Chapter 353

The dark stone chamber was pitch black, and the faint sound of footsteps echoed closer.

Suddenly, a torch appeared through a palm-sized air vent, illuminating half the chamber.

The stone room was not cramped; it held a stone bed and a stone table. The sparse furnishings gave it a cold, desolate feel.

An old beastman sat at the stone table. Grooves were carved across its surface, and at the intersections of those lines were placed small, delicate stone pieces. The arrangement—sometimes dense, sometimes sparse—seemed to press inward, carrying a faint air of tension.

Even after hearing the noise, the old beastman remained utterly still. The torch shifted aside, revealing the smiling face of Qin Shensi.

“Gongwo Daren, are you well?”

The old beastman, called Gongwo, picked up a prepared piece from the table, turning it slowly in his fingers. His voice was calm and detached:
“An old man who’s been buried underground for over twenty years has no right to such a title.”

Qin Shensi smiled. “No matter how the world changes, you will always be Gongwo of the Hong Chai—guide of our people. You will always have the respect of every Hong Chai beastman.”

Seeing Gongwo unmoved, Qin’s eyes flickered. “Gongwo Daren, the Hong Chai are in peril. Only you can save your people.”

For a long moment, silence reigned. Then came the crisp click of a stone piece being placed.

---

Meanwhile, Liao Shensi wore a face full of worry. “The Great High Priest’s condition still shows no symptoms at all.”

Over the years, Liao had wracked his mind over this illness.

There were no wounds, no outward signs. The Great High Priest’s body seemed as though it had sprung a leak, his vitality endlessly draining away—like a man naturally aging.

But the High Priest was not yet sixty. How could he have become so frail, so suddenly collapse in the middle of the Qi Shen Grand Assembly? It made no sense.

Bi Shenshi paced in panic. “Liao Shensi, you must think of something! The temple has every herb on the continent—there must be one that can cure him. Please, try again!”

Liao Shensi sighed heavily. It was not that he was unwilling—he was simply powerless.

As the temple’s healer, he had seen countless wounds, illnesses, curses, and witchcraft. Yet he had exhausted all remedies and rituals to no avail.

“This condition… the only thing I can imagine is backlash from using foresight beyond one’s level,” Liao said gravely. “But the Xianling were annihilated. Their inheritance is broken. I scoured all they left behind, yet found no cure.”

Jia knew Liao’s judgment was not wrong. But even if Liao found a Xianling remedy, it could not save the High Priest. The life force needed for simple foresight paled in comparison to the drain from performing miracles.

At that moment, a servant approached, whispering urgently into Jia’s ear. Jia’s expression darkened.

He was about to report to the High Priest when sudden footsteps came from the courtyard.

A sultry female voice rang out: “Liao Shensi, what is wrong with the Great High Priest? You must tell us—we cannot rest easy otherwise.”

The voice preceded the woman. Liao shook his head helplessly. So, it begins.

Four arrived together: Shenshi, Fu Shensi, Chang Shensi, and the elegant Luo Shensi.

The relationships among these four were tenuous at best. For them to appear together was almost unheard of—anyone with sense could see they were not here out of concern.

Bi Shenshi spat inwardly. They were simply waiting for the High Priest to falter, eager to seize his seat.

Jia bowed. “The Great High Priest is unharmed. He merely overexerted himself preparing for the Grand Assembly and requires rest. With Liao Shensi’s care, he will recover shortly. There is no need to worry.”

Fu Shensi sneered, glancing at Jia. “This is not your place, little Shenshi. Who knows what schemes you harbor? We will see him with our own eyes.”

Jia replied evenly: “Everything I said, Liao Shensi can confirm. If you doubt me, surely you cannot doubt your peer among the Twelve Shenshi?”

Liao avoided the brunt of it, simply saying: “The Great High Priest needs rest. You should go.”

Yong Shensi half-closed his eyes, feigning indifference.

But Chang Shensi’s face darkened. “If he’s merely tired, why guard the hall so tightly? Why refuse us even a glimpse?”

Before Jia could answer, a majestic voice echoed in their ears:

“What are you loitering for? Enter.”

Fu Shensi stiffened. Transmission was common enough, but to project so clearly from inside the hall to outside… Could it be the Great High Priest truly was fine?

Yet he had seen with his own eyes the collapse…

Jia bowed. “The Great High Priest summons you. Please, follow me.”

Of the four, only Luo Shensi showed visible joy. The others exchanged wary glances, but all stepped forward.

---

The Great High Priest sat upon his throne. At their entrance, he lifted a hand, signaling no need for formality.

He began as usual, casually asking about the Beast God City’s daily affairs. Each replied smoothly, concealing their thoughts.

He listened and gave instructions. Aside from his slightly weary face, his manner was unchanged.

Then his gaze turned to Chang Shensi. “I hear your people caused quite a stir at the marketplace when the divine light descended?”

