Chapter 459: Chapter 459: Clones Lure the Enemy (Second Update!)
Jade Pond Water Pavilion, beside the Lotus Pond.
“Wukong, you mustn’t come here!”
Zi Lan Fairy sat in the pavilion, letting out a long sigh, her eyes filled with anxiety.
Although the Jade Emperor had spared her from imprisonment out of respect for the Queen Mother, he had restricted her from leaving the Lotus Pond, effectively putting her under house arrest. She had no idea what was happening outside.
All she knew was that the Jade Emperor planned to use her to lure Sun Wukong into the Heavenly Court to deal with him, and had already set up the Heavenly Net for this purpose. If Wukong did not come, all would be well, but if he did, it would be very difficult for him to escape unscathed!
Zi Lan Fairy did not want Sun Wukong to take the risk, but she also knew that after receiving the Jade Emperor’s decree, even knowing it was a trap, Wukong would definitely come!
...
Zi Lan Fairy had even considered suicide, but her strength had been completely sealed by the Jade Emperor, making it impossible for her to do so. For immortals, committing suicide without the ability to harness their own strength was as hard as climbing to the sky!
All Zi Lan Fairy could hope for now was that Sun Wukong had not seen the decree and had not come to the Heavenly Court. The Heavenly Net that the Jade Emperor had set up this time was far more dangerous than before!
Within the Lingxia Palace, the Jade Emperor sat majestically upon the Dragon Throne, with Primordial Heavenly Venerable—one of the Three Purities—to his left, and Tathagata Buddha to his right.
“Your Majesty, the Demon Monkey Sun Wukong has arrived at the Heavenly Court and is heading towards the Jade Pool,” Thousand-Mile Eyes and Listening Ears reported to the Jade Emperor.
Ever since the decree had been sent to Flower-Fruit Mountain, Thousand-Mile Eyes and Listening Ears were instructed to closely monitor the situation. The Primordial Unity Grand Formation isolated the mountain, making it impossible to see inside, but they could still observe the area outside the mountain gate.
As soon as Sun Wukong and Luo Bai left Flower-Fruit Mountain, Thousand-Mile Eyes and Listening Ears detected them and saw the two arriving at the Southern Heavenly Gate. However, they soon parted ways with Luo Bai heading to Supreme Pure Heaven’s Greenwave Palace and Sun Wukong mysteriously disappearing. Half a day later, he reappeared at the entrance of the Greenwave Palace and was now heading alone towards the Jade Pool.
“That Demon Monkey must have found out about Zi Lan Fairy’s whereabouts from the Greenwave Palace, which is why he’s in such a rush!”
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A glint of sharpness flashed in the Jade Emperor’s eyes. After exchanging knowing looks with Primordial Heavenly Venerable and Tathagata Buddha, he instructed Thousand-Mile Eyes and Listening Ears, “Continue to monitor the Demon Monkey Sun Wukong’s movements. Once he enters the Jade Pool, close the net!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Thousand-Mile Eyes and Listening Ears responded in unison, continuing to use their divine skills to surveil Sun Wukong.
Outside the Jade Pond Water Pavilion, Sun Wukong arrived on clouds and stopped his form above an Immortal Island floating dozens of feet away, looking from a distance at the entrance to the Jade Pool, his eyes narrowing slightly.
The journey here had been too peaceful, which was not normal!
If the Jade Emperor had sent such a decree to Flower-Fruit Mountain, he must have calculated that I would come, and it’s improbable that he would be so unguarded as he appears now.
Moreover, for some inexplicable reason, starting from Greenwave Palace of Supreme Pure Heaven, Sun Wukong felt as if someone was watching him. This feeling had been present on his journey from Flower-Fruit Mountain to the Heavenly Court, and he suspected that someone from the Heavenly Court was using some method to monitor his whereabouts.
When Sun Wukong had gone to find the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord in Doushui Palace, he had deliberately used his Invisibility Spell to avoid being watched. Now it was time to use it again!
“Invisibility!”
Reciting a spell, Sun Wukong’s figure vanished above the Floating Immortal Island and also disappeared from the surveillance of Thousand-Mile Eyes and Listening Ears.
“Your Majesty, that Demon Monkey has disappeared again!”
Thousand-Mile Eyes and Listening Ears panicked, straining their divine skills to their limits, but still found no trace of Sun Wukong. They hurriedly reported to the Jade Emperor.
“That Demon Monkey must have used some invisibility technique to conceal himself, probably trying to sneak into the Jade Pool to find the Zi Lan Fairy. Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. Just keep a close watch on the barrier at the two main entrances of the Jade Pool,” said Tathagata Buddha, with a flash of sharpness in his eyes.
“Exactly! Keep watch over the entrances to the Jade Pool. The Demon Monkey is bound to show himself!” the Jade Emperor nodded in firm agreement and instructed Thousand-Mile Eyes and Listening Ears. A barrier protected the entrance to the Jade Pond Water Pavilion, and no invisibility spell could silently pass through the barrier to enter the Jade Pool without revealing some clues.
Indeed, Thousand-Mile Eyes and Listening Ears did as told and closely monitored the two entrances to the Jade Pond Water Pavilion. After half a stick of incense’s time, the figure of Sun Wukong flickered at one of the entrances and entered into the Jade Pool.
“Your Majesty, the Demon Monkey has entered the Jade Pool!”
Thousand-Mile Eyes and Listening Ears withdrew their divine powers and reported to the Jade Emperor. Their powers were formidable, but they could not penetrate the barrier to monitor the situation inside the Jade Pool. That was the domain of the Queen Mother, and even if they had the ability to oversee, they dared not.
“Good! The fish has taken the bait. It’s time to close the net!” A cold light flashed in the eyes of the Jade Emperor as he rose swiftly. “Follow the plan; drive that Demon Monkey toward the Fallen Immortal Valley!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
A host of Immortals and Gods responded in unison, retreating and turning to leave the Lingxia Palace to prepare for their operation. The Jade Emperor stood tall, bowing to the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and the Tathagata Buddha, “Heavenly Venerate, Ancestral Buddha, we rely on the two of you for this matter!”
“A trifling matter!”
The Primordial Heavenly Venerable nodded slightly, his gaze shifting toward Tathagata Buddha, a complex look in his eyes. Tathagata was of a lower generation to him, yet he had now reached such a level, nearly catching up with him. It would be too much to have another being like Tathagata emerging from the Demon Clan; thus, Sun Wukong must die!
After leaving Lingxia Palace, the Jade Emperor, along with the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and Tathagata Buddha, surrounded by guards, rose on clouds, heading toward the Jade Pool.
On another Floating Immortal Island, a few miles away from one entrance to the Jade Pool, a hand pushed aside the dense leaves of the treetops, watching from a distance the entrance to the Jade Pool, where a considerable number of Immortals and Gods were entering in a hurry—it was none other than Sun Wukong.
“I knew that old Jade Emperor would have a trap waiting for me, heh! Thinking of deceiving me is not so simple!” Sun Wukong sneered disdainfully. The one that had entered the Jade Pond Water Pavilion previously was just one of his clones, a ploy to confuse those secretly watching and to see how the Heavenly Court would react. As expected, they were indeed waiting for him to enter. Surely by now, there must be a myriad of traps laid inside the Jade Pool waiting for him?
“By the time you realize it was only a clone, I will have already taken Zi Lan and left. I really want to see what face the Jade Emperor will make then, hehe!”