In a secluded mountain valley village, Yafuan lifted his head to gaze at the sky above the cliff.

When the Door of Truth opened again for Yafuan, he knew that either the deity’s will or the Door of Truth itself was about to respond to him.

Yafuan walked skillfully through the sky.

In a void, invisible to ordinary people, lay a staircase. He gradually disappeared at the heights and emerged in the Dream Realm behind the door, in the temple of the God of Knowledge and Truth.

Ghost Polik appeared to receive Yafuan. When he spoke, his voice was as cold as ever, as if it were in the nature of ghosts.

“Your sacrifice has been received by God Asai.”

“Yafuan…”

“You are fortunate to have the nymph Florrie seek answers for you, and it is also your wisdom that earned you this opportunity. This is what you deserve.”

Yafuan prostrated himself before the temple without responding. He knew that Ghost Polik was about to say something more important.

Indeed, this time Ghost Polik told Yafuan about the origin of the Lord of Radiance.

“The appearance of the Lord of Radiance is related to a person from the previous era, named Xiao.”

“He was of the most ancient race, once a student of the First Era Sage, and the high priest under the Evil God at the end of the era.”

“He escaped the mythic war at the end of the era and divided himself into several parts. Perhaps someday he will reclaim them, or perhaps he never will.”

Yafuan only received the information that the Lord of Radiance had lost wisdom, desire, and knowledge, but he did not understand its meaning.

When the Door of Truth received this information, it immediately understood its meaning and what Xiao had done at the end of the previous era.

But Yafuan knew that God Asai and the Evil God from the previous era were mortal enemies and that God Asai ultimately ended the Evil God’s calamity. “So then, is the Lord of Radiance an enemy of the god?”

When Yafuan spoke these words, he knew what he was hoping for.

Ghost Polik: “Yafuan, what determines a person? Is it their spirituality, their wisdom, their personality, or is it memory?”

Ghost Polik did not wait for Yafuan to answer, knowing that Yafuan could not respond. “At least for now, he is not Xiao.”

“Moreover, whether he is an enemy of God Asai is not for you to decide, nor for me to decide. It is for God Asai to decide.”

Yafuan hastily said, “But that is a mythic gate, and if God Asai wishes, the people of Avel, His faithful followers, are willing to seize it for Him…”

Yafuan tried another approach to have the will of the Door of Truth judge his request as reasonable. He aimed to persuade the Door of Truth to intervene in the mortal world.

Ghost Polik interrupted Yafuan. “Yafuan, power that does not belong to oneself has no meaning whatsoever.”

“That Abyss appeared because the Gate of Spirituality accommodated power that was not its own. Everything happened because Melde presumed he could guess the will of the divine, viewing the gods’ thoughts from the laughable perspective of mortals.”

“The divine needs neither your secret conjectures nor your fearless devotion.”

The hopeful expression that had just appeared on Yafuan’s face faded once more.

Ghost Polik warned Yafuan again: “Faithful Yafuan, never attempt to fool or use the divine.”

“The divine can see through all your thoughts. When the gods deem it appropriate to act, divine oracles and their will naturally descend.”

“The divine has already arranged everything.”

“All your secret plans are meaningless.”

Although Ghost Polik was speaking, at that moment the true speaker was the will of the Door of Truth.

No matter which ghost spoke, they all represented the same will.

The Door of Truth was only a creation that emerged after the Path of Wisdom reached mythic level. It had no emotions and served solely as an instrument.

It collected information and intelligence before making the coldest judgments.

What more could Yafuan say? As a humble mortal, he could only accept the divine will.

He prostrated himself, bowing respectfully.

“Then, Lord Polik, messenger of the god.”

“Please tell me.”

“What is the will of the great Door of Truth?”

“I hope to convert all my sacrificial contributions into the answers I seek.”

Ghost Polik gazed at Yafuan and finally spoke: “Faithful one, you are very arrogant.”

