He found himself summoned to a vast, infinite expanse of pure white. Surrounding him were countless divine beings, each radiating a blinding luminescence. These were deities of every form imaginable: some bore the heads of dragons, birds, or tigers; others possessed multiple heads, single or multiple pairs of wings, and hundreds of eyes or arms. Each was majestic and beautiful in their own terrifying way.
Only Noe stood there without light. His glow was faint—a reflection of Merit. In this realm, the more Merit one accumulated, the brighter they shone.
The space was deathly silent. No words were spoken, yet Noe felt the weight of a thousand judging gazes—eyes filled with subtle anger and lips curved in slight disdain. Though the moment lasted only a heartbeat, the emotional pressure was suffocating.
With a single blink, the divine assembly vanished. The blinding white faded into an absolute, abyssal black.
Only a single orb of light remained. While not as overwhelming as the previous deities, it was bright enough to illuminate a vast area. Within that light stood the Heavenly Maiden, the Great Immortal of the Mysterious Ice Sect. She was a Great Prophet and Noe’s direct guide, though they had never met in the physical world. Noe knew well that beneath her serene exterior lay immense power and ancient wisdom.
As she approached, she wore her usual gentle, cheerful expression. Suddenly, the void around them shifted. The darkness transformed into a sprawling sanctuary: a bamboo house nestled beside a bubbling stream and a crystal-clear lake. The courtyard was paved with clean stone; on one side, stalks of glowing Celestial Grass dried in the sun, while on the left, a massive Black Dragon slumbered peacefully. The entire scene floated upon a celestial island in the sky.
The Heavenly Maiden stepped out from the house, explaining that this was a perfect replica of her true residence.
She invited Noe inside. As he took his seat at a table, a beautiful fairy stepped out from a painting on the wall. She wiped the table, brewed tea, and served plates of cakes and fruit. With a polite bow, she stepped back into the canvas and vanished. The walls were lined with similar paintings of fairies, as well as scrolls depicting enchanted armor, legendary swords, shields, and magical staves.
After a long silence, she finally spoke: "Noe, do you know what sin you have committed?"
Noe shook his head slowly. "I... I do not know for sure, Great One."
"As your guiding prophet, I share the burden of this responsibility," she replied. "Your mistake is identical to the last one: you revealed the power of the Heavenly Way before the masses. That previous slip allowed the former King of Chau Ngoc to track you, leading to Phong Tran’s pursuit. They exploited your gifts for the benefit of the Chau Ngoc Kingdom, triggering a domino effect of tragedy: the fall of the Great Nam Man, the pillaging of the capital, and the coming divine punishment of the West Lang Kingdom."
She leaned forward, her gaze sharpening. "And now, you have flaunted your prophetic powers to commoners once again. The fishermen used your words to feed their greed, which ignited the jealousy and arrogance of the Water God. His subsequent execution caused the deaths of thousands and left a King haunted by spirits. All of this began with you."
"Do you truly believe you are without guilt?"
The realization hit Noe like a physical blow. To others, these might seem like minor grievances, but for a Prophet gifted with Divine Wisdom, they were inexcusable. Instead of consulting the gods for counsel, he had relied on his own ego, deeming his own judgment superior.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
He realized he had grown fond of the fame and the accolades. He had used his gifts to show off rather than to serve. Because his powers were so vast, they became a magnet for the greedy, sparking chaos in their wake. He had forgotten his primary purpose: to serve the Heavenly Way and promote righteousness, not to seek personal glory.
"I understand," Noe said, his voice thick with shame. "The fault is mine."
The Heavenly Maiden, capable of reading his thoughts, waited patiently for him to voice his confession before continuing.
"The Heavenly Way has already passed judgment. Your Merit has been stripped. Currently, your standing is no different from a commoner’s; most of your accumulated grace was paid as restitution for the souls who perished in the river. You have been humbled, Noe. As the saying goes: 'The fool has the luck of the fool, but the wise suffer the burdens of the wise.'"
"Before the Law, the more you know, the heavier the penalty. Ignorance may earn mercy, but wisdom demands accountability."
Seeing Noe bow his head in acceptance, she continued, "The Heavenly Way is satisfied with the payment of Merit, but the Gods now deem you unworthy of the title of Prophet. They have set a challenge for you. If you succeed, you shall retain your station and perhaps even ascend to Great Prophet. If you fail, you will die. Do you accept?"
Noe remained silent for a long time. "If I refuse... what happens then?"
"You will become an ordinary immortal," she answered. "You could follow the path of Thien Co Tu and establish a Pavilion of Secrets—reading the Heavenly Books and spending Merit to glimpse fragments of the past or future—but you will never again interact with the Gods. Or, you could become another H?c Thiên T?ng; a fallen prophet who sought his own path. Both chose safety over the trial."
Noe took a deep breath and looked up. "I accept the challenge."
The Heavenly Maiden offered a rare, beautiful smile. "Good. After today, I will not see you again—at least not in this divine realm. You have chosen the narrow, difficult path. I once had to make that same choice; I know the hardships that await you."
"To help you survive, I will grant you two abilities to ease your burden:"
-
Dream Realm Manifestation: The power to construct a dream world of your own design. Within this realm, you are a Transcendent Deity—the Creator of your own reality.
-
Scroll of Living Art (Rank C - Rank S): The power to manifest people, creatures, or equipment from your Dream Realm into the physical world by drawing them or calling their names. However, you can only manifest things that match your own current power level. (Note: If evolved to the Divine Rank, you could bring your entire Dream Realm into reality to forge your own kingdom.)
"This is as far as I can take you. Farewell, Noe. Until we meet again."
Noe awoke in his cottage. The first thing he did was grab a small fruit knife—hardly a weapon, more of a toy. He took a piece of paper and drew a border filled with ancient runes and symbols. Once finished, he placed the knife upon the blank space. The blade sank into the paper, becoming a two-dimensional illustration.
He attempted to use the Scroll of Living Art to pull it back out. He tried to manifest a larger object, but failed. He tried using a larger piece of paper, but that failed too. It seemed the ability had strict spatial and power limitations.
Noe struggled. Previously, he could simply enter the Akashic Library, spend a bit of Merit, and instantly understand any technique. Now, the library was locked. His Merit was gone, and he would have to earn enough just to buy a one-month pass from the Librarian Deity. His "Prophet" status was suspended; the easy path was closed.
Determined, Noe entered his Dream Realm. He transformed a corner of the world into a forge. Using his small fruit knife as a base, he attempted to reforge it into a Spirit Blade with its own consciousness. He used his manifestation powers to create a "Smithing God"—a replica of a deity he had once met.
The replica agreed to help him once for free. The result was a flawed, low-grade Spirit Blade. Noe named it the Scrap Spirit Sword.
Back in the physical world, Noe tested the blade. Even as a "scrap" item, it was terrifyingly powerful. The realization shook him. He had been a lazy immortal, relying entirely on his visions of the future to keep him safe. Without his foresight, he felt vulnerable and afraid. For the first time, Noe began to train in earnest to protect himself.
Meanwhile, watching from the shadows, the son of the fallen Water God noticed the change. Noe’s divine aura had flickered out; he looked like a mere mortal. To those who measure power by the blessing of the Heavenly Way, Noe appeared toothless.
Believing the Prophet had lost his protection, the Water God’s son began to weave a web of vengeance. He reached into the underworld, hiring assassins to finish what the river could not.