Heaven Temple Mortal Affairs had, a few years ago—or even a few months ago—been seen by the gods who truly held status within the Heaven Temple as nothing more than a troublesome affair that wasted time and drained energy.
Heaven Temple Mortal Affairs oversaw the Heaven Temple's broad recruitment of believers, widespread cultivation of blessed lands, extensive accumulation of incense offerings, and vast buildup of prestige.
These four "broads" essentially represented all the goals of Heaven Temple Mortal Affairs: believers, estates, wealth, and influence.
For the Nine Sun Divine King, the masters of the Heaven Temple's three great holy lands, and the other Divine Kings of the Heaven Temple, no matter who controlled Heaven Temple Mortal Affairs, they neither dared nor could afford to withhold their offerings.
The various benefits they enjoyed had established provisions within the Heaven Temple. Given their exalted status as Divine Kings, no one dared tamper with them.
Otherwise, should a Divine King's wrath be stirred, even if the disciple in charge of Heaven Temple Mortal Affairs had one of the three holy land masters backing him, the matter could not end well.
Thus, when Hong Ru had controlled Heaven Temple Mortal Affairs, he had been able to freely mobilize resources from every side without anyone interfering.
Because all the upper echelons of the Heaven Temple understood that, with established precedents in place, no matter how Hong Ru maneuvered, he could never leap into the heavens.
Yet that had referred to the relatively stable period of the Primordial Continent.
More than a year ago, Benevolent Sovereign Ji Long had passed away. The imperial princes and royal princes had carved up territories and declared themselves independent, the various races had invaded, and war had erupted across the entire Primordial Continent, bringing endless uncertainties.
Heaven Temple Mortal Affairs