Chapter 98: The Battle with the Holy See

“Bang! Bang! Bang!” A string of sounds drew the attention of the cultivators from the mortal realm. A cultivator with combined-period cultivation level offered a faint smile and unleashed several palm strikes in succession. Each palm strike bore down like Mount Tai pressing upon the earth, erupting with deafening booms that radiated overwhelming power and an aura of ruthless ferocity. The cultivator was in fact a demon cultivator hailing from the Chaos Demon Sect. The sect prized unrestrained conduct, cultivating solely through the forging of raw strength and the purity of one’s inner heart. No matter how many lives were taken, as long as the core remained untainted and one could answer to the moral conscience of heaven and earth, slaughter itself was permissible.

Another palm strike descended, unleashing a thick pillar of black light that tore through the air like a knife through paper. The unstoppable assault from a demon cultivator at the combined period sent the Church’s gathered members scrambling in vain; they could not even mount a defense before the figure flashed past, claiming several lives in the blink of an eye.

The demon cultivator’s form shot upward, demonic energy surging wildly. In an instant his body dissolved into an illusory shadow that was barely there. Before the Church members could react, he had already closed in before several red-cardinal bishops. A mocking smile curved his lips. His right hand transformed into a claw, snapping open and closing with a hiss through the air, snatching one bishop by the shoulder. While he sneered, his index finger curled slightly and flicked out at blinding speed.

A thunderous boom rang out, echoes lingering. Then came a pained wail as the red-cardinal bishop’s shoulder was blasted away, a gaping hole blooming in its place with blood spraying wildly.

The same merciless technique was repeated several times. Wails of agony filled the air, and the bishop perished instantly.

He had been a red-cardinal bishop, one of the Church’s most formidable figures, yet before the combined-period cultivator he was no different from an ant.

The demon cultivator’s eyes remained cold as he fixed them on the remaining bishops. The gazes sent chills racing through them, as if even a single glance might cost a life. Facing absolute power, they had no choice. They exchanged glances and reached a silent agreement. Several of them suddenly channeled pure light, rays shooting toward the demon cultivator.

“Even the light of a grain of rice dares to contest the brilliance of the full moon!” The demon cultivator’s gaze darkened, a gloomy aura spreading around him. A crisp cracking sound followed as enormous force slammed into the bishops. They felt bone-deep agony and let out piercing cries. The light they had unleashed, the demon cultivator ignored entirely, facing the onslaught head-on without retreating.

Boom! Boom! Boom! After the impacts, the demon cultivator grinned and scratched his head, murmuring, “Insufficient force. It feels like scratching an itch. Hit a little harder and it would actually be comfortable.”

Joseph Peter XVI’s eyes bulged and his body trembled violently. He was utterly enraged. How could the Church’s red-cardinal bishops be so utterly helpless in another’s grasp? How could he swallow such humiliation?

“Consider them returned to you.” The demon cultivator shouted and swung his arm. Several red-cardinal bishops were hurled away and caught by church followers. Then the demon cultivator moved like a machine harvesting lives from the Church, weaving through the crowd.

The White Brow Daoist and the others watched the demon cultivator’s majestic bearing and the momentum of one man against ten thousand. Their eyes widened in envy. Such strength was truly enviable.

Qing Xu observed quietly, narrowing his eyes and stroking his beard with a faint smile. “That old ghost Wu Mo still acts with such reckless abandon, yet his strength has improved somewhat.” He turned to the White Brow Daoist. “If everyone followed his example, this poor Daoist would be wasting his time and merely watching a show.”

Qing Xu felt at ease, but the cultivators were busy. The arriving cultivators were all strong, and their numbers were vast. When spread across the Church’s forces, only a few remained. They fought fiercely, each deploying their best techniques in hopes of a favorable outcome.

Joseph Peter XVI saw the cultivators’ overwhelming strength and felt burning hatred rise in his chest. His grip on the scepter tightened, a trace of green tinting his knuckles. The Church’s repeated defeats and heavy losses filled him with fury, yet he remained unconcerned. After all, he still held a trump card.

“Crack!” A crisp sound of fracturing bone rang out. A young cultivator named Gu Chaoxing, already at the nascent soul realm, had been struck while battling with full relish and a sense of righteous honor. He had grown careless and was felled by a sudden attacker. Anger flashed across his face as he turned to face the assailant. The man wore a loose gray-green robe, his features weathered and aged, yet his expression carried an indescribable authority.

Gu Chaoxing was already at the nascent soul realm. He did not underestimate the old man, whose every sign indicated he was no ordinary figure.

