The future Tang Monk is gone.
What journey to the West?
"I, Old Sun, consider myself the ancestor of all mischief, yet I never expected this Kunpeng Patriarch's comprehension ability to be so monstrous. He actually understood it to this extent?"
"This is truly a monumental disaster. An area of nine million li, with a radius of over a million li, nearly twice the distance from the Earth to the Moon, has all been annihilated."
"Even more so, he actually obliterated Little Jinxin. Under such explosive power, it's hard for anyone below the Quasi-Sage realm to survive."
"If I downplay it, it's just the two Saints of the Western Sect, Lao Tzu, and Yuanshi Tianzun, coming after me."
"If I exaggerate it, perhaps my days as a disaster-maker are numbered. Won't the Heavenly Dao deduct our Journey to the West merits?"
Sun Kong was the first to draw the most extreme conclusions.
And for the first time, he was shocked to the point of spitting blood by another's outrageous act of self-destruction.
He truly didn't know how that Kunpeng Patriarch understood his words.
The deviation was so immense?
Soon.
The will of the Heavenly Dao descended, and it was just as he had thought, bestowing the first-ever reverse merit reward since Pangu created heaven and earth.
Once again, it shocked and terrified countless people!
...
Rumble.
Flash.
After the routine display of heavenly phenomena that the Heavenly Dao always conjures upon its arrival, stirring up winds and auras for trillions of li.
This time, there was a little more.
But it was nothing else.
It was two large characters written clearly in the nine heavens.
Heavenly Punishment!
"As expected, even the Heavenly Dao can't stand the actions of these ancient demon race remnants like Patriarch Kunpeng?"
"Or is the Heavenly Dao impartial? This third tribulation originally had no content, and it could have been passed peacefully. But someone had to meddle and protect Jin Chanzi."
"Now, Jin Chanzi wasn't protected properly, and instead, that damnable Kunpeng has provoked the Heavenly Dao's punishment. I wonder if we are also implicated?"
Apart from Sun Kong, who knew the whole story and was not confused, everyone in the three realms of the Great Desolation, including the Six Saints, trembled. While accepting this heavenly punishment, they also cursed Patriarch Kunpeng to death.
If it weren't for the current unsuitability for action against him.
There would have already been countless beings rushing to the Northern Underworld Sea to destroy him!
"The third tribulation of the Journey to the West, 'Full Moon Throws River,' has been perfectly overcome. All those who participated in this tribulation will receive merit rewards, varying in amount as determined by heaven."
"However, the performance of beings during this tribulation was inconsistent, with both positive and negative actions. Some Quasi-Sage cultivators, in particular, were bloodthirsty and rebellious. Therefore, before issuing the Journey to the West merit rewards, a heavenly punishment will be meted out first."
"The first recipient of heavenly punishment is the Left Demon Master of the ancient demon race, the master of the Demon Master Palace in the Northern Underworld Sea of Bei Jiluzhou, Patriarch Kunpeng."
"For his immense foolishness, escalating a minor issue, and lack of mercy, he can be considered an outsider, and is hereby punished."
"Punishment: Patriarch Kunpeng's Heavenly Dao merit is reduced by 3,000, and this person will be sealed for a period of time until he realizes his mistake, repents, and has the possibility of being released again."
"May all other beings in the three realms of the Great Desolation take this as a warning and not repeat the same mistakes!"
The Heavenly Dao's words essentially defined Kunpeng Patriarch's actions, not only causing him to lose his hard work but also making him a prime example for deterrence.
One must know.
Even after the conflict between Dao and Demon, neither Patriarch Hongjun nor the Heavenly Dao treated the remaining three ancestors of the demon race too harshly. They were merely neglected, not punished with merit.
But now.
Because of this incident, Patriarch Kunpeng was personally sealed by the Heavenly Dao and had 3,000 Heavenly Dao merits confiscated. Although it was said he might be released, who would believe it?
Everyone knew how strict and rigorous the Heavenly Dao was.
