The Night Before the Demigod Battle

City-State of Suinhor.

Maya City.

Young Shana sat in a spacious, clean room within Maya City's lord's mansion. He was writing in his notebook, filling it with what looked like a diary or an autobiography.

Outside the window, the entirety of Maya City spread out below. From this high vantage point, he could look down upon all the buildings, observe the crowds milling in the streets, and watch the carriages and pack animals move about. Yet, the chaotic noise from below could not reach this quiet room.

Here, one could quietly appreciate the city's bustle, undisturbed by its sounds.

The wind stirred the curtains.

Shana's pen moved continuously across the page, his writing flowing smoothly.

Although he never became a great scholar, he had thoroughly absorbed the mannerisms of one.

From the start, Shana's notebook chronicled the events following his departure from his hometown. Instead of daily entries, he would periodically record important happenings.

Sometimes the records were sporadic, just a line or two on one day, followed by entries covering months at a time.

Interspersed throughout were poems imitating other scholars.

First Entry:

【I have left Johan Town. My plan is to head south, for I've heard Maya City is the most prosperous city in that direction.】

【They say it boasts the world's finest wine and the most beautiful women.】

【Oh, yes, the merchant caravan guards mentioned that the princess of Maya City is the most beautiful person in the world. Calling a city lord's daughter a princess seems a bit excessive, but I am still curious to see what the world's most beautiful person looks like.】

Second Entry:

【Heavens! Today I saw the daughter of Maya City's lord. No, she truly is a princess. I would believe it if someone told me she was the daughter of a divine being, or a divine child herself.】

【She is incredibly beautiful, flawless in every aspect. She stood at the castle window, gazing down at the flowing crowds below. Her noble bearing made me feel as if I were seeing a goddess of beauty incarnate, even though I have never heard of such a goddess in this world.】

【She noticed me and looked my way for quite some time. I could even detect surprise in her eyes. When our gazes met, it felt less like a first meeting or a chance encounter on the street, and more like a reunion after a long separation.】

【It felt as if we were destined for each other.】

Following this section, several words were inscribed with such force that they tore through the paper:

【I must have her...】

The third entry detailed daily events alongside Shana's attempts at poetry, imitating other scholars.

Fourth Entry:

【A powerful Wing Demon attacked Maya City today, but I managed to subdue it. News of this spread quickly throughout Maya City. People now call me Shana the Demon Hunter and Shana the Protector of Maya. I presented the captured Wing Demon to the city lord's daughter, Kashan. Through this, I earned the city lord's favor and was appointed Maya City's Protector.】

The fifth and sixth entries elaborated on stories involving Shana and the city lord's daughter, Kashan, interspersed with trivial matters related to his duties as the city's Protector.

Seventh Entry:

【Kashan and I will soon be married! The city lord has finally accepted me, although it took a great deal of time and many trials. But I understand his hesitation. After all, Kashan is his only daughter, his precious treasure. If I ever have such a beautiful and understanding daughter in the future, I wouldn't want to give her away to some brat either.】

"Brat" was crossed out.

【No, I mean a handsome and gallant young man.】

Tenth Entry:

【The city lord has been ill since the spring. His condition waxes and wanes, but shows no real improvement. Poor city lord, this illness has troubled him for so long.】

【Although the illness finally claimed his life this winter, it also freed him from his suffering. May he find eternal peace and enjoy sweet dreams in the realm of the divine beings.】

Eleventh Entry:

This was today's entry, in which Shana recounted recent events.

【I have become the new lord of Maya City! My beloved wife and I are expecting our first child. Everything feels so incredible. Since leaving my hometown, I seem to have gained everything I ever wanted. My life feels utterly complete and happy.】

【Surely, the divine being worshipped by the Shana family for generations must be watching over me, guiding my path.】

Filled with immense satisfaction, Shana added a final line at the bottom of the page:

【I must be that kind of protagonist from stories that everyone admires and envies!】

Knock knock knock!

