Grand Ceremony (Part 1)

Xueliya's thoughts went back to the time when she received the order from the association. The person she was dealing with was the elder of the first family, a beautiful woman who had dominated the Central Region and made all the families surrender to her. But now, she has transformed herself with the capital she accumulated in those years, and has been promoted several levels in succession, becoming one of the important members of the family.

The red-haired woman leaned on the soft chair, a wisp of smoke rising from the golden cigarette in her hand. The years have endowed her with an unbearable mature charm. She only needs to beckon her finger to make all the men in Partington, including some women, surrender.

"Remember, if you want to negotiate, you must have something that the other person desires. Never expect to achieve your goals with your looks. If it is something that can only be achieved with your looks, don't expect him to keep a secret for you."

She took a puff of the cigarette and slowly exhaled, her face blurred by the mist. Shelia could feel the other person's eyes on her, like a falling veil.

"They want me to preach to you some way to make it happen. You can choose to do what they say and give everything just to get the other party to agree. In addition, you have another choice, which is to wait for the price to rise."

"You know, there are many more places you can go to."

Shirleya searched for the right words. It was the first time someone said to her, "You and I are not thinking the same thing."

"Do you think I'm going to teach you to seduce men with your body, to tempt them with sweet words, and to use yourself as a bargaining chip?"

The senior laughed disdainfully: "Only useless men - oh, sorry, this is a bit biased, only useless men and women would want to use this method to gain something. I have seen many men and women who were forced to become spies or other things because of their good looks."

"Among these people, women are easier to control, so they all like to let me go. So they always expect us to do it without bloodshed, and to get things that they can't do with this face. Oh, how is it possible? But people like us can only rely on this thing to accumulate strength."

Any word of these outrageous words would cause a huge uproar if spread out. Xue Liya was a little puzzled: "But what about your family? If the Noble Association is hit, the Owen family will also be affected."

"It's not a big deal. They didn't like me anyway. Otherwise they wouldn't have made me such an important member of the family."

The senior snorted coldly: "Of course, the association doesn't want me to tell you these things. If they had a choice, they wouldn't send me here. But who told me that I am the best negotiator in all of Partington?"

"And you only need to remember one thing——"

The bright red eyes stared at her like flames, emitting a sharp light.

"Don't waste everything and become a discarded child. What they can give you, they can also take back."

Don't be a quitter...

Xue Liya silently repeated the other party's words in her heart, and the pieces of paper in her arms were as heavy as a thousand pounds. That list was the help provided by the Noble Association this time. In order to have this resource, she must convince the other party.

Shirleya took a deep breath, smiled again, and walked in with her head held high.

This time, the guide was the loyal blond knight. The house was very quiet, even a little lonely by the standards of the nobility.

The blond knight noticed her gaze and smiled apologetically, "After dismissing those servants, I can't clean such a large mansion by myself. I can only focus on the current residence. Please forgive me."

"That's not something to apologize for. You've taken good care of this place. I remember your name, Ronald... You're from that knight family, right?"

Shirleya's eyes fell on the long sword on the other's waist, which was so special that it was hard to ignore. Ronald smiled and said, "Yes, thank you for your compliment. The Duke is inside, please come in."

He stopped in front of the reception room he had been in last time, and seemed to have no intention of going in. Shirley nodded in thanks and entered the battle alone.

The new Duke sat by the window, with hot tea and snacks in his hands. He was wearing thick clothes today, and his fur collar made his skin look even paler. He seemed to be particularly afraid of the cold due to his long-term illness. There was also a small red fox fur blanket on his knees.

Hearing the voice, he turned around and said, "Hello again, Miss Xueliya. Black tea again?"

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness. I can do it myself this time."

Shirleya sat at the table and picked up the teapot. This was a somewhat impolite behavior in the interaction between nobles, implying that the other party's hospitality was not thoughtful enough, but fortunately the other party did not care.

The girl was also somewhat helpless. The Duke was of high status and weak, so she couldn't expect him to stand up and pour tea for her. As for calling servants, she had only seen knights guarding the door so far. To avoid embarrassment, she decided to come in person.

With the maid around, Shirleya rarely brewed tea herself, but that was not because she was bad at it. On the contrary, she had taken tea art classes. The girl rolled up her sleeves and held the pot, and the gurgling tea flowed into the cup, emitting steam.

Her posture, expression, and overall sense were all beautiful. She looked like a fine jade sculpture. She could feel the Duke's eyes on her, so she looked back and smiled generously.

