Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

The Holy Healing Order possesses the most advanced medical magic, pharmacology knowledge, and healing power on the continent.

It is the greatest hope for every superhuman when they are injured, poisoned, or cursed.

The Healing Order also possesses access to many ancient and unique recipes and rare medicinal materials.

Not to mention those highly respected and exceptionally skilled physicians, who are themselves priceless treasures.

These words from the Holy One Buze constitute the most severe "medical lockdown order".

This means that once war breaks out with Effie, they and the forces behind them will forever lose any medical assistance from the Holy Healing Order.

In an era that may be more turbulent and chaotic due to the "Covenant of the Gods," the consequences of losing such a vital logistical and life-saving measure would be immeasurable.

For some small and medium-sized forces and lone strongmen, this is almost tantamount to cutting off their hope of receiving effective treatment if they are injured in the future.

This threat is just as intimidating as the direct military intimidation of several saints!

Jonathan's face instantly turned extremely ugly. He had never expected the Holy Healing Order to go to such lengths for Cohen.

Prince Xia Zuo was both shocked and furious. He had countless powerful warriors under his command and was frequently engaged in battles, making him extremely dependent on the Holy Healing Cult.

Prince Gregor also frowned, for the Southern Empire also relied on the support of the Holy Healing Order.

Even the lawless three tomb masters' expressions changed considerably. Although the undead are not afraid of ordinary injuries and illnesses, the Holy Healing Order's methods of purification and expelling the undead, as well as the treatment of soul trauma, are equally effective against the Black Tomb.

If the Healing Order is determined to oppose the Black Tomb, it will be extremely difficult for them.

However, before everyone could recover from the blow from the Holy Healing Order, something even more shocking happened.

Among the five Hundred-Star Saints of the Holy See, the oldest man standing at the very front, whose aura was the most restrained and profound, slowly stepped forward.

He wore a simple linen ascetic robe, patched but spotless, and carried no scepter, only a seemingly ordinary oak cane.

His face was aged, but his eyes were clear and bright, as if they could see through people's hearts and look directly into their souls.

There was no dazzling holy light around him, but he naturally exuded a peace and majesty that was both reassuring and awe-inspiring.

Many people immediately recognized him—Saint Emerson, the ascetic!
The Holy One of the Hundred Stars of the Holy See who once fought against the Three Tomb Masters!
A highly respected and respected leader of the ascetic sect within the Church of Light, a leader of unfathomable strength who has long since renounced worldly affairs and is solely dedicated to serving the light and seeking the truth.

He rarely appeared in public, but each time he did, it signified a major event concerning faith and order.

Saint Emerson's gaze calmly swept over the dark mass of allied forces outside the city, especially the Black Tomb faction, whose undead aura was the strongest.

He paused briefly on the three tomb owners, then said in a cold voice:
"In the name of the Lord of Light, the God of Order and Judgment—"

This single opening line, imbued with the majesty and title of the supreme deity, instantly quelled the clamor and commotion outside the city. Countless people held their breath, their hearts feeling as if gripped by an invisible hand.

The Holy See, the leading authority on faith on the continent, is finally going to state its position in the most formal way!
Saint Emerson continued in that solemn tone, as if proclaiming a divine oracle; his voice was not loud, but it seemed to strike directly into the soul:

"Determined by the highest cardinal council of the Holy See, and revelation from divine authority—"

He paused slightly, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over Jonathan, Xia Zuo, and the others whose expressions had drastically changed, and said, word by word, with absolute clarity:
"Your Majesty Cohen Corleone, bearing a sacred mission, and Queen Adele Angelion, are both chosen by destiny and shall be protected by the light."

"The Effiin Empire to which it belongs is a land favored by order and blessed by light, and should be a sacred and inviolable nation."

"Anyone who, at this moment, harbors ill will towards the Efein Empire, His Majesty Corleone, and Empress Angelion, and turns against them with weapons—"

Emerson's seemingly ordinary oak cane paused lightly in mid-air, yet emitted a resounding echo that seemed to strike the very soul:

"That is to turn away from the guidance of light, defy the laws of order, and blaspheme the divine will!"

