Rebirth in Journey to the West: Sun Wukong

Luo Bai looked at the passageway between the two mountain peaks with a stunned expression. Just one step into it was like stepping into a furnace; his foot almost got roasted. However, looking around, he saw nothing out of the ordinary!

"Void-Breaking Divine Eye!"

Sun Wukong activated his Void-Breaking Divine Eye. A flash of golden light passed through his eyes, and the path to the valley looked different to him. Clusters of flames spread across the path, which, under the Divine Eye, appeared fiery red. Wukong could sense the intense heat they emitted, definitely surpassing his own True Solar Fire.

Beyond the flames were clusters of blue ice flames, also floating within the path. These were filled with a frigid power starkly different from the red flames. To Wukong's senses, even a slight touch could probably freeze someone solid.

"Where did these flames and ice flames come from?"

Wukong relayed the situation to Luo Bai, who wore an expression of astonishment and gained a new appreciation for Wukong's capabilities. The seemingly empty path was filled with floating flames and ice flames to Wukong's eyes—undeniably, his vision was extraordinary. Could this be yet another Divine Skill?

"How would I know where they came from?"

Wukong didn't know what was on Luo Bai's mind and had no intention of concerning himself with it. What he needed to consider was how to traverse this path, filled with flames and ice flames, to enter the valley.

Danger and opportunity often coexist; the more dangerous it is, the greater the reward after overcoming it. The path into the valley was filled with incredibly powerful flames and ice flames, which were invisible, undetectable by most people. This meant very few could have entered the valley, likely leaving many treasures behind.

"Let me test the power of these flames and ice flames first."

Stepping into the path, Wukong extended his palm, wrapped in True Solar Fire, and reached towards a cluster of flame.

"Buzz~!"

The moment the True Solar Fire made contact with the floating flame, it was instantly absorbed. Wukong was shocked and quickly ceased releasing the True Solar Fire. However, the flame, which had absorbed his True Fire, relentlessly spread toward his palm, and a searing pain shot through his hand, radiating throughout his body.

"Bad news, retreat!"

Without a second thought, Wukong quickly retreated and leaped out of the path. The flames that had crept up his arm vanished abruptly as if they had never existed. However, the clear burn marks on his arm served as a stark reminder to Wukong that what he felt was not an illusion.

"Such fearsome flames!"

Wukong's Eight-Nine Profound Skill was nearly complete, rendering his body impervious to fire and water. Not to mention, he now possessed the True Solar Fire in this life. Ordinary flames couldn't harm him in the slightest, yet the floating flames in the path could even devour his True Fire and had scorched his arm in just a few breaths' time. The destructive power was unimaginably terrifying!

Activating his Mysterious Power, Wukong's arm quickly recovered, the injury vanishing without a trace. Luo Bai, who had been watching everything, could see the effects of the flames clearly, despite being unable to see them. The destructive power of these invisible flames in the path exceeded his wildest imagination!

"These flames are extremely lethal, absolutely must not be touched!"

Wukong frowned, "I haven't tested the ice flames yet, but I fear they are not much weaker than the flames in lethality. If we want to proceed, we'll have to avoid the floating flames and ice flames as much as possible."

"Avoid?"

Luo Bai's eyes widened in disbelief, "Are you joking? I can't even see them, how am I supposed to avoid them?"

Swallowing hard, Luo Bai asked again, "Uh, just one more question, what happens if we fail to avoid them and run into them?"

Wukong's face remained impassive, "Nothing much, just getting burnt to ashes at most."

"..."

Luo Bai's face turned pale. What did he mean by getting burnt to ashes at most? How could he, so handsome and dashing, die a dismal death in this wretched place?

"Wukong, no! Brother Monkey, stop joking around with me!"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

Wukong raised his eyebrows, "I'm telling the truth. Whether it's flames or ice flames, their destructive power is immense. They will keep burning until they consume you, unless you leave the path or make it through. Touching them means certain death!"

"This..."

Luo Bai was speechless, "Then, Brother Monkey, how are we supposed to go in if it's so dangerous?"

"Fortune favors the bold! The greater the danger, the more valuable the treasures inside. I, Old Sun, certainly won't beat a retreat. I'm determined to go in!"

A sharp gleam flashed through Wukong's eyes. After all, he was the Great Sage Equalling Heaven, Sun Wukong. To use a popular phrase from another world, the words 'give up' were not in his dictionary!

"What am I supposed to do now? Monkey bro, you can't just abandon me!"

Luo Bai clung to Sun Wukong's waist with a pitiful look on his face, "We're brothers who've weathered storms together, can you bear to leave me behind?"

