A voice rang out.
Without a word, Hill spread his wings, unleashing hellfire that surged like a curtain towards the fallen angels and the Dark Church, including Welber and the others present.
Simultaneously.
Samuel also made his move, wielding the Heart of Satan in his hand. As light bloomed, he communicated with the Satanic array that enveloped the church.
Hum!
The Satanic array seemed to connect with the darkness, and the array patterns instantly spewed forth a sky full of black mist, surging towards the fallen angels and Samuel.
Seeing this.
The Pope immediately raised the Scepter of God, releasing divine radiance to dispel the black mist.
However…
Although the Pope reacted quickly, causing the black mist to dissipate as swiftly as it appeared, by the time the mist cleared and they looked around again.
“Where are they?”
“Damn it, they’ve escaped.”
“The despicable Dark Church, they’re running already.”
“As expected, they had a backup plan.”
The people of the church scanned their surroundings and found that the fallen angels and the Dark Church members were nowhere to be seen. The black mist, empowered by the Heart of Satan, had the effect of interfering with the five senses. They had used this brief interference to escape.
It was at this moment.
Having confirmed the escape of the fallen angels, Zhang Wei turned his gaze towards the heavenly soldiers and generals.
Following that.
Under the watchful eyes of the Pope and his retinue, the heavenly soldiers and generals exchanged a glance with Zhang Wei in response, without uttering a word. Then, they all walked towards the South Heaven Gate. The gate’s light flared, and along with the South Heaven Gate, they vanished from everyone’s sight.
About a dozen ‘millet-sized’ objects fell from the sky, landing in Zhang Wei’s palm, which he then collected.
At this time.
A voice came from not far behind Zhang Wei:
“Mr. Zhang Wei.”
The Pope, accompanied by several cardinals, walked towards Zhang Wei. Although the battle had ended, the Pope had not rested. After ordering his men to clear the battlefield and pursue the Dark Church, he immediately brought his people to Zhang Wei.
Subsequently.
The Pope bowed deeply to Zhang Wei, his face filled with gratitude.
“Thank you for your intervention this time. On behalf of the entire church, I sincerely thank you. You are the benefactor of our church. If you ever need any help in the future, or if you visit Europe again, please do contact us. We will certainly host you well.”
“Of course, that’s for later. You’ve helped us resolve the Vatican crisis this time, and we are very eager to express our gratitude. We would like to know if there is anything Mr. Zhang Wei desires. Please, just say it. As long as we can provide it, we will do our best.”
Before he could finish speaking.
A cardinal, hurrying towards them, handed a box to the Pope.
“Your Holiness, I have brought what you asked for.”
The Pope nodded, took the box, and then smiled as he handed it to Zhang Wei.
“Mr. Zhang Wei, thank you for your help this time. This is a small token of our appreciation. Please do not refuse it. Of course, as I said before, if there is anything you desire, please tell us, because this token of appreciation is not enough to thank you for your help today.”
As he spoke.
The Pope looked at Zhang Wei, whose aura was gradually weakening from the Zhenguo level all the way down to the Half-step Zhenguo level. His eyes, filled with gratitude, also held concern. He quickly stepped forward to support him.
“Mr. Zhang Wei, are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Zhang Wei replied weakly, his voice somewhat feeble.
At this moment.
Zhang Wei’s ability to grow stronger when facing stronger opponents had ended, and he had entered a state of true weakness. Supported by Lu Lianxue, he now looked far from being a living person. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he looked like he was on the verge of death.
His face was as pale as withered wood, his lips dry and bloodless, his eyes bloodshot, and his black hair had turned silver-white like an old man’s. He lacked the strength to stand and could only be supported by the Pope and Lu Lianxue.
For a moment.
Let alone Lu Lianxue, even the Pope and the others were terrified. They forgot about expressing their gratitude and immediately shouted:
“Quick!! Go find the priest, bring the Heart of God!”
As they spoke.
