Chapter 24: Chapter 24: The Monkey King's Inner Demons Arise and His Retreat to Attain Taiyi
Descending from the clouds, Sun Wukong quickly noticed the peculiar nature of the mountain range: it was littered with white bones, devoid of vegetation, and absent of birds and beasts—a desolate place brimming with intense yin energy. As someone with a Pure Yang Body, he was not afraid of the yin energy that permeated the area; in fact, he felt exceptionally comfortable.
At the dawn of creation, the world was divided into yin and yang. These forces, while opposites, were not antagonistic, much like the attraction between male and female. For a Pure Yang Body, the yin energy was actually a great supplement. The positions of the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother in The Heavenly Court required both pure yin and pure yang bodies; otherwise, chaos would ensue, leading to constant catastrophes.
Amidst the mountain, or rather the Bone Ridge, there was a cave formed from countless bones, with a brilliant light shining from within. The cave entrance seemed to draw the surrounding yin energy into it.
Sun Wukong's eyes sparkled with curiosity, and he leaped toward the cave entrance.
Inside the cave, everything was clear at a glance: a jade-like white skeleton was voraciously absorbing the mountain's yin energy—on the brink of transformation. If Shi Yue had been present, he would have been shocked, exclaiming, "Wow! Isn't this the White Bone Demon? How is it just now transforming?"
The skeleton glowed with a soft luminescence, clearly human in origin.
Strangely, the mere skeleton conveyed a sense of beauty and appeared to possess its own consciousness, which Sun Wukong sensed as soon as he entered.
It was remarkable for Sun Wukong to perceive beauty in a person; if Shi Yue knew, it would certainly surprise him, as he was aware that Sun Wukong generally viewed most humans as looking the same, and even shouted "monster!" the first time he saw a human. Only his senior sister, Taiyin, seemed different to him, likely due to her freckled face. It was this teasing once that led him to be chased and beaten by her for ten years.
After many years of Dao attainment, Sun Wukong understood well that all things possess spirit. Those blessed by heaven and earth would, over hundreds of years, transform and attain the Dao. Over millennia, they could develop a demon core and become a minor demon king—a challenging feat. The skeleton before him had absorbed the Bone Ridge's yin energy to reach transformation now.
Even more intriguing was the faint presence similar to his senior sister Taiyin's aura emanating from the bones, which endeared the skeleton to him.
He circled the skeleton twice, scratching his head and ears, before finally stopping and addressing the bones: "Very well! Since we're fated to meet, let me, Old Sun, lend you a hand."
With that, Sun Wukong pointed at the bones, and instantly the yin energy from across the mountain surged into the skeleton. In moments, the skeleton began to change, enveloped by dense yin energy and glowing brilliantly.
A few moments later, the glow began to fade, and the dense yin energy dissipated, revealing a young maiden.
She possessed alabaster skin and bones, jade-like eyebrows, silvery starry eyes, a willow-like figure, and snowy white at her collar. Even Shi Yue, had he been there, would have had to admit she was quite the beauty! Though, he might still think his mischievous crush held the true charm.
Sun Wukong was overjoyed, incessantly scratching his ears and head, finding her appearance far lovelier than his fierce senior sister's. The young maiden gazed steadily at him, her face free of fear, seemingly aware he meant no harm.
Suddenly, overcome with joy, Sun Wukong said to her, "Let me give you a name."
Without hesitation, he continued, "From now on, you'll be called White…"
Abruptly, Sun Wukong stopped, struck as if by lightning, his body trembling. As if in a trance, he murmured, "Three kills, three trials, destined for calamity! No… Old Sun won't have you be the White Bone Demon."
He roared defiantly at the heavens, fury and resistance in his eyes, "Impossible! Treacherous heavens, you must be lying to Old Sun!"
Shouting fiercely, Sun Wukong fixed his gaze upon the young maiden's eyes intensely: "Remember this! From now on, you must not meet me again! Old Sun leaves now."
He leaped from the cave, disappearing into the horizon in an instant. At the moment he intended to name her, the words "White Bone Demon" had popped into his mind, accompanied by ominous prophecy:
"Three kills, three trials, destined for calamity!"
"Sun Wukong thrice beats the White Bone Demon."
The young maiden gazed steadily at him without ever showing a hint of fear or any change in expression, until long after his figure had disappeared. Only then did she speak softly, as if to herself, "White Bone Demon, from now on, I shall be called the White Bone Demon."
As for Sun Wukong, even he couldn't understand why those prophetic lines caused him such distress. He simply didn't want to harm the young woman, which troubled him deeply. Unable to comprehend it, he chose not to dwell on it further. He felt a growing resistance against the "heavens," and with a single leap of 108,000 li, he returned to Flower Fruit Mountain in no time.
