Holding the Sun and Moon, Plucking the Stars, No One Like This in the World Anymore!

"Fellow Daoist, I'm afraid you've mistaken me for another monkey."

Sun Wukong scratched his fluffy fur, grinned, and said:

"My Master is not the Sect Master Tongtian you speak of!"

"What?"

Zhao Gongming's face stiffened upon hearing this. His eyes widened as he stared at Sun Wukong, his voice trembling:

"Not… Master Tongtian? Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

He took a sudden step back as if struck in the chest, a look of mingled confusion and pain appearing in his eyes. He muttered:

"Monkey, you… you don't need to comfort me."

He lowered his head, gazing at the ground, his voice barely audible but still filled with obsession:

"In this world, besides Master Tongtian, who else could possess such skill to train such a rare and outstanding monkey as you in this era?"

As his words fell, he seemed to lose all strength, slumping to the ground. His expression was desolate, tears welling in his eyes.

Sun Wukong watched, scratching his head and pouting:

"Although you praised me as an outstanding monkey and I found it quite pleasant to hear!"

"I never lie, and my Master is indeed not Sect Master Tongtian!"

He paused, his expression suddenly becoming more serious, and he said proudly:

"Furthermore, although Sect Master Tongtian is a Saint, compared to my Master, he is like a firefly daring to compete with the bright moon, not worth mentioning!"

These words struck Zhao Gongming like a clap of thunder, leaving his mind blank with a "buzz."

He suddenly looked up, rage burning in his eyes, his voice as cold as a knife:

"What did you say? Master Tongtian is not worth mentioning? Monkey, aren't you being a bit too arrogant!"

He clenched his fists, his magical powers surging, his black robes rustling:

"Could it be that your Master is Dao Ancestor Hongjun?"

Sun Wukong shrugged and shook his head, "No."

Zhao Gongming was stunned, his anger intensifying:

"If not the Dao Ancestor, how dare you belittle my Master Tongtian? You monkey, your tone is too presumptuous!"

His face turned ashen with rage, his beard and hair bristling. He enunciated each word clearly:

"Do you know that during the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation, my Master used the Four Immortal Slaying Swords to set up a sword formation and fought four Saints without falling behind! Who in the entire Primordial World, besides Dao Ancestor Hongjun, could match that might?"

As he spoke, his eyes lit up with reverence, and his voice took on a solemn tone:

"My Master Tongtian is the foremost under the Dao Ancestor!"

"Among all Saints, my Master Tongtian is the first!"

Sun Wukong, however, lazily rolled his eyes and sneered:

"Heh, Fellow Daoist, your words are like looking at the sky from the bottom of a well."

He straightened his body, his spirit soaring, and proclaimed loudly:

"Let alone Sect Master Tongtian, even that old thief Hongjun does not enter my Master's eyes!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Gongming felt as if struck by lightning and was instantly furious:

"Presumptuous! How dare you, monkey, insult the Dao Ancestor?!"

"Aren't you afraid of being struck by heavenly lightning?"

His body trembled, and he instinctively retreated, fearing that the Heavenly Dao would descend divine punishment and strike the monkey, implicating him as well!

One must know that since Hongjun's three lectures in the Purple Heaven Palace, the three thousand mortal guests had already spread Hongjun's Daoist teachings across the Primordial World.

It could be said that countless beings in the Primordial World owed a debt of gratitude to the Dao Ancestor!

No one dared to speak ill of the Dao Ancestor!

Moreover, whether it was the Human, Chan, Jie, or Western (Buddhism) sects, their founders had to show respect as disciples when meeting Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

As for their second and third-generation disciples, they all had to regard Hongjun as their grand-teacher!

Now, a monkey had uttered such rebellious words!

How could Zhao Gongming not turn pale with rage!

However, Sun Wukong remained composed, flicked his sleeves, and said lazily:

"That old guy Hongjun was just an earthworm wriggling in the dirt back then, how could he deserve the title of 'Dao Ancestor'?"

