Chapter 119: Fiery Eyes and Golden Gaze

"Perhaps I misunderstood."

The Nine-Turn Profound Technique is not merely a quantitative rotation; it is a qualitative transformation. If the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir refined by Taishang Laojun were just a matter of turning nine times, could it truly be called a Nine-Turn Golden Elixir?

The rotation refers to a shift in quality, an essential change rather than a literal interpretation.

Currently, beyond delving into the marvelous techniques of the Nine-Turn Profound Technique, the priority is to recover from injuries. Only after healing can I continue to deepen my cultivation. With the healing properties of the golden nectar, this is the optimal moment for recuperation.

Yuan Wuji focused his mind on healing. With the assistance of the golden nectar, recovering from his internal injuries became much simpler.

Once healed, Yuan Wuji could use the time while Sun Wukong remained trapped in the alchemy furnace to further contemplate the profound mysteries of the Nine-Turn Profound Technique.

One day.
Two days.
...
Forty-nine days.

In the Tushita Palace, Taishang Laojun sat cross-legged in front of the alchemy furnace, only now slowly opening his eyes.

"The time has come. Open the furnace."

The tightly sealed furnace split in two, and a furless monkey leaped out from within.

"This monkey's cultivation of the Metal element is not complete?"

"He must have hidden in the wind-sheltered vent. As a result, his cultivation could not reach perfection, and his innate divine ability was only partially refined, becoming the Fiery Eyes."

Taishang Laojun looked at Sun Wukong with concern. Not only had his cultivation failed to reach completion, but his innate divine ability had not been fully refined. He did not know how to answer to his true self now.

With such cultivation and a crippled innate ability, would he be able to safely survive the tribulations of the Journey to the West?

Having emerged from the furnace, Sun Wukong’s eyes blazed with golden light. He glared fiercely at Taishang Laojun, and the golden cudgel in his hand exuded a murderous aura.

"Stop!"

Taishang Laojun exclaimed. However, the golden cudgel did not strike at Taishang Laojun, but instead smashed into the alchemy furnace.

Setting aside the importance of the furnace to Taishang Laojun, the mere fact that the Samadhi True Fire within might fall to the mortal world would cause catastrophic loss of life, and the resulting karmic debt would fall squarely upon Taishang Laojun’s head.

"This broken furnace has tortured me so much! Watch as I destroy this harmful thing!"

Before Taishang Laojun could intervene, Sun Wukong had already swung his cudgel, sending the furnace flying. Yet, he did not continue to attack Taishang Laojun; instead, he soared toward the direction of the High Heaven Palace.

Sun Wukong felt instinctively that Taishang Laojun was not as simple as he appeared, and fearing to attack, he vented his rage on the furnace instead.

"That accursed monkey! What is to be done now?"

Taishang Laojun looked anxiously at the fragments of the scattered furnace. Each piece was enveloped in concentrated Samadhi True Fire. Without the cultivation of a Great Luo Immortal, one could not withstand the burning of such fire. If it fell into the mortal realm, it would indeed be a massive disaster, and the resulting karma would be unbearable for anyone.

"True Self, True Self..." Taishang Laojun kept trying to contact Laozi.

"Rest assured, I have already foreseen this tribulation." Laozi’s reply was like a sedative to Taishang Laojun.

A moment later, Laozi appeared in the Tushita Palace.

"The fragments dropped by the monkey are all here."

With a wave of his sleeve, the fragments Sun Wukong had struck down gathered upon the furnace, reforming it into a brand-new vessel.

"No, there is one piece missing."

Taishang Laojun looked at the empty area on the furnace. Although the missing fragment was not crucial and held the least amount of Samadhi True Fire, to the mortal world, it was still a disaster waiting to happen.

"I have calculated it. That piece landed in an uninhabited area, also on the path of the Journey to the West. It can be counted as one of the tribulations of the journey," Laozi said calmly, as if everything were within his expectations.

"Repairing the missing part of the furnace should not be difficult for you, should it?" Laozi asked.

"It is not difficult. It was only the wind-sheltered vent."

Taishang Laojun realized the truth. Sun Wukong must have hidden in that vent. The cause planted by Sun Wukong in that vent must be repaid by the effect of his future journey.

"By the way, Sun Wukong’s innate divine ability was not completely destroyed."

"I am already aware. A crippled innate ability just happens to compensate for the deficiencies in his cultivation. He won't be able to stir up much trouble."

Sun Wukong, rushing toward the High Heaven Palace, was unaware of the events in the Tushita Palace, naively believing he had gained an incredible power.

On his way, he kept opening his Fiery Eyes, and everything the golden light touched was captured in his vision.

"What a fine pair of Fiery Eyes."

Far away in the High Heaven Palace, the Jade Emperor was already aware of Sun Wukong’s situation—or rather, he had known the moment the furnace was broken.

Because a secret message had come from the Buddhist school, demanding that the Jade Emperor hide under his table before they would send someone to intervene. Upon receiving this, the Jade Emperor was furious, but after the messenger spoke a secret mantra, he had no choice but to agree.

What a damn humiliating situation.

The Jade Emperor slammed his palm onto the table, startling the immortals below. None of them knew why the Jade Emperor had suddenly erupted in anger.

Only Taibai Jinxing knew a little, but he was equally helpless.

"Your Majesty, it is bad! That Sun Wukong has escaped from the Tushita Palace and is now on his way to the High Heaven Palace!"

A heavenly soldier rushed in, panting, to report to the Jade Emperor. It was clear that Laojun had deliberately let him out; otherwise, how could a mere soldier arrive at the High Heaven Palace faster than Sun Wukong’s somersault cloud?

"What? He escaped from Laojun’s alchemy furnace? How is that possible?" Li Jing exclaimed loudly, as if afraid the immortals below would not hear him.

Indeed, Li Jing’s exclamation drew the attention of all the immortals below.

Li Jing was no good either, the Jade Emperor cursed him silently.

"I believe the Heavenly King Li must have a way to subdue Sun Wukong," Taibai Jinxing suddenly interjected from the side. "Back at Mount Huaguo, the Heavenly King repelled Sun Wukong with a single blow. Surely he can do it again. Perhaps the Heavenly King should take the lead."

Taibai Jinxing’s words drew murmurs of agreement from the other immortals:

"The Heavenly King is truly remarkable, being able to repel Sun Wukong in one strike."

"Indeed, with the Heavenly King here, what do we have to fear?"

"Exactly, exactly."

Hearing Taibai Jinxing’s words and the coordination of the immortals, Li Jing’s head began to throb. The Buddhist school had also told him to "assist" the Jade Emperor, which was why he had shouted earlier, but now it seemed he had shouted the wrong thing.

Taibai Jinxing, standing beside the Jade Emperor, was a seasoned veteran. How could Li Jing compare to him in such schemes? With a few simple words, Taibai Jinxing had put Li Jing in an impossible position.

"Capturing Sun Wukong requires the combined efforts of all the immortals; Li Jing cannot do it alone." Faced with the situation, Li Jing had no choice but to drag all the other immortals into the fray.

"That is only natural," Taibai Jinxing agreed.

The unaware immortals naturally had nothing more to say, while those who knew the truth glared at Li Jing, but Li Jing pretended not to notice.

Did they really think they could escape their responsibility?