In Ye Rou's view, if this technique could at least defeat some weaker gods, it would still be useful.
But the path she had to walk was clearly still a long one.
She couldn't afford to slack off.
Lucian looked at the dejected goddesses and comforted them. "Don't be sad. A few outside enemies—I can handle them naturally."
"But we want to help you."
"Exactly—you care for us so deeply..."
Even Bai Suzhen spoke up this time.
Lucian smiled at their words. "You all keep forgetting what I always say—just do what you can do.
"For example, the Divine Domain has no shortage of tasks. The sisters help me share the administrative burden and manage affairs. Xueqi and the others descend to the mortal realms to deliver oracles. And all of you contributed during the last battle, didn't you?
"Maybe from your perspective, I seem exhausted. But even if you were simply ordinary women at my side—that, in itself, is nourishing.
"Don't forget: you have a long time to grow, and I have a long time to become stronger. From that angle, there's no need to worry about enemies at all.
"The gods temporarily stronger than me? They can't reach this place. And I will only keep getting stronger.
"Do you know why I built this Divine Domain the way I did? I want everyone to be happy—to grow stronger in a cheerful atmosphere. Not to force yourselves every day. That kind of pressure only leads you astray."
His words moved every goddess present deeply.
Even Celia and Shilock, who had only just arrived, were touched.
The god was great. And he was a passionate man.
For this kind of tenderness—no wonder her sisters loved him so dearly.
Celia couldn't help but think so.
Then Kaguya shed her somber expression and began livening up the atmosphere. Dongfang Huaizhu and the others joined in, lifting everyone's spirits.
In the end, they decided to hold a grand banquet—one where every sister was invited to participate.
This feast was unprecedented. Even Gabriel, the goddess of poultry-raising who had long been overlooked, received an invitation.
---
At that same time, on the Arad continent—
Lu Xueqi and the three women had not departed with the divine light.
Instead, they remained at Katie's side.
Their mission: expand the faith's influence and recruit more believers.
For instance—
After Shinobu learned about the existence of the night elves, she flew toward their lands with a smile. Only Lu Xueqi remained at the Eye of Insight, standing guard for the time being.
Katie knelt before her. "My lady, among the factions that can be brought over—the Duchy of Belmar is the only realistic option. The Delos Empire is most likely impossible."
"Then start with the Duchy of Belmar. Go personally. If they refuse to accept the faith, there's no need for that nation to exist."
"Huh? Does it have to be that aggressive?"
Katie was dumbfounded.
She hadn't expected this goddess to be so fierce.
The girl looked adorable and beautiful—
So how did she jump straight to destroying nations?
Xueqi rested her chin on the back of her hand and spoke indifferently. "The lord encountered an enemy not long ago. The opponent was also a god. Our lord killed him with ease. Since then, every goddess has been reflecting.
"Why is the conquest of some worlds so slow?
"The answer: because the lord is too gentle with His followers. Even when they err—even when they refuse to recognize the orthodox faith—He still forgives them.
"But as the lord's attendant, I must make this clear. Even if advancing the lord's power means killing thousands of living beings—it is worth it."
Compared to the lord and the goddesses, these mortals weren't worth mentioning.
Xueqi cared more about whether the lord's power could grow faster. Whether the worlds could be charged more quickly.
She was stirred up because she couldn't help the lord directly—so she'd intervene from every angle she could.
If they stubbornly resisted, they would accept God's punishment.
This was the conclusion the goddesses had reached during their war council. It had been decided unanimously.
Katie fell silent.
Yes. Compared to beings like the lord and the goddesses, ordinary mortals were nothing. Like grass clippings.
Stubborn resistance didn't just anger the gods—it suffocated every creature beneath them.
The Prophet sighed. "The goddess's words are correct. The kings of the empire care only about their own rule. They've neglected their people. If they stubbornly resist, we could simply assassinate those kings..."
Katie's eyes lit up.
Not a bad idea.
She gathered her people and marched toward the Duchy of Belmar.
The Alvin Line was close to the Duchy—reachable within a few hours. With the blessing of wind magic, Katie arrived in Huttonmar in just two hours.
This was the Duchy's capital and its most prosperous city.
Following Shilock's departure, the ghost-hand effect here had been steadily fading. Many people had already removed their suppressors.
The Delos Empire had fallen into a fury over this. Without Shilock, the remaining consciousness fragments lost their power. The magic gunner's abilities vanished entirely.
This incident would later be recorded as a pivotal factor in the Empire's downfall.
"Halt! Who are you? State your business in Huttonmar!"
The soldiers stared at Katie descending from the sky, accompanied by a group of terrifying swordsmen. Every face was tense with alarm.
The aura of this group was staggering.
Especially one young man with sharp fangs—his presence alone invoked primal terror.
Katie parted her lips and spoke evenly. "My name is Katie. I am a priestess of the Eternal Church. I've come to the Duchy to meet the Queen. As for yesterday's vision—that was caused by the descent of my god's attendants."
"What? Yesterday—!"
The soldier captain who had just arrived was shocked.
So it was them.
"Please wait! I'll report to Her Majesty the Queen at once..."
He turned and sprinted inside.
After a while, several ladies from the Magic Guild returned with him, bearing the Queen's orders.
Green-Faced Shura erupted with fury when he saw that the Queen hadn't come in person.
"Heh... this queen's got some nerve. A divine envoy arrives at her doorstep, and she dares sit at home?"
The rest of the believers radiated their anger. The sky darkened in an instant.
Countless arcs of electricity gathered behind Green-Faced Shura, coalescing into a roaring thunder beast that bellowed at Huttonmar.
Shalan and Alice turned pale, paralyzed with indecision.
The soldiers guarding the perimeter collapsed to their knees in shock.
This was beyond anything they could handle.
Katie made no move to stop the believers' anger—because she was furious too.
"N-no! Please—don't attack! The Queen—"
Alice tried desperately to appease them.
But no one listened.