Great Demon Sun Wukong

Countless flame monkeys emerged from the Spatial Sand around the Primordial Honor, one after another, quickly surrounding the Skeleton Sovereign completely. However, those flame monkeys didn't swarm forward; instead, each one retreated immediately upon appearing. So even though there were thousands of monkeys present, they didn't crowd together but instead formed a huge circle with the Skeleton Sovereign at the center. The behavior of these flame monkeys was extremely orderly, suggesting Sun Wukong was executing a certain plan.

When the number of flame monkeys reached five thousand, all the Spatial Sand finally began to dim, and no more flame monkeys appeared from within. The Spatial Sand soon concealed itself, and by this time, the Skeleton Sovereign had already been surrounded by what seemed like a vast ocean of fire monkeys. Throughout the process, the Skeleton Sovereign remained immobile, still sitting on the large stone, quietly watching as flame monkeys continued to appear one by one.

Sun Wukong made a gesture, and at the moment his gesture dropped, the twenty flame monkeys closest to the Skeleton Sovereign suddenly lunged towards him. The remaining flame monkeys didn't move but were all prepared to strike at any time. The Skeleton Sovereign snorted coldly, and the Myriad Blood Halberd in his hand traced a scarlet mark in front of him. The twenty flame monkeys were scattered, masses of flames falling, some on the Skeleton Sovereign, but they extinguished immediately. The dark skeletal body of the Skeleton Sovereign was certainly far more complex and formidable than imagined.

Sun Wukong showed no surprise, and with a mind movement, another forty flame monkeys rushed toward the Skeleton Sovereign from all directions. This time, the Skeleton Sovereign waved the Myriad Blood Halberd twice in succession, scattering all forty flame monkeys once again. Then, wave after wave of flame monkeys attacked the Skeleton Sovereign in a self-sacrificial stance, but without exception, they were all scattered by the Myriad Blood Halberd. The attack power of those flame monkeys wasn't high, and their defensive power was quite ordinary, so they almost shattered into fire rain upon contact with the Myriad Blood Halberd. Watching those flame monkeys being scattered in batches, the number of five thousand was rapidly depleted, but Sun Wukong didn't even furrow his brow and instead showed a hint of a smile.

Actually, at this moment, Sun Wukong's speculations in his mind had been completely confirmed; the remaining flame monkeys realistically didn't need to attack anymore. However, since he had summoned them, Sun Wukong was more than happy to add to the Skeleton Sovereign's troubles. Sun Wukong's speculations, or rather suspicions, began from the first moment he saw the Skeleton Sovereign. It's just that at that time, he was intimidated by the Skeleton Sovereign's imposing manner and the deaths of Ziling and others, which prevented Sun Wukong from pondering too much despite feeling something was amiss. But in the subsequent confrontations with the Skeleton Sovereign, Sun Wukong's feeling grew increasingly stronger.

After the joint attack with Zhu Bajie and directly hitting the Skeleton Sovereign with the Thunder Fire Scorching Flame Cannon, Sun Wukong's skepticism and speculations reached an uncontrollable level. But to be prudent, Sun Wukong used the fire element from the Five Elements Power to create these five thousand flame monkeys and attacked in batches to further confirm his ideas. Sun Wukong's speculation was simple: the Skeleton Sovereign cannot move. Moreover, he seems to be conducting some sort of ritual or is in some kind of state, so apart from his right hand being able to move freely, only his left hand can barely be maneuvered.

During White Dragon's attack, the Skeleton Sovereign once moved his left hand, and at that moment, he exclaimed, "Damn it." Sun Wukong recalled Patriarch Bodhi taught him that every word or action a person takes has meaning behind it; once you find this underlying meaning, everything about your enemy will be exposed to your eyes without concealment. The Skeleton Sovereign's utterance, "Damn it," clearly manifested under some sort of angry emotion.

The Skeleton Sovereign should be angry at Sun Wukong and others, but from the moment Sun Wukong met him until recently, the Skeleton Sovereign showed no anger. Only after White Dragon's attack did he exhibit such emotions of anger. To phrase it differently might make it clearer: when he had to use his left hand, he showed considerable anger. This proves one thing—that using his left hand comes at a cost that he is unwilling to bear.

The conclusion that the Skeleton Sovereign cannot move or leave the giant stone was discovered after the Thunder Fire Scorching Flame Cannon and White Dragon's Destruction Dragon's attack when Sun Wukong observed that the Skeleton Sovereign didn't choose to dodge but instead took the hit directly. At that time, Sun Wukong may have pinned down the Myriad Blood Halberd with the Golden Hoop, but the Skeleton Sovereign's body was entirely free. Although the Skeleton Sovereign couldn't dodge the Thunder Fire Scorching Flame Cannon due to Zhu Bajie's Red Lotus Karma Fire mark, he could certainly dodge White Dragon's attack given his speed.

