Thunderlake Kingdom

Snake people emerged from their houses throughout the streets and alleys, twisting their tails as they slithered. Playful snake children climbed down from trees and cheered as they gathered on the streets leading into the city.

Divine attendants carried an idol symbolizing the Sky Beast God. It resembled a jellyfish yet also appeared as a mysterious figure draped in veiled cloaks, exuding a hazy and artistic beauty.

It was reminiscent of the clouds and mist deep within Thunder Marsh.

“God has given us a response.”

“It is God who watches over us and grants us all that we possess today.”

“When the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents sought to invade our land, it was through God’s protection and the sanctuary of this great marsh that we found stability and peace.”

“We must offer our gratitude to God.”

“The divine being speaks to us from afar and proclaims that an emissary shall soon descend to the mortal world.”

Voices erupted on the streets like roaring mountains and surging seas. This was indeed something worth celebrating.

A country without the protection of a divine being would leave even commoners feeling insecure and lacking a sense of belonging.

Oran also heard these sounds from inside a prayer hall building in the distance.

Those people in the distance had just finished the sacrificial ceremony for the Sky Beast God not long ago. Now they had begun another divine welcoming ritual.

Everyone believed this divine welcoming ritual held the utmost sacredness and saw themselves as deeply devout. They felt that the divine being would reside in the city and stay with them if they brought back this idol.

But Oran felt these people were pitiful and laughable, because their god had never descended divine oracles upon them. Everything was merely their own conjecture and speculation.

Even more so, the god they worshipped did not even know they were worshipping it.

People moved about in a steady flow inside the prayer hall.

Leaning against the wall, Oran used illusion techniques to mask his figure and appearance while he quietly spoke to the divine attendant hosting him.

“Unable to see the god’s reflection, unable to hear the god’s voice, and unable to know the god’s will, yet able to have faith in the god. This might be the most ridiculous and ignorant scene of mortals.”

Oran did not know what thoughts the lofty divine being would have upon seeing this scene. It probably would not be anger but rather the feeling of watching a mortal farce.

This was a prayer hall of God Iva. Thunderlake Kingdom worshipped the Sky Beast God, but a large number of merchants from the Land of Sunrise also lived within this kingdom and needed to pray regularly.

Therefore, quite a few prayer halls of God Iva existed here.

Not only that, but many families here also worshipped the Scarlet Goddess and other divine beings. Various faiths intertwined together in this place.

Of course, the mainstream faith remained the Sky Beast God.

The freedom of faith that had not even fully begun in the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents had been implemented here first instead.

The divine attendant of the prayer hall did not know Oran’s true identity. He knew only that he was an alchemist from the Land of Sunrise.

A very powerful servant of God Iva who was at least third-rank.

Oran had requested they vacate the prayer hall for him after sunset, and they had agreed.

However, this divine attendant could not help but speak after hearing Oran’s words at this moment.

“Your Excellency, I do not think you should speak of them this way.”

Oran turned his head to look at the other person. His gaze seemed to inquire why.

The divine attendant continued. “They are not merely yearning for the divine being’s descent, but hoping for and desiring a beautiful future.”

“Everyone’s needs in this world are different. Ordinary people don’t need to know such great principles, nor can they know the great true meaning.”

“They don’t have your profound knowledge to perceive this world. They toil and worry every day for three meals.”

“A great alchemist like you hopes to go to the Divine Kingdom and dwell with the gods. Divine attendants hope to interpret the divine being’s will to make themselves more devout. The purpose of mortals is simply to hope that they can bring themselves comfort through faith in the divine being.”

“Everyone has their own purpose and their own desires. Thus what everyone can see is different.”

“The divine beings are too great, yet we are too insignificant.”

“We can never fathom the divine being’s will and their great form. What we can do is only have this small expectation.”

The other person made a prayer gesture and said earnestly, “But with faith comes cohesion, and this kingdom was born because of it.”

