In Earth's ancient times, there were countless civilized races and innumerable mythological figures—Chinese civilization, Babylonian civilization, Egyptian civilization...
But as the only one of the four great civilizations to endure, Chinese civilization stands apart from others where gods are born divine. Its mythology is uniquely special.
In Chinese characters, the words for god, immortal, and Buddha all contain the radical for "person." The so-called mythological figures didn't appear out of thin air; they evolved from humans.
Gods, saints, immortals, Buddhas—were they born that way?
Perhaps it's this spirit of "the noble man strives unceasingly to improve himself" and the defiant belief that "man can conquer nature" that truly allowed Chinese civilization to persist from ancient times into the interstellar age.
In Chinese mythology, for mortals to become divine, there was only one way: cultivation!
Legend has it that in Earth's ancient era, the air was thick with spiritual particles—a supernatural essence as abundant as air itself. Anyone with even a hint of talent could sense it.
Ancient cultivators called it the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Through breathing and meditation, they could draw this energy into their bodies, refining themselves to transcend mortality and achieve sainthood.
They divided cultivation into four stages, from lowest to highest: "Refining Essence into Qi," "Refining Qi into Spirit," "Refining Spirit back to Void," and "Refining Void to Merge with the Dao."
Each stage had its own methods and effects.
Refining Essence into Qi was the first step, allowing one to refine the body's vital blood and nutrients, driving continuous evolution.
Feng Lin, transformed into a stone monkey, seemed to grasp this technique instinctively, as if born with the knowledge.
This isolated overseas island was a sacred land. Every blade of grass and tree was made of spiritual matter, brimming with energy of astonishing power.
Feng Lin had just devoured too many spiritual peaches in one go, and the spiritual energy inside him was overwhelming. If he hadn't awakened the method of Refining Essence into Qi, he might have burst.
It felt like a memory buried deep in his instincts, hidden within his body. No one taught him, but when the right opportunity arose, it naturally surfaced.
Just one session of Refining Essence into Qi cultivation, and Feng Lin felt a earth-shattering transformation.
His body aged ten years in an instant, from a newborn monkey into a full-grown adult ape. His bones were strong and sturdy, no longer the scrawny frame he once had.
He couldn't help but speculate.
Refining Essence into Qi was a method to rapidly digest internal nutrients. If applied to his original body, could it quickly break down gene serums and convert them into genetic potential?
If so, his genetic potential growth rate would skyrocket.
Feng Lin felt a surge of excitement, but his expression quickly dimmed.
He couldn't think that far ahead. The priority now was to figure out his situation and find a way out!
Nothing else mattered.
Even if he gained immense benefits here, if he couldn't escape, it would all be useless!
After eating his fill, Feng Lin began to wander the isolated island, searching for a way to return to his original body.
The island was enormous. Walking along the coastline felt endless, as if it stretched on forever.
Only by standing on a lone peak and gazing into the distance did he see the distant shoreline, realizing he was stranded on a deserted island with no trace of human life.
I've become a stone monkey?
Could this really be Flower-Fruit Mountain?
...
With these doubts, Feng Lin continued his exploration. Days passed, and in the blink of an eye, over ten days had gone by.
Fortunately, the island was covered in immortal herbs and fruit trees. With his thick golden fur, Feng Lin had no worries about food or clothing. He roamed around naked, shamelessly, day after day.
Eating spiritual fruits rich in energy, Feng Lin practiced Refining Essence into Qi, and his body rapidly grew stronger. He became a massive ape standing upright at 1.9 meters tall—a giant among monkeys.
But even if he became the king of monkeys...
He was still a monkey!
What a tragically sorrowful tale...
This island, suspected to be Flower-Fruit Mountain, was isolated overseas and had formed a complete ecosystem.
Over the past few days, Feng Lin had encountered all kinds of beasts—wolves, tigers, leopards, and more. But he wasn't easy prey. The sharp fangs and claws of these animals were useless against the stone monkey's indestructible body.
