I was a lord farming, how did I become an emperor?

Chapter 365 Ghoul Plague

……

……

The flying dragon serpent finally lost its patience and flapped its wings to pounce on the black flames.

Their assertion of sovereignty is also a provocation to Black Flame.

Black Flame flapped its wings and opened its blood-red maw towards the flying dragon serpent.
"Roar!"

The roar carried a hint of dragon might, and the flying dragon snake stopped immediately before it even got close, flapping its wings and turning to flee without hesitation.

Although fierce, it still retains some rationality.

Rod chuckled and patted the black flames. "Drive them to the shore."

"Roar!"

Black Flame let out a low roar as its massive body swept through the air, heading straight for the largest flying serpent dragon.

The Flying Serpent Dragon was significantly slower than the Black Flame, and the distance between them was quickly closed.

Following Rhodes's instructions, Black Flame changed direction and approached the Flying Serpent Dragon from the side.

The flying serpent dragon had no choice but to turn and fly into the mountains and forests.

Black Flame chased after the adult flying serpent dragons, while Frost chased after the flying serpent dragon cubs.

Frost was all alone after all. After the three flying serpent dragon cubs scattered, it chased one after another, like a child herding pigs.

Rhodes wasn't in the mood to play with the flying serpent dragon.

After the flying serpent dragon reached the skies above the mountains and forests, Rhodes immediately gave the order.

"Black Flame, grab it."

Black Flame instantly accelerated, closing the distance to the Flying Serpent Dragon.

Even without turning around, the Flying Serpent Dragon sensed the rapidly approaching presence behind it and immediately flapped its wings rapidly!

However, all of this was to no avail.

The enormous black flames quickly enveloped it, then swooped down on it!

"Ow!"

A sharp scream rang out in the sky, but it couldn't stop the black flames from falling!
The next instant, the flying serpent dragon felt a tremendous force on its neck, and its body went out of control and plummeted rapidly toward the ground!

"Oh!"

With a loud bang, the Flying Serpent Dragon slammed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Rhodes calmly jumped off Blackflame's back and turned to look at the Flying Serpent Dragon that Blackflame had pinned to the ground.

Black Flame gripped the Flying Serpent Dragon's neck with one claw and pressed it to the ground, while its other claw pressed against its back.

The scene resembled a two-meter-tall sheriff pinning down a thief who was less than one and a half meters tall.

Rhodes slowly walked to the Flying Serpent Dragon's side and said, "You should be able to understand what I'm saying."

“I’m not here today to kill you and your cubs, but to give you a chance.”

Rhodes crouched down, staring at the flying serpent dragon, "Become my servant, and I will activate the dragon bloodline within you, giving you the possibility of becoming a true dragon."

As he spoke, Rhodes unleashed the aura of a dragon slayer, pressing down directly on the Flying Serpent Dragon's head.

Just as the Flying Serpent Dragon was about to scream, its head was instantly pressed to the ground by the Dragon Slayer's oppressive aura.

"very good."

Rhodes nodded in satisfaction, raised his hand towards the flying serpent dragon, and said, "Don't resist."

The emerald green seed of nature slowly entered the Flying Serpent Dragon's body.

The Flying Serpent Dragon was not as docile as Black Flame had been.

The Seed of Nature lingered around its body, but never merged into it.

Rhodes frowned slightly. "Black Flame, teach it a lesson."

After saying that, Rod turned around.

Screams rang out one after another, indicating that Hei Yan had not shown any mercy.

"All right."

A moment later, Rhodes turned around, and the flying serpent dragon was covered in blood.

Its hide and flesh are tougher than those of ordinary wild beasts, but they are no match for the black flames' dragon claws.

Of course, Black Flame didn't go all out.

The Flying Serpent Dragon only suffered superficial injuries.

"Even if you disobey me, I won't let you die."

Rhodes said calmly, "But Black Flame will treat you as prey and play with you however they want."

Upon hearing this, Black Flame immediately let out a low growl, its vertical pupils flashing with the light of wisdom.

