Wukong this time truly met his match, as the Nine-Headed Bug had reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal Realm and possessed nine formidable Great Banners, trapping Wukong and momentarily preventing his escape.
It was ultimately a gap in realms. If Wukong had also reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal Realm, a sweep of his horsetail whisk would likely have toppled the nine Great Banners. The divide between a Great Luo Golden Immortal and a Taiyi Golden Immortal is profound, and even augmenting it with mana proved insufficient to completely bridge this gap.
The Nine-Headed Bug was merely formidable in its innate divine ability and possessed nine Yin Banners. Yet, it could fight Wukong to a standstill, who had many powerful Magical Treasures and had even slain evil spirits. The gap was apparent.
The Heaven-Defying Taoist scoffed and said, "Thinking you can wear me out is not so easy!"