Hearing the knock from behind, Shana quickly closed and put away his notebook.

"Come in!"

But before he could finish speaking, the door opened.

It was Shana's wife, Kashan. She entered with a smile, watching him hastily hide his notebook.

She couldn't help teasing him.

"My dear lord, what secrets are you writing down this time?"

"May I take a look?"

Shana scratched the back of his head, offering a sheepish grin. "Oh, it's nothing important, really."

"Just some random scribbles."

Kashan had seen his writing before. "You are a powerful Ability User, a capable Protector, and a wonderful husband," she affirmed.

"But Shana," she added, her smile playful, "you weren't exactly blessed with a scholar's gift. Perhaps when the divine beings granted you such immense power, they decided to hold back a little on that particular talent."

Shana silently disagreed, thinking his own writing was quite good.

But it was merely good, truly insignificant compared to the great scholars.

Still, unwilling to concede the point entirely, Shana moved to embrace his newly pregnant wife.

"Our child," he murmured softly against her hair, "will surely grow up to be a brilliant scholar, a gifted writer, or maybe even a renowned poet someday."

The couple shared a loving kiss by the window.

Everything seemed so perfect. Career, love, future, all so complete.

But good times don't last forever.

It felt as though each person's happiness possessed a fixed limit. Having perhaps spent too much of his share in the first half of his life, bad news soon began to follow in succession.

As the child within Kashan's womb continued to develop, his wife fell ill.

His wife grew weaker day by day, but this wasn't the worst of it.

As the days went by, his wife's consciousness grew increasingly clouded. She started forgetting many things, drifting between moments of lucidity and confusion.

"What illness is this?"

"Have any of you seen an illness like this before?"

Shana held his wife's hand tightly by the sickbed as he questioned the assembled physicians.

The physicians whispered amongst themselves before one finally answered. "My lord, I have never seen such a strange illness."

Another physician simply shook his head. "Physically, I can find nothing wrong at all."

The last physician looked towards the beautiful woman lying on the bed. "The lady's body and the child within her both appear quite healthy. I can see no physical problems."

A physician who had studied pharmacy in the City of Lights looked at Shana and offered his speculation.

"My lord," this physician began hesitantly, "are we certain this is truly an illness of the body?"

Hearing the physician's question, Shana suddenly recalled something strange he had noticed recently.

He had observed that his own strength was slowly diminishing. This was the very power his father had bestowed upon him during his coming-of-age ceremony, just before he departed from home.

It was fourth-rank spirit power.

While it lacked fourth-rank domains or puppets, fourth-rank spirit power was still an incredibly potent ability, far exceeding mortal comprehension.

It was precisely this power that had allowed him to subdue the Wing Demon.

It was the power that had enabled him to become Maya City's Protector and, eventually, its lord.

Shana wondered if perhaps his power was fading because he had been away from home for too long. Surely his family, and his father who possessed such mighty power himself, must command even more extraordinary abilities and methods.

"Father," Shana whispered.

"Our family's divine being... the one who granted me these powers."

"He must have a solution. There has to be another way."

Shana rushed back into his room, hastily wrote a letter, and handed it to his guard.

"Deliver this letter to Johan Town."

"Take it to the Shana family castle. Give it directly to my father."

Thunder Marsh.

Silver Fish Island.

A Witch Spirit, hailing from the wilderness, arrived here.

Various plants now covered the island. Between the dense ferns, only faint traces of the former village could be discerned.

Large trees had taken root on the island, their trunks now grown so thick that they required a full embrace to span their girth.

In the distance lay vast seas of clouds and mist. Below them stood the quiet island, enveloped in lush vegetation.

Standing here felt akin to bathing in an early spring rain, an experience that seemed to purify one's entire being.

No one could easily imagine the tragedies that had once unfolded on this very spot.

The Snake Person Witch Spirit prostrated himself at the island's center.

