Sun Wukong and his disciples were having a drink in the Water Curtain Cave when a little monkey rushed in and said, "Your Majesty, two Demon Kings wish to meet you." Sun Wukong thought for a moment and ordered that they be let in.
When they met Sun Wukong, the two Demon Kings knelt before him and said, "We have long heard of Your Majesty's talent, but have never had the chance to meet you. Today, having learned that you just returned from Heaven, we brought a yellow robe to present to you as a token of our congratulations. If you do not mind, we are willing to serve you, even as humble as beasts." Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was overjoyed. He immediately put on the yellow robe and appointed the two Demon Kings as the chief officers of the front guards.
The Demon Kings thanked him and then asked, "Your Majesty, I heard you spent some time in Heaven. What kind of official position did you hold?" Sun Wukong replied, "There was no real position. The Jade Emperor looked down on me and gave me a job of feeding horses." The Demon King then said, "Your Majesty, with such great powers, how could you be reduced to feeding horses? In my opinion, you should be called 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven'!" Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was pleased and declared, "Good! From now on, I shall be known as the 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven.' Have a flag made with this title and hang it outside. No one shall call me 'Your Majesty' again; call me 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven'!" The monkeys all agreed.
After leaving Heaven, the official in charge of the Horse Stables reported to the Jade Emperor that Sun Wukong had abandoned his post and fled. The Jade Emperor immediately ordered General Li Tianwang (the King of Heavenly Soldiers) to lead an army, with Nezha, the third son of the Dragon King, as the general, to capture Sun Wukong.
Li Tianwang and Nezha, accompanied by a host of celestial soldiers, left the Southern Heavenly Gate and marched toward the Flower and Fruit Mountain. They sent the giant spirit god ahead to challenge Sun Wukong. The giant spirit god, wielding an axe, arrived at the entrance to the Water Curtain Cave. He saw a group of monsters, including wolf demons and leopard demons, armed with spears and swords, waving them around while shouting loudly.
The giant spirit god bellowed, "You demons! Quickly summon the Horse Feeder (Sun Wukong) to surrender, or I will strike you all down with a single blow!" Hearing this, the little monsters rushed inside to report, "Your Majesty, bad news! A great general from Heaven has come and is demanding your surrender. He says he will strike us down if we don't bring you out!" Sun Wukong immediately shouted, "Bring me my battle robe!"
He donned his golden armor, put on his purple-gold crown, slipped on his cloud-walking boots, and grasped his magical staff. Leading his followers, he marched out of the Water Curtain Cave. Upon seeing Sun Wukong, the giant spirit god yelled, "You monkey! Do you recognize me?" Sun Wukong replied, "Who are you? I've never seen you before! Quickly tell me your name!" The giant spirit god arrogantly declared, "I am the pioneer general of Li Tianwang's army, sent by the Jade Emperor to capture you. If you are wise, you will lay down your weapons and come back to Heaven with me, or you will be reduced to dust!"
Sun Wukong, enraged, retorted, "You are just a minor god! Don't speak nonsense! I should strike you dead with one blow, but I am sparing you so you can report back. Now look at my flag! If the Jade Emperor recognizes my title and grants me a position as stated, I will no longer argue with him. Otherwise, I'll march straight to the Heavenly Palace and make sure the Jade Emperor doesn't even sit comfortably on his dragon throne!"
The giant spirit god glanced at the flag, which fluttered in the wind with the words "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" written on it. He scoffed, "You monkey, don't know your place! First, take this axe!" With that, he swung his axe at Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong was quick to react, grabbing his magical staff and parrying the blow.
The two fought fiercely in the air. As the battle wore on, Sun Wukong, losing patience, swung his staff toward the giant spirit god's head. The giant spirit god hastily raised his axe to block, but it shattered into two pieces with a loud crash. The giant spirit god, defeated, fled in panic. Sun Wukong laughed from behind, "You coward, go back and report to your master!"
The giant spirit god's defeat enraged Li Tianwang, who was about to have him executed. At this point, Nezha stepped forward and said, "Father, please don't be angry. Let me go and face that monkey. I'll find out for sure how capable he is." Li Tianwang agreed.
Nezha, alone, arrived at the Water Curtain Cave and said to Sun Wukong, "Demon monkey, I am Nezha, the third prince of Li Tianwang. I am here to capture you!" Sun Wukong, noticing Nezha's handsome appearance, responded, "What skills do you have to dare speak so arrogantly? I'm standing right here. Come, take your best shot!"