“Whether it is God Iva or the Sky Beast God, even if the divine beings haven’t noticed this city and country, this country has nevertheless fused into a civilization through faith.”

“Everyone believes that in the unseen, the divine beings are protecting us. They believe this country has a bright future.”

“For mortals, this is enough.”

“Why demand that mortals understand those great principles? Why demand that insignificant people who cannot even eat three full meals possess the devotion to comprehend divine will?”

The divine attendant finally said, “From this ritual, you see the ignorance of mortals. However, everyone sees hope and the future in this kind of ritual.”

“Even if this hope isn’t that real, it still guides everyone forward.”

Oran looked at the other person. He had not expected that a prayer hall attendant from such a remote place as Thunderlake Kingdom could say such things.

He thought back to over a hundred years ago when he had also come here. At that time, this place was nothing more than remote wilderness with snake people living like savages scattered everywhere.

Now this place had undergone profound changes. The Sky Beast God had not directly transformed it but had gradually influenced it over time.

The snake people had journeyed from barbarism to their current prosperous civilization in just over a thousand years while driven by the guidance of various gods.

God Iva of the Land of Sunrise, the Scarlet Goddess of Suinhor, and the God of Knowledge and Truth worshipped by the people of Avel had all played a part in this transformation.

Regardless of the divine beings’ original intentions, everything the snake people now possessed benefited from their grace.

Oran sighed. “You’re right. I spoke out of turn.”

“I was too quick to judge, seeing things only from my own perspective.”

“Perhaps I need to understand that everyone views the world differently.”

Changing perspectives, Oran looked toward the distance once again and listened to those clamorous sounds. He suddenly felt this ritual had become completely different.

Oran had a realization at this moment.

“Civilization is walking from darkness toward light and from ignorance toward greatness.”

“Divine beings are the guides walking at the forefront of the mortal world and the pioneers heading toward the distance.”

Oran’s view of divine beings had constantly changed through different stages of his life.

It went from blindly following divine beings to revering divine beings, and finally to following divine beings.

When blindly following divine beings, he felt they were omniscient and omnipotent. He believed everything he had could be bestowed by divine beings and entrusted everything to them.

When revering divine beings, he felt they were incomparably powerful existences that were neither to be distanced from nor approached.

As for Oran, he was gradually understanding the divine beings’ will. He could gradually be called one who followed divine beings.

He thought to himself, “Right now, walking at the forefront of civilization is the White Tower Alchemy Alliance.”

“The ancient and great divine being has already opened a new era. Everything is like the dawn’s first light.”

“Next, perhaps it is time for us ourselves to step forward.”

Oran was very confident about the White Tower Alchemy Alliance and proud at the same time.

The White Tower Alchemy Alliance was not the largest country. Compared to the Suinhor City-State Alliance and the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents, the White Tower Alchemy Alliance was small.

But here was the greatest vitality. Oran felt this place would burst forth with something that would change the entire world.

Oran gained a new understanding from this journey.

As night descended, the prayer hall slowly emptied. The worshippers departed one by one and left the vast hall silent and still, prepared for Oran’s solitude.

Facing the idol of God Iva, Oran knelt on the ground and began to pray.

Using the three-part divine name, he communicated with the distant Divine Kingdom through the dream realm and ritual.

“God of Lamp Fire dwelling in the Sky Garden, controller of desire and alchemy, God Iva who receives the stars, Your apostle Oran prays to You and requests Your response.”

Oran received the god’s response after repeating it once.

Silver flower clusters appeared beneath his feet. They continuously spread along his sides and connected with the distant starry sky.

The scene within the Sky Miracle Garden appeared around Oran, great and serene.

The Gate of Desire emerged at the end, and lamp spirits arrayed like stars filled the sky.

The towering mythological figure appeared beneath the gate and looked toward Oran.

“Apostle Oran, speak your request.”

Only a special apostle like Oran could contact the divine being at any time, and only he could receive the divine being’s response so quickly.

