"Ha, ha, ha." Three long laughs echoed. The Monkey, leading eight White Apes, formed the Nine Palaces formation to break through the formation of nearly ten thousand Buddhist cultivators.

The Monkey directed strategy from the center, while the eight White Apes brandished iron staffs. With fierce, thunder-god jowls, they swung their clubs wildly in a destructive frenzy.

These White Apes possessed monstrous strength. Moreover, they practiced secret divine arts passed down by the Monkey, their bodies of steel and iron a hundred times tougher than these Buddhist monks. The nearly ten thousand Buddhist cultivators, mostly at the Golden Immortal realm—with even some Heavenly Immortals mixed in—who had been enraged by the Monkey and charged out, were swept away by the eight iron rods. It was truly like a storm scattering clouds; a single blow often claimed over a hundred lives.

With a cacophony of cracking and smashing, the eight White Apes slaughtered the nearly ten thousand Buddhist cultivators until rivers of blood flowed. On average, each White Ape had only swung their staff a dozen times, yet only about a hundred of the strongest Buddhist cultivators remained, standing dazed and stunned upon the clouds.

The White Apes were smeared with golden blood, their residual killing intent nearly manifesting as solid matter. Below, the ground was littered with the pulverized bodies of the Buddhist cultivators, strewn everywhere. The Apes' clubs were too heavy; when they struck, these monks couldn't even escape as their Sarira before being utterly ground to dust by the crushing blows.

The Monkey hadn't even made a move, nor did he care to. Even the remaining hundred-plus cultivators before him were merely at the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, hardly enough to stir his interest. He reached down and picked at his thigh a few times, then crushed the two fleas he'd caught between his fingers. "Heh heh," he chuckled, shaking his head at the dazed monks.

"Boring, so boring. Bring someone stronger next time; don't send your riff-raff to die."

The over one hundred Buddhist cultivators exchanged glances. Suddenly, they chanted a Buddhist name toward the heavens, and a surge of seven-colored divine light erupted above their heads.

These monks self-immolated their Sarira, using the immense magical power and devotional force cultivated through cycles of reincarnation as fuel to rapidly inflate their own power.

Signs of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man simultaneously appeared on the monks; their bodies began to disintegrate, their spiritual consciousness started to dissipate. Their entire existence transformed into a single, dazzling, golden Wan () symbol of Buddhist seal, descending upon the Monkey with a resounding, thunderous Sanskrit chant.

"The Buddhist Demon-Subduing Divine Art?"

The Monkey looked up at the massive Buddhist seal, wide as a hundred miles, pursed his lips, and shook his head. He pointed a finger, and a faint, hazy golden Buddha light, carrying a subtle scent of sandalwood, soared into the sky. This soft light effortlessly dissolved the imposing Buddhist seal into nothingness, much like the first spring breeze melts the thin ice on a stream, without even stirring a ripple.

"The Buddhist Demon-Subduing Divine Art? Your Grandpa Sun knows far more about it than you do!"

Shaking his head, the Monkey laughed, "Heh heh. Don't use divine arts or magic. Come, come, come, come! Find someone skilled in close combat to spar properly with your Grandpa Sun. Real, honest-to-goodness fighting is what heroes do. Restrictions on divine powers—that’s women’s work."

Gu Yechen watched the stream of Buddha light shoot from the Monkey's fingertip, lost in thought.

According to legend, the Monkey inscribed his name on the Zixiao Immortal Register before he caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace. His mastery of these profound Buddhist divine arts should only have been attainable after achieving Buddhahood and comprehending Buddhist principles. But for the spirit clone, separated from the Zixiao Immortal Register, which had reforged its soul and physical body, to wield such miraculous Buddhist techniques—didn't that imply...

Yang Jian seemed to grasp Gu Yechen's confusion. He spoke in a low voice, "Once one's name is on the Zixiao Immortal Register, they are bound by the Heavenly Court through all lifetimes. Even if one achieves the fruit status of a Buddha, unless they can transcend the realm of Patriarch Hongjun, who created the Zixiao Immortal Register, they are bound forever."

