Roy raised his palm, his mortal flesh colliding with the Great Sage's Ruyi Jingu Staff. A tremendous force transmitted through, and even with his vast magical power as protection, the pain from his palm shot through his bones and nerves straight to his brain.
In the past, such pain would have made Roy grimace and cry out. But after Scathach's years of brutal training, this level of pain was nothing to scoff at—he didn't even spare it an extra expression.
BOOM——————
The Great Sage's divine power clashed with Roy's magical energy, creating tremors akin to a magnitude-12 earthquake. The mountain on Kyoto's outskirts shook violently, a terrifying chasm-like fissure splitting the peak and stretching toward the city. The very mountain Roy stood on crumbled into dust under the force of their collision, scattering like sand across the land.
"Watch out!!"
"Ahhh————————"
"Quick, everyone, get away from here!"
The shrine maidens, Taoist nuns, and even Japanese magicians on the same mountain panicked, screaming in terror as the peak turned to dust. Only those at the level of great knights—Lu Yinghua, Erica, and Liliana—could hastily cast spells to avoid plummeting from midair.
Athena, holding the severely wounded and weakened Asherah, leaped calmly to another peak. Her amber eyes shimmered with the night sky, filled with hatred as she glared at the Great Sage. Yet, remembering Roy's instructions, she suppressed her resentment toward the steel god and remained on the sidelines, refraining from joining the battle.
Sect Leader Luo Hao remained utterly composed, descending like a celestial maiden from the heavens, her wide sleeves fluttering like ribbons as she drifted backward through the air. Yet even her noble, unshakable eyes flickered with a trace of astonishment.
Even the Great Sage's fiery golden eyes showed surprise as he exclaimed, "...Demon King, how is your magical power so immense?!"
Nearly all Campiones possessed roughly the same total magical energy. Even Luo Hao, a Campione who had lived over two centuries, only had slightly more than a newly ascended one. Yet Roy's reserves were more than double that of an ordinary Campione—surpassing not just Luo Hao, but even the Great Sage himself.
Thus, both the Campione and the Heretic God were stunned. Roy's condition defied the limits of what a Campione should be—never before in history had there been such an anomaly among the Demon Kings.
"Hahaha!! Could it be that you, the so-called Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, are afraid?!"
Roy laughed heartily, chanting divine words as wings of radiant flame unfurled behind him. A Christian halo appeared above his head as he transformed into an angelic form, closing the distance to Sun Wukong with godlike speed.
"Cease your nonsense! I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven—I stormed the celestial court and smashed the Nine Netherworlds! How could I fear a mere Demon King like you?"
The Great Sage flew into a rage upon hearing Roy's words. Scratching his ears and cheeks, his fangs gleaming coldly, he recited his own divine words and unleashed mystical powers: "...I am the Monkey King born from stone, with infinite powers and myriad transformations! I stole elixirs from the heavens, drank celestial wine, plundered peaches of immortality, wielded weapons, wreaked havoc, and displayed my ferocity!"
Sun Wukong plucked hairs from his body and blew on them—instantly, hundreds of rampaging monkeys appeared, each as powerful as divine beasts.
"Children, attack for your grandfather!"
At the Monkey King's command, the hundred monkeys charged chaotically. Roy remained unfazed, quickly chanting divine words to summon an equal number of angels.
Only now did Roy truly appreciate the versatility of his authorities. Whether in single combat or group battles, he had ample means to respond.
The angelic legion clashed with the monkeys, but the creatures proved incredibly agile, darting about like eels in water—even the angels couldn't grasp them. Soon, over a dozen monkeys broke through the angelic blockade, descending upon the group of shrine maidens and Taoist nuns, eliciting waves of screams and shouts.
"Hahaha!! You Japanese whelps dared seal me here with that 'Keeper of Horses' curse! After I smash these two Demon Kings' skulls, I'll turn your entire country upside down! Let's see if you can summon the Buddha from the West to subdue me again!"
Sun Wukong bared his fangs, his expression savage and tone furious.
This was not the form of the Victorious Fighting Buddha after achieving enlightenment, but the Great Sage Equal to Heaven during his heavenly rampage. Even without his identity as a Heretic God, he remained a malicious divine monkey bearing deep grudges against Japan.
