48: Chapter 49 Rage Consumed!

King Golden Horn was consumed by fury, his eyes filled with the malevolence of revenge. He could not listen to any persuasion. Looking at Pigsy, who was hanging from the rafters, he wished he could devour him alive immediately.

Yet, just as the minor demons were about to untie the ropes, Monkey King's stern scolding came from outside the cave once more. The sound shook the Immortal Cave, causing all the minor demons inside to tremble with fear.

"Great King, that Monkey King is shouting insults outside the cave again. This is truly going too far!" The gate-guarding minor demon, trembling all over, ran into the cave again to report, his voice tinged with a crying tone.

King Golden Horn took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the grief and fury in his heart. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Enough! I will not bother with this fool for now. I will go out first to slay that monkey, avenge my virtuous younger brother, and then come back to deal with them slowly!"

After saying this, he sternly scolded the minor demons, ordering them to re-hang Pigsy, and commanded them to guard Tang Seng, Sand Monk, and Ao Lie tightly, without the slightest relaxation. Subsequently, he turned and asked the steward minor demon, "How many Magic Treasures are left in the cave? Fetch them quickly; I want to slay that monkey with my own hands!"

The steward minor demon hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and replied, "Great King, we currently have three Magic Treasures left: the Seven-Star Sword, the Palm Leaf Fan, and the sheep-fat jade purifying bottle. However, the purifying bottle has similar effects to the purple-gold red gourd; both capture people via sound. Now that Monkey King knows how to use it, I fear it will be ineffective, so it is better not to use it."

"Good!" King Golden Horn replied in a deep voice, "Fetch the Seven-Star Sword and the Palm Leaf Fan! That monkey harmed my brother, so I will use this Seven-Star Sword to slay him, and use the divine fire of the Palm Leaf Fan to burn him until he vanishes into ashes!"

The steward minor demon dared not delay, immediately handing over the cold, gleaming Seven-Star Sword, and tucked the Palm Leaf Fan into the collar at the back of King Golden Horn's neck. King Golden Horn held the Seven-Star Sword, his Demonic Qi surging violently. Wearing a helmet and armor, draped in a crimson flame silk robe, his eyes fierce as a wolf's, he mustered over three hundred minor demons from the cave. Holding weapons, they charged out of the Lotus Cave with a menacing Aura, determined to fight Monkey King to the death.

Outside the cave entrance, Monkey King had long been holding his Golden Cudgel, waiting for quite some time. Seeing King Golden Horn lead the hoard of demons out in full force, he showed no fear, instead laughing heartily and mocking sternly, "You wicked demon, your brother has already been put into my gourd by me and turned into pus and blood. Instead of thinking about fleeing for your life, you dare to come out to seek death. You truly do not know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth!"

King Golden Horn's eyes widened in anger, bloodshot and filled with rage. Pointing at Monkey King, he cursed sternly, "You wicked monkey, you harmed my brother and ruined my great undertaking; I cannot live under the same sky as you! Today, either you die or I perish. I will surely tear you into ten thousand pieces to comfort the spirit of my virtuous younger brother in heaven!"

Before the words had even faded, King Golden Horn stopped speaking. Holding the Seven-Star Sword, he leaped up, his malevolence erupting. The sword tip pointed straight at Monkey King's heart, and with the force of ten thousand jun, he slashed down fiercely. This Seven-Star Sword was a supreme treasure used by the Taishang Laojun to refine demons; it was incomparably sharp. Where the sword edge passed, the air was sliced open, emitting bursts of air-tearing sounds.

Monkey King's eyes sharpened; he dared not be the slightest bit careless. Holding his Golden Cudgel, he met the attack steadily. With a loud "clang," the Golden Cudgel and the Seven-Star Sword collided violently, emitting blinding sparks. A powerful force dispersed, shaking the surrounding ground until it cracked with fissures.

The two exchanged blows, instantly locked in combat. The Golden Cudgel was danced so tightly that not even a gust of wind could pass through, sweeping across thousands of troops. The Seven-Star Sword's edge was sharp and fierce, every strike fatal. One fought to protect his Master and avenge his grievances, his cudgel technique fierce and unstoppable. The other fought to avenge his brother, his fury reaching the heavens, his sword technique vicious and ruthless, pressing forward at every step.

The two fought for over twenty rounds, still unable to determine a winner. They fought until the sky grew dark and the sun and moon lost their light. The Golden Cudgel and the Seven-Star Sword collided incessantly, emitting deafening sounds of metal clashing. Strong winds raged around them, sand and stones flew, and the scene was heart-stopping.

Seeing that he could not win after a long battle, King Golden Horn became increasingly impatient. Knowing that he could hardly win in a one-on-one fight, he immediately pointed his sword and shouted sternly at the crowd of demons behind him, "Minor demons, attack together! Surround this wicked monkey; today we must slay him here!"

Hearing this, the three hundred-plus minor demons shouted in unison, wielding knives, spears, and cudgels, rushing forward like a tide, surrounding Monkey King in the center. These minor demons had followed the two demons, Golden Horn and Silver Horn, to Cultivate for years. Each had some ability and did not fear Monkey King's reputation in the slightest. They surrounded him tighter and fought more fiercely. Some hacked with knives, some thrust with spears, and others rushed forward to grab his waist or pull his legs, like cotton wool clinging to him, binding Monkey King tightly, unwilling to retreat a single step.

