Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

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A star-shaped spear, almost solid, materialized before Olivia.

The spearhead locked onto Jinlunga's heart and shot out furiously.

The power of this attack caused Qiao Lun and the others in the stands to sit up straight.

The power of the Star Spear that Olivia conjured far exceeded that of the Silver Rank.

On the ring, Kinlunga calmly watched Olivia unleash her strongest attack.

In the depths of his icy blue eyes, an ancient pattern, invisible to the naked eye, seemed to flash by.

Immediately afterwards, an ancient and profound power erupted from his body.

That was an echo from the depths of one's bloodline—the innate power of the Frost Giants.

Just as the tip of Orion Spear, powerful enough to melt star metal, was less than an arm's length from his chest, Kinlunga suddenly raised his head, opened his mouth, and without roaring or chanting.

He blew a deep breath toward the devastating spearhead.

boom--! ! !
A chilling pressure originating from the level of life suddenly descended.

A crackling sound, like billions of ice crystals freezing instantly, echoed near the Star Spear.

The rapidly spinning Orion Spear suddenly stopped, as countless dazzling ice shards pierced into it from all directions, pinning it firmly in mid-air.

The spear remained in the same throwing posture, its blazing white light not yet completely extinguished, and its surface still gleaming.

Everything was instantly frozen, and the scene remained still.

"broken."

Jinlunjia's cold voice rang out again.

He slowly closed his five fingers together.

The Orion Spear, which contained all of Olivia's stellar power and possessed astonishing might, shattered and disintegrated inch by inch in his cold palm.

Starting from the tip of the spear, the shattering spread all the way to the tail, eventually turning into a handful of stardust that had lost all its brilliance, slipping softly through his fingers.

Olivia's face drained of color, her body, exhausted of magic, swayed, and her staff almost slipped from her grasp.

She looked at the tall figure that walked step by step from the stardust, and a deep sadness appeared in her eyes.

Despite having little hope of winning, the opponent's strength far exceeded her expectations.

Despite his best efforts, he still couldn't get the "Frost Warrior" to pull out the two-handed greatsword from behind him.

Kinlunga walked up to Olivia without making any further moves.

He extended his left hand, and a cold, icy blue light condensed at the tip of his fist.

There were no fancy techniques, just a simple, straightforward punch.

Boom!
There was a muffled sound.

The last bit of starlight shield shimmering on Olivia's body shattered instantly.

She was sent flying backwards like a kite with a broken string. While she was in the air, a gentle yet resilient starlight emanated from her body, protecting her as she landed safely at the edge of the arena.

However, he had completely lost consciousness.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Kinlunga Cox never drew the two-handed sword from his back.

The audience was dead silent for a moment, then erupted into even more frenzied shouts.

Meanwhile, the expressions on the faces of Joren, Casimir, Mills, and the others watching the battle grew even more serious.

Olivia June, the "Star Druid" who possesses a complete ancient heritage, is a force to be reckoned with.

In fact, during the battle just now, she also displayed a dazzling array of Starry Sky Secret Techniques, each of which was powerful and mysterious, and some of them were even killer moves that could decide the outcome of an ordinary Gold-rank battle.

Even such a powerful superhuman was defeated without any suspense.

They couldn't even force Jinlunga to use his weapon.

This made people realize more clearly the unfathomable and terrifying strength hidden beneath the calm surface of the eldest prince of the Northern Empire, a strength as deep as an ancient glacier.

……

Compared to the shock that Jinlunga brought to everyone, the next three matches were much more uneventful.

In the match between Mills Knight, the "Dragon Knight" of the Eastern Empire, and Darren Roberts, the "Bard" of the Western Empire, Mills easily defeated Darren thanks to his excellent teamwork with the Earth Lizard Dragon.

Conversely, Mills' teammate, the "Berserker" Zheen Tang, also from the Eastern Empire, was still unable to defeat the "Arcane Knight" Joren of the Central Empire after his rampage, and suffered a regrettable defeat.

