Just One Tiny Sacred Artifact, I Swear!

If shattering the rock was impossible, and thus, prying open the second sacred artifact lock embedded within remained out of reach, then... he would simply seize the entire rock itself!

What in this entire realm could possibly be beyond the grasp of the Rogue Sect's preeminent genius of a millennium? What treasure could I not pilfer!

Du Chen, with lightning speed, discarded all his lock-picking tools, deploying Old Four, the Invisible Shield, and Old Eleven, the Shadowless Flame whose very form remained invisible even to himself!

Beibei was far away, residing in a tent within the Eye of Heaven Forest. At present, Du Chen's sixth-level Battle Soul was insufficient to reach her across such a vast distance. Abandoning his Battle Soul, he instead utilized a wisp of his Lotus Primordial Spirit's Divine Sense. Du Chen commanded, “Dus, a major commotion is about to erupt at Moon Lake. Assume Francis's likeness and come to rendezvous with me. At the same time, have Beibei use the Spiritual Contract to notify Deboning, instructing him to create a diversion and draw Master Zigurd’s attention!”

As he spoke, Du Chen’s hands worked ceaselessly. Old Four, like a small shovel, gently flew to the base of the rock, while Old Eleven remained concealed within a recess of the Invisible Shield, poised to unleash an explosive surge of power at a moment's notice!

Du Chen launched himself towards the eastern shore, the sector with the weakest defenses, guarded only by a handful of covert sentries!

By this time, Donna had clarified the truth of the matter. Regardless of whether the Dragon Clan and Zigurd believed her or not, their gazes were now irrevocably fixed upon the new sacred artifact, one even more formidable than the Golden Circlet of the Divine!

The Sacred Dragon of the Dragon Clan stared coldly at Donna. “Divine Envoy Donna, I shall tentatively believe your words for now. Dean Zigurd, let us approach the sacred artifact from our respective positions for close protection... Damn it all, the entire army, protect the sacred artifact!”

Boom!

A sudden anomaly occurred. The massive black rock, as if perched upon the muzzle of a sacred artifact cannon, was blasted skyward by an immense force. Yet, despite being launched into the air, its colossal form remained utterly unharmed!

The instant the black rock soared dozens of meters high, a cascade of events unfolded within those fleeting split-seconds...

All present watched in stunned silence as the colossal rock vanished into thin air. Those with slightly greater strength could faintly discern that the rock was, in fact, rapidly shrinking, eventually diminishing to a size imperceptible to the naked eye from a distance!

Yet, Zigurd, the most formidable amongst them, saw it with crystalline clarity: the rock appeared to be held aloft by something, which then enveloped it, forcibly compressing it until it miniaturized. Following that, the now imperceptible rock shot towards the eastern shore! What power could possibly achieve such a feat!?

Upon realizing this, Zigurd compressed his voice into a sonic wave, relaying a full command in the time it would take an ordinary person to utter a single word. He roared, “Pursue to the east! Eastern Port sentries, clear a path for my Thorned Water Ring!” As he spoke, Zigurd flung an arc of water light from his arm, locking onto the rock!

Given Zigurd’s prowess, if Du Chen were to be ensnared by his Thorned Water Ring, escape would be utterly impossible!

But at that precise moment, a bizarre cackle echoed forth, and a streak of water light materialized out of nowhere, forcefully knocking Zigurd’s Thorned Water Ring out of the sky!

Zigurd’s heart jolted with alarm. He sensed that his opponent’s water light wasn't pure, indicating a lesser mastery over water compared to his own. However! The opponent's water light possessed such formidable and boundless power that it had actually struck down his Thorned Water Ring. This could only mean they possessed a water-elemental sacred artifact even more potent than the Thorned Water Ring, enhancing their abilities and aiding in battle!

It was Deboning, who had altered his voice and appearance!

Feeling the pervasive killing intent assault him, forcing him into an unwilling confrontation, Zigurd compressed his voice once more, roaring furiously, “Dragon Clan, pursue to the east! Be mindful that the rock has shrunk to the size of a mosquito; search meticulously! I shall engage this Master!”

And so, Zigurd, from whom Du Chen would otherwise have had no hope of escape, was successfully entangled by Deboning!

Du Chen, with Old Four coiling around the rock, flew eastward towards the Papal Curia’s encampment. Behind him, fifty to sixty Sacred Dragons, led by one in particular, flapped their wings, roaring in pursuit! The specific Sacred Dragon chasing Du Chen was none other than the father of those three 'Dragon Tyrants'. Though he might be the weakest among the Sacred Dragons, he was certainly not an opponent Du Chen could currently contend with!

Du Chen was hidden within the Lotus. Fearing the Lotus might be spotted by the Sacred Dragons, he could only fly parallel to the rock at a distance, daring not to keep it close. Wind howled past his ears, and trees blurred past his vision. His speed was pushed to its absolute limit, yet without the burst-enhancement capability of Old Eight, he would have long since been intercepted by the Sacred Dragons. After all, the Dragon Clan, with their mighty wings, were the undisputed overlords of the skies!

