Some envied Sun Kong's audacity.
Naturally, some also grew jealous of his special treatment.
"Who would have thought that we, who trembled and revered the Heavenly Dao as a god, would be treated with such favoritism by it towards Sun Monkey? Could it be that this fellow is simply someone who cannot be offended, only obeyed?"
"Alas, even the Heavenly Dao has declined. Not only does it not reward us, but it is like Sun Kong's little brother, being commanded by him. Truly disgraceful."
"Shameless! Disgraceful! You scoundrel Heavenly Dao, you scoundrel... Ow! Who the hell struck me with divine lightning for a sneak attack? I was, ow! Grandpa Heavenly Dao, I dare not slander you anymore, don't kill me."
The crowd was about to mock him a few more times, but unexpectedly, the Heavenly Dao did not punish Sun Kong. Instead, it seemed to obey his "orders" and reward merit to others.
However, it showed no mercy to them.
In less than a second.
Across the three realms of the Primordial World, hundreds of millions of sentient beings were punished by heavenly lightning for mocking and slandering the Heavenly Dao.
The lighter offenses resulted in the abolishment of their cultivation.
The more severe ones led to the severing of their limbs.
The most tragic were those whose physical bodies, primordial spirits, and true spirits were all obliterated by heavenly lightning.
This sudden turn of events.
Terrified countless beings. They became as silent as cicadas in winter, secretly resenting Sun Kong's special treatment in their hearts, yet daring not to gossip.
Seeing this.
The heavenly lightning finally paused.
But this scene did not escape the observation of the six great Sages and various powerful figures. These individuals, more self-aware than ordinary people, refrained from speaking rashly, but they were also greatly shaken by the Heavenly Dao's actions.
Their inner dissatisfaction was a thousand times greater than that of ordinary people!
...
Xuan Du Heaven.
Eight Views Palace.
Lao Tzu had intended to distance himself from the tribulation of the Journey to the West by closing his doors to visitors. However, Sun Kong's defiant outburst earlier, which was not punished but tacitly approved by the Heavenly Dao, made him feel uneasy.
"Just who exactly is this Sun Monkey?"
"He is definitely not what they claim, that he was born from a Mani pearl or a five-colored stone. With this ability, even I do not possess it, how did he learn it?"
"And why did the Dao Ancestor disappear so late, not early, precisely before he prematurely initiated the tribulation of the Journey to the West?"
"Behind all this, perhaps it has already gone beyond the Dao Ancestor's control. Is it not just the rise of the demon race, but something else as well?"
Even the calm and inactive Sage Lao Tzu was shaken by Sun Kong!
Others such as the Celestial Venerable Yuanshi, the Master of the Heavenly Sect Tongtian, Daoist Jieyin, Daoist Zhunti, Empress Nuwa, Tathagata, Dipankara, and Zhen Yuanzi, etc.
Were even more astonished!
...
On Nuwa's side, seeing her "son" Sun Kong unharmed, and even using this occasion to show off, she felt both happy and proud, yet also a sense of vague unease.
She had no choice but to return and send Feng'er down to remind Sun Kong.
The Celestial Venerable Yuanshi was greatly surprised by this spectacle, but because he had long sensed Sun Kong's extraordinary nature, he was not as shocked as others.
However, from this point on, he paid even closer attention to Sun Kong and was filled with confidence in this collaboration!
...
Jin Ao Island.
Bi You Palace.
While lamenting the strange reaction of the Heavenly Dao, Tongtian Sect Master dared not speak openly. He could only secretly transmit a message to the New Six-Eared Macaque accompanying him, telling him not to act rashly!
"Although you, my boy, are the second Monkey King chosen by the demon race for the Journey to the West in the mortal world, you are still far behind Sun Monkey."
"Don't act impulsively, young man. Wait until he gets through this phase."
"It's still a long way off before you can deal with him!"
Upon hearing this, although the New Six-Eared Macaque was unconvinced, he could only accept reality. While continuing to cultivate various sect arts under Tongtian Sect Master to enhance his strength,
He also thought about the second Journey to the West, being planned by the demon race in the mortal world, and a look of confidence filled his face!
