Chapter 498: Brainwashing the Demigod Heilong

Su Mu's goal was simple: to trick Zero into leaving. If Zero didn't leave, how was he supposed to subjugate these fanatical believers?

As for the believers from Hell? Zero wouldn't be able to bring them up in this lifetime.

The seal of the gods had no loopholes. In this world, only a nightmare—capable of reducing its own existence to zero—could pass through.

But Zero didn't know that. He didn't understand Hell; he only understood the Primal Angel. Therefore, he firmly believed that Su Mu, a fellow believer of the Primal Angel, wouldn't lie to him about this.

After all, their goals were aligned: both wanted to awaken the Primal Angel.

After Zero left, it naturally fell to Su Mu and Heilong to lead the 100,000 cultists in prayer.

Glancing at the perpetually cold-faced Heilong, Su Mu suddenly sent a telepathic message: "What do you think of Zero?"

That's right—he was starting to talk behind Zero's back.

Heilong kept his eyes tightly shut and said nothing.

Su Mu continued, "Zero is a devout believer, but he is not a competent Pope."

Heilong's eyes snapped open, a cold sneer forming on his face. "He isn't, but are you?"

Su Mu smiled and shook his head. "Neither am I. But... you could be."

"What do you mean?" Heilong's gaze narrowed, a dangerous light glinting in his eyes.

"Zero's lust for power is immense, and he's highly xenophobic. You helped him heavily damage the Temple of God Slaying and occupy the interior of the Primal Divine Domain. But how did he repay you? He wasn't even willing to grant you the title of Archbishop.

"As an expert of the Demigod Realm, you would hold a pivotal position in any faction. Only here do you lack any status at all. You're just an outsider, completely out of place in the Primal Divine Cult!"

Heilong snorted coldly. "Pride, don't think I don't know what you're plotting. I bet you want to be the Pope, so you're deliberately sowing discord between me and Zero!

"Everything I've done has been not for myself, but for the great Primal Angel! I don't care about these empty titles!"

Su Mu smiled faintly, his tone enigmatic. "You might not care about empty titles, but do you also not care about getting a step closer to the Primal Angel?"

Heilong's pupils abruptly contracted.

Su Mu's words were like the whispers of a devil, brimming with wicked temptation. Majestic spiritual power silently radiated outward as his Illusion Technique quietly activated.

With Zero gone, he no longer had to hide his Illusion Technique.

"Just imagine. When the great Primal Angel wakes up, who will He value more? Who is the greatest contributor to His awakening? You, who joined halfway? Or... Pope Zero, who has been secretly growing the Primal Divine Cult for years?

"I'm not denying Zero's achievements. But ask yourself—who doesn't want to receive the Primal Angel's gaze? Who doesn't want to be closer to the Primal Angel? Who doesn't want to become... the number one person beneath God?!

"Why does that person have to be Zero? Why not you!

"What has he done? Aside from leading the Primal Divine Cult into hiding all these years, what else can he do? It was you who heavily damaged the heretics of the Temple of God Slaying. It was you who led the Primal Divine Cult to occupy the interior of the Primal Divine Domain. Without you, these 100,000 devout believers wouldn't have seen the great Primal Angel in this lifetime!!

"It's you, it's always been you—everything is because of you!"

Those seductive words were like a pebble dropping into the lake of Heilong's heart, stirring up layer upon layer of ripples. His heart pounded wildly, unable to calm down for a long time.

That's right! It was me, it was all me! Without me, what the hell is Zero?! I was the one who let them see the great Primal Angel, yet he won't even give me the position of Archbishop?

On what grounds! He is a Demigod, and so am I. Just because he became a Primal believer earlier than me?

Since when is the devotion of one's faith determined by how long they've believed?

Seeing Heilong's expression gradually turn savage, Su Mu coaxed him patiently, "As a child of God, Zero suppresses and isolates you—someone who has made great contributions to the Primal Divine Cult—all out of his own selfish desires. Isn't this a kind of betrayal against the Primal Angel?"

"Enough!" Heilong glared ferociously at Su Mu. "Pride, don't even think about using me! The truth is that you want to be the Pope, right? As the Pope of Hell, coming here to the Primal Divine Cult only to be suppressed by someone else—would you be willing to accept that?"

Su Mu let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "Who wouldn't want to be the Pope? That's the position closest to the Primal Angel. Of course I want it. It's just that I'm not doing it for power; I only want the Primal Angel to notice me, even if it's just a single glance.

"Sigh... Unfortunately, I'm not qualified yet, because I am not a Demigod."

"Then what is your goal?!"

Su Mu jerked his head up, staring intensely at Heilong as he enunciated every word. "I will become the Archbishop, and you will become the Pope! If you and I join forces, you can lead the Primal Divine Cult to expand its territories in the future, while I handle the education of the believers and the preaching of the scriptures."

Heilong froze. Su Mu's words had hooked the desires buried in his heart. Who said fanatical believers had no desires? On the contrary, their desires were far more intense than those of ordinary people. Believing in God, getting closer to God, and receiving God's gaze—that was their desire, and they would even die for it.

"Could I... really?" Heilong asked, a bit dazed.

A crystalline blue light flickered in Su Mu's eyes. "How will you know if you don't try?" he said in a low voice. "Is your faith inferior to Zero's? Are you not a Demigod?"

"Of course I'm not inferior to him!" The one thing a zealot couldn't tolerate being questioned was their faith, and Heilong was no exception.

"Since that's the case, why can Zero be the Pope, but not you?!"

Yeah, why couldn't I? Why can't I? If Zero can sit on the Pope's throne, I, Heilong, can sit on it too!

"Black Dragon Pope, have you ever considered that perhaps you are the one truly chosen by the Primal Angel? Otherwise, why would the situation immediately improve as soon as you joined the Primal Divine Cult?

"Why is it that, even though we have already seen the Primal Angel, we still haven't been able to awaken Him under Zero's leadership? Is it possible that Zero's selfishness is too great, and thus he is disliked by God?"

"This..." Heilong's mind was a mess right now—an absolute mess. His swelling desires mingled with his devout faith, leaving him continuously struggling within.

"Now that Zero is gone, why don't you lead the believers in prayer, Black Dragon Pope?"

Heilong stayed silent for a long moment. Eventually, he slowly turned around to look at the 100,000 cultists before him. A look of struggle and conflict flashed through his eyes, but it was soon replaced by absolute resolve.

"Devout children! From here on, I shall lead you in prayer. Everyone, chant with me!"

Heilong's sonorous voice swept across the square, wrapped in the oppressive might of a Demigod.

The 100,000 believers were a little bewildered, but no one said a word. It was just a prayer anyway; it didn't matter who led it.

"Heaven and earth undivided, chaos like a deep abyss. The silent night heavy, boundless and endless." Heilong chanted piously. For every line he recited, the 100,000 cultists echoed it back.

"Primal spirit, arriving from the void. Radiant light bursts forth, shattering the gloom..."

Watching this harmonious scene, a mysterious smile curled onto Su Mu's lips as he stood off to the side. He gently adjusted the Tinted Glasses on his face, and the crystalline blue light slowly faded away.

Right at that moment—Hum!!

A massive hum suddenly echoed throughout the area, and the entire world seemed to vibrate along with it.

The crowd's chanting came to an abrupt halt. They all lifted their heads in shock, looking at the Primal Angel high up in the firmament.

They saw the incomparably massive cocoon of light suddenly erupt with hundreds of millions of rays of brilliant holy light across its surface!