Gu Yechen grimaced, nodding repeatedly in admiration. Truly ruthless. As expected of the supreme treasure used by the ancient Heavenly Court to govern the myriad immortals and celestial lords, the Monkey, even upon achieving Buddhahood, hadn't managed to sever the thread of the spirit clone left behind when he was the Stable Master from the fetters of the Zixiao Immortal Register.

No wonder the Monkey was so proficient in Buddhist methods. With the Monkey taking the lead this time, they didn't need to fear any traps set by the monks and nuns of Great Snow Mountain.

No matter how formidable the Buddhist cultivators of Great Snow Mountain were, could they possibly command more profound Buddhist mysteries than an actual Buddha?

Gu Yechen secretly praised the situation. Meanwhile, within Great Snow Mountain, sorrow and gloom prevailed. The faces of the Buddhist cultivators were so grim they looked capable of squeezing frost from beneath their tongues. Even True Lord Wuji, who had been inciting the genderless old nun, had wisely shut his mouth, daring not utter another word at this juncture.

"That monkey-head must be a major figure among the demons. Fellow martial brothers, please recommend someone to subdue this fiend!" the old nun Wuxing said through gritted teeth, speaking against her conscience. She herself felt a flush of shame; the Monkey’s effortless deployment of the Immovable Buddha Light was exquisitely profound, clearly taught by the orthodox Buddhist lineage, capable of breaking all divine and marvelous techniques. Few high monks and venerable sages within Great Snow Mountain were masters of the Immovable Buddha Light.

The assembly of old monks and nuns looked at one another, pausing for a long time without reaching a decision. First, Yang Jian, an expert in Daoist profound arts, appeared; now, the Monkey, proficient in Buddhist Zen arts, had emerged. What was the true origin of this group of demons who had invaded the Paranirvana Realm of bliss?

After a brief hesitation, the old monks and nuns suddenly had a question surface: Why were these demons invading the Paranirvana Realm of bliss? Was it merely to seize the foundation of Great Snow Mountain? Had they gone mad? There had to be a reason!

With this thought, the highest-ranking and most powerful high monks of Great Snow Mountain suddenly realized: they had been consumed by thunderous rage, focused only on mobilizing troops to fight the armies of the Nine Nether Dao, yet they hadn't even bothered to ask why the Nine Nether Dao was attacking Great Snow Mountain.

Just as the old monks and nuns prepared to question the old nun Wuxing about the situation, the words caught in their throats, unable to be spoken.

Regardless, the Nine Nether Dao had bullied its way to their doorstep. As the highest-ranking Buddhist masters of the Great Snow Mountain lineage, did they have any room left to retreat? When a demonic threat arrives, they must subdue the demon. To reason with the demons would surely disgrace the Great Snow Mountain lineage.

With this resolution, the hearts of the old monks and nuns hardened like iron. One by one, they glared malevolently at the Monkey, who was showing off arrogantly in the distance. One old monk suddenly shouted sternly, "Where is the Golden Chaser Practitioner? Seize that demon head; your master intends to use the Demon-Refining Buddha Light to bring about his transcendence!"

A deep, muffled Buddhist name rang out, and a streak of golden light shot rapidly out of Great Snow Mountain, heading straight for the Monkey.

The Monkey watched the golden light rushing toward him and instinctively sensed an extremely powerful, fierce, and sharp force within it—clearly following the path of body refinement. Elated, the Monkey was about to engage the golden light himself when the eight White Apes rushed to meet it.

Before the White Apes could even form the Eight Spirits Heaven-Woven Array, before their iron staffs could even be raised, a figure flashed past. Each White Ape was struck hard on the abdomen with an elbow, the terrifying impact force driving directly through their bodies, shattering their spinal columns, and sending them flying back millions of miles.

The eight White Apes felt a piercing pain in their abdomens, then everything went black, and they knew nothing more.

