Chapter 297 The Church of the Endless Sea
It took most of the day to walk around.
They finally got around that half of the island and came to the entrance of the straight road in front of them.
At the entrance there are many ships waiting to enter.
After waiting for a while, Alka and his companions slowly began to move forward following the other ships.
It can be seen that on the right island where Our Lady Island is located , there are several buildings that look like watchtowers.
There are golden patterns on the sentry tower and a huge crystal on top.
On the other side, Zuozi Island, which belonged to the Holy Machine Church, had a huge fort-like building on it. The black muzzle of the gun pointed at all the ships heading to the central port of the island.
As Alka and his crew's ship passed through the entrance and headed inward.
An unknown seal was imprinted on both sides of the body, sealing all the muzzle baffles.
Fortunately, they have encountered this kind of thing once, and it seems that all forces will seal their guns when the ships enter the port.
To prevent anyone from getting confused and firing at the port.
"That's the church of Our Lady of the Assumption."
Arka turned around after hearing Lucilia's words. She saw a plain in the center of the crescent of the right island.
There is a large complex of buildings there, and the cathedral in the center looks extremely conspicuous.
The church has a grey exterior and slender spires that are closely packed together.
The style of the cathedral was almost identical to the one Alka and the others had seen in the Home Sea, except that the exterior of the building was somewhat similar.
It is basically certain that it is the church of Our Lady Church on this island.
After looking at it for a few times, Alka lost interest. After all, he had seen too many churches like this.
It's just a difference in size, not to mention that the scale and appearance of this church are far less shocking than those of the cathedral.
Instead, he turned and looked to the other side.
He is still very interested in the Holy Machine Church.
If the Church of Our Lady is a building with tall and slender domes and numerous spires.
The church of the Holy Machine Church is somewhat similar to a dome building, and the highest point in the center looks like a lighthouse.
The entire church building is extremely symmetrical and regular, giving people a sense of order and a simple beauty.
The rest of the buildings are located around this lighthouse-like building.
The overall color of the building is gray-black, and a lot of metal materials are used in the building, which has a metallic luster.
A huge gear stands in front of the lighthouse, forming the most conspicuous symbol of the church.
This gear is still turning slowly. I don't know if it is for a purpose or just for decoration.
If the Church of Our Lady is more in line with Alka's idea of a solemn church, the Church of the Holy Machine looks more like a modern art building.
Following the ocean current, Alka and his crew's Sound of Dawn were guided directly to Youzi Island and docked at the berth.
A church member, wearing the robes of the Church of Our Lady, came over.
Behind him were two knights wearing light soft armor.
He looked at Alka and his crew's ship and silently walked towards the next ship.
"What's going on? Aren't there any parking fees?" Jason asked curiously as he looked at the scene.
It is normal for ports like this to charge berthing fees, and this is also a necessary means to maintain their existence.
"How is that possible? Look over there."
Hearing Alka's words, Jason turned around.
I saw a boat not far away, which seemed to be negotiating with another priest.
After paying some money, a seal was hung on the boat.
Obviously, there is a fee for parking.
But they didn't take the ship, and didn't even have that kind of seal.
"It should be that our ship was classified as a church ship. Wasn't this ship made by the cathedral's shipyard? Maybe he saw the technology involved."
Xia Daiti thought for a moment and said.
"That's possible."
After chatting casually for a while, Alka turned around and looked at everyone and said, "Since we have come to this island, let's go our separate ways."
There are saints from the Holy Machine Church and the Holy Mother Church on board the ship, so there is no need to worry too much about safety.
The entire island can be considered our own.
Alka, Xiadaiti and Jason walked directly off the boat and headed towards the Cathedral of Our Lady in the center.
We passed through the densely populated port area with goods coming and going, and arrived at the residential area around the church.
Devotion to the Virgin Mary can be seen everywhere here.
The religious atmosphere is extremely strong.
We walked forward and came to the bottom of the church.
Alka looked up at the area and size of the church.
Apart from the churches he had seen in the cathedral, this church was the largest one Alka had ever seen.
I am kind of looking forward to seeing what the church headquarters of Our Lady of the Infinite Sea will be like.
If you have the chance you must go and see it.
"It seems someone is waiting for us." Jason suddenly said, looking not far ahead.
Hearing this, Alka lowered his head and looked in the direction Jason was looking.
There was a middle-aged priest, wearing the robe of the Church of Our Lady, quietly looking at Alka and the others.
He is not shy about his gaze.
Seeing the looks from Alka and the others, he nodded.
Alka walked straight over.
The priest looked at Alka and the others and nodded with his hands crossed: "Everyone, welcome to the Infinite Ocean safely. May the Virgin Mary bless you."
"Blessed Virgin Mary, you seem to know us?"
Alka asked with some confusion. From what he heard, it seemed that they had been waiting for him and others for a long time.
