Chapter 85 of 100

Chapter 85

16 min read3,894 words

"Everyone, pack your belongings and set off immediately. We need to reach the Temple of the World-Chaos Demon Ape as quickly as possible." Gu Chensha issued the order.

In just twenty breaths, all the warriors had packed up, exuding the aura of elite soldiers. They had taken the Tiger-Wolf Pills, which not only gave them immense strength but also the courage of tigers and wolves. They had also taken the Blood-Strengthening Pills daily, a privilege usually reserved for the direct descendants of noble families. With the guidance of Yi Ming, a powerful warrior, their cultivation had progressed rapidly. After several battles, they had developed a fierce and iron-blooded demeanor.

"Your Highness, should we destroy the Spirit Gathering Array here?" Jia Liang asked. "If we don't, it might leave traces of our presence."

"You're thorough. Destroy it then." Gu Chensha nodded.

Everyone immediately destroyed the earth mound and pulled out the wooden stakes, causing the magnetic field to scatter and the spiritual energy to dissipate.

Swish, swish, swish...

The group began to march through the mountains and forests along the designated route.

On this journey, they did not stop, day or night, marching for half a month straight. They finally arrived at the location marked on the map, which was half the time of the planned one month.

"Finally, we're here." Gu Chensha saw towering mountains all around, piercing the clouds, shrouded in mist, with no signs of human habitation. It was truly a place beyond civilization, far from the world, yet it was not a desolate and barren land. The mountains were connected like a long snake or a turtle's back, extending endlessly. It was a place where tigers and dragons coiled, where all beasts gathered, and where malevolent and spiritual energies converged, altering the earth's veins and entering the realm of evil.

"Master, we are not far from the Temple of the World-Chaos Demon Ape. The earth's energy here is dense, with 108 giant mountains. According to legend, these mountains were moved by the ancient World-Chaos Demon Ape to form a lair," Yi Ming explained. "If we go further, many demon apes will be living in the mountains, and they will easily discover us."

"I have analyzed it as well." Gu Chensha looked around at the towering mountains, which gave a sense of overwhelming pressure, as if ancient demons were watching him. "That's why I chose this place as the assembly point and did not go deeper. Each of these mountains spans hundreds of miles. What kind of divine power would it take to move them?"

"This is indeed a power beyond our imagination, but compared to the Heavenly Talisman Emperor, it falls short." Yi Ming said. "The Heavenly Talisman Emperor dug canals, built the Great Wall, cut down thousands of mountains, filled the evil sea, and constructed cities everywhere, transforming the entire land and mountains. All the earth's veins and fortunes are converging on the Great Yong Dynasty. When his plan is complete, the people will gradually benefit greatly, and the nation's strength will be unmatched by any other dynasty."

"Is this my father's plan?" Gu Chensha suddenly realized.

He then recalled the politics of the past years.

The canals connected the east, west, north, and south, the Great Wall spanned hundreds of thousands of miles, and cities were built everywhere. It seemed that a grand plan and a massive array were being laid out.

He had not understood array formations, magnetic field changes, or the oscillation of spiritual waves before, but now, as he gradually comprehended them, he realized that the Heavenly Talisman Emperor truly intended to transform the land and mountains into a grand array.

This was something no one had ever accomplished from ancient times to the present.

But it was a good thing, a foundation for the ages.

In recent years, with the construction of the court, the states, provinces, prefectures, and counties had all improved, with favorable weather, abundant harvests, and thriving livestock. The population had increased significantly over a decade, and diseases, plagues, and disasters were rare.

In the past, plagues would occur every few years, wiping out entire cities. People lived in fear of plagues. But in the fourteenth year of the Heavenly Talisman Dynasty, there had not been a single plague.

In recent years, the Heavenly Talisman Dynasty had also seen a surge in talent among the people.

After careful consideration, Gu Chensha's mind became broader. Looking at the vast land and the countless people, he seemed to understand the Heavenly Talisman Emperor's thinking and actions, which aimed to transform the world and unite the people.

He practiced the Heavenly Son's Divine Technique, which was about mastering the way of the Son of Heaven, protecting the people, and nurturing all beings.

Now, enlightened by Yi Ming, he thought deeply about the art of governance and gained a unique understanding of cultivation. The Heavenly Talisman Emperor was truly a master of the way of the Son of Heaven.

"Have Long Yuyun and Yu Hanlu arrived?" Gu Chensha came out of his thoughts and looked around. "Could it be that our march was too fast? That shouldn't be the case. Their overall strength is much greater than mine. All their subordinates are martial arts grandmasters, and some are even Dao Realm experts. Although they don't have the Jiaojiao Armor, I don't believe they can't produce similar treasures after years of accumulation."

In his group, the only ace in the hole was Yi Ming. Otherwise, they were quite weak, with not a single Dao Realm expert.

"Your Highness, we cannot rashly advance now. Otherwise, the demon monkeys in the mountains will cause us heavy losses," San Xiang said, hearing the apes' cries from the distant mountains, knowing that further penetration was impossible.

"Fine, you all wait here." Gu Chensha thought for a moment. "Yi Ming, you stay and guard. I will go deeper into the forest to scout the area around the temple and see if there's a chance to enter."

"Your Highness, it's too dangerous for you to go alone," Liu Yu and the others quickly said.

