Great Demon Sun Wukong

This trial, or rather this war, had seen the most important three battles already determining victors in two of them, with only the Spirit Controller and Chi Ghost left fiercely contending. However, neither of them had any aid left, so their victory or defeat would likely have to be decided by themselves.

After much hesitation, Ming Tiekuang finally resolved to aim his cannon first and foremost at Sun Wukong. The threat Wukong posed was simply too great. The Spirit Controller was indeed his nemesis, but if he were to kill only the Spirit Controller, then his vengeance would be but one-tenth satisfied. Moreover, if the Spirit Controller were slain by his hand, relying on his own strength to escape the Patrolling Celestial World would be impossible, and his own death would be certain.

Therefore, should he strike at Sun Wukong, even if the blow did not kill him outright, it would still surely leave Wukong severely wounded and close to death. Additionally, Ming Tiekuang's greatest advantage was that he acted from the shadows, his true intentions unknown to the Spirit Controller, and attacking Sun Wukong could also demonstrate his loyalty. As for whether the cannon would directly eliminate Sun Wukong, the Spirit Controller would have no concerns. If it indeed killed Sun Wukong, so much the better, as it would save him the future trouble of dealing with Xi Zhao.

Ming Tiekuang had thought everything through, and the strike from the Thunder Fire Scorching Flame Cannon did indeed take a life—just not that of Sun Wukong, nor Zhibei, but of Xing Dian. Unexpectedly, Xing Dian of the Underworld God Army took the devastating blast for Sun Wukong. Instead of shielding Sun Wukong directly like Zhibei, Xing Dian pushed Sun Wukong far away as soon as he appeared. As a result, Sun Wukong was unharmed, while Xing Dian perished.

Without a doubt, the very instant after Xing Dian's body was pierced by that void light column, he was utterly annihilated. With no last words and no heroic declarations, he appeared out of nowhere and then suddenly died, all in the blink of an eye, leaving Sun Wukong feeling almost unreal. But his Heaven and Earth Fire Eyes had clearly captured everything that happened, letting him clearly understand that it was all real.

Xing Dian had sacrificed his life to shield him from that terrifying blow, and in that moment, Sun Wukong's heart was not filled with sorrow, but with rage. Why, why did it have to be like this? Why must everyone do this? What virtues and abilities do I, Sun Wukong, possess to warrant such protection with their lives? Do you think yourselves noble? Sacrificing yourselves to protect another? Don't you realize that such actions are the most selfish? Does Sun Wukong need protection from you?

With blood-red eyes and a heart full of unending sorrow and anger churning and entwining, Sun Wukong felt his head about to split in two. The agonizing sensation nearly tore him apart. First Zhibei, and now Xing Dian. One could understand Zhibei's actions, but Xing Dian? What reason did he have to do such a thing? He and Xing Dian were barely acquainted, not even truly friends. Wukong couldn't fathom it, but one thing was clear: he was simply too weak.

As he felt the soul of Xing Dian before him gradually dissipating with his Heaven and Earth Fire Eyes, Sun Wukong felt a sense of emptiness in his mind. At that moment, a shadow suddenly appeared, right behind Sun Wukong, who seemed completely unaware of it. This shadow, upon arrival, delivered a whip kick directly to Sun Wukong's lower back with such tremendous force that Sun Wukong was sent tumbling forward, crashing through countless rocks and stalactites before coming to a halt.

But as soon as Sun Wukong's rolling form had ceased, the shadow appeared again and planted a foot directly on his head, driving almost half of Sun Wukong's body into the ground. This shadow was Xi Zhao. Although his Life-bound Weapon, Formless Vanishing, had been nearly destroyed and his mind was shaken, Xi Zhao was well-prepared, having already minimized the connection with his spirit. Moreover, as a true Heavenly Venerate, whether in cultivation or combat power, his injuries were not severe. Thus, sensing Sun Wukong's condition, he had not hesitated to strike.

And Sun Wukong? Amidst two exceptionally strong attacks, Sun Wukong had not received the slightest injury. The black shadow of Xi Zhao's fist had been blocked by Zhibei, resulting in Zhibei sacrificing an arm and losing all defensive capabilities. The Full Force Strike of the Thunder Fire Scorching Flame Cannon unleashed by Ming Tiekuang was intercepted by Xing Dian, at the cost of Xing Dian's direct fall. However, at this moment, Sun Wukong, who had been injured by the frenzied assault of Xi Zhao, appeared unable to fight back in the slightest.