The dawn will no longer shine upon him, the holy light will no longer protect his soul, his path will be shrouded in shadow, and his end will be swallowed by eternal night!

The Holy See of Light, and all believers in Light and Order, have both the right and the responsibility—

Such rebellious individuals shall be given the fairest trial and the most severe and sacred punishment!
From this day forward, all members of the Holy See, including the Knights Templar, ascetics, battle priests, and divine punishers, shall regard any hostility toward Effie as hostility toward the Light!
All my believers can be attacked, and should be attacked!

After he finished speaking, all was silent.

The entire area outside Florence was plunged into a deathly silence that was even more thorough, heavier, and more soul-chilling than when the Holy Healing Order had made its statement!

It was as if even the sound of the wind, breathing, and heartbeats were frozen by this solemn and resolute pronouncement.

If the Healing Order's statement was a severe medical blockade and a severing of ties, then the Holy See's declaration was a ruthless declaration of war!

And it's the highest level of religious war!

"Has the Church of Light gone mad?"
They're actually willing to fight the entire continent for Cohen?

"Could this Cohen be the illegitimate son of the Pope of Light?"

No, even if he were an illegitimate child, the Vatican would never dare to support him so openly and with such full force!
What enormous secret lies behind all this that we don't know about?

Jonathan trembled violently, as if he had aged ten years in an instant. He stared intently at Saint Emerson, his eyes, which had seen the world, filled with incomprehensible shock. His lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Emerson's declaration meant that from this moment on, any attack on Efein would be defined as "a war against the faith in the light."

They will suffer a relentless and all-out attack from the behemoth that is the Holy See!

This is not just military and political hostility, but also a complete annihilation of faith and morality!

Can the Central Imperial House of Nobles afford such a price?

Does he dare to defy the world and challenge the entire faith system of light?

Prince Xia Zuo's face was deathly pale, and his body trembled slightly, whether from anger or fear, it was hard to tell.

He could disregard the medical blockade imposed by the Holy Healing Order, but he absolutely dared not, and was utterly incapable of, bearing the consequences of being regarded as a "heretic" and "blasphemer" by the entire Holy See and its millions of believers!

That would mean that the Eastern Empire would face a fierce backlash from believers at home, and would be in dire straits abroad, facing hostility and even joint attacks from all countries of the Light Faith!

No matter how strong Lord Grenus is, can he stand against the entire pantheon of light's representative body in the world?
Prince Gregor cried out in shock, unconsciously crushing the precious magic gem in his hand, his eyes filled with horror and bewilderment.

Although the Southern Empire is located in the Endless Sea, far from the mainland, it still has a large base of believers in the Light, and a considerable number of nobles have intricate connections with the Holy See.

To be an enemy of the Holy See?
The mere thought of it made him feel dizzy and suffocated.

This has gone far beyond the struggle for divinity; it is about to drag the entire empire into the abyss of a war of faith!
The three tomb owners had very tense expressions, which showed their extreme inner turmoil and rage.

Black Tomb and the Church of Light were mortal enemies, so Saint Emerson's declaration had a relatively small impact on him. However, the announcement of the "Divine Judgment" meant that the Church of Light would mobilize all its forces to strike at any force that attacked Effie.

This will undoubtedly greatly increase the difficulty and risk of the Black Tomb operation.

What angered him even more was that Saint Emerson's seemingly calm glance contained a sense of purification and judgment that made him feel extremely uncomfortable and threatened.

If the previous statement from the Healing Order was like a heavy blow to the Allied forces in terms of economy and logistics, causing them pain and apprehension.

At this moment, the almost insane declaration of the Holy See is tantamount to a devastating blow to their faith, morality, and even the very foundation of their survival.

This is no longer just support, but an almost fanatical absolute endorsement and an inviolable declaration.

