Raise Joan of Arc to be an empress, then discard her.

Within its domain, sleet, snow, hail, lightning, and fire were falling; its domain had already affected the surrounding weather, an effect that could only be caused by extremely terrifying spiritual power.

Within the domain, a colossal dragon, over a thousand feet long, was wreathed in lightning, its black scales and iron mane gleaming, its eyes blazing as it spewed flames at them from the abyss.

At that moment, they understood why a single dragon could destroy a nation, and why every dragon slayer could leave a lasting legacy in history.

The flames, crackling with lightning, instantly engulfed them, the speed at which the flames spewed out far exceeded the speed of the knights' charge.

Aaron was bathed in the flames and felt an unusual sense of peace.

He saw blood rising into the air around him and then evaporating.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the soldiers around him were still in the charging posture, but their warhorses and bodies had turned into charred skeletons.

He saw Charles, Gaitan, Lambert, Bruno—the men he had personally named—all engulfed in flames. By the time he continued his charge, all his men had fallen behind.

Everyone he knew, those whose names he could recall and those whose names he couldn't recall, those dressed in the uniform of the Omniscient Knight, those dressed in the Blazing White Knight's clothes, and those dressed in the Obsidian Knight's clothes—their figures all slowly vanished, turning into steaming blood, which drifted away with the flames and the wind.

When Aaron burst out of the flames, he was struck by an eerie silence.

Even though the city behind him was wailing and the world was resounding with deafening noise, everything around him was quiet.

He was all alone now.

Is this his future? Is this the end of loneliness? Even if he is surrounded by thousands of troops, in the end he will still have to move forward alone.

Aaron, who had been deaf, suddenly heard sounds again.

He saw the dragon raise its head and roar, its wings sweeping back, making a noisy sound, as if mocking the soldiers who were overestimating their abilities by charging at it. At that moment, its movements were not like those of a dragon, but rather like those of a gloating person.

Aaron's pupils contracted to a tiny dot.

But the next moment, the dragon lay on all fours and roared at Aaron, spewing flames. This dragon was not only powerful, but also had intelligence comparable to humans, and resorted to despicable tactics.

This time, the flames were even faster than before, instantly breaking the sound barrier. The flames, traveling at over 250 kilometers per hour, instantly enveloped the entire space between them and arrived in front of Aaron in the blink of an eye.

Aaron's warhorse had long been melted by the flames, leaving him alone and still a hundred meters away from the dragon, with nowhere to retreat.

Aaron did not retreat. His pupils reflected the towering dragon, and he charged towards the dragon, which was a hundred times his size. He arrived in front of the dragon and soared into the air like a ghost. The dragon was over three hundred meters long, but he appeared on its head in an instant. No one knew how he did it. It was impossible for anyone in the world to have such speed. By the time the dragon reacted and tried to defend itself, Aaron raised his black longsword and slashed it down at the dragon's head.

"【Black Abyss·Silence】——"

A deafening roar echoed through the air, only to be quickly swallowed up by the explosion of black light.

Even though the dragon was already over 300 meters long and over 100 meters tall even when it was crouching, the blade light that Aaron swung was taller than the dragon itself.

To those on the other side of the battlefield, it looked as if a black light, hundreds of meters long, suddenly shot up from the plains. The black light even broke through the fog, as if the gates of hell had descended, and a world-destroying power gathered there. The hundred-meter-long dragon was directly attacked and, as if unable to withstand the weight of the black light, instantly knelt down.

Immediately afterward, the dragon let out a bloodcurdling roar, like a human scream, that shook the entire battlefield and shattered the eardrums of the soldiers around it. Then, as if unable to withstand the immense weight, the dragon's bones creaked and cracked. It was unimaginable what kind of weight could cause such a behemoth to succumb. For a moment, people even saw a huge black light, as if pressing down on a lump of flesh and blood, descend from the sky, crushing the dragon bit by bit.

When its entire body was filled with an unbearable wail, the dragon's body was sliced ​​in two by the black light. Then, a terrifying black light exploded from inside the dragon's body, transforming into a ball of light that enveloped the battlefield and burst from the ground into the sky, causing a violent explosion on the battlefield.

Black Abyss Silence—just like its name suggests, when this move is unleashed, even the world becomes silent.

When the enormous black light finally disappeared, even the war fog that shrouded the sky was dispelled, and the battlefield actually became quiet for a moment. All the soldiers turned their heads and saw a deep pit where the black light had just disappeared. At the bottom of the pit lay the corpse of a giant dragon that had been split in two, and a man stood on the dragon's head.

The man stood surrounded by thousands of allied soldiers. To his side stood a towering giant warrior, and not far from him stood another dragon, hundreds of meters tall.

The man, bathed in dragon blood, bowed his head and panted heavily. His clothes were charred, and he held only a long black sword in his hand.

But people saw him reach out his right hand from above the dragon's head and grab a white longsword that looked exactly like the black sword.

People were startled for no apparent reason. Was that his blessing? The Lucerne people's omniscient blessing? Could it be that the black sword just now wasn't his only blessing? Wasn't that his full power just now?

