trouble! It was the Wood Star Lord himself who sent the invitation. He said he has a jar of aged wine from the time of the Heavenly Emperor, which he has been reluctant to open. Now, because of my promotion, he is hosting a banquet to celebrate. As the saying goes, the older the wine, the better it tastes. How could we miss such a treasure? I invited you to come along out of brotherly affection, and yet you suspect me?"

"The Wood Virtue Star Lord?" Ye Feng pondered for a moment before remembering that this person was one of the Nine Luminaries Star Officials.

He then smiled and said, "Since it's such fine wine, how can we waste it? Lead the way."

The monkey was overjoyed and immediately pulled Ye Feng away from the Thai Royal Palace, heading straight for the residence of the Wood Star Lord.

Upon reaching the gate, the servant tried to stop them, but the monkey announced his name, and the servant immediately changed his attitude and invited him inside.

It turned out that the Wood Star Lord had already prepared a feast, and upon seeing the Monkey King arrive, he hurriedly greeted him with a smile.

But when he saw Ye Feng accompanying him, he was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting that the Emperor of Thailand would also be there.

But he reacted quickly, bowing respectfully and saying, "The presence of the Thai Emperor himself has brought great honor to my humble abode; it is truly an honor."

Ye Feng raised his hand and smiled: "You are not my subordinate, so there's no need for such formalities."

The Wood Star Lord did not insist and gladly invited the two to sit down.

The banquet featured rare and exotic fruits, including so-called "dragon liver and phoenix marrow," all of which were extraordinary.

The so-called dragon liver is not the filth of a real dragon; it comes from the spirit carp that leaped over the Dragon Gate in the Dragon Transformation Pool, or from strange beasts that were stained with dragon blood.

As for dragons and snakes, they are mostly transformed from those who have attained enlightenment through cultivation.

Phoenix marrow is even rarer—since the beginning of the Dragon-Han Calamity, the Phoenix Clan has almost disappeared, and its true form is hard to find in the Three Realms.

What we use now are just a few spirit birds that have inherited the bloodline of the phoenix.

On the table was another jar of fine wine that had been sealed for a long time.

After Ye Feng and the monkey took their seats, the Wood Star Lord personally opened the seal. The moment the stopper was removed, a rich immortal aura mixed with the mellow fragrance of time wafted over.

The monkey's eyes flashed, and even Ye Feng couldn't help but glance at it slightly.

Fine wine, truly living up to its reputation.

Lord Mude raised his cup in a toast, and in the blink of an eye, half the jar was empty. This fine wine, sealed during the reign of the Emperor, was extremely potent. Even Ye Feng felt slightly tipsy, while the monkey's face was flushed red, and he was so drunk that he had already embraced Lord Mude and called him "Brother".

Just as everyone was enjoying themselves, a servant came slowly in carrying a plate of new dishes and gently lifted the red cloth covering the bowl—a jade bowl sat quietly inside, with steam rising from its rim, like a dream.

Upon seeing this object, Ye Feng's eyes narrowed sharply. With his keen senses, he immediately realized that this was no ordinary vessel, but rather a rare magical artifact.

Upon seeing this, the Wood Deity's expression changed drastically, and he shouted sternly, "Who gave you permission to bring this up? Take it away immediately!"

The servant was startled and hurriedly covered the red veil, intending to turn around and leave.

This scene caught the monkey's attention. Its drunken eyes gleamed with curiosity as it mumbled, "Wait... what is this?"

Know well.

Ye Feng had already discerned the secret the moment the jade bowl appeared. He lightly twirled the wine cup with his fingertips, took a small sip, and smiled as he calmly observed the unfolding events.

The play must be finished to show basic courtesy to the performers on stage.

The monkey, already in a charmingly drunken state, now showed even greater interest in the jade bowl—he was like this with everything, naturally curious.

The Wood Star Lord forced himself to remain calm and advised, "Great Sage, this thing is very unlucky and not worth looking at. Why don't you continue drinking and chatting?"

The monkey wouldn't listen, shoving him aside and pointing at the servant, shouting, "Come here! Let Grandpa Sun see, Mu De must be hiding some priceless treasure, and he's keeping it a secret!"

The servant dared not disobey and had no choice but to step forward.

The monkey ripped off the red cloth, revealing a crystal-clear jade bowl with faintly flowing runes. He reached out to take it.

