595: Chapter 417 595: Chapter 417 “The task of venturing out was arranged by the master.
As long as you carry out the task properly and follow the instructions, there will definitely be benefits for you,” the Artifact Spirit said, ending the conversation without further ado and releasing the three monkeys.
Once the three monkeys left the expanse of the Hell Palace, they were like birds taking flight for the first time, overjoyed at the thought of finally gaining a brief taste of freedom again as they left the space in front of the Dragon Palace’s gates, ready to somersault through the clouds.
Some Demonic Beasts in the space, after getting the idea, started asking around if they could join in on whatever task the monkeys were on.
The ghosts present shared this thought and also inquired.
The Taoist, seeing an opportunity, also offered to lend a hand.
Huang Chen certainly wasn’t going to sit back idly; he too offered his strength.
“You’re all so eager, but the master only ordered these three monkeys out to take the lead.
If the master commands, I will let you all go.
But I haven’t finished my work yet; it’s not your turn yet!”
The Artifact Spirit didn’t agree to any of the requests from the clamoring beings and ghosts.
What a joke, if he let them all out, who would keep him company?
All these beings were inside his Magical Treasure, and he could anticipate their every thought, much like a bug in the core of their hearts.
The creatures in the space started to create a ruckus, feeling that the master was biased.
The monkeys, who had arrived last, were the ones with the opportunity to leave.
Artifact Spirit…
if you don’t have the ability, and the master doesn’t choose you, take your complaints to the master!
In the midst of the commotion in the Hell Palace, how could the owners of the voices know what the Artifact Spirit was thinking?
They spent their days and nights in this space, unable to leave, how could they meet the master?
Usually, they would request to see the master, but the Artifact Spirit would not give them the time of day, dismissing them as if it was ‘short-circuited’ again.
Latter on, they slowly understood that without the master’s summons, none of the creatures inside the palace could leave.
The Artifact Spirit controlled their every move; they could cultivate in there, engage in light exercise, and even eat fish and shrimp but were forbidden from killing any Demonic Beasts, including the newly arrived monkeys.
“Could this be the Dragon Palace?” The Immortal Soul Monkey, who had heard some fairy tales, was envious upon hearing the story of “Journey to the West,” which mentioned a Magical Treasure within the Dragon Palace.
It too had once longed to descend to the Mortal World to seek out the Dragon Palace and find that treasure.
But once it became an Immortal, it was restricted in the Immortal Realm.
As beings constantly ascended to the Immortal Realm, the ones who had already become Immortals found it not so simple to descend back down, unless summoned, they couldn’t easily go back to the Mortal World.
Later, after encountering a disaster, it was sealed within a great mountain.
How would they know of the earth-shattering battles it faced, which inadvertently dragged it into the Mortal Realm?
Today, with the chance to witness the Dragon Palace first-hand, the monkey’s eyes gleamed with a determined idea: to enter and search for the treasure within the Dragon Palace.
The other two monkeys, though not as crafty, had not heard this mythical story.
However, their gaze upon the dazzling Rainbow Light at the entrance of the Dragon Palace instinctively told them there must be treasures inside.
Thus, the three monkeys rushed towards the Dragon Palace as if by some unspoken agreement.
Jiang Tang watched as the three monkeys valiantly approached the gates of the Dragon Palace, hoping they wouldn’t be quickly devoured by the ghosts inside.
That they would put up a fight to let him gauge the true strength of the ghosts within.
He also hoped these monkeys would root out all the ghosts, destroying any traps in the process.
Jiang Tang would never consider himself sly for taking advantage of the situation.
He still needed to protect those few hundred people, who could be discovered at any moment by the great powers in the skies above.
“Watch how I deal with you, you Trident!
You want to trick me?
I’ll beat you to death!”
One of the monkeys charged, intent on a swift victory.
The other two, unwilling to be outdone, followed suit.
As they reached the gates of the Dragon Palace, all three monkeys simultaneously
encounter the hidden Dragon Trident.
As it saw these strange monkeys, its first impression was that they were humans.
How could they be monkeys?
Monkeys can’t swim, can they?
Previously, it had not sensed any such creatures before its eyes, only a massive Magic Artifact.
