Volume 1: Unsayable Chapter 9: The Destruction of the Divine Apes

“Even in ancient times, when the energy of heaven and earth was abundant and spiritual beasts and immortals abounded, our seven divine apes could bear to see no killing or war, so we intervened time and again. Those younger beings were naturally no match for us and submitted as our subjects.”
The Stone Monkey thought to itself, So how did things turn out like this now?
“Again and again, all living beings bowed before us, acknowledging us as the progenitors of creation and the gods who ruled the world, allowing us to govern various regions.”
“But the seven divine apes were born alongside heaven and earth; we were simple and capricious, preferring to play in the world around us. We hated sitting at desks sorting documents or dealing with ink and brushes, and we despised pretense, deceit, and manipulation. Thus, we were utterly unable to handle political affairs. So, the apes agreed to hand over all power to the immortals and demons under us and went back to living carefree lives.”
“The immortals and demons were all once ordinary humans, beasts, or birds who achieved enlightenment. Those who won the favor of the divine apes naturally possessed extraordinary wisdom. But the divine apes were pure-hearted and simple-minded; we never imagined that these young ones, having gained power, would not only be exceptionally intelligent but also rebellious by nature. They advanced rapidly in their cultivation, formed factions, and gathered millions to challenge the seven divine apes. Worst of all, they knew how to break through the laws of nature and create countless magical artifacts of immense power.”
“Once the immortals and demons gained power, their first move was to kill the seven divine apes! Humans can never tolerate others being above them—this seems to be an innate instinct. After that, the seven divine apes were shattered, their souls destroyed by the hordes of immortals and demons. Many of their talents were lost forever.”
Hearing this, the Stone Monkey grew even more confused: “Then what about you now…”
“I am no longer a divine ape; I’m just slightly stronger than you.”
The Stone Monkey became increasingly bewildered. If their souls had been destroyed, why was Wu Zhiqi still standing before him alive? And how could he, a monkey known as a wise and divine ape, appear in the world?
“You must know that the seven divine apes, along with the Kunpeng and Pangu, were all born from chaos. They had no name in heaven or hell. Even if heaven and earth were destroyed, we would not perish. Even if our souls turned to dust, we could still be reborn through nirvana.”
The Stone Monkey was stunned: “Does that mean you’re immortal and invincible?”
Wu Zhiqi glanced at him indifferently: “Though that’s true, there are situations where living is worse than dying.”
“Since we were born from chaos, as long as there is still creation in this world, we will remain immortal. But with each rebirth, most of our original memories and wisdom are lost, leaving us like newborn infants, slowly recovering.”

“And how could those celestial demons and monsters allow us any time to grow? Whenever they saw us, they would launch massive campaigns to exterminate us. Aside from me being captured alive, I have no idea how many times the other six divine apes were killed. Eventually, those divine apes finally realized the situation. When they were reborn, they all ceased all activity, disappearing without a trace—either by changing their forms or hiding their presence—never daring to reappear in the world again.”
The Stone Monkey asked, “Then why didn’t they kill you?”
“They didn’t kill me because they found a way to control me. Look at these chains on my shoulders—they were made by the ancient deity Dayu, specifically to subdue beings like me, who are made of water essence. The Great Sage Patriarch Wang Bodhisattva of the Great Sage Temple is a descendant of Dayu. Aside from him, no one else can control these chains. He imprisoned me in this waterless land, waiting for me to accumulate enough spiritual energy. Then he would have his disciple train with me to drain that energy, before releasing me back here.” Wu Zhiqi’s expression turned sorrowful. “Counting from then, it’s been thirty or forty thousand years.”
The Stone Monkey remained silent. As the saying goes, those of the same kind share a bond. Thirty or forty thousand years of torment—just as Wu Zhiqi said, it was worse than death. As he put it, the fight between Prince Zhang and Wu Zhiqi wasn’t a real battle but merely like extracting bile from a living bear, as the Stone Monkey had seen in his past life.
It was truly sad and lamentable that such noble divine apes became tools for others to accumulate spiritual energy.
Thinking of this, the Stone Monkey suddenly remembered that when he first entered the Water Curtain Cave, a mysterious figure had taught him three scriptures, granting him much spiritual energy. Could such energy really be useful for those practicing cultivation? The Stone Monkey became more cautious and didn’t ask Wu Zhiqi. Instead, he kept this in mind, planning to investigate further later.
Recalling the fight between Wu Zhiqi and Prince Zhang, a sudden wave of extreme cold had frozen him solid. Even now, thinking back, he still felt terrified.
“Where did that terrible cold come from during your fight the other day?”
“That was a talisman given by Patriarch Wang Bodhisattva to Prince Zhang, which froze all living water within a thousand miles, preventing me from using my powers. You must know that I thrive when in water; without it, most of my abilities are lost. Normally, ice and water make no difference to me, but right now, I’m extremely weak, and with these chains restraining me, I’m practically useless.”
Within a thousand miles? The Stone Monkey clicked his tongue in amazement at such great power. Suddenly, he remembered something. A chill swept up from his spine, and he quickly asked, “Within a thousand miles? If there are ordinary people there, wouldn’t they freeze to death?”

