"What?"
"About to break through to Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal, or High-grade?"
"Good heavens, it's been so many years since I last heard this. I, Old Sun, thought it would be difficult to improve and break through any further in my lifetime. I didn't expect it to happen so soon?"
Sun Kong was stunned by the system's second round of rewards.
Originally, he thought he would need to complete several more tribulations of the Journey to the West to accumulate enough strength for another breakthrough.
But unexpectedly, due to his outstanding performance this time, and because he gained rewards related to his cultivation from a shocked Luohu for the second time, he met the requirements ahead of schedule.
Although, up to this point, Sun Kong still didn't quite understand where that Luohu got his super demonic cultivation system from.
However, as someone who had lived two lives, he quickly calmed his emotions and analyzed three conclusions that he would never have dared to believe before.
Conclusion One.
Last time, he suspected that Luohu was also a transmigrator, and similarly possessed some kind of cheat. This suspicion was not his hallucination, nor was it persecution mania brought on by years of courting death.
It was real.
Furthermore, judging by what the system just said, it seemed that Luohu's cheat was also not weak. It was just that, for some reason, it was temporarily suppressed by his own system.
This explained why, on two occasions, he hadn't directly attacked Luohu, but instead, due to Luohu's shock, his cultivation decreased while his own increased.
It was an incredible profit!
Conclusion Two.
That is, this so-called super demonic cultivation system was likely responsible for rewriting Luohu's destiny, transforming him from the Six-Eared Macaque into the current second-generation Monkey King of the Journey to the West in the mortal realm.
Although this system couldn't withstand the suppression from Sun Kong's system, it wasn't entirely useless.
Putting other things aside.
Just the fact that it could, in a mere five to six hundred years, elevate the Six-Eared Macaque, who might have struggled against Wu Zhiqi and Zhou Wuxian, to his current near-Saint cultivation level.
This showed that this super demonic system had to be guarded against, and its priority was far above that of Luohu, the Demon Saint, the Jade Emperor, and Tongtian Sect Master.
Conclusion Three.
That was not about other matters.
It was about Sun Kong himself.
Namely, the tribulation that was about to follow!
Sun Kong had experienced this matter twice, once as if it were life and death.
The first time was when he single-handedly resisted the Buddhas of Spirit Mountain and the Immortals of the Heavenly Court, which allowed him to break through to the low-grade Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal. The second time was to break through to the mid-grade.
Both of these occasions seemed not too difficult.
But Sun Kong would not be careless because of the "smoothness" of the previous two times, and thus be caught off guard.
Setting aside other things.
Consider his past self: he had not offended the Sages of the Heavens or the demonic cultivators, and was still coveted by countless people. Now, he had to devise a foolproof plan before he could safely undergo the tribulation.
And to achieve this, apart from finding that person, there was likely no other reliable option!
"Primordial Celestial Venerable!"
"At this point, other than seeking his help, I can't rely on anyone else. The two Saints of the Western Teachings could barely heal me, let alone protect me during my tribulation?"
"Don't think that I, Old Sun, don't know what's going on; I'm clear as day. I won't entrust my life to them."
"As for my mother, Empress Nuwa, although she is also a Saint, her cultivation is the weakest, and she has too few disciples to shoulder such a great responsibility."
"Ultimately, I still have to find that Primordial Celestial Venerable. His overall strength should be among the top three of the Six Saints. Seeking him out is definitely the right choice."
With this thought, Sun Kong stopped dawdling. He briefly instructed Jin Chanzi and left behind a clone of his monkey hair to protect him.
He then continued on his way towards the ninth tribulation.
That is, towards the plot of "Changing Horses at Steep Ravine."
Of course.
Before that, Sun Kong had already used the "Marquis Wu's Seven Stars Formation" to deduce and had synthesized information from various allies. He learned that the ninth tribulation should be much better than the eighth, and even better than the previous seven tribulations.
Not for any other reason.
It was simply because, prior to this, Primordial Celestial Venerable had reminded Sun Kong that he had arranged for Nezha, a third-generation disciple of the Chan Sect, to hide in disguise within Snake Coiling Mountain Eagle's Moan Ravine.
Although there had been some conflict between Sun Kong and Nezha back then, considering that the Jade Emperor had also tacitly agreed to this matter and was willing to make concessions, and Primordial Celestial Venerable had personally promised there would be no accidents.
Sun Kong had still agreed.
Now.
He didn't even need the escort of Chan Master Wu Chao and the others. A mere monkey hair clone was enough to protect Jin Chanzi, allowing him to leave Two Worlds Mountain and head towards Snake Coiling Mountain, sixty million li away.
Therefore.
As soon as Sun Kong finished giving his instructions.
Jin Chanzi was immediately filled with gratitude. Without any further words, he mounted the warhorse gifted by Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, and under the protection of Sun Kong's monkey hair clone.
He continued on his journey!
Shortly after he left.
Those who remained at the original spot did not delay at all. They immediately rode the Chaotic Somersault Cloud, and with a few somersaults, arrived at Mi Luo Heaven, the Jade Void Palace.
He soon met the Primordial Celestial Venerable who was waiting for him!
...
"Friend Sun, why have you come?"
"I, Old Sun, have specifically come to request the help of the Jade Pure Saint to guard my tribulation. I, Old Sun, vaguely sense that I am about to break through to the High-grade Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal. I do not trust others, and I only hope that Primordial Celestial Venerable will not refuse.
"For this, I can help calculate the opportunity for Chi Jingzi and others to recover their cultivation after the matter is settled. I wonder if such an exchange would be acceptable?"
As soon as they met, Sun Kong proactively brought up the matter. Although it surprised Primordial Celestial Venerable quite a bit, he was, after all, a Saint.
His inner surprise flashed by.
On the surface, he was greatly moved by Sun Kong's further increase in cultivation!
Over the next three days and three nights.
One party was willing to seek help and offer valuable intelligence in exchange.
The other party genuinely admired him. Although he was somewhat worried that his eight disciples might not be as powerful as Sun Kong in the future due to Sun Kong's rapid rise in strength, for the sake of the greater picture, he nodded in agreement.
Under such cooperation, the matter of Sun Kong's tribulation was finally settled, scheduled for the morning of the third day.
Time passed quickly.
Arriving on the third day.
Outside the Jade Void Palace, Guangchengzi and the other eight Golden Immortals had already received Primordial Celestial Venerable's instructions. They specifically came to guard the entrance, acting as escorts.
Although they didn't expect them to be able to repel those who intended to disrupt Sun Kong's tribulation, it was better than nothing.
As for Primordial Celestial Venerable himself, he took out the Primordial Treasure Box and placed Sun Kong inside, allowing him to undergo his tribulation within it. This would reduce the power of the heavenly tribulation and increase the success rate.
He himself, however, closed his eyes to rest, appearing indifferent. In reality, he was already holding the Pangu Banner, hidden in a void near the Jade Void Palace.
With the protection of the esteemed Jade Pure Saint, let alone Tongtian Sect Master and the Jade Emperor who intended to kill Sun Kong, even the Demon Saint, Luohu.
And the thirteen Saint-level experts behind them, had no way to interfere.
They could only watch from afar.
And deal with it coldly!
On Sun Kong's side, as the first heavenly tribulation struck, he resolutely drank a bowl of sacred water soup and wholeheartedly began to undergo his tribulation!