Yafuan raised his head, his eyes filled with contemplation and calmness. “No, I revere the divine.”

Ghost Polik: “But your reverence is only because the divine’s power exceeds your imagination. You have fear without respect.”

“You fear the sun only because the sun can destroy everything in an instant.”

“Yet the sun’s light also warms all things in the world.”

Ghost Polik thought to himself, though he did not speak aloud, that this aspect of Yafuan was very similar to Anhofus in the past.

Yafuan remained silent, perhaps because Ghost Polik was right, or perhaps because further argument would only make things harder to explain.

Both sides remained quiet for a long time. The atmosphere grew heavy.

In the end, Ghost Polik agreed to Yafuan’s conditions and said, “Yafuan, there is only one way for you to get the result you want and achieve what you desire.”

Yafuan raised his head, his eyes visibly trembling.

“What method?”

Ghost Polik disregarded Yafuan’s feelings and told him directly: “Haven’t you already prepared? The question is whether you are ready to pay the price.”

Yafuan stood stunned for a moment and became dispirited.

Of course he knew what Polik meant, but the price was too great for him to bear.

Ghost Polik: “Everything in this world has a price according to the principle of equivalent exchange in the grand scheme of things. Nothing is born from nothing. Nothing disappears into nothing.”

“Now, you are about to receive what you want.”

As Polik’s words fell, several objects appeared before Yafuan.

Yafuan received unprecedented blessings, including two books and one Divine Artifact.

The two books were called “Art of God’s Grace” and “Anhofus Bone Demon Transformation Secret.” The Divine Artifact was called the Trilobite Man’s Skull and came from an ancient priest of the Polik family.

Even in the previous era, these books would have been classified as forbidden arts.

The Art of God’s Grace was the core secret art of the Temple of Truth, while the Anhofus Bone Demon Transformation Secret was the secret art of creating Bone Demons that had plagued the Henir Dynasty for three generations.

Ghost Polik told Yafuan: “The Art of God’s Grace is the key secret art to enter the fourth rank and enable you to reach the apostle level. Only you are permitted to use it.”

Yafuan picked up the Art of God’s Grace, bowed his head, and then looked up at Polik.

“Is this the secret art to become God’s Apostle?”

His hand trembled as he held the Art of God’s Grace. For the Snake People, this was a divine secret, something only the divine could bestow.

“Can I become an apostle of the god? Can I use the power of the god?”

Polik told him: “Your talent is insufficient to break through the limits of mortality. The third rank is the limit of your talent.”

“You need external assistance to become fourth rank.”

Yafuan immediately looked at the other two items, suddenly understanding their significance.

But when he reached out, he could not move the other two items.

He looked up at Polik with confusion.

Polik’s expression remained unchanged: “The price you paid is actually insufficient for the Art of God’s Grace. It does not satisfy equivalent exchange, but the Door of Truth has judged that your plan benefits the divine and specially bestows it upon you.”

“As for the other two items, you must pay a new price.”

Yafuan: “What price must I pay?”

Polik: “Return my right hand. The god will choose a new Divine Blessed One.”

“Someone… who truly possesses reverence.”

“Someone who not only has fear but also respect.”

“Someone who believes in truth and also reveres truth.”

The first and second Divine Blessed Ones of the God of Knowledge and Truth were selected passively. God Asai, the Door of Truth, and the people of Avel all received rewards matching their contributions.

Now, the authority of this divine blessing ultimately had to be reclaimed.

It was the mark of the divine’s chosen one, not a possession to be privately exchanged among the people of Avel.

Polik waved his hand, and the other two items floated up as if reminding Yafuan to make a choice.

“The bone of the most ancient race and the Bone Demon Transformation Secret are prepared for you. With them, you can certainly reach the fourth rank.”

“Even if you reach the fourth rank, it will be impossible to eliminate the Abyss. Since its creation, no one except sovereign-level divine beings has been able to erase it, and even divine beings are unwilling to touch such a filthy thing.”

