Imperial Crown.

Chapter 559 Springtime Spreads, Cold Sounds Shatter

January 4, 1209 (Bright Calendar)

Middels Continent, Keynes Empire, Nord Province, Derby County.

The Divine Descendant Mountains.

The Divineborn Mountains are the largest mountain range in the province of Nord, bordering the Bloodstained Highlands to the north, the city-states of Felton to the east, and the entire province of Nord to the south… spanning the counties of Derby, Savry, and Snowmaple! There are countless legends about the Divineborn Mountains, too numerous to count, and the exact age of these ancient tales is impossible to trace. The most widespread and famous legend, of course, is that the Divineborn Mountains are inhabited by the descendants of gods, who will one day emerge from the mountains.

The majestic main peak of the Divine Descendant Mountains is breathtaking. The sheer grandeur of its main peak and the overall undulating, continuous mountain range defy description. For centuries, those who ventured into the Divine Descendant Mountains to hunt, regardless of their skill or experience, rarely returned alive. Over time, the Divine Descendant Mountains became a place of both mystery and terror. Some rumors circulated about true gods, others about mysterious witches, still others about terrifying beasts, and some about man-eating demons… Even extraordinary heroes rarely dared to venture deep into the heart of the Divine Descendant Mountains.

The Earth Bear that attacked Green Forest Town back then seems to have come down from the Divine Descendant Mountains.

The Divineborn Mountains, an insurmountable barrier, firmly separate the Bloodstained Highlands from Savry and Derby counties. Only at Snowmaple County does the mountain suddenly shrink and flatten, revealing a spectacular gap, leaving Snowmaple and the Bloodstained Highlands like a naked couple, locked in a love-hate relationship for nearly a thousand years. Thus, a well-known joke exists in the Nord province: if there truly were a god within the Divineborn Mountains, He would surely choose to descend from Snowmaple County.

This joke is familiar to almost everyone born in Xuefeng County who has ever left the county. It's a saying specifically used to mock Xuefeng County and to combat regional prejudice. Without this joke, how could people from other counties possibly develop even a tiny, pathetic sense of superiority?

Snowflakes mingled with raindrops, pouring down relentlessly, the icy chill in the air shattering like porcelain! Though it was the dead of night, the glowing magical plants and lush green leaves seemed to have been washed in milk, still loudly proclaiming the arrival of spring in the darkness. A hazy mist, like a veil, drifted and ethereal, enveloping the silent, slumbering body of the Divine Descendant Mountains. The biting rain and snow were uneven, yet there was a strange harmony between the glowing lights and shadows, the rain and snow falling like beautiful music played at a banquet.

"Achoo!" "Achoo!" "Achoo—!!!"

"Fuck your mother!" "What kind of weather is this???" "It's April and it's still snowing?" "Is this the legendary scenery unique to the Nord Province? -- A sudden cold snap in spring?" "Peach blossom snow??"

"Fuck your mother!" "Habs, why did you have to let me come now of all times?" "Damn it, I'll freeze to death on the way to Xuefeng County." "Why are you so biased, you son of a bitch?" "Is it because Adjani helped you suck your bladder tonight?"

"Damn it!" "Why didn't I cultivate properly before? Why didn't I work hard? If I were already at the sixth level, I would have flown to Xuefeng County long ago. Why would I be suffering like this here?" "This time when I go back, I must break through to the sixth level!"

"Damn Raven!" "I'm not going to let you get away with this!" "I was going to leave you a whole body, but now..." "I've changed my mind!" "I'm freezing to death!" "I've decided to tear you to pieces, freeze your body, drain your blood, and then cut off a piece every year to torture you little by little."

Ezio sneezed three times, shivering as he walked through the Divine Descendants Mountains, cursing almost everyone he knew from head to toe—the only reason that kept him going. Commonly known as "willpower." No wonder people say—the cold of the Nords has a taste. Indeed. The taste of death.

