Chapter 194: Three Nations Submit, Determining the Fate of the World

"Enough, enough with the idle talk."

Lu Yuan looked at the unwilling and disheveled Saint Peter, a ghostly light suddenly blooming in his eyes:

"I want to know, how did you use the power of faith to break through your realm?"

After looking directly into Lu Yuan's gaze, Saint Peter's body suddenly trembled, his eyes falling into chaos and confusion:

"It was through the Holy See's baptism ritual; this ritual can..."

But unlike the previous times when the Nightmare Prayer Art was all-conquering, this time Saint Peter was not completely controlled and turned into a puppet. Just as he blankly opened his mouth to say a few words, his gaze suddenly flickered rapidly, as if he had realized what was happening and was constantly resisting and struggling, while intermittently letting out roars:

"Soul control? You, you, don't, even, think about it!"

For a full ten breaths or more, Saint Peter knelt on one knee, gritting his teeth with a ferocious expression. No matter how Lu Yuan increased the intensity of the Nightmare Prayer Art, he could not fully invade his mind and control him.

Hm?

Lu Yuan could not help but stop the Nightmare Prayer Art, raising an eyebrow:

"Unable to fully influence... It seems your soul is indeed far stronger than that of an average expert."

He was not surprised by this situation where the Nightmare Prayer Art failed.

After all, this art was only Earth Tier; dealing with ordinary practitioners of Martial Arts and Daoist Arts was naturally a breeze.

Yet Saint Peter, as the Pope of the Holy See, was not only clearly a practitioner of the soul lineage but also likely the second strongest person in the world after him. His soul and will were incomparably powerful, so naturally, he was not so easy to manipulate.

However, this did not affect the overall situation. Lu Yuan withdrew the Nightmare Prayer Art and asked directly:

"Saint Peter, do not challenge my patience. You had best answer my questions truthfully, otherwise, neither you nor your subordinates will be walking out of the Imperial City today."

Affected by the Nightmare Prayer Art, Saint Peter's head was currently a mess, and he felt a pain like needle pricks, causing him to involuntarily cover his forehead and pant in a low voice.

According to intelligence, he knew that Lu Yuan was suspected of having some means to manipulate people's hearts, and he himself could even do so to a certain extent, but he never imagined that just now he had almost been completely controlled and reduced to a puppet!

With one's head under the eaves, one has to bow. Now even more terrified of Lu Yuan's methods, Saint Peter could only grit his teeth and say:

"If I tell you, Excellency, can I leave here safely?"

Lu Yuan smiled slightly: "That depends on how cooperative you are."

Saint Peter's aged face twitched, and after his expression changed several times, he said with a gray, defeated look in his eyes:

"There is a baptism ritual recorded within our Holy See. This ritual can gather and refine the power of faith from the statue of the Lord of Heaven, and then use this power to temper the practitioner's body and soul, making it possible to break through the limits of humanity."

Lu Yuan asked curiously:

"How exactly is the baptism ritual set up?"

Saint Peter said:

"This method requires a small amount of pure virgin blood, mixed with gold solution, a silver pen, and various rare alchemical materials to draw the Shengzhanwen, and then using a container to receive it, one can refine the power of faith, and then..."

Having just made a major breakthrough in his cultivation and lifespan, Saint Peter naturally did not want to be buried in a foreign land. Knowing that if he did not reveal everything, Lu Yuan would inevitably use even crueler methods to deal with him, he described the details of the baptism ritual's setup in great detail.

After listening, Lu Yuan was lost in thought:

"Shengzhanwen? It sounds like some kind of formation. This world truly still hides many secrets..."

Saint Peter, however, lowered his head, his face pale, and said with a respectful posture:

"Excellency Immortal, I have already revealed the Holy See's greatest secret. Your divine might is invincible in the world, and I, Saint Peter, am convinced and submissive. To show my sincerity, from now on, whether it is I or the Holy See, we will retreat three hundred paces when facing you and never set foot in the territory of Shenzhou again. I only ask to coexist peacefully with you and the New Nation, how about that?"

"A dignified Pope of the Holy See, you certainly know how to bend and stretch."

Lu Yuan scanned him up and down and smiled faintly:

"However, this 'retreating three hundred paces' and 'never setting foot in Shenzhou'—this price is far from enough."

Saint Peter took a deep breath and said:

"I understand. The Holy See is willing to apologize for all past mistakes, including but not limited to reparations, technology, grain, steel, and other resources. I can fully support the development of the New Nation and form a comprehensive strategic partnership, hoping to obtain your forgiveness."

