There are twenty-two floors in the Theocracy, of which the twenty-second floor is the prison where the eternal pope lives alone; and the twenty-first floor is the residence of the saint and her candidates. There will be no one except for the election of the pope.
Enter.
Because the Eighteenth Circle is the prison of the Theocracy. Although generally no one will try to rob or escape from the Theocracy... but without special permission, ordinary people can only enter the Seventeenth Circle at most.
The five floors above are forbidden areas, and they are all called the "Holy of Holies." This is also the meaning of the Pope's crown, the "Holy Crown" - from this level up, anyone entering or leaving must obtain the Pope's permission.
permission.
Among them, the nineteenth level of the ring is the ring level where the Theocracy holds various major ceremonies, which is roughly equivalent to a large palace in human society. It is also called the "Altar Near Heaven" by the elves.
All the wedding guests went up to this level through the elevator.
As soon as they reached the nineteenth floor, the guests from human society were shocked——
They saw a glorious city.
It was a glorious city built almost entirely in pure white, which even made your eyes hurt. Various buildings that reached into the sky rose from the ground.
Huge bell tower, huge tower, huge pyramid, huge castle... Every building here is much larger than the outside. And the outside is layered with special decorations.
A large number of dark golden decorative lines appear on every building. Those who are a little knowledgeable will know that those lines are preservation techniques solidified by divine magic. This can make this almost deserted city without cleaning and
It can be maintained in the best condition with maintenance, and accumulated dirt can be removed in an instant.
On this level, each building has different decorative patterns - the pyramid is decorated with sun patterns, the bell tower is decorated with gears and hands, the castle is decorated with dragon scales...
Because each building among them corresponds to a star and a god.
Not only the Nine Pillar Gods - but also the Tiansi and even the apostles all have their own temples with different specifications on this floor. All the temples in the world are concentrated on this floor. If you look up from above
If you look down, you will see the stars shining like stars in the night.
Therefore, no matter who you worship, you can enter the nineteenth circle and find the corresponding temple. Even those gods who have passed away have not demolished their buildings.
Even the Supreme Heaven, which was once an enemy of the elves and allowed giants to eat elves, has a temple belonging to it in the central area. And those gods who have risen from apostles to Tiansi and even pillar gods can even see the buildings grow from small to large.
Large signs of expansion.
And the placement of these buildings is also regular - who has a good relationship with whom, who is in opposition to whom, you can see the metaphor from the placement. If the relationship between the gods changes, this layer
The earth will even roar and rotate due to this, changing the orientation and relative position of the temple.
If the first ring is the most "center of a different world" feeling, where all races gather together; the third ring is the forest town with the most dreamy and natural atmosphere; the eleventh ring
It is the most technological layer, as full of metallic luster as the interior of a spaceship...
Then the nineteenth circle gives people the feeling that it is the "Holy City".
The team, which was originally in a relaxed atmosphere, immediately felt a kind of sacred pressure after entering this level. It was the pressure called "the thickness of history." The photographer in the team asked Aiwass for permission.
Afterwards, I took photos carefully.
There is no doubt that this is the first time that humans have the opportunity to enter the nineteenth circle. It may even be the last time.
There was almost no one on the street - or, in other words, almost no living person.
Wearing armor and holding holy swords, luminous spirits patrol the streets, while spirits wearing robes stand quietly at every corner. What they have in common is that the insides of the armor and robes are empty...
You can only see a dark patch, but you can't see what's inside.
"Are they...the apostles of Si Zhu?"
Isabel asked with some confusion.
"That's right."
Aiwass nodded: "These are all light-attributed phantoms."
It was Pansy, the unicorn under them, who gave Isabel a more detailed answer: "Those devotees who believe in the candle...and those good people who do not believe in the candle, but also devote their lives to others, often
After death, you will enter the forest land of eternal peace and happiness. This is what you humans call the land of giant trees.
"As long as the soul is clean enough to be fished out of the source river by Si Zhu, Xi Tiansi or Zhu Tiansi, it will live in this carefree world. Everyone in it is dedicated to others.
Good people, so all people will find eternal peace and happiness..."
"I know," Isabel nodded, "Some people just want to enter the country of giant trees after death, so they will do their best to do good deeds."
"...But that may not work, kid."
Pan Xi sighed: "It is possible to improve the energy level of the path through hypocrisy. As long as you take corresponding actions, you can get Yuan He's approval.
"But if you want to fish it out from the source river and share your power to give eternal life, it depends on the subjective wishes of Tiansi and Zhushen. Unless you do something good that makes them admire, otherwise for gods who can directly see the soul
To us, this is meaningless."
"That's right."
Aiwass also nodded: "After all, sharing power or not is the freedom of the gods. A person who has pretended to be a good person all his life, or has no chance to do bad things, then he is a genuine good person in the material world; but if he is let in
A person who has pretended all his life and only thinks about enjoying happiness in the eternal world after death... will actually ruin the experience of other good souls after death, causing them to be bullied by evil people after death.
"So although the Pillar Gods have enough power to share with all living beings - they will consider whether other apostles are willing, or their own mood and wishes. For example, the apostles under Sizhu are said to be close to 330,000, Fallen Heaven
There are as many as 6.66 million demons transformed by Si, and there are more than 600 high-level demons directly belonging to his apostles...but Hengwo's dancers have never been less than ten people."
In essence, the kingdom of gods in this world is like a private group of gods. As the only and eternal group leader, the gods can of course decide who to let in and who to kick out.
Anyway, if the Pillar God doesn't want it, there will be Tiansi who will pick it up downstream; if Tiansi doesn't want it, it means there is no problem in returning it to the furnace.
——That said, people should still be encouraged to do good deeds in the material world. Although doing good deeds will not actually make people go to heaven...