Oran thought for a while before raising his head to gaze at the divine being and speak.

Oran told God Iva about his discoveries in Thunder Marsh, including how he had seen the divine boat crossing the sea of clouds in the skies of Thunder Marsh.

“God Iva, I saw the legendary vehicle of the Life Sovereign enter the legendary Lost Kingdom. The Sky Beast’s dependents left the depths of the marsh for this and welcomed the great sovereign’s arrival.”

“God, do You know why the supreme deity has descended to the mortal world?”

“With the great Life Sovereign appearing in the mortal world, what do we need to do?”

Oran knew that in ordinary people’s eyes, the Life Sovereign and the Dream Sovereign seemed like two completely different divine beings who seemingly lacked much connection.

But Oran had learned from the Storage Nymph Saint Raphael that the Life Sovereign and Dream Sovereign were one entity. The entire creation Divine System had always represented the same will, which was the will belonging to the true Creator.

The god beneath the mythological gate stepped forward and raised the lamp in hand to illuminate the starry sky and the entire world.

Ten thousand lamp fires flickered together and shone in unison.

God Iva gazed at Oran and confirmed everything he said was true.

“There is nothing you need to do. The supreme sovereign does not require any action from you.”

“That is the Dream Sovereign’s boat, the divine artifact of the Divine Kingdom of Creation.”

“The Divine Boat is the vessel for receiving dreams. It is the supreme deity’s vehicle and holds the authority to directly open the gates of the Divine Kingdom of Creation.”

Only an existence like God Iva who came from the Divine Kingdom of Creation knew such secrets.

God Iva seemed to have known something all along, but he still could not help feeling excited at this moment.

“What has descended is not just the Life Sovereign but the supreme deity descending to the mortal world together along with the Creator Yinsai.”

The God of Desire and Alchemy was a deity who appeared to have little emotion, or rather, appeared to be a very reserved divine being.

But at this moment, his words were excited and carried expectation and yearning.

God Iva said to Oran, “Oran, you have seen the Creator!”

Oran looked bewildered. He naturally knew of the Creator but had never realized what kind of concept a deity like the Creator truly was.

“The Creator has descended to the mortal world.”

“The age of the divine moon arrives. The Life Sovereign’s horn has sounded. Everything will change.”

“Oran, that you could encounter the Creator is perhaps guidance from the unseen. The supreme deity’s will is drawing you toward the new age.”

Asai, Vivien, Iva, Elena, Xiao, and the Witch Doctors represented the previous era. Oran and Sukob represented this era, representing the new age.

Although they had not truly grown up yet.

For the first time, Oran felt a heavy force pressing upon himself. But confusion came along with it, because even now he still did not understand what he could do for this era.

Oran prostrated himself on the ground and said to God Iva, “God, You possess countless believers. I am merely one among them.”

God Iva replied, “All gods possess countless believers, but they do not truly have faith in the divine beings. They only have faith in the divine beings within their own hearts.”

“Only those who understand the divine beings, only those who follow the divine being’s will, and only those who walk with the gods are true believers.”

God Iva’s words turned. “That you could encounter the Creator at the moment the new age opens seems to be destiny’s choice.”

“Oran, will you become my true believer?”

“Oran, will you walk with me?”

Iva said this precisely because he was such an existence.

He had once followed behind the Dream Sovereign Hila and fulfilled the mission the Dream Sovereign bestowed upon him.

Oran raised his head. For the first time, he so boldly gazed at his divine being because he wanted to see clearly what kind of existence his divine being truly was. He wanted to walk with the other.

“Great God of Desire and Alchemy, what is Your will? Where does the endpoint You pursue lead?”

The god beneath the mythological gate raised a hand.

Lamp fires transformed into shadows one by one and stood behind him.

Even his wife, the Golden Queen, stood together side by side with him.

“I want to use lamp fire to illuminate this world.”