Another seeded player from the Central Empire, "War Priest" Casimir August, also easily defeated his opponent, a "Spellcaster" from the Western Empire.

However, Reed Berg, the seeded player of the Western Empire, the "Energy Shaper", won against Hela Reeves, the "Totem Warrior" of the Central Empire, thus reserving a spot in the quarterfinals for the Western Empire.

The final match was between "Dragon Warrior" Asuna and "Storm Priest" Philip Marlowe of the Northern Empire.

Given Asuna's previous victory over "Trickster" Haydn, no one will underestimate this cold-looking female warrior this time.

As the cold, mechanical sound of the Bronze Golem signaling the start of the match rang out, all eyes in the arena instantly focused on the ring.

A series of victories, coupled with her rare and stunning beauty, have made Asuna increasingly popular, and she has already been dubbed the "Fire Goddess".

Asuna's opponent, Philip Marlow, the "Storm Priest" of the Northern Empire, was much more low-key. He wore a heavy dark gray robe, and his face was covered by a wide hood, revealing only a pair of eyes that gleamed with a cold light.

He exuded a mysterious and dangerous aura.

"Storm Priests" serve primordial nature deities symbolizing the power of thunder, lightning, hurricanes, and the ocean; similarly, their extraordinary abilities are closely related to these.

They can communicate with the power of storms, using the power of gales and lightning to cast powerful spells.

Philip Marlowe, as one of the best, can not only manipulate storms to form defensive barriers, but also summon lightning for deadly attacks.

hum...

As soon as the game started, Philippe Marlowe launched the first attack.

He suddenly raised his arms high, his lips uttering rapid syllables:
"Listen to the roar of the storm, for the storm's fury is coming!"

boom! ! !
A massive pressure collapse suddenly occurred above the arena, and a howling thunderous hurricane erupted out of nowhere.

The hurricane's core emitted a piercing scream, tearing space apart with ferocity.

Immediately afterwards, one after another, thick, pale bolts of lightning, as thick as buckets, struck down from the hurricane without warning.

Guided by Philip's storm power, the raging lightning bolts formed a deathly net of leaping arcs of lightning around Asuna.

Asuna's eyes sharpened, and the power of the dragon vein surged within her body, pushing her five senses to their limits.

Facing the oncoming tornado, she did not flinch. Instead, she leaped up and swung her rapier like a crimson lightning bolt, aiming straight for the center of the tornado.

At the same time, a short command came out of her mouth.

A massive dragon claw, covered in flowing, lava-like crimson scales, ruthlessly tore through the barrier of space.

With unparalleled, violent power, it fiercely grabbed at the core of the leaping lightning electric grid.

Rumble, rumble—! ! !
The physical dragon claw, imbued with the might of a dragon, directly churned into the core of the thunderstorm, which was filled with destructive energy.

The giant claw gripped the area where the lightning was most violent and where the energy was most concentrated.

Pure physical force crushes elemental energy.

The lightning, compressed to its limit, was crushed and pulverized the instant the giant claws closed.

A deafening explosion, far surpassing any previous lightning strike, rang out. A dazzling white shockwave swept out, shattering the lightning-laden hurricane into a torrential downpour.

Taking advantage of the shockwave shattering the hurricane and lightning, Asuna continued to wield her rapier amidst the chaotic rain.

At the same time, he chanted a spell, and a stream of dark red dragon flame, like a river of lava bursting its banks, gushed out from the tip of the sword, like a wrathful dragon with life, baring its fangs and claws as it pounced on Philip.

Wherever it passed, the air was instantly evaporated, leaving behind a shocking trail of destruction.

Without a doubt, Philip is the most powerful spellcaster Asuna has faced since she started the competition.

Storms, lightning, and hurricanes are all spells with large-scale destructive power and extremely strong attack power. The opponent's casting must be stopped as soon as possible!

