Chapter 248: Faith of the Beastmen

The four outer disciples led Eurenia down the steep, secluded mountain path, their movements cautious and hurried.

They kept their heads low, dodging the patrolled thoroughfares of Mount Laobao by slipping through thickets of bamboo and jagged stone outcrops.

The ambient warmth of the afternoon was rapidly fading into the sharp, biting chill of twilight.

After nearly twenty minutes of navigating the treacherous terrain, they arrived at the hidden clearing.

Nestled deep within a stone ravine was the natural spring, its surface veiled in thick, swirling mist.

The water reflected the deep violet hue of the darkening sky, looking deceptively calm and bottomless.

“We dive here,” Peatyr whispered, his voice trembling slightly as he looked at the dark water. “Follow us closely. The submerged tunnel is narrow, and if you lose your way in the currents, you’ll get trapped against the rock face.”

Without another word, the four youths stripped down to their inner tunics and plunged into the frigid pool.

Eurenia did not hesitate.

Gathering her breath, she glided seamlessly into the water behind them.

The icy chill bit into her skin, but her focused mind ignored the discomfort entirely as her eyes remained locked on the figures swimming ahead.

They descended several meters into the dark depths until Peatyr signaled toward a jagged, shadowy fissure in the submerged cliffside. One by one, they squeezed through the narrow aquatic tunnel.

The space was claustrophobic, the rough stone scraping against their shoulders as the underground current pushed aggressively against them.

After a tense, breathless crawl through the submerged rock, they broke through the surface of the internal pool, gasping greedily for air.

Their voices echoed hollowly against the subterranean dome as they dragged themselves onto the slick, moss-covered stone bank.

The air inside the cavern was thick, humid, and heavy with an ancient, resonant energy.

Eurenia wrung the cold water from her hair and stepped forward, her dark eyes scanning the cavern walls.

The moment her gaze fell upon the massive, illuminated carvings, her breath caught in her throat.

Her eyes widened in absolute, profound shock.

‘This… this is…!’

Covering the sprawling stone wall were towering, meticulous murals detailing every single beastmen species native to Varania.

There were the proud, sharp-featured Crimson Wolf-kin, the stocky Bear-kin, the nimble Rabbit-kin, the fierce Tiger-kin, Hyena-kin, Frog-kin, and countless others.

Every line carved into the stone captured their reverence, their postures bowed in complete, fanatical devotion before a grand, glowing crest.

And carved directly beneath the central crest were the exact, unaltered runes of the Three Paths Honorifics.

“He is the Great Primordial of the Feral Domain.”

“He is the Principal of the Fractured Mind.”

“He is the God of Beast and Men, Who Shall Devour All.”

A wave of overwhelming reverence crashed over Eurenia’s heart.

A soft, breathless smile touched her lips, her eyes glistening with genuine adoration as she traced the ancient lettering with her gaze.

Her True God’s glory was carved into the very bones of this human mountain.

Standing behind her, the four outer disciples watched her intently.

Naen, observing the gentle, reverent smile that had completely transformed her usually cold, indifferent face, took a hesitant step forward.

“Sister…” Naen asked quietly, his voice laced with awe and lingering anxiety. “Do you… do you truly recognize these murals?”

Eurenia exhaled a deep, long sigh, letting her hands fall gracefully to her sides.

She turned toward the four youths, her demeanor no longer distant, but filled with a solemn, captivating gravity.

“I do,” Eurenia lied smoothly, crafting a legendary narrative to weave around the raw truth.

“These murals speak of a grand, sacred legend… the chronicle of the divine Kingdom of Beastmen, which was established after Lord Varanus, the great God of Beast and Men, awakened from his thousand-year slumber.”

The four disciples gathered closer, completely mesmerized by her tone.

“In the darkest era of the world,” Eurenia continued, her voice echoing with profound reverence through the cavern, “the beastmen lived as broken, hunted slaves. It was Lord Varanus who descended upon the mortal realm, saving the Crimson Wolf-men and bestowing upon them his divine empowerment. He ordained the Crimson Wolf-tribe to spread his absolute authority across the lands, to tear down the chains of tyranny, and to rescue every enslaved species.”

Her eyes flashed with an intense, fiery devotion as she looked back at the mural.

“He destroyed the wicked city of Norona. He crushed the cruel Troll King who ruled over them with an iron fist. He lifted the forgotten and the weak out of the ash! He is the true Father of the Beastmen… and the ultimate Devourer of worlds!”

The conviction in her words was so thick, so absolute, that it sent shivers racing down the spines of the four young cultivators.

She spoke not as someone reciting a dusty myth from a book, but as someone who glorified the very existence of a living god.

Mayr swallowed hard, his eyes wide as he looked between Eurenia and the glowing murals. “Sister… from the way you speak of him… do you actually believe in the God of Beast?”

Eurenia turned to face them directly. She did not flinch.

She slowly nodded her head, her expression resolute.

“I do,” she declared, her voice firm and ringing with absolute pride. “I am a dedicated, unyielding follower of the God of Beast and Men.”

The four disciples gasped softly, instinctively taking half a step back.

“However,” Eurenia warned, her tone dropping into a sharp, serious whisper as her eyes narrowed, “now is not the time for such a revelation to be made aloud. The arrogant enemies of God have declared a bloody, merciless war against the followers of the Church of the God of Beast. They seek to erase his holy name from the heavens.”

She took a step toward them, her shadow stretching long across the cavern floor.

“That is why I am currently hiding within the Emerald Purity Sect, concealing my true faith beneath these robes. And I am warning you four now… you must never, under any circumstances, expose my secret. If you betray my presence to the elders or the Sky Church, there will be devastating consequences.”

The four disciples looked at one another in silence for a brief moment.

Then, unexpectedly, a soft laugh broke from Peatyr’s lips, followed by Mayr and Hugan shaking their heads with amused smiles.

“Expose you?” Peatyr chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. “Sister, why on earth would we ever do that? We have no reason to betray you.”

“He’s right,” Hugan added, leaning against a rock with a bitter sigh.

“Look at us. We’re just low-tier outer disciples. The elders treat us like dirt, the inner disciples step on us, and the sect only cares about harvesting our tuition and labor. We don’t owe the Emerald Purity Sect an ounce of our loyalty.”

Eurenia observed their candid, bitter reactions, surprised by the sheer lack of allegiance these mortal youths held toward their own sect.

Suddenly, Naen stepped out from the group.

He walked straight toward Eurenia, his eyes burning with an intense, desperate hunger that had replaced his previous fear.

He looked at her, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides.

“Sister Eurenia,” Naen spoke up, his voice trembling not with terror, but with a deep, earnest yearning.

“If… if I choose to believe in the God of Beast and Men… if I devote myself to follow Lord Varanus…”

He paused, taking a ragged breath as he stared into her dark eyes.

“…would a useless, discarded person like me finally be able to grow stronger?”