Chapter 598: Church Affairs

"The master of fate and time, the ruler from birth to death, the sovereign of the world's yin and yang, the invincible god of combat and war, the lord of games and the internet, the defender of equality and justice, and the giver of youth, vitality, and beauty—"

This was inside a conference room in an office building in North Atlanta, where a man in a yellow trench coat sighed as he flipped through the newspapers in his hands.

"In less than a single day, he's become a god!"

If anyone familiar with FBI high command were present, they would recognize this man as Wallace Carroll, the current Senior Executive Deputy Director of the FBI, Director of the Third Special Affairs Division, and a Level 9 Agent.

His assistant, Level 8 Agent Tancred, also wore a complex expression as he quickly flipped through the newspapers in his hands.

"So, he won't be getting the fifth gold belt, right?"

There was nothing more to see. At this moment, almost all major and minor newspapers in America had the same headline, the same news. All their supplementary sections were also related to this. Headlines like "The Wiltonsons Ascend to Godhood Yesterday," "The Lord of Fate, the King of War, and the God of Equality!", "The Church of Light and the Newborn God Suspected of Violent Conflict," "Andre Lee Wilton-Son, Founder of the Rising Sun Group and Four-Time War Emperor Gold Belt Winner, Becomes the God of War!", "Shock! New Lord of the Underworld Descends on America!", "Pittsburgh Reduced to Ruins by Divine War," "Who Should Bear the Losses of Pittsburgh's Divine War?", "The Church of Destiny Declares Establishment Today; As of 10:00 AM, It Has Obtained Legal Missionary Rights in 122 Countries Worldwide" filled every page. All news about entertainment and politics was irrelevant today.

"Carroll, do you think our mission is still necessary?"

Tancred finally threw the purchased newspapers into the trash: "A very reliable buddy told me that His Majesty forced back the Radiant Court and the Lord face-to-face. This is incredible. This buddy told me very seriously; he wouldn't lie."

It must be noted that when this Level 8 Agent spoke of Li Mochen, his tone carried a respect never seen before.

A deity was certainly respectable, but for him, who had reached Legendary Level 5 and surpassed the mortal realm, it was just a slightly stronger being; their essence was no different.

But if this god, upon ascending, directly entered the stage of a Greater God and could confront the world's most powerful deity head-on, Tancred could not help but feel awe.

So they had been surveilling and monitoring such a terrifying existence—

"New situation!"

Another Level 8 Agent, Beroe, hurried in. She turned on the TV directly. On the screen, a journalist in his thirties was holding a microphone and speaking excitedly.

"—Ladies and gentlemen! Ladies and gentlemen! This is the latest news from the Michel Group press conference. Three minutes ago, the spokesperson for Her Highness the Dream Goddess and Underworld Sovereign Angela officially announced that the Goddess will donate 50% of her assets, including 32 billion gold shields in cash and 175 billion gold shields in fixed assets and securities, as funds for the reconstruction of Pittsburgh!"

"Also present was the spokesperson for the Rising Sun Group, who announced that His Highness 'Lord of Fate' Andre Lee Wilton-Son will also donate 120 billion gold shields in cash for Pittsburgh and will continuously invest the total dividend income of the Rising Sun Group for the next year, amounting to 160 billion gold shields, into Pittsburgh's reconstruction—"

"Wow, that's 500 billion gold shields. More than enough to rebuild Pittsburgh. What a generous move!"

Level 8 Agent Tancred sighed: "I bet the current President and his team of advisors are all breathing a sigh of relief."

"They are indeed celebrating."

Beroe nodded slightly: "This benefits the image of the Wilton-Son couple. I think future public opinion will shift in favor of this divine couple. Look—"

As she spoke, she changed the channel with the remote. It was 'Abraham News Channel,' airing a current affairs program.

In Tancred's understanding, this was a news station directly controlled by the Dante family. The latter had been in the sequence of Supreme Families for four hundred years.