This means that anyone who lays a hand on Efein today is an enemy of the Holy See and a heretic who "rebels against the order and blasphemes the sacred"!

They will bear the wrath and condemnation of the entire Holy See and its hundreds of millions of believers!
The Holy See of Light, the premier church on the continent, has believers throughout the nations and its influence extends far and wide. Its hidden power and mobilization capabilities far surpass those of any single empire!

They actually went to this extent for Cohen?!

Cohen...who exactly is he?

What earth-shattering secret is involved in the divinity within Adel?
It's astonishing that the Holy Healing Order and the Holy See, two top-tier powers that have always been aloof from worldly affairs, would stand up for him—one threatening to permanently cut off medical aid, and the other launching a declaration that is almost a religious holy war.

At this moment, everyone in the allied forces outside the city, whether they were high-ranking and shrewd leaders of various forces, powerful and self-important saints, or legendary figures and scattered soldiers blinded by greed and trying to take advantage of the chaos, felt a chilling cold.

The Florence before me, that city shimmering with magical light in the setting sun, was no longer merely the capital of a newly formed empire, a repository of divine essence. It seemed to have transformed into a forbidden divine realm, shrouded in supreme light, protected by sacred order, and chosen by the river of destiny!
An absolute forbidden zone that even the most advanced medical resources and the largest religious system on the mainland would defend at all costs and with their lives!

Prince Xia Zuo was indeed a shrewd and ambitious man. Although he was also shocked by the successive astonishing statements from the Holy Healing Order and the Holy See, and even felt a chill, he quickly forced himself to calm down.

After a brief moment of thought, he took a deep breath, suppressed his surging blood, and spoke in a low voice. Although his voice was not loud, it clearly reached the ears of the leaders beside him:

"Everyone, you've all seen it, haven't you?"
I told you this matter would never be easily resolved!
Cohen is as cunning as a fox; surely he has a backup plan.

It's one thing for the Pale Wings, the Winged Elves, and the Starry Empire to be staunch allies, but now even the Holy See and the Holy Healing Order have taken such clear stand and are willing to pay any price to stand by his side!
This goes far beyond the scope of ordinary support!

His sharp gaze swept over Greg's grim face, Jonathan's shifty eyes, and the three tomb masters whose lives seemed to be churning, and he continued his analysis, his tone heavy:
"Not to mention that once war breaks out, we will simultaneously face the Starry Empire, the Pale Wings, the Winged Elves, and... the Holy See and the Holy Healing Order may launch a full-scale sanction and counterattack, which will have a profound impact on our respective empires and powers!"
"Just look at this battle right now—" He pointed to the powerful auras of saints on the walls of Florence that were in no way weaker than their own, "If we were to fight a real battle, even if we could win, it would definitely be a Pyrrhic victory!"
The battle of saints is no small matter. Who among you can guarantee that you will emerge unscathed?

Who can guarantee that their saints and legends won't perish here?
By then, even if we manage to seize godhood by chance, how much strength will we have left to protect it?

Don't forget, we're not the only ones coveting divinity! How many other eyes are secretly watching?

Prince Gregor's face was so dark it was almost dripping with water. He gritted his teeth and growled resentfully:
"So, according to you, we're just going to slink away like this?"
"Xia Zuo, look at this formation!" He waved his hand sharply, pointing to the dark mass of the allied forces behind him, and the various forces that were faintly visible in the distance. "We, the four major forces, have gathered almost half of the continent's top experts and mobilized such a large force, but we were frightened by the reinforcements that Cohen called, and we didn't even dare to fight before retreating."
If this gets out, where will we, the great empires, put our faces?

How will the various parties on the mainland view us? What prestige will we have left?

Grego cared not only about his divine status, but also about the reputation of the Southern Empire and his personal prestige.