Chang did not flinch. “I have heard as well. Zhan Shenshi acted recklessly and has been punished. But Hei Yao City killed Cang Shensi—their crime cannot be forgiven. They must pay the price. Please, Great High Priest, avenge Cang.”

Yong Shensi tapped his wooden staff, speaking slowly: “You dare ask vengeance? Cang led ten thousand temple warriors into Beizhou. Fewer than a hundred survived. The temple suffered dearly. Only out of regard for you and Qin did the High Priest not punish him. And yet you dare stir more chaos? The ones deserving punishment are your Hong Chai.”

Chang’s face turned black. “Have you forgotten—you too are Shenshi? If you die outside one day, wouldn’t you want vengeance?”

Fu Shensi chuckled coldly. “I would not overestimate myself and end up as everyone’s laughingstock.”

“Enough.”

The Great High Priest’s voice cut through. The quarrel ceased instantly.

“Hei Yao is not a temple city. They do not follow temple law. They follow the continent’s law.”

On the beastman continent, law was strength. In war, the victor claimed all from the defeated.

The Great High Priest said calmly: “Hei Yao are my guests, and shall forever be the temple’s guests. None may harm them.”

The hall fell silent. The Shenshi all knew Hei Yao had been invited—but none had expected the High Priest to directly decree their protection.

Chang cast a venomous glare at Yong. That old man was a menace indeed.

Luo Shensi’s surprise flickered briefly before she smiled. “We have heard the Great High Priest’s decree.”

After they left, Jia hurried to support the elder. “The biyu fruit lets you recover temporarily, but unlike the ice pearls that restore vitality, it will strain your body. Best not to take them again…”

“If I hadn’t shown myself, they would not have relented.”

Jia bowed his head. “I could have handled them.”

Clear-headed now, the Great High Priest said: “The Hong Chai will not give up. They’ve turned to that old relic. Take soldiers and bring the Divine Son back.”

Jia’s head snapped up. “If I go, what of you?”

“Do not mind me. I will live until the Divine Son returns. I will personally place the scepter in his hands. If they come for me, so be it—I haven’t long left. His safety matters most.”

“Great High Priest…”

He waved a hand. “That old one, hidden for twenty years, still harbors power in the shadows. Be cautious.”

Thinking of Yong Shensi, he added: “The Ling Bao may become an ally to the Divine Son. But Yong has his own designs—deal with caution.”

Jia betrayed no emotion, only nodding silently.

After carefully returning the elder to his chamber, Jia turned to leave.

“I know your heart,” the Great High Priest said softly. “But this is your fate. Do not let yourself sink deeper.”

Jia paused mid-step, then said without looking back: “Great High Priest, please take care.”

---

The blizzard raged, snow like smoke smothering all.

It had come so suddenly that visibility shrank to barely two meters. All was swallowed in white.

At the front of the column walked a giant wolf, gauging direction by the knife-like winds, reading the terrain by the depth of snow. Under his lead, the company forced a path.

Qi Bai tied himself to a cart with grass rope, checking each wagon one by one.

“Great Priest!” Su Yu clung to the side of a cart, shouting over the gale. “Why are you down here?!”

Qi Bai shouted back: “I’m checking the carts!”

In such weather, even a short distance required shouting to be heard.

“You can’t! Your body’s still not recovered!” Su Yu protested. “Let me do it!”

Since leaving the Beast God City, Qi Bai had slept three full days.

When he awoke, the drained emptiness was gone—replaced by a clarity of spirit and newfound vitality. His body felt stronger than ever, even more than after bathing in the Sacred Spring.

He knew this gift came from that void-like domain. And he sensed he might never enter it again.

But Qi Bai wasn’t greedy. Even once was enough. He felt he could pull a cart barehanded now.

Others did not see it that way—especially Su Yu, who had watched him lie still three days without food or water. He guarded Qi Bai like fragile glass.

“I’m fine. Get back!”

Qi Bai pulled Su Yu onto the cart, tying him down. Without rope, in such wind, he could be blown away and lost forever.

Su Yu tried to argue, but Qi Bai was already moving down the line.

Hei Yao had left with thirty wagons; eight had been wrecked. The twenty-two remaining were lashed together in a chain. That way, those behind needed only to follow, not navigate.

Qi Bai checked them all, confirming safety, before returning to the lead cart. Sitting at the front, he helped Lang Ze peer through the storm, searching for the mountain range seen earlier that day.

In such blizzards, they could not camp. Only the mountains would give shelter.

They pushed on half a day more, until dusk neared and the winds eased slightly.

Qi Bai stood, pointing forward. “There—Lang Ze! The mountains!”

“Awroo~!”

Lang Ze gave a low call, quickening his pace.

But as they neared the range, a group of beastmen suddenly emerged from the valley.