"The last time we met, I didn't expect you to act so quickly and said a lot of childish things. I hope you didn't laugh at me secretly while drinking tea."

"You are joking. How could I laugh at a lady?"

The linen-haired noble's eyes were smiling. The socializing among the nobles had its own pattern: hidden self-mockery and apology/getting the other party's comfort and understanding/using other topics to greet and ease the atmosphere, and then turning to the most important topic for both parties. Shelia was already familiar with this. But today's feeling was particularly different.

After she started talking, the new Duke responded to every topic calmly, smiling and joking at the right time. Every scene was perfect like a puppet on the stage. Performing the appropriate dance steps in the hands of the playwright. Because it was too smooth, it gave people a false sense of perfection. She slowly stopped and stared at the Duke in front of her. Until the other party blinked in confusion.

"What's wrong? Miss Xueliya."

"It's nothing. I was being rude. Someone like you should have seen through my intentions."

Yes, this is just a show to give face to the noble association. Doing more useless operations is just a waste of time. It is better to get straight to the point and win the other party's favor.

Shirleya immediately figured it out and changed the subject: "Since you've seen it, let's get straight to the point. The association hopes to discuss the purification machinery with you in detail."

The other party raised an eyebrow, then lowered it: "I thought the association only needed the church."

Xue Liya picked up the cup and moistened her throat. She smiled softly and said, "Haha, you are joking. If it was because of this reason, the association would not have to wait until now. It could have agreed to all the requests of the church before. What the Noble Association wants is not the decentralization of the church, but to make it a part of itself and make the church a vassal of the association."

"After the death of the previous pope, the church never selected a suitable successor for various reasons. After that, the new god spoke and the Protestant split occurred. This was the best opportunity for the Noble Association. As long as they lend a helping hand, they can get the church's gratitude/commitment and even some operating rights. From the beginning to the end, the association has no intention of letting the church withdraw completely."

How terrifying is the background of an organization that has ruled the human world for hundreds and thousands of years?

Shirley could only say that the church was not so crazy as to violate the covenant and put Mason to death. Otherwise, she knew of no less than a dozen lethal pollutants, and if the price could be accepted, the number would reach triple digits.

"You don't sound like you're speaking for the association, but that's okay, let's finish this conversation first. What does the Noble Association want?"

"The Association hopes that you can provide sufficient raw materials to the Mechanical City to ensure the manufacture and popularization of pollution purification devices. If you are willing to open up your mining sources to the Noble Association, the Association will be happy to pay a satisfactory chip."

Shirley leaned forward slightly, intentionally or unintentionally shortening the distance between them. She looked at Mason with smiling eyes, like a pool of soft water waves.

"Territory, power, strength, wealth, status and beauty... whatever you want is fine."

The Duke kept smiling, showing neither approval nor rejection. Shelia calmed down and continued, "What do you think about this?"

"I appreciate the church's sincerity, but I do have a few requests."

"First, the Nobles Association must sever its ties with the church. I don't want a temporary separation, but a complete severance of ties."

"Excuse me, I know you have a big grudge against the church. But for mankind, the church has indispensable value. Why don't you consider shaking hands and making peace? Even if you are in such a mess now, it is still not difficult to resolve it. Could it be that... you just want to kill the church and take over its power?"

"You're kidding. I don't have such big ambitions. It's just that I can't coexist with the church."

"This needs to be discussed by the association. If there is a result, I will come again to inform you later."

Shirleya smiled politely, then changed her tone: "Well, do you have another idea? For example, offer a price and buy my service."

The new Duke raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

"We all know that the Nobles' Association is wary of you. I know you must have your own ways to get information. After all, the Merchants' Guild is the largest intelligence organization. But it must be very difficult to operate under so many eyes."

"I can help you."

"As the negotiator of the Noble Association, no one will doubt my comings and goings. You can give me the contact information of the Chamber of Commerce, and I will act as the intermediary between the two parties. In addition, if I find out anything else, I will inform you in time."

"That sounds good, so what will it cost me?"

"It's just a small thing. This is a personal transaction between you and me, and has nothing to do with the family."

“You are indeed an excellent lobbyist.”

Xueliya stood up and turned to walk to the door. When she was about to go out, she suddenly paused.

"My Lord Duke, I have one last question. Are you really poisoned?"

“Is this important?”

The Duke placed his hands on the table and smiled at her.

