Origin Paradise!

Inside the carriage, Duke Merrick stared in disbelief. A single epic cultivation technique was enough to form the foundation of a noble family's legacy, and if several of them could complement each other, they would be more than enough to support an ordinary heroic force.

Mediterranean looked shocked. He was willing to bet that the last two exchanges were definitely not legitimate military merits, but the golden-armored warrior did not attack, which meant that an unprecedented loophole had appeared.

"I'm leaving," Jiang He said.

Mediterranean instinctively stepped on the gas, and the Dawn vehicle drove away under the eerie gaze of the golden-armored warrior.

Chapter 476 Dark Canyon

The empire's millennium, early April.

Due to the defection and death of Lieutenant General Cangwu, Duke Yu of Cangwu Province became the acting Lieutenant General and was stationed to guard the fortress. The Yu family's main camp was completely relocated, and a large number of elite private soldiers took on the defensive duties.

Meanwhile, in Tianshui Province.

As the core area of ​​the western border of the empire, this is the territory of the Tianshui Jing clan. The Jing clan has been passed down for five hundred years, starting from the restoration war of Emperor Wuzong and gradually evolving into the behemoth it is today.

Tianshui City is located in the Tianjiang River basin. Its majestic city walls stretch endlessly, its buildings stand in rows, and its population is in the hundreds of millions. The Tianshui Mountain in the center is evergreen all year round, untouched by the cold or heat.

Beside a clear stream, an ancient pavilion stands alone.

The old man had a smooth face and bright eyes, but his full head of white hair had long since turned white. His body was so withered that it was almost devoid of flesh and blood, and his hands were like skeletons.

A gentle breeze blew as he picked up a black chess piece.

As time passed, the old man's face gradually stiffened, and finally, he casually dropped his hand, covered his face, and sighed.

Across the stone table, the alchemist was also quite old, but in good health and had no interest in making any more moves.

"King Jingyang's bad chess skills are as good as ever."

The old man stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "To remain faithful to one's husband until death, how fortunate one is."

King Jingyang regarded the alchemy master in front of him, who was at the very top level among his peers, as equal.

Even when the other party was still an apprentice, he had already seen the signs of a hidden dragon not yet in use and secretly provided a lot of support. By the time the master realized it, he had already incurred countless favors and could only promise to spare no effort in the future.

Of course, the harmonious relationship between the ruler and his minister was built on the strength of King Jingyang. Disregarding the support he received over the years would undoubtedly make him an ungrateful person, and his act of killing him would be difficult for others to criticize.

Faced with King Jingyang's reminder to "remain faithful to one's vows," the astrologer could only bow in response. Once a promise had been made, whether or not to go back on it was entirely beyond his control.

This is an old king nearing the end of his life. The imperial court's decision to take action against him first is not out of bullying the weak. The dying elite of the heroic era represents a huge risk. Targeting the Jing clan of the Western Territory is a clear demonstration of an unyielding determination.

After pondering for a moment, the astrologer resolutely said, "Three questions. King Jingyang, please ask whatever you wish, and I will not hesitate to risk my life."

King Jingyang waved his hand, and the chessboard disappeared into thin air. He asked directly, "I know that Yu Zhong's strength has been increasing over the past hundred years, but I want a definite answer: what is his current state?"

The alchemist looked up at the sky.

After a long pause, blood trickled from the corner of his eye, and he replied, "Just one step away from being an elite."

Prince Jingyang's eyes were devoid of emotion. Things had become extremely complicated. He couldn't possibly take direct action against an acting lieutenant general unless he had no other choice. With the court pressing him relentlessly, doing so would be tantamount to surrendering. Or rather, some people in the court would prefer this outcome—simple and decisive.

From strategic maneuvering to purge, the Jing family's greatest reliance when facing the imperial court was not military strength, but their deeply entrenched relationships and their influence in the provinces, where even a slight move could cause upheaval.

