“Who am I?” the God-like man smiled faintly, looking at Lu Nong as he uttered a name that shook the heavens: “If you wish, you can call me God.”

The words of this holy man shocked Lu Nong greatly; even the Pope beside her was utterly stunned, his mouth agape.

“Heh, what arrogance. Claiming to be God—you’re just a God-level master, no different from me. You might possess some sorcery that makes mortals believe you’re a celestial being, but in my eyes, you’re merely a slightly more powerful human. To impersonate God right in front of me, how utterly laughable. Oh, wait, I misspoke. You’re not human; you’re just a serpent who achieved sentience through cultivation, transformed into human form to deceive the ignorant faithful here.” Lu Nong sneered. Having suffered an unseen slight the moment she met this holy man, she held absolutely no favorable feelings toward him and deliberately resorted to harsh mockery.

The holy man still smiled gently: “The Electric Mage. Believe it or not, I am the God who has been watching over you all along. Hmm, I sense a tremendous electrical power within you, but I also sense grave injuries within your body. If I were you, I’d find a secluded spot immediately to hide until your wounds have healed, rather than wandering about while heavily injured like this, because it is simply too dangerous.”

“You…” Lu Nong’s face drained of color. She had been severely wounded by Black Hero’s final strike in the ‘City of Starlight.’ The only reason she had come to St. Peter's Basilica to trouble the Pope was because she knew the Church no longer possessed any overwhelming martial strength; even heavily injured, no one here could match her. Just as she felt victory was within her grasp, this holy man had unexpectedly appeared. Not only did his aura suggest he was a God-level master, but his gaze was also extraordinarily sharp, discerning the severe internal injuries she carried in a single glance. (This text is provided by Leyou Literature; please remember Leyou Literature.)

“A charlatan performing tricks. Even if I am severely injured, defeating you is more than enough. I can sense the aura emanating from your body; your condition is not ideal either. Perhaps you’ve just broken free from a seal and are still in a weakened state!” Lu Nong challenged. Retreating without a fight was not her style; she was also probing this holy man, hoping to strike him down while his power was diminished.

The holy man smiled, appearing quite gentlemanly, and spoke in a mild tone: “Respected Electric Mage, you have come today seeking only compensation from the Church for your family. I will agree on their behalf right now. In a few days, they will send something substantial to your Augustus family that adequately represents our sincerity. What do you think?”

Lu Nong considered the matter. Although the aura from the holy man’s body appeared strong one moment and weak the next, suggesting he could be felled in one blow, this was St. Peter's Basilica, the Church’s stronghold. If she engaged him here, he might utilize some unknown power within the cathedral, and her unhealed injuries might prevent her from winning. Since the opponent was openly showing weakness and offering compensation, there was no need to fight him now. Even if she wanted revenge for the slight he dealt her earlier, she would have to wait until her injuries were fully healed.

“Your Holiness, do you know if this gentleman’s words represent the will of the Church?” Lu Nong turned to address the Pope.

The Pope was already in a state of trepidation. Suddenly, a man who claimed to be God, transformed from a serpent, appeared. Then, this man engaged in a verbal sparring match with the female mage from the Augustus family, quickly concluding an agreement for compensation. Although the Pope was unwilling in his heart and found it absurd that matters of the Church were being decided by this man—who might well be a sealed demon—this compensation decision could temporarily appease the terrifying female mage and buy him more time, which was something he was willing to accept.

Thus, the Pope stated, “Our Church is certainly willing to compensate your family regarding Mr. Augustus’s affairs. You will see the sincerity of our Church soon enough.”

The holy man looked at the Pope with a smile, his eyes radiating approval. As soon as the Pope saw this look of admiration from the holy man, his heart filled instantly with sunlight and hope; he felt capable of enduring any hardship, just as if the holy man truly were the God he served.

Lu Nong snorted heavily and said, “Then I shall eagerly await your sincerity.” With that, a giant electrical serpent manifested around her. This serpent carried her soaring into the air, then rapidly flew out through the open doors, departing St. Peter's Basilica.

“Mister…” Seeing Lu Nong leave, the Pope prepared to speak with the holy man. He had just witnessed the serpent from the fresco crawl out and transform into this figure who looked utterly divine. He felt deeply uneasy, fearing the man might truly be the incarnation of a devil, so he intended to demand clarification.

