Chapter 1120 Ancient Heroes from the East
His roar energized the people around him. Their eyes turned bloodshot as they roared and charged toward Jiang Bai. The man wielding the giant axe was the first to leap up, and the huge axe descended from the sky, as if to cleave Jiang Bai in two.
Meanwhile, the others attacked Jiang Bai from all directions, shouting and their bodies burning with crimson battle qi, but it wasn't fire battle qi. No one knew what it was, but it was some kind of energy.
Jiang Bai merely sneered and said, "Naive!"
He caught the giant axe that was cleaving down with his bare hands.
He stood there with one hand in his pocket and the other holding the giant axe, looking extremely relaxed. The huge and sharp axe didn't even cut through his skin.
This scene caused those who were roaring and preparing to charge forward, or even halfway there and about to reach Jiang Bai, to suddenly stop and stare at him in disbelief.
You must know, Chekhov is the strongest person here, a third-class heroic spirit!
His strength was as great as his axe, capable of splitting a small mountain in two.
But it was actually caught by someone... with their bare hands?
Fear instantly filled the faces of those around them, filled with apprehension, and all the courage they had shown moments before was gone.
"Snap!"
With a little force, the giant axe was crushed in Jiang Bai's hand, and then he casually tossed it away, and Chekhov died under the fragments of his own giant axe.
"Run!" Someone shouted, and the group of muscular men, no longer having the courage to face Jiang Bai, scattered and fled.
It was as if she didn't want to linger in front of this terrifying man for even a moment longer.
Unfortunately, they were facing Jiang Bai, and their strength was too low; there was no way they could escape from Jiang Bai's clutches.
In an instant, Jiang Bai wiped them all out. They didn't even see how Jiang Bai moved before they died unwillingly.
After finishing all this, Jiang Bai returned to Elena's side. What had just happened was a bit bloody, and he was afraid that the little girl would be frightened because she had never seen blood before. Although the other party was also quite strong and could be considered a genius, she was still a young girl after all.
Jiang Bai realized he was wrong. Elena showed no fear whatsoever; in fact, she seemed quite pleased and was looking at him with great interest.
"My lord, are you... are you an ancient spirit from the East?"
"Is that the ancient hero who never returned to Valhalla, as legend has it, you?"
Elena looked at Jiang Bai with hopeful eyes, her big eyes blinking and sparkling with a light that made one's heart flutter and unable to refuse.
Even if Jiang Bai wasn't some ancient hero from the East, it wasn't appropriate to say it and shatter the other party's hopes.
To be honest, what young girls fear most is the shattering of their hopes. Anyway, Jiang Bai is going to the Hall of Heroes to help Emma.
If these guys were rebelling against someone else, Jiang Bai wouldn't bother with the mess in the Hall of Heroes. He's too busy with his own affairs to care about others.
But Emma had helped Jiang Bai and rescued him, and she also had some feelings for him. Of course, Jiang Bai also had some feelings for her. The two of them were the type who understood each other without saying a word.
Besides, although Jiang Bai didn't actively ask Emma to go to Valhalla to become a saintess, Emma went there because of Jiang Bai.
Therefore, both morally and logically, Jiang Bai should intervene.
We must intervene. Since that's the case, whether it's something like Eastern Heroic Spirits or something else is not so important.
Since we're going to take care of this anyway, let's give this girl some hope.
Besides, although this girl is innocent, she seems to be somewhat wary of outsiders. If I say that I am Emma's friend or something, she may not believe me, and she may not be willing to take me to Valhalla.
That dilapidated place is nothing like Rome, where the Holy See is located in a grand and imposing manner, and is easily found by everyone.
Valhalla is hidden in the snowy plains of Northern Europe, a mysterious region. There has always been a legend about such a place, but no one knows where it is.
Aside from those inside, it would be difficult for outsiders to find it. Jiang Bai guessed it was a place similar to a small world of Eastern cultivator sects.
Those kinds of places are hard to find without someone to guide you.
So he felt perfectly justified in impersonating an ancient hero from the East, hidden in the snowy plains.
Isn't that exactly what Elena thinks?
After thinking about it, Jiang Bai nodded, which was considered his tacit acceptance of the title.
He may not be some ancient hero, but he admits... he's inferior to those guys.
A mid-level Grand Celestial can fight against a high-level Grand Celestial, and even challenge the Supreme Grand Duke who overturns the Grand Celestial realm. Jiang Bai believes that even the ancient hero hidden in the snowfield might not be able to do that.
His willingness to impersonate someone actually made the other party look good.
Seeing Jiang Bai nod, Elena immediately smiled.
Then, tears streamed down her face as she knelt down and cried out to Jiang Bai, "My lord, the High Priest and several priests have taken advantage of His Holiness the Pope's death to launch a rebellion and have now surrounded the Holy Maiden Palace."
"The First-Class Heroic Spirit, Lord Gustav, is currently leading the forces loyal to the Saintess and the Pope in resistance."
"But most people joined the rebellion. They believed the high priest's words and accused the saint of murdering His Holiness the Pope. Lord Gustav and his men were outnumbered and outmatched, and are now struggling to resist!"
"As the Holy Maiden's personal maid, I was secretly sent out by her. She hopes that I can find you, who are wandering in the wilderness, and ask you to return to Valhalla to help us quell the rebellion!"
Just as Jiang Bai was about to agree after saying that, Elena suddenly did something that left him speechless.
Elena slowly stood up, then untied her white silk robe. The light silk fell to the ground in the howling north wind, landing on the snow-covered ground.
A perfect ketone body appeared before Jiang Bai.
Elena blushed slightly and said in a low voice, "According to the ancient covenant, Valhalla should provide you with offerings, but the offerings provided by the Holy Maiden have been lost on the way."
"These people discovered my trail and chased me all the way. I had no choice but to discard the heavy offerings. Without the precious blood offerings, I am willing to offer my virginity as a sacrifice to you."
"I only hope that after you have enjoyed it, you can come back to the Holy Maiden Palace with me to quell the rebellion. Her Highness the Holy Maiden will certainly not treat you unfairly. Not only me, but you can also receive more sacrifices."
"Including fine wine, blood food, and other virgins."
Chapter 1121 Please Accept the Offering
This scene left Jiang Bai dumbfounded, and he wanted to slap himself.
What the hell is going on?
Why pretend to be an ancient hero from the East?
Did the girl misunderstand as a result?
To be honest, her curvaceous body after taking off her clothes was really attractive. If it were anyone else, Jiang Bai might have gone along with it, but he was definitely not a gentleman.
But with such a young girl in front of him, let alone whether Jiang Bai could bring himself to do it.
The key point is that the girl in front of her is Emma's personal maid.
That was Emma's most trusted and most trusted person in Valhalla.
If I were to take care of her now, what kind of mess would that be? How would I explain it to Emma afterwards?
I'd heard that Valhalla was full of barbarians who lived for nothing but war, beautiful women, and food. Becoming a hero meant enjoying the best beauties, the most precious blood food, and the sweetest wine.
Every time the Hall of Heroes needs to use these ancient heroes, it has to offer sacrifices. Jiang Bai used to think of it as a myth, but he never expected it to be true!
What the hell are these rules?
Moreover, these brain-trained but physically weak people have high standards; it seems they only want virgins.
With that build, aren't you afraid of wearing someone out?
What a bunch of tall, burly, barbaric beasts!
Fortunately, Elena did not find that ancient spirit hidden in the snowfield.
If Jiang Bai knew this and actually did it, he would have to curse that such a good cabbage had been eaten by a pig.
I might even have to stand up for Elena and teach that bastard a lesson.
But now that this matter has fallen on Jiang Bai's shoulders, Jiang Bai is in a bit of a bind.
If I had known better, I would have told everyone I was Emma's friend or something, which would have been better than what I am now.
