Chapter Summaries

After seven years of study, Sun Wukong rejected several teachings that could not grant immortality, then learned the Seventy-Two Transformations, the Somersault Cloud, and the Great Grade Heavenly Immortal Formula. He returned to Flower-Fruit Mountain, where exploring with Red Sparrow led him to discover something behind a waterfall.

• Sun Wukong delighted in Old Ancestor Bodhi's lecture, but refused the Technique, Flow, and Stillness schools because they could not grant immortality.
• Old Ancestor Bodhi struck Sun Wukong three times and left; Sun Wukong understood the signal and later received instruction in the Seventy-Two Transformations, the Somersault Cloud, and the Great Grade Heavenly Immortal Formula.
• After about three years, Patriarch Bodhi sent Sun Wukong back to Flower-Fruit Mountain and forbade him from revealing who taught him the Law Techniques.
• Ao Changsheng's Great Dao of the Five Elements Dao body met Old Ancestor Bodhi, who revealed that he was Ancestor Hongjun and had arranged for Sun Wukong to become a key figure in the second Immeasurable Tribulation.
• Sun Wukong and Red Sparrow returned to Flower-Fruit Mountain in less than half a shichen, and Sun Wukong explored the mountain with him.
• Sun Wukong followed a river to a waterfall, flew up its face, and spotted something behind the falling water.

After completing his training, Sun Wukong discovered the Water Curtain Cave and returned to rescue his monkey tribe from the Demon King of Havoc. He moved the tribe into the cave and set out to save captives held by three other Demon Beasts, beginning with the Red Tiger Demon King.

• Sun Wukong found the Water Curtain Cave behind the waterfall and decided it would shelter the monkeys.
• Sun Wukong killed the Demon King of Havoc, who had enslaved and eaten members of the tribe.
• Sun Wukong reunited with the aged chief, told him he had completed his training, and led the tribe toward the Water Curtain Cave.
• The chief told Sun Wukong that three Demon Beasts held other monkeys captive in the north, west, and east, so Sun Wukong flew off to rescue them.
• Sun Wukong found the Red Tiger Demon King keeping monkeys in cages as food and attacked him.

Sun Wukong killed the Red Tiger Demon King and freed the imprisoned monkeys, then sent them to make their home in the Water Curtain Cave. He set out to rescue the rest of his kin from the demon kings in the west and east.

• Sun Wukong defeated the Red Tiger Demon King with his bare strength and killed him using his own saber.
• Sun Wukong freed the imprisoned monkeys and told them to go to the Water Curtain Cave, where their kin had settled.
• Sun Wukong reunited with his old playmate Mutou and asked him to lead the monkeys to their new home.
• Mutou warned Sun Wukong that the western and eastern demon kings were sworn brothers of the Red Fox Demon King, but Sun Wukong assured him he could defeat them.
• Sun Wukong departed on the Somersault Cloud toward the western demon king, whom Mutou identified as the Demon Tiger Demon King, while the eastern demon king was the Jiaolong King.

Sun Wukong traveled west to confront the Demon Tiger Demon King and search for his missing companions, Dazhuang and Zhuzi. After easily defeating the cave guards Heng and Ha, he learned that the Demon Tiger Demon King treated his captured demons fairly and had even taught some of them cultivation.

• Mutou told Sun Wukong that Dazhuang and Zhuzi might have been captured by the other demon kings, and Sun Wukong hurried west.
• Sun Wukong arrived at the Demon Tiger Demon King's cave, where Heng and Ha tried to stop him from entering.
• Sun Wukong dodged the wolves' attack, knocked their heads together, and forced them to beg for mercy.
• Heng and Ha told Sun Wukong that the Demon Tiger Demon King had cultivated for over eight hundred years and captured demons to catch fish for him.
• Heng and Ha explained that the Demon Tiger Demon King kept his promise to release the captured demons after ten years and often treated them well, taught them cultivation, and let them stay as underlings.

Sun Wukong investigated the Demon Tiger Demon King and found that he treated the captured monkeys and his underlings well. He challenged the king for the monkeys’ freedom, and their contest began outside the cave.

• Heng and Ha, the Two Wolves, pleaded with Sun Wukong not to kill the Demon Tiger Demon King and told him the monkeys were treated well.
• Sun Wukong entered the cave and saw the monkeys eating with the lesser demons, healthy and unharmed, including his childhood playmate Zhuzi.
• Sun Wukong challenged the Demon Tiger Demon King: the winner would decide whether the monkeys could leave or whether new demons would be found to catch fish.
• After finishing his meal, the Demon Tiger Demon King moved the contest outside and let Sun Wukong strike first.
• Sun Wukong’s punch drove the Demon Tiger Demon King back, and the king answered by leaping toward him with a kick.

