I'm Dreaming of a Journey to the West

"Master Erlang, please believe me, we will definitely get out!" Li Chen said with a firm gaze and a resolute tone. At this moment, he exuded a powerful and mysterious aura that was impossible to ignore.

After witnessing Li Chen's astonishingly powerful magic, Erlang Shen, who had been somewhat discouraged, immediately regained his confidence. He looked at this seemingly ordinary but hidden man in front of him, and couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration in his heart.

However, at this moment, Erlang Shen suddenly widened his eyes and stared at Li Chen's figure, carefully sensing the fluctuations of mana emanating from him. Gradually, his eyes became filled with astonishment, as if he had seen something incredible.

"Wait... are you Sun Wukong?" Erlang Shen asked in disbelief, his voice trembling slightly with surprise. He couldn't believe that he could actually see the shadow of Sun Wukong, the famous Monkey King who once wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, in Li Chen.

You know, Sun Wukong and his master and fellow apprentices had long been brutally murdered by the unfathomable Tongtian Patriarch. But now, in this dangerous golden cymbal, he actually encountered someone who was so similar to Sun Wukong.

Facing Erlang Shen's questioning, Li Chen smiled slightly and explained slowly, "Erlang Shen, you misunderstood. I am not Sun Wukong himself. However, I am indeed Sun Wukong's successor. My name is Li Chen!"

Not only have I inherited all of Sun Wukong's magical powers, I've also absorbed the wisdom of his master, Tang Sanzang, and the strength of his fellow disciples, including Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing. So, no matter what difficulties and obstacles await us, as long as we work together, we will surely be able to escape successfully!

"Okay, I believe you! Li Chen!"

Erlang Shen's face, which had been filled with despair, slowly relaxed, like a long drought finally ending in a downpour, and he finally revealed a rare smile. He had never imagined that in such a desperate situation, he would actually meet Sun Wukong's successor, Li Chen.

Back in the day, Erlang Shen and Sun Wukong were perfect rivals, their clashes awe-inspiring and heart-wrenching. However, over time, a special bond developed between them amidst their fierce battles, transforming them into both bitter rivals and devoted friends.

When Erlang Shen first heard the tragic news of Sun Wukong's death, he was struck by lightning and heartbroken. He languished for days, overcome by endless sorrow and anger, even vowing to avenge Sun Wukong. But now, looking at Li Chen before him, a glimmer of hope rekindled in Erlang Shen's heart, nearly despair and lost.

"Master, let me try to attack this golden cymbal!" Li Chen said softly, his face as calm as water, his gaze fixed firmly on Erlang Shen. After receiving Erlang Shen's nod of approval, Li Chen's hands danced swiftly, muttering something. A dazzling light suddenly flashed, and then a mysterious axe emerged from thin air—the Soul Annihilation Axe, imbued with destructive power!

Seeing this axe, Erlang Shen's eyes lit up with an unprecedented light. He could feel the power contained in this axe, which was completely incomparable to his own mountain-splitting axe.

If the power of the Mountain Splitting Axe is the power to split mountains and rocks, then this axe brings the power of destruction! In other words, the power of the Soul Annihilation Axe is even stronger than the Mountain Splitting Axe!

Li Chen tightly gripped the handle of the Soul Annihilation Axe, feeling the immense power contained within, and then suddenly shouted, "Break it for me!"

Instantly, an immensely powerful divine force surged from his body, pouring continuously into the axe. In the blink of an eye, the once ordinary Soul Annihilation Axe began to undergo a startling transformation, expanding and growing until it transformed into a massive battle axe as majestic as a mountain!

Li Chen took a deep breath and raised the enormous axe high with both hands. His muscles were tense and veins were bulging. His eyes were wide open, glaring at the indestructible golden cymbal in front of him, and he chopped it down with all his strength.

Instantly, a deafening roar echoed, as if the entire world trembled. The incomparably sharp axe and the incredibly solid golden cymbal collided with a bang, sending out countless dazzling sparks. The point of contact emitted a resounding clang, like the sound of a mighty bell, resounding through the heavens.

Soon, Li Chen, exerting all his strength, wielded the Soul Annihilation Axe and swung it forward. The blow was like a thunderbolt, swift and fierce. With a loud bang, his fierce strike ended. The two men looked closely and saw a shockingly large crack appear on the golden cymbal.

However, what was astonishing was that in the blink of an eye, the huge crack was quickly restored to its original state at lightning speed, as if all the efforts Li Chen had just made were in vain and useless.

"How could this happen?" Li Chen muttered to himself in disbelief, his face filled with astonishment. He had never imagined that the attack he had launched with all his might not only failed to cause any damage to the golden cymbal, but was instead easily absorbed by it.

At this moment, Erlang Shen suddenly shouted, "Be careful!" Before he finished speaking, he moved like lightning, dashing towards Li Chen at an extremely fast speed. In a flash, Erlang Shen exerted force with both hands at the same time, pushing Li Chen hard to the side.

Almost at the same time, the golden cymbal released a powerful energy wave, returning all the force that Li Chen had just used to attack, and rebounded with overwhelming force.

"Ahhhhh!" Erlang Shen roared in anger, exhausting all his strength to resist the surging rebounding force. Veins bulged in his arms, his muscles tensed, and his feet were firmly rooted to the ground. But the force was too great, and even Erlang Shen, with his extraordinary strength, could not fully resist it.

Erlang Shen was knocked to the ground by the fierce attack, spitting out large mouthfuls of blood. Li Chen rushed forward, helped him up, and transferred magic power into his body.

"I once tried to use my axe to attack this strange golden cymbal. However, every time I swung it with all my strength, all I could hear was a crisp sound echoing in the air.

Then, a despairing scene unfolded—no matter how deep the cuts, the damned golden cymbal would quickly return to its original state, as if every attack had been a futile farce. Erlang Shen panted, his voice so weak it was barely audible as he recounted his previous attempts.

He raised his head, his gaze slowly moving towards the axe in Li Chen's hand, a glimmer of hope in his eyes: "I originally thought that your axe was more powerful than mine, and perhaps it could successfully split this indestructible golden cymbal. But... alas, the result is still extremely disappointing." At this point, Erlang Shen couldn't help but sigh, his face full of frustration and helplessness.

Li Chen gritted his teeth, thinking to himself: I never thought even Erlang Shen's axe couldn't break this mysterious golden cymbal. It seems its strength is far beyond imagination. However, the more difficult and dangerous the situation, the more he must not give up easily!

After pondering for a moment, Li Chen said, "In my opinion, since a single attack cannot cause substantial damage to the Golden Cymbal, we must find a way to break through its defenses in one go, and then escape from here at lightning speed. This is the wisest choice right now!"

Erlang Shen was too exhausted to say anything more and only nodded in agreement. Li Chen continued his analysis, "At this point, completely destroying the golden cymbal is probably unrealistic and not a top priority. The most important thing right now is to create a small hole in it, even just a tiny crack, so we have a chance to escape. As long as we can leave this place alive, we can slowly search for a solution to the golden cymbal's mystery later."

After saying this, Li Chen gripped the axe tightly in his hand, with a determined light flashing in his eyes, ready to face the next life-and-death challenge.