Imperial Crown.

Chapter 516 The Dragon's Past and Tzeentch's Palace

Watching Pinder follow Chirping into the narrow opening, Raven suddenly felt a sense of great comfort.

Despite the large amount of resources invested in cultivating this group of second-generation leaders, their loyalty is beyond question, even though their numbers are small.

It felt like the satisfaction of "finally reaping the rewards of hard work." So this was the thrill of "cultivation"? Raven thought wistfully, his thoughts drifting. In the past, no matter how dangerous the task, Raven had to do it himself.

After waiting tediously outside for over an hour, Pindler finally crawled out, puffing out his short chest with an air of arrogance, and said, "I've checked everything, there's no danger. There's no magical barrier, nor any unknown terrifying curse!"

The group then widened the entrance to the cave before Raven entered.

Oh huo
The scene before Raven was undeniably striking. It was clearly an abandoned underground palace, constructed entirely of milky-white stone. Despite its dilapidated state, it still possessed a striking beauty and grandeur at first glance! Thick, white, patterned stone pillars stood tall, covered in various mottled marks and blackened by mold, telling tales of time's passage. One could only imagine how many millennia had passed here, yet it was clear that a devastating battle had taken place here! Everywhere were collapsed ruins and broken milky-white patterned stone pillars lying across the hall. These pillars were indeed incredibly sturdy; even in their collapse and breakage, they hadn't completely separated, but rather exhibited a wave-like bend. The gaps created by these bends were large enough for Raven and his companions to pass underneath with ease, giving an idea of ​​the sheer vastness and grandeur of the entire palace.

On the surrounding walls, there are still some mysterious murals that are difficult to see clearly.

Not far away are statues of various giant dragons!
"Isn't this the Tomb of the Seven Deadly Sins? How did it become connected with the dragon race?" Raven wondered to himself.

“Earl Raven, Pindl and I discovered some writing deep inside. Please take a look,” Chirping Linga said as she approached, as if seeking praise.

Raven didn't speak, but nodded slightly and followed Chirpinga toward the central area of ​​the main hall.

As mentioned before, the underground palace was indeed too large. It took half an hour to reach the central area. There was a small stone tablet that looked like a shattered piece of a mirror. The characters on the stone tablet were ancient, messy, and even obscure. Raven looked at it for a long time but still couldn't understand its meaning.

Because he didn't know them at all.

"Is this Elvish?" Raven asked in surprise.

“No, this is the language of dragons from the Dragon Age,” Pind explained from the side.

"Dragon language?" Raven nodded silently. "What does it mean?"

Chirping Linga began to recount, "The War of the Gods was a war mistakenly initiated by the Dragon Emperor. He misjudged the situation, underestimated the strength of the Human Church of Light, and the betrayal of other races, severely damaging the interests of the dragon race! After the Dragon Emperor's death, his three male and one female subordinates, in their quest for power, bewitched Gregory, one of the Dragon Emperor's strongest war gods. Fortunately, they were ambushed and killed by the new dragon leader, Markados, who caused Gregory to fall to his death in Chogoris, ending all their sins. The three male and one female dragons committed the four original sins—Khorne, Slaanesh, Tzeentch, and Nurgle—and were imprisoned in Tzeentch's Palace, one of the Seven Palaces of the Sins! They were executed!"

After hearing this, Raven sighed softly and remained silent for a long time.

It turns out that this is only the Palace of Tzeentch, one of the Seven Deadly Sins tombs. There must be six other palaces, but their whereabouts are now unknown.

No wonder Zolzaen knew the location of these ruins.

“I’ve looked everywhere here, but I can’t find the source of the laws,” said Chiu Chiu Linga regretfully.

"How do you recognize these dragon scripts?" Raven asked curiously.

“Not only does he recognize it, but I do too,” Pindt interjected. “A race like ours, with its long lifespan, carries with it some ancient memories. It’s a kind of inheritance.”

“I see.” Raven nodded.

He then instructed, "Don't stay here, split up and search. Don't miss any corner." Raven said, somewhat preoccupied. He suddenly remembered, Gregory—wasn't that the name of the bone dragon he had lured before? So he carried such a legendary and mysterious past.

At Raven's command, everyone scattered like birds and beasts, except for Hoaz who stayed by his side.

Why did the dragon race launch the War of the Gods back then? The dragon race, which once ruled the entire continent of Middlesbrough for more than 3000 years and was at its peak, has now declined to this state. Even the Seven Sins Palace that they once built has been lost in the long river of history and become an ancient ruin. The dilapidated scenes in front of him made Raven feel emotional and sigh.

