Chapter 352 - 344: Frenzied Dance of Golden Patterns

That name. The name that filled the Monkey King with both pride and immense pressure. The name he once wanted to tell everyone he met, but now dared not speak.

The roar thundered in his ears, striking his heart like a bolt of lightning.

'What am I afraid of...?'

His Mentor's tone was a reprimand, but the starlight of Magic Power in his eyes pierced straight to the soul through their shared magical senses, conveying a sense of unwavering trust.

His next words were soft and gentle.

"Believe in yourself. You are worthy of this name!"

But these words detonated the bolt of lightning that had struck his heart.

A low, guttural growl rumbled in the Monkey King's throat. From his body to his soul, the sound began as a faint tremor and grew into a mechanical roar.

The Monkey King's expression turned ferocious, his fangs bared at the corners of his mouth. His fur grew increasingly lustrous, a faint golden sheen filling every hair.

"CHEE CHEE CHEE... ROAR ROAR ROAR..." "ROAR ROAR ROAR..." "AH... AH... ROAR..."

The surrounding troop of monkeys grew agitated. From the ground to the trees, the air was filled with a cacophony of their cries.

BOOM—

The Magic Power within the Monkey King's body erupted from its dormant state like a volcano.

A fierce gale erupted from the massive boulder where the Monkey King stood, blasting outward.

Golden, flame-like Magic Power erupted in a blaze, and a violent wind ravaged the tranquil heart of the forest.

"WHOOSH~~~~ WHOOSH~~~~"

The surrounding ancient trees swayed ceaselessly. The monkeys in their branches clung desperately to the thick trunks, shrieking in terror.

It was not just the monkeys. All the beasts deep within Baiyun Mountain, near its center, grew restless. The evolved beasts among them were even more sensitive, feeling an oppressive pressure.

To those who could see what ordinary people could not, golden Magic Power churned like a ceaseless flame. To the naked eye, the Monkey King's body was suffused with a golden light emanating from his very fur.

The dense trees surrounding the clearing and the stream on the ground both reflected the golden light. From a distance, it looked like a floodlight on the ground, shining up to the heavens.

The Monkey had no rod with him at that moment, but the Magic Power overflowing from his arm began to extend from the palm of his right hand.

His Mentor once said that when you find yourself overthinking and hesitating, further thought is useless. It's better to just act.

In his mind, countless phantoms of Martial Arts techniques and knowledge of Magic Patterns flashed by in a frenzy, until finally, they all blurred together into a formless haze.

At that very moment, the Golden Rod, forged from Magic Power, took form.

"Heaven-Opening~~!"

SWISH—

"BANG—"

The phantom of the rod swung wildly toward the sky. The air was instantly compressed until it exploded, and a furious, golden streak of light shot skyward like a blade.

A patch of the pre-dawn sky was illuminated ahead of time, and a thin layer of clouds was sliced in two by the impact.

"Sunder Mountain!"

"Rend Earth!"

"Churn the Seas!"

"Tempest!"

"ROAR~~"

...

The Monkey King became a blur of countless phantoms, brandishing his rod deep in the forest with the frenzy of a mad demon.

The swings of his rod carried no physical force, yet each one generated a fierce, explosive blast of wind pressure, tearing up the turf and sending fallen leaves flying wildly through the forest.

The other monkeys had already scattered. Some leaped from tree to tree to escape, while others were simply blown away. Fortunately, their agility saved them from injury.

In the entire rocky clearing by the central stream, only Qin Xiaoxia stood steadily to one side, watching the Monkey King dance with his rod.

...

On Sunrise Peak of Baiyun Mountain, a large group of tourists, determined to catch the sunrise, had woken up early with astonishing willpower, then climbed the mountain in the dark with even greater resolve.

Among them were Cao Qifeng and his friend.

Just as the group managed to reach the summit, a tremendous noise suddenly echoed from deep within the jungle. They couldn't make out what it was, only that it sounded like a sudden clap of thunder erupting from the ground in the unreachable depths of the forest.