"And those devotees, although it is a good thing to enjoy themselves in the forest of eternal peace...but most of them have burning souls."
Unicorn Pansy's voice sounded like an intellectual and calm female elder, explaining to Isabel: "For them, if they get eternal life, just having fun would be too lonely.
"So some people will join the Zhu Zhu's vanguard army to conquer those impure dead souls; while others will respond to the call and return to the material world to serve others."
"This is the fourth level of ritual magic, 'Sacred Guard'."
Aiwass said at the side: "I can do this, but I haven't had the chance to use it - I have to fast and abstain from sex for a month, and then chant for three days, and I can permanently summon a person on the armor or robe.
Sacred spirits. They will complete an order that will not offend them, and how much effort they will provide and how long they are willing to stay in the material world often depends on the degree of justice or holiness of the matter... Usually this ritual is more common in guarding banks.
There will be one to three sacred guards in the vaults of large banks.
"There are as many as 80,000 of these sacred guards guarding the Nineteenth Circle. In order to protect the Holy City, each of them can exert the peak strength of a fourth-level transcendent... They also guard the
It is a prison on the lower level, which is why there are almost no guards in the prison.
"In addition to protecting the Holy City, they will also help provide some services within their capabilities... For example, if you ask them for directions, they will directly guide you to your destination. Except that they cannot speak, they are like a bitch.
Gentle and reliable seniors. This is a voluntary sacred mission - if they are tired or tired of work, they will go directly back to the dream world."
As Aiwass was talking, he saw a holy guard holding a holy sword next to him let go of his hand, letting the holy sword in his hand turn into light spots and dissipate - and quickly hugged a photographer who almost fell down the steps.
.It immediately followed the other party and helped her carry the heavy equipment.
"...And in fact, they are indeed our seniors."
Aiwass said softly.
With the help and guidance of the sacred guards, the team moved much faster - the sacred guards wearing robes would also cast magical spells on them to dispel fatigue, replenish their physical strength, and increase their movement speed.
Before the sun reaches its highest point, the wedding procession enters a temple.
It is not far from the elevator - because it is in the very center of the 19th Circle.
There are only three temples in the center, namely Si Zhu, Scale Feather Lord and Amber.
But unexpectedly, Si Zhu's temple is the smallest among the pillar gods - it is said that this is a clear request made by Si Zhu. He does not want the temple to worship him to be too luxurious, and it is best to be a nine-pillar god.
The simplest among them.
However, even so, this is a more sacred and glorious temple than the Candlestick Cathedral in Avalon.
As they entered the temple, they could hear melodious hymns.
——That’s the song sung by the saint candidates.
There is no mistake, every song is published and every content is read one by one!
Just by listening to the singing, you can feel your soul being purified.
In the middle of the church, there are three rows of extremely long tables - those are the dining tables for the guests.
The mist demon shining with pure white moonlight emerged from the hazy fog, guiding the guests to sit in their seats and quietly serving behind the guests.
This is one of the gifts given by Wu Tiansi.
And as most people sat down, bursts of brilliant golden light suddenly emitted from the table——
Huge plates of delicacies that were beyond people's imagination and extremely gorgeous in appearance appeared on people's dining tables with bursts of brilliance. Followed by bottles of divine wine - any bottle was
It is a divine brew that far surpasses Holy Tree No. 1, but now it appears in everyone's hands as if it is free of charge.
This is exactly the gift from Yantiansi!
For this god who has the authority over food and wine, the most suitable gift is the wedding banquet itself.
These foods are all made by himself - the host of the banquet always likes to cook for his guests, and this is the first banquet after he was promoted to Tiansi. For guests who cannot drink, there are gifts from Wutiansi
The moonlight clear spring filled with white mist.
Every candle on the dining table is provided by Zhu Tiansi. Every candle has a sacred glow, no matter how bright it is, it will not be dazzling - being illuminated by that light has the same effect as being illuminated by illumination.
Same.
But most guests don’t know the value of these things.
As all the guests took their seats, the wedding host finally appeared.
People were immediately shocked - although they did not understand Tiansi's gift, they could know the identity of the illusory woman whose figure was drawn out of the void.
——That is the contemporary Pope!
"...Will the Pope come to solemnize my wedding?"
Aiwass couldn't help but said: "Isn't this standard too high?"
The person he was originally looking for was Cardinal Galatea. As a machine girl who had adventured with Aiwass, her relationship with Aiwass was now the closest.
"You have found so many gifts from Tiansi, and you are still missing me as a mortal?"
Now that her eyes were bright, Gray just smiled: "Besides... I still owe you a big, big favor."
Her disease was cured by Aiwass's self-sacrifice.
"Without you, I don't know what kind of situation I would be in now. Maybe the Theocracy is still in chaos... Don't refuse in a hurry, I know the cardinals too well. They all have their own opinions, and there is no unified opinion.
Under the circumstances, everyone will use their own way to save the Theocracy."
The Pure White Pope said so.
...That's true, Aiwass thought.
Without Aiwass, the Theocracy would still be in the midst of a tree and amber disaster.
"Before, Isabel once said to me...compared to being crowned in Avalon, it is more meaningful to be crowned at the wedding ceremony between the Theocracy and the Acting Pope.
"Although you are no longer the acting pope, you are resigning early. How can I let the little queen's expectations be disappointed?
"According to the rules of the Theocracy, the person who resigns as pope will become a saint... and the specifications of a saint are no different from that of a pope."
"...I have only been a pope for two months, am I considered a saint now?"
Aiwass murmured softly.
"Although it has only been two short months, your contribution to the Theocracy and the world is by no means inferior to any other pope."
Gray said with a smile: "Let this wedding convey a concept to people.
"——Avalon and the Theocracy are a close family. There is no need for any doubt in this matter.