“Servant of the supreme Life Sovereign, the great Sky Beast God, the deity of Thunderlake who controls the sky and thunder.”

“The supreme Life Sovereign…”

“…”

On Silver Fish Island, the believers fervently called out the name of their god.

Bonfires flickered and the serpent dance grew frenzied.

Soaring flames cast Lise’s dancing shadow onto the waters below, stretching it far across the lake’s surface.

Though they had mistaken its name, the consciousness of the Ruhe Great God, the Sky Beast, had been observing the area around the God-Descended City all along. It had naturally noticed their actions.

The Ruhe Beast did not observe the mortal realm using the mental power of a wisdom demigod. This land was its very body, allowing it to perceive every corner simply by turning its attention there.

It was as effortless as shifting one’s gaze or lifting a hand.

It could even open its eyes within the earth and sky, truly witnessing the mortal world with its own sight.

Within the Sea of Clouds

Above Thunderlake Kingdom, bubbles wrapped in the Sky Beast’s breath began to appear. They formed nodes that eventually organized into an enormous web.

When the Sky Beast’s power was activated, its breath transformed into a stairway of sky that connected these nodes, stretching toward distant places.

An invisible passage extended eastward to the distant sea, northward to the Endless Desert, northwest toward Fire Demon Marsh, and further to Heaven’s Mirror.

To the west lay the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents, and to the east, the Land of Sunrise.

This network of passages, crisscrossing above Thunder Marsh, was invisible to mortals.

Only the Sky Beast’s master, the Life Sovereign, could use it.

Recently, the Sky Beast had been busy weaving this enormous network of passages, what the Life Sovereign called sky slides, or perhaps sky stairs.

Its gaze fell upon the scene, and it noticed that the ship it had destroyed not long ago had been rebuilt. The mortals had returned to Silver Fish Island, near the God-Descended City, to once again carry out their sacrifice.

The Sky Beast God was puzzled.

It recalled that it had destroyed the ship not long ago, yet here it was again.

It had made it clear that their sacrifice was unnecessary.

Why did they still come here to offer sacrifices?

From its perspective as the Ruhe Beast, the Sky Beast struggled to understand these mortals.

These fleeting and fragile “humans,” why were they so determined to believe in it and send their own kind to its side?

The Sky Beast could not comprehend it, but it decided something.

To meet these brief and fragile beings.

To fulfill their wish.

Above the vast and boundless waters, the sky’s sea of clouds churned.

In the distance, Oran sat on a flying magic carpet. His gaze stretched far into the depths of Thunder Marsh, observing the unfolding events on Silver Fish Island.

In Oran’s hand was a pearl. He had previously placed another pearl on Silver Fish Island.

At this moment, the pearl in Oran’s hand received the scene from the pearl on Silver Fish Island.

He could see the surging bonfires and the serpent woman’s dance offered to the divine being.

On the chest of Oran’s alchemist robe was pinned a silver flower.

Oran observed the entire Witch’s Ritual unfold. He watched the prayer ceremony conclude and saw the ‘Sky Witch’ Lise, along with her servants, board the ships. They were beginning their preparations to journey toward what the Snake People called The Lost Kingdom.

Suddenly, he withdrew his gaze from the pearl and looked up toward the distant horizon.

“There’s movement.”

Gamel’s voice came from the flower pinned to Oran’s chest. “Has the Sky Beast God appeared?” he asked.

Oran’s gaze grew heavy as he looked into the distance. He felt an unimaginably powerful will suddenly coalesce in the sky, gazing down upon the mortal realm.

His vast, outward-spreading mental power suddenly retracted into his body. He no longer dared to release it, as if sensing some unspeakably terrifying existence pressing down upon the entire earth and heavens.

Oran did not speak, but his expression said everything.

Gamel saw nothing, but he sensed the danger from Oran’s reaction.

“Will she die?” Gamel asked quietly.

“And what about those chosen ones who were sent to The Lost Kingdom as sacrifices?”

“Will they meet the same fate?”