Lightning crackled in Philip's eyes. He wasn't shocked by the destruction of the lightning net and the hurricane; instead, his fighting spirit soared even higher.

He remained calm in the face of Asuna's attack.

With arms crossed in front of his chest, a rich cyan hurricane element and blue-white electric snakes converged wildly.

In an instant, a massive defensive shield was erected in front of him, composed of countless layers of high-speed rotating compressed air and high-voltage electric arcs.

laugh--! ! !
The viscous torrent of dragonfire slammed violently against the giant storm shield.

The terrifyingly high temperature instantly caused the outermost wind blade layer of the storm barrier to emit an unbearable shriek.

A blinding light burst forth from the point of contact, forming a distorted ball of energy that remained stationary.

The viscous dragon flames were like a crimson tsunami constantly crashing against a dam, melting and disintegrating the outermost wind blade defense layer of the storm barrier every second.

Philip's forehead veins bulged, and his muscles trembled slightly under the pressure as he did his best to maintain the barrier.

His pale knuckles turned blue from the excessive force, and the rapidly spinning air blew his hood off, revealing his angular face.

A look of deep concentration appeared in Asuna's eyes. She softly chanted a spell, and the soaring Kona transformed into a phantom, completely merging with her.

After merging into one, the power of the dragon flames grew even stronger, and it looked like it was about to completely melt Philip's storm barrier.

Philip knew that defense was not a long-term solution, and he roared:
"The power of the storm is far more than this!"

"Storm Priest" is never a passive shield.

They are the whippers of nature!
It is the embodiment of calamity!

Defense is for capturing prey more precisely, and for unleashing the power of nature to launch a deadly counterattack more fiercely!
Philip's hoarse roar, accompanied by the crackling of electricity, exploded as he suddenly bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the storm barrier. Using the blood as material, he quickly sketched a rune.

The crimson runes suddenly surged, and then the deep blue storm barrier, which had been struggling to hold on, instantly changed its shape.

It transformed into a massive, inwardly rotating energy vortex, actively absorbing the raging torrent of dragon flames.

Asuna's dragon flames were swallowed up by an invisible giant maw and forcibly pulled into the storm vortex.

Almost at the same instant the vortex formed, a bolt of platinum lightning, thicker and brighter than any before, descended from above the arena's dome, carrying the majesty of judgment and a sharp roar that tore through space. To everyone's astonishment, this bolt of lightning was not aimed at Asuna, but at Philip himself!
The platinum lightning pierced precisely through the air above Philip's head, pouring powerfully into the center of the deep blue lightning net vortex in front of him, which was spinning wildly and devouring dragon flames.

Philip's body trembled violently, but he held on.

Using his own body as a conduit and the storm vortex as a furnace, he forcibly fused the most violent thunderous power from nature with the destructive dragon flames that had been forcibly sucked in.

Roar--! ! !
Philip's roar was a painful scream, and even more so, an extreme madness of wielding divine power.

A burst of bi-colored lightning, a mixture of crimson gold and cyan, erupted from his body.

The skin cracked inch by inch, oozing blood that sparkled with electricity, but it was instantly evaporated by the high temperature.

Clearly, forcibly absorbing the torrent of dragon fire emitted by Asuna and fusing the power of both came at a great cost to him.

But he has already achieved his goal!

A colossal storm furnace, imbued with a world-destroying aura, slowly took shape before him!

Storm Furnace – This technique fuses the opponent's attack with your own power; the stronger the opponent, the greater its power!
This is his strongest trump card in this Noble Martial Arts Festival!
This move was originally intended to deal with Jinlunjia of the Northern Empire, but unfortunately he was forced to use it ahead of schedule.

"Those who blaspheme against the heavens—Storm God's Punishment! World-Destroying Thunder Strike!"