"Put your clothes on." Jiang Bai glanced helplessly at Elena, then looked away before saying this to her.
"My lord, do you think my body is not beautiful enough? I may not be able to compare with the Holy Maiden, but I am still loved by many in Valhalla, and... I am truly a virgin."
"Don't you...don't you like my type?"
"It doesn't matter. As long as you like, the Holy Maiden will definitely help you find a suitable virgin. I only ask that you come back to the Hall of Heroes with me and help the Holy Maiden deal with those traitors!"
Irina did not do as Jiang Bai said. Instead, she knelt naked in the snow, tears welling in her eyes, and said these words to Jiang Bai.
It seems this little girl is really loyal to Emma.
"That's not what I meant. Get up. To tell you the truth, I'm not some ancient hero spirit at all. I'm Emma's friend who just happened to be here. I heard that something happened in Valhalla, and I was afraid you wouldn't believe me, so I pretended to be this hero spirit."
"You don't need to do that, I'll help you. Hurry up and put on your clothes! Don't get cold!"
Jiang Bai quickly explained, revealing the whole story.
"Not an ancient heroic spirit?" Elena looked at Jiang Bai with a blank expression, puzzled and even somewhat disbelieving.
Having lived in Valhalla since childhood and never having had any contact with the outside world, she couldn't understand Jiang Bai's words at all, because in her eyes, only heroic spirits could be so powerful.
If it's not a Heroic Spirit, then what is it?
Moreover, the place where it appeared was in this vast snowfield. This snowfield is untouched by the elements all year round, covered in snow, and almost uninhabited. It is a wild and desolate place. How could someone happen to appear here, especially an Easterner?
And how can it be so powerful?
Elena said she couldn't understand.
Then a strange thought formed in Elena's mind: "It must be that the Heroic Spirit doesn't like my type and prefers mature women, which is why he said that to me!"
But... where can we find mature women for the Heroic Spirit now?
Elena was in a bit of a dilemma.
Such women do exist; there are many in Valhalla. There are many women in Valhalla who are strong and full of mature charm in her eyes, but they are all in Valhalla, not here.
Where should she look for it?
However... if there is no offering, according to the rules, the ancient spirits will not provide help to those who do not have offerings for any reason, not even the Pope or the saintess.
Unless it is by the command of the gods, or Valhalla is facing annihilation.
But it's just a rebellion now, how could there be any catastrophic disaster?
As for the gods?
It has been many years since we last contacted Valhalla. If we could contact the gods, how could the saintess have ended up in this situation, being besieged by the high priest?
Elena looked worried for a moment.
Finally, she gritted her teeth, prostrated herself on the ground, and said to Jiang Bai, "My lord, I know you don't like my tender body, but in this situation, I really can't find a sacrifice that satisfies you. Please make do with me for now."
"I assure you that the Holy Maiden will find you more and more suitable offerings, and I'm sure you will be satisfied."
One sentence made Jiang Bai cover his forehead in disbelief.
What's going on here? Why can't I explain this to her?
Didn't I already say that I'm not some ridiculous Heroic Spirit?
But it was Emma's friend, so why wouldn't she listen?
Despite further explanation, the other party still didn't believe him. Finally, Jiang Bai had no choice but to say, "Fine, fine, I accept your sacrifice. But didn't you also say..."
"The situation is urgent, and we don't have time to waste here. Let's return to the Hall of Heroes first, and then we can talk about your sacrifice after I've helped the Holy Maiden, okay?"
The normal explanation wouldn't work, so Jiang Bai could only say this.
This made Elena hesitate, because it was against the rules. According to ancient tradition, this was an act that went against the interests of the Heroic Spirits and could not be accepted by all Heroic Spirits.
Logically speaking, they should have received the offerings in return for providing assistance.
Elena hesitated for a moment, afraid that the heroic spirit in front of her might not think much of her and was just saying it without any intention of helping.
But then I realized that the heroic spirit before me had no reason to deceive me.
For a moment, Elena was at a loss for words, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and remained hesitant.
"Alright, I keep my word. I accept your sacrifice. You have to believe me. Get up now. What we should do now is return quickly. You are already my sacrifice. Do you think I would let you go?"
Upon hearing this, Elena smiled, wiped away the tears that had just flowed from the corners of her eyes and were already somewhat frozen, and quickly stood up and put on a thin silk shirt.
With a look of awe and happiness, she bowed to Jiang Bai and said, "Thank you for your generosity. Your generosity will be rewarded. When I return to the Hall of Heroes, I will definitely keep my promise and ask Her Highness to prepare more offerings to suit your taste."
Chapter 1122 Four Splashes
Rubbing his temples, Jiang Bai was really having a headache. He didn't want to say anything more to this clueless little girl in front of him, so he nodded in acquiescence.
They then discovered that the other party was overjoyed.
"Let's go." Jiang Bai then took Elena with him and, following her directions, rushed forward, heading northwest.
It wasn't that Elena couldn't walk, but rather that her speed was slightly slow. With her using the Rainbow Transformation Technique, Jiang Bai's martial arts prowess played a significant role in their journey, allowing them to travel a hundred miles in no time, speeding along the way.
This vast land is covered in ice and snow, a silver-clad landscape, making it impossible to discern the present from the past. It seems as if this place has been like this since time immemorial, unchanged for hundreds of millions of years.
Occasionally, a burly polar bear, a bright white hare, or a hungry wolf would appear sporadically, adding a touch of life and making one feel that this place was not as desolate and uninhabited as it had always been.
Following Elena's guidance, Jiang Bai used the Rainbow Transformation Technique for half an hour and stood in the center of a primeval forest located between two mountains.
"The Hall of Heroes is just ahead, nestled between two mountains in a valley."
"Behind us lies our eternal hunting ground!"
"That is the dwelling place provided for us by the gods."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai was stunned for a moment, a cold smile appearing on his lips. As he knew, this should be a small world similar to a grotto-heaven, but he didn't know how big it was.
You should know that small worlds come in all sizes. Jiang Bai didn't know how they were divided, as no one had ever told him. However, he knew that the smaller ones were only a few kilometers in radius, while the larger ones... well, he had never seen them.
The largest one he had ever seen was the one belonging to Qingyun Sect, which was several hundred kilometers in circumference, with seven mountains situated within it, and lakes and fertile fields surrounding it.
But that's not considered big. Legend has it that Jin'ao Island, hidden in the clouds and mist on the coast of the East China Sea, is extremely large, spanning thousands of miles, and is more than three times the size of the island.
The creatures inside even form their own kingdom, providing sustenance to Jin'ao Island for thousands of years.
Fortunately, this is within the small world. If it were outside, countless heroes would have shed their blood on this island.
Unlike those in the East, this small world is completely locked down. The Holy See may still have some knowledge of things like immortal techniques and formations.
However, asking the roughnecks of Valhalla to do this was asking too much of them.
They don't know anything!
So this place was simply processed by a few layers of mist. Following a certain pace, they passed through the jungle in front of them, and then the view suddenly opened up before Jiang Bai and Elena.
A magnificent palace complex appeared before Jiang Bai. The golden rocks, of unknown origin, formed the splendid palace, which stretched endlessly, covering the entire valley.
A golden bridge connects the two peaks from bottom to top, and two magnificent palaces appear out of thin air on the left and right mountain peaks.
The rolling mountains, connected to a tall city wall standing between the two mountains in front of the palace, completely blocked people's view. Behind this city wall and mountains should be the so-called Hall of Heroes.
At this moment, there are no guards here, but on the mountain peak to the right, thick smoke rises from the magnificent palace, and from time to time, chilling shouts of battle can be heard.
"The Papal Palace is on the left, and the Saintess Palace is on the right. Now those people are besieging the Saintess Palace under the leadership of the High Priest."