There, the Four Marshals, twelve commanders, and seventy-two cave demon kings welcomed him grandly, filling him with pride and instantly pushing thoughts of the White Bone Demon aside. He thought, why dwell on painful matters, only to cause himself more distress? Better to enjoy boundless freedom! That was Sun Wukong's mindset.
Gathering with the myriad of demon kings, Sun Wukong learned that Shi Yue had already returned, which put his mind at ease. When they mentioned that Shi Yue's Golden Body was a towering thirty zhang, he immediately realized that Shi Yue had truly reached the Taiyi level.
Sun Wukong couldn't help but feel urgency creeping in. This gathering, lasting only half a day, left him restless, prompting his decision to enter seclusion immediately. He resolved not to emerge until he attained Taiyi himself. He sealed the Water Curtain Cave, declaring that nothing should disturb him, no matter how significant.
He also knew of Shi Yue's trip to the East Sea. Understanding Shi Yue well, he didn't believe his brother was there to acquire some treasure or armor. More likely, he was covering for Sun Wukong's various troubles. This realization filled him with guilt yet also warmth, thinking that Shi Yue was, after all, his true brother.
After his reckless turmoil in the East Sea, Sun Wukong had instantly regretted his actions. Seeing the destruction he had wrought on the Dragon Palace left him too ashamed to return, lacking the courage even to apologize, so he let things be. Inside, he felt immense guilt but, true to his nature, never let it weigh on his mind.
As a result, once Sun Wukong had sealed the Water Curtain Cave, he remained undisturbed, passing more than ten years in the blink of an eye. During this time, Shi Yue did not return, and only the Bull Demon King visited once. Evidently, he had entered seclusion to reach the Taiyi level, having traveled from the Great Desolation. With the right mindset, a breakthrough was imminent.
Seeing Sun Wukong still in seclusion, the Bull Demon King, after staying a few days, left with regret. On one hand, he admired Sun Wukong's steadfastness, realizing this virtuous brother was not simple at all. Surely, next time they met, Sun Wukong would have achieved the Taiyi level. On the other hand, he was reluctant to leave Flower Fruit Mountain, awed by its richness, far surpassing Western Aparagodaniya in prosperity. Here, even the smallest demon had bowls for drinking water!
Unlike the "barren" Western Aparagodaniya, where even ruling over a mountain granted a demon king only modest forces, and some unfortunate souls had merely a handful of followers, living primitively on raw, wild foods.
Flower Fruit Mountain, on the other hand, was abundant, with every demon having sufficient resources! Not using a bowl to drink meant being ridiculed, and with an army of tens of thousands of armored demons, the place exuded a formidable presence. The Bull Demon King couldn't help but acknowledge that this was a truly grand demon kingdom. Where had he spent his countless years?
Thus, the Bull Demon King decided that the next time he met Sun Wukong, no matter what, he would move to Flower Fruit Mountain. With his strength, he believed he could stand as an equal alongside Sun Wukong.
Apart from the Bull Demon King, it's worth mentioning the newly risen Six Paths Demon Lord from Western Aparagodaniya, who has now become quite a formidable presence.
However, what's puzzling is that although the Six Paths Demon Lord is known for his loyalty and bold demeanor, he also has a knack for causing trouble. Offending a few demon kings might be excused, but why on earth would he attack a Bodhisattva's sanctuary? This is Western Aparagodaniya, where Mount Ling, the sacred Buddhist site, is located!
As a result, while the Six Paths Demon Lord's reputation grew, he couldn't continue his activities in Western Aparagodaniya anymore. He was forced to flee to Northern Uttarakuru because the Bodhisattva whose sanctuary he attacked was leading a group of Buddhas and Arhats to capture him, determined to eliminate this demon.
Northern Uttarakuru falls outside Tathagata's jurisdiction, and according to rumors, the Six Paths Demon Lord was thriving there, even establishing himself as king of a mountain.
Meanwhile, the world seemed to fall into a quiet calm. There was no response from the Dragon King of the East Sea, whose palace was destroyed, and The Heavenly Court and Buddhist sects appeared inactive, presenting an illusion of peace. However, this was evidently only a surface-level calm, as the grand journey of the West continued its unstoppable course.
As for the celestial maiden in rainbow garments, she was indeed Pilanpo, yet also not a singular being. It could be said there were two individuals embodying Pilanpo: one as a revered Bodhisattva in Buddhism, known as Pusa Pilanp, possessing the formidable cultivation of a Taiyi Golden Immortal; the other within The Heavenly Court, with only celestial-level cultivation, known as the Rainbow-Clad Fairy, vastly inferior in power.
This Rainbow-Clad Fairy did indeed have a connection with The Jade Emperor, but within The Heavenly Court, she was actually known as his most cherished daughter, the Rainbow Princess. Rarely seen in public, even Ne Zha didn't know her true identity, referring to her simply as a fairy. Only a few of The Jade Emperor's closest confidants knew that she was the exalted Rainbow Princess!
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