Great Demon Sun Wukong

It turned out that traveling together in dangerous places was definitely the right choice. For it was as Sun Wukong and Xi Zhao were making their way towards the nearest city in Xi Zhao’s memory that Sun Wukong finally encountered a powerful opponent he had never faced before—a four-pattern Martial Saint.

Xi Zhao told Sun Wukong that the reason he hadn’t encountered any exceedingly powerful enemies was because he had always been wandering the periphery. The Netherworld Realm boasted one hundred and eighteen cities, with the spiritual strength of souls stronger the closer one was to a city. And those qualified to live within the cities were all strong beings with at least four patterns.

The city lords themselves were six-pattern Saint Level powerhouses.

Of these one hundred and eighteen cities, one hundred and eight were Outer Cities, spread throughout the Netherworld World. And at the center of the Netherworld World were ten Inner Cities. The Outer City lords were upgraded to seven-patterns, while the Inner City lords were Nine Patterns Supreme!

At the same time, Sun Wukong also learned from Xi Zhao about a more detailed division of strength. Those below Dao patterns were considered the lowest level of existence in the Netherworld Realm, the natives, typically responsible for all menial tasks.

From one to three patterns, they were Warrior Level fighters. Unless they had extremely powerful backers and connections, they were not allowed to enter any city.

From four to six patterns, they were at Saint Level. They had the freedom to enter and exit all Outer Cities and could enjoy all the resources within these cities, though they had to pay a certain price. This echelon was already the backbone of the Netherworld World.

From seven to nine patterns, they were Supreme beings. They were the top-level existences of this world, the highest level of the food chain. They had the right to enter and exit the ten Inner Cities! And most importantly, they had the right to apply to leave this world.

As long as they passed a certain threshold or completed the ultimate trial, they could receive a body of their own making and leave this world!

Thus, this world was one with a strict hierarchy and survival of the fittest, no different from any other normal material world, except that everyone was a Soul Body.

According to Xi Zhao, Sun Wukong was currently at the Warrior Level with one pattern because Sun Wukong had hardly taken any action, so it was difficult to classify Sun Wukong’s occupation. Xi Zhao, meanwhile, was a three-pattern Ice Attribute Samurai whose weapon was the Supreme Divine Artifact, Formless Vanishing.

(Formless Vanishing consisted of two deep blue semicircular ring-shaped weapons, each with a blue cold dragon’s head at the center, and the ring blades were exceptionally sharp. Every swing released countless flashes of blue cold light.)

Yet even so, facing a four-pattern upgraded powerhouse, Xi Zhao still felt immense pressure. Although there was only a one-pattern difference between three and four patterns, the disparity in strength was as vast as heaven and earth. Sun Wukong, too, felt the same shocking deterrence.

This feeling was one he had only experienced when he was a Half-step Great Dao and faced Chang’er, the Saint of the Great Dao, though it still couldn’t compare to the current situation. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

As if facing a formidable enemy, Sun Wukong and Xi Zhao stared intently at the person before them, not daring to make the slightest move.

This four-pattern Saint held an ancient-looking Treasured Sword in his left hand, but the sword was still sheathed in its scabbard. Although the sword had not been drawn, both were still shocked by the murderous aura; this sword was definitely a Ferocious Sword of exceptional kind.

But what truly shocked Sun Wukong was not the Treasured Sword in the man’s hand, but the fact that this man also had a third eye on his forehead—only it was closed!

Another three-eyed freak? Sun Wukong couldn’t help feeling a bit uneasy. After observing the man more closely, he began to feel that something wasn’t quite right, and suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.

The man’s clothes were the same as those worn by the three-eyed person Sun Wukong had killed a few days earlier! Could it be that this person had come for revenge? While guessing, the four-pattern Martial Saint suddenly spoke, "Just a one-pattern Samurai? But his weapon is of a material form? Strange indeed, no wonder he was able to kill my nephew. Boy, do you know whom you’ve provoked?"

Although it seemed like he was talking to himself, that last question was aimed at Sun Wukong. Instantly, Sun Wukong felt a rush of alarm—clearly, this man had come for revenge. It looked like today would be another battle for life and death.

Without replying to the man, Sun Wukong quickly turned to Xi Zhao and said, "Brother Xi Zhao, you should go. I killed this man’s nephew, and I’m afraid things won’t end well today. However, this has nothing to do with you, you should go!"

"Wukong brother, it’s impossible to leave today. Let’s fight!" Shaking his head with a wry smile, Xi Zhao replied.

"Hmph, neither of you will escape today. How could he, a mere one-pattern Samurai, kill my nephew? It must have been you assisting him. Today, you will learn what it means to repay a blood debt with blood!"

The Three-eyed Martial Saint didn’t waste any more words. He switched the Treasured Sword to his right hand, and without even drawing it from the scabbard, he thrust it directly at Sun Wukong and Xi Zhao. It was just one sword thrust, but to Sun Wukong and Xi Zhao, it seemed like it was aimed at each of them.