He opened the book held in his hands, projecting a glowing Truth Symbol up into the sky.

It hovered there like an eye, observing everything around it, collecting all available information from this location.

"O God of Truth and Knowledge," Sukob called out with deep reverence.

"I have found the place you spoke of. It is indeed the site where the Creator once descended, and the birthplace of the divine beings."

"The legendary Lost Kingdom seems to have been completely sealed away. Twenty years ago, something significant occurred here..."

The Snake Person Witch Spirit, Sukob, had gathered information from numerous places before finally locating this specific island.

The very existence of the Lost Kingdom was a radiant legend, and everything that had transpired on Silver Fish Island felt truly peculiar.

Unfortunately, Sukob realized he was too late.

The potent energies of the Ghost Transformation Ritual had long since dissipated, leaving no discernible trace behind.

Yet, through the divine being's perception, other characteristics of the island became readily apparent.

These characteristics were deeply branded into the very essence of the island.

The marks of mythological life, traces of the Light of Original Sin.

For Asai, the God of Truth and Knowledge, these lingering traces stood out as clearly as beacons in the darkest night. They were impossible to miss.

Anhofus, the Little Person in the Bottle, and Asai shared a deep connection. Their fates, histories, and powers were intrinsically intertwined, much like reflections of the same soul viewed from different angles within a mirror.

For Asai, finding the fragmented power left behind by the Little Person in the Bottle felt akin to searching for a lost part of his own being.

The Snake Person Witch Spirit Sukob finished his prayer and waited patiently for the Door of Truth to complete its data collection.

Finally, the God of Truth and Knowledge delivered his divine message. "Go now, and find the fragments of the Little Person in the Bottle."

A brilliant light descended from the heavens, falling upon the Snake Person Witch Spirit Sukob.

"Sukob," the divine voice resonated.

"The Truth Symbol will guide you in sensing the fragments of the Little Person in the Bottle."

Asai now felt certain that if Sukob could find the fragments of the Little Person in the Bottle which had manifested here, he could finally grasp Xiao's elusive trail.

Sukob did not understand what this 'Little Person in the Bottle' truly was. Such a term or description had never appeared in the vocabulary of the Snake People.

A person living in a bottle?

What was this?

He had no inkling of how dangerous this Little Person in the Bottle had once been. He did not know it was a mythological being whose former glory and immense power had dispersed like smoke and clouds, leaving behind only scattered fragments as faint proof of its prior existence.

Sukob firmly declared his intent to fulfill the divine being's will.

After all, it was this divine being who had led him from the desolate wilderness, who had granted him power, and it was the God of Truth and Knowledge who had brought transformative change to his impoverished homeland.

"Great God of Truth and Knowledge," Sukob whispered, his voice filled with reverence.

"All shall be as you wish."

Asai's servant then traveled across countless mountains and rivers, spending years diligently collecting fragment after fragment of the Little Person in the Bottle.

These fragments were scattered far and wide, some large, others small.

The Little Person in the Bottle's former truth and its divine contracts were long since lost. Its deformed immortality had shattered along with the breaking of its bottle, leaving only the faint light of original sin shining upon the remaining fragments.

Finally, Sukob arrived at Johan Town.

This small town was ruled by a family that had endured for a thousand years.

"The Shana clan."

Although the Wisdom Ability could not directly confirm if someone was truly alive in the same way the Life Ability could detect life rhythms, Sukob could still sense something profoundly unusual about this particular family.

It resembled the unsettling feeling he sometimes perceived from the ordinary people within this town.

Furthermore, utilizing his divinely granted authority, Sukob sensed that a fragment of the Little Person in the Bottle was also present here, within Johan Town.

This particular fragment had somehow merged into someone's body, effectively becoming a new, living tool.

"A fragment... with an owner?"

Sukob instantly understood. He had found the crucial clue, the very target the God of Truth and Knowledge sought.

"There... he is."

"It must be him. Without a doubt."

