Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 152: Things Get Worse

When Chu Tianyu arrived at the so-called royal church that Fernand had mentioned, he was shocked. What royal church? It was nothing but a few dilapidated stone buildings in the countryside, though they did indeed resemble a church in structure. The central building had a pointed roof, with a large cross made of bluestone hanging above it, along with a line of French letters below.
“This is the so-called biggest royal church you were talking about?” Chu Tianyu asked in confusion.
“Of course. Didn’t you see the words written above? ‘Royal Church’—how obvious! Oh, right, I forgot you can’t read at all! No wonder…” Fernand realized, upon seeing Chu Tianyu’s expression, that he couldn’t understand French at all.
“Come on, who can’t read? Could you please add the word ‘French’ to clarify?” Chu Tianyu thought to himself, but spoke in a skeptical tone, “No way. Even if it says ‘royal church,’ this is still way too… And didn’t you say it’s the largest among the churches in the area?”
Fernand looked down on Chu Tianyu and said, “In the eyes of our vampires, the size of a church isn’t determined by its grandeur or ornateness, but by its age and the depth of faith in that worthless God! It’s not as superficial as you think!”
Chu Tianyu was truly speechless. Seeing Fernand so smug, he had finally found an opportunity to put him down, but it seemed like Fernand considered it a great honor.
“By the way, besides that super-powered expert inside the church, there are also four henchmen. With the holy power gathered here, their strength shouldn’t be underestimated!” Fernand continued.
“Huh. It seems this old guy isn’t as simple as he claims. Just by looking, he says their strength is extraordinary, yet he doesn’t try to provoke them. He’s clearly lying. Given his personality, I bet he’s already fought them before and lost, which is why he’s coming to me now!” Chu Tianyu thought to himself, staring at Fernand meaningfully without saying a word.
Seeing Chu Tianyu’s expression, Fernand’s pale face turned red for the first time, and he quickly averted his gaze, laughing awkwardly, as if something obvious had been exposed.

Chu Tianyu didn’t make things difficult for him either and said directly, “Elder, will you stay outside or come in with me? The holy energy inside should have an effect on you, right?”
Upon hearing this, Fernand was overjoyed—finally, he could go in and settle things. Damn it, his back still hurt from that old guy’s silver cross beam. He quickly replied, “Sure, sure! Of course I’ll come in with you. That little holy energy field inside is nothing compared to your Esher Castle!”
“Then when you fought them last time, didn’t that holy energy field here affect you?” Chu Tianyu suddenly asked casually.
“Sure, it had some effect. Otherwise, just based on strength, they wouldn’t have been so arrogant…” Before he could finish, Fernand realized what he said and quickly stopped, looking embarrassed at Chu Tianyu.
But Chu Tianyu didn’t dwell on his insincere words. With a faceless expression, he let out a loud roar and dashed into the open doors of the church. Fernand knew Chu Tianyu wasn’t really upset about it, so he relaxed and quickly followed in.
After entering, Chu Tianyu realized that although the church looked ordinary from the outside, it was actually spacious and bright inside, with everything spotless. In the center, a huge cross with Jesus hanging on it hung on the wall. Apart from a cardinal and four priests on the platform, the church was completely empty.
Chu Tianyu could sense a layer of holy energy here, but as Fernand had said, it was far weaker than that of Esher Castle.
“This place is supposed to be a place for worshipping the sacred God. The Lord should be forgiving and merciful. Why do you so-called clergy resort to schemes and despicable acts like kidnapping people?” As Chu Tianyu stepped forward slowly, he uttered loud, questioning words.
Chu Tianyu and Fernand finally reached the platform in front of the church, facing those clergy members. They didn’t seem overly surprised by their arrival. But after hearing Chu Tianyu’s words, they frowned and murmured among themselves for a while before the cardinal in the middle spoke, uttering a stream of French words.
What a pity for Chu Tianyu! All those impressive words of his went unheard by them! Helplessly, he signaled Fernand to act as a translator.

