The Gibbon monkey said, “How could that be? I have no such thoughts. It's just that seeing this blessed land trampled by wild beasts, if we don’t unite to defend against the enemy, I fear we’ll have nowhere to stand!”

The Red-Buttocked horse was about to retort when a commotion arose from below the mountain, with continuous roars of wolves, insects, tigers, and leopards. Alarmed, it exclaimed, “The beasts are attacking again! Defending against the enemy comes first!”

The four elder monkeys directed the troop to retreat above the middle of the mountain, rolling down prepared stones and logs. After several loud crashes, cries of pain echoed from below.

The Red-Buttocked horse chuckled, “They are no match for our cunning, relying solely on brute force.”

However, the laughter was short-lived. A scout reported that the beasts had retreated to the foot of the mountain. The cries they had heard were merely a few weak and old members sent up as a probe.

Curiously, when had these beasts become so clever?

At that moment, a thunderous roar came from below, vibrating through the monkeys’ ears: “Our new Tiger King commands, those on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit who refuse to submit, flee for your lives or face death without mercy!”

The Red-Buttocked horse, silent, instructed the young monkeys to prepare for mountain defense, especially guarding the essential path in front. The back mountain, although accessible, was steep and challenging, guarded by two thousand monkeys led by the Gibbon monkeys, which should be secure.

After a long wait, seeing no movement from the mountain, the beasts, realizing the monkeys' firm resistance, launched their assault.

Leading the beast horde was a tiger-headed being, towering over ten feet tall, with a formidable appearance and flanked by other spiritually awakened animals. This tiger spirit, having cultivated for over a thousand years, had gained human form and intelligence. Discovering the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, a place of immense value, occupied by monkeys, seemed to him a waste. Thus, he rallied birds and beasts, quickly establishing dominance within half a year, all for this moment of attack.

Before, occasional beast raids happened but were minor threats. Now, with a massive assembly, the situation looked dire for the monkeys. Without the strategic advantage of their terrain, the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit would have likely fallen.

At the tiger spirit’s command, a diverse array of creatures launched the assault. The mountain's monkeys, overwhelmed by the sight, abandoned their posts in panic, fleeing for their lives.

Desperate, the Red-Buttocked horse understood the gravity of their retreat but hesitated to make a decisive move against their own kind.

Tears in their eyes, the two Red-Buttocked horses realized the hopelessness of their situation. They had hoped the Stone Monkey King would return with the secret to eternal life, ensuring their tribe could enjoy the mountain's bounty forever. Now, it all seemed like a fleeting dream.

At that moment, the two Gibbon monkeys arrived from the back mountain, followed by a group of battered young monkeys. “The back mountain is lost. Birds attacked from the sky, causing many injuries among our young.”

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The Red-Buttocked horse decided, “Then retreat to the Water Curtain Cave! We’ll regroup and plan there…”

This decision, to retreat to the Water Curtain Cave, was wise. The cave had a single entrance, hidden and slippery, making it easy to defend but hard to exit.

Thus, they instructed the female and young monkeys to enter the cave first, while the stronger ones remained outside to fend off the attack. If the Water Curtain Cave fell, they would truly have nowhere left to go. Seeing his kin chased and scattered, the Red-Buttocked horse lamented, “Great King, we may not last till your return.”

※ ※ ※

Wukong had resolved a great matter and now, with his newfound abilities, felt the world was his to explore. However, his first destination was the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. It was not only the home of his kin and the Water Curtain Cave, where he had learned the Dao, but also his birthplace—a connection deeper than blood.

Employing the cloud-somersaulting technique, Wukong entered that extraordinary state of travel, moving instantaneously without the process of flying through the sky, akin to legendary teleportation.

Arriving at the borders of the Aolai country, he slowed down, using a stealth spell to survey the capital and memorize the armory’s location for a future visit to arm his monkey descendants.

Leaving Aolai, Wukong approached the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. Descending, he was shocked by the sight below—a scene of chaos, with beasts and evil birds ravaging the once peaceful land. A few monkeys hid, trembling in crevices, surrounded by predators.

Unable to contain himself, Wukong shouted the now-famous line: “Demons, where do you think you’re going!”

The Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, remembered by Wukong as a paradise of exotic flowers and fruits, now lay in ruins, its tranquility shattered.

"Who dares to bully my Mountain of Flowers and Fruit without anyone to defend it?" Wukong unleashed a spell, his shout rivaling even the Buddhist "Lion's Roar" in its power.

The beasts on the mountain were so terrified that they could hardly stand, and the birds plummeted from the sky, finding themselves too weak to take flight again.

All the beasts bowed down, except for the tiger spirit who stood firm, pointing at Wukong, "You... what brings you here, fellow Daoist!"

Wukong descended to the ground, laughing and scolding, "A mere beast dares to speak of the Dao? Was it you who led these creatures to cause chaos here?"

Initially startled by Wukong's roar, the tiger spirit regained his composure, seeing Wukong as just a common monkey of no imposing appearance, his tone changed, "You, monkey, this mountain must be home to your kind. I only want this Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, the rest—"

Wukong laughed heartily, "Foolish beast, take this!" He advanced with a punch.

The tiger spirit raised his arms to block, but Wukong's divine strength and profound cultivation sent him flying, breaking his bones and smashing him into a pulp dozens of meters away.

Wukong noticed a wisp of white light escaping from the tiger spirit's body and quickly fleeing. Surprised at how easily the tiger spirit was defeated, he saw the white light ascend to the sky.

Thinking to himself that thousands like this would make no difference, Wukong chased after the light and with a palm thunder strike, dispersed it completely. The tiger spirit, having cultivated for a thousand years, was destroyed in a moment of folly. The white light was the tiger spirit's Yuan Shen (soul).

Practitioners have a Yuan Shen that they dare not expose unless absolutely necessary. Once the tiger spirit's physical body was destroyed, his soul had no choice but to flee. Typically, a fleeing Yuan Shen is incredibly fast and almost impossible to catch without magical treasures. But Wukong, with his agility, easily outmatched the soul.

After killing the tiger spirit, Wukong returned to find all the animals prostrating themselves, begging for mercy.

Wukong called out, "Children, come out!"

From the Water Curtain Cave, crevices, vines, and branches, thousands of monkeys appeared, overjoyed to see Wukong standing victorious with the surrounding beasts in submission.

The Gibbon and Red-Buttocked horses reported the casualties. Wukong was dismayed to hear how their numbers had decreased during his absence, feeling a pang of sorrow.

"Children, do not be sad. Now that I have attained great magical powers, nothing can harm the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. Whoever dares to challenge us will not return," he assured them.

The monkeys prostrated, "Congratulations to our king for achieving immortality and mastering magical arts!"