This naturally piqued his curiosity! The so-called orc rule of the continent was actually the rule of the dragon race; other orc races said this simply to glorify themselves. During the dragon race's rule, the status of other orc races was only slightly higher than that of humans. The current Light Calendar is calculated from the first year of the human race's rule. Before that, there were the Chaotic Era, the Elf Era… and before that, the era of dragon rule.

Given the immense power of the dragon race back then, why didn't they initiate a war of the gods?
unless……

"Master, we've found them!"

After an unknown amount of time, Raven thought of a terrifying possibility, which made him break out in a cold sweat. But before he could think about it further, Thor's excited voice came through the window.

"Oh," Raven responded softly, and strolled slowly toward that direction.

In a remote and relatively well-preserved small room, there was a ritual altar that resembled a sacrificial altar. The entire room was dark and chaotic, and it was carved with seven giant dragons. One of the dragons was flying in the center, while the other six dragons were tied up by their claws and hung upside down, as if they were being sacrificed.

In the center of the altar, there was something that resembled a demonic plant. It was similar because a thin, curved wooden stem had produced a red, round fruit the size of a watermelon, and the fruit was covered with moving, scarlet tentacles that were waving unconsciously.

The entire room was filled with a strong smell of blood.

"The Heart of the Blood Demon Plant! It's actually the Heart of the Blood Demon Plant, a fourth-tier Blood Demon Plant! This is a great thing that can help you break through to the fourth tier of Battle Qi!" Chirp Chirp Linga screamed greedily.

The reason he made such no attempt to conceal his greed was precisely because he knew he had absolutely no chance. If he truly harbored ambitions, he wouldn't have revealed his greed. After all, a person who wants to win doesn't wear a smile.

"Raven, do you know what the punishment is for committing the Treachery original sin?"

Just as Raven was about to have Thor remove the Heart of Mages, a sinister, deep voice suddenly rang out in everyone's ears, as clear as if someone were speaking directly into their ear.

"Protect the patriarch!" Thor's expression changed drastically, and he immediately roared, "First squad, second squad, go outside and keep watch! Third squad, guard the patriarch's side! Fourth squad, keep an eye on Chiu Chiu Linga! If there's any unusual movement, kill him immediately! Move!!"

Following Thor's command, the group immediately began to act in an orderly manner, surrounding Raven and protecting him in the center.

Knowing they were there to explore ruins, and with Raven accompanying them, Thor and the others had already assigned their respective duties and analyzed contingency plans for various emergencies, which allowed them to remain calm and collected in the face of danger!
In an instant, the fighting spirit emanating from everyone ignited, making them resemble human torches in the vast underground palace.

"It's the Hall of Mirrors of Mourning!"

"The original name of this ancient tomb was the Hall of Lamentation and Sorrow! It was the palace of Tzeentch's original sin! It contained one of the Holy Church's artifacts, the Mirror of Lamentation and Hatred, which could create countless clones that would relentlessly pursue the original until the original was completely annihilated!"

The deep, eerie voice continued, this time not in one's ear, but penetrating to the very top of one's head, resounding in one's mind. Yet, there was no trace of it, neither in the small room nor in the vast hall.

It seems like the one speaking is really just a ghost!
"Who? Who is speaking?" Thor shouted anxiously, "Do you have even a shred of chivalry? Come out and fight me head-on!"

"Oh, tsk tsk tsk"

"Raven, Raven, look at the next generation you've raised. They're all so stupid, like the product of cerebellar atrophy."

The deep, sinister voice rang out again, this time with a mocking tone.

"Raven, do you want to know what Slaanesh's palace is called?" The sinister voice said to itself, "It's called the Thousand-Pregnant Demon Nest. It's where the ovipositors of the Brood Spiders are implanted into the spines of those being tortured, forcibly impregnating their flesh and blood, and then giving birth to aliens that burst out of their bodies! The Heart of Mash behind you is the crystallization of this punishment."

"Letting you die here is too easy for you!"

"Human nobles like you who frequently commit incest should all be sent to Slaanesh's palace to be punished for eternity!"

The eerie, haunting voice continued, but it no longer filled the mind; instead, it went a step further, resounding directly in one's heart, as if these words were not someone else's, but rather one's own terrifying thoughts.

"Night has fallen, it's time to sleep."

As soon as those eight words rang out, the weapons in the hands of Raven's men clattered to the ground. Without exception, their eyes rolled back, as if they had fallen into an endless illusion, and they began to reveal their ugly side.