The Flying Serpent Dragon's body trembled slightly.

Without wasting any more words, Rhodes once again gathered the Seed of Nature.

This time, the Seed of Nature merged into the Flying Serpent Dragon's body without any hindrance.

It seems that flying serpent dragons, like trees, need pruning to grow well.

"Very good, you'll be glad you made this choice in the future."

Rhodes waved his hand, signaling Black Flame to release the Flying Serpent Dragon. "Let's give you a name first, we'll call you Big Fly..."

"Ow!"

A sharp roar came from the southwest of the forest, interrupting Rod's words.

A smile appeared on Rod's lips as he gazed into the distance.
"There's another one?"

The released flying serpent dragon nodded slightly.

……

……

The dense forest canopy blocked out the sunlight, cutting it into countless tiny spots that sprinkled onto the grass.

In the woods, a group of soldiers ran hurriedly, their expressions panicked.

They wore leather armor, chainmail aprons, and iron helmets.

He wore a tattered cloak, held a spear in his hand, and his face was covered in filth.

Some people had blood-stained rags wrapped around their arms, looking very disheveled.

In front of the soldier was a tall young girl.

The girl's skin was fair but also covered in filth, and her attire was extremely strange.

A long skirt with its hem torn off, gray linen trousers, and a tattered cloak.

"Sir Doss, I... I can't run anymore!"

The girl, panting heavily, squatted down and waved her hand, "Go on, don't worry about me, just deliver the message to Riftrock City!"

"No, Princess Diana!"

The middle-aged knight hurriedly stepped forward, "You are the hope of the Stone Ridge Kingdom! Only you are qualified to inherit the family business!"

"No, no, no, I can't inherit it!"

Deanna waved her hands repeatedly, "Don't put such a heavy responsibility on me. I was just a result of my father's drunkenness. Please let me go!"

"I can't run anymore. Let me die here. The hope of Shiling is in your hands!"

Diana plopped down on the ground, looking completely resigned to her fate.

Just then, a huge figure suddenly appeared in the sky not far away!

It is indeed the Flying Serpent Dragon!
Its size is significantly larger, far exceeding that of a typical flying serpent dragon!

Its wingspan is at least ten meters, almost twice that of a typical flying serpent dragon!
The flying serpent dragon circled in the air once, immediately spotted Deanna and the others, and pounced down without hesitation!

"Ready to fight!"

Knight Doss shouted and drew his sword, while the other soldiers raised their bows and arrows and unleashed a barrage of arrows at the flying serpent dragon!
shhhhhh!
Arrows streaked across the sky one after another, and the flying serpent dragon nimbly flipped and dodged in the air!

All the soldiers' arrows missed their mark, and the Flying Serpent Dragon rushed up to them in the blink of an eye!
"Don't worry about me, just go!"

Deanna cried out, "Don't die for me!"

The soldiers ignored Diana's orders and continued shooting arrows at the flying serpent dragon.

A few arrows struck the flying serpent dragon's body, but they only stuck to its scales and couldn't penetrate any deeper.

"spread!"

Doss shouted, and the soldiers quickly dodged to the sides!

But the Flying Serpent Dragon crashed down like a cannonball, and a young soldier was a beat too slow to react, his neck was instantly torn open!

The Flying Serpent Dragon took to the sky again, its vertical pupils filled with ruthlessness, as it searched for its next target!
"You guys hold it back!"

Doss roared, turned around, and grabbed Deanna.

"Hurry, Princess Diana!"

Regardless of whether Deanna wanted to or not, Doss grabbed Deanna and ran to the northeast!
Deanna looked bewildered. "You...you're just going to abandon them?!"

Doss gritted his teeth and shouted, "They are all the most loyal guards; they are willing to give their lives for you!"

"Shut up!"

Deanna jerked her head away from Doss's grasp and yanked the bow and arrows off his back.

Then he raised his bow and arrow and aimed it at the swooping flying serpent dragon.

