191. Pian Ran- The Goddess Of Moon.

Li Wen examined the chamber, taking in the detailed murals of a Nine-Tailed Fox and the Moon that adorned both walls. 

A straight path led from the entrance directly to a grand staircase. 

Along both sides of this path, women in white robes—identical to the one who had led him here—stood motionless, their expressions blank, their posture perfect, like lifeless statues. 

At the top of the nine steps, a throne sat elevated above the chamber. 

And upon the throne, a woman reclined elegantly. 

The moment she noticed his arrival, her lips curved into a faint smile. 

"Lord Li Wen, welcome to my humble abode." 

Her voice was silky and measured, exuding the controlled charm of someone used to power. 

Li Wen strode forward with calm precision, his sharp eyes locking onto hers. 

"You know my name," he remarked, his tone unreadable. "But I don't know yours." 

The woman on the throne tilted her head slightly, amusement flickering in her silver eyes. 

"Pian Ran, my lord." 

Li Wen immediately caught the mockery behind her respectful tone. 

The way she said "my lord" held no reverence—only playful contempt. 

Li Wen smirked. 

Then—in an instant—his entire body dissolved into a wisp of demon energy. 

Before the white-robed women could even react, he reappeared directly in front of Pian Ran, their faces mere inches apart. 

His right hand lifted, and with slow, deliberate movements, his middle finger traced a line along her neck, his nail dragging lightly against her smooth skin. 

A fleeting moment of intimacy—laced with undeniable threat. 

Pian Ran's fingers clenched into fists, pressing against the armrests of her throne. 

Despite her calm exterior, Li Wen could sense the tension in her body. 

The white-robed women standing behind her—motionless until now—reacted in outrage. 

To them, their goddess had been defiled by a stranger's touch. 

Unaware of who Li Wen truly was, they saw only an intruder daring to lay a hand on their divine figure. 

"Stay away from our Goddess!" one of them screamed. 

Others followed, hurling threats as they stepped forward, ready to act. 

But Pian Ran knew better. 

She knew that if Li Wen wanted her dead, a single touch would be enough. 

Instead of reacting to the women's anger, she shouted sharply: 

"GET OUT!" 

Her voice echoed through the chamber, laced with unmistakable authority. 

Yet, some of the women hesitated, their loyalty outweighing their fear. 

"Goddess..." a few called out, concern clear in their voices. 

Pian Ran's silver eyes flashed, her expression darkening. 

"I SAID GET OUT!" 

The force of her command sent a wave of silence through the room. 

One by one, the women lowered their heads and retreated, stepping out of the chamber until the massive doors shut behind them. 

Now alone with Li Wen, Pian Ran exhaled slowly, regaining her composure. 

She met his gaze, her voice measured but laced with irritation. 

"My Lord, what is the meaning of this?" 

Li Wen chuckled, clearly amused. 

"Interesting… your tone changed. I preferred the way you called me 'my lord' before." 

His right hand withdrew from her skin, the moment of tension dissipating. 

With a small, deliberate step backward, Li Wen put a little distance between them. 

Pian Ran, regaining her composure, quickly understood the true reason behind Li Wen's threatening display. 

She lowered her gaze slightly and spoke with measured humility. 

"I apologize for offending you, my lord." 

Before, she had assumed that Li Wen was a newly born Source Demon, still struggling to master his own power. 

After all, rumors had spread that he had been seriously injured by mere humans. 

But now, it was clear—he had been pretending all along. 

Li Wen narrowed his eyes, activating his spirit vision. 

Through this enhanced sight, he noticed something intriguing— 

Faint golden specks of light drifting toward Pian Ran, merging into her being and slowly forming a Demon Source within her. 

His lips curled slightly. 

"So, you're using the power of faith to condense your Demon Source." 

Pian Ran met his gaze without hesitation and nodded. 

"Yes, my lord. Only the power of faith can make the impossible possible." 

Li Wen understood now. 

She was much like him. 

