65: I?

Arthur stepped out from the side and began to walk slowly towards the altar, and people's gazes began to focus on him.

Many were curious about this young man who had recently risen to prominence.

The former playboy Arthur Glamorgan had undergone such a complete transformation, which caught almost everyone by surprise.

As Arthur reached the steps, a dazzling beam of light suddenly poured down from a window above the statue's head.

Except for the Pope, everyone present instinctively squinted their eyes.

As the light gradually dissipated, everyone was surprised to find that Arthur was already sitting cross-legged on the ground, surrounded by a soft halo of light.

Gutierrez was momentarily flustered, but fortunately, the Pope rose in time, walked to Arthur's side, and announced loudly, "This is a miracle!"

The voice, amplified by magic, echoed like a great bell throughout the main hall.

The Cardinal was the first to kneel, beginning to devoutly recite prayers of praise.

The others, seeing this, followed suit, and for a moment, the sound of chanting rose and fell in the main hall.

-----------------

As his consciousness returned, Arthur found himself once again in that golden wheat field.

This time, the Goddess did not appear, but the ripe wheat ears automatically parted to both sides, revealing a winding path.

He followed the path and arrived at the house with the small courtyard.

The white-haired old woman was already sitting in the courtyard, as if she had been waiting for his arrival all along.

The bread and tea were gone from the table, replaced by many strange fruits emitting a fragrant aroma.

"You refused the invitation of the God of Lies," the old woman said.

"I have only one God in my heart, and that is you," Arthur said devoutly.

As the old saying goes, if you love a girl, you have to find a way to let her know.

But if you fall in love with two girls, it's best not to let anyone know.

Arthur knew very well that before this great God, none of his thoughts could be hidden, so he straightforwardly stated his position.

In his opinion, there was nothing wrong with being a priest of the God of Agriculture; this Goddess was kind and considerate, and extremely tolerant of her followers.

"May I...?" Arthur picked up a fruit that looked like a strawberry but was the size of an apple and asked.

The Goddess nodded, "I am very interested in your journey, and I am also very interested in the place you are about to reach."

"Qingfeng Valley?"

"Is that what you call that land?" the Goddess slowly said, "I prefer to call it the Cursed Land."

Hearing information related to Qingfeng Valley, Arthur immediately became energetic, "Why do you say that?

"I know that place is occupied by a group of dark creatures and ruled by some Dark Lord."

"I haven't been able to sense that land for a long time."

"Until recently, I suddenly detected its existence again."

"It is in great pain; evil forces have eroded and corrupted it."

"Not only has it made the land barren and desolate, but it has also affected all living beings there."

"The fruits produced there are poisonous, and the food has become unpalatable."

"Most importantly, that power has trapped all living beings who enter that land. I feel sad for it."

Arthur put down the fruit in his hand, wiped his mouth, and asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

"Son of the Wolf, are you sure you want to follow me?" the Goddess confirmed again, "Compared to my other brothers and sisters,

"The path of following me is not so grand and magnificent."

"You can revive all things, restore vitality, increase crop yields, and bring abundance."

"I really can't think of any reason not to follow you."

"Also, perhaps you won't believe it, but farming is like a brand seared deep into my soul."

The Goddess looked at this little follower with interest and smiled, "Then, I shall bestow upon you the power to fight evil."

She stood up, and Arthur felt that She was so majestic and out of reach.

"Save that land, my little follower."

Her voice lingered in Arthur's ears, and her warm lips gently kissed his forehead.

In an instant, the entire world flashed before his eyes.

From the first spark of life underwater, to the giant beasts of the Stone Age, to humanity's first upright walk...

-----------------

Arthur slowly opened his eyes, and in his hand was a thick holy scripture.

This holy scripture, woven from plants and flowers, was key to restoring Qingfeng Valley.

Shanteya bestowed this book upon him, instructing him to place it within the earth's pulse.

By doing so, he would guide Her great power to dispel the darkness and protect the living beings there.

Of course, Her bestowals went far beyond that.

The holy scripture also contained all the divine spells of priests, which would gradually unlock as Arthur's abilities improved.

As for the other blessings, Arthur had not yet had time to examine them in detail.

But now was not the time for that.

A pitch-black hand reached out to Arthur.

He looked up and saw Pope Cicinius smiling, his eyes full of expectation.

The Pope pulled him up from the ground and asked, "She spoke with you, didn't She?"

"Yes."

The Pope turned to everyone in the main hall and excitedly announced, "Mother Earth has brought us a new Saint!"

Everyone was initially shocked, but soon they all knelt in worship.

Even Arthur's father, Evil Wolf Earl, was no exception.

"You should preside over the Blessing Ceremony," Cicinius said to Arthur.

"Me?" Arthur instinctively wanted to refuse.

But then he saw Cicinius turn and ask Gutierrez behind him, "Do you have any objections, brother?"

Gutierrez's facial muscles twitched slightly, and he managed to say, "No... no, I have no objections at all, Great Shepherd."

And so, Arthur, surrounded by the clergy, was inexplicably pushed onto the steps.

Under the guidance of the Cardinal, he began to bestow blessings upon everyone present.

During the Blessing Ceremony, the Pope again suggested to Gutierrez, "I think he should lead the procession.

"The emergence of a new Saint in this region will undoubtedly greatly enhance the people's faith in Mother Earth."

"But that was supposed to be me," Gutierrez muttered to himself.

However, he still agreed verbally, "Yes, yes, that's how it should be. Such a grand sight should naturally be witnessed by all the faithful."

"I never expected to see a Saint as soon as I arrived here," the Pope said with a smile, "It seems the Goddess has not abandoned this place."

Arthur, unaware of the truth, was currently repeating a mechanical action, anointing the foreheads of these believers with ointment.

For each person he anointed, he also had to speak the Goddess's blessing in Amn.

The fanaticism shimmering in the eyes of the blessed believers made him uneasy.

It was as if he was a sweet and delicious apple pie, and everyone couldn't wait to hug and devour him.

Finally, the ceremony ended, and Arthur was just about to find a place to rest.

The dark-skinned, full-bearded Pope gave him a new task.

"Me?" Arthur questioned again.

Cicinius replied in a crude, almost rustic voice, "Yes, you.

"Brother Arthur, is there anyone more suitable than you to lead the procession?"

"But... but I don't have a suitable ceremonial robe; this might be difficult..."

"Don't worry, brother, we've already prepared it for you."

Cicinius finished speaking, and with his strong, powerful hand, he heavily patted Arthur's shoulder.