Chapter 602: Chapter 167 Wedding Begins_2
Zhou Wen stuck out his tongue and mumbled, "I was only telling the truth. You, as our leader, are also the head of the Tian Gang Sword Sect. The church should give you some importance!"
Xi Wen used a stern look to stop Zhou Wen from speaking any further, saying solemnly, "Each non-clergy member standing here holds a certain status on the continent. You still don’t understand the church. Over the past thousand years, the Holy Church has deeply penetrated the hearts of people. They have an unmatched status on the continent, and the Pope has even been referred to as the person closest to the Sky God. I don’t know if the Sky God truly exists, but the Pope is indeed the most powerful magician on the continent. Our master once said that if he were to maintain a distance of one kilometer from the Pope, even he would have trouble protecting himself, showing how powerful the Pope is. Generally, even ordinary clergy members have difficulty seeing him. Among those who came today, if we were to rank them by status, Quan Yi from the Empire of Sunset would be the highest. However, did you see the Pope meeting him?"
During Xi Wen’s reproach, Zhou Wen lowered his head and withdrew to the side, not daring to speak anymore. Larthas, who was standing next to Xi Wen, smiled and said, "Look, the magic of Priest Mang Siu is about to change."
Xi Wen once again concentrated his attention on the open space in front of the Temple of Light. As Larthas had said, the golden light released by the Red Robe Priest Mang Siu transformed into tens of thousands of rays of light. Even under the sun’s rays, they were still so clear. Wrapped in the golden light, Mang Siu slowly levitated above the ground, chanting loudly, "Divine grace bestowed, the miracle begins." He clapped his hands together, and a golden pillar of light shot downward, suddenly bombarding the ground that was constantly shaking. The shaking earth suddenly halted. The Judges on either side of the entrance to the Temple of Light once again blew their horns, and an ominous hum filled the air. At the spot where Mang Siu had injected the golden pillar of light, a golden radiance lit up. The radiance spread rapidly, and in an instant, a large golden hexagram star had appeared beneath Mang Siu’s feet. While chanting continually, the golden hexagram star beneath Mang Siu’s feet gradually brightened, filling the area in front of the entire Temple of Light with a holy aura. Suddenly, six golden edges of the star started to release golden rays of light each. The golden light began to rotate clockwise. Soon, the six golden rays connected, forming a perfect circle.
"Rise, Altar of God." Amidst Mang Siu’s loud shout, the ground that had just subsided began to rumble again. The vibrations of the earth were much stronger than before, and the giant golden hexagram star forming the circle trembled slightly. All the guests were astonished when the hexagram star gradually lifted the earth, revealing a huge platform ten meters in diameter and three meters high. Against the backdrop of the golden hexagram star, the platform radiated brilliantly. This was one of the three altars for praying to the Sky God according to the rites of the Holy Church, the Sacred Altar of Light.
The sounding of horns continued as all the clergy gazed devotedly at the Altar of Light in front of the Temple of Light. Mang Siu slowly descended to the center of the altar. The golden light surrounding his body gradually faded. With a faint smile on his face, Mang Siu proclaimed loudly, "Today, is the day of the wedding between the Deputy Red Robe Priestess Xuan Yue and the youngest outstanding Judge of Light, Ballon. I, Red Robe Priest Mang Siu, on behalf of the Holy Church, would like to extend my sincere thanks to our distinguished guests who have come to witness this ceremony." As he said, he slightly bowed to the envoys from various countries on Xi Wen’s side. The envoys hurriedly returned the salute. Everyone found Mang Siu’s speech very pleasing. Even Zhou Wen, who had previously been displeased by the neglect of the Holy Church, had nothing to say. As a red robe priest, Mang Siu’s status on the continent, whether in terms of age, prestige, or cultivation, could stand on par with anyone present. His bow had adequately respected each country’s dignity.
Mang Siu made a motion in the air and drew a red scroll out from his space barrier. "Now, I will announce the life events of the groom and the bride." As he spoke, he slowly unrolled the scroll and announced loudly, "The groom, Ballon, male, twenty-six years old. His father is Ballon, the Deputy Judge of the Holy Church Court of Justice, and his mother is Luo Shui. Ballon was born in the church. Showing promise as a youth, he successfully passed the test of becoming a Judge of Light four years ago through his constant efforts. He has become an excellent senior clergy member and a loyal believer of the Sky God. The bride, Xuan Yue, female, nineteen years old. Her grandfather is Xuan Di, the current Pope, her father is Xuan Ye, the former Red Robe Priest of the church, and her mother is Luo Shui, the White Robe Priestess. Xuan Yue was born in the church. She is gifted and intelligent, regarded as a rare talent in the church for hundreds of years. Through years of rigorous training, she reached the Magus Realm in light magic at the young age of nineteen. After the untimely death of the former Red Robe Priestess Na Yan, Xuan Yue, through a strict selection process by the church, succeeded Na Yan’s position. She became the acting Red Robe Priestess of the church and is the youngest Red Robe Priestess in the church. She is also a loyal believer of the Sky God. Both the groom and the bride meet the requirements of clergy marriage. The Pope has approved their union, and their marriage is set to take place on the 23rd of October 998, according to the sacred calendar."
After hearing Mang Siu’s introduction of Xuan Yue, not only the distinguished guests attending the wedding but even the thousands of clergy members were taken aback. Everyone was surprised to find out about Xuan Yue’s prominent background, that she was the Pope’s direct granddaughter. This sudden surprise quickly heated the atmosphere in front of the Temple of Light. The clergy members and the distinguished guests who came to attend the wedding all began speaking to each other excitedly.