Gu Yechen roared in anger. A grayish-white light burst forth above his head. Mao'e, holding the Taiyin Cassia Branch, floated out of the Taiyin Mysterious Pearl. She tapped and swept the Cassia Branch toward the eight White Apes, enveloping them in vast clouds of Azure Wind and Fragrant Dew, flying back the eight apes who were spitting blood from their seven orifices and unconscious. Drops of clear dew merged with the White Apes' bodies, barely sustaining their life force.

A ferocious and fierce Buddha light was constantly destroying their bodies and damaging their life force around the wounds of the White Apes. Even with Mao'e's branch constantly sprinkling copious amounts of clear dew to replenish their vitality, they were gradually failing to resist the invasion of this Buddha light.

Gu Yechen frowned. The Haotian Mirror flew out. A sweep of azure light shone upon the eight White Apes, completely dissolving the Buddha light on their wounds. Mao'e flicked her wrist rapidly, scattering more clear dew. The eight White Apes shuddered, and their pierced bodies finally began to slowly heal.

The Monkey was furious—his eight disciples, whom he had painstakingly nurtured for ten thousand years, were sent flying with a single strike. He was about to fly over to check on the White Apes' injuries when the figure in the golden light had already arrived before him. A golden, web-like Vajra, gleaming brightly, pressed against the Monkey’s vital points without ever leaving his proximity, raining down blows like a furious storm.

For a time, the Monkey was forced into a precarious defense, barely able to parry and block. He was deeply worried about the injuries of his eight disciples and had no mind to fight the Golden Chaser Practitioner fiercely.

Over the years, the eight White Apes were the only followers the Monkey had truly valued. They possessed the bloodline of the Primordial Strange Spirit Apes and possessed unyielding temperaments. No matter what bizarre methods the Monkey devised to train them, the eight White Apes endured them all, thus winning the Monkey's favor.

Now that his newly accepted disciples’ lives were in peril, the Monkey had no desire to fight.

Distracted for a moment, the Monkey’s grip loosened. His staff movement revealed a tiny opening. A Golden Chaser Vajra slipped in, slamming viciously into the Monkey's cheek. A thunderous explosion echoed in the void, knocking the Monkey off balance. He plummeted heavily from the sky, slamming into a mountain, driving the mountain and the surrounding thousand miles deep into the earth.

The person in the golden light finally revealed his form: a youth no taller than six feet, withered and skinny, shaped like an ape. This youth was exceedingly ugly, his skin as black as ink, but his eyes were bright as stars, occasionally shooting dazzling rays of light when they blinked.

Though the Golden Chaser Practitioner was ugly, the demon-subduing Vajra in his hands was as thick as a fist and ten feet eight inches long. The golden, semi-transparent, web-like Vajra sealed thirty-six Sarira beads the size of eggs. Countless Buddhist incantations were inscribed on the surface of the Golden Net Vajra, from tip to handle, with an unknown number of layered restrictions. The dense restrictions shone with golden light, vaguely revealing the illusory shadows of several Heavenly Dragons flickering within.

Casting a cold glance over the Nine Nether Dao army, the Golden Chaser Practitioner stared coldly at the crater created by the Monkey's impact and sneered, "That hairy monkey, if you aren't dead, get up and let the Buddha subdue you."

A low roar traveled up from the depths of the earth. Because of this single roar, the ground within a radius of a million miles suddenly bulged upward into a giant bubble. Rock strata tens of thousands of miles thick shattered with blinding flashes and terrifying sounds, unleashing torrents of water, fire, wind, and earth elemental energy from underground. Mountains were pulverized, and countless massive stones, trailing fiery light, shot skyward, heading straight for the Golden Chaser.

Naked, with a long tail dangling, and a long staff held in one hand, the Monkey slowly floated up into the air. Having taken that blow from the Golden Chaser Practitioner, this Monkey had flown into a frenzy, completely exposing his most tyrannical, ferocious, unreasonable, and lawless side.

