Origin Player.

Chapter 650 Kidnapping the First Prince
The outer city of the capital.

The Imperial Arena, begun in the 50th year of the Divine Calendar, was commissioned by the "Dragon Emperor" Delius and completed after 15 years. This enormous oval arena is constructed of blood-red sandstone and gilded bronze, resembling a colossal beast crouching on the earth.

Within the high walls, five layers of arcades stacked one upon another, each archway crowded with noisy crowds, while behind the gilded railings on the upper level were exclusive seats for imperial nobles and high-ranking clergy.

The tiered stands inside the arena extend downwards like a vortex. As the largest celebration watched by the entire empire, the Imperial Arena can accommodate 100,000 people at the same time.

The central sandfield is covered with fine golden sand, and the bloodstains have long since seeped deep into it, leaving only mottled dark marks. For two hundred years, generations of alchemists have inscribed the binding matrix here, making the golden sandfield far more solid than imagined, and even Saint-level experts have difficulty causing significant damage.

Whenever the horns sound, the arena becomes an altar of imperial power.

Woo!
When the Medici family's carriage arrived at the arena, "Lotus the Broken Sword" was already engaged in battle with a Saint from the Eastern Realm, causing waves of cheers from the stands.

"Despicable person!"

"This guy has no knightly honor and is full of lies."

"Get off!"

Despite the presence of dignitaries such as the First Prince and the Queen behind the gilded fence, the people of the capital still showed strong aversion to Lutes.

This sanctuary was once the chief bodyguard of the second prince, but when faced with the assassination attempt by the King of the Wild Hunt, he abandoned the prince and fled alone. However, the King of the Wild Hunt was stopped by the Duke of the North, and Rutus, unaware of the truth, lied to the court that the second prince was dead. As a result, the truth was exposed, and the knight's sword, a symbol of honor, was broken.

clang!
On the golden battlefield, dust filled the sky.

Lotus parried with his sword, expressionless, letting the enemy's heavy axe fall without moving an inch.

Despite the numerous doubts and criticisms, he remained calm. He had argued about it countless times in recent days, but the fact remained that the second prince had "led" the sea crossing.

The idea that the Duke of the North, the Marquis of Black Whale, the Marquis of Broken Reef, the Marquis of Augusta, the Marquis of Rhine, and even the Pirate King and the Sun King, along with countless clergy from Whispers and Storms, would all be unable to recognize the imposter posing as the Second Prince is simply not credible.

"The tongues of the masses can corrupt even gold."

"But my loyalty and honor are unwavering!"

Lotus calmly and decisively unleashed a sword strike, the light and shadow dazzling, as if a giant dragon were roaring.

—Royal Secret Sword: Dragon's Fury Slash.

It possesses formidable power, but can only be unleashed by those loyal to the royal family—a secret sword of faith.

Swish!
A massive dragon shadow shattered the heavy axe of the Eastern Sanctuary. Lutes struck his opponent in the chest at close range. Although he failed to kill him, he knocked him off the golden battlefield, securing the victory.

The commotion subsided slightly. The people of the capital were impressed by Lutes's strength. The Holy Guardian walked out of the golden arena alone, exhausted. He wanted to win the Holy Tournament and reforge his broken sword of honor.

Behind the gilded fence, the first prince fell into deep thought.

After a moment, he said, "Order the second prince to return and verify his identity. The fact that Lutes was able to draw the royal secret sword shows that his loyalty remains pure."

Several important figures were present at the Royal Council meeting. As long as four of them agreed, the Regent's order could be passed. On the issue of whether the royal bloodline was pure, the group shared the same stance.

"agree."

"agree."

The Empress glanced at the Third Prince, her legitimate son, who shook his head and remained silent. Although he and his elder brother were vying for the throne, when it came to the legitimacy of the royal family, she didn't have to oppose everything.

"Next match, Rhein Augusto, against Grievous Jevic."

Beside the golden battlefield, a tall, burly man, resembling a small giant, shouted. He had a series of titles, including "Queen's Hound," "Steel Wolf," "Imperial Giant," and "Insurmountable Wall." As the wielder of the Steel Authority, the Wolf currently held the position of King's Sword and was regarded by countless people as the second strongest sanctuary.

Woo!
The trumpet sounded.

In the arena's passageway, Mirai Kamishiro, recalling the wonderful and crazy night of the previous day, couldn't help but close her eyes, stand on tiptoe, and raise her swan-like, snow-white neck.

"senior……"

"If you get a cramp, go and rest."

Jiang He casually pushed Kamishiro Mirai aside. If he wasn't mistaken, it was he himself who would kill Kamishiro Mirai soon after, according to the prophecy of fate.

With his near-legendary-level power of destiny, he was incredibly efficient at divination and prophecy. He could occasionally see some fragmented images, some of which were "spot on," while others were just one of thousands of possibilities. However, he had no interest in prophecy. According to Lilith, death, soul, original sin, decay, change, and so on all had corresponding fundamental rules.

Because change is constant, the future is never certain.

In the future, Shendai watched Jiang He leave aggrievedly.

