Tap, tap, tap.
A series of footsteps, drawing nearer, echo through the nineteenth layer of hell.
A gaunt monk, walking amidst a halo of golden light, takes slow, steadfast steps.
This golden light emanates from a pair of golden eyes that are calm, yet untamed; neither thousands of years of imprisonment had dimmed their radiance.
"Ksitigarbha."
The owner of the golden eyes mockingly calls out.
The gaunt monk is none other than King Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
He silently approached the owner of the eyes, the golden light slowly faded, plunging the area back into darkness.
The nineteenth layer of hell, the most terrifying place in hell.
There are no punishments here, yet the torment here is worse than any punishment: solitude.
After a long silence, Ksitigarbha finally spoke.
"The Buddha is dead."
The nineteenth layer of hell fell eerily silent.
Then, a burst of frantic laughter ensued.
"Good, hahahaha."
The owner of the golden eyes laughed loudly, his laughter shook the nineteenth layer of hell.
"Is it really good?"
Ksitigarbha asked.
The laughter stopped.
"And it?"
"Also dead, or missing."
"Haha, useless."
The golden eyes brightened once again.
"Let me out."
The nineteenth layer of hell trembled.
To see the light of day once again.
The Buddha has died,
Heavenly Court has crumbled,
Demons roam freely,
Living beings suffer immensely.
Chaos envelops this world.
Ksitigarbha is dead too.
He was killed by a mysterious demon after his release.
He neither cared nor inquired.
Unlike what Ksitigarbha had hoped, though he was free, he did not fulfill his promise to Ksitigarbha.
"Ridiculous and foolish monk, expecting me to end this chaotic world, wanting me to save this realm, when I am the most powerful demon of this world myself."
Huaguo Mountain, now in ruins.
The few monkeys remaining have lost their Aureole in their eyes.
A figure sits atop Immortal Mountain, overlooking the sea.
Through sunrise and sunset, that figure still sits there alone.
The few Aureole-less monkeys gaze puzzledly at the figure.
They feel an innate closeness to this figure.
A few dark clouds drift across the sky, bringing with them a cacophony of sounds.
"We've arrived, this is Huaguo Mountain, the former home of that monkey, once the Holy Land of demons. It's said that the brains of the monkeys here, descendants of those that once ate the peaches of immortality, are especially delicious."
"We're in for a treat today, eating monkey brains in the Holy Land of demons. It's a story worth boasting about for a lifetime."
Several lesser demons land, scattering the frightened monkeys.
Their eyes filled with terror, bodies trembling.
The lesser demons laugh triumphantly, feeling as if they truly have the Holy Land of demons under their feet.
For many days, the figure that had been sitting alone finally moved.
He reached out a hand and grasped at the air.
Several demons exploded instantly, their spirits shattered.
The monkeys fled in panic, unaware of what had happened.
Sun Wukong once again looked toward the distant sky.
The uninvited guests of today were not just these few.
In the heavens, an intense battle broke out.
A formidable youth, wielding a long spear, battled fiercely against three Demon Heads.
His body was stained with blood, yet he remained undaunted.
With a thrust of his spear, he pierced through the body of one demon, and with a fierce jolt, the demon exploded into pieces, slain by his hand.
The remaining two demons displayed expressions of terror.
They had heard of the youth's prowess more than once.
Only after truly engaging in battle did they realize he was even more formidable than the rumors suggested.
They tried to flee but were blocked and successively slain by the youth.
The youth's face was weary, having been through too many battles and long since exhausted.
"How familiar this place is, this is Huaguo Mountain, it's a pity that monkey is no longer here, otherwise, I could have enjoyed a drink and a chat with him, after all, back then, he was one of the few who could arm wrestle with me, though he was still slightly inferior to me."
"The human face is gone, who knows where to, yet the peaches of immortality still smile..."
The youth hadn't finished his lament when he couldn't help but widen his eyes.
A figure appeared before him, then a staff enlarged in front of him.
"Bang."
The youth was knocked flying.
"Monkey, you're not dead."
The youth rushed back, a clear mark of the staff visible on his face.
"Third Prince, long time no see."
Nezha paused slightly, "It really isn't you."
The two exchanged smiles.
Then, they drank and chatted merrily.
A few timid monkeys hid to one side, eyeing the two as they drank.
"The heavens have changed, people have changed, have you ever thought about making a difference?"
Nezha set down his wine cup, his gaze intense.
"The Emperor is gone, the Buddha is dead, the Heavenly Court has disbanded, Ziwei presides over Mid Heaven, gathering only a part of the forces, while all sorts of demons and ghosts have emerged. Whoever can end this chaos could re-establish the Heavenly Court."
Sun Wukong toyed with his wine cup, contemplative, "Are you now following Ziwei?"
Nezha shook his head, saying, "I'm now hanging out with my second brother, occasionally dealing with troublesome demons and immortals, quite freely, though it's the second brother who wants to restore order."
He paused for a moment, his expression growing serious.
"If you make a move, among us three, who could be a match?"
"I'm weary, I don't wish to come out of retirement."
Sun Wukong shook his head.
Nezha did not continue, and they went on drinking.
Three days later, Nezha left.
The little monkeys also gradually became less afraid of Sun Wukong.
They slowly approached Wukong, their innocent eyes gradually shimmering with a spark.
Huaguo Mountain too gradually regained its scenic beauty.
Sun Wukong scattered seeds everywhere, using spells to improve the landscape.
He seemed to have lost all his defiance, not showing a hint of unruliness.
The little monkeys grew increasingly spirited and began to proliferate.
Occasionally some demons caused trouble but were casually killed by Sun Wukong.
Outside, the great battles raged, yet none affected this place in the slightest.
Until one day, Sun Wukong received a message.
Victorious Fighting Buddha Sun Wukong reemerged, simultaneously gathering all the demons and immortals under heaven, intending to re-establish the Heavenly Court.
The message was passed to him by Nezha.
"Victorious Fighting Buddha, huh? Ha, ha."
A cold laugh echoed through Huaguo Mountain.
"Victorious Fighting Buddha? Ha, ha."
At Yang Family in Guan River Mouth, Nezha smirked.
A mere impostor, yet daring to flaunt himself so.
The real deal has now returned, and there would definitely be a great spectacle to see.
That monkey claimed he was tired?
A laughable excuse, Pagoda-Bearing King would never believe such a poor pretense.
In the Western Continent, demons and immortals gathered in response to the invitation of Victorious Fighting Buddha.
The Heavenly Court has collapsed, now Victorious Fighting Buddha seeks to re-establish it.
After the Journey to the West, the name of Victorious Fighting Buddha spread throughout the Three Realms, that monkey having long been one of the foremost figures between heaven and earth.
New book from the veteran author, with a million words in reserve, rest assured and bookmark it, post-launch daily updates guaranteed of at least thirty thousand words.