Chapter 38 – The Boundlessly Transforming Handsome Monkey King
The storm, mixed with shards of stone, possessed immense destructive power against the material world; if it were to descend upon a human city, it could instantly cause a catastrophe mourned by the entire nation.
But for the Great Sage Equal to heaven, who possessed the nature of being "indestructible," it was no more than a mere itch.
"You seem to have a power specialized for dealing with earth spirits."
The Great Sage's voice was still as clear as ever amidst the storm, and it seemed that his vision was completely unaffected. Proof of this was the divine weapon that, in the myths, he wielded to wreak havoc in heaven—slaughtering countless celestial soldiers, generals, demons, and monsters—the Ruyi Jingu Bang. It cut through all obstacles and appeared precisely before Hikigaya.
This weapon best reflected his divine attributes in mythology: "indestructibility" and "endless transformations."
Even though Hikigaya was prepared, he was still awestruck by this strike.
Like a bolt of lightning—faster even than thought—the staff was already before him, making contact.
This blow came not only from the Sage's extraordinary insight, but also his divine swiftness.
Before Hikigaya could even be struck, he saw the Great Sage's Fiery Golden Eyes—those blazing pupils dazzling with brilliance.
he was struck with such immense force that he was sent flying like a baseball.
his feet had just left the ground, the first gush of blood had yet to spurt out, when the Great Sage's figure had already fully manifested once more, swinging again with shadows of the staff that enveloped him. The movements were extremely agile, perfectly fused with lightning speed, launching a tempestuous storm of continuous attacks.
In that instant, Hikigaya suddenly understood Luo Hao's words.
Against such an opponent, decisive close-quarters combat was the most effective.
The earlier barrage of stones might have only been a distraction, intended solely to allow the Sage to approach smoothly and unleash such a critical blow.
But if he could be defeated just like that, Hikigaya Hachiman would not be worthy of the title of God-Slayer.
In Yomi, he had already learned how to protect himself when injured and deprived of footing. Although no warrior of Yomi combined could ever match the Great Sage's destructive power, Hikigaya's endurance had also greatly increased since becoming a God-Slayer. Though he had
not yet gained authorities in this aspect, the willpower honed in Yomi still enabled him to face such situations.
Most importantly, the unarmed fighters of Yomi had always emphasized training in how to deal with weapon-wielders barehanded.
The air around them was nearly sucked dry by the Great Sage's attacks, preventing Hikigaya from using air-stepping techniques to evade.
It was too late to alter his body's essence. Divine swiftness, in close combat, was an absolute weapon—speed so overwhelming it surpassed the time needed to change his essence.
Clear memories of Yomi resurfaced in Hikigaya's mind.
Gods were seen as perfect, and human skills were regarded as their innate talents. There was some truth in this, but not entirely.
For gods were beings without material bodies; only when they became disobedient deities would they briefly take on a form for convenience. Compared to humans, when both stood at the same level of power, it was the God-Slayers who had the greater advantage in control and use of the body.
This was one of the major advantages God-Slayers had against heretic gods—at least, for those God-Slayers with a martial background.
Every one of the Great Sage's attacks struck Hikigaya, yet each in a sense failed to achieve the desired effect.
Hikigaya exerted every ounce of his ability, minimizing the damage of every blow.
At last, he seized a chance—when the Great Sage's final strike came down, Hikigaya scattered like a violent wind.
But immediately after, he reformed at an even faster speed elsewhere.
For the Great Sage also possessed mythic imagery of soul worship. Though unproven, if he did indeed have such powers, his destructive potential against natural-form transformations would be immense.
Journey to the West contained numerous stories of pursuing immortality. The Sage had once roamed to the edge of the seas, traveled to the ends of the earth, seeking ways of becoming undying to evade the Yama Kings. The quest for scriptures itself stemmed from Emperor Taizong's desire to gain infinite life through Buddhism. Along the journey, countless demons coveted "Tang Monk's flesh," all for the ultimate goal of immortality. These stories were artistic elaborations upon ancient archetypes of soul worship.
Soul worship was born from humanity's desire to transcend the limitations of the material world, to attain existence free across time and space. This power was expressed through the concept of the soul, with the body merely its vessel and outward form.
Ancient Chinese myths of transformation after death, deification after death, and dreamlike spiritual journeys all embodied this worldview.
If the Great Sage truly possessed such an ability, then when Hikigaya transformed his body into natural phenomena, the Sage's attacks would become far more lethal than when targeting him in human form.
To be honest, Hikigaya had only just recalled this, breaking into a cold sweat when he remembered how he had earlier transformed into wind and waves. Fortunately, the monkey had not yet activated divine speed back then.
Thinking back, Kusanagi Godou's method actually wasn't bad at all—always begin by sealing a god's divinity first.
With this thought, Hikigaya decided it was time to unleash his beast against the monkey.
One had to admit, the Great Sage's frenzied staff techniques were ferocious—leaving Hikigaya bloodied, his bones aching as if cracked. he feared he would not be able to engage in overly intense combat for a while.
By now, the storm in the heavens had dissipated, broken apart by the Sage's relentless strikes.
At Hikigaya's side, a whirlwind began to rise.
Where the wind blew, moisture evaporated, stones glowed red-hot, and the Beast of Set began to emerge.
The Great Sage, seeing this, momentarily ceased his attacks, gazing intently with his Fiery Golden Eyes.
Suddenly, he grinned.
"Almost forgot—I still have something interesting."
From his mouth he spat out a golden light, which landed and transformed into a girl. Hikigaya looked closely—Mariya Hikari!
Ha! So she was hidden here!
"This girl's ability is very interesting. Mmm, the shrine maidens who have accompanied me in these days all have such powers, but this girl is especially powerful. She can be of great use to me."
Having said so, the Great Sage's body shrank into a golden thread, which drilled into Hikari's ear.
The next moment, Hikari opened her eyes. They had become Fiery Golden Eyes, and her clothes transformed into the ancient Chinese armor of the Sage.
"This will do nicely," said the Great Sage, now inhabiting Hikari's body, in a cheerful tone. "Let us continue—I'll show you my Transformation Arts."
With that, he looked around.
All things swept by the Fiery Golden Eyes began to change.
Any beings that could be considered living transformed into simian divine beasts—far more ferocious and powerful than the ones Hikigaya had seen before.
They opened their bloody maws, howling as they surrounded Hikigaya. Drool dripped from their mouths, corroding the ground like strong acid.
But that was not the end.
Even lifeless things began to change—into natural phenomena: thunder, gales, even rain.
The vast rains quickly formed torrents of suspended waves all around. The Great Sage leapt up, standing atop the waters.
This was no longer mere Transformation Arts…
Hikigaya had once thought such power, to gods and God-Slayers, was little more than harassment. But now, in the hands of the Great Sage, it was far more terrifying.
By relying on it, he could unleash destructive power even greater—just as he had done with Hikigaya's earlier storm, only now, these natural phenomena were fully under his control.
Such a battle style was completely beyond Hikigaya's expectations and imagination.
Silently, he focused on healing his injuries, ignoring the tens of thousands of savage monkeys around him. Behind him, a scorching storm raged, within it countless beastly shadows.
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