Journey to the West (Black Myth)

The Bull Demon King, leading four demon kings on a visit to Flower Fruit Mountain, had no intention of leaving this time. The allure of Flower Fruit Mountain was too great; after two previous visits, he realized that life in Western Aparagodaniya was simply inferior.

Upon hearing his tale, the notable Dragon Demon King, Peng Demon King, Lion Camel King, and Yu Marmoset King were all intrigued. They gathered their belongings and each led hundreds of demon soldiers, intending to settle near Flower Fruit Mountain. The Bull Demon King, too, collected his hundreds of minions, enforcing their company with threats if necessary.

The Eastern Continent of Superior Purity was incredibly affluent; even the Five Element Water Cavern, where Mischief Demon had lived, far surpassed anything in Western Aparagodaniya. The spirit-rich surroundings of Flower Fruit Mountain were unsurpassed.

Thus, the five demon kings and their retinues packed their belongings and journeyed there.

Arriving at the Eastern Continent of Superior Purity, they marveled at the increasingly abundant spiritual energy around Flower Fruit Mountain, as if a spirit vein had leaked, enhancing growth in flora and fauna, allowing many creatures to attain form and enlightenment.

Among them, Peng Demon King, originally from Northern Uttarakuru and renowned for his might, acted as a transportation provider, a skillset his abilities made him suited for, reputedly able to cover 128,000 li with a flap of his wings—a prowess even surpassing Sun Wukong's Somersault Cloud. Coming from distant Western Aparagodaniya, this resource was exploited to its fullest.

Shi Yue, however, knew that Sun Wukong's sworn brothers were known to be exceptionally powerful figures, though much of the lore was modern speculation. Reborn in the mythic Journey to the West era, Shi Yue was curious to verify their true origins and ultimate fates.

As the group landed a thousand li from Flower Fruit Mountain, they were promptly stopped by a patrolling cave demon king who shouted, "What demons dare trespass upon Flower Fruit Mountain? Leave at once!"

The demon kings frowned. Knowing well the pride of Flower Fruit Mountain's army, with tens of thousands of soldiers standing ready, The Bull Demon King, fearing conflict, approached with laughter:

"Little demon, may I ask if Sun Wukong, your Great King, has emerged? I am the Bull Demon King from Western Aparagodaniya, a good brother of your Great King, having been to Flower Fruit Mountain before. I've brought four worthy brothers to visit. If your Great King has emerged, please inform him. If not, grant us a place to stay until he returns."

This speech was made with due respect, yet the Flower Fruit Mountain troops were strict in their confidentiality, allowing no outsider to gather intelligence easily. Matters of the mountain were for the Great King to disclose.

"Please wait a moment while I report this," the demonic soldier replied courteously and departed swiftly on a demon cloud to inform the Four Marshals. Sun Wukong was absent, having left due to an inexplicable unease concerning his only brother, prompting him to seek out the Dragon Palace of the East Sea. Just after he departed, the Western Aparagodaniya's five great demon kings arrived.

As the demon steward flew away, Dragon Demon King couldn't help but grumble, "Such grand airs from Flower Fruit Mountain, yet they refuse us entry, even when we come to greet them personally."

Shi Yue knew a bit about the Dragon Demon King. He was on good terms with the Bull Demon King and was the son-in-law of the Dragon King of the Celestial Lake, having married the famous Princess All Saints. Although it was unclear if they were already wed, he was known to have transformed from a nine-headed worm and self-styled as the Dragon Demon King.

Today, the Bull Demon King had made sure to dress up, not wanting to appear shabby before Sun Wukong. He wore a set of ornate armor: a water-polished, silver-bright, iron helmet, a tapestry of golden armor, boots of suede with pointed toes, and a triple-braided lion-stripe belt. He stood confidently with an iron club, looking every bit the part of a formidable leader.

Hearing concerns, the Bull Demon King chuckled, "Flower Fruit Mountain has many rules, which I’ve experienced firsthand. As one of their marshals once said, 'Without rules, nothing can be accomplished.' I, Old Bull, deeply agree with that."

As for boasting, the Bull Demon King was known for it. According to Shi Yue’s senior sister Taiyin, that was downright shameless! Acting as the elder brother of the group, and having pre-arranged the hierarchy before their arrival, he mused, "If we re-rank ourselves again, who can Sun Wukong realistically put above Old Bull? Then wouldn’t all these demon soldiers be minions of mine?" He was quite unconcerned.

Despite visiting Flower Fruit Mountain three times, he was unaware that it was ruled by two Great Kings and a Second Great King, assuming Sun Wukong alone commanded the tens of thousands of soldiers.

Unaware that Sun Wukong wielded the immensely powerful Ruyi Jingu Bang, which significantly amplified his strength, complemented by his mystical Golden Body and External Incarnations, abilities that far surpassed those of ordinary Golden Immortals. Furthermore, with his ascent to Taiyi, he could easily challenge and even defeat celestial beings.

Peng Demon King, eyes gleaming, asked, "I heard, elder brother, that Sun Wukong is just a Golden Immortal. How can he command tens of thousands of demon soldiers?"

