Above the Wilderness

People in the city at the foot of the mountain watched as mist wrapped around the nearby peaks, blending seamlessly with the clouds above.

The mountains, veiled in clouds, radiated a soft glow as images within the sea of clouds shifted and swirled.

Amid the brilliant light, a divine and majestic realm came into view.

This scene attracted not only the people in the city but also the Witch Spirits living inside the mountain walls.

Shouting excitedly, Witch Spirits emerged from stone doors carved into the mountain walls, gathering on platforms and steps outside to gaze at the sky.

“Look, the divine miracle is manifesting again!”

“The God of Knowledge and Truth!”

“The City of Knowledge!”

“The Kingdom of Gods!”

They saw a beam of light descend from the sky, drawing a figure upward until it finally disappeared into the sea of clouds.

They all knew that figure was Sukob.

At that moment, the phantoms faded away entirely, and the clouds slowly began to clear.

Though the image appeared in the sky, the place itself existed at an unimaginably distant location.

Like a mirage, the image appeared in one place while its true location lay countless miles away, making the sight even more miraculous.

Beyond being amazed by the divine miracle, everyone marveled at the divine favor Sukob received.

In this mortal world, only a rare few had the privilege of regularly entering and leaving divine realms to meet with the gods. It was no surprise, then, that mortals held such a fervent attitude toward Sukob.

Guided by the light, Sukob traveled to that realm positioned at the intersection of the material and spiritual worlds.

Servants of the God of Knowledge and Truth began to appear in the realm one after another. Ghost Race beings emerged, and an immense fog of information swirled and condensed into countless books that filled the many libraries.

Sukob walked through the great avenue, arriving beneath the Door of Truth.

He knelt on the ground.

“God of Knowledge and Truth!”

A light shadow appeared in the doorway, and Sukob’s Book of the Witch Spirit emerged simultaneously.

The originally blank Book of the Witch Spirit was now filled with dense, flowing text.

He had chosen text as his medium, making words the foundation of his power.

From that moment, he had already begun to chart his path.

All the text possessed by the Snake People had been engraved into his Book of the Witch Spirit. However, these texts were scattered and lacked the cohesive structure needed to transform them into something truly significant.

Now, Sukob had formed his first idea.

He understood the way he wanted to use text to shape the world within his book and to craft a particular type of chapter.

The God of Knowledge and Truth, Asai, looked at Sukob’s Book of the Witch Spirit and saw the path Sukob had chosen.

“So, you have chosen the path of the God of Text.”

“It is the broadest and most fundamental path, yet it is very fitting for you.”

“It seems you have discovered how to use text to shape the world you envision and carve out the path you seek.”

Sukob straightened up, though he remained on his knees.

“God, I have found the first method to imbue text with power. It may not be the strongest, but it is what I most want to do, and what is most suitable for me right now.”

“I have also discovered my own, completely new Path of Wisdom.”

Sukob explained his idea.

He proposed using the Book of the Witch Spirit as a shell and the Ghost Race spiritual body structure as the foundation for the reincarnation life form.

By utilizing contracts, he aimed to create a unique reincarnation spirit that would eventually replace the traditional reincarnation method of the Wisdom Path.

“Each contract is a reincarnation. This method avoids splitting oneself into countless different entities, preventing irreversible drawbacks and problems.”

Yet God Asai did not seem surprised by this answer.

Thinking about it, Sukob realized this was to be expected. After all, God Asai himself had told him to seek answers in the Abyss Royal City of the Endless Desert.

The light shadow beneath the Door of Truth spoke.

“It is commendable that you observed traces of the Wisdom Path in the Demon Spirits.”

“The original monsters were created using secret techniques from the Wisdom Path, and the Demon Spirits are new life forms Lady Elena developed from that foundation.”

“Their method cannot be called true immortality, but the power they wield is undeniably genuine.”

“Adapting their life form to replace the reincarnation method is indeed a viable approach.”

“This matter,” the God of Knowledge and Truth said, “has already been verified by someone else.”

Sukob raised his head, confusion on his face.

What? Someone had already verified this?

Who was that person?

But in the end, the God of Knowledge and Truth did not reveal the name, and Sukob did not dare ask.

At this moment, the God of Knowledge and Truth began to reach out, guiding Sukob in shaping his unique spirit body. This marked the completion of his first step toward reincarnation and the beginning of his journey on the Wisdom Path.

Whooosh!

The Book of the Witch Spirit emitted light, its pages rapidly turning.

