Chapter 568: The Conception of the Acting Pope
"...I can give you some further reading here. The man mentioned here who 'completely degraded high-level divine arts' actually created a new profession, that of the 'Demon' who transcends the Tao..."
The Pure White Saint continued to speak patiently to Aiwass.
But at this moment, Aiwass's pupils suddenly became empty for a moment.
She was stunned for a moment, and then she saw that Aiwass's originally deep blue eyes suddenly ignited a pure and shocking red.
It was like the sunrise, the sun leaping out from the edge where the sky meets the sea. That deep red, accompanied by a circle of golden light, made people feel as if light was shining on their faces.
...What's going on?
Pure White's eyes suddenly widened.
In an instant, an unbelievable idea came to her mind.
Aiwass, it can't be...
Seeing Aiwas's gaze focus again, the light in his eyes slowly went out, and Chunbai temporarily suppressed the terrible thoughts in his heart.
"...In this regard, Cardinal Hecate, who studies advanced divine arts, actually has a hypothesis. She believes that a prerequisite for mastering advanced divine arts is the possibility of becoming a phantom demon egg."
She continued her narration.
Aiwass asked nonchalantly, "Then can we think of it this way: being able to become a phantom demon egg actually means having some special qualifications?"
"That's right."
Pure White nodded.
She continued to explain patiently, and Aiwass listened attentively.
——Because the abilities acquired directly through the system do not require relevant knowledge.
Higher divine arts, however, are different from abilities like "Sunfire." They aren't just a single skill, but a complete system...similar to "divination" or "alchemy." Even if one can use them, it's difficult to fully utilize them without the corresponding knowledge.
After Chunbai finished talking about the first book, Aiwass took out the second book.
This book is called "Higher Divine Arts: Container of the Soul".
Without waiting for Aiwass's request, Chunbai spoke directly, "To discuss this, we must touch upon the connection between the material world and the dream world. Not only do humans enter the dream world after death, but the phantom demons of the dream world also enter the material world after death. The gods of the dream world can directly influence and transform the material world, and the various thoughts and changes of the times in the material world will also feedback and affect the dream world.
"And in these two processes, the only thing that can communicate between the two realms is the soul. The power that a transcendent gains from the dream world will eventually return to the dream world after death, regardless of whether they become a phantom demon or not. Therefore, things in the dream world will always belong to the dream world. And no matter how the material world changes, matter is ultimately conserved, so things in the material world will always belong to the material world... Only the soul can communicate back and forth between the two realms.
"When a person dies, if they can be elevated to become an apostle or celestial minister, or if they are imbued with the power of the Tao and transformed into a wild phantom demon, thus escaping the fate of reincarnation, then they are essentially elevating their will into the dream world. Similarly, celestial ministers and apostles in the dream world can also reincarnate back into the material world, and apostles can even walk in the material world.
"Ethereal demons like fairies, demons, and fairies can also enter the material world. If they die in the material world, even if their essence as an eidolon can return to the Dream World, part of their will will still be destroyed in the material world. So, in this sense, only the soul... or the will, can travel back and forth between the two worlds, belonging to neither. This is the basic theory of higher divine arts.
"From this perspective, we believe that the physical body is actually a temporary container for the soul, and humans are equivalent to infancy gods. The essence of higher divine arts is to make the soul a container for another will. In other words, to transform the body into a 'container of a container.' If the original body is just a bowl filled with water, that is one's soul; then we must now transform the body into a cupboard, allowing the water-like soul to condense into ice bowls according to different divine wills..."
After hearing this, Aiwass finally saw the pop-up window:
Gray Eternal is teaching you "Higher Divine Arts (2/11)". Do you want to pay 112 public experience points to master this mysterious skill?
Even less experience this time!
Aiwass was delighted.
He only had 5214 experience points accumulated. If the experience requirements got higher and higher, he might not have enough to learn. In that case, he would have to find a way to get more experience.
And Chunbai also clearly saw that Aiwass's pupils became empty again.
The glow of the rising sun once again shone beneath his pupils—a glow even brighter than before. It was like the sun shifting upwards for about ten minutes during sunrise. Though the difference wasn't noticeable, with Pure White's memory, the difference was palpable.
--really.
Chunbai's heart trembled, and he became certain of his previous guess.
A fragment of memory suddenly emerged in her mind - it was what the Eternal Pope had said to her when he was still conscious.