Standing thirty-six feet tall, his body covered in golden fur that seemed cast from pure gold, faint wisps of seven-colored Buddha light shot out from every strand of his hair. But the Buddha light that usually imparted a sense of gentle gravity now radiated tyranny and violence, saturated with a despair-inducing murderous aura.

The Monkey's face—

The thunder-god jowls split open, revealing two rows of pristine white fangs. His nostrils flared towards the sky, and two plumes of scorching malevolent energy shot straight toward the firmament. The Monkey’s Fiery Golden Eyes stared blankly at the Golden Chaser Practitioner, while vast clouds of black smoke and fire billowed from his flared ears.

He was truly furious enough to vent smoke from all seven orifices. The golden halo behind the Monkey's head was now entwined with a thick layer of black fire. The light emitted by this golden wheel was chillingly black, resembling a black sun illuminating the void.

The Monkey's originally withered and thin body became magnificent and powerful, with massive muscles densely packed beneath the skin, a truly startling sight.

The Golden Chaser Practitioner swung his Golden Chaser Vajra, shattering the mountains and rocks rushing toward him, just in time to see the Monkey, in that posture, float up into the air. The Golden Chaser Practitioner paused briefly, then burst into loud laughter, "Indeed a demon, lacking all knowledge of death!

You dare impersonate a venerable figure of my Buddhist sect?"

The Monkey was enveloped in Buddha light, and a golden wheel hung behind his head—by all appearances, the form of a high Buddhist monk. Yet, black smoke billowed around him, a mark of a demon. The Golden Chaser Practitioner's accusation that he was impersonating a Buddhist cultivator had some merit.

The Monkey merely stared coldly at the Golden Chaser Practitioner, observing him for a long time before slowly nodding once.

Upon that single nod, a deafening bang echoed. A head suddenly sprouted on the left side of the Monkey's neck.

With another nod, a head also grew on the right side of the Monkey's neck.

Shaking his head, the Monkey raised his arms, and two new arms sprouted from beneath his armpits. Lifting his hands again, two more arms appeared.

The Golden Chaser Practitioner watched the transformation of the Monkey's Dharma Aspect and shook his head, scoffing, "Nothing more than the Three Heads and Six Arms Dharma Body. What's so special about that?"

Before the Golden Chaser Practitioner could finish speaking, the Monkey's Dharma Aspect shifted again. Another head grew from the back of his neck, and another grew above. His arms multiplied further, and a single eye sprouted in the center of each palm.

Eventually, the Monkey transformed into a form with six heads, six faces, and eighteen arms. He stood sixty-four feet tall, his entire body shimmering gold as if cast from pure gold, radiating various colored lights. Above his head hovered a white halo resembling a full moon, embedded with twenty-three streaks of white energy traversing the void, with Sarira circling and dancing before and behind him. The Golden Chaser Practitioner stared blankly at the Monkey's unbelievable Dharma Aspect, feeling his throat tighten, utterly speechless.

Yang Jian muttered softly, "Those eight monkeys aren't dead yet; is there a need for such anger? Still, judging by this Aspect, he is indeed a worthy opponent!"

Before Yang Jian’s praise finished, the Golden Chaser Practitioner let out a hysterical shriek: "Impossible! You demon, how dare you counterfeit the image of a Buddha! You... you... you damned demon!"

The Monkey let out a sinister grin, his six great mouths opening simultaneously to spew forth vast waves of radiant energy. A point of red light shone from the center of his brow, a single, crystal-clear, jewel-like growth flickering on his forehead, causing the surrounding void to suddenly shatter.

The Golden Chaser Practitioner felt his body tighten; he could no longer move. He watched as the Monkey discarded his staff, his eighteen arms gently grasping and tearing the surrounding void. He abruptly appeared beside the Golden Chaser Practitioner, his arms seizing the demon's head and four limbs.

"Heh heh, daring to injure Old Sun's disciples!" the Monkey snarled, his arms preparing to exert force to tear the Golden Chaser Practitioner apart...

