Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 342 A Sensual Baptism and Celebration; The Arrival of Numerous Allies

As Su Li returned to Heisenburg to make preparations, the selection process for various villages and knightly orders within the Heisen territory was basically completed.

At this moment, the atmosphere throughout the territory had reached its peak of excitement. The arenas in each village had completed their selections, and then, under the joint leadership of the village chiefs, priests, and knights, bronze braziers were placed in the villages.

The brand-new bronze vessel gleams with the signature radiance of Violet, the goddess of the sun. It is said to be called the "Neva Cauldron," a vessel created to commemorate Violet's ascension to godhood. Its surface is decorated with reliefs depicting the legend of Violet piercing the great demon Khorne with a spear.

This was undoubtedly a classic example of doctrinal export. In the central and northern parts of the empire, people believed that only the God-Emperor Ridmar was an ascension from man to god.

Following this glorious festival of the Sun Goddess, the doctrines of the Church of Milmidia will spread even further.

On the eve of the grand ceremony, the Cauldron of Vane burned brightly throughout the entire territory, dispelling the darkness. Intense divine grace began to descend, and the corruption of chaos was reduced to a minimum.

There are profound reasons for the superstition of people in this world. To resist the corruption of chaos and maintain the purity of humanity, one must have a fervent faith in a deity. Only with absolute devotion can one use faith and divine power to resist the corruption of other chaotic gods. Therefore, the more ignorant and superstitious a person is, the less likely they are to be bewitched by chaotic evil gods.

The believers of the Black Forest Territory are undoubtedly very devout in their faith in the Goddess of the Sun. On this special festival, their worship and faith in the Goddess of the Sun reach a peak. Therefore, any superhuman or priest with even a little bit of perception can feel the glorious divine grace bestowed upon the entire territory by the Goddess of the Sun.

The ever-present, eroding influence of the chaotic winds on humanity has been significantly alleviated, and everyone who has received divine grace can feel an unprecedented sense of ease and joy.

Although the Goddess of the Sun is not as generous as the Goddess of Dawn, Rhea, she is still a rather magnanimous deity. This time, she bestowed divine grace upon everyone in her territory, from knights and priests to gangsters and thugs, all of whom felt the power of her divine grace.

But the Sun Goddess wasn't the only one who made the territory glorious and dazzling. As the golden sun rose on the summer solstice, the divine radiance of Tar also shone upon the earth.

Since last year, the territories and priests had predicted that this year would be a relatively peaceful summer, and it turned out to be just as everyone expected.

As the first rays of dawn brightly sweep across the horizon, the rising sun, like a golden paintbrush, gradually paints the distant mountains and sea of ​​clouds with its fiery glow. The azure sky is clear and bright, as if washed by pure water. The distant clouds, like cotton piles sculpted by the wind, intertwine layer upon layer, as soft as a velvet carpet, as graceful as a flock of sheep, constantly changing shape under the caress of the warm breeze, outlining a lively silhouette for this idyllic pastoral realm and the vast clear sky. The world seems to unfold into a dreamlike painting, breathtakingly beautiful.

And this day was indeed a beautiful day. As the first rays of the sun rose, men and women from all over the territory began to gather by the ponds and rivers, beginning their summer baptism.

The celebration of the Goddess of the Sun will start a little later, closer to noon, so it will not prevent the people from celebrating the baptism of the summer solstice.

With the blessing of the two gods, all monsters and evils fearfully hid in their lair. Vampires, the undead, and demons all retreated into the darkness of Yin and Yang on this day.

Meanwhile, the people of the territory were filled with festive joy, and the wealthy city dwellers even put on newly purchased festive costumes and waved sun patterns made of colored paper and ribbons.

The maids of Tar distributed pre-prepared amulets to the people by the water source. Most of them were still simple amulets made of feathers and stones, which, under the blessing of the strong sunlight of the summer solstice, had the weakest power to expel and purify.

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However, the Church of Tar has also grown this year. Six more Tar maidens have joined the territory, and the church now boasts over 300 followers. Therefore, they have gained considerable strength, and among their many amulets, they have added a batch of more powerful ones, including the Purification Amulet, the Wild Amulet, and the Thriving Amulet. Unlike ordinary amulets whose effects only last for one cycle, these amulets can remain effective indefinitely.

This caused a sensation among the people, with large crowds gathering at each amulet distribution point. Even outsiders were drawn to participate in the region's festival, causing the reputation of the Church of Tar to soar. Many civilians who were previously completely ignorant of Tar doctrines also learned a great deal about its teachings.

Luna Deshan's scheme, which she euphemistically called "distributing welfare," was actually nothing short of gambling. She exploited the imperial citizens' love of gambling, making them participate in lotteries in order to distribute the territory's welfare.

