When the last mural was admired, the passage also came to an end, and a heavy stone gate appeared in front of Lu Yu. The stone gate was adorned with cloud patterns in a style that was very familiar; Lu Yu thought carefully and it seemed to resemble what he saw in the Nether Dragon Court.
"Could this Divine Spirit be connected to the Eastern Emperor Taiyi who is worshiped by the Chu Kingdom?" Lu Yu silently speculated in his heart. However, with too little useful information obtained thus far, he was not yet able to deduce anything.
With a gentle push, the stone gate slowly opened and a new world came into view. This was a Cave Heaven of a certain scale, so much so that it appeared as another world. Although there were no sun, moon, or stars in the Cave Heaven, there still existed day and night, and many people lived inside, having constructed a plethora of buildings.
However, Lu Yu felt very uncomfortable. There was an eerie atmosphere pervading the Cave Heaven, filled with bloodthirsty madness, yet the people living there were completely unaware of it.
When the people of the Cave Heaven saw Lu Yu, they all stopped their activities and paid their respects to him. After all, Lu Yu was taking on the face of the Third Elder of Curse Mountain, a figure infamous for his cruelty.
Passing through the streets, a temple filled with a wild aura appeared before him. Its primitive and rough architectural style, coupled with the heavy stonework, gave a strong visual impact.
The stone temple was at the highest point in the Cave Heaven, standing like a pyramid, akin to a giant beast crawling on the earth, overlooking all living beings with its eyes.
The stone steps leading to the temple had been eroded by time. Although it was clear that someone had meticulously cleaned them, they ultimately could not withstand the passage of time. Many areas were broken, with green grass quietly poking its head through these cracks, bringing a little liveliness to the oppressive temple.
Ascending the steps, Lu Yu carefully sensed the mysteries of the temple. Yet, at that moment, he felt some doubt in his heart. He had been convinced that the Divine Spirit of the temple was an Evil God, but the moment he stepped onto the temple grounds, he hesitated.
The aura of the temple was not as crazy or bizarre as he expected but rather majestic and grand, enshrouded with a mysterious aura. No temple of an Evil God could possess such an atmosphere.
With such doubts, Lu Yu continued forward, following the person leading the way. Along the path, he saw many Curse Masters dressed in black robes, who all bowed their heads in acknowledgment upon seeing him.
Upon entering the temple, what came into view was an endless array of White Skeletons, piled upon one another as if forming a throne. At the very top of the throne of bones stood a tall Divine Statue.
The Divine Statue had an indistinct face, carved out of pure white stone, adorned with only a simple robe edged with cloud patterns and flying Golden Crows.
Yet, such a simple looking Divine Statue exuded an overwhelming and ethereal presence. The moment Lu Yu laid eyes on the statue, it was as if he had traversed endless forests to see the ocean or climbed steep mountains to gaze at the stars—an admiration so profound that it humbled one’s very being.
Aside from his Ancestors and Empress Hou Tu, Lu Yu had never felt this from anyone else, not even from the Patriarch of the Nether River.
Following the example of the others in the temple, Lu Yu kneeled and worshipped the Divine Spirit, yet his thoughts lingered on the pure white bones. These were no ordinary bones from wild beasts; they were massive and fierce, a strong sense of authority exuding from them. Even after being constantly cleansed by the passage of time, their commanding presence remained undispersed.
Lu Yu furrowed his brow slightly because he realized the oppressive power emanating from the white bones was very familiar to him, as if he had seen it somewhere before.
Suddenly, the aged dragon face of the East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang burst into Lu Yu’s memory, and he understood why the pressure from these white bones felt so familiar—it was unmistakably dragon majesty. However, compared to Ao Guang’s dragon majesty, this one was even more domineering and arrogant, to the extent that Lu Yu hadn’t recognized it at first glance.
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"Third Elder, what’s wrong?" Lu Yu’s brief moment of distraction sharply caught the attention of someone nearby, prompting them to ask.
"Every time I see these white bones, my spirit wavers. The power of our lord is beyond the comprehension of mere mortals," said Lu Yu with sincere reverence, as if he were moments away from kneeling to kiss the feet of the divine statue.
"Indeed, the power emanating from these bones makes my legs tremble even as I stand beside them. It’s truly remarkable that the Honored Lord was able to forge the Divine Throne from their carcasses," said Lu Yu, his comment evoking a similar sentiment from the person who spoke.
However, Lu Yu was puzzled. These dragon bones were not from any dragon clan he knew of. The dragons in Journey to the West had camel heads, deer antlers, rabbit eyes, ox ears, serpent necks, mirage-like bellies, carp scales, eagle claws, and tiger palms. They had elegantly long and beautiful forms, with a special aesthetic appeal.
The white bones now before Lu Yu’s eyes belonged to fierce and terrifying giant beasts—some bipedal, some quadrupedal, some with double wings sprouting from their backs. They felt similar to the dinosaurs he knew of from his previous life, yet they seemed even larger in size, exuding an intense pressure.
The lingering aura was more domineering and cruel than any dragon clan he recognized—it was like night and day.
"When there’s time, I must ask Ao Guang about it. That old dragon has lived long; he probably knows the reason," Lu Yu mused to himself, but his feet didn’t stop moving as he continued toward the back of the temple.
The light began to dim gradually, and thick stone doors lined both sides. From within, one could faintly hear the sound of wails, leading Lu Yu to surmise that those captured for sacrifice must be imprisoned within these stone chambers. He just didn’t know which chamber housed Yan Dan.
There was a special aura concealing the doors of the stone chambers, and a forceful investigation would likely startle the proverbial snake in the grass.
But Lu Yu wasn’t afraid. He was sure he’d see them when the time for the blood sacrifice arrived, and it wouldn’t be too late to take action then.
After passing through the deep corridor, Lu Yu finally reached the innermost part of the temple, where four elders were waiting. Each had completely white hair, wore long black robes, and donned headdresses made from the skulls of various animals with feathers inserted on both sides. An eerie and bizarre aura emanated from them, evoking the feeling of watching a horror film.
"Third Brother, did you slip up?" An aged voice came, belonging to an elder with an unknown bird’s skull on his head, who, judging by the seating arrangement, appeared to be the Second Elder.
"Two Mount Shu Disciples showed up; they were somewhat troublesome, and they got away," Lu Yu replied calmly, his facial expression unchanged.
"Mount Shu is indeed not an easy opponent," said the elder sitting at the highest position, wearing the skull of a saber-toothed tiger on his head. His white hair was wan, and he looked so frail as if he could barely move, speaking in a very weak tone.
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However, none of those present dared to underestimate the old man who appeared frail and weak. He was the Great Elder of Curse Mountain, the leader of the black-robed Curse Masters.