Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

However, these matters were not of concern to Lu Yu, who was currently leading Arthur forward towards the depths of the Forest of Death, getting ever closer to the treasure Arthur spoke of.

"This treasure is said to have been specifically left by my ancestors, and legend has it that it contains the secrets to becoming a god," Arthur explained excitedly to Lu Yu.

After spending some time together, especially after witnessing Lu Yu's display of divine might, Arthur decided not to hide anything anymore. After all, the secrets of the Divine Spirits seemed to hold no allure for someone like Lu Yu. The God of War of the North was a powerful divine being, yet Lu Yu managed to silence him with just a few words, a feat that was nothing short of astonishing.

"Secrets to becoming a god? Did your ancestor become a god?" Lu Yu asked, puzzled. Given the situation in this world, Divine Spirits were supreme beings, and no one could resist the temptation of becoming a god.

Unexpectedly, Arthur shook his head and said, "My ancestor did not choose to become a god, supposedly because the conditions were not met. However, he hid the secrets to godhood in the treasure. If a descendant reaches that realm, they can retrieve these treasures. Sadly, no one in our family has reached that barrier of Human Gods for many years."

Lu Yu turned to look at Arthur, his Power of the Divine Soul scanning his entire body, detecting a vigorous vitality within him, like a volcano about to erupt. Having Kui Ping and Kui An as disciples, Lu Yu naturally understood that this was a sign of bloodline awakening.

In his heart, Lu Yu guessed Arthur's plan: once his bloodline was activated, he would have a high chance of reaching that Human God barrier and then, using the means left in the treasure, ascend to the Divine Position. He was indeed very ambitious.

However, Lu Yu did not mind. Ambition was a good thing. Such people were more likely to stir the tides of the era. Through such people, Lu Yu could more easily unveil the mysterious veil of this world and see the truth clearly.

The two of them continued on their way and perhaps due to Lu Yu's fight with the strange brain, the entire Forest of Death was unusually safe. They did not encounter any monsters attacking them along the way and easily reached their destination.

This was a very old castle, enveloped in grey mist, surrounded by black, sinister trees upon which the troublesome Human-Faced Crows perched.

Arthur had never seen so many Human-Faced Crows; they densely inhabited the large trees surrounding the castle, and upon sensing the approach of Lu Yu and himself, they turned their heads in unison, their crimson eyes staring fixedly at them.

Arthur suddenly felt a chill seeping from the soles of his feet, rushing towards his brain. He wanted to stop it but found himself powerless. Only then did he remember that these Human-Faced Crows were supposedly the legendary Death Birds.

"Could this be the Power of Death? It looks like I am doomed this time," Arthur thought.

But since Lu Yu was by his side, naturally, he would not let him meet such an end. With just a light pat, the Power of the Divine Soul forced the chilling cold out of Arthur's body.

Even so, Arthur was still drenched in cold sweat and likely to be uncomfortable for several more days.

"Mr. Lu, be careful. These Human-Faced Crows are called Death Birds, possessing the Power of Death. With so many of them, their power is enough to bring down Divine Spirits," Arthur warned Lu Yu.

Lu Yu nodded. When the Human-Faced Crows launched their attack, he could clearly sense the taste of death, similar to that on the Book of Life and Death, and Lu Yu had once held a segment of the Book of the Earth, so he naturally studied such Techniques.

However, the Power of Death of the Human-Faced Crows was starkly different from that of the Underworld. Both seemingly represented death, yet they were fundamentally different. If death had a temperature, then the Underworld's death would be the warm sun, whereas the Power of Death inside the Human-Faced Crows would be the harsh winter.

This situation piqued Lu Yu's great interest. He looked at the dense Human-Faced Crows with keen interest, their Power of Death seeming very much worth studying.

Perhaps infuriated by Lu Yu's unabashed stare, countless Human-Faced Crows let out a harsh croak, sounding very grating, and furiously launched an attack on Lu Yu.

Countless Human-Faced Crows blotted out the sky, rushing towards Lu Yu like a dark cloud. Next to him, Arthur had never seen such a terrifying sight; even a single Human-Faced Crow in one's territory was cause for cautious handling, let alone so many, endless, as far as the eye could see.

However, Lu Yu smiled faintly, thinking this was the perfect opportunity. He was preparing to capture some for thorough research, especially since he had a close relationship with the Underworld. The Emperor of Fengdu might very much appreciate this completely opposite Power of Death.

With a thought of his Divine Soul, the Treasure Vase appeared in the void surrounded by a ghostly river, exuding a mysterious and vast aura around it.

The Human-Faced Crows, upon seeing the Treasure Vase levitate, instantly felt an endless terror, as if they had seen something horrifying, and began to desperately flee.

But it was too late, Lu Yu activated the Treasure Vase. A powerful suction emerged from the opening of the vase, pulling all the densely packed Human-Faced Crows inside.

In the current inner world of the Treasure Vase, the Human-Faced Crows fell onto a small island surrounded by Spiritual Water. No matter how much the crows struggled, they couldn't fly off the island. The surrounding Spiritual Water greatly restrained them; whenever the crows rushed outward, they were blocked by a curtain of rising water, producing white steam from their bodies, indicative of purification smoke.

Meanwhile, Human-Faced Crows not yet absorbed by the Treasure Vase began their final struggles, with countless Death powers dispersing from their bodies, the black aura gradually permeating the surroundings of the castle.

These forces seemed to summon an anonymous existence, who cast his gaze downwards.

A creature resembling a Skeleton Phantom appeared before Lu Yu, and upon seeing him, Lu Yu felt as if he was staring at Death itself, albeit a death force infused with corruption and decay.

Seeing Lu Yu seemed to shock the creature greatly. It let out a strange roar, attempting to destroy Lu Yu's mind, but Lu Yu was enveloped in the meritorious power of heaven and earth.

This merit acted like a golden barrier, completely blocking the attacks and leaving Lu Yu unscathed.

"In the outside world I might fear you, but here, even a dragon would have to coil itself," Lu Yu sneered coldly. The Treasure Vase emitted a brilliant glow, carrying with it a momentum that could suppress heaven and earth, directed towards the Skeleton Phantom.

The Skeleton Phantom waved its arms, seeming to summon black skull heads into the void, trying to resist the suppressive power of the Treasure Vase. However, the Treasure Vase, as a vessel of merit, was surrounded by the meritorious forces of heaven and earth; the black skull heads were instantly purified upon contact, unable to block the suppression from the vase.

When the Treasure Vase struck the head of the Skeleton Phantom, a terrible scream swept across the vicinity, an awful sound that echoed in the hearts of everyone in this world, so disturbing that merely hearing it could cause illness.

Lu Yu showed no mercy, as the Power of the Divine Soul erupted, endless Runic Inscriptions birthed from the void enveloped the Treasure Vase, firmly suppressing the Skeleton Phantom below.

At this moment, the Skeleton Phantom finally realized that if this continued, this wisp of consciousness would never be able to return, so it decisively attempted to flee, but Lu Yu would not allow it to do so.

With a light flick of his sleeve, he summoned the spectral images of the river of time and fate, completely severing the Skeleton Phantom's escape.

The Skeleton Phantom gazed at the towering river appearing before him, its face displaying a strange expression. It recognized this famously renowned river and looked at Lu Yu in slight astonishment, not understanding how this person could summon its spectral image.

However, Lu Yu gave no answer. Dealing with such a bizarre opponent quickly was more urgent, especially since there was no telling when its body, guarded outside, might transmit more power over.