"So you think it's unlikely that they forced back the Church of Light?"

"Of course! How could that happen? Anyone with common sense knows it's absurd. This is a brand-new deity; there's no way they could have the power to rival the Lord of Radiance."

"But as far as I know, he has many followers. According to what we've gathered, less than twenty-seven hours after the Church of Destiny was established, nearly 130 million people in America have gone to his churches and registered as believers. This number is still growing. Experts predict it will reach 560 million in a month. That's a staggering number, close to one-tenth of America's population. And this doesn't include the Old World and overseas—"

"Yes! As far as I know, He is especially popular among women. I heard several ladies in the dressing room praying to Him, chanting the name of His Highness Wilton-Son (everyone laughs). But Richard, you don't understand the supernatural world; you don't understand these gods. A god's power is not determined by the number of followers. What determines their combat strength is their divine office and divine authority. For example, the God of Song and Dance Jackson, who has a Greater God status, and the recently deified Goddess of Song and Charm Belinda Harris—they have many followers. But are they powerful? No, they are nothing before the Mechanical Lord Anthony—"

At that moment, the program host, a middle-aged man in his thirties, looked up: "Interrupting everyone, I have a new explosive piece of news here that will shock all of America. The Wilton-Son couple will jointly donate 500 billion gold shields to establish a fund for the reconstruction of the Pittsburgh disaster area. And all accounts of this fund will be made public. They will be posted online, accessible to anyone."

Thus, the topic of the program suddenly shifted—

"Wow, that's really a big move! But I said it before, right? His Highness Wilton-Son would not sit idly by regarding the Pittsburgh disaster. Remember, over the past seven years, His Highness Wilton-Son has donated nearly a hundred billion. The only thing that surprises me is the amount; it's too huge."

"So, does this offset the crimes they committed?"

An elderly white man crossed his arms and sneered dismissively: "Richard, don't forget that the divine war in Pittsburgh happened because the Dream Goddess's father colluded with the Dragon Witch Cult—"

"No, Mr. Cagellan! In fact, no official agency currently believes that Michel Medici is related to the Pittsburgh conspiracy. Moreover, according to some leaked footage, it was precisely because of the joint efforts of Ms. Angela Wilton-Son and her father that they defeated the Dragon Witch Ancestor and prevented a disaster that could have killed one-tenth of the population of the Great Lakes region."

"But we all know that at least half of the buildings in the pentagram array covering the entire Great Lakes region belonged to Michel Medici."

"That doesn't prove anything. Those were held by the 'Paradise Fund,' a family fund established by Mr. Michel Medici, but he hasn't managed it personally for a long time. The FBI has confirmed that several senior managers of the 'Paradise Fund' were members of the Dragon Witch Cult. This can only be considered negligence, and Mr. Michel Medici paid for this negligence with his life, didn't he? Moreover, it was due to Ms. Angela's efforts that the vast majority of Pittsburgh's citizens were evacuated before the divine war broke out."

"Yet nearly 70,000 Pittsburgh citizens still died in this disaster! Here I must reveal that nearly 30,000 of these 70,000 did not purchase personal safety insurance. Notably, it's not that they didn't want to buy it, but that major insurance companies refused to provide it. A shocking truth is that all insurance companies in America with a market value over 700 billion gold shields began consciously refusing to accept Pittsburgh policies five years ago."

"What are you implying? My God, I'm scared now. Don't say it, okay? That's a shocking guess. I feel extreme danger."

"No! I must say it! I believe the government and these insurance companies may have foreseen the occurrence of this disaster in Pittsburgh as early as five years ago. But they didn't stop it; they chose to acquiesce—"

Realizing the program had gone off-topic again, Beroe shrugged and turned off the TV.

"That's a clever propaganda strategy, isn't it? I heard it was personally orchestrated by Ms. Nanette Drew, using more shocking so-called 'truths' to confuse the public."

