Pope Valen Demond raised his head, his gaze falling toward the doorway. His voice was calm, yet carried an authority that could not be ignored.
"Then... who exactly is this messenger who returned alive from the Tomb?"
Footsteps echoed from outside the hall, but the person did not enter.
A moment later, a low, steady voice sounded from the doorway.
"Reporting to Your Holiness, the one who returned alive was not an ordinary priest or believer but a cultivator from Tianlan."
Even after that, the cultivator still did not step into the room.
He simply stood outside, separated by the open doorway as he delivered his report. His voice was clear but carried a deliberate sense of distance.
Pope Valen Demond neither urged him to come in nor showed the slightest displeasure. He merely listened in silence, slowly setting down the cutlery in his hands. His wrinkled hands folded gently together atop the table, the movement elegant enough to resemble a ritual.
The man outside continued.
