Origin Paradise!

Fortunately, the brief ordeal is over.

A dozen meters away, a woman sat slumped on the ground, screaming desperately as if she were being tortured. Her swollen belly looked like it could explode at any moment, and the passengers stood around helplessly.

Jiang He was slightly surprised to see this. Human reproduction is not uncommon, but this fetus actually contained nine life forms.

The old priest, knowing that someone was from out of town, immediately explained: "The living environment is harsh, and the new humans have no choice but to adapt. The number of newborns in a single birth is generally more than five, and sometimes as many as thirteen or fourteen. They are somewhat similar to rodents. Moreover, these newborns can learn to stand within a few hours of birth, and those that are not up to standard will be eliminated by the environment generation after generation."

Jiang He pondered for a moment and said, "Where does the mother get the large amount of nutrition needed to nurture multiple silver lives?"

Generally speaking, the higher the era, the greater the difficulty for living beings to reproduce, and there is almost absolute "reproductive isolation" between different eras.

“Of course it’s the Mother herself,” Duchess Ash replied, her face deathly pale. She had never been this terrified, not even when facing human assassins or Sister Temperance.

“Every birth weakens the mother’s body. The silver characteristics inherited by the newborn can never be fully realized. According to the prediction of the Academy’s Tactical Department, in another one or two hundred years, the new humans will regress back to the Bronze Age.”

Duchess Ash turned her head away, no longer looking at the situation over there.

The train continued running on the tracks. A young sorcerer in a suit stepped forward, intending to use his supernatural powers to help the woman give birth, but was refused.

The flight attendant said sternly, "Do not allow the virus to come into contact with the newborn. Please have a professional doctor come over!"

The source of energy for extraordinary beings in the world is sin energy, which is human hatred. When faced with a newborn of the same kind who is like a blank sheet of paper, there is probably only one outcome: to turn them into a fallen demon.

The old priest glanced furtively at someone; if one were to ask who was neither a sorcerer nor someone with formidable supernatural power, the answer would be obvious.

Jiang He remained calm as she sipped the bright red wine from the pot.

Suddenly, a faint sound arose from the crowd.

"I...I'm a doctor."

The passengers all turned around, and a pretty young woman tentatively raised her hand. Her expression was somewhat hesitant, not out of fear, but out of a lack of confidence in her medical skills.

"Kill me! Give me a quick death!" The woman shook her head and howled like a banshee.

"Come quick, come quick!" The flight attendant quickly pulled the person into the compartment.

Facing the patient, the female doctor named Klose calmed down. She took out a box of unusual-looking matches from her pocket and lit an oil lamp. The light was especially warm, illuminating the cubicle.

Half an hour later, with no room to retreat, the first baby was born smoothly under the watchful eyes of the crowd. The newborn looked only the size of a human head, but in the next moment, the woman let out an extremely sharp wail, and people crowded back.

The second fetus had only its body protruding, while its head remained stuck inside. The pain caused the exit to contract violently, making it even tighter.

"How could this happen?" the flight attendant asked in a panic.

Klose seemed to want to say something but hesitated. She gestured with her hands to form a round shape like a melon or fruit, and then slapped her hands together.

"I don't understand!" the flight attendant exclaimed, stamping her foot.

“The second head is flattened,” Klose replied helplessly. “Because of the impact just now, there’s probably a lump of mush inside.”

"It's good that you're alive," the flight attendant said, trying to comfort the terrified woman.

“It’s completely sealed.” Klose was shocked and couldn’t understand why the other person was still having such wild ideas even though she had explained it so clearly.

The passengers' chatter, the flight attendant's cursing, the woman's increasingly shrill screams, and Klose's arguments made the carriage seem like it was about to explode at any moment.

In the cubicle, Jiang He looked at Duchess Ash and asked expressionlessly, "Has the Ring Railway always been this arduous, or has it only recently become like this?"

"It's always been like this," Duchess Ash replied after a moment's thought. Because there was no screening mechanism, all sorts of people were on the train, like the sorcerer from earlier. Judging from his demeanor and posture, he was most likely a member of the Fallen Order within the End Society.

The chaotic noise swept in like a tsunami.

Jiang He, unable to bear it any longer, pinched her brow and snapped her fingers. The light of the dark sun suddenly spread out and then disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The moment the aircraft touched the woman, the newborn in the flight attendant's arms turned into specks of light and dissipated, the amniotic sac and amniotic fluid disappeared, and the woman was shocked to find that the excruciating pain had suddenly stopped.

While everyone was confused and discussing the matter,

Jiang He couldn't help but frown.

Finally, the time loop activated, successfully restoring the newborns' bodies to their state before the impact. However, those who died during this period did not come back to life; they were merely empty shells without souls.

"The time of death was more than half an hour ago."

"The soul and time are forces of equal power."

"The time ring can only refresh the broken, not rewrite the obliteration."