"I admire her! I think the divine couple has weathered this public opinion crisis."

"I think our American people are pitiful. They live in lies every day, manipulated and fooled by people like Nanette Drew."

"Enough! We know the truth, don't we? This divine couple did prevent a disaster of staggering proportions."

Wallace Carroll put down the phone at the back of the conference table: "Anyway, this has nothing to do with us. Orders from above: effective immediately, end the surveillance mission on Andre Lee Wilton-Son. We must get to Puerto Rico within a day—"

Everyone present looked at each other in bewilderment.

"I'm not surprised by the mission, but why Puerto Rico?"

Tancred asked curiously: "What's happening there? Can't the CIA handle it?"

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico was a colony seized by the American Federation from the former Kingdom of Spain, now an unincorporated territory without voting rights.

However, Americans generally do not consider Puerto Rico as part of their territory.

The FBI, which mostly handles domestic affairs, rarely set foot in this territory.

"A very troublesome matter."

Wallace Carroll frowned deeply: "Someone performed a blasphemy ritual there, killing 700,000 people in a sacrifice."

Agent Beroe's mind tightened: "Blasphemy? Which deity?"

She knew that such a large-scale sacrificial blasphemy meant the object of desecration must be extraordinary.

"In Puerto Rico, who else could it be? Of course, the Lord of Radiance!"

The Level 9 Agent's words instantly froze the atmosphere in the conference room.

...

Meanwhile, at the Rising Sun Media Tower, built less than six years ago, 260 meters high with 66 floors, Ms. Nanette Drew, who had just been discussed by the agents, sat in her office like a queen, issuing various commands.

"Cree, I know you're a card buddy with the vice president of American Airlines, right? You can invite him for coffee tonight. I need American Airlines to terminate its advertising investment in Manhattan Cable TV and Michigan News. If your friend refuses, then they can forget about completing the merger with Carolina Airlines. Of course, you can't say it directly; just hint subtly. They're all smart people, aren't they?"

"—Yes, directly tell Rod Onassis that my BOSS is not satisfied with the live coverage from Onassis's news outlets. I'll give him one hour to correct the direction of public opinion. No, just relay the words exactly; no need for any euphemisms! Tell Rod that if he can't control his people, then my BOSS will discipline him."

"Supreme families? In front of Wilton-Son, no family dares to claim the title of supreme sequence anymore, Thomas!"

"Yes, we need to continue diverting public attention! They can only focus on BOSS's donations, BOSS's divine seat, divine nature, His authority, and the conflict and grievances between BOSS and the Church of Light, not the truth about Pittsburgh."

"This is America, not the Old World!"

"Are you playing word games with me, Dark? Don't use your sophistry on me. If you can't do it, then I'll make you experience the power of the All-American Cosmetics Association. Ha, you recorded it? I don't care. Did I specifically say what I demanded? No, it's not related—Well, this has been an unpleasant conversation. Good luck!"

After ending the call, Ms. Nanette Drew suddenly picked up the remote and pressed pause, freezing the image on the TV across from her. She observed for a moment, then unhesitatingly made another call.

"Edith, I've seen the video you sent. It's not good enough. You know what I want? I want the feeling that after praying at St. Wilton-Son Cathedral, their entire temperament and appearance are refreshed. Can you only achieve this level? Then I suggest changing the photographer. Tell him he can try to work on the lighting."

"Deceiving the audience? How could this be deception? Praying at St. Wilton-Son Cathedral can indeed help lift one's spirits and improve skin condition. You've tried it there, haven't you? Wasn't it effective? We're just touching it up a bit—Yes, I need it as soon as possible!"

At that moment, Nanette Drew suddenly felt something and turned her gaze to the side. She saw Li Mochen's heroic and upright figure stepping out of a torn spatial rift.

"Am I interrupting you, Ms. Drew?"

"How could that be?"