Just as he was born as the Demon Lord of Plague, she had chosen to cultivate faith as her path to power. 

He had come into existence because the living beings of this world feared plagues. 

The concept of disease and pestilence needed a vessel—someone to embody and wield that power. 

Thus, he had been born. 

Pian Ran's goal was clear— 

To make people admire the moon, to turn their awareness and reverence toward it. 

That was why she rewarded her believers with Moon Spirit Liquid—a tangible blessing that deepened their faith. 

As more people focused on the moon, the world itself would eventually condense the Source of the Moon—a natural manifestation of the moon's power. 

However, the legend of the moon's power was already tied to the Moon Goddess—and Pian Ran had assumed that role. 

She was currently in the Great Demon Realm, just one small step away from the Demon Lord Realm. 

And for the world's natural order, it was far easier to help an existing being take that final step… 

Rather than creating a new one from nothing. 

Li Wen studied her, his expression unreadable. 

"You are a demon, yet instead of using fear, you seek to advance through faith." 

His tone held neither judgment nor approval—just curiosity. 

Pian Ran's silver eyes gleamed with conviction. 

"I have heard that demons who advance through the power of faith become stronger than ordinary Demon Lords." 

She paused, then glanced at him. 

"Some even claim they can rival a Source Demon." 

Li Wen raised an eyebrow, intrigued—but also confused. 

And then, the answer suddenly surfaced in his mind. 

The Soul Chip had activated. 

He had formed it the moment he arrived in this world, right after leaping out of the tree hole. 

But for the past few days, it had been sorting through the massive archive of 300 years of stored memories—untangling information, categorizing details, and filtering out irrelevant data. 

Back in the tree hole, he had only skimmed the most immediately useful memories. 

But now, the answer was clear. 

Li Wen understood Pian Ran's goal—but also saw the flaw in her path. 

A true Source Demon, one born from the world itself, held 100% authority over the rule it embodied. 

However, demons who forcefully advanced to the Source Demon Realm by cultivating a single rule could only control 10-15% of that rule's power. 

The difference was immeasurable. 

Li Wen activated his Spirit Vision, observing the golden faith energy within Pian Ran's body. 

What he saw confirmed his suspicion— 

The power of faith was subtly clashing with her demonic energy. 

It was so faint, so insignificant now that she hadn't even noticed. 

But once she attempted to break through to the Demon Lord Realm, that hidden conflict would erupt—and it could very well destroy her. 

Li Wen's voice was calm but questioning. 

"Are you sure?" 

The moment the words left his lips, Pian Ran's expression shifted. 

For a brief second, doubt flickered across her face. 

Then, as if realizing something, she quickly masked her reaction. 

"Yes." 

Her answer was firm. 

But now, Li Wen knew— 

She had just started to question her own path. 

Li Wen remained silent, continuing to observe her through Spirit Vision, analyzing the subtle conflict between her demonic energy and the power of faith. 

His purple eyes glowed faintly, their penetrating gaze locked onto her. 

Pian Ran noticed his glowing eyes, immediately realizing that he was examining her deeper than before. 

A flicker of unease passed through her. 

Did he see something? 

To reassure herself of her decision, she spoke. 

"My lord, all of the Demon Kings advanced to the Demon King Realm using the power of faith." 

At her words, the Soul Chip instantly fed him the relevant information. 

After processing it, he responded calmly. 

"The Demon Kings, when they were still in the Demon Lord Realm, had already fully mastered the power of their Source. 

Only after achieving that mastery did they use the power of faith to make a qualitative change—just like how God Lords use the power of fear to ascend into the God King Realm." 

He paused for a moment before continuing. 

"But you… you are not forming a Demon Source." 

"You are forming a Divine Source." 

Pian Ran froze, her silver pupils slightly dilating. 

Li Wen's voice remained steady, yet piercing. 

"Once the Divine Source is fully formed, it will react with your demon energy. The two will begin to repel each other." 

Pian Ran's composure finally cracked. 

For the first time, her voice trembled slightly. 

"Then… what will happen to me?" 

