Chapter Ten: Establishing the Divine Domain

Above the realm of psychic energy, within the divine world, Ael sat upright upon his godly throne, listening to Savasein’s report. The construction of the psychic matrix was a matter of utmost importance for the psychic realm; the convergence of vast energies would propel the further development of laws, and for Ael himself, it would also grant a measure of strength.

“My power has now returned to the level of a chief deity, and the establishment of the psychic matrix heralds a technological explosion for the Star Spirit Empire. This should push my strength to the threshold of Creation. Alas,” Ael sighed, motioning Savasein to withdraw after hearing his report. He raised his hand to set a barrier, then murmured, “Perhaps I am the most wretched of the gods of Creation. Then again, perhaps not—Star Devourer is likely no better than I.”

He recalled that upon his first awakening, he possessed only divine-level power; after the founding of Kala, he recovered to the half-chief god level, and only now had he fully consolidated his chief deity’s strength. To return to the realm of Creation would likely require countless years.

“If my suspicions are correct, that fellow is certainly plotting something similar.” Ael’s eyes narrowed, exuding a dangerous aura. “It seems I must urge them to hasten their efforts. Speaking of which, Cass’s recent suggestion holds merit. Since that is so, I shall resolve the matter myself.”

Year 401 of the Kala Calendar, Aelstar—Koshaka—Star Spirit Temple

Immersed in Kala, Rohanna suddenly felt her spiritual form pulled away, drawn into a temple. Since ascending to demi-godhood, it was the first time she’d felt so powerless.

“Praise to the great God of Order; may your radiance shroud this chaotic world.” Rohanna opened her eyes and bowed to her smiling teacher.

“No need for ceremony, Rohanna. I am pleased you have ascended to demi-god. I imagine it will not be long before you rise to the divine world and keep me company.” Cass stroked his beard and helped his prized pupil to her feet.

“Etiquette cannot be abandoned, Teacher. Even should I ascend to godhood, you will always be my mentor.” Rohanna’s stern face relaxed into a smile. She had not seen her teacher for over four centuries; this summons surely meant that the question she had raised earlier had found its answer.

“Well then, we shall speak of these matters another time. You seem to know why I called you here.” Cass shook his head, amused. “The question you asked last time was indeed insightful. I have already petitioned His Excellency the Chief Deity, and he has said he will handle it personally.”

“The Chief Deity himself? But is it not forbidden for gods to meddle in the mortal realm?” Rohanna was first delighted, then puzzled.

“As you say, it cannot be done lightly—but there are exceptions, are there not…” After chatting for a while, Cass patted his pupil’s head. “Enough now; your spirit cannot linger long in the divine realm. Return quickly—your sisters are worried for you.”

Rohanna felt her consciousness plummet as Cass’s hand touched her brow, and in the next moment she was back in her body. She opened her eyes to find herself lying in bed, her two sisters beside her, faces full of concern.

Rohanna looked at them in confusion. “Sister, your spiritual form vanished from Kala so suddenly—we feared something terrible had happened. Thankfully, Teacher sent word that he’d summoned you for a talk. What did you discuss for so long?” Santilla asked, worry etched upon her face.

“Yes, Sister, you were gone quite some time. Was it something serious? The High Council has inquired several times already—do you wish to meet them?” Orlana chimed in.

“I was gone a long time? It felt like only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.” Rohanna was greatly surprised and quickly shared her memories with her sisters. After digesting them, the three exchanged bewildered glances.

“But to us, you were unconscious for three days!” Orlana exclaimed.

“I see. This must be the legendary ‘one day in heaven is a year on earth.’ Who would have thought the ancient records were true? It must involve a change in the laws of time…” Santilla suddenly launched into a stream of technical terms, prompting Rohanna to interrupt: “Enough, little sister. You can continue your research later. I sense the High Council has arrived.”

As they spoke, Madonis appeared at the door and, after inquiry, entered the room. “Good afternoon, Exalted Preserver. May the gods’ radiance shield us. Have you brought new revelations?”

“Good afternoon, Consul,” Rohanna replied, sharing her memories—including her recent discussion with her sisters—with Madonis.

Madonis sighed with relief; this unexpected event was far better than a genuine crisis. “Thank you for your guidance. I shall take my leave. This is a grave matter—I will convene all elders for a council, if you approve?”

“I’ll go. Elder Sister needs rest, and Little Sister is unlikely to be free soon.” Glancing at the still-excited Santilla, Orlana shook her head and departed with Madonis for the meeting. Seeing nothing pressing, Santilla opened a wormhole to Edionstar and, smiling at Rohanna’s resigned look, took her leave.

After everyone departed, Rohanna sat cross-legged to cultivate. Though her visit to the divine realm lasted but the time to drink a cup of tea, she sensed her spiritual form had benefited greatly; the bottleneck to ascension had begun to loosen. Seizing this opportunity to stabilize her cultivation, she hoped her chances of ascension would increase.

