"Yeah. I used my trump card to escape. After that, I relied on the toad sage talisman to recover from a near-death state. As for why I wasn't affected… it's probably because of my Sage Body. None of us from Mount Myoboku were affected either, right?"
Wan Ci sat down in a chair, lifted a cup of tea, and drained it in one go.
Hearing this, the White-Browed Toad let out a long, heavy sigh.
"The outside world is in ruins…"
"That woman cast a massive genjutsu. Everyone on the planet has been caught in it. Only places like Mount Myoboku and the summoning realms were spared."
His expression was troubled, his voice weighed down with concern.
Wan Ci nodded, a cold glint flashing through his eyes.
"This is my fault."
"That technique is called Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"I never expected her to betray me. I bear the main responsibility."
Even now, he still couldn't quite accept it. Kaguya's betrayal had come too suddenly.
In the end, it was his own inexperience. If he had been more seasoned, more ruthless, he would have considered eliminating her from the very beginning.
"So… what do we do now?" the White-Browed Toad asked.
Wan Ci's expression turned firm.
"We endure. The enemy is overwhelmingly powerful and clearly hostile. For now, we avoid direct confrontation and bide our time."
"Well said!" The White-Browed Toad clasped his hands together. "I haven't read many human books, but I still remember what you used to say when you first came to Mount Myoboku…"
"Endurance means keeping your mind open and holding your ground."
Wan Ci chuckled, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.
"Grandpa White-Brow, your memory is impressive…"
Back when he had first arrived at Mount Myoboku, he repeated that phrase almost every day.
Training in sage arts there had been brutal. Eating insects, waking up to the constant croaking of toads… he had clung to sheer perseverance to push through it all.
Thinking back on those days, he could not help but smile. That was a time of real struggle and growth.
"Oh right, Grandpa White-Brow… I lost that concealment robe. Can you make me another one?"
Wan Ci felt a pang of regret. After reviving, everything had been gone. His clothes, the toad talisman, the concealment robe… all of it.
Those were his treasures.
"Good thing I prepared an extra."
The White-Browed Toad handed him a new concealment robe and added, "Go visit the White Ape King. He came to Mount Myoboku to inform me of your death. If he finds out you're alive, he'll be overjoyed."
Wan Ci nodded, warmth stirring in his chest. The White Ape King truly valued loyalty.
That attack, All-Killing Ash Bones, was one of the most lethal techniques in the ninja world.
Even with his Sage Body, Wan Ci had turned to ash within seconds. Anyone who saw that technique would tremble.
And yet, the White Ape King had caught it barehanded without hesitation.
Wan Ci could not help but laugh softly.
"Could that guy really have an indestructible body? Has he truly reached physical sainthood?"
With that thought, Wan Ci took several jars of wine from his summoning scroll and set off for the ape summoning realm.
Inside the Ape King's cave…
A gentle, spiritual energy unique to the summoning realm filled the air.
Dark green vines drooped lazily from the cave walls. Around the stone table and stools lay scattered strands of dried ape fur.
At the center of the cave stood a gray stone grave.
The surface bore no elaborate carvings, only four ancient characters etched in bold strokes:
Wan Ci's Tomb.
The calligraphy was powerful, yet carried a faint trace of hurried grief.
"Goodnight, Wan Ci…"
"Sob… Wan Ci… what a shame… if only I had stepped in and taken that blow for you…"
The White Ape King stood with his back to the entrance, his massive frame slightly hunched.
His once-fluffy silver fur was now disheveled and dull. His sobs echoed through the cavern, raw and unrestrained.
One large hand rested on the gravestone, fingers tracing the carved letters. In the other, he clutched a dirt-stained cloth, occasionally wiping his face.
"A good man gone too soon…"
His voice was hoarse, thick with emotion.
"That woman… I swear I'll kill her. Kaguya… how dare she stab you in the back…"
At that moment, soft footsteps echoed from the cave entrance, carrying a faint scent of grass and wood, along with a familiar, tranquil aura.
"White Ape King."
The voice was gentle, slightly hoarse from brushing against death, yet still as steady and reassuring as ever.
"Ah!?"
The White Ape King froze. His sobbing stopped instantly. Every strand of fur on his body stood on end as he spun around.
At the cave entrance stood a young man.
He wore a brand-new concealment robe. His dark hair fluttered lightly, his features refined and striking. Though his face still held a trace of pallor, his expression was calm, even smiling.
In his hands, he carried several sealed jars of wine.
"Who are you!?"
The White Ape King's amber eyes sharpened instantly, his aura surging like a storm.
"Who are you to impersonate Wan Ci!?"
"I saw him die with my own eyes. Even his Sage Body couldn't withstand that attack. And with that massive genjutsu outside, no one should have escaped unless they were in a sacred land or summoning realm!"
His fists clenched, power gathering around him.
"Are you one of Kaguya's people? Or some foolish illusionist trying to toy with me?"
Wan Ci sighed helplessly.
"Relax, old friend."
He did not step forward. Instead, he set the wine jars gently at his feet and allowed his aura to spread naturally.
It was a unique presence. The fusion of Mount Myoboku's sage arts, the essence of his Sage Body, and the pure spiritual energy he had cultivated through years among summoning creatures.
It was unmistakably his.
"This aura… it really is Wan Ci!?"
The White Ape King's pupils shrank.
The hostility in his eyes slowly melted into shock. He took a few hesitant steps forward, nostrils flaring as he breathed in deeply.
That presence…
That feeling…
There was no mistake.
It was him.
"Really… it's really you…"
His voice trembled. The sharpness in his gaze softened, replaced by overwhelming joy.
Then he burst into laughter.
"Wan Ci! It's really you! Hahaha! Damn it, you scared me to death!"
"Alright, alright. I'm not dead. That genjutsu outside, Infinite Tsukuyomi, doesn't affect me."
Wan Ci sat down on a stone stool and took a sip of the cave's spring water.
The White Ape King hurried over and sat down as well.
"The outside world is in chaos. Ever since that woman ate the fruit, she's become unbelievably powerful!"
Wan Ci let out a faint sigh.
"That fruit wasn't ordinary. It was supposed to be mine… I just didn't expect things to turn out like this."
After hearing the full explanation, the White Ape King nodded in realization.
"I see… what a pity. If you had eaten it first, things would be completely different now."
But Wan Ci simply smiled, a mysterious glint in his eyes.
"Who said I didn't?"