WuKong: The Monkey King

Chapter 31 The Attempt to Capture the Cicada

The golden-winged roc was hiding among the lower clouds, feeling deeply dejected. He was no ordinary creature, being the younger brother of the Great Peacock Ming Wang Bodhisattva from the Western Heavens. Born with a pair of storm-wielding wings, his true form featured a left wing that conjured winds and a right that wrapped thunder—truly formidable. Each flap of his wings could cover a distance of ninety thousand miles.

Since his birth, aside from the Western Tathagata Buddha, he had never met an equal. Driven by curiosity, he had traveled to the Eastern Victorious Divine Continent for leisure and, upon hearing of Mount Huaguo, he had come to see it himself.

To him, although the scenery of Mount Huaguo was extraordinary, it still could not compare to the wonders of the Western Heavens. Being proud and aloof by nature, he spoke his mind openly, which unfortunately enraged a wild ox, leading to a fierce battle.

To his utter astonishment, he found himself unable to gain the upper hand with his abilities alone, and was forced to engage in evasive combat, suffering a humiliation he hadn't experienced for a millennium.

Seeing that the monkey above was also a formidable opponent, he realized that seeking justice might be difficult this time.

While Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King were conversing superficially, both were inwardly cautious. Wukong, coming from a future era, knew that the golden-winged roc was a cunning and ruthless adversary who would not let the matter rest after a setback.

Indeed, not long into their conversation, Wukong felt a chilling surge from below as a huge sharp beak emerged from the clouds, aiming directly at them with an imposing force. Wukong swung his staff to strike it.

At that moment, the Bull Demon King shouted, "Let me handle this!" Nursing a grudge against the roc, he dove down headfirst, his horns gleaming as they met the roc's sharp beak.

Wukong was horrified; a head strike was risky and could lead to mutual destruction. As expected, the roc, seeing the Bull Demon King descending, showed an expression of disbelief and hurriedly turned to dodge, but in his haste, the Bull Demon King's right horn caught on the roc's right wing.

With a loud crack of thunder, both screamed in pain. The Bull Demon King's right side of the face was scorched by the thunderous wing, while the roc fared worse, his wing drooping, unable to fly.

"Brave ox! Today, unless I reduce you to ashes, I shall not return to the Western Heavens!" the roc declared furiously.

The Bull Demon King, channeling his mystical energy to heal, chuckled, "With a broken wing, where can you, birdman, flee?"

Witnessing such fierce combat shocked Wukong. Reflecting on himself, he realized he had never endured such trials in battle, whereas the Bull Demon King, naturally inclined towards combat, grew stronger with more formidable opponents, prompting Wukong to inwardly voice his shame.

Despite his severe injury, the roc seemed unconcerned, knowing such wounds required only a bit more effort to heal. However, with the Bull Demon King's robust physique, he admitted he had no way to inflict harm. Silently, the roc was plotting how to gain an advantage by cunning, recalling an encounter from years ago; he decided to employ a strategy of discord, aiming to set the two adversaries against each other to create an opportunity for himself.

Unbeknownst to him, Wukong was also taken aback by seeing the roc's true form—a massive body about five hundred yards long, with wings spanning over a thousand yards, and a beak and claws as dark and sharp as wrought iron. A glowing pearl adorned his head, his golden eyes reflecting sunlight and moonlight, and his feathers like golden blades, terrifying to behold.