"No, we just received news at the port that there is a bird-head ship with the church's shipbuilding style."
"I didn't expect you guys to come straight here."
"If you have any questions, come in and talk."
Obviously, their information had been transmitted here a long time ago.
According to what he said, most of the areas in the Expanse Sea where churches exist may know their information.
Come to think of it, it makes sense.
They are probably the only church members who have left their homeland by sea in recent years.
If nothing unexpected happens, there will always be a parish where they will meet.
Not to mention that they have saints like Alka and former saint-in-waiting like Xiadaiti on their ship.
After hearing this, Alka and the others were about to ask something but nodded and walked towards the side of the church.
Even as night approached, there were still many believers praying and worshipping in front.
They came to the side, pushed open a small door, and walked in.
As soon as you enter here, you can feel the strong energy of holy light.
In the huge hall in the center of the church, a statue of the Virgin Mary stands.
There were many church members coming and going in the hall.
The moment they came in, many members couldn't help but glance at them.
"Please follow me. The bishop is waiting for you."
Having said that, he led Alka and the others around and came to a door and knocked gently.
"Please come in." A voice came from inside.
The priest opened the door and remained outside.
Several people walked in.
It can be seen that this is a reception room with simple but decent decoration.
Everyone walked through and sat down on the sofa.
Alka glanced around the room casually and was slightly stunned.
Unintentionally looking away.
An old man who looked to be over 50 years old, with half white hair, sat nearby and looked at everyone with a smile.
He should be the bishop of this place.
"You three are from the Home Sea, right? You must have been mentioned by Xia Dai."
Hearing the bishop's words, Xia Daiti was slightly surprised. She didn't expect that this person actually knew her name.
"You know me?"
"Haha, of course, but you've changed a lot since you were a kid.
If I hadn't received a message about a girl named Xia Daiti, I wouldn't have believed that you had grown up so much.
Time flies.”
Not only Xiadaiti, but Alka .
From the meaning of these words, it is obvious that the bishop not only knows Xia Deti, but may also be very familiar with her.
But looking at Xia Daiti's expression, you can tell that she might really not know him.
"It's normal that I don't know you. I just didn't expect that you would look like a lady after growing up. I really misjudged you."
Xia Daiti's cheeks turned slightly red when she heard this. It was obvious that the bishop in front of her must have seen her when she was young.
At least it should be something that happened before the age of 10.
Having seen her at that time, it would be hard to imagine that Xia Daiti would become a very ladylike lady when she grew up.
Of course, at least on the surface.
"When you were about this young, I taught you, and of course, the other children in your group."
The bishop gestured with a smile.
Seeing the height he gestured, Xia Daiti nodded in understanding.
At that time, she had only been in the church for one or two years.
At that time, there were always various people teaching their knowledge.
However, these teachers didn't teach for long and were gone.
But it was obvious that Xia Daiti still didn't remember who he was.
I just roughly guessed the time period in which she met me.
The bishop didn't pay much attention to it. After chatting for a while and getting familiar with everyone, he looked at Alka and Jason.
"You must be Alka. The Virgin Mary favors you."
Alka nodded.
Then he looked at Jason again, frowning in confusion.
"Your aura is a little off. Did you sign a contract with some entity? The ancient... world.
Well... no need to explain, this is not a bad thing."
He only took a quick glance and almost knew the contract between Jason and the Crystal Dragon.
The more you understand, the more you realize how extraordinary the Crystal Dragon is.
Alka still remembers what Jason had talked to her about before.
According to Alka's instructor, the dragonborn, the crystal dragon seems to be called the prismatic dragon.
Also known as the Dragon of Savior.
"I believe His Excellency the Archbishop will be very happy to see you arrive safely in the Infinite Ocean."
"Archbishop?" Alka was a little confused when he heard the title.
For a moment he didn't know whether he was talking about the Archbishop of the Home Sea or the Archbishop of the Infinite Sea.
"Haha, it's normal to have some doubts," said the bishop.
"The Holy Mother Church has only one archbishop."
Sure enough, it was just as Alka and the others had guessed.
The Church of the Four Gods must have some means to bypass the obstacles in the forward route.
Allowing members of each church to move freely between the two worlds.
"Okay, that's it. You guys should just rest well in the church during this time. If you want to know anything, you are qualified.
The members of the church will give you a favor. Although this is not an important place, some important news of the Endless Sea can still be received here."
"You are still young and have plenty of time. Give yourself some time to relax."
The bishop said something strange, then folded his arms across his chest and said, "May the Virgin Mary bless you as you go forward."
The three of them immediately stood up, returned the greeting , said their goodbyes and left the room.
When the three men came out, the pastor was still waiting for them at the door.
When he saw the three people coming out, he said, "Please follow me. I will arrange a place for you to rest and introduce you to this Twin Cathedral."
The three nodded and did not refuse.
After all, the main reason they came here was to learn more about the entire Infinite Ocean.