Surrounded by countless soldiers, Aaron gripped his twin swords and looked back at the massive Esgard. He saw the Lucerne army fighting a fierce battle against the Seven Nations Alliance far away from him. He had truly succeeded; he had charged to the rear of the Seven Nations Alliance and won a decisive victory for the Lucerne army.

He was the only one who rushed here.

Aaron slowly turned his head to look at the soldiers of the seven-nation alliance surrounding him, the towering giants not far from him, and the dragons that kept advancing.

In order to compress the Lusset army's living space like on a chessboard, the Titans and dragons originally served a similar function as city walls, so they were not far apart. When Aaron rushed to a dragon, it was equivalent to coming to the side of the other dragons and Titans.

In the Seven Nations Alliance's plan, they would never have imagined such a situation would occur, because all the named generals and high-ranking officers in Lusset's army had already been targeted by them. Even if some managed to slip through their net and break through their blockade to reach the dragons and giants, what difference would it make? It would be meaningless.

These colossal warriors and dragons, into which countless efforts were poured, are themselves the most powerful forces in the world. They are an insurmountable barrier. So what if one person manages to break through?

The world's most powerful nations deployed these dragons and giant soldiers to destroy Lucert. How could one person possibly stop the combined forces of several of the world's most powerful nations? Therefore, from the beginning, the Seven Nations Alliance was not worried about anyone breaking through the blockade; the result of breaking through the blockade would be being crushed.

But the man standing on the dragon's head turned around and looked at the towering dragons and giant warriors that were constantly moving forward.

Despite their vastly different sizes, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

Impossible! Impossible! This can't possibly happen!

Those with such power were specifically targeted by the Seven Kingdoms Alliance from all angles! For example, the Seven Kingdoms Alliance showed the utmost respect to the All-Knowing Sword!

Logically speaking, apart from the Omniscient Sword, Lucert has no other combat power to be wary of. They have conducted a very comprehensive study on Lucert! Moreover, there can only be one Knight King in the world. How could Lucert possibly have a second Knight King-level combat power appear out of thin air?

But when Aaron looked at the dragons and giants, even those mythical creatures felt a chill run down their spines, as if they were being watched by a hunter.

Aaron charged toward them!

*

At the same time, at the Asgard Palace.

Joan of Arc stood before the sealed gates of the palace.

At this moment, almost all the high-level superhumans in the entire Kingdom of Lusset have gone out of the city to fight.

There may still be some extraordinary individuals hiding in the shadows in the city, but without a doubt, the palace is at its weakest point in Lusset's thousand-year history.

"Are you ready?" Joan of Arc asked.

“Ready,” the person behind her replied.

Joan of Arc nodded, gazing at the palace before her, and said, "Open it."

The people behind her started a countdown.

"3"

"2"

"1"

A deafening roar erupted in front of the palace gates.

"boom!!!"

Chapter 104 The Imperial Palace

The Élysée Palace, the royal palace of Lucerne, has a history of over a thousand years. The bronze gate in front of the Élysée Palace is engraved with sacred words and is considered a rare cultural relic. However, at this moment, the bronze gate was ruthlessly blown open, and a thousand years of history was destroyed in the dust.

As the gates were flung open, everyone was on high alert, ready for battle. But instead of the expected enemy, an unusual spiritual energy emanated from the palace.

Among them were many who had been to the palace before, but at this moment the palace exuded an unusual and eerie atmosphere. The first thing they felt was the dazzling light. When the bronze gate shattered, dazzling golden light emanated from the palace, as if the entire palace was cast in gold.

Although Alice Palace is known for its luxury, it has never shown this side of itself before, and everyone felt the almost viscous spiritual energy in the palace, giving everyone an ominous premonition.

Joan of Arc, holding the Blessing, was the first to enter the palace. The palace was so bright that it took a while for the eyes to adjust, and the air was always filled with a thick golden spiritual energy, which obstructed the view like a fog.

Entering the palace was like entering a golden kingdom. Through the mist, Joan of Arc saw that the ceiling and walls of the palace were covered with holy symbols and words. When were these symbols and words carved? Did the king do this while he was sealing off the palace?

Joan of Arc stopped and silently looked at the scene before her. On the small table at the corner was a vase, its pale white surface irregularly imprinted with golden symbols and words. Not only the vase, but all the objects around Joan of Arc were covered with the same marks, as if someone had splashed golden ink on them.

Beneath the pale white vase lay the body of a maid. There were no visible wounds on the body. Before she died, her hands were clasped together, and her face showed an expression of having seen heaven.

Joan of Arc peered at the sacred texts on the wall and discovered that they were all knowledge written in an ancient language known as the language of the gods. The grammar and engraving were extremely solemn and sacred. These texts should have been engraved in temples, and their widespread appearance in the palace gave people a sense of unease.

“There are corpses here too,” Lydia reminded Joan of the presence of others. They exchanged a quick glance, then Lydia looked at Joan, who hesitated for a moment before giving the order: “Continue forward.”

