Catherine's Thoughts

At the top of the High Priest's Magic Tower.

For many years, Catherine had kept watch over the Yulan Empire from this vantage point; it was the place she was destined to protect.

At this moment!

Her mood was somewhat different from the past. While she appeared to be gazing into the distance, she was actually immersed in a world of her own.

Catherine had been gifted since birth. Aside from cultivation, she rarely paid attention to anything else, making her the most dazzling genius of that era. She was much like Linley and Olivier are today, perhaps even more radiant, simply because she was a woman.

After she became a god.

Not long after, Dylin was imprisoned in the Plane Prison, and Taros was captured by Beirut and taken to the Graveyard of the Gods. For a long time, aside from the ruler of the Dark Forest and the plane guardian, there were no other god-level experts on the Yulan Continent. She was the absolute sovereign of the Yulan Continent.

The heights are lonely, and kings are solitary.

However, Catherine was not obsessed with power. When she realized she didn't even have anyone to talk to, she felt profound loneliness.

Aside from secluded cultivation! It was always secluded cultivation! She silently guarded the Yulan Empire.

Later, the War God became a god. The War God had great ambitions, hoping to defeat her and unify the Yulan Continent. But the War God had become a god by refining a divine spark; he was no match for Catherine at all. After all, she had become a god through her own independent efforts and had done so long ago, having traveled a great distance on the path of the god-level.

In their sparring matches, Catherine quickly realized that the War God was no match for her. Even in material attacks, which were not her specialty, she could defeat him, let alone in soul attacks.

In the end, perhaps out of some unknown sentiment, Catherine did not defeat the War God outright, ending their bouts in a draw. The War God also understood that he was no match for her, and a tacit understanding was reached between them; the War God abandoned his plans to unify the continent.

Catherine would occasionally walk the continent, which was how she met Olivier. Originally, she had no intention of paying him any mind, but sensing that Olivier might help her achieve a breakthrough, she took the initiative to speak with him. Having reached the peak of the Lowgod stage and failing to break through for years, she had begun to lose confidence.

Through her interactions with Olivier, she discovered that he knew many things she did not. His ideas were incredibly novel, and he always managed to stir her emotions. Slowly, she began to enjoy being around him.

Olivier would call her stupid and laugh at her. If he weren't unable to beat her, he might have even dared to raise a hand against her.

She remembered when Olivier taught her the Taiji Fist; if she didn't learn it well, he would use a teaching rod and she would get hit.

She remembered feeling very reluctant when Olivier left.

Upon learning that Olivier had returned, her heart suddenly filled with joy.

Olivier had said he could become a god, and sure enough, he returned as a god not long after. Such confidence.

Chatting about beautiful scenery and discussing the various divine planes—if things could always be like this, it would be quite nice.

However.

Olivier was a standard lecher, living a dissolute life with two beautiful handmaidens. Thinking of this, Catherine felt particularly uncomfortable; she could not accept such a philosophy of life.

She recalled Olivier wanting to see the face beneath her mask.

"Hmph, in your dreams, you lecher."

Catherine was lost in thought. She realized that she actually had feelings for Olivier. If Olivier had only been a Saint-level, she would not have allowed these feelings to grow.

But now.

Olivier had become a god, and these feelings grew uncontrollably.

However, she truly could not accept certain behaviors of his.

After all, she was a god-level expert, and she was extremely proud at heart.

In the ten thousand years of lonely days, Catherine had grown accustomed to being alone. Olivier's appearance was perhaps merely a ripple in her calm life, and it would not change her.

The Yulan Empire, guarded by the High Priest, was an ancient empire. Unlike younger empires, it was not flourishing; the passage of time had already left it decaying.

The empire's nobles knew that with the High Priest present, no other empire or Saint-level expert would dare to run wild in the capital of the Yulan Empire. As nobles of the empire, they naturally enjoyed wealth and glory.

The capital was filled with nobles and complex interests. Even the Emperor could not easily decide the fate of these nobles, because even a single family might have had a Saint-level ancestor in the past—who might be dead, or might be in deep cultivation somewhere.

This was what Dixie said: it was not the Emperor who decided the fate of the powerful, but the top-tier strength of the Saint-level—the High Priest.

But in the Yulan Empire, the High Priest possessed absolute power. A single word could decide anyone's life or death, even that of the Emperor or Saint-level experts. To them, the High Priest was their god.

Therefore.

The appearance of people suspected to be associated with the High Priest naturally drew everyone's attention.

The High Priest's direct disciples knew the identities of Sophie and Jessica. But as high-and-mighty Saint-level experts and direct disciples, they naturally knew that unless one worked hard to cultivate the laws and become a god, there was nothing particularly worth currying favor with regarding the sisters or Olivier. At most, they simply ordered their families not to provoke them.

The nobles of the capital knew nothing more than that Sophie and Jessica had a connection to the High Priest; the rest was all speculation.

But!

Not knowing did not stop them from trying to approach and get to know Sophie and Jessica.

Lise was one of them.

"Ah, Sophie, Jessica, you really have men."

This Lise was also another friend of Sophie and Jessica.

Lise came from Delia's family and, counting it up, was Delia's niece. Upon hearing the news from her friend, she, like Wendy, couldn't wait to come and confirm if it was true.

"Fine, so you two never believed us. You two girls, our friendship is over."

Two good friends had come, both expressing such surprise; it was clear they hadn't believed their words before. Jessica said angrily.

In the academy, these were the only two people to whom the sisters had told the truth.

"Jessica, please don't, we won't dare do it again, please forgive us."

Wendy pleaded from the side.

Sophie also looked very angry nearby; the two sisters had excellent chemistry and were superb actresses, making Lise and Wendy feel as though they were genuinely furious.

"Since our Lord has returned and is in a good mood today, we will spare you this once."

Sophie added.

"Ah, then he is the legendary 'Genius Sword Saint' Lord Olivier?"

Wendy exclaimed in surprise, recalling what Sophie and Jessica had told her about the identity of their man.

"That's right, that is our Lord."

Jessica nodded and said.

My Lord is now a God-level expert, she thought to herself.

Wendy and Lise's mouths hung wide open; their own statuses were very noble, and while they had seen Saint-level experts before, they were insignificant in the eyes of such beings. They had once dreamed of one day marrying a Saint-level powerhouse, but given their backgrounds, it was an unattainable goal.

Lise, in particular, knew that her aunt Delia had married Linley, who was rumored to be even more of a genius than Olivier, and she felt incredibly envious.

Now, with a Saint-level expert right before her eyes—and the renowned 'Genius Sword Saint' at that—she couldn't help but become a bit infatuated.

"Lo-Lord Olivier, greetings."

Wendy and Lise became somewhat reserved, their speech no longer as fluent as before.

"Greetings to you both."

Olivier smiled.