As an unknown figure, a sword in the hand of Emperor Habsburg, and a nightmare for all the nobles of the Keynesian Empire, Ezio could not afford to reveal his whereabouts easily, especially in recent years. So, when Ezio received the order relayed by Pierre, he set off from the capital, Menegall, with great excitement. In his fantasy, he appeared like a ghost at Raven's bedside, and when Raven opened his eyes, he immediately knelt before him like a dog. To survive, Raven was even willing to sell his own fur. He was even more despicable than when Raven wagged his tail and begged for mercy before the dragon in the image crystal. And he would seize all of Raven's factories, wealth, the formula for Angel's Tears, and especially those women… all for himself!! And of course, Raven's head.

However, the constant hiding and hardships along the way had completely extinguished all of Ezio's excitement and patience. He began to grow irritable, angry, and violent. The murderous intent in his heart grew stronger and stronger. He swore that he had never hated his mission target as much as he did Raven now! Although Ezio knew in his heart that all these hardships had nothing to do with Raven, and that Raven didn't even know he was coming! Reason and emotion were intertwined and entangled in his mind. Under the influence of the long-term intense struggle between the left and right hemispheres of his brain, and further aggravated by the rain and snow in the Divine Descendant Mountains, the result was that he naturally directed all the venom and resentment in his heart towards the Raven he was about to meet.

Beyond Derbyshire lies Savoryshire! And beyond Savoryshire lies Snowmapleshire! Though it sounds far, for Ezio, a fifth-tier warrior, it's practically within reach! Wiping the frost that had formed on his brow, Ezio suddenly fell silent, his brow furrowing.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

A soft, cotton-candy-like whistling sound suddenly drifted from afar, initially like the tinkling of a clear spring, then like the delicate chirping of birds in an empty mountain. And here, deep in the old forest, amidst the ice and snow… it echoed endlessly, reverberating without ceasing.

Ezio slowly drew the greatsword from his back, his muscles tensing violently. He held the sword horizontally in the air with both hands, his eyes cold as he shouted, "Come out here."

The whistle abruptly stopped, and a tall, imposing figure, resembling a monstrous beast, leaped down from the tree and slowly strode towards them. The bone-chilling sleet fell on them as if it had nothing, unable to affect their firm and powerful steps in the slightest. The figure drew closer, and when Ezio finally saw the other's condition clearly, his face turned extremely grim, and his heart clenched painfully! He completely lost any hope of escape.

The enormous, monstrous figure was actually composed of two people, one large and one small. The larger one was a Titan orc, over two meters tall. The smaller one was a grey goblin dwarf, only about one meter tall. The dwarf was standing on the Titan's left shoulder, arms crossed and legs apart. Both of them were watching him with unhurried composure. Clearly, these two were not the highway robbers Ezio had assumed. They were bounty hunters who had come specifically to wait for him!
"Hello," "Anonymous," "J"

The grey dwarf's distinctive, shrill voice rang out as he waved his hand at Ezio like an old friend.

“We can talk.” “I’ve saved up a lot of money over the decades, it’s an astronomical figure.”

Ezio spoke, his voice trembling slightly. He couldn't tell if the trembling was from the cold or from the fear within him. "I've checked my bounty; it's about 18.29 gold coins. I can offer double that. But I need a name." Ezio paused, exhaling a puff of white breath. "We don't need to fight each other for gold coins, or even pay the price with our lives." "I can also recommend two others to be the Nameless Ones."

"Haha" "Hahahaha"

The grey dwarf looked down and exchanged a glance with the Titan, then both burst into laughter. Suddenly, the Titan stretched out his hand, and two blinding flashes of light, like welding torches, erupted in the darkness. As the light separated, a large, dark-colored club slowly appeared in the Titan's hand. "Raven is right. You never think you're wrong; you only know you deserve to die," Litanshi said in a gruff voice. "Raven??" "He's really still alive??" "Did he send you?" "How did you know I was here?" Ezio's already slumped heart sank even further, his mouth dry as he bombarded him with questions. Then, a twitch of his brow twitched into a smile. "I don't know what price Raven paid to actually hire two fifth-tier transcendents." "Gold coins? Titles? Women?" "But wouldn't it be better if the three of us joined forces and took Raven out?" "I can guarantee that you two will enjoy endless wealth and luxury from now on." "And..."