Several monkeys slipped away unnoticed, heading straight for Kyoto's urban areas. Though few in number, these hair-cloned monkeys alone could wreak havoc across the city.
Roy and Luo Hao's followers engaged the monkeys in combat. Apart from Lu Yinghua, Erica, and a few others who could overpower individual monkeys through their great knightly strength, the other spellcasters, shrine maidens, and Taoist nuns stood no chance—soon, pained wails filled the air.
Athena observed the scene, then after brief consideration, began shooting arrows from her bow to fell the monkeys one by one. Though not in her complete trinity goddess form, she faced only clones of the Great Sage's hairs.
Luo Hao now joined the battle as well. Roy's godslayer-breaking magical power had shaken her profoundly, yet simultaneously ignited her competitive spirit.
If someone could surpass a Campione's limits, doubling their magical power beyond ordinary godslayers, then how could Luo Hao lag behind? The sect leader now focused solely on swiftly defeating Sun Wukong before returning to Mount Lu to study divine arts. As the supreme martial arts master, what others could achieve, she must achieve as well.
This was Luo Hao's pride.
Roy and Luo Hao were in perfect sync at this moment. Although they had agreed to rely on their own methods to see who could kill the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, they were not foolish enough to engage in infighting before the Heretic God. Thus, without prior discussion, they tacitly joined forces and charged at Sun Wukong together.
Both were masters of martial arts, their skills bordering on the divine. Their hands transformed into countless afterimages as they struck at Sun Wukong's vital points—his chest, head, and abdomen—each employing their own understanding of combat techniques.
Although Sun Wukong had single-handedly defeated the 100,000 Heavenly Soldiers and numerous celestial officials in Journey to the West, the strength of a Heretic God was never determined by their legendary feats. Otherwise, the gods of Indian mythology would have long been invincible.
Facing the onslaught of the two Demon Kings, even the Great Sage Equaling Heaven found himself hard-pressed, forced into a defensive stance with his Ruyi Jingu Bang. Roy and Luo Hao's palms clashed against the iron staff, each impact sending thunderous shockwaves through the air. Every collision shattered mountains and split the heavens.
Gradually, Sun Wukong began losing ground—especially against Roy, whose curse power surpassed all expectations. With sheer curse energy alone, Roy could overpower skill, let alone now that his techniques had reached unparalleled heights. Even if Sun Wukong and Luo Hao joined forces, they would likely only manage to fight Roy to a standstill.
Seeing himself fall behind in this contest against Roy, who exerted even greater pressure on Sun Wukong, the sect leader Luo Hao's expression darkened slightly. Proud and unwilling to admit defeat, he steeled himself and unleashed his deadliest techniques to challenge Roy.
"Heaven's path is clear and bright, Earth's path is tranquil and still, Man's path is empty and serene!"
"Chang'e must regret stealing the elixir, beneath the blue sea and azure sky, night after night, her heart aches!"
Luo Hao activated his most renowned Authority—Dragon's Roar, Tiger's Howl—a power he had usurped from the Hindu goddess of sacred hymns. Through poetic incantations, he gained overwhelming strength. As the words left his lips, a tempest arose, and he seemed to transform into the Moon Goddess herself. Moonlight cascaded from the heavens, the Jade Rabbit descending into his palm. With a whisper, a frigid gale swept forth, engulfing the Great Sage in bitter cold.
"A hundred battles in yellow sands, piercing golden armor—never to return until Loulan is broken!"
With the second verse, a storm of sand erupted. Luo Hao became like an undefeated general on the battlefield, his murderous aura surging forth, making even the Great Sage's fur stand on end.
"If it benefits the nation, I would give my life—why flee from fortune or calamity?"
As the final incantation was spoken, Luo Hao's jade-like hands struck Sun Wukong's chest—only to recoil as if hitting steel. The backlash sent a tremor through his arm. Against an ordinary Heretic God, this strike would have been devastating, yet the Great Sage merely staggered back a few steps, wounded but not as severely as expected.
The enraged Monkey King bared his fangs and roared, "You vex me to death! You vex me to death!! Two against one—how shameless! Do you think I have no allies?!"
"Second Brother! Third Brother! Come aid me at once!"
With a mighty shout, Sun Wukong summoned his sworn brothers—Zhu Wuneng and Sha Wujing.
***
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