The rolling sound waves echoed between the outer peaks, causing the tourists to lower their phones and gaze into the distance.

That was the very moment of Qin Xiaoxia's explosive shout.

"What was that sound? An explosion? Or was it a landslide somewhere?"

"It doesn't sound like one..."

"I don't think so. Hey, tour guide, do you know what that was?"

The tour guide had no idea either, so he couldn't offer an explanation.

Only a few minutes later, a golden light began to glow faintly in the distance. Since a thin layer of clouds covered the view from Sunrise Peak down toward the forest, the light appeared hazy, accompanied by the faint rumble of thunder.

SWISH—

A crescent of golden light shot into the sky, tearing the thin clouds apart and revealing the beam of golden light in its entirety.

After a moment of shock, some people hurriedly took out their phones to record. Everyone's attention was completely captivated by the sight.

Faint but distinct peals of thunder echoed from that direction.

As for the tour guide's suggestion that it might be a "Buddha's light" phenomenon, the younger tourists didn't pay it much mind. However, some of the older people bowed in that direction, murmuring prayers for a Bodhisattva's blessing.

The golden light did not completely fade for more than ten minutes. Only then did Baiyun Mountain grow quiet again. Or rather, it fell silent—not even the chirping of insects could be heard.

...

In several sentry posts at the edge of the restricted zone, alarms had already sounded. The soldiers on night watch were on high alert, while those who had been asleep were up and at their posts within minutes.

The military dogs in these posts were restless. One post in particular was larger, taller, and more fortified than the others. Inside were a male and female pair of adult tigers, as well as a mated pair of leopards.

It was clear that their time training in the primeval forest had worn away much of the fat and laziness from their days in captivity. Though not yet a match for truly wild beasts, they now possessed a savage ferocity.

At this moment, however, these fierce beasts were letting out low growls but dared not make a move. Several soldiers beside them were trying to calm them down.

Unlike the tourists on the peak, the soldiers in their forest posts were surrounded by dense vegetation that blocked their view of the light. Even the sound that reached them was much fainter.

"Platoon leader, what in the world is going on? What was that noise from the forest? An explosion?"

The platoon leader, a cigarette dangling from his lips, stroked the male tiger that was affectionately nudging him.

"Not sure. But it's not that simple. Judging by their reactions, something's wrong. Report this up the chain."

"Understood!"

...

Deep within the forest lay the monkeys' Holy Land, a place forbidden to all other animals.

Around the clearing by the stream, a layer of turf had been completely stripped away. Some of the trees at the clearing's edge were even shaved bald, with pitifully few leaves remaining on their branches.

The Monkey King had fallen silent. He had grown to a height of about two meters. His physique, once stocky, now appeared leaner, his entire frame more slender than before.

The unrestrained outburst had consumed most of his Magic Power.

He was panting slightly. The rod formed from Magic Power had vanished from his hand, but the confidence in his heart had returned.

A brand-new Magic Pattern gradually faded from within the Monkey King's clear, golden pupils.

Looking up at the robed man who had remained perfectly still the entire time, the Monkey finally broke into a smile he hadn't worn in a long time.

"Mentor, I'm a Skywalker now! I've finally broken through the barrier of integrating my Magic Power with my Martial Arts!"

Qin Xiaoxia's smile was even wider than the Monkey's. 'That was truly incredible,' he thought. 'Never mind the initial Heaven-Opening Rod strike; even the flurry of phantoms that filled the sky afterward gave off a sense of absolute invincibility.'

"Heh, my student never disappoints me! If anything, it's me, his Mentor, who's holding him back now. It looks like I'll have to speed up my work on the Saint's Armor!"

The Saint's Armor!

A flash of longing crossed the Monkey King's eyes. He had seen the concept art for it before, and it was absolutely incredible—a million times more awesome than the outfit the Beautiful Monkey King wore on TV!

PS: First chapter for Monday.