Great Demon Sun Wukong

Looking up, squinting, at that unbelievable beam of light, Sun Wukong was momentarily stunned. Once upon a time, he too, lay atop Flower Fruit Mountain, watching as the sun pierced through the clouds after a heavy rain, casting shimmering patterns on the earth. At those times, Sun Wukong's heart would be incredibly calm. Just like now, he slowly closed his eyes, stretched out his limbs, and lay flat atop his statue, allowing the warm glow to shine upon him.

Soon, Sun Wukong fell asleep. It was an immense relaxation, both mentally and physically. Sun Wukong had always been under immense pressure, which forced him to constantly move forward, grow stronger, and fight, but it also tormented his heart that originally wished for peace with the world.

How many times had Sun Wukong nearly collapsed, yet he finally persevered? Each pain made his heart stronger, but no matter how strong one's heart is, there will always be a soft side. Now, as everything concluded, Sun Wukong's inner softness could finally emerge without any qualms.

He was now completely unguarded, sleeping without the slightest defense, without worrying about someone ambushing him. He no longer had to worry about the safety of his master or junior brothers because no one could harm them anymore, nor did he need to ponder about any schemes or precautions. Sun Wukong greatly enjoyed this relaxation.

He truly missed those days at Flower Fruit Mountain, carefree and untroubled, roaming the hills and waters, picking flowers and fruits, and visiting the Bull Demon King and others for drinks and sparring in his leisure time. But unfortunately, those days were gone forever. Even though everything was concluded now, everyone couldn't return to the past.

When Sun Wukong truly ascended to Primordial Honor, Sun Wukong was quite clear in his heart; he was different from others. This was an essential difference, even if Sun Wukong could disregard it, the invisible oppression that came with being Primordial Honor would make everyone feel a certain respect towards him. This wasn't intentional by anyone; it was an uncontrollable majesty of the superior. Just like in the presence of Tathagata, no monk dared to get familiar and chat shoulder-to-shoulder.

This was also why Sun Wukong didn't go down immediately, a small form of escape, perhaps. Sun Wukong's character was inherently playful and most liked making friends, so such a scenario was very uncomfortable for him, yet there was no helping it. No wonder someone once said, "The heights are chilling," only now did Sun Wukong truly understand.

The warm light and extreme relaxation caused Sun Wukong to sleep deeply. This sleep was exceptionally sound, something he had never experienced before. Sun Wukong had never slept so completely relaxed. Even in sleep, Sun Wukong maintained a high level of vigilance. So when Sun Wukong awoke in a daze, he was momentarily disoriented, suddenly forgetting who he was and where he was.

Opening his eyes, Sun Wukong first saw the once again dim sky returning to its former state. Rubbing his eyes, Sun Wukong's memory gradually returned, with all the fatigue gone after sleep, filling him with an indescribable comfort. Stretching lazily, Sun Wukong finally sat up.

As soon as he sat up, he first smelled a delicious aroma, an indescribable food scent that Sun Wukong wasn't unfamiliar with; he seemed to have smelled this before in his memory. Along with the aroma, Sun Wukong, in a daze, also heard bursts of singing. It wasn't from any one person but a group singing. What was happening, how could there be singing? Was he dreaming?

However, Sun Wukong soon realized something was off; it was definitely not a dream, and the singing in his ear was becoming clearer and clearer, "La la ao ai ao lu li la la ao ai ao, can you understand my heart, drinking is best with more people. La la ao ai ao lu li la la ao ai ao, the thousand-year fruit in the Heavenly Palace can't compare to drinking and singing wildly…" The more Sun Wukong listened to the song, the more familiar it became. By the end, Sun Wukong couldn't believe his ears.

Wasn't this the song they used to sing at the Heavenly Palace while drinking with the other immortals when he was Bi Ma Wen? Sun Wukong remembered Master of Drums, Moli Hai, used to accompany them with his lute. Could it be that he was really dreaming? Or perhaps everything he remembered was the dream?

