Chapter 80: The Pope’s Timely Intervention and a Startling Revelation

Upon the vast, boundless crimson sky, blood-red storm clouds churned wildly like a surging, furious sea, as if stirred by an invisible, colossal hand. This torrential momentum, akin to a celestial river breaching its banks, cascaded down from the blood-hued heavens, pressing heavily upon every inch of space.

Ouyang Xiyue, Night Xuehui, and Lin Yao found themselves caught in invisible shackles, their movements severely restricted. Each step they took felt like shouldering a thousand-jin burden, making even normal walking arduous and strenuous, every action a desperate struggle against this immense power.

In a flash, the void shattered like a broken mirror, crisscrossed with cracks. One after another, blood-red palms burst forth from the fragmented emptiness.

These palms teemed with dense, bizarre runes, resembling ancient and mysterious incantations, radiating a chilling aura. They were colossal, standing two stories high, as if they were ancient behemoths, sweeping down with a resolute momentum of annihilation, pressing fiercely towards the three figures below.

That overwhelming pressure congealed the very air, as if the entire world would be annihilated with this single strike.

Night Xuehui’s eyes blazed at the sight. Her originally silver pupils, where deep, star-like blue hexagrams once shimmered, now eerily transformed into crimson, as if scalding blood might burst forth at any second.

This change rendered her gaze unsettlingly peculiar, as if corroded by a mysterious force. Concurrently, her momentum steadily surged, like a volcano on the verge of eruption, suppressing boundless power.

Lin Yao, on the other side, gritted her teeth, trickles of blood escaping the corners of her lips. The silver radiance emanating from her body suddenly intensified dramatically and eerily, enveloping her form like a mysterious veil.

Her hand speed was lightning-fast, swiftly forming one hand seal after another, muttering incantations as if reciting ancient and mysterious spells. Her entire body gradually turned translucent, seemingly on the verge of merging with the vast expanse.

Wondrous and profound formations slowly unfurled from her hands, like stars shimmering in the night sky, radiating a mysterious and potent aura. They arranged themselves systematically, appearing to construct a formidable defensive system.

At this critical juncture, Ouyang Xiyue’s momentum surged, akin to a brilliant star illuminating the dark, oppressive space. He gracefully stepped before the two, playfully blinked, then gently shook his head, signaling them to halt.

Lin Yao was momentarily perplexed, yet upon seeing Ouyang Xiyue’s figure, so like a divine angel, an inexplicable surge of trust welled within her. The speed of her hand seals noticeably decelerated, her eyes betraying a hint of hesitation, but an overriding trust in Ouyang Xiyue was even more apparent.

Night Xuehui, without a word, simply closed her eyes and gently shook her head. When she opened her eyes again, though still filled with confusion, out of absolute trust in this newly acknowledged younger sister, she resolutely ceased her actions.

Seeing Night Xuehui halt, and then glancing at the blood-red runic palm steadily enlarging in her own vision, Lin Yao steeled her heart, gritted her teeth, and also stopped her actions.

At this moment, the three stood facing each other, staring wide-eyed.

Were it not for the steadily expanding blood-red palms in the void, unaware observers might have thought they were engaged in a thrilling game of ‘Red Light, Green Light’.

When the blood-red palms were merely half a meter away from Ouyang Xiyue and the others, time seemed to freeze, and a choking tension permeated the air.

Suddenly, a faint, aged cough echoed from the void.

“Cough, cough.”

The voice, imbued with the weight and vicissitudes of ages, swept in from all directions. As it reached their ears, everyone felt as though they had been struck by a heavy hammer, their bodies overwhelmed by weakness. It was as if an invisible colossal hand had dragged them into an endless abyss, unable to struggle, incapable of movement, seemingly severed from the entire world.

The surroundings instantaneously plunged into a deathly silence, and in that instant, time and space seemed to have a pause button pressed by a mysterious colossal hand, everything in the world frozen in place.

The next second, the void violently collapsed and shattered, like a broken mirror. A white-haired old man, clad in sacred golden pontifical robes, slowly emerged from the void. Trailing closely behind him was a beautiful young woman, graceful and slender.

Her light green hair danced gently in the wind, like willow branches swaying in the spring breeze; her purple eyes were like the deep night sky, mysterious and captivating.

With the old man’s appearance, the shattered void began to slowly heal, and time and space gradually resumed their flow. The overwhelming peak ninth-tier aura, which had descended like a demon king, receded like a tide, vanishing without a trace, as if it had never existed.

In the suffocating silence that had just passed, the blood-red palms, imbued with immense pressure and poised to crash down upon their heads, seemed to be awed by a mysterious and powerful force.

In an instant, like light and shadow consumed by darkness, they rapidly twisted and deformed, transforming into thick black mist, and then vanished completely, as if they had never existed in this world.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the slow footsteps echoing from the void, reverberating in the stillness.

Lin Yao’s beautiful eyes were filled with reverence. Weakened, she knelt on one knee, her left hand elegantly clasped behind her back, her right hand clenched into a fist, forcefully striking her chest.

