Chapter Seventy-Two: The Manifestation of the Sacred Realm

“Wukong, my worthy brother, your Golden Cudgel is truly remarkable!”
Sun Wukong deliberately wanted to show off his newly acquired Golden Cudgel to Bull Demon King and the others; this was, after all, a genuine weapon of great power.
“That old Dragon King was really stingy. It took quite an effort for me to get this weapon.”
With a flick, Sun Wukong transformed the Golden Cudgel into an embroidery needle and tucked it back into his ear, making the Monkey King beside him green with envy—his own weapon was hardly a match for the Golden Cudgel.
As they idly chatted on, the Bull Demon King also took the opportunity to boast about his own magical abilities and treasures.
“Wukong, my worthy brother, why don’t we swear brotherhood here today?” the Bull Demon King suddenly suggested.
The faces of the Flood Dragon King and Roc Demon King remained unchanged, as if they had expected this, but the Monkey King and Lion Camel King looked rather displeased.
Lion Camel King considered Yuan Wuyi his true elder brother and had no desire to swear brotherhood with these other demon kings. As for the Monkey King, he was worried that after the oath, he would end up at the bottom of the pecking order; after all, Sun Wukong had just shown off his supernatural powers and the Golden Cudgel, and the Monkey King knew he was no match. If he swore brotherhood, he feared he would be ranked seventh, which naturally did not please him.
“Bull Demon King, you all go ahead and swear brotherhood; I won’t be joining,” Lion Camel King was the first to speak up.
“Oh? Lion Camel King, do you look down on us so much that you are unwilling to swear brotherhood with us?” the Flood Dragon King said, his tone seemingly unhurried but the threat was clear.
It was also a warning to the Monkey King and Lion Camel King: whether or not they swore brotherhood was not for them to decide.
Now that Yuan Wuyi was no longer within Lion Camel King, there was no way to force him to go along with their wishes, so Lion Camel King was acting entirely according to his own will.
“I mean no disrespect; you all know I already have a sworn brother. How could I call others my brothers as well?”
“Lion Camel King, that’s not quite right. Didn’t you first swear brotherhood with me and then with the Divine Ape King? Why can’t you do it again today?” retorted Bull Demon King, his face turning a little sour.
In Lion Camel King’s view, only Yuan Wuyi truly regarded him as a brother; as for the Bull Demon King, he knew exactly what kind of character he was.
Just as Lion Camel King was about to retort, Yuan Wuyi returned to him and said quietly:
“Agree to it.”
Yuan Wuyi’s words made Lion Camel King pause, but he quickly understood.
“In that case, I was too narrow-minded. I am willing to swear brotherhood.”
“Excellent,” Bull Demon King replied, his face finally brightening.
Yuan Wuyi believed he should not let his own presence influence the Journey to the West; it would be better to continue observing, not interfering.

“This is just a title, nothing to be hung up on,” Yuan Wuyi explained privately to Lion Camel King.
True brotherhood or false is not decided by an oath.
Lion Camel King agreed, and there were no further objections, though the Monkey King could not help but ask:
“Then, who will be the eldest brother?”
“It should be whoever has the highest cultivation,” said the Flood Dragon King bluntly.
“The strong lead, the weak follow—that’s always been the rule. I support Flood Dragon King,” Sun Wukong agreed wholeheartedly.
Yuan Wuyi watched all this unfold in silence. If things went this way, would Sun Wukong really be just the seventh?
“I don’t think that’s right. We should rank by seniority. Reputation is what counts when out in the world; only those without fame rely on strength alone,” the Monkey King argued, unwilling to accept being the youngest.
“I think only the Bull Demon King is fit to be our eldest brother. If anyone here thinks he has both the strength and reputation to match, let him step forward.”
The Monkey King was doing his utmost; he’d rather risk offense than end up last.
Sure enough, the Flood Dragon King and the Roc Demon King’s faces darkened at his words. They ruled their own territories but had not, like the Bull Demon King, made a name for themselves among the wider demon race. Their reputations fell short, though their strength was comparable.
“Well…”
Sun Wukong found it hard to object; Bull Demon King’s fame was undeniable, and he himself was still new to the world and could not say much about such matters. The Monkey King had seized a crucial point.
“Monkey King speaks sense. Still, we must see Bull Demon King’s true abilities. Otherwise, we will not be convinced,” said the Roc Demon King.
“I agree,” Flood Dragon King was the first to second the motion.
“In that case, let me show you a little of my skills,” Bull Demon King declared.
With such a reputation, no one would believe he had no real abilities.

“This place is too small for a demonstration. Let’s go outside,” Bull Demon King said, leading the way out of the Water Curtain Cave.
The demon kings gathered at the most open part of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.
“Here will do. Watch closely.”
Standing at the center, Bull Demon King suddenly grew to an astonishing size with incredible speed—
Ten zhang.
Twenty zhang.
Thirty zhang…
“Vast Form Manifestation—Bull Demon King is truly a master in hiding,” Yuan Wuyi could not help but exclaim—not because the supernatural power was rare, but because anyone could learn it if their cultivation was high enough. What surprised Yuan Wuyi was that to master the Vast Form Manifestation, one needed to have reached the realm of the Grand Golden Immortal.
The first requirement for displaying this ability was a powerful true form and complete mastery of the five elements within. Achieving this meant stepping into the Grand Golden Immortal realm. Yet Bull Demon King, whose cultivation had clearly not reached this stage, was still able to wield this power—he must have some extraordinary fortune.
Bull Demon King’s display was dazzling, even the Flood Dragon King and Roc Demon King were taken aback, let alone the Lion Camel King and Monkey King, who had grown wild and free without guidance.
“Well, what do you all think?”
With that, Bull Demon King shrank back to his normal size and rejoined the group.
“Bull Demon King, your powers are truly impressive. We are in awe,” Monkey King said, hurrying to his side to flatter him. With Bull Demon King’s demonstration, Monkey King’s aim was achieved.
“Indeed, Bull Demon King is remarkable. In that case, I’ll take the second place,” Flood Dragon King said.
“And I’ll be third,” added Roc Demon King immediately after him.
It was as if the two had arranged this beforehand, seizing the second and third spots without protest. After all, besides Bull Demon King, they truly were the strongest among the demon kings. No one else dared challenge their claim.