In a state of semi-consciousness, the stone monkey felt as if he was lying on a warm surface of water, floating and swaying as if in a cradle. Occasionally, the ripples of water caressed him, reminiscent of a mother's touch. This was a sensation he had never experienced before; it was peaceful and warm, seemingly the safest place in the world. More precisely, it was a feeling of bliss.

Suddenly, the wind began to pick up, stirring the water into waves and occasionally whipping up foam. The stone monkey frowned slightly, annoyed by the wind's interference. With just a thought, the water immediately calmed down.

Eh? What is this?

How could the water be so obedient? The stone monkey withdrew his thought, and sure enough, the waves rose again. After several attempts, he realized that the water indeed responded to his manipulation. With just a thought, the water could hover in the air without falling, taking on myriad shapes. He was greatly surprised; when had he acquired such a skill? However, controlling it wasn't second nature to him, indicating he was still new to this art and needed to practice more.

The stone monkey tried to recall past events and suddenly remembered Wuzhiqi, how he had been knocked unconscious by him, and then entered this state. Could it be...

The Spirit Monkey thrives in water, so could this divine power also be transferred to others?

The stone monkey guessed correctly; it was indeed Wuzhiqi who had passed on his water-controlling technique to him. Wuzhiqi had been imprisoned for ten thousand years, his heart as dead as ashes, knowing well the difficulty of escaping his predicament. However, the stone monkey, having survived a great disaster, evidently had a significant destiny. Passing on the water-controlling technique to the stone monkey was almost no loss to Wuzhiqi, who had not had the opportunity to use it for thousands of years. Moreover, such divine powers could not be learned by others, only by those who could apply the essence of creation in the purest form.

The stone monkey, born from creation itself, faced no obstacles and immediately mastered the technique without any issues. Moreover, as the most distinguished among the Seven Spirit Monkeys, he naturally had his unique qualities.

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Deep beneath the Great Sage Zen Temple, Wuzhiqi's form had shrunk to just over four feet in length, lying on the ground listless, as if dead, only occasionally trembling. Only Wuzhiqi knew that the Great Sage National Teacher, Wang Bodhisattva, was extremely dissatisfied with his involvement with the stone monkey and was about to start punishing him again.

In the central stone pool, what the stone monkey thought to be black crude oil churned layer upon layer, as if undercurrents were swirling within. Then, flames inexplicably ignited on the surface of this black substance, with purple flames flickering like snake tongues, drastically increasing the temperature within the space and causing the stones around the pool to gradually turn red.

Wuzhiqi, a Spirit Monkey that thrived in water, was naturally terrified of fire. His fur began to char, emitting a pungent smell as he tried to curl back, but with the hard stone wall behind him, where could he hide?

From above, a sea of flames appeared to engulf a trembling little monkey...

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In the front hall of the Great Sage Zen Temple, Prince Zhang knelt upright, filled with fear and doubt. He feared his master's silence since that day, unsure of how he would be dealt with; he doubted that the one who took the stone monkey was the Xuantian Shangdi! The Xuantian Shangdi, also known as the Emperor ZhenWu, commanded the gods of the north and was renowned for his profound cultivation and ruthless demeanor.

Prince Zhang refocused his thoughts, realizing that this matter, now involving the Emperor ZhenWu, was beyond the Great Sage National Teacher, Wang Bodhisattva, and certainly beyond himself.

He regretted his hesitation that day; if he had simply taken the stone monkey's life, he wouldn't be in this state of unease. But then, sweating coldly, he realized the gravity of involving the Emperor ZhenWu. Had he killed the stone monkey, his situation now would be dire... Prince Zhang dared not continue this line of thought, his resentment towards his master growing. He found his master to be peculiar, imparting some spells to him but otherwise indifferent, never considering his feelings.

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In the rear hall of the Great Sage Zen Temple, the Great Sage National Teacher, Wang Bodhisattva, sat with his eyes slightly closed, his left hand's fingers moving continuously, muttering to himself. After a while, he opened his eyes, weary, pondering that the Buddha once said there were four spiritual monkeys in the world, one of which was this Spirit Stone Monkey. What did the Emperor ZhenWu want with him? Spending ten years of creation without achieving much, it seemed this Spirit Stone Monkey was indeed extraordinary.

The mortal world is full of noise, and one can ascend nine thousand miles with support.

