Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

No...not possible!

Xia Zuo knelt on the ground, coughing up large amounts of blood.

His golden pupils were filled with disbelief, shock, and humiliation.

He couldn't accept that his near-legendary power was so utterly ineffective against Cohen's unpredictable "Gate of Babylon".

pain!
It was excruciating, tearing my soul apart!
But the physical pain paled in comparison to the extreme humiliation brought about by the indifference in Cohen's eyes.

Cohen's gaze remained calm, even carrying a hint of scrutinizing indifference.

Looking down at him from above, they admired his futile struggles and the collapse of his dignity.

A low, guttural growl, like that of a dying beast, rolled from Xia Zuo's throat.

His golden vertical pupils were instantly covered with dense blood vessels, and his last shred of reason was completely devoured by madness.

There was no other choice but to take that step!

Xia Zuo has completely lost his mind. Defeating Cohen has become his obsession, and he must defeat his opponent at all costs!

His body shimmered with light, and an item appeared in each of his hands.

A buzzing sound.

An indescribable primal pressure suddenly spread out, instantly overwhelming all the noise on the battlefield.

Xia Zuo held a transparent crystal bottle in his left palm, containing a drop of blood that was as viscous as molten gold.

The blood rippled and pulsated slowly in the bottle, as if it were alive; even the light was noticeably distorted when it approached the bottle.

What he was holding in his right hand was a palm-sized, irregularly shaped piece of bone.

Its surface is covered with naturally formed, incredibly profound and mysterious primordial magic dragon patterns, which absorb the light and energy of the surrounding space, making people unable to resist falling into its allure at first glance.

Dragon blood and bones of "immortal" quality!
Under the shocked gaze of everyone, Xia Zuo did something outrageous.

He held the dark gold dragon bone fragment in his right hand and plunged it into the center of his chest without hesitation.

puff!

The sound of bones tearing through muscles and piercing tissue is chilling.

Blood gushed out, and the dragon bones instantly erupted with an immortal golden light more dazzling than the sun.

Almost at the same instant, Xia Zuo also crushed the crystal bottle containing dragon blood with his left hand. The immortal dragon blood, as if it had a life of its own, instantly broke free from the container's restraints.

It drew a breathtaking golden-red streak of light, which swept towards the wound on his chest caused by the dragon bone.

Dragon blood seeped wildly into and merged into every corner of Xia Zuo's body.

Bone armor, shimmering with alternating shades of dark gold and crimson, grew wildly from beneath the torn flesh.

The bones twisted and deformed, becoming thicker and more ferocious.

The wound was forcibly stitched up by the crimson-gold energy flow at a speed visible to the naked eye.

roar----------!!!
A dragon roar, far more ancient, majestic, and vast than any previous dragon's cry, seemed to come from ancient times and resounded throughout the entire arena.

The terrifying pressure swept across the entire area like a tangible tsunami.

Legendary Rank!
Undoubtedly a legendary tier!

With the blessing of dragon blood and dragon bones of "immortal" quality, Xia Zuo finally crossed the threshold of the legendary rank!
Countless people in the audience turned pale, and some even fainted.

Xia Zuo's body twisted and swelled violently in the golden light.

His body was covered with even larger, more dazzling dragon scales, flowing with immortal runes.

His head deformed into a ferocious dragon's head, with golden dragon wings spreading out behind him that blotted out the sky.

In the blink of an eye, a golden dragon, over thirty meters long and radiating pure legendary-level power, appeared on the arena.

The entire arena trembled under its oppressive aura!

Legendary Rank!
Pureblood Golden Dragon!

The entire arena fell into an even deeper, deathly silence of shock!
Immediately afterwards, deafening shouts and screams erupted like a tsunami.

For the first time, legendary-level combat power was displayed on the arena of the Gold Division of the Noble Martial Arts Festival!

"Legendary rank...!"

A young magic apprentice collapsed to the ground, repeatedly uttering the word in a daze.

