The night was hazy, the moon half-hidden in the mist, only revealing a faint, blurred outline. The Monkey Garden was dark and still, with several mosquito-light lamps strung along the paths, each casting a dim glow that barely extended beyond two meters—instead of bringing light, they only deepened the eerie, somber atmosphere. Zhang Yuanqing, who had just heard the monkeys speak, could no longer move forward. The Chief of Zhishi Palace and Lady Yin Yao also halted, glancing first at Zhang Yuanqing, then at the monkeys. "Master Dog, if you're unwilling to accept this responsibility, I can find another solution. But you know what's being suppressed within the zoo—should we entrust it to someone unreliable, I wouldn't feel at ease, nor would you." This was a conversation recorded by the monkeys over two decades ago, perhaps even longer. The two parties involved were Zhang, the Celestial Master, and Master Dog. As usual, the monkey paused for a few seconds before continuing: "You four should never have ventured into that ancient sanctuary. By doing so, you unleashed those dreadful beings—neither able to send them into the Spiritual Realm nor to completely extinguish them. Now, you've had to build this containment structure, resulting in such an awkward situation." "That sanctuary holds the secret of the Spiritual Realm—there's no choice but to go there." The conversation ended there, as the large monkey gave a sudden, strange cry, leapt down from the artificial hill, raised its tail, and swiftly darted into the depths of the monkey garden. Zhang Yuanqing remained immersed in the dialogue, standing beside the shrubs at the fence, gazing downward with thoughtful reflection. There was so much information that he needed to think it over carefully. "What's wrong?" the Lady Zhengsha interrupted, "What have you been staring at?" " Sister, what do you think about what that monkey just said?" Zhang Yuanqing suddenly lifted his head, as if just realizing, his expression strange as he fixed his gaze on Lady Zhengsha. "Didn't you hear the monkey speak just now?" Now, Lady Zhengsha's face had changed completely. Lady Yin Yao also wanted to show her displeasure, but as a corpse with a pale complexion, she couldn't make facial expressions. "We only heard the monkey making its 'chirping' sounds," Lady Yin Yao raised her small horn, and as she spoke, her voice gradually weakened. She carefully observed Zhang Yuanqing. "Are you... alright?" Could it be that only I could hear the monkey speak? Zhang Yuanqing was astonished. Though he had a bad feeling when the monkey first began to speak human words, the fact now was undeniable—the monkey had actually spoken. With that, he adopted a cautious, step-by-step approach and continued listening. Only he heard the monkey speak, and that made all the difference. Why was it specifically him who could hear? After a careful examination, the Lady Zhengsha detected no unusual signs in Yuanshǐ Tianzun and asked, "What did you hear?" Perhaps there was a clue in what the monkey said. Zhang Yuanqing then recounted the monkey's dialogue verbatim to the two of them. Lady Yin Yao, being an outsider, neither knew Zhang Tianshi nor was familiar with the Dog Elder, so she listened as if it were a curious tale. The Lady Zhengsha's tone conveyed genuine astonishment: "This entire... garden—was it built by your father? Not drawn from the spiritual realm? That explains why the Dog Elder has never fully mastered this artifact; he has always been deeply attached to his first owner." In her surprise, she almost let out the words "zoo" and "Zhang Tianshi"—a clear breach of the zoo's sacred tradition. It has been longing for my father for twenty-some years, waiting patiently, yet never knowing he would ever return again... Zhang Yuanqing finally understands why the zoo feels so melancholy. "The Night-Wanderer deity lacks the skill to craft props; he probably wasn't the one who took the lead, though he must have certainly contributed to the creation of the zoo—those details aren't crucial. What truly matters to me is the eerie atmosphere the zoo maintains and the four explorers' journey to uncover its ancient ruins." He didn't mention the Free-Flowing Organization, fearing it might bring about unfavorable changes. Nevertheless, based on the current situation, it seems the zoo's spirit entity won't act proactively. This spirit likely follows its own set of rules—just as it once mistook him for Zhang Zizhen, expressing resentment and lamenting while watching him leave, the spirit itself appears to lack any means of attack. All of its abilities are concealed within these rules. Master Chi Zhi Sha mused, "As they sought to uncover the secrets of the Spiritual Realm, they discovered a real-world relic, only to inadvertently release a malevolent entity sealed within it. To contain this threat and prevent the monsters from disrupting reality, they constructed this garden to house the strange and unsettling phenomena. 