Luode Lie slowly floated upward as if possessed by a deity. He roared, "Brothers, have we forgotten the source of our strength? Piety—that is the root of our power! Our devotion! Our devotion to the Lord! Our faith, the faith that shall never waver—that is the source of our strength!"

"Praise the Almighty Lord!" All the high-ranking members of the Church raised their hands simultaneously, and white wings burst forth from their backs.

Outside the central cathedral, tens of thousands of Church clergy knelt down in unison, crying out to the heavens, "Praise the Almighty Lord!"

A mighty force of faith swirled in the air, gradually converging into an invisible, colossal power. It rushed straight into the heavens with a roar, instantly plunging into the giant sun. The long solar flares suddenly detached from the sun, coalescing into a single, incomparably massive river of fire, carrying an aura of absolute destruction. In the blink of an eye, it tore through space and slammed directly into the central cathedral on the First Star.

Fifty percent of the power submerged into Andre's flesh.

Thirty percent of the power flowed into the bodies of the Church Bishops present.

Ten percent of the power infiltrated the nearly three thousand Church Knights kneeling outside the central cathedral.

The final ten percent dissolved into the body of Gu Yuru, whose neck artery continued to spurt blood.

Andre’s body ignited, his muscles, bones, and internal organs dissolving in the white Holy Flame as if they were mere glazed tiles. Gradually, new pale-gold flesh reformed within the blaze. Andre cried out, a mixture of agony and ecstasy: "Great Lord, I feel Your glory! I feel Your power! Forgive our past confusion, forgive our momentary lapse of faith! I feel Your presence; You are right beside us!"

With a whoosh, a pair of white wings, nearly ten meters wide, unfurled behind Andre. An overwhelming, suffocating power of light surged within the reception room.

With another whoosh, a second pair of wings opened. This time, even Gu Xicheng was startled into rising from his seat. Andre’s power was already approaching the Void Realm.

With a third whoosh, the third pair of immaculate white wings spread open. Andre’s golden hair transformed into flawless white-gold. His left pupil turned a glittering silver, while his right pupil shifted to a chilling crimson, mirroring the color of the ruby pendant Zite had used that day.

The Void Realm—breaking into the Void Realm, Andre’s power ascended rapidly. Hymns drifted down from the sky, and semi-transparent white petals fluttered in the void. Gu Xicheng felt a colossal will descend upon the central cathedral. This will was chaotic, primordial, like an unborn infant curiously observing every entity inside and outside the cathedral.

Soon, this will vanished without a trace, and Andre’s power stabilized at a level that made Gu Xicheng uneasy.

It was absolute cultivation beyond the Void Realm. If forcibly translated into common cultivation terminology, this was the standard of a Loose Immortal who had successfully passed three thousand-year heavenly tribulations. By the terms used in the cultivation world, Andre was now an "Earth Immortal"—though the weakest kind—yet still possessed immortal-level strength.

Gu Xicheng’s mind stirred, intending to summon the thirty-six Golden Armored Puppets to destroy Andre, but that heart-stopping, immense will reappeared. This irresistible, overwhelming will slowly swept around the perimeter of the central cathedral before slowly dissipating. It seemed this will had manifested suddenly because Gu Xicheng had harbored murderous intent toward Andre.

This power was incredibly strong. Gu Xicheng felt that even if he possessed three hundred and sixty Golden Armored Puppets, this will could erase them instantly.

A terrifying power, one no mere mortal should possess.

Gu Xicheng sighed internally; the destiny of the Church remained profoundly long.

From the side came the mingled groans of pain and ecstasy from the Church Bishops. They called out the name of the Lord as their bodies slowly dissolved and reformed in the Holy Flame. Without exception, they all sprouted two pairs of wings. Nearly three hundred Four-Winged Angels, each possessing strength nearing the Void Realm—equivalent to the peak power of the Soul Transformation stage—with several among them having already surpassed the Void Realm.

Outside the central cathedral, the three thousand Church Knights, similarly transformed by the Angelic Holy Blood, cheered to the sky. Magnificent and radiant pairs of wings unfolded behind them. Their strength neared the Soul Transformation stage, all possessing power beyond the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.

Most astonishingly, Gu Yuru, whose face had been pale and nearly transparent from severe blood loss just moments before, suddenly sprouted six wings from his back. These six wings were hazy, not pure white, but instead possessed a faint golden hue threaded with a dazzling, mesmerizing seven-colored luster.

Gu Yuru’s strength rocketed from negligible to the Void Realm cultivation level. But that wasn't all; while his raw power increase wasn't the largest, the greatest benefit was his mental strength, which reached a height Gu Xicheng couldn't even begin to fathom. Furthermore, Gu Yuru’s face—that of a pale, playboy youth—now carried an air of sacred elegance.

