Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Greg's expression shifted constantly. Under the watchful eyes of Xia Zuo, Jonathan, and the three tomb masters, he felt immense pressure.

The eldest prince of the Southern Empire knew perfectly well that retreating now would not only mean losing his chance at godhood, but would also put him at a complete disadvantage in future competition.

However, he was not entirely confident in his ability to persuade a demigod, and it could very likely trigger a chain reaction within the empire.

After a long silence, the ambitious eldest prince finally made up his mind, gritted his teeth, and spoke:

"In that case, I will personally write a letter to my father, explaining the advantages and disadvantages here, and see what decision my father will make."

This matter is no longer something he can decide alone; he needs to consult the Emperor of the Southern Region.

His so-called "writing letters" could not possibly be ordinary correspondence.

At their level, conducting real-time or near-real-time emergency communications across vast distances is not difficult, especially when it involves matters of great importance such as divinity.

Seeing that the three had all agreed, Xia Zuo felt reassured, and a smug and ruthless glint flashed in his eyes:

"Alright! Let's split up and get in touch as soon as possible!"

"Make sure all four demigods arrive simultaneously, with overwhelming force, and succeed in one fell swoop!"

As the four leaders reached a consensus, the tense atmosphere outside the city, which had been on the verge of exploding, strangely "cooled down."

Xia Zuo, Jonathan, Greg, and the three tomb masters each retreated to the core area of ​​their respective camps, some retrieving precious communication artifacts, others setting up complex communication arrays, and still others communicating with the unseen beings through soul links...

They began to contact the ultimate power behind them, a power capable of shaking the continent, in their own ways—the demigods!
Meanwhile, their army of saints and legends received orders to temporarily hold back and increase vigilance.

The originally surging killing intent and fighting spirit receded like the receding tide.

But the pressure in the air did not dissipate; instead, it became even more stagnant and unsettling due to the omen of a higher level of existence about to descend.

A suffocating, deathly silence, like the calm before a storm, enveloped the entire city of Florence.

The four most powerful forces of the allied forces suddenly ceased their attacks, shifting from an extreme offensive posture to an eerie calm.

This left many small and medium-sized forces and lone strongmen who had originally relied on them or wanted to take advantage of the situation dumbfounded, followed by boundless fear.

"What happened? Why did you stop fighting?"

"Prince Xia Zuo, Lord Jonathan, and the others... have they retreated?"

The scattered soldiers and representatives of small factions who had initially hoped to gain some advantage in the chaos were now completely bewildered.

Look at the terrifying array of saints atop Florence, think of the chilling "Divine Judgment" declaration of the Holy See... Panic spread like a plague around the allied forces.

It's unclear who started it, but these peripheral forces began to retreat like a tide, moving away from the walls of Florence.

In an instant, the massive army that had been densely packed and menacingly surrounding Florence fell into an eerie calm and preparation at its core, while the "ragtag" forces on the periphery scattered like birds and beasts.

The scene was both comical and eerily unsettling.

The clamor and murderous intent outside the city receded like the tide, and an unsettling silence slowly descended.

Cohen stood atop the towering city wall, his face showing no sign of relief despite the enemy's temporary retreat; instead, a deeper solemnity settled between his brows.

He knew better than anyone that the calm before his eyes was not the end of the storm, but rather the suppressed prelude to an even bigger and more terrifying one.

Shazo, Jonathan, Greg, the three tomb masters... these cunning and shrewd giants would never willingly give up their almost attainable divinity just because of the strong support of the Holy See and the Holy Healing Order.

Their initial plan was to use overwhelming saintly and legendary power to forcibly crush Florence's defenses and seize its divinity.

The plan is simple and crude, but if successful, the cost will be minimal.

However, the strength of the allies displayed by Effie's side far exceeded their expectations, especially the resolute attitude of the Holy See of Light, which was willing to launch a "divine judgment," blocking their path of violently breaching the city.

Even if we manage to win by forcing a war, it will inevitably be a Pyrrhic victory, resulting in heavy losses on both sides. Furthermore, it will thoroughly offend the Holy See and the Holy Healing Order, leading to endless troubles in the future.

This was by no means a wise move for these rulers whose foundation lay in the continuation of empire and power.

So they backed down and changed their approach.

Since the cost and risk of clashing with conventional forces are too high, let's jump out of this level and directly use the ultimate force—a demigod!
By acting under the guise of a demigod vying for personal opportunities, they can avoid a full-scale war with the two neutral powers, achieve their goals with an absolute advantage in strength, and preserve their core forces to the greatest extent possible.

This is probably what Xia Zuo and the others are planning right now.

Cohen showed no sign of panic.