……

On the golden battlefield.

Griffiths looked at Jiang He with suspicion and uncertainty.

"Brother, we've met before, haven't we?"

A mythical reversal of fortune compels Griffiths to try and see Jiang He's true face.

no answer.

"Begin!" the demon wolf suddenly waved his hand.

A deafening roar erupted from the stands.

Whoosh!
Jiang He released the Thorn Hand, and three thorns emerged from her wrist, like long snakes covered in sharp spikes, rushing towards the enemy.

Griffiths felt a little relieved. If it were that person, the first move should have been an extremely brutal and domineering spear technique, not a thorny one that lacked lethality, and it certainly wouldn't have been just a test.

Whoosh whoosh!
Griffiths unleashed three sword strikes in quick succession. The Hero's Armed Sword, Morning Star Oath, shone with brilliance, and Saint-level Holy Silver Energy flickered between its blades. He displayed a top-tier skill that was extremely close to that of a Grandmaster Swordsman. He precisely struck the thorns, but the thorns were unexpectedly sturdy, causing his expression to change slightly.

Wow!
The thorns broke but did not shatter. Relying on their unique properties to absorb the energy of holy silver, they rapidly grew and repaired themselves, and the spreading thorns then entangled the sword of Morning Star Oath.

In an instant, the special effect "Evil Charm" was activated, unleashing a sub-legendary level mental shock and vibration. Griffith's mind went blank, and in the instant he staggered, the knight's sword slipped from his hand.

"Shut up!"

"What third-rate holy domain?"

"Can he defeat the Knight of the Ages?"

At the same time, boos were heard everywhere, but unlike the free people, the spectators from the Holy Domain all looked serious. The effects of Marquis Rhine's Thorn Mystic Technique were basically all at the Sky level or above. With just this one move, he was enough to be ranked among the top Holy Domains.

The sword of Morning Star Oath shattered itself.

The knight's sword reappeared in Griffith's hands.

This is a small advantage of the Heroic Armed Forces.

But just as Griffiths gripped the knight's sword, Jiang He had already charged in, a gash appearing on his palm from which the crystal-clear blood of the vampire progenitor flowed, forging a noble rapier, incomparably sharp.

Whoosh whoosh!
Several extremely precise and fierce thrusts came at us.

Jiang He, with one hand behind his back, kept passing the sword, as elegant as a composed gentleman inviting a dance partner. Griffith tried his best to block, but finally put aside his inexplicable suspicion. If the enemy was really the King of Gold, he would run away immediately and never stop.

call!
Griffith activated his mental attribute talent, Knight's Majesty, and a helmet materialized, suppressing the remaining mental tsunami in his mind. His expression became filled with bravery and ferocity. Whoosh!
With a single sweep of the sword, its trajectory shifted unpredictably.

The blade moves forward, but the sword light shifts, creating countless vivid sword shadows that reveal the interplay of reality and illusion. At the same time, the Power Talent - Radiant Slash is activated, ensuring destructive power.

—Sky Sword Technique: Myriad Shadows Sword Strike.

Behind the gilded fence, the First Prince glanced sideways. He knew something about this man from the Western Sacred Domain, especially his famous sword technique, the Myriad Shadows Sword Strike. In terms of unpredictability, it even surpassed many of the royal family's secret techniques, and in a sense, it could be considered a sure hit.

"Kill him, Grievous!"

Not far away, the Duke of the West stood up, raised his fist, and shouted. He was the Minister of the Navy and one of the seven members of the Royal Council. With the rise of the Sun King and the support of the royal family for Augusta, he disliked Jiang He very much, and her existence weakened his voice.

clang!
Just as the knight's sword swept out.

Jiang He easily parried with his sword.

Griffith's eyes changed drastically, his face filled with disbelief, and he quickly drew his sword again.

Dangdang Dangdang!
He blocked all three consecutive Thousand Shadow Sword Strikes.

Amidst the endless sword shadows, Jiang He could always accurately pinpoint the true attack. Between his ten fingers, the blood-red ring emitted a faint light. His near-legendary level blood control allowed him to see the flow of blood within his enemy's body, making every move an open secret.

boom!
The blood-red rapier shattered Grievous's hero's breastplate.

His expression was solemn as he abruptly threw out a Rubik's Cube, an Immortal-level player item called "Little Black Room," which immediately enveloped Jiang He. This was a small-scale world that could seal off the target's five senses and possessed Immortal-level sturdiness.

Wow!
Hundreds of thorns pierced out, their near-legendary sharpness leaving the small dark room riddled with holes and causing it to collapse.

A series of gasps came from the stands. Griffiths had suddenly disappeared, not simply by turning invisible, but by becoming so faint that his presence was barely perceptible.

—Immortal-grade item: Flower in the Mirror.

As an elite hero, Griffiths is undoubtedly a leader-level figure in the current realm, possessing an extremely rich inventory of items.

Jiang He suddenly turned and drew his sword. In the invisible vacuum gap, a figure appeared and was beheaded by the blood-red slender sword. However, the falling head revealed a creepy smile, like a doll.

