Outside Ruhe Beast Island.

In this era, the continents had connected to form a single massive supercontinent. At its center lay an unimaginably vast desert.

However, along the coasts were lush swamp forests.

Various unique geographic features composed the world’s ecology.

In this world, there were insects of extraordinary size, more species than on Ruhe Beast Island, and a variety of bizarre reptiles.

For the people of Avel, this was an entirely new world.

Everything here filled them with wonder.

The Avel people had landed on a large peninsula covering several hundred thousand square kilometers. It was surrounded by sea on three sides, with a rich coastline.

The peninsula was connected to the northern part of the continent by an elevated plateau mountain range.

That was the habitat the Mother of Life had once prepared for the Winged People.

However, the Avel people had not fully explored even the peninsula region. They lacked the resources to reach more distant areas and were unaware of how close they already were to the Winged People’s territory.

The Snake People, skilled city builders, chose a natural bay harbor to establish New Avel City. Ability Users wielded their powers, easily shaping stone to construct city walls and establish power supplies. Meanwhile, commoners felled trees and used mud and stone to build houses and walls, laying the foundation of a city.

As they built the city, a steady stream of Avel people continued to arrive by sea.

The Avel people’s eagerness to leave Ruhe Beast Island was partly driven by their enmity with the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents, which instilled in them a strong sense of crisis.

Another aspect that the Avel people dared not discuss was this:

The conversion of the Avel people and Xiuborn was another factor.

They had changed their faith from the Life Divine System to the Wisdom Divine System. Although the gods had not punished them or even cared about their faith, the Avel people still felt uneasy.

Fortunately, at this time, the God of Knowledge and Truth had given them protection and guidance. They left Ruhe Beast Island, created by the Mother of Life, to establish a new home in this new world.

Thirdly, the allure of a rich new continent was immensely attractive to the Avel people.

Here were lands as fertile as those in the southern part of Ruhe Beast Island. They could learn to cultivate ball ferns and net vines like the people from the city-states.

They could develop their homeland freely, without any concern for the threat of war.

All of this was far, far better than their former habitat in the barren northern part of Ruhe Beast Island.

At the crude unloading docks and harbor, Yafuan led a group that gazed into the distance.

They were waiting for the last batch of arriving ships.

According to their calculations, the fleet should have arrived several days ago, but even now there was no sign of it.

This made Yafuan anxious and uneasy.

Although Yafuan didn’t speak, his expression clearly revealed his inner agitation.

However, Yafuan was no longer as impetuous as before. No matter how anxious he felt inside, he stood firmly at the forefront and stared straight ahead.

Beside him, Echilio, a priest of the Temple of Knowledge, noticed Yafuan’s mood.

This middle-aged priest said:

“There’s no need to worry.”

“Delays often occur at sea. It’s normal to arrive a bit late.”

Yafuan nodded before adding, “But the winds and waves at sea have been unusual these past few days, so I’m a bit worried. I don’t know if I’m overthinking it.”

Echilio was a priest with far more experience than Yafuan. He was one of the Avel people rescued by Xiuborn from the Land of Sunrise.

In fact, Echilio would have been a more suitable candidate to become Xiuborn’s successor.

But in the end, Xiuborn chose Yafuan.

Instead, he selected this young man to inherit his will and lead the Avel people forward.

Echilio chose to respect Xiuborn’s will.

He chose to respect Xiuborn’s will because the latter had rescued the Avel people from peril and saved his name.

At the same time, Echilio also believed in Xiuborn’s choice.

He felt that Xiuborn must have had his reasons for making this decision.

He was not a person who craved power. He diligently guided Yafuan on how to become a qualified chief priest, how to face and handle various complex situations.

Yafuan had not yet reached Third-Rank. He was not the true chief priest of the Temple of Knowledge, only serving as its temporary leader.

This was also a rule set by Xiuborn.

Only a Third-Rank upper witch spirit could become the chief priest.

Xiuborn implemented this rule to motivate future generations to surpass him and grow ever stronger.

A female servant witch spirit, even younger than Yafuan, suddenly cried out: “Look ahead!”

The servant witch spirit Nia rushed in front of Yafuan, standing by the sea and pointing at distant shapes as she shouted.

