Qin Shi Huang, I Bestow Upon You Life-Saving Monkey Hair!

"You demonic monkey, trespassing in the imperial palace! Your crime warrants death!"

The captain of the guards roared, and over a dozen iron-blooded figures flashed around Sun Wukong, surrounding him.

At the same time, seventy-two inner court cultivators, hidden in the shadows, rose into the air. Their sleeves fluttered, magical artifacts vibrated, and in an instant, they had laid a heavenly net.

Within the palace, three thousand Imperial Guards surged in like a tide from all directions, their steps orderly, their armor chilling, their long halberds gleaming, and their killing intent rolling.

Qin Shi Huang stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sharp, fixed on the defiant, demonically charged monkey before him.

"Who are you? Are you a remnant of the Six Kingdoms sent to assassinate me?"

Ever since Jing Ke's assassination attempt, Ying Zheng had made the imperial palace an impregnable fortress, leaving no room for error.

But upon hearing this, Sun Wukong threw his head back and laughed, a look of disdain for the world appearing on his face:

"I am the Handsome Monkey King of Flower-Fruit Mountain. I have millions of demons under my command, roaming the four seas. Do you think mere mortals can control me?"

He took a step forward, tapping the ground lightly with his Golden Cudgel. Sparks flew, and the surrounding swords and sabers seemed to halt, forced back by an invisible pressure. The air itself seemed to fill with a fiery restlessness.

"Qin Shi Huang, I see you as a great ruler with the ambition to defy heaven. I can lend you a hand!"

Hearing this, Qin Shi Huang paused, his gaze filled with doubt:

"You, a mere demon cultivator, can help me defy heaven? Tell me how?!"

Sun Wukong's golden eyes stared directly at Qin Shi Huang, his voice deep:

"It's simple! If your Great Qin Dynasty is willing to become brothers with my Flower-Fruit Mountain, from this day forward, you will be the younger brother, and I will be the elder! I swear, from now on, Flower-Fruit Mountain will protect Great Qin. If heaven wishes to destroy you, I will tear down the heavens! If gods wish to slay you, I will slay all gods in the world! If Buddha wishes to annihilate you, I will shatter Spirit Mountain and the Buddhist realm—no matter who in the Three Realms stands in my way, they will die!"

His voice boomed like heavenly thunder. The generals and soldiers before the hall all changed expression, their breathing choked by the invisible demonic might, cold sweat seeping from within their armor.

Qin Shi Huang was first stunned, then let out a cold laugh. His eyes were like knives, sharp to the extreme, carrying an implicit, overwhelming imperial might:

"What did you say?"

He slowly took a step forward, his long sword held across his chest, its blade reflecting the night, its cold light sharp:

"You want me to call you brother? You want my Great Qin Dynasty to bow down and become a subordinate to your Flower-Fruit Mountain?"

His gaze was like lightning, piercing Sun Wukong. He roared coldly, each word clanging like metal:

"Demonic monkey, you are dreaming like a fool! Utterly ridiculous!"

Who was Qin Shi Huang?

He had swept across the six states amidst great storms, annexed the eight directions, conquered the wolfish states with an iron body, and looked down upon all nations!

Such a prodigy, with his own pride, how could he possibly bow to a monkey?

"With one sword, I can pacify the world; a million cavalry can trample mountains and rivers!"

He pointed his long sword at Sun Wukong, his voice like the striking of cold iron:

"You, a mere demonic monkey, how can you have the power to defy heaven? How do I know you are not just spouting nonsense to deceive the masses? If you have no true ability, how can you speak of contending with heaven?"

Hearing this, Sun Wukong did not get angry. Instead, the corner of his lips twitched, and a hint of amusement appeared in his eyes.

As if sensing something, he suddenly looked up at the sky. The night sky was as deep as ink, the stars dim. The light of the Ziwei Star flickered, and the Emperor Star's radiance flashed, showing signs of falling!

A faint wisp of lightning flickered behind the clouds – that was heavenly wrath!

That old Jade Emperor was truly enraged!

"Heh heh, destiny has changed..."

Sun Wukong sneered in his heart, then formed a hand seal with one hand, his fingers like a lotus, with golden light entwining between them. A divine radiance flashed between his brows, and in an instant, he deduced the future karma!

A moment later, he lowered his gaze to Ying Zheng. His golden demonic eyes now held a trace of pity:

"Ying Zheng, your act of defying heaven has already incurred heavenly wrath!"