Sukob looked excitedly toward the distant small lake and the ancient castle standing beside its shore.

After crossing the vast Herdsman's Plain, the Land of Sunrise, and passing through countless city-states, he had journeyed through tribes, cities, and villages alike.

Finally, at long last, he had found his target.

At that very moment, inside the ancient castle, Shana, now middle-aged, paced with unease. Reaching a window on the second floor, he paused and gazed out.

There was nothing unusual to be seen.

Yet, in a place far beyond his vision, at the very edge of the Dream Realm, a mythological gate opened with a thunderous sound, allowing its power to seep into reality by way of the Dream Realm itself.

In a corner of the town.

The Snake Person Witch Spirit, Sukob, began performing a ritual designed to communicate with the divine being.

Positioning himself and the Book of the Witch Spirit as the ritual's core, he used the ceremony to forge a connection with the Dream Realm, employing specific incantations to summon the divine being's attention.

The Truth Symbol held in his hand began to emit light. An invisible supernatural radiance formed a pillar of luminescence that connected the ground to the sky above.

"God who holds Truth, Ruler of Books and Knowledge, Eternal Cycling Asai."

"I call to you! I pray to you! I request that your power descend upon this realm!"

At his plea, the power emanating from the Door of Truth enveloped the small town.

In an instant, the entire town seemed to freeze. A powerful, unseen force acted upon everyone's will, subtly affecting every single person within its bounds.

This power could even seem to reverse time locally, allowing for the deduction of some events that had previously occurred within the town.

The insights gained were not all-encompassing, nor necessarily completely accurate.

Nonetheless, this power was already quite miraculous in its scope.

At the edge of the City of Knowledge within the Door of Truth.

Asai and Polik stood together before the surging Sea of Knowledge. They watched as the vast ocean of information churned, gathering itself into distinct scenes that played out before them.

The two observers witnessed the forms of generations of Shanas flicker past. They saw the hidden underground palace of the Shana clan and glimpsed the true, cyclical nature of this strange family line.

An ephemeral shadow representing Shana condensed and materialized directly before Asai.

Asai reached out his hand.

He touched the illusory shadow's forehead.

Back in reality, Shana suddenly felt mentally disoriented, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. He unconsciously leaned against the nearby wall, pressing a hand to his forehead.

He remained completely unaware that someone in a distant, otherworldly realm was currently sifting through his innermost memories.

Asai finally obtained the crucial information he sought. More importantly, he caught a glimpse of Xiao's own shadow, hiding just behind the world's concealing curtain.

"The Destined Marionette."

"It is one of Xiao's intricate arrangements."

Just like Asai's Polik's Right Hand and Vivien's Eye of True Knowledge.

Polik turned to Asai. "Lord Asai, can we locate it now?"

As Asai accessed the memories, Polik also shared in the revelations through their connection via the Door of Truth.

Asai answered calmly, "Xiao was exceedingly careful. He has hidden the Destined Marionette somewhere obscure, likely employing some method to conceal it deep within the Dream Realm."

"However, Xiao has now reached his final step. That which was hidden must inevitably come to light."

"He intends to resurrect himself, descending into this mortal world once again."

Asai's voice turned colder. "His goal is to become a god."

"First, he aims for the status of a demigod, and then, a true divine being."

"He is chasing what he perceives as true eternity."

Polik looked intently at Asai. "But Lord Asai, he hasn't succeeded yet, and we seem to have already found a vital point in his plan."

Asai's gaze returned to the image of Shana, and to the seemingly unremarkable Johan Town.

"Beings undergoing reincarnation are particularly delicate during the process."

"Each cycle of reincarnation fundamentally reshapes the very essence of their life."

"It involves remaking oneself from the very foundation. It is a perilous test balanced between life and death."

"Should something go wrong at this critical juncture, the consequences cannot be reversed."

"The path towards becoming a demigod is inherently difficult, and exponentially more so when one is surrounded by enemies."