Sun Wukong defeated the Demon Tiger Demon King in a fist exchange but agreed to fight again with weapons after the Demon Tiger Demon King recovered. They chose weapons for their rematch, and Sun Wukong took the heaviest staff available before explaining his forceful fighting style.

• Sun Wukong hurled the Demon Tiger Demon King aside, then broke his arm with a full-strength punch when their fists collided.
• The Demon Tiger Demon King asked to fight again with weapons, and Sun Wukong agreed on the condition that he recover fully and give his all.
• Heng Lang told Ha Lang that the Demon Tiger Demon King would likely lose but that Sun Wukong would not break their agreement and kill him.
• After half a shichen, the Demon Tiger Demon King took Sun Wukong to his armory to choose weapons for their rematch.
• Sun Wukong tried the available long weapons, found them too light, and chose the heaviest staff before saying that his style relied on tremendous force and nearly one blow.

Sun Wukong defeated the Demon Tiger Demon King in a weapon contest and freed the captive monkeys. As Sun Wukong left for the Water Curtain Cave, the Demon Tiger Demon King pleaded for his eldest brother, and Sun Wukong revealed that he had already killed the Red Fox Demon King.

• Sun Wukong and the Demon Tiger Demon King fought with their weapons, and Sun Wukong overpowered him and won.
• The Demon Tiger Demon King conceded defeat and agreed to let Sun Wukong take the captive monkeys.
• Sun Wukong reunited with Zhuzi and brought the monkeys aboard his Somersault Cloud to return to the Water Curtain Cave.
• The Demon Tiger Demon King asked Sun Wukong to spare his eldest brother if he had not harmed the monkeys, and Sun Wukong agreed to judge him by a contest.
• Sun Wukong told the Demon Tiger Demon King that he had already killed the Red Fox Demon King for enslaving and eating his kin.

Sun Wukong returned the rescued monkeys to the Water Curtain Cave, then went to the Jiaolong King's cave to challenge him. There, he saw Dazhuang disrupting the training and heard the Jiaolong King berate him for failing to learn even basic techniques.

• Sun Wukong thanked the Demon Tiger Demon King, said farewell to the Blurred Demon King, and carried the rescued monkeys to the Water Curtain Cave.
• Sun Wukong left the monkeys with the tribe's chief and flew east to the Jiaolong King's cave.
• Sun Wukong found the Jiaolong King directing training and saw Dazhuang move out of sync with the other monkeys.
• The Jiaolong King scolded Dazhuang for failing to copy the monkeys' movements or learn the fist technique taught over several days.
• Dazhuang said he had tried but was too stupid to learn, and the Jiaolong King called him a glutton who could not learn the basic staff moves.

Dazhuang challenged the Jiaolong King to a staff contest and used a shameless trick before the Jiaolong King punished him with a long spanking. When Sun Wukong appeared, Dazhuang recognized him and asked him to take revenge on the Jiaolong King.

• The Jiaolong King accused Dazhuang of disrupting training, and Dazhuang challenged him to a staff-only contest.
• Dazhuang tricked the Jiaolong King by attacking his foot and then poking him between the legs with his staff.
• The Jiaolong King used Law Power to hold Dazhuang up and beat him for half a shichen, healing his injuries while leaving him in pain.
• Dazhuang admitted his mistake, and the Jiaolong King put him down.
• Sun Wukong came forward, and Dazhuang recognized him and asked him to punish the Jiaolong King for mistreating him.
• The Jiaolong King stared in disbelief at Dazhuang's shameless request.

Sun Wukong reunited with Dazhuang and agreed to spar with the Jiaolong King before letting the captured monkeys decide whether to leave or stay. The Jiaolong King insisted that Sun Wukong take Dazhuang away, and their match began with both fighters trading attacks.

• Dazhuang asked Sun Wukong to help him get revenge, but Sun Wukong kicked him and reminded him of his past tricks and recklessness.
• Sun Wukong told the Jiaolong King he had come for the captured monkeys, but would let them choose whether to return with him or keep cultivating.
• The Jiaolong King agreed to the match and asked Sun Wukong to take Dazhuang away, and Sun Wukong accepted.
• The Jiaolong King sealed Dazhuang's mouth, bound him with a vine, and hung him from a tree so the match could proceed in peace.
• Sun Wukong and the Jiaolong King took their stances, and their first exchange ended with the Jiaolong King blocking Sun Wukong's punch and countering toward his face.

