PtM 18 - Chapter 15: The Might of the Two Regalia

Cha Ming’s Dao projection expanded to fill the entire wooden cathedral with his Crumbling Canvas Domain. Matter and energy began to break down, including weapons, armor, flesh, and techniques, which were then repurposed for Cha Ming’s own use.

Concurrently, the two vice-pontiffs, Undine, and Salamani commanded their army of angels and devils to close ranks and began chanting protective spells centered around the central pillar. My crumbling canvas isn’t eroding their energy stores quickly enough, Cha Ming analyzed. Moreover, I can’t sustain Triune Soul Burn for very long. And without it, he wouldn’t be able to resist their combined assault.

Several tools he normally used were useless in this situation. Performing a major erasure of executing Heaven Breaker was off the table, because the level of his enemies was much higher than his own. There were four saints here, counting the two vice-pontiffs and their shield guards. If not for his pre-emptive strike over the Realm of Good and Evil that weakened all rankers, as well as his takeover of half the realm, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

Cha Ming’s most powerful painting, The Great Devourer, was also off the table, though he questioned whether it would be able to digest so much high-level energy. Undine is also another problem, thought Cha Ming. She can’t reveal much of what happened in the Heartforge Realm, but there are ways to skirt the restriction.

Cha Ming only had two advantages to rely on in this battle: firstly, his two evolved divine abilities, which he had yet to fully reveal. There was also the immortal axe that Titan Thunderfist had recast, though it was rapidly crumbling due to the tribulation lightning leaking into the room. It has a good ability, but I can only use it once, Cha Ming thought. Whether or not that will make the difference will depend on what defensive measures they’ve deployed.

“Don’t mind us, Clear Sky,” said Vice-Pontiff Lorimer in a taunting tone. “We’re happy to keep stalling. The Monkey King’s energies are endless. They won’t run out before we’re done. Probably.”

“Shouldn’t a ranker of your stature have moved beyond such childish mind games?” Cha Ming asked the vice-pontiff. “But if you insist, so be it. Undying of Flamewing, Deathless of Claw Vice – come forth!”

Dozens of portals appeared behind Cha Ming. Thousands of elite painted life forms poured into the wooden cathedral, and each one was the equivalent of an early fusion realm demon.

These two armies had undergone a drastic transformation since the last time he’d summoned them. The Undying of Flamewing’s flames were slightly glassy and crystalline in nature. Their undying attributes had greatly strengthened as a result.

As for the deathless of Claw-Vice, their insectoid armor and claws were now covered in crystal-gold claw runes. Their pincers were now so sharp that they could break apart middle law-stitching grade weapons with ease. As for their armor, it was tough to the point hat it could ignore any attacks at the early law stitching realm or less.

“Luther, Coral, and Disaster. Bloodstorm Transformation,” Cha Ming commanded. Three moons appeared above him, one of wind, one of blood, and one of lightning. Their essences merged to create a three-headed panther. “Command them, Luther. I don’t have time to worry about small fries.”

The undying and deathless collided with the assembled angels and devils and forced open a path towards the central pillar. The pressure of two worlds and three moons, as well as two regalia constellations bore down on the area as Cha Ming walked forward. His surroundings sustained steady damage thanks to his Crumbling Canvas. The clay floor began to crumble, and many of the shields separating him and Sun Wukong began to fade.

“Blessing of the Undertaker!” yelled Undine.

“Blessing of the Forge!” yelled Salamani.

Two blessings, one good and one evil, drew upon the jade and ochre runes carved upon the cathedral’s wooden wall. Angels and devils shrivelled up as powerful energies rushed into their bodies. Then their flesh grew back, and their weapons began glowing with powerful golden light that made even Cha Ming feel a tinge of fear.

Their battle formations rotated like a wheel. They ignored the Undying and Deathless battalions in favor of attacking Cha Ming. “Block them, you numb-skulls!” shouted Luther. “And you, silly kittens, what have I been feeding you for all this time?”

“Meow?” said Coral and Disaster. They surveyed the battlefield and realized there was much to be done. An ocean of blood and a storm of wind blades shot across the battlefield, piercing through the angels and devils Luther tied down.