"Back then, he stole the Jade Treasure from my Master's neck, which allowed him to achieve Dao, seize heavenly secrets, and gain his current fame. In the end, he was just an old thief with good luck! He's not even fit to carry my Master's shoes!"

Hearing this, Zhao Gongming fearfully retreated again, moving further away from the monkey, and said:

"You… stop spouting nonsense. I still want to live a few more years, don't drag me down with you…"

Sun Wukong, however, showed no fear and instead threw his head back and laughed heartily:

"Hahaha, don't rush, fellow Daoist. I've already laid down a trace of the Great Dao's aura here. The heavenly secrets are cut off, so neither your Master nor the Dao Ancestor can glean even a single word!"

He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance at the Western Ox Continent, deep reverence and longing flowing in his eyes. He slowly spoke:

"Fellow Daoist, you simply haven't seen my Master's magnificence!"

"If you had seen it, you would know, what is Sect Master Tongtian? What is Hongjun? Even if the Heavenly Dao itself took form and came here, it would only be fit to serve my Master a chamber pot!"

After speaking, Sun Wukong muttered to himself again:

"At the pinnacle of Immortality, I defy the world; only with my Master did the heavens come to be!"

"Who stands at the end of the immortal path? Upon seeing my Master, my Dao is rendered void!"

"With hands that grasp the sun and moon, and pluck stars from the sky, there is no other like this in the world."

"With feet that tread yin and yang, I stabilize the universe; since Chaos, my Master has been the most revered."

"All things in heaven and earth can be destroyed, only my Master possesses an immortal body!"

With each line he recited, his aura surged, a blend of arrogance and steadiness, as if offering worship or sacrificing his faith.

Zhao Gongming was utterly stunned, his mouth agape, his jaw nearly unhinging.

'Is this monkey insane?'

'Could he have been conned by some charlatan?'

'This is too chuunibyou!'

'Even Dao Ancestor Hongjun would blush hearing this!'

Zhao Gongming mumbled inwardly, and after a long while, he suppressed his anger and sighed:

"Since fellow Daoist Monkey so highly esteems his Master, I shall not speculate further. I merely wonder, what is your Master's honorable name?"

With that, he cupped his hands in a salute, quite courteously.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong gritted his teeth, his expression solemn as he waved his hand:

"My Master once said that his name must not be revealed, lest it attract worldly karma and trouble. Therefore, I beg your pardon, but I cannot say."

Zhao Gongming nodded, his face calm, but inwardly he sneered: Heh, this monkey boasts to the heavens, yet at the last moment, he dares not reveal his name. He's likely just bluffing!

However, he was still unwilling to give up and pressed on:

"Since you cannot speak his name, then... where is your mysterious Master's dojo?"

Sun Wukong initially intended to continue hiding it, but seeing a hint of mockery and coldness in Zhao Gongming's eyes, a surge of defiance rose within him. He snorted coldly:

"My Master's dojo is in the Western Ox Continent, near Square Inch Mountain. If you have the fate, you will step into it naturally; if you do not, you will search the entire Primordial World and still not find it!"

"Western Ox Continent... Square Inch Mountain..."

Zhao Gongming silently noted it down, a deep curiosity stirring in his heart: Well, you monkey, you make the mystical sound so elusive. I, Zhao, must see for myself what kind of expert hides so obscurely.

He spoke no further, merely giving Sun Wukong a deep look before cupping his hands in farewell:

"Fellow Daoist Monkey, since that is the case, I shall now head to the Western Ox Continent to investigate. We shall meet again!"

With that, Zhao Gongming's figure flickered, transforming into a golden light as he flew away. Sun Wukong was left standing there, squinting at the sky, a look of leisurely contentment on his face.

"Tch, Old Sun never brags."

"Those who haven't seen my Master's magnificence will never understand!"

"If you have the fate, when you meet my Master, you will know that the so-called Sect Master Tongtian and Dao Ancestor Hongjun are nothing but common folk."

After saying this, Sun Wukong gathered his spoils and returned to the Water Curtain Cave.