The majestic deity’s shadow extended its hand, the enormous light shadow suddenly grasping Sukob’s body.

“It begins.”

“Sukob, your journey on the Path of Wisdom has started.”

The original Sukob quickly transformed into information, separating from the Book of the Witch Spirit.

He became a Text Spirit entity, appearing in the hand of the God of Knowledge and Truth.

Sukob felt as if he had turned into a pure textual information flow and disappeared from the present world.

The God of Knowledge and Truth said, “The first step is to anchor your consciousness at the Door of Truth.”

With a simple motion of his hand, the God of Knowledge and Truth cast Sukob into the Door of Truth, immersing him in the boundless sea of information and merging him with the essence of the Knowledge and Truth authority.

When Sukob appeared again, he felt completely different, as if he had mysteriously gained some special authority, a power he should not yet possess.

He stood inside the Door of Truth, behind God Asai.

At last, he caught a glimpse of God Asai’s true form.

A young man stood there in formal attire, holding a cane and wearing a hat.

God Asai did not turn around, still looking at the world outside the door.

The divine realm floated above the sea of clouds, while the mortal world stretched below.

From this vantage point, everything was clear.

The realms of gods and mortals were intertwined.

“Are you ready?”

“It is time for the second step.”

“Use your consciousness as the origin to ignite the Text Spirit consciousness within the Book of the Witch Spirit.”

“This method comes from Lady Elena’s Demon Spirit Pyramid. For this, you owe her a debt that you must repay in the future.”

Sukob hesitated for a moment, unsure of himself. But as soon as he heard the god’s words, he instinctively nodded in agreement.

“I will remember, God,” he affirmed.

After a brief pause, he added, “I am ready.”

The God of Knowledge and Truth, Asai, raised his cane and touched it to Sukob’s Book of the Witch Spirit.

Sukob’s consciousness anchored to the Door of Truth. Then, using the power of this door, it extended into his own Book of the Witch Spirit.

Immediately, a phantom, transparent spirit entity was born within the Book of the Witch Spirit.

It was a unique Ghost Race spirit life, tied to Sukob.

Sukob felt a deep connection to it, almost as if it were a part of his own consciousness and power.

From the moment it came into existence, Sukob transitioned from an ordinary Fourth-Rank into the reincarnator sequence of Fourth-Rank Ability Users. He was now a true candidate for godhood.

Seeing Asai arrange his Wisdom Path so skillfully, Sukob finally understood that the God of Knowledge and Truth had considered everything far more thoroughly from the very beginning.

He also realized that this method was never intended to be within the reach of mortals.

It was a genuine shortcut that completely shattered the constraints of the original Wisdom Path.

But if it were truly that simple, would those former gods, those brilliant figures, not have thought of this idea?

Would it have fallen to him, Sukob?

Without a mythological being supporting him from behind, he could never walk this shortcut on the Wisdom Path to godhood.

Completing the first step required a powerful anchor point that could stabilize one’s consciousness entity, something like the Door of Truth or the Demon Spirit Pyramid.

The second step required the help of the Door of Truth to create Sukob’s reincarnation spirit, which was also known as the Text Contract Spirit.

The Text Contract Spirit was created, but one final step was still needed.

It required the addition of memory and a mission to the Text Contract Spirit.

This provided the Text Contract Spirit with clear boundaries and also fostered its potential for growth.

It was akin to giving a life form the capacity to mature from infancy to adulthood.

This step was even more extraordinary. Without mythological power or the status of a demigod, how could one create an effective contract ritual in one’s own name?

Enabling contractors to borrow power across vast distances and ensuring the ritual remained effective everywhere was a divine ability. It was something those on this path pursued with the goal of becoming gods.

It felt like an impasse.

To ultimately become a god, a person seeking godhood would need to possess divine power in advance.

The only exception was for a natural Dream Realm being, like a spirit or nymph. Otherwise, one needed a mythological being to lend power and support.

Sukob looked at Asai’s back and finally began to grasp what it truly meant to be chosen by a god and to be called a fellow seeker of truth, as Asai had once called him.

“It was not that I discovered a shortcut method.”

“It was because God Asai, a forerunner who ascended to godhood step by step, paved the way and created a new path for those of us who follow.”

Without the 250 million years of reincarnation of the current mythological beings and their hardships crossing the river of time, the new Path of Wisdom would not exist today.

At this moment, Sukob’s understanding of these gods from the previous era deepened.

God Asai lowered his cane and turned to Sukob.

“The third step is the Text Spirit Contract Ritual.”

“We still need a contract.”

“Sukob, are you ready?”

