The Monkey King had a notoriously violent temper in his earlier years. It was only in recent years, forced into seclusion due to injuries, that he had gradually become more placid.
However, this did not mean he had truly lost his ferocity.
After venting his frustration, he slumped dejectedly onto the pile of bones.
He was no longer the omnipotent Monkey King of old.
He was dead.
For the first time, the Monkey King knew that even a wisp of a remnant soul could feel pain.
“Xu Yi, the demons have brought me to this pass. I am irreconcilably opposed to them. Come closer, and I will tell you another secret.”
The Monkey King suddenly leaped up, beckoning Xu Yi.
Xu Yi leaned in as instructed.
The Monkey King whispered rapidly into Xu Yi’s ear, a flash of light occasionally appearing in Xu Yi’s eyes.
“…No one but him knows this secret. You must keep it for me, I implore you.”
Xu Yi straightened up and nodded. “I can swear upon my Dao heart.”
“There’s no need for that,” the Monkey King waved a hand. “You have fulfilled my previous request, which shows you are a person of your word. I trust you.”
“Xu Yi, you now know how to use the Soul-Releasing Bell. I have a few more things to entrust to you. Whether you agree or not is up to you. I have no regrets in death.”
The Monkey King spoke with a carefree air, but Xu Yi could still see its rapidly fluttering eyelashes, a sign of nervousness.
The Monkey King’s return to its nascent state had also brought about significant changes in its mentality.
“Monkey King, please speak. If I can accomplish it, I will do my best.”
Xu Yi held a good impression of the Monkey King and was willing to help the War God of the demon race fulfill his last wishes.
“That would be wonderful. You don’t need to bother with my corpse, but my life-bound magical artifact, the Suixin Cudgel, is hidden behind my right ear. After you leave, please give it to Old Hei for me.
Ah, Old Hei is the black-furred ape that led you to my cave dwelling. It has been by my side for many years, and the Suixin Cudgel is all I have to gift it.
Also, Monkey King Mountain must be in ruins by now, but tell Old Hei and the others not to move away. Even in death, I will continue to guard Monkey King Mountain until a new Monkey King is born.
Of course, I won’t let you help for nothing. The corpse of the Heaven-Swallowing Python is a prized possession and will be of great use to you. I give it to you.”
The Monkey King’s last wishes were not complicated, and Xu Yi agreed to them one by one.
Upon learning that she would also receive the Heaven-Swallowing Python’s corpse as a reward, Xu Yi had even less reason to refuse.
“Xu Yi, remember your promise, remember your promise…”
After Xu Yi agreed to all the Monkey King’s requests, its figure gradually blurred, and its voice grew weaker.
Xu Yi took a step forward, about to say something more, when she felt a powerful pushing force coming from all directions.
Xu Yi swayed, and when she opened her eyes again, she was in the desolate and ruined Monkey King Mountain.
She had returned.
At the same time, powerful fluctuations within Monkey King Mountain were gradually subsiding, seemingly heralding the demise of a powerful being.
Ji Buwang’s expression also changed drastically.
Because he sensed that the familiar aura, the one he recognized, was also fading.
“Monkey King…”
“The Monkey King has passed.”
Ji Buwang turned to look at Xu Yi, who had spoken at the same time, his eyes full of inquiry.
Only then did Xu Yi realize that although she had been conversing with the Monkey King in the spatial realm for a long time, the flow of time in the outside world seemed to have stood still.
This meant that Ji Buwang had not noticed any abnormality in her.
Xu Yi, while gazing at the desolate Monkey King Mountain, recounted her experience to Ji Buwang.
Ji Buwang’s dark eyebrows gradually furrowed. Clearly, the Monkey King’s death had also had a profound impact on him.
When he heard that Xu Yi discovered that all of this originated from the demons, a flash of killing intent crossed Ji Buwang’s brow.
A thousand years ago, when the demons signed a peace treaty with Liu Jinghong, they had already intended to break it.
Ji Buwang shuddered at the thought that the demons had been plotting their return to the Kyushu Continent for the past thousand years.
This reignited his dissatisfaction with Liu Jinghong.
If not for Liu Jinghong, the demons would have been utterly eradicated a thousand years ago and would not have left behind any future troubles.
“Let’s go and bid farewell to the Monkey King together.”
Xu Yi, unaware of Ji Buwang’s thoughts, made a suggestion.
“Alright.”
This time, Xu Yi and Ji Buwang did not rush as they had when fleeing for their lives. Instead, they cleared away the rubble bit by bit, creating a wide passage.
The passage had been destroyed by the mountain’s tremors, but the cave dwelling remained intact.
After entering the cave dwelling, Xu Yi and Ji Buwang did not rush forward. Instead, they stopped where they were and performed three farewell bows to the Monkey King.
After the bows, Xu Yi stepped lightly, her body rising into the air. She reached the Monkey King’s right ear and retrieved an inconspicuous small staff hidden behind it.
It was inconspicuous because the staff was only as long as Xu Yi’s arm and was hidden amongst the Monkey King’s fur. If one did not search carefully, it would be difficult to find.
Ji Buwang, on the other hand, was responsible for collecting the Heaven-Swallowing Python’s corpse. Storage bags or rings have limited storage space. Only Ji Buwang’s personal space could hold such a massive snake corpse.
“Xu Yi, look quickly.”
Just as Xu Yi was putting away the Suixin Cudgel and moving towards Ji Buwang’s location, she heard Ji Buwang’s call.
She instinctively followed the direction of Ji Buwang’s gaze and almost cried out in surprise.
Below the Monkey King’s feet, a ball of white flame had suddenly appeared.
This flame did not appear out of thin air; rather, it seemed to erupt from within the Monkey King’s body.
Furthermore, the flame was continuously rising upwards from the Monkey King’s feet.
Beneath the white flame, the Monkey King’s solid flesh had disappeared, leaving only bare white bones.
Xu Yi could not help but take a step forward, immediately feeling the chilling aura emanating from the white flame.
“It’s Bone Flame Fire, a flame that legend says specializes in purifying the physical body.”
The reason it was a legend was that Bone Flame Fire only appeared at a specific time: when a cultivator failed their ascension. As a punishment, the Bone Flame Fire would consume both the cultivator’s physical body and their soul.
Upon seeing the Bone Flame Fire, Xu Yi finally understood why the Monkey King had specifically instructed her not to bother with its corpse. It seemed it had anticipated that its body would not be preserved.
Xu Yi also finally understood how the Monkey King had killed the Heaven-Swallowing Python.
In order to permanently defeat the Heaven-Swallowing Python, the Monkey King had consumed spiritual medicine, disregarding its injuries and choosing to forcefully pursue ascension. This brought its power to an unprecedented peak.
The Heaven-Swallowing Python, perhaps unaware of the Monkey King’s true condition, was intimidated by the power it displayed and dared not counterattack head-on. With the Monkey King gaining strength and the Heaven-Swallowing Python weakening, the latter was forever trapped on Monkey King Mountain.
The Monkey King, as expected, failed its ascension. After the medicinal effects of the Fire Paste Fruit completely dissipated, it was consumed by the Bone Flame Fire.
Xu Yi and Ji Buwang silently gazed at the Monkey King’s dissolving physical body, which ultimately left behind only a giant, jade-like skeleton. Their hearts felt heavy.
This was not their first encounter with death.
However, it was the first time they had witnessed the fall of a revered great power. The feeling was truly indescribable.