At this moment, Fernandico grew arrogant, with a look of smug satisfaction on his face. After looking down on those men with disdain, he slowly translated, “Hehe, you guys had fun beating me just now, didn’t you? Now that my friend has arrived, you better get ready to get beaten. After that, I’ll bestow upon you my sacred first kiss, so you’ll know what it’s like to be cursed and despised by God. Oh, haha…”
Hearing such insolent words from their defeated opponent, especially from the four gray-robed priests behind the cardinal, they all glared angrily and were about to take action, but the cardinal stopped them, saying, “Holy Lord, please forgive Your people for talking to this outsider…”
Then he spoke in a calm tone, “Although I know that with our strength alone, we can’t hurt you, the power of the Lord is omnipotent, and the light He bestows is sacred…”
“Enough, enough! Do you know why we usually avoid dealing with you? It’s not because we vampires fear your so-called sacred powers, but because we hate those annoying phrases like ‘Lord’ and ‘praise’! I bet that damned God must also suffer spiritual torment from hearing them every day!” Fernandico quickly interrupted, as if afraid of his own words.
“That’s outright blasphemy…”
“Blasphemy? I’ll show you what real beating looks like, so you’ll understand what true blasphemy is!” Fernandico cut him off before he could finish speaking.
“Are there a man and a woman locked up here?” Chu Tianyu suddenly asked in English. Clearly, after seeing Fernandico’s arrogant speech anger those foreign priests, he guessed that this guy’s intention of coming here was more likely to seek revenge than to help find someone. So, not wanting to create more trouble, Chu Tianyu cautiously asked in English.
The cardinal was stunned by Chu Tianyu’s question and took a long time before answering in English, “What does this friend mean?”
Hearing that he could speak English, Chu Tianyu coldly replied, “I just want to know if they’re here or not!”
The cardinal felt a chill in his heart. He had already prepared for Fernandico’s return, knowing that vampires had a strong desire for revenge, which was why he had sent away some unrelated members of the church. He didn’t expect Fernandico to return not with a large group of vampires, but just with a young man from the East.

Just then, there was noise at the door, and quite a number of clergy members in robes entered one after another, including two cardinals among them. Seeing this, the original cardinal became confident and slowly said to Chu Tianyu, “We have many believers here. I’m not sure who the man and woman you’re referring to are.” “The ones you kidnapped,” Chu Tianyu replied calmly without any reaction. “I don’t understand what you mean. This is a church, not a prison!” the cardinal said. Chu Tianyu gave Fernandi a cold glance, clearly asking, “Aren’t you trying to sabotage things out of personal grudges?” Realizing Chu Tianyu had misunderstood, Fernandi quickly stepped forward and shouted at the cardinal in English, “You brat! When I came last night, there were three people hidden in that cellar, one of them even having the scent of a vampire. How dare you claim to be gods and lords when you’re nothing but a bunch of thieves and prostitutes—complete nonsense!” The cardinal, realizing everything had been exposed, was helpless regarding those three people; he couldn’t complain due to the absurd orders from above. Clearly, this Eastern man must have come for that woman, and now that she had finally shown up, things were complicated. Chu Tianyu’s expression finally darkened as he said, “Your Eminence, do you have any explanation?” As he spoke, his energy surged, pressing down on the cardinal with immense force, forcing him to take several steps back. The cardinal was shocked and quickly used his sacred power to defend himself, barely stabilizing his position. At the same time, a cross wrapped in strands of sea-blue gems appeared in his hands, emitting a blue sacred light that formed a natural barrier around him. As the situation grew tense, the other bishops and monks who entered later took their positions, surrounding Chu Tianyu and Fernandi. Chu Tianyu remained gloomy, while Fernandi was overjoyed. He knew full well of Chu Tianyu’s terrifying strength. These bishops were naturally meant to counter him, so they were at a disadvantage in any fight with him. But now it was different—with Chu Tianyu by their side, the more of them, the better. Haha, today they could finally vent their centuries of resentment thoroughly. Haha, it felt even better than cursing God!

“Holy Lord, please forgive my helplessness and violence… The light of the saints shines everywhere…” The cardinal murmured to himself as he pointed the special silver cross in his hand at Fernando beside Chu Tianyu. The sacred light that had surrounded him earlier rushed downward like mercury, hitting Fernando in the chest.

The cardinal’s attack served as a signal—not only did the four priests behind him take action, but those who arrived later also began attacking Chu Tianyu and Fernando, crossing themselves and chanting hymns as they did so.

Before the cardinal’s beam of light could reach him, Fernando instantly turned into a black dot and soared upward. Instead of fighting back, he hovered in midair, avoiding attacks while emitting sounds that seemed like mockery or the laughter of those eager to watch a spectacle…

Chu Tianyu, however, wasn’t in as good a mood as Fernando. Aside from his earlier conversation with those foreign priests, he had focused all his attention on sensing the church. To his disappointment, after several attempts, he found neither Sister Xin’s familiar presence nor any other clues, which left him very frustrated.