Oran looked at Gamel. “She is no longer the fisherwoman she once was, and she can never return to that.”

Gamel was silent for a moment. “I feel regret. They are just ordinary people caught up in this disaster.”

“They originally had nothing to do with any of this. Yet they became sacrificial offerings, all because of the desires and selfishness of those great personages, because of everyone’s needs.”

“They should have been beside their families, living quiet and ordinary lives.”

“Life might not have been abundant, but it could still be called their own kind of happiness.”

Oran, who had seen all manner of life’s experiences and weathered great rises and falls, spoke to Gamel.

“You view ordinariness as a blessing, but ordinary people often strive with all their might to experience even a fleeting moment of extraordinariness.”

“What they refer to as accepting an ordinary life is, in most cases, because they have never experienced the taste of extraordinariness, never known the comfort of abundance, nor held the power that elevates one above the ordinary.”

“Once they have experienced it, they cannot return.”

“They are drawn to that Lost Kingdom in the clouds, for it is the only place where their desires can be fulfilled. The past becomes a place they can no longer revisit.”

Gamel sighed. “Apostle Oran, servant of the God of Desire and Alchemy,” he said, “do humans control desire, or are they controlled by desire?”

“By existing in this world, have we become slaves to desire?”

This time, Oran remained silent.

He did not yet have an answer to this question.

At this very moment, a rumble of thunder came from the distance.

Boom!

Heaven and earth changed color. The lower white sea of clouds transformed into dark clouds and thunder, pressing down upon the water’s surface.

Dark clouds filled the sky, flashing with lightning.

Oran vaguely saw an eye watching him from within the black clouds and lightning.

In an instant, Oran felt his scalp tingle, and his entire body turned ice cold.

Immediately after, he discovered he could not control his own body. He strained to open his mouth wide, his face contorting grotesquely as he let out a great shout.

Ahhh~

Then he suddenly raised one of his hands, as if fighting himself for control of his body.

Oran desperately clutched at his own throat, collapsing onto the magic carpet and gasping violently.

Even Gamel was completely stunned, not understanding what Oran had seen.

“Master Oran, what is the matter with you?” he cried out. “What did you witness?”

Gamel could not observe the distant scene and quickly tried to look at Oran’s pearl.

Oran, however, pressed one hand against the Cup of Desire pinned to his chest, shielding the pearl from view. Struggling to catch his breath, he warned him firmly.

“Do not ask. Do not look.”

The divine apostle spoke, his voice trembling with fear.

“The will of the Ruhe Great God has descended.”

At the same time, the pearl in Oran’s hand fell from the magic carpet, sinking into the water below.

On the island, the Witch’s Ritual finally ended. The “Sky Witch” Lise led her servants aboard her ceremonial ship.

Lise stood at the ship’s bow, looking at the white cloud mountain not far away.

This was already the furthest position the people of Thunderlake could reach.

Going further would mean entering the Sky Beast God’s forbidden domain. Anyone who entered had never returned.

The large ship turned, leaving Silver Fish Island and heading toward the cloud mountain.

Lise whispered softly, her words carried away by the wind.

“Sky Beast God,” she murmured, her voice a mix of awe and determination. “I come to your kingdom. The once-lost realm will open again and bring forth a new era.”

In Lise’s eyes, the Lost Kingdom was all she could see. Her thoughts were filled with visions of that great and ancient city.

She imagined herself crowned as a true witch, her name etched into the story.

In time, she would become part of the myth, just like the legendary figures from the tales of old.

The ship continued its journey toward the cloud mountain. Layers of mist cascaded down from the mountain, spreading like an avalanche.

The mist flowed outward, drifting across the surface of the water.

In this place, there were no fish, lizards, or insects. The profound stillness and clarity of the air made it feel as though it did not belong to the mortal world.

What appeared to be ordinary clouds was, in fact, the breath of the Sky Beast God. It had swept over this place time and time again, leaving nothing behind.

As the ship passed through the water, it felt as if one’s very soul was being cleansed.

