ATPnovel Chapter 3817 Stella: I will not allow the Papacy to have anyone more powerful than me!
Chapter 3817 Stella: I will not allow the Papacy to have anyone more powerful than me!
Chapter 3817 Stella: I will not allow the Papacy to have anyone more powerful than me!
It was noon, and the morning match had just ended.
"...Okay, I understand. It's good news. Tell her not to feel pressured. Missing one game won't have much of an impact on us..."
Ah Xiruo then cast a glance at her.
After hanging up the phone, the old man lowered his voice and said, "It was Old Huo on the phone. Qu Rou has woken up. It seems she gained a lot from this epiphany... It's just a pity there wasn't enough time. The little girl is a bit down because she can't participate in the competition..."
Ah Xiruo nodded, "Qu Rou's enlightenment this time was of very high quality. It doesn't matter that it was a little short, after all, her own accumulation was not enough. But with this enlightenment, her future path will be much easier."
“That’s what I think too.” The old man smiled slightly. “I told Old Huo to tell Qu Rou to stay in the Yin-Yang Realm these next few days to absorb the gains from this experience and to try not to show herself.”
Of course, although Qu Rou's enlightenment has ended, it will not be announced to the public at this time... After all, Qu Rou's abstention this time was too coincidental. If she were to say that she has ended her seclusion now, people would probably think she is a fool.
"I'm going to a meeting..." the old man suddenly said, "to the referee panel."
……
Although the match between Abraham and Qu Rou was missing in the morning, the competition was still intense... Those who made it to the finals were the elite of their respective teams.
Some people fight quickly, while others can fight for half a day.
After entering the final rounds, the American contestants were no longer able to effectively avoid strong opponents as they had in the previous two rounds of the tournament... This was probably due to the intervention of the referee team.
At this moment, the members of the referee panel were looking at General Ross, who had replaced Director Wayne, with surprise.
"...Due to health reasons, Director Wayne is temporarily unable to perform his current duties, so I will be acting as his representative for the time being."
Even the top military leaders of the United States had to restrain themselves when facing one of the most powerful groups in the world... They knew when to back down.
Each member of the referee team possesses at least the destructive power of a nuclear bomb.
"It doesn't matter who comes." Su Zijun... [Empress of China] glanced at him casually and then looked bored: "But Wayne, that dark-skinned guy, is actually more interesting. After all, he has a dark face, so you can't tell when he's angry."
"Ahem." The old man could only cough lightly twice.
Fire Cloud Evil God wasn't actually present on the main judging panel... but what's wrong with him being on the panel? Everyone knows that the "Empress of China" is just a mascot with terrifying combat power; the real person in charge of the China panel is still that old scoundrel.
"That's absolutely right! I love dark skin too!" Father Stra slammed his hand on the table. "To be honest, I've recently been proposing to add Black Pearl beauties to the Order of Saints! You have no idea how delicate the skin of the top Black Pearls is, it's as smooth as milk!"
This future pope... no one coughed at him.
However, putting aside individual combat strength, if the Empress of China is a very cute mascot, then the priest is the atmosphere-maker of this judging panel, right?
Because Stella was truly outspoken, and he was also truly willing to take action when necessary... Master Baholich is a cautionary tale.
The crowd laughed and joked continuously because of Father Stra's speech.
General Ross silently observed the words and actions of these men... Their disdainful attitude towards him deeply stung this high-ranking official in the American military.
The two members of Team X, who were acting as bodyguards behind him, remained silent—they could sense the terrifying presence of everyone in the conference room.
...We can't beat even one of them!
"...Regardless, the competition has entered its final stage." General Ross spoke again, "Soon, the ownership of the [Godhood] will be decided. I hope everyone will abide by the pre-competition agreement, and all battles will be confined to this arena."
"Anyway, the Holy See doesn't have any outstanding kids this time, so I'm betting on China to win!" Father Stra slammed his hand on the table again, then looked at the old scoundrel with a smile and said, "There's a kid who's been studying scriptures with me recently. He'll run into your little swordsman this afternoon, you evil god."