As he grew anxious, the cardinal and the four priests behind him seemed to think they knew what to do. They felt as though they owed Chu Tianyu something, so their attacks were not directed at him but focused entirely on Fernando, who was flying arrogantly in the air.

But the clergy who arrived later lacked such awareness. Although they sensed no unusual evil aura around Chu Tianyu, they were certain he was working with that movie star, so they decided to attack first.

Several holy light fists blessed by the priests rushed at Chu Tianyu at lightning speed. Filled with rage, Chu Tianyu didn’t retaliate or defend himself. Instead, he simply swung his arms sideways. Instantly, a massive surge of energy erupted from him, engulfing the approaching priests. The energy not only shattered the holy light in their hands but also made them act like puppets tossed about in a vast ocean, spewing blood—clearly doomed.

The few cardinals who had refrained from acting out of sense of propriety now all showed expressions of shock. What kind of magic was this Easterner using? He had subdued their most trusted assistants silently, and it seemed as though the Easterner hadn’t even exerted his full strength yet.

While those monks were restrained and the cardinals were stunned, Chu Tianyu didn’t even glance their way. With a sudden movement, as if propelled by an invisible force, he floated up to the central platform.

The cardinal holding the peculiar cross, despite being assisted by four priests behind him who kept attacking Fernandi, who was dodging in the air, remained fully focused on the Easterner. It was enough to see his profound skill from the force he had just unleashed that could force him back. Otherwise, that old bat, who had been there before and suffered a loss, wouldn’t have brought him alone so casually.

So, seeing Chu Tianyu effortlessly subdue several monks with great spiritual power and even float in the air was simply unbelievable!

But unlike the cardinals below, he didn’t stand frozen. Instead, he growled softly behind him, raised his cross with both hands, and offensive spells were immediately chanted. The priests ordered to do so quickly changed their tactics—two of them held their crosses while placing the other hand on the cardinal’s back. The remaining two aimed their sacred books at Chu Tianyu, unleashing an energy wave.

After floating onto the platform, Chu Tianyu deliberately slowed down. He had other plans. Otherwise, with his skills and speed, the cardinal’s silver cross wouldn’t even have had time to be raised before Chu Tianyu’s fist struck his nose.

The energy waves were nothing but trivial distractions to Chu Tianyu; he dispersed them with a mere push of his energy. But taking advantage of this gap, the cardinal’s cross finally gathered a faintly blue energy sphere, which, with his final chant, shot out like a runaway horse, heading straight for Chu Tianyu.

Chu Tianyu didn’t say much. He raised his fist and struck the energy sphere head-on. With a loud “boom,” the entire church shook. The two priests holding the cardinal’s back spat blood instantly and flew backward.

The cardinal, thanks to the blue energy shield from his cross, barely managed to withstand the recoil and aftereffects of Chu Tianyu’s punch.

Although the cardinal was horrified, he knew that the situation in today’s battle had reached a critical point. Not only was there this mysterious Easterner before him, but even that shadowy figure hovering in the sky had not yet launched any attacks! So the cardinal put aside all his illusions and hesitations. Suddenly, he let out a loud chant, and his cross emitted several beams of blue light straight at Chu Tianyu. After that, he stepped back a few paces, raised the cross high above his head, his face illuminated by a sacred glow, his expression solemn and dignified. The two priests who could still stand also retreated behind him and began to chant along. Suddenly, a beam of white light shone down from the cross hanging above them, falling precisely on the cardinal. The white light grew increasingly bright and intense, as if all the sacred energy of the church had gathered there. The cardinal’s robes rustled in the surge of white light, seemingly filled with power as well. Among those below, aside from the few monks who had initially attacked Chu Tianyu and were now knocked down, everyone else scattered around, holding their crosses across their chests and murmuring words, as if praying. At that moment, it seemed as though all the light in the church was concentrated on the cross in the cardinal’s hands, while the rest of the area became dim. The surrounding corridors were pitch black, and the lights in several small chapels began to flicker like stars, shining brightly in the darkness. Chu Tianyu’s lips twitched slightly. If Fernandi were here, he would surely understand the meaning behind this slight movement—it was nothing but blatant “disdain”! This was exactly the effect Chu Tianyu wanted. Right now, it wasn’t about determining a winner or avenging himself like Fernandi intended; the priority was to find Sister Xin and Duke Ret. That’s why Chu Tianyu waited until their final attack was completed before completely shattering their attacks and utterly destroying the faith upon which they relied, so they could experience what true “God’s” power was like! Indeed, as the chanting around them grew louder, the dazzling light emitted by the silver cross in the cardinal’s hands overpowered even the remaining blue light. By now, the cardinal’s face was flushed red, and his entire body was enveloped in white light—a stark contrast.

