Journey to the West: Beginning with the Apprenticeship of Bodhi Patriarch

Chapter 438 Wukong fights the axe and returns defeated.
Meanwhile, in the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, the Dragon King of the East Sea was telling Sun Wukong and Zuo Liang about the Great Sage with the Axe and Halberd.

Just as the local deity had predicted, this Great Sage with Axe and Halberd suddenly seized Haiguan Mountain and attacked the Dragon Palace, intending to divide up the entire area south of Yangzhou and the East Sea. He was lawless and unruly, yet his abilities were extremely high. The cultivators and dragons south of Yangzhou were helpless against him, and instead, many were killed by him.

Compared to what the local deity said, the Dragon King of the East Sea said more. He had inquired and learned that this evil spirit originated from Yangzhou.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong cursed, "You old Dragon King, don't try to fool me! If what you say is true, this Axe-wielding Great Sage has immense power and is a fierce and wicked demon. How could such a demon be born in the human world? It is impossible for such a demon to be born in the human world. Old Dragon King, if you continue to spout nonsense, don't blame me for no longer helping you."

The Dragon King of the East Sea panicked and said, "Great Sage, you really didn't speak nonsense! Great Sage, you are wise, but that Great Sage with the Axe and Halberd is indeed from Yangzhou."

Sun Wukong said, "Since you say that the demon was born in the human world, tell me clearly how it was born?"

The Dragon King of the East Sea shook his head and said, "Great Sage, I do not know how he was born, but I do know that he was born in Yangzhou, and his origin is Geng metal, or he was born from Geng metal."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "Could it be that this Great Sage with Axe and Halberd, like me, was born from a stone and is a naturally born deity created from the essence of heaven and earth?"

The Dragon King of the East Sea said, "They are unaware of this."

Sun Wukong said, "Since that's the case, I won't get anything out of you. But do you know where that Great Sage with Axe and Halberd is? I'll go and meet him."

The Dragon King of the East Sea replied, "Great Sage, the Great Sage with Axe and Halberd is currently on an island three hundred miles west of the East Sea Dragon Palace. Many soldiers are holding him back there, but I'm afraid they won't be able to hold him back for long."

Sun Wukong stood up and said, "In that case, I'll go and see what kind of background this Great Sage with Axe and Halberd has and what his abilities are."

Zuo Liang stood up, intending to follow.

Sun Wukong stopped him and said, "Nephew, you don't need to go. Let me go and take a look. If I'm alone and encounter danger, I can escape. You should wait in the Dragon Palace for a while."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang immediately agreed, saying, "In that case, Uncle-Master, please be careful on your journey and lest you fall into the trap of those evil spirits."

Sun Wukong said, "Nephew, you can rest assured. Even if I am no match for him, if I want to escape, who in the Three Realms, apart from those with great magical power, can capture me?"

Then he looked at the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas and said, "You all should keep a close eye on my nephew Sun. If there is any inadequacy in our hospitality, I will definitely come to you to demand an explanation."

The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas bowed respectfully, indicating that they would treat him with proper courtesy.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong finally left.

After Sun Wukong left, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas did not dare to underestimate Zuo Liang. Not to mention that Zuo Liang was a disciple of a True Man, just considering Zuo Liang's current reputation and abilities in the human world, he was worthy of their respect.

Zuo Liang was not arrogant at all, and chatted with the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas with a smile.

The two sides talked for a long time.

Zuo Liang suddenly looked at the Yu Ding at his waist, stepped forward and asked, "Four Dragon Kings, when you fought with that Axe-wielding Great Sage, did you see that the Axe-wielding Great Sage had a treasure in his hand, which was a cauldron?"

The Dragon King of the East Sea pondered for a moment and replied, "The Great Sage of Axe and Halberd possesses only an axe and a treasure that is extremely heavy: a cauldron."

Zuo Liang asked, "Dragon King of the East Sea, how does my cauldron compare to that of the Great Sage of Axe and Halberd?"

