Great Demon Sun Wukong

Wukong recognized the droplet above as the third Five-Colored Divine Stone, but he felt no joy, only dread. At this moment, his body’s inner meridians were in utter chaos. It wasn’t just the Divine Stone that would pose a problem—any elixir ingested would block his meridians. For Wukong, this Five-Colored Divine Stone was effectively a deadly poison.

Regretfully, it seemed as if the Divine Stone was determined to defy Wukong. Before he could react, it had already burrowed into his forehead. Wukong’s body stiffened instantly, and a bone-chilling cold spread throughout his being. In the blink of an eye, he had turned into a massive block of ice. Yet the cold did not stop there; it spread from the frozen mass to its surroundings.

In half a day, the entire Ice Demon Tower was completely encased in ice.

From a distance, the Ice Demon Tower resembled a tower made of crystal, sparkling and translucent, strikingly beautiful. Yet it was devoid of any trace of life; all the creatures of the Aquatic Tribe within were frozen into ice sculptures. The whole world was silent, save for the whistling of the wind mixed with snowflakes quietly falling.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Tang Sanzang, who was meditating in peace, was suddenly alarmed. An inexplicable palpitation caused him to break into a cold sweat, as though a knife had stabbed his chest. He abruptly opened his tightly shut eyes; his pupils shrank instantly before the three-petalled shape dilated. Turning around, his gaze fixed on the north.

It seemed as if Sanzang’s eyes pierced through the void, reversed time, and spanned the distance to the Extreme Northern Ice Field, where he saw the precise moment when the Water Attribute Five-Colored Divine Stone entered Wukong’s forehead. Then, he saw the instant Wukong became a block of ice.

Tang Sanzang leapt to his feet and, without even the time to pack his belongings, dashed towards the north. At that moment, a single thought occupied Sanzang’s heart: Wukong was in danger! Yet, he did not consider whether his mortal body could survive the treacherous Extreme Northern Ice Field, especially after having just employed the "Pupil of the Void" and sustaining a serious internal injury.

"Eye of the Void"—Since Sanzang’s Transcendence Bloom had upgraded to the Void Transcendence Flower, it granted him tremendous pupil power, but the cost of using it was equally enormous. One third of his essence blood, half of his spiritual power, and ten years of his life were the bare minimum to barely execute it.

Furthermore, the stronger and farther the target of his vision, the greater the cost. That single glimpse had extracted fifty years of Tang Sanzang’s lifespan. At this moment, his body was so weak that even a Daluo Golden Immortal could easily kill him.

But none of this mattered to Tang Sanzang. He had only one thought: Wukong must not die! However, the Extreme Northern Ice Field was indeed perilous; it didn’t care if Sanzang was there to rescue someone. Upon setting foot there, one had to endure the severe test of its harsh conditions.

In less than half a day, Sanzang’s spiritual power was drained, and his steps were faltering! Moreover, the immense pressure and the biting Gang Wind tested him to his limits. Each step required all the strength he could muster. If his will hadn’t been so resolute, he would have perished on this endless ice field long ago.

Despite all this, Sanzang was on his last legs. His consciousness had completely blurred, and only his body’s instinct and a steadfast will kept him from collapsing.

Yet, even with Sanzang’s iron determination, he was ultimately no match for the Extreme Northern Ice Field’s terrifying pressure and cold. After eight Chinese hours since he set foot on the ice field, he finally fell.

And though he collapsed unconscious, Sanzang’s hand was still desperately reaching forward. But the remaining distance was insurmountable for him.

Soon, Sanzang was covered by a layer of snow. A few gusts of Gang Wind later, the fallen Sanzang was also encased in ice.

The entire Extreme Northern Ice Field fell back into dead silence, with not a single anomaly or sign of life. There was only the endless Gang Wind and the relentless, heavy snowfall.

Time slowly passed by. Three days, five days, seven days. There was no response from either Wukong in the Ice Demon Tower or Sanzang on the Extreme Northern Ice Field. It was as if they had died there.

On the tenth day, the twelfth day, all the way to the fifteenth day! Half a month had passed since Sun Wukong was encased in ice!

Finally, after a full twenty days, an extraordinary change took place at the Ice Demon Tower, the sacred site of the Aquatic Tribe in the Extreme Northern Ice Field. The massive ice seal, which began because of Sun Wukong’s fusion with the Water Attribute Five-Colored Divine Stone, seemed to show signs of loosening.

This indication intensified over time, and after one more day, the moon danced high in the sky!

The Ice Demon Tower, which had been sealed in ice for a total of twenty days, was ultimately released with a roar that echoed through heaven and earth. With just a bellow, the ice, two zhang thick and extremly cold, shattered to pieces and then transformed into a sky full of powdery snow.

The cold moonlight poured down, and the whole Extreme Northern Ice Field was showered in a phantom rain of ice shards.

When the ice powder landed where Tang Sanzang had been sealed, it twinkled for a moment. Then, a figure appeared instantaneously, seemingly unimpeded by the space that separated them!

However, before this person could begin digging through the snow, a small flower with only a faint shadow visible flew out from this person’s forehead. Then, in an instant, flames surged, and the ice and snow on the ground disappeared in the blink of an eye. At that moment, a person frozen stiff emerged under the desolate moonlight.

The small flower, upon seeing the person on the ground, began to tremble involuntarily. At the same time, an overwhelming wave of sorrow emanated from the flower. Without any defense against it, the person was invaded by this sorrowful will. Tears flowed down his face, filled with heart-wrenching grief.

In truth, even without the small flower’s sorrowful will, this person would have likely not been able to hold back.

This person was none other than Sun Wukong, who had broken free from the Ice Demon Tower. And naturally, the person on the ground was Tang Sanzang, who had come to rescue Sun Wukong. However, by then, Tang Sanzang was already breathless!

The small flower, the Void Transcendence Flower, after releasing that unstoppable wave of sorrow, began to circle Tang Sanzang’s body continuously. With each rotation, the sorrow intensified. In just a moment, the entire Extreme Northern Ice Field was enveloped and shrouded in this sorrowful will.

All creatures, regardless of their strength, were compelled to weep uncontrollably under this irresistible wave of sorrow, feeling a pain and sadness from the depths of their hearts that lingered on and on. For a time, the whole Extreme Northern Ice Field was filled with cries that shook the skies, and the sorrowful will kept spreading!

The scene from when the Transcendence Bloom first appeared in the world was still vivid. The sky full of falling flowers and the profound empathy that caused everyone to grieve together highlighted the extraordinary nature of the Transcendence Bloom.

Now, having not only merged with the soul of the Queen of the Western Liang but also ascended to a Void Transcendence Flower, its power to resonate empathically had grown even stronger.

Sun Wukong, with tears streaming down his face, clutched at his chest. It was hurting there, an ache more intense than if all his meridians had been severed, a pain so deep that Sun Wukong felt like he could no longer breathe.

"Ahh, ahh, ahh~" He screamed until his voice was hoarse, as if only by doing so could he vent the pain in his heart.

"Thump~" Sun Wukong fell to his knees on the hard icy ground, immediately creating two large, cracked indentations. "Master, Master, I have failed you!"