Yet, instead of dodging, the Skeleton Sovereign blocked the Golden Dragon with the Myriad Blood Halberd, the cost of which inflicted cracks on the Halberd's shaft. Sun Wukong speculated there might be some reason behind the Skeleton Sovereign's immobility. Sun Wukong didn't strike again, watching as the flame monkeys dwindled in number, Sun Wukong rapidly calculated in his mind. Although he had basically confirmed that the Skeleton Sovereign couldn't leave that stone, the situation hadn't improved much, as their attacks were still unable to inflict fatal wounds on Skeleton Sovereign.

The greatest advantage of the skeletal body of the Skeleton Sovereign is that unless the damage is destructive, it doesn't significantly affect him. If it were flesh, the injuries would definitely impact the Skeleton Sovereign's movements. Actually, Sun Wukong now has another option—to retreat immediately—but doing so is only temporary. Although retreating means escaping momentarily, it's not a long-term solution. Furthermore, Sun Wukong's Five Elements Power has only utilized two types; Sun Wukong feels that if he exerts full force, he might just be able to inflict harm upon the Skeleton Sovereign.

The number of flame monkeys dwindled, as faint red characters began to emerge from within Sun Wukong's body. When fewer than a hundred flame monkeys remained, five different characters shone simultaneously behind Sun Wukong. The characters in five colors slowly rotated, and the five lights gradually intertwined. Eventually, a chaotic "Spirit" character appeared on Sun Wukong's forehead. At the same time, Sun Wukong's entire aura became noble, profound, ethereal, and vast, with distinctly different colors emanating different vibes, making Sun Wukong appear increasingly mysterious.

Flames blazed in his eyes as Sun Wukong, dragging the Jingu Bang, charged wildly towards the Primordial Honor. As Sun Wukong sprinted, the five characters behind him rotated increasingly faster; the pale red, pale black, pale green, pale blue, and pale gold lights mixed, finally forming a kind of chaos. This chaotic color began to adhere to Sun Wukong's body, and due to the immense force of Sun Wukong's charge, the ground beneath him sank with each step.

Soon, Sun Wukong, carrying an unmatched aura, rushed in front of Primordial Honor, and the Jingu Bang was instantly lifted, directly pointing at the chest of Primordial Honor. At this moment, Primordial Honor also let out continuous roars, but these roars from its mouth sounded more like the wailing of ghosts and wolves, incredibly unpleasant. Additionally, Primordial Honor's response was unexpected; it didn't dodge nor seemed capable of doing so. As Sun Wukong charged in wildly, Primordial Honor turned its right arm, thrusting the Myriad Blood Halberd with a blood-oozing tip towards Sun Wukong. This was a gesture of mutual destruction.

However, this method was evidently very unfavorable for Sun Wukong. Even if Sun Wukong's Jingu Bang hit directly, Primordial Honor, being a skeleton, could afford to lose a couple of bones without significant harm. But if the Myriad Blood Halberd struck Sun Wukong, he would surely be severely injured. Both moved at extreme speeds, beyond the description of lightning-fast—speeds simply indescribable.

The Jingu Bang and Myriad Blood Halberd instantly crossed, sparking eye-piercing flashes. Neither side showed any intention of retreating. Just as the Myriad Blood Halberd was about to pierce Sun Wukong's chest, it suddenly stopped, impossibly hanging in mid-air. The moment the halberd froze in the air, Sun Wukong seemed half-prepared, sidestepping so the halberd grazed his chest as it passed.

The Jingu Bang, however, struck directly at Primordial Honor's chest. The immense power contained in the Jingu Bang shattered one of Primordial Honor's ribs. Yet, at this moment, Primordial Honor's body shook, causing the Jingu Bang, originally about to hit Primordial Honor's spine, to shift insignificantly, only breaking a rib without harming the spine.

Nonetheless, Sun Wukong's movement didn't cease. The Jingu Bang passed through Primordial Honor's body, and Sun Wukong leaped up in an instant, delivering a knee strike directly to Primordial Honor's jaw. The blow snapped Primordial Honor's skull backward. At this moment, Sun Wukong grabbed Primordial Honor's shoulder with one hand, his body spinning around it to dissipate momentum. A pale yellow light flashed from his back, and Sun Wukong's gravity surged.

The sudden increase in weight converted all Sun Wukong's power to downward gravity, bringing him crashing to the earth. As he landed, Sun Wukong tightly gripped the Jingu Bang with his right hand, then hugged Primordial Honor's skeletal body with his left, shouting, "Jingu Bang, extend for me!"

At Sun Wukong's command, the Ruyi Jingu Bang rapidly elongated, lifting Sun Wukong and holding securely onto Primordial Honor, resulting in both being carried over a thousand meters into the sky by the Jingu Bang.

"Since you're so reluctant to leave that stone, let me make you fly once."

Having said that, Sun Wukong released his grip on Primordial Honor, saying, "Six-Eared, it's your turn." As Sun Wukong spoke, a nearby stone mountain trembled sharply, and a massive shadow rushed swiftly from afar. The gigantic shadow was the Six-Eared Macaque in its true form. Carrying an unparalleled ferocity, the Six-Eared Macaque crashed into Primordial Honor with its right shoulder, now coated with a layer of golden shoulder armor. The Six-Eared Macaque and Primordial Honor collided with the mountain peak opposite them. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to cast a recommendation vote or monthly ticket on Starting Point (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read).