"No matter what the answer is, to the Noble Association, as long as I am unwilling to meet them, I am refusing to cooperate. To the Church, as long as I am alive, I am a threat. As for whether I was poisoned or who poisoned me, these are not important. What is important is what they want to see."

"You are a noble who is well suited to living in Partington."

Shirleya smiled, closed the door and went out.

The linen-haired noble sat there motionless until the door opened again. Ronald came in with the energy liquid and handed it to him: "Thank you for your hard work."

The smile on Mason's face disappeared like a mask. He thanked him and took the energy liquid, tilting his head back and drinking it. When he stood up, he found that this noble was shorter than the real Mason. Number Three put down the blanket and returned to his usual expressionless face.

"Has the Duke returned?"

"no."

When Ronald mentioned this, his expression became very distressed.

After thanking the guests behind closed doors, Mason pulled No. 3 over from his hometown. After teaching him how to answer and what attitude to show, he secretly left the Duke's Mansion and has not been seen since.

No. 3 drank the last drop of energy liquid: "I hope he can come back soon. I'm afraid there will be changes in the Noble Association next, and he will need to make a decision."

Where is Mason now?

He is eating sand.

The newly promoted duke struggled to get up from the ground and spit out the sand in his mouth. His legs were deeply sunk into the sand pool and his body was in a mess. Ham stood by the sand pool and pointed at him with a gloating look: "You are not as good as your senior sister. She can stand here all day without moving."

Senior sister? What senior sister? The two disciples you (think you are) are both me. Be careful or I will make you lose all your heirs if I get angry!

Mason rolled his eyes. It took him a while to learn how to use his strength to step on the sand pool. During this process, he could indeed feel the energy passing through his skin, subtle and slow.

For ordinary people, long-term exercise in these sands can indeed improve their physical fitness. But that requires an extremely long process.

All the equipment placed around were of this type, which could slowly improve human health over long periods of time. But Mason thought it was still too slow.

"Is this the weapon you mentioned that can allow ordinary people to defeat monsters?"

Ham's eyes widened. "Don't underestimate this. What determines the difference between ordinary people and bloodline people? One is ability, and the other is physical quality. Ability can be improved by various mechanical devices, but physical quality has little effect. As long as you work hard, you can get the training measures that will yield rewards. Do you know how much effort it took me?"

This pool alone accounts for more than half of all the research funds. Not only are there various rare monster materials in it, but also a large amount of white crystal powder and purification equipment. Only in this way can the harm to ordinary people be reduced to the minimum. It is no exaggeration to say that with this pool of sand, Ham can firmly sit on the throne of the number one researcher in the Mechanical City.

"I know this is a great achievement, but we are running out of time. Is there any faster way to achieve results?"

Mason was helpless. This thing was good, and could even change the times. It was extremely important to his future plans.

But these things can't cope with what he is going to do next. He needs force, force that can control everything.

"Of course there is more, there are also these."

Ham clapped his hands, and several mechanics came in with three carts. Ham personally pulled back the curtain on the first cart, revealing the standard wooden warehouse piled inside.

"This is a new type of handgun developed using the technology of the Mechanical City. It can be used even without bloodline. Compared with the pistols used exclusively by bloodline users, it is less powerful and safer."

"During the production process, the mechanic provided me with a lot of help. I referred to her advice and placed white crystal fragments on each pistol, which can be replaced regularly."

Having said this, he opened the second cart.

"The movable plate armor. Traditional all-inclusive armor is too expensive and difficult to popularize, so I made this plate armor. I referred to the chain mail of the previous era. These simple armor pieces have a simple perception system that can block attacks by sensing the direction and protect important parts. Compared with the all-inclusive armor, it is more flexible. The most important thing is that the price is half of the previous price."

What if the sensory system is broken? "

"Of course I thought of it! So there is one more trick."

Ham fumbled around and took out a chain from under the armor. He said seriously, "Make a set of light armor yourself!"

Mason: “…”

Mason: “Redo.”

Ham was shocked: "…Isn't it useful? Isn't it genius? How great is it to have two uses in one!"

Mason ignored him and looked at the last cart.

Ham sighed in a pretentious manner and pulled back the curtain, revealing a sharp white light, which was like a comet breaking through the sky and piercing directly into the boy's eyes.

Ham praised the gadgets a lot when introducing them, but he was very calm when he got to the point. His rough fingertips stroked the surface of the armor, and his eyes were filled with endless nostalgia.

