Chapter 1394: Chapter 141: A New Lease on Life_2
Xuan Ye knelt down in despondency, "Pope, the failure of this mission is due to my lack of direction in command. Xuan Ye is willing to accept any punishment."
Xuan Yuan slightly frowned and said to the Pope: "I was the main commander in this mission to exterminate the Dark Demon Clan, and I bear an inescapable responsibility. I also ask the Pope to punish me as well. However, Pope, with the Dark Forces running rampant now, it is a critical time to utilize people, and I hope you will not be too hard on Priest Xuan Ye. I am willing to take full responsibility for his faults."
Xuan Ye was completely shaken, having never expected his uncle to take the blame for him. For the first time, he felt kinship from his Uncle Xuan Yuan. With gratitude, he glanced at Xuan Yuan and said to the Pope: "Pope, the whole matter has nothing to do with the Judgment Chief; it was all because of my fault, leading to a complete loss. Please punish me."
The Pope looked unemotionally at Xuan Yuan and Xuan Ye, and spoke indifferently: "There is no need for further words from either of you; I have my own judgment. The religious order has its regulations, and the Sky God will not forgive sinners. Xuan Ye, for such a grievous mistake, you should have lost your life to atone for the spirits of the fallen warriors, but I grant you a chance to make amends while bearing guilt. Starting now, Red Robe Priest Xuan Ye is demoted to White Robe Priest, stripped of the right to inherit the position of Pope."
Xuan Yuan was shaken, exclaiming: "Pope, you may demote Xuan Ye to White Robe Priest, but you cannot strip him of the right to inherit the Papacy!" Being stripped of the inheritance rights means the targeted person will lose the right to inherit the position of Pope forever, even if Xuan Ye were to be restored from the rank of White Robe Priest to that of Red Robe Priest. That was the cause of Xuan Yuan’s urgency. In theory, every person in the religious order has the right to inherit the Papacy, but once this right is stripped away by the reigning Pope, it significantly diminishes their status within the order.
The Pope shifted his gaze to Xuan Yuan and said: "I will not change my decision once it’s made. Xuan Ye failed to handle matters clearly and could not remain level-headed during the execution of an arduous mission; he no longer qualifies to succeed as Pope. This punishment is already quite lenient. Xuan Yuan, as the Judgment Chief, even though not the direct commander, you did not rectify Xuan Ye’s errors in time; you cannot escape responsibility. From today, you are demoted to Deputy Judge. Ballon, as he did not command directly, is exempt from punishment. The rest of the returning personnel fought bravely; despite Xuan Ye’s command errors, they managed to return to the religious order, so they are meritorious and faultless; everyone is promoted one rank. This is my final decision and will not change."
Xuan Yuan wanted to say more but was stopped by Xuan Ye, who respectfully said: "Thank you, Pope, for your leniency." He has never been one to cling to power and authority, and since the disaster was truly caused by him, he naturally did not argue.
The Pope spoke in a stern voice: "Issue a special order from the religious order, command all Sacrifice Halls scattered across the continent to monitor and search for the movements of the Dark Forces. At the same time, gather all the priests, judges, and the Holy Knight Legion of the religious order for reorganization. In three days, head to the Tian Yuan Clan to find traces of the Dark alien races. Moreover, send out letters to all nations requesting their cooperation in investigating the tracks of the Dark Forces." Having suffered such a blow, he had decided, at any cost, to completely eradicate those Dark alien races.
"Pope, I have something to say." Xuan Yue’s cold voice suddenly rang out in the Hall of Light. The Pope was taken aback and looked toward Xuan Yue: "Go ahead."
Xuan Yue spoke indifferently: "Facing such a dire existential crisis, I ask for your permission, Pope, to join the religious order’s army in the campaign to eradicate the Dark alien races. At the same time, I hope to take over Red Priest Na Yan’s position and become the new Red Robe Priest. I believe that I am fully capable of that."
The Pope frowned and said: "You want to be a Red Robe Priest? A Red Robe Priest not only requires profound cultivation but must also possess many qualities." Xuan Yue was but the most common Goddess in the religious order and did not hold any position. Although the Pope wished for his granddaughter to stand out, he could not simply use his authority to allow Xuan Yue to skip several ranks at once.
Xuan Yue gazed at the Pope and said, "Pope, now that the religious order is in a time of crisis, I hope you can temporarily change the old rules. I wish to have the status of Red Robe Priest because I intend to better assist you in commanding the religious order’s army against the Dark alien races. I believe I have the strength to do so. Please approve my request."
The Pope suddenly felt that his granddaughter seemed different, completely changed from before. From her eyes, he could not detect a trace of emotion, just a firm belief. However, the position of Red Robe Priest is a high and significant status in the religious order. Although Xuan Yue is his granddaughter, he cannot rashly agree and looks to the other two Red Robe Priests, saying, "What do you think?"
Mang Siu spoke respectfully: "Pope, what Xuan Yue said is correct; it is indeed a time when every capable person is needed. As long as her ability is sufficient, I do not object." On the other side, Red Priest Yu Jian nodded and said: "My opinion aligns with Priest Mang Siu’s. Provided Xuan Yue can display strength not inferior to that of a Red Robe Priest, she is certainly qualified for the position."
The Pope nodded and said: "The position of Red Robe Priest is of great importance to the religious order and cannot be decided hastily. Here is what we’ll do, Xuan Yue: as long as you can prove your strength, I will let you temporarily take on the role of Red Robe Priest, and depending on your future contributions to the religious order, I will consider promotions or demotions. Judges Xuan Ye and Xuan Yuan, you may rest now; in three days, you’ll set off for the Tian Yuan Clan. Priests Mang Siu and Yu Jian, please prepare outside the Hall of Light; in one hour, we will conduct an assessment of Xuan Yue. Order all clergy of the religious order to participate in the review, to supervise jointly."
