Origin Paradise!

Jiang He refined all ten million soul silver coins and poured them into the Underworld puppet.

Special Innate Talent: Human Puppet - After injuring a target, it causes a penetrating wound. The target's body can be controlled by the soul light threads of the mysterious realm. Maximum number: two.

Jiang He recalled the Underworld puppets to Rock City to oversee the situation.

"Wuhe, you take charge of Stormfalcon."

"clear."

Jiang He pulled back the car curtain, and the sunlight shone on Zhuang Ya. The little girl loosened her grip on his hands, which had been tightly wrapped around him.

There is currently one spot left for the Sanctuary Puppet. During the Crossing the Sea Campaign, he can choose suitable targets to hunt and fill the gap. In the long run, the Sanctuary Brigade will not be just empty talk.

The Knights of Glenn advanced toward the center of Augusta territory.

Two days later, the fortress city was within reach.

In the world of gods, once the native creatures become knights, they can basically escape their lowly fate. Knights are at the bottom of the noble pyramid, with their own manors and land. They hone their skills and cultivate their fighting spirit in their daily lives. When it comes to war, they prepare their own weapons and armor and follow their superior lord into battle, and then die or reap the spoils of war.

When a thousand knights form a battle group, they become the undisputed main force in the war. With the help of the clergy within their ranks, the immortal-level magic they unleash is qualified to threaten the power of the Holy Domain.

"That's really extravagant."

In front of the Adventurers' Guild, the one-legged guild leader sighed. Rhine was simply a winner in life: a beautiful and noble wife, rapidly growing territory, powerful and awe-inspiring strength, and a sizable knightly order, not to mention that he was still extremely young.

Deng Deng Deng!

Ah Da took the head of the rock lion from beside the carriage as proof of hunting a legendary monster, which would allow him to claim the bounty promised by Lawrence Augusta.

When the rock lion's head appears.

The Adventurers' Guild was initially silent, then erupted into a commotion as adventurers rose to their feet, their faces filled with shock. Saint-level combat power and the strength to hunt down Saint-level beings were two completely different concepts.

"The sixth campaign ended with the fall of the Rock Lion."

"Viscount Rhine is about to become famous in the North!"

"Top-tier Saint-level combat power!"

The one-legged guild leader was equally shocked; he knew all too well what such combat power meant for the Augusta territory.

Upon submitting the credentials, the Adventurers' Guild awarded 30,000 gold coins. The remaining 70,000 gold coins must be paid by the client and the adventurer themselves. Strictly speaking, the guild is merely a platform for introducing quests.

Thirty thousand gold coins were used to fill thirty ordinary chests.

Jiang He took out four-fifths of the gold coins and had A-Da lead the team back to Rock City. Port development was one aspect, but the core members and the Evil God Guards also incurred huge expenses for food, drink, and entertainment. He gave the remaining six thousand gold coins to A-Ya as her activity funds during her arrival.

A large number of gold coins are distributed quickly.

The knights of the Glenn Knights were eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Unfortunately, Jiang He had no intention of rewarding them. No one is rewarded without merit, and these knights were not members of the Evil Fiend Legion.

Chapter 626 The Noble Assembly

As dusk fell, the last rays of the setting sun shone.

Eleanor summoned the Silver Knights and the Rose Knights, and Earl White Wolf, representing the lesser nobles, assembled a knightly order. Together with the Glenn Knights from Rock City, the three sides formed a total of four thousand knights, who met outside the fortress city.

As one of the three major marquesses in the North, Augusta's dispatch of four knightly orders in response to the Duke's summons was already an extremely cooperative gesture, considering that even the Duke himself only mobilized 13,000 men.

After the Augusta army regrouped, they headed northeast toward the "Great Port," conscripting able-bodied men from villages and towns along the way to serve as auxiliary troops. The Rose Knights were responsible for transporting and preparing provisions.

As the army marched forward, in the middle of the column, a giant tortoise, three stories high, crawled along at a speed no less than that of a warhorse, kicking up clouds of dust.

Eleanor, riding her white warhorse, turned to look at someone and said, "This is a war tortoise, a gentle monster of the Great Knight level. Their shells grow larger and thicker as they age, eventually crushing themselves to death."

