Chapter 2

Jackie'd spent the first day of his training getting beat on by Sun Wukong. Tests ranging from dodging the fire blasts sent at him to trying to last more than four seconds in a spar, to all sortsa weird stuff that was probably meant to figure out how tough Jackie was. The whole thing was fucking exhausting, and Sun Wukong ain't seemed ready to let up yet. He'd beat Jackie down only to force-feed him some healing pills and they'd go right back at it.

This last spar saw the Monkey King kick Jackie halfway down Mount Meru, forcing him to climb back up to the lowest terrace just to get back to training. Jackie'd just dragged his happy ass back up Mount Meru when the sun was starting to set. Sun Wukong took one look at him, ragged, bruised, but still on his feet, and nodded.

"All right. The Kid's got tenacity, at least. I guess we can train him." Pronounced Sun Wukong.

"That's it? You spend a day wailing on me and you think that makes us square?" Demanded Jackie.

"Let's be honest here. Even if that wasn't the case, what exactly could you do about it? I've been knocking you around all day with blows that can demolish a small town, and you've done well to keep coming back, but this is clearly your limit. Meanwhile, I haven't even started to push mine." Scoffed Sun Wukong.

"Don't worry about Brother Monkey, he's always been like that. Even when he really shouldn't." Sighed Piggsy.

"Oi! I didn't hear you complaining when we were facing the Horned Kings of Flat Peak Mountain and you got beaten!" Scowled Sun Wukong.

"Brother Piggsy's point stands, however. You can be somewhat. . .abrasive, Brother Monkey." Pointed out Sandy.

"Not you too, Brother Sandy? Such betrayal from my own Sworn Brothers! However shall I cope?" Mocked Sun Wukong.

"Fine, I get it. I ain't shit compared to you. That mean you're gonna train me?" Questioned Jackie.

"Yeah. We're gonna get you up to a minimum level of competence so you can actually do some good in the fighting. We'll start you off under Piggsy, he's actually got a few training methods that ought to get you up to the Wall." Nodded Sun Wukong.

"What Wall?" Queried Jackie.

"The Wall of Humanity. Very few Mortal Cultivators are capable of advancing past Mastery. There is a Wall in the way separating Men from Immortals. Those few who manage to break through the Wall of Humanity and come through on the other side will find the Powers of the Boddhisatva waiting for them. To get you there, however, we first need to train your Mastery further and advance you through Grandmastery." Answered Sandy.

"Brother Sandy's right. Of course, doing it the normal way isn't gonna work out. There isn't enough time for that. Instead, I'm gonna be using one of the One-Hundred-Eight Earthly Transformation Techniques to help you out." Added Piggsy.

"Hey, you finally finished the full Hundred-Eight? Took you long enough." Chuckled Sun Wukong.

"Unlike you, I actually took a position that wasn't Ceremonial when we got back into Mount Meru." Huffed Piggsy.

"Indeed, Brother Piggsy is quite commendable for having worked through the full roster with how busy the position of Tutelary Deity of the Bodily Arts is. There are more masseuses, hostesses, and prostitutes than ever these days, no doubt partly as a result of the explosion of mortal criminal enterprises in the last century and a half. I myself have scarcely managed to master fifty-four ever since they made me Master of the Jade Garden." Intoned Sandy.

"See, this is why I decided to head back to Mount Huaguo and not take any real titles. If a God of Trickery is actively helping worshippers then he's doing a bad job. You both could have taken ceremonial positions too, but you wanted courtly titles and duties, now look at you. Patron God of Brothels and the Heavenly Gardener." Smirked Sun Wukong.

"Brother Monkey!" Hissed Sha Wujing.

"Right, fine. Sorry. I shouldn't poke fun. Come on Brother Sandy, let's go find something to eat. Brother Piggsy can follow us when he's finished here." Nodded Sun Wukong.

"Hey! What about me? Ain't you forgetting me?" Asked Jackie.

"Kid, if you can still move around freely after Brother Piggsy uses the Fivefold Internal Mandala on you, then be my guest. I'm not gonna hold out hope for that though." Shrugged Sun Wukong.

Then, the Monkey King began to walk away, Sha Wujing followed after him once he'd made a quick apology for Sun Wukong's shit manners. Jackie turned back to Piggsy with a frown on his face to find the Pig-like Demon'd already gathered some kinda super-concentrated, super-pure, Chi into one of his fingers. Jackie ain't never felt Chi that pure or that Concentrated before. Even his grandad's Chi ain't felt like this the brief period he's been subject to the full brunt of it.

"Sorry about this, but we really don't have the time to do this the normal way. I'm gonna need you to stay very still." Apologized Piggsy.

"What are you gonna do?" Questioned Jackie.

