Origin Paradise!

November, year 265 of the Divine Calendar.

Imperial history is rewritten and partially revealed.

At the end of September, the newly established Dragon's Secret Legion dispatched a reserve force to Sea Serpent Island to reach a secret agreement with the Sun King. On the premise of reclaiming Sea Serpent Island, the Imperial Royal Family promised the Sun King the prestigious title of "Duke of Sea Serpent".

In early October, dissatisfied with the birth of a new duke around his territory, Duke Felix of the North launched a war across the sea, gathering the Green Forest Legion and thirteen knightly orders to fight across the sea.

In mid-October, the war officially broke out. The Earl of Greenwood, heir to the North, was killed in action, as were the Marquis of Blackwhale and the Marquis of Shattered Reef. Duke Felix himself fell into a coma.

The Sun King successfully killed the mysterious cloaked man and the Pirate King. With the assistance of the Imperial Princess, he reclaimed the Sea Serpent Island, was promoted to Duke, and the Sea Serpent Island became an overseas autonomous territory of the Empire.

Facing a localized war between two dukes.

The royal family ordered the eldest princess to mediate the war.

The Duchy of the Sea Serpent promised to send troops to participate in the battle when the alien races marched north. The northern army withdrew from the Sea Serpent Island by coastal wooden boats, and only seven knightly orders survived.

With the war over and the acquisition of a large amount of magical armor and weaponry, the Sun King ordered the strong natives of Serpent Island to gather together and form a Grand Knight Order, five Knight Orders, and a 10,000-strong Serpent Legion of equal rank, to jointly establish the Serpent Legion, totaling 16,000 people.

As payment for "seeing off" the Northern Legion, Sea Serpent Island received Rock Salt Seeds from the Great Princess. These seeds were a masterpiece developed by the Alchemists' Guild, which could reduce soil requirements and grow rapidly as long as there were mountains and sea salt.

……

On the vast sea, where dark clouds filled the sky.

Dozens of wooden boats bobbed with the waves. The once proud knights now bowed their heads, their magical heavy armor completely gone. Most of the knights were wrapped in white cloth, filthy and smelly, no longer the valiant warriors they once were. The Northern army suffered a huge defeat.

Inside the War Turtle Castle in Augusta.

Jiang He sat in the living room drinking. Duke Felix was still unconscious. The Underworld puppet had already teleported over and kept wielding the Myriad Spirit Scythe, leaving penetrating wounds on the duke's body, but it was still unable to control him. It possessed a power of considerable strength, protecting the duke from becoming a puppet.

"A noble assembly, huh?"

After a moment's thought, Jiang He, relying on the insight of a quasi-alchemy master, arrived at an answer. This result was reasonable. In the long history of the world of gods, there must have been quite a few great guardian spirits who were good at controlling things. Nobles were the foundation of imperial rule and would inevitably take precautions against this, especially great nobles like the Duke of the North.

"Then he can only die of illness."

puff!

Jiang He stood up, took the legendary Blade of the End, and pierced Duke Felix's forehead. In fact, the eldest princess and the medical knight had already judged that the duke could not wake up. Once you were tainted by the legendary poison, your life and death were out of your own hands.

[Hint: Hunted Legendary Monsters +1 (7/12)]

[Hint: You have gained +1 True Attribute Point]

[Spirit: 59+2→60+2]

With his mental stats rising slightly, Jiang He felt his mind clearer. Thanks to the Eternal Soul talent, his already extremely resilient soul had grown a little stronger. For ordinary players, a percentage increase in stats might be noticeable, but he often drastically strengthened himself in battle, so he wouldn't experience a situation where he couldn't control his stats for a short period after the increase.

Jiang He retrieved the body fragments of the Pirate King and used the Time Ring to restore the body. As for the soul, it had long since been annihilated. The Underworld Puppet quickly completed its control, making this the second Saint-level puppet.

Assassin - Stormhawk.

Light Warrior - Pirate King.

A quarter of an hour later, news of Duke Felix's death from poisoning spread. The Earl, the Princess, and the nobles were secretly delighted. The person responsible for the disastrous defeat in the sea crossing had finally been found. If it weren't for Viscount Rhein's tireless efforts day and night, someone would have already been preparing to "rebel."

In the hall, everyone rushed over. The nobles examined the cause of the Duke's death, while the eldest princess went straight to the only Saint-level warrior present at the scene.

"Viscount Rhine, who do you think should inherit the dukedom?" the eldest princess asked, narrowing her eyes.

