The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Alya Fluenster, as the Archbishop of Pericles Cathedral, had held her position for only eight years, yet it was during this brief period that she had created an unprecedented glory in the history of Pericles.

She transformed Pericles Church from an ordinary parish church into one of the core cathedrals within the entire Church of Light, joining forces with Archbishop Vazinsky’s St. John’s Cathedral to push Sophia Cathedral and St. Paul’s Cathedral out of the Top Three, establishing itself as the undeniable elite of the Church of Light and solidifying the immortal status of Marco Holy City.

Everything seemed to indicate that Archbishop Fluenster’s future was limitless. However, the rise of the new Top Three also confronted Fluenster with another challenge—the St. John’s Cathedral, led by Archbishop Vazinsky, with whom she once fought side by side in the cause of propagating the Holy Teaching.

"Top Three, Top Three," aside from St. Mark’s Cathedral being the eternal core, the ever-changing other two rankings could almost be a history of the Church of Light’s ups and downs. Whoever entered the Top Three represented prosperity in ecclesiastical affairs and virtuous education in their region. Accordingly, its archbishop would possess the strength to compete for the next Pope. However, the second ranking’s aura in the Top Three had seldom stayed long upon any cathedral, and if that second spot could be firmly held, it would almost certainly predict that the new Pope would be its archbishop.

The Jade Ring hung suspended in midair, and Fluenster stared at it, transfixed. Even strangers could immediately confirm that this ring was no ordinary object; within it seemed to flow a liquid that constantly changed colors, and with every roll, the colors shifted, reminiscent of a writhing dragon, churning inside the ring. The color within the ring transitioned from its initial emerald green, gradually lightening until it settled on silvery white. When the pure silvery white transformed into a hint of pale milkiness, a flash of white light suddenly pierced through the Jade Ring and out the window, vanishing in an instant.

The Meditation Room fell into a quiet, luminous tranquility. Fluenster’s eyes remained locked on the ring, evidently waiting for something, while the man behind him appeared somewhat uneasy. He knew that the archbishop was using a special method to search for the missing Protector of the Sanctuary, but the situation seemed rather dire, as one could guess from the archbishop’s solemn expression.

After a while, a faint shadow quietly appeared on the now calm Jade Ring—a dark trace that seemed tiny at first, but stood out starkly within the transparent, semi-crystalline ring.

Archbishop Fluenster, usually unflappable, could not help but show a slight change in expression. He seemed to scarcely believe his eyes, blinking hard to see more clearly. Yet the shadow on the Jade Ring seemed indifferent to the archbishop’s feelings, still assertively proving its presence within the ring.