"Princess Diana, what are you doing?!"

Doss's words came to an abrupt halt!

Diana drew the bowstring, and countless green lights gathered around the arrow, quickly coalescing into an arrow that emitted a vibrant green glow!
"They took care of me all the way, I can't let them die like this!"

Diana gritted her teeth and shouted, and the emerald arrow shot from the bowstring, transforming into a streak of green light as it hurtled towards the flying serpent dragon! "Great! Your Highness, you actually know magic!"

Doss's face was full of excitement.

But the next moment, he froze on the spot.

The emerald green arrow flew past the flying serpent dragon at a distance of two meters, without landing on it at all.

Diana plopped down on the ground and shrugged. "I should have practiced archery more."

Although the emerald green arrow missed the flying serpent dragon, it successfully attracted its attention.

It took off again, its vertical pupils fixed on Deanna with a fierce look, before swooping down.

"Now look what's happened, it's got its eye on me."

Diana looked up at the sky and waved casually, "Alright, you guys can go now, don't worry about me."

Deanna was not flustered at all; in fact, her voice carried a sense of relief.

"The Flying Serpent Dragon is a magical beast; you are no match for it."

"Protect Her Highness!"

Doss gave another loud command and reached out to pull Deanna up.

Just then, a deafening dragon roar rang out!
"Roar!"

Flying Serpent Dragon's figure jerked violently, and as soon as he turned his head, he saw a huge black shadow descending from the sky!

It's Black Flame!

The black flames streaked across the sky like a meteorite, directly blocking the swooping flying serpent dragon and crashing it into the nearby forest!
"Click——"

The sound of tree trunks snapping rang out one after another, and the flying serpent dragon was pressed firmly to the ground by its claws.

It didn't struggle at all, and let out a faint pleading sound.

Rhodes jumped off the dragon's back, his gaze sweeping over the flying serpent dragon.

"It's larger in size, and there are some purple patterns in its scales, so it looks like it's mutated."

Rhodes nodded slightly and questioned the Flying Serpent Dragon: "Submit to me and become my servant, or the Black Flame will crush your bones."

“Nod if you understand,” Rod added.

The mutated flying serpent dragon seemed to be more intelligent, and immediately nodded in response.

"Performing well."

Rhodes waved his hand, "Black Flame, ease up, don't crush it."

After saying that, Rod turned around.

Diana, Doss, and the others were completely stunned, staring at Rhodes and the enormous dragon, at a loss for what to do.

An eerie silence fell over the forest.

"I am Rhodes, the supreme ruler of the Shattered Rock Empire, the sole lord of the four provinces, the dragon rider, and Duke of the North,"

Rhodes's gaze swept over the crowd, and he asked in a dignified voice,
"Who are you people, and why are you in my territory?"

……

……

night.

The campfire crackled and popped, and the unique aroma of crabs and lobsters from the barbecue grill wafted along the coast on the night breeze.

Rhodes sat on a stake by the campfire, listening quietly to Deanna and Doss's story.

Diana is a princess of the Stone Ridge Duchy.

The illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Shiling.

Despite her awkward status, Deanna's life is pretty good.

The Duke of Stone Ridge was a generous and kind man, and Diana accepted her identity.

She will live a wealthy and leisurely life, studying her favorite herbal medicine, and eventually become the wife of a nobleman.

They were carefree.

Until a month ago.

Her fate was suddenly intertwined with that of the entire Principality of Shiling.

Because Shi Ling Da Gong suddenly became delirious, his skin turned bluish-gray, and he became extremely hungry.

He is sometimes violent and manic, and sometimes unconscious.

The doctor tried everything, but nothing worked.

Gradually, the body of the Stone Ridge Duke began to rot, and the period of being out of control became longer and longer.

One night, the Grand Duke completely lost control, biting his maid to death and continuing to devour her.

What's terrifying is that this phenomenon occurred throughout the entire castle.