"I have ways to protect myself. If we all go, we will surely be trapped." Gu Chensha waved his hand. "We can't afford to delay. We've had no achievements for half a month, and the other princes are making rapid progress. If we delay further, the situation will only get worse."

"Yes!" The five men said no more and obeyed the order.

San Xiang did not offer any suggestions, guessing that Gu Chensha must have a trump card.

Gu Chensha's body flickered lightly, and he delved deeper into the mountains.

In a secluded area of the mountains, he quickly put on the Great Dragon Armor and took out the leather robe he had taken from the Shadow Priest, wearing it over the armor. He hung the token around his waist and began to move quickly.

He advanced hundreds of miles, feeling the rustling in the dense forest around him, as if many demons were leaping and watching him. Upon closer inspection, he indeed saw groups of apes building nests on trees over a hundred feet tall, patrolling the area.

These apes were vastly different from ordinary monkeys. They were dark red, with horns on their heads, fierce and terrifying. They leaped and moved swiftly through the treetops, with sharp claws. Sometimes, they would leap out from the leaves, catching birds in mid-air, tearing them apart, and eating them with blood dripping.

Some apes even hunted tigers, leopards, and large snakes, which they caught and ate with relish. They also ate centipedes, scorpions, and various poisonous creatures.

These apes were like demons from hell, and some even had wings, allowing them to glide through the air for short distances, evolving into winged demon apes.

Any large creature entering this region would be torn apart and eaten by the demon apes, even if it were a skilled warrior.

However, Gu Chensha intentionally or unintentionally revealed the token, and the demon apes avoided him.

Some apes even bowed in worship, recognizing him as a temple priest and not to be desecrated. The token emitted a presence, the aura of the World-Chaos Demon Ape deity, the ancestor of all demon apes.

"If I hadn't killed the Shadow Priest and obtained his token, entering this region would have been difficult. There seem to be powerful figures among these demon apes," he thought as he walked. He sensed that some ancient trees, thousands of years old, had nests built by apes, though primitive, exuding a regal aura. In these nests, the shadows of large apes could be seen, breathing and exhaling with a powerful presence, clearly the dominant figures among the demon apes.

The aura was so overwhelming that Gu Chensha knew he was no match.

He did not provoke any trouble, walking silently. After a day and a night, he crossed several mountains, and the landscape suddenly opened up. In the embrace of the mountains, a vast plain appeared.

The plain spanned hundreds of miles, vast and expansive. The mountains suppressed the earth's veins, and the magnetic field penetrated the void. Even with the naked eye, one could see the spiritual energy clouds converging in the center of the plain, at the massive temple.

This was the true grand array.

The temple was built towering into the clouds, the most striking feature being a massive statue of a demon ape sitting on a throne, with thousands of beasts gathered at its feet and dragons circling behind it. The ape's massive hand waved, blocking the sky, taller than the mountains.

This was the statue of the World-Chaos Demon Ape deity.

The temple was larger than a palace, golden and splendid. Around the temple, there was a city where the nobles of the barbarian tribes lived. The houses were tall and spacious, all built of stone.

A large road led to the outside, with a steady stream of barbarian nobles coming to worship.

"This Temple of the World-Chaos Demon Ape is the center of loyalty, radiating to thousands of tribes within tens of thousands of miles, with hundreds of millions of barbarians who worship the World-Chaos Demon Ape deity," Gu Chensha had already planned. "The temple is filled with experts, and I cannot occupy it. My strategic plan is to infiltrate and steal, then build my strength. The other princes are making rapid progress, and I am far behind. This is the only path I can take."

He had already known the strength of the Temple of the World-Chaos Demon Ape from various sources and Yi Ming. Even with the help of Long Yuyun and Yu Hanlu, it would be like hitting a rock with an egg.

But if he did not achieve something, he would have a hard time explaining it to the court.

Under normal circumstances, even the most powerful person would find it difficult to steal from the temple, as it would alert the World-Chaos Demon Ape deity. However, now, with the barbarian deities likely restrained by the Heavenly Talisman Emperor, it was the best time.

"For thousands of years, the barbarians have plundered countless wealth and killed countless people from within the borders. This time, I will reclaim some of what they owe." Gu Chensha emerged from the mountains and followed a small path onto the main road.

On the small path beside the forest, many fully armored barbarian temple knights patrolled. They were tall and muscular, holding sharp weapons, and would not let even the slightest sound go unnoticed.

Seeing the commotion in the forest and someone emerging, the temple knights gathered. But upon seeing Gu Chensha, dressed in a leather robe and a large cloak, with the token hanging from his waist, they all bowed and made way, not daring to say anything.

The Shadow Priest never revealed his true face, acting mysteriously and terrifyingly, a symbol of fear in the barbarian temple.

Gu Chensha, assuming this identity, fit in perfectly.

He joined the main road, where many barbarians came from afar, bowing every three steps in pilgrimage. These barbarians, though their flesh was worn, had devout and content expressions. Some barbarian nobles rode in carriages, dressed in splendid clothes, similar to those within the borders, but their savage aura could not be concealed by any luxury.

But no matter how noble the barbarian, upon seeing Gu Chensha's attire, they all stopped to bow, waiting for him to pass before moving.

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