Great Sage Equal to Heaven

After saying that, Yang Jian did not linger any longer.

"Xiaotian."

The black giant hound that had been quietly lying at his feet rose at the sound, letting out a low growl in response. Its body silently swelled beneath the moonlight, returning to its towering, hill-like form.

Yang Jian drifted down onto its back, white robes and black hound forming a stark contrast.

"Let's go."

There was no radiant light shooting into the sky, nor any spectacle of space being torn apart. Beneath Xiaotian's four paws rose a faint mist of clouds that blended into the night.

Bearing Yang Jian, it walked through the air at an unhurried pace in the direction opposite Sun Wu Kong's departure. Before long, it became a blurry black dot on the horizon, ultimately melting completely into the night, leaving no trace behind.

On the barren mountain, only Sun Wu Kong remained.

He maintained his original posture, motionless for a long while.

Only his eyes grew ever brighter, ever more dazzling.

Yang Jian's final words still echoed in his mind.

"I'll wait for the day you punch a hole through the heavens."

It had not been mockery, admonishment, or even encouragement.

It had been... an agreement between equals.

Sun Wu Kong slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, which gradually dispersed into the cold world around him.

He lowered his head and looked at the Golden Cudgel in his hand.

"Punch a hole through the heavens...?"

He murmured the words again, so softly that only he could hear them.

Suddenly, he bared his teeth and began to laugh soundlessly.

At first, only the corners of his lips curled upward. Then the smile widened, eventually turning into a low laugh he could no longer suppress—yet one that rang with unrestrained delight across the empty wilderness.

As