Chapter 4: The Book of Wisdom and the Birth of Faith

Li Xiao and his group stood frozen, their breath caught in their throats as they witnessed the scene before them.

A single artifact had been drawn forth by the colossal being—a divine weapon that unleashed a poisonous mist spanning a hundred miles. In mere moments, an army of one hundred thousand was reduced to lifeless husks.

"This… is an ancient god?" someone whispered in disbelief.

The sheer power, the effortless destruction—it was terrifying beyond words.

The soldiers of Chen Country had marched in, believing they were the hunters. Instead, they had become prey. Their deaths were so swift, so absolute, that even those who had feared their pursuit now felt a deep chill in their bones.

"This is divine punishment," another muttered. "To challenge a god is to court annihilation."

Panic settled over the group like a heavy shroud.

"What do we do now?" someone asked in a hushed, urgent tone. "Do we flee?"

"Flee?" another scoffed, though fear laced his words. "From the gaze of a god? There's nowhere to run. If we move without permission, we'll be next."

"Then what? We just kneel here and pray we aren't noticed?"

"No… we offer our faith," one of them declared with sudden conviction. "That is the only way."

A dreadful silence followed, each person considering the weight of those words.

Then, it happened.

The sky seemed to darken as an enormous shadow loomed overhead. A vast face descended from the heavens, its eyes like burning suns piercing through the mist. The sheer enormity of it was enough to make grown warriors tremble.

Li Xiao felt his blood run cold. His limbs refused to move. He wanted to flee, to do anything but stand there under that overwhelming gaze. Yet fear rooted him in place.

This was not just power. It was divinity.

He wasn't alone in his terror. Around him, men fell to their knees, shivering.

A bead of sweat dripped down Li Xiao's temple. He forced himself to think, to act. The gods of legend demanded sacrifices. If they wished to survive, they had to present an offering.

"Offerings!" someone blurted. "Gods require offerings to acknowledge faith."

Li Xiao's mind raced. What did he have that would be worthy of a god's favor? Then, it struck him—a terrible yet inevitable realization.

The Book of Wisdom.

A world artifact, a treasure of his kingdom.

His grip tightened. Could he truly surrender it?

"Your Highness, you can't mean to—" a guard began, but Li Xiao cut him off with a glare.

"Do you wish to die here?" he snapped. "We have no choice. If the ancient god desires the book, it already belongs to him. Holding onto it will only doom us."

His words left no room for argument. With trembling hands, Li Xiao stepped forward and fell to his knees. Slowly, reverently, he pulled the artifact from his robes—a tome radiating an ethereal glow, brimming with the wisdom of ages.

He held it high, his voice steady despite the fear in his heart.

"Oh great and mighty Ancient God, I, Li Xiao, offer this humble sacrifice in devotion. I swear my faith to you, and I present the world's artifact—the Book of Wisdom—as proof of my reverence."

The moment the words left his lips, the others followed suit, kneeling with him, heads bowed in submission.

A golden radiance enveloped the book, lifting it from his hands.

The air trembled. A deep hum resonated through the space, sending shivers down their spines.

From his vantage point, Xia Chuan observed the tiny humans below with great interest.

They were astonishingly detailed, like miniature figurines come to life. Their expressions, their movements—everything mirrored that of normal humans, only scaled down.

It was fascinating.

They really look like ancient warriors… Are they from a feudal-era civilization?

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Then, something unexpected happened.

One by one, the tiny figures dropped to their knees, their lips moving in rapid chants. Golden energy shimmered from their bodies, forming intricate patterns in the air. The luminous threads wove themselves into Xia Chuan's consciousness.

A voice echoed in his mind.

Ding! Your devout believer, Li Xiao, has offered a world artifact—The Book of Wisdom. Please review the offering.

Xia Chuan blinked in surprise.

A sacrifice? Faith?

He hadn't expected this turn of events.

The tiny humans truly saw him as a god. And now, they were offering up treasures in worship.

His lips curled into an amused smile.

This… could be interesting.