Jiang He calmly said, "Since Earl Green Forest has died in battle, the heir is naturally the young earl, which is perfectly legitimate."

"Is it legitimate? I doubt it." The eldest princess said coldly, crossing her arms to support her towering snow-capped peaks, "The duke has a young son left behind in Green Forest City, and the young count's bloodline is problematic."

Jiang He said, "No problem."

After a moment of silence, the eldest princess, with her keen mind, probed, "So, this is your reason for protecting the second prince? Techniques that affect bloodlines are not common."

Jiang He remained silent. The world of sailing should be a subordinate to the world of gods. Under the control of the Black Marquis, he obtained the technology of stripping and transplanting bloodlines. The Huodou bloodline in Old Black's body originated from this. As his alchemy skills advanced to the level of a quasi-grandmaster, his techniques became more mature and sophisticated.

After a long pause, the eldest princess offered a completely new price.

"Viscount Rhine, promoted to Earl."

"Marquis Augusta, if you successfully advance to the Holy Domain this time, you will be immediately appointed Governor of Loda in the Northern Territory."

"The Empire is taking precautions against Sea Serpent Island and plans to build a fortress along the coast. I currently represent the royal family and can choose the location in Rock City. You will appoint the commander of the fortress knights. The Empire's treasury is expected to allocate 700,000 gold coins, and for the next twenty years, there will be an additional 100,000 gold coins per year for the fortress's maintenance."

Jiang He seemed to be deep in thought. Building a fortress was clearly the next imperial policy, and the enormous benefits it contained were self-evident.

The entire empire comprises ninety-nine counties, which means there are ninety-nine powerful earls. There are twenty earldoms in the northern border, while the so-called Governor of Loda actually controls ten earldoms in the eastern part of the north, including half of the Black Whale Marquis's territory.

Centered around fortified cities.

Black Whale City and Rock City serve as the left and right supports.

With its northern border reaching the Sacred Wall, and if it could control another major city in the south, it could create a kingdom within a kingdom, making Eleanor a true "little king."

Clearly, in the eyes of the eldest princess, Eleanor is undoubtedly someone's agent. Faced with the disastrous defeat of the Northern army, the imperial royal family needs to support a new faction to resist the recently rising Sea Serpent Duke, Sun King.

“Okay.” Jiang He agreed to the deal.

He knew very well that the Duke's youngest son was only two years old this year and was born to Lady Rose. He was completely incapable of ruling. At this time, the War of the Succession was taking place, and the First Princess, or rather her brother, the First Prince, would not miss this opportunity. Augusta would join forces with the First Prince's faction to divide the North into two halves, east and west.

"You are a qualified lord."

The eldest princess smiled radiantly. This plan was a balanced result for all parties. By controlling the duke's young son, she could gain the loyalty of the Green Forest Grand Knights and the Holy Land's fighting force, the Green Forest Shield. The separated half of the Northern Territory was enough to ensure that she would not have to directly face the threat of the Sun King.

The two shook hands.

News of Duke Felix's death reached the capital at top speed.

……

The Holy Empire, the Imperial Capital.

This city is the absolute core of the Northern Continent.

As the sun set, a triple magical defense enveloped the entire city, reflecting iridescent light. From afar, the capital city resembled a dazzling jewel embedded in the earth.

The capital city is surrounded by a hundred-foot-high magic steel wall, with ancient magic arrays etched inside. The twelve giant city gates are forged from the bones of legendary dragons. On the city wall, the Royal Guard Knights, clad in mithril armor, patrol day and night, their spear tips flickering with magical flames, shimmering with intense heat in the gale.

In the heart of the capital's inner city stands a magnificent golden palace, the Golden Castle, suspended in mid-air. It is supported by an anti-gravity magic array. Statues of emperors from past dynasties line the streets of the inner city, each maintained by living magic, and occasionally they open their jewel-like eyes to look down on passersby.

Compared to the inner city's prestige and luxury, the outer city is full of rugged vitality.

The narrow streets crisscross like a maze, with wooden and stone buildings crammed together. In the market, merchants hawk rare goods brought from all over the world: singing gems, glowing fruits cultivated by alchemy, and lemon-flavored invigorating tobacco.

The air was filled with the aroma of spices and toast.