The boundless heavenly palace, vast and endless, shone with the splendor of thirty-three heavens, with intricate corridors and pavilions, dragons, and phoenixes soaring around each layer. Truly, it was a sight of golden palaces and silver platforms, alongside the Purple Mansion, adorned with rare flowers and precious grasses. Seventy-two magnificent halls, each adorned with golden nails and jade doors, and colorful phoenixes dancing at every gate.

In front of the Northern Heavenly Gate stood a majestic hall, radiating solemnity. "Zixiao Palace" was written in gold, flanked by the Turtle and Snake Generals, resembling fierce guardians that instilled fear in onlookers.

Inside the elixir room, the stone monkey was placed on a jade bed, from which a cold aura emanated, serving to clear the mind and enhance creation – the Cold Jade Bed of the Northern Sea.

The Emperor ZhenWu sat quietly beside, waiting for the stone monkey to awaken.

At that moment, a heavenly official announced, "Reporting to the Xuantian Shangdi, the Master of the Star Palace Ziwei North Pole Great Emperor has sent an invitation, inviting you to converse."

The Emperor ZhenWu replied, "I will be there shortly," thinking to himself how quickly the Purple Micro Great Emperor had learned of his return.

Emperor ZhenWu immediately issued an order, summoning thirty-six heavenly generals and calling upon the auspicious clouds to fly to the Purple Tenuity Palace.

Emperor ZhenWu and the Emperor ZiWei had been friends for tens of thousands of years, so there was no need for formalities. Upon entering the palace, he saw a small green lion playing inside, its fur fluffy like an embroidered ball, extremely cute.

Emperor ZhenWu laughed heartily, "Brother Dao, you seem to be in good spirits, playing with a lion pet now."

The Emperor ZiWei came out to greet him, "Where, Brother True Martial, let's talk more inside."

Emperor ZhenWu asked the thirty-six heavenly generals to wait outside and went with the Emperor ZiWei to the inner hall. Once seated, Emperor ZhenWu inquired, "Brother Purple Tenuity, did you invite me here because of this spiritual lion?"

The Emperor ZiWei replied with a smile, "You already know the reason, Brother. This spiritual lion, however, cannot compare to that divine monkey."

Emperor ZhenWu said, "Indeed, but that divine monkey is newly born, not yet awakened to its intelligence and has been severely injured, still not awake. This spiritual lion is indeed no ordinary creature; if trained well, it could turn the world upside down."

The Emperor ZiWei laughed, "You flatter it, Brother. Turning the world upside down is not necessary; just a stir in the royal court would suffice."

They looked at each other and laughed heartily before eventually parting ways.

As they left, the small lion was still jumping and playing on the balustrade, and accidentally fell onto the foot of one of the thirty-six heavenly generals, Zhao Gongming.

Zhao Gongming glared, intending to scare the little lion, but it was fearless. It shook its mane, tilted its head, and suddenly grew three heads, opening its small mouths to reveal sharp teeth, ready to bite.

The Emperor ZiWei was also startled and quickly stopped the lion, taking it back into the palace. Emperor ZhenWu, realizing the host had gone back, wondered why he was still there.

Shaking his head and smiling, he returned to the Zixiao Palace, intrigued by the little lion.

Just as he settled down, a deep and pleasant voice came, "The old gentleman has come uninvited, True Martial, please do not take offense." Emperor ZhenWu was startled; the voice belonged to none other than the Taoist deity who manifested as the Three Pure Ones, the Supreme Elderly Lord. What was he doing here?

Emperor ZhenWu's thoughts raced, but he didn't hesitate to move, instantly going outside to see a Taoist figure wearing a crane cloak, a jade crown, and holding a silver whisk, waiting at the door.

Emperor ZhenWu bowed, "I wasn't aware of the Elderly Lord's visit, my apologies for not greeting you."

The Supreme Elderly Lord returned the bow with a smile, "It's my fault for arriving hastily."

Emperor ZhenWu invited the Elderly Lord into the main hall, and after exchanging pleasantries, the Elderly Lord took out an object from his robe, placing it in the air, "Please, look at this, Brother True Martial."

Emperor ZhenWu looked at the object floating in the air; it was about a meter long, with fine scales, bull's ears, a snake's neck, a camel's head, and eagle's claws. Apart from lacking horns on its head, it resembled an ordinary small dragon.

With a gesture from Emperor ZhenWu, the small dragon flew over to him. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that from the side, the dragon's head resembled a fierce tiger. He was slightly surprised; this creature was not a dragon, but a Jiao (a type of dragon-like creature).