"Ah!"
Just then, the Grand High Priest let out a terrible scream.
Blood began to seep from his skin, and in a short time, he had become a bloodied figure.
"This..."
Ye Cangtian's brow furrowed deeply. He could tell that the Grand High Priest was using some ancient secret technique.
Because the other party's aura was constantly rising, instantly reaching the Heavenly level.
Of course, judging by the other party's condition, the price was incredibly high!
Thinking this, Ye Cangtian spoke, "Grand High Priest, is what you're doing worth it?"
"Hahahaha!"
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, the Grand High Priest burst into laughter, then said, "Ye Cangtian, I'm trading my last fifteen minutes of life for your entire remaining life and the future of the Temple of Light. Do you think it's worth it?"
In the Grand High Priest's view, Ye Cangtian's future potential was an unknown variable, one that even Lord Guangyu could not match.
If such an existence wasn't extinguished in its cradle, then no one would be able to stop Ye Cangtian's progress in the future.
Trading his life for Ye Cangtian's life was a massive profit.
Without Ye Cangtian, even if the Huaxia forces remained powerful, how long could they last?
After all, the Heavenly level experts of the Huaxia forces were all old men, whose lifespans might be drawing to a close soon.
At that time, Huaxia would be almost identical to the current Temple of Light, and only then could the Temple of Light rise again.
"You are correct, if you can eliminate me, it would indeed be a great profit!"
Ye Cangtian glanced at the Grand High Priest and continued, "But the problem is, do you think reaching the Heavenly level is enough to deal with me?"
As he spoke, Ye Cangtian unleashed his aura.
"This..."
In an instant, the Grand High Priest, who had already turned into a bloodied figure, suddenly looked dazed.
He had used an ancient secret recipe, enhancing his combat power through self-destruction. Although he had broken through to the Heavenly level, his aura was still a notch below Ye Cangtian's.
This made him utterly unwilling. Had his sacrifice ultimately failed to eliminate Ye Cangtian?
What was the value of his sacrifice then?
After a moment of silence, the Grand High Priest's blood-red eyes flickered, and he gritted his teeth, "Ye Cangtian, having strong cultivation doesn't mean you'll be the one laughing in the end!"
As he spoke, the Grand High Priest's body radiated with blood-red light, and he hurled the cross-shaped longsword in his hand into the air.
The next moment, the cross-shaped longsword seemed to split, one becoming two, two becoming four...
It continued to split until sixty-four cross-shaped longswords appeared in the air, and then they all shot towards Ye Cangtian in unison.
Sensing the aura of the cross-shaped longswords, Ye Cangtian's brow twitched slightly. All the cross-shaped longswords had identical auras and looked exactly the same, making it impossible to discern the real from the fake.
With no other option, Ye Cangtian brandished the Death Scythe in his hand, and instantly, dragon roars echoed through the heavens and earth, with a dragon's head appearing before Ye Cangtian.
Boom, boom, boom...
As the blind dragon roared upwards, the cross-shaped longswords pierced the dragon's head, but the moment they met, the longswords suddenly shattered, without exception.
Bang!
The next instant, the blind dragon shattered all the flying swords and directly struck the Grand High Priest, blasting him away.
"Pfft!"
The Grand High Priest spat out a mouthful of blood. He was already severely overdrawn, and coupled with the impact of the blind dragon.
He now lacked the strength to even turn over, and could only linger on in his spot.
He watched Ye Cangtian walk step by step towards him, his eyes filled with unwillingness. "Ye Cangtian, you win, but this is only temporary. Soon, someone will rise from the Temple of Light and overthrow your rule!"
As the saying goes, opportunity makes the hero. The Temple of Light was in a time of crisis, and he believed that geniuses would emerge.
"You are wrong, wrong from the very beginning. I have no intention of ruling the Temple of Light."
"All I want is for the Huaxia forces and the Temple of Light to maintain peace. That's all!"
"Similarly, I made Nancy the Pope for this very purpose, not to make her my puppet..."
Ye Cangtian said calmly, looking at the struggling Grand High Priest.
"..."
Upon hearing this, the Grand High Priest's expression changed once more, and he spat out another mouthful of blood.
He was wrong, terribly wrong. He had always believed that Ye Cangtian intended to devour the Temple of Light, which was why he had stood up to stop him at all costs.
