199. Wei Xuan's Ambition.

After walking some distance from the Demon Lord, Wei Xuan finally let out a sigh of relief. 

Standing before someone who could take their life in an instant was nerve-wracking. Even though Li Wen had shown no hostility toward them, the weight of his presence alone had made every moment feel like walking on thin ice. 

As they pressed forward, Wei Xuan brushed aside a low-hanging branch, stepping deeper into the forest. With every step, the vegetation grew denser, the green miasma thickening around them. Visibility waned, and without the talismans granted by the Temple of the God King of Life, they would have been poisoned within the toxic mist. 

He instinctively checked his talisman, sensing it would last another day. But it didn't matter—they had come well-prepared, carrying enough talismans to sustain everyone for at least fifteen days within the Ancient Mountain Range. 

Yet, despite their reliance on divine protection, the Demon Lord had been sitting there, unbothered, without any talisman at all. 

Even a low-ranked demon would struggle to survive in this miasma without external aid. But Li Wen, a Demon Lord, remained there—unaffected, practicing amidst the deadly mist as if it were nothing. 

Wei Xuan's grip tightened slightly. 

We are stronger than those lesser demons, and yet we must rely on divine protection just to set foot here. 

His gaze flickered toward the three Divine Warriors in their party. They were Master Warriors, far beyond the level of most human cultivators. The rest of them were Innate Warriors, stronger than common fighters. And yet, all of them still needed talismans to protect themselves. 

Meanwhile, Li Wen sat in the heart of the miasma, absorbing its essence as if it welcomed him. 

Wei Xuan didn't know whether to feel humbled or terrified. 

A bitter thought crossed his mind—the human race lived at the mercy of demons and gods. 

The demons fed on fear, thriving on the terror humans provided. Though they wreaked havoc, they never slaughtered excessively, for fear was a resource they could not afford to exhaust. The gods, on the other hand, drew their power from belief, demanding faith and worship in exchange for protection. 

Neither side truly sought the prosperity of humanity—they only maintained a balance that served their interests. 

Wei Xuan clenched his fists. 

"If Uncle advances to the Grandmaster Warrior realm, our situation will improve—at least a little." 

His uncle was a generous man, a martial arts idiot obsessed with cultivation. If he succeeded in breaking through to the Grandmaster realm, he would share his knowledge, teaching others the path forward. 

And if more warriors reached Grandmaster, their research might push beyond, unlocking paths to realms even higher—perhaps even to the level of Demon Lords and Gods themselves. 

If that happened, humanity would finally stand as equals. 

But Wei Xuan knew the harsh reality. 

For this vision to become real, the noble families and first-class sects would have to set aside their selfishness. 

That, however, seemed impossible. 

In the past five hundred years, countless warriors had sought to advance beyond the Great Master realm, but not a single one had succeeded. The knowledge of higher realms was known only to 1% of warriors, while less than 10% of the human population even reached the Innate realm. 

And yet, the sect leaders and noble families hoarded martial techniques like prized possessions, unwilling to share their knowledge. 

Because of their greed, countless warriors were helplessly slaughtered by low-ranked demons—beings they could have overpowered if only they had access to the right techniques. 

The weight of that truth pressed down on Wei Xuan like a mountain. 

If every human practiced martial arts, they might not be able to defeat the demons attacking them, but at the very least, they could protect themselves.

With millions cultivating, the overall strength of humanity would rise, and with it, research into the higher warrior realms would progress at an unprecedented pace.

Wei Xuan sighed.

Everything now depended on finding the Bitter White Lotus and helping his uncle break through to the Grandmaster realm.

With a Grandmaster's support, his path to the throne would become much smoother. And once he became king, backed by a warrior of such strength, he could challenge the noble families, dismantle their control, and lift the blockade on martial arts.

He envisioned a kingdom where every citizen practiced martial arts. A nation where the strength of the people dictated power, not birthright. With such a foundation, his kingdom's power would surge beyond its peers, and he could launch a unification campaign, conquering the surrounding kingdoms one by one.

Faced with his inevitable expansion, those kingdoms would have two choices:

Increase their strength by following his path—teaching martial arts to the masses, raising warriors strong enough to resist him.

Be conquered.

Either way, his dream would be realized—humanity would break free from being the plaything of demons and gods.

But he wasn't naïve. Altering the course of history required more than ambition—it required allies.

Zhou Yi, Zhu Pan, and Fang Xin had chosen to stand by him, bringing him crucial information about the Bitter White Lotus. But what puzzled him most was why.

They were Divine Warriors—champions of the gods. Their loyalty should have been to their deities, not to him, a mere prince of mortals.

And yet, they still chose to help him.

Had they sensed the same inevitable future that he did?

Or was there another reason—one he had yet to understand?

Wei Xuan glanced around as the forest darkened. The ever-present miasma obscured much of the sky, making it difficult to track the sun's position. But through the dense green mist, faint rays of sunlight still managed to pierce through—daylight had not yet faded. 

He turned to Fang Xin. "Brother Fang Xin, how far is the Barbarian tribe?" 

Fang Xin thought for a moment. "From the stream we passed earlier, it took me about an hour to reach them." 

Wei Xuan nodded, then hesitated before speaking again. "Three brothers, there's something I wish to ask." 

Fang Xin arched a brow. "What is it?" 

Zhu Pan and Zhou Yi also turned their attention to him, silently signaling their willingness to listen. 

Wei Xuan took a deep breath. "By helping me, won't you risk angering the gods?" 

