Meyn was stunned. He gazed at the old man before him, wanting to see something in his eyes.

However, they were murky.

His gaze was no longer as profound and imposing as it once was, capable of piercing through people's hearts. He might possess the wisdom passed down from all previous popes, the knowledge gained from the Codex of Ten Thousand Laws, but... everything was no match for time.

His Holiness wasn't joking, Meyn realized. His journey had come to an end.

His eyes began to blur.

He knelt down again, his forehead touching the ground. This time, His Holiness didn't tell him to rise as he usually did, but waited until he had completed the entire ritual before speaking, "Come with me."

Attending guards helped the Pope onto a trolley, then pushed him towards the entrance of the Secret Sanctum. Meyn followed closely behind. The group left the Secret Sanctum and turned into a narrow tunnel. On the smooth stone walls, a glowing crystal was embedded every ten steps, stretching as far as the eye could see.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Meyn finally left the tunnel. His vision suddenly opened up, and the ground beneath his feet became smooth stone slabs. He could see walls with sharp edges and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Clearly, this secret passage connected to a basement.

"We are currently beneath the Grand Cathedral of the Old Holy City," the Pope said, probably noticing his confusion, "The structure here is exactly the same as the Grand Cathedral, but built upside down. I usually call it the Reflection Church."

"Beneath the Grand Cathedral?" Meyn asked in surprise, "I always thought there was no basement there."

"Indeed, there isn't, because the two are not connected," O'Brien smiled, "Only through the underground passage in the Secret Sanctum can one reach here. The ceiling is made of stone slabs and clay, several feet thick, making it impossible to penetrate with ordinary means."

"Why... design it this way?"

"To guard the secret, but not to completely bury it," he said, "Before any pope ascends to the throne, they must come to the Reflection Church to witness the establishment, development, and growth of the Church, and to firmly remember the Church's goal."

"Defeat the demons," Meyn said solemnly.

But O'Brien didn't nod in affirmation, instead sighing softly, "No, child, it is to win the smile of God."

The Archbishop was taken aback, "What?"

The Pope didn't respond to him further, but directed the guards to continue forward. Judging from the direction of the stairs and ramps, they should be climbing upwards. Soon, the group arrived before a magnificent hall. Meyn recognized from the familiar structure around him that this should be the prayer room of the Reflection Church.

The heavy wooden door was slowly pushed open, making a creaking sound. Although it seemed the Pope hadn't visited this hall in a long time, he didn't smell any dust... Clearly, someone had been responsible for cleaning it.

"They can only take me this far. You will have to push me in next," O'Brien said.

"Yes, Your Holiness." Meyn took the handle and pushed the Pope into the prayer room. The wooden door behind them closed again, completely blocking out the light from the torches. Now, only the soft glow emitted by the huangsè crystals remained—like the arrangement in the secret passage, they were evenly embedded on both sides of the wall. The difference was that above the crystals, there was also a huge portrait hanging. He vaguely remembered that the position of the frame should be exactly where the windows of the prayer room above ground were.

The contents of the portraits were similar, all half-length portraits of people. They wore gorgeous robes, were energetic, and had bright eyes, as if they were staring at every visitor who entered the prayer room. And Meyn was shocked to see a portrait of His Holiness O'Brien among them—the man in the painting was almost exactly like the real person, staring at him with a smile. This eerie feeling made him shiver involuntarily, and goosebumps rose on his back.

"Ah, you see me," the Pope said, probably sensing the archbishop's emotional change, "This painting was completed half a year ago. I wasn't as old as I am now then, so it should look a little better. But it was supposed to be hung up after I died," he carefully examined it, "I was indeed a little too impatient. I wanted to see what I would look like hanging there sooner."

"Your Holiness, could
These be..." Meyn felt his throat dry.

"That's right, they are all great pioneers, all previous Popes," he said softly, "Continue forward, and I will introduce them to you one by one."

The Archbishop listened to His Holiness O'Brien's brief descriptions, while looking at the portraits—although he knew they were the highest leaders of the Church, an inexplicable sense of eeriness still lingered in his heart, refusing to dissipate. The people in the paintings were so lifelike that he couldn't imagine what techniques and dyes the painter used to create such half-length portraits. Coupled with the not-so-bright yellow light, the upper halves of these portraits would gradually disappear into the darkness as he walked further, leaving only half of their faces grinning at him.

When he had walked halfway through the hall, Meyn suddenly noticed that the figures in the portraits had turned into women.

Their appearances were different, and their clothing was not the same, but they could all be described as beautiful—such outstanding appearances rarely appeared on the faces of mortals. The bishop was no stranger to this, but it was precisely because of this that he felt extremely confused and surprised. But His Holiness O'Brien seemed to have no reaction, and continued to calmly introduce their names, terms of office, and achievements.

These people were also Popes of the Church.

The prayer room soon came to an end.

Facing the central aisle of the hall was a full-length portrait that occupied the entire wall. It hung behind the prayer platform, surrounded by glowing crystals, so the picture was also clearer.

Meyn swallowed and looked at the person in the painting.

The moment his gaze landed on the painting, he immediately felt a violent jump in his heart—God above, what an unparalleled woman. Besides that phrase, he could hardly find any other words to describe her. She combined the tenderness of a woman and the fortitude of a man, and the two blended perfectly, appearing simultaneously without any conflict. Her head of red hair was like a burning flame, while the great sword exuding a cold light in her hand was the ice that extinguished desire. She stood leaning on her sword, her eyebrows slightly raised, her eyes looking down ahead, her thin lips tightly closed, exuding an imposing aura. Under those sharp and compelling eyes, Meyn seemed to feel a crushing pressure, making him almost want to kneel before this woman.

"Your Holiness, this is..."

He turned his head with difficulty, only to find that O'Brien had already knelt down.

"She is the first Pope, beyond the extraordinary, Akalis. She also has another alias—the Witch Queen."

Meyn felt a sudden jump in his heart. His previous guess was indeed completely correct. This series of early Popes of the Church were all witches!

"Why is the founder of the Church also a witch?"

"Kneel down and pay your respects to her, child. Afterwards, I will show you everything you want to know."