However, the other party had no such intentions. In doing all this, he had not only failed to stop Ye Cangtian but had also cost him his own life...
At this moment, he was filled with deep regret.
If only he had woken up earlier and not gotten stuck in that rut, none of this would have happened, and he could have continued to protect the Temple of Light.
But now, it was too late...
Thinking of this, the Grand High Priest looked at Ye Cangtian and said, "I hope you remember your words, or I will not rest in peace even as a ghost."
Saying this, the Grand High Priest glanced at everyone present and said with all his remaining strength, "On behalf of the Inner Hall of Light, I restore all honors to Nancy and acknowledge Nancy's position as Pope!"
Now that the misunderstanding was cleared, although it was a bit late, as long as Nancy was not Ye Cangtian's puppet, everything was negotiable.
Furthermore, the Temple of Light had very few experts left.
The most pressing need now was for recuperation. With Nancy presiding over the Temple of Light, the Huaxia forces should not make a move.
This was why he had ultimately chosen Nancy.
This declaration stunned everyone in the great hall. They had not expected the Grand High Priest to acknowledge Nancy's identity at the last moment of his life.
Regardless of their surprise, this was the Grand High Priest's final will, and they had to obey.
In the next instant, everyone agreed.
"No! I disagree!"
"Old man, have you lost your mind! Can't you see Ye Cangtian is deceiving you?"
"Besides, the Seal of Light is still in Ye Cangtian's hands. Are we just going to let it go like this?"
At this moment, the Second High Priest, who had just been subjected to a soul attack, finally recovered and let out an angry roar.
The Grand High Priest looked at the indignant Second High Priest and said, "Whether it's truth or falsehood, I can still distinguish it. As for the Seal of Light, forget it. It's not something for you or me to worry about..."
Upon hearing this, the Second High Priest erupted, "Damn it, if you don't care, I will! I cannot let the Seal of Light fall into the hands of others!"
"Second High Priest, are you trying to bring about the destruction of the Temple of Light?"
"If that's the case, I, in my capacity as Grand High Priest, declare the expulsion of the Second High Priest from the Temple of Light, severing all ties with the Temple of Light from this moment forth..."
The Grand High Priest glared at the Second High Priest and said coldly.
However, before he could finish speaking, he felt an overwhelming fatigue and collapsed heavily.
Second High Priest, I could only help you this much...
This was the Grand High Priest's last thought. He had seen the Second High Priest's obsession with the Seal of Light.
But he also understood that the Second High Priest was no match for Ye Cangtian. To avoid implicating the Temple of Light, he could only expel him.
"Old man, what the hell are you saying!"
"My position as High Priest was bestowed by Lord Guangyu. What right do you have to expel me..."
The Second High Priest clearly did not understand the Grand High Priest's intentions and roared at him.
However, he had overlooked the chilling killing intent already present in Ye Cangtian's eyes.
He had thought that the Grand High Priest's dying words had brought everything to a close, but he hadn't expected the Second High Priest to stir up trouble again.
Since that was the case, he had no choice but to take his life.
"Second High Priest, stop your yapping. You want to get the Seal of Light back, don't you? The Seal of Light is in my hands, let's see how you plan to get it back!"
Ye Cangtian's voice cut through, and the Second High Priest's curses abruptly stopped.
He looked at Ye Cangtian, his gaze filled with intense malice, and said, "Ye Cangtian, I will trade Nancy's life for the Seal of Light in your hands. Do you agree to the trade?"
"What are you thinking?"
Ye Cangtian sneered and continued, "I told you before, if Nancy dies, not only you, but the entire Temple of Light will be buried with her! Do you dare to harm Nancy now?"
"Hahahaha..."
Upon hearing this, the Second High Priest burst into frenzied laughter and continued, "Ye Cangtian, you heard me. I am no longer a member of the Temple of Light. The matters of the Temple of Light have nothing to do with me. Do you think you can still threaten me now?"
"The Temple of Light can't threaten you, but what about your life? Are you sure you want to take Nancy down with you?" Ye Cangtian said with a light smile.
"Yes."
"Either give me the Seal of Light, or even if I die, I will drag Nancy down with me, so that you cannot control the entire Temple of Light through Nancy!"
The Second High Priest said hysterically. He simply didn't believe that Ye Cangtian would actually risk Nancy's life!