Origin Paradise!

"My Lord Baron, I recommend you try a cup of Burning Blood. The ingredients are mainly taken from the blood of rare monsters, and it only costs three silver coins or soul coins per cup."

"Put it on Eleanor's tab."

"of course."

The waitress nodded with a friendly smile. Even if the man didn't pay, she wouldn't say anything. The guild master was more than happy for the baron to be greedy in such a trivial matter.

After ordering his drinks, Jiang He began to examine the mission notice board. Legendary monsters were defined as having the strength and danger to dominate a region, as well as a wide reputation and a long lifespan.

These powerful monsters are at least at the Great Achievement level, and may even have reached the Saintly level. Theoretically, they require a team of adventurers of the same level to successfully defeat them, but the difficulty of assembling a team of Great Achievement Knights is unimaginable.

Generally speaking, adventurer quests are divided into many levels. The most difficult one is called the "Centennial Quest," which is extremely rare and almost impossible to complete. Only guilds at the provincial level or above are qualified to issue it. The next level is called the "Ten-Year Quest," which requires guilds in core cities of the region to issue it.

In this guild located in the fortress city, there are three ten-year missions.

First, investigate the detailed cause of the old marquis's death; the identity of the person who released the information is self-evident.

Secondly, they hunted down the Saint-level giant lion that dwells on the mountain peaks in the northern part of the Marquis's territory. This creature is invulnerable to swords and spears and is said to be the offspring of the May Monster Mother, who walked among humans before the Age of Gods.

The giant lion possesses the power of rock, making it not only incredibly strong defensively, but also capable of merging into mountains to escape in times of crisis. Historically, several great knight commanders have failed to capture it.

Jiang He stopped looking at the third ten-year mission, since he had come for the legendary monster.

Ding!

The waitress added ice to the glass, and the dark green liquor, like a burning will-o'-the-wisp, flickered with sparks on its surface, filling the air with the unique aroma of monster blood.

"Please enjoy your meal," the waitress said with a smile.

Jiang He casually picked up a wine glass and drank the wine in one gulp.

"A ten-year mission: to hunt down the giant lion."

As soon as the words fell, the countless gazes that had gathered here changed. Some adventurers wore expressions of pride that were not surprising, while a few drunken ravenously lamented losing their bets. But for most adventurers, the fact that a Saint-level warrior could hunt down a legendary monster was undoubtedly a momentous event.

"This must be the fifth time this pair of rock lions have been defeated."

"The Baron is probably going to assemble a team."

"Quickly tell the Marquis the news. Stop pretending, I know you're a spy for the castle!"

The barmaid's smile seemed somewhat forced.

Before she could speak, an elderly man with one leg sat down. He wore a badge of the chairman on his chest and leaned against the bar, saying:

"Lord Rhine, the Storm Archbishop is still recuperating."

The one-legged old man stared straight at the young man he had met at the banquet, knowing that the other man understood his meaning.

It would be pointless for a pillar of the Holy Domain to hunt down a legendary monster that would never actually leave its territory. The Storm Bishop is currently recovering from his battle with the "Sun King" and cannot go out to form a team.

Moreover, with the Storm Bishop recovering from his injuries, it means that Baron Rhine is currently the strongest combat force that can operate in the Marquisate.

“You have a responsibility, sir,” the one-legged old man sighed. “Just like my leg, it is because I lost it that this guild exists today.”

Jiang He's expression remained unchanged as she said, "Do you want me to repeat it a second time?"

The one-legged old man did not back down, but as Jiang He's gaze gradually turned cold, the waitress quickly processed the commission. The commissioner was Lawrence Augusta, the Grand Knight Commander of the Holy Great Wall and the Marquis's uncle.

"The promised reward is 100,000 gold coins," the waitress whispered, revealing the astonishing figure.

