"We can have a drink first... Hmm, wait a minute!"
Before she could finish her sentence, this Goddess of Love—Stella, who in terms of pure power was at the very bottom—widened her jewel-like eyes in shock.
"It has been a long time... Let you fiends and heretics witness the methods of the Curtain-Lifting General!" Sha Wujing's deep voice boomed.
With the power of thunder, he formed a hand seal, his divine might surging. "Summon Dragon! Bring Rain!"
As soon as Sha Wujing finished the chant, a pillar of water shot into the sky with the force of a geyser, its shape beginning to change. It formed a long torso, short limbs, a face like that of an insect, and horns upon its head.
Dragon-kind, a powerful type even among divine beasts. Roaring, it charged toward Stella.
Though Stella appeared flustered, she immediately released a power from her hands, taming the divine beast before her.
This was Stella's special quality. For an incomplete god such as herself, if one were to disregard external artifacts and consider only raw power, she might even be chased into a corner by Ena Seishuin with a drawn sword. But with the aid of the Wheel of Friendship and her own Authority, any existence with a lower standing than her could become the Goddess's captive.
"What...?!" Sha Wujing's pupils contracted abruptly, his face showing unconcealable astonishment for the first time. He could clearly feel that the connection to the Water Dragon Soul he had summoned and controlled with his divine power had been forcibly severed in an instant, completely subjugated! A surge of profane anger welled up in his heart, and he shouted a command without hesitation: "Disperse!"
The water dragon, tamed by Stella, let out a low, unwilling cry. Its massive body suddenly disintegrated, turning into a torrential downpour that rained from the sky. Sha Wujing's eyes sharpened, and the divine light around him flared as he began to brew his true killing move! He brought his palms together before his chest, and an aura far deeper and more destructive than when he had summoned the water dragon began to spread.
"Eight hundred li of the Flowing Sand Realm, three thousand deep with Weak Water! Not even a goose feather can float, and a reed flower will surely sink to the bottom!"
The pitch-black Weak Water descended from the heavens, forming a miniature Flowing Sand River to protect Sha Wujing. As he pressed his hands together, streams of Weak Water flew out from the dark river, their surfaces shimmering with a brilliant, transparent light.
Soon, and it was not just one. Water dragons were born one after another.
Including the one Sha Wujing had first summoned, a total of nine dragons imbued with the concept of Weak Water stared down at the tiny Goddess below.
"What a pain. This is why I hate you quick-witted war gods," Stella frowned. In such a situation, it seemed her Authority of love wasn't very effective.
The nine water dragons continuously changed and swapped positions, opening their ferocious maws to bite down on her, but she swiftly used the Wheel of Friendship to shift her position, though the situation was still perilous.
Then her brow smoothed. "Come, O God of the Organon, Nike who holds victory! I pray you, temporarily bestow your benevolence and friendship upon the Goddess of love and beauty, born in Cyprus—!"
The goddess of victory, Nike, is an attendant deity to Athena. The one Stella was truly calling upon was, in fact, Athena.
In an instant, her call was answered. Amid a flash of light and wind, the winged staff symbolizing Nike appeared before Stella, transforming into pristine white wings that settled upon her shoulders.
"A cornered beast. Is this the only way you Eastern gods know how to stall for time?" Sha Wujing sneered.
Stella retorted, "You're one to talk, a lower god with nothing but muscle for brains! If you don't want to fight, you could just stand by and watch!"
However, in the midst of this fierce divine battle, a terrifying power that made heaven and earth tremble suddenly descended! Its source was thousands of miles away, but its overwhelming pressure ignored the distance of space, slamming down upon the hearts of every Heretic God and god present as if it were a physical force!
Hum—
It was not a loud noise, but a resonance that shook the very soul! The skin of every being present tightened instantly, their hair standing on end, the alarm bells of life's instincts ringing wildly in every cell!
The heavens and earth inverted, and the sun fell from the east.
The scorching sun summoned by Seiya transformed into a light that illuminated the entire world, and its locked target was that monkey holding the steel of rebellion.
This single strike could very well sink the entire land of Japan. All who witnessed it couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
Even a god would have to retreat before this light and brilliance, but most warriors did not even have the right to make Seiya raise his hand.
The gods and Heretic Gods here had various emotions reflected in their eyes. Perhaps admiration, or annoyance, or displeasure, or reverence, or scrutiny, or joy. However, there was only one Hero God who was scratching his ears and cheeks in the face of this solar flame.
"Good! Good! Good!" Far from being afraid, Sun Wukong was so excited he scratched his ears and cheeks, his golden eyes burning with a ferocious will to fight.
"This is how it should be! Without such heaven-scorching, sea-boiling flames, how could it prove my, Old Sun's, heaven-shaking, earth-shattering skills?!"
Within the core of the heaven-scorching, sea-boiling flames, a plain black iron staff, brandishing a might that could battle heaven and earth, came crashing down toward him! And in the center of that boiling solar wheel, the Monkey King's figure, far from being burned in the slightest, instead was tempered like true gold in a blazing fire. In the baptism of the flames, it grew with the wind, its power becoming ever more heaven-defying!
