Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 326 Cohen: It's not that I lack willpower, it's just that this succubus is too alluring!
In the spacious hall, a tall, golden phantom floated in mid-air, below which stood Saint Haywood, the Lord of the Temple of Prophecy of the Northwest Continent.

After hearing Saint Haywood's account, His Holiness Pope Atkinson of the Church of Prophecy's eyes lit up, and he immediately asked:
Is he still with you?

Saint Haywood replied:
"Yes, from what he said, he's determined to see His Majesty today."

Pope Atkinson suddenly chuckled and said:

"I was wondering why the Golden Wing Clan Chief Wen Ze suddenly contacted me and chatted with me for so long. It turns out he came to support his son-in-law."

A thoughtful look appeared in Saint Haywood's eyes as he asked:
"So, what does Your Majesty mean?"

Pope Atkinson did not comment, but instead asked Saint Haywood:
Do you think I should see him?

Saint Haywood frowned slightly and said:

"Your Majesty, our prophetic church has always maintained neutrality and has never interfered in disputes between continental nations."

King Efein's desire for His Majesty to intervene in King Gaius's prayer ceremony violates our established principles.

Moreover, as the apostles of the God of Prophecy on the human continent, we should not prevent any believer from praying to the God of Prophecy.

Pope Atkinson, with a mysterious smile on his face, continued what Saint Haywood had said:

"The god of prophecy has not answered my prayers for a long time."

A large portion of the collected faith power was also drained away.

I suspect that something major has happened in the realm of the gods, and the God of Prophecy needs to concentrate all his divine power to deal with it.

Therefore, there was no extra divine power to respond to the believers' prayers.

Moreover, the great upheaval we predicted that would occur on the human continent is very likely related to this upheaval in the realm of the gods.

A thoughtful look appeared in Saint Haywood's eyes. After a moment of silence, he asked:
"So that means King Gaius's prayer ceremony is destined to end in failure?"

Pope Atkinson shook his head, his voice becoming much more enigmatic:
"No, he has a fragment of the Charter of Gods and Demons. The fragment was once blessed by the will of the God of Prophecy. He used the fragment as a sacrificial offering, and the God of Prophecy would definitely be able to sense it."

If a son of the gods goes to such great lengths to pray to the gods, even the God of Prophecy, no matter how busy he is, will surely send an avatar to respond to the prayer.

It must be said that Gaius was indeed one of the few wise rulers. The method he chose was highly feasible, and he also had enough determination and courage.

Based on my understanding of those kings and monarchs, most of them would be unwilling to offer up the divine and demonic constitution as a sacrifice.

It seems that King Efein has indeed put Gaius under pressure.

Saint Haywood was inexplicably shaken; His Holiness the Pope's evaluation of Cohen was undeniably high.

Keep in mind that Cohen is currently only a Silver-tier Transcendent.

He concealed his emotions and continued to ask:

"So what attitude should we take?"

Pope Atkinson's voice carried a hint of amusement:
"I don't know either!

Therefore, I must meet this mysterious king and see if he can provide me with a reason to stop the prayer ceremony!

Saint Haywood understood completely, responded, and left the hall to see Cohen.

Cohen saw Saint Haywood and asked with a smile:
"Would His Holiness the Pope be willing to see me?"

Saint Haywood's voice revealed no particular emotion.

"follow me."

After leaving the room, walking through a long corridor, and passing through several rooms filled with books, Saint Haywood led Cohen to a crystal hall.

At Saint Haywood's gesture, Cohen pushed open the door and entered the hall.

Looking at the golden figure not far away, Cohen immediately felt immense pressure coming towards him.

Even though it was just a projection of a saint, the sense of oppression it exuded was something that ordinary saints could not provide.

Cohen secretly guessed that Pope Atkinson, like the Dean of Cobalt Soul Academy and the "Tomb" of Black Tomb, must have already stood at the pinnacle of the human continent.

All it takes is a trigger to ignite the divine fire, exalt the divine kingdom, and attain divine status!
Atkinson observed the young king, who was barely a fraction of his own age, with great interest, his mind replaying the man's past—

His first real exposure to the public was in the extraordinary arena, where he revealed his profession: the ancient and mysterious extraordinary profession, Dragon Seal Weapon Master.

Being able to hold such a transcendent profession that only exists in theory, and possessing the long-lost methods of making dragon seals and runes, it's no exaggeration for others to call him a member of the Church of Prophecy.

Then, in the Black Tomb's desperate attempt to kill the Golden Winged Daughter, they persuaded the two saints of the Church of Light to join forces with the Golden Winged Family to destroy the Black Tomb's Northwest Continent headquarters.

This was the first time his name began to circulate in mainland China.

