At this moment, Li Xiao and his companions were utterly horrified. Their faces turned pale as they stared up at the overwhelming sight before them.
"Th–That… is that the Ancient God?"
"It's terrifying! He only took out a divine artifact, and it instantly summoned a poisonous mist covering hundreds of miles! An entire army of a hundred thousand was wiped out in a breath!"
"It's… horrifying. The Chen Kingdom's soldiers are finished—completely dead! They wanted to hunt us down, but who could have imagined they'd be the ones to perish instead?"
"They brought it upon themselves! Who in their right mind dares to attack an Ancient God? That's simply courting death!"
"But what about us? What should we do now? Do we run, or…?"
"Run? Are you insane? Once the Ancient God has laid eyes on us, where could we possibly flee? Stay put! Don't make any sudden moves! If we provoke Him, we're dead for sure!"
"That's right! Kneel! Kneel down right now and offer your faith! It's our only chance to live!"
"Wait—! I think the Lord God has noticed us!"
Their voices trembled as they spoke. A suffocating silence fell upon the tiny group. Countless miniature humans swallowed hard, their throats dry with terror, as they slowly raised their heads.
A colossal face loomed above them, emerging from behind the clouds like a mountain come to life. The being's eyes were vast and radiant—one like the blazing sun, the other like a cold moon. Each gaze pierced through the haze, filled with boundless wisdom and unknowable power.
That immense presence didn't move. It only looked at them.
Yet that gaze alone was enough to make the air feel frozen solid. Li Xiao and the others didn't dare to breathe loudly, afraid that even a small noise might offend the god towering above them.
"What do we do?" Li Xiao's voice was barely a whisper. "Why is the Lord God looking at us like this?"
He was drenched in cold sweat. His hands trembled. The pressure of being stared at by a divine being made him feel as though his very soul had turned to ice.
Even though he was a Silver-ranked warrior, Li Xiao's body felt weak and limp. His knees gave out, and he could barely remain upright. The strength that had carried him through countless battles was now gone—crushed by fear.
Of course, what he didn't realize was that Xia Chuan wasn't angry, nor did he even view them as threats.
He was simply… curious.
To Xia Chuan, these miniature people were like ants—tiny, fragile, and fascinating. He only wanted to observe them more closely, to see what they looked like.
But to the miniature humans, that gaze was absolute terror.
Their minds could not comprehend the being that watched them. Their bodies trembled under the invisible weight of divine pressure. The unknown was more terrifying than death itself.
"Y–Your Highness," one of the guards stammered, voice cracking with fear, "offerings… perhaps the Lord God requires offerings!"
Li Xiao turned sharply toward him. "Offerings? What are you talking about?"
The guard swallowed hard, recalling the old legends and ancient scriptures. "Every god requires offerings from their believers. Only through sacrifice can mortals prove their faith—and receive the god's blessing."
Li Xiao frowned. "Offerings? What kind of offerings?"
"I'm not sure," the guard admitted, his voice shaking. "Different gods favor different offerings, but one thing is certain—the more precious the sacrifice, the more pleased the god will be."
"Precious offerings…" Li Xiao muttered, his mind spinning rapidly. His gaze darkened as a thought struck him. "Don't tell me… the Lord God has His eyes on the world prop I carry?"
A murmur of shock rippled through the guards.
The air turned heavy.
Li Xiao's face flickered between hesitation and resolve. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in the span of a heartbeat. Finally, he clenched his fists, his decision made.
"It seems there's no other choice," he said solemnly. "We'll offer the national treasure of the Tang Kingdom as a sacrifice."
"Your Highness!" the chief guard beside him cried out, horrified. "That's the Book of Wisdom! It's the most sacred relic of our nation! You can't—"
"Silence!" Li Xiao snapped. "Do you think we have a choice right now? If we anger the Lord God, we'll all be annihilated in an instant! The world prop may be our nation's treasure—but before the gods, everything we possess already belongs to Him!"
He took a deep breath, voice steady despite the fear twisting inside him. "If offering the prop earns even a sliver of divine mercy, then so be it."
The guards exchanged uneasy glances. None dared to argue further. Deep down, they knew he was right.
Defying a god was suicide.
Thud!
