Instant Retraction

Liyana very considerately picked up Roy, who was lying unconscious on the ground, and tossed him into a nearby flowerbed.

"Sleeping on stone slabs is so hard and cold... This way he’ll definitely rest more comfortably," Liyana said.

"But Liyana... that’s a white rose bush!" Mo Lini covered her mouth in shock.

Liyana: "So what?"

Mo Lini: "Roses have thorns!"

Liyana’s face stiffened for a moment before she scratched her head sheepishly. "Ah... That guy’s thick-skinned anyway. Xia Lun slammed his head down so hard it didn’t even burst... A few thorns won’t hurt him. Think of it as a massage."

Mo Lini had never heard such a bizarrely creative excuse before.

Xia Lun and Aina had already moved ahead, so Liyana quickly scurried after them—she didn’t dare fall behind at a time like this.

Given the number of people they’d encountered so far, the Grand Cathedral’s defenses weren’t particularly tight. For an organization of this scale, it was almost lax... After all, no one would have imagined that someone would dare invade this place so brazenly.

This was the Goddess Church, one of the most powerful factions on the continent. Only those with a death wish would provoke them.

Though the guards were few, they were equipped with powerful, cutting-edge magic armor. Any bishop-level figure here could dominate the outside world... But against Xia Lun, they seemed utterly insignificant.

The Grand Cathedral was where large-scale ceremonies and gatherings were held, but the towering, retro-style building before them was where the priests conducted daily affairs and carried out their duties.

With a strong enemy invading, the remaining bishops hadn’t just waited idly. The moment they sensed Roy’s aura suddenly vanish, they had swiftly prepared for battle.

Roy might have been young and brash, but his strength was undeniable. If even he had been defeated, the intruders were a force to be reckoned with.

Ahead, a group of priests stood in formation, already channeling divine magic.

Five high bishops stood at the forefront, their expressions grave as they watched Xia Lun approach leisurely from a distance.

Xia Lun really was just strolling casually, even taking the time to admire the garden scenery, wondering if he should pluck a few roses afterward to surprise Aina... Too bad doing so under her watchful gaze seemed impossible. Xia Lun could feel Aina’s burning stare fixed on him the entire time.

Finally, Xia Lun stopped before the high bishops.

"Who are you?" one of them demanded, sounding genuinely puzzled. After all, they couldn’t fathom why this unfamiliar, seemingly young man had come here unannounced.

"My name is Xia Lun," he answered.

The bishops exchanged glances. Even if they recognized such a common name, it meant nothing—no one would connect this young man to the legendary hero of myth.

"Do you have any idea what you’re doing? The Goddess Church is not an organization you can casually provoke," said the elderly bishop leaning on a cane, his gaze piercing.

"That’s Bishop Katheon, the most senior among the current high bishops of the Goddess Church," a voice from Mo Lini’s storybook whispered—audible only to Xia Lun’s group.

"I just have one question for all of you," Xia Lun said, a faint smile playing on his lips. "How many of you are followers of the Twilight Apostles?"

He asked it—Xia Lun actually asked it outright!

Liyana still couldn’t understand what Xia Lun hoped to achieve with such a blunt approach... but then again, she didn’t possess his Insight Eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Katheon frowned deeply, while murmurs spread among the priests behind him.

A faint glow swirled in Xia Lun’s eyes. Even if they didn’t answer verbally, he instantly discerned the truth—because the moment the priests heard his question, their hearts had already responded.

Hmm... All five bishops were already Twilight Apostles’ pawns. And among the priests, only about a third were completely unaware.

Xia Lun sighed inwardly. The influence of that fake hero had spread further than he’d thought.

But he didn’t bother explaining. Instead, he continued walking slowly toward the priests.

A fight was inevitable anyway, and Xia Lun had no patience for wasting words with these people.

"Divine Art!"

Under Katheon’s lead, dense faith energy began gathering.

Kalein had once fought Xia Lun using this same power system—a force that could amplify an individual’s strength through collective devotion.

But the scale here far surpassed the squad Kalein had commanded back then.

Not to mention, there were five enemies here on par with Kalein.

Xia Lun stomped down, shattering the bricks beneath his feet. Without any flashy movements, he charged straight at the five bishops.

Liyana barely registered his movement—one moment he was there, the next he was right in front of them.

"Is he even human?" she muttered to herself, then glanced at Aina beside her.

Aina wasn’t ordinary either, to be able to handle someone like him.

Humm—

The five bishops raised their hands in unison, conjuring a solid barrier of holy light.

Xia Lun didn’t slow down, crashing right into it.

But the barrier wasn’t rigid—instead, it stretched like rubber, embedding Xia Lun nearly two meters deep before flinging him back with tremendous force.

Xia Lun landed unceremoniously in another flowerbed.

When he stood up, Liyana gave him a once-over before turning to Mo Lini. "See? Someone like him wouldn’t even get scratched by rose thorns."

Mo Lini felt the focus should be on whether Xia Lun was alright, not the roses... This was the first time she’d seen the invincible Xia Lun stumble.

Brushing off the dust, Xia Lun appeared unharmed and resumed his approach toward the bishops.

Aina narrowed her eyes at his back, a flicker of doubt in her gaze.

Xia Lun stopped before the barrier again.

"Do you really think you can break a holy barrier conjured by five high bishops?" Katheon sneered, emboldened by Xia Lun’s earlier rebound. "Neither the strikes of a legendary warrior nor forbidden-tier magic could—"

Xia Lun reached out, gripping the dense mass of light. Then, like Aina’s clothes being torn open, he ripped it apart. The barrier dissolved into wisps of dissipating energy.

Katheon: "..."