There are too many, thought Cha Ming, dodging the many summoned creatures to close the distance between him and the central pillar. Luther, do something!

“Undying, prepare to sacrifice yourselves for the greater good,” Luther commanded coldly. “Explode!” Hundreds of undying let out a piercing shriek before descending upon the angels and devils just in front of Cha Ming.

An explosion ensued, filling the area with iridescent flames tinged with the crystalline color of undying glass flames. Fortunately, the undying specialized in such suicidal maneuvers, and thanks to Cha Ming’s crumbling canvas, their bodies were able to reassemble in seconds.

Many hundreds of angels and devils fell, but their numbers were endless. This was no thanks to dozens of large portals that had been opened near the central pillar since before Cha Ming arrived. It was only thanks to the Deathless that Cha Ming was able to push his way through the crush of bodies, and even then, it was slow going.

“Unholy Communion!”

“Righteous Frenzy!”

Multiple blessings washed over the battlefield once again. Luther’s army was forced back, giving Cha Ming had no choice but to divert a portion of his energy to support them. “Heartforge Spirit Flames – Rousing Candle Flame!” A three-colored fire appeared above Cha Ming like a banner. Its appearance lit small spark inside each of the painted soldiers, invigorating them and bolstering their combat capabilities.

The battlefield soon reached a standstill, leaving Cha Ming to face his true opponents. The two vice-pontiffs and their shield guards were a huge problem. Undine, Salamani, and Salamani’s shield guard were also quite threatening. Cha Ming couldn’t afford to ignore them.

He prepared to receive all seven of them but was surprised when the three shield guards retreated towards the pillar. “Be careful of Clear Sky,” Vice-Pontiff Lorimer instructed, “He controls myriad transformations and is capable of a strange form of teleportation. Adopt defensive measures as planned. Cardinal Undine?!”

“On it!” said Undine. A mysterious restriction imposed itself on the battlefield. Instead of directly affecting Cha Ming or his opponent’s combat prowess, it suppressed Cha Ming’s Clearmist Field. Not counting special factors, he would be unable to teleport more than three hundred meters in any direction. Things only got worse closer to his target, the central pillar.

“You’re collaborating with the tree,” Cha Ming realized. “You’re using its will as the core of your spell.”

“You’re not the only one who gets advantages, Clear Sky,” Undine said. “Salamani, what are you doing? You agreed to do this.”

“Why am I the one who gets the most dangerous mission,” sighed Salamani. He pulled out a golden spear and flew towards Cha Ming. Row upon row of golden prayer scripts settled on his body, forming a suit of golden armor that covered him from head to toe. His eyes blazed, and three pairs of jade wings appeared on his back. They burned with bright golden flames that complemented his armor.

He’s fast! Cha Ming thought as Salamani vanished from his line of sight. He lifted the Sky Propping Pillar to block, unleashing shockwaves that reduced a half dozen angels and devils and paintings to dust and knocked several dozen more back in a severely damaged state.

“Saint Armor, and an immortal weapon,” Cha Ming said to Salamani. “Along with a complement of blessings. It seems I underestimated the church’s resources.”

“We overestimated to the extreme but were still burnt by your actions,” said Salamani. “We’ve pulled out all the stops for this. The war priest lit up with radiant golden flames as he charged at Cha Ming. Cha Ming’s regalia and divine shell absorbed the bulk of the damage, but his arms grew numb from the impact.

They continued to exchange blows. Salamani’s goal was to waste Cha Ming’s time, while Cha Ming was more concerned about Lorimer, Clockmaker, and the treacherous Undine. The latter was covered in a shroud that Cha Ming couldn’t pierce. As for the other two, the divine spells they were chanting finally reached a state of completion.

“Chorus of the Glorious Host!” Vice-Pontiff Clockmaker intoned.

“Executioner from the Deep Beyond!” followed Vice-Pontiff Lorimer.

Cha Ming’s expression turned grave as a horde of angels made up entirely of light flooded into the cathedral, cutting through his Undying and Deathless battalions as though they were paper.

Simultaneously, a chilling presence appeared in Cha Ming’s shadow. Even with bloodstorm energies coursing through his veins and Clearmist in his bones and muscles, he found his reactions slowed.

