"Monkey, is that you?"
An incomparably weak voice, carrying the exhaustion of a lamp running dry, came from deep within the pit.
Old Ape's eyes moistened. Without another moment's hesitation, he rushed into the hole.
In a patch of mud at the very bottom of the pit lay a dusky yellow figure, seeming both real and illusory.
Looking closely, it was a bristled boar. The sinister, eerie Demonic Energy had already faded from it; the earth-shaking tempestuous waves were gone, and even the light it emitted had softened. It was barely over a foot long.
Its body bore a distinctive coat, its bristles as soft as silk, drifting gently as though dancing in the breeze. Its gemlike eyes were crystal-clear, and its mouth hung slightly open, revealing sharp tusks. Yet they no longer inspired fear or menace, but instead gave off a gentle feeling.
Like the last glimmer of a setting sun—quiet, yet faint—it seemed as though it would soon disperse completely. For a moment, it was hard to tell whether it was still the Source of Supernatural Phenomenon.
"Old Pig~"
Old Ape's face was stricken with grief. The fog deep in his eyes gradually dispersed, and memories from the endless river of time surfaced in his mind: flashing blades and clashing swords, those cruel, perilous, despairing days of the past—everything, all of it.
In the end, it all became a trembling call.
"Monkey... I thought... you would never appear again." Zhu Ganglie gave a bitter smile. Old Ape's figure was reflected in his weak eyes as he said painfully, "You've grown old. Your vitality, energy, and spirit have waned. You don't look like Brother Monkey anymore."
"I... I didn't know what to do. I didn't know. I was powerless. Back then, you all... that place was a trap. A