Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

"God Sparks. Faithless Celestials. True Divinity starts when one's Path ends."

Eren mumbled to himself as he processed the goddess' words.

"Do you mean to say that the Goddess Two Lips became a Faithless Celestial?" Eren asked as he looked at the Goddess Great Mother intently.

"In a way, yes," the goddess said and sighed.

"However, she used the Faith-based Path as a reference to introduce additional steps in her own Path as a Conjurer. Her Path as a conjurer should have ended after reaching the S-Plus Rank. But she managed to create a bridge to cross the chasm between an S-Plus Ranker and a Faithless Celestial."

"What?" Eren's face was painted in surprise. "You mean she created her own Ranks beyond the S-Plus Rank? How the hell did she do that?"

"Do you know about the witches' most precious treasure?" the goddess asked a question in return, hoping Eren would take the hint.

"Hm? Do you mean–" Eren ventured a guess in his heart. "Did the Witch Goddess travel to the other worlds to create ranks after the S-Plus Rank?"

"Indeed," the goddess said as she spoke further.

"Technically speaking, there could indeed be some Ranks that could be introduced before one becomes a Faithless Celestial.

In some worlds with advanced civilizations and heritage of the gods, there's already a way ahead for the Practitioners after they reach a level similar to the S-Plus Rank.

However, their versions of the Ranks and practices aren't compatible with the other worlds because of the difference between the worldly laws.

To assimilate with the existing world's Paths, one needs to derive their own interpretation of the Path after looking at the systems followed in these advanced civilizations.

Of course, most Immortals are aware of this because they are already associated with various worlds. However, they will not spend their time and efforts to introduce such Ranks to the Practitioners.

Doing something like this would be akin to undermining the faith-based Path after all. It would be too much work for absolutely no gains for the current Immortals.

Plus, Faithless Celestials are like the greatest threats to the Immortals' existence. Some of them are said to retain their dominion even after entering the faith-based Immortal's Immortal Plane. Why would the Immortals turn their own followers into their potential killers by introducing Ranks after the S-Plus Rank and pave the Paths ahead?"

"Didn't other S-Plus entities ever try to create a Path of their own, using their own interpretations and understandings?"

Eren asked as he looked at the goddess. He believed that the Practitioners of the Labh Salem and even Rankers from Anfang wouldn't allow their Path to end just like that.

The goddess chuckled at him before speaking further.

"Do you think creating a Path after the S-Plus Rank is so simple?" the goddess asked in retort.

"It's not completely impossible, so to speak. However, these S- Plus Rankers would need to have a ton of experience, Origin- Force-level Elemental Attainments, and the understanding of the cause-and-effect fabric before they could even think about paving the Path after the S-Plus Rank.

To pull off such a thing, a Saint Ranker would need to live many lives and progress to the S-Plus Rank in all of them before combining all of the accumulated experiences together.

However, can a Saint Ranker really do that? Are they Immortals like us?

That Saint Ranker would have long exhausted their lifespan before they could even figure anything out about what lies ahead after the S-Plus Rank.

It's not that nobody tried. It's that nobody who tried managed to pull it off and survive.

The witch goddess was the only one who could do that. It was because she had the help of the Elder Seed Artifact."

"But how did she have enough lifespan to scour otherworlds and create a Path for herself? Shouldn't she have died before she could do that according to your explanation?" Eren asked, even more puzzled by what he heard.

"Hehe. You'll be surprised when you hear this. The witches have a peculiar way of extending their lifespan, Eren. They sacrifice their mortal vessels and tie them down to the existential fabric of the world to live far longer than anyone could imagine, almost becoming pseudo-Immortals in the process.

If the information I received from my followers in Anfang is correct, I believe you have already encountered a witch who had pulled it off in her own capacity."

Eren's expressions changed when he heard the goddess. "The Witch of the Enderflames– Eliza Samael." Eren distinctly remembered how Eliza's original body was shackled to the ground by countless runes acting like shackles when he first met her.

It was apparent to Eren that the Witch of the Enderflames had used a peculiar technique to extend her lifespan. It seemed that this technique was passed down to talented witches within the established clans and covens.

And the one who created this technique was none other than the Witch Goddess.

"This act of extending the lifespan is a forbidden technique that messes up with the cause-and-effect fabric of the world," the goddess said in a deep tone.

"Of course, the witch goddess didn't go scot-free after pulling off such a stunt. When she was forced to go through her Immortal Ascension Calamity, almost all of her body and soul were destroyed.

However, somehow, her two lips survived. Just the two lips.

That's why she was referred to as the Witch Goddess Two Lips after her Immortal Ascension."

"And what were you doing when your clone was off to write such an epic story about herself?"

Eren looked at the goddess as if he couldn't imagine an Immortal to be so careless. The goddess smiled wryly before speaking.

"Well, she faked her death and severed my connection with her when she did that. Her witchcraft and voodoo magic had advanced way beyond my imagination. By the time I realized she could do that, she had already become a Faithless Celestial."

"This… this is fascinating," Eren couldn't help saying out loud. He had to say that he had more respect for the witch goddess than he did for the goddess Great Mother at this point.