People afflicted with this disease, whether nobles or servants, gradually descend into madness, indiscriminately biting and tearing apart the people and animals around them.

Those who are bitten to death or injured will soon turn into those monsters.

The disease quickly spread throughout the city, plunging Stone Ridge into complete chaos.

Countless civilians were transformed into those terrifying monsters.

Deanna, who loved studying herbs, needed to collect them in the mountains and lived in the countryside, which is how she narrowly escaped death.

The soldier who delivered the message to her was in a terrible state; he too succumbed to the disease and turned into a monster.

Diana knew the seriousness of the situation and immediately fled the duchy upon receiving the news.

After hearing the whole story, Rhodes frowned slightly. "This doesn't sound like an illness; it sounds more like necromancy."

After speaking, Rhodes turned to look at Vivian, who nodded.

"Ghoul Plague, the most common necromancy spell in the Necromancer's Handbook."

Vivian replied, "It's basically consistent with the symptoms she described."

"This plague is terrible; it can turn everyone into ghouls. People who are bitten or scratched will also turn into ghouls."

Rhodes nodded slightly, looked at Deanna, and asked, "Is your Stone Ridge Duchy connected with the Church of Magic and Death?"

"No, we've never heard of this church."

Deanna said, "We only have one church there, the Church of Healing and Eternal Life."

"They will provide free medical treatment to sick and injured civilians, distribute holy water, and offer free burial plots to help bury the deceased."

In this world, all the land belongs to noble lords, and ordinary people naturally have to pay the lord a share of the land's value when burying their deceased family members.

"This Church of Healing and Immortality sounds pretty good, but..."

Rhodes looked at Vivian again and asked, "Does this sound like it's related to necromancy?"

"Have."

Vivian replied without hesitation, "The ingredients for the ghoul plague are complex, requiring a large number of corpses and cultivation in a magic circle filled with decay and necromantic energy."

"Then it is implanted into a living human body for cultivation."

"This process is very complicated. The living need to drink necromancy every week to provide energy for the plague, and this cannot be interrupted."

Vivian glanced at Deanna and continued, "It sounds basically consistent with what this Princess Shiling said."

The cemetery serves as a base for materials related to the ghoul plague, concealing decay and necromantic energy; the holy water is very likely necromantic liquid.

"Have you, and your soldiers, drunk the holy water?"

Rhodes's gaze swept over Deanna and the others.

“Never, I hate that kind of thing.”

Deanna shook her head. "I don't believe in immortality, and besides, that stuff is said to taste awful."

Knight Doss and his soldiers also shook their heads.

"It seems your father and brothers and sisters all desire immortality."

Rhodes understood now.

The Church of Healing and Immortality must be the same church as the Church of Magic and Death.

Magic is an elusive concept in this era, and death is an even more terrifying thing.

Therefore, if the Church of Magic and Death wants to spread its influence, it must change its name.

Healing and immortality are what everyone desires most.

Suddenly remembering something, Rhodes asked, "What is the situation like in the countries surrounding your Stone Ridge Principality? Do the people there believe in the Church of Healing and Immortality?"

Diana shook her head.

"I'm just an illegitimate child. I'm already very happy to be able to leisurely accompany my flowers and plants. I've never paid attention to the things you're talking about."

Deanna has a clear understanding of herself, so she never knows anything outside of herbalism.

Deanna didn't care about any of that.

I just didn't expect things to turn out this way.

"The Church of Healing and Immortality has believers in the nearby Duchy of Wind Song and the Kingdom of Green Field."

Doss asked, "You mean, those places could also be infected by the ghoul plague?"

"By unleashing such a terrible plague, the Church of Healing and Immortality will become the enemy of everyone."

Rhodes said, "So once they start, they won't just target one place; other duchies will likely be attacked as well."

Such a ghoul plague is devastating, and even the Holy Council would not allow it.

Thinking of this, Rhodes looked at Doss and asked, "By the way, don't you have any other churches?"

"For example, the Church of Dawn, didn't they stop this?"

(End of this chapter)