“Who am I?” the god-like man smiled, looking at Lù Nóng as he spoke a world-shattering name: “If you wish, you may call me God.”

The words of this sacred man shocked not only Lù Nóng but also the Pope standing beside her, leaving them both dumbfounded.

“Heh, what arrogance. Daring to claim to be God. You are nothing more than a God-level master, just like me. You might have some trickery that makes mortals believe you are an immortal, but in my eyes, you are just a slightly more powerful human. To impersonate God in front of me is truly laughable. Oh, wait, I misspoke just now. You aren't human; you are merely a snake that cultivated until it achieved sentience, then took human form to deceive the ignorant faithful here.” Lù Nóng sneered. Having suffered a hidden blow the moment she met this sacred man, she held not an ounce of goodwill for him, deliberately countering with harsh words.

The sacred man continued to smile gently. “Electric Mage. Whether you believe it or not, I am the God who has always watched over you. Hmm, I sense a powerful electrical force emanating from you, but I also sense severe injuries within your body. If I were you, I would immediately find a secluded place to hide until your wounds are fully healed before showing yourself again, rather than wandering about so openly while heavily injured—because that is terribly dangerous.”

“You…” Lù Nóng’s face paled in shock. She had sustained grave injuries from Black Knight’s final blow in the ‘City of Stars.’ The reason she had come to St. Peter's Basilica to trouble the Pope was precisely because she knew the Vatican no longer possessed any formidable martial strength; even severely wounded, no one here was her match. Just as she was certain of victory, this sacred man had suddenly appeared. Not only did his aura suggest he was a God-level master, but his gaze was piercingly sharp, allowing him to see the severe injuries within her body at a single glance. (This text is provided by Leyou Literature; please remember Leyou Literature.)

“A charlatan! Even if I am heavily wounded, defeating you will still be more than enough. I can sense from the aura within your body that your condition isn't great either. You must have just broken free from a seal and are still in a weakened state!” Lù Nóng challenged. Retreating without a fight wasn't her style; she was also probing this sacred man, seeing if she could eliminate him while his power was diminished.

The sacred man smiled, appearing utterly gentlemanly. He spoke in a gentle voice, “Respected Electric Mage, you have come to see the Pope today only to demand compensation from the Vatican for your family. I will agree on the Vatican's behalf right now. In a few days, they will send something substantial that represents our sincerity to your House of Augustus. How does that sound?”

Lù Nóng considered this. Although the aura within the sacred man opposite her seemed to flicker between strong and weak, suggesting he could be felled in one strike, this was St. Peter's Basilica, the heart of the Vatican. If a battle broke out here, he might be able to leverage some unknown power within the church, and her unhealed injuries might render her no match for him. Since the other party was clearly displaying weakness and offering compensation, there was no need to fight. Even seeking revenge for the sneak attack dealt to her earlier would have to wait until her injuries were completely healed.

“Your Holiness, I wonder if this gentleman’s words represent the will of the Vatican?” Lù Nóng turned to address the Pope.

The Pope was in a state of panic. Suddenly, a man who transformed from a snake and claimed to be God appeared, engaged in a rapid-fire verbal exchange with the female mage from the House of Augustus, and swiftly concluded a compensation agreement. Although the Pope was unwilling in his heart and felt it absurd for matters of the Church to be decided by this potentially sealed demon, this compensation decision could temporarily satisfy the terrifying female mage and buy him more time—which he was certainly willing to do.

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

The sacred man looked at the Pope, a look of admiration gleaming in his eyes. The moment the Pope caught sight of this appreciative gaze, his heart instantly filled with sunshine and hope, making any hardship seem insignificant, as if the sacred man were truly the God he worshipped.

Lù Nóng merely snorted heavily and declared, “Then I shall await your sincerity.” With that, a giant electric serpent materialized around her. This serpent lifted her high into the air, then swiftly flew out through the open doors, departing St. Peter's Basilica.

“Sir…” With Lù Nóng gone, the Pope prepared to speak with the sacred man. He had just witnessed the sealed serpent from the mural slither out and transform into this seemingly sacred man. He felt deeply uneasy, fearing the man might truly be the incarnation of a demon, so he intended to demand clarification.

