Seven days had passed since Felix and his group returned to Saint Erde Cathedral.
The spread of the plague had been halted, with the remnants of the Power of Pestilence lingering in the air all absorbed into the deep grey crystal shard in Felix's palm.
The life energy accompanying it was transferred into his flesh and bones by the crystal.
Felix was still unclear about the vast energy hidden within the crystal shard. He could absorb the Power of Pestilence, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't harness the immense energy concealed within it.
Felix wanted to consult Princess Helen, but since that day, she seemed to deliberately avoid him. The thought of meeting her also filled Felix with trepidation. An awkwardness lingered between them since their last encounter.
This journey had been greatly rewarding for Felix. Even setting aside the crystal shard that could only absorb but not release. The life energy he absorbed significantly enhanced his strength.
Indeed, the power of flesh and blood, refined by life energy, endowed Felix with strength akin to that of a barbarian! He could now even attempt to wield heavy weapons like the Crusher!
Despite deliberately concealing his identity, Felix Saint's fame had spread in the central part of the empire. The disaster survivors spread the glory of Saint throughout the central region, and the tale continued to travel far and wide.
Fortunately, Felix always wore a black, broad cloak while treating the infected. Although the survivors knew of Saint's existence, few had seen his face clearly.
Under Princess Helen's pressure, few knew that Saint was Felix. This might fool outsiders, but concealing it from the Sacred Affairs Department and the Religious Tribunal seemed impossible.
The death of Holiness Euripides dealt a significant blow to the Religious Tribunal's strength.
The middle-aged nun had informed Felix the day before returning that the Religious Tribunal was courting the Dark Judgment Division, seemingly intending to ally with them against the Sacred Affairs Department.
Reuniting with the pure nuns left by Mrs. Ireland lifted Felix's spirits. He even spun his former personal maid, Lilia, in a dizzying aerial twirl, causing the innocent young nun to scream, then giggle shyly with a blushing face.
Saint Erde Cathedral, Prayer Room.
The relationship between Felix and the middle-aged nun had visibly softened following this trip. Although she remained as cold as a block of wood, she no longer harbored that initial hostility towards Felix.
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As Felix healed those infected by the plague, Notre Dame Cathedral's prestige rose within the Titans Empire.
The Notre Dame Cathedral council was extremely pleased, as the Dark Judgment Division's authority had been maximized!
The middle-aged nun secured 1.2 million Caesar gold coins for operational funds from the Notre Dame Cathedral council and managed to gather seventy-two high priests who had stepped into the Silver Domain from the sisterhood.
Simultaneously, all Notre Dame Cathedrals within the Titans Empire were unified under the Dark Judgment Division. In other words, the Notre Dame Cathedral council had entrusted the empire's faith entirely to the Dark Judgment Division!
The message from the middle-aged nun was clear: the Notre Dame Cathedral council would fully support the construction of the Dark Judgment Division, hoping it would become the second Religious Tribunal!
Meanwhile, a major incident had occurred on the continent.
A red-robed archbishop and three white-robed high priests from the Papal Chamber were exposed for corruption, pedophilia, exploiting devout nuns, and even using them as gifts for nobles, all desecrating My Lord's glory!
However, to everyone's disappointment, the Papal Chamber's punishment was merely a demotion to white-robed priests.
This enraged the devout and steadfast nuns, who had been suppressed and oppressed for nearly a thousand years. Those at the bottom of the Holy Light faith exploded in anger!!!
The Notre Dame Cathedral council was furious, openly condemning the Papal Chamber for tarnishing My Lord's glory!
For the first time, the usually detached nuns showed uncharacteristic aggression in their external stance, even forming a tense standoff with the Pope in some aspects!
This incident, manipulated by certain individuals, significantly damaged the Papal Chamber's reputation. The ancient church, already under criticism, saw its public support in peril.
Despite the current Pope's efforts to seriously judge those who desecrated My Lord's glory, the damage had been done. It was too late to undo the harm.
A decaying system inevitably faces collapse. The Papal Chamber, plagued by internal issues over the years, was no longer led by the devout. A bitter monk even mocked them as "dirty bureaucrats!"
The tangled web of relationships suggested that becoming a higher-up in the Papal Chamber no longer required genuine faith...
That year, the Notre Dame Cathedral council, due to the archbishop incident, allied with the Ecumenical Patriarch and for the first time joined the war over the allegiance of the Holy Light faith.
They decided to join forces to abolish the old and corrupt belief system and reevaluate the Papal Chamber, which under the leadership of Saint Iyeta, had become increasingly decadent and corrupt.
The same faith, the same bloodline, under God's watchful eye, the church's three major powers would not engage in open warfare unless absolutely necessary. Such a conflict would lead to the downfall of the entire church and be a desecration of the Holy Light.
However, it was for this reason that the final battle over the allegiance of faith shifted to the church's underground forces—the arbitrators.
That year, as tumultuous changes brewed in the Titans Empire, the church's three major judicial departments—the Sacred Affairs Department, the Religious Tribunal, and the Dark Judgment Division—initiated the ultimate war to unify the faith in My Lord!
After nearly a millennium of silence, the church's leaders finally decided to break and rebuild, to recast the faith in My Lord!