Chapter Forty-Seven: Offering to the Sacred Treasure

Chapter Forty-Seven: Worship of the Treasure

“Look, is that the Monkey King?” someone among the crowd exclaimed, drawing everyone’s attention toward the valley.

The monkeys fell silent, parting to form a neat pathway. From the center strode a large monkey with golden fur, its presence imposing and majestic. In its hands, it carried a tray covered by an enormous leaf, concealing whatever lay beneath.

With each step of the golden Monkey King, the ground shook as if his body weighed heavily upon the earth. He advanced steadily toward the altar.

These monkeys displayed extraordinary intelligence and discipline, far beyond the ordinary. Clearly, the abundant spiritual energy of this small world had cleansed their minds, elevating them above mere animal instinct.

The golden Monkey King ignored the throngs gathered outside the valley, focusing solely on his ritual. Climbing the tall wooden altar, he placed the tray atop it.

The altar creaked under the weight of the offering, despite its seemingly small size, suggesting the object was far heavier than it appeared.

Wuhong, watching from the crowd, felt a surge of excitement. As the Monkey King revealed the tray, his own internal energy boiled—he knew the item might well be his weapon.

Everyone stared, transfixed by the altar and its mysterious treasure, their silence broken only by the heavy breathing of those tense with anticipation.

Suddenly, the Monkey King swept aside the massive leaf. Within the tray lay a hammer.

With a thunderous roar, the Monkey King called out, and all the monkey warriors and soldiers responded in kind, their cries echoing through the valley.

“What is that? Any weapon revered by these monkeys must surely be a divine artifact!” exclaimed someone, greed glinting in their eyes.

The sight of the weapon kindled desire in every gaze.

“Charge! Slaughter these savage monkeys! There are innate martial arts manuals in the Monkey Cave too!” shouted someone, igniting a frenzy as the crowd surged toward the valley.

Thousands of martial artists rushed forward, their numbers overwhelming and their battle cries shaking the heavens.

Wuhong was among them.

Within the valley, the Monkey King showed no sign of panic as the crowd advanced. Rising to his full height, he let out a furious roar. The monkey army swiftly formed ranks, ready to meet their foes.

Each monkey warrior held a massive, black wooden club crafted from special forest trees, their formation imposing and disciplined.

The chaotic mob of martial artists contrasted sharply with the orderly monkeys—the monkeys seemed more human, while the disordered fighters resembled wild beasts.

As the crowd approached the battlefield, a grove of trees lay ahead. Just as excitement peaked—

“Ah! Boom!” From the treetops, hundreds of monkeys appeared, hurling giant stones down onto the crowd below. The sudden ambush sent men and horses flying, catching everyone off guard.

Among the crowd were masters of the Bone Refining realm. Swords flashed, releasing energy blades ten meters long. Several monkeys were struck, bursting into blood mist as they fell.

Dozens of figures leapt into the trees, battling the monkeys. Weapons clashed with the wooden clubs, producing deafening sounds.

“Brother, wake up! Damn it! I’ll kill you beasts!” cried one man, cradling his companion whose head had been crushed by a thrown stone. Grief and rage drove him to leap into the trees, confronting a monkey.

Though the monkeys lacked human martial arts, their agility and cunning kept them locked in combat with their adversaries.

Wuhong activated the Great Sun Tathagata Vajra Palm technique. His hands expanded to dozens of meters, smashing stones with ease. The martial artists watched in awe, stunned by his might.

What technique was this? No one had ever heard of a martial art that could enlarge the human hand so drastically!

“Could it be an innate martial skill?” someone murmured.

The monkeys in the trees, seeing Wuhong’s ferocity and his rescue of many martial artists, focused their attacks on him, hurling stones his way.

Yet Wuhong was unfazed, sweeping his giant hands to crush the stones. Though the debris injured some nearby, none dared complain.

Wuhong’s actions eased much of the pressure, allowing the crowd to charge faster toward the valley.

The Monkey King, seeing the swarm of “ants” nearing the valley, roared. His already massive body suddenly expanded several more meters in height.

“Ah! Has the Monkey King become a demon? How can he grow so large?” someone cried.

The Monkey King seized a club nearly ten meters long, matching his new stature. With a few leaps, he landed among the crowd, sweeping his weapon with deadly force. Dozens of martial artists were slain instantly, their bodies torn apart before they could even scream.

“Humph—wicked beast, let me face you!” From the crowd charged a man straight at the giant monkey. His clothes were tattered, his figure lean—it was Li Haoyang, the Beggar Sect leader whom Wuhong had seen at the entrance to the Book Pavilion.