Having learned of the Black Tomb's secret operation in advance, they seized the dragon egg by taking advantage of a secret deal made by the devil Grand Duke Mammon, and even exposed the secret of the Holy Lich King's seduction of the disciples of the High Priest of the Church of Light, thus igniting a war of the saints that would never end.

It was from this point on that the label of "son of prophecy" was placed on his head.

Later, he went to the Lost Lands, ignited the spark of order, became the master of the Alliance sequence, and established the Oasis-level power "Endless Alliance".

These events, one after another, seemed to confirm his identity as the prophesied son.

Until the very end, at the Northwest Regional Exchange Conference, a momentous battle unfolded. Divine and demonic equipment, elite orcish troops, and special assistance from the Cobalt Soul Academy... a series of trump cards were revealed, repelling the combined attack of the two great empires and the Black Tomb. The mighty Ceylon, the strongest kingdom on the continent, didn't even qualify to enter.

To be honest, when these pieces of information were presented to Atkinson, he couldn't help but wonder if Cohen was really a member of the Church of Prophecy.

However, he knew very well that this young king had nothing to do with the Church of Prophecy, and he had once suspected that the other party might have received some kind of inheritance from the God of Prophecy.

However, after praying to the gods several times, he also denied this answer.

Thus, His Holiness the Pope developed a strong interest in this young king.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable under Pope Atkinson's strange gaze, Cohen broke the silence and asked:
“Your Holiness, I have a small matter I would like to discuss with you. Hmm, Chief Wenze should have already informed you beforehand.”

Atkinson withdrew his gaze and smiled faintly:

“My prophecy church is different from the Black Tomb. Next time we talk, we don’t need to call bodyguards in advance.”

Cohen smiled and replied:

"It's not that I'm worried about the safety of the Church of Prophecy, but I'm afraid I'm not qualified to meet His Holiness the Pope, so I spoke with Chief Wenze."

Atkinson looked at Cohen with a half-smile:

"Your Majesty Corleone, you are being too modest."

Saint Haywood has already told me what you wanted to talk about.

"Interfering with Gaius's prayer to the god of prophecy—I can certainly do it, provided I pay a certain price."

Cohen asked the very perceptive question:
"Then, what reward do I need to offer to compensate His Holiness the Pope for this price he paid?"

Atkinson chuckled softly:
"Your Majesty Corleone, King Gaius is going to bring out a fragment of the divine charter passed down through generations in Ceylon for this prayer."

Once he uses it, regardless of success or failure, the fragments become completely worthless. What kind of compensation do you think should be paid?

Atkinson cleverly threw the question back to Cohen, waiting for the other party to make an offer.

Cohen didn't argue with him further and directly offered him an offer he couldn't refuse:

"Fragments of divinity."

Upon hearing Cohen's words, Atkinson's expression froze instantly. His previously nonchalant smile vanished, and his intriguing gaze remained fixed on Cohen, unmoving.

For those who have already gathered in the Holy Realm, obtained a small fragment of divine essence and a portion of divinity, and reached the peak of demigod level, there is very little in this world that can attract them anymore.

Their sole objective is to collect enough fragments of divine essence to build a divine kingdom, ignite the divine fire, and attain godhood.

As the spokesperson of the God of Prophecy on the human continent, Atkinson used his position to collect far more fragments of divine essence than the owner of the "Black Tomb" who hid in the cemetery all day long, and even more than the dean of the "Cobalt Soul Academy" who traveled through the river of time.

Even so, the fragments of divine essence he possessed were far from sufficient to construct a basic prototype of a divine kingdom.

Therefore, when I heard Cohen utter that word, I couldn't help but feel a sense of shock.

This young king actually possesses fragments of divine power?

Shocking, absolutely shocking!

No wonder this kid had to talk to his father-in-law before meeting me.

Atkinson collected his thoughts, regained his composure, and asked in a deep voice:

"I won't ask you whether what you said is true or false. I'll just ask you one question now."

If you truly possess fragments of divine power, why don't you use them yourself!

Cohen's answer was full of confidence:
"If I ever reach that point, I will naturally condense the most suitable divine spark!"

Atkinson was shocked by the other party's ambition. He couldn't understand why a superhuman who was only at the Silver Rank would be so certain that he would be able to condense a godhood in the future.

Atkinson wanted to ask another question, but Cohen spoke up first:
"I can provide Your Majesty with information about the fragments of divinity. Your Majesty, please help me interfere with Gaius's prayer ritual."

Do you think this deal is worthwhile?

Great power resides within one's own world; nothing can compare to the improvement of one's own strength.

If what Cohen said is true, Atkinson wouldn't even blink an eye, let alone interfere with Gaius's prayer ritual, or even close off all the channels through which the entire Kingdom of Ceylon could pray to the god of prophecy.

