Rebirth in Journey to the West: Sun Wukong

Chapter 41 Demanding the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace

"Strange, why do I keep feeling restless?"

Within the Northern Sea Dragon Palace, the North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun, somewhat agitated, picked up his wine cup; however, his hand slipped, and the cup fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

"Your Majesty, Sun, Sun Wukong has come!"

A shrimp soldier stumbled in, reporting to North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun with a face full of gloom.

"What? Sun Wukong? Why would that monkey come to my Northern Sea? Is he alone?"

Ao Shun was startled and leapt up from his seat.

"It seems, it seems…"

"It seems what? Speak up!"

"It seems that the Jiao Demon King is right beside Sun Wukong…"

"What?"

Ao Shun's face turned green; Jiao Demon King Long Chao? Why would he accompany Sun Wukong here? Could the rumors be true? That the Jiao Demon King, Sun Wukong, and the others really did become sworn brothers? That wretch wouldn't be bringing the monkey here seeking vengeance, would he?

Before North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun had more time to ponder, Sun Wukong and Jiao Demon King Long Chao were already walking shoulder to shoulder into the Northern Sea Dragon Palace. From afar, Sun Wukong waved his hand at North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun and greeted, "Old Dragon King, old Sun Wukong has come to see you!"

See you, my ass!

North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun cursed inwardly, bringing such a wretch like Jiao Demon King with you, what is your intent?

"Old Dragon King, your expression tells me, seeing old Sun here doesn't make you too happy, eh! How come, have you forgotten so soon how old Sun once saved your life?"

Sun Wukong approached North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun, smirking and scrutinizing Ao Shun with a slight frown, then hummed discontentedly.

"How could that be? This king is beyond happy to see the Immortal!"

North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun's face immediately lit up with a smile, but Sun Wukong internally curled his lips. Ao Shun, this old dragon king, really lacked backbone. Clearly with the cultivation of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, yet still addressing himself as an Immortal, no wonder no one respects the Dragon Clan of the Four Seas anymore, all spineless.

"However, Immortal, for you and this wretch to come together, what exactly do you intend?"

After flattering him, North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun turned his gaze to Jiao Demon King Long Chao, his brow furrowing. He had nearly perished in the jaws of the Jiao Demon King, who had swallowed a good portion of the Northern Sea's waters. Thankfully, the Four Seas are replenished by the Sea Eye, or else he, the North Sea Dragon King, would have been laughed to death by all power brokers!

Yes, the Jiao Demon King is Ao Shun's son, but Ao Shun was well aware that there was no father-son affection between them, only deep-seated hatred, as he had driven the Jiao Demon King's mother to her death years ago. Since breaking away from the Northern Sea, the Jiao Demon King had done nothing but oppose the Northern Sea Dragon Race at every turn. This was his first visit!

It must be ill-intended!

"Old Dragon King, that's where you're wrong! I've heard all about the grudge between you and Long Chao, and since you two have severed father-son ties, you shouldn't keep calling him a wretch! Long Chao is now old Sun's third brother; don't you think you should show at least a little more courtesy?"

Sun Wukong glared, speaking dissatisfiedly, then leaned closer to North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun and whispered, "You know the strength of Long Chao. He originally came here to settle scores with the Northern Sea Dragon Race, but fortunately, old Sun encountered him and persuaded him otherwise. If you continue to provoke him carelessly with your words, don't blame old Sun for not lending a hand!"

North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun felt a chill in his heart, Sun Wukong's words were soft yet threatening, convincingly filled with menace. Yet, not without reason; indeed, no one inside the Northern Sea Dragon Palace was a match for the Jiao Demon King. If he were to act wildly out of rage, regardless of the consequences, it would be Ao Shun who would suffer!

So be it, a moment's patience brings a calm sea; take a step back, and the ocean is wide and the sky boundless. Today, I'll tolerate this wretch once!

Ao Shun took a deep breath to suppress the resentment in his heart, invited Sun Wukong to take the seat of honor, begrudgingly arranged a place for Jiao Demon King as well, and had fine wines and delicacies served. Only then did he force a smile and inquired the purpose of Sun Wukong's visit.

"No special purpose, really, just missed the Old Dragon King, came to have a look, and incidentally, ask for a drink."

I'd believe you when pigs fly!

The North Sea Dragon King, Ao Shun, was speechless. He didn't believe Sun Wukong's words one bit. How could this stinky monkey have come to his Northern Sea Dragon Palace just to have a drink? If he really wanted to drink, there were far more options available in the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace, and it was much closer too.

"By the way, Old Dragon King, I've heard that you have an excellent Alchemy Cauldron called the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace. All the elixirs for the Dragon Clan of the Four Seas are refined by you, right?"

After drinking two cups, Sun Wukong looked up at the North Sea Dragon King, Ao Shun, and asked casually. Sun Wukong was well aware of Ao Shun's fondness for alchemy. Since he was fond of alchemy, he must have a good alchemy furnace. Sun Wukong was indeed here for Ao Shun's alchemy furnace, otherwise, he would not have made the effort to come to this Northern Sea Dragon Palace.

