Chapter 1214: Four Ultimate Sceneries

The Prince nodded gravely. "Indeed. It is said that Withered Maple Gorge holds four legendary Deadly Sceneries. Anyone who encounters one is destined never to return. The first of these is the 'Ape's Cry!'"

"But isn't 'Ape's Cry and Tiger's Roar' one of the most exquisite sights here?" Bloodblade, the sharp-eyed female assassin, couldn't help but ask.

The Fifth Prince nodded gently. "Yes, each of the four sceneries is a breathtaking spectacle, a wonder unseen anywhere else on the continent. Yet, they also conceal deadly peril. It is said that once the Ape's Cry echoes, those who become captivated by it will fall into an illusion upon seeing the evening glow and will forever be unable to leave Withered Maple Gorge. Of course, these are merely external legends; we don't know the exact truth of the matter."

Xu Yang smiled and exchanged a glance with Little Hua, who was inhabiting Madam Allure's body. Both stood up simultaneously and looked at the Prince, who was seated at the head of the table.

"Prince, in our opinion, since there's talk of the Ape's Cry, why don't we go out and investigate? What harm is there in enjoying the exquisite night scenery of Withered Maple Gorge? If it truly is a trap, we will face it head-on, countering any threats posed by this so-called Ape's Cry. After all, evasion is never the fundamental solution. If we can overcome the dangers of this place, our people will naturally feel more secure when passing through here in the future."

In reality, the Prince was hesitant to rely too heavily on Xu Yang and his group, preferring to deploy them as a secret weapon only when absolutely necessary. Their relationship was strictly a partnership, and the Prince had no authority to command Xu Yang. No one on the entire Yingzhou Continent could control Xu Yang. The Prince worried that if he troubled Xu Yang repeatedly with such trivial matters, Xu Yang would become weary.

"Since you two possess such an elegant interest, then I, the Prince, shall accompany you to behold this magnificent Ape's Cry!"

As the Prince finished speaking, he summoned a few attendants to lead Xu Yang and the Eight Gates team out of the cabin. Indeed, the moment they stepped out, everyone was utterly stunned by the breathtaking beauty before their eyes. The glow of the evening sunset was exceptionally vibrant. Everyone stood on the deck, gazing at both sides of Withered Maple Gorge. The mountains, water, sky, and land were all exquisite. The ape calls from both banks echoed repeatedly, creating a beautiful and expansive ambiance that filled everyone with enchantment.

Xu Yang and Little Hua exchanged glances, sensing that enjoying such beauty with a delightful companion was indeed a pleasure. "I can now somewhat understand the mindset of the Sixth Prince and those like him. This form you inhabit is no less beautiful than your original body. It's truly said that since ancient times, heroes have fallen for beauty; this guise of yours possesses the allure to captivate an entire city. The term 'alluring beauty' perfectly describes you."

Little Hua, however, couldn't help but smile sweetly, gently linking her arm through Xu Yang's. "When did you start teasing me? With our experience, we've long been able to completely disregard physical forms. Why would you compare yourself to ordinary mortals?"

Xu Yang, however, shook his head dismissively. "Actually, there's something I haven't told you: the closer one gets to the pinnacle of cultivation, the more one yearns to return to simple tranquility. Seeing the beauty here, I suddenly had a thought: if we could just enjoy the spring flowers and autumn moon together, free from worldly strife, we wouldn't even need to continue cultivating. Wouldn't spending thousands of years like that also be a kind of enjoyment?"

Regardless of Xu Yang's true thoughts, Little Hua naturally felt immensely happy to hear him speak such words to her.

"Even if your words are simply meant to comfort me, I am content. But how can this tumultuous world allow us to halt our progress? Furthermore, this is not the world we truly belong to. Eventually, we must enter May Heaven to achieve our ultimate goal and return to our original world. Those arrogant, self-proclaimed gods will ultimately be judged by us!"

Little Hua and Xu Yang exchanged these words entirely within the spiritual realm. If they had spoken them aloud, the Eight Gates brothers nearby would likely have been terrified. To casually speak of judging god-level experts — what level of power and cultivation would such discussions imply?

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, everyone had been on the deck for over three hours. It was then, quite unexpectedly, that the short scout beside them suddenly pointed to the flight path of a bird in the distant sky.

"Did you notice that pair of birds flew past this same spot a few hours ago? And just now, they flew past again in the exact same spot, with the same posture and height. Could it be that we are already caught in an illusion?"

Although Little Dot was the weakest among the Eight Gates in terms of strength, as a scout, his observational skills were far superior to anyone else in the Eight Gates team. Hearing him speak, everyone finally seemed to realize the crucial problem!

"You're right, little guy, if it weren't for your reminder, I really wouldn't have noticed." "Indeed, many scenes around us don't seem to have changed at all. Only our team is moving forward, yet the surroundings appear to be exactly as they were before!"

With this discovery, everyone in the team ceased to advance with the leisurely intention of simply enjoying the scenery. They each began to observe something around them, precisely noting the time. Three more hours passed, and everyone discovered that the scenes they were monitoring were precisely identical to how they had appeared three hours prior. Without a doubt, they had all unknowingly fallen into the illusion within Withered Maple Gorge, where time repeated in three-hour cycles.

"Boss, what should we do now?" "Don't panic, it's merely an illusion. Currently, no destructive force has appeared. We simply need to locate the fundamental source of this illusion and then find the appropriate method to break it. Everyone, do not be alarmed. Follow my lead: everyone move into the inner cabin and enter a meditative state. I will handle the rest."

After Xu Yang finished speaking, he turned to the Prince beside him. "I need an ancient guqin, two sticks of incense, and a pot of clear tea."

Although he didn't know what trick Xu Yang was performing, he knew very well that if anyone present had the ability to dispel this illusion, it would be none other than Xu Yang. His only course of action was to support all of Xu Yang's requests. It must be said that the Fifth Prince was truly resourceful. In just over half an hour, he managed to gather all the items Xu Yang requested. Following this, Xu Yang ordered all guards from the main vessel's perimeter to move to the auxiliary ships, leaving only the central deck for himself and Little Hua.