“Ninesky, take the shadow!” Cha Ming commanded.

“Roger!” said Ninesky with a quick salute. A trail of Heartforge Spirit Flames fell to the earth as she dove into his shadow, forcing the chilling darkness to retreat as Cha Ming advanced.

Cha Ming set his sights on Lorimer’s angels, since they were the immediate threat. Breaching their defensive arrangements was already difficult enough without thousands of angels and devils blocking his way. Unfortunately, these sorts of beings were difficult to deal with, as they were made up of law fragments and divinity.

There was only one way to extricate himself from Vice-Pontiff Clockmaker’s deadly spell, and that was to destroy his summoning gate. Cha Ming didn’t hesitate to dodge past Salamani, taking a spear to the body in exchange for freedom. He used Bloodstorm Rush, stopping only to slash at the few dozen angels that had emerged thus far and rapidly closed the distance between him and the portal.

The two vice-pontiffs did not stop casting as he acted, and neither did Salamani forget his role in distracting Cha Ming.

“Sandglass Quagmire!” shouted Vice-Pontiff Clockmaker.

“Death Sentence!” followed Vice-Pontiff Lorimer.

Cha Ming quit running when he saw that his position had become fixed in space. It would be impossible for him to move from his location for three whole seconds.

A black scythe appeared above his head. “All mortal beings have a finite lifespan,” said Vice-Pontiff Lorimer. “In the name of the Dark Goddess, I declare your life string broken!” The scythe cut down towards his life string, but to everyone’s surprise, Cha Ming ignored it. He focused his power in clawed right hand, then smashed air beneath him. A crystal-gold formation appeared, overlaying the time-based formation that was invoked through Clockmaker’s spell, then breaking it apart.

The scythe cut down on Cha Ming’s life string just as he was escaping the formation. It struck true, but shattered on the frayed golden thread, “My life is the life of countless worlds,” Cha Ming said to Vice-Pontiff Lorimer, who’s face had turned pale due to the spell’s backlash. “Its ending is not up to you or your goddess to decide.”

Cha Ming flew towards the portal. His armies were already one-third destroyed, and even with his Crumbling Canvas, he was having trouble keeping up. Only by destroying clockmaker’s high-grade summoning gate would he gain some breathing space.

He took a Clear Rune Step to appear beside Clockmaker’s portal and hacked down with his immortal axe. The portal was a powerful saintly spell, yet it could not withstand the axe’s absolute power. It crumble do dust before any more angels could emerge.

That was much too easy, though Cha Ming as the portal dissipated. Which means… He trusted his intuition and dodged to the side, just in time to avoid a spear from Salamani. There were now size of him, one before and one behind, one above and one below, and one to the left and right of him. Moreover, they were all real, not illusory.

Salamani attacked again, and this time, all six spears struck Cha Ming. Of these six, four struck his regalia and shattered, but two struck true. Golden fire poured into Cha Ming’s inner world, destroying a large patch of Clearmist.

Cha Ming attempted to retreat with Clear Rune Step, only to discover that space had been locked down. A sphere of mysterious energy had been erected around Salamani, and thanks to the bolstering of two vice-pontiffs, he couldn’t easily escape.

“Enough!” said Cha Ming. His body released six Bloodstorm Incarnations, each one bearing a likeness of the Sky Propping Pillar. They struck all six of Salamani’s incarnations with all their strength. His sudden attack took advantage of the loophole in Salamani’s encirclement: He could be everywhere at once, but this made him vulnerable to counter-attacks. “I don’t know about you, Salamani, but my energy stores run extremely deep. How about we do this a few more times and see who’s still standing?”

He struck again, and this time, he imbued a hint of Heartforge Spirit Flames that dug into Salamani’s flesh. He struck a third time, and the flames in Salamani grew to the size of a candleflame that began wearing away at his confidence and devouring his will.

“Let’s give this another go, but this time with real stakes,” Cha Ming said. “Bloodstorm Execution!”

Cha Ming’s body split into nine bloodstorm incarnations that simultaneously unleashed Bloodstorm Rush and Bloodstorm Crush. Their attacks covered all of Salamani’s escape paths.