However, this matter caused no real harm, and it didn't cost the people any money. This method of proselytizing resulted in the suspension of welfare and an immediate return to zero faith.

What truly made the Church of Tar popular throughout the territory and fervently welcomed by its people was its traditional wild style and baptismal ceremony.

Because there was a grand ceremony for the Goddess of the Sun at noon today, the knights, who usually baptized at noon, also came to participate in the baptism in the morning.

This resulted in knights with bare chests and women dressed in revealing clothes, showing off their fair arms and legs, everywhere along the lake and streams.

It was a feast for both men and women, and all the participants were grateful for the generosity of nature and the wildness of Tal.

His exposed arms, thighs, and abs are exhilarating. Especially in this dark and oppressive world, they make one feel the beauty of the world all the more.

Su Li also got up very early today. He didn't need to go to Lake Lovelyn. He was staying at the Bauhinia Manor, where he could see Rainbow Falls to the north. So early in the morning, he took his female courtiers to the Gem Pool for a baptism.

The female courtiers showed great interest in this festival filled with blessings, and even the forest witch Ingrid left her treehouse to come to the Gem Pool to baptize Su Li. Everyone held hope and prayed that their loved ones would be healthy and blessed by the gods in the new year.

Beside the gemstone pool, the female courtiers were dressed in revealing clothing, their white bodies displaying the graceful curves of women. Especially after being wet with water, they were a feast for the eyes of Su Li.

This time he brought all the female courtiers with him, so there were a total of 7 figures in the gem pool, including Hilde, Ingrid, Thranville, and Eliria, not counting Su Li's female courtiers Freya, Hela, and Sylvanas.

Although Sylvanas hasn't been won over by Su Li yet, this little green tea b*tch came excitedly as soon as she heard that Su Li had invited her to go to the Gem Pool for a baptism.

Seven beautiful figures frolicked in the gemstone pool, their clear waters and snow-white skin reflecting each other. Their graceful figures and melodious laughter mingled, making Su Li's blood boil.

If it weren't for the upcoming Radiant Arena Festival, the most important event in the entire territory, he would definitely have spent the day cultivating to his heart's content at the Gem Pool.

Right now, he was simply holding Arielia's sleeping body and washing her soft body with clean water.

The cool pool water on the summer solstice was filled with divinity and wildness, sprinkling onto the green dragon's fair skin. Although she was still asleep, her moist cherry lips still let out an unconscious murmur, thoroughly enjoying herself.

The green dragon had been asleep for a while, and Su Li missed her quite a bit. After all, her looks were truly stunning, and she really gave people the thrill of conquering a dragon.

Hilde weaved through the merriment of the crowd to Su Li's side, bent down to observe Ariria's condition, then reached out and placed her hand on Ariria's full breasts to feel her heartbeat. She then smiled and said to Su Li, "My lord, Ariria should be waking up soon. Every time I touch her heartbeat, I feel it getting faster."

"Your heart rate is getting faster?" Su Li's eyes lit up.

"That's right. Before they fall asleep, dragons eat a hearty meal, and then try to slow their heart rate while they sleep, so that they have more time to learn and pass on the knowledge of the dragon race in their dreams. During this period, they also absorb the food in their stomachs and the magical energy from the outside world, and their bodies grow."

"Aleria consumes large amounts of supernatural meat in our territory and lives in a treehouse, where she is irrigated daily by the winds of Giron. As a result, she grows very quickly and sleeps for relatively less time."

Su Li smiled and lowered his head, giving Ariria's cool face a big kiss, feeling that the dragon really was a bit like a human child.

If you've ever observed infants, you'll know they are incredibly sleepy, and when they sleep, their eyelids and scalp move remarkably, especially the part of their skull that isn't fully closed, making it seem like they're learning in a dream. They can also sleep soundly, covered in sweat, much like they're training.

Arielia's skin was as soft as a baby's. This green dragon knew how to enjoy life. She was happy to become a court lady of Su Li, since there were too many extraordinary resources in the Black Forest. She could enjoy all kinds of extraordinary meats and pearls and gems more than when she was ruling those forest monsters.

The green dragon is the most cunning of all the dragons, which is actually a good thing for Su Li. As long as the current life is more beneficial to the green dragon, there is no need to worry that she will be as foolish as the red dragon and betray the current interests.

Of course, what Su Li was most looking forward to was the moment he would ride Ariria into battle.

This is his most perfect mount. Not only can it accompany him in his cultivation, but it can also carry him to the battlefield. When the green dragon's figure, which blots out the sky, appears on the battlefield of Blue Mirror Territory, its unparalleled majesty will make the morale of his own army even more solemn and terrifying, putting enormous pressure on the enemy.

Then Su Li handed Arielia's cool and fragrant body to Ingrid and said to Hilde, "The baptism is complete. We should begin the Radiant Arena celebration!"