The man, who appeared utterly sacred, raised a finger and made a silencing gesture near his lips. Then, the holy light enveloping him grew even more intense. Gradually, the sound of angelic praise echoed more clearly in the air, and the ethereal images of angels flying about became sharper, making him appear intensely divine, as if the true God had descended.

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

The Pope gasped as the holy light entered his body through the top of his head. He immediately felt an incredible lightness throughout his frame; all the ailments within his body seemed to vanish. Every cell sang with joy, and he suddenly felt decades younger. Faced with this unexpected boon, the Pope froze on the spot.

At that very moment, a bronze statue carved above the main doors of St. Peter's Basilica began to crackle with sound, followed by a flash of electrical sparks and fire. Then, Lù Nóng reappeared amidst the arcs of electricity. She glanced at the sacred man enveloped in white holy light, gave another cold snort, mounted the electric serpent beneath her feet, and soared away.

The Pope stared dumbly as Lù Nóng retreated. He hadn't expected the female mage from the House of Augustus to be so cunning. She had pretended to leave, only to secretly return and lie in wait above the main door, observing the sacred man’s condition. Only after seeing the man display his formidable power did she depart, albeit reluctantly. Thinking this over, the Pope realized that if this sacred man had not appeared tonight, the Vatican might not have escaped this calamity.

With that realization, the Pope couldn't help but cast a grateful glance toward the sacred man. Although his pretense of being God was a capital offense, he had, after all, driven away that terrifying mage and genuinely done him a huge favor.

Who would have thought that when the Pope looked at the sacred man again, he found the man’s face ashen, his body trembling, barely able to stand steadily, all the previous sanctity and glory utterly gone?

“What happened to you?” The Pope cried out in shock, rushing forward to support the sacred man, reasoning that the man now appeared to be on his side.

“Help me to the front,” the sacred man commanded. Although his breath was faint and he looked on the verge of collapse, his words were still incredibly persuasive, compelling anyone listening to obey instinctively.

The Pope, not knowing why, helped the man up and followed the direction he indicated. The Pope walked all the way to the remains of the late Pope John XXIII, which were kept on the first level of St. Peter's Basilica, before setting the sacred man down. (This text is provided by Leyou Literature; please remember Leyou Literature.)

The sacred man sat on the ground, catching his breath for a while until his spirit seemed to recover slightly. He looked at the remains of John XXIII, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. Then, he assumed a peculiar posture and began to chant a very ancient, archaic spell.

While the Pope was still stunned, he saw streaks of sacred white light suddenly erupting from the body of John XXIII. These streaks of holy light grew in number until they converged into a massive pillar of radiance in the air. This pillar of light circled once overhead, then flew toward the sacred man, drilling into him through the top of his head. This process continued for a full minute until the entire mass of immense holy light had completely entered the sacred man’s body.

Having absorbed the massive influx of holy light, the sacred man opened his eyes, which now shone with renewed vigor. A powerful aura radiated from him once more, unlike the utter weakness he had displayed moments before.

The Pope was immersed in shock. He didn't know why the deceased Pope's body would release holy light, nor why the sacred man absorbed it, immediately restoring his strength after assimilating the holy light within John XXIII.

It was only at this moment that the Pope suddenly remembered that the sacred man had transformed from the snake sealed by God. Therefore, in terms of allegiance, the two remained adversaries. Now, he had actually assisted this being, who might be a demon, in absorbing the holy light from the body of a deceased Pope, which filled him with extreme dread.

The sacred man seemed to sense the Pope’s thoughts. He stood up and smiled. “My dear Pope, who do you take me for? Am I a demon, or the snake sealed by God?”

The Pope honestly shook his head. “You possess a divine aura, so you cannot be a demon. But you were also formed from the snake sealed by God, so I truly don't know who you are.”

A look of wistful recollection appeared in the sacred man’s eyes. He spoke, “If I told you that I truly am the God you constantly praise, would you believe me?” @.H