Riding the clouds, Sun Wukong sped across the sky. The winds howled in his ears, and the mountains rolled beneath him like waves. In a few moments, he crossed a hundred thousand li and descended upon Flower Fruit Mountain.
The monkeys who lived there were playing by the waterfall when a golden radiance suddenly filled the sky. A figure descended upon a cloud, wearing robes of shimmering silk and eyes that blazed like twin suns. The monkeys froze in awe.
But as the light faded, they saw the familiar grin beneath the glow and cried out with joy.
"Our King has returned! Long live the Great King!"
They rushed forward, bowing and cheering.
Wukong laughed heartily and lifted them one by one. "Do not kneel to me like mortals," he said. "I have mastered the immortal arts. No longer am I bound by death or decay. From this day forth, I shall protect our mountain for all eternity!"
The monkeys danced and clapped, and that night, they held a grand feast. Wild fruits and spring water filled the tables, and laughter echoed through the valleys.
As the moon rose high, Wukong stood upon a cliff, gazing down at his home. His heart was proud, but his spirit restless. He felt power coursing through his veins — yet he desired more.
"The world is vast," he murmured. "How can I remain content here forever? I shall make our mountain a kingdom so mighty that even Heaven must acknowledge us!"
He began to train his followers, teaching them martial arts, strategies, and formations. The monkeys grew strong and disciplined. Soon, no beast dared to trespass upon Flower Fruit Mountain.
Peace reigned — for a time.
But one night, under the cover of mist, a horde of mountain demons and beast spirits crept into the forest. They struck without warning, capturing young monkeys and carrying them away to their cave.
When dawn came and the losses were discovered, the cries of grief filled the valley.
Wukong's eyes blazed with golden fire. "How dare they lay hands on my people!"
He called for his lieutenants. "Tell me where these demons dwell."
"They live beyond the Black Wind Ridge, in a cavern beneath the cliffs," said one trembling monkey.
Wukong nodded coldly. "Stay here. I'll bring back their heads before sunset."
He leapt upon a cloud and shot into the sky, streaking toward the dark mountains like a comet.
***
With a single leap, Sun Wukong rode the clouds and crossed the mountains. In moments, he arrived at Black Wind Ridge, a dark and misty range filled with sinister energy. The cries of demons echoed faintly from below.
He descended before the cavern gate. Two hulking ogres guarded the entrance — one with a bull's head, the other with tiger fangs.
"Who dares trespass into our lord's domain?" they snarled.
Wukong grinned. "Your lord? He dared kidnap my children from Flower Fruit Mountain. I've come to collect his debt!"
Before they could reply, Wukong leapt forward, striking one with his bare fists and kicking the other into the cliff wall. The impact shook the valley; both demons fell lifeless at once.
From inside, a thunderous roar answered. A huge demon emerged, armored in black iron, wielding a steel fork that glowed with malice.
"You insolent ape!" the demon bellowed. "Do you know who I am? I am the Demon King of Black Wind Ridge. How dare you invade my realm?"
Wukong folded his arms and smirked. "Then you're the one I'm looking for."
With that, he charged. The demon swung his fork, splitting the air with a shriek of metal. Wukong met it head-on. Though unarmed, his strength was unmatched — each blow thundered like a landslide.
The battle raged from dawn till midday. Sparks flew, rocks shattered, and trees toppled. Finally, with a roar, Wukong seized the demon's weapon, wrenched it free, and struck his foe upon the skull.
The Demon King's head burst like a melon, and his body fell to the ground with a crash that shook the cave.
Triumphant, Wukong tore through the lair, freeing the captive monkeys and taking all the treasure he could carry. When he returned to Flower Fruit Mountain, his followers greeted him with cheers that echoed for miles.
But when the celebration ended, Wukong examined the demon's steel fork and frowned. He swung it once, twice, and sighed.
"Too light. Too dull. Not worthy of me."
He gazed into the sky, his mind racing. "The masters of the seas are said to hoard treasures beyond measure. Perhaps they have what I seek."
The next morning, he gathered his lieutenants.
"Guard our mountain well. I go to the depths of the sea to find a weapon worthy of my hands."
Then, with a mighty bound, he rode the clouds eastward. Soon he reached the edge of the vast ocean, where the waves rose higher than mountains.
Without hesitation, he dove straight in. The waters parted around him as if obeying his will, and he descended toward the glittering light of the Crystal Palace of the Eastern Sea.
***
The waters of the Eastern Sea rolled endlessly, shimmering beneath the morning sun. With a flash of golden light, Sun Wukong dove beneath the waves, cutting through the depths like a shooting star. The fishes scattered in awe, and the sea itself seemed to open a path before him.
Soon, he reached a crystal gate guarded by shrimp soldiers and crab generals. When they saw the glowing immortal descending, they raised their tridents in alarm.
"Who are you, Immortal Sage, that you dare intrude upon the Dragon King's palace?"
Wukong clasped his hands behind his back and grinned.
"I am Sun Wukong, Great King of Flower Fruit Mountain. I come in peace, seeking only a weapon fit for my strength."
The guards looked at one another, uncertain. Finally, one hurried inside to report to the Dragon King Ao Guang.
The Dragon King, dressed in scaled robes of blue and gold, frowned deeply. "A monkey? Seeking a weapon?"
Still, unwilling to show disrespect to an immortal, he summoned Wukong into his throne hall.
The Monkey King bowed politely. "Great Dragon King, I have long heard that your treasury holds treasures of immense power. Might you grant me one suitable for my use?"
Ao Guang smiled thinly. "We have many weapons here. Let us see if one pleases you."
At his command, attendants brought forth a mighty iron spear weighing 3,600 jin. Wukong took it in one hand and twirled it easily.
"Too light," he said.