“The most terrifying aspect of the Abyss is not Melde, but that it has devoured countless people’s evil thoughts, becoming a vessel containing all malicious desires.”

“It will grow stronger and stronger until it consumes the entire Avel Peninsula.”

The Bone Demon Transformation Secret and the Trilobite Man’s Skull rotated silently as Polik’s voice urged Yafuan onward.

“However, it is sufficient for you to execute your plan.”

Yafuan understood that Ghost Polik’s words actually carried another meaning as well. The Door of Truth was severing its connection with Yafuan.

You may reach fourth rank, but you cannot become an apostle of the God of Knowledge and Truth.

Yafuan raised his head to look at Ghost Polik, the most loyal messenger of God Asai.

“It seems I am indeed not a qualified faithful one, but perhaps this is for the best.”

“Lord Polik!”

“I thank the divine, and I thank you for your care all this time.”

Yafuan took the items before him, and at the same time, the Divine Artifact known as Polik’s Right Hand within his body gradually disappeared.

“Thump… thump… thump…”

He prostrated himself, kowtowing repeatedly.

He was indeed not a devout faithful one, but he was grateful toward God Asai and Polik.

Polik remained silent, watching Yafuan kowtow, rise, and leave.

Yafuan walked to the bottom of the staircase, then suddenly turned and asked, “God, why has He not awakened yet?”

Ghost Polik replied casually: “Do you think a hundred years is long?”

Yafuan certainly thought it was long. For almost all ability users, that was nearly a lifetime.

And ordinary Snake People could hardly live to a hundred years, even though their maximum lifespan reached one hundred and fifty.

Polik told him: “You have spent decades planning for the Avel City-State. The Mother of All Snakes Sermos waited a thousand years for the Life Sovereign’s forgiveness, and the Lord of Radiance has reincarnated for two hundred and fifty million years to reclaim what was once his.”

“Yafuan, do not arrogantly use your thoughts and perspectives to speculate about the divine.”

Yafuan was speechless.

The wait that seemed endlessly long to him might be but the blink of an eye to a divine being.

He could wait no longer, and he would never live to see its end.

He finally understood why Polik called him arrogant.

It was not just Yafuan’s arrogance, but the arrogance of all mortals.

As mortals, they always presumed to know what the divine wanted and assumed that everything they did was for the divine, imposing their own thoughts and will on it.

Yafuan was like this, Melde was like this, and all people were like this.

In this world, what could be more presumptuous than this?

Yafuan left this place, perhaps for the last time in his life as a faithful one.

One by one, ghosts appeared on the staircase. It was the entire Polik family.

One ghost spoke: “Will he become our pawn to probe Xiao as planned?”

A second ghost: “Could all this be a trap set by Xiao, or part of his scheme? Is the Abyss a means for him to achieve some purpose?”

“After all, what he excels at most is playing with these conspiracies and schemes.”

A third ghost: “The nymph Florrie’s words are trustworthy. She would not deceive people like us.”

“But we do not know where the nymph Florrie obtained her information. We must remain cautious.”

A fourth ghost: “There is an eighty-three percent probability that he will take the path of falling into the Abyss.”

Ghost Polik suddenly spoke: “No, it is one hundred percent.”

The other ghosts all looked over: “The Door of Truth calculated eighty-three percent.”

Ghost Polik’s eyes wavered: “Human will and emotions are difficult to predict through calculations.”

“He will certainly choose it, without question.”

In the Avel people’s village in the valley, inside an ordinary wooden hut, Yafuan stared at a letter.

It was a handwritten reply from the Creator’s Domain messenger, the self-proclaimed divine messenger named Florrie the nymph.

Yafuan had already read it countless times, turning it over and over until the paper had become wrinkled.

He had marked out the few sentences about the Abyss, contemplating them repeatedly.

As Yafuan read, for some unknown reason, he let out a long sigh.

