Chapter 633: Heavenly Valley

Chapter 633: Heavenly Valley

Towering peaks surrounded the vast natural valley, with cliffs so steep they seemed to have been carved by knives and axes, piercing straight into the clouds. In the middle of the valley, a wide stream rushed down from high to low, splashing layers of white foam.

Amidst such a pristine natural landscape, a magnificent small palace stood prominently. A broad stone pathway wound its way from the valley entrance, leading directly to the palace's main gate, with rare and exotic flora lining both sides. Even in the cold winter months, the canyon exuded a natural fragrance of flowers and grass.

The palace was adorned with gold embellishments and opulent silk draperies everywhere, contrasting sharply with the natural scenery of the valley. It was as if two entirely different worlds had been intertwined, making it hard for ordinary people to imagine such a magnificent palace in such a secluded valley.

At this moment, a subtle noise came from a hidden corner near the waterfall.

"My lady has ordered that we no longer need to search for Heavenly Valley seeds. We can return today."

A shadow that had been crouched low, almost blending into the environment, shifted slightly. Despite trying to keep his voice down, he couldn't hide his joy: "Has my lady developed the antidote for the holy medicine?"

The cold wind was piercing, and the faces of the two shadow guards were chapped and flushed.

The one who had spoken earlier shook his head: "There's no definite news, but since my lady has ordered us to return, there must be progress."

"That's great! Then the master must be saved. These twisted members of the holy sect, we've been keeping watch here for so long, and we still can't figure out what they're secretly doing by building a palace here."

The other looked at the heavy security around the palace below and shook his head: "Who knows? This palace, compared to the royal palace of Dongrong, is only smaller in size, but its opulence rivals the royal palace. If one didn't know better, they'd think the Dongrong holy sect is planning a rebellion."

The two exchanged glances silently and were about to discuss their departure when a new disturbance occurred below.

At the valley entrance, a Priest arrived with a group of youths of fair appearance dressed in white. Soon, someone from the palace came out to greet them and led them inside.

"They've brought another group. These young men are taken in and never seen again. If one didn't know better, they'd think they were devoured completely."

As they complained, one of them suddenly locked his eyes on one of the young men who had just been brought in.

"Guard Five, look at that one. Doesn't he look like Chu Xiaozi, who's always by my lady's side?"

The shadow guard he called out to looked in the direction he indicated and indeed spotted the youth with a darker complexion who stood apart from the fair-skinned youths.

"It really is! What's he doing here?"

They had originally planned to leave, but upon seeing Chu Xiaozi, they quickly began to plan their next move.

"These people from Heavenly Valley take in the young men who come to serve as divine envoys and never let them out. I suspect these young men have met a grim fate. If Chu Xiaozi is inside, he must be in danger. I need to go back and report to my lady now."

"Guard Six, you should also call for reinforcements. In case you don't make it back in time, we'll need to consider infiltrating to save him."

"Alright!"

A moment later, as if a breeze had stirred the leaves, a shadow flashed by, and then all was calm again.

In the valley.

A group of young men who had traveled for a month finally reached their destination, their weariness seemed to vanish as they looked on with excitement at the magnificent palace ahead, eagerly anticipating their future lives.

These young men were mostly from poor or ordinary families, and this was their first time reaching the Holy Capital. Seeing the palace before them, they thought it was the Holy Temple, their faces flushed with excitement.

Would they soon meet the Pope and the Holy Son?

"Brother Hua... I think something's fishy. Didn't you say the Holy Temple is in the Holy Capital? Why is it in this godforsaken valley?"

Although Chu Xiaozi was also dazzled by the gilded magnificence of the palace and wished he could chip off a few gold bricks right now, he remembered what Hua Qingyun had told him before.

There were no statues of gods here, as Hua Qingyun had mentioned.

Seeing Priest Os enter the hall, with no one supervising at the moment, Hua Qingyun slightly turned his face: "This isn’t the Sacred Temple, nor any other temple built by the Sacred."

He wasn’t sure where they were.

Although he knew more about the Sacred than others, it was only from the books he had read, and the books had never mentioned that the Sacred had such a secluded palace hidden away from the world.

Chu Xiaozi nodded upon hearing this: "Then we need to find a way to leave as soon as possible. Who knows how long these people plan to stay here? I don’t have that much time."

She had assumed they were heading to the Sacred City, but now who knows where they are, and how long it would take to get there. When would she finally get to start avenging her master?

Hua Qingyun, familiar with her impatience, nodded slightly: "Brother Chu, don’t rush it. Let’s observe the situation first and make plans tomorrow."

Given the circumstances, Chu Xiaozi knew she didn’t have any excuse to deceive the Sacred people into letting her leave, so she agreed for now.

After a while, Priest Os reappeared, this time respectfully accompanying someone.

"His Holiness the Pope, these are the divine envoys I brought back from the Jiujiang Pass area."

Hearing the title "His Holiness the Pope," the boys couldn’t help but get excited and looked towards the person who had just come out.

They saw the Pope clad in a golden robe, his expression both stern and kind, his hair and beard already gray, but his figure still upright and full of vigor.

Seeing the Pope for the first time, the boys were nearly moved to tears of joy.

On their very first day, they had met His Holiness the Pope. What an honor to bring pride to their ancestors!

The Pope smiled kindly, scanning the faces of the boys, and his gaze paused when he saw Hua Qingyun.

Os quickly flattered: "Your Holiness, this is Young Master Hua, whom I mentioned in my letter. He is the son of a wealthy merchant family from the border."

The Pope gave a slight nod to Hua Qingyun, his smile widening. When he looked at the next person, his gaze stiffened.

"...Your Holiness, this is a friend of Young Master Hua. They both wish to be selected as divine envoys. I was moved by their devotion to the Sacred and brought him along."

Chu Xiaozi, seeing the Pope’s expression, barely kept her disdain in check.

This old man judges people by their looks. What kind of Pope is he? She thought he was just an old lecher, not decent at all!

Shouldn’t gods be compassionate toward everyone? Judging by appearances, can he still be called a god? Can he still be a divine envoy?

Shu Mo was also quite good-looking, but the Pope’s gaze just briefly glanced over him before he nodded to Os: "Good, those who come here are all beloved by the Sacred. Arrange their accommodations, and after the purification ritual, they will be true divine envoys."

"Yes, Your Holiness." Os turned to the group of naive boys who had followed him from afar, a meaningful smile on his face. "Divine envoys, follow me."