Fahai felt a deep sorrow settle in his heart.
After everything…
It turned out his entire life had been manipulated.
Hah...
A hollow chuckle escaped him.
He had quietly opened a wound in his soul, and no one—not even the heavens—noticed.
Yet, the voices above his head continued:
"There seems to be something wrong. His emotional state is unstable. It may be the influence of the evil god…"
"I see. I'll keep an eye on him. I promise there won't be any slip-ups in the next stage."
"Alright. In a few days, I'll warn him—don't rush into action. Let the matter with Bai Suzhen play out, then we'll slowly lead him into understanding the evil god."
...
Fahai stood still, numb. But the crack in his heart only widened.
It wasn't just about him anymore.
If it were someone else in this position, could they really accept it either?
From the moment of his birth, everything had been arranged.
Every effort, every achievement—just another step in someone else's script.
And now, he could feel it.
Above the skies of Hangzhou City, gods were watching.
Not just Bodhisattvas—there were Arhats, awakened Buddhas, all observing.
For a small city like this?
Everything was for Bai Suzhen, Xu Xian, and himself.
Fahai clenched his fists.
The Eternal God said I should see with my own eyes and listen with my own ears.
Fine. Then I'll do exactly that.
If Guanyin and the Tathagata discover that I'm no longer theirs—will they cough blood from rage?
Perhaps.
But Liu Che had seen all this coming.
He didn't make threats.
He didn't interfere.
All he did was enhance Fahai's primordial spirit, sharpen his perception, and let him see reality—clearly.
The script was handed to him.
And the next scene would be even more brilliant.
Because one day, Fahai would no longer tolerate this cage.
And he would choose to become something else.
Another Buddha.
And when that time came—his opportunity would arrive.
In the World of God's Domain
The number of believers had surpassed ten million.
Faith poured into the world like a surging river.
The God's Domain no longer expanded just vertically—it had begun evolving globally.
With divine power, the power of law, and sufficient resources, the world of God's Domain had finally reached the point where it could transform into a true plane.
Now, after several rounds of sacrifice and an unending rise in faith, the Domain's surface area had reached over 90 million kilometers.
But uncontrolled expansion would only lead to collapse.
The Domain had to be stabilized.
To achieve that, it needed to be structured as a proper plane, according to divine law.
This was the method used by the higher gods.
Yet Liu Che, in terms of divine rank, was still a lower god.
If he followed the official path, he'd need to undergo tests—long, tedious, and bureaucratic.
Queue up.
Pass evaluations.
Collect permissions.
Tch. Boring.
He couldn't be bothered.
What were the benefits? A better divine salary?
He didn't care about that.
Better to spend his time studying divine techniques and cultivating Supreme Light Spells.
So he decided to handle it himself.
In an instant, nine-colored divine light spread across the entire God's Domain.
Each hue radiated a terrifying aura.
The sacred beasts that slumbered across the land awoke.
One by one, they raised their heads to the sky.
That is the power of the Father of All Gods!
They dropped to their knees and began praying.
The evolution had begun.
Under the illumination of the nine-colored light, the sun swelled to one hundred times its size, unleashing black flames that distorted even the void itself.
Then came the moon.
Its size grew a hundredfold, serving as the counterpart to the sun's raw power—its force lay in transformation.
Moonlight poured across half the sky.
The world's dimensional membrane began to boom.
It expanded outward at an increasing rate.
The vast void was swallowed in waves.
Liu Che released over 100,000 units of Origin Divine Power, which, combined with the divine light, surged toward the membrane.
The God's Domain, once elliptical, now began expanding outward in all directions.
Void cracks.
Spatial distortions.
Minor turbulence—insignificant in the face of Supreme Divine Art.
To other gods, it would have been catastrophic.
To Liu Che?
Child's play.
Under the brilliance of nine-colored light, nothing could stop him.
The expansion continued.
Until the Domain reached the size of an entire solar system—and finally, it stabilized.
"Now for the rules—the fundamental laws needed to construct the world's framework…"
Liu Che muttered to himself.
Shards of divine law that had long been buried in the ground soared upward.
The earth rumbled.
God's Domain began to transform.
And then, a planet was formed—a celestial body stabilized under the sun, orbiting in harmony.
This was now the strongest planet in the realm.
The origin continent.
The throne of the Supreme God.
In the future, all other incoming worlds would be arranged accordingly.
The strongest worlds would orbit closest to the Supreme Star, basking in divine glory.
Weaker ones would remain in the outer zones.
As for the Celestial Palace…
That was Liu Che's private domain—above all gods.
Built above the sun.
Positioned at the apex of the plane.
From there, one could clearly see the flow of law itself, the movement of the long river of fate.
Inside the Celestial Palace, the goddesses heard the change and rushed outside.
When they saw the vast, newly born plane stretching before them, they couldn't help but gasp.
Has the Eternal God's power… evolved again?
Countless stars now dotted the skies beneath the palace.
Starlight swirled visibly to the naked eye.
With the sun's revolution, divine energy rolled like waves.
The concentration of divine power in the air had tripled.
All across the living territories, Domain dwellers rejoiced.
They gathered in celebration—for the Supreme God had condensed a new plane.
Chi Huang Liuyan System — Central Divine Tower
Inside the tower, Xiao Luan sensed the overwhelming divine fluctuations.
Her eyes snapped open, filled with shock.
One of my disciples has formed a new plane?
But… I don't recall anyone at that level right now.