Was everything he thought was real just a dream after getting drunk once, and after waking up he was still Bi Ma Wen in the Heavenly Palace? But in his memory, every event was vivid in detail, every person was lively and lifelike. If this really was a dream, it would be too real, wouldn't it?

Pangu Realm, Netherworld World, Patrolling Celestial World, Six Great Divine Nations, Fallen Tomb, Xi Zhao, Flame God, Zhibei, Rogue Heart Sword Hero, Ling Weiyang, Heavenly Patroller, Ziling, and the Pioneer, Underworld Venerate and Primordial Honor, were all these places and people just a dream of the southern branches? If it really were like this, it might not be so bad. Because if it truly was just a dream, then the people who died in the dream were fake too, and not so many people died, so Sun Wukong wouldn't feel as heartbroken.

However, it's also regrettable; so many brothers turned out to be mere illusions of dreams. Just when Sun Wukong thought to get up and see who came to the Imperial Horse Supervisor to drink with him today, Sun Wukong suddenly heard a voice, "Monkey, haven't woken up yet? If you don't come down, the roast meat set aside for you will be eaten up by the Flame God!" The moment Sun Wukong heard that voice, he was exhilarated.

He remembered that voice, it was the Rogue Heart Sword Hero's, though it had an older tone now. After a brief daze, Sun Wukong felt a slight relief; since the Rogue Heart Sword Hero was still there, it meant everything he experienced wasn't a dream. His emotions were complicated, but Sun Wukong didn't ponder over it much. Oftentimes, it's necessary like this; everything in the world isn't smooth sailing, and if you dwell in sorrow or pain, it's truly over.

People must continue living; pain can't be forgotten, but it's enough to bury it deep within. Sun Wukong let out a long breath and loudly replied, "Here comes the old Sun!"

With that, with a somersault, he leaped from the top of his ten thousand-foot-high statue to the ground, and upon landing, Sun Wukong was greeted with a thump on the chest. Sun Wukong looked up to see an old man holding an unknown beast's leg, offering it to Sun Wukong.

"Your current appearance is much more transcendent and ethereal." Sun Wukong recognized that the old man before him was indeed the Rogue Heart Sword Hero. The Rogue Heart Sword Hero, to launch his most powerful strike, didn't hesitate to consume his life force. Although he didn't die on the spot, he had turned into a white-haired and white-bearded old man.

The Rogue Heart Sword Hero motioned for Sun Wukong to take the golden roasted beast leg in his hand, saying, "It's a pity I haven't married yet. Seems I'll have to marry an old lady in the future; alas, my youthful heart." The Rogue Heart Sword Hero's words made everyone laugh heartily. On the other side, sitting on a thick tree branch was a very beautiful woman, who said, "No worries, later on, I'll introduce my sisters to you. I'll tell them this white-bearded old man was quite handsome in his youth."

This woman was Overlord, and the person beside her was naturally Po Jun. Po Jun now showed no signs of injury, and his complexion was much better. In fact, everyone present looked pretty good, with no signs of being injured. Of course, this was just the surface; after all, even the last survivors of the battle were severely injured, and these injuries wouldn't heal in a short time but required considerable time for recuperation and recovery.

Sun Wukong took the roast meat from the Rogue Heart Sword Hero and looked at everyone sitting around the campfires: the master, Bajie, Lao Sha, White Dragon, Six-Eared Macaque, Through-back Ape, Red-Buttocked Horse Monkey, Xi Zhao, Sword Hero, Po Jun, Overlord, Ling Yi, Yue Huangquan, Xing Huangquan, Pangu, Chaos Spiritless... All of them looked at Sun Wukong with a smile, seemingly waiting for him to say something.

Sun Wukong coughed, feigning composure, and suddenly sang loudly, "La la ao ai ao lu li la la ao ai ao, can you understand my heart, drinking is best with more people..."

Subsequently, the voices of all the people rose together, making the once cold and quiet Fallen Tomb much more lively. But who knew how much sacrifice was made to bring this moment of joyous singing. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)