Although Atkinson didn't think Cohen was the type to talk nonsense, he still wanted to confirm beforehand:
"Where are the fragments of divinity you mentioned?"

Cohen replied with a smile:

"The Continent of Zom, the Six Gods of Darkness."

Pope Atkinson's gaze suddenly deepened, and his voice carried a hint of something unsettling:

"You actually know the spatial coordinates of the Zhom Continent?"

The continent of Zom was originally part of the old continent of mankind, a place where evil gods and divine abominations were exiled during the age of gods.

The rulers above are the six Dark Gods, namely:

The Devourer, who wields the power of the elements and the wildness of beasts.

The Guardian who collects souls and sins. The Fury that reigns over passion and revenge, anger and despair.

The embodiment of betrayal and terror: mockery.

The Shadow, Lord of Forbidden Knowledge and Ambition.

A combination of fraud and innovation: The Traveler.

During the war between gods and demons, the exiled gods on the continent of Zhom also took the opportunity to launch a rebellion.

To prevent the enemy from joining forces with the demon god, the gods used their supreme divine power to cut the entire continent of Zom in two and exile it into the endless void.

However, many clues passed down from ancient times prove that the continent of Zhom was not destroyed in the perilous spacetime storm of the endless void. On the contrary, the complete divine nature and divinity of the six dark gods were left behind on it.

The deal Cohen made with Mammon, the owner of Pawnshop No. 8, was about this continent of Zom.

Since we're going to go sooner or later, it makes no difference whether we bring one person or two.

Faced with Atkinson's question, Cohen smiled calmly and did not give a direct answer, saying:

"This issue is not part of the deal we are discussing."

"Alright, Your Majesty, do you think this reward is worth your effort?"

Atkinson was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded:
"If you really have the accurate spatial coordinates of the Zhom Continent, helping you with this matter is no problem."

However, I need evidence; this kind of thing can't be done based on just your word.

Cohen gave out a coordinate and said:

"This is the location where the continent of Zhom stood a hundred years ago. You can use divination to verify whether what I said is true."

Atkinson's eyes widened in astonishment as he stared at Cohen and said:

"You... you actually deduced the trajectory of the wandering of the Zom Continent!"

Cohen's lips curled into a mysterious smile, but he didn't reply.

Atkinson concealed the emotions in his eyes, a thoughtful expression appearing between his brows. He made a prediction based on the coordinates Cohen had given him.

Sure enough, traces of the Zom Continent remain at this location from over a hundred years ago.

Atkinson opened his eyes, slowly nodded, and said:
"The coordinates are correct, Your Majesty Corleone. You have truly surprised me today."

Cohen smiled and said:

"Then I wish us a happy cooperation!"

Atkinson didn't respond, but instead made a suggestion that surprised even Cohen:

"Your Majesty Corleone, would you be interested in joining our Church of Prophecy?"

Everyone outside says you are the child of prophecy, and I have never publicly denied it.

This implicitly provides you with a guarantee of identity. Why don't you just confirm this identity today and become a child of prophecy in our prophecy church?

Cohen felt a sense of helplessness. Why did he suddenly start preaching when he was supposed to be talking business?

However, since the other party was none other than His Holiness the Pope, Cohen couldn't directly contradict him and said softly:

“I am very grateful for Your Majesty’s trust and affirmation, but I am indeed not a prophet, and these are not due to my prophetic abilities. I am simply unable to join the Church of Prophecy.”

Atkinson took this as Cohen's explanation and said:

"Don't worry, it's just an identity. With this identity, you'll have another layer of protection in the future."
The prophecy church won't force you to fulfill any obligations; you only need to provide direction for some important divinations for our church when necessary. How about that?

Every divination and prophecy performed by the prophetic church comes at the cost of consuming the prophet's life force; the more vague and complex the prophecy, the greater the cost.

If Cohen could provide a general direction for each important prophecy in the future, it would greatly reduce the risks and costs for prophets.

This will also yield more accurate results.

For example, if the Church of Prophecy were to divine the origin of the great upheaval to come, even someone of Atkinson's stature would have to expend half of his life force to perform the divination.

However, if Cohen could provide them with a clue—that the origin of the great upheaval lies in the Northwest Continent—then the risks and costs of the prophecy would be greatly reduced.

At this point, Cohen was somewhat tempted. Although the Church of Prophecy was not as powerful and domineering as the Church of Light, it was still a powerful church that covered the entire continent.

With this tiger skin on his back, even if the emperors of the five great empires wanted to touch him in the future, they would have to think twice.

Cohen hesitated, and Atkinson, recalling some rumors about him, spoke up:

"Our church also has several beautiful saintesses, though they may not be on par with your queen or princess, but if you're interested..."