'The purpose of the staff patrols,' she continued, 'is to prevent these anomalies from escaping the garden? Yet the staff themselves are affected—some transform from their blue uniforms into black ones.' Zhang Yuanqing nodded, finally understanding his earlier confusion. The staff's 'love-hate' dynamic wasn't merely due to the spirits' whims, but rather a consequence of this rule-based artifact's ongoing struggle against the garden's malevolent entities. The ancient war god veiled in mist was likely one such entity. At that moment, Princess Yin Yao raised her small microphone, saying, "Each garden holds its own malevolent beings. The garden of the parasitic vine is linked to heart demons (the Void Ones), and the mist and the ancient war god are connected to another entity. Then—she turned to the Monkey Garden—'what entity is associated with this one?" Just as Zhang Yuan was about to make a guess, he suddenly felt an intense itch all over his body, reaching up to scratch his neck and unexpectedly pulling out a cluster of dark brown, downy fur. A sense of ill omens immediately arose in his mind, followed by the gasp of the Master of Zhishi Palace: "Wu... Yuan-Shi! You've turned into a monkey!!" Princess Yin Yao stared, wide-eyed, at him in disbelief. Zhang Yuan's heart sank. He immediately produced the Ghost Mirror, which now reflected a face half-human, half-monkey, rapidly transforming into that of a monkey. Dark brown monkey fur sprouted rapidly within the facial follicles, the brow bones became more prominent, the iris turned into fragmented golden hues, black fur grew on the backs of his hands, his fingers lengthened, his palms narrowed, and his spine began to curve. He understood now. The consequence of hearing the monkey speak was to transform into a monkey. The root cause was a curse! He had encountered a similar incident during his time in the Yinyang Town quest, when every member of the party had turned into cats. The Lady of the Stopping of Death and Princess Yin Yao were both at a loss, neither particularly skilled in casting curses nor in purifying them. "Yuan-Shi, purify the curse!" the Lady urged. Without needing her prompting, Zhang Yuanqing had already activated the "Pure Yang Washing Body Record," drawing upon the power of the Sun God to suppress the curse. Yet the transformation merely stalled slightly—it did not cease. This was different from the case of the Wisteria Garden, where he had not broken any rules, and thus the Sun God's power had successfully held off the temptations of his inner demons. The physical transformation continued unabated, and Zhang Yuanqing's mind began to shift, his intelligence rapidly declining. Climbing, eating, and sleeping now became the most pressing desires of his. The change was not merely superficial—it was a transformation from within outwards. Once the transformation was complete, he would fully become a monkey, losing all of his human identity and personality. Zhang Yuanqing struggled desperately, yet his intelligence had sunk deep into the abyss, his mind now a chaotic, empty mass. Though monkeys are intelligent creatures, they still fell far short of human intelligence. "Chen, the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign—your eyes have grown dull..." Princess Yin Yao keenly noticed this change, pacing anxiously. But when even the power of the Sun God couldn't resolve it, what could she possibly do? The Master of Zhishi Palace stepped forward, a faint ethereal glow shimmering in her gaze. "Look at me!" By instinct, Zhang Yuanqing lifted his eyes, his pupils reflecting the palace master's gaze, and thus his own eyes caught that same ethereal glow. "You are the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign, not a monkey. You are the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign, not a monkey..." The soft, delicate voice repeated again and again. Zhang Yuanqing's gaze grew vacant, his expression stiff—yet at that very moment, his steadily declining intelligence suddenly awakened, a spark of human self-awareness. In the next instant, brilliant light burst from his pupils, and he briefly regained his composure. Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing immediately opened his inventory, retrieving the flawless human skin and the eight-armed mirror. No handle, the bronze mirror, shaped like a full moon, reflected a figure half-human, half-monkey. Then, a glow of yellow surged from the mirror's surface, transforming into another half-human, half-monkey—Zhang Yuanqing. "Ah, just stepping out and already dropping a san! Your body's been level six for ages—how often do you end up in danger?" This half-human, half-monkey complained while grabbing the flawless human skin and pressing it against his face. The skin melted like wax, covering his body, yet he remained half-human, half-monkey—no change at all. But true Zhang Yuanqing began to lose hair, and the areas undergoing transformation—such as the iris and palms—gradually returned to their original state. The eight-zhǐ mirror created a duplicate that bore the original's karmic consequences. Without the power of the Sun God or the calming influence of meditation, the duplicate soon fully transformed into a monkey, scratching and fussing, making frantic "chirping" sounds. Zhang Yuanqing caught the monkey, examined him, and found that he was indeed a genuine monkey—his bones, muscles, and overall strength all consistent with a true monkey. If I were