Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

In the midst of Arthur's doubts, Lu Yu gently walked over to the Treasured Sword, his Soul stirring, minutely sensing the aura upon it.

"It really is it." Lu Yu's sigh gently echoed in the secret chamber, sounding almost heavenly. From the Sword in the Stone, he sensed the power of Fortune and Destiny of the Human Path, the most primitive and uncombined with the Dragon Clan, thus lacking any definite form, now quietly lying within the Treasured Sword.

Arthur, however, was mesmerized by the Treasured Sword embedded in the stone, feeling a premonition that pulling this sword out would fulfill his wishes.

He slowly approached the giant stone, with an excited heart he tried to pull out the Treasured Sword, but it did not move at all. Undeterred, he grasped the hilt with both hands and exerted all his strength, the vast power transferring to the Treasured Sword, turning his entire face red, large beads of sweat rolling down his somewhat youthful cheeks, and dropping onto the stone with a faint sound.

However, even if Arthur exerted all his might, the Treasured Sword still didn't move, quietly embedded in the stone, not shifting in the slightest.

Arthur released his grip, stretched his arms, and roared, his Vital energy bursting forth, faintly glowing. At this moment, his strength was greatly amplified, so he confidently began to attempt pulling the sword out a second time.

Contrary to his hopes, the Treasured Sword still remained unmoved. Giving it his all, Arthur collapsed on the ground, staring blankly at the sword in front of him, his heart turning to ash. If he couldn't even pull out a single Treasured Sword, what hope did he have of reclaiming everything? A great sense of dejection enveloped him.

"You are destined not to be able to pull it out!" Lu Yu's voice gently rang out beside his ear, pulling him out of his profound despondency.

He looked up at Lu Yu with some surprise, unsure of the meaning behind Mr. Lu's words.

"This is a Sword of the King; without the breadth of spirit of a King, you are destined not to be able to pull it out," Lu Yu gently explained.

"The breadth of spirit of a King?" Arthur was puzzled; having never been taught about kings since childhood, how could he know what the spirit of a king was?

"It's probably what you think a king should be, seeing if your own ideals are acknowledged by this sword."

"Don't look at me like that; this can only be comprehended by yourself. Only what belongs to you can be recognized by the Treasured Sword," Lu Yu said softly, seeing the pleading in Arthur's eyes.

After that day, the world returned to a brief tranquility, as if all previous disturbances were but illusions, but only those amidst the tide knew that the whole world had already begun to surge.

Stimulated by Lu Yu and others, the Divine Spirits began to challenge the rules, keenly realizing that without sufficient understanding of the rules, they would be easily eliminated in future wars. They felt a deep sense of urgency, as if formidable opponents awaited them in the future.

As the Divine Spirits grew silent, the world's contradictions diminished significantly, and many once-hostile territories began to align, the whole world plunged into prosperity.

The barefoot Old Monk in white clothes slowly walked through a small street in a territory, his path paved with rough stones, yet the Old Monk seemed oblivious, his feet treading over thorns and mud yet remaining spotlessly clean.

He looked at the increasingly prosperous street and sighed deeply: "Great Lord, my eyes have seen destruction, all that is beautiful will end, You are the only True God on earth, surely You will save this world that is about to perish." At this moment, he was immensely devout, a brilliant Holy Light bursting from his body, illuminating the entire territory.

"It's him, the legendary Ascetic Monk Dismas. Good heavens, what does this heretic intend to do?" Someone recognized the identity of the Old Monk, expressing astonishment. He was a significant figure, wanted across all territories, known as the Desecrator of the Divine Spirit's authority.

That statement also stirred up a thousand waves, causing countless people to begin frantically escaping, wishing to stay as far away as possible from such a dangerous figure.

Knight of the Temple were already rushing towards the Ascetic Monk, ready to capture this vile Desecrator, even the long-silent Divine Spirits cast their gaze down.

Yet the Old Monk remained composed, seemingly indifferent to being surrounded, he glanced around, his face showing neither sorrow nor joy, and softly uttered, "The Lord said, 'Let there be light.'"

The dazzling Holy Light lit up, blinding many with its radiant gleam, making it impossible to see anything clearly, even the Divine Spirits momentarily had their vision obscured. When the dust settled and the Holy Light dispersed, the Old Monk had vanished without a trace, eluding even the Divine Spirits.

Meanwhile, Lu Yu lay on a lounge chair atop the castle, lazily napping in the chair, awakened by the Holy Light from afar, he silently felt the bright light.

Unlike the Holy Light of Holy Elephants, this light was even more dominant and powerful. Lu Yu could clearly sense the supremely self-assured meaning it contained.

"Another one, this world really is interesting," he muttered with a slight smile on his lips.

Inside the castle, Arthur sat on the stone steps like a fool, caught in a frenzy these past few days, not eating or drinking, continuously muttering, "The spirit of a King."