"Withdraw? Of course not!" Xia Zuo shook his head rapidly, a ruthless and decisive glint in his eyes. "But we can't just start fighting like this, without any clear reason, and let our people fight against the fanatics of the Holy Light Church, the healers of the Holy Healing Order, and those reckless lunatics of the Star Clan, only to have the birds in the shadows benefit in the end!"

He paused, lowering his voice even further, but with a resolute determination:

"What I mean is—since the standoff between conventional forces has reached a stalemate and involves too many factors, let's step outside this framework!"

"Summon a demigod directly!" Xia Zuo practically spat out these words through gritted teeth, his eyes gleaming.

“A demigod?” Prince Gregor frowned, Jonathan also raised his head, and the soul fire in the eyes of the three tomb masters suddenly flared.

“That’s right!” Xia Zuo said decisively, his speech quickening as he analyzed the key point, “According to the conventions and unspoken rules of the continent, once one steps into the realm of demigods and transcends the mundane, there is a clear boundary between them and the ownership of worldly power and influence.”

Their actions represented more the extension of their personal will, a pursuit of higher realms and eternity; worldly laws and imperial constraints had been greatly diminished for them.

He glanced at Jonathan, his gaze pointed:
"Lord Jonathan's previous concern that deploying demigods would trigger a full-scale confrontation between empires, or even lead to direct conflict between guardians, is indeed a concern on a regular level."

But what if the demigod we summon is acting in his personal capacity, seeking the extraordinary opportunity of godhood?

His Excellency Grenus's actions represent his personal pursuit of the path to divinity, not the official actions of my Eastern Empire.

Similarly, if Lord Jonathan could persuade Lord Roosevelt to intervene in the matter of the Black Tomb, it could also be considered a personal matter.

Their struggle for divinity is a contest between demigods, a competition at a higher level that transcends the conflicts of empires.

The Holy See and the Order of Healing can protect the Cohen and Efein Empires for the sake of faith and grace, and even go so far as to launch a 'divine judgment' to intimidate us secular forces.

But if a demigod were to fight for godhood on his own, would they really risk a life-or-death struggle with several veteran demigods just for Cohen?
In particular, our goal is not to destroy the Efein Empire, nor is it necessarily to take Cohen's life. From beginning to end, all we want is the divine essence within Adele Angrain!

Shazo's words made Greg, Jonathan, and the others' eyes light up.

Yes, if war is waged in the name of an empire or power, the intervention of the Holy See and the Holy Healing Order would be justified, putting immense pressure on them.

However, if a demigod "individual" is vying for the opportunity to become a god, the nature of the matter is different.

This falls under the category of competition within a higher-level, default set of "rules".

Even if the Holy See and the Holy Healing Order continue to support Cohen, they would likely find it difficult to have sufficient reason to wage a full-scale war against multiple demigods of the same level in order to help Cohen retain one of his divine titles.

The cost and consequences were something even they couldn't afford.

After all, demigods usually maintain certain boundaries with each other unless they have a life-or-death feud or their fundamental lineage is involved.

"All we need is for a demigod to storm into Florence with lightning speed, forcibly seize the divine power from Adele, and then immediately flee far away."

Xia Zuo's voice was full of seductive power: "As long as the action is quick enough, the target is clear, and there is no deliberate destruction of Efein or massacre, then for the Holy Light Church and the Holy Healing Order, this is more of a demigod-level treasure hunt than an invasion of the Efein Empire or an assassination of Cohen."

Their reasons for and the extent of their intervention will be greatly diminished.

"And we, by obtaining divinity while limiting the conflict to the demigod level, avoided a full-scale war with the Holy See, the Holy Healing Order, and even the Starry Empire, thus preserving the strength and dignity of our respective factions to the greatest extent possible."

After listening to Xia Zuo's analysis, the three tomb owners, Jonathan, and Greg all became extremely solemn.

They gazed towards the city walls of Florence, at the rows of holy figures exuding an aura of power—the Pale Wings, the Winged Elves, the Star Empire, the Church of Prophecy, the Church of Light, the Order of Healing…

These top powers, who are usually neutral, detached, or have delicate relationships with various parties, are now standing firmly behind Cohen.