Monkey King was temporarily besieged by the crowd of demons. Even with two fists, he could not defeat four hands. Although he possessed great Divine Ability, he was gradually unable to fully utilize it. He brandished his Golden Cudgel, charging left and right, struggling to defend himself. But the number of minor demons was vast; one batch was killed off, and another surged up, making it impossible for him to break through the encirclement.

At this critical moment, Monkey King's eyes sharpened. He immediately unleashed his unique Divine Ability—Incarnation outside the body. He suddenly plucked a handful of hair from under his left rib, put it in his mouth to chew into pieces, sprayed it violently into the air, and shouted sternly, "Change!"

Seeing the countless hairs growing in the wind in the air, they instantly transformed into hundreds of identical Monkey Kings, each holding a Golden Cudgel, imposing and awe-inspiring. These Incarnation Monkey Kings—some swung their cudgels to strike fiercely, some threw punches to attack forcefully, and others specifically targeted the minor demons' legs and feet—instantly beat the besieging minor demons until they were crying for their fathers and mothers, scattering like stars.

"Great King, it's bad! The ground is full of Monkey Kings, we can't fight them!" The minor demons were so terrified that they were Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. They no longer had the heart to fight, casting aside their helmets and armor, fleeing in all directions. The situation was completely out of control.

In but a moment, the three hundred-plus minor demons were beaten into a rout by Monkey King's Incarnations, with countless dead and injured, no longer posing a threat. King Golden Horn was left alone, surrounded by Monkey King's true body and countless Incarnations. Isolated and without help, he panicked, his face pale, trapped in a dilemma.

Monkey King looked at the desperate King Golden Horn, laughed heartily, and pressed forward step by step, "Wicked demon, now you are abandoned by your followers, and your minor demons have all been routed. What other abilities do you have? Surrender quickly, and I might leave you a whole corpse!"

King Golden Horn was both shocked and angry. He knew he was in a desperate situation, but he still refused to admit defeat. He thought to himself: Things have come to this; I can only use my last Magic Treasure and fight to the death!

Immediately, he gripped the Seven-Star Sword tightly with his left hand, struggling to fend off Monkey King's offensive, while his right hand reached to the back of his neck and suddenly pulled out the Palm Leaf Fan. This Palm Leaf Fan was a supreme treasure from when Chaos first divided; it could specifically fan out the Five Elements divine fire, with infinite power.

King Golden Horn aimed at the southeast Bing-Ding fire, directly facing the Li-palace position, and with all his might, fanned fiercely toward Monkey King.

In an instant, flames erupted on the flat ground, and raging divine fire surged out madly. This divine fire was extraordinary; there was no trace of blue smoke, only crimson flames filling the sky, brilliant and blazing, incomparably intense. It instantly swept across the entire field, burning the surrounding rocks until they melted and trees until they withered. Birds and beasts fled in all directions, and the heaven and earth were enveloped in a sea of fire.

Seeing the infinite power of this divine fire, Monkey King was greatly alarmed and thought to himself, "Not good! I myself have an indestructible body and can still withstand it, but these hair Incarnations of mine are most afraid of intense fire. Once burned, they will instantly turn to ashes!"

He dared not delay for a moment. He immediately shook his body, recalling all the hair Incarnations back into his body. He then plucked another hair, transformed it into a fake version of himself, and left it in place to withstand the raging fire. Meanwhile, he recited the fire-avoidance formula, leaped up, rode his Somersault Cloud, and instantly escaped the sea of fire, avoiding the disaster.

Seeing that he had forced back Monkey King, King Golden Horn breathed a slight sigh of relief. However, looking at the minor demons dead and injured all over the ground, he was still filled with grief. Holding the Palm Leaf Fan, he stood in the sea of fire, his eyes fierce, still unwilling to give up.

After Monkey King escaped the sea of fire, he did not go far. Concerned for the safety of his Master and Junior Brothers, he immediately turned his cloud around. Taking advantage of King Golden Horn being held back by the sea of fire, he flew straight toward the Lotus Cave, wanting to seize the opportunity to sneak into the cave, rescue Tang Seng, Pigsy, Sand Monk, and Ao Lie, and completely destroy the demon's lair.

Inside the cave, Tang Seng was tied to a stone pillar. Watching the sky-filling fire outside the cave and listening to the earth-shaking sounds of battle, he was covered in tears. He kept silently reciting scriptures, both worried about Monkey King's safety and fearful of his own calamity; his heart was full of despair.

Pigsy was hanging from the rafters, trembling with fear, muttering incessantly, "Senior Brother, you must take care! You absolutely cannot be defeated by the demon, otherwise, our Master and disciples will be completely beyond salvation!"

Sand Monk's eyes widened in anger, struggling with all his might, but he was consistently unable to break free from the ropes. He could only stare fixedly at the cave entrance, remaining vigilant at all times.

Ao Lie remained patient and dormant, secretly monitoring the battle situation outside the cave through his Shadow Power. He perceived that Monkey King was safe and sound and was heading toward the Lotus Cave. His heart grew more certain, and he remained calm, his Aura stable, just waiting for Monkey King to enter the cave to coordinate from the inside and outside, escape, and save the others.