By the time Chen Rui returned to the territory, night had already fallen. Yet an unexpected visitor was waiting for him in the manor: Birmingham, a cardinal bishop of the Church of Light.
The Church of Light had three cardinal bishops, each belonging to one of three factions. These factions respectively represented the three supreme angels of light and had stood firm within the Church for many years, unshakable as a rock.
Roge, whom Chen Rui had met first, belonged to Pope Vandis's faction—the Michael faction. Gralin belonged to the faction of Archbishop and Saintess Eudora—the Raphael faction. Birmingham, before him now, belonged to the faction of another archbishop, Pusmir—the Gabriel faction.
When Chen Rui had followed Ben Hong to Light Holy Mountain last time, he had sensed Tiffany's presence. However, circumstances had been urgent, leaving him no time to investigate. He did not know whether Tiffany was on Saintess Eudora's Peak of Holy Favor or Archbishop Pusmir's Peak of Stars.
In fact, he had left a star point before the Temple of Light that time. Later, he had risked using Stealth to go there once, but the temple that had once been right before his eyes was nowhere to be seen. Powerful Ancient Rune Language forces filled the area, sealing all the surrounding space. Had Chen Rui not been exceptionally sensitive to the Ancient Rune Language and immediately retreated along his original path before triggering the runes, he would have been trapped there already.
That was also why Chen Rui had grown close to Gralin. Birmingham's visit now meant he had certainly received news related to the "Crown of Thorns" and had come to win over him, this "Holy Son."
Birmingham was a sharp-featured, capable-looking man who appeared younger than Gralin. His gaze was keen enough to cut, yet