Only Raven, from beginning to end, stood in the middle, leaning on his cane with both hands, expressionless and unmoving.

Buzz

Suddenly, wisps of cold, gray mist gathered, and a figure shrouded in a black robe appeared in the palace. Rudolf lifted the robe, revealing a gleaming gold tooth, and exclaimed in surprise, "Raven, I never expected your mental strength to be so powerful! Even in your aged state, you can still withstand my necromancy! This has given me quite a surprise and piqued my curiosity! You do indeed have a secret; what could it be?!"

"Sigh," Raven sighed softly, "You really didn't leave. All that time I deliberately delayed before taking action was for nothing." If he had known he couldn't escape this calamity, why would he have wasted so much time? It had dragged on for almost two months.

"Raven, a successful hunter is not defined by his hunting skills, but by his greater patience and willpower than others," Rudolph chuckled smugly.

Raven nodded, seemingly in agreement.

"A title! Give me a title! I want to be a baron! No! A viscount! I want to be a viscount! Surpass my father!"

Suddenly, Beta, who was not far away, roared loudly with a ferocious expression.

"I did it! Haha, I did it! I finally broke through to the fourth rank and activated my Martial Soul!" Thor beside him suddenly burst into maniacal laughter.

"Father! My dear father! Why won't you come near me! Why is this happening! I'm in so much pain! Why won't you allow me to use the Griffiths name! In your heart, are we really just like Mother, always just pawns to be discarded at any time?! My heart aches so much! It feels like being pricked by needles, then falling into an abyss, sinking and sinking... It hurts so much!!" Heaz roared in despair, tears streaming down his face.

"Tsk tsk tsk"

"What a wonderful show! It's a pity that only the two of us can enjoy it!" Rudolf laughed heartily, raising his head. "Raven, I really want to know, what is your ultimate desire?"

"Ahem," just as Raven coughed lightly, about to speak, a scream interrupted him.

"Oh! My beautiful Igni, I never imagined you would be so slender and beautiful after shedding your feathers! Come, come, let me pamper you!" Chirping Linga's shrill voice rang out. "Hahaha, Zolzahn, you dragon finally couldn't resist kneeling at my feet? No problem! Lord Chirping Linga is more than capable of handling you!"

"What!! Lux, what are you doing! Why are you naked too! You smell so good, Lux... You're still the prettiest!" Chirp Linga's voice suddenly trembled as she shouted, her whole body shaking violently.

Raven: ...

Rudolf: ...

Snapped! ! !
Raven couldn't resist slapping the tip of Chirpy Linga's head.

"Ugh!!!" Chirping Linga groaned in pain. "Zorsahn, you can't use that! Have you forgotten?! That damn Raven broke my horn with his cane! I can't play there anymore! It hurts so much! Get up!"

Raven shook his head. This little chirping Linga was terminally ill and beyond saving. "Little guys, get some sleep. It's time for this old man to stretch his body!" With that, Raven put away his cane, took out a longsword from his storage ring, and then took out a bottle of bright yellow potion, which he began to carefully apply to the wound.

"Raven, what are you doing? Sharpening your sword at the last minute?!" Rudolph frowned and asked, puzzled.

“This sword hasn’t been used for too long, it really needs to be sharpened. Don’t rush, it’ll be done soon,” Raven said with a shake of his head.

Raven applied the potion little by little to the blade of the sword. In just a few blinks, the blade began to turn a golden yellow, emitting a faint glow.

"Raven?! Are you insane?! Surrender now! You want to resist?!"

Rudolf shouted, then chuckled sinisterly, "Caution is a virtue." "Did you think I'd come looking for you alone? I know your cunning and despicable nature all too well." "Fei Zhuoti, come out!"

As Rudolf roared, wisps of cold, gray mist condensed once more, and another figure appeared in the palace—another fifth-tier being! But this wasn't a necromancer; he was a fifth-tier transcendent! This man wore black and red armor and chuckled hoarsely, "Raven, I heard you're quite strong in close combat! I just wonder if you can still get it now that you're old?!"

Two Tier 5 warriors, one a Tier 5 necromancer and the other a Tier 5 melee fighter! Even a Tier 6 Silvermane warrior would probably have to give way to such a combination.

But Raven remained expressionless, as if the two fifth-tier experts were invisible. After putting away the potion, he brandished his longsword with a clang and spoke in a deep voice, enunciating each word clearly: "From now on, you two have only one mission objective, and that is..."

"To fight desperately to survive."

……

(End of this chapter)