Pointing to the mountain peak on the right, Elena said anxiously.
"High Priest?"
Jiang Bai didn't understand what this ritual was. As far as he knew, there were only divine messengers here and no priests. The status of the divine messengers should be equivalent to that of the cardinals of the Holy See, or even more powerful. He didn't know, after all, Jiang Bai had seen the first-class heroic spirit Gustav, who was a genuine celestial being.
The divine messenger is above them in status, and in theory should be stronger. Although his status is comparable to that of the cardinal, his strength should be superior.
However, this was just Jiang Bai's own guess. The Hall of Heroes had been hiding in this snowfield for a very long time. He only knew a general outline of their situation, and most of it came from rumors and ancient books.
Without actual contact, no one can say for sure what their situation is.
Jiang Bai's question startled Elena for a moment. She then imagined what Jiang Bai was thinking and figured that he might have forgotten some of the local names because he hadn't been back for a long time. So she quickly explained, "The High Priest is the First Divine Messenger. We are used to calling divine messengers priests."
"Of the nine priests of Valhalla, three support the Saintess and Lord Gustav in resisting at the Saintess's Palace, while the rest have joined the rebellion with the High Priest, believing his lies."
"I believe that the Holy Maiden murdered His Holiness the Pope."
"Let's go take a look." Hearing this, Jiang Bai didn't hesitate. Although judging from the shouts of battle coming from the other side, the fighting was still fierce and neither side had achieved an absolute victory.
But since it concerns Emma, Jiang Bai has to take this matter seriously.
Elena headed straight for the Saintess Palace, and the journey was smooth. However, when she reached the magnificent palace on the right-hand mountain peak, she found it already bustling with people.
A group of burly men stood there, holding weapons. They didn't have bright and shiny armor, but the weapons in their hands were all heavy. Jiang Bai, who was 1.8 meters tall, looked like a short, stout person among these hairy gorillas.
He couldn't even compare to the women, let alone the men. Looking at those burly, half-naked women with bulging muscles and a fierce aura, Jiang Bai unconsciously swallowed, and fine beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
Thinking back to what Elena had said to him, Jiang Bai couldn't help but feel ashamed.
This kind of offering?
Well, it's probably better not to.
"Who are you?" Jiang Bai and his group arrived silently and stood at the back of the crowd at the entrance, trying to go in, but they were quickly discovered.
It wasn't that Jiang Bai lacked ability, but rather that the place was simply too crowded with people. The passageway was also quite narrow, making it difficult to squeeze in.
"She's Elena, the saint's personal maid! It's her! Seize her!" Several burly men immediately reacted, pointing at Elena and shouting; they recognized her.
Unfortunately...
Instead, they were met with a huge fist that knocked the burly man who had spoken to the ground, sending him flying backward. The group of people behind him were also knocked down. A large number of people could not withstand the fierce force and fell to the ground, screaming in agony. As for the man who had spoken, his brain had already been smashed into a large watermelon, with his brains splattered everywhere.
Chapter 1123 No Surrender
Ignoring these people, Jiang Bai charged straight through the crowd at the entrance, then, with Elena in tow, he leaped through the central garden and headed straight for the main hall inside.
At this very moment, a group of people are besieging a large hall in the central garden, fighting fiercely at the entrance.
Thousands of people looked around, weapons in hand, but instead of attacking, they kept their distance, leaving a spacious enough area in the center for those at the entrance to fight.
One side was full of energy and had an indomitable spirit, while the other side looked gloomy and was struggling to survive.
At least seven or eight experts at the Heavenly Rank are doing their utmost to besiege four or five experts of the same rank, overwhelming them with their superior numbers.
This kept the guards of the main hall busy dealing with the situation.
Despite being outmatched and covered in wounds, he gritted his teeth and fought back with great difficulty.
Among the five experts who resisted, Jiang Bai happened to recognize one of them: Gustav, a first-class heroic spirit.
Despite his strength, he was still struggling to keep up with the combined attack of two equally skilled opponents, and his body was already covered in wounds.
In the center of the fighting crowd, an old man in golden robes stood there, squinting as he watched the battle unfold. Behind him were five people dressed in the same attire, quietly observing the fight.
On the other side, there were three people dressed similarly, but these three people also looked to have some scars on their bodies, probably having just experienced some kind of battle. In the center of this group stood a woman wearing golden armor, revealing her fair thighs and exquisite curves, with long golden hair hanging down her back, like a goddess.
This is Emma, an acquaintance of Jiang Bai.
Her face was now cold and her expression was extremely solemn. There was a trace of bright red blood on her pretty face, and it was impossible to tell from a distance whether it was hers or someone else's.
"Holy Maiden, stop your futile resistance! You should know that you are no match for us. If you surrender, we can spare the lives of the others."
Standing there watching the fight, the old man slowly spoke, looking directly at Emma, and said something noncommittal.
"Norov! You traitor, you're dreaming! His Holiness the Pope's health was already poor, and while his sudden death was somewhat unexpected, it wasn't impossible!"
"According to tradition, the Holy Maiden will concurrently serve as Pope until the next generation of gods has given their new will. She can hold both positions. But for your own ambition, you actually framed the Holy Maiden for plotting to murder the Pope and led a rebellion. Your crimes are simply unforgivable!"
"Once the gods find out about this, you will surely die a horrible death!"
Before Emma could speak, one of the divine messengers next to him stood up angrily and pointed at the old man's nose, cursing loudly.
In his eyes, such behavior was unforgivable.
"Gods? We are human beings, why should we obey the will of so-called gods?"
"Today, we are no longer in that ancient and barbaric era. We have long since opened our eyes and seen this world clearly. We are not the creatures they created."
"The world we live in was not created by them, nor are they omniscient and omnipotent. In fact... in my opinion, they are morally flawed and are just a group of guys with powerful military strength who presumptuously call themselves gods to enslave us."
"We have endured this for thousands of years, but now I feel it's enough! How many years has it been? A hundred years? Two hundred years? Or even more distant times? They have already severed ties with us."
"There is more than one family of gods, and our Hall of Heroes should not be enslaved by a group of people we can no longer contact. Our lives should be decided by ourselves, not by a group of so-called gods."
"And you... have long been outdated, Meredov, your thinking will eventually be eliminated!"
After saying this, Norov pointed at Emma and said, "Do you really believe that this woman, who has been here for less than half a year and whose strength is not even as good as a third-class Heroic Spirit, can lead us to a brighter future?"
No! She can't!
"Only I, only I, Norov, can lead everyone to a brighter future. Our Hall of Heroes is full of ancient heroes. As long as we make sacrifices, we can summon these true heroes to fight for us."
"We shouldn't cower on this cold snowfield; we should head south and take over that warm land."
"Our strength is not much inferior to that of the so-called Holy See. Why can they occupy the fertile lands and the center of civilization in the south, while we can only cower here?"
"Surrender. There's no point in you struggling anymore. Many of you have died in the past two days. You're all exhausted. You're all from the Hall of Heroes. As long as you pledge allegiance to me, let me become the new Pope, hand over this woman, and let my daughter become a saint."
"Then I can still let you go!"
Summon those ancient heroes and head south to confront the Holy See.
Jiang Bai had to admit that Norov was incredibly ambitious.
There's a reason why Valhalla is holed up in this land. Thousands of years ago, they tried to extend their reach, but were met with a devastating blow.
The Holy See is far from being as weak as it appears; they are very powerful, truly incredibly powerful. Just think of all those ascetics scattered across the world over the centuries—the sheer number is chilling.
And that unfathomable Pope is far superior to this Norov before us.
His strength is only at the Great Celestial Realm level; with that kind of power, someone could crush him with a single finger.
