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In a valley just over 300 kilometers away from the imperial capital.
The place is lush with trees, desolate and peaceful, the air is filled with the fragrance of grass and trees, a gurgling stream meanders through the valley bottom, and from time to time there are the calls of birds and animals overhead.
Time seems to slow down here, and being here may make people mistakenly think that they have come to some alien world far away from the hustle and bustle.
In this desolate valley with few people, an ancient temple stands quietly among the dense forests.
According to legend, this ancient temple was one of the few secret places where the God of Light lived in seclusion before he became a god. Only the popes of each generation knew about these secluded places.
These secret locations will also become places of asceticism for successive popes before they officially take over.
Although this place is deserted and few people know about it, it once had an extremely high status in the Holy See of Light.
Just today, an elite force of more than 3,000 people are sneaking into the valley in a mighty force, all the way to this ancient temple full of traces of time.
The leader of this elite army was the Imperial Emperor Carlos and the Protestant Pope Ignaz established by him.
The elite division of more than 3,000 people was also tacitly divided into two parts. One part was led by 2,000 imperial troops led by 4 imperial marshals of level 8.
These four imperial marshals are all close confidants of Emperor Carlos, and the two thousand imperial troops are all outstanding elites drawn from the Royal Guards.
These two thousand fully armed imperial soldiers started at level 3, the captain and deputy captain had reached level 4 and 5, while the centurions and their adjutants had reached an incredible level 7 and 6!
In other words, among the more than 2,000 imperial troops, there are 4 level 8 legendary marshals alone, and 20 level 7 holy realm generals!
Such a powerful team is the trump card of Emperor Carlos of the Empire. Looking across the entire continent, I am afraid there is no second one like it.
Another part of this elite force is a thousand Vatican guards led by Cardinal Marne, who is at the peak of level 8, and two other level 8 archbishops.
The Protestant Vatican Guard is also very elite, but due to its subordinate relationship, its strength and equipment are only slightly inferior to Emperor Carlos's Imperial Army.
These Vatican guards, wearing pure white monk robes on the outside and chain mail lining, are all fanatics who have been brainwashed by the false pope and his core members. They look mighty and crazy.
The configuration of the Protestant Guards is similar to that of the Imperial Army. In addition to three level 8 archbishops, there are 10 senior generals as strong as level 7 and a thousand fanatical religious guards.
Not to mention the Imperial Army under the control of Emperor Carlos, the terrifying power of this Protestant Guard alone is enough to make any vassal kingdom unable to resist.
"Ignaz, are you sure the artifact is here?"
Arriving at the center of the altar in the temple, Emperor Carlos looked around with a pair of majestic eyes and asked slowly, "Are you sure that you can complete the transformation after getting the artifact?"
Today, he wore a crown and armor, with a murderous silver sword hanging at his waist. It was obvious that the emperor was determined to obtain the artifact and gain eternal life.