The Arrogant War God

At the summit of Azure Thunder Peak, Fane dismissed all his fellow disciples; being beaten to the point of having no room to counterattack was a massive blow to his pride. However, he held no grudge against Olivier. On the contrary, he was deeply intrigued by why Olivier's strength was so formidable.

One had to understand that unless one belonged to a special life form—such as a Divine Beast or an expert from another plane—it was impossible for a human to surpass the limits of the Saint-level. While there were slight disparities in strength among the current peak Saint-level experts on the Yulan Continent, the gap was extremely limited. Olivier was, by all accounts, a native of the O'Brien Empire with no special ancestry, yet his strength was so overwhelming that it left Fane burning with curiosity.

"Olivier, your strength...?"

Fane asked inquisitively. As someone who had been stuck at the peak of the Saint-level for many years, he was naturally eager to learn if there was any way to further improve his power.

"Fane, I know what you want to ask," Olivier said slowly. "My strength is far beyond that of an ordinary peak Saint-level expert. In fact, you also have the opportunity to achieve this."

"Really?" Fane asked, visibly agitated. "How?"

A massive pie had fallen from the sky onto Fane's head. Everyone knew the axiom that the only way for a peak Saint-level expert to improve was to break through and become a God. Now that someone was suddenly claiming there was another path—one he could actually follow—Fane was overcome with excitement.

"I believe you know that certain special life forms are far stronger than us ordinary humans when they reach the peak of the Saint-level. For instance, some Divine Beasts rely on their innate talents. For us humans to rival Divine Beasts at the peak of the Saint-level, there is only one method: fusing the Profound Mysteries of the Laws."

"Can the Profound Mysteries of the Laws be fused?" Fane asked.

Olivier did not blame him for his lack of knowledge; he suspected that even the War God did not know that the Profound Mysteries could be fused, or perhaps he didn't even know how many mysteries existed within a single Law.

"Let's put it this way: the Laws of Thunder contain six types of Profound Mysteries. Comprehending any one of them is enough to become a God. Someone like you, at the peak of the Saint-level, is just a hair's breadth away from fully comprehending one of the Profound Mysteries of the Laws of Thunder. If you were to comprehend another, you could then fuse the two, and your strength would increase dramatically."

Olivier felt as though he were conducting a literacy class.

"However, Fane, I tell you this not to urge you to fuse the Profound Mysteries. You must understand that if the difficulty of comprehending one mystery is one, the difficulty of fusing two is at least ten thousand. What I want to tell you is not to think that comprehending a mystery to become a God is difficult; there are things ten thousand times harder. You must believe in yourself and not pin all your hopes on a Godspark."

"In truth, a peak Saint-level expert breaking through to become a God is merely a matter of timing. Take Rutherford, for example; once the opportunity arrives, he will naturally become a God. As long as you believe in yourself, you might even become a God while sleeping."

Olivier spoke like a mentor educating a student, imparting knowledge to Fane.

Although Olivier had not yet broken through to the God-level, his strength far exceeded Fane's, and Fane felt no resentment; the Yulan Continent had always been a place where strength was respected.

"Many thanks, Olivier."

Olivier's teachings left a deep impression on Fane. Fane had understood these principles, but after so much time, he had begun to doubt himself.

It was like knowing you held the truth but failing to put it into practice; you begin to wonder if you are doing the right thing. Some people persevere and eventually achieve great victory, while others doubt themselves, switch paths, and end up with nothing.

Olivier and Linley belonged to the former, while Fane and his peers clearly belonged to the latter.

"Don't mention it. I only know a little; there are many things I still need to ask you about."

Olivier found that he actually quite enjoyed this feeling of educating others.

Olivier possessed cultivation knowledge that Fane lacked, while Fane, having lived for so long, knew many things that Olivier did not—such as historical events that had occurred over the past five thousand years.

The two chatted quite happily for a long time.

"Let's go. I'll take you to see my teacher."

By the afternoon, Fane received a telepathic message from the War God, instructing him to bring Olivier to meet him.

Olivier walked leisurely behind Fane. The two reached the edge of the mountain path, and then, without hesitation, they both leaped off into the void below.

In just a moment, Fane landed on the mountainside, and Olivier followed suit.

"Follow me inside." Fane walked straight toward a cave ahead. Olivier thought to himself, This War God likes living in a cave? What a strange quirk.

The cave twisted and turned for quite a while. Ahead, a vertical shaft appeared, plunging deep into the earth. It was bottomless, a pitch-black abyss at a glance.

"Let's go down." Fane jumped straight in. Olivier followed suit and leaped after him.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

The two plummeted rapidly, descending well over two thousand meters; they were now deep underground. Finally, Fane and Olivier landed as lightly as falling leaves.

Afterward, Olivier followed Fane deeper into the cave, though the temperature began to rise steadily as they progressed.

"It's getting hot." Olivier had to use his battle-qi to protect his body.

The surrounding stone walls were all a deep, burning red. After walking for a while, they arrived before a pitch-black stone gate.

