Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 347 Xia Zuo: Your Majesty Corleone, let's have a marriage alliance!

Xia Zuo frowned, looking at the pursuing army behind him, a hint of doubt rising in his heart.

The pursuit gave him an indescribable, very strange feeling.

Logically, upon learning that his men had been ambushed, Cohen should have quickly dealt with the reinforcements and returned to their aid.

But the other side's pursuit lacked any sense of urgency; it seemed more like a pursuit for the sake of pursuit.

Xia Zuo stopped and said to the legendary-rank guard beside him:
"Can you still sense Cohen's presence?"

The guard nodded and said:
"They'll show up from time to time, but they're still too far away to make a move."

The main problem is that he has a legendary-level figure closely following him. Unless they actively pursue us, we'll easily be exposed.

Xia Zuo looked up in that direction and asked:

"This direction seems to be where Qiao Lun and his men are lying in ambush. Why did we end up on this road?"

The bodyguard beside him said:
"Your Highness, it wasn't that we wanted to leave, but that they forced us to come here."

Xia Zuo immediately felt a sense of unease and tried to contact Qiao Lun and Ya En again, but found that he still could not get through.

He instinctively sensed something was wrong and immediately waved for his troops to stop retreating, waiting for the enemy army to charge directly at them.

From a distance, Cohen saw Xia Zuo's actions, chuckled, and said:

"The act is almost over. It seems our Prince is not so easily fooled. Viscount Leon, take me there, and be careful to keep a safe distance from him."

Even the most powerful dimensional shielding array on the mainland has a casting range of no more than one kilometer. We just need to maintain this distance to meet him.

Don't be nervous. I'm their only target. They won't make a move unless they're absolutely certain they can catch me.

Xia Zuo stared at the two figures rising into the sky in the distance, a terrifying rage surfacing deep in his eyes.

He forced himself to suppress his emotions, gave a wink to the legendary-rank guard behind him, and whispered:
"Find an opportunity to set up a dimensional shielding array."

After saying that, he unleashed a vast dragon's might, stepping on a white dragon phantom, and looked at Cohen from afar.

Xia Zuo Tang, a ninth-tier [Dragon Vein Sorcerer]!
This was the first time Cohen had ever felt such pure dragon might from an outsider. It seemed that the relationship between the Eastern Empire and Dragon Valley was truly extraordinary.

He concealed his thoughts and said loudly to Xia Zuo:

"Your Highness, it's been a long time!"
When did you come to the Northwest Continent again? Why didn't you give me any advance notice?

Xia Zuo narrowed his eyes, his heart sinking. The other party's opening remarks at least indicated one thing—Cohen already knew that he was hiding in this army.

The feeling of things being out of control sent a chill down his spine.

He steadied himself and responded:
"Looks like you knew I was here all along!"

Cohen smiled calmly and said:

"It wasn't too early, I found out around the time you, Qiao Lun, and that pirate captain kidnapped the prince of the Southern Empire."

Xia Zuo's pupils dilated in shock, and a deep sense of unease immediately spread across his face, growing and intensifying in his heart.

Why would the other party be so aware of my actions? Could it be that...

Xia Zuo dared not think further about that terrible truth.

But Cohen's next words plunged him into utter despair:

"Your Highness, did your conversation with Mr. Lance Cooper, the senior advisor of the Southern Empire, go smoothly?"

Immediately following was a burst of mocking laughter.

Xia Zuo's face turned extremely gloomy. He finally realized that this was all a trap set by the other party.

He had his suspicions at the time: why was it such a coincidence that after capturing the Southern Empire's army, he was able to find clues about King Efein among the prisoners?

It turns out that everything behind this was deliberately arranged by Cohen.

Xia Zuo felt a chill run down his spine. This person was terrifying. When exactly did he start plotting against him?

He suppressed the chill in his heart. Now was not the time to think about this. The other party had gone to great lengths to set up this trap, and it was clear that they hadn't just appeared to mock him at this moment.