Beneath the legends, all are but ants; countless brilliant and talented individuals have ultimately met their demise at this threshold of despair.

And now, in the Gold Group competition, someone has actually shown the existence of a Legendary rank!
“Oh my God!
Prince Xia Zuo… he really… transformed into a dragon?!
It's a real golden dragon! Not a projection! Not an illusion!

In the audience, a well-traveled scholar plucked out several hairs from his beard and pointed down below with a hoarse voice, his tone distorted by excitement and fear.

The roar of the golden dragon was so real that it swept up to the VIP area on the top floor.

The ornate windows, inlaid with magic crystals, hummed and even developed fine cracks.

At the edge of the private room, an elven maid serving drinks cried out in surprise, dropping the tray in her hands.

The crystal glass shattered on the ground, and she collapsed, her pupils dilated. She had fainted from the direct shock of the legendary dragon's might.

Several young nobles of lower extraordinary rank around him also turned pale, instinctively gripping the armrests or their attendants.

Of all the people, Gronn, the Great Chieftain of the Orcish Alliance, with his imposing, mountain-like physique, clad in rough, enchanted bone plates and animal hides, and a necklace of enormous fangs around his neck, reacted the most strongly.

The scarred muscles on his face twisted uncontrollably, and the bulging muscles on his strong arms convulsed slightly under the pressure of the dragon's might.

Rough hands gripped the heavy metal armrests of the seat tightly, making a teeth-grinding "creak" sound, with fingertips almost digging into them.

Legend has it that the progenitors of the orcs were once enslaved by the dragons.

That instinctive fear, originating from the deepest part of their bloodline and the gaze of predators, was completely ignited at this moment by the pure rank suppression of the golden dragon.

This is not the red dragon that Asuna has just entered its juvenile stage, but a genuine, adult legendary-class golden dragon!

His crimson pupils were fixed on the enormous creature on the arena, radiating both divine and destructive auras, his teeth grinding together.

His voice was low and hoarse from suppressing his fear, even carrying a hint of awe that he himself was unaware of:

"Can all the people of the Eastern Empire transform into dragons?"

How come I've never heard of it before?

His question elicited a brief silence and complicated looks.

“That is not the case, Great Chief.”

The one who spoke was Master Ved, the "sage" of the Vientiane Academy.

Master Vader's voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear, overpowering the noise inside the box and the aftershocks of the dragon's roar outside.

His expression was solemn, and after a moment's thought, he made his judgment:

"This is not a dragon transformation in the traditional sense."

In short, Prince Xia Zuo forcibly communicated with a trace of the will of an adult golden dragon that remained in that piece of immortal dragon bone.

He was briefly summoned by the divinity of dragon blood and the possession of dragon bones.

He merged himself with the will of the dragon.

The old scholar's sharp gaze was fixed on the dragon's enormous golden eyes, which were filled with pain yet indifferent:
"This did indeed grant him a genuine legendary rank and power, but he couldn't maintain it for long."

He only had time for one strike at most; otherwise, his body and soul would be torn apart by the golden dragon's raging will.

After hearing Vader's explanation, Chieftain Goron's tense muscles seemed to relax slightly.

But the seriousness in his eyes only deepened.

Understanding the reasons did not eliminate his fear of this out-of-control power.

"It seems that His Highness the Emperor's journey in the Golden Group will come to an end here, even if it's just one strike."

An official from the Central Empire sighed softly to Beren Windrunner, his voice filled with undisguised worry:
"The ultimate strike of a legendary dragon is a gap that cannot be bridged by skill and experience."

Moreover, he was merely a transcendent being who had just stepped into the Gold rank.

Their murmurs were not loud, but they clearly reached the ears of Empress Xenias, who sat on the throne of the empire.

This one of the most powerful rulers on the continent still maintained an elegant and upright posture, but a very faint fluctuation could not be concealed deep in his eyes.

