In the Name of Empress

Chapter 712 398: Is Ascension to Divinity a Scam? (Part 2)

Ascension to Divinity is a deception.

That's all there is to it.

The order of the Divine Domain was established long ago, with the Supreme God existing in every corner of the universe in the form of rules, yet without gender, body, or even a soul or consciousness.

Existence itself is its greatest meaning.

Below the Supreme God, the Dominators are the core of the Divine Realm.

And the seats of the Dominators were determined long ago, unchangeable, and not allowed to change.

This is how it has always been throughout the eons of the Divine Realm's existence.

Casomir was born as the Light Dominator, and no one even thought it was inappropriate.

Challenge a great Dominator?

The very existence of such a thought is the greatest joke.

The Dominators are the rules themselves, do you wish to challenge the fundamental rules that maintain the universe's operation?

They enjoy this world in their preferred manner.

The intelligent beings of this world are neither their subjects nor their descendants; they are merely part of what the Dominators enjoy.

Tiya realized it, but it was too late.

The Shadow Dominator expanded her body and broadened her awareness.

She had never witnessed such pure evil and savagery.

What the Shadow Dominator did to her would have warranted countless death sentences for any human, but he is the Shadow Dominator, thus it all seemed so justified.

Tiya drove him to madness, then kicked him away.

A great Dominator, of course, wouldn't waste his emotions on a woman of humble birth.

Tiya returned to the Divine Kingdom, bruised all over.

That night, she descended upon the Divine Kingdom, executing three thousand one hundred and ninety-five people out of anger.

This was exactly the number of her total scars.

The scars left by the Shadow Dominator would heal, but never truly vanish.

Her body was covered with various shadow runes, like a Rune War God.

A god representing Light, with a body covered in shadow runes—what a desecration.

Of course, the Light Dominator didn't care.

After all, Tiya's divine status only held sway on the Material Plane.

An Ascender may be a deity on the Material Plane, but in the Divine Domain, they are merely the personal property of a Dominator.

The Shadow Dominator didn't get to play for free; he paid enough to the Light Dominator.

A transaction was completed between the Dominators, but they didn't inform Tiya, as no one respects the right of a ball to have awareness when playing with it.

It has been seven hundred million years since the last time the Shadow Dominator sullied her body.

For these seven hundred million years, she lived as though forgotten; the Light Dominator no longer touched her, and the Shadow Dominator ignored her.

Forgotten, Tiya could enjoy being the exalted Goddess in her Divine Kingdom, and occasionally peek at her homeland for anything interesting.

In her Divine Kingdom, thirty billion citizens fervently worshiped their immaculate Goddess.

Their great Goddess, beautiful and sacred, was the pillar of their faith.

They would never know that their sacred Goddess trembled hopelessly under the Shadow Dominator's whip.

Ignorance is sometimes bliss.

Tiya's hands trembled as the contents of the invitation fully revealed themselves.

Seven hundred million years might be just a brief span between two gatherings to a Dominator, but to Tiya, it was extremely long.

So long that she almost forgot her own identity.

Humiliating memories stirred, and Tiya's body trembled.

Tears welled up in her eyes but didn't fall.

If given the chance to choose again, would she pick Ascension or a life with Poseidon?

She was somewhat lost.

Is Ascension to Divinity a deception? It both is and isn't.

Every promise made by the Divine Domain Envoy before Ascension was fulfilled.

"Upon ascending to the Divine Domain, you will possess infinite life until the universe's end."

This is true, although what meaning such infinity holds is hard to say.

"Upon ascending to the Divine Domain, you will have the chance to meet the great Dominators and hear their cultivation experiences."

This is also true, but the great Dominators do not cater to the realm's candidates, using an ancient language and delivering lectures with great freedom; how much you understand depends entirely on your ability.

Tiya reaped almost nothing.

"Upon ascending to the Divine Domain, you may be chosen by a Dominator to become their woman."

This is true.

But the Divine Domain Envoy didn't mention there was more than one Dominator, nor did he mention the Dominators' malicious habit of exchanging playthings.

"Upon ascending to the Divine Domain, you may have your own Divine Kingdom and tens of billions of devoted worshippers."

