Chapter 133: The Multi-Eyed Fire Monkey

Chapter 133: The Many-Eyed Fire Monkey

There were not hundreds or thousands of monsters before Wu Hong, but only one. At first glance, it looked like a monkey, yet merely looking at it made one’s skin crawl.

It was like a human being confronted by a centipede with a thousand legs. A centipede might be a poisonous insect, and one bite could perhaps be fatal, but no one would willingly provoke such a weak creature.

The monkey before him, however, was far from weak. The fluctuations of true qi throughout its body had already reached the pinnacle of the Postnatal realm.

What truly made the sight horrifying was that, apart from its head, which resembled that of a monkey, its chest, abdomen, arms, and legs were all covered with blood-red, glaring eyes.

Each eye looked much like a human eye, veined with blood and hideously savage. The monkey’s fiery red fur was long, fluttering in the wind like flames.

Fiery-red true qi coiled around the grotesque monkey’s body. The waves of heat it emitted were even more intense than those of the surrounding clouds of fire. In its hand, it held a blazing red staff, its material impossible to identify. Yet when it saw Wu Hong, it did not attack immediately. Its expression was solemn, and it was clearly wary of him.

Wu Hong stared at the monkey, whose very appearance chilled him to the bone. Suddenly, a voice rang in his ears.

“Human? You have crossed the boundary. Do you not know that this is the Barrier of Heaven and Earth?”

Wu Hong was startled, then quickly understood. Monsters whose cultivation had reached the Marrow-Refining realm could generally communicate with humans. As long as communication was possible, matters would be easier to resolve.

He immediately said, “I do not know what you mean by crossing the boundary. I merely wish to find out whether the region above the heavens is where the Innate experts gather, and why none of those Innate masters are able to return to the human world. That is what I wish to know. Once I have my answer, I will return at once.”

“It has been a long time since I saw a human from the lower realm as powerful as you. To cross the Heavenly Dipper Black-Wind Cloud Layer despite being at the pinnacle of the Postnatal realm, you must possess extraordinary cultivation. You have earned the right to learn a portion of the truth.”

The strange monkey could not open its mouth and speak directly to Wu Hong, yet it was able to communicate with him through the mind.

“Pass through the Black Dipper Cloud Layer, the Fiery Red Domain, and the Mysterious Water Domain, then break through the seal of the Dark-Yellow Earth Layer. You will indeed reach the place where the Innate experts gather. But I still urge you to turn back immediately. Otherwise, you will set foot upon a path of no return and perish, your cultivation destroyed.”

Wu Hong had never expected that this terrifying monkey would possess such a benevolent heart. He was greatly surprised that it was actually trying to dissuade him.

The heart he had held tightly finally relaxed a little.

“Brother Monkey, what dangers lie above? And why are you here?” Wu Hong asked, voicing the doubts in his heart.

The monkey seemed to resonate with the clouds of fire filling the Fiery Red Domain. Though it had no wings, it could still fly. But if it remained forever in this place—or if it was the only living creature here—would it not be unbearably lonely?

“Why am I here?”

It had been a simple question, yet it plunged the monkey into memories of profound anguish.

“Why am I here? Who am I…?”

Because of Wu Hong’s question, the monkey suddenly went mad. Hundreds of eyes covering its body opened wide, and blood began to pour from them, creating a sight of unimaginable horror.

“Tell me—why am I here?”

The Many-Eyed Monkey suddenly swung the fiery-red staff in its hands. Vast clouds of fire surged forth, attacking Wu Hong directly.

Wu Hong was stunned. Moments ago, the monkey had still been conversing peacefully with him. Why had it become so enraged the moment he asked why it was here?

The enormous clouds of fire came rushing toward him, carrying searing heat. Wu Hong did not dare to be careless. His protective true qi erupted violently, forming a mighty bell that enveloped his entire body.

