Samadhi Divine Wind

After delivering those words that struck straight at the heart, Great King Yellow Wind paid no more attention to Xuanzang, who had fallen deep into thought.

He strode to the cave entrance, fully armed and armored. His golden helmet flashed in the sun, his golden armor gleamed, and pheasant plumes rose high behind his head. The three-pronged steel fork in his hand shone with a chilling light.

"Little ones! Muster the troops! Follow your king into battle!"

"Rooaar!!"

The demons great and small inside the cave roared in unison, their clamor making the mountain hum and tremble.

Outside the cave, on the stretch of rubble.

Zhu Bajie had planted his Nine-Toothed Rake in the ground and was sitting on a large slab of bluestone, panting and cursing. "Has he been scared out of his wits? Why isn't he out yet?"

Sun Wukong leaned against half a broken stone pillar, spinning the Golden Cudgel rapidly between his fingers. His Fiery Golden Eyes remained fixed on the cave entrance. Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow.

"Idiot, get up! He's coming!"

Before his words had faded, a cannon boomed, and billowing demonic clouds surged from behind Yellow Wind Cave's two already-shattered stone doors.

Hundreds of lesser demons waved flags and shouted, forming ranks on either side.

In the center, Great King Yellow Wind strode out with his head held high, surrounded by elite demon soldiers.

The moment Zhu Bajie saw their leader, he perked up. He snatched up his rake, sprang to his feet, and pointed at Great King Yellow Wind as he shouted:

"You demon! So you're the rat spirit in this cave? Bring my master out right now, then knock your head against the ground three times for Old Pig, and I'll spare your life! Otherwise, I'll uproot this whole nest of yours and turn you into a dead rat!"

Great King Yellow Wind had already been nursing a bellyful of anger. Hearing the word "rat" sent him into an even greater rage.

He leveled his steel fork at Zhu Bajie and shouted fiercely:

"Where did this wild boar spirit come from, spewing filth from his mouth? You dare throw your weight around before this king? Take my fork!"

With that, Great King Yellow Wind stamped down and shot forward like lightning. His three-pronged steel fork shrieked through the air, thrusting straight at Zhu Bajie's heart.

"Hah! You think I'm afraid of you?"

Zhu Bajie was not one to admit defeat either. After winning one battle after another over the past few days, his confidence was bursting at the seams.

He roared and raised his rake to meet the attack.

Claaang!!

Their weapons collided, sending sparks flying.

At that first clash, Zhu Bajie's heart gave a jolt.

Great King Yellow Wind did not look particularly tall, but the strength in his hands was astonishing!

That single thrust numbed the webbing between Zhu Bajie's thumbs and forefingers, and the bluestone beneath his feet cracked apart in an instant.

"What strength!"

Zhu Bajie gritted his teeth and held firm, barely managing to force the steel fork aside.

The two traded blows, locked in combat.

Great King Yellow Wind's spearwork was deceptive and unpredictable, every strike aimed at a vital point. His movements were extraordinarily nimble, letting him weave freely through the piles of rubble.

Though Zhu Bajie was strong, his body was clumsy. Gradually, he could no longer keep pace and could only defend, with no strength left to strike back.

After barely seven or eight exchanges, Zhu Bajie was already panting, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Idiot! Fall back!"

Watching from the side, Sun Wukong saw everything clearly and knew Bajie was no match for this old demon.

With a shout, he sprang into action. The Golden Cudgel crashed into the fight like Mount Tai bearing down from above, forcibly separating the two.

"Demon! Stop bullying my junior brother! Old Sun will take you on!"

Great King Yellow Wind felt a vicious gust rush at his face. Not daring to meet the blow head-on, he swiftly retreated several yards. Once he steadied himself, he narrowed his golden eyes and stared at Sun Wukong.

"Sun Wukong! I respect you as a hero from five hundred years ago and have no wish to make an enemy of you. If you know what's good for you, take this pig and get far away! That monk is mine to eat!"

Sun Wukong gave a cold chuckle and rested the Golden Cudgel on his shoulder, one foot touching the ground, his manner haughty.

"You want to eat my master? You're not worthy!"

"Since you know Old Sun's name, why haven't you knelt down to meet your death?"

"Then you're asking to die!"

Great King Yellow Wind flew into a rage. Without another word, he leveled his fork and thrust again.

This time, a chess master had met his equal, a general his worthy rival.

The Golden Cudgel was divine iron from the sea; the three-pronged fork was a Demon-Refining Treasure.

They fought from the ground into the air, their fierce battle darkening heaven and earth and robbing the sun and moon of their light.