Say it.

Zuo Liang took out the Yu Ding and showed it to the Dragon King of the East Sea.

The Dragon King of the East Sea examined it closely and said, "The cauldron in the hands of the Great Sage with Axe and Halberd is different from yours, but in terms of origin, they are similar... Could this be one of the Nine Cauldrons of King Yu?"

Zuo Liang smiled and nodded, saying, "This is indeed one of the Nine Tripods, the Tripod of Yuzhou."

The Dragon King of the East Sea, puzzled, said, "If that's the case, then wouldn't the Great Sage with Axe and Halberd possess the Nine Cauldrons? It's often said that the Nine Cauldrons are only obtained by those with a deep affinity with the True Man. No matter how the Great Sage with Axe and Halberd speaks, he cannot obtain the Nine Cauldrons. If that's the case, then how exactly did the Great Sage with Axe and Halberd obtain the Nine Cauldrons?"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang pondered for a long time but remained silent.

……

After leaving the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, Sun Wukong rode his somersault cloud and traveled three hundred miles west of the Dragon King of the East Sea. When he arrived there, he saw a billowing evil aura emanating from the place, and the surrounding seawater was dyed red. Looking ahead, he saw many sailors who had been beaten to pieces and were on the verge of collapse.

Upon seeing this, Sun Wukong was secretly alarmed by the sheer amount of killing intent emanating from the demon, even more so than when he had not cultivated his mind properly in previous years. He rode his cloud forward, and after a short while, he saw a demon on the island wielding an axe, chasing and killing the sailors. As soon as the axe passed by, the sailors were decapitated.

The monster was a massive, imposing figure, over two zhang tall, its body a mixture of rock and refined gold, with a dark blue-black base interspersed with dark bronze hues. Its armor was imposing, its body naturally covered in jagged, stone bones. Its head resembled a giant stone tablet, without eyebrows or hair, its eyes sunken deep, and a three-pronged horn on its crown, its sharp edges like halberds, gleaming with a cold light, as if formed from the blade of an axe. In its left hand it held a giant axe, its aura overwhelming. Its movements caused the earth to tremble and mountains to shake; its feet sank deep into the ground, causing earth and rocks to surge like waves. When still, its body emanated a piercing, sharp aura, instantly snapping any vegetation it touched—truly a ferocious demon.

Upon seeing this monster, Sun Wukong knew it was extraordinary and its abilities were certainly not weak. If he were to encounter it, it would be difficult to determine a winner in a short time.

He was trying to come up with a way to deal with this monster.

Before he could think any further, the monster seemed to know where he was, and looked at him with piercing eyes, saying, "Where did this little monkey demon come from, daring to spy on us!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong became somewhat annoyed. He immediately descended from his cloud and stood in front of the demon, saying, "I am your maternal grandfather, how dare you speak such nonsense?"

The demon remained unmoved by his words, and looking at the cassock on Sun Wukong's body, he said, "You little monkey demon, where did you get your cultivation methods? How come you're trying to imitate the Buddhist order and even wearing a cassock? It's a complete mismatch, a clumsy imitation."

Sun Wukong said, "What about your maternal grandfather? Do you need to tell me? But you have committed evil deeds and killed countless sailors, wanting to seize Yangzhou and the East Sea. Now that your deeds have been exposed, you should die. You still have such thoughts? Come and talk to me!"

Upon hearing this, the Great Sage with Axe and Halberd said, "Are you the reinforcements that those mudfish invited?"

Sun Wukong sneered, "You wicked demon, what a big mouth you have! The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas may not have much ability, but they are still appointed by the Jade Emperor to govern the four seas. In your mouth, they are just mudfish? Just as you said, I am the reinforcement. I have come here today to subdue you."

