The Church of Light
"How is my daughter?" Lin Fan inquired.
Faced with Lin Fan's question, the Pope felt a bit awkward. He could say the situation had become slightly complicated, though still under his control. Several empires were now involved.
Everyone now knew a terrifying force was sacrificing young girls to summon an evil god. This had drawn the attention of several empires, complicating matters considerably.
The Pope knew the situation had escalated. However, he never worried about such things. If it had come to this, then so be it. Let Pope Bok reignite the passion of these warriors after so long a period of boredom.
"It's good for children to strive and work hard outside. She must be very busy," the Pope replied.
He didn't dare tell Lin Fan that some idiot, while battling Ke Lan and her friends, had talked too much during the fight, declaring that if he knew where their homes were, he would destroy them.
Regarding this foolish actor, the Pope had already severely criticized him. He thought, You can get into character, but can you please not add your own lines? Do you know this will cause big trouble? Can't you learn from other Church members?
Just fight. See them and fight.
Lin Fan said, "That makes sense. Ke Lan has grown up. I trust your arrangements for her training, so I haven't been paying attention, as I've been busy with other matters."
The Pope replied, "You can rest assured. There are absolutely no problems. The situation is under control. Ke Lan is a truly brave child. She never gives up in the face of adversity. I've rarely seen such a child in decades. She's truly excellent."
These words were specifically for Lin Fan. I'm praising your daughter profusely. You must be very happy inside. It's good that you're happy. It hasn't been in vain for me to work so hard until now.
"Thank you, you've worked hard," Lin Fan said. He knew the Pope had put a lot of effort into this matter and was genuinely grateful. If it weren't for the Pope, he wouldn't know when his daughter would grow to the point where he could feel at ease.
The Pope said, "We are friends. Your daughter is like my own family. As her uncle, it's my duty to help her."
Seizing every opportunity to climb higher. I have no other intention. I just want Lin Fan to know that my love for you is endless. I hope you can love me the same way.
"Yes, where's Archimonde?"
"I'll summon him now."
Soon, the abyssal passage opened, and Archimonde appeared. Now, Archimonde was imposing and extraordinary, even stronger than before. It seemed that without opponents, he had thrived in the abyss.
At this moment, they were in the underground palace, sitting in a circle, chatting idly.
"What? I'm playing the villain? And I have to be defeated?"
When Archimonde learned of this from the Pope, he was somewhat incredulous. He, Archimonde, the Abyssal Lord, was doing so well in the abyss, with countless abyssal overlords trampled beneath his feet, submitting to his might.
The Pope calmly said, "Yes, you are the villain."
Archimonde asked, "Why don't you play the villain?"
He realized the Pope wanted to turn on him, showing him little respect. He thought, It makes sense. This contract has problems. Damn, I didn't expect people nowadays to be so ungrateful. If it weren't for me signing a contract with you, you old geezer would have croaked long ago.
The Pope shook his head. "My status and position do not allow me to be the villain. Otherwise, it would be a disaster for the Church of Light. But you are different. An Abyssal Lord, in the eyes of humans, is a demon. You are the most suitable villain."
Listening to the Pope, Archimonde had only one thought: to pin the Pope down and pummel him. Are you even speaking human language?
Slap!
At that moment, Lin Fan put his hand on Archimonde's shoulder. "Archimonde, I'm counting on you."
Archimonde smiled, a smile uglier than crying. "No problem, leave it to me. I'm honored to contribute to your daughter's growth."
"Thank you," Lin Fan said gratefully.
"You're welcome."
The Pope smiled, very happily. Look, this is the spirit of dominance. Lin Fan asked you personally, could you, Archimonde, possibly refuse?
Friends should learn to give. If you don't give, can you be called friends?
The Pope said, "Let me tell you in advance, the situation is developing rather quickly. That day is not far off. You can't use your full strength. You have to give them hope of victory. However, the most important thing is to see how strong Ke Lan is. If she hasn't reached the standard, you have to repel them and let them continue to cultivate..."
At this moment, the Pope was like a director, arranging everything. If he were in Yanhai City, perhaps being a director would be a better job than being the Pope.
Archimonde was a bit confused by the Pope's words and needed to think it over carefully. Some things were truly bothersome to Archimonde. Is this necessary? A battle requires full commitment. Holding back is a despicable act. If they don't have the strength, they shouldn't challenge me. Why make me act like this?
But these were just his inner thoughts. The reality was...