Li Wen regarded Pian Ran with a rare trace of sympathy. 

"Then your body will either burst apart from the conflict… or you'll be able to suppress it—but you won't be able to use your full strength until the conflict disappears." 

He observed her closely, noting the firm resolve in her silver eyes. 

She was confident that she could suppress the clash between her demonic energy and divine source. 

Li Wen suddenly asked, "How old are you?" 

Pian Ran, puzzled by the sudden change of topic, hesitated for a moment before answering. 

"Seven hundred and fifty-nine years." 

Li Wen's expression didn't change. 

"Are you certain you can resolve the conflict in 241 years?" 

Pian Ran stiffened. 

"Because, unlike us Demon Lords, the divine source will not grant you immortality until the conflict is resolved." 

A flicker of desperation crossed Pian Ran's face. 

"But the practice method states that with the power of faith, one can advance into the Demon Lord Realm!" 

Li Wen's curiosity was piqued. 

"Show me the practice method." 

Without hesitation, Pian Ran retrieved a golden fur scroll from her sleeve. 

"It is written on the fur of a Golden Bear. The last Golden Bear was seen 10,000 years ago." 

Li Wen accepted the fur roll, unrolling it with steady hands. 

His eyes flickered across the text, carefully analyzing the contents. 

After a long moment, he murmured: 

"You were telling the truth about the practice method." 

But then, his demon energy seeped into the scroll, examining its material composition. 

His brows lifted slightly as he made an unexpected discovery. 

"Yes… the fur is from a Golden Bear. It was treated with preservation methods dating back around 10,000 years…" 

His gaze darkened. 

"But the ink used to write on it is only 100 years old." 

Pian Ran bolted to her feet, her face paling. 

"What?!" she shouted in disbelief. 

The women waiting outside the chamber heard her alarmed voice and immediately rushed to the door. 

"Goddess! Are you alright?" 

Pian Ran took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. 

"Nothing. You may leave." 

After a brief hesitation, the white-robed women reluctantly stepped away. 

Once they were gone, Pian Ran turned back to Li Wen, her voice urgent. 

"My lord… are you certain?"

Li Wen's expression remained unreadable. 

"Why would I lie to you?" 

He leaned back slightly, his gaze sharp. 

"Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter to me." 

His voice carried an air of detachment, but his next words were laced with intrigue. 

"I'm just curious… who would go to such lengths to set up a trap like this?" 

Pian Ran's fingers tightened around the fabric of her robe. 

"The practice method… is a trap." Hesitant to believe.

Li Wen's voice remained steady. 

"How did you come across this practice method? And when?" 

Pian Ran exhaled, steadying herself before answering. 

"Two centuries ago, I built a boat and let it drift along Moon River. Sometimes, I would dock in the cities along its banks. 

Using my Illusion Rule, I made humans perceive the boat as a pleasure vessel. Men would board, seeking entertainment, and by the time they fell asleep… they would awaken in the wilderness along the riverbanks the next morning. 

Over time, the legend of the ghostly boat spread, and fear of me grew. With that fear, I absorbed the power it generated." 

She paused for a moment before continuing. 

"But a century ago… a Divine Creature attacked me." 

Li Wen's eyes flickered with interest. 

"He and I were in the same realm," Pian Ran explained. "But while I mastered the Illusion Rule, which is not meant for direct combat, he wielded the Law of Fire." 

Her tone darkened as she recalled the battle. 

"I was no match for him. He burned through my illusions, leaving me no choice but to escape. Somehow, I managed to slip into the depths of Moon River and hide in a cave at the bottom. That was where I lost consciousness." 

Pian Ran's silver eyes narrowed slightly. 

"When I awoke… I found something inside the cave. 

At the very back, beyond the reach of the water, protected within a barrier… was the golden fur scroll. 

And next to it—was a Moon Stone." 

Li Wen listened carefully, piecing the details together. 

Then, a certainty settled in his mind. 

There was no doubt about it. 

The practice method was a trap.