Despite the sudden turn of events, Yuan Shou Cheng remained steady, not overly surprised by the change.
Even if he couldn't see through it completely, he could still make out some aspects.
From the beginning, he didn't think Zhong Yuan and the Yellow Wind Demon could easily subdue Ling Ji.
And that was precisely why this Heavenly Mandate person, in the end, would still be within the acceptable range for those above.
If Zhong Yuan had actually killed Ling Ji on the spot, the consequences wouldn't have been so simple.
…………
The Yellow-robed Pig Demon, at some point, had also entered the Yellow Sand Formation. Watching the current situation, he felt like cursing. "Damn it, this nameless monk is actually Ling Ji!"
Moreover, Ling Ji's situation was too bizarre.
And now, what was he supposed to do?
His elder brother told him to bring the gold fragment, saying there would be a chance to use it. Now, the Heavenly Mandate person was directly fighting Ling Ji, and he still had the fragment in his hands.
It felt like he had failed.
And, it shouldn't be that he messed up and ruined his elder brother's plan.
The current situation seemed to be turning unfavorable for Zhong Yuan and the others.
…
Ling Ji's head recovered, and his strength instantly returned to full.
He didn't bother with the Yellow Wind Demon's questioning. He unleashed a thunderous net, sealing Zhong Yuan, while another hand extended, grabbing at the Yellow Wind Demon on the back of the rhinoceros beetle.
The Yellow Wind Demon had to both resist the rhinoceros beetle's charge and defend against Ling Ji, becoming increasingly precarious.
"You, my disciple, steal Erlang's teachings, seize the Great Sage's essence, and even take your master's head..."
"All for a moment of pleasure in this Yellow Wind Valley?"
Ling Ji struck the Yellow Wind Demon again, directly sending him crashing to the ground.
Zhong Yuan faced the overwhelming thunder techniques, blocking with his Indestructible Diamond Body. The golden staff, imbued with wind and fire, still felt numb, unable to completely resist.
His understanding of thunder techniques was still too shallow.
He broke through the thunder net with a staff strike, finally escaping the attack, only to see the Yellow Wind Demon heavily injured after just one exchange.
Ling Ji reached out, retrieved the head that the Yellow Wind Demon was holding.
Zhong Yuan felt the pressure intensify.
Ling Ji finally turned back, looking at Zhong Yuan, "You mischievous monkey, you damaged my essence. Death may be spared, but you won't escape punishment."
"I'll just hold onto this Sun Wukong's essence for you for now."
Ling Ji felt a bit annoyed. He couldn't immediately remove the current head and replace it with the one he had just recovered.
In this situation, that disciple had been refining Sun Wukong's essence using his head for a long time, and it wasn't easy to detach it immediately.
It was infuriating.
After the Heavenly Court killed Sun Wukong, no god dared to keep those belongings. This was not only because they knew there was a plan above, but also because they all knew these things weren't good.
Sun Wukong would surely curse and resist them.
But now that things had turned out like this, he could only hold onto them for the time being, go back, spend some time replacing his head, and then separate the essence again.
He truly wanted to kill this Heavenly Mandate person!
Zhong Yuan slowly exhaled, pulled out a hair from his head, and sneered, "Do you think you've already won?"
Zhong Yuan blew on the hair, three rays of light gently fell to the ground. In the next moment, three clones, identical to Zhong Yuan, rose from the ground.
Ling Ji Pu Sa chuckled, "You obtained this hair from me. You think such a side path will be useful now?"
Zhong Yuan ignored him, his mind focused. The three clones in front of him instantly soared into the air, transforming into three hundred-zhang giant apes.
They stood in three directions around Ling Ji Pu Sa.
At the same time, Zhong Yuan stepped forward, also using the "Heaven and Earth Transformation" technique, transforming into a giant ape form.
The golden staff in his hand also grew to the same size.
And the other three clones, one held the Dragon-Flying Treasure Staff, another was surrounded by yellow wind, and the last was engulfed in flames.
【External Body Technique. Ultimate. Combining the power of the earth veins and the technique of gathering form and dispersing energy, it can create clones with the same strength as the main body.】
The power that made up the Yellow Wind Formation was gradually separating and dissolving. The earth vein power had been used too much by Zhong Yuan, and the Yellow Wind Formation lost its foundation for maintenance.
Many formations were originally best at borrowing the power of Heaven and Earth.
It's just that ordinary people can only use a limited amount.
But since Zhong Yuan comprehended the earth vein感应on Black Wind Mountain, he never gave up on his cultivation. As his strength increased, this technique had improved countless times.
If ordinary land gods' application of earth vein power is considered level one, then Zhong Yuan might have already reached level 999.
The same applies to gathering form and dispersing energy.
This seemingly basic technique, when pushed to the limit, becomes even more powerful than many profound magical powers.
Zhong Yuan said calmly, "Ling Ji, I'm taking your head!"
Zhong Yuan's transformation stunned Ling Ji.
What was this?
Each of Zhong Yuan's clones exuded immense power. While they were definitely not as strong as Sun Wukong, each felt somewhat like the Giant Spirit God.
It was like the Four Heavenly Kings had all arrived.
"How is this possible?"
Even Sun Wukong back then couldn't achieve such a level of External Body Technique!
If Sun Wukong could create several monkeys with the same strength as him, the final battle back then might have turned into Sun Wukong attacking the Heavenly Court again!
Ling Ji still couldn't believe it. Zhong Yuan immediately controlled his real body and three clones, launching a combined attack.
The Dragon-Flying Treasure Staff clone struck the back of the rhinoceros beetle. The incredibly hard shell immediately caved in.
The Fire Element clone punched, with a wave of flames rolling back.
The Wind Element clone resisted the fire, and a violent Samadhi Wind once again surged towards Ling Ji.
Zhong Yuan's real body leaped into the air, striking down with a staff, carrying the power to split the heavens.
A true beatdown.
In the blink of an eye, Ling Ji and the rhinoceros beetle he was riding on were in a state of utter disarray.
Ling Ji's own supernatural powers weren't known for their strength. Now, facing four giant apes, he was outnumbered and overwhelmed, instantly stunned.
Those watching from the side were completely dumbfounded.
Yuan Shou Cheng's eyes widened, "This generation's Heavenly Mandate person is this strong?"
He really couldn't predict this!
This went against all reason!
What is reason? It's the rules of Heaven and Earth, the true Dao! The Heavenly Mandate person in front of him had truly transcended the Dao and could no longer be analyzed using the rules of the Dao.
Could this be Sun Wukong's plan?
Sun Wukong died, died cleanly, but what exactly did he leave behind?