Chapter 21

After catching up with Sun Wukong, Yang Zhen left the Heavenly Court.

Calculating the time, Yang Zhen and the Bull Demon King had fought for a month, and he had spent half a day wandering around the Heavenly Court. It had been more than half a year since he left Fangcun Mountain. It was time to return. Overall, this trip had been very enjoyable for Yang Zhen. Not only did he make the Bull Demon King run in fear, but he also pranked his second master, and finally met Sun Wukong, whom he hadn't seen for a hundred years. It was truly a worthwhile journey.

In the clouds, Yang Zhen watched the clouds rapidly recede as he thought about his experiences in the mythological world and the events to come. He felt a surge of excitement. "I didn't realize I was such a passionate person," Yang Zhen thought. He was now filled with anticipation for the future. No matter whether the future path was dangerous or full of opportunities, he felt that his journey through time had been worthwhile. After all, he had already lived for over a hundred years. If he were on Earth, he would probably have a bunch of great-grandchildren by now.

Living so much longer, he felt he had gained a lot.

Speaking of grandchildren, Yang Zhen realized he was still a bachelor. He remembered feeling jealous when he saw the Bull Demon King.

"However, looking at the appearance of Master Subhuti, it seems I won't be allowed to leave Fangcun Mountain until after Sun Wukong causes chaos in the Heavenly Court," Yang Zhen speculated. "Master Subhuti clearly doesn't want me to get involved in Sun Wukong's affairs. This also shows that the 'Journey to the West' was planned by the Buddhist sect long ago, and Master Subhuti's decision to take Sun Wukong as a disciple was well-calculated. But since Master Subhuti doesn't want me to get involved in the chaos in the Heavenly Court, it's probably to protect me. Sun Wukong was only sealed under the Five Elements Mountain because he still had the 'Journey to the West' mission. If I had also participated in the chaos, I would likely have been struck by five thunderbolts and completely destroyed."

While flying, Yang Zhen suddenly noticed something flashing below. He stopped to look and saw two orbs of light, one large and one small, entangled and colliding with each other, as if they were fighting.

Yang Zhen quietly landed and found that two demons were fighting. It seemed they were fighting over a cave.

Looking around, the green trees were lush, and the mountains were layered, presenting a primitive landscape. At the foot of the mountain, a deep ravine wound from west to east, with layers of white mist floating halfway up the mountain, adding a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. The two demons, though transformed into human form, still retained most of their demonic characteristics.

One of them seemed to be a crab demon, with hands still in the form of large pincers, waving them vigorously. The other demon wielded a crescent-shaped spade, moving with lightning speed, fighting the crab demon. Although he was at a disadvantage, his martial arts were far superior to the crab demon's. However, his cultivation was far less than the crab demon's, which put him at a disadvantage.

Seeing the demons fighting, Yang Zhen lost interest and planned to leave. First, these demons hadn't harmed humans; second, they hadn't provoked him, so he didn't bother; third, the demons fighting each other was something he wanted to see. "Let them fight it out; it's good for them to bite each other."

The demon at a disadvantage, sensing his life was in danger, transformed into his true form. It was a nine-headed insect, with feathers like brocade, a body as large as a dozen feet, and a shape similar to a turtle. Its two feet were sharp like hooks, and its nine heads were clustered together. Its wings were excellent for flying, even surpassing a large roc in strength; its voice could be heard from afar, even louder than a crane's. Its eyes sparkled with golden light, and its pride was unmatched by any ordinary bird.

Seeing the true form of the demon, Yang Zhen stopped in his tracks. He didn't expect to see a nine-headed insect here, which was quite a surprise.

The nine-headed insect was one of the most powerful demons in the entire "Journey to the West." It could fight Sun Wukong to a standstill and even escape from the combined attack of nearly ten experts, including Sun Wukong, Yang Jian, Zhu Bajie, and the Six Saints of Meishan, showing its extraordinary abilities.

Over the past hundred years, Yang Zhen had read many books about the secrets of the three realms from Master Subhuti. Seeing the true form of the nine-headed insect, he guessed that it was a descendant of the ancient divine bird 'Gui Che,' the Nine-Headed Phoenix. Although its bloodline was extremely diluted, it still possessed the blood of the ancient world, making it extremely extraordinary.

No wonder the nine-headed insect could escape in such a dire situation; it had such a prestigious background.

At this moment, the demon fighting the nine-headed insect also revealed its true form, which was a river crab demon. Although their bloodlines were vastly different, the river crab demon, despite being an ordinary demon, had a much higher cultivation than the nine-headed insect. When both demons revealed their true forms, the nine-headed insect fell back into a disadvantage. If this continued, it would inevitably die in battle.

"Brother over there, if you help me defeat this crab demon, I will surely reward you greatly," the nine-headed insect, seeing that he was about to be killed by the crab demon, suddenly noticed Yang Zhen watching from a distance. Thinking that anyone who dared to watch their fight from such a close distance must not be an ordinary person, he asked Yang Zhen for help, hoping he would drive away the crab demon.

Hearing the nine-headed insect's voice, the crab demon also noticed Yang Zhen and quickly said, "Brother, this nine-headed insect has the blood of the ancient world. After killing him, both of us can obtain the ancient bloodline, which will greatly benefit our cultivation."

Hearing this, the nine-headed insect became anxious. If Yang Zhen joined the fight against him, he would have no chance of survival. Thinking this, the nine-headed insect hurriedly shouted, "Brother, although I have the blood of the ancient world, it is extremely diluted. Moreover, my bloodline is different from yours and cannot be compatible. My bloodline will not benefit you at all."

"Brother, don't be deceived. The blood of the ancient world is extremely precious. Even a sip can increase one's cultivation. The essence blood of this nine-headed insect will definitely raise our cultivation to a higher level," the crab demon continued to persuade.

Increase cultivation?

Hearing this, Yang Zhen's eyes suddenly lit up. Anything that could increase cultivation was exactly what he needed most at the moment. At this moment, his gaze towards the nine-headed insect was as aggressive as a hungry man looking at a chicken leg burger.

Seeing the change in Yang Zhen's expression, the nine-headed insect knew he had been swayed. At this moment, the nine-headed insect was filled with regret. He had known that his bloodline was highly attractive to demons, yet he had foolishly called for help from a demon. Sigh! It seemed he was doomed today.