The Great Sage with Axe and Halberd said, “Even those mudfish are no match for me. You, a mere monkey demon, dare to surrender? Don’t talk big and bite the hand that feeds you. You little monkey demon, retreat now and I might spare your life. If you refuse to retreat, I will surely beat you to death like those sailors. Speaking of which, I haven’t tasted monkey meat in a long time. If you don’t retreat now, I might as well give you a try.”

Enraged, Sun Wukong pulled his golden cudgel from his ear and swung it at the Great Sage with the axe, intending to kill him.

Seeing Sun Wukong enraged, the Great Sage with Axe and Halberd laughed incessantly and raised his axe to fight him. As the two clashed, both were greatly surprised, never expecting the other to be so strong. After a single move, they were evenly matched, unable to determine a winner.

Sun Wukong already knew that this fellow's abilities were extraordinary, so he stopped guarding him, brandished his golden cudgel, and attacked him.

The Great Sage with Axe and Halberd also knew that Sun Wukong's abilities far surpassed those of the Four Dragon Kings, so he no longer took him lightly.

The two fought fiercely on the island, a truly brutal battle ensued. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, and the wicked demon wielding an axe, met for the first time, each vying for supremacy. Never before had they known the difference between light and dark, only now did they understand the difference between light and heavy. Their iron rods swung like flying dragons, their axes danced like phoenixes. They parried left and right, attacked from the front and back. The battle was so fierce that not a bird could fly overhead, and the island's sailors fled in disarray. Sand and stones billowed, darkening the heavens and earth; dust and debris flew, obscuring the universe. The clanging of weapons shook the heavens and earth, their terrifying power resounding even to ghosts and gods.

The two fought for over a hundred rounds, and Sun Wukong finally gained the upper hand. His martial arts were superb, and his strength was immense. The longer the battle went on, the more ferocious he became. However, the Great Sage with the Axe was no ordinary man either. When he swung his axe, there was a kind of metal energy that followed him. He was unstoppable. Even Sun Wukong, with his copper head and iron arms, was injured by him and felt some pain.

Sun Wukong forced the Axe-wielding Great Sage back with another blow, intending to take advantage of his exhaustion and lack of new strength to launch a surprise attack. However, the Axe-wielding Great Sage seemed to possess immense strength as well, managing to defend himself and even attempting a counterattack.

Sun Wukong was secretly alarmed and said, "This fellow's skills are so amazing, and he seems to have boundless strength. If I were not better than him in martial arts, I would probably not be able to defeat him. If we fight like this for several days, he will surely be defeated. It is clear that he is not afraid and his power is still there. I am afraid that he has some tricks up his sleeve. I must be on guard."

Sun Wukong was indeed on guard.

The two fought for over fifty rounds on the island, with Sun Wukong gaining the upper hand. When the Great Sage with the Axe and Halberd showed an opening, Sun Wukong struck him with his staff, causing him pain.

However, the Great Sage's body was incredibly strong, and when the Golden Cudgel struck, it was as if it had hit steel, unable to damage its core.

After fighting for a long time, the two became aware of each other's strength.

With a single blow, the Great Sage with his axe and halberd sent Sun Wukong flying, exclaiming, "Who are you! How dare you possess such skill!"

Sun Wukong slammed his golden cudgel into the ground and declared, "I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the Victorious Fighting Buddha, Sun Wukong!"

Upon hearing this, the Great Sage with Axe and Halberd asked, "Are you the monkey demon who once instructed the Jade Emperor to summon you to Heaven to be the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses? I have heard of your fickle nature. First you became the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses, then you rebelled and became the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, but you were still not satisfied and were punished by the Heavenly Palace. Then you became the Victorious Fighting Buddha. Was all of this your doing?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was so angry that he laughed and said, "You are the first person to speak to me like this! Since you speak to me like this, I want to know who you are, where you came from, and what your origin is!"

The Great Sage with Axe and Halberd did not answer, but stared at Sun Wukong.

Seeing that he remained silent, and recalling what he had said before, Sun Wukong felt his anger rising and swung his staff at him again.