Lu Yuan pondered for a moment, then continued:

"Also, I need to copy all the important classics in your Holy See, and I also want to go and see for myself whether your so-called baptism ritual is as you say."

The baptism ritual went without saying.

As for copying the classics, it was to see if there were any records or secrets about practitioners from the Middle Ages or Ancient Ages in the historical records of these Westerners.

Saint Peter fell silent, knowing he had no room to refuse, and could only nod:

"Very well, I agree. It is just that both the classics and the baptism ritual are in the Holy See's sacred site in the capital, Bulitani, which is a great distance away, Excellency..."

"It is only tens of thousands of miles; it will only take a few days."

Lu Yuan said:

"Go. Tell those you brought with you; we will set off in three days to your Holy See's sacred site."

Saint Peter's eyelids twitched violently:

"Does Excellency Immortal mean that just the two of us will fly back directly?"

Lu Yuan glanced at him:

"Whether traveling by land or by boat, it would take at least half a month, and I do not have that much time to waste. I see that you can also fly through the air now, so it should not be a problem."

Although Saint Peter could also fly through the air, he had only just entered the Ninth Stage, and his stamina was limited. Crossing tens of thousands of miles was a huge challenge, but he could not refuse and could only lower his head:

"Since that is the case, let it be as the Immortal commands..."

Lu Yuan nodded and waved his sleeve casually. Saint Peter, having survived the ordeal, bowed with his wounded body and walked out of the Qinian Hall with his back drenched in cold sweat.

Then, his figure floated up and headed toward the reception hall outside the Imperial City. Halfway there, he tidied his appearance, no longer possessing his previous radiant arrogance and ostentation.

He landed in front of the reception hall, announced himself politely and courteously, and walked inside amidst the surprised expressions of the New Nation guards.

The various parties were gathered in the hall. At the seats on the four sides, Hellers, Yabolahan, and several Cardinal Archbishops, who had been waiting anxiously and feeling uneasy, were overjoyed to see Saint Peter appear and stood up, rushing forward together:

"Your Holiness, are you alright!"

"How are you, that person?"

Having been defeated by Lu Yuan in almost one or two moves, this matter was by no means glorious. Saint Peter showed a very forced smile:

"I am fine, I just had a friendly discussion with Excellency Immortal, and some conflicts and misunderstandings have been completely resolved."

Upon hearing such rhetoric, the Sunlight People and Sha'e People in the seats all had their faces twitch, a sense of immense panic and helplessness rising in their hearts, while Zuo Guanglie smiled and stood up:

"Does the Heavenly Master have any other instructions?"

Saint Peter feigned calmness and said:

"Nothing much. The Immortal has accepted my invitation and will, in two days' time, be personally led by me to visit the Holy See's holy land. Regarding the negotiations on state affairs, our delegation will be fully responsible."

"Because the situation is rather sudden, I need to brief the members of the Holy See's delegation on some matters first, so I am afraid today's meeting must end here."

Although it was unclear what exactly had happened inside Qinian Hall, it was evident that Saint Peter, this Pope, had completely bowed his head and conceded. Zuo Guanglie did not ask further, only smiling:

"No matter, please do as you wish, Excellency." Immediately, led by Saint Peter, the group of Shenluo People exited early and left the Great Hall.

Not long after walking out of the Great Hall, just as Hellers, Abraham, and the others were about to open their mouths to ask, Saint Peter suddenly hunched over and began to cough violently.

The crowd hurriedly stepped forward to support him:

"Your Holiness the Pope, what is wrong?"

Saint Peter coughed violently for a good while until his sleeves were stained red, when a Cardinal Archbishop beside him hurriedly took out a bottle of Holy Healing Water refined through Alchemy:

"Your Holiness the Pope, quickly!"

Holy Healing Water was also a top-tier Alchemy product of the Holy See, possessing excellent effects for treating internal injuries and toxins and restoring physical strength and vitality. After Saint Peter drank the holy water, his complexion did indeed improve slightly, and then, facing the concerned and grief-stricken gazes of everyone, he wheezed in a low voice:

"Do not worry, I only suffered some internal injuries; as long as I receive treatment and rest for a period of time, I will be able to recover completely."

This was supposed to be an excellent opportunity to showcase the power of the Holy See to the New Nation and even the world, but the situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse. Abraham and Hellers gritted their teeth and said:

"Your Holiness the Pope, what exactly did that Shenzhou Immortal say?"

"And, what is this about you inviting him to visit the holy land?"

Saint Peter, who had not yet savored the taste of reaching the pinnacle before being knocked into the dust, let out a long sigh:

"He is very interested in our Holy See's important historical classics and the Holy Baptism ritual. With no other choice, I could only offer these things with both hands to avoid bringing a massive catastrophe upon the Holy See."