As soon as Sun Wukong asked the question, Ao Shun's heart immediately skipped a beat. Here it came—this was the stinky monkey's real motive! So, he was after the king's Alchemy Furnace!

Ao Shun's Alchemy Furnace was no ordinary item; it was of a higher grade even than the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord's Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Furnace, having reached the level of an Innate Spiritual Treasure.

Named the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace, it could generate Yin and Yang energies within and harness the Innate Yin-Yang Divine Fire for alchemy – the elixirs produced were far more powerful and plentiful than ordinary ones!

Sun Wukong was right; all the high-rank elixirs for the whole Dragon Clan of the Four Seas were supplied by the North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun, thanks to his superb alchemy skills and the Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace.

However, how did Sun Wukong come to know this? This secret was only known among the Dragon King brothers of the Four Seas, and even Ao Shun hadn't told his own sons!

"That? I, Old Sun, know plenty of such things; it's nothing special!"

Sun Wukong chuckled and did not explain further, but instead stared intently at the North Sea Dragon King, Ao Shun, "Old Dragon King, I just so happen to need an excellent pill furnace. I've come to borrow the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace this time. I'm sure you won't let me, Old Sun, leave disappointed, will you?"

Sun Wukong learned about the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace during his Scripture Seeking journey—it was still a secret, scarcely known by anyone. But he wouldn't tell Ao Shun this; as long as he got his hands on the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace, that's all that mattered.

"Immortal, there's no shortage of fine cauldrons here, and the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace is just an ordinary one, unworthy of you! How about you take a short rest here and I'll immediately have various cauldrons brought out for the Immortal to choose from?"

The North Sea Dragon King, Ao Shun, laughed it off, intending to have his lobster soldiers and crab generals retrieve a cauldron from the Dragon Palace Treasury, but Sun Wukong interrupted him.

"There's no need! Old Sun likes that Yin Yang Taiji Furnace, the name itself is intriguing! Since you, Old Dragon King, say it's just ordinary stuff, why not take it out now and gift it to me, Old Sun? There's no need to look at the other cauldrons!"

Giving it my ass!

Ao Shun almost couldn't help but curse out loud; this damned monkey was obviously extorting him—or rather, outright robbing him, blatant robbery! That was the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace, his best alchemy furnace, an Innate Spiritual Treasure. How could he possibly give it away?

"What's the matter, Old Dragon King, not willing ?"

Seeing Ao Shun fall silent, Sun Wukong's face suddenly darkened, his gaze turning icily cold as he stated sternly, "Just now, you yourself said that the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace was merely ordinary stuff. So, you can't bear to part with even such an ordinary item? Or were you fooling me, Old Sun, right from the start, playing games with me?"

As this chilling question was posed, a ferocious killing aura rose from Sun Wukong engulfing the entire Dragon Palace hall. All of the aquatic race within felt a mountainous pressure weighing down upon them, causing everyone to lose their balance and tumble around in disarray. Beads of sweat promptly broke out on Ao Shun's forehead, as Sun Wukong's intimidating aura was primarily directed at him!

"Did this monkey climb out from the depths of the Yellow Springs Hell? How can he possess such a terrifying murderous air?"

The coercive pressure from Sun Wukong differed from the usual kind, imbued with fierce malice and intent to kill. This was the kind of pressure only those who had been through great battles amongst mountains of corpses and oceans of blood could exude. One who hadn't been through such experiences, no matter how advanced in cultivation, would not be capable of radiating it.

Ao Shun's gaze towards Sun Wukong flashed with intense fear. Just how many lives had this monkey taken?

Not just the aquatic race and the North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun within the palace, but even the Jiao Demon King seated beside Sun Wukong started twitching around the corners of his eyes, his lips twitching uncontrollably. The murderous aura on Sun Wukong was too horrifying.

Even the Demon King, battle-hardened as he was, hadn't cultivated such a violent killing aura, which surprisingly emerged from Sun Wukong. He was, what, only a few hundred years old? Subtract the time spent cultivating; Sun Wukong couldn't have been through many great battles—where on earth did this killing aura come from? Could it possibly have originated from his very birth from the stone egg?

"Immortal, please quell your thunderous wrath! I, the Dragon King, will gift the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace to the Immortal!"

Ao Shun caved in; he was reluctant to just hand over the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace, but seeing Sun Wukong's stance, he was adamantly intent on achieving his goal. If Ao Shun kept refusing, who knows if this irate monkey would destroy his Northern Sea Dragon Palace, even claiming his life?

Yes, the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace was an Innate Spiritual Treasure, but in Ao Shun's hands, it was merely a cauldron for alchemy without other uses, only saving on some alchemy materials, producing slightly higher-grade elixirs. Without the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace, he still had other cauldrons to make do.

But provoking Sun Wukong and ruining the Northern Sea Dragon Palace, losing his own old life in the process—any treasured Spiritual Treasure would then belong to someone else!

"Wait! The Yin Yang Taiji Furnace must not be given away!"