"The Fivefold Internal Mandala is the Hundred-and-Sixth of the Hundred-and-Eight Earthly Transformations. It uses Divine Chi to supercharge the Chi Meridians of an affected Mortal. Most people hit with this wouldn't survive, but for dedicated Cultivators, it can supercharge their Chi System, allowing them to make years worth of progress in a handful of days. If they're able to take the Transformation without dying, that is." Explained Piggsy.

"You wanna run that by me again? I might get iced from this?" Blinked Jackie.

"You're strong, and of the Blood of Leigong too. You should be fine. . .probably." Grunted Piggsy.

Jackie was gonna protest again, but then Piggsy's finger lashed out faster than Jackie could keep track and struck him right between the eyes. The God Chi was absorbed by Jackie's Third Eye Chakra and stars exploded behind his eyes. When the stars faded from Jackie's view, they took his consciousness with 'em. Jackie collapsed to the ground, out like a light.

When he woke back up, twelve hours'd passed and he was immediately thrown into repeated and harsh training. Over the next six days, Jackie ate, breathed, and shit training. It ain't just physical shit neither, but he also only ate a special sorta Alchemical Diet that was formulated specifically for training. Geomantic Formulas inscribed in the Training Hall helped keep him learning too, even when he was taking five.

It started with physical shit, trying to push his basic enhancement up to and through Master Level. Partway through, he started being taught a couple of the Earthly Transformation Techniques. Copper Head, Iron Body was an additive technique that could be used with the Iron Armor and the Basic Enhancement to make him all around stronger and tougher in Combat. Then there was the Quicksilver Stepping Method which enhanced his speed and reflexes and added to the Wave Step and Basic Enhancement.

Those two Transformations, combined with the foundational work woulda been enough on their own, but he was also being taught the Great Sand River Style of Chi-Enhanced Kung Fu and the Strong-Maned Pig Style of Chi Enhanced Shuai Jiao. Both had different kinds stuff emphasized, with the Techniques of the Great Sand River Style involving swift bursts of strikes and constant movement, while the Strong-Maned Pig Style emphasized Joint Locks and Throws.

Thanks to multiple enhancements, from the Alchemical Diet, to the Geomantic Enchantments on the Training Hall, and Piggsy's use of the Fivefold Internal Mandala Technique, Jackie'd not only speed-ran his way through Mastery by the end of Thursday, but he'd also picked up two of the Hundred-and Eight Earthly Transformations, the basic styles along with a couple techniques of both the Great Sand River Style and the Strong-Maned Pig Style. By Saturday, he was at the Wall of Humanity and finally working with Sun Wukong, who started showing him the basics of the Fourfold Lotus Petals Technique, which confusingly, caused two extra, functional arms to sprout from his Shoulderblades.

By the time the rest of the Forces had arrived, Jackie'd just barely gotten four of the Hundred-Eight Earthly Transformations down, the Fourfold Lotus Petals, the Head of Copper, Limbs of Iron, the Quicksilver Stepping Method, and the Method of Modelling Heaven on Earth Technique, which woulda allowed him to change his size at will. Not only that. He'd gotten the Great Sand River and Strong-Maned Boar Styles up to the same level as his other Chi-Enhanced Martial Arts Styles, and he'd finally reached the Wall of Humanity.

He'd gone from being able to wreck a city block to being able to wreck a small island under his own power, and that was just with Chi Techniques. Adding Magic, he was punching well above his weight. It'd haveta be enough, 'cause they were outta time. Even with the super-advanced mystical training methods of Mount Meru what let him cram six years of training into six days, he just didn't have the time to do more than reach his Grandmastery.

It was time to gather for the briefing to figure out what the plan was for breaking Circe's siege of Olympus. The whole shebang was being held in the Jade Emperor's Palace, and supposedly, there was gonna be a buncha Gods there who ain't affiliated with Lady Meifang or any of Jackie's Tutors. He was warned to keep his mouth shut, just in case. Jackie just hoped his being there ain't gonna cause trouble.

He was pretty outta place in the Jade Emperor's Palace, after all. . .

XXXX

AN: So yeah, bit of a training montage in this Chapter, but we also get some good banter between the various Pilgrim Gods from Journey to the West. Fun Fact, Zhu Baije is actually considered the Patron God of Brothels in some parts of Taiwan. Meanwhile, Heavenly Gardener seemed like a job that Sandy would vibe with, given how he was the level-headed, decently-mannered one out of the three in the original novel. Sun Wukong is irrepressible as ever, of course.

Jackie basically just got given a major upgrade. Prior to this training montage, he had enough power to wreck a city block if he fought all out. Now, he's skipped past the ability to destroy medium-sized towns, waved bye-bye to mountain-shattering power, and is now capable of wrecking an island the size of Manhattan if he goes all out. Mount Meru's Divine Training Methods are no joke, after all.

At any rate, the next chapter is going to start with the briefing on the War, featuring appearances from various Gods and God-Adjacent Beings, including Queen Hippolyta.

Stay tuned. . .