Reading the "Tao Te Ching" generated Fate within, and Sun Wukong felt quite joyful. The "Tao Te Ching" was pure and orderly in its creation of Fate; the more it produced, the greater its use. Since reading the scriptures could generate Fate, he thought there was no harm in reading them whenever he had free time.

When it came to reading the "De Jing," the latter part of the "Tao Te Ching," Sun Wukong suddenly wondered what the effect would be if he used his clones to recite the scripture together. With his magical powers, he created two clones, each identical to himself, dividing his spiritual essence into three to recite the thirty-eight chapters of the "De Jing" together.

"The highest virtue is not virtuous; therefore it has virtue. The lowest virtue never loses virtue; therefore it has no virtue..." In no time, the thirty-eight chapters of the "De Jing" were recited, and Sun Wukong checked the Fate within his clones and summed it up, only to find it increased by six hundred. It turned out that the Fate created by the two parts of the "Tao Te Ching" was the same, and having three clones did not bring about more Fate.

Sun Wukong thought about it and couldn't help but laugh at himself. Whether it was his dantian or his spiritual essence, neither would become stronger by splitting into clones; it was merely divided into parts. The method of obtaining Fate through reading scriptures was entirely through the spiritual essence. Dividing himself into three did not change this fact. His actions, he realized, were as naive as a monkey who could not differentiate between three in the morning and four in the evening, and found it amusingly childish.

The method of using clones to replace cultivation, as mentioned by Tongfeng, should only be considered when one is strong enough to fight with half their strength without danger. Then, it would be possible to send out a clone for peaceful cultivation. However, during a time of many troubles, with the Seven Great Sages not yet fully revealed, he might face danger and trials at any moment, so it was not yet feasible.

Yet, with the Yu King still in seclusion, Sun Wukong felt he needed to do something. Inspired, he decided to have one clone continue reciting scriptures, another to keep practicing the thirty-six transformations, and the third to only practice the Equal-to-Heaven staff technique. Although it was not ideal, it was a way to progress evenly.

Three years passed, and the "Tao Te Ching" was recited countless times by Sun Wukong's clones. Both the Heavenly Gang transformations and the Equal-to-Heaven staff technique improved significantly, and his cultivation advanced greatly, much to Sun Wukong's satisfaction.

One day, Sun Wukong felt as if he had sensed something and joyfully said, "The Yu King has finally reappeared. It seems that the magical treasure has been refined." He leaped out of the Water Curtain Cave and went to the mountain base to find the Yu King.

Indeed, the Yu King was standing in the mountains, his eyes brimming with joy, holding a white ring in his hands. Sun Wukong was amazed; in this journey to the West, all ring-shaped magical treasures were not to be underestimated, from the golden hoop on his head to Laojun's diamond cutter. Each was incredibly powerful, and surely the Yu King's ring was no ordinary item.

Sun Wukong approached and said, "Congratulations, brother, for refining this treasure." The Yu King replied, "This Mount Huaguo indeed surpasses Mount Aolai by far. The quality of this treasure has exceeded my expectations." He demonstrated the ring, which seemed to be made of shining silver, capable of expanding, shooting flames, and changing size at will. "This ring is called the God-Slaying Ring, given to me by my master along with the method to refine it. It can sever the connection between an opponent and their magical treasures, then claim those treasures for its own use. What do you think?"

Sun Wukong asked, "When you fought with Brother Bull, you took his iron rod. After eight years of refining, what progress have you made?" The Yu King chuckled, "No significant additional use."

Sun Wukong was surprised, "If it has no use, why continue refining?" The Yu King replied, "This refining was only the initial forging. It still requires two more detailed engravings and formations to truly become the 'God-Slaying Ring.' By then, even a Taiyi Golden Immortal might flee at the sight of it."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Sun Wukong was astonished by the ring's formidable power, hence its domineering name. The Yu King openly shared the magical treasure's effects with Sun Wukong, bringing him joy.

Meanwhile, atop a distant peak, Tongfeng stood, feeling the Yu King's presence and overwhelmed with excitement. After thousands of years, to reunite with his brothers here was an incredible joy. In a few days, after rescuing Wuzhiqi, nearly all of the Seven Divine Monkeys would be together, a truly grand occasion.

The Yu King sensed something unusual and asked Sun Wukong, "Is that person atop the mountain one of us?" Sun Wukong smiled, "Of course, he's a close friend. Let me introduce you."

When they reached the peak, Tongfeng glanced at the Yu King and said calmly, "Yu King, you are awake." The Yu King shuddered, feeling the strange sensation Tongfeng brought him, then sat down cross-legged as if struck by a significant realization.