“Vice-Pontiffs, help!” Salamani cried out.

“Don’t panic,” came Vice-Pontiff Clockmaker’s reassuring voice. “I’m here for you.” He appeared beside the containment zone and pressed a hand to the shivering barrier to reinforce it. Vice-Pontiff Lorimer appeared on the opposite side of the sphere. Unholy energy and holy energy combined, rendering the sphere impenetrable and Salamani temporarily indestructible.

Seeing that his efforts had been thwarted once again, Cha Ming stabbed the Sky Propping Pillar into the base of the encirclement and expanded it to the limits of the sphere. “Sky Propping Pillar: Expand!”

Ribbons of crystal-gold runes shot out from Cha Ming’s gauntlets as the sphere destabilized and began carving a counter-formation into the prison sphere’s walls. The two vice-pontiffs made adjustments, but unbeknownst to them, glass flames filled the sphere, warping Cha Ming’s surroundings and distorting the truth, thereby rendering their efforts meaningless.

“Stay calm and maintain the formation,” Vice-Pontiff Lorimer instruct. “And you, Salamani, keep it up! Don’t let him rest.”

Salamani was shaken by Cha Ming’s retaliation, but a few words from the vice-pontiff roused him from his stupor. He began a relentless assault on Cha Ming, who seemed to have lost interest in fighting back.

Several tense seconds passed. Cha Ming took spear after spear, and his injuries grew worse. Moreover, his efforts were wasted on trying to break through the sphere. Everything was going perfectly, as far as the vice-pontiffs were concerned.

But saint level cultivators weren’t fools. Vice-Pontiff Clockmaker was the first to discover something amiss. “The energy flow isn’t quite right,” he said gravely. “I believe we’re being deceived.”

“There’s something wrong with Clear Sky,” confirmed Salamani. “I see my attacks connect, and I feel them as well, but the feeling is off. Superficial.”

It was then that a blinding flash filled the sphere, and the formation shattered. The two vice-pontiffs coughed up blood, and Salamani was sent flight across the room, his bones thoroughly broken. Through a few special means, Cha Ming had created a weakness in the sphere, then had used the immortal axe to break it open at a critical moment.

Lightning was pouring through the cracks in the Root Prison’s ceiling, and the immortal axe in his hand cracked again. It wouldn’t last much longer if this continued. There’s only one way out of this, Cha Ming communicated to the axe. See that monkey over there? That’s my master, the Monkey King. They trapped him and are trying to absorb him, but if we wake him up, it’s game over.

The axe was a spiritual artifact and could naturally understand Cha Ming’s words. Moreover, it wasn’t a newborn axe, but a reforged spirit with memories of its past life. It knew the legend of the Monkey King, and though it couldn’t be sure that this monkey was the legendary figure, the possibility of surviving when all hope seemed lost reinvigorated the axe.

Unfortunately, Undine’s left us a nasty present, Cha Ming continued. A black web now filled the room and had latched onto the many angels and devils that were still pouring through the initial portals. The angels and devils were now fighting in unison and were now pushing back Cha Ming’s Undying and Deathless armies.

I also can’t be sure if the vice-pontiffs left another surprise,Cha Ming continued. Something seems off about those shield guards. Luther, how are you holding out?

Barely, sent Luther. Fortunately, I have these two fellows. They’re growing to be half-competent helpers under my lead.

Excellent, Cha Ming said. I need you to create an opening for me, Luther. At any cost.

The bloodstorm panther answered him with a growl. Strings of bloodstorm energy came together to form a sharp web that started hacking apart Undine’s black web. The threads began directly controlling the Undying and Deathless battalions like puppets, greatly enhancing their combat prowess.

Cha Ming knew that with the two vice-pontiffs and Salamani wounded, this was his best chance. He flew towards the central pillar as his painted minions pushed back the angels and devils, and self-detonating as necessary.

He was about to reach the central pillar when suddenly, a group of angels and devils appeared before him. Like his paintings, they also exploded, sending him flying backwards towards Salamani and the two Vice-Pontiffs, who’d now turned into likenesses of their goddesses.

Salamani was looking especially fierce. His bones were exposed in several places, and large pieces of his flesh now glowed with a golden coloring. “You can’t win, Clear Sky. Surrender! The tree provides us with endless energy, and all the strength we need!”