Within Great Snow Mountain, the face of the old nun Wuxing paled again. The old monk who had ordered the Golden Chaser Practitioner into battle cried out in alarm, hastily shouting, "Protector Saints, where are you? Quickly, rescue the Golden Chaser Practitioner!"

A clear, pleasant, high-pitched bird cry pierced the clouds. A peacock, entirely green as if carved from jade, soared into the sky. Its wings, each stretching a hundred feet long, flapped fiercely, traversing tens of thousands of miles in a single flash. The peacock furiously flapped its wings dozens of times, stirring up vast clouds of Buddha light as it charged behind the Monkey, its sharp talons reaching down to seize the Monkey’s head.

As the peacock dove toward the Monkey, streams of golden light and fierce flames shot from the tips of its claws, faintly revealing sparkling Buddhist incantations inscribed on them.

The Monkey stood motionless, only his two heads watching the peacock, letting out continuous cold laughs.

This peacock, not knowing its place, extended both claws to rake at the crown of one of the Monkey’s heads. The wind from the claws was biting, tearing several green fissures in the already chaotic void.

With a resounding clang, the peacock's claws struck hard against the Monkey's skull. The Monkey stared at the peacock without apparent harm, continuing his cold laughter. The peacock felt as if its tofu-made claws had struck a stone of golden netting. Its claws, empowered by countless years of Buddhist grand divine abilities, shattered inch by inch. The massive rebound force traveled up the claws, shaking its internal organs, causing them to rupture.

A shrill cry erupted as the peacock, shedding hot tears, tried to fly back toward the Jade Sky to escape to Great Snow Mountain.

However, a cloud of white suddenly materialized beneath the Monkey. A white elephant with six golden tusks stood atop the cloud. The elephant let out a long roar, its long trunk coiling around the fleeing peacock, easily snatching back the swiftly flying body. The elephant then swung its trunk downward, slamming the peacock onto the ground like a stone, causing the ground within a million miles to collapse.

The white elephant, enveloped in vast Buddha light, lunged down like a mad beast, using its four massive hooves to stomp and crush the peacock repeatedly.

The peacock cried mournfully, brilliant golden light flashing from its body, but it was trampled into pieces by the white elephant. Its bones snapped one by one, and its internal organs were mashed. In the blink of an eye, the peacock’s body was stomped into a bloody pulp.

As a last resort, the peacock self-detonated its Heavenly Spirit, sending a Sarira flying toward the sky. But a hand from the Monkey had already been waiting in the air; he snatched up the Sarira and crushed it to dust.

Inside Great Snow Mountain, the assembly of old monks and nuns turned pale with rage. The Monkey, however, had already exerted his divine power and yanked the Golden Chaser Practitioner fiercely.

With a piercing shriek, the Golden Chaser Practitioner, who had entered the fray with infinite majesty, was utterly shattered and killed.

The Monkey let out a sinister laugh, beckoned with his hand, and the white elephant on the ground instantly soared up. The Monkey sat down on the elephant’s back, laughing repeatedly as he charged toward Great Snow Mountain.

Millions of miles away from Great Snow Mountain, the Monkey glared with his twelve golden, radiant eyes. Hundreds, even thousands of mountains on the ground rose into the air, blazing with dazzling golden Buddha light, and hurtled toward Great Snow Mountain.

It was the power of a single individual, yet the Monkey possessed the terrifying might to overturn the entirety of Great Snow Mountain!

At this time, the Monkey was only at the initial stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm!

Gu Yechen laughed heartily, pointing a finger casually toward Great Snow Mountain. The armies of the Nine Nether Dao roared with excitement, whipping up the surrounding demonic winds and evil qi as they advanced step by step toward Great Snow Mountain.

Yang Jian, the Kongsang brothers, along with the Mo Li Qing brothers, the Xin Jia brothers, and the generals representing Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning, soared into the air, charging out right behind the Monkey.

The Monkey grew even more triumphant, his piercing laughter filling the heavens and earth.