"He could have chosen to complete his final reincarnation silently. His spirituality, wisdom, desire, and knowledge could have joined as one, allowing him to finally obtain the demigod status he craves."

"If Xiao had not attempted to use my mother in a scheme against me, I likely would not have discovered this particular flaw in his plans so quickly."

"Trump cards, when revealed prematurely, often transform into fatal weaknesses."

Xiao's underlying strategy was not inherently flawed: securing a weakness to potentially control his greatest perceived threat, Asai.

If this leverage were revealed only at the most crucial moment, an unprepared Asai might indeed have little choice but to yield to Xiao's manipulation.

However, when such trump cards are discovered ahead of time, the entire dynamic changes.

Sometimes, the more one tries to orchestrate events, the more carefully one plans, the greater the risk of setting oneself up for failure.

One can fail precisely because one attempted to control too much.

Under Asai's intense gaze, the image of Shana began to constantly shift and change.

Shana's body transformed into the likeness of a marionette. Ethereal white threads extended from him, stretching outwards and connecting to unseen, unknown anchor points.

Then, Shana's form gradually turned transparent, revealing the various artifacts that had been merged within his being.

Finally, the focus settled upon a single artifact lodged within his brow.

Asai looked intently at this artifact, his expression becoming complex.

"Little Person in the Bottle."

"Heart of Original Sin."

Then, he performed an action upon this artifact.

He chose neither to control Shana directly nor to interfere overtly with the artifact itself.

Taking such direct action could risk alerting the Destined Marionette, tipping off the hidden intelligence that something was amiss.

Instead, Asai chose to subtly strengthen the Heart of Original Sin artifact.

All the fragments of the Little Person in the Bottle that Asai's servant, the Witch Spirit Sukob, had painstakingly collected were now merged together. This consolidated power then fused seamlessly with the artifact already residing inside Shana's body.

This artifact, originally reforged by ancient alchemists from the Little Person in the Bottle's fragments, already contained echoes of Shana's own despair and intertwined destiny.

Now enhanced, the Heart of Original Sin grew significantly more powerful. Its Sequence Number, as ranked on the Divine Cup, instantly jumped forward several positions.

The further forward an artifact ranks, the more its power increases, often exponentially.

Consequently, the further forward the ranking, the more terrifying the differences in capability become.

【Divine Artifact: Heart of Original Sin】

【Sequence Number 20】

【Ability 1 Ghost Form: The wielder can transform into a ghost form, becoming immune to all physical attacks. The duration depends on the wielder's power.】

【Ability 2 Soul-stealing Hand: The wielder can destroy the wisdom and consciousness of others, randomly stealing fragments of their will, spirit, and memories. Each use of Soul-stealing Hand carries a chance to strengthen this artifact.】

【Ability 3 Original Sin Body: As the wielder continuously strengthens this artifact through Soul-stealing Hand, they can gradually perfect the Heart of Original Sin, obtaining the Original Sin Body.】

After Asai completed this subtle intervention, the divine power covering Johan Town completely dissipated.

Everything returned to normal. No one within the town was aware that anything unusual had transpired.

Just then, a figure riding a Land Dragon approached from the distance, steadily making their way into Johan Town.

A letter was soon delivered to the castle. It was passed by a maid directly to the patriarch of the Shana clan.

Middle-aged Shana unfolded the letter and quickly read its contents.

His face remained impassive, showing no outward expression, but his hand gripped the paper so tightly that it nearly tore.

After a long, tense moment, he finally let out a slow, deep breath.

"Finally."

"Finally."

"Finally..."

He repeated the word 'finally' three times, each utterance carrying greater weight and emphasis than the last.

"The time has come."

Middle-aged Shana descended into the collapsed ruins of the underground palace. He allowed the countless ethereal threads lingering within the space to rush into his body.

He then set about arranging certain crucial matters, making preparations as though he never intended to return.