Wu Zhiqi showed no expression at all and said coldly, “That’s only natural. How would they care about the lives and deaths of mortals? They come once every seven or eight years, but I fear that over time, with my accumulated fortune, Xiao Zhang won’t be able to control them.”
“Then why doesn’t the Great Sage National Teacher, Bodhisattva Wang, take action himself?”
“Hmph, he just finds a scapegoat. All the sins of killing living beings are placed on Xiao Zhang’s head. You must know that mortals also have their own fortune. That Bodhisattva, under the pretext of subduing the Jellyfish Goddess, has caused countless beings to suffer. How could Xiao Zhang’s meager spiritual power bear such a heavy burden of killing?”
Wu Zhiqi spoke as if chatting casually, yet it sent chills down the Stone Monkey’s spine. A Bodhisattva? So it was actually the work of a Bodhisattva. If he hadn’t been exceptionally gifted, he might have died as well. How many of those mortals on the ground could endure such coldness? It’s possible that some even had statues of the Great Sage National Teacher, Bodhisattva Wang, in their homes. And Prince Xiao Zhang was even more pitiable—he served as his master’s tool for killing, accumulating countless karmic debts without even realizing it. Who knew what retribution awaited him?
“What are these so-called Bodhisattvas and deities? They’re just titles,” Wu Zhiqi said indifferently.
“How can mortals accumulate fortune, and what’s the use of it?” the Stone Monkey asked.
“What is fortune? You, a divine ape born from fortune, actually ask such a question? It seems you’re still inferior to mortals just after being born.”
“Fortune is karma, it’s cause and effect. It’s both good intentions and evil intentions, both blessings and disasters, both merits and karmic retribution. Those who practice cultivation gain spiritual power through fortune, beasts and birds can also become immortals through it, and mortals gain better fortunes recorded in the Yin-Yang registers. Without fortune, this world would be no better than the chaos before creation.”
“I don’t understand,” the Stone Monkey said, shaking his head repeatedly after listening for a while.
Wu Zhiqi sighed, “You’ll understand when the time comes. There’s no need to rush.”
Suddenly, Wu Zhiqi’s expression changed drastically. Alarmed, he exclaimed, “That Bodhisattva has arrived. He must be looking for you. No matter what he asks, just say you haven’t woken up yet and know nothing.” Without any visible movement, the Stone Monkey felt a severe pain at the back of his head and collapsed to the ground.
Wu Zhiqi’s body flickered, instantly growing taller by more than fifty feet, taking on a terrifying appearance.
A flash of golden light appeared, and the Great Sage National Teacher, Bodhisattva Wang, stood there, followed by the terrified Prince Xiao Zhang. He no longer had his once dashing appearance, his face filled with despair and sorrow—likely after being scolded harshly by his master.
Wu Zhiqi stood in front of the Stone Monkey, roaring continuously.

The Great Sage National Preceptor, Bodhisattva Wang, had a gloomy expression as he rapidly chanted spells. Wu Zhiqi immediately collapsed to the ground, his eyes blazing with fury. The Great Sage National Preceptor, Bodhisattva Wang, looked puzzled—why was Wu Zhiqi protecting the Stone Monkey so fiercely?

He rolled up his sleeves and carefully examined the Stone Monkey; it was still the same Stone Monkey, with no loss of its innate power. It was unclear how long it had been unconscious. Likely, Wu Zhiqi, seeing a fellow creature, thought it might provide him some entertainment, hence his reluctance to give up.

He cast a spell and vanished with Xiao Zhang and the Stone Monkey. When they reappeared, they were already in the main hall of the Great Sage Zen Temple.

On the throne in the main hall sat a man of ordinary appearance but with an air of authority, clad in black robes surrounded by a radiant glow. When he saw the Great Sage National Preceptor, Bodhisattva Wang, enter the hall, he merely lifted his eyelids slightly.

The Great Sage National Preceptor, Bodhisattva Wang, stepped forward, unfurled his sleeves to reveal the intact Stone Monkey. The man showed no expression, took the curled Stone Monkey, and disappeared from the room without even glancing at Bodhisattva Wang.