Orlana, arriving at the High Council with Madonis, explained the sudden unconsciousness of the Exalted Preserver, easing the council’s long-held anxiety. All subsequent discussion revolved around how the Chief Deity might act. Since the founding of Kala, all knew the gods were real, but never before had a god intervened directly—this sparked everyone’s curiosity.

A few days later, Elder Karlei, tasked with monitoring the psychic matrix, discovered a massive surge of psychic energy fifty light-years from Aelstar. He quickly relayed the news to the High Council. When the Exalted Preserver confirmed it was indeed the work of the Chief Deity, all eyes turned to the display screens, which showed a patch of empty cosmic vacuum. Fortunately, the region lay within the psychic matrix’s coverage, so the Star Spirit Empire’s leaders rapidly deployed the latest detectors from the Engineering Institute, enabling them to witness the astonishing scene.

At that moment, in the divine realm, Ael left his throne for the Sea of Psychic Energy. Due to the time differential, affecting the real universe from the Sea of Psychic Energy was the safest course.

Cass followed closely behind. The Chief Deity’s intervention was not as simple as it appeared; his actions would influence all universes in the multiverse. Such multiversal power might grant Cass the chance to advance.

Ael closed his eyes. Before him, visions of worlds flickered into being. Cass understood these represented different universes. Above each vision hovered five ethereal thrones; the five gods of Creation now gazed upon this place. Cass bowed to each in turn, then stepped back to focus on his master’s power.

Though Ael’s eyes were closed, he felt the warm attention of his siblings. Smiling, he nodded to them, and their shadows vanished. Ael stretched out his right hand and squeezed the multitude of worlds before him. Cass instantly felt countless laws erupt, quickly concentrating his mind to comprehend them.

In the real world, a great rift suddenly tore open the vacuum; streams of energy erupted forth, creating a spectacular phenomenon.

“Incredible—an interstellar rift has appeared before us. The detectors show it spewing streams of high-energy particles; any ship approaching would be shredded,” Councilor Karlei analyzed the data. The energies unleashed far exceeded the detectors’ maximum settings, yet were somehow contained within the region, keeping the devices intact.

“So this is divine power. Truly formidable. Will our enemies possess such strength?” Madonis, awed by the gods, voiced his concern.

“More precisely, it is demi-god power,” Rohanna, present as an observer, explained. “The real universe can accommodate only demi-god level strength. Not even gods can exceed this limit. Yet this force equals the full release of a demi-god’s ultimate power, which is why it appears so overwhelming.”

Madonis relaxed and joked, “If that’s so, why must His Excellency the Chief Deity act personally? Wouldn’t the three sisters combined suffice?”

Rohanna shook her head. “According to Teacher, the Chief Deity will act upon all parallel universes at once. It’s not so simple.”

Madonis nodded in agreement. “Speaking of parallel universes, a Karlei named Ernest recently told me of some new discoveries…”

Ael withdrew his hand and opened his eyes. Before him, the visions of worlds gradually faded. During this process, he had glanced at the recent developments in nearby universes, and the results surprised him. “No Star Spirit race has arisen in the parallel universes? That makes sense—I existed only in the main universe. Since that is so…”

With a thought, countless rays of light shot from behind Ael’s head into those worlds. “With the help of these universes, my strength should recover much faster.” Ael looked with satisfaction at his avatars, then turned to his first subordinate. “Cass, digest what you’ve gained well. May you soon ascend to chief deity. This matter is settled—return to the temple and consolidate your cultivation.”

Cass, emerging from his contemplation, bowed lightly to Ael. “Thank you, Chief Deity. I take my leave.” Watching Cass depart for the temple, Ael also returned to his own sanctum. This time, he not only opened the Otarian rift in every universe to hasten the fusion of laws, but constructed the divine realm of Ulna within the rifts for the demi-gods to inhabit. For the time being, there would be no major events, and Ael slipped once more into slumber.

Meanwhile, Rohanna submitted a new proposal to the High Council: all individuals of demi-god strength should reside within Ulna, inside the Otarian rift. There, they could enhance their affinity for the laws, increase their chances of ascension, and safely accommodate those demi-gods whose destructive power was too great.

Yet in Ulna, the flow of time matched that of the divine realm. To address this, the High Council required the Exalted Preserver to take turns overseeing Aelstar, and besides the Exalted Preserver, a demi-god must always guard the Star Spirit Empire.

At present, with only three demi-gods—all Exalted Preservers—Rohanna and her sisters agreed that Rohanna and Orlana would alternate, while Santilla, who loved frequenting Edionstar, volunteered to reside permanently, until another demi-god achieved ascension.