What was the reason for that...?

Xia Zuo's heart skipped a beat. He looked up and stared intently at Cohen, asking in a deep voice:
"Joren... what's wrong?"

Cohen clapped his hands lightly and said with a faint smile:
"Your Highness's reaction speed is really fast. Young Master Qiao Lun of the Central Empire and your brother-in-law have just handed over to my Grand Marshal the list of assets, handwritten letters and tokens that they each seized from the Southern Empire."

If Your Highness is wise, you should quickly do as they did, so as not to lose face if things get out of hand later.

After all, your cousin is actually a close friend of one of my best friends!

Shazo's chest heaved violently; Cohen's humiliation and mockery had completely shattered the composure befitting a prince.

Once again, he was defeated by the young king.

Why should I, the number one prince on the continent and the future heir to the Eastern Empire, lose to someone like this?

Anger nearly overwhelmed his reason.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh, and the veins on his neck bulged. His whole body was filled with a chilling rage.

He glanced in a certain direction, and soon heard a reply:

"No, the distance is too far, just a little bit short."

Xia Zuo took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger in his heart, but his voice was still much hoarse due to the intense emotional turmoil:

“Your Majesty Corleone, I must admit that you are absolutely the most outstanding and talented young man I have ever met.”

How about this? I can completely put aside all our past grievances, and starting today, let's work together. What do you say?

Cohen understood that the other party was deliberately lowering his guard so that the legendary transcendent hidden beside him could find an opportunity to cast a spell. He was happy to waste time with the other party, so he asked in a serious tone:

"Your Highness's suggestion is quite unexpected. Your Highness, I have killed so many legendary and elite soldiers of your Eastern Region Empire before."

"You've even made the First Prince of the Mainland lose face. Can you really let go of all your hatred?"

Xia Zuo didn't care whether the other party truly believed him or was deliberately mocking him. As long as he could catch Cohen today, everything would be worth it.

His tone also softened:

"What's there to hold onto? Compared to what we can accomplish together in the future, these grudges are nothing."

"If His Majesty Corleone is not at ease, we can certainly arrange a marriage between us."

As Cohen estimated the arrival time of Arnold and the others, he wondered to himself if Xia Zuo had really lost his mind from anger.

Marriage?

Could he really want to shake hands and make peace with me?

He asked directly:
"A marriage alliance?"
What does Your Highness mean?

Xia Zuo's gaze swept over a hidden legendary-level superhuman in the crowd below. Seeing that the other person still shook his head slightly, he continued speaking to Cohen:
"My cousin, Princess Grace Down of the Empire."

She's a friend of the Golden Wing's daughter; you must have met her before. With her looks and background, she should be a suitable match for His Majesty.

Cohen almost choked on his breath from Xia Zuo's words. His cheap cousin really knew how to come up with ideas! He laughed and said:

"Your Highness, if I remember correctly, Emperor Eberon recently announced to the continent that the new Pirate King, Yann Hughes, is the fiancé of the Princess. Isn't what you're doing a bit inappropriate?"

Xia Zuo sneered:

"What is the Pirate King compared to His Majesty?"

"If Your Majesty is interested, leave the rest to me. I'll plan it all out for you and guarantee to add another peerless beauty to your harem!"

Cohen thought to himself, "You don't need to worry about that. Your cousin is already one of my chosen concubines."

Just then, he heard a whisper in his ear, and upon hearing the voice, his expression visibly relaxed.

He smiled slightly and said:

"Yes, I'm somewhat interested in this suggestion, but there's one condition: I hope His Highness can agree to it on the spot."

A hint of surprise flashed through Xia Zuo's mind. Could it be that the rumors were true, and that King Aifein was indeed a lecherous man?
Can't walk past a beautiful woman?
He concealed his emotions and asked in a deep voice:

"What conditions?"

Cohen said slowly:

"Let me keep what the prince received from Prince Greg of the Southern Empire."