Beneath the wide, heavy sleeves of her ceremonial robe, a symbol of supreme imperial power, her jade-like hands clenched slightly.

Shanis's stunning profile showed no change in expression.

He glanced discreetly at an area behind the VIP seating that appeared empty but was actually distorted by powerful spatial magic.

A faint ripple of mental energy, almost vanishing into thin air, was transmitted outwards, carrying with it the unquestionable will of the emperor.

Soon, a soft, dense sound came:
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will protect Your Highness."

Shanis was worried that the feud between Shazor and Cohen would lead Shazor to kill Shazor without regard for consequences.

And the referee is Heisenberg's man from the House of Nobles, what if...?

Therefore, Xenise instructed the saint who had been secretly protecting her to keep a close eye on the situation on the field.

Unfortunately, her worries were completely unnecessary!

……

On the ring, Master Wade's comments were precise and incisive.

Xia Zuo, who had transformed into a golden dragon, had his enormous dragon eyes filled with pain and madness.

Forcibly fusing with the immortal dragon bones and communicating with the will of the adult golden dragon would be like drinking poison to quench thirst for him.

His soul was being torn apart by the dragon's might, and his body was suffering a tremendous backlash. In this state, he could only unleash one attack at most.

The golden dragon let out a roar that shattered the clouds. It abandoned all its skills and concentrated all the raging power of a legendary golden dragon within its body into its enormous mouth.

An immortal dragon's breath, compressed to its limit and radiating destructive energy, is taking shape.

The energy it contains is enough to raze the entire arena and half of the stadium to the ground!
At this critical moment, just when everyone thought the referee would intervene—

Cohen Corleone, facing the legendary dragon breath that could destroy everything, made a move that left everyone speechless.

He neither dodged nor avoided it, but raised his right hand, palm facing the impending eruption of the source of destruction.

An extremely complex ancient rune, composed of pure prismatic light, was instantly drawn in his palm.

Central Asia manifests—freeze!
hum!
Time seemed to have been paused at this moment.

A dazzling, timeless golden crystal appeared out of thin air and enveloped Cohen.

The surface of the crystal is not a solid object, but rather a long river of golden time that has been forcibly solidified and intertwined.

This is not a physical barrier, but an absolute defense at the level of rules. He becomes untargetable, immune to all harm, as if he exists independently of this spacetime!
Cohen maintained the posture he had just assumed before casting the spell; even the movement of his hair stopped.

The unchanging calm on his face, now reflected in the solidified golden light, made him appear so detached from worldly affairs.

At the very instant Cohen was enveloped by the golden crystal, the compressed immortal dragon breath from the golden dragon's mouth burst forth like a supernova explosion.

A destructive torrent, over ten meters in diameter and composed entirely of immortal golden light, carrying the aura of annihilation, slammed fiercely into the crystal.

Rumble, rumble—! ! !
A horrific explosion occurred, the horror of which defies description.

The blinding golden light devoured everything, and the violent energy shockwaves, like billions of golden blades, frantically sliced ​​through the arena's protective shield, producing a teeth-grinding cracking sound.

The entire arena dome was shaking violently, as if it would collapse at any moment.

Light!

The intense golden light devoured everything!
The entire arena was dyed a pure and terrifying gold of destruction!

No one can see what is happening at the center of the light; there is only the purest and most violent energy storm being unleashed there.

Everyone's vision was taken away, leaving only the enormous roar that could tear their souls apart in their ears and the invisible impact that their bodies felt as if they were being torn to shreds.

However, as the shockwave that was powerful enough to destroy everything slowly dissipated, and as the blinding golden light gradually dimmed...

Everyone witnessed a scene they would never forget:
Against a backdrop of billowing smoke and a dim, red glow symbolizing the embers of destruction.

The golden crystal, having withstood the full force of a legendary golden dragon's attack, still stands majestically in its original position.

