I changed the world.

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However, Clement III, a reformist at the time, did not see it that way. Of course, he could not say much to Pius IV, who was the Patriarch, and simply remained silent.

Finally, Pius IV appeared somewhat weary, and he uttered his last words: "The only one we truly must face is the Lord..."

At the time, Clement III, who was still Cardinal Paulon, did not grasp the deeper meaning of Pius IV's words, and simply thought it was a habitual sermon by the pope.

In fact, after becoming Pope, Clement III did push for reforms, but he also clearly felt that the reforms could not reach the extent he had initially thought. He also sensed powerful constraints within the Church, forces far greater than he had initially imagined.

All he was ultimately able to do was reform some church institutions and create some jobs for women.

Even then, he did not believe there was anything wrong with his reform direction. He just felt that many senior members of the church were too conservative and old-fashioned. He had publicly proclaimed his ideas and was still thinking about how to further promote the reforms.

Until... everything changed...

“Brother Björn… this…” Clement III was somewhat bewildered. He didn’t know if he was wrong or not, but one thing was certain: the foundation of the Church’s existence was clearly not what he had imagined.

“Baolong, it seems… only by truly sitting in this position will you be able to understand some perspectives that are different from what you had before…”

“Paulon, I’m afraid you already understand… The only thing the Church relies on is the Lord… Piety and the sword are the cornerstones upon which the Church has survived to this day.” Pius IV’s face changed from kind to solemn.

“Brother Björn…” Clement III wanted to ask, “Did you leave in such a hurry that you left only piety and forgot to leave the sword behind…”

But the words that came out of his mouth were: "You are right, only devout faith in our Lord is the greatest reliance of the church."

However, he changed the subject, hesitatingly saying, "Brother Pyo, but... why... why... the church today..."

"You want to ask why the Church is so weak now, right?" Pius III seemed to see through Clement III's question and asked in a calm and smiling tone.

“Yes… Brother Björn, nothing can escape your wisdom…” Although he addressed him as “Brother Björn,” Clement III subconsciously began to adopt the same attitude he had used when he met Björn IV more than ten years ago.

"The decline of the Church did not begin today, nor yesterday, but has been ongoing for over 700 years..." Pius IV's tone was calm, but the information revealed in his words made Clement III's ears perk up.

"Seven hundred years ago...you mean..." Clement III's mind raced, recalling the major events of the past 700 years. To some extent, Pius IV was indeed correct. Since the Industrial Revolution, countries had experienced a technological explosion; the steam engine and gunpowder drastically changed the nature of warfare. During this process, the Church's power steadily declined with the spread of science and technology, ultimately becoming an entity with influence only in the religious sphere. Not to mention, during the Renaissance and Reformation, the Church's decline compared to its former glory in the Middle Ages was already evident. Otherwise, royal families and nobles would never have dared to fund those hypocritical so-called artists and scholars who wrote numerous books, openly or covertly attacking the Church's ideological foundations. Ultimately, this even led to the Church's own schism!

Whether the Renaissance was right or wrong is currently understood in mainstream social analysis as having undoubtedly liberated thought, freed people from religious constraints, developed productive forces, and laid the intellectual foundation for the subsequent Industrial Revolution.

However, what does the Vatican think about the "cost" itself? Do the priests still yearn for the glory of the Vatican before the Renaissance, or even during the Middle Ages?

Clement III, as a reformer, dared not delve too deeply into this issue, yet he was well aware that the decline of the Papacy during the Renaissance was a consequence, not a cause.

It was because the Papacy had already declined to a certain extent that some people dared to fund those opposing forces, which eventually gathered into a huge wave that completely overturned the Papacy's voice!

So, when did the Papacy truly begin its decline? As Pope, Clement III, a former Cardinal, undoubtedly possessed exceptional knowledge, especially regarding the history of the Church and the Western Continent. He didn't need to consult any documents; major historical events flashed through his mind...

Black Death?

Looking back at the history of the entire Western Continent, this severe epidemic that swept across the entire continent was undoubtedly a dark chapter that could not be turned over, directly causing heavy damage to the Western Continent and even the Papacy at various levels.

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 858 Mysteries and Coincidences

Today, people have found numerous reasons to claim the Black Death was inevitable. For example, poor hygiene habits in the Western Continent at the time, such as not bathing leading to rampant germs; poor urban sanitation and lack of sewage systems causing sewage and excrement to accumulate; and the lack of agricultural technology resulting in uncollected and unmanaged excrement, which became a breeding ground for germs. Furthermore, the culling of domestic cats for religious reasons led to rampant rodent infestations, which were then spread to more distant areas via seaports and commerce. Finally, the underdeveloped medical system meant the West lacked effective treatments to contain the spread of the disease…

Undoubtedly, each of these points seems to make perfect sense and is completely self-consistent. However, is that really all there is to it?