Overwhelmed by his surge of power, Gu Yuru involuntarily raised his hands. He clenched his fists tightly, and streaks of brilliant white light tumbled between his fingers as a suffocating, powerful aura rolled outward in all directions. Gu Yuru froze, looking at Gu Xicheng with astonishment, his gaze touched by an unsettling, mysterious quality.

Gu Xicheng frowned and scoffed coldly in his mind.

Gu Yuru staggered slightly, and his soul suddenly trembled. A terrifying power, capable of utterly destroying his soul, flashed deep within his soul's origin and vanished. The former Gu Yuru couldn't have perceived such a thing so clearly, but now, with his vastly increased strength, he understood the horror of that power perfectly.

Gu Yuru’s expression changed instantly. From an angle no one else could see, he offered Gu Xicheng an ingratiating smile and quickly moved to Andre’s side.

Gu Xicheng sneered. His voice echoed directly in the depths of Gu Yuru’s soul: "Don't have any wayward thoughts. You want wealth and status? I’ll give it to you. You want high office? I’ll grant it. You want peerless beauties? I can give you hundreds of species of women to choose from. But if you try any tricks, you die!"

Gu Yuru’s lips trembled, and a look of pleading flickered in his eyes.

Gu Xicheng nodded slowly. He shook the blood from his robes, picked up Blackjack’s fallen palm, and pressed a Bone-Regenerating Pill onto it, reattaching the hand. He sneered, "You are quite straightforward, a true man. I admire real heroes most in my life."

"Dying for the Federation of Gods is not worth it. If you are willing, you can choose any position under me. Whatever you want, I will give it to you!"

Blackjack stubbornly clutched his reattached wrist and retreated next to Poppy. He croaked hoarsely, "What can you give me? Although I, Blackjack, am no saint, I understand..."

Poppy moved emotionally to support Blackjack, smoke billowing from his own body as he shouted, "Good, Blackjack! Whatever he can give you, I can give you too!"

The people of the Alliance of Gods retreated from the reception room in wails of fear and pain. The light energy inside had become too intense for them to bear. Gu Xicheng and his group were unaffected, but the Alliance members felt as if every cell in their bodies was about to melt. If they didn't flee immediately, they would...

Andre gazed with rapturous joy at the six shimmering, golden wings behind Gu Yuru, crying out to the heavens, "Brothers, rejoice! A God-Favored has appeared! A new Saint is born! From this day forward, he shall be the Chief Cardinal of the Papal Privy Council!"

Gu Yuru made the sign of the cross over his chest and spoke in the most devout tone a believer could muster: "The Lord protects us; all that we are is offered to the Lord!" As his hand moved through the air, faint golden halos danced alongside it—incredibly sacred, profoundly mystical, and utterly captivating.

Gu Xicheng watched the solemn and majestic Gu Yuru with surprise. If this so-called God-Favored were sent out to proselytize, he suspected all believers would be utterly enchanted. This man’s mastery of outward appearance was truly compelling; even Andre, whose power far surpassed Gu Yuru's, lacked such brilliant light and shadow effects. Especially when Gu Yuru spoke, his voice naturally contained a subtle, mind-controlling resonance. His fluctuating spiritual fluctuations constantly enveloped the space around him, lending immense persuasiveness to his every word and action within that spiritual sphere.

This so-called God-Favored was merely the Church’s tool for proselytizing. Gu Xicheng silently made arrangements for Gu Yuru’s future role. Andre’s forceful rise was unstoppable, and Gu Xicheng temporarily wished to avoid any connection with the terrifying entity behind him, forcing him to watch Andre successfully consolidate the Church's power.

One Earth Immortal-level freak, seven or eight Void Realm existences, hundreds of peak Soul Transformation masters, plus three thousand peak Nascent Soul Church Knights—this force was sufficient to confront the Dao Alliance head-on, provided the Corpse Emperor and others did not utilize Immortal Artifacts.

If the Dao Alliance Grandmasters like the Corpse Emperor used Immortal Artifacts, the Church Bishops and Knights would be swept away easily. However, Andre also possessed marvelous Sacred Artifacts; Gu Xicheng recalled the terror of that crimson gem and the crossbow.

He needed to make some concessions. Gu Xicheng sighed inwardly. Fortunately, his original intention wasn't to force the Church and the Federation of Gods into a corner; he had other plans.

A few minutes later, the high command of the Church and the Federation of Gods were reseated. The reception room was cleaned anew, and the blood on the floor wiped away.

Gu Xicheng, who had been aggressively demanding moments before, now appeared humble and amicable. He proactively yielded ground, proposing a joint defense plan that immediately caught the attention of the Papal State and the Federation of Gods.