“There are ships.”

“The ships have come.”

Seeing ships coming from the new continent undoubtedly meant they belonged to the Avel people.

Yafuan shifted his gaze from Echilio and looked into the distance.

He also happened to see Nia’s snow-white shoulders and skin.

Nia had a tattoo on her shoulder of a lighthouse.

It was the lighthouse of the former Avel City, tattooed on her shoulder when she left her homeland.

She offered no explanation, but Yafuan and the others surmised that her tattoo was a heartfelt tribute, a way to carry a piece of her homeland with her forever.

Seeing the fleet, Yafuan’s expression finally relaxed.

“They’ve finally returned.”

However, as the fleet gradually drew closer, everyone sensed something was amiss.

Echilio, standing beside him, was the first to speak. “Why are there so few ships? Where are the other ships and people?”

Nia looked puzzled and asked, “Are they falling behind?”

When the fleet finally docked at the port, everyone noticed that these ships were covered in damage.

Some masts bore signs of being broken and repaired. Some hulls even displayed terrifying tears and monster bite marks.

Everyone on the ships looked haggard in both body and spirit. After disembarking, they collapsed in groups onto the land.

Yafuan found the fleet’s leader among the crowd and pulled him up from the ground.

“What happened?”

“Where are the others? Where are the other ships in the fleet?”

The fleet leader wailed, “My lord, we encountered an utterly irresistible storm and disaster on the way. It was a storm imbued with dark supernatural power. We simply could not withstand it.”

Of course, Yafuan knew what kind of black storm that was. It was even more terrifying than the fiercest storms at sea, combined with a supernatural destructive force.

“Didn’t I give you the correct route?”

“If you had followed the route given by the god, nothing would have happened. How did you encounter a black storm?”

“What did you do?”

“Did you deviate from the route?”

But the man defended himself loudly, “Lord Yafuan!”

“We followed the route map exactly. We absolutely did not deviate.”

“But this time the waves in the stormy sea were too strong, and with them came terrifying sea wing demons. We had no way to resist.”

“The waves overturned our ships, and the wing demons attacked us amid torrential rain.”

“I really did my best, but in the end, I could only bring back these few ships alive.”

Wing demons, supernatural monsters that controlled the power of wind, naturally thrived in stormy, tsunami-like weather.

Scenes like these, which were akin to extinction-level disasters for mortals, were ideal for them. Fierce winds and heavy rains at sea were often accompanied by monsters such as wing demons.

Therefore, to fishermen, wing demons were synonymous with disaster and death.

Looking at the man’s face, Yafuan could be fairly certain he wasn’t lying.

On such a dangerous sea, no one would risk their life by deviating from the route, especially not an experienced sailor who had traversed this route several times before.

But Yafuan didn’t understand why.

Previously there had been no issues, so why did this happen now?

“Why?”

“Did something go wrong with the route? Was it an unexpected situation?”

With so many lives lost, Yafuan needed an answer.

He had to confirm whether this route was safe, as it concerned the future and plans of the Avel people.

If this route indeed had problems and was no longer safe, it meant they had completely severed their connection with Ruhe Beast Island.

After Yafuan and the others confirmed the situation, they returned to the Temple of Knowledge.

The brand new Temple of Knowledge was built in imitation of the style inside the Door of Truth, though it wasn’t yet completed.

Yafuan placed his hand on his chest, activating the Divine Artifact Polik’s Right Hand.

The Divine Artifact pierced through the mortal world.

The surrounding scenery was gradually engulfed by darkness.

Before his eyes, an enormous door began to form.

It started with a base, and as the darkness spread, it gradually rose upward.

Finally, a door so large that it pierced the heavens and earth appeared, its top hidden from view. Its majestic light became the most dazzling sight amidst the darkness.

He arrived before the Door of Truth and stepped through without hesitation.

The Door of Truth could not only collect knowledge, but also organize, categorize, and plan it.

More importantly, it could deduce new knowledge and situations from existing knowledge.

The route that Xiuborn had previously prayed for was obtained by sacrificing a large amount of knowledge and asking the Door of Truth to deduce a way to reach the new continent.

