The story of the black silk female knight

Zero took over the conversation and made a rather forceful declaration:

"Regardless of the reason, his disciples from the Flying Swallow Sect came to the Divine Favor Continent to steal, and as the sect leader, he must give us an explanation!"

"Then I'm afraid Your Highness will be disappointed."

A cold glint flashed in the Dragon Emperor's eyes again, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly:

"Because the Flying Swallow Sect ceased to exist more than 200 years ago... They colluded with the rebels, disrupted the country and the state, and committed heinous crimes. They have been wiped out by our imperial army. Except for a very few remnants who escaped, all 471 men, women, and children of the Flying Swallow Sect were nailed to wooden stakes at the execution ground."

What? The Flying Swallow Sect is a rebel group from the Central Plains Empire?

Valensa was quite surprised. Just as she was about to ask more questions, she felt a sharp pain in her leg. Zero had pinched her through her black stockings.

Zero didn't waste any more words, maintaining her expressionless saintly face as she nodded slightly to the Dragon Emperor:

"Thanks for your cooperation."

Then the tip of its tail left the planet model, causing the image on the dressing mirror to disappear and severing its connection with the Central Continent.

"Huh? Sister Zero, why...huh?"

Valensa was about to ask Zero why he didn't ask the Dragon Emperor a few more questions when she saw Zero's body suddenly slump backward as if it had no bones. Even his succubus tail hung listlessly on the ground, and beads of sweat began to appear on his fair skin. His breathing became heavier and heavier.

"Are you alright, Sister Zero?"

Valensa was startled and quickly stepped forward to support Zero. She sat down on the stall herself and removed her cold, hard silver armor so that Zero could lean more comfortably in her arms.

"...It's nothing, just that my body is a little overworked."

Zero lay in Valensa's arms, breathing softly for a moment before finally exhaling:

“Using a divine artifact is already a huge burden, not to mention that I used the Sunfire Divine Art across continents to defeat that green-haired turtle that definitely had the strength of a Moon Radiance… Luckily you got the key clue at the end, otherwise I might not have been able to hold on and would have made a fool of myself, which would have been a huge embarrassment.”

"So, Sister Zero, you were just putting on a brave face. I thought you were really... uh."

Valensa exclaimed in realization, then quickly shut up when she saw that Zero looked somewhat embarrassed and annoyed.

But then she thought of something else and asked with some worry:

"That strange woman beside the Dragon Emperor... that Consort Yu, why is she so powerful? Even you, Sister Ling, need to rely on the power of a divine artifact to attack across continents, and it consumes so much energy... How can she attack us across the ocean? Even though she didn't even scratch our skin, she only tore our stockings, isn't that a bit outrageous?"

“…I’m not sure either.”

Zero's expression also turned serious. He nuzzled against Valensa, his head twisting from side to side, the strands of hair tickling Valensa.

"I had heard that Xiao Yu was the number one expert in the Tianxuan Continent before... I met her a few times hundreds of years ago, but this is the first time I have seen her make a move."

"I've seen her take action once before, and I've also heard some things about her..."

Valensa briefly recounted her experiences in the Four Islands Alliance and what she had heard from Himiko to Zero, and then said:

"So, it seems that Consort Yu is truly at the legendary Sun-level? Is the difference between Sun-level and Moon-level really that great?"

"It's probably true... Anyway, as a peak Moonshine cultivator, I'm far inferior to her."

Zero nodded slightly, showing no concern whatsoever.

"But Valencia, you don't need to be afraid of her... We can't beat her on our own, but don't we have many divine artifacts from the goddesses? So what if she's a Sun-level being? Anyone who dares to run wild on the Divine Continent will be stuck here forever... One hundred percent, absolutely no chance of survival, I guarantee it!"

"Yes, I believe in Sister Zero."

Valensa certainly didn't doubt Zero's words.

She herself had personally experienced the power of miracles more than once or twice... Even the strongest cultivator could never resist the might of a true god.

Even a great witch like Friggia could be forcibly sealed away at her peak, so Xiao Yu alone is not worth worrying about too much... What we should really worry about is the entire Central Continent Empire and that Dragon Emperor who seems to be very scheming.

"So what should we do next, Zero-neechan?"

While secretly playing with Zero's succubus tail in her hand, Valensa asked:

Is the Dragon Emperor's statement about the Flying Swallow Sect credible?

"Believable."

Zero answered without hesitation. His limp tail, held and tossed about by Valensa, offered no resistance; he merely glared at her.

"The Dragon Emperor is, after all, the overlord of the continent. Although he is ambitious and disrespectful to goddesses, he would not stoop to lying about such a trivial matter. As for what's next... I'm too tired right now, so let me rest for a while and discuss it with them later."

