"Why did you save me?" the stone monkey inquired.

Wu Zhi Qi tilted his head, pondering for a moment before replying, "Why did I save you? And why would I not?"

"You are... a monkey?" The stone monkey was astonished.

"A monkey? Ha... Am I a monkey? That you would ask such a question... Are you a monkey too?" Wu Zhi Qi laughed, his laughter tinged with hysteria, hoarseness, and desolation.

"Do you also believe you're a monkey?" Wu Zhi Qi turned and stared intently at the stone monkey.

Feeling uneasy, the stone monkey faced a powerful ancient demon, seemingly harmless but unforgettable in battle against Prince Zhang. Wu Zhi Qi, a formidable creature of golden body stature, made the stone monkey doubt his own resilience.

"Are we not monkeys? If not monkeys, then what?" Wu Zhi Qi's gaze was sharp, his words piercing the stone monkey's heart, "We are not monkeys! We, are, apes!"

Faced with Wu Zhi Qi's solemnity, the stone monkey harbored doubts but dared not question further.

Sensing his own overreaction, Wu Zhi Qi quickly softened his demeanor, sighing, "You've just come into this world; it's not your fault."

Seeing the stone monkey's confusion, Wu Zhi Qi shared a piece of ancient lore, "Since Pangu separated heaven and earth, ten major species gradually emerged. The top tier—" Wu Zhi Qi chuckled bitterly, "consists of the five immortals: celestial, terrestrial, divine, human, and ghostly. Among these, ghostly immortals are the weakest and celestial immortals the strongest. Even ghostly immortals, who follow a darker path, are superior to any in the lower tiers."

"Are the lower five the insects, scales, fur, feathers, and shells?" the stone monkey interjected, immediately regretting his knowledge of such secrets.

Wu Zhi Qi smiled, acknowledging the stone monkey's early wisdom, "As you said, the lower five are known as the five vermin, consisting of creatures with scales, fur, feathers, and shells. The most unique among them is humanity—people without feathers, scales, or shells."

"And what are they?" the stone monkey asked.

"People, all humans belong to this category. Despite being ranked lowest among the five, their intelligence and aptitude for learning, coupled with deep fortune, can ascend to immortality, joining the ranks of celestial immortals. The upper five immortals also originated from these lower ranks through cultivation."

"Besides these—" Wu Zhi Qi paused, asking the stone monkey, "Do you know of any other species?"

The stone monkey shook his head, sensing that Wu Zhi Qi's answer would differ from Buddha's mention of "four monkeys that confuse the world, not belonging to the ten species."

Wu Zhi Qi continued, "Besides these, there are seven great divine apes, born from the essence of heaven and earth. The first among them is the Spiritually Intelligent Godly Ape—you."

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What? The stone monkey was shocked. He was the Spiritually Intelligent Godly Ape?

If Wu Zhi Qi's words were true, why did Buddha conceal the truth, and who were the other six divine apes? If false, Wu Zhi Qi, trapped and desperate, seemed to have no reason to deceive.

Recognizing him as the Spiritually Intelligent Godly Ape, did they share a special bond, a connection transcending countless realms, the basis of Wu Zhi Qi's recognition?

Convinced by the mutual acknowledgment in their encounter, the stone monkey pressed on, "Who are the other six divine apes?"

Wu Zhi Qi, pleased, asked if the stone monkey had remembered something. The stone monkey nodded, albeit keeping his transmigratory secret to himself.

Revitalized, Wu Zhi Qi expanded, "These divine apes, adorned with 'divine' for their primordial birth before the ten species, possess powers to shift the heavens and earth. The first is you, the Spiritually Intelligent Godly Ape, adept at transformation and understanding the times. The second is the Yin-Yang Godly Ape, knowledgeable in human affairs, life and death, and discerning fortune from disaster..."

The stone monkey recalled Buddha's assessment of the four chaos-inducing monkeys—remarkably similar yet seemingly diminishing their stature. This reinforced his belief in Wu Zhi Qi's truth, contrasting with Buddha's understated classification.

"The fifth," the stone monkey listened intently, "is called the Water-Exciting Godly Ape. It thrives in water, possessing immense strength. Later generations mistakenly referred to it as the Goddess of the Luo River, and some called it the Great Sage of Water Apes." Wu Zhi Qi paused before revealing, "That would be me."

"The sixth is known as the Wind-Piercing Godly Ape. Its transformations are myriad, elusive as a ghost, making it the most mysterious among the seven divine apes."

"The seventh divine ape is known to all as the Divine-Driving Holy Ape."

"Why are the first six called 'godly apes' while the last one is a 'holy ape'?" the stone monkey asked, puzzled.

Wu Zhi Qi explained, "Although the Divine-Driving Holy Ape is ranked last, its abilities are nearly transcendent, potentially the most formidable among the seven. Its exact prowess remains unknown even to me. Its significant capabilities are why it's termed a 'holy ape.'"

The stone monkey attentively memorized the names and traits of the seven godly apes, sensing their profound importance. Born before the ten major species, they predated even celestial immortals, suggesting a primordial origin.

Yet, why is there no mention of the seven godly apes in the entire "Journey to the West"? Why do all immortals remain silent, with only references to the stone monkey, the red-bottomed horse monkey, and the Goddess of the Luo River? Could the legends of the seven divine apes conceal a vast secret, so significant that it warrants universal silence?

Overwhelmed by these thoughts and without a clue, the stone monkey noticed Wu Zhi Qi's enigmatic smile and chastised himself for his foolishness. If these divine apes predated the ten major species, not even the greatest immortals might know of them, yet here was Wu Zhi Qi, a knowledgeable being.

As the stone monkey was about to inquire further, Wu Zhi Qi, as if reading his thoughts, began, "Ape signifies 'primordial,' 'origin.' Before the separation of heaven and earth, in the chaos, there existed a primordial creation that nurtured life. Following Pangu's separation of heaven and earth, and Kun Peng's clarification of the universe, the world saw its first clear skies and the birth of all things."

"The seven godly apes, alongside Pangu and Kun Peng, were the earliest beings. After Pangu's endeavor, he became one with the universe, eternal and unchanging. Kun Peng's fate remains unknown, leaving us seven as the sole survivors. Recalling the joy of freely roaming mountains and seas in those early days brings a sense of carefree bliss."

"Exactly when that was, I can't remember—perhaps around thirty to forty thousand years ago. With the emergence of humans, birds, and beasts came conflict and chaos, marking the end of peaceful times."

The realization struck the stone monkey like lightning—the seven godly apes, along with Pangu and Kun Peng, existed tens of thousands of years before other beings, truly the ancestors of all ancestors.