“All things have a price. To receive what you want, you must pay for it. But sometimes, the price is not paid by one person but by everyone.”

Yafuan was indeed different from Xiuborn, who was someone who never hesitated or wavered once he made a decision. He was a man with an iron-strong heart.

Although Yafuan had always imitated Xiuborn in front of others, his inner resolve was far less steadfast than Xiuborn’s.

At this moment, a woman rushed in, hastily telling Yafuan some news.

“King Sidi has resettled and asks you to go discuss with him…”

Yafuan turned around and listened quietly at first.

But after a few sentences, he suddenly interrupted her by saying, “Nia.”

Nia stopped, looking at Yafuan earnestly.

She was very familiar with Yafuan and knew that in such situations, Yafuan had something important to say.

She could also see that Yafuan was caught in a moment of decision.

“What if there were a plan that could resolve our current desperate situation but would require many people to die?”

Nia replied without hesitation: “We are all willing to die for this.”

Yafuan shook his head: “That is not what I am thinking about.”

Yafuan lowered his head, not daring to meet Nia’s eyes. His voice was as soft as if he were sleep-talking.

“What I want to ask is, whom should I choose to die?”

“By what right do I let them die?”

“And how should I decide who dies and who lives?”

Only Yafuan, when facing Nia, could utter such words.

Nia could see that Yafuan was under tremendous pressure. For years, his spirit had been constantly tense, and she had even witnessed Yafuan’s emotional breakdowns several times in private.

Only at times like this could one sense that Yafuan was not just a Divine Blessed One, not just a lofty Chief Divine Servant.

Nia approached Yafuan, bending down to look up at his downcast eyes.

She made the Chief Divine Servant, who could not help but bow his head, sit upright and lift his gaze.

Only then did Nia begin to speak: “It is not you who chooses who dies, Yafuan!”

“You do not have that qualification, nor should you overestimate your authority.”

With determination in her gaze, Nia said, “It is we who are willing to die for you, not because you are the Chief Divine Servant, but because you are Yafuan.”

Yafuan asked her: “Just like that?”

Nia answered: “Just like that.”

“We know that the one who least wants people to die is you, that you suffer more than anyone.”

“We also know that only you can save the people of Avel.”

Nia: “If you do not know how to choose, then choose me to die!”

Yafuan gave a bitter smile, thinking that Nia did not understand the horror of the situation. He shook his head and said, “What if the price is more terrible than death?”

Nia suddenly turned, revealing the fair skin of her shoulder adorned with a tattoo.

“Do you see the lighthouse on my back?”

Yafuan knew this lighthouse was from Nia’s hometown on Ruhe Beast Island. After leaving her homeland, she had this lighthouse tattooed on herself.

Nia looked at Yafuan and said: “The lighthouse of the past is gone, our home is gone. Now you are my lighthouse.”

Nia declared loudly: “Even if it means opposing all gods, I am willing to accompany you.”

Nia extended her hand, wanting to clasp palms with Yafuan.

As if after their palms met, they could truly stand against the entire world.

“Hahahahaha.”

“What are you saying? It is truly absurd.”

“Hahahahaha.”

Yafuan laughed until tears streamed down.

They were truly unqualified faithful ones, and probably no deity could tolerate them aside from God Asai, who cared only for truth and knowledge and valued equivalent exchange.

But Yafuan felt that this was actually quite good.

Some lived to obtain power, some went mad in pursuit of truth, some existed for faith.

And they would do anything for their companions.

Yafuan continued laughing, but Nia stubbornly held out her hand, as if defiant and unwilling to lower it until Yafuan clasped it.

“Very well, then we shall face this together.”

Yafuan could only grasp Nia’s hand, his expression completely different from before.

His other hand still clutched tightly at the letter that contained his next plan and the answers.

As soon as he saw the Wood Nymph’s letter, he knew of a way to solve the problem.

On the back of the letter was written a sentence: “If there is no way to destroy the Abyss, then become the Abyss.”