Jiang Bai was very curious: where did he get the courage to compete with others?
It's not terrible for people to have ambition; what's terrible is overestimating their abilities. In Jiang Bai's view, this Norov was overestimating his abilities.
Jiang Bai didn't know how many ancient heroes they had, but the price they would have to pay to summon them was probably something the current Hall of Heroes couldn't afford.
They're all a bunch of greedy bastards.
Therefore, Jiang Bai only sneered at his words.
While he was sneering, someone next to Emma clearly hesitated.
Things have progressed to this point, and they are almost exhausted. There is no point in struggling anymore. Continuing to struggle will only lead to their death. So it is normal for some people to hesitate.
Even Emma herself hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. Emma took a step forward and whispered, "If I choose to surrender, can you guarantee you'll let them go?"
"Of course!" A look of wild joy flashed across Norov's face.
He knew he was about to win and fulfill his long-cherished wish.
"No, Your Highness, your maid has already left. Perhaps she has found the ancient spirits scattered in the snowfield, and that person will be able to return soon."
"We...we just need to hold on a little longer!"
Chapter 1124 I'll Listen to You
Gustav cried out and retreated to Emma's side. The battle had already ended when Emma spoke, which allowed him to return and speak out immediately, not wanting Emma to surrender.
"A maid? You mean Elena?"
"She's probably already dead in the snowfield!"
Norov sneered at this, thinking Gustav's idea was rather naive.
He then explained, "Indeed, this little girl is very clever and took an extremely secretive route, but don't forget, this place has been under my control for many years."
"How could I not know she left here?"
"One second-class heroic spirit and several third-class heroic spirits have already set off, following behind her. Judging by the time, it should be about time; they should already be on their way back."
One sentence turned Gustav's face ashen, but he still gripped his spear tightly and refused to let go.
But in reality, both he and Emma already knew that the tide had turned against them.
"That's not necessarily true!"
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out, and Jiang Bai, who had been standing at the top of the hall and had been unnoticed by anyone, appeared before everyone with Elena.
His appearance surprised both Gustav and Emma.
Of course, it wasn't just the two of them who were stunned, but everyone around them as well, because none of them had noticed Jiang Bai's presence before.
This put everyone present on guard.
This is common knowledge in the cultivation world: when someone appears in front of you silently and you don't notice them, either this person has some special stealth ability, or this person's power far exceeds yours.
The current situation clearly falls into the latter category.
Before this, Jiang Bai stood atop this hall, even with Elena as a burden, without being noticed, which was enough to prove his formidable strength.
"Who are you!" Norov asked warily.
"This is an ancient heroic spirit from the East, one of the ancient heroic spirits scattered across the snowfields from our Hall of Heroes!" Before Jiang Bai could answer, Irina spoke up and answered for him.
After saying this, he bowed to Emma and said, "Holy Maiden, as you instructed, Elena has found the ancient heroic spirits scattered on the ice plains. However, my offering has been lost. I am willing to offer myself as a sacrifice to the hero, but this is not enough. I hope you can make amends later. This is my promise to the hero."
One sentence made Jiang Bai, who had been so imposing just moments before, instantly embarrassed. His face flushed slightly, and he coughed twice before noticing that Emma was looking at him with a strange expression.
As a saintess of Valhalla, she had no reason not to know what kind of people those greedy and lustful ancient heroes were.
The details of the sacrificial offerings were, of course, perfectly clear.
"Ahem, this... I..."
Just as Jiang Bai was about to explain, Norov sneered, "What ancient heroes from the East? Our Hall of Heroes has never had such heroes!"
"Foolish woman, you've chosen the wrong person!"
Despite this, he still looked at Jiang Bai with a wary expression and asked cautiously, "You come from the East, and you should have no conflict with our Hall of Heroes. This is our internal affair, and we hope you will not interfere."
"If you are willing to let go, you will win the friendship of Valhalla; if you are not..."
"What if you refuse to do something?"
Why is this guy trying to threaten me? On what grounds?
Although he was also at the Great Celestial level, and his level might even be slightly higher than mine, he didn't notice me when I appeared, which proves that his divine sense is really poor.
He's just a muscle-bound, simple-minded guy. Jiang Bai has an absolute advantage in fighting him.
You think you can threaten me with this?
"If you refuse, you will become an enemy of Valhalla, and becoming an enemy of Valhalla is a terrifying thing!"
"puff!"
Jiang Bai couldn't help but burst out laughing on the spot. Who did this guy think he was? Talking to him like this?
Are you afraid of Valhalla or anything like that?
The Holy See has already killed several first-class ascetics, and the Dark Council's first-class dukes kill them like dogs. The Eastern immortal sects have already destroyed their own sects and clans, so why would they be afraid of another Hall of Heroes?
To be honest, compared to them, Valhalla is really nothing.
"As for enemies, just consider me one. Anyway, I have enemies all over the world. One more or one less makes no difference. Who told me to be friends with Emma? Even if she's not some ancient hero from your Hall of Heroes, I'm still going to get involved in this matter."
"Not an ancient heroic spirit?"
Elena's face paled at first upon hearing this, but her expression improved considerably when Jiang Bai offered to help. Then, remembering her earlier actions, Elena blushed deeply.
She stripped naked in front of a stranger and begged him to...
The maidservant said she was speechless.
However, she was just an insignificant figure here, and few people present paid attention to her changes in expression, unaware that she was filled with shame and indignation at this moment.
Emma patted her on the shoulder, a half-smile on her face.
"How have you been lately?" It hasn't been long since Emma left, only a few months, but Jiang Bai still feels like a day apart feels like three autumns.
He looked at Emma and asked her this question.
"Hmm, it's alright." Emma said quietly, her face still bearing that sweet smile, but her demeanor had changed drastically. It seemed that she had experienced a lot in the past few months, and as a result, her every move had taken on a certain noble air, something she herself hadn't even noticed.
"What do you plan to do with this bastard?" Jiang Bai nodded after saying that, and then pointed to High Priest Norov.
They don't seem to care about people at all.
This startled Gustav, who instinctively blurted out, "Norov is one of the high-ranking holy warriors..."
Before she could finish speaking, she wisely shut up. The Holy Maiden had always been concerned about Jiang Bai's movements, and had people outside to gather information about him. The things this old man had been doing recently were truly alarming.
Considering his current state, it seems that High Priest Norov is not taken seriously by the other party, regardless of his cultivation level.
"I'll listen to you," Emma said playfully, blinking her eyes.
This stunned everyone around them; such an expression had never appeared on the face of the Holy Maiden before.
She should be holy and beautiful, supreme, majestic as a mountain, and never smile.
But that expression...
So beautiful!
Unconsciously, some of the people around him were already in a daze; even the rough and rugged men had the ability to appreciate and distinguish between beauty and ugliness.
Chapter 1125 Ancient Heroes
"Damn it! You guys are completely disregarding me! You're asking for it!"
Seeing this, Norov was so angry he almost vomited blood. He stood up and roared, throwing a punch at Jiang Bai. At this moment, the golden robe hanging outside had fallen to the ground, and his old body was full of strong muscles.
He looked exactly like the Nalan Zongde that Jiang Bai had met, except that the old Nalan had a long braid down his back, while this one had a small braid.
"Boom!"
Upon seeing his opponent make a move, Jiang Bai sneered, rushed out, and collided with his opponent's punch.
In terms of strength, he has never been afraid of anyone!
After the loud bang, the ground in the center of their confrontation collapsed and cracks appeared.
At the same time, Norov was sent flying backward, crashing into the wall and collapsing it before slowly getting to his feet. He looked at Jiang Bai with a terrified expression and asked, "Who are you! How can you possibly surpass me in strength?"
"Jiang Bai!"
Jiang Bai introduced himself.
"My God, it's Jiang Bai!"