The Holy Baptism ritual?!

Upon hearing this, everyone wore an expression of shock, as if they had not expected Saint Peter to reveal what could be called the Holy See's highest secret to the enemy.

Saint Peter scanned them with his gaze: "What, do you all think I did the wrong thing?"

No one answered.

Saint Peter was expressionless, his eyes carrying a heavy bitterness:

"Perhaps you think I should have fought him to the death, or kept my mouth shut in the face of such invincible power? That would only have plunged the entire Shenluo land into deep despair and suffering, even more tragic than what happened to the Sunlight People before."

The Shenzhou Immortal is not at all the so-called Ninth Stage practitioner we anticipated, but a truly god-like existence. Any 'Human God' or 'stubborn resistance' is merely a joke before him. As long as he wishes, he could even wipe out all the top brass of the Holy See within a month. Facing such a terrifying enemy, we have no other way but to submit."

"Therefore, in the upcoming negotiations and meetings, no matter what conditions the New Nation proposes, as long as they are not too outrageous or excessive, we must agree to them as much as possible, as a gesture of goodwill."

Everyone present felt grief, indignation, and helplessness, shrouded in heavy humiliation:

"Your Holiness the Pope, is there no other way?"

"The glory of the Lord of Heaven shines; the Shenluo People are believers of God, how can we submit to the people of the New Nation?"

"Shrouded under the shadow of this Shenzhou Immortal, do we, or even the entire world, have a future left!?"

Saint Peter's voice was hoarse:

"Perhaps there will be, perhaps there will not, but regardless, one must first be alive to have a future."

"Remember, from this day forward, the entire Holy See must endure humiliation and bear the burden; you must absolutely not make an enemy of the Shenzhou Immortal, to avoid inviting disaster."

"But I believe that the Lord of Heaven will never abandon his people. One day, he will descend with a miracle, destroy the heretics, and save the billions of believers from the darkness."

This peak confrontation that occurred in the hall was not hidden from the people of Tianjing, because the Council did not deliberately block the news, causing it to spread quickly and reach every corner of the capital within a day.

"Oh? The Pope of the Shenluo Holy See was showing off his power in front of the Great Hall, only to be fiercely dealt with by the Immortal the next moment?"

"Hahahaha, I knew it! What kind of 'Human God' is that? He's not even worth a single hair of the Immortal!"

"Then what? Then what? Is that Pope dead or alive?"

"I heard the Heavenly Master raised his hand in mercy and spared him, but he was vomiting blood halfway through his departure from the hall, looking extremely wretched."

"He brought it on himself; it was merciful enough that the Immortal didn't kill him with a single sword strike!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, Shenluo has been completely beaten into submission this time. With this, won't Shenzhou be able to restore its past glory, with ten thousand nations coming to pay homage?"

"That's for sure! The Immortal descending to the world is truly the great fortune of Shenzhou!"

The news swept through the entire city, and the thousands of commoners discussed it endlessly. Most did not show much excitement or agitation, all reacting as if it were only natural.

In their eyes, Lu Yuan was now synonymous with being omnipotent and invincible throughout the world. Never mind a mere Pope; even if the Lord of Heaven they worshipped descended to the mortal world, it would still be useless!

And amidst the popular chatter.

The four-nation negotiations continued, and this time there were no obstacles or accidents. Whether it was Shenluo, Sha'e, or Sunlight, all had to express their submission and were all willing to sign compensation agreements.

After repeated negotiations by the Council, it was finally decided that these three nations must compensate the New Nation with one billion Silver Yuan in gold, silver, and equivalent resources, payable in installments over five years;

Additionally, they were required to open all technical data to the New Nation and dispatch a certain number of professional personnel every year to provide instruction, fully supporting the construction of the New Nation's factories.

These treaties were equivalent to sucking the blood of the three nations to develop one's own, which could be called tyrannical. The high-level officials of each nation were all filled with humiliation and anger after seeing them.

However, the terrifying deterrent power of the Shenzhou Immortal was like a sword hanging over their heads, making them unable and afraid to resist, leaving them no choice but to swallow their pride and be forced to agree.

And just as the New Nation had roughly finalized the terms.

Lu Yuan had already set off with Saint Peter, flying with his own body toward where the Shenluo nation was located.

The reason he went personally was naturally because he was extremely interested in that so-called Holy Baptism ritual.

After all, this ritual being able to help people break their shackles in a world where Heaven and Earth are devoid of spiritual energy must contain great mysteries. He could only study and peek into some of the secrets of this world, and perhaps even find it useful after he reaches the limit of cultivation in the future!