Night Xuehui beside her reacted even swifter, also kneeling on one knee, their movements perfectly synchronized. Both spoke in unison: “We greet Your Holiness, the Pope,” their voices clear and firm, displaying their unspoken understanding.

Ouyang Xiyue, however, stood quietly to the side, a gentle smile gracing his lips, making no superfluous movements, uttering no words.

The newcomer was none other than His Holiness, the Pope of the Holy Light Church, whose power was unfathomable, making him one of the few apex powerhouses on the entire continent. The beautiful young woman following him was Chi Congyu.

Chi Congyu’s gaze, tinged with faint disdain, swept over Night Xuehui, but then her expression instantly shifted to one of concern.

Seemingly impatient with her grandfather’s slow pace, she no longer bothered to conceal her eagerness, flashing forward like a green bolt of lightning to appear before Ouyang Xiyue. She anxiously scrutinized him from head to toe, her hands gesticulating ceaselessly, as if she wished to inspect every inch of him.

“Alright, I’m truly fine.”

Ouyang Xiyue’s eyes overflowed with tender affection. He reached out and gently took hold of the anxious Chi Congyu’s hand, his movement seeming to fear disturbing her tension, all to convey his safety.

Ouyang Xiyue slowly raised his head, gazing towards His Holiness, the Pope, who had just approached with steady steps.

Then, his clear, melodious voice, like a celestial song, rang out: “Grandpa.”

Upon hearing Ouyang Xiyue call him ‘Grandpa’, His Holiness, the Pope’s heart swelled with comfort and joy. He nodded slightly, then, with a sweep of his hand, gestured towards the two kneeling figures.

In an instant, a warm and pure light energy surged forth from his palm, like the warm sun of spring. The two kneeling figures, whose bodies had been utterly weakened, instantly regained vitality and vigor, like newly manufactured machines, bursting with life.

Night Xuehui gazed at His Holiness, the Pope, with profound respect; while Lin Yao, who had initially regarded him with worship, had been utterly bewildered ever since hearing Ouyang Xiyue address the Pope as ‘Grandpa’.

She felt as though the sheer volume of information she had received today was overwhelming, her mind plunging into a chaotic state, as if deprived of oxygen.

“Grandpa! It was just by a hair’s breadth! I told you to act sooner!”

Chi Congyu pouted her lips in displeasure, tightly clinging to Ouyang Xiyue’s arm, looking as if she feared he might vanish into thin air at any moment.

“Oh, you mischievous girl,” His Holiness, the Pope chuckled, “with your Grandpa here, what is there to fear? This was merely a scare with no real danger. If only you were half as well-behaved and sensible as Xiyue, I could truly enjoy my golden years.”

“Alright, alright,” Ouyang Xiyue said, “you didn’t even tell me when you left last time; I was so worried.” He reached out and gently pinched Chi Congyu, who still harbored a hint of dissatisfaction towards her grandfather.

Chi Congyu blinked her large eyes, adopting a pitiful expression, and explained: “I saw you, Xi’er, still fast asleep, and I had intended to visit after you woke up. But then word reached me that you were already in Yunlu Town, and remembering what happened with the lord’s son last time, I dragged Grandpa here in a frantic rush. Thankfully, it was just a scare, and your safety is more important than anything.”

Having finished speaking, Chi Congyu, completely disregarding the presence of others, pulled Ouyang Xiyue into a tight embrace.

Ouyang Xiyue, tightly enveloped in her embrace, felt a blush slowly creep across his face.

Night Xuehui and Lin Yao had already risen to their feet, standing silently behind His Holiness, the Pope, caught off guard and force-fed a mouthful of ‘dog food’.

Lin Yao’s face was etched with shock, while Night Xuehui’s lips twitched involuntarily, as if she was desperately suppressing her inner emotions.

Lin Yao’s mouth, which had been agape in a perfect ‘O’ shape, slowly returned to normal. Then she cautiously leaned closer to Night Xuehui, whispering: “Holy moly, what just happened?”

Night Xuehui gritted her teeth, her expression gradually regaining its composure, and slowly stated: “This is the fiancé Ouyang Xiyue mentioned in his self-introduction at the start of the semester.”

Upon hearing this explosive news, Lin Yao felt a resounding ‘buzz’ in her mind, as if someone had mercilessly struck her on the back of the head with a hammer.

It was a long moment before she recovered her senses, stammering out: “So… so… the fiancé that ‘younger sister Xiyue’ spoke of… is actually a fiancée?! And the Pope’s granddaughter at that?!”

Lin Yao’s face was utterly incredulous, her voice even trembling, for in her estimation, the events of today were perhaps the most extraordinary she had ever witnessed in her life.

Night Xuehui seemed to have more to say to Lin Yao, but observing her shocked expression, she shook her head helplessly, swallowing the words she was about to utter, intending to explain everything slowly after they returned, for assimilating such a deluge of information undoubtedly required time.

Thus, the commotion temporarily subsided, and the group, accompanying His Holiness, the Pope, slowly made their way towards Yunlu Town.