Nanette Drew took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed with her hand on her chest: "This is my honor, my God!"

She knew that the doctrine Li Mochen had established advocated equality for all beings. This was reflected in the church's rituals: followers of the Lord of Fate and God of Equality need not kneel before the god or his statue, only maintain respect and reverence.

"I'm here to fulfill my promise."

Li Mochen smiled and asked: "Before this, I must ask you again: Are you willing to become my Chosen? Ms. Nanette Drew?"

"Of course!"

Nanette Drew answered without hesitation, even with hope: "Since the day you made me that promise, I have been looking forward to this day. I hereby swear that I will dedicate everything I have to your cause. I will not disappoint you, my Lord!"

Nanette knew what 'Chosen' meant—it meant her life was completely tied to this deity, becoming his assistant and spokesperson on earth. But it also meant power, status, and strength.

Moreover, her god was far more generous than the Lord of Radiance. Besides possessing combat power comparable to a cardinal, Li Mochen had also promised her a thousand years of life and youth.

"Of this, I have no doubt!"

Li Mochen smiled, then lightly touched Nanette Drew's forehead with his finger, enveloping her body in divine radiance.

"For the next thousand years, you will be my most reliable pillar in the mortal world. Please work hard, Ms. Drew. If your achievements satisfy me, I will not hesitate to grant you godhood!"

At this moment, Nanette Drew's face visibly grew younger; the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes quickly disappeared. But what she cared about more was Li Mochen's last sentence, which made her body tremble slightly and a fervent light appear in her eyes.

...

Besides Nanette Drew, the one chosen by Li Mochen was also Eliza Targaryen. The latter's talent was actually quite good, but due to excessively heavy duties, she would likely find it difficult to ascend to divine status in the future.

However, with Li Mochen's bestowed power, Eliza could now possess the strength of a Lesser God and a long lifespan. In the future, she could also enter his divine kingdom or become Li Mochen's subordinate god.

There were no others; Li Mochen did not have that much divine power to waste, and he deeply understood the principle of fearing scarcity rather than inequality.

Among all his current subordinates, only Nanette, Eliza, Michael Wood, and Sampson Blut had sufficient contributions and merits to obtain voter qualifications without arousing jealousy and discontent among his other followers.

Considering that Michael and other military men, as well as trusted aides like Li Tailai, could enter the demigod rank through their own talents and thus enjoy a lifespan of thousands of years under his protection as the 'God of Vitality,' only Nanette and Eliza could receive divine gifts from him.

Nevertheless, Li Mochen still conducted a large-scale 'reward according to merit' for his old subordinates. The main reward was lifespan; both his civilian and military staff cared most about life, and few in this world did not wish to live longer.

With the power Li Mochen now wielded, he could easily extend their lifespans by thirty to fifty years, provided they believed in him, remained loyal, and had achievements.

After this, Li Mochen devoted himself entirely to the construction of his and Angela's 'church.'

Li Mochen had not neglected the church organization after Angela's apotheosis. In fact, the preparatory work for Angela's Dream Church had been led by Eliza for five years.

However, his wife's public influence before her apotheosis was very limited. Unlike Li Mochen, who was not only a popular NMOSA player but also the controller of the Sunrise Group, a super conglomerate that had risen in just ten years, and had a massive fan base in comics, fitness, and beauty, Angela's 'Church of Dreams and the Underworld' was much smaller. It had only seven hundred churches across the entire Americas and 1.72 million believers, with little expected growth in the foreseeable future. This was despite Li Mochen personally arranging over a dozen capable hands and investing enormous resources.

Thus, the affairs of the Dream Church were actually very limited, mainly organizing missionary work, consolidating faith, and handling supernatural incidents assigned by the government.

Considering Angela's extremely weak control over the 'Underworld,' Li Mochen simply took on that aspect of her duties as well, allowing his wife more time to cultivate the two divine powers of 'Death' and 'Soul' and to ease her pain.