As night falls, thousands of magical lamps light up simultaneously, transforming the streets into flowing rivers of light. Laughter and merriment erupt from taverns and opera houses, while court nobles hold banquets in their manor villas. Caravans of carriages pour into the seemingly bustling imperial capital, a sacred place that most adventurers in the empire have longed for since childhood.

Inside the Golden Castle, the empire's power structure was gathered together.

Amidst the jeweled pillars, the seven members of the Imperial Council were all present. Prime Minister Duke Bai stood at the very front, followed by the Minister of Finance, the Grand Justice, the Grand Secretary, and others. The leader of the King's Sword sat below the throne; this was the strongest guard composed of twelve members of the Holy Domain.

Inside the main hall, the Dragon Captain and the Pope were seated, their status elevated due to their peak heroic strength.

"Felix has passed away, Princess Innie has confirmed this."

"The investiture of Governor Loda has been approved."

"Princess Innie will assist the new Duke of the North in managing the territory as Governor of Greenwood until he comes of age."

"His Majesty has granted permission for the conferment and promotion of titles among the nobles of the Northern Territory."

"The Sacred Records are being revised, as for Duke Sea Serpent..."

The Prime Minister recounted the events, and everyone present was aware of the inside story of the Battle of the Sea. The establishment of the Governor of Loda was actually the result of the efforts of many nobles. Even the Prime Minister himself could not stand by and watch the royal family control the entire North. The Emperor was the head and representative of the noble group, but he was by no means the whole.

At this moment, everyone's attention was mainly focused on the revision of the imperial history. This was something that even the common people of the capital could not be deceived, yet it received strong support from all sides.

As long as the war is confined to the disputes between lords, the prime minister will not need to resign due to local defeats, the emperor can remain indifferent and make no statement, the treasury will not need to spend huge sums to organize a war of revenge, and the chief justice will not need to offend all the nobles in the North in order to conduct a fair trial. When the Duke of the North dies, he will take all the responsibility in the name of innocence. This is the best outcome.

Because of his profound understanding of righteousness, the Sun King enjoyed a surprisingly good reputation among the empire's high-ranking officials.

But the long speech was interrupted by the Dragon Captain.

"War has broken out on the southern border. A force of orc cavalry has crossed the defensive line. The formation of the Imperial Assassination Squad is imperative. I need funding. Moreover, the cost of deploying the new Dragon Knights is self-evident."

The Pope said, "The Church of the Secret Language must pay the price, and the pursuit by the Church of the Dragonborn must be intensified, because with war imminent, the rebel army will inevitably shift its main force in the south. This is an opportunity."

The hall fell silent. One was the strongest in the empire, the other a "god among men." The words of these two heroes at the pinnacle of their power could not be ignored, not even by the emperor, who was too old to attend.

After a short while, the Prime Minister spoke up: "The war money collection has begun and will take some time to be delivered to the capital. The Griffin Knights will cooperate with the Inquisition to hunt down the Dragonborn Church."

The Dragon Commander sneered: "What's the point of hunting down the Church? What the Emperor and the Pope really want to kill is that Dragon King. The storm in the sky will eventually ravage the mortal world. Hurry up. I think you all don't want to see me fall because of a deadly battle."

The hall fell into silence.

The Dragon Commander is a pillar of the empire, supporting the power of everyone present. Although countless people despise him, very few are truly willing to see him fall.

After a while, an old swordsman stepped forward.

The leader of the King's Sword, the King's Left Hand, a member of royal blood with the title of the strongest holy domain, and the emperor's blood uncle.

The old swordsman said, "I will personally hunt down the Dragonborn Church, and the Chief Justice will serve as my bodyguard at Golden Castle."

His domain is a sword, his great achievements are a sword, his heroic armaments are a sword, and he is a peerless genius who has mastered most of the empire's advanced sword techniques. This old swordsman wields the power of the sword, and his life seems to consist of only two things: swordsmanship and the royal family.

The Dragon Commander's expression turned serious, and he said with some regret, "At your age, if you go on another trip, you will truly miss the peak and die as a broken sword. Are you really willing to do that?"

He achieved the pinnacle of heroism because of his divine weapon, the Pope because of his faith in the Father, and the Emperor because of the dragon of calamity. Only the person before him, who is entirely of human power, wields authority at the level of a heroic elite, making him unprecedented.

"Responsibility is my sword." The old swordsman refused the Dragon Commander's offer to stay.

“The Father’s gaze rests on you,” the Pope said.

