Under the scrutinizing eyes of two hundred thousand Pontifical Knights, Gu Xichen seemed to be reprimanding the newly elected Pope Andrew of the Papal States as if chastising a mere stable boy.

Andrew, his face etched with worry, leaned in, his voice pitched low with extreme caution and profound humility, pleading with Gu Xichen. “Let us discuss this in the Grand Cathedral; let us discuss it there. Lord Gu Xichen, we admit to having wronged you in the past. We implore you, grant us clemency, pardon us. Please, leave the Papacy with some vestige of its honor.”

The surrounding high officials of the Papacy glared at Gu Xichen, their eyes burning with fury.

But Gu Xichen merely shifted his gaze. He shot a fierce glare at the assembly, and everyone, save for Gu Yuru, immediately lowered their heads. Gu Xichen’s overwhelming might was apparent; he was like a vicious wolf amidst a flock of sheep. Wherever his menacing presence extended, no one dared to meet his eyes.

Only Gu Yuru stared directly back at Gu Xichen, undaunted.

“Heh.” Gu Xichen let out a few cold laughs, his eyes fixed on Gu Yuru. He nodded slightly. “Your Papacy, it seems, still harbors one or two with backbone. Very well, to the Grand Cathedral.”

The sound characteristic of high-speed warships decelerating echoed from the sky. A silver vessel, its hull tinged with red, plummeted from the heavens. Dozens of nozzles on its casing violently ejected white condensate, rapidly cooling the warship’s external armor. Hundreds of meters above the ground, a hatch door swung open impatiently, and a gangway extended even before the ship touched down.

Gu Xichen snorted, displeased, and sharply flicked his sleeve. He sneered, “What airs! I notified you days ago about my upcoming visit to your two nations. The Gods’ Federation is truly prompt.”

Andrew blinked in surprise. He hastily made the sign of the cross over his chest and mumbled under his breath, “They show this Lord Gu Xichen utter disrespect. But as for you, my Lord, we harbor different intentions!”

Narrowing his eyes, Gu Xichen smiled, beckoned to Peng Hua and the others, and began walking along the blood-red, pure wool carpet spread out before them toward a dense thicket of woods.

The silver warship nearly slammed into the ground. A pale-faced Bobi Bi hurriedly emerged, leading a contingent of high-ranking officials from the Gods’ Federation. From a distance, Bobi Bi cried out hoarsely, “Lord Gu Xichen, please wait! I am profoundly sorry. I encountered issues stabilizing my cultivation these past few days, which required the elders of the Great Pantheon to assist me, causing a delay. I beg your understanding!”

Scanning Bobi Bi with his divine sense, Gu Xichen perceived a ferocious, powerful energy surging and colliding within the man like a tsunami. Over two hundred distinct energies, varying in strength, were interwoven into a vast net, desperately attempting to contain this force capable of pulverizing Bobi Bi. Gu Xichen nodded internally. This was Ganggelu’s bequest to Bobi Bi. Unlike the energy left to Andrew by Citz, the werewolf tribe’s power was too savage. Bobi Bi had quite a journey ahead to fully absorb it.

Tilting his head, Gu Xichen continued forward without uttering a word.

Andrew cast a pitying glance at Bobi Bi, whose complexion was turning increasingly ashen. He bowed his head, tracing a cross on his chest, and reached out to grasp Bobi Bi’s hand. A gentle holy power flowed into Bobi Bi’s body, gradually helping him neutralize the savage nature of the energy. “He has come to flaunt his strength to coerce us into submission. Until we possess sufficient power to resist him and the forces behind him, we must unite, we must endure—just as our ancestors struggled for survival under the oppression when the Papacy and the Gods’ Alliance were first founded.”

Bobi Bi let out a deep breath, his color returning to his face. He muttered hoarsely, “God will punish him. Brothers, let us proceed together. The light of the divine will eventually illuminate the earth.”

Andrew squinted, murmuring in a low tone, “Dark clouds cover the earth, but the light of God has never vanished. When the Divine returns to the mortal realm, all who dare to obstruct the divine beings will face judgment.” He looked up, gazing thoughtfully at the gigantic sun in the Thirteen-Star Constellation. Endless light and heat poured down continuously. As Andrew looked directly into the sun, a faint red light suddenly shot from his left eye, merging into the boundless expanse of light and heat.

“Pious children, return to your posts. Guide the Lord’s followers and ensure they do not deviate from the path ordained by the Lord.” Andrew made the sign of the cross over his chest and waved to the Pontifical Knights present. The two hundred thousand knights rose in unison, sheathing their swords simultaneously.

With a resounding whoosh, the sound of twenty thousand swords returning to their scabbards made the ground tremble slightly. Everyone bowed deeply to Andrew, then departed in neat formations, moving with the speed of rushing whirlwinds.

Before the nine hundred and ninety-nine steps leading up to the Central Grand Cathedral of the Papal States, Gu Xichen looked upon the magnificent edifice with astonishment. He turned to Andrew with a smile. “Why do I find this cathedral so familiar? I feel I’ve seen it in many places, perhaps in promotional brochures from the Federation’s tourism department. Did you build a replica?” With a slight flourish, he regarded the grand structure before him, feeling a mix of smugness and awkwardness. “It was dismantled from Vatican City and reassembled here.”

