Chapter 996: Chapter 100: Local Sects Have Their Limits... So We Must Surpass Humans! (5200)_2
"It will. But you underestimate your own reputation. Lady Wotu is also an alchemical scholar; she naturally knows your name."
Bishop White Mist spoke succinctly, "They are here for the âCarapaceâ left in the âGreat Redwood Forest.â But that is merely the surface."
"Their true purpose is to find a âProphet.â
"A Prophet..."
Ian repeated the term expressionlessly. Having been exposed so many times, he was no longer fazed by such matters. Even if the Huai Guang Church had long deduced that he was the Prophet, he wouldnât show the slightest change in emotion.
He paused like any other ordinary person, as if processing the âshockâ brought by the term, and then said, "Never thought Iâd be somehow connected to a Prophet."
A glimmer of phosphorescent white light lit up in the eyes of Bishop White Mist. He gazed deeply at Ian and replied with equal calmness, "Indeed. Never thought so, huh."
"Since the Redwood Natives have completely submitted to Harrison Port, many of their ancient texts have also fallen into the hands of Viscount Grant."
"He entrusted us at the Huai Guang Church and other Orthodox Churches to deal with these texts, many of which document bizarre and gruesome sacrificial rites. From them, we obtained quite a bit of exceedingly special intelligenceâthe Foreseeing Bifoliate mentioned in the nativesâ legends actually exists. Itâs an extremely unusual artifact capable of granting âpseudo-propheticâ abilities."
"This intelligence intrigued us, which is why the Huai Guang Church collaborated with Su Ming. Lady Wotu is an expert in this field. Moreover, this also explains why the Book of Prophecies contains some âpeculiar errorsâ when predicting events around Harrison Port."
Bishop White Mist stressed the phrase âpeculiar errors,â then cast his gaze upon Ian. "Speaking of which, Elder Pude of your family seems quite invested in this matter as well."
"By leveraging his relationship with Viscount Grant, Pude has acquired quite a bit of information as well... Did he mention any of this to you?"
"Not yet. I just recently returned and had a quick discussion with Viscount Grant about cooperation matters."
Ian replied truthfully without a change in his expression, though inwardly he was entirely clearâthe Huai Guang Church had most likely already figured out his prophetic abilities.
Not surprising. It would be odd if they hadnât discovered it by now, especially because Ian had deliberately spread the title of âProphet of the Descending Thunderâ to draw attention.
Not to mention, Mr. Glorious Sword had witnessed Ianâs near-prophetic choices firsthand in the Subspace Labyrinth. The Huai Guang Church must have fully confirmed it from that moment onward.
Without hesitation, the white-haired youth shifted the topic directly: "Letâs not discuss prophets, Bishop White Mist. Has anything strange happened in the South Sea Great Labyrinth lately?"
"Also, there should be Huai Guang clerics stationed in my territory. But neither Radiant Nun, who promised to assist, nor Mr. Glorious Sword or Lady Shu Guang have shown up. Did something happen to them?"
The abrupt topic change was clumsy, but Bishop White Mist did not press the issue: "The South Sea Great Labyrinth has been exceedingly calm of late. Lady Huaâan has been diligently at work, and after obtaining permission from the local lord, she is now exploring the finer details of the labyrinthâs interior. As for Miss Frost Butterfly... sheâs a delightful child."
âDo they really need to explore the interior? I gave them the map a long time ago!
Ian silently griped to himself. From the Bishopâs tone, it was clear that neither of the two Fae was actually doing anything productive, was it?
At least Huaâan was putting up a façade of effort, but Frost Butterfly... even the Huai Guang clerics couldnât come up with anything better to say about her besides calling her "cute."
But, to be fair, Frost Butterfly was indeed adorable.
"As for the clerics who were supposed to help you stabilize Xiawei Territory... they are all in training."
By now, the two had seated themselves in the reception room.
Bishop White Mist turned his head northward, toward the direction of the Holy Mountain, and bowed slightly. "Furthermore, the Huai Guang Church has conducted two internal discussions regarding the observation measures for you. Because those measures involve the clerics whoâve had direct contact with you, they too must participate in those meetings, which has caused delays."
"I see."
Ian was silent for a moment. Indeed, he had been the reason Radiant Nun, Mr. Glorious Sword, and the others were delayed.
He knew his own actions perfectly well; Ian was aware that in the eyes of the Huai Guang Churchâwho were fully cognizant of his true identity and abilitiesâeverything and everyone associated with him would have to be handled with extreme caution.
After a brief silence, the youth finally spoke. Ian raised his head, meeting the Bishopâs eyes across from him.
He asked bluntly, "Do Huai Guang clerics... share a soul? Or perhaps, is there some kind of mind network?"
"You could think of it that way. Itâs no secret. At least, not to someone like you."
Bishop White Mist didnât hesitate for a second; he seemed to have anticipated Ianâs inquiries long ago. "Having witnessed the Huai Guang rituals firsthand, you must have discerned some of the details, though we cannot provide any explanations."
"However, I must tell you this: the truth is far more bizarre than you imagine. I hope you wonât be overly shocked by it in the future."
It was difficult for Ian to fathom how things within the Huai Guang Church could possibly be more bizarre than they already seemed.
If they wanted to genuinely surprise him, theyâd have to reach a level of madness that surpassed all the Tera Madmen he had ever known... could Huai Guang really go that far?
Not a chance.
The primary reason for Ianâs visit to the Huai Guang Church was to inquire about the âfaith issuesâ within his own territory.
Even someone as self-assured as Ian wouldnât presume that simply founding a random new religion in his land could single-handedly overpower Huai Guang, crush the Ten Thousand Spirits, sweep away Su Ming, and trample Spirit Machines underfoot. The Four Great Orthodox Churchesâ influence on Terra ran so deep that it was embedded in the bedrock of its culture. Even those who didnât believe in the churches would instinctively utter phrases like "Spirits Above" or "May Huai Guang protect us" in moments of exclamation.