Chapter 799: Reunion in Zhou Garden
Chen Changsheng looked around the Zhou Mausoleum and quickly found the person he was searching for.
At the very end of the stone path leading to the mausoleum, An Hua and that adjutant were clearly visible.
If it were any other day, he could have easily used his movement technique to dash over there, but now, he could only crawl down slowly.
An Hua and the adjutant spotted him, waving continuously and shouting something, likely warning him to be careful.
Being quite far away, Chen Changsheng couldn't hear what they were saying at all, and the roars of the beast horde around the Zhou Mausoleum were truly too loud.
He didn't know how long it took, but he finally reached the end of the stone path.
"Your Majesty!"
An Hua knelt in joyful surprise, and the adjutant also dropped to one knee.
Chen Changsheng gestured for them to stand up and said, "I'm sorry for making you wait here so long."
That night at Snow Ridge Lake Garden, first the demon general Hai Di had attacked, then the Demon Lord had appeared with Nanke. At the most dangerous moment, he had sent An Hua and this adjutant into Zhou Garden, after which he had been severely wounded and fallen unconscious. When he woke up, he hadn't even thought of them.
Counting carefully, An Hua and the adjutant had already stayed in Zhou Garden for several days. He had no idea how they had managed to hold on.
That night at Snow Ridge, just as they were about to die in the thick demonic aura, An Hua and the adjutant suddenly found themselves in a completely unfamiliar world, appearing within an extremely grand and towering mausoleum, surrounded by vast, boundless grasslands and countless exotic beasts that had nearly gone extinct on the continent.
If they could have wandered through this world, they might have discovered that this was the legendary Zhou Garden. But the beasts had surrounded the Zhou Mausoleum after noticing their presence, leaving them no way to leave. Fortunately, An Hua had brought some dry rations, and being from the Qing Yao Thirteen Bureaus, she was skilled in Holy Light techniques. The adjutant's injuries didn't worsen but instead gradually improved. Still, being surrounded by such a ferocious and terrifying tide of beasts, the psychological pressure they endured was unimaginable.
Until today, they finally saw Chen Changsheng.
Chen Changsheng said, "I'll take you out of here right now."
"These beasts, for some reason, never entered this mausoleum, but they also wouldn't let us leave."
An Hua looked at the oppressive tide of beasts outside the Zhou Mausoleum, still shaken. In her mind, no matter how remarkable the Pope might be, he was still just one person, and a young one at that—there was no way he could deal with so many terrifying beasts.
Chen Changsheng walked to the front of the stone path and gazed at the seemingly endless horde of beasts on the grassland.
After several years, Zhou Garden's self-repair had been completed. The restrictions of the Never-Setting Sun Grassland no longer existed, and the number of beasts had gradually increased, even surpassing the original count.
Chen Changsheng waved his hand.
Countless roars, some clear and some savage, erupted from the mouths of countless beasts, like thunderclaps exploding simultaneously.
The adjutant's expression became extremely tense, and An Hua's face turned pale. They wondered what the Pope was trying to do.
What happened next completely exceeded their imagination.
Countless beasts knelt down at the same time, spreading out like a tide across the grassland, appearing extremely docile.
Thousands of gray vultures flew past in sequence before the stone platform, then soared into the distance.
The beast tide gradually dispersed, fading away into the grassland.
In the end, only two mountain-sized beasts remained. If one looked closely, they might still see a small black dot in front of them.
"Is that the legendary Jian Beast?"
The adjutant stared at the largest black beast in front of the mausoleum, recalling descriptions he had read in books.
He had already recognized the other large beast as the Dao Shan Liao, another terrifying existence on the Hundred Beasts List. Though rare, one could occasionally catch a glimpse of such beasts on the battlefield against the demon race. As for the Jian Beast, it truly hadn't appeared on the continent for many years.
Chen Changsheng led them out of the Zhou Mausoleum.
Thinking of the earlier scene, An Hua looked at his back, her clear face filled with admiration and awe.
—The Pope had merely waved his hand, and the beast tide had scattered.
Could it be that this place was the Pope's small world, like the Green Leaf World in the Li Palace back in the day?
Descending from the mausoleum, they passed through the stone tablets that were now only remnants of their bases and arrived at the White Grass Path.
The weather was clear, and they could see far into the distance, but they couldn't spot the temple. Perhaps it was because the Jian Beast's massive form blocked all view.
Chen Changsheng looked at the Jian Beast's single eye, nodded, and then greeted the Dao Shan Liao before turning his gaze to what lay before them.
It was only then that An Hua realized the small black dot she had seen earlier from the mausoleum was actually a dirt-yellow beast.
This beast was very thin and small, with ragged fur and a mutilated body, looking quite pitiful. But for some reason, its eyes gave off an especially cold and terrifying feeling, even though it was now prostrating itself before Chen Changsheng, hugging his calf and chattering incessantly in a particularly fawning manner, like a dog.
The adjutant suddenly thought of a possibility, and his face turned extremely uneasy. His voice trembled slightly as he said, "Is this a Tu Sun?"
An Hua had been thinking about treating the beast's wounds later, but upon hearing that name, her face instantly turned pale.
Back when the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion compiled the Hundred Beasts List, there had been great debate over whether the Tu Sun should be included and where it should be ranked. This was because this beast, skilled in stealth and burrowing, wasn't particularly powerful in individual combat—far inferior to the Dao Shan Liao's innate strength, and nowhere near the Jian Beast's ability to match a thousand soldiers. However... all cultivators would rather face a Dao Shan Liao or a Jian Beast than confront a Tu Sun alone, because this beast had an extremely high level of intelligence, or rather, it was too cunning and treacherous, and utterly cold-blooded and cruel.
An Hua and the adjutant simply couldn't connect the infamous Tu Sun with this mangy dog clinging to Chen Changsheng's calf.
Chen Changsheng patted the Tu Sun's head affectionately, and through its chattering cries, he learned about the recent situation in Zhou Garden. Still, he didn't grant its request to leave Zhou Garden and see the outside world.
He had thought many times about how to handle the beasts on the grassland and had discussed it with Xu Yourong—whether to release them onto the grassland he had given her. After the restrictions on the Never-Setting Sun Grassland were lifted, not only had the beasts' numbers recovered, but their strength had also increased compared to before, so they should be able to live safely. But the Jian Beast, the Dao Shan Liao, and the others had long grown accustomed to life in Zhou Garden. Knowing how dangerous the outside world was, they had no intention of leaving.
Although the Tu Sun was physically mutilated and far weaker than before, it still wanted to go out and see the world. To it, the word "dangerous" seemed like the sweetest honey. But Chen Changsheng couldn't let it leave Zhou Garden—partly for its own safety, and partly out of concern for the safety of the outside world.
The Tu Sun rubbed against his calf a bit aggrievedly, but didn't press further. It didn't dare show any resentment in its eyes, not even disappointment. Using its two front limbs to support its broken body, it crawled back onto the coiled horns atop the Dao Shan Liao's head and waved at him obediently.