Even so, Wu Hong could still feel his skin burning. He was shocked. At the pinnacle of the Postnatal realm, he was virtually invincible on the ground. The Many-Eyed Monkey appeared to be at the same level, yet its attack possessed such terrifying might.

Had he underestimated the heroes of the world?

Wu Hong’s true qi surged. The Thousand-Handed Tathagata manifested behind him, its countless arms lashing wildly through the air. Golden true qi gathered into a great river and collided fiercely with the fiery clouds.

Boom!

The two violent currents of true qi crashed together, and an explosion rang out across the Fiery Red Domain.

One man and one monkey proved evenly matched. Both spat blood as their bodies flew backward at tremendous speed.

Wu Hong felt a chill in his heart. Even with hundreds of additional, solidified Tathagata arms, he had still been struck until he vomited blood. Although the monkey had suffered the same fate, this only proved how powerful it truly was.

After spitting out a mouthful of blood, the monkey regained a trace of clarity. It clutched its head with both hands and tore at it frantically. Fiery-red blood streamed from its scalp, while its face twisted in unbearable pain.

“Who am I? Who am I?”

Wu Hong did not attack. He simply watched.

Before long, the monkey’s hands shifted through a series of seals. Only after performing a secret art did it finally calm down, panting heavily.

“Do not ask me who I am or why I am here. Someone forcibly sealed my memories inside my mind, and I cannot answer your questions. I can only tell you that you must not go above. If you do, there is a great chance that you will never return.

“That is all I have to say. What happens next is up to you.”

The collision it had just endured had likely inflicted severe internal injuries, for its body trembled without cease.

After speaking, the monkey vanished amid the layers of fire clouds. It did not clearly explain what danger awaited above.

Yet Wu Hong remembered one sentence: if he went up, he might never return.

That brought to mind the Innate experts who had disappeared. Could the world above truly be the realm of the Innate masters?

Wu Hong’s heart was filled with boundless curiosity. Though the danger was impossible to predict, he still intended to investigate.

After an unknown length of time, Wu Hong passed through the Fiery Red Domain and arrived at the Mysterious Water Domain mentioned by the monkey.

The energy of the Mysterious Water Domain was the opposite of that of the Fiery Red Domain. Pale blue water energy filled every corner, gentle and tranquil.

Wu Hong immediately felt as though he were bathing in a wondrous force. His entire body became incomparably comfortable, and he sensed none of the danger the Many-Eyed Monkey had described.

He was puzzled.

“Could that monkey have lied to me?”

For a moment, Wu Hong could not make sense of it. Unlike the previous two layers, the Mysterious Water Domain contained no creatures guarding it. It was a space entirely devoid of life.

What Wu Hong failed to notice was that, at the junction between the Fiery Red Domain and the Mysterious Water Domain behind him, a thick wall of energy had formed, sealing off his path of retreat.

Even if Wu Hong withdrew all the energy from his body and allowed himself to fall, the thick barrier would stop him. He could no longer return to the continent below.

Wu Hong knew nothing of this. He simply continued flying toward the so-called world of the Dark-Yellow Earth Layer above.

Such endless upward flight demanded immense patience and endurance. Although Wu Hong’s true qi recovered with remarkable speed and remained perpetually full, flying upward without end still exhausted him mentally.

Several times, Wu Hong nearly gave up, wondering whether the so-called Dark-Yellow Earth Layer even existed.

After all, the reality differed greatly from the Many-Eyed Monkey’s description.

At last, Wu Hong noticed that the surrounding water energy had begun to grow muddy. The pale blue water energy was gradually turning a faint yellow.

Delighted, Wu Hong realized that he was about to reach the legendary Dark-Yellow Earth Layer. He immediately accelerated upward.

Slowly, an immense shadow appeared above him, stretching without end. It was as though the heavens and earth had reversed positions. Waves of heavy, majestic energy came surging down upon him.

Wu Hong was shaken.

Above him was a vast expanse of yellow-brown land.