Some found this scene terrifyingly strange. Others found it incomparably sacred.

The mist was hazy, swirling and dissipating.

At the foot of the cloud mountain, the people on the witch’s ceremonial ships noticed a boat floating on the water’s surface. It was a fishing boat.

The boat appeared old and weathered, its structure decayed, yet it still managed to drift upon the water.

The boat remained, but its owner was nowhere to be seen.

This was the boat left behind by the only being who had ever returned from The Lost Kingdom. His name was Shana.

He had ascended to The Lost Kingdom twice, and this was the boat he had left behind.

The witch gazed at the fishing boat, trying to fathom the story it carried within its weathered frame.

“Did it drift here from afar?”

“Or did someone once try to enter God’s kingdom?”

Suddenly, the mist collapsing from the cloud mountain surged forward. It spread rapidly toward the ceremonial ships, threatening to engulf them.

At that moment, a deep rumble of thunder echoed from the distance.

Boom!

Lightning tore through the cloud layer. Blackness spread from those torn fissures, staining the white of the clouds and the azure of the sky.

All the white mist disappeared. The blackness continuously spread, transforming the entire world into darkness.

The white clouds became black storm clouds. The sky unleashed a wild storm, battering the ceremonial ships until they rocked ceaselessly.

Everyone immediately panicked, not knowing what to do next.

“What is happening?”

“A storm? How can there be a storm here? This is not normal!”

“I cannot determine our direction! Which way should we go?”

“Lookout! Are you able to see the way forward?”

“Everyone, exercise caution!”

The people on the ships stumbled through the chaos of the storm. Suddenly, enormous shapes began to emerge from the dark clouds above.

One by one, giant jellyfish appeared, their massive forms tearing through the clouds as they descended.

These colossal jellyfish, glowing with a soft fluorescent light, drifted past the ceremonial ships. Their transparent tentacles stretched down from the sky, brushing the water and swirling through the storm.

Dark clouds, rolling thunder, a raging storm, and the presence of these mythical divine attendants created a scene of overwhelming awe and wonder.

As followers of the Sky Beast God and residents of Thunderlake, they immediately recognized these beings.

The earlier chaos subsided, and a sense of calm washed over the crowd.

Instead of fear, they erupted in joyous shouts amidst the dark storm.

“They are the attendants of the divine!”

“They are the messengers of the divine!”

“The divine has sent them to welcome us and guide us to the sacred kingdom!”

Everyone gathered at the ship’s rails, eager to approach those towering beings that loomed like mountains.

They were unaware of how perilously close they stood to death.

The Sky Beast’s attendants, however, only glided across the water’s surface before disappearing in an instant. The ships were left in complete darkness, with no light to guide them.

Everyone looked blank, not understanding why this had happened.

They drifted, lost in the storm, unable to find direction or an exit.

On Silver Fish Island, watching the ceremonial ships sail into the distance, everyone who remained began the conclusion of the Witch’s Ritual.

“The witch has gone where she should go.” Most people knew the witch would not return. According to the Chief Divine Servant, the witch would remain in the Sky Beast God’s kingdom, forever serving the divine being.

“Will God be satisfied with our gift?” people discussed among themselves, praising the greatness of the sacrificial ceremony.

“Of course, God has already guided us. We made our choice following the divine oracle’s guidance.” Everyone believed this without question.

“Then will the Witch protect Thunderlake Kingdom?” someone asked.

“Of course. If Thunderlake Kingdom falls into crisis, the Witch will surely appear, just like that witch from the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents.” The answer came with unwavering conviction.

Below the altar, the Chief Divine Servant and His Majesty the King stood together, their faces filled with satisfaction as they observed the completion of the sacrifice.

“This Witch’s Ritual has been executed flawlessly,” His Majesty the King said.

“From this day forward,” the Chief Divine Servant replied, “Thunderlake Kingdom shall enjoy the divine being’s protection.”

His Majesty the King turned to the Chief Divine Servant with a composed smile. “Much like the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents.”