King Jingyang asked a second question.

"Why support Yu Zhong?"

This time, blood gushed from the astrologer's mouth and nose as he said hoarsely, "When your lifespan ends, Yu Zhong will take over the Jing family as a relative by marriage after you successfully advance, thus presiding over the affairs of the Western Border aristocratic families."

The Prince of Jingyang's pupils contracted. The entry of a relative by marriage into the family meant collusion from within and without. He knew that there were almost no bottom lines in the intricate power struggles within the Jing clan, but letting a wolf into the house was still chilling.

After a long pause, King Jingyang did not ask a third question.

The astrologer's face was ashen.

The other party's third question may be reckless, and the price may be their own life.

……

Dali Plain.

The Dawn vehicle sped forward, leaving trails of dust in its wake.

Dark Canyon is located on the west side of the border area, southeast of the Infinity Fortress, not far from the battlefield of the Bone Conquest.

This canyon, including several surrounding fortresses, was originally the territory of Prince Severus, but was later divided among various factions.

According to the intelligence provided by the Jing family, in February, the Wujian Fortress was destroyed. Fearing that Duke Merrick would re-arrest prisoners, the small and medium-sized forces fled one after another, leaving a large blank area. A mercenary group took the opportunity to penetrate deep into the territory of various forces, seeking fortune in danger, and plundering the remaining resources.

In the Darklight Heights, the mercenaries discovered a palace complex buried deep underground. After digging and stealing, the team suffered heavy losses, but they also managed to obtain an extraordinary skeleton.

Since their leader, who was the strongest fighter, was killed in action, the mercenaries were unable to leave the area and chose to sell the skeleton to a werewolf tribe. During this process, both parties asked an alchemist to notarize the transaction, but because the alchemist could not make a judgment, the information was sent to the alchemist's mentor.

The remains were eventually identified as belonging to Prince Severus, and the news leaked out, with the nearest regiment, 0555, receiving orders to seize them.

During the time the skeletons were lost, the Darklight Highlands collapsed into a canyon, attracting a rush of exploration from all sides.

On the horizon, an armored division was advancing, its battle flags bearing the emblem of the Sun Chaser.

The Fu family has always maintained a high level of enthusiasm for the famous gunner Da Li, even to the point that the super genius Chaser of the Sun was killed in action. This time, Duke Fu personally led three main armored divisions to advance.

On the Dawn vehicle.

Duke Merrick sneered, "If I were still alive, how could I allow the Voss family to be so arrogant?"

“The Fortress of No Return now belongs to Duke Dark Raven, and the city is full of Dark Ravens. You don’t need to worry about it anymore,” Mediterranean said.

Jiang He squinted at the massive fleet in the distant sky and said, "The Fu family's madness is abnormal."

Other prestigious families are not this eager.

Yu Jianyue sipped the dragon blood wine, savoring its rich, dragon-blood-like aroma, and explained, "Generally speaking, the purer the bloodline, the closer it is to the source of the bloodline. Whether it can surpass it is another matter, but it will definitely be easier to grow up. Therefore, mixed blood has some disadvantages."

"Especially when forging the heart of a hero, whether it is pure or not has a significant impact on the special operations of the hero's armed forces."

"In short, the famous gun Da Li is the great hope of the mixed blood. One of the effects of this famous gun is to eliminate the impurities in the bloodline, which is the legendary Da Li bullet."

"The Sun Chasing Fu Clan claims to have the bloodline of the sun, but it is probably far from pure, which is why they need to fight for the Great Li Bullet."

Jiang He raised an eyebrow and said, "If it's useful to you, then it's useful to Duke Yu."

Yu Jianyue nodded gently. One-quarter of the non-human part of her body contained the bloodline of the Blood Demon, and her great-grandfather was in a similar situation.

The Dawn vehicle enters the Dark Canyon area.

