Rebirth in Journey to the West: Sun Wukong

"Your Highness, the Heavenly Prince, without the Demon Emperor's command, we cannot act rashly!"

The Undying Demon Domain, the foundational place of the Undying Heavenly Demon Clan, mirrors Battle God Mountain of the Battle God Ape Clan. After being rebuffed by the Undying Heavenly Demon Emperor, the Heavenly Prince unwillingly returned alone to the Undying Demon Domain to rally the Heavenly Demon Judgment Team!

Unlike the Battle God Ape Clan, the Undying Heavenly Demon Clan has survived since the Ancient Times of the Yuan Realm, with a far richer heritage than the Battle God Ape Clan. This is why the Battle God Monkey Emperor chose to temporarily concede Battle God Mountain for millennia, for if the two clans continued to fight, the Undying Heavenly Demon Emperor would certainly unleash the clan's legacy, leading to the inevitable apocalypse for the Battle God Ape Clan!

The heritage of the Undying Heavenly Demon Clan lies in the Heavenly Demon Judgment Team, secluded within the Undying Demon Domain. Since the clan's inception, there have been merely five members, all former Undying Heavenly Demon Emperors who joined after abdicating the throne, their strength on par with the current emperor, each possessing the peak cultivation of the Domain Saint Realm!

Nothing in this world is eternal. Even beings as powerful as those in the Domain Saint Realm have their doomsday, which coincides with the Era's Destruction in the Yuan Realm.

Like the Three Realms, the Yuan Realm also experiences eras, though its epochs last far longer. These periods end as the Heavenly Dao of the Yuan Realm brings unavoidable calamities, sweeping away all life, only to start anew from nothing.

The Undying Celestial Demon Clan is among the few that evade Epochal Destruction, protecting each generation's emperor and successor with the clan's full strength, using the power of the Undying Demon Domain to survive the cataclysm.

In each era, only two individuals from the Undying Heavenly Demon Clan survive. Each Undying Heavenly Demon Emperor lives for at least two epochs.

However, avoiding Epochal Destruction differs greatly from enduring it. Once the path of avoidance is chosen, they must continue to hide, not easily appearing in the Yuan Realm.

The first five generations of the Undying Heavenly Demon Emperors, now part of the Heavenly Demon Judgment Team, epitomize this principle, barely surviving in the Undying Demon Domain, hoping one day to weather Epochal Destruction by their own strength, attaining true liberation. Until then, they cannot easily leave the domain.

Only in matters concerning the survival of the entire Undying Heavenly Demon Clan would the former emperors briefly emerge from the domain, risking annihilation by the Heavenly Dao to resolve the crisis.

What constitutes such a critical matter lies in the judgment of the current Undying Heavenly Demon Emperor.

As the successor, the Heavenly Prince naturally knows this. Before, he never thought of invoking the Heavenly Demon Judgment Team's power. But with the current emperor's firm resistance, what choice did he have?

Though uncertain of Sun Wukong's schemes, intuition told the Heavenly Prince that his plot could imperil the Yuan Realm's order and threaten their clan's existence, an outcome he cannot permit!

Even if it exhausts their clan's legacy, he vows to obliterate the Demon Court and denies Sun Wukong another chance to rise!

"Your Highness, without the command of the Undying Heavenly Demon Emperor, we cannot obey your orders!"

Once the throne is abdicated, one's status reverts to that of an Elder. While the previous emperors' strength matches the current ruler's, their confinement to the Undying Demon Domain mandates allegiance to the present emperor, for he alone can open the domain, expose them to the Heavenly Dao, and ensure their complete erasure!

"Of course, this prince knows it requires the emperor's command to enlist you! See for yourself!"

The Heavenly Prince extended his hand, revealing the Undying Heavenly Demon Token, a holy artifact, symbolizing the current emperor's decree, its presence as if the emperor himself were there. Its power once per epoch shields against the Heavenly Dao's scrutiny, enabling generations of emperors to survive Epochal Destruction with the clan's aid.

Therefore, present this token, and the Heavenly Demon Judgment Team's elders have no reason for refusal.

"Your Highness, be aware that the Undying Heavenly Demon Token can only be employed once per epoch. Otherwise, there's insufficient power to safeguard the successor during Epochal Destruction. Are you certain this is indeed the command of the Heavenly Demon Emperor?"

The first Undying Heavenly Demon Emperor, now the Great Elder of the Judgment Team, peered into the prince's eyes, his overwhelming aura shaking the prince to his bones and nearly driving him to his knees.

"Indeed!"

The prince bit his lip, declaring, for the token wasn't given by the Heavenly Demon Emperor but stolen by the prince.

Under normal circumstances, the prince lacked the strength to steal it from the emperor. But during the emperor's duel with the Battle God Ape Emperor, he was injured, and while healing, his guards were lowered, especially never anticipating the prince daring enough to imitate his command to mobilize the Judgment Team, giving the prince his opportunity.

The prince understood well that if the emperor discovered his actions later, no forgiveness would be given. Yet if proven that Sun Wukong truly schemed to annihilate the Undying Heavenly Demon Clan, his reckless actions, though not warranted, would be understandable!

Regardless, this time, the prince chose to risk it all!

"Very well! Then the five of us will venture forth, to unveil what the reborn Demon Court conspires, posing a threat to the survival of our clan!"

...

Within Battle God Mountain.

"What? The Heavenly Demon Judgment Team has emerged from the Undying Demon Domain? Is the information reliable?"

The Battle God Monkey Emperor, likewise secluded for healing, received an urgent telepathic report from Divine General Yuan Long. Shocked, he forsook his healing, immediately summoning Yuan Long to his chamber for interrogation.

"Absolutely reliable! Your Majesty had me constantly monitor the Undying Demon Domain, and I have never dared falter. I witnessed it firsthand! Yet I don't understand, unless at the brink of the clan's survival, the Judgment Team remains hidden; why this time, with no warning, did they all mobilize?"