Sukob only then realized he had not thought that far ahead.

He had only wanted to create the spirit body as an experiment and never expected Asai to have planned everything.

Sukob was at a loss, a flustered expression on his face.

“God Asai, I haven’t fully thought this through. Besides, no one has even approached me to form a contract yet.”

God Asai smiled beneath his hat.

He raised his hand and used his cane to draw a ritual in the air before the Door of Truth. He crafted the passage through the Dream Realm, inscribing symbols that represented dreams while also carrying Sukob’s name.

God Asai proclaimed loudly, “Become a god, my apostle, Sukob!”

“Form this contract as an apostle, and fulfill it as a deity.”

This was the first contract Sukob created on his journey to godhood. It was a bond between god and mortal, a pact between deity and servant.

Sukob was stunned for a moment, then excitement lit up his face.

He raised his hand and took a step forward.

After a moment, he paused.

Then, he lowered himself to his knees.

“Sukob is willing to walk with the great God of Knowledge and Truth.”

“To explore the truth of this world, to seek the essence of knowledge, and to uncover the ultimate answers that all Witch Spirits long for.”

Thus the contract was formed.

The content and text of the contract flowed down, blending seamlessly into the spirit life that had emerged within the Book of the Witch Spirit.

The once transparent spirit absorbed the text from the contract, as if it had grown a heart.

It began to speak.

“The contract between the God of Knowledge and Truth Asai and Apostle Sukob is established.”

A unique life was born.

Within the Book of the Witch Spirit, a domain unique to Sukob took shape. It was a realm crafted entirely from text, where the writings of the Snake People became bricks.

The Text Spirit dwelled within this space, and the contracts were woven into grand palaces, creating a dreamlike and intricate domain.

At that moment, a seed emerged from the Sea of Knowledge within the Door of Truth.

It merged with Sukob, granting him a fragment of the God of Knowledge and Truth’s authority, specifically the domain of text within the Knowledge authority.

This was the foundation of Sukob’s power.

The power of the contract was one way Sukob imbued text with power, an external manifestation of his new abilities.

From this point forward, he was firmly connected to the Door of Truth in the mortal world. He could create Text Contract Spirits using the authority of text and respond to contract rituals.

Over time, he would keep refining the authority of text, further advancing the knowledge authority of the God of Knowledge and Truth, Asai.

This was the essence of the divine system and the bond shared between gods and their servants.

Glowing with light, Sukob stood inside the Door of Truth, retrieved his Book of the Witch Spirit, and opened it to reveal the magical domain within.

Sukob held the book as the newly born Text Contract Spirit materialized in front of him.

He extended his hand and gently touched it.

“Text Contract Spirit,” Sukob murmured, “I have truly given power to text.”

At that moment, the Door of Truth suddenly stirred.

Standing beneath the mythological door, both Sukob and Asai sensed it and looked upward.

Through the Door of Truth, they caught sight of a legendary realm concealed deep within the Dream Realm’s heart.

The boundless sea of dreamlike stars and the everlasting God’s Moon.

It was a vision of the Creator God’s realm.

The concept of time seemed to vanish instantly.

The God of Knowledge and Truth and his apostle felt as if they were suddenly drawn into the vast starry expanse, surrounded by a profound, serene, and infinite presence.

It was as if the dark universe was consuming them.

That sensation of being consumed filled both the Witch Spirit and the deity with an overwhelming sense of yearning. It was as if dissolving into that infinite void was not an end, but a profound blessing, a return to something greater.

In the act of dissolution, they glimpsed the ultimate secret of this world, the deepest mystery that lay hidden. It was a revelation so profound that it brought a sense of peace, making even the thought of death feel fulfilling.

Sukob had heard legends of this moon, which was said to appear during times of great change in the world.

“God’s Moon!”

God Asai looked at the silver moon with a complex expression.

“Crown of Wisdom.”

One person only understood that the moon had a vague connection to the legendary Creator God’s realm, while the other grasped the deeper significance of that moon and the supreme will residing within it.

In that instant, it noticed Sukob, a mortal looking up at it.

Creator God’s Realm, Inside the Pyramid Temple

Time moved at a completely different pace in the Creator God’s Realm. While the outside world changed swiftly, the years within the Creator God’s Realm passed in a calm and unhurried manner.

And regardless of what unfolded beyond, this place always remained unchanged.

Yin Shen stood in a white robe before a window, while a small girl with puffy cheeks stood behind Him, making satisfied chewing sounds.

Gugu!

Gugu!