boom!
Before he could finish speaking, Littenshi moved! He first shrugged his shoulders, sending Gilida flying, then brandishing his club, he charged towards Ezio at lightning speed! He shouted, "Shut up!"
Gazing at Litanshi's massive, mountain-like form, Ezio felt an overwhelming sense of oppression! He wasn't unfamiliar with fighting orcs, but the Titans, as the kings of the orc race comparable to dragons, were naturally far more terrifying than other orcs! This was indeed the first time Ezio had ever directly faced a Titan! With a boom, he activated his Martial Soul, instantly illuminating the pitch-black night sky as if it were daytime. Ezio's Martial Soul was a ball of silver lightning, the size of a head! "You're courting death!" Ezio's face instantly turned icy. At this point, further words were pointless. Only a fierce battle remained!
"Thunderous roar and surging forth!"

It's better to break one finger than injure all ten! Facing two opponents at the same fifth level, Ezio dared not be careless; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so polite earlier. Therefore, he immediately unleashed his long-hidden trump card! Ezio transformed into a ball of lightning, so dazzling that it was blinding! In the blink of an eye, he appeared beside the dwarf who had landed nearby, his enchanted greatsword also crackling with lightning, slashing fiercely down towards the dwarf's head!
"Humph!"

Litanshi snorted angrily and shouted, "Crush!" The staff enchanted with [Sturdy] and [Heavy] flew out with a "whoosh," spinning continuously as it struck fiercely towards the ball of lightning that Ezio had transformed into!
"Mountain-Shattering Hammer!!"

Gilida seemed to have anticipated this, activating his Martial Soul the instant he landed! After all, anyone would instinctively treat dwarves like easy targets! Years of bounty hunting had taught Gilida to turn the tables—transforming the enemy's contempt into an advantage and a preemptive strike. Boom! A dwarf figure, several times larger than Litanshi, suddenly appeared in the void behind Gilida! It was the god of forging and smelting worshipped by the dwarves—Grenier! Despite being a dwarf, his enormous size created a striking visual contrast. His body blazed with intense heat, his eyes shone like two blazing suns, and the tattoos that should have been on his body transformed into grooves of varying sizes and thicknesses, flowing with orange-red molten lava.

While fifth-tier transcendents cannot open or create domains, they have reached the realm of "Martial Soul Separation from the Body." Simply put, Martial Soul Separation from the Body means the Martial Soul has "come alive," essentially gaining a combat partner! No longer as rigid and mechanical as a fourth-tier transcendent, merely mimicking the host's every move and simply channeling power and adding might to the host!
As soon as Glennir, the god of forging, appeared, he lifted Gilida with one hand and swiftly moved away from his spot. Then, he took a deep breath and spewed forth flames that seemed almost tangible, scorching the lightning that Ezio had transformed into. At the same time, he raised his forging hammer high in his right hand and then brought it crashing down towards Ezio's head with lightning speed! Sonic booms echoed continuously through the void as it passed!
Boom boom boom!
With the devastating hammer blows of the Grey Dwarf's martial spirit in front and the enchanted weapon of the Titan Orc blocking his retreat from behind, even Ezio, a fifth-tier, six-star powerhouse, was struggling against the combined attack of two fifth-tier, one-star opponents! But he was unwilling! Truly unwilling! His eyes flashed with a desperate, all-or-nothing glint, and Ezio, his mind racing, forcibly changed his tactics. Instead of relying on the dwarf's martial spirit, Ezio was forced to confront the orc's weapon head-on. He slashed his sword fiercely at the spinning club!
Boom!

Boom!