However, the affairs of the Destiny Church made Li Mochen wish he could have a hundred more split souls and divine thoughts.

He had vastly underestimated people's pursuit of health, vitality, beauty, and youth in the Bright World.

Thirty-six hours after his apotheosis, his believers grew at a geometric rate. Even those who had not registered at his church would praise his divine name on special occasions, hoping to receive his divine grace.

The prayers and praises of these believers constantly filled Li Mochen's soul, bombarding him incessantly, forcing him to drastically narrow the range of prayers he listened to.

Previously, he randomly selected one in a million believers; now the setting was one in five million.

The divine spell system Li Mochen had pre-set also needed adjustment. Because the primal forces and faith derived from 'Equality,' 'Youth,' 'Vitality,' and 'Beauty' were too immense, Li Mochen now had enough capital to relax the proportion of certain divine spells and divine power grants.

For example, the mythical-grade artifact 'Vitality Holy Plate' he had specially placed in the St. Wiltonstein Cathedral in Atlanta—this artifact, designed jointly with Anthony, not only allowed believers to gain a slight increase in vitality after completing a full prayer ritual but also improved health and mental state, making skin smoother and firmer. It was one of Li Mochen's ways to demonstrate his 'might' to believers.

Now, Li Mochen judged that he could bear at least four more such artifacts.

Anthony had accepted his commission and was urgently crafting new 'Vitality Holy Plates' for him. However, the placement of these four 'Vitality Holy Plates' required great caution. Not only must comprehensive coverage of believers be considered, but safety must also be ensured.

Ultimately, two of them were placed in Manhattan and Los Angeles in mainland America, one in South America, and one in Paris—a city that championed freedom and where the Radiant God Church's power was weakest in the Old World. Although the vast majority of people there believed in the Lord of Light, true devotees were few.

Instead, after Li Mochen's apotheosis, 2.2 million believers emerged overnight, many of whom were devout followers.

Moreover, due to the ever-increasing number of believers, the 270,000 clergy prepared by Eliza were far from sufficient nine hours after Li Mochen's apotheosis. The church had to hastily recruit large numbers from among the believers to expand its scale.

Li Mochen was self-aware; he knew that the vast majority of his current believers were unstable. Many were not even shallow believers, and many were just joining in the excitement, with only a three-minute passion. At this time, outsiders might only need to seize a scandal and stir things up slightly to greatly weaken his faith.

Li Mochen now needed a period of consolidation to let his majesty and 'divine name' sink deep into people's hearts.

During this time, the church's pastoral team was the only force that could help him consolidate faith and also the hand that helped him hold onto those believers.

Thus, Li Mochen, for once, did not slack off and personally supervised all recruitment interviews for the church. He believed that no matter how troublesome, he must do his utmost to ensure the purity and reliability of the pastoral team.

Then came the selection of local bishops, cardinal deacons, and cardinal bishops of the Holy See, which also cost Li Mochen great effort.

Especially the latter; the College of Cardinals was not only an institution to help Li Mochen handle church affairs but also a military group to counter the cardinal bishops of the Radiant Church.

Originally, Li Mochen had planned for twelve members, but now that number could be increased fourfold. Considering the current number of believers in the Destiny Church, he needed at least thirty bishops in red vestments to maintain the church's daily operations.

Yet how difficult was it to select a qualified cardinal? They needed not only pure and devout faith but also strong administrative skills and at least Legendary Tier 3 cultivation.

Thus, even seventy days after Li Mochen's apotheosis, the College of Cardinals of the Destiny Church still had only seventeen members. He ultimately adhered to the principle of 'rather have none than unqualified,' preferring to devote more energy to personally handling church affairs rather than promoting unqualified individuals.

Just as Li Mochen was fully immersed in church and faith construction, troubled by the lack of church talent, a shocking piece of news forced him to turn his attention back to the secular world.