MTS: Marvel and Beyond

If the Fiery Golden Eyes in Journey to the West granted clairvoyance and the ability to see through illusions, then his current version had far greater divine abilities.

First, he had acquired x-ray vision, which, when combined with his already superior clairvoyance, allowed him to see directly into the Heavenly Court even from within the Water Curtain Cave.

Second, his eyes now radiated an awe-inspiring divine presence. Anyone who made eye contact with him would instinctively feel fear.

But the most powerful new ability was that he could now analyze the structure of any spell or divine ability just by observing it. Once he fully understood its mechanics, he could easily master it himself.

His Fiery Golden Eyes had undergone a complete transformation—they were no longer just the Fiery Golden Eyes, but rather the Mythical Eye of Truth from ancient legends!

Back when he first read Journey to the West, Sun Wukong had been thrilled to acquire such a powerful ability.

Now, upon awakening the true form of the Eye of Truth, he immediately realized that his powers had never come from being burned by Samadhi True Fire for forty-nine days.

Instead, he had always possessed this innate divine ability from birth!

The Samadhi True Fire hadn't granted him anything—it had actually weakened his Eye of Truth, reducing it to the mere Fiery Golden Eyes.

It was just like how he was later imprisoned under Five Elements Mountain, forced to eat molten metal and iron pellets—not to break his spirit, but to cripple his very foundation!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He wanted nothing more than to storm the Heavenly Palace and slaughter every last god and Buddha!

But he knew that, at this moment, he was still no match for the Buddha Tathagata.

For now, he had to endure!

Just then, he suddenly looked up toward the sky. A beam of golden light shot from his eyes, instantly enveloping Tai Bai Jin Xing, who had just arrived at Flower Fruit Mountain.

"Hah?" Sun Wukong grinned. Heaven really was delivering an opportunity right to his doorstep.

Tai Bai Jin Xing had clearly come to recruit him into the Heavenly Court as a Stable Master.

Once he ascended, he could eat the Peaches of Immortality and the Divine Elixirs—greatly increasing his chances of reaching the Quasi-Saint realm!

At that level, even if Tathagata himself came after him, he wouldn't need to fear!

—

As soon as Tai Bai Jin Xing set foot on Flower Fruit Mountain, he was immediately surrounded by countless monkeys.

He had already sensed their presence beforehand, so he didn't resist and allowed them to lead him to Sun Wukong.

However, he was surprised to find that these monkeys all had cultivation—most of them had even reached the Nascent Soul stage!

It was clear that someone had been deliberately training them.

There was no doubt—the one behind this was none other than the Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong himself.

This made Tai Bai Jin Xing feel a sense of pity for Sun Wukong.

Not only was he exceptionally talented, but he also understood the importance of building his own forces. If he hadn't been selected as a pawn in the Journey to the West catastrophe, he could have achieved greatness in the Primordial Era.

Then again, being chosen for Journey to the West wasn't necessarily a bad thing—it at least meant he could survive.

If this had been the era of the Dragon-Phoenix-Calamity, a being like Sun Wukong—an Innate Spirit—would have been captured the moment he was born.

He would have either been refined into a Divine Pill for his spiritual energy or enslaved as a mount by a stronger being.

—

A few moments later, Tai Bai Jin Xing was led to a monkey dressed in magnificent battle armor, holding a divine staff.

The monkey's face was strikingly handsome, and his presence radiated unmatched dominance.

At a single glance, Tai Bai Jin Xing immediately knew—this was the newly ascended Great Luo Golden Immortal, the Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong!

Tai Bai Jin Xing gave a slight bow and smiled.

"Tai Bai Jin Xing greets Your Majesty!"

Sun Wukong, of course, already knew why he was here.

But he still played dumb, pretending not to understand.

"Oh? What brings Tai Bai Jin Xing to my Flower Fruit Mountain?"

"I am here for you, Your Majesty.

The Jade Emperor has heard of your extraordinary abilities and wishes to invite you to the Heavenly Court—to become a Celestial Immortal!"

