Somersault Cloud! Fourth Sister Spider!

"Want to know?"

Wukong casually twirled his staff and put away the Ice-Fire Twin Dragon Staff.

"You're willing to tell me?"

The Death Spider Emperor asked joyfully, immediately scrambling up from the ground, her eyes lighting up as well.

"Call me Monkey Bro first."

Wukong said with a grin, cupping a hand around his ear.

"Stinking monkey, if you dare fool me, you're dead!"

After cursing him, the Death Spider Emperor called out in an extremely quick and quiet voice, "Monkey Bro."

Wukong feigned confusion. "What did you say? You were too quiet. I didn't hear you."

Unable to endure it any longer, the Death Spider Emperor shouted, "Monkey Bro, Monkey Bro, Monkey Bro! Happy now? Can you tell me how you cultivate so quickly?"

"Good Fourth Sister, it would've been even better if you'd made your voice a little sweeter."

Wukong laughed heartily, looking thoroughly pleased.

The Death Spider Emperor originally had no name. After becoming a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, she had automatically inherited her race's imperial title.

But Wukong did not like calling her the Death Spider Emperor. He felt that was not a name.

So he took it upon himself to name her Zhu Zhu. Since she had once been the fourth child in her family, he also gave her the nickname Fourth Sister.

At first, the Death Spider Emperor did not like the name Wukong had given her.

But whenever he did not call her that, he called her Old Spider.

Driven mad by it, she had no choice but to choose the relatively nicer name.

"Stinking monkey, are you going to tell me or not?!"

Unable to bear it any longer, Fourth Sister squeezed out her depleted Soul Power and spat another mass of webbing at Wukong.

However, the tough web turned to ashes the instant it landed on Wukong.

Bang!

Wukong leaped down from the tree and landed before Fourth Sister.

With a solemn expression, he said, "The secret to my success is simple: read more books, read more newspapers, eat fewer snacks, and sleep more."

"So that's how it is—"

After hearing this, Fourth Sister nodded thoughtfully.

Then, from an exceptionally tricky angle, she thrust a spider spear toward Wukong's abdomen.

Whoosh—

But the Wukong she pierced turned into an afterimage and gradually dissipated.

Immediately afterward, Wukong's real body appeared on Fourth Sister's other side, casually leaning against her hard spider body.

"Stinking monkey, you're messing with me!"

Seeing that Fourth Sister was about to attack again, Wukong stopped playing around.

With one hand, he caught the incoming spider spear and said seriously, "My way of becoming stronger isn't suitable for you, so don't dwell on it."

"More importantly, there's something else you need to watch out for."

Though Wukong's expression looked the same as before, Fourth Sister could sense that he was serious this time.

She hesitated before asking, "What is it?"

"I observed the heavens at night and discovered that, in the coming years, you'll face a great calamity."

"Human Soul Masters will come to hunt your Soul Ring. You must not underestimate them."

"If you can't defeat them, go ask Da Ming for help. For my sake, they'll help you."

What Wukong referred to was naturally Bibi Dong's hunt for a Soul Ring.

But after spending so much time with Fourth Sister, he could not bear to watch her become a Soul Ring.

Especially not the Soul Ring of Bibi Dong, who would inherit the Rakshasa God's divine position in the future.

So if he could help, he would help.

But his breakthrough was imminent. Once he underwent Transformation, he would not remain in Star Dou for long.

Thus, he could not help Fourth Sister directly and could only protect her this way.

"So that's it. I never thought a stinking monkey like you actually cared about me."

As Fourth Sister spoke, she discreetly swung another spider spear at him. Naturally, it struck nothing but air again.

Meanwhile, Wukong leaped into the air, wind gathering beneath his feet.

It was the flying Soul Skill, Somersault Cloud, which he had developed over the past few years.

This Soul Skill had been modified from the unfinished Soul Skill, Gather Form, Disperse Qi, from back then.

By transforming Soul Power into wind-element energy, it increased his speed and allowed him to ride the air, achieving flight.

Of course, Wukong had also completed Gather Form, Disperse Qi.

Over the past two and a half years, this set of Soul Skills had been his main focus of study.

Somersault Cloud was merely a byproduct—Fourth Sister had chased him so often in the early days that he naturally figured out how to summon wind beneath his feet.

"All right, Old Sun has said all he needs to say. I hope you'll take it seriously..."

After leaving behind those words, Wukong vanished into thin air.

Fourth Sister looked in the direction Wukong had departed, a complicated emotion flashing through her eyes.

"What's with that stinking monkey today? Why was he so talkative?"

"Still, human Soul Masters? I'd like to see who dares provoke the Death Spider Emperor!"

She snorted and turned to crawl back into the depths of the poisonous miasma, beginning a period of secluded cultivation to restore her Soul Power.

Meanwhile, Wukong rode Somersault Cloud, speeding along like wind and lightning.

Before long, he returned to the core region of the Lake of Life.

Beside the lake, Medusa was coiled atop a huge boulder, breathing in and out as she cultivated.

After two and a half years of cultivation, her body had shrunk another circle, and the outline of her human female upper body had become increasingly distinct.

Seeing Wukong return, Medusa immediately stopped cultivating and approached him.

"Hisss—"

She flicked her tongue, her eyes filled with concern.

Wukong landed on the ground and patted her head.

"Old Sun is fine. No need to worry."

"For the next few days, stay by the lake and don't go anywhere."

"Old Sun is preparing to break through to a hundred thousand years. There may be quite a commotion then."

Medusa nodded repeatedly and obediently retreated to the side.

Wukong stretched his body, then leaped into the Lake of Life.

Within the underwater pocket space, the same tranquil scene remained.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was bound in midair while several Ferocious Beasts cultivated nearby.

Sensing Wukong's return, Di Tian slowly opened his eyes.

"Lord Di Tian, Old Sun is ready."

Wukong walked up to Di Tian, his expression solemn.

Di Tian examined Wukong for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction.

He recalled that two and a half years ago, this monkey had possessed only eighty-five thousand years of cultivation.

Yet now, he stood upon the threshold of one hundred thousand years.

Such cultivation speed was simply horrifying.

Naturally, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's origin energy had played an indispensable role.

But more importantly, it was this monkey's suicidal method of cultivation.

Every day, he fought desperate battles, pushed himself beyond his limits, then returned to absorb origin energy.

The cycle repeated without interruption.

Even Di Tian felt inferior to such perseverance and ruthlessness.

"What you will face next is the Hundred-Thousand-Year Heavenly Tribulation."

"A Heavenly Tribulation is no small matter. One slight mistake, and you'll be reduced to ashes."

"Do you truly intend to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation before undergoing Transformation and cultivating anew?"

Di Tian's expression turned grave.

Generally, when Soul Beasts reached one hundred thousand years, they could choose between the Heavenly Tribulation and Transformation.

Just like Xiao Wu and the Blue Silver Emperor in the original story, both underwent Transformation without facing a Heavenly Tribulation.

But Wukong did not intend to do that. He planned to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation first, then undergo Transformation.

Though a Heavenly Tribulation appeared to be a calamity, it was also an opportunity to temper the body and improve one's aptitude.

And the stronger a Soul Beast's cultivation and body were before undergoing Transformation, the higher its talent would be afterward.

Wukong knew full well just how difficult the road ahead would be.

If he suffered a little more now, life would be easier after Transformation. That was why he had made this decision.

"Since Old Sun dared choose this path, I have naturally made up my mind."

"A mere Heavenly Tribulation can't do anything to Old Sun!"

Wukong grinned, his words brimming with confidence.