Feng Lin was skilled in martial arts. With his powerful moves, he sent them fleeing in panic, desperate to get as far away as possible, never daring to provoke this upright-walking "two-legged beast" again.
Truly, even with tigers in the mountains, the monkey still ruled as king!
Not only that, but Feng Lin also saw many rare creatures—sika deer, peacocks, green oxen—but most of all, his "kind."
In the peach groves and mountain streams, agile monkeys leaped about, chattering endlessly.
When they saw Feng Lin, a giant monkey "like them," they cast curious glances. A few strong males waved their claws aggressively, trying to scare off this strange-looking kin.
"I'm not interested in your female monkeys!" Seeing the males warily shielding the naked females behind them, Feng Lin couldn't be bothered to comment.
He wanted nothing to do with these creatures and quickly turned to leave.
Behind him, the male monkeys burst into mocking chatters, proud of driving away this powerful rival.
Who else?
Dare to compete with me for the females?
...
The monkeys' harsh laughter echoed. Feng Lin paused for a moment, then quickened his pace, disappearing from their sight in an instant.
The island was far too vast. After all these days, he had yet to explore even a tenth of it.
Unknowingly, night fell. The starry sky hung upside down, dazzlingly brilliant.
Feng Lin sat blankly on a rock, propping his chin with one hand, silently staring at the stars above, letting out a quiet sigh.
From the distant forest came the howls of monkeys and wolves.
It had been so long, and he still couldn't figure it out.
A perfectly normal gene evolution—wasn't it just about becoming an interstellar cultivator?
How did he end up as a monkey?
This was too absurd!
...
Tonight was a rare full moon, round as a plate, casting countless silver beams.
Feng Lin stared blankly, his eyes fixed on the moon above. He didn't notice the moonlight growing larger and larger in his vision, as if drawing closer, pulling his mind into it.
The moonlight bathed him, like a gentle breeze brushing his face, cool and comfortable.
With his breathing, the moon's radiance gathered from all directions, turning into silver threads that entered his body, cleansing him from the inside out. Every pore opened, and his entire being felt transparent.
Ooo—!!!
An uncontrollable impulse surged from deep within.
Feng Lin couldn't resist this instinct. He arched his back and let out a long howl at the sky.
The high-pitched, distant cry echoed through the vast expanse.
The surrounding moonlight was instantly drawn to him, seeping through his pores and acupoints into his body, transforming into a cool energy that flowed through his meridians.
His mind grew clearer, his thoughts sharper, as if awakening an ancient wisdom.
His soul seemed to float, leaving his body, bathed in the moonlight—pure, clean, and radiant like glass.
A strange memory surfaced in his heart.
The essence of the sun and moon!
Legend has it that in ancient times, birds and beasts could absorb the essence of the sun and moon, refining themselves to awaken intelligence, shed their original forms, and transform into spirits.
But the so-called essence of the sun and moon had long been explained by science.
What he was absorbing now was moonlight, but moonlight was merely sunlight reflected off other planets.
And sunlight, in essence, was starlight—a form of cosmic energy.
Cosmic energy came in many forms: nuclear energy, zero-point energy, bio-energy... each with its own level.
The essence of the sun and moon was, at its core, stellar energy—a type of high-level energy.
The so-called absorption of sunlight and moonlight was nothing more than a breathing technique to draw in stellar energy, enhancing intelligence and refining the soul.
But such techniques were extremely rare. People knew they existed, but few knew anyone who practiced them.
Yet now, the Stellar Breathing Technique and meridian circulation diagrams naturally appeared in Feng Lin's mind.
Instead of being happy about suddenly acquiring this method of absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, Feng Lin felt a deep, instinctive fear.
Since becoming a stone monkey, too many strange things had happened, completely beyond his control. It was as if an ancient ghost lurked deep within him, occasionally surfacing to interfere.
Feng Lin realized he was becoming more and more like a monkey. His rationality was yielding to the innate instincts of a monkey, gradually assimilating.
Was he truly destined to be a monkey?