Chapter 116: The Path to Godhood

After a brief silence settled over the atmosphere, the woman forced a smile and said, “You two are the people who escaped Seler City together with the Ashen Divine Son, aren’t you?”

Zhou Tian glanced at her in mild surprise. “How did you know?”

“The Ashen Sect has always maintained contact with us, so we know a little about you both. We simply never expected to encounter you here by such a coincidence.”

The woman offered an explanation. Behind her, Lingyu cast her mother a faintly resentful glance. If she already knew their identities, why had she sent her to test them? Wasn’t she deliberately setting her up to make a fool of herself? Anyone capable of escaping Seler City could hardly be an ordinary person.

She must be trying to sound us out.

Zhou Tian did not expose her thoughts. If they were in contact with the Ashen Sect, how could they not know what the two of them looked like?

“And which god do you worship?” Zhou Tian asked.

Anyone who could maintain ties with the Ashen Sect was unlikely to belong to any benevolent faith.

“We are followers of the Spider Goddess Queen,” the woman replied calmly, though there was something strange in her tone. It was not reverence.

“The Spider Goddess Queen is one of the central figures among the evil gods, and her reputation is extremely poor. The Spider Sect is an evil sect as well. Be careful.”

Musu stepped forward and spoke in a low voice. The wound on his chest had nearly healed by now, though his face remained somewhat pale.

The Holy God Sect he had once belonged to knew the evil sects like the back of its hand. He had even personally executed quite a few of their members, so he was relatively well informed.

Zhou Tian nodded. It was obvious to him that this beautiful mother and son were no good people.

“May I ask what you truly want with us?” Zhou Tian asked. Since the woman had gone to such lengths, surely her purpose was not merely to invite him over as a guest, as she claimed.

“You should be heading to the Hall of All Gods to seek a divine office that you can inherit, correct?”

Zhou Tian said nothing. Wasn’t that obvious? If they were not going to the Hall of All Gods, why else would they come to this perilous Mountain Range of All Gods? For sightseeing?

The woman did not seem to mind his silence and continued.

“Do you know how many people and sects are currently making their way toward the Hall of All Gods?”

“Nearly every sect’s upper echelon is heading there, including those that call themselves righteous. No one can resist the temptation of becoming a god, not even the most devout believers.”

“There are also quite a few Heavenly Outsiders wandering this region who wish to claim a share of the spoils.”

As she said this, the woman gave Zhou Tian a meaningful look.

Someone like Musu, a low-ranking member of a sect, knew nothing about the ancient war. But that did not mean everyone was equally ignorant. Even if they did not know the details, many still possessed some understanding of what had happened.

And she was one of those who knew certain secrets. Naturally, she also knew a thing or two about the Heavenly Outsiders.

The Heavenly Outsiders…

Zhou Tian pondered in silence. Since arriving in this land, he had rarely encountered anyone from the Nine Provinces. Perhaps this region was too remote, and few people were willing to come here.

“Did the Spider Goddess Queen perish in ancient times?” Zhou Tian suddenly asked.

The woman was slightly startled. “Of course not. Her Majesty is immensely powerful and did not perish in ancient times.”

“Then are you planning to establish your own sect and domain?”

“Establish our own sect and domain?”

The woman gave a derisive laugh. “You mean inherit a divine office and become gods yourselves?”

Zhou Tian did not understand why she was laughing. “Yes. What of it?”

“Do you think becoming a god is that simple? Inheriting a divine office is merely the first step. It only means that you possess a stepping stone—it does not mean you can become a god.”

“The most important thing about becoming a god is spreading faith. You need a sufficient number of believers. But look at this tiny patch of land we occupy. Even if you gathered every person here, there would not be enough to make a single person into a god, not even the weakest kind. And outside, the Heavenly Outsiders are watching us like tigers stalking their prey. Do you truly think we have any chance of becoming gods?”

The woman belonged to the upper ranks of the Spider Sect and knew far more than most.

Zhou Tian exchanged a glance with Musu. Neither of them had expected the matter to be so complicated. Clearly, things were not as simple as they had imagined.

“Then why reopen the Hall of All Gods and release so many divine offices?” Zhou Tian asked.

“The faith of the gods comes from ordinary people. But where does the faith of the King of All Gods come from?”

The woman revealed an enigmatic smile.

“The gods!” Musu blurted out, his eyes filled with shock.

Zhou Tian’s pupils contracted as well. He had never considered the question. The believers of the King of All Gods were actually all the gods themselves.

“That is correct. The reason the Hall of All Gods has been reopened and so many divine offices released is to make the source of the King of All Gods’ faith reappear.”

“Then why are you telling us all this?”

Zhou Tian narrowed his eyes slightly. This was an immense secret—one that many people from the Nine Provinces might not even know. Yet the woman had revealed it to them as casually as if she were eating or drinking.

“I want to cooperate with you and seize as many divine offices as possible.”

Zhou Tian’s brows drew tightly together. He did not quite understand her meaning. Hadn’t she just said that divine offices were useless? Why did she now want to seize them—and why cooperate with them?

Seeing his confusion, the woman took the initiative to explain.

“It is indeed difficult for an ordinary person to become a god after obtaining a divine office. But what if a powerful deity obtained one? It would greatly increase that deity’s strength. I am competing for these divine offices on behalf of the Spider Goddess Queen.”

Zhou Tian’s eyes flickered. The explanation was barely convincing, but the woman did not look like a devout believer in the slightest.

“The King of All Gods perished in ancient times. Therefore, every deity who remains in this world now has the possibility of becoming the next King of All Gods. We simply do not yet know the exact conditions required.”

The Heavenly Secret!

An answer instantly surfaced in Zhou Tian’s mind. Zhang Yi had once told him that the most crucial thing in becoming the King of All Gods was the Heavenly Secret.

So that was it.

Zhou Tian now basically understood. The schemes of those ancient deities were all aimed at bringing the King of All Gods back into existence.

“Have you made your decision? Will you cooperate with us?”

The woman smiled alluringly, as ripe and enticing as a mature peach.

“One last question. Why did you choose us?”

“No. I did not choose you. I chose you, Zhou Tian.”

The woman spoke his name. That was not strange. Since she was in contact with the Ashen Sect, learning Zhou Tian’s name would not have been difficult.

But her words were worth pondering. She had chosen Zhou Tian specifically. What did he possess that made him worthy of her choice?

There was only one answer: his identity.

“You had no choice before. Now you want to be a good man?”

The woman was slightly taken aback.

Zhou Tian then gave a carefree smile. “Don’t dwell on it. I hope our cooperation will be pleasant from now on.”

“Pleasant cooperation!”

Thanks to Book Friend 20181107102114912 and Book Friend 20180128221212861 for the generous rewards. Thank you both. I forgot to express my gratitude yesterday, so I am making up for it today. My apologies.

And please keep the recommendations coming.