204. Enlightened Stone

After returning to the Blackstone Tribe, Fang Xin and the others were led to their assigned house by Ursala and told to rest. The exhaustion from the night's events weighed on them, but sleep came only in uneasy fragments. 

A few hours later, they were summoned. Now, they sat at a stone table under the morning sun, a feast laid out before them. 

Wei Hong broke the silence first. "Will he agree?" 

No one needed to ask who "he" was. 

Zhu Pan exhaled slowly. "We'll have to wait and see. Only with his help can we explore Evil Lake." 

Wei Hong frowned. "But we have nothing of value to offer him as a reward." 

The table fell into silence. Each of them wrestled with the same question—what could they possibly offer to make Li Wen agree? 

Then, Wei Hong's eyes lit up. "I have an idea. There might be something that will make him help us." 

The others turned to her expectantly. 

"How about I move to Taihong City and bring Zhen Yuanzi under our protection?" 

Zhou Yi blinked. "Who is she?" 

Wei Xuan answered before Wei Hong could. "Li Wen's lover." 

Wei Hong corrected him. "Not just a lover—his wife. They signed a marriage contract the day before their wedding ceremony." 

Wei Xuan's expression darkened. "Then, according to the God of Marriage, she's already his wife. That means she could be in danger… Even though her elder sister is a Divine Warrior." 

Wei Hong nodded. "The radical factions among humans won't care about her status. Anyone with even the slightest connection to a demon is a target for them. So, I plan to relocate to Taihong City with a group of warriors and protect her." 

Wei Xuan turned to the three Divine Warriors at the table. "Will this work?" 

Zhu Pan, the most knowledgeable about demons, was the first to answer. "A Great Demon might agree to such a deal. But a Demon Lord? If he truly wanted to protect someone in the Mortal Realm, he would have many ways to do so himself." 

Zhou Yi sighed. "We don't have many options. Either we offer this or we ask him what reward he wants. Without his help, obtaining the Bitter White Lotus will be nearly impossible." 

With nothing more to say, they ate in silence, the rich flavors of the Barbarian Tribe's food contrasting with their heavy thoughts. 

Then—a sudden shift in the air. 

The three Divine Warriors stiffened as they sensed a fluctuation of demon energy. Instinctively, they turned toward the center of the clearing. 

There, standing amidst the morning light, Li Wen had arrived.

Li Wen's sharp gaze swept across the humans and barbarians gathered around finely crafted stone tables and chairs, seated in a clearing bathed in morning sunlight beside the Blackstone Tribe. 

The Stone Barbarians, as they were known, were humans infused with the bloodline of the Stone Race, granting them an innate talent for crafting with stone. Their craftsmanship was evident in the sturdy, elegant structures around them. 

His gaze shifted beyond the clearing, toward the dense forest surrounding the Ancient Mountain Range, where green miasma twisted through the air like a living thing. Yet, within the clearing, the miasma did not intrude. 

Curious, Li Wen activated his energy vision. Instantly, the world shifted—colors faded into streams of energy. He noticed an invisible force at the clearing's edge, something drawing the miasma toward it and binding it in place. An energy barrier, undetectable to the naked eye, encased the entire clearing. 

Before he could examine it further, a voice called out. 

"Lord Li Wen." 

Li Wen turned toward the speaker, his gaze landing on the barbarian woman he had met the night before. His thoughts flickered—he had never asked for her name. 

"I forgot to ask—what is your name?" 

She inclined her head respectfully. "I am Ursala Melku." Then, with a polite gesture, she added, "Lord Li Wen, please have some food first. Afterward, I will take you to your reward." 

Li Wen nodded in agreement. Ursala led him to an empty stone table, where another barbarian woman quickly served his meal before stepping away. Ursala, however, remained standing nearby, watching him. 

Li Wen glanced up. "You can go. If I need something, I will ask." 

Ursala nodded and walked away. 

Alone now, Li Wen studied the assortment of food before him. He picked up a piece of fruit, its surface glistening in the sunlight, and took a bite. As he chewed, his expression grew thoughtful. 

The taste was different. Unfamiliar yet pleasant. 

His gaze flickered toward the tribal houses in the distance. The number of houses didn't match the tribe's population, an observation that made him pause. But in the end, it was not his concern. 

He focused back on his meal, noting the vegetables and ingredients unfamiliar to the Wei Kingdom. Each bite brought a new flavor, a subtle reminder that this land held secrets yet to be uncovered.

After finishing his meal, Li Wen wiped his hands and stood up. Ursala, who had been waiting nearby, gestured for him to follow. 

She led him through the Blackstone Tribe, weaving between massive stone structures that bore the unmistakable craftsmanship of the Stone Barbarians. Eventually, they arrived at a large stone house—its sheer size and intricate carvings marking it as a place of significance. 

Without hesitation, Ursala pushed open the heavy stone door, leading him inside. The air was cooler within, the dim lighting casting long shadows across the stone walls. 

At the far end of the room, Ursala pressed her palm against an engraved pattern on the wall. A faint glow flickered, and with a deep, grinding sound, the stone floor shifted, revealing a passage leading underground. 

Li Wen followed her down the hidden stairway. The deeper they descended, the more the air thickened with the scent of aged parchment and dust. 