In the Holy Empire, a knight's lord's annual income is roughly fifty gold coins, most of which is spent. High-ranking nobles usually earn tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, while the imperial central government, with its directly subordinate provinces and taxes levied throughout the entire territory, has an annual income of only five million gold coins.

Jiang He glanced at the Northern Territory in the guild. The mountains where the Rock Lions were located were not far from the Marquisate and the Holy Wall. Under these circumstances, even though the Rock Lions had never left their territory, they were still a hidden danger worth paying a huge price to eliminate.

The one-legged old man snorted coldly, took out a bag of coins and pushed it on the table, then left with his cane. When the guild believes that an adventurer is qualified to complete a high-difficulty task, it will usually send out a corresponding initial fund on behalf of the client.

1000 copper coins = 10 silver coins = 1 gold coin.

1 silver coin = 1 soul silver coin.

Jiang He examined the dozens of soul silver coins in the money bag. These were very interesting; they were a large amount of spiritual fragments left behind by the followers of the Moon God after their deaths, containing the equivalent of a person's life force.

A single Soul Silver Coin can heal a non-fatal injury for an ordinary person. Considering the number of Death Believers from before the Age of Gods to the present day, each church is incredibly wealthy. However, it is said that the true control of the Soul Silver Coins lies with the Moon God.

"It's quite useful."

Jiang He stood up. The Soul Coin, after being reversed by the great magic, turned from a silvery-white color containing spiritual luster to pitch black. At this moment, this coin no longer represented vitality, but death.

"One person's worth of death."

"The puppets of the underworld are a collection of millions of deaths."

Jiang He put away the money bag. The Underworld Puppet could be upgraded, at least up to the sub-legendary level. It was a masterpiece of blood and sweat, meticulously crafted by the puppet masters of the great powers, and it could at least help him complete the transition from the early to mid-stages of the Heroic Era.

"One million gold coins can roughly increase the maximum number of Netherworld puppets you can control by 1."

"Sanctuary Knights Brigade".

A team composed of Holy Knights represents terrifying power in the world of gods. Moreover, the Underworld Puppet has the potential to advance after accumulating enough resources.

Jiang He walked to the door as if no one else was there.

Outside the door, a blonde girl stood waiting, clad in her usual heavy magical armor. Her emerald green eyes fixed on the young man as she spoke earnestly:

"I will go with you."

Upon hearing this, Nuseli's expression turned to one of astonishment.

Eleanor gently smoothed her blonde hair and said softly, "Since I can't stop you, I can only fulfill my duties as a wife. The fact that you and I are alive is more important than me being stationed in the fortress city."

The last sentence made Nuseli swallow her words.

"It's up to you," Jiang He said indifferently.

The other party was so engrossed in his role that he had forgotten what the world was like. He was playing a marquis, a wife, and a knight. This inhuman quality had no place in the eyes of the butcher of countless lives. He had killed far too many alien beings.

The space fluctuated.

Under Eleanor's gaze, a little girl in white stepped out of the spatial teleportation, her eyes indifferent.

Jiang He brought in Aya, mainly to prepare to destroy the mountain peaks and prevent the Rock Lion from escaping by merging with the peaks. In the past, the knight crossed the sea to join the pirate court as the Sun King, so the pirate leader controlled by the Underworld Puppet naturally lost his meaning. The Underworld Puppet has returned to Rock Town and serves as a Saint-level force to guard the town.

"Big snake."

Zhuang Ya raised her little head and asked.

"Marquis Eleanor, a mere passerby."

Eleanor was a little angry when she heard this, and said, "It's my wife."

Nuselli stepped forward and said, "Miss, Your Excellency, the carriage is ready."

In fact, the marquis's castle carriages are always ready.

……

It was the end of October in the 265th year of the Divine Calendar.

The four leaders of the alien races in the Southern Continent convened another monarchical conference. The content of their discussions was unknown to the outside world. However, the next day, three of the Empire's ten central legions set out and headed straight for Sun City, the core city of the Southern Territory. The Sun Duke's family and the Sun Church were responsible for supplying these three legions of ten thousand men each.