A golden light tore through the sky, piercing straight to the celestial palace!
Down on the battlefield, at the critical moment, Saint Seiya violently snapped his head to the side, a peerlessly sharp golden light whistled past his temple, the force of the wind it generated even leaving a faint bloody scratch on his face.
Almost simultaneously, a sonic boom that ripped through the air grazed past Sha Wujing's imposing figure! Behind him, space suddenly warped, and a sacred, indistinct shadow exuding an ancient and majestic aura flickered into existence, its immense divine power surging like a tide.
As the scorching sun descended, as the world-destroying divine technique closed in, the Ruyi divine weapon in Sun Wukong's hand also—
With a great leap, the Monkey King vaulted into the air and somersaulted, meeting the sun head-on.
And the destructive energy shockwave that followed, aimed at his body, was completely absorbed and nullified by the Pegasus Cloth that had endured countless bloody battles and shone with an indomitable light. Seiya paid it no mind; he merely slightly narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze piercing through the lingering blaze of the solar inferno, locking tightly onto the rapidly enlarging figure at the center of the flames!
"A wondrous truth, perfect and esoteric, to guard your life, there is no other secret. It all comes down to essence, breath, and spirit; guard them with care, lest they leak and you fear it."
A melodious and Dao-filled song actually came clearly from the center of the sun, which was hot enough to melt gold and iron, overpowering the roar of the flames!
The song carried a kind of clarity and powerful self-confidence born from enduring great tribulations:
"Let them not leak, but hide them in the frame; receive my teaching and your Dao will acclaim. Remember this chant, its benefits are vast, cast out desires and find coolness at last. Find coolness, and a light both pure and bright; gaze at the moon from the alchemic height. The moon hides the rabbit, the sun hides the crow, the tortoise and serpent will entwine and grow. Entwined they are, your life and nature strong, and you can plant a Golden Lotus where flames throng. Grasp the Five Phases, use them in reverse; your work complete, you'll join Buddhas and Immortals in the universe!"
Forging brilliant steel from fire and iron is a legend found in many myths.
But in East Asia, the most famous is naturally Sun Wukong.
In the legends, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven was captured after wreaking havoc in the Celestial Palace. He was then escorted by the celestial soldiers to the Demon-Slaying Platform and tied to the Demon-Subduing Pillar.
Swords hacked, axes chopped, spears stabbed, and blades pierced, yet none could harm him.
The South Dipper Star Lord ordered the gods of the Fire Department to burn him with fire, but they could not even singe him. Then the gods of the Thunder Department were ordered to strike him with thunderbolts, but they were even less able to inflict a single scratch.
Then, the immortals asked the Jade Emperor: "Your Majesty, we do not know where this Great Sage learned this art of protection. We, your subjects, have used swords and axes, thunder and fire, but cannot harm him in the slightest. What are we to do?"
The Jade Emperor heard this and said, "If that is the case, what is to be done with him?"
Taishang Laojun then submitted a proposal: "That monkey ate the Peaches of Immortality, drank the imperial wine, and stole the Pills of Immortality. I had five gourds of pills, some refined, some raw, and he ate them all. He used the Samadhi Fire to forge them into a single block, which is why he has an adamantine body that cannot be harmed so quickly. It would be best if I, the old Daoist, take him away and place him in the Eight Trigrams Brazier, to be smelted with both civil and martial fire. I will extract my pills, and his body will be reduced to ash."
But what was the result? After being burned for forty-nine days, not only was Sun Wukong not refined, but the ordeal helped him integrate all his divine powers, and he even forged a pair of Fiery Eyes, Golden Pupils that could see through all illusions!
Ordinary Heroes of Steel are often vulnerable to the sun or flames, but Sun Wukong could draw power from the purest, most intense flames, constantly refining himself, making his indestructible adamantine body even more solid and immortal, even developing divine powers that could counter fire!
This was his unique art of Planting a Golden Lotus in Fire!
Seiya's fist collided with Sun Wukong's Ruyi Jingu Bang, creating a clear metallic clang. At the same time, he could see that proud smile on the monkey's face. "How about it, little foreign god? Your solar flames are no match for me, Sun Wukong!"
"That only proves I will obtain an even stronger Authority from you."
"What a sharp-tongued, arrogant brat!" Sun Wukong shouted, and the five ancient characters on his golden-hooped staff blazed with light.
"My, Old Sun's, Ruyi Jingu Bang was forged from the Divine Treasure Iron used by Yu the Great to measure the depths of the rivers and seas. It weighs thirteen thousand five hundred jin, can change size at will, and is a supreme divine weapon that shakes the heavens and startles the underworld! Today, I'll let you have a good taste of it!"
The golden-hooped staff roared, unleashing a continuous barrage of attacks that scattered like sparks. It was just like the staff techniques displayed by Shaolin monks in Hong Kong martial arts films—tracing sharp, angular lines while attacking Seiya's body from all sorts of angles.