Sun Wukong's face showed a hint of revulsion, he forcefully shrugged off Luo Bai's arms and kicked him away, "Scram! If you gross me out any more, I'll really leave you behind!"

"So you won't leave me behind, Monkey bro? Awesome, how are you going to take me inside?"

Luo Bai scrambled up from the ground, not angry even after being kicked, but with a triumphant smile instead. Sun Wukong's words proved that he would not be left behind.

"You know some basic Transformation Spells, right? Shrink down and hide on my body, I'll bring you in."

Luo Bai couldn't see the floating Flame and Ice Flame, but Sun Wukong could. With his strength, he just needed to carefully avoid the Flame and Ice Flame, and Luo Bai only had to shrink down and cling to his body for Sun Wukong to be able to take him inside.

"Great idea, why didn't I think of that? Monkey bro, you're the smart one!"

Luo Bai's eyes gleamed, and without a second word, his body shrank down to the size of an ant and jumped into Sun Wukong's collar. Sun Wukong wasted no more time and dashed into the passage.

The Flame and Ice Flame floating within the passage had no fixed shape, varying in size, erratic in movement – no pattern to their behavior. Sun Wukong was able to anticipate the movements of the Flame with the help of his Void-Breaking Divine Eye, dodging in advance. Otherwise, if someone else tried to navigate through, they'd barely make it a few steps before becoming a giant Fireball or Iceball.

Hidden in Sun Wukong's collar, Luo Bai could only feel sudden jolts to the left and right, quick advances followed by abrupt retreats. He knew Sun Wukong was evading the floating Fireballs and Ice Flames, but seeing nothing himself made his heart clench with fear. The unknown was always the most terrifying, especially when one couldn't see or perceive it. Now, all of Luo Bai's hopes were pinned on Sun Wukong; if he got hit by a Flame or Ice Flame, he'd be in trouble too.

"Damn it, why are these Flames and Ice Flames getting more and more concentrated?"

The deeper they went into the passage, the denser the surrounding Fireballs and Ice Flames became, leaving no room for a person to pass. Sun Wukong had to shrink his size as well.

"Luo Bai, I'm going to shrink down now. Follow me, and don't fall behind!"

After giving a quick instruction, Sun Wukong shrank to the size of an ant and flew forward. He could no longer worry about the massive consumption of Immortal Force Power due to the strong gravity; getting through this passage into the valley was the priority.

"Frick, Monkey bro, wait for me, don't leave me behind!"

Luo Bai was stunned; by the time he reacted, Sun Wukong had already flown ahead. His face went pale as he hurriedly followed. If he got lost, his life would be at stake!

"Stick close!

"To the left!"

"To the right!"

"Get ready to slant-fly!"

Like a butterfly weaving through flowers, Sun Wukong led Luo Bai through the tight spaces between the Fire and Ice Flames. The difference was that Sun Wukong could see the gaps and was prepared, while Luo Bai was blindly following, not daring to move too fast or too slow, fearing either collision or being left behind. In all his years as a Sword Immortal, he had never felt so miserable!

"We're almost out, just a little more!"

Ahead, a faint light beckoned. Sun Wukong's heart leaped with joy, and his speed surged again. His body zigzagged in S- and V-shaped trajectories, making it quite challenging for Luo Bai behind him.

"Monkey bro, slow down, I can't keep up!"

"Monkey bro..."

As he complained bitterly, Luo Bai didn't dare to slow down. Sun Wukong had already said the Fireballs and Ice Flames were very dense here. Even falling a body length behind could mean colliding head-on with a Flame or Ice Flame. At his current size, he would likely be burnt to ashes or frozen into bits in an instant.

Finally, only one gap remained. Passing through it would bring them into the valley. Sun Wukong's spirits lifted as he prepared to speed through, but suddenly, he saw an Ice Flame from the right charging towards him. While he could dodge it, Luo Bai would certainly be hit squarely.

"Damn it!"

With gritted teeth, Sun Wukong abruptly stopped, turned around, grabbed Luo Bai's arm, and flung him through the gap. In the next moment, Sun Wukong was hit directly by the Ice Flame. Almost instantly, he was frozen into a block of ice, returning to his original size, and crashing heavily onto the valley floor, shattering into pieces with a loud "crack".

"Monkey bro!"

Luo Bai had returned to his original size and he threw himself toward the shattered remains on the ground, his face full of sorrow and tears streaming down his cheeks, "Why did you have to die like this? Why save me, it wasn't worth it!"