The Descending Rhine God

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

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

And he, Lan Ge, is the leader of this church and this city; it is no exaggeration to say that he is "below God and above millions of people."

"I wish it could stay like this forever," Lan Ge murmured with a sigh.

If only humans could live forever! If possible, Lan Ge would love to stand here forever, watching this view.

Unfortunately, even as the Pope, and even with countless means to prolong life, he could not achieve true immortality.

The only things in this world that can be eternally immortal are gods, and...

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

This was a plain ring that clashed terribly with Lan Ge's ornate attire. It was entirely grayish-white, with an amber-shaped ornament at the tip. In terms of design, it couldn't even be called plain; it could be described as cheap and inferior, and by all accounts, it was unworthy of Lan Ge's status.

But it happens to be the most precious of all of Lan Ge's ornaments.

Because it was also made from Visas' Corpse Pieces, and embedded in that seemingly cheap amber was a small, nameless bone of Visas.

This small bone does not carry any rules, but it possesses an equally precious power—"vitality".

It can greatly extend the wearer's lifespan and prevent the wearer from contracting any illnesses or injuries, allowing them to remain healthy until the moment of their death.

This is why, despite being established for a thousand years, the Rhine God Sect has only had forty-nine Pope. It is this Vitality Ring that grants each Pope a lifespan far exceeding that of ordinary people, a feat unmatched by any other church.

While this vitality may pale in comparison to the more powerful parts of a corpse, such as Ke Li's left eye or Luo Qi's thumb, a healthy and long-lived body is more than enough for the most powerful people in the world.

Unfortunately, it still cannot live forever.

Lan Ge sighed again, his voice full of regret.

Even with the blessing of this ring, his lifespan is nearing its end, and he now has to consider the issue of succession, which is also a source of worry for him.

Because the most suitable successor, Bishop Fig of the North, is no longer alive, and the slightly less suitable Bishop Corey of the West died the earliest, so now, in the rotation, the most qualified person is actually Loki.

To be honest, Lan Ge really didn't want to pass the position to Luo Qi, because Luo Qi was unqualified in every way. The only reason he became bishop was because he knew him very well and was considered a close confidant.

But it is precisely because of this that Lan Ge has a deeper understanding of Luo Qi than the average person. He knows clearly that apart from his rather prominent buttocks, Luo Qi has no other outstanding features.

Unfortunately, he no longer has enough time to cultivate a suitable successor.

In peaceful times, letting Luo Qi take over would be fine; he'd just be a Pope with little ability, and throughout Rhine's history, there have been many Pope like that. But now is not a peaceful time. In just one year, Rhine has lost two bishops, and even the main Knight order of the Northern Church is gone, plunging the entire north into chaos.

It can be said that the Rhine is at its weakest point in a thousand years.

If the other churches hadn't been in even worse shape, the Rhine might very well have already relinquished its position as the First Church.

Well... thankfully the other churches are in even worse shape.

However, on the other hand, if the Pope were handed over to Luo Qi at this time, given Luo Qi's outrageousness and incompetence, historians a thousand years later might very well attribute the series of declines in the Rhine during this period to him.

From this perspective, passing the position to Luo Qi wasn't entirely without its advantages; the more incompetent the successor, the more the wisdom of the predecessor would be highlighted.

With the Rhine God around, the Rhine can never be destroyed.

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

Just then, two clear male voices rang out behind him. "Your Majesty, please retire for the night."

Lan Ge then turned around and looked at the two Delicate Priest standing properly behind him.

Yes, it's time to take a break.

Lan Ge nodded slightly, and the two Little Priest helped him back to his room. They then properly undressed him, helped him onto the bed, and finally each of them held one of his legs in their arms, lying down opposite him.

This is also when Lan Ge is most relaxed.

Even with the blessing of the Vitality Ring, his body was no longer able to gallop on horseback like it did in his youth, so he could only enjoy life in this way.

