Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

That night, under the bright moon, Lu Yu, as usual, sat in meditation practicing Qi Cultivation. The essence of the sun and moon beckoned the lung's Metal Qi, which when Metal Generates Water flowed into the kidneys, passed through the liver and transformed into Wood Qi, and in turn summoned Heart Fire to spur the spleen into producing Earth Energy.

The Five Elements circulated endlessly in creation.

At that moment, he sensed something and walked to the door, where he found a monkey's Soul, prostrate in the courtyard. He observed it carefully and felt an air of familiarity. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the Red-Buttocked Horse Monkey, a monkey under Sun Wukong's command—the monkey that had been appointed as Marshal Ma.

"Ah, Marshal Ma! It has been a long time! What brings you here today?" Lu Yu had once stayed on Huaguo Mountain for a while and was quite familiar with these monkey spirits because he enjoyed explaining to them the intricacies of cultivation practice. Thus, they had immense respect for this great friend of their King.

The Marshal of Huaguo Mountain, upon seeing Lu Yu, was very pleased, "Master, it's been a long time since we last met, and yet you still possess your elegant demeanor. My Great King has proclaimed himself the Great Sage Equalling Heaven and is hosting a grand assembly of demons.

He has specifically sent me to invite you to the feast!" Having said that, he respectfully handed the invitation over to Lu Yu.

Lu Yu unfolded the invitation and found inside the monkey's awkward and unsightly characters, roughly outlining his own experiences. In the letter, he cursed the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord as a deceitful old man, whose actions had caused him to be ridiculed.

Now that he had proclaimed himself the Great Sage Equalling Heaven, he was determined to wash away the shame of being called Protector of the Horse and, thus, was hosting a grand banquet to spread his fame, inviting Lu Yu, his dear friend, to the feast.

Seeing the childlike handwriting of the letter brought a smile to Lu Yu's face. This vanity-driven monkey indeed had come this far. He thought it had been quite some time since he'd last seen his good friend, and it would be nice to visit Huaguo Mountain.

"I have received the invitation. Tell your Great King that I will be there on time for the banquet. Since you're spirit wandering in the night, I won't keep you. It's important for you to hurry back," said Lu Yu.

He had a good relationship with the monkey spirits and had wanted to offer a resting place in his courtyard, but since Marshal Ma was in soul travel form and Great Chen was far from Huaguo Mountain, there might not be enough time to return before dawn.

"Understood, Master. We shall await your distinguished presence in Huaguo Mountain. When the time comes, we hope you will stay for a longer visit," said the marshal, who then performed a parting salute as taught by Lu Yu before turning into a breeze and leaving.

On the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit in the Eastern Land of Superior Virtue, flowers vied for beauty, and trees were lush and verdant. A flag bearing the four characters "Great Sage Equalling Heaven" fluttered high on the peak of the tallest mountain.

The Mountain of Flowers and Fruit was exceptionally lively today; the monkeys rose early to sweep the courtyards and arrange the venue. Soon, demon kings from all directions arrived one after another. In an instant, the entire mountain was pervaded by an overwhelming demon aura, drawing the attention of the immortals and gods from afar.

Within The Water Fall Cave where the banquet had begun, sat a majestic monkey at the center, clothed in Golden Chainmail Armor, with lotus silk cloud-walking boots on his feet and a phoenix-winged purple gold crown on his head. It was the protagonist of this feast, the self-proclaimed Great Sage Equalling Heaven, Sun Wukong.

To his left and right were six demon kings, each emitting a powerful demon aura—Sun Wukong's six sworn brothers: the Bull Demon King, the Serpent King, the Roc Demon King, the Camel King, the Macaque King, and the Guru King. They were all renowned demon kings, and Lu Yu sat among them, observing these famed demons closely.

"Who is this scholar, and what right does he have to sit as an equal among us?" The Serpent King, who had a penchant for devouring humans, was greatly discontent to see a human sitting on an equal footing with them, the demon kings.

"The scholar is a brother of mine, Sun Wukong. How could he not be seated at this table!" The Monkey King furrowed his brow. Although he often frolicked with these demon kings and felt a certain kinship with them, when it came to depth of affection, surely Lu Yu, who had always accompanied him in seeking the Dao and Immortals, held more significance.

"If this Demon King is not convinced, how about we spar to see if I deserve to sit at this table!" Lu Yu naturally knew that the Monkey was standing up for him, but he also wanted to properly assess the strength of these famous Demon Kings. Compared to the Monkey, Lu Yu felt that even if he were not a match for them, his life would not be in danger."

"What bravery! Just for that statement, I, Old Bull, toast to you!" The leading Bull Demon King said boisterously. The other Demon Kings also cheered him on.

"You've got guts, Scholar, but don't regret it later!" With those words, the Serpent King took out his personal weapon, a Trident, stood in mid-air, and issued a challenge to Lu Yu.

Lu Yu certainly wouldn't refuse and soared into the sky. The Serpent King, with his Trident in hand, followed closely.

Suddenly, the wind rose and clouds surged. The Serpent King, following the path of the Battle Immortal, attacked with wide and powerful swings, putting pressure on Lu Yu like a mountain bearing down. However, Lu Yu's swordplay was light and clever.

Knowing that the Demon race possessed strong bodies, he didn't match them in physical strength but instead adopted a strategy of engaging in an extended battle without confronting them head-on.

The Serpent King might have had a tough physique and enormous strength, but ever since Lu Yu had stimulated the Five Qi, he had been refining his body day and night. The Body Forging Technique he comprehended was also very compatible with him, so at this point, his flesh was no weaker than that of the Serpent King.

The two exchanged blows evenly, but strength could not last forever, and before long, the Serpent King began to lose his patience. He styled himself the Great Saint of the Sea and could not bear the shame of being unable to defeat a human Scholar after such a long struggle.

However, Lu Yu's sword was truly difficult to handle, as even a graze from the Sword light could cause injury, which was a serious headache for the Serpent King.

As time passed, the Serpent King increasingly found it difficult to keep up his strength, while Lu Yu became more and more vigorous. The Boundless Sea Technique he comprehended was exactly about accumulating and releasing in waves, especially suited for drawn-out battles. Suddenly, he went from defense to offense, and his Sword light seemed to turn into a midday sun, encircling the Serpent King.

The Serpent King inwardly cursed and jumped towards the sky to escape the encirclement of Sword light, planning to suppress Lu Yu with his speed. Unexpectedly, at that moment, he heard Lu Yu softly utter the word "Stop."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Instantly, he felt as if his body and Soul were frozen, unable to move at all. That's when Lu Yu summoned the Treasure Vase, which grew larger with the wind and smashed down towards the top of the Serpent King's head.

The smash left the Serpent King dizzy, unable to control his own body, and he spat out a mouthful of Essence Blood. By the time he recovered his senses, he saw that the troublesome Flying Sword was already firmly positioned at his forehead.

By then, the Monkey and a few others had already rushed to the battlefield. The Monkey pulled Lu Yu back, and the Bull Demon King persuaded the Serpent King. They all said, "We're all brothers here, let's not ruin the harmony!"

Having tested the capabilities of his two Magical Treasures, Lu Yu naturally agreed. Although the Serpent King felt humiliated, he knew that Lu Yu had shown restraint, so he gracefully accepted the out and soon the atmosphere of the feast became merry again.

However, from that point on, no one dared to underestimate Lu Yu, and no one dared to object to his seating at the banquet, as after all, they were not the Serpent King able to withstand that Immortal Sword. Thus, the guests and the host enjoyed themselves, toasting and laughing together.