Clement III initially believed that the Black Death was not a "punishment by the Lord," but rather a tragedy caused by the ignorance of the people at the time—a settled chapter in history. However, as he increasingly realized that the Papacy might have possessed power far exceeding his imagination, he also pondered whether this period of history was truly just that simple.

Concurrent with the Black Death was the Great Schism that occurred at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, during which time there was even a standoff between two popes for several decades...

Without a doubt, this was a major event that cannot be ignored in Bergopelli's history. Like the Black Death, it directly damaged the prestige of the Papacy in the Western Continent at that time!

Modern historical interpretations undoubtedly point to the ambitions of the Grande royal family, which led to all of this…

This once seemed like a plausible explanation. However, if the Papacy was far more powerful than imagined, what forces caused it to split at that time?

But if we go back in time...

The deaths of two popes were inextricably linked to the monarchs of Grand at the time. The papacy even moved from Bergopelli, the land of the prophets, to Meloton in Grand, a period known in history as the "Meloton Captivity."

In history, it was during the reign of King Ubonova of Grande that the ambitious monarch, who had expelled the Archbishop of Grande for treason, died. He even led his army to attack the Papacy due to conflicts with the Church, imprisoning the Pope at Meloton on the border of Grande, creating the famous 'Meloton Imprisonment' incident.

This was a landmark event in church history, and some even believe it represents the Vatican's decline from its zenith.

However, if the Papacy's military strength was actually far less than he had anticipated, then how did Bonova I manage to imprison Pope Lustow II himself?

Could it be that the Grand Royal Family at that time also possessed extraordinary power?

So, what about going further ahead?

Are there any other suspicious incidents?

Thinking of this, Clement III suddenly recalled a piece of information he had recently heard.

Approximately ten days ago, a mysterious, supernatural event occurred at the Baladil National Museum in Cidé, the capital of Grande. Multiple witnesses reported seeing "miracles" above the museum. Cidé is a city with a large Christian community, so the church quickly received the information. At the same time, the church also received other information, claiming that supernatural events had occurred at the museum that night, and even speculating that the event involved individuals connected to the church…

This speculation arose because, afterward, the local church received a request from the Grand Grande External Security Bureau for assistance in obtaining a list of church personnel for investigation.

At the request of the Bureau of External Security, the church was certain that they were searching for a priest named "Valentine," and they also wanted to access files related to the Knights Templar. However, the Bureau of External Security only stated that this investigation involved national security, without providing further explanation to the church. Even so, the church could still glean some clues from the retrieved files.

On the other hand, the Foreign Security Bureau's ambiguous attitude of being unwilling to disclose details to the church itself allows those with ulterior motives to guess many things. Therefore, the information provided by the church was also somewhat reserved…

When this information reached Clement III, he immediately consulted some relevant materials about the Knights Templar. Although he couldn't fully guess what kind of information the Grand Security Bureau possessed due to insufficient information at the time, he still refreshed his understanding of that period of history.

Therefore, at this moment, he instinctively thought of this period of history!

In 1318, Grand Master Owen Lane of the Knights Templar was invited by Pope Rusto II to Grande to discuss important matters. Upon arrival, Lane was immediately arrested. It is said that a dismissed knight accused the Templars of numerous crimes, which King Bonova I of Grande readily accepted, and without warning, ordered the mass arrests of Templar members throughout Grande. Bonova I considered these Templars 'heretics' and 'denies of the Son of Micah,' fabricating charges to arrest them.

On the evening of March 22, 1325, Owen Lane was burned at the stake, marking the end of the Knights Templar.

According to some unofficial historical accounts, before being burned at the stake, he cursed King Bonois I of Grand and Pope Lustow II, predicting they would face eternal judgment within a year. Finally, he uttered these words:

"The Lord knows who is guilty and who is guilty. Misfortune will befall those who have wrongly judged us; the Lord will avenge us. All those who have wronged us will suffer!"

Coincidentally, Pope Lustow II died suddenly a month later, and Bonois I died suddenly while hunting six months later.

Two years later, the Black Death swept across the Western Continent, killing over 300,000 people. The status of the Bergoperi Church was severely shaken.

A hundred years later, Grand was embroiled in a century-long War of the Succession, which resulted in the deaths of nearly ten million people.

Originally, research on the Knights Templar was not mainstream in academia, so there wasn't much information circulating about them. However, when people pieced together these fragmented records, they couldn't help but think more deeply...

It seems... there are too many mysteries and coincidences hidden inside!

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 859 A World of Despair

So... what exactly does the Grand External Security Bureau know? Or, to put it another way, did something important happen that night at the Baladil National Museum that the Church was unaware of?

So, is what happened to the Knights Templar related to the decline of the Church?

Furthermore, according to the timeline, this happens exactly seven hundred years ago...