The old man paused for a moment, then quickly recalled the schedule: "You mean Hussein... the one rumored to have a good chance of becoming the next [Holy Son]? Does the priest intend for our people to go easy on him?"
That scoundrel is always bringing up the most sensitive topics. China already has a significant advantage, and he's clearly stirring things up. That old bastard isn't going to tolerate him.
"No, no, no, I hope that the Little Sword Immortal can defeat him, preferably to the point that he doubts his existence!" Father Stra shook his head.
Su Zijun couldn't help but ask with great curiosity, "You old rogue, why is that?"
Father Stra shrugged and said, "That Hussein guy is too pretentious, always acting like he's the most powerful person in the world! I will never allow anyone in the Holy See to be more awesome than me!"
Su Zijun: "..."
Lamias: "..."
General Ross: "..."
Everyone: "..."
How can someone so brazenly suppress their own descendants?
[Radiance] gently rubbed Mi's temples. "Alright, let's talk about the match in the arena. It's a battle between juniors... Stella, be quiet!"
Upon hearing this, the old man gave Stra a meaningful clasped-fist salute.
[Radiance] tapped the table, looked at General Ross, and thought for a moment before saying, "General, I've heard that a hunter has recently appeared in Washington, D.C., specializing in hunting down lone, low-level [Non-human] ability users, and has already committed over a hundred crimes... I wonder if [S.H.I.E.L.D.] has any information on this?"
General Ross nodded. "Yes, this is a very serious incident. I have been paying attention to it ever since I took over S.H.I.E.L.D.."
Everyone started paying attention at this moment.
Washington D.C. is currently a melting pot of all sorts of people, with a huge number of non-human and superhuman beings gathered there... but more than a hundred murders are no small matter, and they had already heard about them.
Strangely, no victims have come forward yet—this is entirely because the victims are all traveling alone.
[Radiance] pondered for a moment and asked, "What is General Ross's opinion on this?"
General Ross said, "These victims had no connection with each other, ruling out the possibility of revenge killings for the time being. We only have some guesses about the killer's motive... The killer is likely someone who hates those with abilities. The killer's own strength is probably average, hence the choice of low-level ability users as targets. The killer is also very bold; choosing this location might be to provoke and attract widespread attention. Furthermore, the killer's methods are extremely brutal; each crime scene has a large amount of splattered blood, indicating the victims suffered greatly before their deaths... The killer is likely an antisocial personality..."
Listening to General Ross's account, the retired elder from the Knights' Council suddenly said, "General, excuse me, something just occurred to me. As far as I know, High Priest Lahar of the White Elephant also disappeared during this period... Is it possible that he was also one of the victims?"
Everyone instinctively looked at the old knight.
Although the old knight had lost the power of the Knights of the Round Table, his aura was still astonishing... at least not much weaker than that of the resigned Master Baholitz.
General Ross said, "We also considered this possibility, but after analysis, we are more inclined to deny it. Because the power of High Priest Lahar is far inferior to that of the victims, and he does not fit the target chosen by the murderer at all."
The old knight said, "But I heard that a scene resembling a crime scene was also found where the High Priest Lahar disappeared, with bloodstains everywhere, and it was very similar to the scene of a serial murder?"
General Ross said, "The White Elephant Kingdom has not explicitly stated that High Priest Lahar has been murdered... I believe that the White Elephant Kingdom should be able to determine whether High Priest Lahar is alive or not... Therefore, I am more inclined to believe that the scene of High Priest Lahar's disappearance is a deliberate misdirection to mislead our investigation."
Each family has its own specific means of monitoring the life and death of important figures... Since the White Elephant side has not explicitly stated that High Priest Lahar is dead, it is most likely that he is not.
“Hmm…that’s possible.” The old knight nodded thoughtfully. “However, I hope your bureau will take this matter seriously. The bodies of these victims haven’t even been found. I’m worried that someone might be performing some kind of sinister ritual behind the scenes…”
General Ross's heart skipped a beat. "Lord Hannes, have you perhaps thought of something?"