Li Xiao fell to his knees, bowing deeply toward the towering figure in the sky. His voice trembled, yet carried a trace of desperate sincerity.
"Great Lord God," he called out, "I, Li Xiao, Crown Prince of the Tang Kingdom, am willing to offer my eternal faith to You! I willingly sacrifice this world prop—our nation's treasure—the Book of Wisdom—as my offering to the divine!"
As his voice echoed across the misty jungle, the guards around him immediately followed suit.
One by one, they knelt upon the ground, lowering their heads until their foreheads touched the earth.
"We, humble servants of the Lord God, offer our faith and devotion!" they chanted in unison, voices trembling yet filled with reverence.
A golden light flickered faintly around them. Threads of brilliance—like fine strands of silk—rose from their bodies and drifted into the heavens.
---
Meanwhile, high above them, Xia Chuan watched the scene unfold with fascination.
"How interesting," he murmured. "They're really miniature humans. Their appearance is almost identical to ordinary people, just… smaller. And look at their clothing—ancient robes, armor, even royal garments. Could it be that this world still exists in some kind of feudal dynasty era?"
He touched his chin thoughtfully. Everything about these little people intrigued him.
Suddenly—
Boom…
The tiny figures below all dropped to their knees at once. From their mouths came strange chants—melodious, rhythmic, and filled with emotion. It was as if they were performing a grand ritual.
Golden energy shimmered around their bodies, forming radiant streams that drifted upward like threads of light, merging into the air around Xia Chuan.
Then, deep within his mind, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed:
> "Ding! Your faithful believer, Li Xiao, has offered a world prop — The Book of Wisdom. Please check your inventory."
Xia Chuan blinked in surprise. "Wait, what? The Book of Wisdom?"
He immediately opened his consciousness to inspect it.
---
A faint glow appeared in the air before him. A small, ancient-looking book floated there, exuding a faint golden light. Its cover shimmered with intricate patterns that seemed to shift and move like living runes.
The Book of Wisdom.
Xia Chuan carefully took it in his hand. The book was no larger than a matchbox to him, yet it carried an aura that felt alive.
"So this is a world prop…" he murmured. "It feels different from anything on Earth. There's something mysterious about it—something that transcends normal matter."
He flipped it open. Lines of text appeared automatically across the pages, written in an unknown language that he somehow understood instinctively.
> [Book of Wisdom]
Type: World Prop
Grade: Rare (Upgradeable)
Function: Allows the user to gain understanding of unknown concepts and foreign civilizations. By channeling mental energy, the user may receive knowledge and insight directly from the world's will.
As he read, Xia Chuan's eyes widened slightly.
"So it's… basically a knowledge artifact," he said. "A book that can translate or even reveal information from the world itself. No wonder they called it a national treasure."
He continued to flip through its pages, his curiosity growing.
At that moment, he could faintly sense the connection between himself and the tiny believers below. It was like a gentle tug at the edge of his consciousness—a thread of faith linking their souls to his.
"Huh," he said softly. "So that's what divine faith feels like…"
A faint warmth filled his chest. Every time one of those miniature people prayed, a spark of golden energy flowed into him, strengthening the bond between them.
It wasn't power in the traditional sense—it was something deeper. A spiritual resonance.
He looked down again at the tiny figures still kneeling in devotion. Despite their fear, their prayers were sincere. To them, he truly was an all-powerful god—merciful yet incomprehensible.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Well," Xia Chuan said, "if they want a god… I suppose I can play the part."
He closed the Book of Wisdom, the golden glow fading gently in his hand.
The wind in the forest stirred slightly. The mist began to thin.
Far below, the miniature humans trembled as the divine light above them flickered softly. To them, it was a sign of acknowledgment—a sign that their offering had been accepted.
Tears welled up in their eyes. Their hearts filled with ecstasy.
"The Lord God has received our offering!" one cried out.
"Praise be to the Ancient God!"
"May His wisdom shine forever!"
They bowed even lower, pressing their tiny hands to the ground. The sound of their chants grew louder, echoing across the jungle like sacred hymns.
Xia Chuan stood silently, watching them with an amused, thoughtful expression.
He hadn't expected this—
but now, in this strange miniature world, he had not only discovered a new civilization…
He had also gained his first group of faithful believers—and a divine artifact born from their devotion.