I Have A Sword

Temple of the Gods!

Ye Guan wanted to learn more about this place. Through his conversations with Nan Xiao, he came to understand some things about the Temple of the Gods.

It was located in the Temple of the Gods Star System. Here, top-tier gods from many universes were gathered. Among the gods, there was a hierarchy—Lower Gods, Higher Gods, Main Gods, Fate Gods, and at the top, the Temple God.

Although Lower Gods were of low rank here, they were still fearsome beings who ruled countless worlds.

Take the Boundary of Truth and Illusion as an example. King Yan was a powerful figure with a dozen Divine Realm cultivators as followers. Yet, he wasn't qualified to enter the Temple of the Gods. This showed how strict they were with recruiting people.

As for the Higher Gods, their divine seed was golden in color, indicating that they could draw more power from their Divine Will. Their Divine Will was not only stronger than that of other gods, but it could also suppress Lower Gods.

Main Gods, meanwhile, had established divine positions of their own. In addition to possessing a more powerful Purple Divine Will, they could erect divine statues of themselves across various universes to absorb the faith power of countless beings, which would strengthen their Divine Will.

They were dominant figures in the Temple of the Gods. Not only were they incredibly powerful, but they also wielded immense authority.

Then, there were the Fate Gods. Unlike other gods who relied on Divine Will and faith power to become gods, Fate Gods became gods through their own strength.

Later, for unknown reasons, they chose to submit to Divine Will. Since their power was fundamentally different from that of ordinary gods, gods of a higher rank were often unable to suppress them.

Moreover, the Divine Will tended to treat such self-made gods with great favor, even granting them Pure Divine Will, which made them even stronger. Hence, Fate Gods were extremely unique within the Temple of the Gods. They only took orders from the Divine Emissaries.

Divine Emissaries were incarnations of the Divine Will, rarely seen or heard from.

At the top of it all was the Temple God, the supreme ruler of the Temple of the Gods. There was only one Temple God, and his actual strength was unknown.

It was worth mentioning that the Temple God often acted as a Divine Emissary, as they were always the first to know about the Divine Will's presence.

After understanding all this, Ye Guan realized that the Temple of the Gods followed a strict hierarchy. The hierarchy here was absolute. Lower Gods could never defy Higher Gods. Although Higher Gods could not kill Lower Gods at will, they had thousands of ways to ruin them.

From his conversations with Nan Xiao, Ye Guan learnt that Nan Xiao was a Higher God. However, unlike others, he also served as a Judicial Officer, a special role responsible for dealing with heretics.

There were many Higher Gods, but Nan Xiao held real authority, something not all Higher Gods had.

Ye Guan also learned that Nan Xiao was aiming for the position of Main God.

There were only seven Main Gods in the star system. One seat had just been vacated, as the Unfettered Swordsman had killed them; hence, a replacement was needed.

Becoming a Main God would allow Nan Xiao to obtain more power from the Divine Will. For him, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not only would he gain great power, but immense authority as well.

On the way to a city of the Temple of the Gods, Nan Xiao turned to Ye Guan and asked, "Brother Ye, you're clever. What do you think are my chances of becoming a Main God?"

"Besides you, who else is fighting for the position?"

"Qu Jin and Ge Han. They're in charge of the Law Enforcement Guards and the Imperial Guards, respectively. They're my strongest rivals."

"Law Enforcement Guards? Tell me more?" Ye Guan prompted.

"Strictly speaking, I belong to the judiciary, while Qu Jin is a law enforcer. From the outside, there are no distinctions. Both organisations handle heretics and blasphemers. Internally, however, there are a few differences. The Law Enforcement Guards can enforce laws, but not interpret them.

"If someone violates the divine laws, they can arrest them. However, the authority to judge and define the crime lies with me. In other words, I have the final say on how the divine laws are interpreted.

Ye Guan looked at Nan Xiao with a hint of surprise. "Brother Nan, you've got quite a bit of power."

Nan Xiao smiled faintly. "Power or not, we are here to serve the Divinity and the people."

Ye Guan chuckled and asked, "What about the Imperial Guards?"

"The Imperial Guards have no law enforcement or judicial powers. They're solely responsible for the security of the star system. That said, they're not to be trifled with."

"Why's that?"

"The Imperial Guards enjoy great benefits, as they are second only to the Temple God's personal guards. Everyone wants to join their ranks, meaning that only those with powerful backgrounds can get in."

Ye Guan nodded. "So, it's basically a department full of elite insiders."

"Exactly." Nan Xiao nodded before saying, "This is a rare opportunity for me to become a Main God. Qu Jin and Ge Han... I've heard from above that they're leaning toward me.

"After all, I've done the most over the years."

Seeing Ye Guan silent, Nan Xiao turned and asked, "Brother Ye, if you have anything to say, don't hold back. I'm serious. I really want to hear your thoughts."

Ye Guan thought for a moment and replied, "Brother Nan, I'll be honest. If what I say isn't helpful, just take it with a pinch of salt."

Nan Xiao laughed. "What are you talking about? If you are willing to tell me, it means you think highly of me. No such thing as unhelpful opinions."

"Here's what I think... the fact that the higher-ups favor you is not necessarily a good thing."

Nan Xiao was puzzled. "Why not?"

"It means that Qu Jin and Ge Han must be aware of it, too. And since they are aware of it, they will almost certainly join forces to bring you down."

Nan Xiao froze. He hadn't thought of that.

"They'll try to smear you, or dig up some dirt about you. Even if it's false, you'll be put in a difficult position. Once that happens, not only will you lose your chance at becoming a Main God, but even your current position may be at risk."

Nan Xiao frowned. "Would they really stoop so low?"

Ye Guan simply looked at him and smiled, saying nothing.

Nan Xiao laughed bitterly.

Ye Guan went on, "Unless the top directly appoints you, such a three-way competition will always end with the weaker two teaming up against the stronger one."

Nan Xiao was silent for a while and asked, "So what do you suggest?"

"Withdraw voluntarily."

Nan Xiao was stunned.

"Withdraw on your own."

"You're saying I should just quit and let them fight it out."

Ye Guan nodded. "Qu Jin and Ge Han have their own differences. But because of you, they've put aside these conflicts to deal with you first. If you withdraw, their conflict will come into the spotlight again. They'll turn on each other, and you'll be in the clear, becoming someone they need to win over."

"That would prevent them from targeting me, but what about the position?"

"Didn't you say you've contributed the most?"

"Yes."

"Then it's simple. Fan the flames, stir up conflict until they become bitter enemies. If you were the higher-ups, who would you pick then?"

Nan Xiao's eyes lit up. "If they choose Qu Jin, Ge Han won't accept the decision and will cause trouble. If they choose Ge Han, Qu Jin will do the same.

"Both have powerful factions behind them. Their fight could can lead to a factional war, which is something the higher-ups won't want to see. That's when they'll remember me as someone who stepped aside for the greater good. They'll think I'm so noble and selfless..."

"By then, even if Qu Jin and Ge Han are unhappy, they'll have to accept it if I'm chosen," Nan Xiao said, grinning.

Ye Guan nodded. "That's the idea."

"But what if they keep targeting me even after I withdraw?"

"Then ask them to call it a draw."

Nan Xiao was speechless.

Ye Guan patted Nan Xiao on the shoulder and said, "In any era or civilization, when personal advancement is at stake, it is always going to be a life-or-death struggle. It's in our bones. It's the Dao, the Laws, and human nature. Unless they regard power as mere dirt, they'll definitely fight it out."