"Penglai and the Heavenly Temple—it is simply impossible for them to join forces. But since they have joined forces, then..." An old man with bloodshot pupils looked at those around him and said, "And they killed the Scepter Pontiff! What are they trying to do?"
"The Divine Realm!" An old man let out a faint sigh. "In every religious war throughout history, we suffered grievous losses, but we were always able to recover our strength swiftly! The Divine Realm's contribution cannot be erased, so..."
"Utter wishful thinking!" Gries Gao Dawn roared furiously. "This is absolutely unacceptable!"
The old men exchanged glances, then nodded at the same time. "Of course. There are certain things we will absolutely not permit!"
Looking at the retired pontiffs around him, Gries Gao Dawn narrowed his eyes. "We need greater authority. We need the authority to mobilize all the Church's forces, including..."
Lowering his voice, Gries Gao Dawn said heavily, "That legion sleeping within the Divine Realm. Should the need arise, we hope to receive your authorization. We need their strength. If the Heavenly Temple and Penglai join hands, the Church's forces in the open will never be enough to defeat them!"
Before Gries Gao Dawn had even finished speaking, a sheet of radiant light descended from overhead. Within the hazy white divine radiance, a majestic, indistinct voice drifted down from the heavens: "Gries Gao Dawn, come here and see us!"
The divine light quietly scattered, and that voice vanished without a trace. Gries Gao Dawn's face was flushed a deep red with extreme excitement, while the Seal Pontiff looked at him with both envy and jealousy before slowly shaking his head after a long while. The retired pontiffs' eyes had all turned bloodshot. They looked at Gries Gao Dawn with near hatred, like a pack