"Gods, why did you let this person come here?"
"The High Priest is finished. This man has slaughtered a first-class ascetic and fought to a draw with the Supreme Duke. Apart from the ancient heroes, no one can rival him!"
"You're wrong. Ancient heroes also have different levels. Ordinary ancient heroes are definitely no match for this person, but high-level ancient heroes can absolutely defeat him!"
Immediately, there was a flurry of discussion around him, and Norov's expression changed drastically.
Simply put, Jiang Bai has a prestigious reputation in Europe.
More accurately, it has a terrible reputation.
After all, no one in the past thousand years has ever been known to dare to provoke both the Dark Council and the Holy See on their own.
There are no more instances of people causing trouble in the inauguration hall of a ruling prince or swaggering around in the papal chambers.
If Jiang Bai were to be killed, it would also be a legendary event.
But after he fled in such a panic for so long, the Holy See and the Dark Council went to great lengths, and in the end, damn it, he still got away with it, even causing both sides to suffer heavy losses.
This is even more appalling.
Some time ago, there were even rumors that a fifth-generation supreme duke personally took action, but was severely injured by Jiang Bai and fled in panic.
This is the Supreme Duke! A thousand-year-old monster, defeated just like that.
Jiang Bai's arrogance had already reached its peak at that time.
Although Valhalla is hidden in the snowfields, it is not without contact with the outside world. In fact, the Nordic countries are still under its influence, and a lot of news is transmitted to them.
Especially when something as serious as this happens.
Of course, Norov knew more than the average person, firstly because he was the high priest, and a lot of information was gathered to him, including some secret information, and secondly because the saintess paid special attention to Jiang Bai.
Therefore, he has a deeper understanding of Jiang Bai.
That's why he realized how terrifying Jiang Bai was.
Upon hearing Jiang Bai introduce himself, his face paled, realizing that all his previous threats were now useless.
How could someone who doesn't even respect the Holy See and the Dark Council and acts recklessly possibly care about the Hall of Heroes?
"Jiang... Jiang Bai... You need to know, this is a family matter of our Hall of Heroes!" Norov's face turned pale, and he stammered, trying his best to hide his fear, but he still couldn't hide it.
They hoped to use this excuse to keep Jiang Bai out of the matter.
Unfortunately, he was destined to miscalculate this matter. Given the relationship between Jiang Bai and Emma, how could he possibly let this go unchecked?
So Norov was met with a cold laugh.
The next second, Jiang Bai had already taken action, rushing over and throwing punches at Norov.
To be honest, despite Jiang Bai's constant use of various weapons, his most powerful weapon is actually his fist. Of course, Jiang Bai is unwilling to use his fist to fight against other people's divine weapons unless absolutely necessary.
Punches rained down, filling the sky with shadowy fists in an instant, leaving Norov struggling to keep up.
He was careless and was punched in the chest by Jiang Bai, flying backward and smashing everything around him. Jiang Bai chased after him relentlessly.
"Help me!" Norov cried out in terror, and the two priests around him rushed out instantly to attack Jiang Bai from both sides.
As for the others, they hesitated at that moment, the three of them standing still, unwilling to go up and fight Jiang Bai to the death.
Although they were won over by Norov, they were not die-hard loyalists and had no need to live and die with Norov in the face of Jiang Bai, this great demon.
Norov survived because of his exceptional strength; he was a Great Celestial, a high-level Holy Warrior. However, the two who rushed up behind him were not so lucky.
"You two dare to get involved? Are you looking for death?"
Jiang Bai sneered, delivering a massive punch to each of them, instantly blasting them apart into a shower of blood, causing the surrounding people to retreat in fear.
"My lord! Help me, my lord! I'll agree to your terms!"
Seeing that he was about to be beaten to death by Jiang Bai, Norov, who was sent flying again and coughing up blood, screamed. It was unclear who he was talking to, but he just kept yelling.
The next second, a red light shot out, heading straight for Jiang Bai's back. Jiang Bai's mind sharpened, and the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag appeared out of thin air, forming black heavy water to block the opponent's attack. He then flipped over and landed in front of Emma and the others.
At that moment, the enemy also blocked the way. He was a burly man with thick hair, who looked to be around forty years old, shirtless, and over three meters tall. He stood there like a small mountain, exuding an astonishing aura.
Jiang Bai narrowed his eyes and looked at the person in front of him noncommittally.
This person is definitely much more troublesome than Norov. Jiang Bai saw it clearly during their fight just now. Norov is only a mid-level Great Celestial, the same level as himself, but his combat power is... worlds apart.
The person in front of me is at least a high-level Celestial, or even more powerful.
She didn't know where the other person came from, but when Emma saw the golden tattoo on the other person's chest, her expression suddenly changed, and she exclaimed in shock, "An ancient hero?"
"How is this possible! How could there be ancient heroic spirits? They should all be deep within Valhalla. Only the Pope and I have the key to that place, and only we can know about the ancient heroic spirits. Norov, how did you do it?"
No wonder Emma was so panicked. The ancient heroes are the ultimate fighting force of Valhalla. Those heroes slumber deep within Valhalla, and only the Saintess and the Pope possess the key to open it.
The Pope had just died suddenly, and his keys had been given to Emma before that.
Therefore, she was extremely alarmed by the appearance of this ancient hero, because it might indicate that there was some kind of loophole in Valhalla that Norov had discovered!
This was a momentous matter, and she couldn't afford to take it lightly.
Chapter 1126 Slaying the Supreme Heroic Spirit
"You have a good eye. You were able to recognize my ancient heroic spirit. You truly deserve to be the current Holy Maiden of the Hall of Heroes."
"Now that you know who I am, why don't you surrender?"
After saying that, he licked his lips and said greedily, "I've had enough of those vulgar sacrifices. I originally wanted to enjoy Norov's daughter, but he wouldn't allow it."
"Now that you've agreed, I think you're better. You're prettier than his daughter, and you're a saintess of Valhalla. Over the years, I've enjoyed countless sacrifices, but I've never enjoyed a saintess."
"You must taste really good."
The ancient spirit licked his lips, looking at Emma with lustful eyes.
"That's impossible. I have all the keys. How did you get out? According to the rules set by the gods, ancient heroes cannot leave the depths of Valhalla unless they are summoned and sacrificed."
Emma didn't dwell on the other person's tone. These ancient heroes all seemed to be like that. Having spent a long time in Valhalla, she knew these barbarians quite well and wasn't surprised.
Instead, they were extremely alarmed about how the other party had come to this conclusion.
"Ahem, is that even a question? Don't you all know that there was a heroic spirit who, unwilling to slumber, went deep into the snowfields? Didn't you send people to search for him before that?"
Barely managing to stand up, he coughed up a mouthful of blood and grinned menacingly.
He then added, "To be honest, I'm not worried about your foolish behavior, because I found this person a year ago. It's just that with the Pope still alive, this person can't show up."
"But now that the Pope has died suddenly, Your Excellency can naturally appear as well."
So this is the ancient spirit hidden in the snowfield, the very person Elena is looking for.
The people around seemed to suddenly realize something.
Emma also visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
What was unexpected was that this ancient hero would collude with Norov and act in concert.
After Norov finished speaking, the ancient heroic spirit proudly introduced himself: "I, Tatatarol, am the supreme heroic spirit under the great King of Heroes, Kiro. You people, kneel down now and beg for my forgiveness, offer up your so-called saintess, and I may spare you!"
After saying that, he turned his gaze to Jiang Bai and Elena, and then said fiercely to Jiang Bai, "You despicable Easterner, how dare you steal my offerings! You deserve to die! Kneel down now and surrender immediately, and I might spare your life!"
"Otherwise, I'll tear you to pieces!"
