The priest's eyes were filled with fanaticism, his hands trembled as he clutched the holy book tightly, and he seemed unusually agitated.
"Lord Tianlong, the old Pope left a sacred prophecy, indicating that a great bishop who will bear the glory of the Lord will be born in the Central Plains!"
"It wasn't until His Holiness the new Pope received divine revelation from ancient scriptures that it was confirmed that the prophesied Archbishop of Central Plains was indeed you, Lord Celestial Dragon!"
As the priest spoke, he actually knelt down and bowed to Tianlong with utmost reverence, performing the most solemn papal salute to express his awe of Tianlong and his faith in the papacy.
Tianlong quietly looked at the devout foreign priest kneeling at his feet, the playful smile on his face deepening.
The crystalline dragon horns on his forehead glowed faintly, and his gaze seemed to pierce through the heavy holy book that Noel held tightly, reaching its core doctrine.
"Me? The Archbishop of Central Continent?" Tianlong said with a smile.
"If I remember correctly, I saw it in that sacred book you hold, which you regard as divine..."
He leaned forward slightly, an invisible pressure enveloping Father Noel like a mountain, his eyes gleaming with an all-knowing light:
"My 'dragon-like' appearance is not simply referred to as a 'demon' in your doctrines, is it?"
Noel's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Tianlong's gaze was scrutinizing, and his voice suddenly turned cold:
“Your holy book calls me the ancient serpent, the devil, and Satan.”
"It is a symbol of evil, an incarnation of Satan, and will bring disaster to people."
The space around Tianlong suddenly distorted, and a majestic yet ferocious dragon-shaped phantom silently circled around him, its cold, vertical pupils looking down at the kneeling priest, sending chills down one's spine.
"Heh...you tell me," Tianlong's tone was full of sarcasm and the oppressive force of absolute power:
"How did someone whom your holy scriptures identify as the incarnation of Satan transform into the Archbishop of Central Asia of the Papacy?"
The dragon's dragon-like features became apparent, and its oppressive aura continued to intensify, pressing down on Father Noel.
"Are you sure I look fit to be your Archbishop of Central Continent? Do you think it's possible?"
Under the terrifying dragon's might, the priest's hands, holding the holy book, trembled violently, and his face turned deathly pale.
However, Noel was, after all, an experienced missionary and a trusted confidant entrusted with important responsibilities by the new pope.
He forcefully suppressed the fear deep within his soul, his expression unusually serious, and he said loudly and devoutly:
"Of course it's possible!"
"The mysteries of the sacred texts can only be correctly deciphered by the Pope through divine grace! Mortal understanding is ultimately superficial!"
"His Holiness the Pope has confirmed that you are the archbishop foretold in the prophecy! The records in the holy scriptures cannot be wrong; this must be a profound meaning planted by the Lord, just waiting for your appearance today!"
"Supreme, all-knowing and all-powerful."
"It's all the Lord's arrangement!"
As if fulfilling a mission, the priest bowed again to the Heavenly Dragon and said devoutly:
"Humanity is trapped in a deep predicament because of original sin. Only by turning to our Lord can we obtain the salvation of our souls, be freed from the bondage of sin, and gain eternal life."
"We implore Your Excellency the Archbishop of Tianlong to assist the Holy See in spreading its doctrines and guiding those who have strayed to the Gospel!"
"Your holy name will surely be praised by all people!"
Tianlong listened quietly, his body motionless, while only the coiled dragon shadow scrutinized this meticulously choreographed drama.
He saw right through their rhetoric.
This idea simply exploits people's fear of suffering, guiding them to place their hopes on the Lord's salvation when faced with life's hardships and inner struggles, thereby creating dependence and faith in the Vatican.
At the same time, spreading the message that those who do not believe in 'the Lord' will be cast into hell and suffer eternal punishment can also serve as a deterrent to non-believers, expanding the influence of the Vatican and causing people to choose to believe in God and join the Vatican out of fear of punishment.
This method is indeed an important means of attracting believers and consolidating power.
Father Noel, seeing that Tianlong remained silent, assumed that Tianlong was weighing his interests.
He quickly raised his head and, in the most earnest tone, added another emphatically.
"All of this is a right bestowed upon you by the Creator. I humbly request that the Archbishop of Tianlong accept God's will and walk across the Central Plains. All people will call your name Holy!"
The priest slowly closed his eyes: "In the name of the Lord, Amen!"
Tianlong's smile deepened, but it was icy cold and devoid of any warmth.
He knew, of course, that he could not possibly be the Archbishop of Central State that the other party was referring to.
It should be noted that even native Zhongzhou people still harbor suspicion towards the demon race.
Even though people generally believe that dragons are symbols of good fortune, authority, and power, many still look down on dragon-shaped demons.
Although various religious sects use the concepts of reincarnated Buddhas and Daoist lords descending to earth to win people's hearts, their core doctrines have something in common with the culture of Zhongzhou. People can not only have faith, help each other, and do less evil, but also indirectly increase the overall survival rate of mankind.
After all, it was meant to guide people towards good, and the ending was generally good. Zhongzhou turned a blind eye and didn't interfere too much.
And this Vatican dared to directly target his head!
Tianlong suddenly spoke, his voice calm and even, yet carrying a penetrating and intimidating power:
Do you know who I am now?
The dragon's illusory image slightly raised its head, and an invisible pressure suddenly increased.
"I know," Noel replied immediately.
"Lord Tianlong is now the Star Lord of Zhongzhou."
Noel was no ordinary priest. As a missionary in Jincheng for many years, the new pope sent him to Tianlong Mansion for a special reason. He knew everything about the Central Continent Star Lord and the Holy Throne.
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