Rebirth in Journey to the West: Sun Wukong

"That's right, Brother Monkey is still fighting that bald Ran Deng; we need to help him!"

Luo Bai lifted his head, looking in the direction of the Eastern Sea. Above the sea, the constant ripples of colliding forces were unmistakable signs that Sun Wukong and Ran Deng Buddha were locked in fierce combat.

"Alright, Brother Bull, Luo Bai, Six-Eared, Nezha, you four go to the Eastern Sea to help our leader. The rest stay behind to clean up the battlefield and heal our wounds. Although the Heavenly Court has retreated, who knows when they might return, not to mention the Western Heavenly Buddhist Sect, which likely won't give up easily either. We must be ready to fight at any moment!"

After pondering for a moment, Leng Xuan said these words, and everyone found them reasonable, nodding in agreement.

"Let's go; I really want to see just how powerful our leader has become now!"

A sharp glint flashed through the eyes of the Six-Eared Macaque as he took the lead to fly toward the Eastern Sea on his Somersault Cloud, with Luo Bai and the other two close behind. Their figures quickly disappeared into the sky's horizon. Leng Xuan wasted no time, ordering the most injured among the Demon Clan to return to the Water Curtain Cave Heaven to recuperate.

The others began tidying up the battlefield under his command.

In the midair above the very center of the Eastern Sea, following another violent clash, Sun Wukong and Ran Deng Buddha gasped for breath as they separated from each other. The Dharma Body of Ran Deng Buddha began flickering uncertainly, twinkling twice before suddenly vanishing.

Even as a being of the Half-Step Saint Realm, it was impossible for him to maintain the state of the Dharma Body indefinitely. To continue would likely damage his core essence.

Seeing Ran Deng Buddha dispel his Dharma Body, Sun Wukong also let out a secret sigh of relief, dispelling his Divine Power Dharma Aspect Heaven and Earth. Both his actual body and clones returned to their original sizes, flanking Ran Deng Buddha left and right, their gaze brimming with fighting spirit, showing no fear of battle despite dissolving the Divine Power Dharma Aspect Heaven and Earth.

"Impressive, Demon Monkey! Impressive, Sun Wukong! I indeed underestimated you!"

Ran Deng Buddha's face was filled with a sinister darkness as he glared at Sun Wukong with a vicious look. He had never anticipated that a fight with a Demon Monkey of merely Da Luo Golden Immortal Realm would prove so taxing.

Having nearly exhausted all his abilities and still failing to overcome his opponent, he found Sun Wukong's combat power to be monstrously sky-reaching, far more formidable than the likes of Bull Demon King or Six-Eared Macaque!

"However, the more this is the case, the less I can afford to let you go! A menace like you poses too great a threat. If I allow you to continue growing, sooner or later you will endanger the stature of our Buddhist Sect! It seems I must resort to thunderous methods today to eradicate you and prevent future troubles!"

Faced with Ran Deng Buddha's murderous threat, Sun Wukong casually curled his lip in disdain. "Psh! Isn't it easy to talk big? If you're so capable, try and obliterate me! Thunderous methods, you say? I, Old Sun, have to see what thunderous methods you might have!"

"Amitabha, I shall grant your wish!"

A cold light flashed in the eyes of Ran Deng Buddha as a fierce Sword Qi suddenly surged from his being. A semi-transparent black longsword appeared from the Divine Ring above his head. As soon as this black longsword emerged, an icy, deadly intent enveloped a radius of dozens of miles.

The surface of the Eastern Sea below remained turbulent, yet in that single moment became eerily still, where not the slightest sound penetrated the range covered by the Sword Intent.

Sun Wukong's pupils shrank abruptly. From this semi-transparent black longsword, he perceived an incredibly familiar aura—the aura of the Four Swords of Immortal-Slaying!

This semi-transparent black longsword was unmistakably of the same origin as the Sword of Annihilation within his own Dantian, one of the Four Swords of Immortal-Slaying!

The Immortal-Slaying is merciless; the Slaying Immortal obliterates. Trapping Immortal brightens the surroundings with crimson light, while the Absolute Immortal's transformations are boundless and wondrous, staining the Da Luo Golden Immortal's robe with blood!

This black longsword from the Four Swords of Immortal-Slaying was none other than the Sword of Slaying Immortal!

"The Sword of Slaying Immortal! How did this sword come into your possession? Wasn't it taken by Chi Jingzi back in the day?"

Sun Wukong's brows furrowed tightly. Ran Deng Buddha actually wielded the Sword of Slaying Immortal and seemed to have a much firmer grip on it than Cultivation Heavenly Venerable had on the Sword of Annihilation, entirely unaffected by the Sword Intent. This was a concerning development!

"Oh? You Demon Monkey seem to have some insight, recognising the Sword of Slaying Immortal?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Ran Deng Buddha's eyes. He had not expected Sun Wukong to call out the Sword of Slaying Immortal by name instantly, even knowing details about it originally being in Chi Jingzi's possession. Given Sun Wukong's youth, it would have been impossible for him to have participated in the Divine Enthronement War of the past; how could he know so much about these matters?

The origin of this Demon Monkey seemed to be not as simple as he had thought!

"You have yet to answer my question, old Ran Deng. The Sword of Slaying Immortal was in Chi Jingzi's hands, was it not? How did you acquire it?"

Sun Wukong's eyes narrowed slightly, his Void-Breaking Divine Eye stealthily advancing to the Third Phase—Void-Breaking Heavy Pupils—as he peered at the Sword of Slaying Immortal. The black blade was teeming with an immense volume of Sword Qi, immensely sharp and filled with Evil Qi.

Even through the Heavy Pupils, there was a tingling sensation of pain; indeed, this was undoubtedly the Sword of Slaying Immortal!