The Supreme Heroic Spirit should be a figure of the same level as the Supreme Grand Duke and the Supreme Ascetic, belonging to the peak of the Great Heavenly Realm.
There's no doubt that such people are terrifying.
He was just one step away from reaching the top tier, becoming a master of the Supreme Heaven rank, and suppressing everything.
Jiang Bai was not afraid. He had never fought against the Supreme Heroes, but he had fought against the Supreme Grand Duke and they were evenly matched. Jiang Bai was not afraid.
"Don't pretend! I've already dealt with the Supreme Duke, why would I be afraid of you?"
As he spoke, Jiang Bai had already grasped the Blazing Sun Heaven-Burning Halberd in his hand and charged forward to fight against the Supreme Heroic Spirit Tower, Tatarol.
The opponent was equally ruthless, wielding a shield in one hand and a knife in the other, and charged out. The two clashed in the sky, fighting fiercely, while those around them dodged to avoid being killed by the aftershocks.
"Boom!"
The two fought continuously in the sky. This supreme hero possessed the power to shake heaven and earth, and Jiang Bai was at a disadvantage, slightly inferior in strength, and was being suppressed.
However, the Blazing Sun Heaven-Burning Halberd is a divine weapon, and the Heaven-Burning Halberd Technique is versatile, so it can withstand the attack.
Despite accidentally bleeding, Jiang Bai recovered instantly thanks to his immortality.
After exchanging hundreds of blows, Jiang Bai only suffered torn clothes and was otherwise unharmed. On the contrary, this supreme hero was covered in wounds, covered in blood, and looked extremely ferocious and terrifying.
He didn't possess the abnormal regenerative abilities of the vampire's supreme duke. Although he was stronger than his opponent, he was helpless against Jiang Bai's immortality.
"Damn it, I'm going to kill you!" the other party said viciously, his eyes bloodshot. The next second, red battle aura enveloped his entire body, and Tatatarol seemed to have entered some kind of berserk state.
"Watch out, he's gone berserk! His fighting power will increase exponentially!" Emma, who was already hiding a thousand meters away and forming a protective formation, cried out in alarm when she saw Tatatarol's transformation.
This is one of the ultimate techniques of ancient heroes: Berserk. It allows one to transform into a berserker, devoid of any sense of family or basic needs, with only naked killing and bloodshed in sight, and their power will increase exponentially.
Speed and the response to things are naturally multiplied.
Of course, there are side effects. The duration of berserk mode varies depending on the cultivation level, but one thing is the same: the degree of damage to the body.
Unfortunately, she spoke too late, because Tatatarol had already rushed out and fought Jiang Bai.
With a clang, the two collided. The next second, Jiang Bai was sent flying backward, over a kilometer away, with Tatatarol following closely behind.
"Damn it, you think I'm easy to bully? Heaven-Turning Seal!" Jiang Bai roared. Since they weren't in China, he had no scruples and immediately used the Heaven-Turning Seal. The next second, the Heaven-Turning Seal, as large as a mountain, descended from the sky.
A massive shadow loomed over the entire Saintess Palace, hurtling towards Tatatarol's head.
"roar!"
The opponent roared, unable to dodge in time. He supported himself with both hands towards the sky, using all his strength, his muscles bulging and veins bulging, and actually managed to catch the huge Heaven-Turning Seal. Although, as a result, half of his body was buried in the rock.
But he still managed to catch it.
"I'm afraid you won't take it! Immortal Binding Rope!" Jiang Bai threw out the Immortal Binding Rope again, and a golden rope instantly bound the opponent's waist and hands. Then, wielding the Blazing Sun Heaven-Burning Halberd, he charged forward.
With a loud shout, he pierced the opponent's throat with his halberd. With a twist in Jiang Bai's hand, the raging flames burned the opponent to ashes, and the head, covered in thick hair, flew away.
The supreme hero, Tatarol, had almost no chance to struggle before Jiang Bai easily dealt with him.
His strength was great, his speed was fast enough to crush Jiang Bai, and even the Supreme Duke. Unfortunately... his weak body did not have that abnormal recovery ability, and he was far inferior to the Supreme Duke.
Naturally, it was impossible for him to fight Jiang Bai, that freak, for long. He lost in one move, was completely defeated, and was killed by Jiang Bai. Unlike that supreme duke of the vampire clan, whose head had been chopped off by Jiang Bai seven or eight times, he was still full of energy and made Jiang Bai almost vomit blood.
Chapter 1127 An Sheng
"The Supreme Heroic Spirit...is dead?" This scene left everyone around stunned.
Having lived in Valhalla since childhood, he doesn't really know much about the outside world.
Like the masters living in the immortal sects, except for a very few who are sent out, the rest of them never actually leave the place where they have lived since childhood.
Those in Valhalla are no exception.
Let alone the supreme heroes among the ancient heroes, even ordinary ancient heroes are seen as invincible symbols.
Strictly speaking, the highest-ranking people below the gods, even the pope and saints, are below these people in status.
As for the Supreme Heroic Spirit, it is even more precious. There are three-tier ancient heroic spirits, two-tier ancient heroic spirits, one-tier ancient heroic spirits, and then the Supreme Heroic Spirit. Above that is the King of Ancient Heroic Spirits.
The Supreme Heroes were the most powerful beings they knew.
As for the King of Heroes, it's just a legend. No one has ever seen him in person. Perhaps in the distant past, when Valhalla was at its most powerful and the Vikings swept across Europe, the King of Heroes appeared.
But it hasn't happened in nearly a thousand years.
The Supreme Heroes are the most powerful beings they know.
In other words, if one is not powerful enough, it would be impossible for them to break the rules, leave the place where ancient heroes were immersed, and frolic freely in this snowfield.
Therefore, the death of this supreme hero had a tremendous impact on the worldview of those around him, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
As for Norov, who had strongly advocated rebellion, he was ashen-faced. His biggest trump card had been killed, and he now had no ability to resist.
This person completely stunned him.
However, this state did not last long, because his head separated from his body in an instant, becoming two incomplete individuals.
"Splash!"
After the deaths of Norov and the supreme hero Tatarol, the crowd knelt down in a flurry, including the most supreme divine messenger, all of whom were ashen-faced, trembling, and filled with fear.
"It seems... the problem is solved!" Jiang Bai winked at Emma with a smile.
Emma nodded, then whispered to Elena, "Take our distinguished guest to rest. I'll see him after I've finished dealing with things here."
These words were spoken to Elena as well as Jiang Bai. Jiang Bai knew that Emma was probably going to deal with these rebels.
However, for various reasons, they were unwilling to see it, perhaps because they felt that they were, after all, an outsider and it was inconvenient for them to interfere in the internal affairs of Valhalla.
It's also possible that she didn't want to see the bloody side of her, since dealing with this matter would inevitably involve a lot of deaths.
For whatever reason, Jiang Bai wisely left the place, following Elena, who was dressed in a white silk robe. They entered the main hall, which was a hidden world inside, with a golden statue of a deity and a spiral staircase.
They went up and entered an extremely spacious and luxurious house.
A pleasant fragrance wafted in as soon as you entered. The soft bed was pink, and in a secluded corner, there were several plush toys whose style clashed drastically with the surroundings. If Jiang Bai's guess was correct, this should be Emma's boudoir.
Upon entering, Elena, her face slightly flushed, bowed to Jiang Bai and said, "My lord, the other rooms are in complete disarray. This is the Holy Maiden's boudoir, and in principle, I shouldn't have brought you here. However, there is really no suitable place to entertain you right now."
"Please don't mind, but if possible, it's best not to touch anything here, after all, the Holy Maiden..."
"It's okay. I lived with Emma for a while before, so she won't blame you." Jiang Bai waved his hand before finishing his sentence, indicating that it was nothing and Emma wouldn't be angry.
