Kung Fu Panda Fanfic - The Rise of a Hero

(II) The Path of Immortality

Po's concerns were not unfounded. The connection that the panda had developed with the flow of the universe was strengthened over the years. And just as he supposed, in a very distant place, beyond the earthly plane; even further away to the spirit world, a bloody battle was taking place.

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Very well readers, from this point I will go into depth in the story of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, protagonist of the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West" written by Wu Cheng. If you don't know the character, I recommend looking for a brief summary on the internet so you can better understand the plot of this story.

I also have to clarify that some of the names tend to vary depending on the translations. Especially names of objects and noble titles. As well as some events in the original plot of the novel. I will take the events that best suit my interests for this story.

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The panorama of the Heavenly Realm had been dyed red. The blood of more than a hundred thousand Heavenly Warriors from the Army of Heaven ran freely through the clouds and poured down onto the earth in a form of crimson rain in a heart-rending spectacle.

In his quest for immortality, the self-proclaimed Monkey King, Sun Wukong, had unleashed chaos in the heavenly realm only to indulge his greed. Sun Wukong, feared by gods and demons, was defeating with his bare hands an army who was considered invincible. With his magical staff, Ruyi Jingu Bang, he dealt powerful blows to his opponents capable of defeating hundreds of warriors at the same time.

His staff was capable of stretching beyond sanity, yet Sun Wukong wielded it like a light bamboo stick. The stick was made of solid iron, but as hard as diamond itself, and it gave its bearer supernatural abilities. According to legend, the staff displayed a beautiful scarlet red throughout all its splendor with golden finishes with engraved details on each extreme. Without a doubt, a work of art.

In an act of desperation, and seeing that Sun Wukong was unstoppable, the Jade Emperor, ruler of heaven, sea, earth, and the underworld, sent the four heavenly kings and Nezha, the Marshal of the Central Altar, to defeat him.

Sun Wukong faced everyone at once, and his pulse never wavered. Each heavenly king was as big as a mountain and so powerful that no one was foolish enough to stand up to them. But Sun Wukong faced them with a cynical smile on his face.

Despite his size, Sun Wukong defeated each of the kings, and eventually, faced off against Nezha. Their fight lasted for days. The marshal's mighty fire spear clashed hard with Sun Wukong's staff. The rumbles shook the heavens and were reflected as powerful thunders that ripped through the underworld.

However, Nezha was unable to hold him back and was defeated by the monkey king's greed. Sun Wukong longed for the throne. He wanted to proclaim himself the Jade Emperor and took the immortality he so longed for. But the heavenly realm still had a trump card hidden.

After an oversight, Sun Wukong was captured through the Bodhisattva of Mercy, Guanyin. The powerful spiritual being locked Sun Wukong in a magical cauldron that contained all of his powers. And there he was locked up for more than forty days.

The first few days the Monkey King tried with all his strength to destroy the cauldron from within, but with his powers sealed away there wasn't much he could do. And so, on the tenth day, the magic cauldron stopped shuddering. The skies had calmed down, the gods breathed with relief thinking that Sun Wukong had given up, but the reality was very distant.

Within his magical prison, Sun Wukong resorted to meditation to channel his powers back. For more than thirty-nine days, the ballot box remained silent, immovable. But on the dark night of the last day, the cauldron was uncovered, and Sun Wukong rose from within, stronger than ever.

His presence shook the heavens, his power was perceptible even from the earthly realm.Heaven it had not yet recovered, and was not prepared to withstand a second attack. The Jade Emperor watched in fear as his reign trembled, but instead, Sun Wukong turned around and slowly withdrew. Not before looking at the king with hatred and telling him with a terrifying voice.

Sun Wukong: - It has revealed to me the secret of immortality. Neither Puti Zhushi, nor books, nor peaches, nor wine, nor pills will give me what I long for. If I want to took immortality, I have to drink the blood of the Dragon Warrior. -

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Ok...ok. Yes, I know. This is going quite far from Kung Fu Panda... but to be able to unite both stories it is necessary. Let's say this part is equivalent to when Kai steals Oogway's Chi in the spirit realm, or when Shen returns to Gongmen, or when Tai Lung first shows up in prison.