Peng Demon King was the most human-like of the group, lacking the distinct traits the others had, despite his dark skin.

The Bull Demon King sighed, "I'm worried for our dear brother Sun Wukong, but if he’s emerged from seclusion, he likely has reached the Taiyi realm. We needn’t fret."

Yu Marmoset King scoffed, "Elder brother, isn't that a bit much? We all achieved our realms through countless years of hard cultivation. Even I, the youngest among us, have lived over thirty thousand years just to become a Golden Immortal. You say Sun Wukong is only around 300 years old? I doubt anyone can reach Golden Immortal in just 300 years, let alone ascended Taiyi."

As the smallest among Sun Wukong's monkey-kind, Yu Marmoset King clearly felt indignant toward Sun Wukong.

The Bull Demon King's invitation was mainly driven by stories of Flower Fruit Mountain's wealth and its armies of demon soldiers. Hearing that Sun Wukong was only a Golden Immortal, each had their reasons for coming.

This divergence was already a departure from the original narrative!

Even Shi Yue couldn't have foreseen that because of the Bull Demon King’s boasting, Sun Wukong would miss his chance to display his prowess, leaving the group oblivious to the true power of the Ruyi Jingu Bang. Had they visited the Dragon Palace of the East Sea first, surely no one would haven taken Sun Wukong lightly again.

As they were speaking, a swirling demon cloud emerged from Flower Fruit Mountain. Within moments, it descended to reveal the Four Marshals, twelve commanders, and the seventy-two cave demon kings. The returning demon king had added that the visitors seemed to have ill intentions to their report. Upon hearing this, Taibai, King Kong, Chaos, and Titan, the Four Marshals, quickly decided to send someone to summon Sun Wukong from the East Sea while gathering the Flower Fruit Mountain demon lords.

The arrival of five Golden Immortal-level demon kings together was unprecedented, especially as they brought many demon soldiers. Although these soldiers were hardly a threat by Flower Fruit Mountain's standards, the collective presence of the five demon kings was impressive enough to warrant Taibai's serious attention, as he was greatly influenced by Shi Yue.

At this point, the marmoset Taibai had essentially become Flower Fruit Mountain's diplomat. By welcoming the visitors with the demon kings of Flower Fruit Mountain, they demonstrated respect while being prepared to respond to any threat. This display immediately impressed the five demon kings.

Landing from the cloud, Taibai greeted the Bull Demon King with a bow, "Taibai, one of the Four Marshals of Flower Fruit Mountain, greets Bull Demon King, Great King. Our Great King has emerged from seclusion but is not currently at home. He has gone to the East Sea, and we have sent someone to summon him. He should return shortly. We ask Bull Demon King, Great King, and the esteemed demon kings to wait a while until our Great King decides on the matter."

Yu Marmoset King scoffed, "Are we to just stand here and wait? Your Great King seems rather lacking in courtesy."

Unexpectedly, this remark immediately angered the demons of Flower Fruit Mountain.

"How dare you slander our Great King!"

A booming voice shouted from the crowd, and one figure suddenly grew in size, reaching three zhang tall in the blink of an eye, becoming a massive demon. It was indeed the great demon, Big Black Face, Sun Wukong's favorite general on Flower Fruit Mountain. Having been enlightened by Sun Wukong, he had learned the divine ability to change his body size.

All other marshals, commanders, and cave demon kings glared at Yu Marmoset King, unfazed by their imposing aura, ready to fight at a moment's notice.

The honor of Flower Fruit Mountain's two Great Kings could not be sullied by anyone, a truth even Shi Yue himself couldn't alter.

Big Black Face stepped forward first, nearly pointing at Yu Marmoset King's nose, and shouted furiously, "Apologize to our Great King immediately, or even as a friend of Bull Demon King, you’ll find no place here at Flower Fruit Mountain."

Yu Marmoset King laughed in anger. For so many years, he had never been so disrespected, especially by a mere Core Formation-level black-furred monkey demon. Being of the same monkey lineage as Sun Wukong, he had always felt competitive with the acclaimed Sun Wukong. Facing the Flower Fruit Mountain demons, he couldn't show a pleasant demeanor.

With a laugh, Yu Marmoset King's swift movements went unseen by the demon lords of Flower Fruit Mountain, and instantly Big Black Face was hurled away with a groan.

A Core Formation-level demon against a Golden Immortal-level demon king was no contest—a light touch could easily kill. Sparing his life was already merciful.

Yu Marmoset King sneered, "A mere Core Formation-level demon dares to act up before this Great King? Perhaps your Great King needs a lesson from me."

The Bull Demon King, alarmed, quickly intervened, "Fifth brother, don't harm them. If something happens, I won't be able to explain to Brother Sun Wukong when he returns."

But as Bull Demon King finished, Taibai suddenly roared, his eyes wide with anger, "Bull Demon King! We've respected you as a Great King, inviting you thrice. Do you come now to bully Flower Fruit Mountain?"

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