His Holiness the Pope told her that Bishop Mathers had written to her about... Aiwass's mastery of the Fire Sacrifice Method was even faster than the Pope's. Before he had even finished explaining all the key points, Aiwass had already mastered it completely - a level of mastery even deeper than many who had studied for three or four years.
"That feeling is closer to 'remembering' than 'learning'."
At the time, His Holiness the Pope lamented, "If Aiwass weren't merely human... I'd have considered trying to make him the successor. Perhaps he could even 'recall' higher divine arts so easily."
Before meeting Aiwass, Chunbai had scoffed at these words.
In fact, she has great respect and admiration for His Holiness the Pope.
As the Eternal Saint, she shared the legacy of "Eternity" with the Eternal Pope. In a sense, their relationship was like that of mother and daughter... although the Pope's current body looked much younger than hers.
But that is also the price that must be paid for bearing the [Holy Crown].
As the world's top artifact, the [Supreme Crown], capable of forcing a critically strong person to break through to the next level, naturally comes at a price. And that price is the user's [years].
To ordinary people, it seems to be a magical artifact with the effect of rejuvenation.
But in reality, this rejuvenation doesn't extend lifespan; instead, it doubles the burn of lifespan—when you wear it, you burn years both "forward" and "backward" at the same time. The apparent effect is that your body becomes younger and younger.
Generally, a saint will succeed the Pope at the golden age of around three or four hundred years old, and step down to become a saint after the three hundred-year term. The so-called saint is a "non-church dedicated person" who "has the power of the fifth level but has not become a cardinal."
If a four-hundred-year-old elf has been Pope for three hundred years, she will look only a hundred years old, like a twelve or thirteen-year-old human child, but in fact she is already a thousand years old, which is very old by the standards of the elves.
Then, her body would grow at a visible rate, rapidly returning to its original state. The rate of aging was even faster than human growth. In just twenty years, she would age from a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl to an eighty or ninety-year-old woman. The remaining time would be the "retirement vacation" these saints enjoyed as they traveled the world.
A candidate saint cannot leave the twenty-first ring, and once she becomes the pope, she cannot leave the twenty-second ring at will. Conversely, a saint can travel freely within the Theocracy... but she also cannot leave the Theocracy.
Only after leaving office can one leave the Church and travel abroad.
The little remaining time in life is the few free moments these retired popes have.
From this perspective, becoming Pope is not a "good thing." It is actually a sacrifice, a dedication. As such, only the most dedicated people would be willing to sacrifice their lives in this ceremony.
After more than two hundred years of ascetic practice, a genius who could communicate with the Nine Pillars of God in his youth... had to pay with more than three hundred years of loneliness and sacrifice another three hundred years of life to gain the final twenty years of freedom.
——Even if Aiwass could barely learn advanced divine arts, he would never become the Pope.
Chunbai firmly believed this back then.
Because this is unbearable pain for short-lived species.
Not to mention, simply learning advanced divine arts would nearly consume their lifespans. And tampering with their souls might even affect their posthumous evaluations... Those who might have otherwise become apostles might become less pure. Not allowing them to continue their studies is also for their own good.
But, Aiwass...
She had only one thought in her mind.
It turns out that everything Bishop Mathers said was true, and it turns out that His Holiness the Pope's retelling was so accurate.
There are actually people who "learn" to be like "remembering"...
This is already a miracle.
Since there is the first kind of miracle, why can't there be the second kind?
...Could it be that Aiwass really has a chance to become the Pope?
Even if it is just a short ten-year term, or even shorter, as an "Acting Pope", it can change the problems of the Theocracy - any cardinal would be too extreme for the Theocracy today.
Because unlike the Eternal Saint, who received a calm and balanced education from the very beginning, they each had their own opinions. If they gained the power of the Pope, they might change the Nine Pillars Church's position of permanent neutrality in all countries... No, not perhaps, but definitely.
But if Aiwass, an Avalonian who is not even at the fifth energy level, were to be the "acting pope", it might be much better!
If he could just delay for ten years, or even shorter... maybe just one or two years, the medicine to cure his amber would be developed!
By then, I will be able to take over...
...No, it still doesn't work.
Chunbai shook his head and suppressed his excitement.
That would be equivalent to burning Aiwas's life... She couldn't do such a thing, as it would be equivalent to hurting Aiwas.
For short-lived species with a short lifespan, every year is precious.
Chunbai sighed secretly, gathered his thoughts and continued to explain the skills of advanced divine arts to Aiwass.
Meanwhile, she was still looking forward to—
—Anyway, let me see a miracle first, Aiwass.
Chunbai thought in his heart.
(End of this chapter)
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