Cha Ming was likewise drawing strength from the Realm of Good and Evil. Unfortunately, Clearmist wasn’t so easily to replenish, so the effects weren’t as pronounced. There were also huge limitations to accepting so much foreign divinity. Salamani might have survived Cha Ming’s attack and recovered extremely quickly, but his advancement would likely be forever stalled.

Cha Ming dodged a fiery spear and shot towards the central pillar. He summoned Ninesky and commanded her to paint a spatial tunnel, then shot towards the opening before she even finished her painting.

“Like I’d let you,” Undine said. The portal slammed shut before Cha Ming could use it. Cha Ming could only store the axe he’d been about to throw and continue fighting for an opening.

Can you create another opening? Cha Ming sent to Luther. All I need is a clear shot. I’ll throw the axe and be done with it.

I’m sorry Master, but that’s no longer possible, said Luther. Whatever that priestess summoned is tricky. It’s good at controlling their troops. Spiders. They’re the worst. Cha Ming was in complete agreement. Why don’t you just use that super attack of yours? Heaven Breaker?

The Sky Propping Pillar hasn’t healed quite yet, Cha Ming said. Also, I’m afraid of what will happen if a saint level shield guard blocks it.

Whatever you’re going to do, do it soon, said Luther. My battle lines are on the verge of breaking. I sacrificed too much buying you the previous opening.

Cha Ming wasn’t in such good shape either. Salamani was back with a vengeance, and the vice-pontiffs had joined him as well. Ultimately, he was far too lacking against saints. It was only because of his control over the Realm of Good and Evil and the plentiful energy stores of his inner world that he’d lasted so long.

He was dodging a spear strike from Salamani when Lorimer caught him in the ribs with his saint-grade scythe, stunning him just long enough for Clockmaker to pierce him three times with a golden sword. It’s going to be difficult to do anything with those two around, Cha Ming said to Luther as his body regenerating. They’re actually damaging and cracking my regalia. I won’t be able to take much more of this.

I’d love to help you, truly, Luther sent. He directed his troops to interfere with Cha Ming, but the spider Undine had summoned interfered with their movements, and even ensnared the bloodstorm panther, forcing it to dissociate into three parts.

How about you, Ninesky? Cha Ming sent. Can you break through their encirclement?

Maybe, said Ninesky. But by then, I’d have expended all my energy. Those shield guards are no joke.

Once again, Cha Ming attention was drawn back to the conspicuously silent shield guards, who each guarded a third of the pillar’s circumference. The situation became increasingly unbearable. Cha Ming’s energy reserves were deep but compared to four saints and two peak gold rankers, they were insufficient.

What was worse, the tree’s influence over the area was growing. This was thanks to Pontiff Rowe’s golden sword strike that had damaged Cha Ming’s will in the beginning and rouse the Tree of Good and Evil.

Wait, that’s it! Cha Ming thought. The tree is the key. It needs the support of these seven because it’s busy with the tribulation, draining Master, and providing auxiliary support.

Cha Ming had spent a great deal of time familiarizing himself with the Dao Origins of the Realm of Good and Evil. He summoned a portion his power back to the Clear Sky World and summoned forth a large group of Dao Origin fragments he’d captured from the Realm of Good and Evil during his infiltration.

“Let’s see you resist this,” Cha Ming said. He smashed his palm down on the Dao Origin fragments and used their connection to send a wave of intrusive Clearmist energy directly into the Realm of Good and Evil’s core.

An otherworldly howl filled the Tree of Good and Evil. The ceiling shook as the tree writhed in pain, allowing amount of lightning to seep in. The tree suffered greatly from the lightning; Salamani, who was about to attack Cha Ming, collapsed due to the interference. Undine and the two vice-pontiffs were also immobilized, all because of his direct attack on the tree.

ha Ming rushed out of his encirclement and flew over to the central pillar, where the three shield guards awaited him. They were not disrupted by his attack, as they had not joined their energies to the Tree of Good and Evil. An unusual precaution to take, but an effective one.

