Why did Wukong rarely use the Body-Freezing Spell?

Sun Wukong possessed the practical Body-Freezing Spell, yet used it sparingly—only in limited scenarios.

For example, the Monkey King used it in freezing the Seven Fairy Maidens early in his journey, immobilizing Qingfeng(Clear Breeze) and Mingyue(Bright Moon) at the Temple of the Five Villages, paralyzing officials in the Cock-Crow Kingdom(Black Rooster Kingdom), halting bandits during roadside encounters, etc.

Strategic Restraint, Not Forgetfulness

This rarity stemmed from the spell’s limitations, Wukong’s character, and the availability of superior alternatives.

Limitations of the Body-Freezing Spell

Its effectiveness depended heavily on the target’s power level. It worked reliably only against weaker targets, while most demons encountered on the pilgrimage possessed profound magic resistance, rendering the spell useless.

Wukong’s Warrior Ethos

Sun Wukong was an honorable combatant who believed in overwhelming strength and disdained “underhanded tactics” or “ambush.” He inherently resisted using the Body-Freezing Spell, resorting to it only to avoid conflict or gain time. Using it to immobilize an opponent before delivering a fatal blow was considered dishonorable and immoral by his code.

Superior Skill Arsenal

Wukong possessed far more versatile and potent abilities. Here is a short list:

• Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod (Powerful melee combat)
• Somersault Cloud (Ultra-fast mobility)
• Seventy-Two Transformations (Adaptability/stealth)
• Summoning (Calling deities/local gods for aid)
• Invisibility (Covert operations)

Compared to these, the Body-Freezing Spell was a niche skill with limited applicability.