He was certainly confident enough to lead Effie through this crisis, but he also did not want to see Effie reduced to ruins in the battle of the saints.

What he wanted was to achieve the greatest results at the lowest cost and to completely solidify Effie's inviolable position.

Therefore, he spared no expense, utilizing almost all available allies, bringing together the support of the Pale Wings, Winged Elves, Star Empire, Church of Prophecy, and even the Church of Light and the Holy Healing Order.

This was exactly the effect he wanted—to confront the enemy with conventional forces so powerful that they hesitated to act rashly, forcing them to abandon any illusions of large-scale army warfare and escalating the conflict to its highest level.
A battle of demigods!

Only by confining the war to the demigod level can he protect Efein's ordinary citizens and army to the greatest extent, keep the destruction within a certain range, and use his carefully prepared contingency plan targeting the demigod level to seize the true initiative in this war!

Xia Zuo and the others thought that bringing out a demigod was a brilliant move to break the deadlock, but little did they know that they might have fallen into the battlefield that Cohen had set up.

Just as his thoughts were racing, a stunningly beautiful figure, as if formed from moonlight, quietly appeared beside him—it was Queen Adele.

Even in this critical moment when a massive army was pressing in and a demigod was about to descend, Adele's appearance still instantly attracted countless eyes.

She wore a magnificent moon-white gown that shone brightly against the slightly gloomy sky.

Her beauty was breathtaking, as if she embodied all the beautiful imaginations in the world. The charm of the most beautiful woman on the continent was not diminished in the slightest by the tense battle, but instead gained a more breathtaking resilience.

She gave Cohen a gentle and reassuring look, and without a word, Cohen understood—

She had completed setting up the final safeguard, the ultimate magic circle that consumed countless rare materials and incorporated the ancient wisdom of the Arcane Empire and Adele's own understanding of the laws of space and destiny, as planned.

That was their last resort for the worst-case scenario, their ultimate contingency plan to ensure that even in the worst situation, Effie would have a chance to survive.

Feeling his wife's silent support and the arduous work she had quietly accomplished behind the scenes, Cohen felt a surge of warmth in his heart, which eased some of the grimness brought by the battlefield.

Adele tilted her head slightly, gazing at her husband's strong profile, and spoke softly:
"The atmosphere outside the city is becoming increasingly strange and profound. Those few subtle summoning fluctuations... I'm afraid that next, a demigod will personally take action."

or……"

Adele hesitated, a resolute glint in her eyes, as if she wanted to propose a risky plan.

Cohen didn't let her continue. He reached out and gently took Adele's slightly cool hand in his.

Please trust your husband.

Everything is going according to plan!

A simple sentence, yet it seems to contain a weighty promise and power.

Ada's heart skipped a beat; all the unspoken words and all the worries turned into a torrent of emotions at that moment.

Her eyes instantly welled up with tears, not just from being moved, but from unconditional trust and love that ran deep in her bones.

Under the watchful eyes of countless soldiers, allied saints, and even countless eyes, both overt and covert, outside the city, against the backdrop of the imminent arrival of an enemy demigod and the impending outbreak of war, Queen Adel Angelion of Efein, the most beautiful woman on the continent, made a move that moved everyone.

She stepped forward, unhesitatingly wrapped her arms around Cohen's neck, and then, in full view of everyone, raised her stunningly beautiful face and firmly kissed Cohen's lips.

On the city wall, the soldiers of Efein held their breath, their eyes burning with an even more intense fighting spirit.

The saints and legends of the alliance were slightly moved.

Meanwhile, Xia Zuo and the others, who were making their own preparations outside the city, naturally witnessed this scene.

Xia Zuo's eyes were sinister, Jonathan was expressionless, Greg's expression was complicated, and the three tomb masters let out a disdainful snort.

But this seemingly tender scene, in the eyes of these shrewd and calculating giants, was more like a silent declaration of war, an extreme display of confidence—Cohen was completely unafraid of the demigod they were about to summon!
For a long time, the lips are divided.

Adele blushed slightly but her eyes were bright as she took a step back and stood slightly behind Cohen, making her stance clear that she would face everything with him.

Time slowly passed in the suffocating wait, but for those watching the faint and terrifying fluctuations outside the city, every second felt like an eternity.

The leaders of the four factions clearly used the highest level of emergency communication methods.

In less than half a day, a strange change occurred in the sky above Florence, which had been filled with chaos and oppression due to various energy lights and the momentum of the allied forces! As if an invisible giant hand had suddenly wiped away the light of day, at noon, the blazing sun disappeared without warning, and the entire Florence and its surrounding vast area were suddenly plunged into a terrifying darkness!

