The Monkey knew no formations, nor any seals; his foremost abilities were the Seventy-Two Transformations and the Fiery Eyes of Truth. Thus, his most direct path to breaking this seal was to shatter it with brute force, with absolute power.

The Fiery Eyes of Truth pierced through the origin of the seal, and the Soul-Losing Staff was hurled directly at that source.

Jue had initially harbored some worry. After all, the strength displayed by Ye Jingyu and the Monkey seemed to be merely at the Cosmic level (Zhou-level), far too insufficient to break this seal. Especially when he saw the Monkey choosing not to employ any complex methods, but attacking directly with sheer force, a flicker of despair even crossed his eyes.

But as the Monkey's golden staff rose, Jue suddenly realized the immense power contained within this creature. This single strike, in terms of both force and angle, was nothing short of perfection. If he were facing this blow in combat, the only outcome would be being smashed away—minor injuries at best, complete obliteration of the soul at worst.

Where on earth had this fellow found such a powerful ally?

However, Jue clearly had no time to ponder such questions, for he already felt the potent strength contained within the staff. He had to push the seal's power to its absolute limit. The energy within him erupted once more, and the iron chains binding him grew wildly.

With a deafening CRASH, the Monkey's staff landed heavily upon those chains. The chains, as thick as a man’s thigh, actually splintered and shattered. It wasn't just one; the violent kinetic force generated by that single blow pulverized the seemingly unbreakable iron chains entirely. A sense of suffocating oppression that had long wrapped around Jue’s heart was utterly smashed to pieces by that strike... &

"Roar! Roar! Roar..." With the oppressive feeling gone, Jue roared toward the heavens as if injected with a stimulant. The power within him surged out without reservation, his cultivation skyrocketing as if riding a rocket. He instantly broke past the Universe level (Yu-level) and continued to climb.

Sensing Jue's ever-increasing cultivation, Ye Jingyu was somewhat astonished. Although he had anticipated that Jue had suppressed a great deal of power, he had estimated Jue's peak to be perhaps early Universe level. He never expected it to be more than that. In a short time, Jue broke through early Universe level, then middle Universe level, then late Universe level, finally reaching the very peak of the Universe level.

Heaven knows! At this moment, Ye Jingyu finally understood what true genius meant. No wonder he dared to challenge the Destruction Lord when he was only at the peak of the Cosmic level back then. If he could absorb so much power after being sealed, what heights might he have reached had he never been imprisoned? Perhaps he would have already taken that final step?

The Monkey’s perspective, however, differed entirely from Ye Jingyu’s. He felt no surprise at Jue instantaneously reaching the peak of the Universe level.

Back then, he himself had undergone a massive change in temperament after being pinned under the Five Elements Mountain for five hundred years, which is what made him the Victorious Fighting Buddha. This fellow had endured millennia of sealing without dying; therefore, his state of mind must have reached an incredibly tough level. It was not strange at all that he reached the peak of the Universe level. In fact, if he hadn't been sealed, perhaps he would never have achieved his current accomplishments.

After all, not everyone’s cultivation method was as monstrous as the Overlord Origin Art Ye Jingyu practiced, which required no enlightenment of the Heavenly Dao, only steady, step-by-step cultivation.

Jue’s roar was immense, and the power erupting from his body was equally formidable, shattering the ice mountain beneath him. An area spanning hundreds of miles around him was instantly turned into a void by the destructive energy emanating from his body. Yet, standing before him, Ye Jingyu and the Monkey remained completely unharmed.

It was no surprise that the Monkey could withstand such energy, having broken his own seal with one blow. But this fellow was only at the Cosmic level; how could he endure it? Could it be that he...

Jue shook his head, cursing himself as a fool. Since Ye Jingyu dared to come and help him break the seal, he naturally had the confidence to deal with the Destruction Lord. Moreover, with such a formidable expert by his side, how could Ye Jingyu’s own strength be weak?

"When do you plan to make your move?" Without wasting any pleasantries, Jue asked directly.

"When the time is right to move. But my target is not just the Destruction Lord!" Feeling Jue's surging power, Ye Jingyu replied calmly.

"That is your business. I only want the Destruction Lord’s life! Notify me when you strike..." Jue said dismissively, all the while yanking the remaining chains from his body. The chains were fused with his flesh, and pulling them out now left them slick with blood and gore. It looked excruciatingly painful, yet he didn't even twitch an eyebrow...

"Rest assured, I will notify you!" Ye Jingyu smiled faintly, then departed with Sun Wukong.

Only after they had traveled a great distance did Sun Wukong suddenly speak, "I find this fellow unsettling. We helped him break his seal today—I wonder if it is for better or for worse. Can your Eye of Reincarnation see anything about him?"

"I don't truly trust him. However, having his help will make dealing with the Three Great Lords easier. Besides, I can tell his murderous intent toward the Destruction Lord is genuine!" Ye Jingyu stated blandly. Although he felt something was amiss, after observing Jue with the Eye of Reincarnation, he detected nothing wrong?

Hearing Ye Jingyu, the Monkey didn't press the matter further. He was the Great Sage Equaling Heaven; what was there to fear?

Meanwhile, Jue showed no inclination to leave his spot. Once the figures of Sun Wukong and Ye Jingyu had completely vanished, the cold indifference on his face melted away, replaced by a sly cunning.

"The Eye of Reincarnation, reputed to see through all cycles—truly deserving of its name. Had my Master not passed down this Orb of Reincarnation, and had his Eye of Reincarnation not been fully matured, wouldn't my entire future fate have been seen through by him?" As he spoke, an opaque, dark-red bead materialized in Jue’s hand. The bead emitted strange, spectral light, as if attempting to swallow a person's soul.

"Master, rest assured, everything is proceeding according to your design. I will not disappoint you. I will show you that I am your most favored disciple!" Stowing the Orb of Reincarnation, Jue bowed toward the sky, and his entire body transformed into a streak of light, vanishing without a trace...

Ye Jingyu had just returned to Extinguishing Flame City, not yet having had time to ask Jiu Feng about the city's current situation, when he received news that made him furious: Yuan, the Alliance Leader of the Earth Alliance, was about to marry, and his bride was none other than his sworn sister, the Princess of the Earth Alliance, Ling...

(Four chapters presented. I ask for much support. I have opened three groups consecutively, and all are full. I apologize to the Starlights who haven't joined; there are no more groups for now. I will try to open another one tomorrow!)