Today we hail the Great Sage again, For once more the demon's miasma thickens.

A monkey of extraordinary powers emerged from the Flower-Fruit Mountain. He sought a master to learn the arts, took the Divine Needle that Anchors the Sea from the Dragon Palace, and proclaimed himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

Until he ruined the Peach Banquet.

Heaven and Earth were shaken.

This time, the heavens did not come with an edict of appointment—instead, they sent a hundred thousand celestial soldiers and generals, the Four Heavenly Kings, and even the True Lord of Manifest Holiness, who answered summons but not orders. Each was a deity of overwhelming cultivation, each an exalted being towering above all.

A world-shaking battle was imminent. Yet, without turning his head, he seemed to hear a voice tinged with amusement:

"They think I'm just a reckless monkey—unruly, violent, and resentful for not being invited to the Peach Banquet, acting out in defiance."

"But if the heavens are pierced once..."

"From now on, who needs Sun Wukong to wreak havoc in the celestial realm again?"

The sky drew near. Rolling dark clouds parted like a storm-tossed sea of stars, and even those in distant worlds could feel the overwhelming pressure.

He raised his eyes, his pupils the color of true gold, flickering as if forged in flames, growing ever brighter.

He stood between Heaven and Earth, a figure so towering that none could deny his defiance.

Yet, in Li Mo's nearly frozen thoughts, another story surfaced—

Jing Ke's assassination attempt on Ying Zheng.

Prince Dan, fearing the annihilation of Yan by Qin, asked Jing Ke to bring the map of Dukang to Xianyang Palace and assassinate Ying Zheng.

Jing Ke had an assistant named Qin Wuyang.

Upon entering the hall, Qin Wuyang—a violent man who had killed at thirteen—trembled in terror before Ying Zheng's majesty.

But Jing Ke remained calm and composed, ultimately unveiling the dagger hidden within the map.

The violent are weak at heart, only bold before those weaker than themselves. Faced with greater power, they crumble worse than cowards—like Qin Wuyang.

But those with true courage and fearlessness, driven by conviction, dare to strike at kings, tread upon the heavens, and defy the celestial order.

As this realization dawned—

The divine will that defied Heaven and Earth suddenly dispersed, then coalesced between his brows.

In an instant, a flood of spiritual insights surged through his mind, far more overwhelming than when he had received the "Monkey King’s Quest for the Dao" painting.

"Law of Heavenly Manifestation!"

"Body Outside Body Technique!"

"Three Heads and Six Arms!"

"Secret Art of Heavenly Battle"... "Body-Freezing Spell"... "Qi-Gathering Dispersal"... "Drawing Prisons on Earth"...

Countless divine abilities flashed before him—some he recognized from legends, others entirely unfamiliar, some even beyond description.

He was like a lone boat in a raging sea, nearly swallowed by the waves.

In his dazed state, a thought arose:

Family truly is reliable.

This divine will held nothing back—it seemed to give him everything it could, fearing only that he might not learn it all.

The Monkey King had given far too much. No wonder he'd ignored even celestial maidens as a child, staring only at the monkey...

Li Mo's face flushed, his mind trembling uncontrollably.

Just then, a soothing lunar radiance illuminated his heart, nourishing his spirit and restoring tranquility.

The ice block?

No time to dwell, no time to thank her.

Li Mo immediately focused on the divine inheritance he could now barely perceive.

"Secret Art of Heavenly Battle!"

As the knowledge imprinted in his mind, he glimpsed a figure battling amidst storm clouds.

"The golden monkey wields his thousand-pound staff, clearing the jade heavens of ten thousand miles of dust."

This was the essence of a warrior striking at the stronger, the method to overcome might with skill.

This single divine art alone strained his spirit to its limits.

Four apertures of insight—not enough.

At that moment—

The lunar radiance flared brilliantly!

A melodious zither note echoed in his ears.

One minute earlier—

"Another divine will gathered."

Ying Bing had just subdued a Blue Pheasant divine will within the Jade Phoenix Deity, integrating it as one of her forms.

"Subduing" did not always mean battle.

The Blue Pheasant excelled in water and music.

Mastery over water and musical resonance was enough to earn its acknowledgment.

With this, Ying Bing broke through—five apertures of insight.

"How is he?"

She withdrew the Jade Phoenix Deity and glanced at the table nearby.

Li Mo's face was flushed, his aura unstable, yet an unfamiliar, vast divine will pulsed around him.

He... was receiving a divine inheritance?

Ying Bing tilted her head.

This was no will from the Jade Phoenix Deity.

Nor had she seen him studying any divine will recently—where had this come from?

And this was unlike any divine form she knew...

Frowning, she noticed his spirit faltering and retrieved a zither from her doll-shaped pouch.

"Plink—"

A gentle, flowing melody arose, soothing even to those not immersed in divine insight.

The notes transformed into rippling water, enveloping the young man.

Li Mo's expression eased instantly.

"He’s nearing a breakthrough?"

Ying Bing sensed his spiritual state.

She guided the momentum.

Li Mo's eyelids fluttered slightly, as if sensing her aid, and he relaxed his mind.

From his spirit, Ying Bing perceived an immense, turbulent divine essence—unyielding yet wildly uncontrolled.

Stubborn as a mule.

Patiently, she used the lunar essence and zither notes to gently guide him.

Finally, a soundless click resonated in his spirit.

A barrier shattered.

A new horizon unfolded.

"How do you feel?"

Ying Bing put away the zither and crouched beside him, arms wrapped around her knees, watching intently.

Li Mo, still eyes closed, murmured as if dreaming:

"Today we hail... the Great Sage Sun."

"For the demonic mist... has returned..."

Ying Bing's ice-clear eyes flickered.

Great Sage Sun... who was that?

Last time, he had called her name in his dreams.

This "Great Sage Sun" must also be someone important to him...

She glanced at the dawn outside and chose not to wake him yet.

Sitting at the table, sipping tea in the rising morning light, her gaze lingered on him.

Almost as if catching herself staring too long, she turned her thoughts to the ongoing war.

"Though the Southern Border isn’t the heart of Great Yu, it was won through immense effort."

"Even descendants of the Great Shang are among the attackers."

"Emperor Jingtai once fully supported the Southern Suppressing King’s expansion—why now does the court hinder him, even recalling him to the capital mid-battle?"

Ying Bing lowered her eyes.

Anyone would find this suspicious.

Could this be linked to the chaos that later engulfed the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands?

And to the centuries without a single ascendant to immortality?

Just then, Li Mo opened his eyes.

Spotting Ying Bing nearby, he paused, reluctant to interrupt her thoughts.

He watched as the dawn light illuminated her jade-like features—serene, cold, her lashes glimmering with an almost sacred glow.

"You're awake."

Ying Bing only then realized that the young man, Li Mo, had also been secretly watching her for who knew how long.

"Just woke up."

"How do you feel?"

"Mm, refreshed and clear-headed. Let's go to the city walls. Do you think Commander Qu will be startled when he sees us?"

Li Mo stretched lazily and pushed the door open as he stood up.

"Childish."

Ying Bing watched Li Mo's figure walking ahead, his steps light. She gently tucked away a few stray strands of her dark hair and secured her jade hairpin, feeling as though those worries of hers no longer seemed so pressing.