Jiang He woke up the lazy Wuhe on his shoulder and said in secret, "I want to know information about the Blood Moon's revival. Also, keep an eye on Cangwu Fortress, with safety as the priority."

"Gah gah, I understand." Wuhe immediately perked up and jumped out of the car window; he still preferred to act alone.

Chapter 477 Core Matrix of the Chassis

Dark Canyon.

Since the emergence of the world, this place has become a battlefield.

Countless plumes of thick smoke rose into the sky, and the crimson moonlight cast dappled and blurry shadows on the ground. The cliffs on both sides soared into the clouds, their jagged rocks jagged like the open teeth of a giant beast. Stone gates were embedded in the steep cliffs.

At the bottom of the valley, the tug-of-war intensified.

Duke Yan, Duke Fu, and the head of the Fu family stood side by side, their respective divisions charging into battle. More than ten peak-level Golden Realm warriors clashed fiercely on the battlefield, yet caused no damage to their surroundings.

At the opposite valley entrance, Duke Darkmoon, Duke Blood Demon, and Duke Eternal Moon stood together, forming a temporary alliance and confronting each other.

On the cliff, the Dawn vehicle came to a stop.

The moment Duke Merrick appeared, the six powerful figures turned their gazes toward him. At the hero level, their perception abilities, if not outstanding, were at least not lacking.

Jiang He surveyed the battlefield, where more than a dozen types of troops, including Steelbreakers, Harvesters, Garbage Kings, and Rust Cavalry, were engaged in large-scale battles. Every moment, the casualty figures on both sides were shocking.

Almost simultaneously, a notification sound rang in his ear.

[Executor's Exclusive Tip: Dark Canyon possesses an immortal-grade sturdiness, making it difficult to damage (due to the unique terrain formed by the fall of a Void Behemoth)]

Mediterranean looked down for a moment and analyzed, "They are fighting for the ownership of the stone gate in the rock wall. According to records, the former Cypheris clan lived inside the stone gate, which was like a special castle. The blood required to open it varied depending on the customs of the clan they belonged to."

Everyone looked at the stone gate on the opposite rock wall.

A Volkss armored company repelled the Darkmoon Werewolf's attack and seized the nearby stone gate platform. The company captain quickly pulled out a box, took out a large amount of blood reagents, and after trying them one by one, finally opened it successfully.

The light infantry immediately entered, looting the vampire legacy that had once resided here. The prince-level forces naturally possessed countless powerful individuals, and the weapons, equipment, cultivation resources, techniques, combat skills, rare treasures, and other precious items were plentiful and contained immense value.

Duke Merrick pondered and said, "According to the Thorn Clan's brief account, the battle that led to Prince Seiferis's fall was actually two separate battles, fought by the strongest member of the Evermoon Clan."

"Historically, the Eternal Moon Clan was the strongest clan on the Dark Continent, enjoying an unparalleled level of prestige, solely because two legendary figures slumbered in the shadows. However, they later relinquished their position to the Crimson Queen."

"A hundred years ago, the War of Annihilation broke out, and the two legends of the Eternal Moon Clan both perished, suspected to have been killed by the Crimson Queen. Since then, Eternal Moon has lost its second-ranking position and has almost fallen to the bottom of the clans."

"However, just over a decade later, the two legendary bloodlines rose from dukes to progenitors and launched a purge with the formidable strength of heroes at their peak. At that time, Seiferis, who had also suffered heavy losses in the great war, was the first to be affected, and the pure bloodline was almost wiped out."

Duke Merrick surveyed the canyon and said, "Novieher Evermoon, the current progenitor of the Seventh Clan, whose name means 'Avenger,' this canyon must be where the Avenger thwarted the Prince."

"In short, the various remains of the famous spearman Da Li may be hidden in a stone gate, collected from the battlefield by members of the clan at that time."

Duke Merrick suddenly stopped speaking, turned his head left and right, and found that everyone else was silently watching him.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, slightly wary.

