My Seven Wives Are Beautiful Saintesses - Chapter 172

Chapter 172: Chapter 172: The Rise of the Celestial Empire
Vahn stepped out of the Void Realm’s dimensional residue and back into the sunlit Imperial Garden. The change in atmosphere was immediately palpable. The spiritual energy felt denser, the Palace’s defenses hummed with a unified power, and the air carried the scent of ambition and preparation. He was gone for three months, and the world had not stood still.

He walked quickly toward the main administration wing, where a flurry of activity suggested the Empresses were fully engaged in governance.

Vahn entered the private strategy room. Seraphina, Lilith, and Aria were gathered around the central holographic map of the Southern Continent, flanked by Luminaire and Ezekiel.

The moment Vahn appeared, the serious atmosphere instantly broke:

“Vahn!” Seraphina cried out, rushing towards him, her relief overflowing. Lilith followed immediately, her darkness aura softening into pure affection.

“You’re back! And your power…” Lilith trailed off, recognizing the immense, stable force emanating from his Void Shattering Realm core. “It’s terrifying, even for you.”

Aria approached with her characteristic warrior’s assessment, her purple eyes examining him from head to toe.

“You are stronger. The breakthrough was successful. Good. We needed you back.” Her greeting, though less effusive, held profound satisfaction.

Vahn gathered his wives and daughter, Eterna (who rushed in from a nearby chamber), into a tight embrace. The contact grounded him after his timeless journey.

“I apologize for the prolonged absence. The Void Realm does not respect temporal laws. Now, tell me everything. I sense the world has accelerated while I was gone.”

Luminaire, adopting the role of the primary intelligence source, stepped forward, her expression grim.

“The situation is volatile, Som. Exactly one month ago, a new political entity appeared. It is called the Celestial Empire,” Luminaire stated, projecting a new overlay onto the map.

The overlay showed sweeping changes in the central and northern continents. Lands belonging to the remaining Six Great Holy Lands (all ideologically aligned with the Celestial Gods) had been swiftly unified under one banner.

“They have claimed most of the non-Demonic territory, consolidating it in the name of Goddess Of Celestial Light, Attila,” Luminaire explained. “This is no mere mortal alliance. This is a direct, organized proxy force for the Heavenly Gods.”

The leadership of this rapidly expanding power was held by a single, formidable mortal figure.

“The unified Empire is being led by a charismatic and devastatingly powerful warrior known as Emperor Sirius.”

“Emperor Sirius,” Aria interjected, her voice sharp with professional rivalry. “He is rumored to possess the Grand Solar Art, a lost technique of the Heavenly Gods. He is a genius strategist and a master of political coercion. He is the perfect, deadly puppet for Attila.”

Vahn’s expression tightened into a cold mask. The Gods were done playing around. Instead of risking a full divine descent and breaking cosmic laws, they had simply created a unified, mortal force to cleanse the world for them.

Lilith delivered the most alarming piece of intelligence,

“One more thing. We have confirmation of a secret development. Through our deep-cover Shadow agents, we learned that the reason the Tower Of Primordials vanished is because the Celestial Empire obtained it.”

Seraphina continued,. “Yes, husband. The Tower is now safely within Emperor Sirius’s territory, guarded by immense formations. They intend to use the immense, stable dimensional structure of the Tower to create a permanent, massive gateway for the Goddess Attila to descend and fully manifest in the mortal realm.”

The strategy was terrifying in its simplicity. If Attila could descend with her full power, the local restrictions of Dalu would crumble.

“Their plan is to stabilize the gateway, allowing Attila to make a clean, full-power jump directly into this lower world,” Luminaire concluded. “With the Goddess physically present, they intend to Cleanse the Void Empire and the Demonic Faction in one fell swoop.”

Vahn’s aura, usually contained, pulsed ominously. His eyes, now the deep, swirling black of his new Realm, turned visibly grim.

The stakes had just been raised to infinity.

Luminaire immediately offered the most pragmatic path forward.

“Son, this has escalated beyond a local war. You are now facing a mobilized, unified mortal force backed by a Goddess ready to descend. Before they complete the gateway, we must act. We must seek the assistance of your father and Necrotis Clan in the Nether Realm. They are the only power with the strength and the political enmity toward the Heavenly Gods to match this threat.”

Vahn nodded slowly. “You are correct, Mother. It is a wise option. We need Immortal-level support and the political clout to deter a full-scale assault from the Nether Realm. I will prepare a diplomatic mission immediately.”

However, Vahn’s strategic mind was already calculating the necessary steps for immediate, localized defense. He wasn’t going to wait for his father.

“Still, I am not going to yield ground for days while the Necrotis Clan prepares. The Celestial Empire is a mortal structure, led by a puppet. Since the Gods chose to play a proxy game, this Emperor will crush this puppet in this game.”

To challenge the sweeping territorial dominance of the Celestial Empire, Vahn needed to eliminate his remaining opposition on Dalu and unite the continent’s power under his banner. The remaining entity capable of fielding a matching force was the Demonic Faction.

“Ezekiel,” Vahn commanded, his voice sharp and decisive. “Prepare envoys. We will open diplomatic channels with the major Demon Monarchs.”

Ezekiel, the loyal but strictly disciplined soldier, looked appalled. “Your Majesty, I must reject this course of action! The Demonic Faction is inherently chaotic and deceitful. The people of the Demonic Faction are not trustworthy, and any alliance with them would be a poison pill that destabilizes the Empire’s structure!”

Vahn dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand and a cold, strategic smile.

“Their nature is irrelevant, Ezekiel. They hate the Heavenly Gods even more than we do. They are a tool, and they are necessary. We need their numbers and their immediate hostility to the Celestial Empire to buy us time.”