The Rhine God's Advent

The forty-ninth Pope, Lan Ge, stood on the palace balcony, overlooking the brightly lit Rhine City.

Rhine City was the most magnificent city in this world, just as the Rhine God Sect was the most powerful church in this world.

And he, Lan Ge, was the helmsman of this church and this city. It was no exaggeration to say that he was "above millions, below only God."

"I really wish it could stay like this forever," Lan Ge murmured softly.

How wonderful would it be if humans could achieve eternal life? If it were possible, Lan Ge truly wished to remain in this position forever, always gazing upon such scenery.

But unfortunately, even though he was now the Pope, even though he possessed countless methods to extend his lifespan, true eternal life was still unattainable.

The only beings in this world that could be eternal and indestructible were the gods, and...

Lan Ge gently rubbed a ring on his right little finger.

It was a simple ring that clashed with the opulent decorations all over Lan Ge's body. It was grayish-white all over, with an amber-like ornament at the tip. In terms of design, it couldn't even be called simple; it could be described as cheap and shoddy. No matter how you looked at it, it didn't befit Lan Ge's status.

Yet, it was the most precious of all Lan Ge's accessories.

This was because it was also crafted from Visas's remains. Within the seemingly cheap amber was embedded a small, nameless bone of Visas.

This small bone did not carry any rules, but it possessed an equally precious power – "Vitality."

It could greatly extend the wearer's lifespan and prevent them from falling ill or injured throughout their life, allowing them to remain healthy until the moment of their death.

This was precisely why, even though the Rhine God Sect had been established for a thousand years, there had only been forty-nine Popes. It was this Vitality Ring that allowed each Pope to possess a lifespan far exceeding that of ordinary people, something no other church could match.

Although, purely in terms of power, this vitality was incomparable to those remains that carried rules, such as Ke Li's left eye or Luo Qi's thumb. But for the most powerful person in this world, a healthy and long-lived body was enough to surpass everything.

It was just a pity that it still couldn't grant eternal life.

Lan Ge sighed again, his tone filled with regret.

Even with the enhancement of this ring, his lifespan was nearing its end. He now had to consider the matter of a successor, which was also a point of concern for him.

Because the most suitable successor, the Northern Bishop Fei Ge, was no longer around. The next best, the Western Bishop Ke Li, had died the earliest. As a result, with the current rotation, the most qualified person was actually Luo Qi.

Frankly speaking, Lan Ge truly did not want to pass this position to Luo Qi. Because, by all accounts, Luo Qi was unqualified. The fact that he became a bishop was purely due to his close relationship with Lan Ge, making him a semi-confidant.

But it was precisely because of this that Lan Ge understood Luo Qi more profoundly than others. He knew clearly that apart from his rather prominent backside, Luo Qi had no other outstanding qualities.

It was a shame he no longer had enough time to cultivate a suitable successor.

If it were a time of peace, letting Luo Qi take over would be acceptable. He would just be a Pope with limited abilities. Throughout Rhine's history, there had been many such Popes. But this was precisely not a time of peace. In this short year, Rhine had lost two consecutive bishops, and even the elite knight order of the Northern Church was gone, leaving the entire north in chaos.

It could be said that Rhine was currently at its weakest point in a thousand years.

If it weren't for the fact that the other churches were in an even worse state, Rhine might have already ceded its position as the foremost church.

Well... fortunately, the other churches were in an even worse state.

But then again, if he were to hand over the position of Pope at such a time, given Luo Qi's absurdity and incompetence, future historians might attribute Rhine's series of declines during this period to him.

From this perspective, passing the position to Luo Qi wasn't entirely without its benefits. The more incompetent the successor, the more it would highlight the predecessor's wisdom.

After all, with the Rhine God present, Rhine could never be destroyed.

The more Lan Ge thought about it, the more it made sense.

Just then, two clear male voices sounded from behind him: "Your Excellency, it is time to retire."

Lan Ge turned around, looking at the two delicate little priests standing obediently behind him.

Yes, it was indeed time to rest.

Lan Ge nodded slightly, and the two little priests helped him back to his room, then obediently undressed him, helped him into bed, and finally, each held one of his legs in their embrace, lying down opposite him.

