Origin Player.

Chapter 645 War in the Thick Alley
November, year 265 of the Divine Calendar.

The Fisher estate attack shocked the court.

The casualties caused by the attack itself were insignificant, but the significance was profound. The Ten Gods Church's open attack on the nobles of the Heavenly Father Church raised the conflict of faith to a whole new level.

Furthermore, due to the strong counterattack against the Ten Gods Cult, the Northern nobleman Rhine Augustus was officially assigned to the Heavenly Father Cult. With the Heavenly Father Cult's First Legion rotating with the Golden Robe Army, the situation in the capital was on the verge of exploding.

imperial capital.

From the air, the Golden Castle and the inner city are extremely prosperous. Four county towns are located around the capital, connected by the King's Passage, forming a unique cross-shaped layout.

In the city of the Southern Earl, a carriage slowly drove in, passing through the outer city and heading north. The carriage entered the King's Passage, with towering and sturdy city walls on both sides. One could vaguely see figures in golden robes walking around. Of the ten legions in the capital, the eighth, ninth, and tenth legions had already followed the Dragon Commander south to cooperate with the Duke of the Southern Territory in confronting the alien alliance.

"The war is about to begin."

Inside the carriage, the Grand Scholar cut a steak and said, "I'm talking about the capital. I will arrange for you to become the captain of the First Legion of Knights. It's not a high position, and you'll have about a hundred Grand Knights under your command. But as long as you make contributions, you can rise through the ranks very quickly."

The Grand Secretary made his stance clear: as the husband of the Governor of the North, Rhine-Augustus largely represented the North's choice of faith, making him an object of interest for both the Church of the Father and the Church of the Ten Gods.

Jiang He sipped his wine, oblivious to the fact that he could also serve as the commander of the Central Legion if he achieved a top-three finish in the Sacred Martial Arts Tournament. If he were to become the commander of the Legion earlier, he might be able to pass the position to a trusted confidant and thus gain control of both Central Legions.

To be precise, it was the Grand Knights within the legion.

The Grand Knights Order, consisting of approximately one thousand Grand Knights, possesses formidable overall strength. Their combined power, capable of unleashing ten consecutive Immortal-level spells, is enough to annihilate most Saint-level experts.

Gulu!
The carriage drove out of the passageway and into the capital. The noise and bustle hit us. Free people from all four borders of the empire could be seen everywhere on the streets. The slave trade was prevalent, resulting in a large number of Dark People and alien races. The Imperial Recruitment Office was recruiting soldiers. Young men and women lined up in long queues. Adventurers dressed in various styles walked through the streets and alleys. The headquarters of all adventurers was located in the capital. The honorary president was none other than the Steel Sword Saint.

The carriage went straight to a guild hall in the inner city.

When Jiang He got off the car, someone had already delivered the golden robe uniform. The ten legions took turns guarding the capital every month, and according to custom, they would change into golden robes to distinguish themselves.

A Catholic bishop whispered in the ear of a Grand Secretary.

The Grand Scholar pondered for a moment, then turned and said, "Tomorrow night, the entire First Legion will be mobilized. The target is the Church of the Ten Gods in the capital. The Legion Commander, the Deputy Commander, and you will split into three groups to lead the main attack, while the other Grand Knight Captains will act as feints. The specific target will be announced when the operation begins."

This was a retaliatory action by the Church of the Father against the Church of Ten Gods after the Fisher Manor attack. Although the ten Churches of the Moon Gods would not set up their headquarters in the capital, the various cathedrals in the capital were equally important, and if nothing unexpected happened, they would all be guarded by archbishops of the Holy Domain level.

Thinking of this, the Grand Scholar said with a glint in his eyes, "The mission is destruction. You don't need to risk your life against the Archbishop. I don't want to lose the Lemon Merchant Guild's gold coins and materials."

"We'll see," Jiang He replied, meaning he would decide whether his choice was correct and not say anything more.

The Grand Secretary looked somewhat speechless. He clearly realized that the person in front of him was definitely not the type that could be easily controlled, but he didn't have a cleaner candidate for the time being.

Just as the two were talking.

A massive black shadow swept across the clouds in the sky.

Upon reaching the inner city, the dark figure burst out of the clouds, revealing a ferocious and menacing giant head. It was a red dragon hundreds of meters long, with several young men and women sitting on its back, all of whom possessed royal dragon blood.

The dragon swept through the inner city and headed straight for the dragon's lair in the Golden Castle. The free people of the inner city all looked up, their eyes filled with curiosity and awe. The imperial royal family alone controlled more than twenty pure-blooded holy dragons, and the strength of the hybrid dragons was only between that of the Great Achievement and the Great Knight, but their numbers numbered in the thousands.

The new Dragon Knights, composed of hybrid dragons and great knights, are directly under the royal family and possess unparalleled combat power throughout the empire. To date, they have slaughtered more than a handful of Saint-level experts.