Philip roared again, his crossed arms like an invisible giant bow being drawn, and he swung them outward with all his might!

boom! ! !
A beam of destructive energy, incorporating the essence of platinum divine thunder, the destructive power of crimson dragon flames, and Philip's own storm divine power, erupted from the center of the storm vortex, which had already expanded to its limit.

This was no longer simply thunder or dragon flames, but a torrent of chaotic energy forcibly mixed with the power of the Storm God, imbued with a destructive will.

Its speed far exceeded any lightning that Philip had previously unleashed. Almost instantly, it crossed the barriers of space, completely ignoring any physical evasive maneuvers Asuna might make.

Wherever the beam of light passed, it left a scorched, blackened trail in the space that could not be healed for a long time.

This is the true peak strike of "Storm Priest" Philip Marlowe!
At the limit of absolute defense, borrow the enemy's strength and invoke the might of heaven.

The fusion created a divine punishment that completely exceeded normal spellcasting logic, with its power increasing exponentially!
It perfectly embodies the true essence of the Storm Realm—using oneself as a guide to control calamities and divine punishment!
"boom--!!!"

The earth-shattering explosion instantly engulfed Asuna's figure, and from the point of impact, violent chaotic energy swept wildly like an out-of-control nebula explosion.

The specially enchanted and reinforced ground of the arena melted and evaporated instantly.

A colossal, circular crater rapidly expanded amidst a blinding glow of energy.

Rings of destructive shockwaves, a mixture of crimson flames and blue-white lightning, slashed fiercely at the arena's protective barrier like tangible giant blades. The barrier flickered wildly, emitting a piercing, sharp "creaking" sound.

The entire Imperial Arena trembled slightly under this attack.

It's unbelievable that this is an attack that a Silver-tier character can unleash!

In the audience, countless people screamed, instinctively leaning back, and then staring intently at the core area of ​​the energy explosion.

The solemnity in Kinlunga Cox's icy blue eyes had never been so intense.

He could clearly sense the terrifying power of that chaotic energy.

By incorporating the opponent's attack into oneself, the power increases exponentially.

This kind of move is unheard of. Even if he could withstand it, he would definitely pay a huge price!

The other seeded players shared similar thoughts.

The storm furnace torrent continued to bombard.

One second, two seconds later, the light in the core area became so intense that even the protective barrier's light membrane became blurred.

Philip knelt in the center of the collapsed vortex of debris, his arms hanging limply at his sides, his body trembling violently, his exposed skin covered with horrific burn marks and leaping, out-of-control arcs of electricity.

But a hint of incomprehensible astonishment surfaced in his eyes; under such an attack, a Silver-rank Dragon Warrior simply could not survive.

Why didn't the bronze golem in charge of the match intervene to save Asuna?

Is it too late?

But there's also the referee, a legendary-level extraordinary being!
For a legendary-level transcendent being, there is simply no possibility that rescue will be impossible.

Could it be...

A sense of absurdity rose in Philip's heart.

Everyone held their breath and stared intently at the core of the light, waiting to see what would happen after the light faded.

Om-! ! !
A deep, resonant dragon's roar, seemingly emanating from the very source of the soul, echoed deep within the consciousness of every living being.

Amidst the dust, a slender, upright figure gradually came into focus.

It's Asuna Iliad!

Shock spread through the deathly silence.

Philip's eyes widened, and his voice, hoarse, squeezed out:

"You...how could you..."

Before she finished speaking, a ripple of water appeared in front of Asuna, and a transparent light shield slowly dimmed.

The light shield is composed of countless fine, dust-like particles that shimmer with strange starlight. They flow slowly like living things, interlinking to form intricate and ancient geometric fractal patterns.

Magical weapons?

Any magic weapon capable of withstanding this level of attack must be a magic weapon of a higher rank than silver!
Isn't this cheating?

The competition rules stipulate that participants cannot use magical weapons that exceed their own magical power level.

However, before anyone could raise any questions, a chorus of surprised exclamations arose from the VIP seats.