I meticulously planned this whole thing from the beginning.

"If I hadn't deliberately leaked the information to that pirate captain, you wouldn't have found out about Prince Gregor's whereabouts."

Xia Zuo feigned a hesitant and thoughtful expression, then quickly spoke:
"Okay, I'll give it to you, you can take it."

Xia Zuo took out the token and the list and waved in Cohen's direction.

Cohen chuckled and whispered something to Leon, who then flew with him toward Xia Zuo.

About 500 meters away from Xia Zuo, Cohen stopped and said:
"Please throw the thing over here, Your Highness."

Xia Zuo's face suddenly turned icy cold as he said in a chilling tone:

"The thing is right here. If you're capable, come and get it yourself."

As soon as the words were spoken, four legendary-level extraordinary auras suddenly erupted from the military formation below, followed by a diamond-shaped magic array that enveloped the area where Cohen was located. Within a kilometer radius of Cohen, the air instantly froze, and a ghostly blue light emanated from the palms of the four men.

Finally, a deep blue dome was formed, enclosing Cohen entirely inside.

Xia Zuo's eyes flashed with astonishing killing intent as he spoke to Han Sheng:

"Your Majesty Corleone, do you have anything to say now?"

Cohen remained relaxed and smiled faintly:
"My cousin, you promised to give me your cousin, why are you doing this now?"
Is the reputation of the First Prince of the Mainland so worthless that he can go back on his promise so soon?

Xia Zuo's voice carried an icy chill:
"There's no need to talk about trust when dealing with you. I can't wait to see Isabella's expression when she finds out I've caught you."

Cohen's lips curled slightly as he smiled faintly and said:

"It's a pity you'll never see it in your lifetime!"

Xia Zuo waved his hand to stop the legendary-rank guards who wanted to step forward and make a move. This time, he wanted to capture Cohen himself to take revenge.

As a strong contender for the title of "Strongest Gold" who has already advanced to the ninth rank, Cohen's true strength is nothing to him.

As Xia Zuo walked towards him step by step, Cohen's expression remained completely calm.

Xia Zuo sneered:

"Your Majesty Corleone, I really hope you can stay this relaxed later!"

Just as Xia Zuo was about to approach Cohen, his expression suddenly changed drastically. The pendant hanging on his chest suddenly lit up with a white light. After the white light flashed, he had already retreated to the side of one of the legendary guards.

A figure bathed in starlight slowly appeared beside Cohen.

Cohen chuckled softly:
"Your Highness has quite a lot of life-saving equipment on you. Even a legendary-level close-range attack couldn't do anything to you!"
But it wasn't a complete loss!

The Star Clan Legendary who had ambushed Xia Zuo handed Cohen a ring he had stolen during the attack.

The list of assets and tokens that Xia Zuo had just used to lure Cohen into the trap were placed in this magical storage device by Xia Zuo.

Given Prince Xia Zuo's status and position, it was unrealistic for a legendary-ranked person to capture him. Therefore, Cohen's initial instruction to this Starburst Clan member was to steal his storage equipment.

Xia Zuo's pupils contracted sharply as he looked at his battered hands and clutched a broken pendant to his chest, feeling a pang of heartache.

But he soon had no time to feel sorry for himself, because one after another, unfamiliar legendary auras appeared around Cohen.

Each of their auras was no weaker than that of the guards beside him.

Until the last breath appeared, all five Star Envoys of the Star Clan revealed themselves.

Xia Zuo finally couldn't hold back any longer and spat out a mouthful of blood in mid-air.

With five legendary-level figures and Leon beside Cohen, the pressure from the six legendary-level figures made Xia Zuo realize a terrifying fact—

Not only was he distracting the other party, but Cohen was also deliberately stalling for time!

He then realized that he had overlooked an important fact.

At first, he thought that the five legendary-level auras that appeared on Joren's side came from the Ceylon border legion. Now that he thought about it, since all of this was Cohen's plan behind the scenes, then those legendary-level auras were very likely Cohen's people.

