### Chapter 9: Temple of Destiny (4)
As the sun dipped below the horizon, two of the grandest buildings in the Imperial Capital stood prominently on opposite edges of the city: the Imperial Palace and the Temple of Destiny. When people paused to gawk from a distance, the towering spires appeared to be gilded by the fiery red sunlight, shimmering brilliantly in their line of sight.
However, this time, as the folks at the foot of the mountain craned their necks for one last glance at the Temple of Destiny silhouetted against the sunset, they were shocked to find it shrouded in thick purple clouds.
The sun’s rays splattered across the clouds, subtly outlining an elegant, dignified figure of a woman.
The rise of the Church of Light had been a mere two-year phenomenon. Although they had usurped the temple and forced all their followers to refer to it as the Temple of Light, for most citizens of the Imperial Capital, the instinctive first thought was still of it as a shrine dedicated to the Goddess of Destiny.
So the moment the silhouette of the lady emerged under the sunset, the once-boisterous streets fell eerily silent.
A few recent converts from the goddess’s faith quaked and knelt down at once, confessing their wrongs and begging the Goddess of Destiny for another chance at redemption.
Meanwhile, more followers of other gods, although not required to kneel before the Goddess of Destiny, bent at the waist, placing their right hand on their left shoulder, honoring her with the highest form of respect that wasn’t kneeling.
More and more people gathered by the mountainside, tilting their heads upward to enjoy the occasional showers of violet petals drifting down.
“A miracle! This has to be a miracle!”
“Never thought I’d witness the Goddess of Destiny’s manifestation in my lifetime! Waaaah… the goddess hasn’t abandoned the Empire; she’s been right here with us!”
“Right? I must’ve been out of my mind to fall for the Church of Light’s nonsense.”
“Belief in the Goddess of Destiny is the backbone of the Empire!”
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace, which was quite a distance away, one would struggle to see the details of the temple from the highest meeting hall. On clear days, all that could be made out was the tiny figure of the Goddess of Destiny statue atop the mountain.
So even with a miracle occurring, those near the palace were completely oblivious.
However, the spies scattered throughout the Imperial Capital, reporting directly to the Emperor, were quick to deliver the news to his desk.
The Emperor, named Bel Rodney, was a descendant of one of the Four Warriors, Mage Valentine Rodney.
Close to forty, he was in the most vibrant and ambitious phase of his life. Having been on the throne for nearly twenty years, he had built enough prestige and power. Like any ruler wanting to leave a glorious legacy in history, he had contemplated rallying an army to stomp through the Eastern lands, crushing both the Monster Race and Human Race beneath his boots.
Over the years, he’d been amassing power for that very goal.
Traditionally, the time of sunset was when the Emperor would bathe and change attire. However, draped in a bathrobe, the Emperor inexplicably turned his gaze toward the temple mountain, where the statue of the Goddess of Destiny stood tall.
Like a totem of the Empire, the words “Goddess of Destiny” were engraved deeply in the hearts of the people since the day they were born.
Once upon a time, 70 to 80 percent of the Empire’s citizens were proud believers in the Goddess of Destiny.
Yet as time rolled on, more and more cults cropped up, and the influence of the Goddess was steadily diminished.
Even so, nearly all the citizens of the Empire still revered her as the supreme deity in their hearts, and that sentiment would not waver.
But in the last two years, the meteoric rise of the Church of Light had thrown the other cults into disarray, rapidly claiming nearly half of the city’s population as followers.
Of course, the Emperor’s tacit approval and nudging played a crucial role in this.
For one simple reason, the doctrines of the Church of Light met his needs perfectly, while the faith in the Goddess of Destiny provided little in terms of constraints for its followers.
Once someone joined the Church of Light, they had to commit fully to its religious activities; otherwise, they’d be branded a heretic and handed a one-way ticket to the roast fires.
The Emperor’s gaze seemed glued to the temple mountain, unmoving for ages.
The maidservants at his side dared not even breathe.
It was at this moment that the spies’ report reached the palace and was handed over to the Emperor.
After a quick skim, he commanded, “To the study!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” everyone echoed in unison.
…
Without delving into the Emperor’s reactions, it was undeniable that as violet petals wafted in a wintry breeze that should typically be non-existent in early spring, more and more citizens were gathering at the foot of the mountain, congregating at the temple entrance.
Moreover, the silhouette of the woman illuminated by the sunset amidst the shower of petals was seamlessly categorized as a miracle by the people.
And it was unquestionable that this sacred, dignified female figure bore no resemblance to the celibate Church of Light.
Only the very Goddess of Destiny, with her feminine form, could manifest in such a way to enlighten people.
At that moment, standing beside Lin Nan, the Temple’s high priestess Samantha was utterly flabbergasted.
Ever since the goddess statue became cloaked in a mysterious glow, she had a hunch that ever since the Church of Light started nibbling at the Temple of Destiny, her countless efforts would finally bear fruit.
To witness a miracle once in a lifetime, and not just once, was undoubtedly an event a priestess who pledged her life to the goddess would cherish forever.
“Samantha pays her utmost respects to the Messenger of the Goddess of Destiny!”
She half-knelt on the ground, right hand on her left shoulder.
The godly followers behind her quickly followed suit, kneeling in unison with Samantha.
As more people climbed to the mountain summit in the midst of showering violet petals, they too knelt down in prayer, seeking divine power from the Goddess of Destiny.
In stark contrast, the bald bishop, bloodied and battered, flailed around in the floral rain like a hapless rat, just seeing him filled people with loathing.
And those zealous followers of the Church of Light, who had just been gearing up to confront the women of the goddess, hesitated, stopping short in their tracks, looking around in confusion.
Even though they had joined the Church of Light and passed the tests to become the most devout believers, facing such a breathtaking sight made them reassess their old faith in the Goddess of Destiny—that she was fiercely regal and untouchable.
Their earlier intent to topple the goddess’s statue suddenly felt like the biggest blunder ever mistaken.
After all, how could the goddess send her earthly agent to relay a declaration from divinity if that were the case?
【Ding! Your Godhood Value has increased by 50,000 points, Godhood Progress: 5%.】