At that moment, it seemed the cardinal was connected to the sacred energy of the entire church. Suddenly, his eyes shone brightly, and a high-pitched sound came from his mouth, as if he had used all his strength. The cross he held high suddenly resembled a blade suspended in the air, slashing downward at Chu Tianyu.

A intense white light burst forth, rushing like a hurricane toward Chu Tianyu. The immense energy was beyond human control; even the bluestone platform it passed over was left with long cracks from the afterglow…

Chu Tianyu didn’t dodge either. Under such overwhelming power, he still clenched his fist and threw a simple punch. It was no longer a matter of technique or precision but a battle of raw strength, of their respective energies!

A deafening noise finally erupted. The entire church shook as if the earth itself were trembling. The weaker buildings were instantly destroyed, and the large windows shattered into powder and vanished in the wind. The layer of white light that the cardinal had summoned and spread across the church also cracked and shattered as if it were solid matter.

Such violent vibrations affected even Fernando, who was happily watching from a corner. He stumbled backward and ended up leaning against a wall radiating sacred light. His back burned instantly, forcing him to jump away. He then struck the nearest cardinal, who was unprepared and caught in the energy wave, causing him to collapse to the ground. This allowed Fernando to regain his balance slightly before he turned to stare in horror at the consequences caused by Chu Tianyu and his continued “performance!”

In fact, Chu Tianyu’s fist also hesitated for a moment—someone could actually block his punch, which carried 80% of his strength without any additional energy. No wonder even that old bat had to retreat in defeat. He also felt admiration for the cardinal’s ability to gather such sacred energy.

But a little admiration didn’t mean he would stop fighting. So Chu Tianyu continued to release his energy, and the wind generated by his fist accelerated forward like an unstoppable force.

From the very first contact, the cardinal was already struggling to breathe under the immense shock. The blood in his chest couldn’t be expelled due to the clash of the two energies, turning his originally rosy complexion purple, making it clear just how desperately he was holding on and how dangerous his situation was.

Under the continuous pressure from Chu Tianyu, the white holy light drawn from the cross seemed to have no way out and rapidly spread in all directions, causing cracks to appear instantly on the walls of the entire church. The sacred power that had originally gathered within those walls shattered along with those cracks and vanished. This reversal of energy not only put the cardinal in an awkward situation but also the two priests behind him could no longer withstand the recoil force at the first impact, suffering even worse than the two priests who had already fallen. Blood gushed from their mouths, their clothes were torn to shreds by the backlash of white light, and deep cuts appeared on their skin, leaving them unconscious on the spot. Those chanting around them also suffered greatly; aside from one unlucky person who was attacked by Fernandi, the crosses in the hands of the cardinals shattered as well, leaving their hands numb. Their continuous prayers and chants stopped, and they gasped for breath, feeling utterly exhausted. Chu Tianyu paid no attention to the consequences and continued his attack. Facing the white light emitted by the cardinal as he gathered his last remaining strength, he suddenly changed his fist into a claw, breaking through that feeble resistance, and grabbed the cardinal by the throat, lifting him up. With forceful pressure from his fingers, he twisted the cardinal’s head to the side, while his other hand delivered a solid punch to his abdomen… Immediately, a large mouthful of purple, clotted blood appeared, leaving the cardinal in a pitiful state. Even Fernandi, who had come to take revenge, showed deep pity and empathy, as he had just “experienced” such a blow a few days ago, which even made him, an immortal, consider death. Alas, it seemed the cardinal in red must be suffering greatly now! The two priests who had fallen first tried to push themselves up, determined to crawl over to their bishop, but Chu Tianyu showed no mercy. He threw the cardinal in his hands toward them, and the loud thud woke the already unconscious bishop. “I don’t want to kill today, unless you give me a satisfactory answer to what I want to know!” Chu Tianyu’s cold voice rang out at the same time.

Filled with humiliation and despair at the power of the person before him, the cardinal also cursed in his heart those ridiculous orders issued by the church, showing no regard for mercy or forgiveness.
“They’ve left!” the cardinal said in a sad voice.
“When did they leave? Where did they go?” Chu Tianyu asked repeatedly.
“The appearance of that vampire made him wary; he said he needed to find his own kind for safety. He simply didn’t trust us at all!” the cardinal replied hesitantly.