The mighty Jade Emperor decides to recruit the monkey in order to control him. Sun is lured in and appointed Guardian of the Imperial Stables, but soon realizes the Emperor’s intentions and makes a swift exit. Some of Heaven’s strongest soldiers are sent to stop the rebellious Sun, but he easily overcomes them. Later, Sun is enticed to guard the Heavenly Garden (蟠桃园 Pántáo Yuán), where the fruits of immortality grow, but the monkey again realizes he has been duped by the emperor:

Yù dì lao er, nǐ sān fān liǎng cì qīyā ǎn lǎo sūn. Ǎn yǔ nǐ shìbùliǎnglì.
玉帝老儿,你三番两次欺压俺老孙。俺与你势不两立。
“Old Jade Emperor, you have cheated me, the Old Sun, again and again; we’re irreconcilable”

The Monkey King continues to cause chaos in heaven, stealing all the delicacies and wine from the Empress’s Imperial Banquet, and the Pills of Immortality from Taishang Laojun, the divine personification of Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu (voiced by Feng Xiaogang). It’s enough to push the emperor over the edge, and he bellows at his general:

Lìng nǐ dài shí wàn tiānbīng tiān jiāng, dìng yào zhuōná yāo hóu jiàn wǒ.
令你带十万天兵天将,定要捉拿妖猴见我。
“I order you to lead an army of one hundred thousand warriors to arrest the Monkey and bring him here to me”.

Sun fends off even this onslaught, but after a beautifully designed battle is finally captured through the wily magic tricks of Lao Tzu. Sun fumes at the deceit:

Nǐmen bèidì xiàshǒu, ànjiàn shāng rén, suàn bùdé shénme hǎohàn!
你们背地下手,暗箭伤人,算不得什么好汉!
“You can only sneak up from behind, stabbing me in the back – you trivial man!”

Yet even when sentenced to death and pummeled with a variety of choice weapons, Sun remains unbroken. Lao Tzu then tries to incinerate him in his furnace, but it’s useless. Sun escapes the flames unscathed and takes revenge by destroying the Palace of Heaven, before returning to be embraced by a land of cheering monkeys.