Sun Wukong glanced back and saw that the Buddha's giant hand had not pursued him.
Sun Wukong was puzzled. He took out the diary in his hand.
He had wanted to see if his benefactor had left him any instructions.
Looking into the distance, he saw what appeared to be five mountains before him.
Sun Wukong was puzzled. He didn't remember seeing five mountains along the way when he came here.
He looked around and sensed that something was wrong. His feet began to slow.
"What's the matter, you monkey? Why have you stopped running?"
"Your hand can't catch me. I'm waiting for you."
Sun Wukong laughed twice.
"You're mistaken. Take a look—what do you think this is?"
As soon as the Buddha finished speaking, a rumbling sound suddenly rang out.
The ground shook violently. Sun Wukong felt the earth beneath his feet grow terribly unsteady.
"What's going on?"
Sun Wukong had never imagined that this place could change so drastically.
"You really are a monkey. You never escaped from the palm of my hand! Hahahaha!"
The Buddha's laughter was cold and grating.
It thundered right beside the monkey's ears.
Even Sun Wukong gripped the Golden Cudgel and fought with all his might, swinging it at the five mountains in an attempt to resist.
But it was all in vain. The power was simply too terrifying for him to withstand.
A fierce sense of despair suddenly welled up in the monkey's heart.
The monkey lowered his head, feeling utterly powerless.
Thinking of his benefactor, he hurriedly took out the diary.
But the diary was blank. There was still nothing written in it.
"Give up, monkey. Surrender."
The cold words rang beside the monkey's ears.
The monkey replied coldly, "Never! I'll never willingly be your pawn in this life."
"You don't get a choice!"
"Why are you pushing me? I'm watching, aren't I?"
"How's it going? What's happening?"
"I'm curious too. Hurry up and tell us!"
Thousand-Mile Eye was at a loss. "Stop rushing me. I'm watching."
"The monkey's trapped among those five mountains."
"Wait, no. Those aren't five mountains. They're Tathagata's five fingers."
"The monkey won't escape this time."
Thousand-Mile Eye smiled.
Everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.
"I told you. Once the Buddha arrived, he'd definitely subdue the monkey."
"Hahahaha! That monkey was so arrogant earlier."
"Exactly. He's lost all that swagger now."
But they didn't say a word about how disheveled they had been earlier.
"Why haven't you cleaned this up yet?"
The Jade Emperor barked an order.
The officials around him immediately understood and hurried off to their duties.
The Jade Emperor paced in place, then said, "Come on. Let's go take a look."
Taibai Jinxing followed close behind, and the two of them made their way to the South Heavenly Gate.
Sun Wukong watched as the five mountains kept shifting and transforming, then came crashing down toward him.
Sun Wukong unleashed all his power and used the Golden Cudgel to fend them off.
Meanwhile, Chen Tong was leaning against a boulder, a blade of grass in his mouth as he lazily basked in the sun.
"What's going on?"
In Chen Tong's view, there seemed to be five mountains in the sky.
"Wait, what's happening?"
He sprang to his feet in one fluid motion.
"Did the monkey cause havoc in Heaven, only to get pinned down by Tathagata?!"
Chen Tong was instantly alert. He spat out the blade of grass in his mouth.
"This can't be happening!"
When Sun Wukong looked down from the sky, he spotted his benefactor.
"Benefactor! Hurry and save me! I can't hold on much longer!"
"I really can't beat that old bald donkey."
Sun Wukong's eyes lit up. He felt hope returning.
His benefactor knew everything and could do anything.
Surely he could save him.
Chen Tong saw the monkey falling straight toward him.
Chen Tong hurriedly dodged. No way—what if a monkey fell out of the sky and smashed into him?
He'd managed to keep his head down for over five hundred years.
If a falling monkey injured him now, he'd have to spend ages recovering. When would he ever get his chance to rise?
Chen Tong spotted a river nearby and hurriedly called out, "Stop resisting and fall into the river!"
At his words, Sun Wukong hesitated. The five mountains were right in front of him.
Chen Tong urged him, "Hurry! I'm not lying to you."
Sun Wukong nodded firmly, withdrew the Golden Cudgel, and then rode a Somersault Cloud straight into the river beside Chen Tong.
Tathagata was somewhat surprised by this.
He hadn't paid the Earth Immortal below any mind.
With cultivation like that, crushing him would be as easy as squashing an ant.
Sun Wukong fell into the river and gasped for breath. He had never been a good swimmer.
Chen Tong moved closer. "How do you feel?"
Sun Wukong said, "I'm fine, benefactor. I'm not hurt."
Chen Tong nodded. "You sure were one hell of a fighter, causing havoc in Heaven."
Sun Wukong: "..."
"Benefactor, what do I do now? That bald donkey wants to capture me."
Chen Tong thumped his chest. "Believe in me, and you'll have eternal life."
Sun Wukong hung his head and rested against the riverbank.
Everything that had happened was exhausting.
Especially facing those five mountains.
He had been utterly spent, using every trick he had.
If his benefactor hadn't appeared, he would have been worn down to death.
"Benefactor, thank you for saving my life."
"All right, enough with the pleasantries."
"Benefactor, my iron rod..."
Chen Tong was speechless. "What iron rod? Yours is gold."
Sun Wukong hurriedly said, "Ah, right, right, right."
The two of them bantered back and forth.
Noticing something amiss, Tathagata said, "You insignificant Earth Immortal! Hand him over at once!"
Chen Tong chuckled. "You tell me to hand him over, so I should? Do I owe you something? Or are you in my debt?"
"Give me four thousand reasons. Explain properly why I should listen to you."
Tathagata was taken aback. In all the tens of thousands of years he'd lived, who had ever dared to speak to him so audaciously?
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