[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-becoming-a-god-through-horror":3,"chapter-becoming-a-god-through-horror-becoming-a-god-through-horror-chapter-248":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Becoming a God Through Horror",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2273791,4441,"Chapter 248: Celestial Omen, Church Strategy: The Omen","becoming-a-god-through-horror-chapter-248",248,"\u003Cp>Inside the office, the voices fell silent, and stillness settled in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With darkness returning, power within the Church began to be reallocated; the Pope’s authority, once compromised to secular forces, reclaimed its core position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it had not regained the prestige of the Divine Chosen Ones of a thousand years ago, for the Church had fractured beyond repair due to countless internal conflicts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pope coughed, and everyone bowed to his authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing all fall quiet, the Pope said: “According to Chapter Eight, Verse Seven of the Book of Revelation, when the first angel sounds the trumpet, storms and floods ravage the earth; when the second angel sounds the trumpet, flames surge like mountains collapsing; when the third angel sounds the trumpet, burning stars fall from the sky; when the fourth angel sounds the trumpet, two hundred thousand drown in the flood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When the fifth angel sounds the trumpet, the mysterious comet arrives upon the world, and Satan shall receive the key to the gates of Hell; demons shall break free and launch a full-scale invasion of the mortal realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That will be a calamity second only to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now, the mysterious comet has already appeared. Coupled with the Hellish aura and demonic reactions previously predicted by the Holy Land Department, it is clear this matter is tied to America.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though this is only one-fifth of the Fifth Angel’s prophecy and has not yet fully manifested, we cannot afford to ignore it. The demon child capable of opening the gates of Hell may already have entered the mortal world, waiting for the chance to unlock them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pope spoke thus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the West, celestial omens, astrology, and constellation prophecies are regarded as “science,” just like alchemy—especially celestial phenomena recorded in theological texts, which are considered definitive omens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, everyone accepted the Pope’s interpretation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet all remained silent, for though the Pope was correct, nothing he said could alter the Church’s current shortage of personnel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pope then added, “This matter must be resolved. Since we lack manpower, we must intensify recruitment. Also, inform the Yaoguan Bureau of this news—they must decide for themselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Additionally, I decree that Chief Priest Gabriele Amort shall establish a grand cathedral in America, and appoint Bishop Eileen as Archbishop; both shall oversee all Church personnel in America, expel demons, exterminate evil spirits, search for the demon child, and spread the Gospel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every bishop, archbishop, and cardinal changed expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was the Church’s strongest exorcist; the other, a holy woman who had awakened the bloodline of a saint—arguably the two most powerful individuals in the Church, aside from holy relics. Now they were to be sent entirely to America.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, this appointment was highly unusual: expelling demons, exterminating evil spirits, searching for the demon child—all these were urgent and expected. But the final directive…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The location was wrong!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>America was Protestant territory. The Vatican Church held little power there. Though Protestant sects were numerous, disorganized, and fragmented—even fractured by allowing individual interpretations of the Bible, leading to rampant heresies—it was undeniable that Protestantism dominated America.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sending two such powerful figures to America to build a cathedral, command all churches, and spread the Gospel—was this not tantamount to declaring war on Protestantism?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet faced with the Pope’s command and his piercing gaze, no one dared speak out immediately—things were no longer as they had been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, someone finally understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Protestantism was weak, lacked unified organization, and could not rally to resist the Vatican Church. Even the most feared American government could not block the Vatican’s open infiltration under these circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon reflection, this was now the perfect opportunity to expand influence (faith) and reestablish orthodoxy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For the glory of the Lord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One bishop spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All followed suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For the glory of the Lord!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pope finally smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was precisely the effect he sought. In truth, his motives were not merely ideological—he had practical reasons as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>America would become the epicenter of this return of darkness. Sometimes, he awoke in nightmares, terrified that the land would become a hellish wasteland, a demonic nest upon the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Pope, every dream of his carried profound weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, sending Gabriele and Eileen to America to build the cathedral was indeed to prepare for the future—not merely for personal ambition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eileen is still praying in the cathedral. Send her the order—tell her to proceed immediately to America and join Gabriele to plan the cathedral’s construction.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Holiness, Bishop Eileen recently traveled to England,” someone ventured cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pope paused, then recalled—yes, Eileen had mentioned a premonition guiding her away. He had forgotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head. “Send word to Eileen. Tell her to find Gabriele immediately after finishing her business.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Your Holiness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lastly, any entertainment media slandering the Church shall be banned. I will personally speak with the mayor of Los Angeles.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Los Angeles, the heart of Hollywood. Though Hollywood had passed its golden age, it still continuously exported cultural products worldwide and remained one of the globe’s cultural cores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Pope’s command, all bowed in solemn agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why had the Church ignored such defamation before, yet now acted against it? Naturally—before, it had compromised with the secular world. Now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It no longer needed to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Church was rising again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mysterious comet flashed across the cosmos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wisp of black mist, rising from the skies above Harrisville, Rhode Island, dissipated, spreading as waves across all of America, while simultaneously altering celestial patterns in the universe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This caused the comet to shift its trajectory slightly, flashing past Earth’s vicinity—making it observable by humanity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the celestial omen the Church had observed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as the celestial omen appeared and the mysterious comet passed, under the influence of these waves, somewhere in America…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Robert, one of America’s diplomats, sat in his car, anxiously racing toward the hospital, escorted by police vehicles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But upon arriving at the hospital, he received devastating news: his wife had given birth, but the child was dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He collapsed, sitting on a hospital bench, frantically tearing at his hair. He knew how much his wife loved children—how shattered she would be upon hearing this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh God, how cruel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Father Stoby, a close friend, approached and offered a suggestion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next room, another pregnant woman had given birth at the same time as Robert’s wife—but unlike Robert’s wife, she had died, while the child lived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps this is a child sent by God to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stoby smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Robert understood. For a man of his power, swapping infants was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, what choice to make?