Not only that, even the aura on Sun Wukong's body began to destabilize, especially after being attacked by Xi Zhao, the originally balanced ultimate powers of the Five Elements began to chaotically intertwine. Previously, Sun Wukong had utilized the burning of the Wonderful Bodhi Tree to stimulate the ultimate power of the Five Elements, enabling his Combat Power to surge to the Heavenly Venerate Realm in a short time. Yet when Xing Dian perished, the burning Wonderful Bodhi Tree suddenly extinguished, and the suddenness of this extinction caused the ultimate forces of the constantly transitioning Five Elements to spiral into confusion. As a result, the most immediate manifestation was Sun Wukong's strength rapidly declining.

Moreover, after losing the power generated by the burning of the Wonderful Bodhi Tree, the transformation of the Five Elements Power also gradually slowed down. In fact, the power supplied by the burning of the Wonderful Bodhi Tree can be understood as a kind of heating effect, accelerating the transformation of the Five Elements Power beyond normal speed, providing Sun Wukong with strength exceeding his own realm. But this method was bound to cause extremely serious damage and strain on Sun Wukong's body, and it was very susceptible to possession by inner demons. Now, under the shock of Xing Dian's demise, Sun Wukong indeed became possessed by demons.

When Xi Zhao's foot crushed half of Sun Wukong's body into the ground, the Five Elements Power inside Sun Wukong had almost entirely cooled down, thereby returning to its usual state, and then Sun Wukong's power dropped back to its normal state, Domain Lord Level. Although this was still far above his own Realm, it was now insignificant compared to Xi Zhao at this moment. Sensing Sun Wukong's rapidly declining aura and strength, a hint of puzzlement flashed through Xi Zhao's mind, though not a moment's hesitation.

Looking at Sun Wukong, who was now half buried in the soil and had returned to his normal state, a rich smile appeared on Xi Zhao's lips. Sun Wukong, although it's unclear what has happened to you, you still lost. A power that isn't yours, even if you possess it, can only make you dazzling for a moment, but in the end, won't you still be trampled under my feet? Feeling the condition of the Formation Eye where they were, Xi Zhao noticed that the Eye had sustained some damage during the recent battle but this did not have much of an impact on the overall operation of the Great Formation.

Bending down, Xi Zhao grabbed Sun Wukong by the ankle with one hand and pulled him out of the ground. Looking at Sun Wukong, whose eyes were tightly closed and whose entire body's aura was weak and disordered, Xi Zhao could not help but feel a bit sentimental. Just moments ago they had been locked in fierce combat, and now he was half dead. Indeed, how unpredictable life is. The attack that suddenly emerged was familiar to Xi Zhao—it must have been launched by the Thunder Fire Scorching Flame Cannon, but who exactly instigated the Thunder Fire Scorching Flame Cannon to attack Sun Wukong?

Xi Zhao's mind was extremely meticulous, and he was quite suspicious. He didn't take pride in Sun Wukong's downfall caused by the recent attack, but pondered over the event instead. That strike, judging by the power and momentum, was definitely a Full Force Strike of the Thunder Fire Scorching Flame Cannon, one which was strong enough to kill a Heavenly Venerate. And the person who instigated this attack against Sun Wukong could not be one from the Netherworld Alliance Army.

Otherwise, let alone strike at Sun Wukong, knowing that both he and Sun Wukong shared a life-and-death bond, they would not easily attack him either. Furthermore, it couldn't be someone from the Myriad Demons Country; although he was not one of them, his relationship with Ling Weiyang was far from ordinary, so if anyone from the Myriad Demons Country wanted to make a move on him, Ling Weiyang would definitely not permit it. Looking at it this way, aside from some third-party forces, it must be the underlings of the Spirit Controller.

Killing Sun Wukong would lead to his own death as well. Two birds with one stone, and in the end, the Spirit Controller would be the greatest beneficiary. Although this was what he thought, Xi Zhao did not reveal his thoughts, as he still relied on the Spirit Controller to lead them away, and it was not the time to turn against him. Carrying the half-dead Sun Wukong, Xi Zhao soared into the air, quickly leaving the place. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Starting Point (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and Monthly Passes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)