The situation was dire!

Damn it! Why is there nothing inside the Lotus to boost speed?! Master Grape, old man, you bestowed upon Senior Brother the ability to traverse a hundred thousand li with a single flip, so why couldn't you grant your little apprentice some speed-enhancing treasures!? Du Chen grumbled inwardly.

“What’s the rush? We’ve only just reached the Fourth Trigram; the brothers in the back haven’t even emerged yet!” Fifth Brother’s languid voice, at that moment, was nothing short of heavenly music!

Just then, a contingent from the Papal Curia, having discovered the commotion at Moon Lake, was rushing towards them. Mas led the charge atop a Crimson Unicorn Rhinoceros, while “Francis”—perhaps too deeply in his cups from a hangover, or simply too indolent to run—was sprawled across Aliza’s back, allowing Aliza to carry him in pursuit of Mas!

Du Chen rejoiced, promptly ordering, “Dus, have Aliza distance himself from the crowd a little. I’ll hide in his pocket, and then replace you!”

...

What followed was perfectly logical. The Dragon Clan’s pursuers encountered the Papal Curia’s forces. While the Dragon Clan remained fixated on the rock, Du Chen moved behind Aliza, using his colossal Golden Sarandor body as cover to swap places with Dus.

Then, the previously inebriated Francis seemed to sober up instantly. While secretly controlling Old Four to continue flying with the rock, he adopted the standard virtuous pose, urging Mas to assist the Dragon Clan. However, the boorish Mas proceeded to botch everything, and amidst the chaos, Du Chen retrieved Old Four...

Everything was flawless. Should anyone dare to accuse Du Chen of involvement in this theft, he would swear before the heavens with absolute conviction, “You are utterly shameless! Battle God Mas, hundreds of guards outside the tents, and thousands of Papal Curia soldiers all witnessed me, Francis, the ‘Glory of Saint John’ and ‘Light of Newin,’ first drinking, then accompanying Battle God Mas to apprehend thieves... to accuse me of stealing? Am I such an ignoble man!?”

Heh heh, after a night of pandemonium, Du Chen smiled faintly as he returned to his own tent. Let the commotion outside rage on; what concern was it of his? He was, after all, a great benefactor praised by all under heaven... and soon, he would receive accreditation from the Papal Curia's Codex, officially becoming a legally recognized philanthropist!

Of course, there was one prerequisite: Deboning must not expose their scheme!

Anxiously, Du Chen waited until noon, when Deboning pushed open the door, a faint, subtly triumphant smile playing on his lips.

“How did it go? Did you leave any traces?” Du Chen urgently inquired.

Deboning gently stroked the Blade of Vanishing Moon's Deadwater at his waist, his eyes revealing an inexpressible sense of gratification and fondness! “Rest assured, Young Master. Previously, I always engaged using metal-elemental Secret Techniques, but this time I suddenly confronted Zigurd with water-elemental methods. He will certainly not suspect me... Thank you, Young Master, for the blade!”

He bowed deeply, “Before, I was never a match for Zigurd when he wielded the Thorned Water Ring. Yet last night, I clashed fiercely with Zigurd on the shores of Moon Lake for a hundred moves without a clear victor! Later, seeing the arrival of reinforcements from the Papal Curia and the Dragon Clan, I retreated eastward, using the Blade of Vanishing Moon's Deadwater to summon the waters of the Eastern Sea, thereby making a safe escape!”

“That’s good then? You didn’t harm my Master, did you?” After Deboning shook his head with a smile, Du Chen stretched and chuckled, “Then, what was the haul from the Dragon God’s temporary palace last night?”

Deboning suddenly produced a baby-fist-sized red crystal dragon statue from a pouch at his waist. “Young Master, last night was exceedingly fortunate! I originally intended to ascertain the Dragon God’s injuries, but unexpectedly, I discovered a very secluded... memorial hall at the site where the Dragon God was recuperating!” He handed the red statue to Du Chen.

“This is... Constantine also gifted me something like this among his spoils. Could it be...?”

“This is the Dragon God’s own sister, and also Constantine’s wife!”

In the Battle God World, there’s a custom for commemorating the deceased: much like the Saint Sigurd Cain Estate erected a statue of Sigurd at its entrance, inscribing his deeds on a plaque beneath it, the relatives and friends of those who held status and position in life would, after their passing, place their statues and chronicles together for future generations to venerate!

The Dragon God held such reverence for his sister. Though she might not have attained the identity and status of a Fallen God hero, she was nonetheless the eldest princess of Mount Miglio, absolutely qualified to have monuments erected and chronicles written in her honor!

It was this biography within the memorial hall that allowed Deboning to almost fully understand Constantine’s past...

...

Constantine's story began over thirty, nearly forty years ago, yet its true origin lay a millennium in the past!

During the Cataclysmic Battle of Fallen Gods, Divine Emperor Princeps, leading the Holy Alliance, saved humanity from annihilation and rewrote history, earning the reverence of all races as the Eternal Divine Emperor. His wife, the Moon Goddess, naturally became the Divine Empress, a paragon for all under heaven!