What’s more, the three-eyed man’s speed was incredibly fast. Just as Sun Wukong saw him blur, the man was already before him. In his panic, Sun Wukong managed to lift his Jingu Bang upright in defense, while Xi Zhao also crossed his Twin Rings in front of him, likewise blocking the sword thrust.

The three-eyed man seemed somewhat surprised that his sword strike hadn’t injured the two of them. With a flick of his wrist, the treasure sword twisted, and suddenly, the sword scabbard shot out towards Xi Zhao. Subsequently, Sun Wukong saw a fine blood-red sword stabbing toward him again, its blade shrouded with misty vital energy that had transformed into a blood dragon clinging to the sword.

"Condense Frost Armor," Xi Zhao bellowed in a low voice, and suddenly a pale blue Ice Armor appeared in front of him. The charging scabbard struck the Ice Armor, halting briefly, but did not stop, shattering the Ice Armor and continuing towards Xi Zhao.

With the momentary delay provided by the Ice Armor, Xi Zhao was prepared and with a misstep, his figure evaded the scabbard, then with the Formless Vanishing in hand, he delivered a fierce blow to the side of the scabbard.

After the strike, a layer of frost covered the scabbard before it fell to the ground. Having dealt with the scabbard, Xi Zhao hurriedly looked over to Sun Wukong, and nearly let out a cry of surprise with what he saw.

To his astonishment, the sword thrust by the Three-eyed Martial Saint had been blocked by one end of Sun Wukong’s Jingu Bang. Since the Jingu Bang was a material weapon, it had a certain resistance to the weapons of the Netherworld World. Thus, the confident strike from the Three-eyed Martial Saint had landed on the Jingu Bang; however, this did not mean that Sun Wukong was out of danger.

The bulging veins on Sun Wukong’s arms and the sparks shooting from the Jingu Bang indicated he was far from relaxed.

Seeing an opportunity, Xi Zhao rapidly moved around, his feet tracing an incredibly strange pattern as he instantly appeared behind the Saint of the Three-eyed Clan.

"Ice and Frost Condensation," he shouted, and suddenly a blast of intense cold light erupted from the Twin Rings, quickly enveloping the Three-eyed Martial Saint inside.

At that moment, Xi Zhao’s figure disappeared from sight. While Sun Wukong didn’t know what technique Xi Zhao had used, he saw the Martial Saint getting encased in ice. Seizing the chance, Sun Wukong leaped backwards, retreating, and with a point of his right hand, a pitch-black stele appeared in the void above the Three-eyed Martial Saint’s head.

However, just as the anger-filled shout rang out, the Three-eyed Martial Saint had already broken free from the ice. Following that was a sword slash; initially, Sun Wukong thought the man had lost his senses in anger, slicing at the empty air.

However, Sun Wukong then heard a muffled grunt and saw blood spurting out from nowhere, realizing that the three-eyed man must have seen through Xi Zhao’s invisibility.

"Humph, daring to play such tricks in front of my Three-eyed Clan, courting death."

Having injured Xi Zhao with a sword, the Three-eyed Martial Saint suddenly looked up in shock, to see a pitch-black stele rapidly growing larger in his field of vision.

"Huh? This stele?"

Still bewildered, the stele had already come crashing down. But, at the last moment, it seemed as though the three-eyed man recognised something and hurriedly swung his sword above his head to block the falling stele.

The previously unstoppable stele had now met its match and was blocked by the Blood Sword wielded by the Three-eyed Martial Saint. This also showed the formidable strength of a Four Patterns Saint.

But before the Three-eyed Martial Saint had a chance to closely examine the stele, he suddenly felt a numbing sensation all over his body. While he was still registering the numbness, a huge sky-blue circular weapon cleaved the Three-eyed Martial Saint in two in an instant!

With an expression of disbelief, the Martial Saint’s body split into two, and then was crushed by the Heavenly Stele from above.

The Four Patterns Saint, fallen!

As the three-eyed man perished, Xi Zhao emerged from the void, his face deathly pale. Seeing Xi Zhao, Sun Wukong hurried over. On closer look, Sun Wukong inhaled sharply. Xi Zhao’s waist bore a massive wound that almost bisected two-thirds of his body. Had the cut been any deeper, Xi Zhao might have been cleaved in half.

Seeing Xi Zhao unconscious, Sun Wukong felt a surge of grief. But then, recalling something, he quickly summoned both the Zhen Yuan Bodhi Treasure Tree and the Five-Colored Divine Stone. Without hesitation, he directed the Zhen Yuan Bodhi Treasure Tree to envelop the bifurcated three-eyed man with a twelve-color divine light.

Afterward, the Zhen Yuan Bodhi Treasure Tree began refining the enormous soul power of the three-eyed man and, through the Five-Colored Divine Stone, infused it into Xi Zhao’s body.

Watching the wounds gradually heal, Sun Wukong breathed a sigh of relief.