The old knight, Hennessy, said, “It was just a recollection of some old events… Many years ago, I encountered a similar incident where more than fifty people died. There was only blood at the scene, no bodies. It was later discovered that a demon’s mixed-blood son was collecting the bodies to perform a demon summoning ritual.”
"The murderer from back then?"
Old Knight Hennessy said calmly, "He has already been executed. I killed him with my own hands, and I burned down the place where the ceremony was held."
“Hmm… an evil ritual?” General Ross nodded. “Very well, we will investigate in that direction. Thank you for the tip, Lord Hennessy.”
The old knight just smiled and didn't say anything... Although he was retired, he still enjoyed these moments of giving his all.
The topic of the hunters didn't last long... soon the discussion returned to the competition.
……
……
Main venue, inside the [Holy Church] rest area.
The morale of the Papacy's contestants was not very high at this time—the Papacy had only sent ten contestants this time, adhering to the principle of quality over quantity.
But only four people have made it to the finals so far... The rest were eliminated by an unscientific matchup list - and three of the six eliminated were taken down by members of the Chinese national team.
Although morale was low, no one was particularly worried—because Pope Strauss was not there; that old bastard was in a meeting!
This is a rare moment of peace and quiet!
“Lord Vasco, it’s almost time. Shouldn’t we have the candidate for the Holy Son prepare?” the Papacy’s leader asked tentatively.
Read as "team leader, writer, and errand boy".
"Where is Houssien?" Paladin Vasco frowned.
The team leader hesitated, then said, "Lord Hussein's attendant said... he is taking a bath..."
The Vasco Paladin's forehead muscles clenched into a cross shape. "You bastard, you still have the mood to bathe and change clothes at a time like this!"
After saying that, the paladin stormed out.
……
[The Holy Son] The candidate's private lounge...in the bathroom.
The blond youth was leaning against the edge of the bathtub, his eyes slightly narrowed, his body radiating a holy golden light... On the water's surface, vibrant roses were floating, exuding fragrance.
A beautiful young woman was gently massaging his arm beside him, her face flushed.
"Holy Son... it's almost time," the girl said softly.
The title of "Holy Son" is used externally, but internally, Houssien doesn't like the word "candidate," so his close followers know how to address him.
“The time difference is indeed quite large.” Hussein chuckled and reached out to lift the girl’s chin. “Get ready to celebrate my triumphant return.”
The girl lowered her head and hummed in agreement.
When the Vasco Paladin pushed open the door, the candidate for the [Holy Son] had already finished bathing... and was changing clothes.
The girl blushed as she dressed him.
Seeing this, Vasco frowned. "You've really picked up all the things that Stra enjoyed."
“Enjoying pleasure is human nature,” Houssien said casually with a smile. “I think it’s also a form of spiritual practice. The Buddhist community in China actually has similar views… In this respect, I think Professor Stella is very accomplished.”
—Why is this guy able to awaken the [Divine Heart]?
Vasco was deeply troubled. One Stella was enough to make the Holy See a mess, and now there was another one, Houssien, who was almost even more formidable... The Holy See was in grave danger!
"Alright, it's your turn to go on stage. Your opponent is [Little Sword Immortal], don't underestimate her." Paladin Vasco said in a deep voice, "I've studied An Ran's matches. After so many matches, she's probably only shown less than half of her strength... Her true combat power is likely already beyond the LV5 level!"
[Little Sword Immortal] is indeed a prodigy. Logically speaking, someone who has only just entered the extraordinary society and gained power in just half a year should not have such formidable strength.
However, Vasco felt relieved when he thought of his own Houssén.
Every era has its share of unreasonable individuals... just like Stella, who single-handedly suppressed the Divine Prison.
Just like Farrell, the notoriously evil knight from the Knights' Mechanism, he was a machine in himself...
