Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

"Hera, I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you."

"If Themis were here, I'd be happy to consult her opinion, and have her measure the true Goddess of Beauty with the Golden Scales. But if you ask me to make the judgement—I'm afraid I'd struggle to put aside my feelings for you all and make a truly just decision."

Raising his hand, he suppressed the burgeoning power, and Zeus once again silently showcased his authority. Yet faced with Hera's request, the Divine King resolutely refused.

Whether he really had such deep feelings was one thing, but since he said so, it was considered true.

"Unable to make a 'truly just decision'... Does that require thought, Zeus, shouldn't your Heavenly Empress be the most beautiful?"

Completely disregarding Zeus's evasion, Hera's words remained sharp, pressing step by step. Watching this scene, Aphrodite couldn't help but sneer coldly from not far away.

"Hera, pressuring the Divine King is pointless, the authority of the gods cannot be violated, and you cannot change that. I am the Goddess of Beauty, a fact recognized by the world and affirmed by the law of the universe!"

"Is that so? It's merely skin deep. If your understanding of 'beauty' is merely superficial beauty, that only highlights your shallowness. Power and strength are the true jewels that adorn a woman, and marriage is their security—then again, you have nothing but a face that passes muster," Hera retorted unapologetically beside the Golden Throne.

She had long harbored dissatisfaction toward Aphrodite, and the feeling was mutual; the grievances between the two were not new.

Once upon a time, the newly born Goddess of Beauty was married off to Ares under the overt and covert pressures of the Divine King and his wife. Hera took this opportunity to confine her within the bounds of marriage, thus extending her own authority. But for Aphrodite, marriage was something she couldn't stand.

Indulgent emotions, the freedom to rejoice, and the beauty stemming from her innate nature—these were the authority and instincts possessed by Aphrodite, born from the legacy left by the Heavenly Father. For her, marriage was like being caged, an intolerable situation. Thus, having not stayed compliant for long, the Goddess of Beauty quickly set herself free.

Thus, having personally officiated her own son's marriage to Aphrodite, Hera felt her authority was defied, resulting in her harboring a dislike for the Goddess of Beauty. Even the followers in the Mortal Realm developed quite a bit of discord because of this.

Aphrodite's devotees' favorite activity was to use their charm to attract the spouses of the Heavenly Empress Church's followers, thus ruining their marriages and earning the favor of the gods. Conversely, if someone could resist such temptations and even persuade the devotees of the Goddess of Beauty to follow the 'right path,' they would receive extra blessings from Hera.

In short, the conflict between them was well known to all gods, and even the Divine King found it a headache. However, due to power and status, Hera often had the upper hand. Yet this time, faced with the Heavenly Empress's taunts, Aphrodite clenched her fists.

'You're forcing my hand!'

Mentally reciting this, she hadn't planned to use her 'big moves'; after all, if executed, it might really be difficult to settle things down. However, to protect her face as the Goddess of Beauty from being trampled and to prevent Hera from usurping the concept of 'beauty,' she could no longer care about the consequences.

Without a sound, the Golden Belt at Aphrodite's waist suddenly emitted a glow that was hard for ordinary people to see. She picked up the goblet in front of her and took a slight sip.

The wine trickled from the corner of her mouth, flowing down her neck and clavicle, seeping beneath her dress. Aphrodite turned her head and toward someone not far away revealed a radiant smile.

"Ares, who do you think is more beautiful, me or your Mother Goddess?"

"...Ah..."

His gaze became dazed, and in Ares's eyes, his wife, usually so aloof to him, was so incredibly beautiful.

Her eyes were like the Stars, her lips as sweet as Nectar, her skin milky and smooth as Bai. At that moment, she was the Moon in the night sky, the sole deity among gods!

"Need you even ask, Aph? How could the Mother Goddess possibly compare to you..."

Boom—!

Before his words fell, a great roar sounded from above, and the next instant, the entire Divine Palace shook. However, it was quickly suppressed by the power of the Divine King.

Beside the Golden Throne, Hera glared at her disappointing son, her eyes nearly spitting fire. Ares dared to speak these words in front of all gods. She could already imagine how, by admitting himself that Aphrodite's beauty surpassed the Mother Goddess's, this fact might become a laughing stock among gods for millennia!

"Enough!"

With a shout, Zeus could no longer stand by. Even as he spoke, he couldn't help but glare at Ares.

This fool, how did he and Hera end up with such an offspring? If you had inherited even a tenth of my abilities, you wouldn't be so easily manipulated by Aphrodite.
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"Sigh—"

Exhaling, Zeus's anger was only momentary. However Ares turned out, it was a minor issue. He had planned to let the existence of the Golden Apple ferment among the gods, but what he had never expected was that, even with the prohibition of physical conflict, the situation could escalate so rapidly.

Fanning the flames? No need, this was just between Hera and Aphrodite. He couldn't imagine what else might happen if he let things continue... His gaze swept over Athena, who, though involved, still seemed to be somewhat aloof from the 'script'. Zeus decided to hasten the proceedings.