Following that.
Zhang Wei, through persistent persuasion, convinced Lu Lianxue to agree to go to the Aegean Sea.
"That's more like it, let's go. After soaking up the sun, we'll pack our bags and head straight from the Aegean Sea to Seoul University."
Zhang Wei then added,
"Before that, I need to bid farewell to His Holiness the Pope."
Although he had only stayed at the Vatican for two days, the Pope was grateful for Zhang Wei's assistance. Besides giving Zhang Wei the initial God's Heart, he also found many healing items for him, each of considerable value. Zhang Wei's current wealth was definitely not inferior to that of many half-step Zhenguo level cultivators who had been active for years, and perhaps even surpassed them.
Just then.
A papal attendant approached from a distance. He looked around, and upon spotting Zhang Wei, walked over, bowed, and said,
"Mr. Zhang Wei, His Holiness the Pope heard you were out of bed to sunbathe. Has your condition improved? If so, His Holiness would like to invite you to dine with him. He has prepared a lot of food, made according to your Great Xia's medicinal cuisine. In your Great Xia, such food is said to be very beneficial for the body."
"Alright, no problem."
"Then I will come to find Mr. Zhang Wei during lunch time."
...
Soon.
After watching the young priests of Danuok spar for a while, lunchtime arrived. Lu Lianxue took Zhang Wei to the reception dining hall.
"Mr. Zhang Wei, I heard you are leaving? Won't you stay longer at the Vatican to recuperate? Is there anything we have not provided adequately?"
The Pope rose with a smile to greet Zhang Wei upon his arrival.
Zhang Wei shook his head:
"Your Holiness, what are you saying? Your hospitality is more than five-star. It's just that I have academic matters to attend to and cannot stay here any longer. I requested leave for only 4 days. If I don't return soon, my professor will deduct my credits."
"Haha, so that's how it is. I had forgotten that Mr. Zhang Wei is still of university age."
The Pope continued,
"Mr. Zhang Wei, when are you planning to return? May I book your first-class tickets? Please don't refuse, this is a small token of our appreciation."
"The same time as Danuok and the others. We'll leave a bit later, I'm afraid I'll miss Danuok and their demon expulsion."
"Hmm? Danuok?"
The Pope seemed confused. The papal attendant beside him quickly whispered an explanation, and the Pope soon understood:
"Oh, so Mr. Zhang Wei wants to go to the Aegean Sea before leaving? I thought you were leaving directly from the Vatican, haha. That's also good. The Aegean Sea is a very famous place in Europe, it's incredibly beautiful. Then I'll have someone arrange flights to the Aegean Sea and from the Aegean Sea to the Land of Stealing."
"Alright, thank you, Your Holiness."
"You are too kind, Mr. Zhang Wei."
"By the way, Your Holiness, what kind of demon expulsion mission have you arranged for Danuok?"
"Well, generally, we arrange for minor ghosts and monsters. After all, the children's strength is not yet strong, so we can't assign them powerful ones. Usually, we find ghosts for them to exorcise. Compared to werewolves and vampires, ghosts are relatively less harmful. With holy water and the Bible for protection, ghosts generally find it difficult to get close. However, werewolves and vampires are different. Their physical bodies are strong and can easily harm the children."
As he spoke.
The Pope glanced at the attendant beside him and asked him to check the mission assigned to Danuok. As the Pope, he was extremely busy and couldn't personally review every matter, so he had to rely on his attendants to check.
While the attendant was checking.
The Pope seemed to recall something and, after a conversation with Zhang Wei, asked curiously:
"Mr. Zhang Wei, could you tell me about the Jade Emperor? I heard from Matt that you believe in the Jade Emperor. Your ability to purify fallen angels and summon heavenly soldiers and generals are all blessings from the Jade Emperor."
As he spoke.
The Pope picked up a book titled 'Great Xia Mythology History' from the table beside him and said,
"In the past two days, besides handling Vatican affairs, I have been studying the mythology of Great Xia. Unfortunately, I underestimated the long history of Great Xia. The mythology passed down for five thousand years is too complex, and I'm finding it a bit overwhelming. If I don't spend some time, it will be difficult for me to understand the mythology of Great Xia in a short period."
"Why don't you tell me about the Jade Emperor, Mr. Zhang Wei? I'm actually quite curious about the Jade Emperor of Great Xia."
As soon as he spoke.
Zhang Wei and Lu Lianxue, who were eating, stopped their actions and looked at the Pope.
Even.
Lu Lianxue's eyes showed surprise. Was this still the Pope she knew? According to her understanding of the Pope, the current Pope was a fervent believer in God, deeply revering Him, and mentioning God almost constantly. He generally paid no attention to other faiths, believing God to be the most powerful. It was said that in his youth, he even clashed with followers of other faiths for God's sake.
Thinking of this.
Lu Lianxue glanced at Zhang Wei beside her... It seemed Zhang Wei had a greater impact on the Pope than she had imagined.
The reality was indeed so.
Ever since he witnessed Zhang Wei summoning heavenly soldiers and generals, the Pope's eyes had lit up. After all, Zhang Wei's actions were tantamount to summoning an angelic army. Subsequently, Zhang Wei's strength continued to increase, and afterward, Zhang Wei had assured him that there were no lasting sequelae and that he would recover.
These were injuries that even God's scepter could not repair, yet Zhang Wei had confidently stated he was fine. Initially, the Pope didn't believe him, even though Zhang Wei appeared confident. He thought Zhang Wei was just comforting him. But just last night...
The Pope learned that Zhang Wei had been attacked at the Vatican. He was furious and rushed to see Zhang Wei. From there, he learned that Zhang Wei had personally dealt with the attack and even captured the attacker. It's important to note that the attacker was a half-step Zhenguo level cultivator plus a top-tier ghost king. Given Zhang Wei's injuries, let alone a half-step Zhenguo level, even a mere ghost king should have been able to crush Zhang Wei with a single finger.
Coupled with Zhang Wei's ability to purify fallen angels.
The Pope fell into a period of silence.
He began to doubt his life for the first time.
How could Mr. Zhang Wei, so badly injured, still capture the attackers without being harmed? It was impossible for him to achieve this alone. This was beyond human capability. The only explanation he could think of was the protection of the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor's power was guarding Zhang Wei, keeping him unharmed. Gods protect their believers!
Realizing this.
The Pope inexplicably developed a thought: Is the Jade Emperor like this to all his believers? Or only to Zhang Wei, who has such profound faith? If so, if he were to believe in the Jade Emperor with the same level of faith as Zhang Wei, could he also become like Zhang Wei?
The more he thought about it, the more curious he became.
Humans have a desire for knowledge, especially powerful individuals. No one would not want to become stronger, even those who are already very strong. Just like no one would think they have earned enough money; everyone wants to become richer.
The Pope was no exception.
He believed in God, not only for God's benevolence and greatness but also for His power. However, Zhang Wei's current performance made the Jade Emperor seem more benevolent, great, and powerful than God.
...