The continuous attacks, as fast as lightning and wind, were all dodged by Seiya at an even greater speed. And the speed of the staff's swings became faster and faster, its movements like lightning, the monkey's agility and electric speed becoming one.
In terms of exquisite maneuvering and close-quarters combat arts, Sun Wukong was undoubtedly superior. But in terms of pure linear speed and instantaneous explosive power, Seiya, burning his Cosmo, held the advantage.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The heaven-supporting force contained in the golden-hooped staff slammed viciously against Seiya's Cloth, producing heavy, dull thuds. Even with the Cloth protecting the Saint's safety, the terrifying shockwaves still penetrated his body, making Seiya's internal organs churn. In the blink of an eye during that close-quarters struggle, he had already taken several powerful and heavy blows from the staff.
If this were the past, Seiya would have definitely created distance, playing to his strengths and avoiding his weaknesses, using his rich combat techniques to counter this tricky monkey.
But at this moment, facing the legendary Great Sage Equaling Heaven, a very peculiar feeling arose in Seiya's heart. It was not fear, nor was it fighting spirit, but a... an indescribable resonance, as if something on his opponent was faintly attracting... his other Cloth.
The Ruyi Jingu Bang slowly thrust forward, its tip gradually approaching Seiya's throat, yet Seiya did not move a muscle. Only his Cosmo was burning. His consciousness surpassed its current limits. When only one or two centimeters remained before it pierced his throat, at that critical, extreme moment, Seiya moved!
No warning, no preparatory action, just a pure, instantaneous, ultimate explosion driven by will! He compressed, condensed, and unleashed all his burning Cosmo power in that instant, a moment lasting less than a thousandth of a second! His body transformed into a streak of light that surpassed thought.
By a hair's breadth, Seiya's neck almost scraped against the cold tip of the staff as he completed an unbelievably extreme dodge!
At the same time, his right fist, like a meteor that had broken free from the shackles of time, left a burning trail as it slammed viciously into Sun Wukong's smug monkey face!
But whether it was Sun Wukong's staff or Seiya's Pegasus Meteor, for thick-skinned fellows like them, it was nothing more than a scratch.
As if angered by being hit, Sun Wukong's assault grew even more frenzied. In an instant, he brandished the divine treasure iron in his hand and closed in on Seiya.
Although Seiya had seen many experts whose skills reached the realm of divine techniques, from Godslayers to Heretic Gods, in terms of martial arts, neither Doni nor Perseus could compare to the Sun Wukong before him.
An unparalleled powerhouse, who wreaked havoc in heaven, fought in the underworld, and vanquished demons on his journey to the west—the Victorious Fighting Buddha.
But for Sun Wukong, he found that he had encountered an opponent unlike any he had ever seen.
Suddenly, all his demon-subduing, evil-quelling martial arts were useless.
Sun Wukong felt as if he were fighting a phantom. Every time he thought he was about to land a hit, his opponent would miraculously dodge it.
A feeling of extreme frustration began to plague him. He discovered that his martial arts, sufficient to subdue ten thousand demons and roam the heavens and earth, now felt like striking at an elusive, phantom-like mass! Every time, he was certain that his golden-hooped staff would hit its mark; both the cunning angle and the perfect timing were impeccable.
However, every time, that star-burning figure would manage to barely evade at the last, impossible moment, in some incomprehensible, almost "miraculous" way! It was as if his opponent could predict all his movements!
His power shot out in all directions. Even if his opponent had the same speed, it would be impossible to neither parry nor be hit, unless he jumped out of the battle circle entirely. Because the attacks were like the myriad rays of the sun, leaving no blind spots.
There seemed to be only one possibility—his opponent completely understood his every move.
Was this possible? It was impossible. He had already witnessed this brat's martial arts before, and they were nothing special.
But sometimes, a subconscious swing from him would collide squarely with his opponent's fist! And strangely, he couldn't see the origin of the opponent's moves. This also seemed impossible. Could his opponent's speed have reached a level he could no longer perceive?
"Tch!" His fist and the golden-hooped staff clashed once again. Sun Wukong felt as if he had struck solid steel. The golden-hooped staff buzzed, and the vibration shot from his palm straight to his heart.
"Something's not right. You're not right, brat!" Sun Wukong finally realized the situation was amiss. "Do you possess a status similar to my, Old Sun's, own?"
Sun Wukong was not referring to being the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, but to the status of a Buddha attained at the end of his journey to the west. He could feel that this brat, whose skills were far inferior to his own, was rapidly growing during their battle, as if using him as nourishment to grow at an accelerated rate.
This situation reminded Sun Wukong of a very annoying monkey from his journey to the west, the Six-Eared Macaque.
Although, logically speaking, he should also be able to gain nourishment from him, this brat's martial arts, when compared to his own, were utterly pathetic, offering no nourishment whatsoever.
"Sun Wukong, for your merit in vanquishing demons and monsters on your journey to the west, completing your quest from beginning to end, you were promoted by the Tathagata to the great and true attainment, becoming the Victorious Fighting Buddha," Seiya said with a smile. "And I just so happen to possess a similar myth."
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