Mediterranean smiled gently and said, "Your Excellency is very knowledgeable; I admire you."

“I’m sorry, Your Grace, I underestimated you before.” Yu Jianyue nodded slightly.

Jiang He gave a thumbs up and calmly said, "An old relic."

Duke Merrick's face darkened. During the War of Annihilation, he had already become a marquis. Although he was far from being a direct participant, all sorts of true and false news were flying around at the time, and hearsay was always easy to come by.

Jiang He activated the All-Encompassing Demon Eye, and his eyes instantly turned pure white. Within a radius of fifty-four kilometers, everything was clearly visible. Under the blessing of the Witness Gem, living beings and objects displayed varying thicknesses of aura smoke according to their grade.

Inside a stone gate, wisps of smoke rose into the clouds, and the receiver of a double-barreled shotgun inside emitted a blinding gleam.

"Merrick, do it."

Upon receiving the order, Merrick reluctantly entered battle mode. Crimson thorns wrapped around his body and intertwined with each other, forming a thorny longsword. His size increased to ten meters, transforming him into a small giant.

The three immediately leaped onto the little giant's shoulders, and following Jiang He's guidance, Duke Merrick burst forth, attracting the attention of the other six duke-level powerhouses.

In the Dark Canyon, a stone gate had just been opened by the vampire harvesters. Duke Merrick descended from the sky, scattering countless thorn seeds that instantly killed hundreds of vampires on the spot.

Inside the stone gate, in a corner of a room resembling a castle, the receiver of a double-barreled shotgun lay silently. A thick thorny thorn swept it away, eventually landing in Jiang He's palm. Thus, one-fifth of the famous gun, Da Li, was acquired.

[Name: Casing]

[Category: System]

[Quality: Epic]

[Effect ①: Epic-level Durability]

[Effect ②: Core Matrix - Da Li - This device can be integrated into firearms, growing by absorbing the power of different types of bloodlines, thereby improving the quality of the firearms (maximum level is Legendary)]

[Effect 3: Void Ammo Storage - Significantly increases ammo storage limit]

[Note: One of the components of the Ten Famous Spears of Eternal Darkness - Da Li. Due to the death of the spear spirit, the glory of the famous spear has become a thing of the past, but the component still has a powerful function.]

Jiang He stuffed the receiver into his portable imperial city without hesitation.

Meanwhile, due to the disruption of the situation, the six duke-level powerhouses took action.

The two Fu brothers rushed straight to a stone gate at the foot of a cliff. As soon as Yan's private soldiers opened it, they saw the exquisitely crafted firing device inside.

Also attacking were the Blood Demon Duke and the Dark Moon Duke, both of whom detected the location using their sensory abilities.

Without hesitation, the great battle immediately broke out.

Two golden giants rose from the ground, their towering forms reaching a thousand meters in height. Opposite them, a blood-red skeleton and a silver giant wolf appeared, both unimaginably enormous creatures.

The giant chasing the sun clashed with the blood-red skull, and the billowing dust shrouded the canyon, obscuring the sun.

"I, the Fu family, am determined to have this!"

"Who dares to oppose my father and me!"

Another giant kicked back the crimson skeleton, and then the two giants punched together, striking the silver giant wolf in the abdomen and back respectively, their coordination was extremely good.

The mythical form of the thousand-meter-tall creature, forged by heroic deeds, was enough to crush lower-level beings with its primal attacks alone. However, after only a few rounds of fighting, several brigades were caught in the crossfire on the battlefield of the four-way battle and were completely wiped out.

……

The left wall of the canyon.

The moment he received the receiver, Duke Merrick decisively activated his full mythical form, and a thousand-meter-tall thorn giant stood on the earth.

Because his strength originated from half of the Dao Fruit of the Duke of Yu, his combat power is slightly weaker than that of beings of the same level. This has contributed to his obsession with developing the Infinite Fortress, but at this moment it is an absolute disadvantage.