The two laughed together with shared understanding.

As they turned around, they noticed something unusual in the distance.

Dark clouds and storms gathered, covering the sun and sky as they rapidly approached.

The others on the island began to notice the strange phenomenon as well.

“Look over there! What is happening?” Voices filled with confusion and alarm broke out.

“A storm is approaching the island!” someone shouted in a panic from the edge.

“This is the domain of the Sky Beast God. How can there be a storm here?” several divine servants at the altar said, visibly shaken.

“Has anything like this ever occurred before?” someone questioned them.

“It has never happened,” the divine servants at the altar replied with unease.

Immediately after, they witnessed a sight even more astonishing.

With the storm came an overwhelming number of giant jellyfish, each as large as a mountain.

The massive jellyfish moved gracefully through the storm, their forms weaving in harmony with the thunder.

At last, the dark clouds and storm completely enveloped Silver Fish Island. The giant jellyfish appeared and disappeared, their immense shapes circling just beyond the island’s edge.

“God’s attendants!” someone exclaimed, their voice filled with astonishment.

“It is not a storm. This is the divine being’s response!” The believers and servants of the Sky Beast God shifted from terror to unrestrained joy in an instant.

“These are God’s attendants.” A large number of Snake People hurried to the edge of the island, their eyes fixed on the fluorescent tentacles descending from the sky and the luminous, colossal beings within the dark clouds. Their expressions were filled with awe and excitement.

“The attendants of the Sky Beast God! Observe their sacred and magnificent forms!” Some divine servants and believers fell to their knees, bowing deeply toward the attendants of the Sky Beast God.

Others began to speculate about the divine being, their gazes fixed on the strange phenomena unfolding in the sky.

“Could it be that the divine being is descending?” The Chief Divine Servant was the first to voice this thought, staring at the scene in disbelief.

“Is the divine being about to bestow grace upon us? To grant us power?” They had heard countless tales from mythology. The most well-known included the Life Sovereign bestowing grace upon the Mother of All Snakes, Xin Ji receiving grace from the deity Iva, and the Avel people receiving grace from the deity Asai.

“Is this a sign that the divine being is about to descend?” His Majesty the King also recognized the significance of the scene, though he could not shake the feeling that this did not resemble a divine being coming to bestow grace.

The storm and darkness had swallowed all of Silver Fish Island. Only the faintly visible giant jellyfish with their fluorescent light and the constantly bursting lightning illuminated the darkness.

Everyone raised their heads, looking at the sky and waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly, a line appeared in the darkness of the sky and began to spread outward.

The sky revealed a blood-red eye that gazed down upon Thunder Marsh, fixing its gaze on the believers and divine servants on Silver Fish Island.

In that moment, the expectation and devotion on everyone’s faces vanished.

What replaced it was madness and terror.

The instant they looked directly at the eye, they were consumed by an unspeakable horror.

Many years ago, the mad Avel man Xiuborn wrote The Book of Xiuborn and inscribed the Sky Beast’s true name in Wisdom Script upon it. During that time, he had witnessed a similar scene.

However, the Avel man Xiuborn had only sensed the Sky Beast God’s power from a distance.

In this moment, these mortals directly faced the manifestation of the Sky Beast God’s will.

At such close proximity, without any barrier, they touched the Sky Beast God’s will.

Previously, even when the Ruhe Great God opened its eyes upon the earth, mortals could not fully perceive their appearance, let alone touch the Ruhe Great God’s will.

This time, they had prayed for the deity named Ruhe to respond, and the divine being had come specifically to fulfill their wish.

The situation was entirely different.

These nobles, who claimed to rule all of Thunderlake Kingdom in the Sky Beast God’s name, and these servants, who repeatedly invoked the god’s name.

Among them were villains who committed atrocities under the guise of the god’s name, and bureaucrats who, through the Witch’s Ritual, had driven countless common families to ruin, leaving behind mountains of corpses of craftsmen and laborers.

At this moment, all of them let out screams that burst from the depths of their souls.