Xia Zuo immediately regretted it, realizing he had forgotten this point!

But now that things have come to this point, he must pull himself together and turn the tide.

He still has so many troops at his disposal!

Xia Zuo immediately returned to the army and commanded the troops to launch an attack on Cohen's side in coordination with the four legendary-rank soldiers.

Since we can't capture Cohen, let's leave behind all the legendary-ranked beings he brought with him.

Xia Zuo's reaction was exactly what Cohen wanted. He was really afraid that Xia Zuo would disregard everything and lead the army to retreat directly. If that happened, it would be difficult for his manpower to stop him.

Fortunately, His Highness the Prince was unwilling to admit defeat and wanted to rely on his army to fight Cohen head-on again.

The two sides immediately began fighting.

Xia Zuo's army was indeed exceptionally powerful, especially the five hundred "special forces" soldiers. Their combined battle formation was able to withstand the attacks of two legendary-level warriors.

Just as the situation was tilting in Xia Zuo's favor, the sound of the earth trembling came from afar, like a death knell in the hands of the goddess of misfortune, striking the heart of Prince Xia Zuo.

He realized at that moment that he had made another serious mistake—

Since the legendary-ranked warriors who ambushed Joren were able to arrive, the orc legion that ambushed Joren was also likely to arrive.

The majestic sound of horns, carried by the twilight, swept across the wasteland, resounding in the ears of every imperial soldier.

The moonlight was obscured by the overwhelming figures of the orcs, and countless burly, rugged figures surged in from all directions like a tide.

This orc legion split into four groups, firmly controlling every direction of the Imperial soldiers' retreat.

At the head of each team stood an orc leader, a size larger than the other orcs, clad in heavy armor inlaid with skulls, and carrying a giant battle axe as tall as two men on his shoulder.

His flat face showed no emotion. As he looked at the besieged imperial soldiers, his eyes held only anticipation of the impending slaughter, without a trace of pity for life.

Illuminated by the towering flames, the cold expression on the orc's face sent a chill down the spines of the Imperial soldiers.

A group of emotionless killing machines—fighting such an enemy would result in heavy losses, even if one were to win by chance.

Cohen slowly drew his longsword, his body surging with magical power, and his voice, accompanied by the rolling magical energy, traveled far and wide:

"Although I know you are unlikely to accept this, out of battlefield etiquette, I will still offer you a dignified choice according to the rules—"

Unconditional surrender!

Xia Zuo suppressed all his emotions. As a prince who had once led an army to conquer the Nine Levels of Hell, he had faced situations far more dangerous than today.

His gaze was indifferent as ice, and he said coldly:
"I hope you don't try to escape through the next dimension when you fail!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the army of the Eastern Empire let out a deafening roar.

Without further hesitation, Cohen's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he raised his sword high. An invisible wave emanated from the sword, enveloping every orc warrior.

Strengthen the runes, Banner of Command!
[Banner of Command (Gold Quality): Provides soldiers with a 50% combat power boost for 5 minutes. Cooldown: 24 hours]

Cohen gazed at the special forces and elite troops from the Eastern Empire before him, silently estimating his experience points. Once he dealt with these troops, he would have enough experience to break through to the Gold rank.

It's time to let the people of the continent see King Effie's personal fighting prowess at the highly anticipated Noble Martial Arts Festival!

Cohen suppressed his emotions, his voice tearing through the air, and swung his sword forward heavily:
"Crush them!"

In an instant, the sound of shields clashing with scimitars resounded like a torrential downpour in everyone's ears, and the stench of blood carried by the wind made the already tense nerves of both sides even more fragile.

The moonlight was completely obscured by the swirling dust. Under the command of the four orc leaders and with the blessing of the [Command Banner], orc warriors from all directions transformed into black whirlwinds of flesh, charging towards the Eastern Empire's army formation.