And many already knew of Patriarch Kunpeng's incorrigible, cunning nature, his refusal to repent, and that he would be eternally sealed.
No one expected him to make a comeback.
Instead.
As Patriarch Kunpeng's 3,000 Heavenly Dao merits were stripped away, his cultivation plummeted. He dropped from the middle stage of Quasi-Sage to the lower stage of Quasi-Sage, and then to the peak of Hunyuan Da Luo Jinxian, which is even inferior to a Quasi-Sage.
His He Tu and Luo Shu, also known as his good and evil corpses, were also reverted to their original forms by the Heavenly Dao.
Such top-grade innate spiritual treasures cannot be easily destroyed.
But the clones born from them were simply no match for the power of the heavenly punishment.
This was already chilling enough.
But when people recalled their past grievances with Patriarch Kunpeng, and how they dared not provoke him due to his extraordinary strength in the past, now that his strength was greatly diminished, they were eager to settle the score.
Suddenly, they were all ecstatic!
...
Lao Tzu, despite his calmness and rationality, couldn't help but laugh a few times when something happened to Patriarch Kunpeng.
"Good riddance, good riddance, truly good riddance."
"If you, Kunpeng, hadn't stolen the He Tu and Luo Shu back then, causing the ancient demon race to lack fortune and not have the tenth Golden Crow prince killed by the Twelve Ancestral Witches, how could this disaster have come about today?"
"'Fortune relies on misfortune, and misfortune hides in fortune,' hahaha, this saying that Li Er comprehended back then is indeed the truth!"
...
Yuanshi Tianzun, unlike Lao Tzu's detached attitude, didn't care much about Lu Dongbin's second reincarnation being blown to death. However, he was heartbroken about the death of Chi Jingzi.
"You wretched Kunpeng, my second brother had no enmity with you, why did he suffer your deadly blow?"
"When I find Chi Jingzi, I'll settle the score with you!"
...
Tongtian Jiaozhu and Empress Nuwa, as they had no one of their own who suffered losses in this tribulation, were happy to watch the show, covering their mouths and chuckling.
...
The Two Saints of the Western Sect.
Seeing that Chan Master Wuchao was severely injured, and Jin Chanzi was annihilated, and even Jin Zha and Mu Zha, these third-generation disciples, were blown away and knocked unconscious.
Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhun Ti, for the first time, felt like cursing and killing.
But to avoid violating the rules, they could only endure and send word to Sun Kong to handle this matter!
...
Other powerful figures had their own reactions, but the vast majority were gloating.
Even the New Six-Eared Macaque, who had lost hundreds of demonic experts, didn't care too much. Instead, they set their sights on Patriarch Kunpeng.
Perhaps he could become the third ally, after the Jade Emperor and Tongtian Jiaozhu!
...
However.
At this moment, Patriarch Kunpeng, who was being eyed by the New Six-Eared Macaque, did not, as they expected, defect to the demonic race because of this incident.
Instead, he immediately handed over the He Tu and Luo Shu to Daoist Sanye, who then delivered them to Sun Kong!
"Daoist Sanye, what is this..."
Before Sun Kong could even ask clearly.
The Heavenly Dao's voice sounded again.
Two merit rewards.
One was for Sun Kong, as usual, 300 Heavenly Dao merits and 30,000 Journey to the West merits, further promoting him.
In addition to this.
The second reward was given to Jin Chanzi!
"In the third tribulation, the second most meritorious person is Sun Wukong."
"The first most meritorious person is Jin Chanzi, who, due to his ingenious method, overcame the tribulation of death, fed back to the Heavenly Dao, and is of one heart with heaven and earth. He is hereby rewarded."
"Reward: Jin Chanzi receives 500 Heavenly Dao merits and 50,000 Journey to the West merits!"
As he spoke, a drop of Pangu's vital blood was withdrawn by the Heavenly Dao.
Seeing this, Sun Kong exploded!