Yin Shen suddenly extended His hand.

With two fingers, He pinched God’s Moon from His line of sight.

For most people, this would seem like an absurd act.

How could anyone possibly reach out and take hold of the moon in the sky?

Yet for Yin Shen, it was something entirely within reach.

In that moment, the spirits of the Sun Cup Flower Sea and the nymphs of the Dream Continent all witnessed the moon vanish from the sky.

At the bottom of the Creator God’s Realm, near the vast sea, on top of the white storage tower, a nymph lay on the edge of the round tower. She swung her dangling feet while holding a book high above her, completely absorbed in its pages.

A book called 《The Gospel of the Wood Nymph》.

As she read, soft giggles escaped her lips, filling the air with a cheerful rhythm. Then, without warning, the once radiant moonlight disappeared entirely.

The entire world darkened.

Her mouth fell open in surprise.

Ah!

“The moon is gone!”

Inside the Pyramid Temple, the silver moon that had vanished was now held delicately between Yin Shen’s fingertips, caught in the narrow space between His index finger and thumb.

Yin Shen leaned closer to the window, looking at the changes within God’s Moon.

The Creator’s gaze passed through God’s Moon, that narrow window at His fingertips.

He saw Asai and Sukob on the other side of the window.

“Someone has discovered a way to refine the Wisdom authority, a method to enhance the Source of Wisdom.”

“The Crown of Wisdom has also noticed this and separated a small branch of the Wisdom authority.”

Spirituality Origin, Wisdom Spirit, Desire Personality, and Knowledge Memory were the four main branches of the Wisdom authority.

Further divisions could derive even more powers.

The more these branches divided and were perfected, the more complete the Source of Wisdom became.

Shelly approached, her emerald green eyes fixed on God’s Moon as she observed the tree shadow nestled deep within it.

She then saw how the tentacles of the tree form, which evolved from the Source of Wisdom, extended throughout the entire world to reach every intelligent being.

The tree formed by the Source of Wisdom bore four fruits, and now one of them had text flowing across it, as if it had ripened slightly.

“Wow!”

“Is it growing inside everyone’s brains?”

“Then it sucks things from their brains. That’s so scary.”

Shelly said this as she held a metal cup, sipping her drink through a straw and noisily slurping up the fruit pieces inside.

Slurp slurp!

Gulp!

Yin Shen observed Shelly, not feeling that she was truly scared by what she saw.

Instead, her casual talk about extracting things from brains while noisily sipping jelly seemed even more unsettling.

Though her words sounded a bit alarming, there was some truth in what she said.

The Source of Wisdom was rooted in all intelligent beings, or perhaps all wisdom gathered together formed the Crown of Wisdom and Source of Wisdom.

All wisdom species were extensions of the Crown of Wisdom’s power, whether those gods, snake people, winged people, or monsters.

It was this crown that bestowed wisdom upon the world.

As they delved into the power of wisdom laws, they also worked to refine and complete the Crown of Wisdom.

Yin Shen recognized her mischief but continued anyway.

“The Crown of Wisdom grants wisdom to all and ensures the wisdom system functions properly.”

“Every wisdom species is an integral part of this system.”

Through that window, Shelly also saw Asai and Sukob looking up.

Ah!

“Is another short-lived wisdom species going to live a bit longer?”

She was probably the only one who would describe a mortal’s journey to becoming a demigod in such a way.

Yin Shen nodded. “With the authority divided, the God of Text under the Knowledge Authority will soon appear.”

Depending on how the power expanded, it could evolve into the God of Contracts, known as the God of Text and Contracts.

It might even extend further.

For instance, it could become the God of Text, Contracts, and Law, or the God of Text, Contracts, and Poetry, among other possibilities.

Contracts were merely one way of utilizing the text authority, with many more possibilities to explore.

The division of the Knowledge Authority, the imminent ripening of the Wisdom Fruit.

It signaled the emergence of the first mortal Wisdom Divine System.

When a new mythological being emerged from one of the four authorities—Spirituality, Wisdom, Desire, or Knowledge—it signified the full establishment of a divine system. This event also marked the opening of higher paths and competition, causing the Wisdom Fruit to descend at that moment.

As Yin Shen had said, when old gods opened new paths for the new era, the Wisdom Fruit would descend to the mortal world.

At this moment, Yin Shen noticed another concern related to divine systems.

Sukob was Asai’s apostle, his predetermined servant deity.

The relationship between gods and their servants or apostles was not merely nominal. In some sense, Sukob was also an extension of Asai’s power and will.