Below his feet lay the boundless Mysterious Water Domain, an empty and ethereal void. Above him, however, was solid, weighty earth.

It was as if heaven and earth had been turned upside down.

The light and ethereal heavens were beneath him, while the heavy earth was above. The sight was enough to make one feel sick with disorientation. Beneath his feet was insubstantial emptiness, while above his head was something solid and real.

Wu Hong wanted to land upon the earth overhead, but found it utterly impossible. The heavy force within that land exerted not the slightest pull upon him. Instead, it repelled him with boundless strength, making it difficult even to approach.

“Must I break through this heavy earth above my head in order to enter the world where the Innate experts reside?”

Wu Hong muttered to himself. He was uncertain and somewhat doubtful of the Many-Eyed Monkey’s words.

Nevertheless, he was willing to try.

The Thousand-Handed Tathagata Dharma Body appeared once more.

The spiritual energy in this region was incomparably dense, constantly nourishing Wu Hong’s entire body. He continuously gathered energy, intending to reach his absolute peak and unleash a thunderous strike.

Just as he had done on the ground when he gathered all his strength into a single blow capable of shattering five great mountains, Wu Hong now drew in the energy of the entire realm.

The vital energy of heaven and earth surged wildly toward him. The dark-yellow earth energy and the deep-blue water energy poured into his body without distinction.

Only when Wu Hong felt his physical body beginning to crack and show signs of bursting did he gather all his true qi into a single, solidified golden Buddha palm.

This palm was hundreds of meters larger than the one he had manifested on the ground. It blotted out the sky and sun, though within this enormous space, size was only relative.

“Open!”

Wu Hong shouted. The enormous palm carried an endless gale as it struck directly toward the Dark-Yellow Earth Layer above.

Whoosh!

The dark-yellow earth energy and deep-blue water energy did not tear apart as easily as he had imagined.

Wu Hong felt as if his true-qi Buddha palm had struck a swamp. It sank into a mass of mud, making it extremely difficult to move even an inch.

He urged every strand of true qi within his body. This merely increased the speed of the attack by a small amount.

Boom!

At last, the great palm of true qi touched the Dark-Yellow Earth Layer overhead, smashing out a pit more than ten meters deep.

Wu Hong’s face lit up with delight.

There was hope!

Although it was difficult, the spiritual energy in this realm was abundant enough that his true qi was virtually inexhaustible. If one strike created a pit more than ten meters deep, what about ten strikes? A hundred?

Like the Foolish Old Man who moved mountains, his descendants would continue the work forever.

Before Wu Hong could launch a second attack, however, his eyes nearly fell from their sockets.

The deep pit he had created with tremendous effort healed in the blink of an eye. The earth overhead became perfectly smooth once more.

“I refuse to believe I cannot break through you!”

Wu Hong’s stubborn determination flared. He frantically urged his true qi and continued attacking the Dark-Yellow Earth Layer.

His entire body erupted with true qi, and his assaults became increasingly violent. Yet the faster he attacked with all his strength, the faster the Dark-Yellow Earth Layer recovered. The two forces rose in direct proportion, making it impossible to break through in a single attempt.

Wu Hong also discovered another problem.

How thick was this Dark-Yellow Earth Layer?

After attacking an unknown number of times, Wu Hong finally grew disheartened. Such ceaseless attacks were utterly useless. Unless he could solidify a thousand arms—or perhaps advance to the Innate realm—he might never be able to break through the Dark-Yellow Earth Layer.

Though unwilling to give up, Wu Hong still turned back, intending to return to the continent below.

Now that he had a definite goal and knew the route, his return journey was naturally much faster.

Wu Hong soon reached the boundary between the Mysterious Water Domain and the Fiery Red Domain.

Then he stared in astonishment.

At the junction of the two domains, directly beneath his feet, a stretch of land had appeared.

This was clearly not the continent where Wu Hong had lived. It was a new expanse of land that had suddenly emerged between the Fiery Red Domain and the Mysterious Water Domain.