Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 581 - 321: Secret Plot_2
"However, this is a concern for a great personage like Mr. Lu, let’s instead plot how to reclaim our territory," Arthur said smilingly, bringing Frey’s thoughts back.
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"Right, right, it’s time to take back our land," Frey stated, as if waking from a trance, the previous conversation had greatly shaken his spirit, and it took him a long time to regain his composure.
Having calmed Frey, Arthur then turned to look at the mercenaries, whose will to fight had completely dissipated. He did not treat them with the same warmth as he had Frey. With the Sword in the Stone in hand, Arthur emanated a powerful aura. An immense pressure bore down on the crowd like a mountain, forcing the already terrified mercenaries to kneel involuntarily.
At that moment, in their eyes, Arthur seemed to have transformed into a towering Giant, the heavy oppression making it extremely difficult for them to even raise their heads, a sensation akin to facing a Divine Spirit.
The mercenaries’ already fragile mental defenses were completely shattered. Arthur planted a seed of fear in their hearts, ensuring that if they saw Arthur again, they would not muster any will to fight, but rather be consumed by the deep-seated terror within them.
"Submit or die," Arthur’s commanding voice echoed in their ears, sounding like a heavenly decree.
The mercenaries, as if hearing the best news in the world, bowed their heads and shouted loudly, "I am willing to submit, willing to submit."
Their voices rose in unison from the open fields, carrying an indefinable cadence, as if part of a grand ceremonial offering.
And with their submission, the Sword in the Stone in Arthur’s hand grew even brighter. This was the Sword of the King, its true power manifesting only when surrounded by the people.
Frey watched the scene before him with joy. Arthur’s transformation exceeded his expectations. He had thought that even if Arthur returned, he would not be able to defeat Joy, who had a Divine Spirit’s endorsement. But now, Arthur’s strength gave him endless hope.
At the very moment Arthur met with Frey, in the Land of Death, Lu Yu clearly sensed the world’s jubilation. Having guided Arthur and dealt with the Land of Death, he felt the Will of the World’s favor. If he wished, he could become a Divine Spirit of this world.
However, Lu Yu would not make such a choice. As a practitioner of the Celestial Immortal Dao, he would not choose the path of the Divine Spirit, which came with various restrictions. But the path of the Divine Spirits in this world was quite different from that of the Three Realms and held great research value for someone like Lu Yu.
Looking up, he gazed at the sky above the castle where the outside heavens could now be seen, scattered with stars that glittered like gemstones, the divine kingdoms of the world’s Divine Spirits.
The silvery moon hung high in the sky, surrounded by thick black mist. In such a Land of Death, it seemed exceptionally beautiful. The silver moonlight draped the ancient castle in a layer of silver radiance. Lu Yu lay on the roof of the castle, looking at this beautiful sight, and softly pulled at a smile, murmuring to himself, "The gears of fate have started to turn."
The piercing screams continuously rose from within the dense fog, sounding utterly chilling, interspersed with crisp cries. A pure white figure flickered through the black mist – it was the Little White Snake feeding.
As time passed, the Little White Snake grew stronger, its appetite increased, and its hunting range expanded, no longer satisfied with just the area around the castle, it began extending its reach.
It was due to the Little White Snake’s relentless efforts that the Land of Death did not expand further, and the fragile seal of the Divine Spirit managed to hold.
At the same time, the Old Monk also raised his head and gazed at the sky’s bright stars. After a while, he murmured softly to himself, "The tide of fate has begun, I too must hasten my pace."
Arthur decided to take back his territory, but he did not act rashly. Armed with the knowledge from the Sword in the Stone, he was no longer the naive youth he once was, but had become mature.
It was precisely for that reason that Lu Yu chose the most appropriate method, after all, Joy had already received the Divine Spirit’s recognition. When he was about to take action, he also needed to consider the God of the Forest’s reaction.
In a small village not far from the territory, Arthur and his companions hid themselves. The village chief, an old friend of Frey, who had once received great kindness from Arthur’s father, risked the danger of death to shelter them all.
At that moment, a group of people was gathered around a long wooden table. Candles were placed on the table, and the dim flames flickered constantly, casting the faces of everyone present in uncertain light and shadow.
"Arthur, what are we waiting for? Let’s storm in, kill that ungrateful bastard Joy, and take back our territory." Layton jumped up and shouted excitedly.
"Layton, sit down! Do you think reclaiming a territory is some trivial matter, something that can be carried out just by talking about it? So many lives are in the hands of young master Arthur. How can we act recklessly? Moreover, the attitude of the God of the Forest is unclear. If we act rashly and something happens, who will take responsibility?" Frey rebuked Layton sharply.
Layton was scolded to the point where he dared not lift his head and could only mutter softly, "That delirious Divine Spirit, what do we care about him for? Didn’t he fail to act last time when Joy made his move? In the end, he still accepted Joy’s sacrificial rite."
The scene of the last Divine Spirit festival still haunted him. The thought that the Divine Spirit they had worshiped for generations had so easily abandoned them filled him with uncontainable anger. The young man did not possess the boundless reverence for the Divine Spirit that the elders had, thus his words were particularly disrespectful.
"Layton, you must respect the Divine Spirit, or the Divine Spirit will bring down his fury." Frey knocked on the table and said.
Everyone was startled, as they had mentioned the name of the God of the Forest during their secret plotting. It was rumored that these Divine Spirits, upon hearing their names spoken, could sense it and cast their gaze upon those who spoke.
The possibility that the gaze of the God of the Forest was already upon them sent a shiver through everyone. Those newly surrendered mercenaries stood up straight, visibly nervous, and they all looked to Arthur, hoping their leader could give them courage.
Seeing this, Arthur said with a smile, "Not every Divine Spirit has such power. Only the most powerful few in this world possess such strength. However, to be safe, I have already used the power of the Sword in the Stone to seal this place off, so the God of the Forest cannot sense us here."
Having heard Arthur’s words, everyone was relieved and appeared more at ease than before, not as tense as earlier. Some even discreetly observed Arthur seated at the head of the table, finding in his relaxed posture and confident demeanor a remarkable presence that inspired involuntary admiration.
"This truly is a King!" thought everyone, almost as an involuntary reflex.
"Young Master Arthur, you mentioned the God of the Forest; could it be that you have some concerns?" Frey keenly sensed Arthur’s regard for the God of the Forest, noting that he chose to shield this place despite the absence of the God’s prying abilities.
"It’s just a guess. I hope my guess is wrong, or else things will become troublesome," Arthur said in a tranquil tone.
What he did not say was that Joy was suspected to be a Demon’s Contractor. Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain how such a previously worthless person could take over his territory in such a short time.
And the previous grand sacrificial event mentioned by Frey and others was full of suspicions, especially the wine that even a Divine Spirit couldn’t resist was causing him great concern. His intuition told him that the God of the Forest might already have been compromised.
At this moment, the God of the Forest, whom Arthur was worried about, opened his eyes in his divine kingdom. A flash of black light vanished as quickly as it appeared. He looked into the distance and murmured to himself, "Strange, why do I feel someone is calling upon the name of the God of the Forest?"