Divine Emperor Princeps was the one closest to eternal immortality in the history of Battle Gods, standing at the very end of the Battle God's Path. While the Moon Goddess’s Secret Techniques might not surpass the Divine Emperor’s, they were still above the Nine Marshals of the Fallen Gods, and even more formidable than the current Goddess of Flowing Water, Margaret!

Though husband and wife, the Moon Goddess did not rely on the Divine Emperor, instead forging her own independent faction. Among her most trusted lieutenants were Muto, the ancestor of the Dragon Clan, and Xylon, the ancestor of the Divine Wolf clan, both hailed as her left and right arms! This dragon and wolf fought alongside the Moon Goddess through countless life-and-death struggles in the War of Fallen Gods, naturally becoming sworn brothers who crawled out of mountains of corpses together!

Muto and Xylon both fell in the War of Fallen Gods. Yet, after the war, the Dragon Clan and the Divine Wolf clan, bound by their shared legacy, became the most trusted allies to each other, with their respective leaders even referring to one another as brothers.

A millennium drifted by. The Divine Wolf clan suffered internal schisms and gradually declined; the noble among them became Frost Saint Wolves, while the less esteemed even devolved into Snow Wolves, despised by all! Meanwhile, the Dragon Clan rose to become the undisputed overlords of the Three Continents’ skies!

Beneath the facade of the Dragon Clan’s dominance, three hundred years ago—at a time when the brilliance of countless heroic Battle Gods across the Three Continents was overshadowed by Charlemagne alone—Muto's grandson died without an heir, plunging the Dragon Clan into internal strife. Amidst this chaos, from a collateral branch of the imperial family, whose entire lineage had been wiped out in the war, two children miraculously escaped: the daughter named Sia, and the son named... Samuel!

Samuel was born with unparalleled bravery and strength. By his own power, he annihilated his enemies, ascended the Dragon God’s throne, and elevated the Dragon Clan’s prestige to its zenith in a millennium... Until forty years ago, when Samuel married his sister to Constantine, his most trusted subordinate. He bestowed upon Constantine, who had followed him for over a century, fought countless battles alongside him, and risked life and limb during his rise to power, the title of 'Head of the Sacred Dragons'.

But at Constantine and Sia’s wedding, the Divine Wolf clan—the Dragon Clan’s sworn brothers—sent an envoy to offer felicitations. From the moment the emissary, Sophia, met Constantine, everything began to diverge from its intended path...

In a single night, Constantine betrayed his marriage vows and murdered his wife. After personally slaying his newly wedded spouse, and then executing dozens of his brothers and kin from Mount Miglio who had come to celebrate his wedding, he and Sophia both renounced their respective races, becoming the foremost traitors of the Three Continents!

As Deboning recounted the tale, everyone listened in rapt silence. When he finished, Aliza spat fiercely, “That despicable scoundrel! Betraying his master for a woman, killing his own wife, and not even sparing his kin and brothers who came to his wedding? May that bastard never fall into my hands, or I’ll knock out his front teeth!”

Du Chen scoffed, “No wonder Constantine dared to devise a scheme for a mere Star of Turaam, using my people to stall the Merfolk's pursuit... So he was this venomous forty years ago! Truly worthy of being the Third Head of the Valley of Villains!”

Beibei asked curiously, “But why did he kill so many people? And during his wedding? Couldn’t he have just secretly run away with Sophia? Why kill? Beibei hates him!”

Deboning replied, “Miss, such unsavory affairs of the Dragon Clan would never have their detailed truth carved upon memorial steles. I have no way of knowing!”

Finishing his explanation, Deboning shook his head slightly at Du Chen. “Young Master, besides this stone stele, I also secretly investigated some Secret Scrolls. Although Constantine’s former subordinates on Mount Miglio have been covertly exchanging messages with him, and he does indeed have some old friends, none of them seem to possess the power to orchestrate the annihilation of the Shadow Legion and rescue Constantine!”

Du Chen suddenly interjected, “Could it possibly be Sophia?”

“Unless Sophia had some extraordinary encounter during her years of disappearance, leading to a sudden surge in power, it couldn’t be her!” Deboning said, a hint of a sneer in his tone. “It truly is unexpected. I only meant to investigate Constantine, but I ended up unearthing Andy’s entire family tree!”

Du Chen paused, then let out a soft chuckle.

Indeed, the affairs of the Dragon Clan and the Wolf Clan were inextricably intertwined. What Deboning had just recounted, wasn’t it also the story of Andy’s ancestors?

Upon reflection, whether it was Andy, the Snow Wolves, the Frost Saint Wolves, or the Sacred Dragons, the Dragon God... even all the events that had transpired since his arrival at the Eye of Heaven Forest! It seemed that behind everything, there lingered the shadow of a single individual—the Moon Goddess!

The Moon Goddess... Right, that black rock had also exploded, revealing the new sacred artifact, precisely because of the stimulation from Moonfire!

It was time to thoroughly examine that black rock!