Chapter 260: Clear of Heart, Seeing one’s Nature, Comprehending the Emptiness (1)
Translator: Lordbluefire Editor: Lordbluefire
Feng Lin was alone as he squatted on a mountain peak. He stared at the monkeys having fun in the distance and couldn’t help but feel slightly depressed.
Even monkeys knew how to discriminate.
These monkeys gathered together and exuded an obvious aura of keeping their stance. They coldly stared at Feng Lin; there was a wary look in their eyes as they isolated him.
These monkeys occupied a peach forest, drinking immortal drew and eating spiritual peaches. They had everything they wanted and also had no natural enemies, living a carefree and unrestrained life, a life even better than that of immortals.
Under such a carefree environment, these monkeys naturally grew arrogant. Feng Lin, this dust-covered wild monkey, naturally was disregarded by them all. There was no way they would accept him.
As he traveled behind them, there were cold looks shot at him frequently.
Feng Lin simply stayed at the back, but he wasn’t too bothered by it.
Why?
Around the Flowerfruit Mountain, there was only this group of monkeys. He had circled this place once.
Since Sun Wukong successfully became the Monkey King, his subordinates naturally had to be this group. There were no others.
As for the earlier incident at the water curtain, things were recorded in the legends saying that Sun Wukong was successful.
So, why could Sun Wukong do it and was accepted as their king while he failed and got despised by all?
Feng Lin felt a little depressed.
Both he and Sun Wukong were spiritual stone monkeys, why was there such a great difference?
This meant that there must be many things that went unrecorded.
Feng Lin could only sigh silently in his heart.
Even for the Great Sage Equal to Heavens, he wasn’t born strong and tyrannical, with thousands of monkeys wors.h.i.+pping him.
What happened exactly in the process of him being born to the point where he became the Great Sage?
Feng Lin was bewildered.
He simply followed the monkeys around and was unaware of how much time had pa.s.sed.
The sun rose and sun set, days after days simply flowed by.
As the night grew deeper, the stars began to dim. The atmosphere turned gloomy and somewhat eerie.
Swish~
A blast of cold wind whistled through the air as a sudden sense of danger bore down on Feng Lin’s heart.
Feng Lin was currently lying on a thick branch of a tree, startled awake. In the darkness, he could see numerous pairs of crimson eyes that were filled with hunger and cruelty.
Was it those demonic beasts again, who wanted to consume him, a spiritual stone monkey? Did they come to stir up trouble again?
A cold smile lit up Feng Lin’s lips. But after thinking for a while, he felt that this didn’t seem to be the case.
He had already used the innate transformation ability of the spiritual stone monkey to conceal his golden fur and aura. How could these demonic beasts find him?
At this moment, those crimson eyes gathered and were like tiny red lanterns that hung suspended in the air. The eyes looked sinister and terrifying, and they were staring in a certain direction.
(No, something is wrong.)
(These demonic beasts are not here for me.)
Feng Lin suddenly understood.
In the darkness, the silhouette of a st.u.r.dy and muscular figure as large as a tiger appeared under the moonlight.
This was a huge wolf about three meters in length and had an extraordinary air. Its body was covered in tough carapace and was terrifying to the extreme. Demonic qi resembling dark clouds enveloped it. It was clearly a demonic wolf.
AWOOOOOO~
A shrill howl echoed through the night, undulating up and down in volume. Many other howls joined it.
The peach forest trembled as the cacophony of howls reverberated through the air.
“Demonic wolves, demonic wolves!”
“Demonic wolves entered the forest!”
“Quickly save me!”
…
The monkeys were in complete panic; screams of fear rang out.
They all hurriedly climbed to the top of the trees, hugging the branches and trembling.
These demonic wolves that rushed out of the darkness were like evil apparitions. They leaped into the air and wrenched open their smelly maws, trying to bite the monkeys.
These monkeys on the branches naturally kept leaping around, evading the bites. But some unlucky ones were knocked down to the ground.
Kacha~
The sounds of teeth biting into bones could be heard. The demonic wolves chomped down, with blood and saliva in their maws. Their eyes contained a look like that didn’t know satisfaction as they stared at the escaping monkeys. The monkeys were like prey to them; their eyes flickered with an intense bloodthirst and cruel amus.e.m.e.nt.
At this moment, when they opened their maws, b.a.l.l.s of black demonic fire manifested and blasted out.
Those unlucky monkeys were instantly burned upon contact and became delicacies in the stomach of the wolves. All of them died miserably, with no power to resist.
ROAR!
A voice of sorrow echoed out, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with the heat of anger. “Demonic wolves, you guys actually dare to target my monkeys? Are you all courting death?”
Feng Lin glanced in the direction of the voice. In the darkness, he could see beams of starlight being absorbed by a skinny-looking figure.
No, this figure wasn’t a human.
It was a white-furred old ape!
Its body was clearly in a state of withering, exceptionally aged.
