Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

The woman quickly opened her eyes, her enchanting large eyes filled with a look of desire. She looked around eagerly, letting out an angry roar that was harsh and unpleasant to hear, carrying with it an inexplicable power.

In a place hundreds of miles away from this forest, a hunter was lying prone on the pristine snow, his eyes intently fixed on the trap in front of him. He was an ordinary hunter with an ordinary family, who had no choice but to risk the bitter cold and hunt in this perilous forest to provide for his family.

If he couldn't find prey soon, his family would go hungry. In such freezing weather, they were likely to face death.

The hunter watched with full concentration as a sika deer, with its leisurely gait, slowly approached the trap he had set up. At that moment, the hunter held his breath, careful not to let his own breathing startle the prey before him.

Such a sika deer would be enough for his family to safely get through the winter, and if he could sell its large antlers in the nearest city, they would fetch a good price. The hunter's heart was filled with hope at this moment, as he seemed to see a happy life beckoning to him.

Unaware of the approaching danger, the sika deer continued its leisurely walk, occasionally lowering its head to chew on the sparse grass buried under the white snow.

"Close, so close," the hunter silently shouted in his heart, but his body was as still as ancient ice, utterly unmoving, even his breathing almost imperceptible.

Just as the sika deer neared the trap, a strange sound came from afar, instantly drawing the deer's attention. It lifted its head and started to gallop towards the direction of the sound.

The hunter leaped up from the snow, fury in his eyes. His prey had slipped away, and with it, his family's hope. He angrily watched the direction of the fleeing sika deer and, unwilling to accept defeat, decided to give chase.

Voices, barely audible, filled the air, throwing his mind into confusion. All he could see was the sika deer, constantly running, and a voice in his heart insisting: he had to catch it.

In such a state, the hunter didn't realize how far he'd gone, the environment around him growing increasingly unfamiliar. He had ventured deep into a part of the forest he had never been before, where various fierce beasts resided. But by now, the hunter had lost his senses and was deaf to everything, his eyes focused solely on the running deer.

After an unknown amount of time, the hunter finally saw the sika deer stop in its tracks. It glanced back at the hunter before leaping into a large pit. The hunter hurriedly approached to investigate, only to be stunned by the scene before him.

The sika deer moved toward a terrifying monster as if it were a puppet, its large mouth swallowing the deer in one bite. The horrific chewing sounds echoed through the forest, chilling the hunter to the bone.

Uncontrollably trembling, he muttered prayers to the Divine Spirit he believed in, hoping for redemption. He turned to flee.

But the monster had already seen him, its beautiful face showing a smile that could charm all creatures. The hunter was instantly mesmerized, his mind overwhelmed by the woman's gorgeous smile, as he foolishly walked towards the monster.

Countless tentacles extended from the writhing white body, entangling the hunter and gradually pulling him into the beast's body. Next, the monster's face turned slightly red, as a strange sound began to echo through the forest.

The monster's belly swelled visibly and rapidly, laying one huge white egg after another. As the eggs hit the ground and cracked, human figures emerged, men with muscular builds and powerful strength. Their skin bore strange patterns, and they had sharp teeth and claws.

Upon their emergence, they beat their chests with loud thumps, and the monster let out a triumphant roar to the sky, as if celebrating its rebirth.

And after him came more beasts, all with similar faces, each letting out their own roar. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent they bore a striking resemblance to the man who had been pulled into the monster's body.

In less than half a day, the forest was densely occupied by these terrifying creatures. They toppled the trees as if they were toys, easily grasping the massive trunks in their hands.

The female monster in the middle let out a piercing shriek, seemingly giving orders, and the creatures, armed with their weapons, charged towards the direction from which the Hunter had come.

A catastrophe that would sweep across the world was about to begin, signaling the prelude to the destruction of this world.

At this moment, Arthur was still oblivious to the imminent danger. He was sitting in his room, listening to Little White Snake narrate events that had occurred in the God Realm with her childlike voice, while an imposing Old Monk sat beside him.

"That's how it is, in short, the God of War of the North died under mysterious circumstances, leading to mutual suspicion among the gods. It's likely that the Divine Spirits are now sticking to their own groups," Little White Snake swallowed a fruit, and fresh juice squirted from his mouth onto Arthur's table.

Arthur glanced briefly, but ignored the smug Little White Snake and instead furrowed his brows, saying, "The God of War of the North is not an ordinary Divine Spirit. Among all the Divine Spirits in this world, he is powerful enough to be ranked in the top five. How could such a being be assassinated so silently and unnoticed?"

This situation was indeed hair-raising; anyone capable of killing the God of War of the North could potentially kill anyone in the world.

"So you're saying that the unusual natural phenomena we've been experiencing were due to the Law lashing out after the fall of the God of War of the North," asked the Old Monk.

"Exactly, if it wasn't for the Law lashing out, the other gods might not even have realized that this Divine Spirit had fallen. The assassin's methods were too secret, leaving absolutely no useful information to trace. I can only vaguely sense that it must have been the work of more than one person," Little White Snake honestly replied.

"No information is the biggest information," suddenly said the Old Monk, startling both Arthur and Little White Snake.

"In your knowledge, who in this world has the divine power to conceal the fall of such a powerful Divine Spirit so secretly? Keep in mind, Divine Spirits are the favorites of the Will of the World, and their deaths should trigger an immediate reaction from it, so how could it only become apparent after the Law lashed out?" the Old Monk spoke assuredly.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, puzzled.

"This method is very much like that of my old rival!" the Old Monk mused.

Suddenly, Arthur remembered something the Old Monk had said before and blurted out: "Deceiving the world!"

Indeed, only a being capable of deceiving the world could secretly kill such a powerful Divine Spirit without provoking the wrath of the Will of the World.

"But he shouldn't be that powerful!" Arthur said, deeply puzzled.

He had fought the Demon himself, and although its powers were strange, they hadn't made Arthur feel an overwhelming pressure. With the Demon's strength at that time, the idea of it killing the God of War of the North seemed like a fool's dream.

"That's because you don't understand him. Creatures like him are like terrible plagues, able to form new Demons by continuously possessing the fates of others. Looking at the situation nowadays, this guy has secretly taken possession of quite a few Divine Spirits over the years, all because his deceptive abilities had never been exposed," the Old Monk said with conviction.

All this left Arthur with a grim expression. Even if they had guessed the truth, what of it? The Demon had gained a stronghold, and who knew how many Divine Spirits he had already controlled in secret, especially since even a being like the God of War of the North had been killed by him.