“The Little Sword Immortal…” A strange light flashed in Hou Sai’en’s eyes as he looked at the introduction of An Ran, the Little Sword Immortal, playing on the TV screen. “She really is a gem…like an uncut gem, one would want to hold her in one’s hands and play with her.”
Vasco frowned. "The opponent is from Shenzhou. Don't go too far in the arena later."
“I cherish girls very much.” Houssien reached out and gently supported the young girl serving beside him, then suddenly lowered his head and kissed her.
When the kiss ended, the girl collapsed to the ground, her face filled with infatuation.
Paladin Vasco's lips twitched slightly... He had discovered something long ago: the ultimate holy power could bring a feeling of happiness... It felt like an aphrodisiac, addictive.
"Let's go." Houssien chuckled softly... Before leaving, he suddenly picked up a rose from the vase in the room.
……
The only contestant left from the Zhongnan Mountain Academy this time is An Ran, the Little Sword Immortal... She is already the hope of the entire school and the most beautiful girl.
At this moment, the Little Sword Immortal was still comprehending the Dao of the Sword... The room where she was located was filled with sword intent, making it difficult for the academy's instructors to get close.
"It's almost time, hasn't An Ran come out yet?"
"Could it be like Qu Rou from the Bureau, who suddenly had an epiphany?"
"You know what, with that monstrous talent of breaking through as easily as drinking water..."
"So be it, it's a good thing! We didn't really come here to compete for the [Godhood], and we've already exceeded expectations by fighting this far!"
The voices outside were very low, as if afraid of disturbing the people inside.
At this moment, the sword intent permeating the room became even more solid... Each sword seemed to be a finely forged sword, exuding a terrifying sharpness.
Suddenly, the hundreds of solid sword lights emitted began to chime softly.
The little sword immortal, who was meditating, suddenly opened her eyes. The sword lights surrounding her were stuck into the floor one by one, as if to protect her!
But a figure dressed in white appeared silently in front of An Ran.
……
"Master!" A look of surprise flashed in the Little Sword Immortal's eyes, and the sword light around him instantly dissipated. "Why have you come?"
"I saw your match and, having nothing else to do, came to watch." The voice in white... Qin Chuyu smiled slightly, "Not bad, it seems this arena competition has been very helpful for your cultivation."
An Ran said softly, "That's what Teacher Baijie said too, which is why he specifically asked me to fight..."
“Bai Jie…” Qin Chuyu nodded. “That old man is quite capable. You can learn a lot from him. But remember our agreement.”
An Ran quickly replied, "Master, don't worry, I will absolutely not reveal your identity to anyone!"
Qin Chuyu hummed softly, looking at the girl in front of her with some affection... It's not enough to just stay in the [shop] and cultivate in seclusion; one must occasionally go out and explore.
As for the cultivation time she purchased from the [shop], it was already almost gone, so she simply left the seclusion. After all, even if she greedily used the remaining little bit of time, there would be no substantial improvement.
Too much of a good thing is bad; it only brings trouble.
It was under these circumstances that An Ran met me... Perhaps I was also attracted by the girl's pure "sword heart"?
The Azure Lotus Sword Song in her hand hummed softly, as if it too appreciated the girl's purity.
Qin Chuyu stroked the girl's head affectionately.
Having searched for a master for many years, Fairy Qin, whose heart had long been sealed with cement, felt a touch of familial affection at this moment.
"I have a feeling that this arena competition is fraught with hidden dangers." Fairy Qin pondered for a moment. "I will temporarily plant this [Azure Lotus] sword intent within your body. You can activate it when danger arises. It can cut down anything, and as long as you don't encounter the strongest people in the world, it will ensure your safety..."
"Thank you, Master!"
She has two masters: one is the Evergreen Tree, the pinnacle of Taoism in China, and the other is a mysterious but incredibly powerful female sword immortal.
However, her female master forbade her to disclose it to the public.
The Little Sword Immortal happily replied: Actually, the old Taoist priest Bai Jie also gave her something to protect her life...