The moment they heard this, the monkeys surrounding them burst into cheers, jumping and dancing with excitement.

"Oooh! The King is going to be an Immortal! The King is going to be an Immortal!"

—

However, while the other monkeys were ecstatic, Sun Wukong remained calm.

Unlike them, he had read Journey to the West—he knew what would happen once he arrived in Heaven.

Instead of receiving the honor he expected, he would be mocked by the gods and humiliated with the title of Stable Master…

Even in Journey to the West, when his cultivation wasn't as high as it was now, Sun Wukong was still at the Taiyi Golden Immortal level—equal to figures like Nezha and Yang Jian.

Yet, they wanted to make a Taiyi Golden Immortal nothing more than a stable manager? If that wasn't an insult, what was?

—

Still, Sun Wukong accepted Tai Bai Jin Xing's invitation and went to Heaven to become an immortal official.

He had only two objectives for this trip:

1. The Peaches of Immortality from the Peach Garden

2. The Elixirs of Tai Shang Lao Jun

As long as he could consume these treasures, he was 80% certain he could break through to the Quasi-Saint realm!

—

Sun Wukong grinned and said, "So, you want me to take up an official post? Very well, very well!"

The atmosphere became pleasant and harmonious, with both Sun Wukong and Tai Bai Jin Xing beaming with smiles.

After bidding farewell to his monkey subjects, Sun Wukong followed Tai Bai Jin Xing to Heaven.

—

Along the way, Sun Wukong found Tai Bai Jin Xing's cloud-riding speed too slow and bluntly said:

"Tai Bai Jin Xing, your cloud-riding speed is way too slow. How about I carry you instead?"

Before Tai Bai Jin Xing could respond, a golden light extended endlessly from under Sun Wukong's feet.

"Ground-Shrinking Divine Light!"

Tai Bai Jin Xing, being knowledgeable, immediately recognized it—it was at least a mastered form of the Ground-Shrinking Divine Light!

At that moment, he realized—both he and the rest of Heaven had gravely underestimated Sun Wukong's power.

With his Great Luo Golden Immortal cultivation, Thirty-Six Heavenly Transformations, and Seventy-Two Earthly Arts, Sun Wukong was likely among the strongest beings in Heaven.

If things weren't handled carefully, the Journey to the West catastrophe might take an unexpected turn!

—

The two entered the Southern Heavenly Gate, watched closely by Heaven's soldiers and generals, and made their way toward the Lingxiao Palace.

As they walked, Sun Wukong kept hearing the names Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, and Nezha being mentioned, which made him curious.

"Tai Bai Jin Xing, who are Li Jing and Nezha? Why do all the Heavenly soldiers keep talking about them?"

Thinking of the father-son conflict that had unfolded between Nezha and Li Jing recently, Tai Bai Jin Xing hesitated. Not wanting to explain the chaos, he chose to sugarcoat the situation instead.

"A while ago, Heavenly King Li and Third Prince Nezha had a sparring match in Heaven. It caused quite a stir, so the soldiers are probably discussing the results."

"Oh? And who won?"

"Well… perhaps Your Majesty should ask them yourself later?"

—

They soon arrived at a majestic palace.

Tai Bai Jin Xing told Sun Wukong to wait outside, as he needed to report first.

Sun Wukong pretended to agree—but even in Journey to the West, he never waited patiently.

Now that he was stronger and more experienced, there was no way he would obediently sit still.

The moment Tai Bai Jin Xing entered, Sun Wukong secretly followed behind him.

—

However, as soon as he stepped into the Lingxiao Palace, he felt a sudden chill run through his body.

His eyes instantly locked onto the Jade Emperor, seated at the head of the hall.

The Jade Emperor's expression remained calm and composed, as if he hadn't noticed anything.

But thanks to his Eye of Truth, Sun Wukong clearly saw the Jade Emperor glance at him!

So, it was all an act.

