Hearing Qiu Tu's sudden question, Qin Shuman couldn't help but turn serious.
Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window with her arms crossed, she said earnestly, "Qiu Tu, let me tell you this: there are no 'gods' in this world."
"Anyone who calls themselves a 'god' is just some shady bastard hiding in the shadows and playing at mysticism."
"They usually can't stand the light, so they use gods and faith to fool ordinary people."
Perhaps afraid that Qiu Tu might go astray, Qin Shuman thought carefully for a moment before explaining further.
She said, "After all, this is the post-Cataclysm era. Order across the world is in chaos, and the public hasn't been informed about Cataclysm power."
"That lets some powerful Calamity Descendants or Cataclysm Creatures exploit the information gap. They disguise themselves as gods, recruit followers, and harvest faith."
"The former aren't too bad. They're still human, after all. They've merely fallen for vanity, wealth, or beauty."
"Of course, we still need to crack down severely on that sort of thing. But the actual harm isn't that great."
"But the latter are terrifying."
"That means the Cataclysm Creature is very likely a high-level one—extremely powerful and possessed of humanlike intelligence."
"Only then can it recruit followers in the Material World, spread its power, and seek to descend into the Material World in order to grow stronger."
Hearing that, Qiu Tu paused, then asked in surprise, "As long as they spread their power, Cataclysm Creatures can descend into the Material World?"
Qin Shuman answered seriously, "Yes."
Looking at her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window, she slowly explained, "Though scholars and writers have often recorded how the spirit can influence reality, its truth was never verified. From ancient times to the present, it has remained only a legend."
"However, after the Material