Finally, all preparations complete, he left Johan Town behind and set off towards Maya City.

Maya City. That was the final place, the ultimate destination towards which both the Shana and Camon clans were now converging.

Inside the Door of Truth.

Asai and Polik's gazes turned cold, watching Shana's departing figure.

"The show... is about to begin."

The Blood Kingdom in the Deep Sea.

Before the imposing Temple of Truth, the intricate ritual array activated, connecting directly with the Abyss to summon forth a Bone Demon.

A portal to the Abyss tore open, and a giant, skeletal hand gripped its edge.

From the other side emerged a tall Bone Demon, wreathed in eerie flames. It stepped through and stood before the Temple of Truth.

"Kekekekeke!"

"Foolish mortals! The Abyss answers your pathetic summons..."

However, upon fully emerging, the Bone Demon suddenly sensed that something was not quite right with its surroundings.

It quickly realized it had not entered the familiar mortal world. Above it stretched a dark ocean ceiling, where the immense shadows of deep-sea creatures occasionally wandered past.

A massive, blood-colored barrier enclosed the entire undersea kingdom, while strange, dark lighthouses cast illumination across the seabed.

For a moment, the Bone Demon froze, taking in the bizarre scene.

More importantly, a swarm of Trilobite Symbiotes, each bearing the unmistakable aura of God's Forms, began to close in around it. The sight left the demon frozen in sudden fear.

It could instinctively sense the immense power radiating from these beings, and the strange nature of that power, entirely different from the familiar energies of the Wisdom Ability.

The flames within the Bone Demon's eye sockets flickered uncertainly. Like the Snake People, it possessed a degree of intelligence.

"Where is this?"

The Bone Demon cautiously lifted its head, its gaze fixing on the imposing figure seated within the Temple of Truth.

"Who are you?"

"I am a lesser Abyss Guardian, serving in the Fourth Legion of the Fire Abyss! My lord is the great Abyss King, Yafuan, undisputed Master of the Fire Abyss!"

The demigod seated upon the throne of flesh gazed down impassively at this relatively small Bone Demon and provided an answer.

"Blood Progenitor."

The Bone Demon paused, the name stirring a faint, unsettling memory. Over the long years, Abyss Monsters had received countless sacrifices and heard innumerable whispers originating from Ruhe Beast Island, and this particular name had surfaced more than once.

After racking its memory for a moment, it finally grasped the full significance of the title 'Blood Progenitor'. The realization struck it with such force that it nearly collapsed right there on the cold stone slabs.

The second-rank demon stared, utterly aghast, at the being enthroned before it. Its jaw bones clattered audibly before it managed to force out a trembling whisper.

"A divine being..."

Moments ago, it had thought it had stumbled upon incredible good fortune, being summoned by someone presumably weak in the mortal realm.

Never in its wildest nightmares did it expect that the summoner would turn out to be an actual divine being.

It had foolishly, blindly wandered right into the sacred domain of another divine being.

The red-haired demigod on the throne straightened slightly, her posture appearing somewhat languid despite the circumstances.

Yet, under her direct gaze, the Bone Demon trembled uncontrollably.

"Tell me, did you participate in the great Abyss War that raged over a hundred years ago?"

In recent years, Vivien had been diligently investigating all matters concerning the elusive Xiao. This included tracking down the events that transpired on Silver Fish Island and seeking the source of the mass memory modification that had occurred.

She had also pursued other rumors related to mythological powers. Following the appearance of the Abyss and the repeated emergence of its monstrous denizens on Ruhe Beast Island, a peculiar rumor had begun to circulate among certain obscure cult groups.

These rumors spoke of a mythological gate hidden somewhere deep within the Abyss itself.

This particular Abyss Guardian was a Second-Rank monster, generally considered a mid-tier entity within the hierarchies of the Abyss.

This specific monster had once followed the powerful Bone Demon King into battle against the denizens of the Black Mud Abyss. Recognizing the gravity of its situation, it answered immediately.

