September on the Aslant Continent was bustling. First, the Church fleet was wiped out in the Misty Sea, and then news spread that Pope Pius VII had broken through to the Holy Domain.
One only had to see how cautious Hudson was to understand just how much influence a Holy Domain powerhouse could wield over the continent's balance.
The news caused a sensation because it was the Pope who had broken through to the Holy Domain. If it had been someone else, it would merely have become a topic of casual gossip after meals, nowhere near enough to shock the continent.
The only ones truly stirred by this were the eighth-rank powerhouses stuck outside the gates of the Holy Domain.
In the past, everyone had stopped at the peak of the eighth rank. Even if there were differences between them, the gaps had never been too great.
But in the blink of an eye, Pius VII had actually broken through to the Holy Domain first, directly pulling ahead by an entire level. That left many old monsters deeply displeased.
For a time, some went into seclusion, while others searched for opportunities. In any case, no one remained idle.
Aside from his unusual status, Pius VII's strength was also the focus of everyone's attention. In the eyes of many, he possessed a three-piece set of divine artifacts.
The Inheritance Divine Artifacts bestowed by the Lord of Dawn perfectly matched Pius VII's attributes. The backlash from using them was undoubtedly the lowest among all divine artifacts.
Even at the eighth rank, the Pope wielding the three-piece divine artifact set had been able to fight Holy Domain powerhouses. Now that he had crossed that threshold, the artifacts boosted Pius VII's strength even further.
With divine artifacts for magical attacks, physical attacks, and comprehensive