Nestled in the Little Priest's warm embrace, Lan Ge gradually felt drowsy, and his thoughts began to wander rapidly.

After he dies, he will go to see the Lord.

Could he still have such a life in the Lord's Divine Kingdom?

Or should he go and serve the Lord? But would the Lord look favorably upon his aged body?

No, if it were God, He would surely transform Himself back to His youthful appearance.

I don't know when I will be able to see the Lord.

I'm really looking forward to it...

Lan Ge's consciousness gradually sank.

Just then, a piercing scream shattered the peace of Rhine City and startled Lan Ge was almost asleep.

What happened?

He didn't react at first, thinking he was dreaming, while his two sleeping Little Priest were also completely bewildered.

It wasn't until Lan Ge's personal Knight rushed into his room in a panic that Lan Ge belatedly realized that the shrill sound was an alarm, an alarm that would only be sounded when Rhine City was under threat.

But it's not surprising that Lan Ge reacted so slowly, because this alarm had never sounded since the founding of Rhine City.

"What's going on?!" Lan Ge, who had quickly regained his senses thanks to the Vitality Ring, stared at his Knight with an air of authority. "Who sounded the alarm?"

Until this moment, Lan Ge still thought that some clueless idiot had accidentally triggered the alarm, and that it was an accident.

Until the Knight stammered, "Your Majesty, it is... the Lord!"

Host?

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Lan Ge's eyes widened instantly.

Half an hour later, Lan Ge and a group of high-ranking church officials hurriedly entered the main hall of Rhine City.

There were already a large number of priests and Knight kneeling here, each of them with fear on their faces, but Lan Ge had no time to pay attention to them. Instead, he immediately turned his gaze to the Rhine Statue in the main hall.

His breathing stopped abruptly.

Because the idol is watching him.

Has the Lord... descended?

In an instant, a profound sense of panic surged through Lan Ge's heart. Before coming here, Lan Ge had thought that the Lord had merely sent down a divine decree, never expecting that He would personally come.

But how could this be? Lan Ge couldn't even remember the last time the Lord descended; at least not during his reign.

Even for major events like the change of Pope, God would not be present in person; at most, He would only issue a divine decree. Therefore, the vast majority of Pope never had the opportunity to see the true form of the Rhine God in their lifetime.

Lan Ge has now seen it, but he doesn't feel honored; his mind just goes blank.

"Lord!" Lan Ge led the way, kneeling before the idol. Though he tried to control his emotions, his voice trembled as he spoke, "You are faithful..."

"Visas is back."

The Rhine God shut down all of Lan Ge's polite words with a single sentence.

Visas?

It took Lan Ge a few seconds to realize what the name meant, then he suddenly looked up and stared intently at the Rhine God.

"You mean... Visas?!" Even though it was the Rhine God himself who said it, Lan Ge's first reaction was still absurdity. "How could this be... Ah no, Lord, I'm not questioning you, I just..."

The intense shock caused Pope Lan Ge to forget his respect for the Lord and even question Him, which immediately made him break out in a cold sweat.

But the Rhine God did not punish him, seemingly unaware of this at all. Instead, he slowly said, "The Abyss Prison is destroyed, the Contract Land no longer exists, his Soul Return, and he has regained his body. He is now free."

That Contract Land... it's gone?!

Was it all destroyed by Visas alone?!

A huge sense of panic welled up in Lan Ge's heart.

So where will he go next? Will it be the Rhine?

Can God stop him?!

Perhaps sensing Lan Ge's thoughts, the Rhine God spoke again, "He has only regained his body, but not his full strength. The Star Relic God has restricted him, and he cannot recover in the short term."

The words of the Rhine God eased Lan Ge's anxiety a little.

Thank goodness, Visas won't attack right now, thanks to the Star Relic God.

Since that's the case...

Lan Ge immediately asked, "Are you asking us to provide immediate support to the Star Relic?"

