"Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person, I won't hurt you." ... After Lin Luo woke up the ten Jōyūons, this mysterious girl immediately took him for a **thief and slapped him. Fortunately, Lin Luo’s evasion skill level was high enough to narrowly avoid the blow, but the pressure he felt was immense.

The word 'mysterious' was not misplaced; at least in Lin Luo’s view, her "appearance" was indeed enigmatic.

"Who exactly are you? Why did you bring me here?" The girl hugged her arms, curled up in the corner of the sofa, projecting a calculated calmness despite her fear as she surveyed the surroundings. She noted that the architecture and furnishings of the room were outrageously high-end; some items struck even her as luxurious. Undeniably, the man before her was nobility among nobles.

Yet, precisely because of this, she couldn't fathom why he would abduct her. Not for money, surely; and for pleasure? While she was attractive, a man of such distinguished status could command women of far greater stature. Why go to such elaborate, criminal lengths?

What puzzled her most was that she had just been at school moments ago, and now she was here, without even the memory of being knocked unconscious.

"I told you, I'm not a..." Lin Luo began to explain, but seeing the look of utter disbelief on her face, he decided to save his breath and get straight to the point. "Fine. I am the master of the City in the Sky."

Guiqu Lai Xi had just said there was no need to hide his identity—he wondered if that advice still applied?

"What did you say?!" As Lin Luo pondered, the ten Jōyūons suddenly sprang up, staring at him with an expression of incredulity. Lin Luo found that look strangely familiar: it was the look of a devout believer seeing their deity descend—a mixture of shock and reverence. That was the look the ten Jōyūons wore.

"Well, perhaps it's better if I just show you." A thought struck Lin Luo, and he took the girl's hand, leading her away. As a young lady of standard upbringing, Jōyūon would never normally allow a man to hold her hand so casually, especially one suspected of being a **thief, but now she followed obediently. This man might be the God who granted her life and sustenance!

"See? This is the City in the Sky." Lin Luo brought the ten Jōyūons to the viewing platform outside the main hall. From here, one could gaze down upon the terrestrial world; looking forward revealed rolling mountain ranges against an endless sky; to the sides stretched the boundless ocean; and behind them loomed the majestic, breathtaking City in the Sky.

The ten Jōyūons stood open-mouthed, utterly speechless from shock. After a long moment, she suddenly lunged towards Lin Luo and dropped to her knees with a thud, her tone trembling with reverence and awe. "O Divine Lord! This humble servant behaved disrespectfully just now. I beg my Divine Lord for punishment!"

At this moment, she no longer viewed Lin Luo as a **thief. Lin Luo was God, and she was a devout follower. If God wished her to serve, it was not only her right but her greatest fortune. She no longer questioned how God had brought her from the mortal realm; it was too simple. Now, no matter what happened, she wouldn't be surprised—even if Lin Luo commanded her to bear his child instantly, she would deem it perfectly reasonable.

Though, of course, Lin Luo had absolutely no intention of having her give birth today.

Lin Luo was unsurprised by the ten Jōyūons' sudden display. He had already inferred something of the sort from Guiqu Lai Xi’s words and the girl’s earlier demeanor. But how had he become the Divine Lord?

"Rise first. We can discuss punishment later," Lin Luo said casually, knowing that for a "believer" like her, not punishing her would actually make her uncomfortable.

"Thank you for your mercy, Divine Lord," the ten Jōyūons rose and stood respectfully to the side.

Lin Luo noticed that the girl who moments ago had intended to slap him now dared not even look him in the eye. He sighed internally—being a Divine Lord was not easy work. However, since he was now God, he ought to possess a certain divine gravitas, so he began to exude an aura of godliness.

"Lift your head, maiden." "P-Pardon... This servant dares not."

"This is a divine decree."

"Yes, this humble servant shall strictly obey the divine decree."

Although the ten Jōyūons raised her head, she still avoided looking directly into Lin Luo’s eyes, her gaze settling somewhere below his neck. Lin Luo understood this was likely her limit and did not press her further, instead asking, "Do you know about the origin of Shanghai, the Demon City, and your human race?"

The ten Jōyūons blinked slightly. Were these not created by the Divine Lord? Why ask her? But then she quickly reasoned that this must be a test from the Divine Lord, a gauge of her faith. And whatever the reason for the test, it surely served the Divine Lord’s purpose. As a mere mortal, attempting to fathom divine will would surely invite heavenly retribution.

Thus, the ten Jōyūons immediately recounted everything she knew, as if reading a sacred edict.

After listening, Lin Luo grasped the situation: simply put, the Demon City of Shanghai was more than just a city; for those who lived there, it was their entire world. Their worldview mirrored fantasy novels, complete with the existence of deities.