Nezha immediately shouted, "Transform!" He then became a figure with three heads and six arms, wielding a magic sword, a demon-slaying knife, a rope for binding demons, a demon-destroying pestle, a decorative ball, and fire-wheels. He charged at Sun Wukong.
Seeing this, Sun Wukong marveled, "I didn't know this little one could do magic! Don't be disrespectful, and see how I deal with you!" Sun Wukong also shouted, "Transform!" He instantly grew three heads and six arms, wielding three magical staffs, one in each hand, and flew up into the air to battle Nezha.
The two fought fiercely for thirty rounds, neither giving an inch. In the heat of the battle, Sun Wukong, quick as lightning, plucked a hair from his body, shouted "Transform!" and instantly created another copy of himself. Nezha, unable to tell the real Sun Wukong from the copy, was overwhelmed. The real Sun Wukong snuck behind him and struck Nezha's left arm, injuring him. Nezha fled in defeat.
Nezha returned to Li Tianwang and reported, "That Monkey King is incredibly powerful. I couldn't defeat him." Li Tianwang was furious but also fearful. He realized that continuing to fight might lead to further defeat. He ordered the celestial army to retreat back to Heaven.
At the Heavenly Palace, Li Tianwang reported to the Jade Emperor, "We went to capture Sun Wukong as ordered, but his powers are beyond our ability to overcome. I suggest we send more troops." The Jade Emperor, puzzled, asked, "How can a mere monkey be so powerful?" Nezha then spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty, that monkey possesses a magical staff with incredible power. I, along with the giant spirit god, could not defeat him. He has also raised a flag outside the cave proclaiming himself as the 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven.' He said that if you grant him this title officially, he will join Heaven; otherwise, he will march on the Heavenly Palace."
The Jade Emperor, enraged, declared, "This monkey dares to be so bold! I will send more troops to deal with him!" At this point, the celestial sage Taibai Jinxing, who had been quietly listening, spoke up, "Your Majesty, this monkey is simply boasting. He is not easy to subdue, and sending more troops will be a waste. Why not simply give him the title of 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven' without any actual authority? This would satisfy his ambition and keep the peace in Heaven."
The Jade Emperor, still unsure, asked, "What do you mean by giving him a title with no real power?" Taibai Jinxing explained, "Give him the title, but offer him no salary or duties. This will keep his ambitions in check, and he won't cause any more trouble." The Jade Emperor, after considering this suggestion, agreed. Taibai Jinxing was then dispatched with a decree to offer Sun Wukong the title.
When the monkeys in the Water Curtain Cave saw several celestial beings arriving, they thought another battle was about to begin and raised their weapons to attack. Taibai Jinxing quickly shouted, "I come on behalf of Heaven! I bear a decree from the Jade Emperor for your King! Do not harm me!" The little demons lowered their weapons and passed on Taibai Jinxing's words to Sun Wukong.
Sun Wukong, sensing that this might be a good development, immediately dressed and received Taibai Jinxing in the Water Curtain Cave. Upon meeting Sun Wukong, Taibai Jinxing said, "The Jade Emperor did not realize your great powers. He sent Li Tianwang to capture you, but they were defeated. Now, I come on the Emperor's orders to officially confer upon you the title of 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven.' We hope you will accept this position and cease further rebellion."
Sun Wukong, overjoyed at the
news, immediately agreed to the Jade Emperor's offer. He followed Taibai Jinxing and ascended on a cloud to the Southern Heavenly Gate. Upon arrival, the celestial soldiers and generals all stood to one side, respectfully bowing to Sun Wukong.
In the Heavenly Palace, the Jade Emperor addressed Sun Wukong: "Today, I officially confer upon you the title of 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven,' the highest rank in the celestial hierarchy. However, if you continue to misbehave, there will be consequences. I have ordered the construction of a residence for you in the Garden of the Peach Blossom, at the eastern side of the Celestial Palace. You may live there from now on."
Sun Wukong, pleased with the honor, bowed and accepted the title. He followed the Five-Dot Star Lord to his new residence, where the Jade Emperor had arranged for a celebratory feast. The Emperor's special wine was served, and Sun Wukong, alongside the Star Lords and celestial officials, drank and rejoiced together in harmony.