“Is this considered the third question?” The Elder’s expression remained utterly calm, as if he hadn’t noticed the hand gripping his throat. Hearing these words, Brian Sutton let go as if shocked by electricity.

“When I first learned the truth, I was just as lost and confused as you are now.” The Old Master let out a long sigh, and deep pity appeared in his eyes as he gazed at the young ascender.

“Survival of the fittest, the law of the jungle—these are the unchanging rules of the universe. And humans are simply too weak, far too weak. In order to allow the human race to grow, we had no choice but to create this cage. While inside it, you cannot perceive this truth. Don’t shake your head—it’s true, the human population is just too small and frail. In places like where you come from, ordinary people like those commoners are not truly recognized by us, even though we were once among them.”

“Do you remember what I just told you? You are the 17,894,564th ascender. Heh, that number sounds huge, doesn’t it? But I have to tell you a fact: it’s actually very small, so small it’s almost negligible. Whether it’s magical beasts, demons, or those feathered angels, their populations are counted in tens or hundreds of billions. What’s more, I must mention that demons and angels are born far, far stronger than humans. Now that you’ve ascended, do you still feel any joy? Do you think I’m joking?”

“I regret to tell you, this is the truth. In the next three years, you will receive any help you desire. Don’t think it’s short—this time was only granted to us after we paid a tremendous price. Three years. Within three years, if you cannot become a qualified strong one, you will be mercilessly eliminated. The demons probably won’t mind eating a real human. If that happens, it would truly be a pity.”

“Now you may ask your third question.”

The young ascender seemed not to have decided on his third question yet, remaining silent. The The Old Scholar before him didn’t seem impatient either, quietly waiting for him to speak.

“According to what you said, this world is ruled by the law of the jungle, and demons seem to feed on humans. If that’s the case, please tell me, with only tens of millions of humans, how have we managed to survive in this world?”

He thought it was a simple question, but to his surprise, there was no answer from The Elder for a long while. Looking up, Brian Sutton saw a strange expression on The Old Master’s face—part reminiscence, part admiration, part longing.

With another long sigh, The Elder gazed seriously at the young ascender and said, “I hope your appearance can improve the situation for us humans, even a little. As for your third question, every race has some powerful beings. For these mighty existences, destroying the space you once lived in is a trivial matter. And among humans, there are undoubtedly such strong ones as well.”

“You have used up your three chances. Now keep your mouth shut. On the way to the Martial Sanctuary, you are strictly forbidden to speak without my permission.” After coldly saying this, The Elder grabbed Brian Sutton’s arm and soared into the sky.

Wind roared past their ears as the two sped through the air. By chance, Brian Sutton’s gaze swept over the primeval forest below. Everywhere he looked, he saw powerful demons battling massive prehistoric beasts, and here and there, small groups gathered, clutching bloody chunks of meat and devouring them ravenously.

Chapter Two: The Human Sanctuary

This was a towering peak thousands of zhang high, with a base covering tens of thousands of square kilometers. At the summit was a flat area several thousand square meters wide, atop which stood an ancient sanctuary built entirely of massive stones. The main gate alone was over eighty zhang tall, its pillars made of rough-hewn boulders. From the outside, the entire hall appeared as a single seamless structure. At the top of the gate was an ancient seal character: “武” (Martial).

When Brian Sutton arrived at this martial sanctuary, he found that the plazas on both sides of the hall, paved with bluestone, were filled with people. Each person occupied a single bluestone slab, sitting in perfect order. There were both old and young, all with eyes closed in self-cultivation. If The Elder hadn’t told him these were all martial artists who had encountered bottlenecks and were cultivating hard in the sanctuary, he would have thought they were dead.

The two walked along the gravel path that ran through the center of the plaza toward the main gate. Their footsteps seemed to awaken several martial artists in deep cultivation. They opened their eyes, glanced in surprise at The Elder and Brian Sutton, then quickly closed their eyes again and returned to their training.

At the gate, two imposing men with waist-length white hair but faces appearing in their thirties or forties sat cross-legged in the center. As the pair approached the sanctuary, one of them opened his eyes. In that instant, Brian Sutton felt as if the whole world suddenly brightened, and finally, a pair of eyes as dazzling as the stars filled all his senses.

“The Sword Servant, is this the newly ascended clansman?” the man asked, his voice calm and devoid of emotion.

Nodding, The Elder replied, “Yes, The Attendant, for the next three years, his martial training will be entirely entrusted to you.”