Among the knowledge he sacrificed were myths about the Snake Mother Sermos traveling to “another world,” a wealth of nautical knowledge from the Avel people, and extensive records of known sea areas.

Yafuan navigated the vast sea of information and arrived at a temple that resembled a library.

He bowed to the ghosts in the temple and expressed his confusion.

He recounted how the Avel people had followed the god-given route but still encountered the legendary black storm.

The ghost raised its hand, causing the nautical chart scroll to immediately unfurl.

It contained many introductions and notes, one of which read: “Valid for two years.”

The ghost spoke in an indisputable tone: “The time has passed, lower priest Yafuan.”

Yafuan had seen this line before but had assumed it was merely the preservation time for the chart paper, so he hadn’t paid it much attention.

He didn’t understand why a nautical chart would have an expiration date. There was no such thing in common knowledge.

He looked at the temple ghost with confusion, not understanding why this was the case.

“Two years?”

“Why does the route have a time limit?”

“Even if there were a time limit, it would typically be marked by seasons. How can it be only two years?”

The ghost replied in a cold, emotionless tone: “Because only during these two years would the storms at sea cease.”

Yafuan pressed further, “Why are there such terrible storms around Ruhe Beast Island? They do not seem natural at all.”

The ghost lowered its head and told Yafuan the truth.

“Because Ruhe Beast Island was created out of thin air by the Ruler of Life using unimaginable power, it is a land of grace.”

“The myths recorded in your stories are all true. Although the Mother of Life is not the Creator, to you she is the supreme creator.”

“She created you.”

“She created everything you rely on and possess.”

“The black storms around Ruhe Beast Island appeared because of the birth of this continent.”

Yafuan opened his mouth to speak, but he could only step back as his hands dropped helplessly.

“So, does the god forbid our departure, or does he bar our return?”

Yafuan paused for a long time before asking in a trembling voice.

“Is this… the Ruler of Life’s punishment for us?”

The ghost shook its head again and exclaimed, “Ignorant mortal!”

“Do not think too highly of yourself.”

“The god will not punish you, nor are you worthy of the god’s punishment.”

“You are not an apostle of the Life Sovereign, nor a servant whom the Life Sovereign cares about. Only apostles and followers like the Snake Mother Sermos and Iva might attract the attention of a being at that sovereign level.”

The ghost waved its hand, and a map of Ruhe Beast Island appeared in the air.

Around Ruhe Beast Island, a layer resembling a barrier or conflicting air currents appeared.

“From the moment this giant island was born, it began to change and erode this world.”

“This is the origin of life for this era, the origin of the supernatural.”

“The supernatural, power, wisdom, and myths spread like waves from this point throughout the entire world.”

“Monsters are part of this wave, you are part of this wave, and the black storms are as well.”

“It is a divine creation, a divine grace.”

“You are too weak.”

“Even if a god like the Life Sovereign bestows grace upon you, you cannot withstand even its aftershocks.”

“You cannot withstand the erosion of mythical power in this world, let alone its external manifestations.”

Yafuan finally understood what it meant for the route to be valid for only two years.

He also understood what the black storms, known as black disasters at sea, truly were.

“No wonder, apart from the legendary records of the Snake Mother Sermos, no Snake Person has ever reached here alive.”

“But why?”

“Why was it possible during this period?”

The ghost nodded and said, “About ten years ago, some changes occurred.”

“The Door of Truth cannot deduce exactly why, but it is certain that a supreme power twisted the laws of this world, affecting celestial phenomena.”

“It might be due to the arrival of God’s Apostle or perhaps the movement of the Ruhe Beast, causing changes in the sea storms.”

“This created a window of opportunity at sea, giving you a chance to leave Ruhe Beast Island.”

“But this period is not permanent. It has already ended.”

The ghost did not mention the part about the descent of the god, referring only to it as God’s Apostle.

Perhaps this was because Yafuan’s power was not yet sufficient to know such information.

Yafuan also understood what it meant for this period to end.

It meant that before they became more powerful, it would be very difficult for them to return to Ruhe Beast Island.

If Ruhe Beast Island was the center of the world, they had been completely expelled from the world, becoming a group of wanderers stranded in another world.