Although they were no longer mere data constructs, their foundational data still influenced their reality. For instance, the food and resources they depended on were originally converted from data, but now they had transformed into faith. It wasn't that they could conjure sustenance through prayer; rather, only through the presence of faith could their labor yield rewards, and only then could the Gods grant them what they deserved. They could perceive the environment outside Shanghai, but few ever left, for their God had warned them the outside world was fraught with danger.

In essence, their place of existence was this strange yet self-evident world, where almost everything revolved around their God, who resided, naturally, in the heavens above them.

Given such a worldview, the ten Jōyūons' attitude towards him was perfectly normal.

"Mmm, your answer was very good, maiden. I see your sincere faith. The punishment previously mentioned shall be dissolved under the shadow of that faith... This is a divine decree."

When the Divine Mouth spoke, the ten Jōyūons dared not disobey, and in that moment, she once again experienced the Divine Lord's benevolence.

"I now wish to descend to the lower realm for an inspection. Maiden, accompany me."

"This servant strictly obeys the Divine Lord’s decree." A hint of undisguised delight colored the ten Jōyūons’ tone. Her faith had been acknowledged by God, and she was chosen as an emissary—an honor of the highest order in their world.

And Lin Luo? Since he was now God, he required the appropriate ceremonial accoutrements: perhaps riding on colorful auspicious clouds, summoning a crane... Wait, those weren't God's furnishings, were they? Then perhaps a cross? Da Mo achieved one-reed crossing the river; should he use a cross to fly? Best not!

A beggar wearing a dragon robe does not become an emperor. Lin Luo pondered for a long time, realizing that no matter what props he chose, he couldn't pull off the look of a God. In the end, he issued a divine decree to keep things simple: he would tour the mortal world as an ordinary person.

Although the ten Jōyūons dared not treat the Divine Lord casually, a divine decree was a divine decree. Whatever God said, was law. Her earnest faith ensured her obedience to Lin Luo’s words; for the moment, she was even permitted to look directly into his eyes while regarding him as a mere mortal.

Divine decrees were so useful. Lin Luo finally understood the perks of being God: with just a word, his followers would obey one hundred percent. Forget treating him like an ordinary person; they would probably agree to intimacy with him instantly. This wasn't just true for the ten Jōyūons; it should apply to all female followers.

Did this mean his fantasy of a group orgy was no longer just a dream?

Well, though this thought suddenly crossed Lin Luo’s mind, he ultimately didn't act on it. After all, he hadn't sunk to that level of desperation. If he had done that, he wouldn't be God; he’d be Zeus.

Finally, Lin Luo pulled himself out of his base musings, preserving his divine dignity, and arrived in the Demon City of Shanghai with the ten Jōyūons. The city made his eyes light up.

Though architecturally and geographically unchanged from before, it now pulsed with greater vitality. The moment he arrived, he felt a faint, intangible energy subtly flowing into his body... Could this be the power of faith?

Lin Luo wasn't certain, but he couldn't think of any other explanation.

The ten Jōyūons’ behavior was exceedingly solicitous. She not only answered every question but proactively offered service, even summoning her friends to assist—those who might think wickedly should go reflect on their sins.

One of them was a girl with faintly sepia-toned long hair, dressed in a neat, white school uniform, possessing a captivating beauty that wasn't seductive but rather simple, dignified, and elegant, much like her hair color.

The ten Jōyūons, being a top figure at Sister Adult Academy—both a student and a director, a well-bred young lady with a considerable fan base—naturally had idols. The former Shokuhō Misaki certainly did too, whose "Queen Faction" boasted an even larger following than Jōyūon’s.

However, even Shokuhō’s popularity paled in comparison to another individual: the girl before him, who held the unique title of "Sister Adult" within the academy—Miyakōji Mizuho.

In Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru (Otoboku), Miyakōji Mizuho was a cross-dresser even more beautiful than a true girl. But the virtual person Lin Luo created based on her prototype was, naturally, a true girl. Through his meticulous observation, this girl, whose name had now become Miyakōji Mizuho, had not had her gender altered by the process; she was a genuine Sister Adult.

Just like Hoshikou, who became the ten Jōyūons without her congenital illness.

So, were these girls the originals inhabiting the forms of the virtual constructs, or had the virtual constructs replaced the originals? Lin Luo couldn't yet determine. The only certainty he had was this: apart from their differing backgrounds, they were identical in every other aspect to their original selves.

Why did this transformation occur? Were only the ten Jōyūons and Miyakōji Mizuho subject to this change? And why did this change affect the Celestial Rank?

For more novels, visit storyread.net.