Could it be the monkeys released from that Magic Artifact?
Damn humans, what I forcibly possessed was not a monkey, but a human.
These three monkeys rushed in hastily, confronting the two Dragon Generals guarding the gate, each holding a trident, to block the monkeys’ attack.
Another whistle blew, and a swarm of shrimp soldiers and crab generals surged out from within.
The three monkeys realized that the Dragon Generals and these shrimp and crab soldiers were all Soul Bodies, yet the tools they wielded were physical entities.
The monkeys employed their special skills, engaging in combat with the dense swarm of shrimp soldiers and crab generals.
The two Dragon Generals by the gate conjured a massive net, directing their underlings to lure the monkeys into the trap above them.
The monkeys were no pushovers.
A few movements of their hands, and fires blazed, lightning flashed, shattering the souls of many shrimp soldiers and crab generals into ash with just a few strikes.
Thinking these foes were weak and meant to die, the monkeys, in their pride, failed to notice they had reached the trap’s position, and now a gigantic net was about to fall upon them.
“Idiots, move fast!” The Artifact Spirit inside the Hell Palace shouted to warn the three monkeys it was commanding.
It didn’t want them to fall into a trap and die so soon, which would not only be a disgrace but would also mean losing face for showing incompetence so quickly.
“Damn it, treacherous Dragon Generals, setting a trap for me!”
“Attack it…”
“Destroy it…”
The monkeys’ nasty temper emerged as all three attacked the two Dragon Generals together.
These Dragon Generals were merely guardians; above them, of course, were the Generals and team leaders.
The moment they felt overwhelmed, they naturally called for backup.
Otherwise, they would be defeated at the gate.
Just as the monkeys thought they were about to finish off the Dragon Generals, they were attacked.
A Dragon General clad in armor led some soldiers wielding tridents.
Together, they launched an attack on the three monkeys, and all of them shared one trait: they were Soul Bodies.
“More of you?
However many you are, that many must die.” A monkey, enraged to the point of smoke coming from its nostrils, shouted.
They had been fighting for a whole month, never so united before, always focusing on the external enemy.
“Go to hell…!”
“However many, just kill them!”
This Dragon General who arrived was of a higher rank than the Dragon Generals, and naturally, their capability surpassed them.
The soldiers he brought were about as many as the Dragon Generals.
Hearing the monkeys’ wild tone, the Dragon General chuckled darkly.
In this place, there were countless souls, and among them, only one of the three monkeys had a physical body, while the other two were Soul Bodies.
Although they seemed slightly stronger than the rest, their highest leader was still stronger than these monkeys.
“Haha, you could have taken heaven’s door but didn’t, and instead, barged into a doorless hell.
You have quite the guts.
Go ahead and die!” The Dragon General, now confident with backup, began to taunt the monkeys, aiming to infuriate them.
After all, they had weapons and the monkeys were unarmed; no matter how formidable, they would not match their Generals.
“Ahahaha, you’re just mere fish, shrimp, and ghosts from the Mortal World, daring to be so insolent with me.
I’ll let you learn your lesson, there won’t be a next life for you to come back as fish, oh wait, you won’t have another life at all, for your souls must be extinguished.”
The Dragon General, hearing one of the monkeys’ mocking tone, led his subordinates, their tridents showing no mercy as they struck at the monkeys.
The monkeys discovered the Seven-Colored Spiritual Qi within the Dragon Palace, exactly the type of Spiritual Energy they needed for their cultivation.
They utilized the absorbed energy in a move to borrow strength from their surroundings, using it to attack the Dragon General and his soldiers.
The Dragon General realized that the monkeys seemed to be getting stronger and that he and his soldiers were beginning to struggle.
Knowing they couldn’t fend off the monkeys by themselves, the Dragon General had no choice but to summon even more powerful beings for support.
It had been a long time since the monkeys had such an exhilarating battle.
The previous frustrations were unleashed as they fought recklessly.
After all, they were not responsible for killing spirits; any amount that came, they would fight, wishing them dead.
Seeing them talk so arrogantly, if they didn’t die, who would?
Watching from within the Hell Palace, the Artifact Spirit saw the monkeys still had some capacity to resist and nodded its head, ready to report back to its master.