This is true, with no misdirection, but the progress offered by this Divine Kingdom pales compared to the natives of the Divine Realm casually cultivating.

The highest-tier Divine Domain natives hold lofty statuses, never needing to cultivate; their future paths are already well-arranged.

Without a word of a lie, yet weaving a beautiful web, luring little insects to willingly plunge in.

Tiya, in addition to feeling sorrow, felt somewhat indignant.

She was merely unlucky, working hard to get a ticket to become a slave.

No, not a slave, a plaything.

Would the Demon Emperor, Sea Emperor, and Frosty Winter do better?

They too were enticed by the Divine Domain Envoy, striving with all their might for Ascension to Divinity.

Sofia, why didn't you come?

A cold gleam flashed in Tiya's eyes as she selectively forgot the past, where her three sisters deliberately schemed to leave Frosty Winter behind.

People tend to selectively edit their memories, which is a form of self-protection.

Tiya returned to her chambers, opening the wardrobe, gazing at the five treasured Divine Robes, her eyes bewildered.

On the first day of Ascension, she was awestruck by the vast beauty of the Divine Realm; it wasn't until she was bestowed her first Divine Robe that she understood the gap between the mortal realm and the Divine Realm.

Divine Robes are seamless because they form naturally, not tailored or sewn together.

Divine Robes are spotless because the Dominator has the power to define them, and naturally, they are spotless.

Divine Robes are shapeless, for they must adapt to the shapes of all Ascenders.

Both lightweight and heavy, both splendid and rustic, both flamboyant and reserved.

Many completely opposite attributes are perfectly united on a Divine Robe; the moment Tiya donned it, tears stained her cheeks, and she felt that in her prior life, despite wearing countless clothes, she was merely running naked.

Yet she later realized that wearing a Divine Robe is true nudity.

Thinking of the Void Dominator's myriad tales and her body covered in shadow runes, she lost even the mood to choose clothing.

She had even considered a frightening possibility.

Would the characterless, instinct-driven Void Dominator, upon seeing her trampled body, casually turn her into Void out of anger?

She felt some fear, yet she had no choice.

Several days passed in this state of apprehension, and the Dominator's feast began as scheduled.

The feast's scale was grand, and the guests invited were not limited to just the Void Dominator.

The banquet hall was at the cloud's peak, the towering forms of the Dominators looming in and out of sight amidst the clouds, only partially visible.

The prepared delicacies were mere adornments, for no food could match the taste of intelligent beings.

As the entertainment unfolded, the Dominators' interests were piqued.

The Light Dominator, seeing the time was right, clapped his hands, and his grand voice echoed across the Divine Kingdoms, scattering into every corner of the Divine Domain with a tinkling sound.

The prepared main courses walked up themselves.

Tiya entered with a calm demeanor.

She chose the Divine Robe that concealed the most.

She was the Void Dominator's meal, naturally not meant for other diners to see the scars within the ingredient.

She assumed this would be her last day, then strove with all her might to find a way to survive.

Life is always difficult.

So is divine life.

If she could just get through today, perhaps she could again be the exalted Goddess for another seven hundred million years.

The food marched in order to their respective Dominator.

The clouds gradually darkened.

The Dominators sealed off separate spaces to begin enjoyment.

After their enjoyment, they might exchange delicacies, but for now, it was a time of private indulgence.

The Void Dominator sealed the space as well, leaving vast exclusive space for just him and Tiya.

Tiya knelt without hesitation, the Divine Robe scattering.

"Supreme Void Dominator, you may have already seen, my body..."

The sound of the Void resonated beside her ear, though Tiya understood none of it, she clearly grasped the Void Dominator's meaning.

"No need for words."

Tiya had to close her mouth, only to be shocked at her inability to do so.

Her alluring Red Lips stayed open, like a fish leaping out of water.

The Void Dominator's humanoid hand pressed against her head.

The Dominator's hand on her head pressed forcefully.

Despite all the runes, those enticing lips remained clean.

The power of Void converged from every corner of the world, forming a long whip that swirled indiscriminately.

The shadow runes vanished into nothingness.

The long whip lashed, meeting each inch of Tiya's skin.