Sun Wukong tested his strength and Law Techniques against the Jiaolong King, who proved to be a powerful opponent. On a deserted island, the Jiaolong King unleashed his strongest move, surrounding the island with a vast, rising whirlpool of seawater, and the chapter ended before Sun Wukong responded.

• Sun Wukong and the Jiaolong King exchanged powerful blows, and Sun Wukong asked to use Law Techniques against him.
• The Jiaolong King transformed into his enormous true form, and Sun Wukong used Heaven and Earth Manifestation to match his size.
• The Jiaolong King led Sun Wukong to a deserted island so they could fight without endangering the demons below.
• The Jiaolong King attacked with lightning, water, and waterspouts, while Sun Wukong used Law Seals to disperse the storm and block the attacks.
• The Jiaolong King announced his strongest move and caused the sea to swirl around the island, rising until it surrounded them like the sides of a vast bowl.

After Sun Wukong defeated the Jiaolong King, the two became friendly, and the Jiaolong King invited him to choose a weapon from his armory. The Jiaolong King showed Sun Wukong several heavy weapons, and the chapter ended as he began introducing the heaviest one.

• Sun Wukong froze the Jiaolong King's towering seawater attack, and the Jiaolong King conceded defeat.
• The Jiaolong King asked about Sun Wukong's master and name, and Sun Wukong refused to reveal his master's identity but introduced himself.
• The Jiaolong King noticed Sun Wukong had fought without a weapon and invited him to choose one from his armory.
• Sun Wukong asked to see the heavier weapons, and the Jiaolong King described the Li Dragon Jian and the spear Stars in the Case.
• The Jiaolong King began introducing a third weapon, saying it had no special quality besides being far heavier than the others.

Sun Wukong rejected the Jiaolong King's heaviest iron staff as too light and went to tell the monkeys they could leave or continue cultivating. After freeing Dazhuang from a tree and learning he wanted to stay, Sun Wukong assured the Jiaolong King that he would take him away as agreed.

• The Jiaolong King showed Sun Wukong an iron staff weighing 4,865 jin, but Sun Wukong rejected it as far too light.
• Sun Wukong told the monkeys they could leave with him or remain to cultivate under the Jiaolong King.
• Sun Wukong found Dazhuang tied and gagged in a tree, freed him, and Dazhuang fell and injured his backside.
• Dazhuang asked who had won their contest, and Sun Wukong said he had narrowly beaten the Jiaolong King.
• Dazhuang threatened to stay and keep cultivating with the Jiaolong King, who begged Sun Wukong to take him away.
• Sun Wukong promised the Jiaolong King that he would take Dazhuang away as agreed.

Sun Wukong rescued Dazhuang from the Jiaolong King, but the other twenty-four captured monkeys chose to stay and cultivate. The Jiaolong King pointed Sun Wukong toward the Dragon King of the East Sea to find a suitable weapon, and Sun Wukong returned to the Water Curtain Cave with Dazhuang.

• Sun Wukong tried to take Dazhuang away, while the Jiaolong King bound Dazhuang in vines and insisted he leave.
• The other twenty-four monkeys chose to remain with the Jiaolong King and continue cultivating, so Sun Wukong took Dazhuang back alone.
• Sun Wukong asked the Jiaolong King where he could find a weapon, and the Jiaolong King recommended borrowing one from the Dragon King of the East Sea.
• The Jiaolong King advised Sun Wukong to call the weapon a loan and leave repayment terms to the Dragon King of the East Sea.
• Sun Wukong returned to the Water Curtain Cave with Dazhuang, and the chief anxiously asked what had happened to the other captured monkeys.

Sun Wukong told the chief how Dazhuang had alienated the twenty-four other monkeys, who all chose to remain with the Jiaolong King. He then set out with Little Red Sparrow to borrow a weapon from the Dragon King of the East Sea, and they reached the king’s palace.

• Sun Wukong explained that the Jiaolong King had treated the captured monkeys well, but Dazhuang’s behavior had disgusted the king and the others.
• Sun Wukong said all twenty-four monkeys had decided to stay and cultivate with the Jiaolong King, then silenced Dazhuang with the vines and kicked him.
• Sun Wukong told the chief he was leaving to borrow a weapon, and Little Red Sparrow insisted on accompanying him.
• Sun Wukong and Little Red Sparrow rode the Somersault Cloud east, cast a spell to breathe underwater, and asked a passing turtle for directions to the Dragon King’s palace.
• Sun Wukong assured Little Red Sparrow that the palace was ahead, and they soon saw the Dragon King of the East Sea’s palace.