Moreover, Ran Deng Buddha's Buddha Primordial Force showed no conflict with the Sword of Slaying Immortal, indicating complete mastery. This level of control was much more sophisticated than Cultivation Heavenly Venerable's method of refining the sword with his body!

"Chi Jingzi? Ha! Such a person no longer exists within the immortals and Buddhas of the Three Realms, what's so strange about the Sword of Slaying Immortal falling into my hands?"

Ran Deng Buddha's eyes flashed with arrogance. With his right hand extended, the hilt of the Sword of Slaying Immortal flew into his grasp, firmly held. Instantly, a forceful sword qi pressure spread wildly in all directions from him, enveloping Sun Wukong along with a radius of ten miles.

"Chi Jingzi is dead?"

Sun Wukong's pupils shrank abruptly. "Was it your poison hand?"

Chi Jingzi was one of the Kunlun Twelve Golden Immortals. After all these years, even if his talents were mediocre, he should have reached the realm of a Half-Step Quasi-Saint. How could he have fallen so silently?

No wonder there had been no news of Chi Jingzi after the Divine Enthronement War; it turned out he had long since perished, and even the Sword of Slaying Immortal had fallen into the hands of Ran Deng Buddha.

But with the strength of Chi Jingzi, especially with the Sword of Slaying Immortal in his possession, there were not many in the world who could defeat him—let alone kill him. How could he have just perished?

Sun Wukong's gaze fell on Ran Deng Buddha with suspicion. This bald donkey was always cunning and deceitful; in his greed for others' magical treasures, he was capable of extreme measures. It wouldn't be far-fetched to think that Chi Jingzi met his demise by his hand!

"Of course not!"

Ran Deng Buddha denied firmly. Chi Jingzi, after all, was one of the Kunlun Twelve Golden Immortals and a favored disciple of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable. Even if he coveted the Sword of Slaying Immortal, he would not personally lay a hand on Chi Jingzi. If the Primordial Heavenly Venerable were to find out, would he not flay him?

Of course, the death of Chi Jingzi was indeed somewhat related to him. He had provided Chi Jingzi with a method to fully subdue the Sword of Slaying Immortal, but the method was extremely perilous. A slight misstep could result in backlash from the sword qi, leading to death without a burial site—even a Da Luo Golden Immortal could not withstand it!

The path was chosen by Chi Jingzi, and such a fate of demise was his own destiny. Ran Deng Buddha did not feel it had any necessary connection to himself. Since Chi Jingzi had died, his magical treasures had become ownerless, and it was only natural for him to claim them.

Of course, these were not things he would explain to Sun Wukong. In any case, Sun Wukong would soon become a ghost under the Sword of Slaying Immortal. Why bother explaining so much to someone who was about to die?

"Demon Monkey, I've said before that I will definitely slay you today! To die under the Sword of Slaying Immortal is also your good fortune. Accept your death!"

With a fierce shout, Ran Deng Buddha made his move. With his right hand raised, he delivered a sword strike from the air toward Sun Wukong. A tremendous sword light shot out from the Sword of Slaying Immortal, as if it split the very void in front of it in two, arriving in an instant.

Sun Wukong's expression suddenly darkened. Chaos Primordial Force poured into his Ruyi Golden-Hooped Rod, and it shone brightly with golden light, ferociously slamming into the sword light.

Boom!

The Ruyi Golden-Hooped Rod collided with the sword light, and while the Four Swords of Immortal-Slaying were invincible, the sharpness of the Sword of Slaying Immortal was second only to the Immortal-Slaying Sword.

But the Ruyi Golden-Hooped Rod was also a superior-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure level divine weapon, within which hid the majority of the essence qi of the thirty-six-rank Pure World Lotus, incredibly tough, not something the Sword of Slaying Immortal could easily damage. After a moment of stalemate, the sword light emitted by the Sword of Slaying Immortal suddenly shattered.

Even though he had blasted away the sword light of the Sword of Slaying Immortal, Sun Wukong's face did not show a trace of relaxation. He grasped the Ruyi Golden-Hooped Rod with both hands and started whirling it at great speed.

Clang clang clang clang!

The shattered sword light didn't fade away; instead, it transformed into a series of sword qi shooting towards Sun Wukong from all directions. Fortunately, Sun Wukong was well-prepared, and the Ruyi Golden-Hooped Rod moved so swiftly that not a single drop of water could penetrate, blocking all the incoming sword qi and emitting a series of dense metallic ringing sounds.

"Not bad, you've got some skills, being able to withstand that sword!"

A look of surprise flashed in Ran Deng Buddha's eyes. Ordinary people who faced the Sword of Slaying Immortal's attack for the first time always panicked. Even if they managed to block the sword light, they couldn't defend against the sword qi that the light fragmented into. Unexpectedly, Sun Wukong blocked them all, not a single wave effective.

This young one was definitely not facing the Four Swords of Immortal-Slaying for the first time. He must have come into contact with another one of the Immortal Swords before; otherwise, he couldn't be so well-experienced.

"Hmph! You really think that with the Sword of Slaying Immortal in hand, you can hold me down? Baldy, taste my staff!"

Having blocked the sword light and qi of the Sword of Slaying Immortal, Sun Wukong's face flashed with a fierce look, as being on the defensive had never been his style of combat. For him, the best defense was offense—the continuous offensive, to utterly smash the enemy with the force of thunder!

With a cold snort, Sun Wukong's figure flickered as he applied the Shrinking Earth into Inches supernatural power, rushing towards Ran Deng Buddha. The Ruyi Golden-Hooped Rod swung in a semi-circle and brutally hammered down on Ran Deng Buddha's head. At the same time, his clone moved as well, wielding the Ruyi Silver-Hooped Rod and aiming for Ran Deng Buddha's lower body.