Chapter 6: Great Prophecy Magic

That face, displaying both vitality and decay, gradually merged into the entire force field emanating from the sky. The power of the stars was continuously drawn toward this place. The frail body on the wheelchair seemed to become increasingly unstable. From a distance, the body, enveloped by interwoven light and shadow, appeared somewhat blurred, even showing signs of transparency.

Great Prophecy Magic was not some particularly special spell—it was more of a general term for such abilities. However, the requirements to cast this spell were extremely high. The demands on magical prowess alone were enough to dispel the ambitions of ordinary or even great magicians. What was even more stringent was the need for excellent mental resilience, as the mental strain involved in perceiving the future through time and space was extraordinary. If one lacked sufficient mental strength, such an almost unimaginable spell could drive them mad instantly. Moreover, robust protective measures were also essential. Peeping into the will of the heavens was an act that defied divine laws and would inevitably incur divine punishment. At such times, the caster was at their most vulnerable, without powerful divine or sacred artifacts to shield them from the destructive forces of the heavens. A single surge of power could annihilate both the caster’s body and soul. It was estimated that there were no more than three people across the entire continent capable of casting this spell—of course, the Pope was not included in that count.

A massive amount of energy slowly permeated his entire body. Julius II could sense the immense power drawn through his star magic. The slightest imbalance in his balance would instantly turn his frail body to dust. Yet he wasn’t worried. He had already experienced this Great Prophecy Magic twice before. The last time he had cast it was over a decade ago, driven by the uncertainty of the continent’s situation. Now, he grew increasingly skeptical and less confident, even resorting to this spell based on some hunch. Was he really too old to step aside? Such a thought silently passed through Julius II’s mind.

Shoving aside the disturbance in his heart, Julius II instinctively wanted to shake his head, but a powerful force enveloped his entire body, preventing him from moving. He could only force a faint bitter smile. If not for his three successors being so “exceptional” that he had no choice, he would have willingly stepped down. His predecessors had all suffered from the lack of suitable heirs or from heirs whose abilities were insufficient. As for him, if it came to ability and talent, each of these three was undoubtedly unparalleled. Yet perhaps it was their extraordinary abilities that led them to focus excessively on maximizing those abilities—either in a utilitarian manner or by being overly fixated on certain interpretations of the sacred teachings under specific circumstances. Pushing things to extremes on either side, they pursued their own goals with such determination that Julius II even wondered if they had gone so far as to use any means necessary. Such a situation was likely something no pope before him had ever encountered.

Calming his mind, Julius quickly turned his soul into a tranquil, still pond—so still that not even a ripple disturbed its surface. Gradually, vague images began to appear on the mirror-like surface. Julius knew these were the fragmented thoughts deep within his heart. Though his mind appeared calm on the surface, it was still troubled by worldly concerns, which manifested as various illusions. He even thought of using his mental eye to see what he had been worrying about all day, but reason immediately stopped him from acting on this impulse. Seeing these things would bring him no benefit; instead, it would only increase his psychological burden, impair his judgment, and be utterly meaningless.

When time seemed to have come completely to a halt and Julius could no longer sense the existence of anything around him, he knew the magic of the Great Prophecy Art was about to unfold. The mirror of his mind gradually became blurred, with ripples spreading across the calm surface. As the first ripple spread outward and the second had just formed but not yet spread, his mental eye clearly saw a rugged, primitive, yet infinitely charming head appearing between the two ripples. Curly hair like a lion’s mane, high brow ridges, deeply sunken eye sockets, slightly protruding cheekbones, thick lips—especially those eyes, emitting a dim glow with a hint of mockery and sarcasm in their flicker. Who was this?! It was him!

A shock ran through him. Julius could hardly believe his psychic vision. Although this portrait was quite distant, it was not unfamiliar to him. As the pope of the Church of Light, he could hardly be unaware of it. But what did this portrait signify—Rebirth of Darkness or Emergence of Evil? It was no news; such phenomena already existed in the alien societies of the South. Yet Julius believed those who lacked psychic coordinates couldn’t cause much trouble. Though they might seem formidable for a time, it would only be a fleeting moment. Without a pursuit of the spiritual, they would soon sink. Thoughts determine consciousness, and consciousness determines action. Those who can’t even find their goals aren’t worth paying attention to.