Sun Wukong went to the East Sea Dragon King's Crystal Palace to borrow a weapon and asked for one weighing at least ten thousand jin. After Sun Wukong killed the guards who tried to drive him away, the Dragon King agreed to help and had his attendants bring out the heaviest weapons in his armory.

• Sun Wukong arrived at the Crystal Palace with Little Red Sparrow to borrow a weapon, but two shrimp soldiers and crab generals insulted him and barred his way.
• Sun Wukong seized the guards' spears, killed them, and entered the palace after an old turtle pointed him toward the Dragon King.
• Prime Minister Turtle warned the Dragon King that a monkey was coming to cause trouble, then rolled into the hall and got stuck upside down in his shell.
• Sun Wukong introduced himself to the Dragon King and explained that he wanted a weapon suited to his strength.
• The Dragon King agreed to lend Sun Wukong a weapon, and his attendants brought out a spear weighing a little over thirty-six thousand five hundred jin.

Sun Wukong rejected the Dragon King of the East Sea’s weapons as too light, so Prime Minister Gui suggested he try a stone pillar in a seabed fissure. Sun Wukong pulled it free, discovered it was the Ruyi Jingu Bang, and began shrinking it to a more manageable size.

• Sun Wukong tried the spear and crescent halberd, found both too light, and tossed the halberd outside the palace.
• Sun Wukong demanded to search the Dragon King of the East Sea’s armory, but the Dragon King refused and feared he would take many weapons.
• Prime Minister Gui advised the Dragon King to let Sun Wukong try an enormous stone pillar, and the Dragon King led him to it.
• Sun Wukong pulled the pillar from the seabed fissure and spun it overhead, creating a giant whirlpool.
• The pillar revealed the name Ruyi Jingu Bang, and Sun Wukong commanded it to shrink before asking it to become smaller still.

Sun Wukong took the Ruyi Jingu Bang and a full suit of armor from the Dragon King of the East Sea before returning to the Water Curtain Cave. There, the chief told him he was nearing death and wanted Sun Wukong to succeed him as king of the tribe.

• Sun Wukong shrank the Ruyi Jingu Bang to an embroidery needle and put it in his ear.
• Sun Wukong pressured the Dragon King of the East Sea for armor, and the Dragon King gave him a crown, chainmail, boots, and a cap.
• Sun Wukong thanked the Dragon King of the East Sea and left the Crystal Palace with Little Red Sparrow.
• Sun Wukong returned to the Water Curtain Cave, where the chief summoned him.
• The chief told Sun Wukong he was nearing death and wanted him to become king of the tribe.

Sun Wukong visited his dying chieftain and recounted his adventures, then dreamed that soul collectors took him to the Netherworld Realm despite his immortality. After changing the monkeys’ lifespans in the Book of Life and Death and returning to his body, he heard the chieftain name him the monkeys’ next king.

• Sun Wukong told the chieftain about his journey and his friendship with Red Sparrow, then returned to his dwelling when the chieftain fell asleep.
• Two soul collectors bound Sun Wukong and brought him to the Netherworld Realm, where he broke free and demanded to see the Yamas of the Ten Courts.
• King Qin Guang apologized and allowed Sun Wukong to inspect the Book of Life and Death, where Sun Wukong found his name and allotted lifespan of five hundred and eighty-six years.
• Sun Wukong changed his own lifespan and made the lifespans listed for the monkeys endless before leaving the Netherworld Realm with two soul collectors.
• Sun Wukong returned to his body and woke, and the chieftain gathered the monkeys and declared him their next king.

Sun Wukong told the monkeys that he had erased their names from the Book of Life and Death, making them immortal. The chief stepped down and persuaded Sun Wukong to become king, with the chief offering to manage the tribe.

• Sun Wukong calmed the distressed monkeys and revealed that he had crossed their names out of the Book of Life and Death, making them immortal.
• The chief confirmed that he too could live forever, then announced that he was stepping down and naming Sun Wukong king.
• When two little monkeys questioned Sun Wukong's right to rule, the chief defended him by citing his deeds for the tribe.
• The monkeys agreed to accept Sun Wukong as king and bowed to him.
• Sun Wukong hesitated because he lacked experience managing the tribe, but the chief offered to advise him and handle its affairs.
• Sun Wukong agreed to become king of the monkey tribe.