“Eastern heretic, I am the Church’s Confidential Grand Bishop. You will pay for your actions!” The old man was indeed the Church’s Confidential Grand Bishop. At the summit of Church leadership stood the Pope, beneath him red-cardinal bishops and white-cardinal bishops. Between these layers lay two rare positions that did not interfere in daily affairs yet could command all Church followers except the Pope itself. These were the Confidential Grand Bishop and the Council Grand Bishop.

Few in number, the Confidential and Council Grand Bishops commanded formidable combat power and led the Church’s highest secret force: the Church’s Supreme Religious Inquisition.

In the course of Western cultural development, the rise and fall of the religious inquisition mirrored the eternal struggle between civilization and barbarism. The Inquisition was unquestionably the most despicable and grotesque chapter in human history. To uphold divine authority, countless pioneers had perished beneath its claws. Over time the Inquisition faded from view, yet it never truly disbanded. Instead it became a dark force within the Church, commanded by the Confidential Grand Bishops and Council Grand Bishops.

This Confidential Grand Bishop possessed considerable strength. In moments he and Gu Chaoxing clashed, their battle becoming entangled. One side represented the rising stars of Eastern cultivation, the other the actual power of the Western Church. Their styles could not have been more different. The splendor and variety of Eastern immortal arts quickly left the Confidential Grand Bishop on the defensive.

“Lin!” Gu Chaoxing chanted the first word of the Nine-Character True Words, his voice rising and falling as true essence surged at full power. The shout ended and a formidable force rushed toward the bishop.

“Ding!” In haste the grand bishop unfolded a holy light barrier to block the strike.

Gu Chaoxing remained unfazed. Having trained under the Jade Void Palace, he had received the specially selected Qimen Dunjia technique. He had only spoken the first word of the Nine-Character True Words; many more followed. He watched the Confidential Grand Bishop’s reaction.

“Bing!” The second word left his lips. Gu Chaoxing observed the bishop’s expression with mocking interest. The man showed only a faint flicker of emotion before calming once more. Gu Chaoxing secretly smiled. Let him grow slowly. The main feast was still to come.

“Dou!” “Zhe!” Two more words rang out together, striking the holy light barrier. It trembled slightly. “Jie!” The Confidential Grand Bishop was forced only into defense. Fury ignited in him. He mobilized every scrap of light he could, enlarging the barrier.

“Consider yourself capable,” Gu Chaoxing spat. His hands blurred in rapid seals, dizzying to watch. One after another the seals completed. The Confidential Grand Bishop felt something amiss. He had fought in the previous Eastern Expedition and witnessed Eastern cultivators unleash devastating arts through such methods. He did not dare hold back, raising his spirit to the highest level in preparation.

Gu Chaoxing’s seals finished. His eyes snapped open and the powerful energy in his hand erupted. Hundreds of white light threads scattered forward, then merged into a single beam with unstoppable force, slamming toward the Confidential Grand Bishop.

Although the bishop had prepared, he could not match the cleverness of a nascent soul cultivator skilled in Qimen Dunjia. A single glance revealed that the light thread pierced the holy light barrier and struck the bishop. Fresh blood sprayed like a fountain. A hole about an inch wide appeared near his heart on the left shoulder, through scorched flesh to reveal white bone beneath.

“Crack!” A crisp bone-breaking sound followed. The grand bishop felt as though his chest had been hammered by a massive mallet. Intense pain engulfed him. Darkness closed in as he was kicked away at blinding speed by Gu Chaoxing and fell into unconsciousness.

Gu Chaoxing clapped his hands, a faint smile touching his pale face. Though the feat appeared effortless, the true essence consumed had been enormous. Without his nascent soul cultivation, completing the sequence would have been doubtful.

Joseph Peter XVI’s expression changed drastically. Similar scenes unfolded around him, each one feeling like a resounding slap to his face. How could he remain unmoved?

Poverty breeds change, wealth breeds caution. Having held the papal throne for many years, Joseph Peter XVI understood the principle well. This Eastern expedition had brought the Church heavy losses, and now was the time for reflection and reform. He did not believe the expedition would fail. He held a card that could sway the outcome; no matter how many Church fighters perished, the overall situation would not shift.

Yet the Church’s gradual weakening did not fill him with joy. They were still its flesh and blood. Accordingly, Joseph Peter XVI made a decision he perhaps should have made sooner. He intended to prove that the Church he led remained strong and unyielding, surpassing previous generations, and to demonstrate to God in heaven that he could still win the Eastern expedition through the Church’s own strength.

Only to erase the humiliation of the Holy War’s failure and prove himself capable as Pope.

Unfortunately, time would not wait. The once-glorious Church had lost the Holy War and now faced new setbacks in the Eastern Expedition. In a daze, Joseph Peter XVI felt the bitter weight of having been born too late.

A blinding white light sliced across the sky. Every cultivator saw it. “What are they doing now?” All eyes turned to the Pope, the source of the blazing ray.