Other cardinals, exorcist priests, and knights of judgment also gathered around with concern.
In order to save Zhang Wei, the Pope directly used the church’s Zhenguo-level artifact, the ‘Heart of God.’ This was an artifact specifically designed for healing, ranking among the top Zhenguo-level artifacts globally. Now, the Pope spared no effort in using it, all for the sake of saving Zhang Wei.
However.
Zhang Wei was unaware of all this. In his weakened state after using his ability, he fainted in Lu Lianxue’s arms.
It wasn’t until evening.
After being unconscious for ten hours.
Zhang Wei finally woke up. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Lu Lianxue sitting by his bedside, weeping profusely. The Pope, the Grand Master of the Knights of Judgment, and several cardinals were also present. Their faces were complex, filled with emotion, gratitude, and sorrow.
“Xiao Xue, why are you crying? I’m not dead yet.”
Zhang Wei tried to reach out and touch Lu Lianxue’s head, only to find that he was still very weak and couldn’t lift his hand.
Upon seeing this.
Lu Lianxue became even more distressed and tightly gripped Zhang Wei’s hand.
“Zhang Wei, you still say you’re fine. Look at you now. You’re not allowed to die! I haven’t told Xiao Lin about your situation yet. I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle the shock, so you can’t die. If you die, Xiao Lin will hate me and blame me for not telling her sooner.”
Zhang Wei was stunned for a moment, but soon, after hearing the accounts from Lu Lianxue and the Pope, Zhang Wei finally understood. Due to the weakened state from his ability, even the Zhenguo-level artifact, the Heart of God, could not alleviate Zhang Wei’s weakness.
Because of this.
In the eyes of Lu Lianxue and the Pope, Zhang Wei had used a forbidden ghost-exorcising technique three times in a row, forcefully boosting his strength, and had ultimately suffered irreversible damage. Otherwise, why would the Heart of God, a Zhenguo-level artifact, be unable to heal Zhang Wei?
Therefore.
In the eyes of Lu Lianxue and the others, Zhang Wei was a severely injured person, and judging by his tragic appearance, they felt he could die at any moment.
Upon learning the truth.
Zhang Wei let out a laugh.
“Haha, so that’s what happened. I almost thought my kidneys were taken while I was unconscious. You scared me to death. As long as my kidneys are still here, there’s no need to tell Xiao Mantou. It’s just a minor injury, nothing serious. There’s no need to make Xiao Mantou worry unnecessarily.”
This laugh.
Only made Lu Lianxue and the others more sorrowful. Especially the Pope and the others, their eyes reddened again, tears of emotion welling up. Mr. Zhang Wei was still facing it with such optimism, and even had the heart to comfort them, despite being so badly injured and with no need to suffer such harm.
Thinking of this.
The Pope’s gaze firmed, and he gripped Zhang Wei’s hand, vowing solemnly.
“Mr. Zhang Wei, rest assured, even if it means exhausting all our church’s resources, we will definitely heal you. I swear it in the name of God!”
The others also nodded solemnly in agreement.
“Mr. Zhang Wei, if you need anything, just tell me. Even if it means going through fire and water, I will get it for you.”
“Mr. Zhang Wei, we will definitely heal you.”
Their expressions.
Their intentions were clear: they wanted to give everything for their benefactor Zhang Wei and heal him.
Not long after.
After chatting with Zhang Wei for a while, the Pope dared not disturb Zhang Wei’s private time with Lu Lianxue, and also feared disturbing Zhang Wei’s rest and recovery, so he led the others out. As soon as they stepped out of the room, he said sternly to the church members present.
“From today onwards, Mr. Zhang Wei is the most honored guest of our church, a permanent friend. If he has any requests, no matter where in any church branch or chapel he seeks help, notify me immediately and provide him with full support without any hesitation.”
“Yes! Your Holiness.”
The Grand Master of the Knights of Judgment and others nodded in serious agreement.
…