Fang Xin frowned. "Why would we?" 

Zhu Pan exchanged glances with Zhou Yi before looking back at Wei Xuan. "You believe the gods don't want humanity to grow stronger?" 

Wei Hong, who had been listening quietly, widened her eyes in shock. "Brother—" she started, her voice laced with concern. She didn't want him to say anything that could offend the Divine Warriors. 

But Wei Xuan did not waver. "Isn't that the truth?" 

Fang Xin stared at him for a moment before asking, "Why would the gods fear humans becoming stronger?" 

Zhu Pan chuckled lightly. "He thinks the gods are afraid of losing their dominance over the mortal realm." 

Fang Xin smirked. "And you believe that?" 

Zhou Yi sighed, shaking his head. "Wei Xuan, you are mistaken. Most Godlords do not concern themselves with the affairs of the human race. And the God Kings? They care even less." 

Wei Xuan couldn't decide whether to believe what he had heard from the Great Demon two years ago or trust the words of the Divine Warriors now. 

Back then, during his travels across the kingdom, he encountered a Great Demon—a being who used ghosts to terrorize a city every night. Strangely, the demon never killed anyone, only frightened them. When Divine Warriors and Demon Hunters gathered to hunt the creature, Wei Xuan joined them. 

But that night, fate led him astray. Separated from the group, he stumbled upon a lone scholar by a waterfall, roasting venison over a bonfire and sipping wine. 

Sensing danger, Wei Xuan had warned the man. "A Great Demon is nearby! You must leave at once!" 

The scholar, chewing on a piece of meat, merely chuckled. "I am the Great Demon," he said, taking a swig from his wine bottle. His eyes briefly flashed an eerie purple. 

Wei Xuan's blood ran cold. His instincts screamed at him to flee. He took slow, measured steps backward before turning and sprinting into the jungle. Yet the Great Demon did not chase him. 

Confused, he stopped after some distance, his mind racing. This behavior was unlike any demon he had encountered before. Curiosity burned within him. Against all logic, he turned back. 

When he returned to the riverbank, the Great Demon was still there, exactly as he had left him. 

Wei Xuan hesitated before asking, "Are you a demon?" 

In response, the man's form shifted. His human face melted away, replaced by a fearsome black tiger's head, his body clad in dark armor. Then, just as swiftly, he returned to his human appearance. 

Wei Xuan swallowed hard. "Why didn't you kill me?" 

The Great Demon smiled. "Only lesser demons—those without demon energy—kill and eat humans to replenish their strength. I do not need such crude methods." 

He gestured toward the city. "I terrorize them, yes, but only to harvest their fear. Fear fuels my understanding of the Law. And the Divine Creatures? They do the same, except they harvest faith. They protect humans not out of kindness, but because faith strengthens them." 

Wei Xuan had refused to believe him at the time. But as the demon stood to leave, he posed two questions: 

"Did any high-ranking Divine Creature join the hunt against me?" 

The answer was no. 

It made Wei Xuan pause. If the Great Demon was truly as powerful as he seemed, their group stood no chance against him. He could have slaughtered them all effortlessly. Yet, he chose to leave instead. 

"Have you ever heard the news of a Great Demon dying in the human realm?" 

That question has haunted Wei Xuan ever since. 

He had heard one side of the story from a Great Demon, and now the three Divine Warriors offered another perspective. But which was the truth? Could he trust their words, or were they merely telling him what the Divine Realm wanted him to believe? 

After a moment of thought, he asked, "Does the Divine Realm not need the power of faith?" 

Zhou Yi responded first. "That is a question I cannot answer. But Zhu Pan can. He has spent years studying in the Divine Library, reading every scroll he could find." 

Zhu Pan nodded. "I do not know where you heard about the power of faith, but to clear your misconceptions, let me explain. Faith is indeed needed by Divine Creatures. At the Initial God Lord realm, they have a strong desire for it. However, as their strength grows, their reliance on faith diminishes." 

Wei Xuan frowned. "But doesn't human faith help them grow stronger? Why would their need for it decrease as they become more powerful?" 

Before Zhu Pan could answer, Wei Hong, who had been listening anxiously, spoke up. She feared that her brother's persistent questioning might anger the Divine Warriors—what if they took his words as blasphemy against their gods? 

She quickly said, "Because they found something even more effective than human faith to increase their strength." 

Zhu Pan turned to her with an amused smile. "Miss Wei is quite perceptive." 

Wei Hong blushed slightly under his gaze, but Zhu Pan continued, his tone growing more serious. 

"Faith helps Divine Creatures comprehend the laws that govern the world. For those at the Initial God Lord realm, faith strengthens their control over the laws they were either born with or have comprehended. But when they advance to the Intermediate God Lord realm, they gain access to an even greater power—the power of the world itself. By exercising their authority over the laws in certain places, they can draw upon the world's energy directly, making faith less important to them." 

Wei Xuan absorbed this information, nodding slowly. 

Fang Xin, who had remained quiet for some time, finally spoke. "The stronger the being, the stronger their faith and belief." 

As Wei Xuan turned this statement over in his mind, Fang Xin added, "We're here." 

They stepped into a clearing surrounded by massive stone pillars, each covered in patches of moss and radiating a faint glow. The ever-present green miasma, which had clouded their vision and made every breath feel heavy, was drawn toward the stones, leaving the clearing itself untouched by the toxic fog. 

And within that mist-free sanctuary, a barbarian tribe lived. 

Wei Xuan, still deep in thought over Fang Xin's last words, took his first steps into the village.