"Great Sage, you mustn't!"

The Wood Star Lord rushed over, and in the struggle, the jade bowl slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.

"Snapped!"

With a crisp sound, the jade bowl shattered on the floor tiles.

In an instant, dozens of black wisps shot into the sky, a chill sweeping across the surroundings, as if the air itself had frozen.

The monkey shuddered, and the effects of the alcohol instantly subsided.

"Oh no! Oh no!" Lord Mude's face turned deathly pale as he stamped his feet repeatedly. "I've caused a disaster! A terrible disaster!"

The monkey eagerly asked, "What kind of monster is in this bowl?"

The Wood Star Lord said in a trembling voice, "This is the 'Demon-Sealing Bowl,' which contains a small world within, imprisoning nearly a hundred great demon kings... Now that you have shattered it, the seal is broken, the Great Heavenly Venerable will surely punish us, and we will not escape the blame!"

Before the words were even finished, strange phenomena suddenly appeared in the sky. The black mist expanded rapidly, its demonic aura overwhelming, and nearly a hundred figures quickly coalesced into form.

boom--

With a deafening explosion, a vast demonic aura shot straight into the sky, blowing the roof off the residence of the Wood Star Lord!

In an instant, demonic energy filled the celestial palace, and demons danced wildly. These great demons and monsters, who had been captured and suppressed in bowls by various immortals and gods using secret methods, were finally freed and unleashed their supernatural powers, releasing the malevolent energy that had been suppressed for thousands of years.

Leading the group was a demon king of the Asura race, with a ferocious face, four eyes and six arms, surrounded by black flames, and his cultivation had reached the late stage of Taiyi Golden Immortal.

Below him were nine other demons who were also in the Taiyi realm—six were of the demon race, and three belonged to the demonic path. The three of them were originally human, but due to practicing unorthodox and heretical methods, their physical bodies were mutated, and their appearances became terrifying.

The remaining dozens were all celestial immortals, the weakest of whom had reached the Great Perfection of Earthly Immortal, comparable to the Heavenly Officials.

The Asura Demon King laughed maniacally, a ball of dark flame igniting in his palm, and he was about to unleash it—

The moment he raised his hand, the sight before him made him freeze abruptly.

Palaces stand in rows on all sides, resplendent in gold and jade; the sky is clear and bright, filled with ethereal mist; golden lotuses in the air never wither, and wondrous herbs remain evergreen for ten thousand years.

His raised hand remained suspended in mid-air, unable to fall, and a gurgling sound came from his throat, as if he were being choked by an invisible force.

He recognized it—this was the Heavenly Palace.

But just because he doesn't act doesn't mean others won't.

Sealed for countless years, it has long been filled with resentment and anger.

boom!

A bolt of demonic lightning crashed down, striking a palace. The palace swayed slightly, but did not collapse.

The one who made the move was a tiger-headed demon king, an early-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal, who was once a regional overlord of the Southern Continent. Back then, he was besieged by 50,000 heavenly soldiers led by the two marshals under Gouchen Shangdi, and was captured after exhausting his strength.

Seeing that the palace did not collapse, he was taken aback: Where did such a sturdy building come from? My lightning strike is enough to split mountains and shatter peaks!

He hadn't even had a chance to take a good look at the fairyland around him, nor was he aware of his own predicament.

"Demon, prepare to die!"

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, and golden light burst forth from the ground—a giant golden ape soared into the air, wielding an iron rod with gold bands at both ends, and brought it down on its head!

Tiger King snorted coldly, relying on his strong body, and raised his arm to take the hit head-on.

boom!

With a muffled thud, Tiger King's entire arm broke off inch by inch, and his body shot backwards to the ground like a cannonball.

During the fall, blood gushed from his mouth, leaving a long trail of blood.

In an instant, his body slammed violently into a side hall on the west side, and the entire wall shattered with a crash.

He slid down the collapsed wall, leaving a trail of blood behind him, but still managed to stand up unsteadily. His left arm hung limply at his sides, its joints completely destroyed, rendered useless.

The Asura Demon King, who originally had all six arms outstretched, shrank his body and took advantage of the gap to transform into a stream of light and try to escape.

He knew that the Heavenly Palace's methods were extraordinary, and if he didn't escape immediately, he might never have another chance.

But he was fast, and the monkey was even faster. The moment the light flashed, the golden cudgel arrived like lightning.