"Whoosh, whoosh."

A scorching current of air emanated from within the gate, accompanied by a faint pressure. Facing this pressure, one felt an urge to kneel and worship.

"Teacher, I have brought Olivier," Fane said respectfully.

Was he finally going to meet the War God?

The War God was right behind that stone gate!

"Very well, Fane. You may withdraw for now," a detached voice echoed.

"Yes, Teacher." Fane retreated respectfully.

Olivier stood where he was, waiting for the War God to speak.

"Olivier, to reach the peak of the Saint-level at your age and surpass Fane—you are undoubtedly a genius," the War God's voice remained indifferent.

"Thank you for the compliment, War God."

Olivier replied modestly.

"However, even so, breaking through to become a God is extremely difficult. Without the guidance of a God-level expert, relying on one's own exploration is harder than ascending to the heavens."

The War God's voice remained flat, devoid of any inflection. Olivier said nothing, waiting for what was to come.

"More than a decade ago, I took you as a disciple. Today, I am personally speaking up—this is the second time I have been willing to take you as a disciple. With my guidance, you will be able to become a God-level powerhouse much faster."

The War God sounded somewhat amiable, adopting a tone that suggested he was doing this for Olivier's own good and that Olivier couldn't succeed without him.

Haha, he actually wants to swindle me.

Olivier was overjoyed inside. The War God was actually trying to trick him into becoming a disciple; seeing that Olivier was about to become a God, he wanted to pick up a God-level apprentice for free.

If it were anyone else, they might truly be fooled, but Olivier knew better. Could the War God even provide guidance on becoming a God? He himself had become a God by refining a Godspark. Besides, why hadn't he guided Fane to become a God?

What a clown.

Olivier thought to himself, though he dared not show a hint of it on his face.

"Thank you for your kindness, War God, but I already have a master."

Olivier had no choice but to fabricate a master. With the War God personally asking to take him on as a disciple, refusing him to his face while being a Saint-level was a dangerous game; one wrong move and he would be finished.

"Oh? Who is your master?"

The War God asked again, as if he were determined to take Olivier as his disciple.

"My master is an old man in a black silk robe with long black hair. He never told me who he was or where he lived. I don't know if you recognize such a person, my lord."

Olivier remembered that Beirut's image was that of a man in black robes. He fabricated a similar figure; in any case, it couldn't be verified, and at the very least, the War God wouldn't dare make things difficult for him just because of a refusal.

An old man in a black silk robe. The War God muttered to himself. Could it be Lord Beirut? But why wouldn't he tell Olivier his identity?

Seeing the War God's dazed expression, Olivier knew the War God must have guessed that his fictional master was Beirut.

"I do not know such a person. Since you already have a master, I will not force the issue."

The War God's tone softened significantly. Although he suspected it was Beirut, he dared not casually reveal Beirut's identity.

"Has your master ever mentioned the secret of the Yulan Continent to you?"

The War God asked.

"The secret of the Yulan Continent? Is it the Graveyard of the Gods?"

Olivier countered with a question.

"Correct. Your teacher told you, did he?"

The War God added.

"My teacher never mentioned it to me. I heard it from Rutherford when I was at the Arctic Ice Plain."

The teacher was a fabrication; it was better not to get too tangled up in lies.

"I see. There is a crimson token at the entrance... take it. From this day forward, you are considered one of my people."

Olivier had long since noticed a flat stone beside the stone gate, with a crimson token resting upon it. At this moment, the token slowly drifted through the air, flying toward Olivier.

There was only one character on it—'War'!

So this is the token that represents the War God. Olivier knew that Linley had also received one somewhere.

"I assume you also know that entering the Graveyard of the Gods allows one to obtain Godsparks and divine artifacts. Once you have accepted this token, I will notify you when the Graveyard of the Gods opens and take you there."

The War God continued.

"Thank you, War God."

For Olivier, having such a token was fine; at the very least, it would make things much more convenient within the O'Brien Empire.

"Olivier, you are a true genius. However, I must give you a piece of advice: the Elemental Laws contain many paths. What you must do is choose one path and follow it to the end. It is best not to study several paths at the same time."

Olivier smiled.

It seemed the War God had said the same thing to Linley. Ignorance was terrifying; it appeared the War God hadn't been eavesdropping on his conversation with Fane earlier today.

I am not you, War God, Olivier thought.

"Thank you for the reminder, War God. I will keep that in mind."

Olivier felt that talking to the War God was incredibly tedious. He had to be mindful of the man's dignity as a God, yet the War God knew less than he did, and he had to pretend to be a blank slate.

"Very well, you may return."

Knowing that Olivier might be Beirut's disciple, the War God had considered trying to win him over. However, he couldn't think of anything in the War God Sect that would attract Olivier. Still, since Blumer was his disciple, perhaps he could start there.

"War God, I shall take my leave then."

Olivier immediately retreated, transforming into a streak of light, and was out of the mountain cave in no time.