“Come to think of it, they all have something in common. Every one of them attended Śākyamuni Buddha’s month-long sermon in Sukhāvatī of the Western Heaven.”

What nonsense is this?

Are they saying that these people changed because they listened to Śākyamuni Buddha’s teachings for a month?

“Our master, Subhuti, said he would return within a week.”

“I was under the same impression. In fact, all practitioners of the Dharma believed that the sermon would conclude within a week.”

Takṭāp Heavenly King continued speaking as he tied up the unconscious Prince Nezha with a Demon-Binding Rope.

Even as he spoke, he gripped the Pagoda tightly in one hand—proof of how much he feared Nezha.

But why would a father try to kill his own son…? Tsk.

Though I had managed to subdue Nezha, I personally thought his retaliation was justified.

What kind of parent tries to kill their own child?

“But those who traveled to the Western Heaven to listen to the Dharma did not return for nearly a month. To be precise, not until yesterday.”

“Are you saying that the Buddhists who returned today have changed like this?”

“That’s right. Those who came back suddenly attacked us. And…”

Takṭāp Heavenly King turned his head, gazing into the distance.

Beyond the horizon, the growls of beasts and the deafening clash of weapons rang through the air.

“It seems trouble has arisen elsewhere as well. Would you be willing to aid the Heavenly Realm? If this crisis is resolved, I will ensure you are granted a high position in the Heavenly Court.”

“Understood. And if you happen to find my master, Subhuti…”

“Hmm. I will be sure to inform you.”

With Takṭāp Heavenly King’s confirmation, I summoned my Somersault Cloud and soared across the sky.

As I flew, I knocked out every crazed Buddhist disciple and child deity that crossed my path.

Soon, I caught sight of a massive beast.

Kwaaaang—! Kugu-gung!

Krrrng!!!

“How dare you rampage in this sacred land, you filthy demon!”

“Erlang Shen! That demon is no ordinary foe! Be careful…!”

A tiger-shaped demon with hooked claws tore through buildings, mercilessly attacking the Heavenly soldiers.

Yet, there was something unusual about it—on its forelegs, a pair of wings sprouted.

A general in ornate armor wielding a Three-Pointed Spear pursued the creature through the sky.

Wait… could that be Erlang Shen, the Great General of the Heavenly Realm?

Judging by the third eye on his forehead, it had to be him.

I should help him.

Though he might win without me, it’s better to end this quickly.

“Expand—Ruyi Jingu Bang!”

I extended my staff and struck the tiger demon’s back.

Erlang Shen and the other immortals shot me a wary glance.

I suppose it’s only natural—after all, I’m a demon myself.

Even though I attacked the tiger, they still seemed somewhat cautious.

“I don’t recall seeing you among the **Heavenly Army! Who are you?!”

“I am Sun Wukong , disciple of Master Subhuti ! I’ll assist you!”

I employed the Body Replicating Technique one of my master’s most favored skills—and multiplied myself.

Four, eight, sixteen.

Swinging Ruyi Jingu Bang unison, we relentlessly pounded the demon.

The beast let out a wretched howl.

“You wretch! You are a demon like me! The Demon King has descended upon the world—why do you defy destiny?!”

“The Demon King?”

“You’re still young, so I will let this slide just once! Aid me in slaying these Heavenly scum!”

The Demon King?

Does he mean someone like Bull Demon King or Peng Demon King?

What a deranged creature.

I didn’t bother responding—I just charged forward.

“So you choose death! Die!”

Hah. What a load of nonsense.

But this demon… it’s strong.

Even after repeated strikes from my Ruyi Jingu Bang, its body remained unscathed.

Its tough physique, its speed powered by its winged forelegs, and its experienced combat techniques—this thing was no nameless demon.

Have I ever heard of such a creature before?

Of course, it’s no match for me.

But if I were alone, I’d have to fight at least a hundred rounds before a victor was decided.

Destroying the surrounding buildings during battle was also problematic—it was the Heavenly Realm, after all.

Fortunately, Erlang Shen and the other immortals assisted me.

It seemed they had decided to trust me after learning I was Subhuti’s disciple.

Erlang Shen’s Three-Pointed Spear exploited an opening I created, piercing through the demon’s wing and embedding itself in its foreleg.

With a single wing crippled, the fight didn’t last much longer.

Howling Celestial Dog Erlang Shen’s divine hound—sank its fangs into the demon’s hind leg.

Our combined assault left the creature tattered and broken.

As I caught my breath and glared at the dying demon, it bared its fangs in a gruesome grin.

“Krrrng… Even if you kill me, you cannot stop fate. All will be consumed by the Demonic Path.”

“Shut up!”

Slash—!

With a single strike, Erlang Shen severed its head.

As silence fell, I took in the ruins of the Heavenly Realm.

If there were more demons like this… could it be that some kind of fantasy Demon King had really descended?