Next comes the summer solstice, a festival and ceremony unique to the Black Forest Territory. Hilde immediately rose and followed Su Li, her resolute face radiating confidence: "My lord, we held a rehearsal and practice session last weekend. Yesterday, His Excellency Oliver, the Minister of the Provincial Council, along with the cabinet ministers, also conducted a full rehearsal, and there were no problems with the procedure. Minister Oliver will assist you later; you just need to follow the procedure, and the celebration will proceed smoothly."

Sending a cabinet minister to rehearse in one's place is perfectly normal practice. Only a shoddy team would fail to prepare a plan or conduct rehearsals for such a major event.

The Hessian Territory began preparations for this important festival almost three months in advance.

Even so, the territory underestimated the grandeur of the actual festival day, which could never be matched by rehearsals or practice.

The carnival square was especially packed with people, a sight that had never been seen in any previous rehearsal.

Fortunately, the provincial premier Oliver was indeed a man of great talent and had long anticipated the large number of people in the crowd.

While Su Li was still undergoing the baptism, he had already arranged for the knights to enter the square in advance. A total of 24 members of the Sun Knights, dressed in vibranium rune armor and holding gleaming halberds, guarded the statue of the Goddess of the Sun in the middle of the square.

Then, more than 300 high-ranking personal attendants lined up at the bridgehead of the Bauhinia Palace, forming two rows that stretched all the way to the middle of the square, clearing a path for the lord and priests to proceed to the square for the ceremony.

Tens of thousands of knights, squires, church believers, and onlookers from all directions were divided into east and west sides by the city guards.

Flags fluttered and colorful banners waved in the square. From the moment the sun rose, enthusiasm filled this festive square. Bards sang hymns among the crowd, and priests from the Church of the Sun Goddess distributed gifts to the people. The gifts included the doctrinal texts of the Church of the Sun Goddess, honey candies and cheese candies from the Black Forest Territory, and even the extraordinary Moonlight Alfalfa.

The children were naturally delighted with the candy, while the beautifully decorated souvenirs and gift bags filled with moonshine delighted the knights who came from all directions.

This territory is incredibly generous! Most knights have never seen such high-grade extraordinary pasture before. Such valuable resources were previously only seen in the stables of nobles.

In Hessian territory, visitors who prove they are noble knights can receive a gift bag containing exceptional hay and a festival badge.

Countless people were overjoyed. If this precious gift were brought back to Maleburg, it would surely be snapped up and collected by a large number of nobles and knights. So even if they didn't use it themselves, they could still make a considerable profit by selling it back home.

This was also Hessen Territory's way of thanking them for participating in the Glorious Arena. Of course, Su Li had already earned back the value of this gift through their gambling and spending.

It's fair to say that during this Glorious Arena in the Blacksin Territory, each visiting knight spent an average of no less than five gold crowns in the territory. Knights who could travel such a long distance were the elite of the people, and of considerable wealth. Ordinary people, lacking the means, would simply hear of an event on a remote border and travel thousands of miles with their squires, servants, and even guards to attend.

While the square was bustling with activity, the Forbidden City was also a hive of excitement.

Such a grand event naturally attracts one territorial ally after another, and Su Li personally led Hilde to welcome his distinguished guests here.

The first one to be introduced was a powerful dwarf chosen one.

Oliver stood next to Su Li and enthusiastically introduced him: "This is Lord Bairga Ironsworn, the diplomatic ambassador of the Grey Mountain Dwarf Kingdom, and also the younger brother of His Highness Cadlin Ironsworn, the king of the Grey Mountain Dwarfs."

Bairga was a typical boisterous dwarf, with a rough, booming voice, a trembling beard, and a clenched fist. He struck his left chest three times with the metal armor worn on his knuckles, producing a deep, resonant sound: "Hahaha, finally we meet, proud Bauhinia Knight. You are a friend of our entire dwarven race, and we dwarves will never forget your friendship. I've also brought you our dwarven wine to help make your celebration even more spectacular. I've been in your territory for two days now, and everything about it is wonderful, except this wine is as weak as goblin urine."

Su Li also brought his right hand together, with the five fingers touching his forehead and then his fingertips tracing a line from his forehead to his chest. He then opened his palm and tilted it forward at a 15-degree angle (referencing the ancient Roman etiquette or the more famous Hier etiquette). This is the most classical etiquette in the empire, generally used only for meetings between lords, the conclusion of important alliances, or the reunion of blood relatives who have not seen each other for a century.

Just as a dwarf beats his chest three times with his knuckles, symbolizing "swearing with the blood of his heart to the ancestral furnace that there is no lie at this moment."

On ordinary days, Su Li rarely uses this set of rituals. But each church does have its own symbols, such as the classic V-sign of the Redma Church.

