The church members looked at Aldrian in astonishment. Did he really just do that? The weakest among them was at the Duke stage, yet they had been silenced by a young boy at the Viscount stage? They felt the pressure bearing down on them, a force that seemed intent on crushing them.
They quickly scanned their surroundings, searching for a high-stage cultivator who could have caused this, but found only three youngsters, none of whom could possibly have pulled off such a feat. With no other explanation, they had no choice but to give this boy the benefit of the doubt.
Aldrian sighed as he observed their astonished faces.
"At first, I thought we could have a civil conversation, and I might learn something from you, Your Excellency," he said, addressing the archbishop. "It seems that was just wishful thinking on my part. I have to say, you were all too quick to jump to conclusions." He swept his gaze over the others.
"Did you really think the Evergreen Imperial Family would just pick some random person off the street and have him stand before you? You all have quite the imagination. Why would the imperial family call you here just to humiliate you? They could have left you waiting in the outsider district indefinitely if they wanted to, but instead, they brought you here to express their goodwill. And what did you do? You lashed out as if you'd been scammed."
The archbishop looked at the young boy and realized they had seriously misjudged the situation. Only now did he recognize how inappropriate their behavior had been within the imperial palace, even to the point of accusing the imperial family of humiliating them. He sighed, then looked at the boy with newfound respect, and slightly bowed his head.
"I apologize for our inappropriate behavior. We were at fault this time, and I hope we can continue our meeting so that we may better understand one another," he said.
Aldrian studied the archbishop for a moment.
"Well, I'm not really offended by your behavior. I understand what you were thinking, but I don't like seeing anyone underestimated just because they don't match your expectations—especially when that person is me." He said. He spoke with such confidence that they thought he was quite cocky for someone at the Viscount stage to dare speak to an archbishop like that.
But when they remembered what had just happened, they had to reconsider the boy in front of them. The pressure they had felt was real, as if their bodies were on the verge of exploding. The archbishop himself had felt the space around them compress, making it feel as though they were inside a high-pressure chamber.
"I'll keep that in mind," the archbishop replied.
The archbishop then took a seat on one of the sofas facing Aldrian, while the others stood behind their respective leaders. Aldrian could now focus on the archbishop—an old man with grey hair, wrinkles etched into his face, dressed in a white robe with a light yellow sash draped over his left shoulder.
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Ravin Garius
Age : 85.140 years
Race : Human
Cultivation : Mid Emperor
Cultivation technique : Heavenly Light Enveloping The World
Attack techniques : Heavenly Judgment, The Light of Guardian Angel, Heavenly Spear, Spear of Judgment
Defence technique : The Light of Guardian Angel
Supporting techniques : Heavenly Aura, Heaven's Blessing
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"Now that we can talk with clear minds, let's introduce ourselves. You can call me Aldrian. May I know your esteemed name, Your Excellency, so I can know who I'm speaking with?" Aldrian asked.
"I am Ravin Garius, the archbishop appointed by His Holiness, Pope Claudius Maximus, as the church's representative to find the person we are searching for."
"Alright, Your Excellency, Archbishop Ravin Garius. Let's start with why you wanted to meet me. Why do you want to meet the person who defeated the Hydra? Can you be more specific?"
Archbishop Ravin hesitated as he looked into Aldrian's eyes, then glanced at the two women standing behind him.
"Ah, I see," Aldrian thought, reading Archbishop Ravin mind. He had forgotten one important thing. Although he had somewhat convinced them that he was no ordinary cultivator, they were still unsure if he was the person they were looking for. Even though he had assured them that the Evergreen family wouldn't joke about something like this, they couldn't trust him so easily due to the sensitivity of the issue. Moreover, the presence of Princess Sylphia, a member of the Evergreen family, could potentially become a gateway for outside forces to discover the church's problems.
"I apologize, but given the secrecy and importance of this matter, how can we be sure you are truly the one who defeated the Hydra? I'm not doubting the Evergreen Imperial Family, but how can I be sure they haven't brought us the wrong person?" Archbishop Ravin asked, staring at Aldrian's calm face. He could no longer consider the person before him a mere "boy", his appearance and cultivation must be a façade.
"Fair enough. So, what do you propose we do, Your Excellency?" Aldrian responded.
"It's simple. Let me see your energy. One of our bishops from the Ivory Empire said your energy would resonate with our holy energy and might even be stronger than ours," Archbishop Ravin said.
Aldrian nodded, stretched out his hand, and released his golden energy. When the church members saw the golden energy emanating from Aldrian's hand, the holy energy within their dantians fluctuated and resonated with it. They were also shocked by the purity of the holy energy in this golden aura and the sheer strength it exuded, which sent shivers down their spines. Archbishop Ravin trembled at the sight before him.
"What kind of purity is this? Is it possible for a human to contain this much power and such pure holy energy?" he wondered. He had never seen holy energy of this purity, not even from the Pope himself. Arthur, who had remained silent until now, trembled, his eyes widening in disbelief. His usual expressionless, handsome face was gone.
Judging by their reactions, it seemed true that his energy was indeed connected to the heavens' blessing. With this confirmation, Aldrian realized he would have an advantage in the relationship they were about to build. They had come to him out of interest, and he needed them as a source of information—and perhaps even more.
He then retracted his energy, allowing them a moment to regain their composure.
"It's incredible. How do you possess such holy energy, Sir Aldrian? I'm sorry if I'm being rude, but where are you from? What about your family?" Archbishop Ravin asked.
"My parents left me when I was a child, leaving me and my older sister. So, I don't know where they are," Aldrian replied.
"I apologize if I made you uncomfortable," Archbishop Ravin said.
"It's fine. Now, would you like to tell me the real reason you're seeking this holy energy? Because I'm certain I'm on your radar because of it."
Archbishop Ravin, now convinced that Aldrian was the one they had been searching for, felt they needed to do whatever it took to bring him to their side—even if it meant revealing their secret to the Evergreen Imperial Family.
"The church, as the neutral power of the continent, is considered an organization focused on preaching the will of the heavens. We aim to spread the faith of the Heavens—the Heaven that judges, the Heavens that upholds the law of causality, the Heavens that observes every deed, even the smallest ones. Oh, forgive me for my preaching nature. Anyway, the Heavens have blessed us with this holy energy to aid us in spreading their faith," Archbishop Ravin said. He extended his hand, showing Aldrian his holy energy, which also had a golden hue but was lighter and less radiant compared to Aldrian's golden energy.
Aldrian, observing this holy energy, was impressed by its presence but felt it was lacking something. As he focused his senses on the holy energy, he detected a foreign element that was unfamiliar to him. This foreign energy irritated him and even made him angry. Archbishop Ravin, unaware of Aldrian's reaction, continued his explanation.
"This holy energy has been blessed to us for millions of years. Our followers take great pride in it as a symbol of their commitment to the church and their pious adherence to our teachings. But what if something were to happen to this holy energy, the very proof of our loyalty to the heavens?"
"What do you mean?" Aldrian asked.
sigh "To be honest, for the past four million years, our holy energy has gradually weakened. At first, the decline was not noticeable, but over time, it has diminished to the point where the devil energy is nearly on par with our holy energy, and it can now resist it. Even the holy energy we once took pride in has been tainted with an unknown energy, reducing both its purity and its power. We fear that if this continues, we will not receive any further blessings and may instead face a curse."