Gu Xichen frowned, coldly sneering, “I recall that the construction of this Grand Cathedral utilized the taxes paid by Federation citizens. Your actions, sir, constitute theft.”

Andrew glared at Gu Xichen in exasperation, annoyed by his bluntness.

Gu Xichen cast a provocative glance at Andrew, chuckling darkly. “Is it not theft? Federal Heritage Protection Law explicitly states that all structures within Vatican City are the wealth of the Federation.”

Andrew’s body shook violently. After a long pause, he ground out through clenched teeth, “We are willing to purchase it at its construction cost.”

“Oh?” Gu Xichen sighed, gazing at the massive cathedral. He shook his head. “Purchasing it at the cost price won’t do; this is an antique centuries old. Inflation has been quite severe in the Federation over these years. Buying it based on the construction cost after the War of ’93 is simply impossible.” He tilted his head, contemplating for a moment, then nodded. “I seem to recall the construction cost for the Central Grand Cathedral back then was thirty-seven and a half billion Federation Credits. Accounting for years of inflation, and considering it’s an antique—antiques are priceless.”

Holding up one finger, Gu Xichen smiled. “One trillion. One trillion to acquire such a massive, Federally Protected Class-One historic building. And an antique, too! You’re getting a bargain! Settle the payment in mineral resources!”

Andrew and the many Papal elders felt a surge of blood rise into their throats, barely stopping themselves from spitting it out.

Bobi Bi watched Andrew with schadenfreude. Their Gods’ Alliance didn't face such troubles; their various temples were massive, and historically, having been suppressed by both the Papacy and the Dao Alliance, their temples were built brick by brick by their own believers. No matter how thick Gu Xichen’s skin, he couldn't very well sell the Gods’ Alliance temples back to them.

A few sounds emerged from Andrew’s throat as he forced himself to take a breath. He led his entourage onto the steps before the cathedral.

Gu Xichen paced leisurely up the steps. After surveying the area around the cathedral entrance, he suddenly pointed toward the numerous chapels surrounded by green trees and flowers. “These were also shipped over wholesale from Earth Federation, I presume? That won’t do. If you built them yourselves with Papal funds, fine. But those rebuilt by the Federation after the War of ’93 using federal funds—either you ship them back, or… you pay to buy them. Remember, these are all antiques, priceless antiques!”

Andrew’s fingers twitched; he feared he might lose control of his temper in the next second and punch Gu Xichen to death. He forcibly suppressed his rage, teeth gritted, and stated in a low voice, “We… will… calculate the conversion rate based on the price you set and deliver the corresponding materials to the Earth Federation… Should the statues inside also be appraised?”

Frowning, Gu Xichen shook his head and sighed. “Since you mentioned it, appraising the statues? That’s inappropriate. It shows too little respect to the deities. However, since you insisted, the mundane items inside—the pots and pans, like the silver candle holders, silver offering tables, the various curtains, and other trifles—it wouldn't hurt to estimate their value. After all, we must be responsible to the Federation’s taxpayers!”

A mouthful of blood rushed into Andrew’s mouth, but he swallowed it back down. He forced a dry chuckle, made the sign of the cross over his chest, and said faintly, “Very well!”

Beside him, Gu Yuru’s body trembled violently. He suddenly took a forceful step forward but was immediately restrained by a member of the Gu Clan standing near him. Andrew’s peripheral vision caught Gu Yuru’s ‘impulse’ and ‘righteous indignation.’ He swiftly glanced at the Papal officials who were frozen in fear and felt a slight, hidden comfort: the Papacy, after all, still possessed loyal and upright men!

The party entered the Central Grand Cathedral, taking their seats in the reception room behind the main sanctuary, divided by host and guest.

The few Federation reporters Gu Xichen had brought set up their cameras and recorders, snapping photos noisily. A star-com device was positioned, and the captured images were rapidly transmitted back to the Federation News Network. The Federation’s new Foreign Minister, Gu Xichen, is conducting a friendly visit to the Papal States and the Gods’ Federation. Sharing common roots, the three nations are determined to seek common ground while reserving differences, striving to forge a new era in relations between the three powers.

At the reporters’ insistence, Gu Xichen cheerfully draped his left arm over Andrew’s shoulder and grasped Bobi Bi’s icy hand with his right. The three posed for a plethora of pictures before the cameras, beaming radiantly. The three principals, along with their retinues positioned in the background, smiled as brightly as blooming flowers—a picture of absolute harmony.

Once this photo session concluded, the reporters were ushered out of the reception room. Seated in the seat of honor, Gu Xichen’s expression immediately changed. “Consider my proposal from earlier. The Earth Federation put aside past grievances to deploy forces to help you defend against the Romans. If you fail to appreciate this gesture… Hmph!” If you wish to know what happens next, please log on to the novel website for more chapters, support the author, and read the legitimate version!