Ahh!

Their voices tore hoarsely, as if they were falling into the depths of the Purgatory Abyss.

One by one, they erupted in shrieks and collapsed to the ground.

They struggled, but their bodies began to mutate.

Some melted like wax figures, their forms losing all shape.

Others sprouted countless hands or developed scale-like growths across their skin.

Some began to regress, devolving from Snake People into ancient lizards, and even further into primitive marine creatures.

These mortals, who believed they wielded kingship in the name of the divine being, who thought they governed faith on behalf of the divine being, and who considered themselves the most devout of all.

When they finally stood before the divine being they worshipped.

When their prayers were answered, and the divine being descended to meet them in person.

All they felt was despair and terror.

Boom!

A hollow thunderous sound echoed from the horizon. It swept across the marsh and carried its resonance into the distance.

This was the voice of the Sky Beast.

The thousand-mile marsh nation was its forbidden domain. The ten-thousand-mile layered clouds were its breath.

Thunder and storm were the words it spoke.

Below the altar, the Chief Divine Servant of Thunder Temple looked up. Dense scales covered his body, his face twisted into a grotesque and hideous form.

He crouched below the altar, his hand resting upon it.

His eyes were wide, bulging as if they might burst from their sockets.

He was the strongest among them, the one with the most unyielding will.

Beside him, His Majesty the King had already dissolved into a grotesque heap of decayed flesh, yet the Chief Divine Servant managed to cling to his will, if only for a moment longer.

An unbearable agony surged through his mind, accompanied by a terror greater than death and a madness that threatened to consume everything. His body and mind twisted under the weight of it all.

Yet, more unbearable than the pain and horror was the haunting question of why it had come to this.

“No!”

“How could this be?”

“Great Sky Beast God, we are your faithful believers! Your devoted servants!”

“How can you treat us like this? How can you treat those who so fervently believe in you?”

The Chief Divine Servant could not accept it. Below the altar, he pressed both hands to his skull and shouted madly.

His voice was filled with despair and madness, but most of all, it held his incomprehension and confusion.

“Did we do something wrong?”

“Impossible! What did we do wrong?”

“Everything we did was to follow your will as God, to follow your guidance!”

“Then why does God not bestow grace upon us, but instead sends down divine punishment?”

The Chief Divine Servant suddenly had another thought surge through his mind.

“No!”

“This is not divine punishment. This is the bestowed grace.”

The confusion in the Chief Divine Servant’s eyes gradually dissipated. His body mutated, his flesh continuously swelling until it finally transformed into a mountain of meat.

He wriggled up the sloped steps toward the top of the altar. As his consciousness was gradually swallowed by madness, he shouted loudly, the voice emerging from mouths that had opened within the rotten flesh.

“That is right!”

“This is the bestowed grace, the Sky Beast God’s reward to us.”

“This is God summoning me, to honor our achievements and devotion.”

“He is bringing us all to His kingdom.”

The nauseating mountain of rotten flesh climbed to the highest point of the altar, finally crying out in madness.

“We shall shed this mortal shell.”

“And be one with the divine being.”

At this moment, a hollow and prolonged thunder roared in the sky.

Boom!

At last, he heard the true voice of the Sky Beast God.

On the altar, this was the final moment of the Chief Divine Servant’s consciousness.

“Do you hear?”

“The divine being is summoning me.”

The Chief Divine Servant’s consciousness faded with a sense of fulfillment, and the grotesque mass of flesh lost its structure, collapsing into a formless heap.

He believed he had heard the god’s voice and that the god was calling them.

In truth, the Sky Beast God was merely answering their earlier prayer, delivering a single phrase.

“Mor…tals…”

The Sky Beast God had not yet finished speaking, but everyone had already dissolved under the radiation of its power.

“?”

It had come too close.

Without relying on the earth or other mediums to channel its power, it had directly revealed its will to mortals.

Its devout believers and servants could never have imagined that the cost of meeting their divine being would be so tragic and desperate.