?

  Aphthita walked away with the scroll and the investigation report of the Vatican on Feng Junzi, she was a bit disheartened and even forgot to bid farewell, when leaving, she still looked back at the bookshelf behind the Pope with some doubt.

  After Aphthita left, a space the size of a door appeared on the bookshelf behind the Pope, and a wave of magical power came from it. The air was distorted with refracted light, as if that part of the bookshelf had become illusory. Then a man suddenly appeared, walking out of the distorted light and shadow. He was a thirty-year-old man with red-brown curly hair, handsome face, high and straight nose bridge, deep eyes, looking like a beautiful man in classical sculpture. He wore a red robe with gold trim, which was the attire of the Red Archbishop.

  The man sighed as soon as he came out, "Weina Knight is even stronger than she imagined. Just now, she almost saw through my stealth and didn't dare to believe that someone would hide in the emperor's study. She really needs to regain her confidence, and the power she possesses will have a breakthrough leap immediately, maybe she can really kill Feng Junzi!"

  The Pope turned around and smiled: "Yue, do you think she can't kill Feng Junzi?"

  The young man named Yog replied, "According to the description of the Vienna Knights and the report of the Marquis of Lingdon, the leader of the Kunlun cultivators with the surname Mei has become incredibly powerful, and it's likely that only Your Holiness can confront him head-on. This Feng Junzi is his teacher, and even if he's as strong as Mei Ye Shi, he's not someone the current Vienna Knights can handle. You gave her those scrolls, but don't forget that Feng Junzi also has helpers and what they call 'treasures' among the Kunlun cultivators. The most likely outcome is mutual destruction."

  Pope: "The most ideal outcome?"

  "Right, in my judgment this is the best expectation. In fact, the most likely outcome is that Feng Junzi killed her. It's really a pity to see such a beautiful young lady go to her death... In fact, if we predict the most likely outcome, Feng Junzi killing Aphrodite would also be an ideal result. Don't forget what he said back then, it has already given people a reason to doubt him. If Miss Vina meets with an accident and he can't explain himself clearly, no matter whether it's Western or Eastern moral principles, they cannot tolerate such behavior. No one will be able to find any excuse to protect him again. His power as an individual is strong, but he is doomed!"

  "Pope: 'The Kunlun cultivator actually believes he is some kind of lofty, otherworldly immortal, and it's said that he has the ridiculous "immortal's golden mouth", yet he dares to say such things about Miss Weina. If Miss Weina were to die at his hands, it would be a clear case of murder, and even if she didn't die, it would still be a crime! In the mortal world, he will be shunned, and among the self-righteous Kunlun cultivators who think they are morally perfect, he will be spat upon. The entire Western world will also hate him, so whether this person lives or dies is no longer important.'"

  Yue Ke: "If Feng Junzi is eliminated, it will greatly weaken the strength of the Kunlun cultivators, as his position is the highest and his power is the strongest. At the same time, the leader of the Kunlun Alliance, Mei Ye Shi, is his disciple. From a traditional Eastern perspective, this leader's reputation and status may also be shaken. These people have always been like scattered sand, and if the Kunlun cultivators are in disarray, our Holy See can win without fighting."

  "Pope: 'All these assumptions are based on the premise that Feng Xunzi killed Miss Weina, may God forgive our sinful thoughts, and this is also a sacrifice made to spread the gospel around the world! ... In fact, Miss Weina also had the opportunity to kill Feng Xunzi, don't forget that she wasn't fighting alone.'"

  Yuè Gé narrowed his eyes and asked: "Your Majesty thinks she might have succeeded in killing Fēng Jūnzi?"

  Pope: "Don't give the Kunlun cultivator any chance, a great Temple Knight, she inherited the glorious tradition of the Vena family, the honor soul of generations of Vena family meritorious knights such as Fabudi, Kacheriti, Aniert and others guiding her. Aphthita alone represents the long historical tradition of all the guardians of the Holy See, at this moment, she is not fighting alone, she is not alone!"

  Yue: "At least as far as I know, Marquis Lington and Sir Adilo want to help her kill Feng Junzi. They have two powerful families backing them, representing the entire Western traditional noble family's power. Even if Miss Vina doesn't ask for their help, someone will still participate privately. Feng Junzi isn't alone either, he also has a powerful force behind him. A conflict surrounding these two people has complicated things locally, but this has nothing to do with the Vatican."

  The Pope looked at Jog and nodded in satisfaction: "Your proposal is indeed very clever, the Vatican's handling of it will probably be beyond the expectation of the infatuated Lord Linton. I am old and have already heard the call of God, you are young and talented, and will be the best candidate to succeed as Pope in the future. Now that Kregen is dead, I finally have the opportunity to promote you as the Cardinal in charge of missionary affairs on the Eastern continent, hoping you can grasp it well."

  Archbishop Jogge Redshirt bowed immediately and said in a humble tone, "Your Majesty's body is still very healthy, your benevolent light will continue to shine on the people of God. It is my duty to share the worries of our Lord for Your Majesty."