Cohen shuddered and cursed inwardly. It was all those second-rate bards who made up these boring stories, ruining his reputation and making even His Holiness the Pope of the Church of Prophecy think he was some kind of lecher.

He quickly interrupted Pope Atkinson, saying:

"Your Majesty, let's forget about the saintess. Don't believe the boring stories made up by those idle bards and novelists."

Pope Atkinson paused, then asked:
"Then what do you mean?"

Cohen nodded slowly:

"Yes, but I can't guarantee that I can provide any valuable guidance for every one of your major prophecies."

Atkinson waved his hand and said:
"Just do your best."

……

"The Eye of Fate, the Hourglass of Time, the White Robe of the Prophet..."

I said, "You really are the child of prophecy!"

Grace stared at the three items Cohen had taken out, her face full of astonishment.

Cohen smiled and said:

"It wasn't like that before, but it is now. I had a very pleasant conversation with His Holiness the Pope of the Church of Prophecy, and he hopes that I can join the Church of Prophecy and become their child of prophecy."

I figured with this identity, I'd be more confident in helping His Highness deal with Xia Zuo in the future, so I readily agreed.

Although she knew that Cohen was saying this on purpose to make her happy, Grace's beautiful face still couldn't hide her joy when she heard Cohen say those words.

Her red lips curved into an alluring arc:
"Good job, here's a reward for you."

He then wrapped his arms around Cohen's neck and gave him a deep, long kiss.

Cohen suddenly felt as if two little people were fighting in his mind.

A little person said to him:

"You are a man with a queen and a princess, how can you still be having affairs outside?"

How can you do this to your sister, the Queen, who is in Florence worrying about state affairs for you?

Another little man immediately retorted:

"How can this be called being carefree and happy? Grace is also his fiancée. It is reasonable and legal for him to kiss his fiancée."

Furthermore, winning over the eldest princess of the Eastern Empire is also to ease the tense situation in Aifein and help the queen better manage state affairs. This is a sacrifice for the country!

Cohen immediately stopped the fight between the two little figures, with only one thought in his mind—as expected of a woman with succubus blood, her talent is truly strong.

I've only taught her a few times, and she's already so proficient.

Since the "punishment" of enjoying red wine on the princess's voluptuous thighs and slender arches last time, Cohen's mental defenses have been crumbling, and he is increasingly unable to resist the powerful charm emanating from the princess.

Cohen couldn't help but say, "Queen, it's not that I lack willpower, it's just that this succubus is too alluring!"
Grace released her lips, the allure in her eyes gradually fading. She pushed away Cohen's large hand that had slipped into her collar, and said through gritted teeth:

"Is it fun?"

Compared to your other women, whose is bigger?

Cohen rubbed his fingers together slightly, coughed lightly, and chose to refuse to answer this deadly question.

Grace's voice held an irresistible allure as she reached out and grasped Cohen's withdrawn hand, guiding it towards her neckline:
"Dump your queen and princess, come back to my country and be my fiancé. You can do whatever you want with them from now on, how about it?"
"Yes, you can take Isha with you as a bed partner."

Cohen thought to himself, "You still remember Isabella at a time like this? What a deep friendship!"

He blinked and said:

"What queen or princess? I am now the captain of the Crimson Raiders, the Pirate King Yann Hughes, and the fiancé of the eldest princess of the Eastern Empire. Please do not make a mistake, Your Highness."

Grace reached out and punched Cohen:
"Damn it, who said it was just a cover for identity?"

"Now you're hugging and kissing me, ruining my body. You didn't get all those women you had through this kind of method, did you?"

Cohen wanted to retort, "You were the one who deliberately spilled red wine on my thigh to seduce me, so how did it become that I took the initiative first?"
However, it's clear that women won't reason with you at this point; he sincerely bowed his head and admitted his mistake.

"It is Your Highness's charm that makes me unable to control myself."

Grace's expression softened somewhat. She bent down to straighten her disheveled clothes, concealing her blindingly white skin, and with a cold snort, said in an unfriendly tone:
"Now that the matter of the Church of Prophecy is settled, where to go next?"

Cohen breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking to himself that he was more cautious around women than he was around the demigod-like Pope.

He replied with a smile:

"If Your Highness has nothing else to do, please come with me back to Crimson Island. We'll then take a ship back to Quesaon and wait to see His Majesty Gaius put on a good show before the entire continent!"

Grace asked with a straight face:

"Going back a day later won't interfere with your plans, will it?"

Cohen said:

"No delay, there's still plenty of time before Gaius's ceremony."

"Since you rarely come to Wintergarden, I'll accompany Your Highness to go shopping tomorrow."

Grace then managed a slight smile, but her voice remained cold:
"Good performance, ten points added!"

(End of this chapter)