His voice was like a cold wind sweeping past, carrying a resounding sharpness:

"I have divined the secrets of heaven—you will stop at forty-nine years and die in the Sha Qiu Palace!"

"After your death, the Great Qin dragon vein will collapse, and none of your descendants will have a good end!"

"Prince Fusu will commit suicide, Prince Jianglü will be executed..."

"Your Great Qin will perish in its second generation, the world will fall into chaos again, and heroes will rise... Your empire, your dream of immortality, will be nothing but a fleeting illusion!"

Sun Wukong's voice, like the tolling of evening bells shattering the night sky, struck the deepest fears in Qin Shi Huang's heart!

Qin Shi Huang's expression changed instantly, veins bulging on his forehead, bloodshot eyes bursting:

"Audacious demonic monkey, how dare you curse me!"

His rage was like rolling flames. His long sword pointed directly at Sun Wukong, his teeth nearly grinding together:

"My thousand-year foundation, my empire for ten thousand generations, how can you, a demonic monkey, dare to speak such nonsense to disrupt my mind!"

He let out a sudden roar, his voice like thunder, echoing throughout the palace and beyond:

"Guards!!! All soldiers, hear my order! Seize the demonic monkey and execute him immediately, grind his bones to ashes!"

In an instant, drums sounded, blades clashed menacingly, and thousands of Imperial Guards surged forward like a tide, their killing intent reaching the heavens!

And Sun Wukong, still with his hands behind his back, his golden eyes narrowed, a disdainful smile playing on his lips:

"Heh... mere mortal soldiers and mortal swords, truly an ant trying to stop a chariot, overestimating your own strength!"

Sun Wukong didn't bother arguing with Qin Shi Huang.

The Mandate of Heaven had changed, Qin Shi Huang's lifespan was nearing its end, he wouldn't live much longer.

When the time came, he would naturally know if what he said was true or false!

"Hoo--"

Sun Wukong suddenly raised his hand and gently plucked a golden monkey hair from behind his ear.

The hair flicked lightly between his fingers, carrying a faint golden glow, and silently landed on the dragon crown atop Qin Shi Huang's head.

Qin Shi Huang felt a slight coolness on his head and reached up to remove it, only to see the hair burrow into the crown as if taking root and sprouting, vanishing in an instant. Only a trace of imperceptible spiritual energy remained hidden.

Sun Wukong looked at Ying Zheng, his golden eyes seeming to smile yet not, his voice calm:

"Whether what I said is true or false, you will know soon... When that time comes, if you are willing to cooperate with me, pull out this hair, and I will come."

As his voice fell, Sun Wukong suddenly let out a long roar to the heavens. A vast and unparalleled demonic power erupted from him like a tsunami!

A golden light shot up into the sky, piercing the heavens!

BOOM!!!

Immense spiritual energy swept through the imperial palace!

The four inner hall venerated masters were struck as if by a heavy blow, spitting blood and collapsing to their knees.

The seventy-two cultivators, their hand seals not yet formed, were sent flying like straw, crashing into the gold-inlaid pillars carved with dragons and wailing.

The hundreds of imperial guards and three thousand armored soldiers all turned deathly pale and collapsed on the spot, their swords, spears, and halberds clattering to the ground.

The entire Qin imperial palace, the inescapable net that Ying Zheng prided himself on, was instantly rendered useless and turned to dust!

And within the golden light, Sun Wukong stood with his hands behind his back, his expression arrogant, a cold sneer of disdain curling his lips:

"A mere imperial palace... can trap me?"

With that, Sun Wukong shot up into the sky, transforming into a streak of light that flashed and vanished. His voice drifted down from the heavens, echoing through the Qin imperial palace:

"Ying Zheng, remember this!"

"I bestow upon you a Life-Saving Monkey Hair; life and death, success and failure, all in a single thought! If you wish to follow me in the future, pull out this hair, silently call my name in your heart, and I will come!"

As the words fell, the golden light completely dissipated, and the world returned to silence.

Ying Zheng stood in the center of the golden hall, his expression as grim as iron, yet his fingertips trembled slightly.

The almost imperceptible monkey hair on his head seemed to have become an invisible curse, and also a path to the heavens.

He tightly gripped his dragon sword, his eyes bloodshot, and muttered through gritted teeth:

"This demon monkey... is truly formidable, treating my walls of bronze and iron, my inescapable net, as if they were nothing!"

Qin Shi Huang looked at the prostrate generals and soldiers, his gaze extremely complex, and murmured to himself:

"Could what that monkey said not be true? Is my Great Qin truly going to fall..."