Sun Wukong was somewhat worried, but Tongfeng assured, "No worries, he's just awakened. It will take some time for him to process many past memories."

The three monkeys on the mountain peak, frail and small, seemed as if a strong wind could blow them away. Yet, they stood or sat like statues, as if they had existed since the dawn of time, unchangeable by anyone.

Three days later, the Yu King opened his eyes, stood up, and smiled at Sun Wukong and Tongfeng, saying, "I'm back!" Sun Wukong and Tongfeng exchanged smiles. The Yu King, the divine monkey feared by immortals and Buddhas, had returned. Unlike Tongfeng, the Yu King's confidence remained even after learning of his divine monkey identity, supported by a strong self-assurance that he was still the formidable nemesis of gods and Buddhas.

Sun Wukong saw that Tongfeng seemed to have something to discuss with the Yu King, so he quietly descended the mountain peak and sat down below to enjoy the delicacies offered by the White Rhino King. Two hours later, Tongfeng and the Yu King came down together, with Tongfeng having already shared Sun Wukong's plans with the Yu King, who now looked at Sun Wukong with added respect. The three returned to the Water Curtain Cave and joyously drank together. During the feast, they shared amusing and joyful stories, fully aware of the hardships and numerous trials on their path ahead, yet their conversation was filled with the poetic grace of a wind sweeping through the chilly waters of the Yi River.

After discussing their plans, they decided to set out the next day to rescue Wuzhiqi.

The next morning, the trio rose into the clouds from Mount Huaguo, heading toward Beijuluzhou in the north. They had barely traveled a dozen miles when Sun Wukong glanced back and saw six auspicious clouds above Mount Huaguo, carrying hundreds of brightly armored soldiers, and realized they could not proceed as planned. Thus, they turned their clouds around and returned.

Before they even reached the ground, they heard someone shouting from afar, "The heavenly soldiers are here, you demon monkeys and demon bull, come out and surrender, and you shall be spared!" On the six auspicious clouds stood six heavenly generals, each commanding a hundred heavenly soldiers, clearly here to capture Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King. As Sun Wukong approached, he recognized Bi Moon Crow and Wei Earth Pheasant from the Twenty-Eight Constellations on the front two clouds, and on the four clouds behind them stood the four heavenly generals from whom he had absorbed Fate in the heavenly court.

Sun Wukong smirked to himself, thinking it was a good turn of events. He hadn't sought them out, yet they had come to him.

However, Sun Wukong was mistaken about their identities. Bi Moon Crow and Wei Earth Pheasant were from the Western Constellations, while the other four were from the Eastern Constellations. These four had exhausted their schemes and caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of mortals, with most of the Fate they sought being absorbed by Sun Wukong inadvertently. They had presented an empty pot to the Jade Emperor, which led to their severe punishment, as they were still unaware of the full circumstances.

Now, Bi Moon Crow and Wei Earth Pheasant were leading a group to capture Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King, with the Jade Emperor sending the other four to make amends for their mistakes.

Among them, the one with a pale face, red eyes, and earlobes touching his shoulders was FangXin Rabbit; the one with narrow eyes, a sharp mouth, and a flirtatious demeanor was Xin Yue Fox; the one with a majestic, kingly aura was Weihuo Tiger; and the one with a slender body, huge head, and neck slightly leaning forward was Ji Huo Leopard. These four, accustomed to the leisure of heaven, were now filled with resentment.

Below on Mount Huaguo, chaos ensued as the monkeys and the seventy-two cave demons panicked and ran amok. Sun Wukong shook his head, thinking that demons, after all, lacked discipline and order, scattering at the first sign of heavenly soldiers. He resolved to properly organize them later.

Suddenly, a large figure leaped from a distant desolate mountain, laughing heartily, "Well then, let's see how my newly acquired divine powers fare."

Seeing a leader emerge, the group of demons calmed down and watched the battle in the sky attentively.

Sun Wukong, Tongfeng, and the Yu King whispered among themselves, deciding to hide in distant clouds and capture any escapees. This cautious move was because Tongfeng and the Yu King, with their remarkable cultivation, could easily be distinguished from lesser demons, and revealing themselves might attract even more powerful beings. It was best to keep a low profile for now.

The Bull Demon King, with his seven-foot stature and an iron club as thick as a ruler, swung a blow that could sweep away thousands, aiming at Bi Moon Crow. Seeing the ferocious attack, Bi Moon Crow dared not meet it head-on and dodged, leaving his hundred heavenly soldiers to bear the brunt of the attack. The quick-witted ones had already dodged, but at least thirty to forty soldiers were struck by the club, resulting in a gruesome scene of limbs and bodies scattered across the sky.