The Grand Secretary leisurely removed his cloak and entered the hall. According to the ironclad rules, the princes and princesses who had participated in the War of the Heirs were not allowed to ride dragons. In short, the dragons that had passed by at this moment were all from marginal bloodlines that were ineligible for the royal succession.

at night.

Jiang He lay on the down-filled bed when a bird flew in through the window; Wu He had brought information from the Heavenly Father Cult.

"One Pope and ten Cardinals."

"The three great knightly orders, the Grand Knight Commander."

“The sleeping Saint-level saints of all ages.”

"The Cathedral of the Father is located in the inner city of the capital."

"The Grand Secretary was also one of the cardinals."

Inside the quilt, Zhuang Ya curled up quietly to rest. Although she was a personal maid, Jiang He was actually the one warming the bed because of her cold body temperature.

Considering the little girl's sleep quality, Wuhe reported in an exceptionally low voice. However, the Heavenly Father Sect was indeed powerful, not only with top-tier heroes in charge, but also with countless elite heroes. No wonder they held the advantage even when fighting ten against one.

Jiang He gently cracked his knuckles. The joint promotion mission required defeating one of the two churches, and the first choice was naturally the behemoth that was the Heavenly Father Church. According to his judgment, if the Heavenly Father Church, as a powerful enemy, was lost, the Ten Gods Church would inevitably split, making it easier to target them in the future.

"To escalate the conflict, it seems we need to kill a few important figures from the Church of Ten Gods."

[Hint: An exclusive side quest for the Executive has been released]
[Mission Name: War in the Thickets]
[Mission Requirements: Hunt down or rescue the mysterious "Imperial Figure" during the Heavenly Father Cult's retaliatory actions.]
[Mission Introduction: Due to the attack on Fisher Manor, the Pope has ordered the First Cardinal, the Imperial Grand Secretary, to plan a retaliatory operation. The Grand Secretary has promised to carry it out, but he clearly has his own ulterior motives.]
[Quest Reward: 1 Sub-Legendary Skill Enhancement Scroll]
[Task Time Limit: 3 calendar days]
[Task Penalty: None]
……

early morning.

Breakfast was prepared at the guild hall. The scholar sat on the sofa, reading ancient books by the fireplace. An elven maid served him bacon and eggs and white bread. Jiang He glanced at it and lost interest in eating.

"Would you mind if I brought a few books?"

"By the way, you're also an alchemy master." The Grand Scholar looked up and said, "Knowledge has value, please pay for it."

Jiang He placed the gold coins on the bookshelf and casually picked up three heavy books: "An Overview of Alchemy," "The Secrets of the Stars," and "The Contract of Hermes," to pass the time. These ancient alchemical books did not have a price tag, but for alchemists, they could roughly judge their value by flipping to any page.

Jiang He changed into a golden robe and went out. As dawn broke, vendors were already active on the streets. He rode his eight-legged warhorse straight to the recruitment office to register for the sacred martial arts competition.

"Your Excellency, Saint-level experts can directly enter the round of 32 to 16." The Grand Knight in charge of recruitment laughed, "In fact, I personally think that a Saint-level expert like you who has killed a Rock Lion could even qualify for the semi-finals."

Clearly, the Grand Knight recognized the Marquis of the Northern Territory. Any Saint-level individual who emerges into the world quickly gains a name and reputation, and those at the peak of the Heroic Realm are household names. Jiang He nodded, offered no pleasantries, stamped his marquis's badge on the form, and turned to leave.

Just as they reached the entrance, an adventurer party happened to enter.

"The Holy Tournament hasn't been this lively in at least thirty years. With the strongest Holy Domain gone, some other Holy Domains are bound to get restless. The Holy Treaty will definitely offer amazing rewards: weapons, territories, beauties, glory, and even dragons, all at the highest level."

In the adventurer's party, a white-bearded dwarf kept talking, drinking heartily the furnace liquor. Dwarves also have a lifespan that surpasses that of humans. This chieftain of the Holy Land was invited to watch the battle when relations between the North and South continents eased in his youth.

"You should get the church's activity permit first," the Bishop of Fate said seriously. "Although I've been working on it, you might run into trouble if we're temporarily separated."

"I know, you're so long-winded."

In fact, to outsiders, the dwarf chieftain was a combat servant kept by the Bishop of Fate.

At the forefront, the blue-haired youth processed the team members' participation in the competition. He looked very young and had a special gentleness and composure. His strength at the peak of the gold level was considered that of a young talent, but he was far from being a true strongman. However, the sacred weapon in his hand, the Sword of the Warrior, always exuded an extreme sharpness.

The Legendary-grade Hero's Sword can only appear in the hands of a hero. It contains the sleeping souls of heroes from past generations, making it equivalent to an extremely elite mobile army.

"Freya, be careful."

The blue-haired youth, Sin Ferdinand, said that he had a glorious surname and that the great deeds contained in his blood could be traced back to the Duke of the South, who was his illegitimate son. However, after becoming a hero, Sin did not seek the Duke of the South's help.