to turn into a monkey, I'd probably never recover—this curse is absolutely world-class, if not beyond that. Zhang Yuanqing felt a wave of fear, tightened his grip, and with a crisp "crack," snapped the monkey's neck. The brown-furred monkey ceased struggling, its limbs drooping helplessly, then dissolved into a golden glow. All that remained in Zhang Yuanqing's hands was a thin, delicate human skin, as translucent as a cicada's wing. At such a moment, the advantage of having multiple items became evident. The travelers of the spiritual realm come in many professions, each with unique abilities; in the complex and rule-heavy zoo, versatility often matters more than sheer level. Though the Master of the Stop-Killing Palace holds the rank of a Sovereign, she found herself completely at a loss when faced with the situation just now—proof that even a high-ranking profession has its limitations. "This item is quite useful—how did you come by it?" the Master of the Stop-Killing Palace sighed with relief, eyes fixed on the flawless human skin, beaming with delight. "Could I borrow it for a while?" Zhang Yuanqing quickly retrieved his inventory, cleared his throat, and said, "Let The two companions, carrying two corpses, continued their steady progress through the quiet park, growing ever more cautious after the earlier incident. Zhang Yuanqing scanned the surroundings, hoping to spot the camphor tree that sealed the Eye of Magic—only he had seen this tree before. Though not tall, it was notably thick. After passing another intersection, the signage now read "Panda Garden" and "Giraffe Garden." At this point, the scattered clumps of mud on the ground had thinned to near invisibility, clearly pointing toward the Panda Garden. "The goddess of luck has truly favored me," Zhang Yuanqing exclaimed with delight. The Panda Garden's rules were familiar from the employee handbook, while the Giraffe Garden remained a mystery. Suddenly, a deep, resonant roar echoed from afar, though still distant and faintly audible. Upon hearing it, Zhang Yuanqing beamed: "That's the sound of the white lion—our tree is close now." The Master of the Zhengsha Palace and Lady Yinyao were instantly energized. They were eager to complete their mission swiftly and finally escape this cursed zoo. Though they had never complained, within just a few minutes, from the Dodder Garden to the Monkey Garden, Yuan Shi had faced two life-or-death crises. If the journey ahead was long, who knew how many more challenges lay in store? With the target tree now clearly visible ahead, it surely served as the best boost of confidence. Soon, they reached the Panda Garden. The garden featured vast bamboo groves, with artificial hills and ponds. Zhang Yuanqing spotted a panda, its fur muddy and looking rather clumsy, sitting in the bamboo grove, cradling a stalk of bamboo, its head bowed as it dozed off, snoring peacefully. So endearing and unassuming... Zhang Yuanqing felt a subtle relief. Seeing such a charming, simple panda meant calm and tranquility had settled in. He thought to himself—of course, how could every step be filled with tension and every encounter turn into an ordeal? That would be rather unfortunate. His lucky necklace around his neck wasn’t a fake. With that thought, he walked briskly and confidently forward. At that moment, Lady Yin Yao, trembling slightly, raised her small horn: "That... that panda was quite frightening." Her spirit was visibly agitated, as if she had witnessed something utterly terrifying. Frightening? Zhang Yuanqing was startled and glanced again at the panda in the bamboo grove beyond—no change at all. It remained as messy and clumsy as ever, even when asleep, not particularly intelligent. He immediately turned to the Palace Master of Zhishika, who spoke softly: "I saw exactly the same thing." The Palace Master's demeanor was calm, showing no concern—after all, the issue wasn't with her own favorite young man. Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment and murmured, "What exactly did you see?" From within the small horn came Lady Yin Yao's trembling voice: "A panda three meters tall, very sturdy, with sharp claws." Its eyes were red, somewhat resembling those of the seductive demon—fierce and terrifying, fixed upon me as if it were about to tear me apart... Zhang Yuanqing felt a sudden jolt in his chest, his adrenaline surging. Without hesitation, he immediately produced the flawless human skin and said, "Get out now. If it pursues you, I'll have the Blood Rose take your place." The Eight-Handed Mirror was still cooling down, so for now, the Blood Rose would have to serve as a placeholder. The team immediately set off, rushing along the viewing path. Within just ten seconds, they burst out of the panda enclosure and reached an open area. "It hasn't caught up..." Zhang Yuanqing stopped by a streetlamp, turning to Lady Yin Yao. "How are you feeling? Any changes in your body?" Lady Yin Yao shook her head. "None at all!" That was strange—she was unharmed? Zhang Yuanqing remained doubtful, walking around her. As he moved, his gaze sharpened, especially when he passed behind her. There, on the back of Lady Yin Yao, a patch of dark, streaked black had appeared.