A week later, inside the solemn assembly hall of the Catholic Church, the atmosphere was heavy and reverent.
"Everyone, the Vatican urgently needs a dedicated agency capable of handling affairs in the underground world."
"I'm sure you've all noticed the frequent demonic incidents happening globally lately, and a lot of believers are gradually losing their faith because their prayers aren't being answered. We can't just sit around anymore."
The Pope sat on his high seat, his gaze sweeping over every cardinal below.
When faith can't protect believers through disaster anymore, that's when faith collapses.
Talk of 'God is dead' has even popped up in different parts of the world, which is a serious blow to the Holy See's reputation.
Everyone here was a core high-ranking member of the Catholic Church, and their loyalty to the faith was beyond question. But the practical problems made them look troubled.
"I'm not against forming an agency like this."
"But at a time when the Lord's miracles aren't showing up, does the Holy See really have the ability to deal with those supernatural events? Demons from hell are feared even by the Sanctum Sanctorum, and there are countless dark creatures roaming all over the world. I'm just worried we'll be willing but powerless, and end up doing more harm than good with our good intentions."
A senior cardinal spoke, his voice full of deep worry.
Other cardinals nodded in agreement. How could they not be clear about the mess facing the Catholic Church?
But with miracles being absent for so long, when facing those supernatural beings, holy water was useless, the Bible could only be read, and the cross lost its scary factor.
In a situation like this, how could they break the deadlock? Faith alone wouldn't make demons show mercy.
"But the Lord has already sent His divine messenger."
"I've personally received the Lord's oracle."
The Pope's voice suddenly rang out, his eyes gleaming with undeniable light.
"Divine messenger?" The entire assembly hall immediately burst into chaos.
"Your Holiness, is this real?"
"Has the Lord really sent a divine messenger?"
Another cardinal stood up excitedly.
"Would I say something carelessly about this kind of thing?" The Pope responded calmly but firmly.
"The divine messenger is already within the Holy See. He'll be responsible for forming and leading this extraordinary agency, and at the same time..."
The Pope paused, his gaze sweeping across the room.
"He'll also be the successor to the next Pope."
This news was like a bomb going off, leaving all the cardinals speechless for a moment.
Logic told them it was unbelievable, but faith sparked hope in their hearts.
What if the divine messenger had really come down?
Plus, this was about who'd succeed the Pope. In the Catholic Church's thousand-year-old tradition, changing Popes was a lifelong deal that wouldn't happen easily unless the Pope voluntarily stepped down or passed away naturally. Every cardinal had to take it dead seriously.
"Your Holiness, may we..."
A cardinal hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.
The Pope understood their concerns and nodded slightly: "Of course. Lord Divine Messenger, please show yourself and let the believers witness your glory."
As the Pope's words fell, a dazzling golden light suddenly bloomed in the hall. Adrian, dressed in a white robe embroidered with intricate golden patterns, gradually appeared in the holy light, from faint to clear.
Bathed in the glow of golden holy light, he looked incredibly sacred. His unique vibe made it all seem perfectly natural, and an entrance this magnificent successfully impressed the cardinals present.
"The divine messenger... has truly come..." A cardinal muttered, and some even had tears of excitement in their eyes.
After a week of recovery and elemental baptism, Adrian had fully bounced back. Nourished by the power of the elements, his face looked like jade, and his whole being seemed to give off a faint glow.
"God said, 'Let there be light...'" Adrian's voice wasn't loud, but it echoed like thunder in every cardinal's ears.
Holy light filled the entire assembly hall, and everyone present felt a miraculous change in their bodies.
A long-lost vitality surged within them, years of exhaustion were swept away, like they'd gone through some sacred baptism.
"Welcome, Lord Divine Messenger!" Bathed in the golden glow, all doubts vanished. Even if Adrian wasn't a divine messenger, he had to be one now!
With the Pope backing him and the miraculous power he showed off, this was definitely an excellent opportunity for the Catholic Church to get back its divine status. The cardinals present all understood what this meant.
"Since none of you have any objections."
"Then the Star Saint Legion is officially established today. The Holy See will put out an official document to announce this, and its functions won't be explained any further."
The Pope scanned the room, nodding with satisfaction.
This decision also marked Adrian's formal entry into the core power structure of the Holy See.
"The Lord Divine Messenger won't appear in public for now," The Pope added.
"But he'll select devout believers within the Church to become Star Saints. The specific candidates will be decided by the Divine Messenger, and I hope everyone will cooperate fully."
The Pope smiled—everything today had gone incredibly smoothly. He seemed to already see the blueprint of the perfect divine kingdom he'd dreamed of.
After everyone left, only the Pope and Adrian remained in the empty assembly hall.
"How's your recovery?"
"Is the plan we talked about earlier really doable?"
The Pope asked with concern.
Over the past week, the two had multiple deep discussions.
The Pope already knew Adrian had the ability to give extraordinary power to others, but this was temporarily shelved because Adrian hadn't fully recovered yet.
Combined with the elemental power Adrian wielded, it was enough to recreate some of the holy relics from myths and legends.
Holy water with real exorcising power, Water of Life that heals wounds, crosses packed with divine power, and so on. The appearance of these holy relics would definitely push the Holy See's reputation to an unprecedented height.
When the time was right, the Pope would officially announce Adrian's identity and publicly name him as the Pope's successor.
"I've mostly recovered."
"At the latest, within a year, I'll be able to give extraordinary power to others. The selection can start early, but entering the extraordinary realm requires talent, especially reaching peak human physique. Candidates like that are rare."
Adrian replied.
He paused for a moment, then continued explaining: "The Star Saint Legion can have a maximum of eighty-eight members."
As a Gold Saint in his previous life, the power Adrian had was terrifying—otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to directly invade the Celestial Realm.
Maybe because of his transmigration, his learning ability was insanely overpowered. In the Star Gazing Tower of the Sanctuary, he found the ultimate techniques recorded by previous Gold Saints and learned and mastered them one by one.
Except for some combat techniques with special requirements that he didn't use as much, he could perfectly copy almost all the combat techniques of other constellations, and even make them stronger—basically making him a walking Saint encyclopedia.
Unfortunately, in the Celestial Realm battle, he ultimately fell at Apollo's hands. As the commander of the Celestial Realm after Zeus, Apollo's power already stood at the top of the gods.
No matter how strong the talent, it still needs time to actually happen.
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