Chapter 114: The Innate Metal Element Constitution

Innate talent-wise, Yang Jian was even inferior to Nezha. Ling Zhuzi’s physical body was no weaker than the strange creatures of the primordial era, yet Nezha’s self-mutilation—cutting off his bones to repay his father and flesh to repay his mother—sacrificed a powerful body to gain only a lotus-born form. Later, Yang Jian cultivated the Nine Turns Profound Skill to compensate for his innate shortcomings, but the gap remained; innate foundation cannot be simply overcome by effort or a single cultivation technique.

Sun Wukong practiced the Eight-Nine Profound Skill, and his technique was no worse than Yang Jian’s. His physical body was even slightly superior, with the only difference being their realms. If they were at the same level, in a pure fight without magical weapons, Sun Wukong’s chances of victory were certainly greater.

On the current battlefield, Yang Jian held the upper hand over Sun Wukong, but his advantage was not overwhelming.

The battle between Sun Wukong and Yang Jian was intense. Sun Wukong unleashed the seventy-two earthly transformations, and Yang Jian did likewise. However, Yang Jian’s mastery of these transformations was evidently much deeper, showing that he had devoted great effort to refining this technique.

In this display of the seventy-two earthly transformations, Sun Wukong had already fallen behind Yang Jian; the outcome was only a matter of time.

“Yang Jian, boy, weren’t you eager to fight me? Why are you running now?” Yuan Wuji’s voice rang from behind Yang Jian just as the latter was about to decide the match against Sun Wukong.

At once, the severed-head club appeared behind Yang Jian, forcing him to abandon his offensive against Sun Wukong and turn to defend against Yuan Wuji’s attack.

This was not because Yuan Wuji wanted to team up against Yang Jian, but rather because the duel between Sun Wukong and Yang Jian was diverging from the historical record. Yuan Wuji intended to prevent this deviation from growing too great.

According to the Journey to the West, Sun Wukong never provoked Yang Jian, so their battle was never as fierce as it was now, and Sun Wukong never lost to Yang Jian.

But if the fight continued, Sun Wukong’s chance of defeat at Yang Jian’s hands was very high. The proper storyline had Sun Wukong defeated by the Vajra Ring of the Supreme Elder Lord, not by Yang Jian.

This episode carried significant weight in the Journey to the West, and Yuan Wuji dared not risk the butterfly effect that might arise if Sun Wukong lost to Yang Jian. Hence, he had no choice but to intervene.

“What, are you two planning to team up against me?” Yang Jian, having blocked the severed-head club, glared at Yuan Wuji.

“You wasted so much breath before, now why don’t you dare to fight me?” he taunted.

“You’ll both die by my hands. I’ll give you the chance to face me together!” Yang Jian declared confidently.

“One is enough to deal with you,” Yuan Wuji retorted, launching the first strike. His severed-head club charged towards Yang Jian with undiminished might.

“Old Monkey won’t be outshone! Don’t run!” Sun Wukong, unwilling to be left behind, wielded his golden cudgel and plunged into the fray between Yuan Wuji and Yang Jian.

***

One had to admire Yang Jian’s ambition—he actually tried to suppress both Yuan Wuji and Sun Wukong at once, but he was soon overwhelmed and the fight turned into a three-way battle.

All three cultivated the Heaven Gang and Earth Sha transformations, but only Yuan Wuji had refined the Heaven Gang Golden Core. With this Golden Core, Yuan Wuji was confident he could overpower the other two.

Yang Jian’s cultivation was slightly higher than Yuan Wuji and Sun Wukong, but in terms of innate talent, how could he compare to the Four Mischievous Monkeys?

Though the battle seemed even, Yang Jian was inwardly shocked. His cultivation should surpass theirs by an entire realm—why then could he not defeat them?

“Commander Li, why are Yang Jian and the Great Monkey General fighting?” a heavenly soldier beside Li Jing asked, watching the battle over Flower-Fruit Mountain.

“The Great Monkey stole my Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Shield and injured the Six Brothers of Mount Mei. Second Brother must be avenging us,” Nezha said, watching below with a spark of excitement.

“The urgent task is to capture Sun Wukong. Yang Jian is acting far too recklessly,” Muxia remarked.

“Second Brother, it’s his decision. You, a defeated general, have no say,” Nezha snapped back unapologetically.

“Enough, both of you!” Li Jing interrupted their quarrel, feeling a complex mix of emotions. Whenever his sons met, it was always an argument, lacking any brotherly affection.

The celestial court was equally stunned by the unexpected turn of events.

“Yang Jian is so unreliable, actually fighting the Great Monkey General,” the Jade Emperor said, casting a glance toward Guanyin. It was as if he questioned the reliability of those the Buddhist sect had sent.

“I believe Lord Erlang has his reasons,” Guanyin said calmly, though she was growing anxious. How had the Great Monkey General suddenly appeared? Would they still be able to capture Sun Wukong?

Yuan Wuji’s presence had caught Guanyin by surprise. She was sweating coldly, gripping the Pure Water Vase tightly.

…

Yang Jian had previously boasted that he would take down both Yuan Wuji and Sun Wukong. Now, though the latter two had not even joined forces, he could not defeat them. For the proud and ambitious Yang Jian, this was a great humiliation.

“You’re courting death!”

“Boom!”

Yang Jian’s momentum surged violently, instantly amplifying the power of his seventy-two earthly transformations.

The first turn of the Nine Turns Profound Skill?

Yuan Wuji recognized the aura instantly—it was unmistakably the first turn of the Nine Turns Profound Skill.

Yuan Wuji and Sun Wukong were pushed back by Yang Jian’s sudden burst of power. At this moment, Yang Jian truly had the strength to take on two opponents. But Yuan Wuji had many tricks up his sleeve; whether Sun Wukong harbored hidden cards remained unknown.

“Prepare to die!”

With his momentum soaring, Yang Jian unleashed the seventy-two earthly transformations with ease, suppressing both Yuan Wuji and Sun Wukong.

“Is that all you’ve got, Yang Jian?”

“Erlang, your strength is merely so-so.”

The voices of Yuan Wuji and Sun Wukong rang out simultaneously, indicating that Sun Wukong had concealed his trump card.

“Such stubborn words. When you can escape the suppression of my divine powers, then we can talk,” Yang Jian retorted, intensifying his magic in an attempt to finish them off.

“An innate Gold element body?”

Yuan Wuji looked at Sun Wukong in surprise, never expecting him to possess an innate Gold element constitution.

Sun Wukong now radiated golden light all over his body. Yang Jian’s divine powers could not harm Sun Wukong’s flesh and blood; the light barrier around his body completely blocked all attacks.

At this point, Sun Wukong could launch his offense without needing defense, having reached an invincible innate state. Even with Yang Jian’s boosted momentum, he was powerless against Sun Wukong.

It seemed Sun Wukong had hidden his true nature quite well—his innate Gold element body was something even Yang Jian had not anticipated. If Yang Jian had not pressed him so hard, he might never have revealed this card.

Innate Five Elements bodies each possessed unique properties beyond the mundane. Sun Wukong’s golden radiance alone was extraordinary, rendering divine powers ineffective against him.