—Immortal-grade item: Malice Doll.

At the same moment the doll was destroyed, a bloody mark appeared on Jiang He's neck. The damage occurred simultaneously with the attacker's actions; this was the malicious doll's only, yet strange, function.

A devastating blow has struck.

From the flank, Grievous's eyes were fierce. At point-blank range, he unleashed his strongest sword strike, his power and mental talent exploding. His Expeditionary Heels granted him ultimate charging power, and his Duelist's Gloves amplified his strength. Countless sword shadows merged into one on the blade.

—Sky-level sword skill: Shadow Slash.

next moment.

The healing of Jiang He's broken neck wound was not due to the final time loop, but rather the self-healing power of the vampire ancestor and the repair of the five internal organs by the transformation of the Heavenly Gang into silk after the chaos extinguished the Holy Silver energy.

The sword tip had not yet arrived.

Jiang He calmly turned around. He could clearly hear the sound of the enemy's blood flowing. The current sneak attack was nothing but a joke.

A fleeting yet distant moment.

The blood sword transformed into a spear, and Jiang He casually thrust it out.

Without the focus of the native powerhouses of the Gods World on honing their skills, Griffith's swordsmanship was still at the master level. The disarming attack from the spear master directly shattered the Shadowless Sword Technique.

Jiang He followed closely by reaching out and clenching his fist.

clang!
In the blink of an eye, the Sword of Morning Star Oath fell to the ground. Griffith was terrified, feeling as if his blood was being gripped by the enemy. When Jiang He exerted force, Blood Control detonated all his blood.

boom!
Griffith's body was cracked like a net, with countless drops of blood oozing out, as if he had been struck by a thousand swords. He knelt helplessly on both knees, and thorns rose up from the ground to seal him.

The stands were completely silent. The outcome was too sudden. Despite Griffith's numerous tactics, he still suffered a crushing defeat. It was clear to everyone that the Marquis of Rhine had not gone all out. Even the wolf acting as the referee had a hint of apprehension in his eyes.

“No doubt about it,” said the First Prince.

He now harbors some resentment towards the Church of God and has decisively abandoned his choice of the Marquis of the North.

"A rematch!" the Duke of the West shouted angrily.

Behind the gilded fence, Mirai Kamishiro seemed to feel proud and immediately started shouting wildly. The third prince couldn't help but glance at her, his expression somewhat displeased.

After a brief silence came cheers and roars from the people of the capital, almost like a cathartic outburst. The Holy Empire's early support of the Church of Conquest as its imperial faith had already deeply ingrained its warlike and fanatical ideology in the hearts of the people.

But everything came to an abrupt end under the gunfire.

Jiang He raised the blood-stained spear with both hands and shattered Griffith's back. Even this Saint-level player himself did not expect that his opponent would choose to kill him.

The second shot was aimed directly at the back of the head.

The Duke of the West rose angrily, shouting, "Stop!"

The First Prince waved his hand with a gloomy expression, and his chief guards headed straight for Jiang He. Any Saint Realm, especially those who believed in the Heavenly Father Church, was a valuable fighting force for the Empire. Although the Dragon Emperor left behind the iron law of "letting the conquered be manipulated by the conquered," if the Holy Martial Arts Tournament were to determine life and death, more than a dozen Saint Realms would perish every year.

Killing an opponent is compliant with regulations, but unreasonable.

The Grand Knights of the First Legion entered the golden battlefield. After replenishment, the Grand Knights were now at full strength, including many of Jiang He's comrades who had attacked and conquered the cathedral.

The legion commander, who was barely an acquaintance, spoke up: "Lord Rhine, be rational, you have already won!"

puff!

The crimson spear fell, and Griffith perished.

On the stands, the death of the Holy Domain completely ignited a wave of fanaticism. Some people turned pale, but the killing activated the primal instincts of many more. Frenzied shouts rose and fell. In the vast crowd, some Holy War Army spies loudly incited others, and then led the charge into the golden battlefield.

"The Marquis of Rhine".

"Don't let the Knights interfere with the duel!"

Chaos erupted among the 100,000 people of the capital. Many of the guards at key points failed in their duties, and the chaos escalated at an uncontrollable pace. A cardinal, standing behind the First Prince, said:
"Your Highness, someone is plotting something. Please leave for now."

The words have not yet fallen.

The space rippled, and four figures appeared—the Holy Domain Assassination Team of the Holy War Army.

The cardinal's eyes widened in shock. One of them was none other than the King of the Wild Hunt, who held the power over space. The Ten Gods Cult was actually planning to kidnap the First Prince.

boom!
Space and heaven descend.

In the blink of an eye, the Whisper Saint unleashed the sacred weapon, Forest Whisper, with rolling branches binding and sealing the First Prince. The Divine Knight Saint crushed all resistance from his target, and the Saint of Destiny erased all traces. When the space and heaven and earth disappeared, the First Prince had vanished without a trace.

The cardinal's face turned deathly pale.

"Inform the Pope immediately!!"

(End of this chapter)