They brought him an enormous sword, a golden halberd, and even a mountain axe that few dragons could lift — but Wukong dismissed them all with a shake of his head.
The Dragon King grew uneasy. "Then what, O Sage, would satisfy you?"
Before Wukong could answer, the Dragon Queen whispered from her throne,
"My lord, do you not recall the old treasure — the iron pillar that calms the seas? None can move it, yet it glows with heavenly light. Perhaps that may please him."
Ao Guang hesitated. "That ancient relic? It weighs 13,500 jin! It was left by the Great Yu when he tamed the floods. If it were to be disturbed—"
But Wukong had already heard enough. His golden eyes flashed. "Where is this treasure? I would like to see it."
The Dragon King reluctantly led him to the treasury. Deep within, upon a floor of jade, stood a colossal iron pillar, glowing faintly with golden light. Runes shimmered along its length, and the words carved upon it read:
'Ruyi Jingu Bang — The As-You-Will Gold-Banded Staff.'
Wukong's heart leapt. He stepped forward, seized the massive column, and shouted,
"Grow smaller!"
The pillar trembled, the sea shook, and before the Dragon King's eyes, it shrank — from the size of a tower to that of a walking stick.
Laughing, Wukong swung it once, and waves roared across the sea floor. "Perfect!" he cried. "It obeys my will!"
The staff glowed again, settling at a comfortable size — as tall as Wukong himself, thick as a bowl, gleaming with golden light.
"Too magnificent!" he laughed. "This will serve me well!"
The Dragon Palace quaked from his laughter. The Dragon King fell to his knees, trembling. "Great Sage, please — take it and go in peace. We dare not stop you."
But Wukong wasn't finished. "A fine weapon deserves fine armor," he said. "Bring me your best!"
Ao Guang, frightened out of his wits, summoned his brothers — the Dragon Kings of the Southern, Western, and Northern Seas. Together, they offered Wukong a golden cuirass, a phoenix-plumed helmet, and cloud-walking boots.
When Wukong donned them, his form blazed with golden light. His reflection gleamed upon the ocean's surface — like a miniature sun under the sea.
With a final laugh, he bowed mockingly to the Dragon Kings.
"You have my thanks. I'll be sure to put these gifts to good use!"
And with that, he shot up through the waves, leaving the palace in disarray and the dragons trembling.
High above, the clouds parted as Sun Wukong ascended once more into the heavens, his golden armor glittering, his staff spinning like lightning.
"Now," he declared, "let the world see the power of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"
***
Above the clouds, in the Jade Emperor's Celestial Palace, peace and harmony reigned as music drifted from the halls of immortals and divine incense filled the air. But suddenly, the heavens trembled — the sea roared, and a surge of golden light rose from the East like a living flame.
Celestial generals rushed to report.
"Your Majesty," they cried, "a powerful immortal has emerged from the mortal realm. He rides the clouds, commands the wind, and wields a staff that can shake mountains and churn the sea. His name is Sun Wukong, the Monkey King of Flower Fruit Mountain. He has robbed the Dragon Kings of their treasures and boasts himself as the 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven.'"
The Jade Emperor, serene upon his throne, furrowed his brow. "A mere monkey causes such uproar in the world below? What arrogance."
The Immortal Minister Taibai Jinxing (the Venus Immortal) stepped forward, bowing.
"Your Majesty, the monkey has gained some measure of Daoist power and immortality. He is proud, yes, but his heart is not yet wicked. If we confront him by force, the mortal realm will suffer. Perhaps it would be wiser to summon him to Heaven and give him a small post, to calm his ambition."
The Jade Emperor pondered this and nodded slowly. "A clever plan. Let us see if he can be tamed by rank and courtesy."
***
Meanwhile, on Flower Fruit Mountain, Sun Wukong trained his followers and tested his strength daily. With the Ruyi Jingu Bang in hand, he could strike mountains into dust and sweep rivers dry with a single swing. His troops, the monkey army, numbered in the thousands — a wild host of beasts and spirits loyal to him alone.
One day, as he stood upon a peak admiring the sea of clouds below, a golden light flashed in the sky. From within it descended a celestial envoy, clad in white armor and bearing an imperial scroll.
"Sun Wukong of Flower Fruit Mountain," the envoy proclaimed, "by decree of the Jade Emperor, you are summoned to the Celestial Court! His Majesty bestows upon you the title 'Keeper of the Heavenly Horses.'"
The monkeys knelt in awe. Wukong laughed, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"Keeper of the Heavenly Horses? That sounds grand enough! Very well — tell your Jade Emperor I accept!"
And so, riding upon a cloud, he followed the envoy into the heavens.
When he arrived, he saw the Nine Heavens stretching endlessly — palaces of jade, towers of gold, and immortals gliding through the air like starlight. At first, Wukong was filled with wonder. He bowed respectfully when he was brought before the Jade Emperor's throne.
The Emperor nodded faintly. "Let the monkey be assigned to the Stable of the Heavenly Horses. There he shall serve."
Wukong was led to his post — but as days passed, he began to overhear whispers from the other immortals.
"A lowly beast, tending horses in Heaven!""He should be grateful to be here at all."
At first, Wukong ignored them. But the words gnawed at him.
"So this is my 'great title,'" he growled. "Keeper of horses? Is this how Heaven honors me — the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?"
His fury burned like fire.
The next morning, he smashed the stable gates, freed the Heavenly Horses, and vanished into the clouds.
He returned to Flower Fruit Mountain, tearing off his celestial robes and shouting,
"No longer shall I serve Heaven! From this day forth, I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven — self-made, self-titled, and beholden to no one!"
The mountains echoed with his laughter. His monkeys rejoiced and built a grand new banner that read:
"The Great Sage Equal to Heaven — Sun Wukong!"