Ma Ke finished speaking and hurriedly handed a jade pendant to Daili and the others. Upon seeing the pendant, both Daili and Murong Feixue cried out simultaneously, "The Luminous Jade Pendant!"

Murong Feixue spoke with urgency, "Sister Daili, this truly looks like Brother Mo Han's Luminous Jade Pendant. Could it be that Brother Mo Han has truly encountered danger?" Hearing this, Daili, though anxious inside, spoke calmly to Ma Ke, "What about the two messengers? Where are they now?" Ma Ke immediately replied, "Since the matter is extremely serious, I have already arranged for them to wait in the living room. Does the young mistress wish to meet them immediately? I shall send someone to fetch them at once."

"No need; I shall go over myself."

Daili spoke anxiously, "Uncle Ma Ke, please go inform Latin and the others to prepare their belongings. If this is true, we must rush to the Holy City immediately. I must entrust the affairs of the manor to you."

Ma Ke dared not delay upon hearing this and quickly agreed, hurrying off to notify Latin and the others.

Meanwhile, Daili and Murong Feixue rushed toward the living room, determined to get to the bottom of the matter.

Upon arriving in the living room, Daili saw two men dressed in yellow robes seated there. One of them Daili recognized; this was the man who had followed Elder Blaid and Rou Xue on their first visit. Seeing Daili enter, the two men in yellow immediately stood up and bowed, saying, "You must be Prince Mo Han's family. We were commanded by the Clan Leader to inform you both that Prince Mo Han and the Princess were attacked by the Demon Dragon Clan just outside the city this morning. Prince Mo Han sustained grievous injuries."

"He is hanging by a thread. The Princess has already departed to escort the Prince to the Holy City. Before leaving, the Princess specifically instructed us to tell you to meet her there in the Holy City."

Hearing the report from the men in yellow, even though Daili and Murong Feixue were somewhat prepared, they couldn't help but turn pale, for they both understood that given the current capabilities of the Dragon Clan, they could not save Mo Han. Mo Han’s condition must be critical. The Dragon Clan was arguably the most powerful race on the Dragon's Ascent Continent; if even they could not heal Mo Han, one could only imagine the gravity of his situation. Could the Church of Light possess greater strength than the Dragon Clan? That was fundamentally impossible.

Thinking of this, Murong Feixue couldn't help but ask anxiously, "Even with the current power of your Dragon Clan, you cannot save Brother Mo Han? Your Clan Leader's mastery of magic is certainly no less than, if not superior to, the Pope of Light. What is going on?" The two men in yellow replied, "We are not entirely clear on the specifics; we were only ordered to deliver this message. We truly know nothing else. I imagine you will understand once you arrive in the Holy City."

Daili saw that further questioning would yield nothing, so she quickly thanked the two men in yellow. After seeing them off, she hurriedly gathered everyone, relaying Mo Han's situation to Latin and Rock, as well as Jack and the others.

Hearing the news of Mo Han's injury, everyone grew anxious. Finally, they unanimously decided that Daili, possessing the highest cultivation among them, would leave immediately with Latin, hoping to reach the Holy City as soon as possible. Jack, with his lower cultivation, and Murong Feixue would remain at the Princely Estate. After all, the estate had just been established, with everything waiting to be organized; it could not be left solely to Ma Ke. Murong Feixue was quite adept at handling such matters, as the Murong family name was not earned lightly, and Rock would remain to assist them.

Although Murong Feixue worried deeply for Mo Han, she understood that insisting on accompanying them would only slow down Daili and Latin. Furthermore, the Princely Estate genuinely needed supervision at this moment. Therefore, she reluctantly agreed to the arrangement, only stressing that Daili must immediately send word back the moment there was any news of Mo Han to ease her anxiety.

Subsequently, Daili and Latin set off in a hurry, mounting the warhorses Ma Ke had already prepared, racing towards the Holy City.

As for Rou Xue, after a full day of hard riding, she finally arrived at the headquarters of the Church of Light, the 'Holy City,' by the next morning. The Holy City existed independently of the major empires, situated between the Fire Cloud Empire and the Water Blue Empire, making it an entirely sovereign nation. It was a city built into the mountains. Due to the Church of Light's status on the continent, despite its modest size, its authority was supreme, and no one dared to slight it. Even the great empires made regular tributes of gold coins to the Holy City annually to avoid incurring the Church's displeasure.