"It's a set of armor, a set of armor for mechanics. I've studied her abilities, and they're truly a miracle beyond imagination... Only gods have such power. When I designed Lilith, I also hoped that she would have similar abilities. But if we really did that, once something went wrong, the Mechanical City would be helpless. Therefore, we eventually canceled the plan."

"But since the mechanic already has this ability, it would be a shame not to make good use of it. Give this to her for me. She will like it."

Mason walked over to the cart. Looking closely, the armor was glittering and had a great mechanical beauty. The surface was inlaid with golden patterns, as if it were embedded with flowing gems.

He couldn't help asking, "How did you develop this kind of thing?"

Ham smiled proudly. "We killed countless gods back then!"

Only by using the divine body as material, the divine blood as tempering, and the divine nature as the core can an artificial human god comparable to it be created. Armor made from the remaining materials can be effective against it.

And in that era, the Mechanical City was the only existence that could rival the gods with human power!

The first set of armor disappeared with Lilith's disappearance, so Ham used all the materials at hand to build the second set, including Xiaolu's branches, a large amount of Divine Kingdom ore provided by the East, the bodies of two SSS-level monsters, etc. For these materials, the Mechanical City made a lot of exchanges. But the result was worth it.

Mason looked gentle. It must be said that Ham was very nice to him. He always stood by him and prepared a lot of things for the mechanic. The Mechanical City was not a one-family business. He must have paid a lot to achieve what it has now.

Before he could finish being moved, Ham closed the curtain. He chuckled, "However, due to the research during this period, the white crystals in the Mechanical City are not abundant enough. Do you need to get some more?"

The emotion just now disappeared, and Mason rolled his eyes. How could he not know that when the Noble Association came to ask, the Mechanical City still had half of the stock, and it was only after that that the white crystal was used crazily, probably just to cheat the Noble Association and get more resources for himself, so he suddenly used it in large quantities.

But what can be done?

He made me a suit of armor!

"I know. Someone will bring you the materials. The production cost of the sand pool needs to be reduced, otherwise it will be difficult to promote it. Tekikura needs to increase its power and produce more diverse categories. In addition, the soul birth plan of the androids must also be promoted to purify these pollutions as soon as possible. As for this set of armor, you can take it directly to the mechanic. Don't be nice to me here. I will try my best to provide more raw materials."

Seeing what he meant, Ham rubbed his cheek and said awkwardly, "I'm not trying to trick you. This thing really costs a lot of materials."

"I know, as long as it works, I'll take whatever you want. I only have one request, it has to be fast."

Ham swallowed his question until he was sure that the other party had his own ideas. He no longer cared about it and agreed readily: "I understand. Are you going back now?"

"Well, if you hadn't made something good, I wouldn't have made this trip."

Mason smiled, and his mind was already on the other side. He thought that after No. 3 came forward for him, the Noble Association would soon respond.

…

Things are getting complicated.

If they had known this would happen, the Nobles Association would certainly not have ignored the criticism against Mason in exchange for the interests of the church.

But now that this has been done, we can only discuss how to deal with it next.

Another meeting was held in the central building.

Eleven family heads participated in the event, either in person or as projections. The Brainworm family took a look around and was the latest family head. Although the damage caused by the Partington Incident to the city has been restored, the Brainworm family has suffered a serious blow and has not yet recovered.

He was the first to ask, "The biggest question now is which side should we side with, the church or Duke Mason?"

A light curtain rose from the table, showing the power confrontation between the two sides in detail. The church occupied the vast majority of positions with a dull golden color, while the bright blue one firmly controlled several key forces and territories.

"If we choose the former, we will have to break with the new Duke and become hostile to those forces. If we choose the latter, we will have to sever our ties with the church."

"We have gained a lot from the church now. If we continue to maintain the alliance, it will be much easier than communicating with the new duke. But in terms of future development, the church will undoubtedly lose."

The head of the Infinite Sky frowned and said, "How likely is it?"

"Ninety percent. The church is based on faith. After the gods abandoned them, the church was already on a precarious cliff. With the establishment of new religions and the protection of major forces, the church has little chance to fight back. Unless they declare that they have abandoned their faith and become independent from the rule of the Lord of All Things and All Powers, can the church still be called a church at that time?"

After listening to his analysis, everyone present was silent. The Hart family head said solemnly: "No matter what, maintaining the existing stability is the first priority. We must not let the church affect the future of mankind."

The head of the Siren family crossed his legs, propped up his face and said leisurely: "It sounds like it's clear which side to choose."