"Driven by their survival instinct, war turtles often seek out suitable human forces. People carve out space inside their shells to reduce their weight, and in return, the war turtles are willing to carry them along, but they rarely go to the battlefield."

Jiang He glanced at the other war turtles not far away. Only counts, nobles, knight commanders, or adventurers of the Great Achievement level were qualified to ride such monsters. The war turtle directly behind belonged to Count White Wolf. Great Achievement level combatants need to maintain their peak condition before the outbreak of war.

"Your Excellency Rhine!"

Earl White Wolf stood on the balcony, smiling and waving. Killing a top expert at the Saint Realm level was enough to earn anyone's respect. To his left and right, four or five beautiful nightingales smiled and whispered among themselves.

Jiang He nodded in response.

Eleanor smoothed her hair and said softly, "Do you need me to find some people to serve you?"

Jiang He glanced sideways and said calmly, "Don't you think you're acting a little strange?"

In any case, the other party was far too easy to talk to, and their initial attitude towards him was abnormally friendly, even to the point of being a performance.

But the mythical allure of a raging reversal isn't so powerful as to distort the will of heroes, after all, there are great deeds serving as anchors.

Ainonoya smiled and led Jiang He onto the war tortoise to choose a room. The guard leader, Nuselli, the head butler, the head maid, and others came out to meet them one by one. Marquis Augusta had a complete ruling framework.

That night, Jiang He declined the dinner invitation. In the Great Jing Dynasty, a land of gluttony, there was an imperial chef team exclusively for the emperor, but even at the most extravagant banquet for both civil and military officials, he only ate a little.

"Old Hei, please deliver a few jugs of Divine Blood Wine."

"clear."

……

Meanwhile, the major port.

The six knightly orders of the Black Whale Marquis and the Shattered Reef Marquis have arrived. Two of them are composed of soldiers from minor noble families. The two marquis families have been intermarried for generations, and their numerous achievements mean that the marquisate is often inherited by warriors of the Saint-level.

Inside the port castle, the study was dimly lit.

The two marquesses sat silently in their chairs, and anyone could sense the immense rage hidden beneath Duke Felix's expressionless face.

"Hehehe."

"It's the Wild Hunt again. I must have a grudge against him."

Duke Felix wore a forced smile. News arrived that Blackwhale Castle had fallen, the war funds for the entire North had been stolen, and, more importantly, Archbishop Desolator of the Whispering Church had been killed in battle. Even logistical funding could not be guaranteed, and confidence in victory for all sides plummeted.

Marquis Broken Reef pondered for a moment before speaking: "According to reliable sources, the Wild Hunter recently went to the Southern Territory and conquered Yorkshire on his own, successfully rising to the rank of rebel leader. His sudden return to the Northern Territory suggests, unsurprisingly, that he has mastered spatial abilities."

“The people of the Southern Territory now call him the King of the Wild Hunt.” Marquis Black Whale said grimly, “The Inquisition has raised his bounty to fourth place. His strength in killing the Wastelander head-on is undeniable. Although I’m reluctant to admit it, the facts prove that if Shattered Reef and I were to encounter that guy alone, it would be difficult to escape the relentless pursuit of his spatial powers.”

The two marquises exchanged intelligence. Spatial-type Saint-level combatants have always been the most troublesome assassins. If the other party is willing to target them regardless of the cost, even a marquis's family is in danger of being destroyed. They have assassinated their direct bloodline time and time again, making it impossible to prevent.

“In that case, let’s ask the masters of the Alchemy Guild to set up a trap that seals off the space,” Duke Felix said coldly. “The most crucial thing is to choose the bait.”

Marquis Black Whale hurriedly said, "Your Excellency, the most urgent task is the sea crossing battle."

Marquis Broken Reef said, "We can cede benefits to the church. The rebels are backed by a coalition of eleven churches. We can keep the King of the Wild Hunt from interfering in the war for now. We can deal with it after the war. Killing the Wastelander will definitely not leave him unscathed."

All three people present looked towards the corner at the same time.

A masked youth stood like a puppet, not uttering a word.

Compared to the King of the Wild Hunt, this is the most critical matter. The person in front of us is just a substitute for the second prince. The real prince has already died. The sea crossing battle that could have been planned in detail hastily started. For this reason, the prince must not die in the Duke's castle. Dying at the hands of pirates is the best end for him.