"Alright then, Sister Zero, you should rest well first. I'll be your cushion and pillow, making sure you rest comfortably~~"

Valensa nodded with a smile, then seemed to remember something and asked curiously again:

"By the way, that man who was walking alongside Consort Yu behind the Dragon Emperor earlier, shouldn't he also be a big shot in the Central Continent Empire? Does Sister Zero know him?"

"know."

Zero had already closed his eyes, snuggling closer to Valensa in her arms to find a comfortable position, while yawning:

"That guy's name is Xiao Hu. He's the Grand Marshal of the Central Continent Empire and the older brother of Consort Yu, Xiao Yu, whom he grew up with... Originally, he was the first in line to inherit the Sword Pavilion, but after spending time with the Dragon Emperor, he fell deeply in love with him. He not only voluntarily gave up his position as the Sword Pavilion Master but also married his younger sister to the Dragon Emperor and assisted him in achieving his great cause..."

. . . . .

On the other side, in front of the council hall of the imperial palace in the Central Continent Empire.

"Those slaves of the gods are still so arrogant, humph!"

After watching Zero and Valensa's figures disappear into the air, the Dragon Emperor revealed a hint of anger, then turned halfway to look at the white-clad woman who was half a step behind him:

"This time, it was all thanks to Yu'er that the empire's dignity wasn't tarnished... Your sword strike must have frightened those two female slaves of the gods... You did a really good job. Have you made another breakthrough recently?"

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty... Yu'er has disappointed you."

Xiao Yu bowed gracefully, despite being the strongest person on the continent, or even the planet. Before the Dragon Emperor, she acted like a docile and obedient young lady. Even her grotesque face, which could terrify people and keep them awake at night, seemed less frightening now.

"Yu'er's sword is far from being able to injure people across tens of thousands of miles... Yu'er's sword strike just now was just a trick."

"Taking advantage?"

The Dragon Emperor raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued:

"Was it utilizing the power of that divine artifact itself? The Sword that Reverses Cause and Effect?"

"...No, even Yu'er couldn't reach this level."

The shame and bitter smile on Xiao Yu's face deepened:

"It was that paladin... Yu'er had met her once before when she was carrying out His Majesty's orders in the western barbarian lands."

Although she escaped quickly, she had already entered Yu'er's sword intent perception range, and Yu'er left a faint sword intent mark on her.

Yu'er only startled them by detonating that sword intent.

"...So that's it."

A clear look of disappointment flashed across the Dragon Emperor's face:

"It seems that the Empire is still unable to directly confront those slaves who rely on divine artifacts for support... We must first conquer that barbarian land in the west so that my path can advance further!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, the barbarian lands will soon become imperial territory."

Grand Marshal Xiao Hu clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice fervent:

"As early as when Yu'er went to the Western Continent to obtain the key to break the maze, I had already urged all shipyards in the empire to start manufacturing warships day and night. At most, it will take no more than 4 years for the main force of the empire to cross the endless sea! And the vanguard fleet led by General Zhu will be able to set off soon, and in 2 months, it can test the strength of those barbarians for His Majesty."

"it is good!"

The Dragon Emperor was then greatly pleased.

But he only said "okay," without saying anything more or returning to the main hall. Instead, he stood at the entrance of the main hall for a moment with a strange expression before looking at Xiao Yu:

"Yu'er, you said you saw the paladin from earlier?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Xiao Yu answered obediently, then secretly glanced at the Dragon Emperor's expression a few times, a strange look appearing in her large eyes:

"His Majesty seems quite interested in her... Has he taken a liking to her? Should Yu'er go and capture her now and present her to His Majesty?"

"Yu'er, you're joking... Others may not understand me, but don't you? I've long since given up those vulgar desires; the Great Way is what I pursue."

The Dragon Emperor immediately denied Xiao Yu's guess, but he soon pondered for a full half minute before telling the truth to the two people he trusted most:

“But I do have a very strange feeling about that paladin… If I’m not mistaken, she should be the final piece of the puzzle for me to achieve the Great Dao. I must personally destroy everything she cherishes and then completely conquer her body and soul, then my great undertaking can be accomplished.”

"This is easy, leave it to me, Yu'er."

Xiao Yu volunteered again:

"Yu'er will now embark on another long journey to kill all of that paladin's relatives and friends, then sever her limbs and deliver her to His Majesty."

"...No rush yet."

It was clear that the Dragon Emperor was somewhat tempted by Xiao Yu's suggestion, but after careful consideration, he ultimately waved his hand at Xiao Yu.

“I am indeed determined to have her, but the fact that she can use the divine artifacts on us while following the Holy Maiden means that she holds a very high position in the Church of the Sun… To attack her directly would be tantamount to declaring war on the Church, and with the current strength of the Empire, we still have no chance of winning. We will all suffer annihilation.”

The most urgent task is to conquer the Western Continent first, using the blood and essence of those barbarians to make my Central Continent Empire even stronger, strong enough that we no longer need to fear those slaves of the gods!