The longer Sun Wukong fought, the more alarmed he became. This demon's martial skill was no less than the Black Bear Spirit's-indeed, it was even a cut above!

The steel fork whirled so tightly that not even wind could pass through, just managing to hold off his Golden Cudgel.

This demon has some skill!

Sun Wukong thought to himself, putting more strength into his blows as he prepared to unleash his supernatural powers and end the fight swiftly.

"Transform!"

Sun Wukong plucked out a handful of hairs and blew hard upon them.

Whoosh-

The hairs grew in the wind, instantly turning into a hundred or so little Pilgrims, each wielding an iron cudgel. Like a swarm from a hornets' nest, they surrounded Great King Yellow Wind and rained blows on him from every direction.

Two fists could not contend with four hands, after all. The monkeys battered Great King Yellow Wind into a fluster, leaving him unable to guard both front and rear.

"Fine, fine, fine! Then let's see whose powers are greater!"

He suddenly feinted with his weapon, forcing back the clones before him, then spun sharply to face southeast. He set his feet slightly apart and sank his breath into his dantian.

"Sun Wukong! Taste this king's might!"

Great King Yellow Wind drew a deep breath, his chest swelling high as though he had swallowed half the air between heaven and earth.

Then he opened his mouth and exhaled fiercely toward Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie!

Whoooosh!!!

In an instant, heaven and earth changed color.

This was no ordinary wind.

This was the Samadhi Divine Wind!

...Winds had blown since Pangu's time, but none came with such ill intent. Roaring and howling, it nearly burst heaven and earth apart; ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers trembled!

As the gale rose, it was as though a gash had been torn between heaven and earth.

The wind was a withered yellow, carrying a murderous force that threatened to destroy heaven and earth.

Wherever it passed, boulders crumbled to powder and towering trees were uprooted. All of Yellow Wind Ridge shook violently in the wind, as though it might collapse at any moment.

"Oh, Mother!!"

Zhu Bajie had been hiding to one side, cheering on his senior brother. Seeing the wind bear down so fiercely, he had no time to react before an immense force hurled him away.

His fat body tumbled through the air, rake and all, like a kite with its string snapped. In an instant, he had been blown no one knew where.

Sun Wukong had not expected the wind to be so ferocious either.

Though he possessed an indestructible diamond body, the wind carried countless grains of yellow sand as fine as ox hairs.

"My eyes!!"

A searing pain tore through Sun Wukong's eyes, as though ten thousand steel needles had pierced them at once.

Smoke had damaged his eyes in Taishang Laojun's alchemy furnace. Smoke, wind, and sand were precisely what his Fiery Golden Eyes feared most.

Struck head-on by the Samadhi Divine Wind, he immediately streamed tears. Golden stars danced across his vision, and he could no longer see a thing.

Sun Wukong dared not linger in battle. He hurriedly recalled his hairs, covered his eyes with both hands, and flipped high into the sky on his Somersault Cloud, flying away with the wind.

"Hahahaha!"

Great King Yellow Wind's unbridled laughter rang through the gale.

"Great Sage Equal to Heaven? You amount to no more than this!"

After a long while, the wind and sand gradually subsided.

Outside Yellow Wind Cave, devastation lay everywhere. The once-lush mountain forest had become a barren slope.

Great King Yellow Wind withdrew his power and leaned on his steel fork. Though he was somewhat breathless, smug satisfaction filled his face.

"Long live our mighty king! Our king's powers are unrivaled!"

The surviving lesser demons crawled out from cracks between the rocks and cheered in unison.

Great King Yellow Wind gave a cold snort, turned, and strode back into his cave dwelling.

Inside the cave.

Xuanzang was still surrounded by lesser demons in the rear garden, but now his monk's robe was covered in dust shaken loose from the cave ceiling.

Hearing footsteps, Xuanzang raised his head.

Great King Yellow Wind strode toward him, his face bearing a victor's arrogance. His golden helmet sat slightly askew, but that did nothing to diminish his overbearing swagger.

"Monk."

Great King Yellow Wind stopped before Xuanzang and looked down at him, a mocking smile curling his lips.

"Those are your disciples with their vast supernatural powers?"

"One was beaten senseless by my fork, and the other was blown into crying for his father and mother by a single breath. Now there's no telling where they've fled."

Great King Yellow Wind leaned close to Xuanzang, extended a sharp fingernail, and lightly traced it across his cheek.

"Now, who can save you?"

Xuanzang's expression remained calm.

He simply watched Great King Yellow Wind in silence, his eyes so deep that no one could fathom them.