In Journey to the West, the Jade Emperor had always played the role of a weak and powerless ruler.

But in reality, as Hongjun Daozu's personal disciple, he was at least a Quasi-Saint!

There was no way he was weaker than a mere Taiyi Golden Immortal like Sun Wukong.

But this wasn't the time to expose him, so Sun Wukong pretended not to notice and continued playing along.

While doing so, he used his Eye of Truth to analyze the cultivation levels of all the celestial beings present.

Later, when they inevitably clashed, this information would prove invaluable.

—

Once Tai Bai Jin Xing finished his report, Sun Wukong was officially summoned into the palace.

To everyone's shock, instead of walking in through the main entrance, he suddenly appeared right beside Tai Bai Jin Xing!

The surrounding gods were startled—even some of the stronger celestial beings couldn't help but take notice.

Even they hadn't been able to track Sun Wukong's movements—which meant his cultivation was unfathomably deep!

There was no doubt about it—he truly was a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

—

However, his sudden appearance and disregard for formal etiquette irritated many gods.

Yet, since the Jade Emperor remained silent, they had no choice but to endure it.

After all, they couldn't afford to jeopardize the grand plan of Journey to the West!

The Jade Emperor took a glance at Sun Wukong's cultivation and couldn't help but feel shocked.

This monkey's power was already higher than his nephew, Erlang Shen, and he was just one step away from breaking through to the Quasi-Saint realm!

Then, a thought struck him—

Could this monkey be used to stop the rise of the Western Sect?

As this idea took shape, the Jade Emperor's eyes gleamed with excitement, and his view of Sun Wukong became much more favorable.

If this monkey managed to step into the Quasi-Saint realm, then perhaps the Journey to the West catastrophe could be disrupted.

After all, he had no interest in seeing the Western Sect flourish, creating a new force equal to the Heavenly Court within the Six Realms.

—

With that in mind, the Jade Emperor chose to overlook Sun Wukong's earlier lack of etiquette and turned to the assembled immortals, asking:

"Sun Wukong possesses immense magical power. He should contribute to the Heavenly Court!"

"My beloved ministers, are there any vacant positions in Heaven?"

—

The gods discussed for a moment but came to no conclusion.

None of them wanted a monkey under their command.

Eventually, Wuqu Xingjun (Star Lord of Military Affairs) stepped forward and reported:

"Your Majesty, all important positions in Heaven are currently occupied. However, the post of Bimawen (Stable Supervisor) is currently vacant."

—

Upon hearing this, the celestial officials smirked and nodded in agreement.

"Excellent choice!"

—

Tai Bai Jin Xing, knowing Sun Wukong's strength, immediately felt something was wrong.

He hurried over to Wuqu Xingjun and whispered:

"You want him to take care of the horses? Do you really think he'll accept that?"

Wuqu Xingjun, however, remained dismissive.

"That's already a respectable position!"

In his mind, allowing a monkey to hold any official post in Heaven was already a gracious favor.

To him, Bimawen was more than enough for Sun Wukong.

—

Tai Bai Jin Xing hesitated, about to protest—

But before he could speak, Sun Wukong suddenly appeared beside Wuqu Xingjun, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"So, you say the position of Bimawen is an important one?"

—

Seeing that Sun Wukong was unaware of Heaven's hierarchy, Wuqu Xingjun decided to toy with him.

"Oh, absolutely! It's a very high-ranking post!"

—

But to his shock, instead of looking pleased, Sun Wukong's expression darkened.

The next moment, a crushing pressure descended upon Wuqu Xingjun.

Before he could react, he found himself paralyzed in fear, as if a mortal standing before a god—with Sun Wukong looking down at him in judgment.

"How dare you!?" Sun Wukong's voice boomed like thunder.

"You dare to assign a Great Luo Golden Immortal to a horse-keeping job? Do you look down on the power of the Great Luo realm?"

—

The shift in atmosphere was so sudden that the immortals in the hall were momentarily stunned.