This old ape was simply too old. Time had squeezed out all his vitality, and it seemed ready for the grave, a heavy death aura surrounding him.
But as the starlight inundated it, that withered and skinny frame was like an old tree birthing a new sprout. Its vitality started to recover as powerful fluctuations of life force radiated forth. Its aura was extremely powerful, and the pressure it manifested felt like a tall mountain.
The group of wolves howled, evidently feeling danger. They bared their fangs and slowly retreated.
They could all feel a strong sense of threat.
If they didn’t retreat, they would die!
The current king of the monkeys was already very old. However, its prestige was still there; no one could profane it.
It was like he was in the spring of his life once more. The old king of monkeys howled and leaped down from a tall tree. It directly rushed into the crowd of wolves and punched out like thunder, blasting the heads of the wolves near him off, crus.h.i.+ng them completely.
These wolves felt the stimulation of fresh blood. They went even wilder and pounced toward the old ape, baring their fangs and slas.h.i.+ng out with their claws, wanting to tear the ape into pieces.
“DIE!” Anger burned in the eyes of the old ape. His fingers were filled with an explosive strength as he crushed the throats of the wolves nearest to him.
Its attacks were incomparably ferocious, like the most valiant martial artist in the world. Despite its age, it didn’t retreat while fighting one against all the wolves. A look of violence could be seen on its face.
With the old ape in the center, a meat grinder appeared. As long as any wolves got near him, they would instantly be torn apart, causing the ground to be dyed red with their blood.
The paradise-like peach forest was now filled with a b.l.o.o.d.y aura.
The old ape was incomparably ferocious, and none of the wolves could stop him. For a period of time, the attacks by the wolves slowed significantly.
“Old ape, you won’t be able to win against us.” A sharp voice drifted over in the form of a howl, causing the nearby wolves to howl as well.
Animals had their own speeches.
Although this was a howl, Feng Lin could also understand the meaning within.
The demonic wolves left the old ape and gathered together. After that, they moved to the side and opened up a path for the demonic wolf king to walk through. The wolf king bared its fangs; its fur was azure green. It was about five meters tall and could actually walk bipedal, only a step away from taking on human form.
“Green Wolf King, it is you!” The old ape’s eyes gleamed with sharpness when he saw the wolf king.
“That’s right, it’s me.” The Green Wolf King had a human-like grin on its face.
“You monkeys have occupied this immortal peach forest that is filled with celestial qi for too long. Other than you, the king of the monkeys, the other monkeys in your tribe are all trash. They don’t have the qualifications to stay in this location! But if you provide us with nine monkeys to grind our teeth every month, we will spare you. How about it?” The Green Wolf King smiled malevolently and its eyes shone with an evil green light. Drool dripped from its maw as it stared at these monkeys, treating them as prey.
These monkeys lived on the spiritual peaches, so their bodies must be filled with spiritual qi. To him, the monkeys were a delicacy.
“You actually want me to give my tribesmen to you, just to grind the teeth of your pack?” The old ape king was instantly enraged. Its thick fists pounded on its chest as it roared.
“Old ape, don’t try to scare me. Although your strength is above me, the other monkeys in your tribe are trash. Can they win against my children? If you take me as your enemy, your monkey tribe will be annihilated today!” The Green Wolf King laughed.
The monkeys wrapped themselves around tall trees; all of them trembled in fear. There was a feeling of despair in the air.
The old ape had a face filled with rage, but it didn’t say anything as it knew that what the wolf king had said was the truth. Helplessness could be seen in its eyes.
“Monkey King, why don’t you agree to them!”
“These are all evil wolves!”
“Only nine of our tribe every month, it’s good if we can secure the safety of the rest!”
…
Under the hungry stares of the wolves, the monkeys were all frightened silly.
The wolf king laughed uproariously when it saw this. “Old ape, your monkeys have agreed, what are you hesitating for? Could it be that you really want to use their lives to fight against my wolf pack?”
“Even if the monkey tribe goes extinct today, I’m going to exterminate all the wolves in your pack!” The old Monkey King roared in anger. It wouldn’t allow itself to be threatened.
“Monkey King, don’t do this! These wolves are all so ferocious. We can simply sacrifice the young and the weak! The safety of the entire tribe is more important!” A healthy-looking male monkey tried to persuade the old ape in a loud voice. It didn’t want to die just like that.
Bang!
The old Monkey King sent a fist at it, the impact causing the monkey who spoke to fly through the air.
That monkey had a look of disbelief on his face. He flew toward the wolf pack and was instantly surrounded.
Before its death, its eyes were wide open. It only saw the old Monkey King staring at it emotionlessly. “Since you want to sacrifice the tribe members, let the first sacrifice be you.”
Kacha~
The Green Wolf King directly pounced over and bit its head off, relis.h.i.+ng the delicious taste. Its green eyes stared at the old Monkey King cruelly. “Old ape. Seems like you are planning to refuse my offer.”