  Aphthita left the Gombdis Mountain, her body slightly trembling along the way, her facial expression still firm and resolute, her steps steady and maintaining the demeanor of a Temple Knight, but her lips were lightly quivering, and her eyes gazed blankly into the distance as if lost in thought.

  The Vatican stripped her of the glory that was dearer to her than life, which is not only a shame for her alone but also for the entire Viena family, and because she also disgraced the glorious title of Knights Templar of the Vatican, it is even a shame for the Vatican. This treatment made her feel wronged yet speechless, the Pope's attitude towards her was good without any blame only regret, nor did he order her to do anything.

  However, the events that occurred kept reminding her that all of this was due to the existence of Feng Junzi. If she killed Feng Junzi, she could wash away the shame and restore her honor. The Pope did not let her do so, everything was left for her to choose, and what she did after leaving the Vatican was a personal act. However, the Pope gave her a batch of powerful magic scrolls, allowing her to keep the Shining Armor, and also gave her an investigation report on Feng Junzi.

  Aphrodite now has no other choice, she can only go to kill Feng Junzi, in the name of personal revenge, duel or report private affairs. Feng Junzi is waiting for her in Wuyou City. She did not return to her own home in Yu Jin Xiang Gong Guo, the Vatican's decision must have been passed on to her family, and she does not want to see people in her family, especially her younger brother. Fortunately, she has her own identity in the secular world, as the investment director of Roba Alliance Financial Group, responsible for investigating investment projects in the northeastern part of Zhixu Guo. She booked a ticket directly from Maluo City to Zhixu Guo, and then transferred to Wuyou City at the capital of Zhixu Guo.

  Feng Junzi was just a pagan who had humiliated her, and now he offended the authority of the Vatican and hindered the spread of the gospel to the children of God. For someone like Aphrodite, killing him wouldn't require any hesitation, and she had never been truly afraid. But on the plane, Aphrodite's mood was complicated, why? Because there was one thing she had never mentioned to anyone, a secret that belonged to her innermost heart.

  It was about twenty years ago, three years after meeting Feng Junzi, that Aphrodite had a strange dream. At the beginning of the night, she didn't know she was dreaming.

  That day, she finished her bath and used magic to blow dry her golden curls, changed into a white gauze nightgown and lay on the bed to rest. Just as she closed her eyes, she found that there seemed to be someone else in the bedroom, and immediately opened her eyes to see a person sitting on the bedside smiling at her. The appearance of this person she would never forget, since being humiliated on the island, had been deeply etched in her mind, it was actually the Eastern youth named Feng Junzi!

  Feng Junzi had grown up a lot and matured significantly compared to three years ago, becoming a handsome young man. However, Aphrodite recognized him at first glance. Her bedroom was suddenly invaded by a strange man, who turned out to be him. Aphrodite was shocked and immediately wanted to summon her wings to fly off the bed and attack. Nevertheless, Feng Junzi's single action calmed her down as he reached out with one hand to grasp Aphrodite's white wrist, gently saying: "Don't be surprised, don't be afraid, I've come to bid you farewell and apologize!"

  His words carried a soothing power like hypnosis, Aphrodite was only wearing a thin nightgown, her slender body vaguely visible in the darkness, and her bare arms were grasped by him as if all her magical powers couldn't be exerted. After Feng Junzi finished speaking, even more strange things happened, he held her hand and stood up, and they flew out together.

  Aphrodite felt her body become light and airy, like a soul without weight or hindrance, as she was pulled by the wind gentleman through the roof and into the night sky. The sound of the wind's howl could be heard, but the sharpness of its force couldn't be felt, as they flew eastward, leaving the continent behind and soaring above the Atlantic Ocean. It wasn't until now that Aphrodite reacted and said a sentence: "What are you doing? Let me go quickly!"

  The wind gentleman stopped and stood in the starry sky, only to hear him say softly: "Don't be afraid, I don't have any malicious intentions. Look down and see if you remember this place?" Afutena looked down and saw three islands in the shape of a tripod in the ocean, standing on one of them, with a silver sandy beach below their feet.

  "Remember! Three years ago, at the place where we clashed, you brought me here by force. What was your intention?"

  Feng Junzi smiled and said, "No ulterior motives, I'm giving you something to express my apology... I heard that you're looking for the Spring of Youth, I helped you find it, and discovered that this place is just right for placing it. I used a magical ritual to permanently place it here, consider it a gift from me... take a look yourself, is this the Spring of Youth you were looking for?"

  As they spoke, Feng Junzi had already pulled her down from the air and landed on the silver sand beach, pointing to a transparent crystal plate under a nearby tree. The crystal plate was filled with clear water. Feng Junzi let go of his hand, and Aphrodite ran over, using her fingers to pick up a few drops of clear water and put them on her lips. A cool feeling came, accompanied by a strange and weak magical fluctuation, which was the legendary Fountain of Youth!