“I want to receive and guide everyone together toward the future.”

Iva looked toward the Golden Queen beside him.

“I want to establish a great Divine System and kingdom with my believers and move forward together toward the unknown endpoint. I do not know what the endpoint will be like, but we will journey together, hold the lamps high in our hands, and follow the form of the supreme deity.”

After hearing this, Oran did not experience the youthful shock he once felt in the temple. He also did not feel the fear he had as a young man when receiving the lamp fire and witnessing the Gate of Desire.

At this moment, he felt a profound sense of peace and anticipation. He looked forward to boarding God Iva’s great ship and journeying with all his fellow travelers toward that unknown endpoint.

Even though the nature of the endpoint remained unclear, the thought of so many companions traveling together made it feel like there was nothing to fear.

“God Iva, I am willing to board Your eternal ship, holding the lamp fire in my hands, walking with You forever.”

The god’s luminous form had no visible expression, but one could feel he was gratified.

He looked at Oran’s peaceful and expectant expression, then turned his head to look toward the distant starry sky and suddenly spoke. “Your prayer has ended, my apostle.”

“Now, I must go to have an audience with my divine being!”

Oran’s god was Iva, and Iva’s god was the Dream Sovereign Hila.

God Iva raised the lamp in hand, walked out from beneath the mythological gate, and headed toward the distance.

All the surrounding scenery slowly dissipated in Oran’s eyes.

He returned to the prayer hall.

Everything from the Divine Kingdom dispersed, leaving only the mortal world’s quietness and peace, leaving only the night’s stillness.

But before Oran, a flower slowly grew from the cracks in the stone slabs beneath the idol.

“Cup of Desire!”

It was a silver Cup of Desire, the flower symbolizing the God of Desire and Alchemy.

The silver flower cup broke free from the earth before Oran, spinning like a dandelion and floating toward the sky.

It passed through the temple’s window and drifted toward the distance, toward the clouded mountains and misty seas in the depths of Thunder Marsh.

Oran stood inside the prayer hall and watched that silver flower cup disappear into the night.

“The Supreme Deity of Creation, the origin and end of all things, the Creator of all things.”

From Iva’s form, Oran faintly glimpsed the shadow of the Creation Divine System’s lineage.

Even just a trace of that shadow made Oran surge with infinite longing.

“What kind of existence could They be?”

The Cup of Desire blossomed beneath the vast sea of clouds in the sky. The night wind carried it gently upward, lifting it through the layers of cloud and mist.

Deep within Thunder Marsh, the clouded mountains parted to reveal a great opening. Moonlight poured through the gap and bathed the silver flower in its glow.

This was the path to the heavenly kingdom, the light guiding God Iva.

Iva descended through the cloud opening.

He saw the long-absent God-Descended City and arrived at the edge of this ancient place.

The silver Cup of Desire floated down in the moonlight and transformed into a man dressed in a standing-collar robe. His demeanor was somewhat stiff, and his movements lacked fluidity.

The man stood still and gazed at the city. Even for a deity like him who was often detached from the flow of time, he could feel the weight of its passage and the changes it had brought.

“God-Descended City, the city established by King Yesael, the place where the Creator descended, where life and wisdom originated.”

The second-generation King of Wisdom, Yesael, the Prince of the Moon, was a name that once seemed like a story. Later it was regarded as an epic or a myth. Even now, myth alone cannot fully capture the ancientness of that era.

Iva walked forward.

Figures appeared one after another before the ancient and magnificent city.

There were men, women, and elders.

Although they had transformed into divine forms, Iva could still recognize their former appearances.

Iva walked before them and nodded to them in greeting.

“Left Hand Witch Doctor.”

“Right Hand Witch Doctor.”

“Head Witch Doctor.”

“Torso Witch Doctor, Right Leg Witch Doctor, Left Leg Witch Doctor.”

The Witch Doctors’ names were somewhat strange, but combined with their origins, it did not seem strange at all.