“Phew. Hey, you there, Monkey Brother!”

“…Monkey Brother?”

“Yes, you! You managed to fight alongside me, the Great General of the Heavenly Realm! That’s impressive!”

Erlang Shen flashed me a sharp grin.

His aristocratic handsomeness, befitting the Heavenly Realm’s noble prodigy, was quite striking.

Damn it. Some guys are born looking like that, while others… are born monkeys.

Ugh, get that lady-killer face away from me.

“As you may already know, I am Erlang Shen, the nephew of the Jade Emperor  and the Great General of the Heavenly Realm. Would you mind introducing yourself, Brother Monkey?”

“...As I mentioned earlier, I am a disciple of Master Subhuti and also known as the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven—Sun Wukong .”

Erlang Shen, you old man.

Who gave you the right to call me “Brother”?

You’re the nephew of the Jade Emperor  and, from what I know, quite a bit older than me. So why are you pretending to be some young man?

…Still, he’s a high-ranking official. I should keep my thoughts to myself. Rank is power, after all.

“My master, Subhuti, went to the Western Heaven to listen to the Dharma, but he hasn’t returned. So I came to the Heavenly Realm to investigate, only to find all this chaos. What in the world happened here?”

“Hmm. First of all, despite being a demon, I appreciate your help, Brother Sun!”

Argh. Who said we were close? And don’t put your hand on my shoulder!

You’re far too handsome, and it pisses me off.

“But prepare yourself. This is just my personal theory, but… your master may not be able to return.”

“What?”

“gong cao! Explain to Brother Sun about that demon from earlier!”

A white-haired immortal who had warned Erlang Shen during the battle with the winged tiger demon approached me.

If I recall correctly, Rìzhí Gōngcáo is a minor deity in charge of organizing schedules, records, and date-related affairs.

“Ahem! You said you are the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven? The demon from earlier was undoubtedly one of the Four Fiends from the ancient era—Qióngqí .”

The Four Fiends? Qióngqí?

The Four Fiends.

The four most wicked and brutal demons of ancient times—Hùndùn, Qióngqí , Táowù, and Tāotiè.

Among them, Qióngqí is a vile beast known to bite off the heads and noses of good, honest people while offering gifts of animals to the wicked.

And now, one of these legendary creatures has appeared here?

I shot a questioning look at Rìzhí Gōngcáo, who sighed before continuing.

“The Four Fiends vanished after the Daoist and Buddhist teachings established order in the world. It was assumed that they had hidden somewhere, avoiding the gaze of the Heavenly Realm.”

“But as that Qióngqí mentioned earlier… something must have caused them to resurface, right?”

“Exactly. Based on my guess, the ’Demon King’it referred to is likely…”

BOOM! CRASH!

Before he could finish, the debris of a crumbling building hurtled toward us.

I swung Ruyi Jingu Bang and smashed it aside.

It seemed I didn’t have the leisure to sit around listening to explanations.

“Whoa there!”

“Tch. Another one of the Four Fiends must have appeared. Are they trying to bring down the entire Heavenly Realm while chaos reigns?”

“I’ll help. If we combine forces like before, we can finish this quickly.”

“Brother Sun, head to the Queen Mother of the West’s Pántáo Garden! Something is happening over there as well!”

Erlang Shen’s third eye glowed ominously as he gazed into the distance.

The fabled eye that could see through everything… these Heavenly aristocrats really do have their advantages.

Now that I think about it—the Queen Mother of the West.

She’s the wife of the Jade Emperor, residing atop Mount Kunlun and the keeper of the immortal peaches said to grant eternal life.

Pántáo… Gulp.

I’m no thief, so I shouldn’t steal any.

…But if I help the Queen Mother, maybe she’ll let me try a few.

“Did you see something? Understood!”

“Good. If anyone doubts you because you’re a demon, just show them this token! And when this is over, let’s have a drink!”

“…I’ll consider it if you bring some good liquor, Brother Erlang.”

He handed me a small wooden token.

A proof of identity guaranteed by the Great General of the Heavenly Realm—probably useful.

Satisfied with my answer, Erlang Shen let out a battle cry and soared into the skies.

“Foul demons who dare invade the Heavenly Realm! Behold—I am the True Sage, Erlang Shen!!!”

His form expanded into a massive celestial warrior, unleashing an overwhelming divine aura.

The sheer force of his spiritual energy was visible to the naked eye.

Like me, he had mastered the 72 Transformations.

His Three-Pointed Blade even moved on its own, as if responding to its master’s will.

So he had been holding back against Qióngqí earlier, just as I suspected.

Of course. We still don’t know how many enemies have infiltrated the Heavenly Realm—wasting full power at the start would be foolish.

I should hurry to Pántáo Garden.

If Erlang Shen’s third eye saw something there, then trouble has undoubtedly erupted.

...But where is Master Subhuti ?