The mountains rose in rugged ranges, desolate and uninhabited.
Atop a mountain peak stood a thousand-zhang-tall statue. Boundless purple-gold light shimmered around it. The statue depicted a divine monkey clad in armor, its cape behind it so lifelike it seemed to flutter in the wind.
Inside the cave dwelling!
"Manjushri Bodhisattva, don't push me too far! If you really drive this general into a corner, don't blame me for what happens next!"
The Vast-Arm Ape Monkey bared his teeth and snarled at Manjushri Bodhisattva.
The white jade pillar in his hand was interwoven with boundless Dao Resonance. The aura of a Peak Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal swept across the world, fury blazing in his eyes as boundless killing intent tore through the void.
At this, Manjushri Bodhisattva chuckled and said calmly, "Do you still think you're the Divine Monkey General of the mortal world, revered and worshipped by countless members of the Human Race?"
"Once a demon, always a demon. You'll never escape my grasp!"
Hundreds of years ago!
The Vast-Arm Ape Monkey had still been the Divine Monkey General of the mortal world, guarding hundreds and thousands of cities. Countless Human Race commoners had looked up to him. The statue outside the cave dwelling had also been erected over a hundred years ago.
"Shut your mouth! If you Bodhisattvas hadn't framed me, and those monks hadn't spread lies, how would I have ended up like this—forced to hide on Flying-Coming Peak and branded a monster by the world?"
"I'll help you deal with Tang Sanzang and his disciples, and make sure they get through this tribulation safely. But if you threaten me again with the lives of the Human Race commoners, I'll have no choice but to break with you."
"Five hundred years ago, Sun Wukong, the Spiritual Clarity