Yafuan calmed himself.

Since they had completely severed their connection and could no longer return, they would have to find a way to create a new future.

Yafuan noticed the situation in the temple and suddenly realized that there had been quite a few changes here as well.

There seemed to be far fewer ghosts in the temple.

Where had they gone?

Yafuan suddenly remembered the city he had once seen deep within the Door of Truth.

Perhaps the ghosts had all gone there?

After years of sacrifices and offerings from the Avel people, and after being struck twice by the Ruhe Beast breaking its chains, many changes had occurred within the Door of Truth.

But Yafuan himself didn’t yet understand what these changes meant.

However, having come to the Door of Truth, Yafuan decided to inquire about something that had been bothering him for a long time.

He took out “The Book of Xiuborn” and asked the ghost below the divine platform:

“Messenger of the God of Knowledge! What script is used in this book, and what does it contain?”

Without any hesitation, the ghost told Yafuan directly:

“It is the script of the previous era, the Wisdom Script created by the King of Wisdom.”

“This script was used and recorded by the descendants of the King of Wisdom during the previous era.”

At this point, the ghost told Yafuan.

“The knowledge that follows will require you to make sacrifices.”

Yafuan was extremely excited.

It was just as he had anticipated, the book left behind by Xiuborn concealed earth-shattering secrets.

Even though he could not recognize the characters, simply gazing at them made him feel as if he were falling into an abyss.

He was certain that this book contained unimaginable knowledge, very likely a book recording the secrets and powers of the gods.

Yafuan immediately said, “I agree.”

Yafuan instantly felt his Book of Witch Spirits open, along with a vast amount of knowledge and even a ghost that stored knowledge being sacrificed.

The ghost told Yafuan: “The Book of Xiuborn contains forbidden knowledge from the previous era.”

“Xiuborn violated the taboo by transcribing knowledge from the Creator’s temple.”

“He walked a path that mortals should not tread, learned what mortals should not know, and faced beings that mortals should not directly gaze upon.”

“Therefore, he suffered consequences he could not bear.”

Yafuan couldn’t help but ask, “How can I obtain the knowledge to decipher the text in The Book of Xiuborn?”

The Book of Xiuborn was already in Yafuan’s hands, all he needed was the knowledge to interpret this script.

But the ghosts who had been so generous in giving Xiuborn the Wisdom Script last time had completely changed this time.

All the ghosts raised their heads together, and an intense pressure descended upon Yafuan.

“Yafuan.”

“Do you also wish to peer into the secrets of the gods?”

Yafuan prostrated himself on the ground, truly feeling a change.

These ghosts, without any consciousness or emotions, seemed to have gained a collective will under the power of the Door of Truth.

Without emotions, more like tools linked together to protect the Door of Truth, they had gained a powerful deductive ability and become more intelligent.

They could foresee danger and also avoid it.

They guided everything towards a direction more in line with the interests of the Door of Truth, towards a path that would allow the God of Knowledge to awaken smoothly.

The Door of Truth was awakening.

It gradually gained more powerful strength and more powerful deductive abilities.

But for now, this change was not strong enough.

At least these ghosts and the Door of Truth were still passively waiting, without directly intervening.

Faced with this will, Yafuan could only kneel on the ground and beg for forgiveness.

“I… I… dare not.”

The ghosts’ voices overlapped, transmitting into Yafuan’s mind.

“We bestowed forbidden knowledge upon Xiuborn, he saw things he shouldn’t have seen, which caused Xiuborn’s consciousness to gradually go mad.”

“At the same time, his faith and consciousness also fell into madness, polluted by the forbidden knowledge and the mental shock.”

“He did not have a devout and firm faith, he could not rely on his faith in the god to resist this madness.”

“Even with his strong will, he could only fall in madness in the end.”

The ghosts all stared at Yafuan prostrated on the ground, their voices so grand it made one dizzy.

“Weak believer of the god!”

“Until you can demonstrate unwavering devotion and prove the strength of your will, you will neither receive this grace nor be permitted to glimpse the taboos of the previous era.”

Finally, the voice like a huge wave gradually subsided.