But was it that simple? Julius immediately rejected his initial judgment. If it were that simple, why hadn’t he seen this scene when he used the Great Prophecy spell over a decade ago? Back then, the dark forces in the South were at their peak, yet his portrait hadn’t appeared. Why was it happening now? Julius tried to use his remaining psychic positioning skills to determine the origin of this scene. To his disappointment, the Great Prophecy spell had drained almost all his strength, leaving him only with a vague sense of something coming from the South. But the South was an extremely vast region, with countless countries and forces, including both mortals and aliens. Could it be those unruly but ineffectual heretics in the South? Or should he send those guys from Noyora to investigate the possible anomalies in the South?

A series of thoughts flashed through Julius’s mind. But at that moment, a second wave of ripples arrived. Just as the second wave was about to pass, Julius suddenly noticed that the familiar portrait had transformed into a tall figure. This tall figure was definitely not the same as the portrait before. With just a glance, Julius couldn’t make out the face of the figure, but his intuition told him it was a young man, a very young one. Before he could observe more closely, the second wave had passed, leaving no trace behind.

What connection does this young man have with the Demon King? Could it be that Kenifere III has been reborn? The Demon King reborn? This thought, which almost made Julius exclaim in shock, flashed through his mind in an instant—impossible! Both historical records and the Church’s secret archives clearly stated that Kenifere III was utterly destroyed in that battle and could not possibly be reborn. But what did the figure of that young man imply? A series of shocks nearly shook Julius’s resolve, but fortunately, the mental defenses he had prepared protected him well. Having experienced this several times before, he was no longer an inexperienced novice ignorant of the dangers of great prophecy; proper self-protection would keep him safe.

While inwardly sighing, Julius had made up his mind. It was probably time to loosen the reins of the Tribunal somewhat. Too many restrictions might, as Noyora said, turn tolerance into sin and indulging darkness into the destruction of light. It would be beneficial—and necessary—to let the people of the Tribunal cleanse the world of evil forces and showcase the power of the God of Light at the right time.

His psychic eye quietly watched the mirror after the second wave of ripples passed. What made Julius’s heart sink was the vast desert landscape that appeared on the mirror. Among the creatures running and jumping in the scene was a priest dressed in the robes of the Light Church, and those creatures were orcs! Judging from the situation, it seemed the orcs and the priest were having a pleasant conversation. What did this imply? That the orcs had changed their faith to worship the God of Light, or that the priest was diligently preaching in the Mogan Desert? Although this was the best possibility, Julius knew it was unlikely. He didn’t want to push his predictions in the worst direction, even though he understood that the worst outcomes were often the truth.

The immense mental pressure made Julius feel almost suffocated. He knew it was because his emotions had fluctuated wildly due to continuous excitement, nearly causing him to lose balance. He tried his best to calm his mind gradually, but restoring equilibrium wasn’t easy, especially under the influence of the celestial holy power from the stars, where even the slightest change would be magnified infinitely. This was the danger of great prophecy.

With some regret, Julius activated his Mental Eye. Although several mental defenses eventually managed to withstand the pressure of the Celestial Holy Power, his hope to see more and more detailed glimpses of the future world turned to nothing. Under the influence of the Celestial Holy Power, every slightest change deep within his mind was reflected without reservation and amplified to infinity. To overcome this danger, he had to use the Holy Power he had originally reserved for performing the Great Prophecy. This contradictory situation determined the outcome of each Great Prophecy. This time, the result was clearly not ideal. Yet Julius dared not expect too much; being able to glimpse the emergence of the demonic shadows and the hidden crises within the Light Holy Church was sufficient. He no longer needed to know anything else. As long as he could achieve a relatively satisfactory resolution to these two matters before leaving, he would be satisfied.