"Let's vote. Those who agree to restore the relationship with Duke Mason please cast a blank vote. Those who disagree please cast a red vote."

Everyone present made their choice quickly. The eleven cards were turned over, revealing the white front. After seeing that all the families had made the same choice, everyone present felt relieved. This way, at least they no longer had to worry about the subsequent verbal battle.

The head of the Bertram family was in a good mood. As one of the three major families in the west, he was a warlike man and actually admired the young duke. In addition, his family's territory was the closest to Guixiang City, and the two sides often traded and had a good relationship. His eyes fell on the face of the head of the Hart family, and he joked: "I thought the Hart family would stand on the side of the church. Your territory overlaps with the church's beliefs to a large extent. If you really break with the church, your life will probably be very difficult."

The latter curled his lips, his silver hair combed into a shiny and sleek look: "You don't have to worry about this. The Hart family will naturally find a way to solve this matter."

The Brainworm Family turned a deaf ear to their conversation and continued, "Then let's move on to the next step. Regarding the treatment and attitude towards Duke Mason, what level should we adopt?"

The topic was much easier to discuss at this point. Ron spread his hands, looking helpless: "If the Luo family were to choose, we would naturally side with the new duke. Again, please give the Luo family some face in this matter and treat them better. After all, our family is from the same starry land as him, so the relationship is naturally better."

The head of the Owen family organized his words and agreed with the other party: "The Owen family and the Luo family have the same idea. I hope everyone will give the Owen family some face. The Dragon Clan said that Mason is their best friend. If he suffers a loss, the entire Dragon Clan will come to the association... and the Owen family to ask about the situation."

“I don’t know this person.”

The Rodney family head laughed dryly. Like the Owen family, the territory of this neutral family is located in the east, bordering the Mechanical City. "The Mechanical City asked me to say a few words. I won't tell you the details. You all know."

The head of the Shasha family cooperated and said, "Under the condition that it does not affect the interests of the association, I think it is a good decision to establish a good relationship with the new Duke. Not only because of his strength, but also because we are both members of the Noble Association and are natural allies of interests."

He was willing to say a few good words for Mason. The Duke of Meldan had asked him for help the night before. Ricks was one of the Duke's most valued subordinates. Although the other party had left the West, their friendship was still there. When he could talk, the Duke of Meldan was willing to help and say a few good words for Mason.

The rest of the people had no objections, and the meeting proceeded at a very fast speed. The head of the Brainworm family took the initiative to take on the task of summarizing: "If we take action against Mason Cross, firstly, it will chill those who also oppose the church. Secondly, we don't need to be a weapon of the church. Thirdly, as far as I know, Duke Mason has a thousand connections with everyone present. We can be considered a family. If we can unite, there is no need to fight for the church."

After saying this, he paused for a moment and added, "Moreover, the people of Central and the Brainworm Family are very grateful to the visitor from the Star Land named Profligate. He has made an outstanding contribution to the continuation of Partington."

No one in the room spoke, and the Brainworm Patriarch did not urge him until Patriarch Owen let out a sigh of relief: "You're right, let's do it."

"I understand. Since the association has made a decision, it cannot be changed. Waiting for the right price certainly has its advantages, but in comparison, I think it is better to be a good person and make our position clear. As for the church, don't worry. Since we started supporting the research of the Mechanical City, the church and the Noble Association can no longer coexist."

Everyone was silent for a while and nodded seriously.

Investing is like gambling. The more you invest, the bigger the bet. If both parties are close, you will neither gain nor lose. Now that you have made a choice, you naturally cannot keep any handle for the other party to use.

At the same time as making the choice, the Noble Association immediately changed its original attitude and gave Mason a generous gift.

"Is this why you came to see me?"

The red-haired young man pointed at himself in disbelief, his face full of suspicion. Are you serious about asking my own vest to benefit me?

"You have a good relationship with Duke Mason, so you can deliver these things to him."

Oreius took the document and read it roughly. The Noble Association gave a very good price, at least enough for the annual tax revenue of the two territories combined. He sighed and thought that he really took too little last time.

Ron thought he was unwilling, so he said earnestly: "You have a special identity. You are a member of the Luo family and a native of the Land of Stars. It is most appropriate for you to do this."

"Well, don't blame me if the money is too little and the deal doesn't go through."

"This is enough for his territory's annual income. Isn't it enough?"

"It's only been a year, I'm sending away beggars."

"One million more lopis, not even one more coin for the rest."

"make a deal!"