The seemingly divine man raised a finger to his lips in a gesture commanding silence. Then, the holy light surrounding his body intensified, and gradually, the sounds of angelic praise grew louder in the air. The phantom images of flying angels also became clearer, making him look exceedingly sacred, as if the true God had descended to earth.

“Pope, my devout follower, I am pleased with your loyalty. Therefore, I bestow upon you robust health and a long life.” The holy man spoke these words in a melodious voice, then pointed a hand. A beam of pure white holy light descended from above, landing directly on the Pope’s head.

The Pope started in shock as the light entered his body through his crown. He immediately felt an incredible lightness throughout his frame; all the illnesses within him seemed to vanish. Every cell in his body sang with joy, and he suddenly felt decades younger. Confronted with this sudden boon, the Pope froze on the spot.

At that very moment, a bronze statue carved above the great doors of St. Peter’s Basilica began to crackle, emitting a burst of electric sparks and fire. Then, Lu Nong materialized from the arcs of electricity. She glanced once more at the holy man enveloped in white light, snorted coldly again, mounted the electric serpent beneath her feet, and shot back into the sky, gone.

The Pope stared blankly after the departing Lu Nong. He hadn't expected the female mage of the Augustus family to be so cunning. She had feigned departure only to secretly return, lurking near the main doors to spy on the holy man’s physical condition. Now that she witnessed the holy man displaying formidable power, she finally left, though begrudgingly. Thinking it over, if this holy man hadn't appeared tonight, the Church might not have survived this ordeal.

With this realization, the Pope couldn't help but cast a gaze of gratitude toward the holy man. Even though the man’s pretense of being God was a capital offense, he had, nevertheless, driven away that terrifying mage, truly providing him a massive favor.

Who would have known that when the Pope looked toward the holy man again, he found the man’s face ashen, his body trembling, barely able to stand steady, all vestiges of his former holiness and grandeur gone?

“What is wrong with you?” The Pope cried out in alarm, rushing forward to support the holy man. After all, the man now appeared to be on the same side as himself.

“Help me to the front,” the holy man commanded. Although his aura was weak, on the verge of collapse, his words still carried an undeniable authority that compelled listeners to obey unconsciously.

The Pope, not knowing why, helped the man up and walked in the direction he pointed. The Pope only set the holy man down when they reached the sarcophagus of the late Pope John XXIII, housed on the first level of St. Peter’s Basilica. (This text is provided by Leyou Literature; please remember Leyou Literature.)

After sitting on the ground and gasping for breath for a while, the holy man’s spirit seemed to improve slightly. He looked at the remains of John XXIII, his eyes flashing with a keen light. Then, he assumed a strange posture and began chanting an ancient, obscure spell.

While the Pope was in a daze, he saw streams of sacred white light emanating from the corpse of John XXIII. These lights grew in intensity, gathering in the air to form a massive column of holy radiance. This light circled overhead once, then flew toward the holy man, entering through the top of his head. This process lasted a full minute until the immense column of light had completely fused into the holy man’s body.

Absorbing the vast holy light, the holy man opened his eyes. They were instantly vibrant and spirited, and a powerful aura radiated from his body once more, no longer marked by the extreme weakness of moments before.

The Pope was immersed in shock. He couldn’t fathom why holy light would erupt from the body of the deceased Pope and why the holy man absorbed it, instantly restoring his power after drawing the sanctity from John XXIII’s remains.

Only now did the Pope recall that the holy man had transformed from the serpent sealed by God. Therefore, in terms of alignment, they remained adversaries. The fact that he had just assisted this person—who might be a demon—in absorbing the holy light from the previous Pope filled him with sudden, profound dread.

The holy man seemed to perceive the Pope’s thoughts. He stood up and smiled: “My esteemed Pope, who do you think I am? A demon? Or the serpent sealed by God?”

The Pope shook his head truthfully: “You carry a divine aura, so you cannot be a demon. But you are also that serpent sealed by God, so I do not know who you truly are.”

A look of remembrance flashed in the holy man’s eyes. He spoke, “If I told you that I am indeed the God whom you have always praised, would you believe me?”