In the Western Frontier, a Holy Knight calling himself "Griffos" rose to prominence. After swearing allegiance to the Duke of the Western Frontier, and witnessed by multiple churches, the Duke bestowed upon him the title of nobleman, appointed him to lead the Grand Knights, and married him to the eldest daughter of his family.

In the Eastern Territory, the rebel branch received support from the Iron Treasury at the edge of the peninsula, which secretly released funds to form three knightly orders. Led by three Saint Assassination Corps officers, this rebel army captured a fortified city and drove the local Sanctuary Marquis out of his territory.

In the North, the Greenwood Duke's war mobilization accelerated significantly. Apart from the troops left behind, the Greenwood Legion and three knightly orders were mobilized. The former had tens of thousands of soldiers, and the latter had three thousand knights, totaling thirteen thousand professional soldiers, who were on their way to the major port. Nobles at all levels in various places issued mobilization orders, and the prelude to the sea crossing campaign was fully launched. Warships gathered from all directions.

Within just a few days, the entire empire seemed to be in turmoil, especially the Oathbrook garrison at the Holy Wall, which had issued warnings throughout the empire through church channels that unknown dangers were brewing in the icy forests north of the Wall.

The Loda Mountains.

Located north of Augusta Territory and south of the Holy Wall, this place is fed by a great river of melting glaciers originating from the snow-capped mountains. This river allows logistical supplies transported from fortified cities to reach the Wall more quickly.

On the road leading to the town of Viscount Loda, the luxurious carriage gradually came to a stop. Faint roars could be heard from the surrounding dense forest. The Loda Mountains region was teeming with monsters, and the Viscount's name was not apt, as the Viscount family had been wiped out decades ago.

The carriage swayed violently.

Inside the carriage, Aya sat in the corner, her small hands folded in front of her stomach, looking like a lady. She quietly watched the two figures embracing. To be honest, such a scene was nothing new to her, and no one knew someone's body better than her.

After a while, the event ended.

"The worst time."

Jiang He rubbed his forehead and couldn't help but complain. He put the blonde girl in his arms down and stopped suspending the illusion. Her waist seemed so slender that it could be grasped in two hands.

Eleanor's inhuman nature was confirmed; she simply wouldn't follow her instincts to cooperate, and her tolerance for pain was like that of someone on a battlefield. Towards the end, she simply fell into a state of confusion and malfunction.

"Sorry, I'm too small."

Eleanor's face was flushed, but her eyes remained unmoved. She lifted her waist to avoid wasting the essence, but heroic beings and golden beings could not reproduce.

Because of the height difference, Jiang He experienced something unprecedentedly bad, and for the first time he became a service provider.

Zhuang Ya quietly approached and skillfully wiped away the marks on Jiang He's body. As a personal maid, even though she had studied the entire private school, she was not at all aloof. The relationship between the members of the animal team far surpassed ordinary physical communication.

"Pack up and get ready to go," Jiang He said.

A quarter of an hour later, the three of them left the carriage. Zhuang Ya reluctantly carried Eleanor on her back. According to Eleanor, the task of defeating the rock lion was very dangerous. Considering the possibility of total annihilation, she had to fulfill her duties as a wife, which was why she "sacrificed herself" in the carriage.

As for Jiang He, she couldn't find any reason to refuse.

The three of them walked into the mountain forest.

There is a narrow path leading directly to the outside of the Great Wall from here, right on the mountainside. To be precise, the Loda Mountains are divided into three regions: front, middle, and rear. The middle section is even part of the Holy Great Wall, while the legendary monster Rock Lion is located in the front section.

Jiang He looked up, her eyes dark, her eyebrows slightly raised.

A colossal rock lion lay lurking atop the main peak, its powerful and heavy aura pressing down on the surrounding peaks, deterring countless demons from approaching.