She extended her divine sense—searching.
Until finally, her gaze froze.
It was… Liu Che.
The disciple who had just been promoted to upper god.
Once Liu Che confirmed that the world of God's Domain had fully stabilized, he ceased the transmission of source power and began solidifying the divine laws within the realm.
Evaluating his current strength, Liu Che estimated that defeating the upper god Chen Dao would now take no more than three moves.
And if he used his supreme techniques, he might even be able to challenge a Lord God.
At that moment, Li Xiuning approached and asked softly,
"Master God, have you broken through again?"
She wore a pure white battle dress, long black hair cascading to her waist, tied simply with a ribbon. She looked valiant and elegant.
Since arriving in the World of God's Domain, Liu Che rarely saw her wandering idly. She was among the most diligent in cultivation.
Having reached a bottleneck, she was expected to be the first among the women to break through to the next realm in just a few days.
Liu Che smiled gently and nodded.
"Your second brother and the other divine envoys have been working hard. With more followers joining, my strength has grown naturally."
Li Xiuning smiled faintly.
"It seems my brother is still very cautious. But… I miss him."
She tilted her head, casting Liu Che a look full of hidden longing.
Who said women couldn't be passionate?
However, Li Xiuning believed that relying solely on beauty would earn only fleeting affection. True and lasting favor had to be earned through strength.
That was why she trained so fiercely.
Sure enough, when Liu Che caught her affectionate glance, he pulled her into his embrace and spoke in a calm tone:
"Tonight, you'll stay with me. Bathe in divine grace, and once you break through, you'll be allowed to see your family in the lower realms."
"Mm."
Li Xiuning nodded shyly.
Liu Che glanced toward Shi Feixuan, who understood his intention and quietly moved to another side of the divine palace, leaving room for Li Xiuning.
As goddesses from the same world, she and Li Xiuning often served Liu Che together—under the guise of deepening their bond.
Meanwhile, Wang Yuyan and the others, who had only recently ascended to the God Realm, still needed to undergo strict training before they could approach the divine bedchamber.
This wasn't just about intimacy. In God's Domain, "bathing in divine grace" was a sacred act.
The four sisters, including Hinata Hyuga and Hinagiku, were currently responsible for training the new goddesses.
They taught etiquette first, followed by proper techniques for serving the gods, and—most importantly—the correct attitude.
In a palace not far away...
Chu Yi addressed the four new goddesses with a composed voice:
"Don't let your eyes wander. There are rules even in God's Domain. I don't care what your status was before—now, you must be humble."
"The gods are busy. If they favor you once on a whim, that is a supreme honor."
"So, if you want to be favored, study hard. Train hard.
Managing divine beasts is also your duty."
"Do not be jealous of others who are favored. Jealousy is forbidden here…"
The four girls nodded one after another, engraving every word into their hearts.
They were not fools.
To be bathed in divine grace wasn't just about status—it improved their physique and spiritual power.
Elsewhere, Hinata observed the obedient girls with satisfaction.
Although they seemed bright and full of spirit now, all their strength and grace came from Liu Che's divine favor.
As one of the youngest lolis in God's Domain, she worked tirelessly every day—making tea, running errands, recording divine documents, feeding the cranes.
Every task demanded her full effort.
Once these girls get the hang of things,
My workload might finally lighten up...
Chu Yi silently thought, then continued teaching the dietary preferences and habits of the divine beasts.
At Otake Peak
Several days had passed since the Seven Meridians Grand Tournament.
Every day, Zhang Fan trained tirelessly with his senior sister.
Their relationship had blossomed, and joy filled the air around them.
Tian Ling'er wasn't quite as strong as Zhang Fan. After one bout of sparring, she stood panting heavily on the ground.
Looking at her junior brother, who showed no signs of fatigue even after half an hour, she rolled her eyes.
"Junior Brother, how are you not even tired? It's been thirty minutes!"
He'd used multiple techniques nonstop. She was nearly collapsing, while he stood there like it was nothing.
Zhang Fan scratched the tip of his nose and replied,
"Senior Sister, when you attack, you overextend and lose focus on your defense. Even if we kept going all day, I wouldn't get tired."
An attack that doesn't land is meaningless.
After strengthening his primordial spirit, and with Master Long's guidance, he had begun to understand the subtle art of anticipating movement.
With full concentration, he could see her movements before they happened.
He could even feel her intent.
It was miraculous.
"Hmph! You're just bullying me. I'm done sparring with you!"
Tian Ling'er huffed, gave him an angry glare, and flew off—ignoring his attempts at an apology.
Just then, a figure descended from the sky and handed him a letter—bearing the seal of Cangsong.
Zhang Fan opened it, his expression turning serious.
Moments later, he summoned his Imperial Treasure and soared into the clouds.
A stick of incense later, he arrived at a secluded cliffside.
Cangsong was already waiting.
"Elder, why have you summoned me?" Zhang Fan asked respectfully.
Cangsong's gaze was heavy.
"Zhang Fan, has the god communicated with you since last time?"
Zhang Fan shook his head.
"No. Lord Divine Spirit rarely speaks. But when He does, it's always significant. A few days ago, a Buddhist envoy made some disrespectful comments—he was immediately reprimanded.
Now he's completely obedient."
"Hmph. Those monks are nothing but trouble," Cangsong scoffed.
"Enough of that unlucky talk. I summoned you today to discuss the ritual sacrifice..."