Hearing this, Elena nodded, then bowed to Jiang Bai to take her leave. As she reached the door, she suddenly remembered something, gritted her teeth, and said to Jiang Bai with a slightly flushed face, "My lord, although you are not an ancient hero, you have still saved us."
"According to the agreement, I am your sacrifice. Odin is my witness. You can come to me with any needs you may have, and I will try my best to meet them."
There were many hidden meanings in those words. Jiang Bai raised an eyebrow and gave Elena a half-smile. Her face flushed crimson, and she hurriedly took her leave, leaving Jiang Bai alone to chuckle.
Jiang Bai was reading alone in Emma's room. It was a profound book about the history of Valhalla, which recorded many secrets of Valhalla and even the entire West. He was reading it with great interest and forgot about time.
It's unclear how much time passed before Emma entered with Elena and several maids. Earlier, there had been shouts of "Long live the Empress!" and the sounds of heads rolling in a tragic manner outside, suggesting that Emma had used ruthless methods.
Looking back now, things have been mostly resolved.
Seeing Emma walk in, Jiang Bai closed his book: "Is the matter almost resolved?"
"Yes, those who deserved to die are dead, and those who didn't deserve to die are not being pursued. Although there are many things to deal with, there's no rush."
Emma chuckled in response.
After shooing away the people behind them, the two embraced gently inside the house. Neither spoke. Jiang Bai let the other's head rest against his chest, conveying his fiery warmth to the other, becoming a mountain the other could rely on.
It's unclear how much time passed before they finished this activity. Afterward, the two talked about what had happened during this period, mainly about Emma, such as her nervousness when she first arrived, her glory when she attended the ceremony, and her nervousness when she felt lonely.
As for Jiang Bai's affairs, before Jiang Bai could even speak, the other party already knew them all by heart, making Jiang Bai smile wryly. It seemed that he had done quite a few things outside, which were widely known, and he was now infamous.
This made Jiang Bai slightly embarrassed, so he touched the tip of his nose. Afterwards, the two of them had dinner together, and then Gustav came over to report to Emma that the situation outside must be stable, and hoped that Emma would hold a meeting that evening to arrange the next steps, etc.
Emma then took her leave.
They returned very late and chatted with Jiang Bai for a while before arranging for someone to prepare a guest room for Jiang Bai so that he could rest there temporarily.
Of course, during this time, he did not forget to tell Jiang Bai to temporarily hide in the Hall of Heroes and not to go out. Although the Hall of Heroes did not have any experts, it had countless ancient heroes. Even the Holy See could not break in unless they went all out.
Jiang Bai can live in peace here.
Chapter 1128 Reaching the Pinnacle
She did this because Jiang Bai now has enemies all over the world and nowhere to hide for the time being. If the Hall of Heroes is prepared, it can help Jiang Bai get through this difficult time.
This confidence stems from their millennia-long struggle against the Holy See and the Dark Council.
There are more than one supreme hero like Tatatarol in Valhalla.
She even told Jiang Bai that in order to quell the dispute and appease the people, a sacrifice had been made that night, and four first-class ancient heroic spirits had been invited to guard the Hall of Heroes. Those heroic spirits had already expressed their support and loyalty to her.
Jiang Bai nodded in agreement and did not refuse.
He really has nowhere else to go right now. Valhalla is a good place. He can stay there for ten or twenty days and then go back after Lao Cheng has settled things in China.
It is absolutely safe here.
Even the Holy See wasn't confident of breaking through Valhalla's stronghold. The reason he was able to sweep everything aside this time was entirely because it involved an internal rebellion. Valhalla was unprepared, and those ancient heroes were not summoned.
Now that the ancient heroes have been summoned, the war machine of the Hall of Heroes has been activated, so there's no need to worry about anyone coming after us.
Because that would be suicide. According to Emma, the sacrifices prepared over the years are enough to summon several supreme heroes to fight for it.
Of course, the so-called heroic spirits are not real souls, not the souls of those heroic dead in legends in China, but living masters, real warriors. They are either born strong, or they cultivate later, or they are blessed by the gods and have cultivated to an incomparably powerful realm.
Then they were sealed away, similar to the method of ice burial coffins, and when needed, offerings were made to bring them out.
Unlike the Ice Burial Coffin, the Hall of Heroes can seal any heroic spirit without limit, and can also be sealed repeatedly without limit. When needed, the heroic spirit can be summoned, and when not needed, it can be sealed away, which is much more convenient than the Ice Burial Coffin.
There aren't so many worries.
Around midnight, Jiang Bai had put down the book Emma had given him and was about to go to sleep when someone knocked on his door.
Upon opening the door, Elena, now dressed in a white gown, appeared before Jiang Bai.
Before Jiang Bai could say anything, he walked in and closed the door.
He bowed respectfully to Jiang Bai and said, "My lord, the Holy Maiden sent me to serve you. She asked me to convey that as the Holy Maiden, she cannot come in person. I... I am here on her behalf..."
Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Bai understood and couldn't help but smile. He wondered what Emma was thinking. Why did she have so many thoughts now that she had become a saintess? And why was she doing this to him?
"No need, go tell Emma, I..."
Before she could finish speaking, Elena had already removed the white veil from her body and leaned close to Jiang Bai, whispering, "My lord, the Holy Maiden knows you won't accept this, but it's her order to me. From today onwards, I will serve by your side, and I will be your person."
"Also, the Holy Maiden asked me to tell you that if you don't want me, she will give me to the awakened heroic spirits."
Jiang Bai was speechless. Was he being blackmailed?
Hmm, but it seems hard to refuse such a threat.
He sighed and asked Elena to sit down. Then the little maidservant moved closer to him and placed her delicate hand on his shoulder.
A moment later, Jiang Bai still couldn't remain unmoved; the room was filled with the allure of spring...
The next day, when the blinding sunlight streamed into the room, the two were finally separated.
Unbeknownst to him, Jiang Bai had been living in the Hall of Heroes for more than ten days. During this time, Emma was very busy. Although she could find time to accompany Jiang Bai every day, the time was limited.
With the Pope dead, she has to take charge and soon assume the role of Pope as well, becoming one of the few female emperors in the history of Valhalla. There are too many things to handle.
It's important to understand that as a powerful religious sect, Valhalla is not just in charge of this small world; it wields significant influence in many countries throughout Northern Europe.
Not only that, it also has the meaning of outward expansion, and it is related to many forces. Its forces are deeply rooted and its number is not just a few tens of thousands of people.
So Emma had a lot to deal with, and most of the time Jiang Bai would just wander around here, enjoying the awe-inspiring looks from others, and then fooling around with his little maid Elena.
Fortunately, this place is not as rigid as the rumors suggest. The Hall of Heroes not only has beautiful scenery, but it can also communicate with the outside world. There are satellite signals and the internet to observe the world, making it extremely modern. This gives Jiang Bai something to do to pass the time, otherwise he would really be bored to death.
Time flew by. After Jiang Bai and his maid Elena had been fooling around for a while, the satellite phone rang.
He used this device in the Lingjiu Palace in the Great Snow Mountain, and sometimes he used this number in remote areas as well. Not many people knew about it, so Jiang Bai was quite surprised that it rang at this time.
The call connected; it was Lao Cheng calling.
Jiang Bai knew there was news, and after connecting the call, he asked, "How's it going, Lao Cheng? Is the matter resolved?"
"It's resolved. The Supreme Dao has intervened. Their demand is to withdraw the Supreme Dao Token to prevent you from acting recklessly. However, this time they will step in, and with the support of our Southern Border Witch God Sect, the Heavenly Pool Myriad Saints Sect has also offered its support. The matter is basically settled. Other sects have now indicated that they will not pursue the matter further, and the Jade Void Palace has also withdrawn from the matter."