The strength of the Church of Light's Tribunal Knights alone was something no single nation's army could withstand. Moreover, the scale and defenses of the Holy City were in no way inferior to any national capital. The towering city walls were manned by fully armored figures clad in golden plate, standing guard and patrolling. Their imposing aura alone was enough to inspire dread, clearly indicating they were no ordinary national troops. These were the select few chosen by the Church of Light, each having reached the level of Sword Master and then subjected to the Church's rigorous military training, resulting in terrifying combat prowess. To this day, no nation had dared wage war against the Church of Light, so no one had truly witnessed the full power of the Knights. However, even a fool would hesitate to provoke the Church, and the shrewd leaders of the great empires certainly wouldn't make such a rookie mistake.

Rou Xue, Elder Kalimo, and a few guards landed outside the Holy City outskirts early to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings. Afterward, a Dragon Clan guard carried Mo Han, sprinting towards the city gate. They soon reached the entrance, but as it was still early, the city gates were firmly shut. A large crowd of merchants and commoners waited helplessly at the gate, eager to enter. Rou Xue grew highly impatient, unsure how long they would have to wait. Just as she was about to scale the wall, Elder Kalimo stopped her.

Kalimo spoke sternly, "Has the Princess forgotten the Clan Leader's instructions? We must avoid any unnecessary conflict with the Church of Light. I believe Brother Mo Han is temporarily safe under the Clan Leader's magical protection. We must wait patiently. After all, we are here asking for a favor."

Hearing Kalimo, Rou Xue, despite her anxiety, knew he spoke the truth and reluctantly settled in to wait for the gates to open. Fortunately, the gates opened not long after, or Rou Xue might have truly tried to force her way in. However, as soon as they reached the entrance, Rou Xue and her party were halted by the guarding Tribunal Knights.

Rou Xue was about to erupt in anger when the Knight politely inquired about their purpose and identity. Kalimo, being a seasoned veteran, noticed the Knight's gaze constantly drifting toward Mo Han, who was being carried by one of the Heavenly Dragon guards, and immediately understood the issue. Because of the red glow emanating from the protective barrier around Mo Han, they had hastily draped a cloak over him to avoid drawing attention, completely concealing him. This naturally caused suspicion. Kalimo smiled and quickly offered an explanation: "My friend here is gravely wounded and near death, which is why we placed a protective barrier on him to prevent his condition from worsening. We have come specifically to the Holy City to seek aid. We covered him to avoid drawing notice; please forgive us, esteemed Knight."

With that, Kalimo gestured for the Heavenly Dragon guard to lower the cloak covering Mo Han for inspection. The Tribunal Knights were greatly startled upon seeing the red light surrounding Mo Han. Although they were not magic users, their connection to the Church of Light meant they possessed some understanding of sorcery. They instantly recognized the protective barrier around Mo Han as no ordinary magic, but rather an advanced form they had never encountered—certainly not something a common person could wield. Furthermore, the powerful aura radiating from Kalimo and the others instilled a sense of pressure, signaling they were far from ordinary individuals. However, as Kalimo and his group seemed to harbor no ill will, and considering that many people—hundreds, if not thousands, annually—sought healing in the Holy City, they felt no cause for alarm. After a few simple inquiries, they allowed Kalimo's party to enter.

As soon as they were inside the city, Rou Xue asked passersby for directions to the Church of Light headquarters. She and Elder Kalimo then raced toward the direction of the main cathedral. Mo Han, under the protection of several Heavenly Dragon guards, was temporarily settled in a nearby inn to rest. Traveling openly with Mo Han would have been too conspicuous, as the protective barrier around him was too obvious. Thus, Rou Xue and Kalimo decided the Heavenly Dragon guards would watch Mo Han while they proceeded first to the Church of Light to seek an audience with the Pope.

Upon reaching the massive gates of the Church of Light, perched halfway up the mountain, Rou Xue and the others were stopped by the Tribunal Knights on guard. From this point to the summit was the Church's domain, and no unauthorized person could pass. Rou Xue quickly stated their purpose: seeking an audience with the Pope. However, since they lacked an official invitation from the Church, the guarding Knights flatly refused passage. They only informed Rou Xue that if aid was needed, she could approach the High Priest at the Great Cathedral within the city, or only gain entry to the headquarters if led by a High Priest. They answered only because they perceived Rou Xue and Kalimo were not commoners; otherwise, they would have refused to speak at all. After all, many people requested audiences with the Pope yearly; if he met every one, he would have no time for anything else.