Today's grand ceremony will undoubtedly help Su Li strengthen his relationship with allies and friends.

After exchanging greetings with Lord Bairga, Su Li said with a smile, "Welcome to Lord Bairga's visit, and please convey my gratitude to His Highness Kadlin. We humans and dwarves will always help each other. I still have a batch of troll brew in my palace, and I invite Your Excellency to enjoy it after the celebration."

"Haha, good, good! I will drink with you until we drop, the glory belongs to Black Forest Territory, and to the mountains!"

After Bairga left, the next person to enter was Su Li's old friend, Gerson Grayrock, the patriarch of the Grayrock Clan.

The greeting between the two was more relaxed and casual. Su Li smiled and shook Ge Sen's thick right hand, saying, "Welcome, my old friend. I hope you enjoy today's celebration."

"Haha, my friend, I'll definitely be there to support your celebration. I'll drink with you until we drop tonight."

After Gerson left, it was time for the chieftain of the Redbeard Clan to appear. This was also the first time Su Li had met the chieftain of the Redbeard Clan, Dorok Redbeard.

This chieftain is more like a tech geek, not good at socializing, and usually stays at home in the underground furnace of the fortress to forge weapons and equipment.

However, his values ​​are closest to Su Li's, and he places great emphasis on farming and development.

The two hit it off immediately. After exchanging greetings, Su Li smiled and said to him, "My friend, we have shared the glory of fighting side by side many times and are the most steadfast allies who help each other. I have been preparing a bottle of the purest troll brew since last year, which I have kept just for you. Please let me open the bottle for you in a moment and enjoy it!"

Dorok nodded heavily: "My friend, I have also brought you a rare weapon. I, Doglin, have told you that you use a warhammer. I have personally forged a warhammer for you called the Forgebreaker. When you swing it, it will be surrounded by blazing arcs of fire, causing terrible damage to your enemies."

That would be wonderful. Su Li needed a powerful and unknown rare weapon, since the knights wouldn't be using training swords or similar weapons during the finals for the sake of visual appeal.

With his rare-level weapon, he can undoubtedly further increase his chances of winning.

Furthermore, in the finals, with fewer matches played, there will be champion-level and god-chosen referees on the field to stabilize the situation. The territory can also provide sufficient potions, basically ensuring that no accidents will occur.

At this moment, allowing the knights to unleash their full potential would obviously help to create a festive atmosphere. The clash of sparks could ignite the ultimate climax, making the gambling business in the territory incredibly profitable.

After the Redbeard Clan Chief entered the reception hall, Su Li was greeted by Paulus Friedrich, an important ally of humanity and an envoy from the Cathedral of Eternal Flame, who was also one of the vice-commanders of the Flame Sun Knights. Also present were Constantine, Grand Master of the Crown Knights; Alfred, Grand Master of the Green Field Knights; Roger, the special envoy of Senator Smith of Maleburg; and Melie Zovie, the special envoy of Senator Zovie of Maleburg.

These were all old friends of Su Li, and of course, there were also some new friends, including Baron Vincent Slick, the lord of the Church of the Sun Goddess from the south of the Mirror Swamp, and Baron Bowen Hoffman from within the Empire.

They were all followers of Violet, the goddess of the sun, and they also greatly admired and longed for the achievements of the Black Forest Territory. They traveled thousands of miles to participate in this grand feast of the territory.

It can be said that the celebration successfully filled Su Li's house with guests, not only consolidating the friendship with old friends, but also opening up new territorial connections and new business routes.

Of course, besides these official forces, Su Li also treated and invited powerful individuals and representatives of common people, such as the powerful Amber Mage Grondar Orc Calamity. He is a famous archmage active at the foot of the Gray Mountains. He is averse to evil and often joins forces with dwarves and knights from the Black Forest Territory to wipe out monster camps.

There were also the leaders of the Blue Heron Mercenary Group and the Fallen Wolf Knight Mercenary Group. The Blue Heron Mercenary Group's base in Black Forest Territory had grown extremely rapidly, becoming a formidable armed force at the foot of the Gray Mountains. They likely possessed over 1000 combat and support personnel. In the heat of battle, they could even muster 1200 elite soldiers, including retired veterans—practically half a legion! Su Li naturally treated them with exceptional courtesy.

In many battles, the Knights of the Church may not necessarily help the Hessian Territory, but as long as they are willing to pay the price, this legion will always be a steadfast ally of the Hessian Territory.

Furthermore, Grand Master Gronn Rein of the Fallen Wolf Knights mercenary group was a powerful champion knight, the only champion knight among the countless mercenaries Su Li had ever seen. Su Li had heard that he was also participating in this Glorious Arena, ambitiously aiming to achieve a ranking in the championship stage.

(End of this chapter)