...
The main base of the Western Teachings.
Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti were startled by the Heavenly Dao's reaction. They thought they had misread, rubbed their eyes, and looked again. It was indeed as Sun Kong had said, distributing one hundred points of Heavenly Dao merit and ten thousand points of Journey to the West merit to others.
Suddenly, one was ecstatic, and the other was dumbfounded!
"Senior Brother, Senior Brother, did you see? As expected, Kong Kong, whom I trained, is the most formidable! In such a situation, let alone you and me, even the Dao Ancestor before he became a Saint never dared to do this."
"This damned monkey, oh no, this good monkey is too powerful."
"As expected, the student surpasses the master!"
Hearing his junior brother's excited words, Daoist Jieyin showed little emotion. After a slight calculation, which yielded no result,
A look of bewilderment, similar to Lao Tzu's, flashed in his eyes.
"The Dao Ancestor has vanished."
"Zi Xiao Palace is nowhere to be found."
"Could it be that this Journey to the West was truly tailor-made for this Sun Monkey? If things continue like this, with the rise of the demon race in the future, how can we righteous Sages resist?"
...
Similar situations occurred elsewhere.
The Jade Emperor and his two companions in the Heavenly Court were so shocked they spat blood!
Zhen Yuanzi of the Five Villages Temple was so shocked he spat blood!
The Demon Saints of the Thirteenth Demonic Land, along with the three Ancestors, Ming He, Huang Quan, and You Ming, were simultaneously shocked and spat blood!
But no matter what.
The Heavenly Dao truly distributed one hundred points of Heavenly Dao merit and ten thousand points of Journey to the West merit to Wu Zhiqi, Zhou Wuxian, the Four Monkey Generals, and the million monkey descendants.
In an instant.
Wu Zhiqi and Zhou Wuxian's cultivation each increased by fifty percent. Although they had not yet broken through to the low-grade Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal realm, they were several times stronger than before.
The Four Monkey Generals broke through to the low-grade Taiyi Golden Immortal realm.
Every one of the million monkey descendants' cultivation had increased by one minor realm.
Witnessing this scene, all sentient beings in the three realms of the Primordial World could not help but, regardless of the truth of the previous two rounds of rumors, desperately fought to join the tribulation of the Journey to the West!
...
At the same time.
On Sun Kong's side, seeing that even the Heavenly Dao was forced to obey him due to his reckless actions, he felt a sense of joy, but also an indescribable sense of crisis.
It seemed he had overlooked something.
But before he could figure it out, as people came to congratulate him and display their enhanced strength, Sun Kong had no choice but to join them in their revelry.
For the next five hundred years, New Flower Fruit Mountain remained the hottest focal point in the three realms of the Primordial World, without exception!
Time slipped away like a fleeting moment.
Finally.
This day arrived, five hundred years later!
Spring of the 28.799999999 billionth year of the Primordial Calendar.
The year the Great Tang Empire was officially established in the Immortal Realm.
It was also a special year in the mortal world, the second year of the Renshou era of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, when the Tang Dynasty, of the same name but different fate, had not yet been founded.
With two cries of "wah wah,"
Two boys, born simultaneously, descended upon Luoyang in the Great Tang Empire of the Immortal Realm, and Luoyang, the capital of the Sui Dynasty in the mortal world, respectively.
The former was none other than Tang Sanzang, the tenth reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, arranged by Sun Kong years ago.
The latter, however, was a mysterious infant that even the Heavenly Dao and the six great Sages had failed to notice!
...
New Flower Fruit Mountain.
"Second brother, you should go find third brother and protect Jin Chanzi together."
"I just calculated that Jin Chanzi is about to face his second tribulation, the peril of birth."
With a word from Sun Kong, Wu Zhiqi was dispatched down the mountain!
...
Thirteenth Demonic Land.
"Lord Demon Saint, Mo Zang has been born in the mortal world, and it is time for me to act."
The New Six-Eared Macaque chuckled sinisterly, his actions mirroring Sun Kong's precisely!