This was also Lan Ge's most relaxed time.

Even with the enhancement of the Vitality Ring, his body was no longer capable of the vigorous activities of his youth. He could only enjoy life in this manner.

In the warm embrace of the little priests, Lan Ge's sleepiness gradually crept in, and his thoughts began to wander.

After death, he would go to see the Lord.

In the Lord's Divine Kingdom, would he still have such a life?

Or should he serve the Lord? But would the Lord fancy this aged body of his?

No, if it were the Lord, he would surely restore him to his youthful appearance.

He wondered when he would be able to see the Lord.

He really looked forward to it...

Lan Ge's consciousness slowly sank.

And at that very moment, a sharp, piercing shriek shattered the peace of Rhine City, startling Lan Ge, who had almost fallen asleep.

What was going on?

He didn't react immediately, thinking he was dreaming. His two accompanying priests also looked bewildered.

It wasn't until his personal knight rushed into his room with a panicked expression that Lan Ge belatedly realized that the shriek was an alarm, an alarm that only sounded when Rhine City was under threat.

But it wasn't Lan Ge's fault for reacting so slowly, because this alarm had never sounded since Rhine City was founded.

"What's going on?!" Lan Ge, who had quickly recovered with the help of the Vitality Ring, stared at his knight with great authority. "Who sounded the alarm?"

Until this moment, Lan Ge had assumed some idiot had accidentally triggered the alarm; it was an accident.

Until the Knight stammered, "Reporting, Your Excellency, it's... the Lord!"

The Lord?

After a brief daze, Lan Ge's eyes widened instantly.

Half an hour later, Lan Ge and a host of church higher-ups hurried into the main hall of Rhine City.

A large number of Priests and Knights were already kneeling there, each face etched with terror. But Lan Ge had no time to pay them any mind; his gaze immediately shifted to the Rhine Statue on the main hall's altar.

His breath hitched.

Because the statue was looking at him.

The Lord... had descended?

In an instant, overwhelming panic flooded Lan Ge's heart. Before coming here, Lan Ge had thought the Lord had merely sent down a divine oracle, never imagining it was a personal appearance.

But how was this possible? Lan Ge couldn't even recall the last time the Lord had descended; at least, not during his tenure.

Even for major events like the succession of Popes, the Lord would not personally appear, at most only issuing an oracle. Thus, the vast majority of Popes never had the chance to see the true form of the Rhine God in their lifetime.

And Lan Ge was seeing it now, yet he felt no honor, only a blankness in his mind.

"Lord!" Lan Ge led the kneeling before the statue, though he tried his best to control his emotions, his voice still trembled, "Your faithful..."

"Visas has returned."

The Rhine God's single sentence cut off all of Lan Ge's prepared remarks.

Visas?

It took Lan Ge a few seconds to realize what that name signified, then he abruptly looked up, staring intently at the Rhine God.

"You mean... Visas?!" Even though it came from the Rhine God's own lips, Lan Ge's first reaction was disbelief. "How is that possible... Ah, no, Lord, I'm not questioning you, I just..."

The sheer shock caused Lan Ge, as Pope, to forget proper etiquette towards the Lord and actually question Him, making cold sweat break out all over him.

But the Rhine God did not punish him, seemingly not noticing, and slowly stated, "The Abyss Prison is destroyed, the Contract Land no longer exists. His soul has returned, he has reclaimed his body, and is now free."

That Contract Land... was gone?!

Destroyed by Visas alone?!

A wave of immense dread washed over Lan Ge.

So where would he go next? Would it be Rhine?

Could the Lord stop him?!

Perhaps sensing Lan Ge's thoughts, the Rhine God spoke again, "He has only reclaimed his body, but not his full strength. The Star Relic God has restrained him, and he cannot recover for a short time."

The Rhine God's words allowed Lan Ge's heart, which had been lodged in his throat, to relax slightly.

Thank goodness, thank goodness, Visas wouldn't attack now, all thanks to the Star Relic God.

If that's the case...

Lan Ge immediately asked, "Are you ordering us to immediately support the Star Relic?"

The Rhine God remained silent for a long moment before slowly saying, "No, you are not needed. I will go personally."

Lan Ge's heart relaxed even further.