Even if he became a god, this would still be the case.

But as a servant deity, he would actually have some control over the divine system’s permissions, splitting the authority of the master.

They even had chances to take control of the entire divine system and overthrow the master to become true gods themselves.

Would everyone who established a divine system ultimately become a true god?

What variables might occur in the future?

Who would ultimately pluck the divine crown?

The emergence of new gods would also compel old gods to progress, for those who failed to move forward would be left behind.

The future remained uncertain for everyone.

Finally, Yin Shen spoke, his words carrying deep significance. “This is the Age of Wisdom.”

Yin Shen raised His hand and adjusted His position before the window, gently placing the moon back into the sky. It returned to the Dream Starry Sea.

Afterward, Yin Shen stepped away from the window.

Shelly, however, stayed behind, her gaze still fixed on the window.

She thought Yin Shen’s action was impressive, so she stretched out her own hand, wanting to learn from Him and pluck down the moon.

She stood on tiptoe. “I can’t grab it.”

“The moon doesn’t listen,” she said, growing serious.

She pointed at the moon and declared, “In the name of the Life Sovereign under the Creator’s throne, let me grab you.”

But it did not listen, completely ignoring her.

The Life Sovereign frowned, her eyebrows drawing together.

Her mouth pouted, and she angrily blew her lips, making a long pfft sound.

Then a terrifying dark shadow extended from behind the Dream Continent, reaching toward the sky.

Although she could not gracefully and effortlessly take hold of the moon like Yin Shen, using power that transcended space, she could rely on her own strength to seize it directly.

But before she could begin, someone lightly tapped the back of her head, and the world-devouring shadow vanished.

Shelly rubbed her head, leaving the window.

Gururu.

“Hitting me again,” Shelly muttered with a hint of unhappiness.

“He used to boss me around and bully me all the time.”

“You never smack him, though.”

“I’m the one who built this place, so everyone living here should be nice to me.”

But she only muttered, not daring to speak loudly.

After all, she often helped herself to even more things within the temple without asking.

Northern Wilderness

Inside a cultivation laboratory, a group of insects wriggled through the sand. Their secreted silk gathered into clusters, blending with the sandy layer.

The Silk-Weaving Spirit Insects had started to breed, but the results were not very promising, as the insects reproduced slowly.

These insects, which consumed sand and produced transcendent ritual materials, were clearly not ordinary.

In the same way, raising them required significant effort and care.

Long had spent several days tending to the insects, and now he had gathered enough materials. Nearby, two custom-built looms and spinning machines worked steadily, producing a rhythmic scratching sound.

Long glanced at his teacher, noticing how he seemed untouched by time. Instead of aging, he appeared to grow younger, now resembling a man in his thirties.

“Teacher, you look younger every day! Soon people will think we’re from the same generation.”

“You even said that in a few more decades, people might think I’ve become your teacher.”

“By then I’ll be terribly old. With the way you look, you probably wouldn’t want to be seen walking ahead of me, would you?”

“I’ll be up front with a cane, and you’ll be following behind, carrying my tea and water for everyone to see.”

“When I’m old, I’ll be a venerable teacher,” Sukob interrupted. “But when you’re old, Long, it will be different.”

Long peeked out from behind the loom. “How is it different?”

Sukob told him, “You were a little troublemaker as a child, you rascal. When you’re old, you’ll just be an old troublemaker.”

Long huffed. “Fine! I’m done weaving and raising insects. I’m leaving. This little troublemaker is leaving.”

After the two, who hardly seemed like teacher and student, exchanged playful banter for a while, Long eventually returned to weaving a special cloth.

The cloth was incredibly fine, resistant even to the sharpest blades.

Long employed divine techniques to cut it and crafted a unique scroll from the material.

Following the ritual array designed by Sukob, Long inscribed the ritual on the scroll, then used the special power and methods of Witch Spirits to seal transcendent power within the scroll.

“Contract Scroll.”

“Teacher, we really created it!”

The world’s first contract scroll was born, and Long was extremely excited, even more so than his teacher.

Sukob smiled with satisfaction as he gazed outside.

“It is time,” he said.

Long asked Sukob, “What is it time for?”

Sukob told Long, “We have spent all these years here. It’s time for us to step outside and explore the wider world.”

Expectation shone in Sukob’s eyes.

“Before, I always waited for the gods to assign my mission.”

“But this time, I want to take the initiative and do something I truly want to do.”

Sukob was at last prepared to leave the wilderness, his steps carrying him into the mortal world.

Toward a broader world.