Chapter 497: Tricking Pope Zero Away

"Too slow! Everyone, stop," Su Mu said, frowning.

Off to the side, Zero and Heilong slowly opened their eyes and looked at him.

"Pope of Pride, what is it now?" Zero asked in confusion.

He found that this newly arrived Pope was truly exhausting. Before he came, the congregation had prayed in earnest, never pausing even once all year. Since his arrival, he had called a halt time and time again.

Yet his reasons for stopping them were flawless every time. Even he, the Paradise Pope, couldn't find the slightest fault in them.

"This progress is far too slow. With a mere hundred thousand cultists praying, when will we ever awaken the Primal Angel?" Su Mu's expression darkened, clearly dissatisfied with the pace.

Zero consoled him kindly. "It can't be helped. The outside world belongs to the godless now, and these are all the cultists we could gather. I believe that as long as we persevere, sooner or later we will—"

"Who said these are all the Primal Cultists?" Su Mu raised an eyebrow, staring intently at Zero. "Have you forgotten? This Pope has a million followers under his command!"

He turned to face the hundred thousand cultists, an inexplicable fanaticism in his expression. "Children of our God! Down in Hell, you have a million brethren! Their faith is just as devout as yours. Their lifelong dream is to ascend to Heaven and see the great Primal Angel with their own eyes!

"Once we bring them here and work together, we will definitely awaken the Primal Angel! I cannot wait to see that bright future!

"Do you want to see it too?!"

"We do!!"

The hundred thousand cultists shouted fervently, their passion instantly ignited by Su Mu.

Off to the side, Zero's expression stiffened. He felt that Su Mu was acting more and more like the Pope, while he himself was being marginalized.

He realized that if Su Mu truly brought over a million cultists from Hell, there would be no place left for him here.

At that moment, his selfish desires clashed violently with his faith.

His selfish side didn't want the Hell cultists to come and threaten his status, but his faith told him that bringing them would awaken the Primal Angel as quickly as possible, which was the right thing to do.

However, zealots were zealots for a reason: they invariably put their faith first.

"Pope of Pride, you are right. We cannot abandon our brethren in Hell. We should let them bathe in God's radiance too," Zero said solemnly.

Su Mu nodded. "In that case, I will make a trip outside and personally bring our brethren from Hell up here. You might not know this, but down in Hell, those brethren dream of ascending to Heaven every single day. It is their lifelong wish. Now, I shall make their wish come true."

As he listened to Su Mu, a strange light flashed in Zero's eyes. He suddenly realized a way to satisfy both his selfish desires and his faith!

Since the cultists in Hell dreamed of ascending to Heaven, the one who made their wish come true and brought them there would inevitably earn their gratitude and reverence.

If I am the one to guide those million cultists to Heaven, wouldn't that mean...

He even imagined the scene in his mind: he, the Paradise Pope, standing at the summit of Holy Brilliance City, bathed in holy light, proclaiming to the world beneath the reverent gaze of a million cultists:

'I am the Primal Pope from Heaven, come specifically to guide you all to Heaven.'

The resulting cheers would shake the earth as a million followers excitedly knelt in worship...

Pride had gained the support of a hundred thousand cultists by preaching the scriptures, so why couldn't he gain the support of the million cultists from Hell by guiding them to Heaven?

At this thought, a look of worry appeared on Zero's face. "Pope of Pride, this journey will definitely be fraught with danger. The people of the Temple of God Slaying will surely stop you at all costs, and you have not yet advanced to the Demigod Realm..."

Su Mu waved his hand. "For the Primal Angel, I would not hesitate even if my body were smashed to pieces. Do not try to persuade me."

Zero grew anxious and hurriedly said, "To die for God is the glory of us Primal Cultists. But my concern is that if you fail to bring the million cultists over, you will delay our great endeavor!"

Su Mu's expression darkened slightly, as if he were pondering.

Zero quickly pressed the matter. "In my opinion, it would be better like this: I will go guide the Hell cultists. You excel in doctrine, so you should stay behind and lead the cultists in prayer."

"That is inappropriate. Although you are a Demigod, the Temple of God Slaying has numbers on their side after all..."

Zero smiled mysteriously. "It doesn't matter how many people the Temple of God Slaying has. There is a hidden passage within this Divine Realm. If I leave through it, the Temple of God Slaying won't notice. Moreover, I have a divine taboo object to protect me; they won't be able to do anything to me."

"A divine taboo object?" Su Mu's eyes flickered, pretending to be surprised. "Where in this world is there a divine taboo object capable of withstanding several Demigods?"

Zero smiled without a word. He flipped his palm, and a Bronze Necklace appeared in his hand. Connected to the center of the necklace was a crystalline blue gemstone resembling an eyeball.

"This divine taboo object is no ordinary treasure. It contains the origin of a certain God. Although it lacks offensive power, the Illusion Technique cast with it can fool even Demigods. It is more than enough to save my life."

Su Mu quietly scrutinized the Bronze Necklace. Forcibly suppressing the throbbing nightmare power within his soul, he smiled and said, "I see. To think Pope Zero possessed such a treasure. Could it be that the illusion formation covering the Divine Realm came from—"

"That's right. I set it up using this treasure."

Su Mu suddenly flashed a half-smile. "Actually, what I excel at the most is the Illusion Technique. Why don't I take this treasure and go to Hell—"

"Out of the question!" Zero said sternly. "The more powerful a divine taboo object is, the more terrifying the backlash from using it. You have not yet advanced to the Demigod Realm. Forcibly activating it will only bring disaster upon yourself. It is better if I go."

Su Mu hesitated repeatedly before finally sighing. "Very well. Then I will entrust this matter to you, Pope Zero. I will draw a map shortly, and you can just follow it. Although Hell is currently sealed by the gods, it is so vast that the seal inevitably has some gaps. I entered Heaven through a gap in the seal myself."

Zero nodded solemnly. "I will not fail this trust!"

Though he appeared to be embarking on a solemn and heroic journey, he was beaming with joy on the inside. 'Pride, oh Pride. Don't think I don't know what you're plotting. You want to use the Hell cultists to seize power! What a pity... Even if your achievements are remarkable and you have mastered the Primal Doctrine, so what?'

'Your lack of strength will always be your fatal flaw!'

"Pope Zero, this journey is fraught with danger. You must take care." Su Mu patted Zero's shoulder earnestly, yet a perfectly timed trace of imperceptible reluctance flashed in his eyes.

Both of them were acting; it just depended on whose performance was superior.

Catching that trace of reluctance in Su Mu's eyes, Zero thought he had gained the upper hand. He left in a cheerful mood with the map in hand.

Su Mu watched his departing figure, a mysterious smile curling the corners of his lips.

Sometimes, the ideas you thought of were not necessarily your own, but rather what someone with ulterior motives had deliberately guided you to think.