Great Demon Sun Wukong

As for the rest, let's just talk about Sun Wukong and his group returning to the long-lost Pangu Realm. Sun Wukong was instantly shocked. Initially, he and his master and junior disciples left the Pangu Realm to help his master regain his memory. Before leaving, Sun Wukong arranged many things in the Pangu Realm, such as rearranging the Nine Tripod Cauldrons and placing the fake World Suppressing Stele around Flower Fruit Mountain. At that time, Sun Wukong simply hoped that the spiritual energy of the Pangu Realm could become more intense.

However, when Sun Wukong and the others emerged from the space passage, not only Sun Wukong, but also Zhu Bajie and the others were extremely shocked, because the purity level and concentration of the spiritual energy in the Pangu Realm were already comparable to the Divine Kingdom. Sun Wukong's sense was sharper than anyone else's, and he was astonished to discover that this was merely the most ordinary concentration of spiritual energy in the Pangu Realm.

He could clearly feel that the size of the Pangu Realm hadn't increased. Yet, the concentration of spiritual energy was hundreds of times its original level, especially in three places—Western Paradise Sacred Mountain, Heaven, and Flower Fruit Mountain—the density of spiritual energy had reached an unbelievable point, no less than some secret realms in the Great Divine Nations. How could such a level be achieved with just the Nine Tripod Cauldrons and the hastily faked World Suppressing Stele?

But Sun Wukong quickly discovered the cause. The Nine Tripod Cauldrons and the World Suppressing Stele were indeed reasons for the dense spiritual energy, but the larger reason was the Pangu Realm itself. Let's not forget that the Pangu Realm was formed from the flesh of the Pioneer. Previously, the Primordial Honor's body had always been in a state of dormancy, but after the Pioneer appeared at the Fallen Tomb, though his body became the Pangu Realm, it still sensed the call of the Pioneer's soul and essence.

Thus, the Pangu Realm began to unconsciously absorb all the energy it could. This was a subconscious action entirely driven by the Pioneer's longing for resurrection and powerful strength. Although the Pioneer later died, the Pangu Realm had already been awakened. After the Pioneer's death, the Patrolling Celestial World didn't cease that crazy absorption of energy, leading to the current situation. The various forces in the Pangu Realm were astonishingly dense.

Of course, this was a good thing. Although the Pangu Realm's size hadn't increased, its level of spiritual energy undoubtedly elevated it to the status of a Divine Kingdom. In fact, the size of the Pangu Realm couldn't be increased, unless Sun Wukong used the body of another Heavenly Venerate to refine and merge it into the Pangu Realm. Sun Wukong's powerful Divine Sense quickly scanned the entire Pangu Realm, and then he couldn't help but grin widely; the Pangu Realm truly gave him quite a surprise.

Also, Sun Wukong had indeed put considerable effort into returning to the Pangu Realm. As mentioned before, once Sun Wukong was elevated to Primordial Honor, he would uncontrollably emit a faint pressure belonging to an elite. Despite Sun Wukong's efforts to control it and others' struggles to overcome it, at the end of the celebration, the situation might turn either into Sun Wukong being isolated or the rest celebrating with Sun Wukong watching.

In the presence of those Heavenly Venerate experts, it was already this way, so one can imagine how the people of the Pangu Realm would react toward Sun Wukong upon his return; this was something he couldn't tolerate. Hence, Sun Wukong racked his brains to devise a solution: he placed the majority of his Primordial Honor strength into the nine World Suppressing Stelae and then put the stelae away. By doing so, Sun Wukong effectively merged his power with the universe, so unless he released it, people around him would only feel he became more noble but wouldn't feel the fear of approaching him.

And with the Primordial Honor dead, Sun Wukong had no enemies left, so this was entirely viable. Therefore, the current Sun Wukong was at the Heavenly Venerate Primary Stage. "Brother Monkey, did we come to the wrong place?" Zhu Bajie gawked at his surroundings, dumbfounded, and said. The Six-Eared Macaque immediately remarked, "It should be me asking that question. When I left, it wasn't like this here."

Zhu Bajie quickly taunted, "Tsk tsk, talking all poised, yet who got slapped to death by my Chang'e back then, huh?" The Six-Eared Macaque was instantly enraged and wanted to give the teasing fool a beating. But who was Zhu Bajie? During the journey to the Western Paradise, Zhu Bajie never stopped teasing Sun Wukong, yet Sun Wukong never really hit him once. Why? Because Zhu Bajie was cunning with those pig eyes.