A glorious victory with the prince's heroic death would minimize the negative impact of the situation, bestow honor upon the deceased second prince, and allow the royal family to cede some of the benefits of Sea Serpent Island. Given the current state of the royal family, they would not pursue the matter too much.

“King of the Wild Hunt!” Duke Felix said angrily. If it weren’t for this guy who suddenly appeared, things wouldn’t have been so complicated.

“The warships are ready,” Marquis Black Whale said. “As for one of the commanders of the Northern Army, Earl Felix the Younger, he has probably already secretly gone to Serpent Island to prepare to surrender to the pirates.”

Young Felix is ​​the Duke's second son. At a young age, he inherited the family's great legacy and rose to the rank of ordinary hero.

Duke Felix said wearily, "You two follow along, I'm a little tired."

The two marquises rose to see her off, and a stunningly beautiful noblewoman walked in through the door. She had a priestly rose mark on her forehead, symbolizing the goddess of beauty in October, and exuded an amazing charm.

“Your Grace,” Lady Rose said softly.

Duke Felix sighed, "What a pity."

A glint of greed flashed in the Marquis of Broken Reef's eyes. Lady Rose caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye and couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. However, she was clearly unaware of the Marquis's undisguised nature in front of Felix.

……

three days later.

When the Augusta army entered the great port.

A plump noblewoman hanged herself at the city gate.

The port was in chaos. Apart from the various knightly orders remaining inactive, tens of thousands of Green Forest Legion soldiers rushed into the streets, and dozens of high knights loyal to the young count were brutally killed.

"Lady Rose has been the Duke's favorite in recent years."

"The young count had an affair with Lady Rose, and when it was exposed, he fled."

"The Duke's eldest son, Earl Greenforest, has taken control of the Greenforest Knights, and the future heir to the Duke has been officially decided."

The intelligence reports were quickly relayed out, and the situation was only calmed down after His Highness the "Second Prince" intervened.

The great port is now home to thirteen knightly orders: the Duke's direct line, the Black Whale Army, the Reef Army, and the Augusta Army. The city is filled with fully armed knights. The Whispering Church has gone all out this time, funding the construction of thirteen magical warships and twenty-five giant ships, making the fleet extremely large.

On the shore, the Duke's envoy boarded the war tortoise.

"Your Excellency Viscount Rhine, on behalf of His Majesty the Duke, I extend my greetings to you." The envoy said kindly and apologetically, "The Grand Master of the White Swords recently defected, and we are currently pursuing him. We have heard that he has been active in the Loda Mountains. If this has caused any inconvenience, we are willing to compensate you."

The envoy clapped his hands, and two teams of slave knights carried over wooden crates one by one. Inside were twenty epic-grade magical heavy armors, each theoretically capable of withstanding ten attacks from a Great Knight, and worth tens of thousands of gold coins.

A complete set of heavy armor is often a family heirloom of knightly families of all ranks, making it an extremely valuable gift.

Jiang He said calmly, "Please convey my gratitude to the Duke."

Clearly, Duke Felix intended to appease him for the time being. Given the White Sword's reputation in the North, the chances of the enemy not recognizing him were slim. However, since it wasn't a direct confrontation, there was still room for reconciliation. The death of the prince and the King of the Wild Hunt were more important than seizing Augusta territory.

The envoy waited for a while before realizing that Viscount Rhine had no intention of returning the gift. He awkwardly took his leave. To be honest, being in close contact with Viscount Rhine, who might have malicious intentions, was very stressful. After all, Viscount Rhine was a top expert who had hunted down the Rock Lion.

After the envoy left, Eleanor said, "Remember to prepare for tonight's noble assembly. The North needs the permission of the Emperor's representative to officially start a war."

"Okay," Jiang He replied.

Sea Serpent Island is one-third the size of the Northern Territory. It was only because of its barren land that it remained isolated in the past. Strictly speaking, before the establishment of the Empire in the pre-Gods Era, the conflict between the Northern Territory and Sea Serpent Island was undoubtedly a national war.

Night falls.