The shield wall formed by the infantry of the Eastern Empire trembled violently under the onslaught of the orc legion, and the powerful defensive formation formed by the resonance of divine and demonic equipment was broken open, revealing spiderweb-like patterns.

The tiger's mouth of the shield-bearing soldiers in the front row burst open, and the sweet smell of blood mixed with the sound of flesh and bone shattering into a concerto of death.

Xia Zuo was shocked when he saw this scene.

The front of the shield wall was a battle formation consisting of a thousand elite defensive troops and four legendary transcendents. How could these orcs possibly shake this level of defense with a single charge?

As Xia Zuo stared at the magical energy emanating from Cohen, his horror grew even greater.

Sure enough, just like last time in Florence, Cohen actually possessed a skill that could enhance the strength of the army... No, such a large range, so many targets, such an incredible ability, this was beyond Xia Zuo's understanding of superhuman skills.

This isn't a skill, it's more like a... domain!
A domain that can enhance soldiers' combat effectiveness!
Upon realizing this fact, Xia Zuo couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine!
Cohen is only a sixth-tier superhuman. Even if his combat power and comprehension are extraordinary, it is impossible for him to obtain a domain-type skill that can only be comprehended by the legendary tier at the silver tier.

At this moment, the legendary guards beside him also began to notice the anomaly, their voices filled with the same deep astonishment:
"Your Highness, this King Efein... seems to truly possess the rudiments of a domain!"

Xia Zuo trembled, an expression of disbelief appearing on his face.

Another fierce attack struck, and it seemed the army was about to be overwhelmed.

Xia Zuo's roar pierced the battlefield:
"Second array, top!"

The so-called second formation is Xia Zuo's biggest trump card this time: five hundred special-class soldiers wearing "Phantom Dragon Wing Cloaks" and wielding "Gods' Judgment Lances"!
The divine and demonic equipment that Xia Zuo's special-grade [Breaking Formation Dragon Rider] equipment includes the "Phantom Dragon Wing Cloak" which is owned by the Eastern Region Empire itself, and the "Gods' Judgment Lance" which comes from the Central Empire.

The 【Breaking Formation Dragon Riders】 are the most formidable of Xia Zuo's three "special forces" armies. These thousand sets of "Gods' Judgment Lances" were collected by him from various channels at great expense.

The Divine Judgment Lance is a spiral lance whose entire body is flowing with liquid holy silver. Twelve golden runes are wrapped around the hilt, which constantly switch depending on the battle situation.

Once the magic is activated, a relief phantom of the judgment of the gods will appear on the gun.

Xia Zuo gave the order.

Five hundred "Dragon Riders" clad in golden cloaks suddenly leaped up from the army formation.

These "special forces" warriors were wreathed in golden dragon flames, and the high movement speed provided by their phantom dragon wing cloaks allowed them to instantly reach the forefront of the orc legion.

Then, a crimson battle formation was formed in mid-air, and a vast dragon's might immediately erupted.

Immediately afterwards, the scorching dragon breath emanating from the battle formation instantly incinerated dozens of orcs.

A Star Envoy from the Star Clan immediately appeared above, chanted a spell, and ice-blue starlight suddenly descended from the sky, freezing the dragon flames below.

Cohen stood in the center of the battlefield, staring at the phantom dragon wing cloak for a long time.

He also has the Phantom Dragon Wing Cloak, and has already made a portion of it, but it hasn't been deployed to the troops yet, just to protect the identity of "Yan Hughes".

Today, Xia Zuo sent out an army wearing "Phantom Dragon Wing Cloaks" to fight, which is a good opportunity to learn more about this equipment.

That's about it. Seeing that Xia Zuo had already dispatched the "special forces" unit, Cohen no longer hesitated. He lightly turned his sword and murmured:
"Your Highness, the army you are so proud of is nothing more than experience points waiting to be harvested in my eyes!"

(End of this chapter)