Sword and staff clashed, seemingly a mere touch like a dragonfly skimming the water, but in reality, Ezio swung his sword twice, instantly sending Litanshi's staff flying! He himself remained completely still. "Thunder Domain Punishment!!" Ezio roared, a hint of suicidal intent creeping into his voice! His martial spirit lightning burst open with a series of booming sounds, forming a massive lightning net that swept towards Litanshi like a curtain! At the same time, he vanished from his spot, dodging both the flames of the dwarf's martial spirit and the devastating hammer blow!
Litanshi leaped into the air, his hand flashing as the massive club flew back into his grasp with a thud. "Shattering Meteor!" Litanshi roared, his voice echoing across the land. His martial spirit—a Titan-like ancestral beast—raised its head and roared, its hands supporting a mountain as it charged towards the lightning net formed by Ezio, advancing instead of retreating! "Orcs will never be slaves!" This was not merely a slogan, nor empty talk! Today, if Litanshi were to retreat even half a step, he would be unworthy of being the King of the Orcs! Unworthy of shedding the blood of the Titans!

Death is nothing to fear!

At this moment, the three fifth-tier beings had already disregarded life and death! They were fighting with the courage to meet on a narrow path! They were battling with the will to face death! From the sky, it was as if three gods had appeared in the Divine Descendant Mountains, their vibrant colors a chaotic battle like a divine decree descending upon the world! Rocks crumbled, demonic plants shattered, earth dragons churned, ancient trees snapped, the sky tore apart, battle aura surged, and the void collapsed… Such a terrifying and horrifying scene was truly awe-inspiring!
"what--"

All three roared and screamed in agony. The mountain pillars formed by Litanshi's spirit, like streaks of lightning, were the first to sink into the lightning net, instantly turning to dust! Bolts of lightning struck Litanshi and his spirit's body, releasing a pungent, roasting aroma! But Litanshi seemed oblivious, his eyes wide, wielding his massive club and lashing out at Ezio, who emerged from the lightning net! In the dazzling light, sword and club clashed a second time, and with a resounding bang, Litanshi was sent tumbling through the air, blood spurting from his mouth. But before Ezio could even feel a flicker of joy, he watched helplessly as a hammer larger than a man came crashing down upon him!

bang

Ezio was also sent flying by Gilida's martial spirit! His battle aura armor instantly dissipated, his greatsword shattered inch by inch, and the tiger's mouths of his hands were severed! He crashed through countless rocks and trees, carving a deep furrow in the ground! He finally came to a stop, slumped over like Ge You lying down, after crashing into a large ancient tree. He looked like an old dog, his eyes glazed over, barely alive.

"I don't know if you've ever tasted the dwarven brew?" Gilida said in a low voice as he walked towards Ezio. "It's a craft brew called 'Rockheart Wine'!" "A brew made from Rockheart Flowers." Gilida paused, a fleeting look of pain on his face. "Oh, right." "You should know about Rockheart Flowers, right?" "They're a sacred object for us dwarves." "Every dwarf is forced to drink this from childhood." "But I assure you, it's worse than stinking swill." "It's like drinking a murky liquid mixed with semen, urine, socks worn for three years without being taken off, and sewage poured from shoes."

Even so, not a single dwarf dared to resist. For to resist would be to betray the dwarven race! To desecrate the sacred Rockheart Flower!

"To prove their courage and ability to fit in, all the dwarves lie through their teeth." "They force themselves to drink it while feeling nauseous and then praise how delicious it is." "They try to numb and convince themselves by claiming that it can enhance male virility, increase strength, and awaken superhuman abilities."

Gilida walked slowly, his shoulders trembling as if recalling a nightmare. "It was Raven." "Raven's appearance ended the dwarves' nightmare." "His Angel's Tears are the real wine." "From then on, no one ever gave their children that damned Rockwine again!"

"Although no one dares to question the status of Rockwine to this day, every dwarf secretly replaces the wine in the bottle with Angel's Tears."

After saying this, Gilida walked right up to Ezio.

"Let me go," blood mixed with saliva dripped from Ezio's mouth. He struggled to open his mouth, speaking haltingly, "There must be some misunderstanding here." "Actually, I came here specifically to carry a secret letter from King Keynes XVI, it's because..."

“J,” Gilida shook her head, interrupting Ezio, “you’ve made a big mistake, you know that?”

"From beginning to end, all I wanted was Angel's Tears." "But you were desperately trying to sell me that damned rock wine."

Bang! !

The hammer fell, and Ezio's head instantly sank into his chest, leaving him a headless corpse.

……

(End of this chapter)