Inside the room of the War Turtle Castle, Jiang He gently pulled the small white snake off its neck. Zhuang Ya blinked her golden eyes; she had slept the whole way and was unusually energetic that night.

"I practiced swordsmanship for less than five hours today..."

"Never mind, you can arrange it yourself."

Jiang He closed her eyes and focused her mental energy into the noble badge. Zhuang Ya's small face was serious as she took human form and quietly practiced with a wooden heavy sword. After Qian Shan Xue, she had mastered some of the essence of Shattered Dragon Spine, but because she was always distracted when the Great Serpent was teaching her, her progress was not very fast.

A mental projection descends.

This is something that the Golden Will can accomplish, provided the circumstances allow and the appropriate means are available.

In the boundless, deep darkness, thousands of torches lit up one after another, and a huge circular building resembling an ancient colosseum materialized in the darkness. The statue of the Son of the Conqueror stood in the eastern part of the colosseum, and a majestic dragon sculpture stretched across the western wall, symbolizing the still-living sky-class dragon, the royal heritage dragon of calamity.

The two sculptures, one tall and one short, face each other. The royal family inherits the power of the dragon knights, and those royal bloodlines recognized by the Calamity Dragon will rapidly ascend to the Sky level, which is the pinnacle of heroes.

However, in return, the lifespan of dragon knights will be greatly reduced. The current emperor is only about fifty years old, but the dignified sky-level dragon knight is already on the verge of decay.

Legend has it that the Dragon of Calamity has been stealing the lifespans of royal family members generation after generation, which is how it has maintained its peak status to this day.

A monthly gathering of nobles is held.

The Dukes of the Four Realms appear on the fifth step. If it were before the Era of the Gods, their status would be no different from that of a king.

On the fourth stage, twelve powerful marquises of the fortress appeared, with Eleanor among them. Some of the court marquises were in slightly lower positions. Before the destruction of the Dragon Knights, the "court marquises" did not exist; they were positions established by the Holy Emperor to reclaim power.

On the third stage, ninety-nine powerful earls appeared, including the Earl of the White Wolf who controlled Nayo County. Each earl here represented a local city and theoretically had the right to vote. If the number of votes exceeded 70%, a proposal could be forcibly passed, but since the establishment of the empire, it had only been successful a handful of times.

The second and first steps consisted of numerous viscounts and barons, estimated to number in the thousands, symbolizing the foundation of the empire's rule; however, no knights were permitted to attend the noble assembly.

Jiang He looked around. He was positioned directly in front of Eleanor, with lower-ranking nobles from the Augusta Territory on either side. The seating arrangement was clearly based on region.

Once more than 90% of the nobles had arrived, a distinguished figure in his prime appeared beneath the statue of the Son of the Conqueror. He was the first prince of the royal family, whose status, position, power, and qualifications were all impeccable. The strength of the Holy Knight was genuine, and he was the second saint of the Father Church in this generation.

"According to the law, those who fail to appear as scheduled will have their noble status stripped after three such instances."

The First Prince said indifferently and quickly: "The first priority is that the alien races of the Southern Continent have confirmed their alliance, and a racial war is about to break out again. Starting today, war taxes will be levied on the entire empire. Those who fail to pay will be subject to supervision and suppression by the higher-ranking nobles."

"The second priority is to establish an Imperial Assassination Squad in the near future, in view of the heinous acts of the rebel Saints Assassination Squad. The officers will be selected from across the territory by invitation only, and the full members will be granted access to the stockpiled sacred weapons."

The First Prince cautioned, "Knights of Great Achievement and below should not be considered as fillers unless they possess unique and effective special abilities."

"The third priority is the war to cross the sea in the North. His Majesty has promised that the ten knights with the greatest merits will be eligible to have different levels of magical heavy armor made. The Alchemy Guild will be in charge, and specific merits will be recorded by a designated person at that time."

The First Prince paused for a moment and said, "The fourth priority is to, in accordance with the Emperor's decree and the decision of the Imperial Council, immediately, all lords throughout the Empire shall carry out a comprehensive purge of the Dragonborn Church of the August Dragon King, especially the Holy Wall, and strictly prohibit all related personnel from leaving the territory. This is the highest order."

"I have concluded my speech."

As soon as the words fell, the whole audience was in an uproar.