Chapter 322: The Shepherd Versus The Celestial Army [Part 1]

“Eve!”

William shouted as he reached out his hands to hug his beloved little cousin. That is when he awoke from his dream

Out of nowhere, the image of Eve’s crying face appeared inside his mind, which prompted him to wake up from his dreamless sleep.

The Half Elf immediately stood up and scanned his surroundings. He was feeling restless and something was urging him to take action as soon as he could. It was currently nighttime within the Heavenly Domain, and countless stars twinkled in the Heavens.

Not far from him, Zhu and Sha sat on a log. Zhu stirred the campfire that he had made, and waited for the fish Sha caught earlier to finish cooking.

William had passed out after releasing Zhu from the Golden Cube to keep his promise. He didn’t know that Zhu had acted of his own accord and brought him to the edge of the twelfth trial, where the million strong Celestial Army, that guarded that Heavenly Gate, stood.

“You’re finally awake, Oink!” Zhu said after hearing William’s shout. “Oink. Are you hungry? The fish are almost cooked.”

Sha glanced in the boy’s direction before closing his eyes to meditate. Since he had lost to William, he wanted to see how the boy would be able to cross this last hurdle and reach the Heavenly Gate in order to clear this trial.

William nodded and said his thanks to Zhu before sitting on the log opposite the two Demonic Guardians.

He stared at the bonfire as he recalled the sad expression on Eve’s face. It was so heartbreaking that William wanted to go to Lont as soon as possible to check on her condition.

“It’s cooked,” Zhu announced. “Here, have one.”

The Pig Demon handed the grilled fish to William, before grabbing another to pass to his friend Sha. After he had given each of them a piece, he grabbed the five remaining fish and ate them hungrily.

William didn’t say anything and just absentmindedly bit into the grilled fish in his hand. He was still thinking about his little cousin and wondered if what he saw was really a dream or reality.

The three of them ate in silence. Only the crackling sounds of the bonfire and Zhu’s chewing could be heard within their small camp.

Half an hour later, William raised his head to look at the Pig Demon that was currently smoking on a pipe. Based on their surroundings, the Half-Elf realized that they were no longer in the desert where they had fought earlier.

As if reading his thoughts, Zhu removed the pipe from his lips and blew a puff of smoke towards the red-headed boy.

“We are currently at the boundaries of the Heavenly Gate. Oink!” Zhu stated. “You see that small shrine over there? That is the teleport gate that will take you to the Elysian Fields. It is also the final battlefield that you need to overcome in order to leave the Heavenly Domain.”

“Thank you for the information, but can you tell me more?” William inquired. “I noticed that each trial’s difficulty increased the closer I traveled to the Heavenly Gate. Honestly, if I didn’t use any underhanded tricks, I would not have been able to defeat the two of you. What is the final trial like?”

Zhu glanced at the meditating Sha behind him and tapped the Sand Demon’s shoulder.

Sha sighed as he opened his eyes to look at William. “The last trial is finding a way to reach the Heavenly Gate that is protected by the Celestial Army. Mind you, this army is numbered in the millions. If you don’t have any tricks that will a