I alone have my own laws; I start by fabricating myths and legends of mountains and seas.

Chapter 137 The Arrival of Xia Jie

The Pope listened calmly until all the main opinions of each side had been expressed. Only then did he slowly open his slightly closed eyes and sweep his clear and peaceful gaze over the crowd.

"Dear brothers and sisters, the unity and security of Europe has always been a matter of deep concern for the Lord." His voice was calm and soothing. "The direction you have proposed resonates with our recent reflections."

"Therefore, we propose that at the European level, we should first focus on building a spiritual and faith-based community based on the European Union. This would primarily involve strengthening faith cultivation in each diocese, consolidating the hearts of believers, establishing monasteries of Holy Light in selected key locations to train God's shepherds, who will be the vanguard in the future fight against darkness, and establishing a rapid response and support team to handle any emergencies that may occur within Europe and to provide consultation and support to various countries."

The meeting ultimately failed to reach a strategic agreement with clearly defined responsibilities. However, the parties reached a vague consensus in at least a few areas: establishing a mechanism for information sharing and technical coordination; acknowledging the Vatican's leading role in the field of faith defense, but emphasizing the principle of cooperation with secular governments; and agreeing to prioritize strengthening faith defense capabilities in the eastern region.

Finally, they managed to twist the scattered pieces of the European continent into a rope.

After reading the letter, the Pope looked out the window and murmured to himself, "Storms in the East, ripples in the West. Lord! Grant your servants enough wisdom and strength to protect the flock in this turbulent age, and let your light shine even further."

-

Japan, Cherry Blossom City, Yin Yang Shrine.

"Lord Abe Gen-sama has still not made a statement —"

"I heard that the pressure in China is immense, and we don't know if the True Martial Emperor will manifest himself again."

"If only we could take this opportunity to establish contact with China. If the Shinto talismans taught by Lord Abe Gen could be combined with China's internal energy martial arts—"

"Hush! Be careful what you say! Focus on your own cultivation! How could we possibly fathom the plans of our lord? What we need to do now is to master the power of talismans as quickly as possible, so that we can share the burden for our lord and fight for a chance for Japan to survive!"

"You guys say that now that Xia Jie is gone, we'll be safer here?"

"Naive! Even if he goes to China, his ghost army will still remain in Kyushu and Shikoku! If he goes to China, and I mean just what if, he reaches some agreement, wouldn't Japan be the first to suffer?"

"The situation in Shikoku and Kyushu is very bad. That traitor Tokugawa Koji, in order to curry favor with Xia Jie, drove our compatriots to build palaces like livestock by using ghost soldiers and servants. The casualties were extremely heavy."

"The Onmyoji master will surely have a way. He was able to send even a god like Kanagawa Michizane back to Takamagahara, and he even taught us such powerful Shinto talismans! Once we've mastered them, we'll definitely be able to drive that tyrant out!"

A group of witches chatted idly in their spare time, after all, their lives were quite boring! A group of little girls gathered together, and chatting was also a form of entertainment.

"What are you all doing gathered here?" A slightly aged but authoritative voice suddenly came from behind the pillars.

The shrine maidens, like startled deer, immediately fell silent, quickly straightened their clothes, and stood with their heads bowed. Abe no Yoshihira, the head of the Abe family, was already standing not far away, dressed in formal dark-colored family robes, his face solemn, his sharp gaze sweeping over the women.

"Within the shrine, one should be careful in speech and action, and diligently cultivate oneself. How can one engage in idle chatter and disturb the peace here?" Abe Yoshihira's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable sense of authority. "In these extraordinary times, having gained the favor of Your Excellency and received this opportunity, you must never forget your duties and the honor of your families. Dedicate your entire being to comprehending the Shinto, so as not to fail Your Excellency's high expectations and the nation's hopes. Now, disperse. Return to your rooms to meditate, or go to the library to study diligently!"

"Yes!" the priestesses replied in unison, not daring to say more. They quickly bowed and left, leaving only a few cherry blossom petals falling in the courtyard.

In a bustling metropolis in China, a king suddenly appeared, dressed in a wide-sleeved royal robe with a black background and red patterns. His long hair was unbound, and his face was shrouded in a flowing shadow, revealing only a pair of dark red eyes.

In addition, there were thousands of ghost soldiers and generals who appeared suddenly without warning.

It was Xia Jie and his entourage. Xia Jie's appearance quickly caused turmoil, but fortunately, the Hua Kingdom was prepared and quickly evacuated the crowd. Many people did not dare to look at Xia Jie.

After all, Xia Jie, that tyrant, must have had affairs with the Xia state in Japan. While not exactly infamous, he was certainly notorious.

It stopped the baby from crying.

Xia Jie seemed to be in a good mood today; at least he didn't kill people for fun. He just looked indifferently at the panicked crowd.

Su Fan, bored at home, chatted idly with the Heavenly Dao that controlled Xia Jie.

"Your manipulation of Xia Jie to come to China has truly shaken the world!" Su Fan teased.

"This is not your arrangement, what does it have to do with me? If all the people are guilty, the guilt lies with you," Heaven said.

"To be honest, I initially just wanted you to control Xia Jie to teach Chen Yang a lesson, but it's caused such a huge commotion!" Su Fan said, somewhat speechless. He was aware of the reactions from all sides of the world, but the actions triggered were even greater than he had imagined.

The United States' schemes, the multiple bets made by the Fog City, the actions of Europe and the Vatican, the clownish behavior of India, and even the stance of the Foreign Affairs Bureau.

"Have you forgotten Xia Jie's role? He's the representative of evil in the drama of the battle between good and evil, the black glove! Now, any move he makes is enough to put any nation in human civilization on high alert. We are no longer the makeshift group we once were; we have grown into a behemoth!" Heavenly Dao explained.

Seeing Su Fan deep in thought, Tiandao continued, "I think we can start preparing to seize resources and turn the fake into the real!"

"As long as Chen Yang successfully finds the path after reaching the ninth level of martial arts this time, elevates his internal energy martial arts system to the second tier, and the Yin Soldier Transcendent System has already produced Ghost Generals who can barely be considered second tier."

Su Fan, unusually, did not refute. The Heavenly Dao continued, its words filled with disappointment: "Farming and plundering foreign civilizations!"

"After farming for so long, it's time to go out and have some fun! If all else fails, there's always the God Mask as a backup plan. We can just resurrect the Leshan Giant Buddha and crush any high-tech civilization the enemy might have! It's a sure thing! Otherwise, relying solely on the emotional power of human civilization, when will we ever achieve our goal of turning a fake into a real one!"

"Alright! This is what I've been thinking!" Su Fan was somewhat tempted by the persuasion, but didn't agree immediately. "Let's finish this first. We'll see if Chen Yang can break through to the ninth level of martial arts. If he can, I'll start trying. If not, we'll play it safe. After all, neither of us is short of time. I have Xia Jie's lifespan tax, so I'm not short of time. You and the Mountain and Sea Realm are one, so there's no need to rush!"