The two disagreed and fought on the island. After more than thirty rounds, the Great Sage with Axe and Halberd knew that his martial arts were no match for Sun Wukong. Suddenly, he reached out and flipped his hand, and a large cauldron appeared in front of him.

The Great Sage with Axe and Halberd raised the cauldron and smashed it down on Sun Wukong.

When Sun Wukong saw the cauldron, he was greatly shocked. How could he not recognize it? This cauldron was one of the Nine Cauldrons, containing the destiny of an entire province. If it were to smash down on him, how could he possibly stop it?

Sun Wukong quickly dodged, not daring to collide with him.

Upon seeing this, the Great Sage with Axe and Halberd commanded the Divine Cauldron to attack, but the Divine Cauldron was in his hands and he lifted it with ease.

Sun Wukong dodged repeatedly, forcing the enemy to retreat.

Taking advantage of the situation, the Great Sage with Axe and Halberd pressed forward. Sun Wukong had no choice but to swing his cudgel to try to defend himself. His golden cudgel was hit by the cauldron, and his hands immediately went numb.

The Great Sage with the axe took out his axe and chopped, actually knocking the golden cudgel out of Sun Wukong's hand.

The Great Sage with Axe and Halberd put down the cauldron, raised his golden cudgel, and brought down both axe and cudgel, pressing towards Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong was greatly alarmed. He moved swiftly, leaped out of the battle, and rode his somersault cloud away.

When the Great Sage with Axe saw this, he secretly praised the fellow for his remarkable ability to fly on the clouds.

He did not pursue them, knowing he could not catch them. He looked at the fleeing sailors around him and swung his bat at them.

……

Sun Wukong escaped and gazed at the island from afar, his heart filled with surprise. He thought to himself, "What kind of origin does this fellow have! The old Dragon King said that he was transformed from Geng metal, but let alone being transformed from Geng metal, even someone as naturally divine as me cannot wield the Nine Cauldrons. Yet this fellow can use the divine cauldrons to his advantage."

"Furthermore, Sun Wukong's golden cudgel is a divine treasure that can stabilize the sea. It is as heavy as ten thousand jun. Even if an ordinary person has the strength to pick it up, he cannot wield it. After all, divine weapons have spirits. Yet that fellow can wield Sun Wukong's golden cudgel at will!"

"Just who is this guy? If we don't find out, we can't subdue him. I must go back to the Dragon Palace first and ask the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas. Then I will ask my nephew for help. Now I have no staff to use, so I need to borrow his Yu Ding's abilities."

Sun Wukong knew what was going on, but he also felt helpless. Since his journey to the West to obtain the scriptures, he had never suffered such a great loss. Now, he had encountered this Great Sage with the Axe and Halberd, who made him suffer losses one after another.

Sun Wukong rode away on a cloud.

In a short while, they returned to the Dragon Palace of the East Sea.

When the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas and Zuo Liang saw Sun Wukong return in such a disheveled state, having suffered a defeat, they both rose to greet him and inquired about the situation.

Sun Wukong waved his hand, looking disheveled, and told the Four Dragon Kings and Zuo Liangyan about the matter.

The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas were filled with unease and extreme fear upon hearing that Sun Wukong had been defeated and lost his golden cudgel.

Zuo Liang laughed and said, "It's common for Uncle-Master to be caught off guard because he doesn't know that fellow's methods. But as Uncle-Master said, is the treasure he carries truly one of the Nine Cauldrons?"

Sun Wukong said, "That is indeed one of the Nine Cauldrons! If I am not mistaken, that is the Yang Cauldron! It has immense power, which I could not defeat. I was defeated just now, and even my golden cudgel was taken away by it. I have returned today to teach my nephew to give me the Yu Cauldron. I will go and fight it again and I will definitely subdue it!"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang pondered for a moment, then shook his head, disagreeing with what Sun Wukong had said.

(End of this chapter)