The Jade Emperor unleashed the Supreme Nine Dragons Aura, where eight Purple Gold Divine Dragons injured Sun Wukong in their first encounter. Instead of being deterred, the wound ignited Sun Wukong's fighting spirit. Thus, the evil incarnation of Sun Wukong, the Heaven-Supporting Giant Ape, appeared. Witnessing this scene, the Jade Emperor's pupils shrank, and he thought to himself, "I didn't expect this monkey to not only have severed his evil thoughts but also to be capable of creating doppelgangers. This doppelganger's strength is no less than Sun Wukong himself, in fact, it's even stronger by three parts due to the unleashed wildness within." This realization caused the Jade Emperor's once assured confidence to waver.
Meanwhile, Zhu Bajie was also struggling bitterly, with his battle proving far more brutal than the clash between Sun Wukong and the Jade Emperor. Although Zhu Bajie's strength was nearly on par with the Emperor Ziwei, his newfound power made him clumsily execute his moves. This slight hesitation brought great difficulty to Zhu Bajie. Emperor Ziwei, a tremendously experienced warrior, seized upon Bajie's occasional inconsistencies in movement, launching targeted attacks exactly where Bajie's guard was down. Emperor Ziwei's hands shone with bright starlight, which he transformed into a vast array of weaponry that rained upon Bajie, leaving him in disarray.
Before long, Zhu Bajie was covered in wounds. Though the injuries were not deep, over time, the accumulated damage could prove fatal. Left with no choice, Bajie decided on a desperate approach—trading blow for blow. He swung his Nine-Toothed Rake wildly in a frenzied attack. And, surprisingly, in the midst of his reckless offensive, he managed to land two hits on Emperor Ziwei, who was utterly taken aback in terror!
That was the Nine-Toothed Rake after all, forged by the Supreme Elder Lord himself from Divine Icy Iron, with the power of the Five Directions Emperors and the Six Ding and Six Jia, weighing countless catties, 5048 catties including the handle. Its full title was the Supreme Treasure Gold Rake! This rake possessed an incredibly powerful attribute; it could devour souls and vital essence. Even Sun Wukong dared not let the rake strike him too often. For ordinary Golden Immortals, just three strikes could reduce them from Daluo Golden Immortals to nameless ghosts in the Netherworld. Clearly, having been struck twice, if Emperor Ziwei wasn't careful and got hit a few more times, he would be completely doomed, beyond any salvation.
Hence, Emperor Ziwei was forced to engage Zhu Bajie with hit-and-run tactics, not daring to get close without certainty of his upper hand.
Finally, let's see how Sha Wujing's battle in Beyond the Heavens is going!
Great Emperor Gouchen, formally known as the Gouchen Upper Palace Heavenly Emperor, is revered in the Heavenly Realm as the sovereign of ten thousand thunders. Mastering Thunder System Taoist Spells to perfection, a tempest of thunder raged throughout Beyond the Heavens. Each gesture from the Great Emperor Gouchen summoned a powerful and fierce Divine Thunder to strike down. Amongst this thunderstorm sea, the most conspicuous was a great river at the very center. Yes, a river.
This river, dark as ink and constantly flowing, bizarrely showed not a single ripple on its surface. It was only through the nearly twisted space around the river that one could discern its terrifyingly rapid current. Following the flow's direction, at the end of the river stood an unusually large skull, carved from pristine white jade, gaping open to devour the incoming river. Looking towards the opposite end, there was another skull of equal size, however, it was spewing out vast amounts of water.
Thus, a strange tableau was set—Great Emperor Gouchen ensconced within a light barrier made of countless Divine Thunders, continuously directing the thunderous assaults at the great river. Sha Wujing hid within the river, ceaselessly shooting out myriads of Water Arrows. When the thunder struck the river's surface, it seemed to hit a mirror, causing the electric force to be diffused by the flowing water, before clinging onto the surface and flowing into the skull. The water, normally a conductor of electricity, now appeared to be its nemesis. However, the Water Arrows and Water Dragons shot from within the river also got weakened by the thunder during their flight, causing them to inflict minimal damage upon striking the Thunder Mantle.