The palace activated its "array," transforming the entire palace into a giant maze. Those unfamiliar with the array would be forever trapped in its paths. However, Joan of Arc produced a map, a map that required deciphering according to the rules of images and text to understand. Joan of Arc then used the map to find her way through the palace.

The deeper they went, the denser the holy symbols and words became. They turned through several corridors and passed through countless intersections without encountering any obstacles, but they saw more and more corpses. They were either leaning against the walls or lying on the ground. There were no wounds on their bodies, but their faces all had an expression as if they were seeing heaven.

"Are all the people in the palace dead? Is this the real reason for sealing off the palace? When did they die? Was the young priest in this condition when he came out of the palace?"

The thought of the young priest emerging from the palace filled with corpses and coming before them to announce the king's decree sent a chill down everyone's spine.

“That proves that something terrible existed in the palace that killed everyone there. Be careful,” said the experienced knight.

The closer they got to the main hall of the palace, the thicker the golden fog became, and the more dazzling the golden light emanating from ahead. Many knights could not hold on along the way, but they had no map and could not find their way out of the labyrinthine palace. Joan of Arc could only leave them by the roadside, letting them rest against the wall, and reassuring them that everything was alright and that she would come back to rescue them once they had reached the heart of the enemy.

But Joan of Arc felt a sinking feeling in her heart, because when she left them by the roadside, she vaguely saw on their faces an expression similar to that of corpses, as if they were looking at heaven. The longer they remained in the thick golden fog, the more exposed they were to this intense light, the more dangerous it would be for them.

They have embarked on a path that leads only forward, not backward.

Those who remained were all the strongest members of the Knights, and only they could withstand the increasingly dense golden fog. However, there was one little one who insisted on staying by their side: Abby.

Its body trembled incessantly in the golden fog, revealing its great pain, yet it remained steadfastly by Joan's side, unwilling to linger.

Joan of Arc didn't know what spirit supported Abby to do this. Even after living a life of anonymity in the church, Abby still couldn't adapt to normal life. Moreover, Abby was withdrawn and didn't like to interact with people. During the day, usually only Joan of Arc would talk to her. Joan of Arc had to give Abby many instructions to ensure that she wouldn't be bullied in the church.

But now Joan of Arc understood that it was hatred, a deep-seated hatred for the king, that sustained her in doing so. Ever since she had become this small body, it had been hatred that kept this broken body alive.

"Stop!"

This was both a reminder to their own people and a warning to their enemies. Lydia raised her weapon. They were almost at the main hall of the palace when they finally encountered an obstacle: Florentine, the royal guard. Their greatest potential enemy before entering the palace.

Although this is the weakest the palace has been in a thousand years, the royal guards are still a force to be reckoned with; they are sworn to protect the king.

But the royal guard surprised them. He staggered toward the crowd, bloodshot eyes, and could barely hold his sword. He walked toward them, all because of his mission.

Sirio simply flashed in front of him and gently pushed him forward, and the royal guard fell to the ground. He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, his eyes rolled back, as if he had been contaminated.

Then people looked up at the bronze carved gate at the front, which, once opened, led to the king's residence.

What awaited them ahead? There was no time for them to think. Together, they pushed open the heavy bronze door, but the process proved to be far more difficult than they had imagined.

First, the golden fog outside the main hall was so thick that it was almost impossible for them to breathe, making their movements extremely difficult.

They also discovered that the bronze gate was firmly bound by golden chains, like a coffin door locked in chains. When they attacked the bronze gate, they found that their spiritual power was completely ineffective, as if it had sunk into the sea.

After trying it out, they realized that the door was not impossible to open, but to open it would require a long battle and would inevitably exhaust their spiritual power.

Even under normal circumstances, expending all spiritual energy is a dangerous thing. Expending spiritual energy under such a dense sea of ​​golden mist is even more dangerous for them. Jeanne made a decision and said, "Let's use our spiritual energy to push open the door together. I am in the best physical condition here, so I will go first."

“No, that won’t do.” Joan of Arc hadn’t expected her command to be refused. Lydia said, “We must open the door ourselves; you must conserve your spiritual power!”

"Why?" Joan of Arc asked.

"Because we came here for you, our purpose is to let you enter the palace and see the king! We are all willing to sacrifice ourselves for this! But you are the only exception. You must go to the main hall and see the king. You are the meaning of everything!" Lydia stared into Joan's eyes and said fiercely.

Joan of Arc was stunned and looked at the others. Unlike Lydia, Cyrio was not straightforward, but he, who usually only liked to brag and joke in the tavern, was now burning all his spiritual power. Not only Cyrio, but everyone who came here with Joan of Arc, even though they had not exchanged a word beforehand, all of them burned their spiritual power and worked together to push open the bronze door in front of them. Their figures in the golden fog looked like mortals trying to open the gates of heaven.

Joan of Arc was stunned. In her heart, things should never have turned out this way, but she understood the meaning in Lydia's eyes. In the end, she did not move, but stood behind everyone and planted a white flag with gold patterns on the ground. The flag fluttered in the golden fog.