Among the four, the stunningly beautiful elven woman nodded slightly. Her off-white dress accentuated her perfect curves, and her breathtaking snow-capped peaks drew frequent glances from those around her. Unlike her pure and holy face, she exuded an irresistible allure.

“Fate tells me that I will gain something from the Holy Tournament,” the Elf Queen said earnestly. “And after a few battles, I am confident that I can advance to the Sky Rank.”

Brave Xin's face held a mixture of admiration and bitterness. The person before him was both a queen and a goddess, a creation born from the power of the forest titan, the body of the elven queen, and the soul of the goddess of fate. She was destined to return to the sky in the future.

"You still need to be careful. Your safety is of paramount importance to defeating the Great Demon."

“Alright, Xin,” said the Bishop of Fate. “We still need to go see the Emperor. I heard that he is bedridden. Whether we can get the Empire’s support depends on this.”

The four of them walked away, completely unaware of the person reading a book in the corner.

Jiang He closed "An Overview of Alchemy." As a Sin Hunter exempt from prophecy and divination below the Mythical level, he possessed a sub-Legendary level of destiny authority and was very sensitive to such matters.

"The Chosen Ones Squad".

"There is also an elf species that is about to reach its peak."

Jiang He maintained ample patience, and the Time Ring ensured that he could control his opponent, but only if he advanced to the peak of Heroism; otherwise, a Saint Realm level would not be of much significance.

Before we knew it, night had fallen.

The streets gradually quieted down.

When Jiang He returned to the Grand Scholar's Hall, pairs of eyes were fixed on him from behind the window. Two hundred Grand Knights, cloaked, entered battle mode. The commander of the First Legion sat on the steps, while the Vice-Judge of the Court of Judgment was in the shadows, like a ghost.

"Mistrund, nicknamed Ember Fist."

The legion commander stood up and introduced himself, his voice maintaining a solemn low tone.

“Marquis Rhine, the Vice-Judge and I are responsible for attacking the Cathedral of Conquest tonight. Kill everyone inside the cathedral without exception. The Shield of Conquest is a sacred domain, and we three need to gang up on it to ensure its elimination.”

"For the Father," the deputy judge prayed.

Jiang He remained silent, but simply took out the Black Sun Cavalry Rifle.

Tonight's main attack will only have two routes, and the main attack will also be divided into primary and secondary attacks. The deputy legion commander will lead the team to attack the Cathedral of the Goddess of Beauty, because the third prince's birth mother - the queen - has a close relationship with the Church of the Goddess of Beauty.

The elite force of two hundred men immediately sprang into action. The legion commander produced the First Prince's supervisory decree, granting them the authority to close the Conquest Cathedral from this moment forward. Importantly, they also had the privilege of directly executing any who resisted.

The night sky is filled with stars.

Figures moved through the streets and alleys, and occasionally the enchanting song of a nightingale could be heard from the tavern. Countless footsteps trod on the bricks and stones, barely perceptible. Jiang He glanced at the Golden Castle high in the sky, where more than twenty holy dragons lived in the dragon's nest.

In the darkness of night, the Cathedral of Conquest stood tall on the earth, with more than one knight secretly guarding it among the flowers and grass on both sides. The legion commander's eyes changed slightly as he looked at the vice judge.

"How could they be a subordinate knightly order of the King's Sword?"

The deputy judge said in a hoarse voice, "We still have to do it. If we don't take action, things will be exposed tomorrow morning. The prince won't support a bunch of losers. You... we have no other choice."

"Does 'destruction' mean acting recklessly?" Jiang He asked.

"No one will come out to disturb us for the next fifteen minutes," the deputy judge assured.

Jiang He pressed two fingers against the ground, and a rustling sound began to play. Under the astonished gaze of the knights, hundreds of thorns suddenly sprouted from the ground around the cathedral.

The thorns were thick and strong, like ancient trees in a deep forest, growing to tens of meters in a single burst. Their sharp tips shattered armor, piercing knights one by one into the air, their blood raining down. Because of the intense paralysis contained within the thorns, none of the guardian knights could even utter a cry before losing their lives.
With a casual move, he wiped out most of the knightly order.

A hint of apprehension flickered in the deputy judge's eyes. Just now, he had sensed an extremely powerful magical force. Destroying the knights was nothing compared to the fact that, despite the considerable distance, it could precisely strike and kill each target. Such control and perception...
The moment the attack was launched.

The legion commander immediately waved his hand, and the operation began.

Two hundred great knights, under the command of the priests within the ranks, released their energy, forming two hundred-meter-tall griffin behemoths. The immortal-level magic, Lion Beast, could temporarily unleash the destructive power of the Sanctuary.

The moment the behemoth rose from the ground, the First Legion launched a full-scale attack on the Church of Ten Gods, plunging the capital into war. The great knights of each legion rushed into the church, wielding their swords to kill the clergy.

(End of this chapter)