Chapter 634
**The Holy Ascendancy!**
Madeline's shout sent chills down the spines of nearly everyone present, causing all the archbishops and cardinals to instantly shift into a battle-ready state. Light and shadow seemed to engulf the entire conference hall.
The oppressive force generated by the extraordinary powers on display could drive an ordinary person witnessing this scene to madness. Yet, the red-haired girl at the entrance appeared unfazed, slowly walking toward the Pope despite the immense pressure and scrutiny.
No one dared to act rashly; a battle among the fourth-tier beings within the Holy See would tear the area apart and utterly tarnish the reputation of the Church of the Savior.
The red-haired girl approached the Pope, gazing up at the towering throne behind him, where a small golden statue of a goddess rested, signifying that the goddess was watching over this meeting.
Under the watchful eyes of all, the girl ascended the steps lined with red carpet, step by step, until she stood before the statue.
"What do you want?!"
"Stop!"
"Do not defile the Savior Goddess!"
Several white figures surged toward Shaer, but Eleanor raised her hand, and a dark canopy rose, shattering the simple attack.
In the gaze of everyone, the beautiful red-haired girl slowly lifted the goddess statue, a sacred object that no one dared to touch, and casually tossed it aside. The golden statue rolled down the red carpet.
After simply adjusting her shawl, the girl turned and sat upon the throne, looking down at the crowd below.
This outrageous act of insult finally ignited the fury of most archbishops and cardinals, even Madeline slowly raised her hand toward the girl.
But at that moment, the girl began to speak, uttering a few words that none of them understood, words that seemed to belong to another world.
"No. 2."
"Judicator."
The red-haired girl leaned back, her right hand resting casually on the armrest of the throne, where a pattern of corrosion began to appear in her palm. A shard slowly emerged from her flesh, embedding itself in her hand.
Pure, primordial power of "Light and Shadow" erupted from Shaer, a massive force of faith surged forth, carrying the essence of countless believers, crashing toward everyone present like a tsunami.
In the eyes of all, the girl on the throne seemed to merge with the blurred image of the goddess, as if all faith and direction had found a clear and complete correspondence at that moment.
The power of the "Cocoon of Light" brewed within Shaer, almost manifesting as two streams of light, one black and one white, swirling behind her.
Before the archbishops and cardinals could react, the shadows of their gathered extraordinary powers, both black and white, surged toward Shaer as if they had found their source, no longer under the control of the archbishops and cardinals.
Thud.
Eleanor, cloaked in black robes, was the first to kneel, bowing in reverent prayer before the girl on the throne.
One by one, more and more archbishops fell to their knees, even the Pope, trembling, used his staff to support himself, weakly kneeling before the girl who seemed like a divine being.
"O Goddess... My Lady..."
Madeline knelt, arms outstretched, her mind still catching up as her body acted on its own.
Buzz—
A humming sound filled the air as the shard in the girl’s palm rapidly dissipated, and the radiant phenomenon behind her faded away.
Shaer calmed the chaos in her mind, gazing down at the church's upper echelons kneeling before her, her expression serene.
Such scenes, seen often enough, no longer stirred her heart.
In the old days, such moments were plentiful.
But in reality,
She was the last remaining "Ascendant."
**Chapter 324: Seeking Sadana**
A unique aura, the power of the origin, an unparalleled sense of closeness...
Countless pieces of evidence proved that the goddess... had descended, at least for a fleeting moment, not long ago.
Everyone on this path could feel the resonance, for their powers all stemmed from the fragments of the "Cocoon of Light."
Especially with the other fragments of the "Cocoon of Light" residing in another realm, Shaer's fused fragment could influence everyone on this path—even those who were neither followers of the Church of the Savior nor the Holy Ascendancy.
Eleanor maintained her raised hand, unable to resist glancing at the red-haired girl on the high platform, feeling waves of tremors in her mind as if being massaged.
She had never harbored much hatred for the Holy Ascendancy, so when Tara and Persie sought her out earlier to recruit her for the church's merger, Eleanor had not shown much resistance.
When Tara and Persie brought the girl over, Eleanor had a premonition.
Why would the Holy Ascendancy dare to walk openly into the Holy See? Even if Persie was a fourth-tier, she would have to pay a heavy price to leave, and Tara would surely be killed here.
Eleanor recalled the aura that all clergy had sensed that morning, especially the way she had been stunned by the girl's gaze when their eyes met...
She believed that the audacity of these two from the Holy Ascendancy to bring an unfamiliar girl at this moment was undoubtedly related to the events of the morning, perhaps even to the merger they spoke of...
Now, it seemed all of this had come to fruition.
She felt immensely grateful for her instinctive act of shielding the girl from the attack earlier; at this moment, the terrifying insect-like face beneath Eleanor's mask twisted with excitement.
There were others among the upper echelons who, like her, held a devout faith in the goddess, but their numbers within the Church of the Savior were far too few...
Now, with the goddess's appearance, the twisted essence of the Church of the Savior, which had deviated from its original purpose over the years, was shattered. All divisions stemmed from the question of "Does the goddess exist?"
Now that the goddess had appeared, all disputes would dissolve, and all disloyalty would be reckoned with...
"O Goddess above... Wuwuwu..."
A voice of uncontrollable sobbing broke the silence; it was an elderly archbishop, nearly prostrating herself on the ground, murmuring, "For the first time in my life, I felt my prayers... answered..."
Indeed, this was the sentiment of many archbishops and cardinals present.
This mechanical, divine-like entrance turned the business of self-interest into a fervent display of faith, reigniting the flames of belief in the hearts of the majority.
There were no true abandoners of faith here—because no one dared to gamble with the potions within their bodies. Even those who no longer believed the goddess would respond could not completely cast aside their faith, even if they treated it merely as a tool for advancement.
But with the appearance of the girl before them, even the weakest of faith could see one word.
Hope.
Not only did faith find hope, but the revival of the Church of the Savior also found hope. Whether one truly revered the goddess or viewed faith as a tool, all saw hope in the red-haired girl.
At that moment, Shaer on the throne took a deep breath and turned her gaze to Tara.
Before entering the old days, she had not only instructed Avelina and the others but had also specifically advised Tara about the church merger. Now, in this moment, it would be better for Tara to speak than for her to do so herself.
"Tara."
Shaer spoke slowly.
"Yes, My Lady Shaer."
Tara stood up, and even at this moment, she did not change her address for Shaer to "Lady Goddess," even though she desperately wanted to, as Shaer had not commanded her to do so.
Dressed in a maid's outfit, Tara solemnly approached Shaer, bowing her head at the steps of the throne, and said, "What is your command?"
"Do you remember the purpose of our visit?" Shaer smiled and raised her hand, gesturing for Tara to address the kneeling upper echelons below.
"Yes." Tara understood; this heavy task now rested on her shoulders, bringing her considerable pressure, but she had to prepare the upper echelons of the Church of the Savior for Shaer.
"One month ago, the Divine Servant gave me a decree to go to Boren City to seek our Lord, and so I went."
Tara turned to the upper echelons of the Church of the Savior, speaking slowly as she continued:
"In Boren City, I found our Lord, who descended in mortal form. Though His divine power has yet to be restored, He remains omniscient and omnipotent, having created countless miracles..."
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