“Green Wolf King, you want me to sacrifice the members of my tribe to you? Impossible! Wolves are greedy by nature. If I follow your will, there would be no more days of peace for my monkey tribe. Today, it’s either you die or I die!” As expected of the king of the monkeys, it wasn’t willing to admit defeat. The silvery-white fur on its body fluttered in the wind as it absorbed the boundless starlight. After that, the starlight actually gathered and manifested a sharp sword in its hand.
The old Monkey King brandished the sword as its aura suddenly changed. A beam of sword light flashed as it lunged toward the wolf king.
Sword flowers materialized, blooming in the air, causing one’s vision to be dazzled. Sword qi vortexes formed from every flower. The demonic wolves were instantly torn apart upon contact.
“ROAR!” Seeing that his subordinates had died, the Green Wolf King howled in rage. It coldly spoke, “We are both kings of our subordinates. Do you really think I’m afraid of you?”
It lifted his head and let out a long howl while staring at the moon. The essence of the moonlight congregated around it, forming a silvery armor.
“Old ape, die!” It malevolently laughed and lunged over.
Chi, chi, chi~
Sword dance of the white ape! Its stances were like mountain goats tussling using their horns. It seemed incredibly wondrous. It flitted through the gaps in the wolf king’s ferocious attacks, targeting the wolf king’s flaws precisely.
Although the Green Wolf King was very fierce, it was also suppressed for a period of time.
However, given the tyrannical nature of wolves, they didn’t fear death in combat. Although the wolf king was injured from the exchange, its st.u.r.dy armor protected it from any mortal wounds. It continually attacked the old Monkey King, not allowing the Monkey King to attack his pack.
“Jejeje! Little ones, kill these monkeys!” The wolf king laughed malevolently.
The other demonic wolves howled and lunged toward the monkeys. They were filled with the intent of slaughter.
These monkeys were helpless. They could only flee in a panic but were easily caught up by the wolves.
Feng Lin saw this scene from the side, and he couldn’t help but shake his head.
These monkeys were simply too weak. Only the old Monkey King had a cultivation base, and the others were all mortal monkeys that lazed about, only knowing how to relax and eat immortal peaches. In the wilderness, not having enough strength was a sin; thus, they deserved this calamity.
He shook his head and prepared to leave.
All of a sudden, a low voice was transmitted to him. “Innate stone monkey, seeing that we are of the same race, please rescue my tribe members!”
Feng Lin’s heart stirred. He saw that the old Monkey King was actually staring at him. Clearly, the old ape had already seen through his ident.i.ty.
“How did you know that I’m an innate stone monkey?” Feng Lin asked.
“I’ve personally seen you being born. On this mountain, other than our monkey tribe, there are no other monkeys elsewhere. So, when you appeared, I instantly knew of your ident.i.ty.” The old Monkey King transmitted its voice back.
“So this is the case!” Feng Lin mumbled silently.
This stone monkey took the form of a monkey because when it was inside the stone and when its intelligence just formed, it learned the art of how to absorb essence from the sun and moon from a white-furred old monkey. This allowed its intelligence to be enhanced, and when it finally was born ten thousand years later, it instinctively took on a monkey’s form and became the spiritual stone monkey.
It had been so many years, and it seemed like that white-furred old ape from the ancient times could be considered the ancestor of these monkeys. Since this was the case, Feng Lin decided to give it some face.
“Stone monkey, we are of the same race. Please save my tribe members.” The old Monkey King implored him, confirming his guess.
Feng Lin sighed.
Now that the old Monkey King had put it this way, he couldn’t help but act. This karma had to be paid back. The most important thing was that this would also allow him a chance to integrate into this monkey tribe.
Only by doing so would he be able to find the path of awakening the Monkey King Gene and find traces of its pathway.
Feng Lin’s body flashed. He transformed into a grey shadow as he rushed into the crowd of wolves.
A demonic wolf saw the dust-coated fur on Feng Lin and sneered coldly. It instinctively opened its maw and wanted to swallow this skinny figure whole.
No matter how small a mosquito was, it was still meat, right?
Creak, creak!
At the next moment, its eyes were wide open. It actually had no way to finish the bite.
“What?” Its eyes protruded out.
It did his best trying to close his maw but to no avail.
The skinny monkey grabbed its snout with its hands. Feng Lin’s figure might be skinny, but his body seemed to contain boundless strength. He wanted to destroy this wolf completely.
Bzz~
Feng Lin lifted the wolf in the air and exerted force, tearing the wolf apart.
The demonic wolf’s large body was torn into two just like that. A shower of blood then fell from the sky.
Feng Lin’s entire body was dyed red. He stood in the crowd of wolves, threw his head back, and roared. Boundless ruthless qi gushed out, filled with the desire for destruction.
The heavens and earth lost their color while the wolves in the surroundings lost their voices…