A wave of righteous and evil will tried to intercept Cha Ming, but it fell apart as he blasted the Tree of Good and Evil through the Dao Origin runes once again. The crack in the ceiling opened further, releasing lightning that directly struck the tree’s beating wooden heart.

“Again!” Cha Ming struck down a third time. Vice-Pontiff Clockmaker had been about to attack him, but suddenly found himself completely bereft of support. This happened to coincide with several bolts of tribulation lightning blasting the vice-pontiff’s tough, saint-level flesh, allowing Cha Ming to dodge him with ease. Only the three shield guards stood between him and the pillar now.

He used Bloodstorm rush to quickly close the gap. Luther concurrently directed over half of the remaining Undying and Deathless and commanded them to self-detonate.

Cha Ming chose this moment to fully activate his evolved divine ability for the first time: Glass Flame Imitation! Hundreds of Cha Ming look-alikes appeared around the pillar, all wielding an identical immortal axe. Each of these imitations indistinguishable in terms of divine, spiritual, and law abilities.

Cha Ming was meters away from the pillar. The immortal axe was coming down and would soon cut into the vines binding Sun Wukong. Even so, he felt a faint threat coming from the shield guards. This was especially so when one of them closed his tired eyes transformed into a shield of light.

Hundreds of glass flame imitations struck the shield. The lone immortal axe smashed the shield apart, but the backlash sent Cha Ming and his imitations sprawling backwards. But he caught himself and launched a second attack.

“Only one of you is real,” said one of the remaining shield guards. He wore black armor emblazoned with the symbol of Harid Dej. “It’s not possible for a cloning art to so perfectly replicate an individual. In that case…”

Cha Ming’s eyes narrowed as the black-armored shield guard summoned forth a scythe of darkness. It was an immortal weapon! The shield guard withered away as a portion of his lifespan was redirected into the scythe, empowering it such that even Cha Ming couldn’t ignore such a blow. Yet to his surprise, he didn’t concentrate his attacks on a single point, but struck Cha Ming and his imitations simultaneously.

There was a shattering sound as Cha Ming’s glass flame imitations shattered. They were not real incarnations, after all, just a cheap trick of the light, courtesy of his divine ability.

The moment his body was exposed, the third golden-armored shield guard appeared in front of Cha Ming. He wielded not a weapon, but a single shield. An immortal one!

Cha Ming tried avoiding the shield, but it possessed magnetic properties that drew his axe in. It caught his axe strike, and hit the axe with a heavy recoil, widening the cracks that had begun to appear on it.

Cha Ming wanted to continue attacking but knew that it would be useless. The shield guard’s vitality was withered form blocking his blow, but the damage he’d caused his axe in the process was great.

They didn’t just send four saints, but immortal weapons as well, thought Cha Ming. I don’t know if I should feel honored or annoyed. He pondered making another attempt on the pillar but decided that this would be unwise. The Dao Origin fragments he’d been attacking it with was on the verge of shattering and wouldn’t be able to withstand more than a single attempt.

So Cha Ming chose to a different avenue of attack. If he could kill one of the vice-pontiffs, he was sure to be able to find an opening. He set his sights on the most annoying of the lot – Vice-Pontiff Clockmaker!

Hundreds of glass flame imitations appeared around Cha Ming once again. Angels and devils attacked them, only to see them reform. And each time they did, Cha Ming hopped from imitation to imitation, changing the position of his true body.

He and his hundred replicas unleashed an endless barrage of attacks on Vice-Pontiff Clockmaker. And when this proved to be insufficient, Cha Ming summoned two paintings, Broken Yin, Shattered Yang, as and Descent of the Five Sovereigns. The latter further isolated Vice-Pontiff Clockmaker, while the former destroyed the pesky troops that flew up to block his attack.

Even with all these measures in place, it was difficult to kill a peak gold ranker, much less one of Clockmaker’s calibre. What he needed was an opening, one that was conveniently addressed by his second evolved divinity ability.

Claw Rune Prison! Cha Ming made a snatching motion with his gauntlet-covered left hand. A crystal-gold prison of claw sand appeared around the vice-pontiff, immobilizing him as he brought down his immortal axe.