Thus, the two of them, due to mutual dread, ended up in a deadlock. However, Sha Wujing harbored an intent to kill, not to stand here and trade shots with Great Emperor Gouchen. The next moment, a determined and decisive light shone in Sha Wujing's eyes.
In this way, the three disciples Sun Wukong fought valiantly against three Heavenly Emperors, while the Bull Demon King and others, along with the later support from Nezha and the rest, confronted Emperor of Eternal Life. Fortunately, Emperor of Eternal Life specialized in inexhaustible defense, which allowed him to hold on. At this point, everyone had only one thought in mind: that their side would quickly defeat the opponent and then come to their aid. Only then would the scales of victory tip.
Time slowly trickled away under such circumstances. Finally, just as the Bull Demon King and the others were becoming extremely restless, a streak of light flew across the sky. Immediately, everyone's hearts were in their throats. The streak of light soon stopped between the two sides, and as its brilliance dissipated, a wave of shouting erupted. It turned out to be Sun Wukong.
At that moment, Sun Wukong's battle armor was almost completely shattered, his body marked with bloodstains and countless wounds, large and small. Even a trickle of fresh blood flowed from his forehead. However, the Jade Emperor fared even worse, as he was being dragged by Sun Wukong, who was holding him by the collar, across the ground. From the Jade Emperor's posture, it was clear he had passed out and was barely breathing.
At this moment, Sun Wukong's face was firm, his aura commanding, and the blood covering his body added not a hint of disarray but rather an even more fierce and untamed wildness!
"Monkey, you, you actually defeated the Jade Emperor? Are you, are you alright?"
Looking down at the Jade Emperor, Sun Wukong said indifferently, "I won against the Jade Emperor only after sacrificing the body of the Benevolent Victory Buddha and the body of the Heaven-Supporting Giant Ape driven by malevolence."
When the Bull Demon King and the others saw Sun Wukong, their hearts were filled with wild joy. However, for Emperor of Eternal Life, it was complete despair. Although Sun Wukong might not have had much combat power left, his mere presence created deterrence and novelty. With this shift, Emperor of Eternal Life even began to entertain the idea of giving up resistance. Gazing at Sun Wukong's god-of-war-like awe and might, it felt as if they were staring at a chasm that could never be crossed, entrenched in their hearts. He knew that Heaven's defeat was merely a matter of time. What concerned him now was what, if anything, would remain of Heaven after this battle, or whether there would be a Heaven at all?
"Demon Clan troops, hear my command, attack with full force. The Supreme Jade Emperor of Heaven has been captured by me. Whether Heaven will fall to the Demon Clan now depends on you," roared Sun Wukong, a cry that resonated throughout the Three Realms, igniting the final frenzy of the Demon Clan's army. All of the demon soldiers, fearlessly and ferociously, launched their final assault. In everyone's mind, there was only one thought: if Marshal Sun Wukong himself could capture the Jade Emperor, how could they, as his soldiers, let mere heavenly soldiers stand in their way?
Thus, the heavenly soldiers, who had already been at a disadvantage, now found themselves utterly overwhelmed. Under the frenzied onslaught of the Demon Clan's army, the heavenly soldiers were quickly squeezed in around the Lingxiao Palace. Their numbers had dwindled from the original, mighty million to less than two hundred thousand—a catastrophic loss! The blood of the fallen flowed through all thirty-six heavenly palaces and seventy-two halls, leaving countless severed limbs and bodies. This included not only the bodies of eight hundred thousand heavenly soldiers but also nearly two hundred thousand Demon Clan soldiers!
Although the Demon Clan had almost absolute superiority, the tenacious resistance of the heavenly soldiers still inflicted close to two hundred thousand casualties on them. This proved the saying that in war, there are no survivors without loss.
By the time Bull Demon King and the others had captured the Emperor of Eternal Life, the Demon Clan's army had already taken control of the heavenly soldiers. At this point, the great war between the Demon Clan and the Heavenly Realm had finally come to an end, and the victor was, undoubtedly, the allied forces of the Demon Clan. All the Demon Clan chiefs involved in the war would be recorded in the annals of the clan's history, revered as Great Demons for all eternity!