"Y-Yes, Great Divine Being," the Bone Demon stammered, its voice trembling violently.

"I... I was indeed part of that great battle."

Vivien's interest sharpened. Finally, after questioning so many lesser, often ignorant monsters, she had found a potentially reliable source.

"It is said there was once a mythological gate located within the Black Mud Abyss. Did you ever see it yourself?"

The Bone Demon seemed to search its memories for a moment, then nodded its skeletal head.

"Yes, Great One, I have seen it."

"But... that gate is no longer within the Black Mud Abyss. A tremendously powerful Sky Messenger came and took it away."

"That gate... they say it originally fell from the higher realm of the divine beings. It crashed into the lower planes, and it was after its arrival that the Abyss itself began to form."

Vivien processed this. She now had confirmation of the mythological gate's existence and verification that the very appearance of the Abyss was related to its fall.

Vivien already had a strong suspicion.

After all, in the previous era, only two known beings had successfully ascended to become divine beings and fully mastered the intricate method of achieving such status.

"And do you happen to know who that mythological gate originally belonged to?"

Confronted directly by a divine being, the Bone Demon dared not conceal anything. It quickly revealed everything it knew or had heard regarding the gate.

"Perhaps... the L-Lord of Radiance...?"

"Or m-maybe... the God of Dusk...?"

Vivien leaned forward slightly on her throne, her voice remaining calm but carrying an undeniable command. "What is their core divine name?"

The Bone Demon flinched, then suddenly seemed to remember. "Xia God! Yes, I heard the King of the Black Mud Abyss himself cry out that name during the height of the Abyss War!"

"Xia God."

"It was Xia God."

Vivien repeated the name softly to herself. "Xia..."

Then, she pronounced the equivalent word in the ancient Trilobite language. Instantly, a chillingly familiar name surfaced in Vivien's mind.

"Xiao!"

Vivien now fully confirmed her suspicion. Xiao was indeed this so-called Lord of Radiance, the Xia God.

"Gate of Spirituality!"

"So, Xiao truly did achieve reincarnation. He is systematically reclaiming everything from his past existence."

"What, then, will be his next move?"

Vivien was the demigod of Life. Although she possessed knowledge about reincarnated beings and held some understanding of concepts related to the Path of Wisdom.

However, much of this knowledge came second-hand, from the words of her teacher, Lan. She did not possess a deep, intrinsic understanding of what the Path of Wisdom truly entailed.

Therefore, she did not precisely know the steps required for one to become Wisdom's demigod.

But she knew with certainty that Xiao must have survived through the perilous process of reincarnation.

And now, he must surely have accumulated sufficient power and resources for his final ascent.

Vivien rose slowly from her throne of flesh, descending the steps one by one.

"He has already found his missing piece, reclaimed from the ruins of the Yinsai Crown. Now, he must be actively seeking the circumstances for his final, culminating reincarnation."

"He is likely incubating somewhere at this very moment, developing within the unsuspecting body of some mortal vessel."

"Soon, he will reappear in this world, ready to claim his power."

As Vivien's foot touched the final step before the temple floor, the terrified Bone Demon instantly scattered into fine dust, its existence snuffed out.

These abyssal monsters were merely fallen life forms, consumed by madness and bloodlust, hopelessly pursuing only the darkest forms of power.

Vivien immediately issued orders, commanding all Trilobite Symbiotes under her command, and even the mortal king of Suinhor, to begin an urgent search for any trace of Xiao's trail.

"We must find him. He cannot be allowed to fully reappear in this world."

Meanwhile, Master Breman, the astute Trilobite Symbiote who had been following a different investigative lead, finally uncovered a potential breakthrough.

Unlike Asai, who tracked the physical fragments of the Little Person in the Bottle, Breman focused his investigation on the elusive Camon clan, guided by the tell-tale signs of large-scale memory control and modification.