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the delivery room, Robert carried the child to his wife’s bedside. Seeing her joyful expression, Robert knew—he had made the right choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The family was united in bliss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis knew nothing of any of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seizing the Holy Sword, the blood, and the silver box, he had flown directly to a hotel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kept constant watch over Harrisville.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon learning the military had withdrawn,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he relaxed, took the three items, and returned to the Cleanser Company in Massachusetts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cleanser Company, backed by vast funds and extensive connections gained through exorcisms, had now firmly established itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside Cambridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a secluded villa, heavily guarded, Louis carefully examined the three items before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Holy Sword, the blood, the silver box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silver box contained the avatar of the great demon Gula—its power rivaling that of a top-tier demon, though now reduced to a mass of flesh no larger than an eyeball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would do well as one of the demonic entities for alchemy. After a little nurturing, he could first extract its soul, then refine its body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Including this one, I still need four more demons. Not far off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for yang essence—if I cannot find a treasure, I must rely on self-realization. Prepare for both possibilities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He set that aside for now and turned his gaze to the rusted “double-moon curved blade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not simple at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis gently traced the blade’s surface. Its texture felt no different from ordinary iron—neither the metal nor the rust held any special quality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in Louis’s spiritual sight,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the rusted sword had transformed entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its spiritual aura arose spontaneously, radiant with white light, concealing a majestic and domineering power. The rust was no ordinary corrosion—in his spiritual vision, it was clearly chains, binding the blade tightly, sealing every trace of white light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But upon closer inspection, the chains extended from within the blade itself—meaning their power originated from the sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Self-sealed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are indeed wondrous artifacts elsewhere. But I wonder what this sword’s origin is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis studied the sword’s peculiarities, searched online, and soon found the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zulfiqar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of Islam’s holy relics, it had descended from heaven when the Prophet was surrounded by enemies, aiding him to turn defeat into victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, it was gifted by him to his son-in-law…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading this, Louis’s expression darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Islam had a poor reputation, and more importantly, it shared a common origin with Christianity. The angel Gabriel in its myths was none other than Jibril.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mythology was always messy—conflicting accounts, hard to distinguish truth from falsehood, impossible to distinguish truth from fiction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only in this world did such things hold weight. In his past life, he would have believed none of it—because it was all invented by humans!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This qualifies as a Holy Sword, but tainted by Islam—that’s a major problem. No wonder it’s banned. If exposed, it would bring immense trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet it’s the sword of an archangel, once wielded by the Prophet—its status is high. No wonder it killed a top-tier demon with three strikes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But this rust… clearly, the sword has seen many stories in its passage through time. Then what of this blood…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis stared at the blood, narrowing his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had a suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be the descendant of that Prophet, or his son-in-law’s lineage?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tsk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon closer thought, it seemed highly plausible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wonder how America even got its hands on something like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh～”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If these holy relics are all real, then the Spear of Longinus, the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail—they should work too. Damn, if that’s true, the Church’s power is terrifying. Thank goodness it split apart. Good thing it split!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He casually plucked a portion from the blood clot and let a drop fall onto the rusted sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hummm!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his Spiritual Eye vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rust on the sword instantly began to vanish; the crimson blood seeped in, severing several chains—but unfortunately, the blood was limited, and only part of the rust was removed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>its power began to emerge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White light shimmered, radiating an aura of solemn authority and dominance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis reached out and grasped the hilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, he felt fierce resistance—he had to exert tremendous force just to barely control it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Louis’s body had undergone several enhancements and still possessed considerable strength; he forcibly subdued the blade and slashed it sideways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A beam of white light shot forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment it left the blade, it transformed into a massive white sword edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wall was instantly obliterated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this was only a fraction of its power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If fully unsealed…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This might be an artifact no less potent than a top-grade magic treasure—perhaps even capable of rivaling a Primordial Spirit magic treasure, if it harbored hidden abilities?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This artifact clearly requires the Prophet’s bloodline to wield—but how many times can these drops of blood be used?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe I can try refining it, see if I can modify it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, if I succeed, I should change its appearance—otherwise, I could never show it in public.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Islam, one of the world’s three major religions, has believers spread across the globe, especially in Central Asia, where extremist followers are numerous; in America, too, there are adherents—if discovered, it would cause an uproar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk, religious fanatics are terrifying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Louis felt no fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this was the mortal world, not hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His current strength was likely near the peak of the mortal realm—who was he afraid of?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After so many years of cultivation, he had this much confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the blood was fully absorbed; the white light within the blade dimmed instantly. In his Spiritual Eye vision, the chains reemerged, binding the sword’s body even more tightly—and now, there were more chains than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching this, Louis fell into deep thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bold hypothesis formed in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it possible\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>that this holy sword sealed itself, requiring the Prophet’s bloodline to use, yet grew even more sealed after each use, because it killed someone it shouldn’t have—or wounded someone it shouldn’t have?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance… the Prophet’s own bloodline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, it makes no sense why it sealed itself and operates this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2144,"2026-06-19T23:34:31.517Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d48dbe2f27b354da5d98bc679c15c5d0412b4ab89e258711e50dc51ed98b3c24","becoming-a-god-through-horror-chapter-249","becoming-a-god-through-horror-chapter-247",253,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecoming-a-god-through-horror-cover.jpg"]