Chapter 503: I

Inside the carriage, Mo Lisi gently shook the tea cup in his hand, but his gaze looked through the carriage window toward the rolling mountains in the distance.

The Holy Master sat opposite, leisurely peeling a mountain walnut, the silver ornaments making a crisp collision sound with his movements.

"Holy Master, walking along this road, I increasingly feel that May Tian Ce's cultivation system is truly admirable. In our Yongzhou Empire, the path of cultivation is strictly controlled by the Church, and any slight deviation will be regarded as heresy."

Mo Lisi put down the tea cup, his tone carrying a bit of sincere emotion.

The Holy Master raised his wrinkled eyelids and looked at this Yongzhou Prince with a smile that was not a smile: "Oh? This old man is curious, how do the cultivators on your side live?"

Mo Lisi smiled bitterly, his fingers unconsciously drawing circles on the edge of the tea cup: "Take me for example. Although I am a Prince, I have been forced to learn the 'Holy Light Technique' stipulated by the Church since I was a child. Do you know? When I was ten years old, because I secretly tried a breathing method recorded in an ancient book, I was whipped thirty times in public by a Cardinal."

Speaking of this, Mo Lisi subconsciously touched his back, as if the old scars were still aching faintly.

His eyes became deep, and his thoughts seemed to return to that dark confessional.

Perhaps it was the pain suffered in childhood that allowed him to remember it until now.

Mo Lisi laughed at himself: "The most ridiculous thing is that the ancient book was later confirmed to have been written by a saint three hundred years ago. But in the eyes of the Church, any cultivation method not recognized by them, even if it came from the hands of a saint, is heretical."

The Holy Master threw the peeled walnut kernel into his mouth and said meaningfully: "In our Miao border, there is a saying: 'The road is walked out by people, not drawn by gods'."

A flash of brilliance passed through Mo Lisi's eyes.

This was exactly the entry point for the topic he wanted!

He sighed with feigned emotion: "The Holy Master is absolutely right. Along the way, I have seen that May Tian Ce's cultivators each have their own strengths, a hundred flowers blooming; some specialize in swordsmanship, some study charms, and some are proficient in witchcraft like you. While in Yongzhou..."

He deliberately paused, a bitter expression appearing on his face: "Except for the few cultivation methods stipulated by the Church, everything else is regarded as evil. Last year, a genius boy was burned to death in the square in public because he created a set of cultivation mental methods and intended to teach them."

The Holy Master's brows furrowed imperceptibly.

Mo Lisi keenly captured this detail and was secretly happy in his heart.

He knew that these seniors in the cultivation world feared the suppression of innovation the most.

"So, why did the Prince come here?" The Holy Master spoke slowly, but his eyes became sharp.

Mo Lisi knew the time was ripe.

He put down the tea cup and leaned forward slightly: "Holy Master, to tell you the truth, I have been thinking about a question. Since the Pope wants to go north to preach, why can't we take this opportunity to let May Tian Ce's cultivation system go south?"

This bold idea made the Holy Master obviously startled. It can be said that Mo Lisi had a showdown with the Holy Master.

Very few people knew about this matter.

Mo Lisi struck while the iron was hot: "Think about it, if the Yongzhou Empire could also be like May Tian Ce, allowing various schools of cultivation methods to develop freely..."

"Then the Church's monopoly status would collapse without being attacked." The Holy Master took up his words, a trace of appreciation flashing in his eyes.

That's right, this is the method Mo Lisi thought of.

If the Pope says he wants to go north to preach, and Li Chen agrees, the condition is that other cultivation systems enter the Yongzhou Empire, you, the Pope, can't refuse, right?

Only allow you to go up, not allow others to come down? Is this reasonable?

But this was only his idea; whether Li Chen would cooperate was hard to say, and he was also preparing how to persuade Li Chen.

If Li Chen refused, then it would be not giving the Pope face.

After Mo Lisi returned, he would definitely tell the Pope "truthfully".

This matter could even be publicized extensively, making the Pope unable to step down, and then the contradiction between the Pope and Li Chen would naturally arise.

This is the so-called "you set a trap for me", "I use your trap to trap you", "trap within a trap".

That's how power struggles are; they are all secret battles. ===== CHAPTER 504 =====