Inside the crystal, Cohen Corleone's figure was clearly visible; he didn't even flinch, his gaze calmly passing through the crystal.

He gazed at the golden dragon ahead, its aura rapidly waning due to exhaustion, its body beginning to crumble.

"No...impossible!"

The enormous eyes of the golden dragon that Xia Zuo had transformed into were filled with unbelievable despair and bewilderment.

What he thought was a fatal blow was blocked so easily?
That's legendary-level power!

Even an ordinary legendary-level superhuman could not withstand the dragon breath of a legendary dragon!
However, Xia Zuo's thoughts ended there.

Because, at the very moment the golden crystal vanished, at the very instant the golden dragon was at its weakest due to the backlash of its power—

A dark red streak of light, like a meteor tearing through the night sky, shot out from the dissipating golden light!

Cohen's figure disappeared, replaced by eight dark red blades that flashed, jumped, and tore through space wildly around the massive body of the golden dragon.

Enhanced Runes, Blade Waltz - Dragon Slayer!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! ...

Fast! Faster than the limits of vision! Every flash precisely cuts into the golden dragon's most vulnerable scales and joints.

The dark red blade light possessed unparalleled penetrating power and destructive force!
*Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!* ...

Dragon scales shattered, dragon blood cascaded down!
Huge wounds burst open one after another on the dragon's body!

But this is just the beginning.

Just as the eighth strike landed, the eight dark red sword lights suddenly burst into flames.

The dark red dragon seal flames suddenly erupted!

Strengthening runes only adds fuel to the fire!
Boom! ! ! !
The dark red demonic flames instantly ignited all the wounds on the golden dragon's body.

From the inside out! The flames, imbued with the power of Cohen's own dragon seal, inflicted terrifying additional damage on Xia Zuo, who was also a dragon.

The flames spread wildly.

Golden dragon scales kept peeling off in the dark red demonic flames.

Ouch!

The golden dragon let out a heart-wrenching wail, filled with endless pain and despair.

Its massive body convulsed violently as it was burned and dismembered by the dark red demonic flames.

The forcibly fused dragon bones could no longer be maintained, the golden light dissipated, and the huge dragon body crashed onto the shattered arena like a collapsing mountain, stirring up clouds of dust.

The smoke and dust slowly dissipated.

Xia Zuo's magnificent clothes had long since turned to black ash in the embers of the demonic flames, and his naked body was covered with shocking burns and terrifying bone spur backlash marks left from his dragon transformation.

The golden vertical pupils that once burned with desire and power are now completely unfocused, staring blankly at the shattered sky.

Directly above Xia Zuo, space rippled and distorted slightly.

A figure materialized clearly from the drifting smoke and dust, like a ghost.

Cohen Corleone's figure remained as upright and aloof as ever.

He looked down at Xia Zuo with a calm gaze.

The entire arena fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone was completely stunned by this scene that reversed their perception.

A seventh-tier dragon head-on clashed head-on with a full-force attack from a legendary-tier golden dragon, emerging unscathed, and then... instantly killed?

After an unknown amount of time, like a volcano that had been suppressed to the extreme finally erupting, a roar that was powerful enough to overturn the dome and filled with endless fervor and awe exploded like billions of thunderbolts!
"Lord of Shadows!"

"King of Effie!"

"Your Majesty Corleone!!!"

The VIP seats on the top floor.

Absolute silence.

There was not a sound, not a word of discussion.

Those noble faces, etched with the marks of time and power, wisdom and intrigue, representing the pinnacle of power, wealth and intelligence on the continent.

At this moment, only one expression remains:
A petrified, horrified expression.

Their gazes were all focused on the edge of the deep pit below, on the tall figure that stood like a solitary peak.

Every detail of that scene that just happened, that battle scene that was enough to overturn the continent's power system.

These things kept replaying in their minds, impacting and crushing their common sense and understanding.