This is not the natural darkness of night, but rather a "polar night" where even light itself seems to be swallowed up and isolated!
There were no stars or moon in the sky, only pure, heavy, and oppressive darkness that enveloped the surrounding area and swallowed everything.

The darkness lasted for a full ten minutes. During those ten minutes, whether it was the soldiers and civilians inside Florence, the allied soldiers who had not yet retreated far outside the city, or even those saints and legendary powerhouses, they all felt a fear and insignificance that came from their very life instincts.

Light, sound, and even the flow of elements all seemed to freeze and distort in this absolute darkness.

Countless people looked up in terror, but could see nothing. They could only feel their hearts pounding wildly in their chests, and their souls trembling under the boundless pressure of darkness.

Ten minutes later, just as abruptly as it had arrived, the absolute darkness vanished without warning.

But the sky did not return to its original state; instead, it presented an even more bizarre and terrifying scene—the entire sky seemed to have been brutally torn apart by four invisible giant hands, evenly dividing it into four regions of different colors and with completely different auras!

The eastern sky was painted a deep, silent black that seemed to devour all light. It was not pure darkness; countless tiny, twisted runes seemed to flow within it, emanating a chilling deathly aura that could freeze one's soul and the purest form of evil.

The southern sky transformed into a vast "starry curtain," with countless stars twinkling against a deep blue-black background. These were not real stars, but starlight condensed from pure energy and rules, vast, mysterious, and carrying a noble and detached air that looked down upon all living beings.

The western sky was dyed a thick "imperial gold." The golden light was not warm, but carried an unquestionable majesty, an ancient vicissitude, and a heavy feeling that seemed to suppress time and space. Within the golden light, the phantom of a giant beast was faintly visible, coiled and roaring.

The northern sky was a constantly changing "chaotic color," sometimes as hot and burning as boiling lava, sometimes as cold and piercing as ancient ice, sometimes as violent as a storm, and sometimes as heavy and solid as the earth. It seemed to encompass the original form of all elements in the world, chaotic yet containing incredible violent power.

The four colors of the sky were clearly distinct, yet they pressed and collided with each other, emitting a silent roar that made the souls of all extraordinary beings tremble!

The entire space of Florence groaned under this level of pressure, the light distorted, the laws were disordered, and the elements surged!

Inside and outside the city of Florence, everyone, from the lowest-ranking soldier to the highest saint, felt as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on their hearts.

Without anyone needing to explain, a title immediately came to everyone's mind: Demigod!

And it wasn't just one, it was four!
Four demigods, who stood at the pinnacle of the continent, were almost legendary, and had transcended the realm of mortal understanding, descended at the same time!

Throughout the ages, has there ever been a time when four demigods manifested in the world at the same time for the same goal?

Under the suffocating four-colored sky and terrifying pressure, four figures seemed to walk out from their respective domains, materializing from the void and descending above the Florence Plain.

Their figures weren't particularly large, but standing there, they seemed to become the center of heaven and earth, the masters of the laws!
First, a figure slowly materialized from the western sky, rendered in "Imperial Gold".

His appearance, without any earth-shattering phenomena, made the flow of time in that area seem to slow down.

A sense of vicissitude, weight, and unquestionable majesty, accumulated over countless years, permeated the air.

Roosevelt Harper, the former guardian of the Noble House of the Central Empire and the oldest known being on the continent of the Demon Tide who has been in the demigod realm for the longest time!

Immediately afterwards, from the churning "chaotic color" of the northern sky, a roar that seemed to come from the ancient wilderness faintly echoed.

A tall figure stepped out.

He exuded a completely different yet perfectly blended aura of heat, cold, rage, and weight.

Of course, the most intense aura was a pure dragon aura, which he used to condense all kinds of elements and powers together with the power of the dragon.

The guardian deity of the Eastern Empire, Prince Xia Zuo's greatest reliance, and a demigod-level powerhouse renowned for his mastery of multiple violent elemental powers—Genus Tang!
Then, there was the southern sky, where the "curtain of stars" descended.

The starlight gathered and outlined a tall, slender figure.

The guardian of the Southern Empire, a demigod-level powerhouse—Drummond Quinn!
Clearly, Prince Gregor finally succeeded in persuading his father, Emperor Wilson, perhaps because he saw that the Central Empire, the Eastern Empire, and even the Black Tomb had gone to great lengths to eliminate Effie, a potential threat with divine status.

After weighing the pros and cons, the Emperor of the Southern Region finally agreed to let the empire's guardian deity participate in this operation.

Although demigods are transcendent, they are still inextricably linked to the fate of the empire, and Drummond Quinn cannot completely ignore the emperor's request.

Finally, there was the "eternally silent black" eastern sky.