Pope Atkinson's expression was amused:

"Bloodline magic, protected by the dragon soul."

If I'm not mistaken, the light shield in front of Asuna is formed from the dragon soul.

This wasn't magic she possessed herself, but rather came from the contracted dragon in her possession.

"It seems this dragon's bloodline is extraordinary; it must be at least of royal lineage, otherwise it couldn't possess bloodline magic of this level."

A look of astonishment crossed everyone's faces. Ysera, the leader of the Night's Watch, spoke up:
"Dragon Valley has strict control over the descendants of royal bloodlines, making it virtually impossible for them to be passed on."

Where did the giant dragon in her hand come from?

Everyone turned their gaze toward the Northern Empire.

As everyone knows, the contracted dragon that Asuna has is something that Korn tricked into giving to Mammon.

Mammon was obtained through an exchange with the Violet Prince of the Northern Empire.

Prince Violet should be the most qualified to speak on the origins of this giant dragon.

Prince Aldrich Cox, the Prince of Violet, his eyes flashing, said in a deep voice:

"It can't be of royal blood. How could I possibly dare to steal... cough, dare to covet a descendant of the Dragon King's bloodline?"

"Surely His Holiness the Pope couldn't have made a mistake."

The people of the Eastern Empire have the most dealings with Dragon Valley, Prince Quentin said upon seeing this:
"His Holiness the Pope is right, Asuna did indeed use dragon bloodline magic."

The dragon below certainly possesses royal blood.

Aldridge shrugged:

"If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do."

Anyway, when I got this dragon egg, it was indeed just an ordinary dragon egg.

Seeing the crowd arguing endlessly, Gronn, the Great Chieftain of the Orc Alliance, spoke in a rough tone:
"What's the big deal? Maybe it was awakened later in life. Many of us orcs are like that. Some of them awakened their royal bloodline later in life."

Prince Quentin's lips twitched slightly. He was about to give this big oaf a lesson on the bloodlines of dragons when he suddenly froze on the verge of speaking.

Awakening the day after tomorrow?

Dragons cannot awaken their bloodline later in life, but they can...

Combined with Cohen's identity as the "Child of Prophecy" and the ancient secrets he brought to Freya and Nephthys during the Bronze Group competition.

A startled light flashed in Prince Quentin's eyes as he looked incredulously in Cohen's direction.

He suddenly realized that he had mastered an astonishing secret.

Unfortunately, this secret was soon discovered by others.

Goron found that every time he finished speaking, the atmosphere would become awkward and quiet.

This time was no different. After he finished speaking, he noticed that Atkinson and the others hesitated noticeably.

Chief Heisenberg of the Middle Empire also guessed that possibility from their conversation.

Bloodline cannot be awakened later in life, but it can be purified using secret methods.

To give an ordinary dragon bloodline comparable to royalty.

This secret technique was created by the gods during the war between gods and demons to enhance the fighting power of the dragon race.

The materials and resources required were enormous, and the conditions were very demanding. In addition, it was lost long ago due to the passage of time.

Even Dragon Nest might not still have this secret technique preserved.

A cold glint flashed in Heisenberg's eyes. The more this was the case, the less he could allow Cohen to enter the "Dragon Plane." Otherwise, he might actually use bloodline purification as bait to subdue a few dragons!
Those lunatics have absolutely no bottom line!
……

Ignoring the various actions in the VIP seats, on the arena, the light shield in front of Asuna was visibly thinning and becoming fragile, as if it would completely dissipate at any moment.

Just then, Asuna moved.

He shattered the still-dissipating but harmless turbulent energy flows, his figure like a crimson lightning bolt tearing through space!

In an instant, he was in front of Philip, his rapier pressed against Philip's throat, who was already powerless to resist.

The bronze golem's hoarse voice rang out:
"Eifine, Asuna Iliad wins." (End of Chapter)