Watching the door slowly closing.
The bishop stood in the middle of the living room with his hands behind his back, wondering what he was thinking about.
"After so many years, there are finally new members coming out of the Home Sea. This is worth celebrating, isn't it?"
Suddenly there was a sound coming from the corner next to me.
There has been a figure standing there. It seems that he has always been standing there, but no one has noticed him.
Hearing this voice, the bishop, who was originally in a daze, turned around and looked at him.
"So you stood in that corner and peeked in. Did you see anything?"
"What do you mean by peeking? I was just standing there openly, but no one noticed me."
"Okay, whatever you want. But your disguise just now was obviously not enough. You must have been discovered. Haha." The bishop couldn't help but say with some gloating.
"It's really a bit surprising that the young man named Alka actually found me. What an amazing young man."
"Of course, he is a natural believer of the Virgin Mary and a devotee of the Virgin Mary."
Having said this, the bishop suddenly sighed.
"I don't know why, but these three people are surrounded by an ancient and heavy aura, exuding sadness and ominousness. This is obviously not a good thing."
"You must have seen a lot of this, right? This place is not short of passionate young people like this. We should be happy." said the man hiding in the corner.
"Of course, but they are too young. They have strength and talent. Knowing the truth about the world too early will always drive these children to extremes."
The bishop said with some regret.
"They haven't abandoned the Virgin Mary. They are still rational, so don't worry too much. Your old problem has come back again."
"Really? Maybe. I've seen too many kids go to extremes after knowing this.
They are carrying too much, which is not what they should bear at this stage, alas..."
"...Yes, but being a follower always has its own unique features, don't worry.
Don’t you still believe in the Virgin Mary’s vision?”
…
Alka and the other two followed the pastor and wandered around the church.
Finally, the three were brought into the lounge and rooms were arranged for them.
"Let's rest here tonight."
"Thanks."
After thanking him, the three returned to the room.
This is a suite with a living room in the center and four rooms around it.
The three of them sat up on the sofa in the living room.
Xuan on Alka's shoulder moved and jumped down, wandering around the living room.
"Just now...did you notice that there was someone standing in the corner of the room while you were chatting?"
"?"
Xiadaiti and Jason looked at Alka with question marks on their faces.
"Are you telling... another horror story?" Jason asked doubtfully.
Alka glanced at him helplessly.
Explained: “There was a person in the corner of the room just now. He used an unknown hiding method, but I could still see him clearly.
He was probably in his 30s or 40s, and looked ordinary, but he was wearing a church robe, so I didn’t say much.
"If that's true, what's his purpose in hiding there?"
Alka shook his head: “I don’t know, but he was standing there against the wall, as if he was listening to a story.
He observed our gazes and didn't sense any malice, otherwise Jason would have noticed it long ago."
However, Alka just briefly mentioned it and did not speculate further with everyone.
After all, this is someone else's place, and we don't know anything. Making random guesses will only hurt yourself.
As long as there is no malicious intent, who cares about the rest.
"I didn't expect the church to have a way to quickly cross the two sides. Are you really not impressed by Xia Dai's suggestion?"
Jason said as he leaned back on the couch, then turned to Xia Dai to ask a question.
Xia Daiti shook his head: "I was too young back then, and my mind was not on studying at all.
A new teacher will come to teach us after a period of time. Who can remember this?
Only people like Jiami, who have been good students since childhood, can remember these teachers who come and go. "
Hearing this, the two nodded without asking any more questions.
Alka leaned back on the sofa and thought.
If the church only has one archbishop, then it can be explained that the archbishop of the cathedral is obviously too weak.
He just showed weak strength in that sea area.
For example, the bishop they just saw, although they didn’t know his specific strength.
When Alka is guaranteed to be at least stage five, it may even be higher, and the possibility is not small.
In the dream world, Alka's strength is almost at the level of the fourth stage perfection.
He has been able to confirm his own strength in the dream.
As such, he could clearly sense from the bishop that his strength was at least stronger than that in his own dream world.
And the person hiding in the corner must be very powerful.
It even feels a little more deadly.
But I don't know why I was able to see through that hidden trick so easily.
Perhaps it's because my spirit is too strong.
If Alka hadn't discovered that Xia Daiti and the others didn't seem to notice the existence of this person, he would have been exposed on the spot.
Hmm... maybe it's been exposed.
"Then do you think it is possible for us to go back through the church's passage?" Xia Daiti said from the side.
"It should be possible." Alka said uncertainly.
Logically speaking, given their qualifications, there should be no problem, but I don't know what the mechanism of this thing is.
Only asked later.
After they chatted for a while, Alka nodded and asked Xuan to send a message to the people on the boat.
Tell them that you will not go back home tonight and will stay in the church to rest.
See you on the boat tomorrow night.
After Xuan sent the message, they each found a suitable room and went in to rest.
