Chapter 63: Holy Light and Cross, Secret Agent of the Holy See

Stepping inside the cavern felt like entering an entirely different world.

This was no natural formation; the four walls were as smooth as polished mirrors, and carved into them were countless strange runes that Jiang Xiuyuan had never seen before, brimming with a peculiar aesthetic of straight lines and geometry. Together, these runes formed a colossal energy circuit that completely isolated the interior from the black water outside, creating a dry, pristine, and independent space.

Dozens of crystal stones emitting a soft white glow were embedded in the cavern's vaulted ceiling, illuminating the entire space as bright as day.

Jiang Xiuyuan’s figure remained hidden deep within the shadow of a stone pillar, without leaking the slightest trace of his aura. His gaze fell upon the center of the cavern.

Five people were gathered there.

These five individuals were completely different from any human race of the Eastern Region Jiang Xiuyuan had ever laid eyes on.

They were tall, with golden hair and blue eyes, high-nosed, and fair-skinned. They wore uniform, magnificent white robes embroidered with golden threads, and emblazoned upon the chest of each robe was a golden cross insignia.

At this moment, these five people were surrounding a bizarre altar, performing some kind of ritual.

The altar was cast from an unknown black metal, its design archaic and sinister. At its center was a slowly revolving spatial rift, black as ink, from which abyssal demonic energy, pure to the utmost limit, was being steadily drawn out.

Numerous intricate energy conduits extended from the periphery of the altar, connecting to a series of massive crystal containers resembling the distillation vessels of an alchemical workshop.

The extracted abyssal demonic energy was transformed by the altar, then channeled through these conduits into the crystal vessels. Inside the containers, the demonic energy reacted violently with a certain green fluorescent liquid, ultimately turning into the viscous "black water" that Jiang Xiuyuan had witnessed outside.

Meanwhile, those five foreign cultivators with golden hair and blue eyes were orchestrating it all.

Their system of power also opened Jiang Xiuyuan’s eyes to an entirely new horizon.

The middle-aged man leading the group held a thick tome inlaid with a cross. As he chanted solemn and eccentric syllables aloud, each syllable uttered caused him to radiate a milky-white energy filled with an aura of holiness, warmth, and purification.

"Great Lord, your most devout servant prays here."

"May your radiance purify this defiled demonic energy."

"May your wisdom guide us in unraveling the laws of this alien realm."

Following his incantation, the other four younger men and women clasped their hands before their chests, their bodies likewise radiating a soft holy light. This holy light, acting like the most precise carving blade, carefully infused every node of the altar, regulating the efficiency and process of the demonic energy transformation.

*Holy light...* Jiang Xiuyuan silently repeated the term in his heart.

This energy was utterly distinct from spiritual qi, nor did it resemble the karmic aspiration of Buddhist sects or the demonic qi of devil cultivators. It possessed a strong sense of exclusivity and exerted a natural suppression over demonic energy. Yet, at this moment, these people were utilizing this very energy of suppression to "refine" demonic energy.

Such an act was inherently full of contradiction and bizarreness.

"Bishop Augustine, the reaction of catalyst number seven is stabilizing. The demonic energy conversion rate has increased by zero point three percent," a young woman in white robes reported, a trace of academic fanaticism on her face.

The middle-aged bishop addressed as Augustine nodded, his expression grave. "Very well. Continue recording the data. We must decipher as quickly as possible the subtle differences in law composition between the abyssal demonic energy of this world and the demonic energy of our 'Hell'. This is the supreme mission entrusted to us by the Truth Council under the divine oracle."

"Understood, Lord Bishop!"

Another young man spoke with a hint of worry, "Lord Bishop, the 'alchemical demonic fluid' we've been producing here has already polluted a thousand miles of surrounding ocean, drawing the attention of the native aboriginal aquatic clans. A few days ago, even a dragon-realm powerhouse with strength comparable to a 'Temple Knight Commander' came to investigate. Although we heavily injured him with the 'Touch of the Abyss', I fear it has already alerted them. Would it be too dangerous for us to remain here?"

Bishop Augustine let out a cold snort, a flash of arrogance and disdain crossing his eyes. "A pack of uncultured, savage heretics—what is there to fear? Their power system is primitive and chaotic; they cannot comprehend the greatness of the Lord's radiance, nor can they resist the 'Water of Divine Retribution' we refine through divine arts. If not for avoiding premature exposure and drawing the attention of the so-called 'mighty figures' of this continent, I would have completely purified that laughable 'aquatic clan' long ago."

His tone was brimming with contempt for the Eastern cultivation civilization.

"Our mission is secret reconnaissance, gathering intelligence, and paving the way for the Holy See's future 'Eastern Crusade'," Augustine's gaze turned fervent. "This barren land, untouched by the Lord's radiance, is crawling with heretics and false gods. What we must do is find their weaknesses, and then scatter the glory of the Lord to every corner of this continent!"

"For the Lord!" the four youths echoed in unison, their eyes equally fanatical.

Hiding in the shadows, Jiang Xiuyuan took in everything before him, and understanding dawned upon him.

Golden hair and blue eyes, holy light, crosses, the Lord, the Holy See, the Eastern Crusade...

These keywords completely matched the fragmented records concerning "extraterrestrial civilizations" that he had once seen within the Penglai Immortal Palace.

These individuals were scouts from a distant western continent.

On that continent, there were no immortal cultivation sects; much like Earth, there was only a single supreme religious authority named the "Holy See" that ruled over everything. They worshipped a single "Lord," and the power system they employed consisted of divine arts known as "holy light" alongside "alchemy," which studied demonic forces in antithesis to it.

As for the "Eastern Crusade" they spoke of, it was undeniably a premeditated war of aggression directed at the Eastern continent.

This undersea cavern before him was nothing more than a secret stronghold and forward laboratory they had established within the Eastern continent.

Here, they extracted the abyssal demonic energy of this world to conduct experiments, attempting to decipher the laws of the Eastern continent and manufacture "biological weapons" capable of large-scale ecological devastation to suppress native cultivators.

The "Black Water Calamity" of the East Sea was, from beginning to end, an ecological catastrophe recklessly engineered by these Holy See spies for the sake of their experiments.

Jiang Xiuyuan’s gaze gradually grew cold.

He had originally thought this was merely an internal trouble within the world.

Now, it seemed, this was already the first shot, fired quietly in the dark, between two different civilizations.