First, Gu Xicheng pointed out that the Romans had brought back an immense number of subjugated warriors from outer space, including countless powerful experts, posing a colossal threat to all three parties. Therefore, the Earth Federation, the Papal State, and the Federation of Gods had to unite, or they could not survive the Roman assault.

Centuries of warfare had left no room for reconciliation between the Terrans and the Romans. Now, both sides were restructuring their power dynamics internally; once this was complete, both would immediately mobilize their war machines. At this moment, the Papal State and the Federation of Gods were simply incapable of resisting the Roman invasion—that was beyond doubt.

Perhaps the Papal State under Andre could withstand an attack from the Pantheon's myriad priests and Divine Guard Knights, but the Papal State could not withstand an assault from the regular Roman forces.

As for the severely weakened Federation of Gods, perhaps a single Roman super-battleship could destroy all its current military might, without even needing to deploy a super-carrier.

Faced with this unfavorable situation, Gu Xicheng only asked the Papal State and the Federation of Gods to contribute some resources, providing benefits, salaries, and pensions for the Earth Federation's fleet, relieving them of various unreasonable previous expenditures. In return, Gu Xicheng would deploy a fleet composed of super-carriers to assist the two nations in defending against the Roman invasion.

Furthermore, Gu Xicheng could conditionally lease super-carriers to the two nations, though the total number leased would not exceed ten, with accompanying escort warships not exceeding one hundred.

Aside from super-carriers and warships originating from the Romans, Gu Xicheng offered to sell the two nations the South Heaven Gate and North Heaven Gate-class battleships at a favorable price. These would all be technically upgraded new-model battleships, with attack power and defense capabilities increased by at least five times compared to the original versions.

Gu Xicheng could also supply the two nations with vast amounts of combat armor and various military equipment, all performance metrics several times superior to the Earth Federation’s previous standard issue.

The conditions Gu Xicheng offered were extraordinarily generous, a complete reversal from his aggressive demeanor moments ago.

Moreover, in his speech, he showed exceptional respect and admiration for Andre, whose strength had significantly improved, greatly boosting Andre’s vanity.

Finally, Gu Xicheng threw in an enticing offer: He could provide sufficient advanced technology, utilizing the Papal State’s factories and workers to produce various warships and armaments, establishing comprehensive military cooperation with the Papal State. However, the Gu Corporation could not participate in this cooperation; Andre must swear that the Gu Corporation would receive no technical data whatsoever.

Andre agreed to Gu Xicheng's demands without hesitation.

Poppy pondered for a moment before grimly accepting Gu Xicheng’s terms.

Both leaders then requested that Gu Xicheng provide his required list of resources. The list Gu Xicheng presented caused boundless delight among all the high-ranking officials of the Church and the Federation of Gods.

Gu Xicheng requested large quantities of basic minerals, such as iron, copper, nickel, zinc, and rare earths, along with significant amounts of resources no longer considered rare, like gold and silver. Crucially, Gu Xicheng offered an extremely high exchange rate: the two nations could use gold and silver to substitute for other mineral resources in the transaction. The exchange rate for gold was reasonable enough, but the rate for silver was shockingly high—one ton of silver could substitute for more than ten tons of basic minerals delivered to Gu Xicheng.

"We need vast amounts of gold and silver to refine the Qi of Pure Gold to forge magic treasures!" Gu Xicheng explained. "Especially silver; the Qi of Pure Gold content is particularly high!"

Qi of Pure Gold—this was a term both the Church and the Federation of Gods had heard of, but they didn't understand what it actually was. However, since Gu Xicheng said so, they would comply!

It was just silver; they genuinely had no idea what silver could be used for. Both factions could provide plenty of silver to trade for a massive arsenal of warships and weaponry—there couldn't be a better deal.

Of course, Andre and Poppy also decided to mobilize numerous researchers to investigate whether silver possessed any other peculiar properties that had yet to be discovered. But they were destined to gain nothing, as Gu Xicheng needed the silver not to construct anything at all.

After brief negotiations, the three parties signed a joint treaty, binding themselves with oaths sworn upon their souls to uphold the agreement.

Edward and Poppy smiled so wide their eyes narrowed to slits. Gold and silver in exchange for so many good things? Even high-tech data!

Gu Xicheng was also grinning from ear to ear, unable to close his mouth. Silver—this was the hard currency of the Star Alliance, Starlight Silver. Ah, this could purchase so much rare metal and high-tech data!

Both sides were exceedingly satisfied with the cooperative contract. The three burst into loud laughter simultaneously.

Gu Xicheng laughed loudest of all, his expression so smug, as if he could already see the entire Star Alliance being bought out by him.