Jiang He summarized the conditions for activating the ability: if you want to bring someone back to life, it's best to do it within half an hour, and the deceased needs to have a certain amount of soul fragments.

"Gluttony, Beelzebub, Westworld."

"The final time loop, Lilith."

"Back to a thousand years ago in the world of navigation..."

"The Secret Technique of Reincarnation".

"What exactly is this guy plotting?"

Jiang He suddenly thought of Lilith in the spiritual world. The other party was in a special situation where there were still fragments of her soul, but it seemed that the best time for treatment had already passed.

The chaos in the carriage subsided, or rather, it fell silent. The newborns turned into specks of light and vanished. None of the passengers had intellectual disabilities; they all knew that a powerful sorcerer was present in their vicinity.

Six hours later.

The train passed through a towering, black city wall and arrived at the Holy City Railway Station.

The five people in the compartment got up and got out of the car. Jiang He turned her head and saw the young doctor standing next to her.

"Thank you for your help. My name is Klose." The female doctor smiled kindly.

Jiang He nodded, and then threw a punch.

The tip of his fist stopped just a hair's breadth in front of the opponent's nose.

The Ashes Duchess turned and drew her sword. The old priest instinctively took a step and ran away. Grimm and Rorona did not react at all.

"What a unique way to greet someone!" the female doctor exclaimed in surprise. "I'm not a timid person, you know."

"Just say what you have to say," Jiang He said indifferently.

The female doctor smiled and handed over a card, saying, "I've always believed that violence can't solve all problems. This is my business card. If you want to contact me, just find any phone booth and call the Holy City Fallen Doctor's Mansion."

Jiang He took the business card, and the woman in front of him suddenly burst into flames. The signature in the lower left corner of the business card was written in Ash Language, with delicate handwriting. Kloe, when transliterated, roughly means "the end".

"What happened?" Duchess Ash asked warily.

A moment of silence.

Jiang He put away the business card and calmly replied, "He's just an acquaintance, no need to worry about him."

“A guy who slipped away right under our noses can’t be simple,” Duchess Ash said seriously. “He’s at least an angel or a cardinal. This kind of situation should be reported.”

"Then what are you waiting for?" Jiang He asked nonchalantly.

Duchess Ash gritted her teeth. She didn't know the relationship between the female doctor and the other party, and it would be a very tricky situation no matter how she handled it. After all, she was about to ask for a favor. Her father, who was sleeping in the academy's underground, might be able to be reborn through that strange ability.

After a long pause, the Ashes Duchess snorted twice.

"The Holy City is teeming with powerful figures; you should consider this carefully."

As soon as she finished speaking, she stepped out of the station and hailed a luxurious aristocratic carriage.

The five people got into the car and headed straight for Ash Academy in the city center.

Similar to Carmel-by-the-Sea, the streets of the Holy City are not exactly clean and orderly. Ivy grows on the dilapidated overpasses, and few buildings on both sides have glass. However, amidst the decay, there is also a sense of revival. Numerous vendors roam the streets and alleys, traffic signs are everywhere, and some areas are crowded with people.

In the heart of the Holy City, the largest Crimson Theater in the entire Empire is located. Thirty percent of its annual revenue is sent to the Tommen family. Since the Tommen family currently only has one direct descendant, it has fallen into the hands of the Ashes Lady Sylvia Tommen.

Across from the theater, the 100-story Obsidian Tower stands silently. As the only building constructed from scratch in the Ash Age, it symbolizes the rebirth of the Empire.

Between the Scarlet Theatre and the Obsidian Tower lies a cluster of classical buildings, with the majestic Gothic castle being the most prominent, its towering spires reaching into the sky and its ancient stone walls covered with deep green ivy.

The carriage stopped in front of the solemn and ancient gate. In front of it was a wide lawn with a beautiful fountain in the center. The water flowed gently and a heavy sword stood on top. You could vaguely see the various styles of school buildings around the lawn, as well as the sky bridge that looked like it was floating in the air.

“Welcome to Ash Academy,” said the Ash Duchess.

The old priest wasn't visiting for the first time, so his mood didn't change much. As for Green and Rorona, they were already immersed in the magnificent beauty of the academy.

Jiang He's expression remained unchanged. Because he possessed a personal imperial city, Ash Academy was not considered a luxury in his eyes.

To some extent, the essence of true luxury goods lies in their scarcity and the needless waste of human resources. For example, ordinary people can keep warm and get through the cold winter by wearing cotton clothes, but the emperor's court robes and dragon robes require the use of tens of thousands of weavers. The organizational power, productivity, and mobilization power hidden in this process are intertwined, and only in this way can they become the garments of power.

Even if mass-produced goods on the production line are sold at high prices, they cannot conceal the truth of fraud.

Overall, Ash Academy leans towards pragmatism.

boom!

A crystal cannonball crashed into the fountain, causing the exquisite pool to collapse and revealing a jagged, ancient stone base. Not far from the crater, a humanoid mantis and a tiger-beast-like monster clashed violently, causing the ground within a radius of tens of meters to crack layer by layer.