The Dragon Lord reviewed the list of powerful figures in the North. Although the two marquises had died on Serpent Island, there were still quite a few Saint-level figures in the North, including the Storm Bishop, the Whispering Bishop, the Shield of the Green Forest, the two Grand Masters of the Holy Wall, the adventurer Marquis of Withered, the Second Prince's Chief Guard, and some reclusive powerhouses, totaling no less than twenty.

"The noble sanctuary of the North is too weak."

"Have the Holy Knight Church send some holy relics over. Eleanor must steadily achieve the Saintly Realm. Also, give Count Rhine an invitation to the Imperial Assassination Squad. Whether he comes or not is up to him."

The Dragon Commander was quite concerned about Earl Rhine, who had hunted down the Rock Lion, but with two marquises having just died in the North, inviting another Saint-level noble to leave might make the situation unstable. If the Augusta Territory were to establish a relationship with him, his rule would at least be more stable, and most importantly, it would make the Sea Serpent Island wary.

"The nine-headed sea serpent is a real problem."

The Prime Minister coordinated with all parties and completed today's royal meeting. The griffins took on the functions of transportation and messenger. The old swordsman joined the Inquisition team and set off. The entire central province began to gather nobles to prepare to march south to resist the alien alliance. This war will be personally commanded by the Dragon Commander, simply because the Orc King is also a Sky-level fighter, the pinnacle of heroes.

Chapter 635 A Sudden Honor

At the end of October, temperatures in the North plummeted.

A winter snowfall has arrived, and the bitter cold is on its way.

Augusta Territory, a fortified city.

Jiang He dealt with the territory's affairs in the Marquis's castle, while Eleanor was plotting her promotion in a secret room. Due to the pressure from the Dragon Commander, the Holy Knight Church provided a lot of resources, but when the door opened, a corpse might still appear inside.

"Interesting. So there's a chance of failing during a promotion."

In the study, the heavy bookshelves were filled with ancient books. Zhuang Ya fiddled with the oil lamp for a while, and when the light came back on, she quietly sat back in the corner and began to read the preschool knowledge in the Fu Shi Ancient Book. By strict standards, the little girl could now be considered an alchemy apprentice, but she was still far from being an alchemist.

Jiang He took a sip of the Divine Blood Wine and rinsed her mouth.

"Seven hundred thousand gold coins have arrived. I'll keep them for now. Si Ning shouldn't have any objections. Once I've gathered another three hundred thousand, I'll feed them to the Underworld puppet."

"In the battle across the sea, the White Wolf Knights and the Glenn Knights were defeated and barely managed to regroup into a new knightly order. However, the Silver Knights and the Rose Knights suffered relatively few casualties because Eleanor fought to the death."

"Half of the northern border, ten earldoms."

"Its territory extends beyond the confines of the marquisate."

Jiang He's eyes flickered. He had no interest in becoming emperor before, firstly because the national fortune and incense offerings were not yet exhausted, and secondly because even if he were to become a hero, it would be difficult to deal with such a large number of peak heroes in the world of gods. But now that he had obtained the legendary Holy Grail, the situation had changed.

"Unifying the beliefs of the North and South, accumulating the power of faith, and transforming the Underworld Puppet into a near-legendary God of Death will yield enormous rewards."

"In this way, the scope of rule becomes quite important."

"Both monotheistic and polytheistic religions must be destroyed first before the Church of Death is introduced. The biggest problem is that the evil soldiers are dispatched from the Blessed Land of Gluttony, which poses a huge hidden danger."

Jiang He frowned inwardly. The world of gods was a place where faith was prevalent and there were very few people without faith. The emergence of a large group of elite soldiers without faith would likely attract the attention of the church immediately. According to Wu He's report, priests from the Church of the Father had already visited Rock City, along with a thousand evil spirit guards whose overall combat strength far surpassed that of the great knights of the nobles.

[Hint: An exclusive side quest for the Executive has been released]

[Quest Name: The Dragon's Secret]

[Mission Objective: Kill or save the Dragonborn Church's "Hidden Force"]

[Mission Introduction: Due to a sudden storm, the "heavens" of the world of gods have undergone tremendous changes, the effects of which have spread to the mortal realm. The imperial dragon families are sparing no expense to balance the various factions and are hunting down the Dragonborn Church. With a racial war about to break out in the southern border, the Dragonborn Church is preparing to flee north from the Holy Wall.]

[Quest Rewards: 1 Sub-Legendary Skill Scroll / 10000 Experience Points and Game Currency]

[Task Time Limit: 15 calendar days]