For many long years, he had painstakingly tracked the movements and influence of the Camon clan. He knew the name 'Camon' and had correctly deduced that it referred not to a single individual, but rather to a unique group of highly specialized beings.

He gathered scattered clues from every available source, constantly searching for any tangible trace of these anomalous beings.

Now, he had finally uncovered a significant clue.

The last known sighting of these beings, matching the Camon profile, occurred in a small, remote village located near the borders of Maya City.

But beyond that specific point in time and location, he could find absolutely nothing further.

It was as if they had simply disappeared without a trace.

No clues remained.

Standing within this quiet village, now inhabited by entirely different people unaware of its past, Breman looked thoroughly confused.

"How could they just disappear?"

At last, frustrated but resolute, he turned his gaze towards the distant horizon, in the direction where the prosperous Maya City awaited.

Dream Realm.

Gate of Spirituality.

Within the mythological Gate of Spirituality, the vast Sea of Spirituality churned violently, reacting as if something immense beyond the confines of this world was calling out, attracting its very essence.

Rumble!

An immense torrent of spiritual power burst forth from the mythological gate. It surged outwards, leaving the ethereal Dream Realm behind to forcibly enter the plane of reality.

Somewhere within that reality, a unique gate manifested.

This was the conceptual gateway to life's beginning, the very passage through which a reincarnated soul must enter the world anew.

All the surging spiritual power released from the Gate of Spirituality was now flowing inexorably towards that single point of entry.

A ritual unlike any conceived before, prepared meticulously over the staggering course of two hundred and fifty million years, was finally about to reach its culmination.

As its power drained away, the Gate of Spirituality gradually became little more than an empty, symbolic shell.

Yet, sometimes a mythological gate's symbolic status held more importance than its raw power. It served as undeniable proof of demigod status, a fundamental characteristic of such beings.

Duma faithfully arranged the complex process of spiritual reincarnation, strictly following the divine being's will and specific decrees.

She did not fully comprehend what lay ahead. She simply performed the duties required of her as a messenger. The enigmatic Camon clan had not divulged any further information to her; her sole responsibility was managing the spiritual aspect of the reincarnation.

"The Lord of Radiance," she murmured softly.

"He is truly about to return."

Or perhaps more accurately, her ancient progenitor, her 'father' in a sense, was on the very verge of being reborn into this world.

She felt a profound sense of anticipation, mingled with an undeniable undercurrent of unease.

"A divine being..."

"What will it truly be like?"

Suddenly, Duma sensed a disturbance from her position before the now-quiet Gate of Spirituality. She turned her gaze sharply, looking deep into the swirling depths of the Dream Realm.

Far off in that ethereal expanse, something had suddenly burst with an intense light, shining brightly like newly formed stars.

Duma gazed into the distance.

One of the light-emitting objects appeared to be an ancient stone tablet. It was intricately carved with the image of a marionette and seemed wrapped within a shimmering, colorful bubble.

Countless dense, white threads extended downward from within this protective bubble.

The other ends of these myriad threads stretched impossibly far, disappearing into unknown, distant realms beyond perception.

Duma recognized it instantly. That was the legendary Divine Artifact known as the Destined Marionette.

The light emanating from the second object was considerably weaker, though it too appeared to be wrapped in a similar bubble.

It resembled a small clay figurine, crafted in the distinct form of a Trilobite, its miniature features surprisingly lifelike.

Duma was certain she had never seen this particular figurine before. Its overall design and coloration did not resemble typical Trilobite craftsmanship. Instead, it seemed more closely aligned with the artistic style of the ancient Spirits.

"What is that?"

The light from both objects flashed brightly just once more and then vanished completely. Yet, that brief flare signified that these two critical items had now been fully activated.

It meant Xiao's final, hidden trump card had finally been played.

It seemed either Xiao's dormant spirit and instincts had somehow sensed the impending crisis, or perhaps everything had been meticulously prepared beforehand to trigger automatically at this precise moment.