On the overpass, someone stretched out their hands, and a lush forest immediately appeared around them. Humanity's hatred of the forest gave birth to the corresponding Abyss Ghosts. For these Gold-rank Abyss Ghosts, as long as the compatibility reaches 80%, they can basically stand firmly on the baseline of Gold combat power.

It's sizzling!

A surge of lightning erupted from the ground, and the Thunder Sin Mage, with all his might, destroyed most of the sky bridge and the forest.

Battles raged throughout the academy. Among the nearly 10,000 students, there were as many as 2,000 Sin Masters. Whether they were A-rank, equivalent to the peak of Silver, or C-rank, who had not yet escaped the ordinary level, their mastery of extraordinary power meant immense destructive power.

The old priest took Rorona and Green to take up their posts.

The Ashes Duchess led someone to the student office to register, preparing to head to the Tomb of the Abyss.

The two walked side by side, attracting countless glances.

"What kind of bizarre holiday is it today?" Jiang He asked.

Duchess Ash shook her head and replied, "It's not a holiday. The cardinals plotted to attack Carmel, causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. The Empire is bound to retaliate. Since the Rust Iron Fortress Army in the north is planning to launch an attack, someone has to do the defense work. The trainees are all preparing for battle."

All Ash Academy students can be considered reserve officers, and some A-level students can even directly serve as battalion commanders.

"You seem to be quite popular," Jiang He said, looking around.

Pure admiration was rare in the gazes directed at the duchess. In the Ashes Age, youthful love was indeed a luxury, since survival was the primary requirement in the current environment.

Duchess Ash smoothed her long silver hair and said casually, "I don't need to be modest about this. My dowry is unparalleled in the entire empire. The marquisate and the Crimson Theater are only a small part. The golden attendants, forged using the Council's flesh and blood reconstruction technology and the strongest corpses, are the truly precious things."

"How many?" Jiang He turned her head.

Duchess Ashes held up two fingers. "One was bought at a high price by the patriarch fifty years ago, and the other was a spoil of war my father acquired seven years ago. Both can maintain the combat power of a legion commander and are absolutely loyal as puppets."

Jiang He pondered for a moment and asked, "Would you mind going on a blind date with a canine being? The other person is honest and kind, and their human form is not much different from a normal person."

"It's not just your greetings; your way of insulting people is also quite unique," said the Ash Duchess, expressionless.

“That’s not right. I consider him my elder brother.” Jiang He waved his hand. “You’re already in a difficult position, so you should just give up.”

Just as the two were chatting, the Imperial Sword, which had been silent for decades, suddenly hummed at the central fountain, and the clear roar of the Abyss Ghost echoed throughout the academy.

Chapter 409 The Imperial Sword Recognizes Its Master

In the first year of the Ash Calendar, the Empire was established.

This violent machine, which rivaled the Atoning Church, was once so glorious that people believed it would be the hope for a revival of the times and the end of suffering.

The first emperor, who was also the last emperor, even surpassed Pope Adam to achieve the strongest position among the Golden Elite.

Legend has it that before the Ashes Era, this emperor was an oddball who was obsessed with ancient swordsmanship. His pure and intense passion led him to reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

The Ash Age, symbolizing suffering and destruction, was perhaps a golden opportunity for the emperor to rise to power. The only recorded instance of cooperation between humans and the Abyss Demon was between the emperor and the Sword Abyss Demon.

The embodiment of humanity's hatred for swords encounters a genius who was born only for swords.

The legendary story was buried in time. All people know is that when the first emperor was fighting against one of the seven world-destroying demons, he perished together with a being called the Envy Demon and successfully devised a plan to seal the Wrath Demon inside the emperor's armor.

When the war ended, the Sword Abyss Demon, who should have perished along with the war, survived and became a parasite on the first emperor's mental weapon—the Imperial Sword.

On his deathbed, the emperor issued a final imperial edict: whoever takes up the imperial sword will be qualified to inherit everything from him.

The Imperial Sword, considered the world's greatest treasure, has attracted countless sword testers over the decades. Some wanted to dominate the world, some sought wealth and glory, some were burdened with deep-seated hatred, and some simply wanted to know the difference between themselves and the emperor.

Without exception, the Imperial Sword remained unmoved.

But today, the sword light soars into the sky.

The surging sword light could be seen throughout the entire holy city.

The overwhelming power suppressed all battles within Ash Academy. Forests were destroyed, lightning withered, and A-rank students like Mantis and Giant Tiger felt immense pressure—this was the gap between eras.

The sword light rushed towards her, and the Ashes Duchess could only retreat step by step. It was rumored that with the help of the first emperor, the Sword Abyss Demon had long since reached the elite level, parasitizing the sword and becoming even more ruthless.

But Jiang He only felt the light was warm and posed no threat.

[Hint: Due to your status as the first emperor, you have gained the attention of the Imperial Sword.]