He moved like a leopard, leaping onto a tree tens of meters tall. His palms struck out, his voice booming: “Dragon Subduing Palm—”

True energy spiraled around him, forming a golden energy dragon fifty or sixty meters long. With a push of his palms, the dragon surged forward, its roar shaking the air.

The dragon’s force swept through the forest, breaking dozens of giant trees as thick as a man can embrace. Its power was terrifying.

Wuhong was amazed—this Beggar Sect leader was as formidable as rumored. The Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms truly lived up to their fame.

The giant monkey, seeing the golden energy dragon barreling toward him, raised his massive club overhead and brought it crashing down.

With a thunderous boom, the energy dragon shattered, and the monkey was hurled backward, smashing through dozens of trees.

Li Haoyang’s face paled.

The giant ape rose from the rubble, roaring to the heavens in rage. To be wounded by a mere human’s single strike was intolerable.

Sweeping his club with abandon, he killed dozens with each swing.

Li Haoyang, a master of the Postnatal Perfection stage and leader of tens of thousands of beggars, rarely met his match. Yet his strike had failed to destroy the foe, souring his expression as he charged again.

“Wicked beast—today I shall uphold justice!” Wrapped in golden energy, Li Haoyang soared a hundred meters into the air, astonishing all who watched. Such martial prowess was extraordinary.

He landed beside the giant monkey, striking at its face. Despite its size, the monkey dodged nimbly, countering with a sweeping club that shattered all before it, clearing a space dozens of meters wide.

Wuhong cared little for their epic duel; his focus remained on the altar and his weapon.

Seeing the crowd distracted, he darted and leapt onto the altar, joy filling his heart as he reached for the weapon.

“Don’t let that boy seize the divine weapon!” someone shouted, alerting both martial artists and monkey warriors, who turned to attack Wuhong.

Hundreds of energy blades and thousands of stones flew toward him.

Suddenly, Wuhong felt immense pressure and seethed with anger. These people showed no gratitude for his earlier rescue, and now they attacked him. Gathering his energy, he focused it into his palms.

His hands instantly expanded to a hundred meters. With a sweep of his right hand, he shattered hundreds of giant stones. His left hand swept away the energy blades.

His dominance stunned all—Li Haoyang and the giant monkey both abandoned their fight, rushing toward Wuhong.

Li Haoyang cast intricate hand signs in midair, pushing forward a golden energy dragon with a diameter of dozens of meters.

The giant ape was even more direct, swinging his massive club with a terrifying roar, as if to shatter the very space.

The crowd watched, shaken.

“Damn it—what have I done wrong? Why is everyone targeting me?” Wuhong roared to the sky. His gigantic golden energy hands seized the energy dragon.

The golden hand grasped the dragon, which struggled violently.

“Hmph—the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms are indeed formidable! Explode—” Wuhong’s true energy surged, and, with a sudden force, he crushed the energy dragon. The explosion thundered like a storm.

True energy radiated outward from Wuhong, the shockwave killing hundreds of martial artists and many monkeys.

Li Haoyang spat blood, gravely wounded. He glared at Wuhong, saying, “Your name is Hong Wu, yes? Your martial arts are extraordinary. One day, I shall visit you to learn more!”

His organs burned and froze alternately, the pain unbearable; if he did not flee now, he would surely die.

Just then, Wuhong sensed a force bearing down on him from above. The giant monkey, face twisted in fury, brought his club down upon Wuhong.

“Begone!” Wuhong’s Great Sun Tathagata Vajra Palm transformed into a massive energy fist, striking upward.

With a lightning crack, the giant monkey vomited a cloud of blood and was hurled backward.

The exchange between Wuhong and the two great masters was swift as lightning, its power immense. All human and monkey combatants were stunned into silence, watching Wuhong in awe.

Both sides trembled—who was this Hong Wu, so fierce and unknown in the martial world?

The monkeys, who revered their leader as a god, were shocked to see him defeated by a single blow. Sometimes, animals are purer in spirit, worshipping only strength. Now, faced with one who could subdue their king, the monkeys grew fearful and ceased attacking the humans.

Wuhong ignored them, elated as he reached for his weapon—the short-handled hammer.

Just as his hand was about to grasp the hammer, a shadow flashed by, snatching it away.

Wuhong and the martial artists were startled. A masked figure stood dozens of meters away, examining the hammer.

“Ah! That masked man—is it the Demon Hong Wu?” someone cried, exposing the man’s identity.

Wuhong was surprised. Looking closely, he saw that the figure was lean with sallow skin, a black cloth covering his face—just as Wuhong had appeared before his own skills had advanced.

“Who are you?” Wuhong demanded coldly.

The masked man glanced at Wuhong, a hint of surprise in his eyes. “Heh! I am Wuhong!”