. . . . .

Divinely Favored Continent, Sacred Domain.

After using Valencia as a cushion and pillow, and sleeping comfortably for about an hour, Zero, who had been exhausted from using the magical device, was basically fully revived.

The first thing she did after recovering was to use her flexible tail to play all sorts of tricks and give Valensa, who had been playing with her tail and body while she was asleep, a good beating, making the female knight keep making 'gurgling' sounds of begging for mercy in the room deep inside the temple.

After re-establishing the professional relationship that the Saintess was above the Inner Temple Knights no matter what, Zero took Valensa back to Valensa's house to meet with the others and discuss the information they had obtained from the Dragon Emperor.

"Flying Swallow Sect? Rebels from the Central Plains Empire?"

Thousand-Leaf Grass, a descendant of the Holy Gate who harbored resentment towards the Central Plains Empire, was the first to speak after hearing Valensa's account:

"So, that imposter really is the Dragon Emperor's enemy? And we are also the Dragon Emperor's enemies... so we dealt a heavy blow to our own allies this time?"

"You can't say that."

Valensa shook her head, her expression on the table serious, but her hands under the table simultaneously grabbed the tip of Zero's tail and Chiba's fishnet stockinged feet, and used Zero's tail to poke Chiba's soles, causing both women to let out a soft moan before quickly biting their lips.

Valensa ignored the angry stares from both sides and continued in a serious tone:

"The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend... Perhaps the rebels of the Central Continent Empire might indeed cooperate with us, but that imposter thief is vicious and has committed numerous crimes; he definitely deserved to die... Don't forget, he almost killed you, damn it."

"...That's true, that bastard really deserves to die!"

Chiba Grass then remembered that she had almost become a victim of the fake phantom thief, and quickly nodded.

"However, this makes his motives quite intriguing... *slurp*"

Vilenkasha tossed the empty yogurt cup from her bosom into the trash can, then gently wiped the traces of white residue from the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief before continuing the conversation:

"After all, from the perspective of the Central Continent Empire rebels, they shouldn't have offended us again under any circumstances. On the contrary, they should have tried to please us and gain our support... But that guy from the Flying Swallow Sect still attacked our treasury, which can only mean..."

"This means that what's in that box is extremely important, and might even be the Dragon Emperor's weakness, the key to the rebels' victory over the Central Continent Empire!"

Valensa immediately understood what Velenkasa meant, and her eyes lit up as she said:

"And the methods the rebels can use, we might be able to use too... It's certain that the Central Continent Empire will invade the Frenoia Continent, the Dragon Emperor is also our enemy, and the contents of that strange box are equally important to us. We must find that box and open it!"

"Is such that."

Zero nodded:

"I have already informed the Midara sisters of the relevant information, so that they can focus on searching for relevant content when reading the fake phantom thief's memories. Perhaps they will find something useful."

Two more days passed.

The kick Valencia delivered before the imposter thief died was incredibly powerful; his brain was severely deformed and destroyed beyond recognition, with most of his brain fluid splattering out and being vaporized by the explosion, making it impossible to recover.

The Midara sisters tried many methods, but only managed to glean one useful piece of information from the fake phantom thief's head remains—what he was looking for was indeed to defeat the Dragon Emperor.

But what exactly is in that box? What is its purpose? Where is it currently hidden? We can't get any further information about that.

Fortunately, the Church of the Sun now recognized the importance of the matter and stopped treating it as a private affair for high-ranking officials. They mobilized many priests and paladins to search for the imposter, practically scouring every inch of the place where the fake thief had once been.

Persistence pays off, and the strange box was finally found... It had been hidden by the imposter thief in the storeroom of the men's changing room in a large bathhouse.

The box was quickly sent to the Holy Land, and along with it were more than 20 weapon refiners or their successors from the Tianxuan Continent. Their task was to find a way to open the box.

Actually, the fastest way would be to ask the inner palace knight of the Central Continent Empire back then, but interplanetary communication was indeed very troublesome and unsuccessful.

The Sanctuary on Eve Star doesn't even know where that former Inner Temple Knight is right now. They can only leave her messages through the Faith Circuit and wait for her reply, but she hasn't responded yet.

The universe is so vast, and the distances between planets are so great. Many places would take years to reach even at the speed of light... It's normal to wait years for a reply after sending a message, so we can't rely entirely on that inner sanctum knight; we have to find a way to unlock it ourselves.

Just as the old blacksmith had said, the ingenious lock on this strange box was the most advanced ingenious lock, and it was extremely difficult to crack... More than 20 blacksmiths discussed the box for two days and one night without making any progress.

Seeing that the weapon refiners all had dark circles under their eyes and looked listless, Valensa had no choice but to force them to go and rest first, and then continue solving the puzzles.