Concealment

Great Snowfield Shelter.

Inside the laboratory.

Li Xiaowa held a dense ball of white light in her hand and offered it to Jiang Yang.

A holy aura emanated from the ball of light. Jiang Yang, not understanding, asked in puzzlement.

"Did you condense the power of faith? Is it any different from before?"

Li Xiaowa rolled her eyes, speechless, and said.

"Try sensing it more carefully."

Seeing that she was not joking, Jiang Yang moved closer to the ball of light and immersed himself in it.

Before long, he heard many prayers within it.

For example: thanks to the Earth Goddess, praise for the goddess's mercy, and so on.

"Is there a problem?"

Jiang Yang could not see any difference.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to tell. This is the poison of faith. These prayers contain extremely tiny traces of mental power. They might not be noticeable now, but after millions upon millions of years, they will gather into a tremendous mental poison."

Li Xiaowa spoke gravely.

"If we keep using this power of faith, one day it will drive us mad. We will lose ourselves amid the voices of countless believers."

"Then is there any way to avoid it? This power really can greatly increase our strength. Many members of the Divine Clan who had no potential left have broken through to new realms because of it. We need this power."

Jiang Yang frowned as he spoke. He had indeed vaguely noticed something. After accepting the power of faith, some members of the Divine Clan had become somewhat different mentally from before.

The weaker they were, the greater the effect.

"There are two ways to avoid it. One is not to absorb it, and the other is for all the believers to die."

Li Xiaowa spread her hands as she spoke.

Jiang Yang's expression darkened. How is that any different from saying nothing at all?

He thought for a moment and said.

"There will definitely be a great crisis in the future. Even if this faith is poisonous, we shouldn't give it up. Xiaowa, spend more time researching this."

"Mm, I know even without you telling me. After all, I benefit from the power of faith too."

Li Xiaowa spoke earnestly.

"Perhaps when we reach the end of the transcendent path, we will feel differently again."

Jiang Yang sighed softly.

"Then you'd better work hard, Jiang Yang."

"..."

Jiang Yang gave her a speechless look and continued.

"Just inform the other six Divine Kings and the directors of the other research institutes about this. Don't pass it down any further."

"All right."

Li Xiaowa agreed.

"By the way, do you have any thoughts on the Emperor-Rank Third Step?"

Jiang Yang asked. After more than a thousand years, he had almost reached the pinnacle of the Emperor-Rank Second Step. It was time to consider the next step.

"No... but according to my deductions, the third step builds on the choices made in the first and second steps. It may vary from person to person, with great differences."

"Yes. I've decided to travel around the world some more and see what insights I can gain."

"Hahaha, Divine King Jiang traveling incognito?"

"..."

Leaving the Great Snowfield Shelter, Jiang Yang returned to the Kunlun Divine Court. He sat atop Mount Kunlun for seven days, watching the sun rise and set and the misty sea of clouds.

Through these years of tireless cultivation, ideas about the Emperor-Rank Third Step had gradually begun to form in his mind.

The Fifth Epoch.

Twenty years before the apocalypse, Tianhai University.

Li Zhe stared dumbfounded at the three strangers who had suddenly appeared in his dorm room.

He felt a little panicked, because judging by the way these three were dressed, they had absolutely nothing to do with normal people.

Still, the woman leading them was exceptionally beautiful.

Could it be that I, Li Zhe, have some extraordinary quality, so a beauty has actually come knocking at my door?

"Li Zhe, born in the twenty-first century of the Fifth Epoch. No father or mother, born with an extremely high IQ, easily admitted to one of Sky-Cang Country's best universities. Likes games and anime, a member of this period's vast army of shut-ins..."

The hooded woman at the front looked at him and suddenly began reciting.

"What is all this supposed to be?"

He listened to the long spiel in bewilderment.

"Please allow us to introduce ourselves. We come from the Heroic Spirit Throne. We came here to find you because we want you to save the world. Li Zhe, the world's fate will begin to change with you!"

The hooded woman delivered the most inspiring words in the most matter-of-fact tone.

"What the hell is all this? This makes no sense. I'm not going. And don't you try anything with me. I've already called the police."

Li Zhe thought he had run into scammers, but there were three of them, so he spoke warily.

"There is magic there, elves, dwarves, dragons, as well as heroes from epics and strange beasts from myths."

The hooded woman continued in the same flat tone.

This made Li Zhe laugh. Now even magic had entered the picture.

"Look, lady, at least make your story sound believable. Magic and elves and dragons? That's not convincing at all. Fine, show me some magic. If it's real, I'll go."

He wore a teasing expression, seemingly wanting to watch these people make fools of themselves in front of him.

The hooded woman fell silent for a moment, then suddenly nodded.

"All right!"

Then, without warning, a beam of white light shot from the hooded woman's palm, melting straight through the windowpane and shining outside.

The sight left Li Zhe utterly dumbfounded.

"This... this... this... is real..."

"Since you have already agreed, we will now take you to that era."

"Huh? When did I agree?"

"You said you'd go if there was magic."

"..."

Soon, space flickered inside the dorm room, and their figures vanished in an instant.