"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will spare no effort in serving the Heavenly Court!"

  Xu Fang played along, immediately aligning himself with the Jade Emperor's intentions. After all, at this point, he lacked the strength to defy the Jade Emperor's power. For now, he had to use expedient measures to earn the Emperor's trust.

  In the past, Xu Fang had wanted to serve the Jade Emperor loyally, to quell the chaos in the Three Realms and restore order to heaven and earth. However, after learning that the Jade Emperor was in cahoots with the Buddha and others, his thoughts had gradually shifted.

  "Good, good, good! Hahaha!"

  The Jade Emperor laughed heartily, clearly pleased. Among the recent events, this was the first thing that had gone his way.

  He immediately drafted an edict, allowing Xu Fang to take it to the heavenly prison and release Sun Wukong's monkeys.

  When the monkeys from Flower-Fruit Mountain had been captured, the Jade Emperor had already planned this move, intending to make Xu Fang owe him a favor.

  This way, regardless of whether Xu Fang truly remained loyal to him in the future, the karmic debt Xu Fang owed him would have to be repaid!

  With the Jade Emperor's edict in hand, Xu Fang headed straight for the heavenly prison. At the same time, he summoned Wuqu, the Star Spirit of Wuqu, and ordered him to take a group of heavenly soldiers to Flower-Fruit Mountain to protect the monkeys.

  After all, people could not be fully trusted!

  Especially not the Jade Emperor, whose acting skills could win him countless Best Actor awards. Xu Fang dared not trust him completely. At this point, aside from himself, he could hardly trust anyone.

  Even his master, Master Bodhi, was no longer entirely trustworthy.

  The outcome of Sun Wukong's situation seemed to have been orchestrated by Master Bodhi, working in tandem with the Jade Emperor and others to stage this grand play.

  And Xu Fang had been unwittingly pushed into this play, becoming a crucial link in drawing Sun Wukong into this chess game.

  ...

  After rescuing Sun Wukong's monkeys and instructing Wuqu to protect them with the heavenly soldiers, Xu Fang prepared to move on to his next target.

  The Bull Demon King and the other demon kings who had stolen Sun Wukong's Primordial Qi!

  This matter had been revealed to him by Sun Wukong.

  Without his Primordial Qi, Sun Wukong's strength would be greatly diminished, and his power was already plummeting rapidly.

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  Although Laozi had no intention of killing him, if Sun Wukong couldn't hold on, then things would truly become dire.

  These scoundrels, who had the audacity to call themselves Sun Wukong's sworn brothers, had stolen his Primordial Qi. Only a naive fool like Sun Wukong would believe their lies. Otherwise, given his temperament, these guys would have long since become wandering spirits under his blade.

  "Bull Demon King, Serpent Demon King, Ape Demon King... You all deserve to die! So what if you have Kun-Peng's protection? I refuse to believe in such nonsense today!"

  A heavy killing intent filled Xu Fang's face as he transformed into a crimson streak of light, leaving the Heavenly Court and speeding toward the Northern Continent.

  He needed to vent the frustration and anger bottled up inside him on these scoundrels. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to quell the hatred in his heart.

  The feeling of powerlessness was unbearable. Watching Sun Wukong endure inhuman torment was like a knife to his heart. He knew everything, yet he was helpless to change it.

  ...

  Meanwhile, in the Northern Continent.

  In a hidden cave, the Bull Demon King, Serpent Demon King, and three other demon kings were preparing to absorb the Primordial Qi extracted from Sun Wukong's body.

  Once they fully absorbed the Primordial Qi, their strength and talents would be greatly enhanced with its assistance.

  Then, they could kill Xu Fang and Yang Jian, avenging their fallen brothers!

  "Come, let's divide the Primordial Qi into five parts. Each of us will absorb one portion. Once our strength increases, we'll storm the Heavenly Court, kill Xu Fang and Yang Jian, and avenge our brothers!"

  The Bull Demon King's eyes gleamed with greed as he stared at the swirling mass of Primordial Qi before him. Drool dripped uncontrollably from his mouth as he eagerly anticipated devouring the Primordial Qi.

  In truth, avenging their brothers was just an excuse. What he truly coveted was the Primordial Qi within Sun Wukong's body. Revenge was merely a justification to placate the other demon kings.

  If not for the fact that the other demon kings were of similar strength to him, he would have wanted to monopolize the Primordial Qi for himself.

  But now, he had to divide it into five parts.

  "Good! From now on, we will follow Big Brother's lead and complete our mission of revenge, avenging our Third Brother!"

  The Serpent Demon King chimed in, his eyes also fixed on the Primordial Qi. The temptation was too great.

  Recalling Sun Wukong's terrifying combat prowess and astonishing talent, which were all due to this Primordial Qi, he couldn't help but feel excited.

  Even Yang Jian would find it difficult to match Sun Wukong, who possessed the Primordial Qi. The outcome of their battle would be uncertain.

  If they absorbed it, they would undoubtedly reach a terrifying level of power.

  "Big Brother, let's not delay. We should absorb the Primordial Qi quickly. Delays could lead to complications! I can't wait any longer!"

  The Ape Demon King's face was filled with anticipation, eager to swallow the Primordial Qi in one gulp.

  "Come, the five of us will surely dominate the heavens and carve out our own realm!"

  The Bull Demon King's spirits were high as he divided the Primordial Qi into five parts.

  Each of the five demon kings had a portion of the Primordial Qi floating before them.

  Sitting cross-legged, they closed their eyes, calmed their minds, and prepared to absorb the Primordial Qi.

  Suddenly, the cave shook violently, and rocks began to fall from the ceiling. A thunderous roar echoed through the cave.

  "Five pieces of trash, come out and face your death!"

  At the cave's entrance stood Xu Fang, gripping his Ghost-Mourning Blade, his entire body radiating murderous intent. His fierce gaze locked onto the Bull Demon King, Serpent Demon King, Lion-Camel Demon King, Ape Demon King, and Macaque Demon King, who were now filled with terror.

  With the Heavenly Court's vast network of informants, finding these five had been a simple task for Xu Fang!