"If the High Priest in the city could solve this, we wouldn't have bothered coming all the way to the headquarters. But our friend's injury is truly severe; I doubt anyone else can save him. We beg you to make an exception, or at least relay our request," Rou Xue explained patiently. After much pleading, the Knights remained unyielding. Had it not been for the need to ask for help, and Elder Kalimo restraining her, Rou Xue's temper would have surely led her to force her way through.

Just as Rou Xue's patience was wearing thin, several figures, both old and young, emerged from within the headquarters. An elder let out a gruff voice, demanding, "What is all this noise so early? What is happening?"

The Tribunal Knights immediately bowed respectfully to the elder, "Reporting to Elder Guang Huo, these two demand an audience with the Pope, but they possess no invitation from our Church. I already told them to leave, but they refuse to go, leaving us with no recourse."

Hearing the Knight's reply, a spark ignited in Rou Xue's mind. Based on her knowledge, Guang Huo seemed to have a significant history with Mo Han, and his status within the Church was high; perhaps he could assist them. Upon hearing his subordinate’s report, Guang Huo couldn't help but examine Rou Xue and Kalimo closely. His expression shifted instantly as he perceived their extraordinary nature at a glance. Furthermore, with his current level of cultivation, he was unable to discern their true power. This led to only one conclusion: Rou Xue and Kalimo’s strength surpassed his own, which was why he couldn't see through them. This greatly astonished him. Kalimo looked quite old, so possessing high cultivation might be plausible, but the sight of the white-clad girl opposite him having reached such a level astounded him. He sensed that this young woman's power might even exceed that of the Church of Light's Saintess, Shui Ling'er—it was truly shocking.

These two are definitely not ordinary people, was Guang Huo's first thought. With this realization, Guang Huo addressed Rou Xue and Kalimo cautiously, "May I ask if your request to see our Pope is urgent? His Holiness is currently unavailable, but perhaps you could tell me your needs, and I can see if I might assist you." Guang Huo had the standing to make such an offer; among the Church of Light, these Ascetic Elders were among the highest echelon, effectively holding rank equal to the Saintess, so no one would doubt his words.

Rou Xue was pleased by Guang Huo's words and smiled, "What I need to discuss is of the utmost importance. Elder, could we perhaps speak privately for a moment?" Hearing this, Guang Huo readily agreed, leading Rou Xue and her party to a small cabin near the headquarters. He waved away his attendants and smiled, saying, "Young lady, you are clearly no ordinary person. Speak plainly. I hope this old man can be of some help."

Rou Xue replied with a smile, "Perhaps you, Elder, cannot help, but His Holiness the Pope certainly can."

Guang Huo sighed patiently, "I sincerely apologize, but as I just mentioned, His Holiness is truly unable to receive you both at this moment. You may first state your purpose, and I will convey the message to the Pope later."

Rou Xue nodded, "Then I shall trouble Elder greatly. The matter is this: a friend of ours suffered a critical injury and is fighting for his life. That is why we brought him here to implore His Holiness's aid. We hope you can assist us with this request."

Hearing Rou Xue's plea, Guang Huo laughed heartily and replied, "I wondered what the fuss was about! It's just this matter. Since you encountered me, it must be fate. Perhaps someone can assist you: the Saintess of Light. Within the Church of Light, aside from His Holiness the Pope, the Saintess is the most proficient in Light-elemental magic. I believe there will be no issue. If I make the request, I’m sure the Saintess will agree. Where is your friend now? I will take you to see the Saintess immediately."

In Guang Huo's estimation, receiving treatment from Shui Ling'er was an honor not afforded to ordinary people. Now, with the Saintess personally treating their friend, they should be satisfied. However, the young woman opposite him did not appear satisfied with this resolution; instead, she wore a look of distress, lacking the joy Guang Huo expected. This made Guang Huo inwardly displeased. He believed he was already making an exception for them due to their unusual strength. Having the Saintess intervene personally was a rare privilege, yet the white-clad woman seemed unhappy with the offer, which greatly annoyed Guang Huo. If not for their formidable power, which he did not wish to provoke into an open conflict for the Church of Light, Guang Huo wouldn't have bothered addressing the matter at all.