Xia Zuo Tang, the first prince of the continent, forcibly fused with forbidden dragon bones and blood, transforming into a legendary golden dragon.

That world-destroying dragon breath, containing the law of "immortality" and powerful enough to destroy hundreds of gold-level beings, was actually blocked without a scratch by a young man in his early twenties who had just broken through to the gold level a few days ago!

Within the Eastern Empire's camp, an elderly marquis, clad in a luxurious fur coat and with graying temples, was utterly distraught.

He was one of the most core nobles in the Xiazuo Group. His voice was extremely hoarse as he pointed downwards and said:

"How can it be?

How can this be?

Legendary...that...that's genuine legendary-level power!
His Highness sacrificed dragon blood and bones to forcibly fuse with the immortal dragon skeleton, thus gaining this brief moment of ascension.

That dragon's breath, that golden rage containing the peak strike of a legendary dragon.

That would be enough to wipe the entire Golden Knights from the world.

Even if a legendary figure with a solid foundation stood before me, I dare not say I could withstand the attack unscathed!

His bloodshot eyes scanned the room frantically, and he quickly found a plausible explanation:

"Cheating!
It must be cheating!

"It must have been someone from the Central Empire who made the move in secret. Yes, Cohen is their imperial consort; it must have been a saint from the Central Empire!"

These words instantly chilled the atmosphere in the VIP area.

Before the people from the Central Empire could speak, representatives from the various delegations invited to ensure the fairness of the competition began to object.

A deep, cold, metallic voice, exuding undeniable authority, rang out. Landon, the Temple Master of the Battle Temple, sneered:
Is Marquis Kessler questioning the credibility of our Temple of Battle?

Almost simultaneously, a damp, salty, and fishy smell of sea fog filled the air.

On the throne in the shadows, the ancient sea siren priest, Ugo Saku, representing the endless depths of the sea, chuckled softly.

The scales covering its wrinkled neck twitched slightly, producing a sickeningly wet, rubbing sound.

"Giggle..."

Land dwellers are easily blinded by power and fear.

But the deep sea doesn't lie.

Just now in this area...only pure power clashed, sacred and fair!

Marquis Kessler shuddered, realizing he had misspoke, and bowed tremblingly as he retreated.

However, the shock caused by Cohen has not yet subsided.

Prince Violet of the Northern Empire sighed:
"Gentlemen...have we overlooked something even more terrifying?"

He looked around at every face still etched with shock:
"If a seventh-tier being can withstand a legendary-tier's fatal blow head-on without sustaining a scratch..."

His Highness paused, each word carrying immense weight:

"What if he reaches the ninth level?"

Wouldn't that mean facing off against a legendary opponent head-on?

An existence capable of displaying such heaven-defying abilities at the seventh-tier Gold level, ignoring legendary attacks...

When he reaches the eighth or ninth rank?
What kind of power will he possess?
Where are his limits?
The answer was almost obvious, yet it was so heavy that it suffocated everyone.

"The potential to become a god..."

A red-robed high priest, a believer in the goddess of light, murmured absentmindedly.

His face, which was usually full of divinity, was now blank and lifeless.

"The posture of ascending to godhood..."

The Grand Chancellor of the Central Empire, the ever-rational and ruthless old fox Hayes, repeated the heart-stopping phrase.

His calm gaze unconsciously drifted to Chief Heisenberg not far away.

The complete silence in the VIP section was no longer simply a result of shock and speechlessness, but rather a profound fear of disruptive forces and a complete loss of control over the future landscape.

Countless gazes once again turned downwards, toward Cohen Corleone, who stood at the edge of the charred pit.

He stood there calmly, his dark hair fluttering slightly in the dissipating magical turbulence.

But at this moment, in the eyes of all the supreme beings of the continent who were looking down at him, that figure seemed to no longer belong to the mortal plane.

Instead, it was a slowly rising, yet to fully reveal its true form... the nascent form of a deity! (End of Chapter)