"The only headache is that Jin'ao Island's attitude is very tough. Fortunately, the Supreme Dao Master personally went to Jin'ao Island and met with the Island Master. It is said that the two fought, and the Supreme Dao Master had a slight advantage. The other party gave him face, so your matter... can be considered resolved!"
"In short, you can come back now."
These words made Jiang Bai breathe a sigh of relief. The month-long pursuit was finally over, which was a good thing. At the same time, the month's journey had not been in vain, as his cultivation level had increased by one level, and he had become a mid-level Great Heaven Realm cultivator.
It was quite a fruitful experience.
Although the Supreme Dao Token was lost as a result, it seems like this deal wasn't worth it.
However, the Supreme Dao Token is useless if you just hold it; it's just an inanimate object. It only has value when you use it, and now it has already fulfilled its purpose.
"Congratulations, host, you have completed the second side quest, 'Enemy of the Immortal Sect,' and gained a level of cultivation. The third quest line has also been activated..."
"Reach the pinnacle, become a Supreme Celestial within a year, and become a contender for many Immortal Sect Masters. Success will be rewarded with an Ultimate Grand Lottery; failure will result in annihilation!"
As soon as the voice fell, Jiang Bai felt himself being enveloped by a surge of energy that shot into his body, instantly improving his physique and causing it to evolve once again. Black liquid overflowed from his entire body, cleansing his entire being.
Chapter 1129 Ultimate Lottery
Jiang Bai's power increased exponentially, and the "Imperial Supreme World-Shaking Technique" within his body continued to advance. The energy flowed on its own, breaking through layer after layer of barriers within his body. Then... with a loud bang, Jiang Bai once again advanced to a higher level.
The Imperial Supreme Technique has been upgraded to the fifteenth level, and the person has advanced to the advanced Great Heavenly Realm. The strength has increased exponentially, and the person is only one step away from advancing to the peak Great Heavenly Realm.
He was only two levels away from advancing to the Supreme Heaven Rank, becoming a true master who could suppress the universe and stand shoulder to shoulder with Xu Changsheng and others.
However, this path is not easy, and the fact that he needs to reach this level within a year makes Jiang Bai even more worried.
Jiang Bai is even too preoccupied with his own advancement to the next level.
Success is certainly gratifying, like winning the ultimate lottery, but failure... means certain annihilation.
This was the first time Jiang Bai had ever heard the word "annihilation" come from the mouth of the usually lenient system.
This truly shocked Jiang Bai, and a heavy pressure arose in his heart.
"System, come out here! What the hell is this annihilation thing?" Jiang Bai couldn't help but shout out to the system.
"Annihilate? Need I say more? If you can't even reach the Supreme Celestial Rank within a year, you'll be a complete waste of my time and effort in training you. You'll be utterly useless and naturally have to be eliminated."
I will destroy you with my own hands!
The system's voice was somewhat chilling, giving Jiang Bai a creepy feeling.
However, he quickly regained his roguish air and said to Jiang Bai with a cheerful smile, "Young man, don't worry. The Great Era of Contention has begun, and there are plenty of opportunities. With this system to assist you, advancing to the Supreme Heaven Rank is actually a very easy thing."
"Don't think about so many problems. All you need to do is make money... no, make some. Earn as many prestige points as possible to increase your power."
"You don't have much time left. You have a year, and you must make good use of it. If you don't meet the requirements within a year, I really can't help you. Even if I don't kill you, you won't survive, because something big will happen after a year."
"In that case, it would be cleaner and more efficient for me to kill you."
Something big is going to happen a year from now?
Jiang Bai didn't understand what kind of big event the system was talking about, but the way it said it, and how solemn it sounded, couldn't be anything good.
This made Jiang Bai feel a chill run down his spine.
So he stopped arguing with him about the issue. He had already made himself clear. Even if the system didn't eliminate him, he wouldn't be able to escape it in the future. The system seemed to be omnipotent, and seeing through the past and future was naturally not a problem for it.
It was clearly not trying to scare itself by saying this to itself.
Since that's the case, there's no point in getting entangled with it; it's better to focus on improving yourself.
Just as Jiang Bai was about to cut off the connection with the system and stop wasting time talking to it, he suddenly remembered a question he had wanted to ask but hadn't: "System, what is this Ultimate Lottery? Why have I never encountered it or heard of it before?"
"Ultimate Grand Lottery? Ha, kid, you think you've never heard of it? It's an even better lottery than the Ultimate Grand Lottery. The prizes inside... well, how should I put it, even gods would be tempted."
"Of course, only a portion of them will achieve this effect."
"However, the other items are also extremely valuable, ensuring your trip will be worthwhile."
"You haven't heard of it because you're far from qualifying for the ultimate lottery. According to the system's rules, you must accumulate 30 million prestige points before you're eligible for a free lottery draw."
"Each use from now on will require 30 million prestige points."
"You should know that your current accumulated prestige points are only a little over ten million, which is still a long way from thirty million, so I didn't tell you."
A free lottery that can only be used once for 30 million? There are some things in it that would even tempt a god?
Jiang Bai said his eyes almost popped out of their sockets in surprise.
I'm absolutely thrilled with this ultimate prize draw!
However, as the system said, he was still quite far from winning the ultimate lottery.
A few million prestige points might be enough to handle, but thirty million prestige points? That's a joke!
Even after obtaining this item, he only earns a fixed two or three thousand points of prestige per day.
It's much better than when I first got it, but it's still a long way from the accumulated 30 million.
I thought I had reached the end of the system, but now it seems... it's just the beginning.
This gave Jiang Bai a lot of motivation. He was eagerly anticipating the ultimate lottery. Whether it was for the sake of the ultimate lottery or to avoid being eliminated, Jiang Bai had no choice but to grit his teeth and move forward.
Jiang Bai then asked about the third side quest, whether there were any other quests afterward. He had already realized that this was no side quest at all.
It's essentially a series of quests, a series of quests that put him to the brink of defeat against numerous immortal sects, and this is the third quest leading to the pinnacle.
Who knows if there's a fourth or fifth rule? Jiang Bai said he needed to find out.
Unfortunately, the system just chuckled and ignored him, leaving Jiang Bai speechless.
In the end, he had no choice but to give up communicating with the system, and then left his room to say goodbye to Emma and tell her that he was about to leave.
Emma was somewhat taken aback by this. She thought Jiang Bai would be staying for a long time, but she didn't expect him to leave so soon. This made Emma feel both reluctant and worried.
After all, Jiang Bai was in the Hall of Heroes, and she could still use the name of protecting the Hall of Heroes to provide various forms of protection. But once Jiang Bai left the Hall of Heroes, she would have no way to protect him.
Although she is a saint and will soon inherit the position of pope, becoming the first empress in history to hold two positions, her authority cannot supersede those ancient heroes.
It's clearly impossible for them to protect Jiang Bai.
Jiang Bai is a guy with enemies all over the world, which makes Emma very worried.
"Can't you just stay? You have many enemies outside, you..."
Before Emma could finish speaking, Jiang Bai told her that he had already settled things in China. With the help of friends, things were stable there now, but there were still many things for Jiang Bai to handle.
So he had to rush back, and Emma understood.
She reluctantly bid farewell to Jiang Bai. Her intention was to leave Elena by Jiang Bai's side so that she could comfort him in her place, but unfortunately, Jiang Bai refused the suggestion.
The reason was that things weren't completely settled on his end, and it would be inconvenient to have Elena with him. He felt more at ease having Elena by Emma's side.
This left Emma speechless. She bid him a reluctant farewell and watched him leave.
Before leaving, Jiang Bai promised that if he felt strong enough in the future, he would come back to destroy this so-called Hall of Heroes and take Emma away completely.
The girl was deeply moved by this.