Upon hearing Pius IV's simple reply, countless pieces of information flashed through Clement III's mind in an instant...

Looking into Clement III's eyes, which held a complex mix of curiosity, anticipation, and speculation, Pius IV's gaze grew weary, as if he had traversed the mists of time to reach an era nearly a thousand years ago: "It all began about 800 years ago… At that time, the Papacy was at its zenith. In that era, devout monks and knights of the Lord suppressed demons and heretics in various regions. The faith of the ancient gods was banished to the Near East, where they eked out a living. In the East, the immortals adhered to strict precepts, refusing to participate in the rise and fall of human dynasties. The Papacy, wary of the power of the East, did not intend to continue its eastward expansion."

Clement III's breathing became heavy. The information contained in Björn IV's words was immense, and he silently memorized it.

"Brother Björn...why...those Easterners, who clearly possess great power, do not interfere in politics?" Clement III couldn't help but ask.

The Western world didn't really pay much attention to Eastern religions. After all, in the original religious discourse, monotheistic religions were considered the most advanced form. As polytheistic religions, and even those that many scholars see as having animistic worship, Eastern religions were seen as intermediate products in the development from primitive beliefs to modern religions. Essentially, they were backward religions that were destined to gradually disappear over time.

However, today, in the eyes of those who have truly seen the "truth," this has naturally become nonsense. On the contrary, in their eyes, the religious power of the East is powerful and mysterious. However, Clement III has always had a question: if they are so powerful, why didn't they establish something like the Papacy to obtain real political power?

"Because their power is greater than that of the Papacy at its peak..." Pius IV paused for a moment after hearing this question before sighing, "Precisely because they are powerful... they don't need to be like the Papacy..."

"?" Clement III's eyes widened. What kind of logic was this?

"Do you know why the Son of God established the Church in those early days?" Seeing his successor's expression, Pius III did not answer him directly, but asked calmly.

Upon hearing this, Clement III immediately perked up and bowed respectfully: "Please do not hesitate to enlighten me."

“The Church was not established for power, but to protect the world…” Pius IV sighed with a deep look in his eyes and a sorrowful expression.

Clement III had heard similar words countless times throughout his life, and he himself often used them to instruct high-ranking clergy. However, this time, Clement heard a different meaning in them. He did not believe that Pius IV would use such words to preach to him at this time, which meant that what he said was true.

"In the early days, the Son and the wise men faced a world far more hopeless than the one we see today..." Then Pius IV's face turned sorrowful, his tone solemn...

At the same time, Clement III suddenly noticed that a large amount of mist was rising around him. This mist instantly filled the entire meditation hall, and then grew darker and darker, turning into a thick night. At the same time, he felt as if he were standing in the void, as if he had been pulled into another world.

He felt a little nervous, but he could guess that this must be the work of King Björn IV, perhaps wanting him to see something. So he did not do anything rash, but instead, with a mix of trepidation, awe, anticipation, and a feeling he himself was not sure about, he paid attention to his surroundings.

Soon, he discovered that dark clouds were surging overhead and the land below was barren. At this moment, he seemed to be standing in the void.

This was a gray world. Some dilapidated houses, which by today's standards looked more like ruins than settlements, formed clusters of mud buildings, where people who were barely clothed moved about.

In the vast wilderness, there is endless darkness. Some twisted, indistinct, and unidentified beings lurk in the shadows, invading the humans of this land from the darkness...

Clement III clearly saw monsters, some terrifyingly ugly, some grotesquely deformed, bursting out of the night, wriggling and running, pouncing on the scantily clad people with a greedy attitude.

A murky and chaotic shadow lurked and spread across the wilderness, dragging those who approached into it...

Only then did he realize that many of the settlements on the ground were completely deserted. The date palms in the villages were neglected, the fields were overgrown with weeds, and there was not a soul in sight. White skeletons lay dead between the houses. Occasionally, wild beasts with bloodshot eyes would enter the villages, and in the flickering will-o'-the-wisps, they would dig up a few white bones and tear them apart and gnaw on them…

……………………………………………………………

In the wilderness, on a hilltop, a huge altar is being used for a sacrificial ceremony.

This is a massive altar with a distinctly pagan style, barbaric and bloody!

The land around the altar was covered with all sorts of eerie, bright red symbols. These symbols were so evil and blasphemous that even a single glance from Clement III sent shivers down his spine. It was a fear and despair that seemed to be etched into his very being!

These symbols were clearly drawn with blood, and beside the altar, some people dressed in black robes were slitting the throats of people who were kneeling on the ground like pigs and sheep, their blood flowing out and forming new red symbols under the guidance of some mysterious force...

Above the altar, ghostly wails echoed, and cracks appeared in the dim sky, from which clumps of indistinct, eerie, and filthy matter seeped in and expanded...

Visible to the naked eye, invisible to the naked eye, terrifying, distorted...