As Martial Virtue Star Lord made his move, the Enlightening Mirror within Jiang Chen’s Sea of Consciousness started to gently quiver, gradually unveiling a phantom of the Innate Eight Diagrams on the mirror’s surface.
Suddenly, an inexplicable force of tribulation descended upon the world involved both Martial Virtue Star Lord and the Six Demons without them, or even the Jade Emperor in Heaven Court, sensing its presence.
The might of the Enlightening Mirror was revealed once more!
The purpose of this tribulation force was to trigger the death calamity of Martial Virtue Star Lord, so he would ultimately perish at the hands of the Six Demons.
Having quietly set all this in motion, Jiang Chen once again summoned thousands of lightning bolts to surge towards Sun Wukong in the distance.
Until the Martial Virtue Star Lord had fallen, Jiang Chen wouldn’t confront Sun Wukong; he planned to use Sun Wukong as a means to practice and hone his Thunder Law.
Whether Sun Wukong learned something from Yuan Hong remained unknown; however, his means of attack had become much simpler. Regardless of the diversification in divine abilities, he shattered them all with a single strike.
The attack methods of Sun Wukong reflected the principles of Ancient Martial Arts much more than Jiang Chen.
Seeing the surging lightning, Sun Wukong didn’t hesitate to smash it down with his rod.
The void shook, the Five Elements trembled, and countless lightning fragments scattered to pieces, turning into billions of electric sparks that burst in all directions.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen frowned, halted in his steps, and asked Sun Wukong, "Huh? Monkey, have you already cultivated the Sky-mending Seal to this level?"
Just now, Jiang Chen had discerned a brief flicker of five-colored divine light on Sun Wukong. Without a doubt, that five-colored divine light was definitely the aura of the Innate Five Elements, or rather, the aura of the Sky-mending Stone.
The Sky-mending Stone was the divine stone refined by Empress Nuwa from the five-colored divine stone, being a holy object of the Five Elements, hence its sky-mending abilities.
Sun Wukong was a heavenly god born from the Sky-mending Stone, naturally possessing the ability to manipulate the Five Elements.
However, due to Sun Wukong’s compromised growth and innate deficiency, various gifted divine abilities had not been awakened, thus rendering them unusable.
Yet, Jiang Chen was currently able to see the existence of the Five Elements energies within Sun Wukong. This clearly indicated that his foundation was being replenished and that his gifted divine abilities were beginning to awaken.
The Sky-mending Seal!
Only the Sky-mending Seal harboured within Sun Wukong could grant him the ability to mend his innate defects. When cultivated to a high realm, the Sky-mending Seal could compensate for all innate deficiencies.
It was a Supreme Divine Ability tailored for Sun Wukong!
Both parties learned the Sky-mending Seal simultaneously, but whereas Jiang Chen was just starting to get the hang of it, Sun Wukong had already mastered it and begun to compensate for his own deficiencies, this was the first time that Jiang Chen was being overshadowed by another’s talent.
Resting his treasure staff, Sun Wukong said to Jiang Chen, "Jiang Brother, I am not like you. You have countless divine abilities, while I only have a few to showcase.
"Therefore, I can concentrate on becoming proficient in a single divine ability, reaching a very high level of accomplishment.""
These insights were not Sun Wukong’s own realization but taught to him by Yuan Hong.
From their first engagement, Yuan Hong noticed Sun Wukong’s issue: he was a jack of all trades but master of none. He had knowledge of the Earthly Fiend 72 Transformations but hadn’t fully cultivated any of them.
Also, his understanding of divine abilities was rather superficial, knowing what happens but not why it happens. If Sun Wukong hadn’t been learned in top-tier techniques, Yuan Hong would have presumed him to be of unknown origins.
Yuan Hong was dissatisfied with Sun Wukong’s master for not educating him properly. This was not how masters taught their apprentices. They only passed on techniques and divine abilities without any further instruction.
What kind of master did that? It was utterly negligent.
Thus, it could be said that Jiang Chen found a good master for Sun Wukong. Under Yuan Hong’s guidance, Sun Wukong reorganized what he had learned and focused on the Sky-mending Seal, allowing him to master it in a very short time.
After listening to Sun Wukong’s words, Jiang Chen praised, "The way of cultivation emphasizes refinement, not versatility. Your realization has not disappointed me."
"Breaking all laws with a single power is indeed the supreme dao. But you will find that it’s far from enough to confront me."
As he spoke, Jiang Chen raised his right hand, opened his fingers, and firmly grasped the void in Sun Wukong’s direction.
In an instant, the void grew thunderous, numerous Innate Thunderbolts erupted fiercely, dancing like dragons and snakes, surging like a vast ocean. With a roar, Sun Wukong was swallowed whole.
In the midst of the violent thunder and lightning, Jiang Chen’s commanding voice accompanied the deafening thunder, echoing between heaven and earth.
"Sun Wukong, this is the first realm of the Four Realms of Thunder Dao, generating thunder from the void. If you choose to confront this Emperor with a single divine ability, then I will not take advantage of you. I will defeat you solely with the Law of Thunder to make you submit, both in heart and words."
His voice brimmed with immense confidence. Although I have stronger means that could easily subjugate you, I choose not to use them just to make you surrender. I will defeat you in the field you’re most confident in.
You have immense confidence in your own divine abilities, don’t you? Well then, I will defeat you using divine abilities.
This was Jiang Chen’s lesson to Sun Wukong for his earlier statement that while Jiang Chen had countless divine abilities, he only had a few. Therefore, he could concentrate on perfecting a single divine ability.