When they finally snapped back to reality, they saw Wuqu Xingjun trembling uncontrollably, unable to move.

Only now did they fully realize—

Even though Sun Wukong was the chosen sufferer of the Journey to the West catastrophe, he was still a Great Luo Golden Immortal!

In the entire Heavenly Court, excluding those with powerful divine artifacts, there were only a few beings—like Nezha and Erlang Shen—who had reached the Great Luo level.

Most of the other immortals, if they encountered Sun Wukong in battle without divine weapons or rank-based protections, would be easily slain with a single strike from his staff!

Sun Wukong was never a weakling.

He was a Great Luo Golden Immortal!

And a Great Luo Golden Immortal cannot be insulted!

Seeing Sun Wukong openly exerting pressure on Wuqu Xingjun, Nezha couldn't help but feel impressed.

This monkey's attitude was exactly to his liking!

So, without hesitation, Nezha stepped forward, aligning himself beside Sun Wukong and sneering at Wuqu Xingjun:

"Oh? So, you think we Great Luo Golden Immortals are easy to bully now, huh?"

Even Erlang Shen, who had remained silent, finally turned his gaze toward the scene.

His third eye burst forth with divine light, locking onto Wuqu Xingjun.

It was clear—

If Wuqu Xingjun dared to utter even a single word of protest, Erlang Shen wouldn't hesitate to summon his Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Blade and cut him down on the spot!

—

Seeing this, Wuqu Xingjun felt a chill run down his spine.

He wanted to cry but had no tears to shed.

At first, he had belittled Sun Wukong, viewing him as nothing more than a wild monkey from the mortal realm.

But in his arrogance, he had forgotten one crucial fact—

Sun Wukong was a Great Luo Golden Immortal!

What shocked him even more was that Nezha, the Third Lotus Prince, had also stepped in to support Sun Wukong!

This meant—

Even though Nezha and Sun Wukong were both bound by Heavenly Court rules, making it impossible for them to kill him outright, that didn't mean they couldn't make his life a living nightmare in private!

If he wasn't careful, he might suffer "accidents" left and right.

There was no way to defend against such silent retaliation.

Realizing the danger he was in, Wuqu Xingjun's arrogance shattered.

He no longer dared to insult Sun Wukong and immediately bowed deeply, his voice trembling with sincerity:

"Great King Sun, I was in the wrong! Please forgive my disrespect!"

"Once you assume office, I will personally bring gifts to formally apologize!"

Hearing this, Sun Wukong's anger subsided considerably.

He turned to Nezha and nodded in appreciation before finally addressing the Jade Emperor:

"Alright, Jade Emperor, what official position do you plan to give me?"

—

The Jade Emperor, having already decided to use Sun Wukong for his own plans, wasn't angered by his earlier display.

Instead, he found himself growing more and more fond of this unruly monkey.

After a brief moment of thought, he declared:

"Since you are a Great Luo Golden Immortal, you naturally deserve a high-ranking position."

"How about a third-rank official?"

"Third-rank!?"

The immortals in the hall were stunned.

They never expected the Jade Emperor to grant Sun Wukong a third-rank title so casually.

After all, many of them held positions below the third rank.

If Sun Wukong accepted, he would instantly outrank the majority of the Heavenly Court!

But after the initial shock, most of the gods quickly came to terms with it.

Sun Wukong was a Great Luo Golden Immortal, after all.

Although a third-rank position was relatively high, it wasn't unreasonable.

—

In the end, strength was everything in the Primordial World.

Since Sun Wukong had the power**, it was only natural that he should hold a high position.

However, to everyone's surprise, Sun Wukong actually declined the offer:

"Jade Emperor, I appreciate your generosity."

"But I have just arrived in the Heavenly Court. If I suddenly take such a high-ranking position, it wouldn't feel appropriate."

"Besides, I'm used to a carefree life and don't want to be bound by endless rules and responsibilities."

"Instead, why don't you assign me a leisurely post?

"That job guarding the Peaches of Immortality sounds just right for me!"