  "The Western magic also has a wonderful place, this Spring of Youth can only be seen by people with a pure heart, and only those who keep their heart forever young can drink the water in the crystal plate, leaving an eternal face. I found this thing in the Palace of Oblivion, as well as the magical ritual for placing it, and only after trying it myself did I know it wasn't a legend. You can see it, you can drink the water from the crystal plate, it seems that you are a person with a pure heart." The voice of Feng Junzi came from behind her.

  Aphrodite turned around in surprise and stared at him: "This rumor I didn't even know!"

  Feng Junzi: "Because it was lost in the West, the crystal disc and magic ritual records were scattered to the Zhixu continent. I found it in the Forgotten Palace... It's hard for me to explain what the Forgotten Palace is. You can think of it as my temple."

  After finishing speaking, he also walked to Aphrodite's side, bowed his head and took a sip of water from the crystal plate, then sighed and said: "What a wonderful artifact, what an interesting magic, it can actually condense the vital energy between heaven and earth into jade dew, only people with this heart can see it... Unfortunately, its magical power is ineffective against me! ... In fact, you don't understand its subtleties for another reason, this subtle use was not in the original legend, this thing has already been different from the original."

  Aphrodite: "What's changed?"

  Feng Junzi: "My master, Tianyue Xianzi, has only seen this one artifact from the Western Church. She is the greatest alchemy master in the world and re-refined this crystal plate that can condense the Spring of Youth. Otherwise, it would be impossible to truly place it and it would only be a legend... This crystal plate contains beautiful wishes and blessings, accompanied by subtle magical powers. My master made these wishes possible, and I found this island to place it, ultimately making the wish a reality... Magic comes from good blessings, so people with impure hearts can't see it."

  Aphthita: "Can you see it too?"

  Feng Junzi: "I'm asking despite knowing the answer. This thing is where I rest, and my cultivation has long surpassed the highest realm of human heart purification."

  Aphrodite: "How could the Fountain of Youth have no effect on you?"

  Feng Junzi: "I'm not human, I'm a legendary immortal who mistakenly entered the mortal world. Many things are useless to me. Never mind, it's hard to explain in just a few words. Today, I came to bid you farewell."

  Aphrodite: "Farewell?" She was still a bit dazed, as if in a dream, not quite awake. This pagan who had hit her on the head with a mallet and humiliated her three years ago on the island suddenly appeared tonight, brought her to this place, gave her the Spring of Youth she had been searching for but couldn't find, yet said something about farewell - she really couldn't understand what was going on.

  Feng Junzi: "In the past, I clashed with you in mid-air above this place and humiliated you. I don't regret that incident and think it was the right thing to do, but for you, it must have caused great distress. Today, seeing you drink from this crystal plate, I understand that you're not a bad person. However, your approach to upholding your faith is problematic. At the time, I should have made things clear, at least to you... I apologize for my rashness and impulsiveness, and also for the hardships that will come your way in the future; this apology is only directed at you personally!"

  He would say goodbye for a while, and then apologize again. Aphrodite listened vaguely, but she still heard one sentence clearly, dodged to the side and asked: "The tribulation you will bring me in the future? What do you want to do to me!" She was nervous and remembered what he said that year.

  Feng Junzi raised his head and looked at the sky, saying: "I'm not clear how you cultivate, but I'm different. From the beginning, I've transcended all worldly techniques to the highest state of nothingness. With my great divine power today, I can vaguely see many causes and effects in the past and future. What happened three years ago will bring you immense suffering twenty years later, so I apologize to you in advance today!"

  Aphrodite: "You apologize for something twenty years from now? Is this a prophecy of witchcraft? Can you foresee why it can't be avoided?"

  Feng Junzi: "This isn't the kind of sorcery you understand, not even using any divine power. As long as you can see clearly what's happening in this world and what conflicts will arise in the future, you'll also think that with your identity, temperament, and past experiences, you'll inevitably be drawn into it."

  Aphrodite thought he was a bit strange, but truly had no malice, carefully tilting her head to look at his face and asking: "Why not wait until later to talk about these things?"

  Feng Junzi: "Because I have to leave, today is also a farewell."

  Aphrodite: "Go! Where?"

  Feng Junzi: "The wind and clouds have no end, I'll trample the highest layer of the jade tower. I won't go anywhere else, just return to the mortal world! Your previous question made sense, I can foresee why it's unavoidable? Because I'm already in it, I often ask myself why I came to the mortal world? Now I finally understand what it truly means to let go, so I'll go into the mortal world to experience all this and use myself to verify what is meant by 'the natural way'."

  Aphrodite: "I don't quite understand what you're saying?"

  "Actually, it's quite simple. I will forget all my past experiences that surpassed those of ordinary people, including you. We may meet again, and when we do, I'll still be me, but I won't remember ever having met you. Before I seal away my divine consciousness, there are many things I need to settle, so I came to find you tonight... As long as you possess a pure heart, you will forever have the appearance of youth. I don't know if this gift can make up for the hardships I've brought upon you... Does your head not hurt anymore?"