Big Beardy had just come out from the internal meeting of the high-ranking ascetics. He was still dressed in the shabby robe and coarse cloth shoes. He looked like an ordinary old man who had just come out from a refugee camp. It was hard to tell that he was a senior ascetic who was on an equal footing with a high-ranking bishop. In fact, Hao Ren had no idea about the hierarchy of these ascetics in the church. Later, he learned that these ascetics had a high status in the church. Not only did they report directly to the pope, but they were also qualified to participate in the major decisions of the church when necessary. This was because their loyalty to the Goddess was unquestionable. They had the best adaptability to the Goddess and could produce the strongest spiritual resonance with the Goddess. Devout ascetics were regarded as the direct guards of the Goddess, so Big Beardy was also qualified to participate in the episcopal meeting.
However, Becky did not have much of a concept in this regard. Her impression of Big Beardy was that he was an approachable gentleman, and he used to be her roommate for a period of time. So, she stood up and greeted him casually, "Hey, Uncle, the meeting just ended? Come and have something to eat? "
Big Beardy smiled and nodded to Becky, thanking her for her kindness. He then looked at Hao Ren and Ophra. "It seems that you have talked?"
"You mean the Branding Ritual?" Hao Ren frowned. "What did the church think?"
"Of course, there are some religious thoughts." Big Beardy nodded calmly. "Whether it's the handwritten decree left by the Pope or your actions in the past few incidents, it's hard not to associate you with the will of the Goddess. The high-ranking bishops believe that there must be a reason for the foreigners to come to this world. Although you are not believers, the Goddess has guided you here... So the bishops hope that some of you can accept the Branding Ritual. "
Hao Ren looked into Big Beardy's eyes. "What do you think?"
"You can try. If you want to investigate the Goddess, establishing a connection is undoubtedly a way. But to be honest, I don't know how effective it is... Our connection with the Goddess is not as simple as a bloodline. It also requires devout faith and firm conviction. Only those who truly worship the Goddess can hear her teachings, and you guys... "Big Beardy looked at Hao Ren with some embarrassment." I always feel that you don't even believe in your own God. "
Hao Ren said that it would be strange if he believed Raven 12345. When had that unreliable psychopath ever trusted him? However, he was too embarrassed to show it on his face. He just smiled and waved his hand. "I understand, I understand. To be honest, I'm also very interested in your branding ritual. In fact, I wanted to give it a try the last time I came here, but I thought that this was a ritual that only official clergymen could accept. I probably wouldn't let an outsider like me do the test, so I was too embarrassed to say it. "
Ophra was a little surprised. "Does that mean you agree?"
"Wait a minute, I still have to confirm with the higher-ups." Hao Ren waved his hand. "After all, I'm still part of the organization..."
At this critical moment, he still remembered that he was a pope, but apparently, he did not realize how serious the matter he was involved in was in the eyes of ordinary believers. A spokesperson of God was trying to establish a connection with another god, and it was through a religious ritual. This matter alone was enough to scare the average believer, but he dared to discuss it with his own God without a care in the world.
Ophra was limited by the common sense of her own world. In fact, from the beginning, she did not expect Hao Ren to agree so she looked at him as if he was looking at a rare creature. The marshal stared at Big Beardy next to her and asked, "... This kind of thing... Can you really discuss it with your own God?"
Big Beardy did not know how to explain. He could only stiffen his neck and try to be serious. "... His God can."
At this time, Hao Ren had already let the MDT connect to Raven 12345's channel. Her lazy voice rang in his mind. "Hao Ren? What's up? "
"... You still haven't woken up yet?"
"Nonsense! You've been out again, haven't you? Do you know about jet lag? "Raven 12345's voice was still so warm." What's the matter? Spit it out. "
Hao Ren quickly put on a straight face. "It's like this, I'm going to experience the ritual of another God..."
"Pfft —"
Hao Ren heard a messy sound in his mind, and then Raven 12345's voice rang in his mind. "What the hell?! I've been treating you well, how can you just jump ship like that?! Are you trying to steal your daughter's food? "
Hao Ren realized that there was something wrong with what he said and quickly explained. Raven 12345 breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew... I thought it was a big deal. You're not joining a Pagan. You're just doing a wireless communication test. Go on, go on."