The ghosts spoke in a concluding tone, casually saying: “Do not peer into the god, do not directly gaze upon the god, do not blaspheme against the god.”

“Those who peer into the god’s secrets will ultimately suffer the consequences.”

These were words summarized by the Trilobite Men of the previous era, things that every Trilobite Man kept in mind.

Because they were once those who suffered the consequences.

The consequences that befell them were not due to the god’s punishment, but because mortals were too weak, they could not bear the price of peering into the god’s secrets.

Those consequences were not divine punishment, but the seeds of destruction they swallowed themselves.

The mortal Yafuan below finally had the strength to straighten up, he raised his head to look at the ghosts.

“Messenger of the God of Truth and Knowledge, I have understood your teachings.”

When Yafuan returned to reality, even though he was already a witch spirit, he felt a chill all over his body, his hair standing on end.

He hugged The Book of Xiuborn, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

He didn’t understand what exactly Xiuborn had recorded in this book that had incurred such stern warnings from the messengers of the God of Truth and Knowledge, those ghosts.

He couldn’t help but recall the words the ghosts had spoken in unison.

“The Book of Xiuborn contains forbidden knowledge from the previous era, Xiuborn violated the taboo, he transcribed knowledge from the Creator’s temple.”

“He walked a path that mortals should not walk, he knew everything that mortals should not know, he faced beings that mortals should not directly gaze upon.”

Yafuan kept pondering the meaning of these words.

It was certain that Xiuborn had recorded knowledge of the gods in the book, knowledge that did not belong to mortals.

So he knew everything that mortals should not know.

But what did it mean that he walked a path mortals should not walk, and faced beings mortals should not directly gaze upon?

Yafuan didn’t know what had happened in the Sky Temple, didn’t know that Xiuborn had walked the path of divine descent prepared by the second King of Wisdom for the Creator.

What transpired at Fort Pence, at the foot of the Mountain of Life’s Origin, seemed like an ethereal dream to all. Everyone knew that the Snake Mother had descended, witnessed the emergence of the Door of Truth firsthand, and in the end darkness engulfed everything.

Beyond that, they knew nothing.

After thinking for a long time, Yafuan determined that this book in his hands was something he was not yet capable of touching or opening.

At least, when he was not strong enough, it should not be consulted.

“Even Lord Xiuborn met with misfortune because of this book, this shows that ordinary Third-Rank Ability Users should not come into contact with such knowledge.”

“It’s no use for me to think too much about it while holding it now.”

“I should put it away, at least to prevent others from touching such a dangerous thing.”

Yafuan carefully put away The Book of Xiuborn. He used divine techniques to open a hole in the wall, then placed The Book of Xiuborn inside.

He carefully sealed the stone back up, looking at the closed hole with complex thoughts.

He didn’t know when, or even if, he would ever take it out again.

Yafuan walked out of the Temple of Knowledge, outside was a scene of bustling activity everywhere.

The Trilobite Men had established shipbuilding workshops by the sea, houses were being built all over the city, processed logs were being transported along the roads into the city, and Avel City was taking shape.

Some people had already started fishing, some were reclaiming land and establishing villages, some had begun planting net vines, using the fibers of this plant to weave coarse cloth.

Merchants were recruiting workers, and officials at various levels had begun to organize the restoration of production and commerce in an orderly manner, establishing a common home for the Avel people.

Everything looked prosperous and thriving.

King Sidi of Avel happened to have business with Yafuan and came to find him. He walked over just in time to see Yafuan so intently looking at the newly established Avel City.

King Sidi couldn’t help but follow his gaze to look at this beautiful scene, and couldn’t help but speak.

“Look.”

“What a beautiful sight!”

“We are so united, the Avel people never give up no matter how much hardship we endure.”

“I must build Avel into the greatest nation in the world, a heaven on earth for the god.”

King Sidi had been rescued by Xiuborn in times of hardship. He always believed that this was divine guidance and that the God of Truth and Knowledge had saved the Avel people from suffering.

Those who had experienced hardship were especially devout to the God of Truth and Knowledge. They knew how precious all this was.

Yafuan replied with a far-reaching gaze, “It certainly will be.”

“However…”

“I hope this will also be our heaven.”