Aurelius decided to stop while he was ahead and agreed readily.

The surrender of the Nobles Association was expected. Mason accepted the money and immediately sent it to the South.

Poison was so busy that he was not in a good mood after receiving the money. The church focused all its attention on the new church and pursued it relentlessly. The newly established new church had a weak foundation and could not fight against it at all. In addition, he was now second only to Mason on the church's must-kill list, so his job was very difficult.

But he had to do it. Before Mason went to the East, he had contacted him. Thinking of what he had said, Du Yao sighed inwardly and rang the bell in his hand.

A girl in a blue robe came in and bowed to him. "Your Holiness, what can I do for you?"

She has a cute round face and a small mole on the tip of her nose, which makes her look very friendly. She is the third batch of believers who joined the Poison Sect, and her ranking is not too high or too low, and her ability is not outstanding, nor is it a drag. She is neither tall nor short, and she is neither pretty nor ugly.

Many people were puzzled by the fact that such an ordinary girl was chosen by Du Yao to be his deputy.

Duyao put down the bell and said, "It's time to close the net. Go contact our people and ask the church to start the sacrifice as soon as possible. It's time to let them know that the gods can no longer be trusted."

After hearing these shocking words, the round-faced girl remained calm and said respectfully, "I understand."

After making sure that the other party had no other needs, she stepped out, returned to her room, and took out a sealed silver box from under the bed.

She took out the contact, wrote a message and sent it back. Then she hid it.

As night fell, the priests returned from the streets, looking tired.

The holy city no longer had its former grandeur; the warm light of street lamps illuminated the surroundings, but the reassuring feeling of the past was gone.

In the North today, the streets are filled with protesters, faith in cities is collapsing, and major forces are adding fuel to the flames. The church is extremely busy for a while. They have held countless sacrifices, but the new gods refuse to accept their offerings. Many radical believers have set themselves on fire and held demonstrations. The church is exhausted every day. Many devout priests have also chosen to commit suicide, which has increased the burden on the remaining people.

What is even more frightening is that as time goes by, the new god gradually withdraws his power as he said before. He no longer protects the various regions. This process is extremely slow, but everyone can see the end.

After listening to the instructions of the middle-level priest, the remaining priests returned to their rooms in silence. The priest in charge sighed and returned to his room after finishing his work. He was also very tired, but he still finished a series of prayers and lay down on the bed.

The lights went out, and about twenty minutes later, the middle-level priest sat up and took out a sealed silver box from under the bed.

He pulled out the contact and read the message before clearing it and hiding it.

When I woke up the next day, there were a few fewer people at the church's morning prayer. The remaining people turned a blind eye and knelt in silence before the statue until someone hurriedly ran in from outside.

The priests listened numbly to the news of their colleagues' suicides, with despair and sorrow on their faces. They didn't know if they could hold on tomorrow, nor did they know if the people around them would disappear tomorrow.

The air seemed to freeze, and it was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe. The priests seemed to have made up their minds. They were of different identities and did not know each other, but their faces showed the same determination.

"We can't go on like this, this must be the monster's conspiracy. He will never abandon us!"

Everyone's eyes fell on their faces. Several priests shuddered and spoke with determination: "God's will can be obscured and twisted, just like the Church of the God of War in the past. I apply to hold a grand ceremony to ask our Lord, find out the facts, and eliminate the evil that pollutes God's will!"

The middle-level priest frowned and shouted, "What do you mean? Are you going to abandon your faith?"

Even though he said this, his face was filled with fatigue, and it was clear that his words were not convincing. Several priests knelt on the ground and begged with a fearless attitude.

"We have no doubts about our Lord's intentions. We are unable to contact our Lord through sacrifices at the moment. There must be something evil that has blocked the connection between the two sides, distorted our Lord's will, and wants to destroy the church and mankind. In order to reassure the believers, I hope that the church will hold a grand ceremony, worship our Lord, find out the facts, and eliminate the evil that pollutes God's will!"

The remaining priests knelt down and agreed with their opinions. The words of their colleagues were like candles, becoming their last hope in the darkness. Word spread from one person to a hundred, and from a hundred to a thousand. The news was passed up layer by layer and finally reached the ears of the church's upper echelons.

Countless believers looked forward to an answer, desperately grasping the last piece of driftwood in the sea. Even the highest level could not resist the tide of the people, and two days later, the church announced the news.

——The church will hold a grand ceremony, with the bishop personally asking the gods for favor and regaining their favor.