The Rhine God remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "No, I don't need you. I will go myself."

Lan Ge felt much more relaxed.

"The situation is still under control," the Rhine God said again. "But the Star Relic God can't hold them off for long. Even with me included, it will be difficult to truly kill Visas, let alone you. This is not a battle you can join."

The words of the Rhine God filled Lan Ge with a sense of desolation. Just half an hour ago, he had boasted that he was "below the gods and above millions of people" in this world, and that there was nothing he could not do.

In just half an hour, everything changed.

It's just because that guy came back.

"But there are some things that need to be done by you." The Rhine God looked at Lan Ge. "Lan Ge, I need you to mobilize all the Holy Knight immediately."

Should we still go and attack Visas?

"Recover all the Visas body parts that have been scattered outside."

Lan Ge was taken aback.

Retrieve Visas' Corpse Pieces? Why would it be this order?

"But we don't know where the Visas' Corpse Pieces are," Lan Ge said cautiously.

"I will give you the list and the locations," said the Rhine God. "Go find them."

There's even a list and locations? Does that mean the Lord always knew who Visas' Corpse Pieces?

Lan Ge was even more surprised, but he dared not ask, and simply bowed his head again. "Please rest assured, as long as it is within the Rhine..."

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

Lan Ge was stunned again.

The whole world? Are we to send the Rhine Holy Knight to the whole world?

This...

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

"No..." Lan Ge took a deep breath, "There's no problem."

At this moment, Lan Ge dared not disobey in the slightest, even though the Rhine God appeared completely at ease, both in his current state and in his tone of voice.

But Lan Ge knew that was the biggest problem.

Before this, the Rhine God had never issued such clear instructions; His oracles were mostly vague and required interpretation and speculation. But no one thought there was anything wrong with this, because that's how gods are supposed to be.

But right now, the Rhine God is showing the state of an ordinary person.

He was no longer mysterious or aloof; his demeanor was like that of a superior assigning tasks to subordinates, even using rhetorical questions.

These elements are perfectly fine in a powerful boss, but in a god... no, they shouldn't be in a god.

Lan Ge also knew that the Rhine God couldn't possibly be unaware of this; He was a deity who had held power for thousands of years and absolutely shouldn't make a mistake in such a place.

But He did it anyway, so there can only be one reason.

The threat from Visas is definitely greater than the Lord described; at least the situation on the side of the Star Relic God is not as optimistic as the Lord said.

Lan Ge lowered his head, not daring to reveal these disrespectful thoughts.

"I want you to retrieve these body parts at all costs, regardless of who possesses them," the Rhine God continued, issuing the order. "This is the only way to stop Visas. We cannot allow him to retrieve any more body parts. Do you understand, Lan Ge?"

"I understand." Lan Ge knew the key point of the Rhine God's words was "at all costs." "I will do it."

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

Everyone present immediately bowed their heads and thanked the Lord's Grace.

The Rhine God did not reply. When everyone looked up, they found that He had left, and only the lifeless statue remained in the main hall, as if He had never been there.

"Your Majesty!" Rhine's high-ranking officials immediately surrounded him, their faces filled with panic.

Lan Ge struggled to remain calm, and with the help of his personal priest, he slowly rose to his feet. Then, he said unhurriedly, "Don't panic. Everything is still under the Lord's control. The Lord is helping us resist Visas. We just need to act according to the Lord's will."

After hearing Lan Ge's words, the Rhine executives calmed down considerably, and Lan Ge reverted to his Pope demeanor, quickly making arrangements for everything.

Tonight is destined to be sleepless.

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

They immediately began to investigate the whereabouts of the Star Remnant at all costs.

After finishing everything, Lan Ge sat alone under the statue and waited until dawn.

As the dawn's sunlight tore through the darkness, he received Xingyi's reply.

He glanced at it once and then clenched his fist.

Because it says on it,

The Star Relic God is dead.