Then the Goddess was still muttering on the other side. "Scared me. I thought that looking at the history of the three major pantheons for hundreds of millions of years, I can't believe I met a Pope who wants to resign today, and he even called God... I almost thought I'd be the headline again... What the hell? You didn't hang up? "
Then the spiritual connection was hung up in a hurry.
Lily looked curiously at Hao Ren's changing expression and asked carefully, "Mr. Landlord, Sister Goddess wants to give you a blessing?"
Hao Ren turned his head and did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Let me tell you, I may not be able to believe in her for the rest of my life..."
Lily: "?"
After a short period of preparation, Hao Ren and Big Beardy came together to the small monastery in the floating city. This air fortress was completely designed according to the structure of a military town, so there were not only barracks and training grounds, but also church facilities such as monasteries. Although small in scale, it was enough to handle most daily affairs.
Hao Ren had no feelings about the branding ceremony. Perhaps in the eyes of the locals of Holletta, this was a sacred and glorious process of blessing, a manifestation of the Goddess's grace on mortals. But in Hao Ren's eyes, this was just an ordinary experiment, no different from the projects he carried out in the spaceship's laboratory. In fact, even without Big Beardy's help, he planned to try to "inoculate" the lifeblood on the spaceship and see what kind of voice he could hear.
Anyway, he had a sample of the lifeblood, professional books of the Disciples of Glory, and complete medical equipment. Even if there was a small rejection reaction, there was no need to worry.
Of course, it was better now. With the help of professional religious people, the success rate should be much higher.
"Why do I feel that you are not nervous at all?" Ophra also came over to watch. She was puzzled by Hao Ren's reaction from the beginning to the end. "And there is no hesitation or resistance … Aren't you following another goddess? I heard about your world from the master. "
Hao Ren looked at Big Beardy, who was preparing incense and lifeblood containers not far away. "It's not a big deal. In our world, which child does not get a dozen vaccines after birth?" he replied casually.
Ophra was shocked. "Your world is so fanatical about religion?!"
This was the cultural difference.
Hao Ren turned his head and looked around. He found that apart from his friends, only Big Beardy and Cardinal Orben were present. He was puzzled. "Doesn't this ritual need a lot of people? And you have to chant scriptures for a long time … How did it become a simplified version for me? "
"Are you really going to join the religion?" Big Beardy smiled gently. "The ritual of chanting scriptures is, on the one hand, to subconsciously strengthen the spiritual connection between the believers and the goddess, on the other hand, it is an admonition to join the religion. But you are only here to test the lifeblood connection, so you can skip those parts. And to be honest … I don't think reading you a few prayers will make you believe in our goddess. "
Y 'lisabet muttered, "This is not what a fanatic should say."
"We are devout believers, but the goddess forbids us to become fanatics," Cardinal Orben said with a straight face. As the pope of the previous era, he did not need to personally participate in this kind of ritual, but it was the first time since the establishment of the Disciples of Glory to let a heretic undergo the branding. Out of many considerations, and as the person responsible for personally approving this matter, he came to supervise it. "The goddess teaches us that we should be wary of all uncontrollable extreme thoughts. Uncontrollable, extreme, all should be abandoned. God's love should be conveyed to the world gently, not scorching them like the sun. "
"Well, I like this saying." Y 'lisabet crossed her arms and nodded like a little adult. "The humans in our world all believe in a bunch of messy gods of light, creation and whatnot, each more fanatical than the other, as if afraid that others do not know how powerful their god is … One look and you can tell that they have a guilty conscience."
Big Beardy lit the incense that had the effect of enhancing spiritual power, and carried the strange container of lifeblood to Hao Ren's side. "Are you ready to hear the voice of the goddess?"
"Come on — I hope she can really say something to me."
(I don't know if I can get more monthly votes in the last few hours. I'll vote for those who still have votes! It's about to expire anyway.)
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