Sun Wukong Battles Tiger-Taming!

As Tiger-Taming Arhat's powerful spiritual force swept over Gray Monkey, his whole body began to convulse. White foam streamed from his mouth, and his bright, lively eyes began to roll white.

At his feet, the elders of the Water Curtain Cave and the strong monkey guardians alike trembled under Tiger-Taming's powerful spiritual force. Some newborn monkeys even fainted outright from his overwhelming presence.

The gulf between their levels of life was simply too vast, even though Tiger-Taming had not deliberately attacked them.

The presence he gave off alone was enough to crush the minds of these fragile monkeys completely.

"A human cultivator, flames, and a special spirit treasure! Did that Samadhi True Fire belong to the human himself, or was it under the control of his spirit treasure?" Golden, tiger-shaped light flickered in Tiger-Taming's eyes as he casually tossed Gray Monkey aside.

Through Gray Monkey's memories,

he had now seen the whole sequence of events clearly.

Although he did not know whether the treasure containing the power of lightning in the Demon King of Havoc's cave abode had been stolen by this human cultivator,

the fiery red armor the human wore alone was enough to tempt Tiger-Taming.

A treasure capable of releasing and controlling Samadhi True Fire was not something a mere mortal cultivator could wield.

"It seems the opportunity here has a great deal to do with that human. I must find him!" Tiger-Taming's expression was resolute. Then he cast an indifferent glance at the monkeys trembling below.

With that, Tiger-Taming turned and left without the slightest hesitation.

To him, these monkeys were on an entirely different level of life from himself. It was just like an ordinary person who might be curious about ants, but would never consider what they thought.

As for the cave that had nearly collapsed because of his presence, and the monkeys that had died or even lost their minds,

what did any of that have to do with him?

"You monk! What have you done to my little ones?" Just then, an angry, shrill voice rang out beside his ear.

Before Tiger-Taming could react, he felt a powerful presence surge toward him through the sky.

Tiger-Taming's expression shifted slightly. Without hesitation, he enveloped himself in golden light.

[Arhat Golden Body!]

The instant the golden light appeared, a furry fist slammed into him.

The tremendous force sent Tiger-Taming flying back several thousand meters, leaving an almost perfectly distinct white trail of displaced air in midair.

"Your Majesty! His Majesty is back!"

"Your Majesty, we missed you so much!"

"Boo-hoo, Your Majesty, while you were gone, demons kept bullying us. They ate the little monkeys alive and skinned them. We've suffered so much."

Wail after wail rang out. Hearing the monkeys pour out their grievances, Sun Wukong's eyes turned red.

Everywhere he looked, he saw collapsed ruins and his little ones sprawled every which way.

The instant the little monkeys saw him appear, they were surprised and delighted, and filled with intense longing.

"Monk! I want you dead!" Sun Wukong, returned from his cultivation, roared at the heavens. The calm disposition he had cultivated over more than twenty years on Mount Fangcun shattered completely at that moment.

As though announcing the demon king's return, all five hundred meters of Flower-Fruit Mountain were shrouded in shadow.

"Your Majesty..." Gray Monkey seemed to notice Sun Wukong's return as well. He struggled to open his eyes, then reached out a trembling hand, as though trying to confirm whether the Handsome Monkey King before him was a hallucination brought on by impending death.

Then, with a smack, Sun Wukong's hand closed tightly around his.

Gray Monkey's body jolted.

Tears ran uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes and fell with a drop onto Sun Wukong's hand.

"Your Majesty... you're finally back. You almost never got to see us again." After saying that, Gray Monkey closed his eyes and fell completely unconscious.

At that moment, the rage in Sun Wukong's heart was like a volcano about to erupt.

Seeing the golden, glowing monk flying back from the horizon with a dark expression, Sun Wukong abruptly clenched both fists, his knuckles cracking explosively.

"Demon monkey!" Tiger-Taming roared in anger, but beneath his furious exterior, he was utterly horrified.

Flower-Fruit Mountain! Could this have something to do with the plans Master has been laying these past few years?

Those holding the rank of Arhat were not qualified to know what truly went on among the upper echelons of Spirit Mountain, so he was quite unfamiliar with Sun Wukong's existence.

He had only heard that several hundred years ago, a spirit monkey had been born on Flower-Fruit Mountain, and that because of this, the Buddha had left Spirit Mountain and gone to the Heavenly Court.

Thinking of this, Tiger-Taming felt a vague unease rise within him.

Could this monkey be the reason the Buddha left Spirit Mountain?

Impossible! He's just a fiend!

A mere demon monkey actually dared to attack an Arhat of the Buddhist Order.

Have I been in seclusion so long that these fiends no longer even take Spirit Mountain seriously?

"Fiend! I'll scatter your soul!" Tiger-Taming shouted. Then a fierce tiger appeared behind him.

Tiger-Taming instantly pushed his Arhat Golden Body to its limit, then leaped down from a thousand meters in the air and drove his fist fiercely toward Sun Wukong. His fist gave off a sound like clashing steel.

Not to be outdone, Sun Wukong bent his legs slightly. After gathering enough strength, he struck out with a pure punch.

Their fists collided in midair, sending violent shockwaves spreading in every direction. The impact shook loose rocks on Flower-Fruit Mountain, drawing scream after scream from the monkeys below who could not dodge in time.

Seeing his little ones below struck by the falling rocks, Sun Wukong was startled, a worried look appearing on his face.

Tiger-Taming seized the opportunity and, without the slightest hesitation, unleashed the Tiger-Taming Vajra Sutra.

A powerful clamor of bones erupted inside him. Buddhist light transformed into Qi and blood, forming the dharma image of a gigantic tiger.

[Mountain-Suppressing Tiger-Taming Seal]

Tiger-Taming abruptly brought his palms together and pressed them heavily downward. The illusory tiger behind him seemed to come alive, pouncing straight at the distracted Sun Wukong.

Although Sun Wukong possessed a childlike heart and extraordinary comprehension, he had never fought an actual battle during all his years on Mount Fangcun.

Lacking combat experience, he was struck heavily by the pair of tiger paws.

"Your Majesty!" An elderly Long-Armed Ape punched a falling rock aside and looked worriedly in Sun Wukong's direction.

"General Beng, I'm all right." A calm voice emerged from the dust-filled hole, and then-

A flash of golden light burst forth.

All the magical power in his body poured into his arms at that moment. His delicate face began to twist.

As though teleporting, Sun Wukong appeared directly before Tiger-Taming Arhat in an instant. He then attacked with both fists in rapid succession, leaving afterimages.

Before Tiger-Taming could react, Sun Wukong's monkey tail suddenly bound him. Then, his dormant physical body empowered by his immortal physique, Sun Wukong struck heavily at Tiger-Taming's crotch.

Sensing the fierce force coming from below, Tiger-Taming's expression changed abruptly. Even though he cultivated the Vajra Arhat Body, he could not be completely immune to an attack on such a vulnerable spot.