"Immortal-level Rock Power".

As the three entered the territory, the rock lion suddenly opened its eyes. Its mane stretched out in all directions in the form of sharp rock spikes, each hair standing upright. Its eyes were like two burning flames, deep and fierce. Its tail was like a thick stone club with sharp barbs at the end. When it swung around casually, the surrounding boulders were easily crushed.

Roar!

Sensing the approaching danger, the rock lion roared, and a thunderous sound echoed among the peaks, shattering rocks that crumbled and fell.

The next moment, Jiang He thrust out with his spear, the howls of the wolf pack rose and fell, and the dark red spear light full of penetrating power soared into the sky, tearing a huge wound in the space from the mountainside to the mountaintop.

—Dragon Spear Technique: The Smoke of War Rises.

In an instant, the rock lion took root in the mountain peak, transforming into a hundred-meter-tall sphinx. Its Saint-level ability, Undying Sacred Mountain, unleashed its ultimate defensive power. The surrounding peaks seemed to become its body. As the dark red spear light continuously bombarded its neck, rocks continuously filled the wound until the spear light shattered, leaving it intact.

The rock lion revealed a playful, human-like expression.

“Aya.”

"Ok."

Boom!

A giant white serpent, so long it stretched endlessly, was born.

Rock Lion stood frozen in place, while Eleanor covered her mouth in shock. The white snake before her was terrifying in its sheer size, giving off an aura of invincibility. As the white snake began to move, the mountain peaks shook violently. Its head pierced into the mountainside, and its body shattered the peaks. Zhuang Ya coiled around the front section of the entire Loda Mountains and then brutally strangled it.

Rumble!

One-third of the Loda Mountains exploded.

Amidst the endless rubble and the devastating scene, even the hundred-meter-tall rock lion appeared tiny. In the vast dust, a figure rapidly approached. Jiang He activated the Heavenly Hunter and arrived on top of the rock lion, raising his gun with both hands and slamming it down.

—Dragon Spear Technique: Shatter Dragon Spine.

In an instant, the phantom of the ancient savage dragon with nine heads and eighteen horns materialized. The power of the spear and the weight of the spear were perfectly integrated. The immense force shattered the rock defense. The silver spear tip, like lightning in the clouds, sliced ​​off most of the rock lion's head. After the flash, there was a continuous roar of explosions. Streams of bloody fireworks rose from its body. The spear energy swept through its internal organs and flesh, causing great damage to its life force.

—Dragon Spear Technique: Cloud Edge.

The rock lion roared in extreme pain, and with one shot and two moves, it almost killed the attacker on the spot, staining the sky with blood. But in an instant, it activated the ultimate ability of a legendary monster, Lionheart Sanctuary. The earthen-yellow light enveloped the attacker, and half of its own damage fell on the attacker. This was a curse from the rocky land.

Chapter 623 Pretending to be Cute

Click!

The crimson cloak that the celestial dragon robe had transformed into remained unharmed.

However, Jiang He's body was like porcelain cracking on a large scale, with golden blood constantly overflowing. Several wounds burst open, followed by a torrent of blood. The dragon spear's extreme and unparalleled killing power was also somewhat unbearable for him. Without the body of a hero, it was a truly gruesome sight.

The rock lion stomped the ground to draw strength, panting heavily.

Zhuang Ya returned to human form, gripping the Imperial Sword, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

Eleanor kept dodging the aftershocks. She practiced the eight virtues of a knight, and her strength improved rapidly. However, being close to the Holy Domain was still not the Holy Domain. In this battle, no Great Knight had any room to make a move.

Just as Jiang He was about to take a step...

A white mist approached at an incredible speed. The moment it entered the area of ​​Guanhai Tingtao, Jiang He's eyes flickered, and he dodged to the side. However, the cold white longsword still pierced through his right chest. The extreme cold emanating from the tip of the sword released a chilling white wave.