The sheer size of their lineup and the strength of their support far exceeded their initial expectations.

Are we really going to fight this head-on?
Jonathan's mind raced as he calculated that even though his side had united more than twenty saints, nearly a hundred legends, and even more high-level superhumans, giving them a slight numerical advantage, the enemy also had more than fifteen saints, backed by a fortified city, and possessed an unknown magic array and the variables of Cohen and Yardel.

Once war breaks out, it will be earth-shattering, and the sky will be stained with blood.

A battle between saints can easily destroy the heavens and the earth, and legends can fall in droves.

Even if they ultimately achieve a Pyrrhic victory, their side will inevitably suffer heavy losses, with several Saints likely to be killed or wounded, and most of the Legends likely to be killed or wounded.

While divinity is certainly tempting, to squander one's future resources in the struggle for supremacy among nations after the "Covenant of the Gods" in order to obtain a single divine title would undoubtedly be putting the cart before the horse and utterly foolish.

Moreover, they would have to endure the blow to their faith from the Holy Light Church’s “divine judgment” and the deadly threat of the Holy Healing Order permanently cutting off their medical assistance… The thought of this price is chilling.

Although Greg was unwilling to involve demigods, he understood that Shazo's words made sense.

The Southern Empire was not a monolithic entity, and his position as the eldest prince was not as secure as Mount Tai.

If we suffer too much loss here, even if we manage to seize the divine status, we may not be able to hold onto it when we return. In fact, other brothers or political enemies may take the opportunity to launch an attack.

The empire's overall strength and superior status are the fundamental factors.

Although the three tomb owners acted madly, they were not mindless.

While the undead army of the Black Tomb is indeed fearless, cultivating high-level undead still requires resources and time.

A head-on confrontation with the Church of Light and the Starry Empire would be a Pyrrhic victory, potentially crippling Black Tomb and causing it to lose its dominant position in the continent's dark world.

Having a demigod take action is indeed the most appropriate choice.

Elevating the conflict to the level of individual demigods vying for opportunities not only avoids the risk of a full-scale war with forces such as the Church of Light and the Holy Healing Order, but also allows for a "decapitation" operation using absolute high-end power to quickly seize divinity.

Minimizing the loss of our conventional forces also gave all parties a way out—it's not that we're afraid, but rather that it's a game between demigods that we can't easily interfere with.

The three exchanged glances. Although they had different thoughts, they all saw in each other's eyes their approval of Xia Zuo's suggestion.

This is almost the only feasible way to break the deadlock at present.

The third tomb owner spoke first, his hoarse voice carrying a hint of impatience:
“Prince Xia Zuo is right. It’s a waste of time to waste with this rabble.”

My teacher can arrive anytime!

The "teacher" he spoke of was none other than the founder of the Black Tomb, the enigmatic demigod who had once appeared at the Northwest Regional Exchange Conference—the Tomb.
The first three tomb masters of the Black Tomb were all his disciples. He was the only demigod in the Black Tomb and also the Black Tomb's biggest trump card in its power to intimidate the continent.

Hearing the three tomb owners' decisiveness, Jonathan also made up his mind, slowly nodded, and said in a deep voice:

"In that case, there is no time to lose. I will use a secret method to contact His Excellency Roosevelt and inform him of the situation here, so that he may make a decision."

The pressure instantly fell on Prince Gregor.

Xia Zuo has the support of Grenus Tang, the three tomb masters have the tombs as their backing, and Jonathan can contact Roosevelt Harper. Only he, the eldest prince of the Southern Empire, is in the most awkward position at this moment.

Would the guardian demigod of the Southern Empire be willing to take action for him?
Can he be transferred?
Even if it were possible to mobilize them, would that demigod be willing to confront other demigods, especially those from the Church of Light who might intervene, at such a sensitive time in order to compete for a divine title? (End of Chapter)