“Don’t!” Vice-Pontiff Clockmaker shouted, but to no avail. His shield guard was devoted and willing to sacrifice his life to protect his master’s. The immortal axe crashed down onto the immortal shield the shield guard was holding, further withering his vitality but widening the cracks on Cha Ming’s axe.

Yet this time, their exchange ended differently. The axe released its bound ability as it collided with the shield, stunning both the guard and the vice pontiff. Cha Ming was sent flying backwards, but this was exactly what Cha Ming wanted.

“You lost,” Cha Ming said. The axe disappeared from his hand as an incarnation, carefully hidden via glass flame imitation, appeared just outside the pillar and threw the axe. The remaining shield guard blocked the axe, but its fragments struck the central pillar and severed the charred vines holding the Monkey King in place.

Cha Ming sighed when he saw the axe break apart and saw the axe’s spirit emerge from the ruins of the weapon. “Sorry,” he said to the weapon. “I did what I could.” The lightning, sensing that its mission was accomplished, began to retreat. The clouds began to fade.

“No,” a voice came suddenly. The clouds paused, and so did the spirit, which was about to dissipate. “My disciple made you a promise, so how can I, his master, not fulfill it?” Time seemed to flow in reverse as the axe shards came together, forming a complete but broken outline of the original weapon. “Return to your vessel, spirit,” the voice commanded, and the spirit, unable to resist, rushed back into the axe, whose metal started to heal at a visible pace.

The tribulation clouds were enraged this sudden development. They intensified their assault, and the Tree of Good and Evil, caught in the crossfire, shrieked in rage. “Yeah, keep screaming, like that’ll help,” said the mysterious yet familiar voice. “You’ll hate what I’m about to do next.”

“Teacher…” Cha Ming said with teary eyes. Sun Wukong’s eyes, which had been closed for decades, opened.

The Monkey King’s broke into a grin. “Youngsters these days. They keep fighting and doing other loud things while us curmudgeons are try to nap.” He pointed a finger towards Undine, who was trying to escape, and sent her crashing towards Salamani and the two vice-pontiffs. “No sneaky things on my watch. I’m the only one allowed to do sneaky things. Oh, and my disciple can as well.”

He then looked up at the Tree of Good and Evil’s beating heart. “Huh. Some deal we had. Have you gone brain dead, capturing people under my watch? Don’t you know I have a vicious streak a mile wide?” The tree rumbled as if to explain itself, but the Monkey King laughed. “I don’t care whose idea it was. I’ll tell you what – survive this tribulation, and I might let you off.”

To everyone’ surprise, the Monkey King flipped the immortal axe in one hand and tossed it straight at the Tree of Good and Evil’s wooden heart. It dug six inches deep into the saint-grade wood, then proceeded to attract the tribulation lightning that came raining down through the cathedral’s broken ceiling.

“Senior…” said Vice-Pontiff Lorimer.

“Don’t you senior me,” Sun Wukong said. “In fact, shut up. You can’t talk until I tell you otherwise.” He made a zipping motion with his hand, and the vice-pontiff found himself incapable of opening his mouth, or even mentally communicating his thoughts.

“Master!” Cha Ming greeted as Sun Wukong pulled him over. “I wasn’t sure if they could kill you, but I thought I’d free you just in case.”

Sun Wukong scratched his head and grimaced. “You may have ruined a few plans, but no big deal. Now it’s your job to save this dump of a plane.” He eyed the wounded Tree of Good and Evil’s heart. “You’re getting pretty bold, eyeing this old tree’s things. Can you handle it?”

“If you can keep everyone else busy, leave the tree to me,” Cha Ming answered.

“That’s the spirit!” said Sun Wukong. “Here –take a seat!” He tossed Cha Ming up onto the beating wooden heart. “As for your guys, let’s take a walk.”

“Clear Sky, our fight isn’t over,” Undine shouted. “You can’t just – “

The Monkey King ignored her protests and wrapped up her, Salami, and the two vice-pontiffs and began floating up through the crack in the ceiling. The lighting wisely avoided the Monkey King and focused on the axe down below.

“You got this, kid!” Sun Wukong shouted as he rose through the crack. “Teach that tree who’s boss! In the meantime, I’m going to find those pesky pontiffs. How dare they bully my disciple?”