Although Heaven still had two Heavenly Emperors and Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing fighting and had not yet returned, it was already of no consequence. In the face of overwhelming numbers, individual might had been reduced to its lowest.
"Old Bull, take care of the aftermath. Remember, don't kill the surrendered heavenly soldiers! I'm going to see how Bajie and Old Sha are doing. I'm worried about them after such a long time without news."
Before Bull Demon King could respond, Sun Wukong's expression suddenly tensed, and he turned his head to look towards the skies of the Western Paradise, his right hand gripping the Golden Hoop, veins bulging. It seemed he had spotted something or someone he despised to the bone.
Bull Demon King and the others noticed Sun Wukong's abnormal reaction, but besides the clouds filling the sky, they saw nothing. "Monkey, what do you see..." "Shut up. Everyone, be on guard. Notify the army to enter battle status immediately. Abandon the prisoners, prepare for battle quickly, hurry, hurry!"
While Bull Demon King and the others were still bewildered, a majestic and loud voice rang out, "Great Saint Sun, no need for that! It's already too late."
Before the voice even fell, a figure had arrived!
Seeing the person who had appeared, everyone was stunned and instantly understood why Sun Wukong had called them to arms. For the one who had come was none other than Sakyamuni Buddha of the Western Paradise—Tathagata Buddha!
Behind Tathagata followed almost all the renowned Buddhas of the Western Paradise: Ancient Buddha of the Lamp, Maitreya Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and Medicine Master Buddha. Behind these Buddhas were numerous Bodhisattvas and Vajra Arhats: Bodhisattva Guanyin, Great Strength Bodhisattva, Sunlight Bodhisattva, Moonlight Bodhisattva, the Thunder Spell Vajra from the Secret Demon Rock on Wutai Mountain, the Invincible Vajra from the Pure Cool Cave of Emei Mountain, the Great Strength Vajra from Mo'er Cliff of Mount Sumeru, and the Eternal Vajra from Golden Drop Ridge of Kunlun Mountain, to name a few. And behind these were the endless ranks of Buddhist soldiers, easily numbering over three million at a glance!
And once these Buddhist soldiers arrived, they swiftly surrounded all the Demon Clan soldiers. The Demon Clan's army, which had initially numbered eight hundred thousand, had lost nearly two hundred thousand in the great battle. Now, only about six hundred thousand remained, a weary force at best, with at most the combat power of three hundred thousand. Against a three-million-strong force, all members of the Demon Clan knew that complete annihilation was likely the only path left!
After the Buddhist soldiers had completed the encirclement, Tathagata floated before Sun Wukong on the Nine Treasures Lotus Platform. With a smile that was not quite a smile, he said to Sun Wukong, "Great Sage Equalling Heaven, Sun Wukong, you are quite imposing. Even the Jade Emperor was beaten like a dead dog? It seems I underestimated you before. Weren't you just about to find your two disciples? Heh, no need for that. Bring up Zhu Bajie!"
As he finished speaking, several Buddhist soldiers came forward, dragging a rope behind them. Tied to the other end of the rope was Zhu Bajie, but at this moment, Zhu Bajie's limbs were all broken, and he was no different from a dead man.
Seeing Sun Wukong's face contorted with abnormal fury and distress, Tathagata spoke again, "It's a pity we didn't catch your disciple, Sha Wujing." Just as Sun Wukong let out a sigh of relief, Tathagata continued, "Because he and the Great Emperor of the Purple Tinge met their ends together, and not even their bones remain."
"Tathagata, you wretched fool, you deserve to die!" Sun Wukong, consumed by extreme anger, saw his wounds burst open again, oozing fresh blood. He pointed at Tathagata with one hand holding the Golden Hoop and the other clutching his chest. With a low growl, Sun Wukong said, "Oh, that's right, your Flower Fruit Mountain is gone too. Unexpectedly, your master Tang Sanzang was also there. So, I took the liberty of capturing him as well. Pity about your Flower Fruit Mountain. By now it must be in ashes."
"Pfft." A gush of blood spurted out. Sun Wukong turned ashen!