At the bottom, they entered a secret chamber filled with rows of stone shelves stacked with ancient books and scrolls. Faint golden markings flickered along the spines of certain tomes, indicating they contained knowledge of great value. 

At the very end of the room stood a single stone shelf, different from the rest. Upon it lay several small, sealed boxes. 

Ursala approached the shelf and carefully selected a small, ornate box. She turned back to Li Wen, carrying it with both hands and stopped before him. 

With deliberate care, she opened the box. 

Inside, nestled within soft fabric, was a small golden crystal. It shimmered faintly, as though pulsing with an inner light. 

Li Wen's gaze sharpened. "What is this?" 

Ursala met his eyes. "It is an Enlightenment Stone." 

Seeing no change in his expression, she continued. "It aids in understanding the Laws. If you were born with a Law, it can help you grasp an entirely new Law." 

Li Wen's fingers hovered over the crystal, interest gleaming in his dark green eyes.

Li Wen picked up the golden crystal, feeling a faint warmth radiate from it. He examined it briefly before slipping it into his sleeve. His gaze then drifted toward the numerous books lining the stone shelves. 

"What is written in these books?" he asked. 

Ursala followed his line of sight and replied, "They contain practice methods and source techniques." 

Li Wen's eyes narrowed slightly with interest. "Can I see three of your tribe's practice methods?" 

Ursala hesitated. Her fingers twitched slightly as if debating whether to refuse or comply. Before she could answer, Li Wen spoke again. 

"I will be staying in the forest for two months. During that time, I will protect your tribe." 

Ursala's shoulders relaxed at his words. After a moment of thought, she nodded. "Then it's fine. We have only five practice methods. The rest are twenty books of source techniques." 

"Thank you." 

Ursala gave him a small nod. "You can read here. I have some duties to attend to." Without further delay, she turned and walked out, leaving Li Wen alone in the dimly lit chamber. 

Li Wen watched her figure disappear through the entrance before shifting his focus back to the books. His fingers trailed along the spines before he pulled out the five practice methods and carried them to a nearby stone table. 

Settling down, he began reading. 

The first two methods detailed cultivation up to the Initial Source Realm, relatively basic techniques. The third method allowed for advancement to the Intermediate Source Realm, while the fourth extended further, reaching the Late Source Realm. 

It was the final book that caught his full attention. Unlike the others, this one was incomplete—a fragmented text. It described a method to reach the Initial Real Source Realm, but it was missing the first three realms and starts from the initial source realm. Without the missing parts, no one could use it unless they either found a similar technique or deciphered how to break through the Real Source Realm on their own. 

Li Wen tapped his fingers on the stone table, deep in thought. 

A book like this could either be a dead-end or a hidden treasure.

As Li Wen continued reading, he uncovered a crucial revelation about the Source Realm and the Real Source Realm breakthrough process. 

The text explained that cultivators in the Source Realm relied on the world's will to build and maintain the source energy within their bodies. This connection granted them a degree of authority over natural forces, allowing them to manipulate their surroundings. Essentially, they were caretakers of overlooked aspects of the world's order, fixing what the world's will did not directly manage. 

However, breaking through to the Real Source Realm was an act of defiance against this very system. 

To take this step, a cultivator had to sever their connection with the world. The moment this process began, the world's will responded aggressively, seeing the cultivator as a rogue existence. This rejection triggered a violent backlash, causing the source energy within the body to shatter. 

The only way to survive was to repair the shattered source energy before it fully collapsed. If one failed, their cultivation would be destroyed, or worse, they would die. 

Li Wen's fingers tightened around the edges of the book as he absorbed this knowledge. 

For the first time, a thought crept into his mind—the immortality he had gained might not be absolute. 

Up until now, his understanding of his demonic nature and plague law had granted him confidence in his undying existence. But if advancing to the Real Source Realm meant shattering the very foundation of his power, then there was a real possibility that he could lose it. 

He closed the book slowly, deep in thought. 

"I need to be fully prepared before I reach this step," he murmured to himself. "If I advance carelessly, I might not only lose my immortality… but my life as well."

Li Wen's determination did not waver despite learning the dangers of advancing to the Real Source Realm. 

If anything, this revelation only strengthened his resolve. 

The so-called "immortality" of the Source Realm was nothing but an illusion—a privilege granted by the world's will. If the world ever faced destruction or interference from an even greater power, those dependent on its favor would perish without even a chance to resist. 

"I refuse to let my existence be dictated by something beyond my control," Li Wen thought, his dark green eyes glinting with resolve. 

With this in mind, he turned his attention back to the five practice methods of the Stone Barbarian Tribe. Unlike others who advanced through structured cultivation techniques, Li Wen had been born directly into the Source Realm. His growth had been fueled entirely by his understanding of the Plague Law, rather than a systematic method of energy refinement. 

"A proper practice method might help me refine my energy more efficiently," he mused. 

More importantly, it could allow him to apply his Plague Law in more advanced ways, increasing his strength and control over its effects. If he could integrate his understanding of plague into a structured cultivation path, he might even be able to refine his law further. 

Without wasting any more time, he immersed himself in the texts, reading carefully to extract every useful insight.