No problem, I'll definitely cooperate fully.
Afterwards, they chatted casually. Lin Fan was most concerned about the whereabouts of the God of Darkness. When Archimonde heard this, his heart skipped a beat. He had been so comfortable reigning supreme in the abyss that he had completely forgotten about Lin Fan's matter. Mainly, there wasn't much record of the God of Darkness in the abyss. Where could he find him?
"Don't worry, as soon as I have news about the God of Darkness, I'll notify you immediately," Archimonde said.
The Pope saw through Archimonde's heart at a glance. This guy definitely hadn't inquired about the God of Darkness for Lin Fan; otherwise, he wouldn't have that expression.
Lin Fan nodded. He had been trying to sense the whereabouts of the God of Darkness whenever he had free time.
Unfortunately...he hadn't sensed the God of Darkness's aura.
The Pope asked, "Why do you keep looking for the God of Darkness? Is he your enemy?"
Lin Fan shook his head. "I just need to eliminate him."
Hearing this, the Pope felt sorry for the God of Darkness's plight. He hadn't even appeared yet and was already being targeted by a terrifying figure. He hoped the God of Darkness could live happily.
However, he also didn't know what the God of Darkness actually was. Anyway, from the surface meaning, it didn't sound like a good thing. A dangerous fellow.
Archimonde said, "I've been feeling uneasy lately. The abyssal aura seems much stronger than before. I wonder if something has happened."
The Pope said, "You need to be careful. Changes in the abyss are rarely simple. According to records, when great changes occur in the abyss, disasters will follow."
Archimonde nodded. "I know. I've been paying attention to this situation."
Two Years Later
"This is the place. We must stop them from summoning the evil god."
Ke Lan had become a qualified expert, even the pride of the Royal Academy. A dual cultivator of magic and martial arts, and a dragon rider, this was unprecedented in the history of the Royal Academy.
Olivia had also become a great warrior. Sylph and Tia were the same.
They were once just members of their families, but now, their families were proud of having such offspring.
Now they stood outside a church. The surroundings were dilapidated, dead leaves fell from the sky, and a gloomy atmosphere enveloped the area, filled with fear. With the goal of stopping the summoning of the evil god, Ke Lan and her friends were followed by a group of powerful followers.
These were warriors who had volunteered to join during the events leading up to preventing the evil god's descent.
"Don't rush, everyone. I'll buff you," a druid girl shouted.
Then, she waved her staff, casting the unique magic of the druids.
Endurance Aura!
Brilliance Aura!
War Drum Aura!
After casting over a dozen auras, the druid girl sat on the ground, panting, her magic depleted. She said to everyone, "I can only do this much. I'll leave the rest to you."
Everyone felt invigorated, their combat prowess greatly enhanced.
"Let's go, let's go inside," Ke Lan said.
They had come this far, experiencing life and death situations, encountering countless dangers.
But even so, they never gave up.
The Pope hid in the shadows, observing. Is it finally coming to an end? Years of planning, it's been so draining. The Church of Light has invested so much, even many Church members have become so immersed in their roles that they can't snap out of it.
Those cardinals acted as villains, but also as mentors. During battles, they taught their opponents how to fight, even leaving behind some good items as rewards for clearing the stage.
If Ke Lan didn't have a background, even with the dragon's protection, she would have died countless times in this situation. For a genius to become a strong individual, they must either lie low or have powerful backing; otherwise, it's a near-death experience, with the probability of death exceeding all else.
Pushing open the church doors, a pungent smell of blood assaulted their noses. The surroundings were stained with crimson blood.
When everyone saw this, their expressions changed drastically, as if they hadn't expected it. So much blood, just how many people had died?
"Are we too late?" Ke Lan whispered.
Suddenly, a voice echoed.
"Indeed, you are too late. What a pity..."
A figure emerged from the darkness. As he appeared, everyone present felt an intense pressure.
"Are you the mastermind behind all this?" Ke Lan asked angrily.
She didn't know how many people the figure had killed, but the blood here spoke volumes. Many had died.
"Haha..."
A sinister laugh rang out.
"Whether I am or not is no longer important. Next, you will face true terror."
As soon as the words fell, the magic circle drawn with blood emitted a red, bloody light. The light pierced through the roof, creating terrifying waves. Anyone who saw this knew that what was about to appear was definitely not ordinary.
"Such a powerful aura."
Ke Lan looked at the scene with a grave expression.
She knew a fierce battle was about to begin.