Iva knew them. When the Witch Doctors and the God-Created Men returned that year, it was Iva who piloted the Divine Boat to receive them and guide them to the Divine Kingdom of Creation.

They too, at that time, followed the Creator together to the next era, surviving to this era.

Only this time, it was the Witch Doctors receiving Iva to have an audience with the supreme deity instead.

“Iva, the great Dream Sovereign awaits you!”

The Witch Doctors’ voices gathered and overlapped together, yet they did not seem chaotic.

That voice echoed in this empty Lost Kingdom in the sea of clouds and instead had a grand feeling.

Iva heard the Dream Sovereign’s title, and his expression shifted slightly.

“Lady Hila still remembers me.”

The Witch Doctors said nothing and only led him into the city.

In the distant sea of clouds, one “giant jellyfish” after another wandered in the sky just like diving in the ocean.

God Iva walked while watching this beautiful and dreamlike scene, associating it with the past.

Compared to God Yinsai, Iva anticipated being able to see Lady Hila more.

God Yinsai was too great and also too distant.

He had seen God Yinsai once when he left the Divine Kingdom of Creation. What he saw was not a divine being existing in this world but an eternal star that transcended everything.

The Creator had never existed in this world. For everyone, He was the beginning of all things, a dreamlike reflection that could neither be seen nor touched.

Toward God Yinsai, Iva felt only reverence and awe for an existence so great it was beyond imagination.

In contrast, the Dream Sovereign was the deity who created him and gave his existence meaning, filling him with a warmth like sunlight.

That was when he had just been born. He was a Sun Cup who had consumed the bloodline and memories of the Trilobite Man, absorbing all the power of Prince Weishi of the Royal Bloodline Hosen family, yet he remained forever trapped in the nightmare of his final moments.

At that time, Hila, who was not yet the Dream Sovereign but the Messenger of Yinsai, rescued Iva.

Iva felt deep gratitude toward her.

“Th… thank…“

“Thank… you.“

The Dream Spirit smiled and said, “We made a promise, didn’t we?“

The Spirit waved her hand, and the gates of the dream world opened.

Then she bestowed upon Iva his first mission.

“Divine Boat that travels between dreams and Dream Realm Ferryman who guides memories!“

“I hope that from now on, you can take my place, traversing between dreams, guiding all memories returning to the dream starry sea.“

Under the night sky over the sea, the spirit’s ethereal chant echoed farther and farther.

“Life has not dissipated. Their memories and past experiences will all transform into stars, forever accompanying God.“

This phrase was truly beautiful.

It was so beautiful that Iva’s memory remained fresh even after countless eons.

At this moment, he could not help but repeat it once more.

“Life has not dissipated.”

“Their memories and past…”

“Will all transform into stars, forever accompanying God.”

Perhaps it was precisely this phrase that made Iva endlessly travel back and forth through the starry seas, sending all life dreams to their endpoint in the Divine Kingdom of Creation.

Iva followed the Witch Doctors as they walked deeper into the city, passing through the massive gate and stepping onto streets that once showcased the height of prosperity during the Age of Miracles.

The contrast between the city’s former glory and its current quiet stillness created a vivid conflict in his mind.

As they approached the ancient Wisdom King Palace, Iva caught sight of the Dream Sovereign’s figure.

“Lady Hila!”

Iva stood in the plaza below the steps, raising his head to gaze at the source of dreams and miracles.

He stood still for a moment before finally reacting, lowering himself to the ground in a deep bow before her.

The Dream Spirit on the steps, once the Messenger of God Yinsai, gazed at Iva with a calm and knowing expression.

Through the passage of time, the god and her creation were reunited.

That creation, who had once been shaped by her hands, had now become an existence mortals revered as a god.

The Dream Sovereign smiled, radiant like the sun, yet her warmth did not overwhelm but instead brought a sense of gentle comfort.

“Welcome back.”