Seeing the Six-Eared Macaque eager to strike, Zhu Bajie swiftly dodged behind Sha Wujing, with a face asking for a beating, and said, "Want to hit me? Ask my junior fellow first." Zhu Bajie used Tang Sanzang as a shield whenever Sun Wukong tried to hit him, and now he'd swapped to Sha Wujing after taunting the Six-Eared Macaque.

Sha Wujing naturally knew this second senior brother very well, retreated a step, indicating he wouldn't intervene. Zhu Bajie saw that and bolted without a word, while the Six-Eared Macaque, wielding the Crimson Blood Roaming Dragon Staff, chased after him. Watching the two of them fooling around, Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, and the White Dragon all smiled subtly. Indeed, it was the sea vast enough for fish to leap, the sky high for birds to fly, genuine freedom without any constraints.

As he sprinted, Zhu Bajie hollered loudly, "Where are the heavenly soldiers and generals, come out! Your Grandpa Zhu is being beaten up!" Zhu Bajie was calling out to the Heavenly people of the Pangu Realm above, although he never expected them to stop the Six-Eared Macaque. Zhu Bajie just wanted everyone to know that he was back, the master was back, and most importantly, the Great Sage Sun Wukong was back.

With his naturally loud voice, Zhu Bajie's shout reverberated across the entire Pangu Realm. However, the most shocked weren't the heavenly soldiers and generals, but a woman—Chang'e.

While Zhu Bajie flew wildly, Sun Wukong and the others didn't pay attention. Returning to the Pangu Realm equaled coming home; naturally, there wouldn't be any danger. If Zhu Bajie wanted to play, let him play. Sun Wukong and the four headed straight to Flower Fruit Mountain, originally chased by the Six-Eared Macaque. But halfway there, a voice suddenly appeared in the Six-Eared Macaque's mind—Sun Wukong's voice.

Upon hearing Sun Wukong's call, the Six-Eared Macaque had no choice but to leave Zhu Bajie be and turn to fly toward Flower Fruit Mountain. Why did Sun Wukong suddenly stop the Six-Eared Macaque? Simply because Sun Wukong had just realized something—it concerned Zhu Bajie. If the Six-Eared Macaque followed, it would be ruined, so Sun Wukong quickly called him back.

Zhu Bajie had no knowledge of this and continued flying. After a while, he found the Six-Eared Macaque wasn't catching up, laughed to himself, and just as he turned to head back to Flower Fruit Mountain from another direction, a voice suddenly called out from behind him. Upon hearing that voice, Zhu Bajie's entire body trembled; he neither turned nor spoke.

Then, the female voice said, "Feng Meng, how long do you intend to hide from me? Everyone has returned, why haven't you seen me?" Naturally, the voice belonged to Chang'e. This time, Zhu Bajie finally responded, "I go by Zhu Bajie now, and of course, you can call me Zhu Ganglie or Tianpeng, just don't call me by that name again."

Zhu Bajie's voice was slightly solemn but also filled with sadness. Chang'e appeared somewhat agitated, her voice a little trembling as she said, "Why don't you dare admit it? After all these years, why can't you understand? Do you think by changing your name and identity, you aren't you anymore? In my heart, you'll always be Feng Meng, the one who dared to draw a bow against the greatest hero of that time for me."

"What's the point of those words now? I saw him somewhere else, unfortunately, he no longer recognizes me, nor did I greet him. In reality, he has long ceased to be who he was. Chang'e, I am now a man of Buddhism, our fate has long ended."

Chang'e chuckled sorrowfully, suddenly reciting a poem: "Golden helmet tight at cheek's edge, armored ribbons and serpentine scales. Holding nail rake dragon claw probe, belt pleated bow crescent half round. Feng Meng, I've realized now, things are not as they were, all has changed. Why do you stubbornly lock yourself in the cage of your own making? It wasn't your fault back then!" Chang'e, a truly beautiful woman, with a voice so melancholy and poignant, it breaks one's heart.

Zhu Bajie was evidently suppressing his emotions, after a while, he seemed calmer, still not turning, and using a cold tone said, "Indeed, many things have changed; he's dead, many people have died. The world now, the universe, is complete freedom for me, but wrong is wrong. I've made mistakes, deserved to be punished."

"Feng Meng, haven't you been punished enough over these years?"

"Not enough, never enough. Even if I were cut to pieces, it wouldn't be enough!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to visit the Starting Point (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)