Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

"Arthur!" Marcus exclaimed in surprise.

At that moment, Arthur was poised to strike, utterly unwilling to exchange any further words. The Treasured Sword in his hand emitted a radiant glow as he swung it down swiftly, decapitating Marcus before he could react.

His followers were petrified by the scene before them. Arthur's sudden emergence was like a Celestial God descending to earth. Their once seemingly invincible leader was effortlessly beheaded. At this moment, they lost all will to fight and dropped their weapons one by one.

With his own strength alone, Arthur subdued everyone present.

Frey stared at Arthur in front of him, rubbing his eyes in disbelief, unsure how the man who he had watched grow from childhood could resemble the heroes of the epics.

"Arthur?" Frey asked in shock.

Arthur felt an endless power slowly flowing from the Sword in the Stone into his body, filling him with strength. He was utterly fascinated by the sensation but was quickly awakened by Frey's call and turned his head towards him with a radiant smile, saying, "Old Man Frey, I'm back!"

Upon hearing this, the always strong Frey couldn't help covering his face, weeping. He had waited so long that he had begun to despair, but now, at the last moment, he saw hope and felt an immense sense of happiness envelop him.

He murmured to himself, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!"

"Brother Arthur, how did you become so powerful?" Layton exclaimed excitedly from the side.

He and Arthur had grown up together, often practicing together, and he knew Arthur's strength very well. Yet, in such a short time, Arthur had become so mighty, as if a Divine Spirit had descended.

Arthur raised the Treasured Sword in his hand and smilingly said, "I've been lucky. I met a powerful being who helped me obtain this Sword of the King."

"Sword of the King." Layton curiously examined the Treasured Sword in Arthur's hand, his eyes full of envy. Somewhat nervously, he asked, "Brother Arthur, may I touch it?"

Arthur extended the Treasured Sword forward, nonchalantly saying, "Sure, take a look."

On the side, Frey hastily knocked Layton's hand away, speaking sternly, "How can such a Treasure be carelessly shown to others? Arthur, you're too careless."

Layton looked resentfully at his father, feeling very wronged, but dared not speak out. However, several of Marcus's followers brightened at the sight.

Arthur, however, laughed and said, "It's fine. This is a Divine Sword. Unless it recognizes someone, no one can use it. Let Layton have a look."

Seeing Arthur speak like this, Frey relaxed his demeanor and no longer stopped Layton. After all, the two children had followed him through many hardships recently, and he couldn't bear to see them upset.

Layton, getting his wish, curiously examined the Treasured Sword in his hands. Strangely enough, while the Treasured Sword had radiated brilliant light in Arthur's hands, it became dull and lightless in Layton's, appearing just like a stone sword, more like a toy without any magic.

Moreover, the longer it was away from Arthur, the heavier the Treasured Sword became, and soon Layton could no longer hold it and hurriedly returned it to Arthur.

"What a magical Treasured Sword!" Layton exclaimed in amazement, feeling that this sword was not much different from the Divine Artifacts of the Divine Spirits he had heard about in countless tales.

"Brother Arthur, your sword must be a Divine Artifact, right?"

Arthur, however, dismissively shook his head and said, "A Divine Artifact? Given time, even Divine Spirits I could slay with this sword."

The crowd around them was shocked, and many even thought Arthur was boasting. Divine Spirits were supreme beings, and the idea that a mere sword could slay a Divine Spirit seemed utterly ludicrous.

Frey also advised, "Young Master Arthur, you mustn't speak carelessly. Divine Spirits are not to be blasphemed lightly. Don't provoke Heavenly Punishment."

Arthur, unconcerned, said, "Old Man Frey, you haven't seen Mr. Lu; otherwise, you would know that these so-called Divine Spirits are nothing special. The God of War of the North is tremendously powerful, capable of unleashing Thunder, but Mr. Lu merely had to quietly say 'be silent' to stop his furor."

"This sword in my hand is the Sword of the King. As long as I can gather followers and harness the human race's Fortune and Destiny, even Divine Spirits I could behead."

Arthur's words stunned those around him. For many years, the strength of Divine Spirits had been deeply ingrained in their souls, and no one dared to disrespect them. However, recalling the recent phenomenon involving the God of War of the North, they knew that Arthur was not lying; there indeed was someone in the world capable of defeating Divine Spirits with ease.

"There is such a powerful person in the world! Where is Mr. Lu? Why isn't he with you?" Frey curiously looked behind Arthur, thinking that with such a powerful person aiding Arthur, reclaiming everything he deserved would be much easier.

His impatient demeanor made Arthur smile slyly and say softly, "Old Man Frey, look no further. Mr. Lu didn't come out with me; he stayed in the Forest of Death. There is something troublesome there that, if not dealt with properly, could destroy the world."

Frey stared at Arthur, lost in thought. He hadn't expected that in such a short time since their separation, he would be unable to keep up with Arthur's pace. Suddenly, Arthur was speaking of Divine Spirits and world destruction, making Frey feel far removed from him.