"The situation is still under control," the Rhine God continued. "But the Star Relic God cannot restrain him for too long. Even with me, it will be difficult to truly kill Visas, and it will be even more so for you. This is not a battle you can join."

The Rhine God's words brought a sense of desolation to Lan Ge. Just half an hour ago, he had considered himself "second only to God, above tens of thousands of people" in this world, believing there was nothing he couldn't do.

In just half an hour, everything had changed.

All because that guy had returned.

"But there are things you need to do," the Rhine God fixed his gaze on Lan Ge. "Lan Ge, I need you to immediately mobilize all Holy Knights."

Are we still going to hunt down Visas?

"Retrieve all of Visas's scattered body parts."

Lan Ge froze.

Retrieve Visas's body parts? Why this order?

"But we don't know where Visas's body parts are," Lan Ge said cautiously.

"I will give you the list and locations," the Rhine God replied. "You will find them."

There was even a list and locations? Did that mean the Lord had always known who possessed Visas's body parts?

Lan Ge was even more astonished, but he dared not ask, merely bowing his head again, "Please rest assured, as long as it is within Rhine..."

"Not just within Rhine," the Rhine God interrupted. "I want the entire world."

Lan Ge was stunned again.

The entire world? To send Rhine's Holy Knights across the entire world?

This...

"Is there a problem?" the Rhine God asked.

"No..." Lan Ge took a deep breath. "No problem at all."

At a time like this, Lan Ge didn't dare to show any defiance. Even though the Rhine God, in their current state and tone of voice, appeared completely at ease.

But Lan Ge knew this was the biggest problem.

Before this, the Rhine God had never issued such clear instructions. The divine pronouncements they delivered were usually vague, requiring specialized interpretation and speculation. But no one found this odd, because that's how gods were supposed to be.

However, now, the Rhine God's demeanor was that of an ordinary person.

They were no longer mysterious or transcendent. Their posture was like a superior assigning tasks to a subordinate, even using a rhetorical question.

These elements would be perfectly fine for a powerful superior, but for a deity... no, they shouldn't appear on a deity at all.

Lan Ge also knew that the Rhine God couldn't possibly be unaware of this. They were a deity who had wielded authority for millennia and should never make such a mistake.

But they had done so anyway. That meant there could only be one reason.

The threat from Visas was definitely greater than what the Lord had described. At the very least, the situation with the Star Relic God wasn't as optimistic as the Lord had said.

Lan Ge buried his head deeply, not daring to reveal these blasphemous thoughts.

"I want you to retrieve these corpse fragments at all costs, regardless of who possesses them," the Rhine God continued to issue orders. "This is the only way to stop Visas. We cannot let him reclaim more fragments. Do you understand, Lan Ge?"

"I understand," Lan Ge replied, knowing the emphasis in the Rhine God's statement was on "at all costs." "I will do it."

"I hope so. This is a fight for yourselves," the Rhine God said indifferently. "When Visas fully returns, he will kill everyone. And we can only hold him off this last time. The future is in your own hands."

Everyone present immediately bowed their heads, thanking the Lord for their grace.

The Rhine God did not reply further. When everyone looked up again, they found that the deity had already departed. Only the lifeless statue remained in the main hall, as if they had never been there.

"Your Excellency!" The high-ranking officials of the Rhine immediately surrounded Lan Ge, panic etched on every face.

Lan Ge managed to maintain his composure. Supported by his personal attendant, he slowly stood up and said calmly, "Do not panic. Everything is still under the Lord's control. The Lord is helping us resist Visas. We only need to act according to the Lord's will."

Hearing Lan Ge's words, the Rhine high-ranking officials calmed down considerably. Lan Ge, regaining his composure as the Pope, quickly made all the necessary arrangements.

Tonight was destined to be sleepless.

After the high-ranking officials had left one by one after receiving their orders, Lan Ge summoned his trusted confidants and subtly issued one final command.

Immediately investigate the Star Relic at all costs.

With all matters concluded, Lan Ge sat alone beneath the statue until dawn.

As the first light of dawn tore through the darkness, he received the reply from the Star Relic.

He glanced at it once and then clenched his fist.

Because it stated that the Star Relic God was dead.