Without a sound of footsteps or a fluctuation of energy, a figure appeared out of thin air, as if he had always been there, merging with the all-consuming darkness.

He was cloaked in black, unarmed, and simply stood there quietly. Yet, the light, sounds, and even the life force around him were silently converging on him and then vanishing.

The area where he was located was the realm of death, the end of all things.

The founder of Black Tomb had previously clashed with Dunprado at a Northwest Regional Conference.

The agents of the seventy-two demons of Solomon in the material world.

No one knows his real name; the people of the mainland refer to him by only one word, which represents death and the end—the Tomb!

Four distinct celestial domes, each representing a different demigod realm, completely enveloped the city of Florence and the vast northwestern continent surrounding it.

The sky was clearly divided, yet the two forces eroded and squeezed each other, causing the laws of the land to become disordered and fragile, light to distort, and elements to wail.

Inside and outside the city, whether it was the allied forces of Effie, who were poised to attack, or the allied forces that had ceased their fighting and harbored ulterior motives, or the scattered individuals watching in fear from afar, everyone was now in a deathly silence.

It was as if a mass silencing spell had truly been cast.

Everyone's gaze was filled with indescribable shock, fear, and a hint of bewilderment at witnessing a "legend," as they stared intently at the four figures in the sky that seemed to be one with heaven and earth, yet also seemed to be above heaven and earth.

Reaching the level of demigods means transcending the limitations of ordinary extraordinary professions and gaining a fundamental understanding of the nature of power.

They don't seem to emit any earth-shattering energy fluctuations, and even give people the illusion that they are "no different from ordinary people," but this is precisely the most terrifying thing.

This means that they have reached a state of perfect control over their own power, returning to their original simplicity. Beneath their seemingly ordinary bodies lies a power capable of changing the world.

Their very presence embodies a set of rules, an extension of a domain.

The four-colored phenomena that enveloped the heavens and earth, and the oppressive force that froze one's soul, were the best proof of their existence.

Cohen's gaze first fell on the figure at the very front, under the "eternal blackness"—the tomb.

This was the first time he had seen the "true" (or perhaps not true) face of the founder of the Black Tomb, the legendary agent of the demon god, so clearly.

Surprisingly, the tomb's exterior was not as gloomy and terrifying as one might imagine, nor was it shrouded in death. Instead, it resembled a well-read and refined scholar.

He had a slender face, his skin was pale from not seeing the sun for a long time, his features were regular, and he even had a scholarly air about him. His long gray hair was neatly combed and draped over his slightly thin shoulders.

If he weren't in the heart of that all-consuming darkness, Cohen would almost have thought he was a wise man living in seclusion in an ancient library.

His temperament and style bear a striking resemblance to Professor Dunprado, both exuding a sense of tranquility and erudition. However, Dunprado's tranquility is the accumulation of wisdom, while the tranquility of the tomb is the cold silence of eternity.

Next is Roosevelt Harper, the former guardian of the House of Nobles of the Central Empire and the oldest demigod still existing on the continent of the Demon Tide.

He also suppressed all his outward charisma, looking like a shrewd, capable, and long-serving senior politician.

His attire and demeanor were no different from those cunning and powerful figures in the Central Empire's House of Nobles; however, the vicissitudes and majesty that had been honed over countless years were unmatched by any ordinary politician.

Grenus Tang, the guardian deity of the Eastern Empire, presents a different picture.

He was tall and imposing, and even with his elemental power restrained, he still exuded a sense of solidity and weight, like a mountain.

He wore a magnificent robe with a distinctly ancient Eastern aristocratic style, the collar and cuffs inlaid with unknown gemstones.

She had a square face with sharp features, and her dark brown, slightly curly hair was tied back with a small crown-shaped headdress.

His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, carrying an innate nobility and unquestionable dominance, as if he was born to rule everything.

Unlike Roosevelt's statesmanlike demeanor, Grenus was more like a tribal king or emperor wielding great power.

Finally, there is Drummond Quinn, the guardian deity of the Southern Empire.

His attire was most distinctive; it was not the common attire of nobles or scholars on the mainland, but rather a traditional southern maritime style outfit.

His face was so handsome it was almost otherworldly, his skin had a faint bronze hue from years of exposure to the sea breeze, and his eyes held a calm yet unfathomable power.

His appearance brought with it a faint sense of ocean tides and a star-like sense of alienation.

Four demigods, each with a distinct temperament and appearance.

But at this moment, their faces didn't show much expression.

Their gaze swept past the dense crowd below, past the saints who stood ready for battle, and landed directly on the city walls of Florence.

All eyes turned to the young emperor, Cohen Corleone, who stood tall even under the pressure of a demigod. (End of Chapter)