Chapter 57 - 52 Continue Forward
Sun Wukong rested his hand over a cool canopy and watched Huan Meng fleeing into the distance before he finally heaved a sigh of relief. He shook his hands and immediately returned to his original shape.
Then, Sun Wukong plopped down onto the ground but only heard a thud sound, as he had intended to sit down for a rest but had forgotten that the ground beneath him had been cracked inch by inch from his recent clash with Huan Meng. Not to mention, the surface where his feet stood had turned into a thick layer of fine dust due to the impact.
Therefore, when Sun Wukong sat down, he immediately landed in a pile of dust, covering him from head to toe in dirt.
Clashing head-on with Huan Meng, he had only caused some chaos in his Internal Breath, but this single sit-down had turned him into a mud monkey. Seeing the grey dust swirling in the sky, Sun Wukong had no choice but to stand up. Even if Sun Wukong did not care about the dirt on his body, he still did not wish to rest amidst a cloud of dust.
After a few somersaults, Sun Wukong arrived at the edge of a small lake. Within this forest of towering ancient trees, to encounter such an open expanse of water was indeed rare. Moreover, with the surface of the lake shimmering and as calm as a mirror, it brightened up Sun Wukong’s mood, making him feel quite pleased.
He then prepared to take off his Battle Armor and take a refreshing bath in the lake. His recent battle with Huan Meng might have seemed simple, yet the dangers it contained were no less than those of the first trial. Had he not had a stroke of inspiration to give up a fight to the death in favor of getting away, he might have won at grievous cost even if he could come out on top in the end.
When Sun Wukong realized that Huan Meng not only possessed immense strength but also had terrifying defensive power, he had already started to calculate. His journey was for the sake of obtaining the Five-Colored Divine Stone, not to kill or create enmity. So even against an enemy, it was not always necessary to fight to the death. Winning was all that mattered.
Therefore, after accumulating energy Sun Wukong had swung his staff with all his might in a head-on strike against Huan Meng, just to give Huan Meng a chance to counter directly. When their weapons collided, Sun Wukong realized Huan Meng had not used his full strength, at most only sixty percent.
To have matched his Full Force Strike with merely sixty percent of his power, Huan Meng truly was an anomaly.
But Sun Wukong had not backed down; instead, he instantly activated the power of the three Attribute Divine Stones within his body, channeling that power into his arms. In that brief moment before Huan Meng could muster his strength for a second effort, Sun Wukong’s arms pushed upwards with all he had once more. Caught off guard, Huan Meng was sent flying by his staff.
This involved the subtlety of force. For instance, if two trains with the same force collided head-on, the result would certainly be a stalemate, assuming both trains were incredibly sturdy and would not explode upon impact.
However, if both trains came to a stop and one suddenly accelerated with greater force and speed, the outcome would be self-evident.
That is why Sun Wukong could send Huan Meng flying with a faster secondary explosion of force.
But back to our story, seeing the clear water of the lake, Sun Wukong quickly removed his armor, ready to dive in for a thorough wash. Yet just as Sun Wukong began to take off his Battle Armor, he suddenly felt a thrilling sense of alarm, as if he were a mouse under a cat’s gaze.
In an instant, Sun Wukong understood that someone had set their sights on him. A single slip-up could invite a torrential assault from the hidden enemy. But right now, any sign of vigilance would surely spook the enemy. An opponent lurking in the shadows was truly the most terrifying. Find your next read on NovelBin.Côm
So, without showing any outward reaction, Sun Wukong continued to slowly remove his battle skirt and boots. When he was left with only his undershirt, Sun Wukong suddenly, without any warning, jumped into the lake. Right then, a dark shadow flashed down from an ancient tree behind Sun Wukong.
The moment Sun Wukong entered the water, he immediately plucked a Monkey Hair and transformed it into his likeness, while he himself turned into a fish and swam behind his decoy. Better safe than sorry, it was wiser to remain hidden in the dark until he could clearly see the enemy. Sun Wukong had already suffered enough from his enemies being in the dark while he was in the light.
Just when the doppelgänger of Sun Wukong had swam three or four ’zhang’, suddenly, a huge sword appeared above the doppelgänger’s head, radiating golden light and exuding an awe-inspiring presence. Then, in the next instant, the golden greatsword plunged down with the force of a thunderbolt, aiming straight for the Sun Wukong in the water—or rather, the doppelgänger of Sun Wukong.
Transformed into a swimming fish, Wukong couldn’t help but feel a surge of alarm. Judging by the might of the sword and its lightning-fast speed, Wukong silently gauged that even on land, he could barely dodge it—let alone in the water. Naturally, the doppelgänger would have no chance of evading it.
In less than a hundredth of an instant, the greatsword had already cleaved upon the doppelgänger of Sun Wukong. The doppelgänger managed to hold on for a mere breath before it burst apart in a rumble. Correspondingly, the greatsword also dissipated into a shower of golden light that scattered across the sky.
At that moment, a figure appeared by the lakeside. Clad in a grey Taoist robe, the figure seemed to be in his early twenties, his hands forming a strange Magical Decree. Clearly, that strike had been unleashed by him.
"Eh? It’s actually a doppelgänger? This time, Wukong does have a few tricks up his sleeve," he said, releasing his Hand Seal and slowly closing his eyes. It seemed he was brewing something for a moment before his eyes suddenly flashed open with a cry, "Yin Yang Magical Eyes, activate!" The young Daoist’s eyes transformed, one white and one black.
With the Magical Eyes engaged, the young Daoist began to inspect the lake. When he saw the fish into which Sun Wukong had transformed, a smile crept across the young Daoist’s lips.
"Cold Ice Taoist Spell, Freeze!" His hands swiftly executed Hand Seals, and with each gesture, streaks of cold air leaked from his body. When the chill reached its peak, the Daoist pointed with his left hand, directing all the cold air into the lake. Strangely enough, the cold air seemingly had no effect on the lake.
Instead, upon entering the lake surface, it transformed into a silvery white fishing net and swiftly enveloped the fish that was Sun Wukong’s transformation.
By this time, Wukong had realized that his transformation technique must have been seen through by his opponent. Continuing to transform would be pointless, so he instantly reverted back to his original form and with a flick of his Golden Hoop staff, he cast the cold ice fishing net aside.
However, in the next moment, the cold ice fishing net turned into strands of freezing mist that wrapped around the Golden Hoop staff. No matter how vigorously Wukong shook it, he couldn’t escape its grasp.
With no other choice, Wukong flung the Golden Hoop staff away. But it was not a desperate throw, the Jingu Bang shot towards the shore at an incredibly swift velocity, aimed at the Daoist.
The Daoist, seeing that Wukong was not only calm but also managed to seize a gap to attack him, instantly shed all previous underestimation.
As the Golden Hoop staff flew towards him, the Daoist did not show much panic, but instead quickly drew a circular Taoist Spell with his right Hand Seal before him. Upon completion, he uttered the word "shield," and an ancient azure shield materialized out of thin air, blocking the incoming Golden Hoop staff in a fraction of a second.
Meanwhile, Sun Wukong under the water let out a soft sigh of relief.