Chapter 344: Holy Dragon & Eighten-Winged Fallen Angel

The Sunset Empire, Eastern Imperial Fortress.

The real power behind the empire, Regent Prince Carlos, was present here with dozens of the empire's most elite ministers and generals.

"Your Highness! We've confirmed that the crown prince and the ninth prince have indeed been active in the western territories of the Thunder Empire. They are attempting to destabilize the Thunder Empire and seize control of its western region to strengthen their position against you."

Upon hearing this report from his confidant, Prince Carlos looked disdainful. If the crown prince were truly capable, how could Carlos have risen step by step to his current position and consolidated his power?

"The crown prince is aware of the plans of the Radiant Church. He hopes to fish in troubled waters to gather more chips for himself, but he doesn't realize he's already standing on the wrong side of the board," Carlos said with a cold smile.

Turning his gaze to the side, Carlos asked, "How are the preparations going over there?"

The Chief Mage of the Sunset Empire nodded, "Rest assured, Your Highness. Everything is proceeding according to our plan. It's about time to begin."

Carlos nodded, "Then let's start."

The Chief Mage, along with a team of several thousand mages, gathered at a pre-constructed site to perform a ritual. After consuming an astonishing amount of materials, a powerful spatial energy was summoned and quickly converged, eventually forming a massive portal. This portal was enormous, standing over a hundred meters tall. The cost of creating and stabilizing such a large-scale portal was extraordinarily high, even for an empire-level force. However, Prince Carlos believed it was a worthwhile investment.

The portal quickly stabilized, and squads of paladins, glowing with radiant runes, emerged from it, each exuding an exceptionally powerful aura. In addition to the paladins, there were also groups of high-ranking clergy wearing elaborate robes, as well as bishops from various regions. The scale and grandeur were truly astonishing.

"So this is the true strength of the Radiant Church? No wonder it's the largest church in the world. Even an empire would struggle to mobilize such a powerful force!" Prince Carlos's confidants were all shocked by the impressive display before them. They could never have imagined that a seemingly benign church could possess such immense power.

At that moment, Prince Carlos noticed two figures clad in golden papal robes stepping out from the formation, accompanied by numerous extraordinarily powerful individuals.

"Your Holiness!" Prince Carlos personally stepped forward, bowing slightly in greeting. He understood the strength of the Radiant Church better than anyone else, which made him particularly cautious and respectful in front of the church leaders.

Lucas said calmly, "Prince Carlos, the church will not forget the assistance you've provided us."

Hearing these words, Carlos felt very pleased. He had invested significant resources to help the church move from the Plains of Holy Light to this location, and he naturally expected something in return.

First, eliminate the Demon King. The threat posed by the Demon King of Darkness City in the Chaos Forest was enormous. The Thunder Empire, which was more powerful than the Sunset Empire, had been conquered by the Demon King. It's clear that the Sunset Empire would be next. Carlos had painstakingly taken control of the empire and wouldn't easily let the Demon King take it away. Few forces on the continent had the capability to eradicate this Demon King, but the Radiant Church had both the potential and the motivation.

Second, gain the support of the Radiant Pope. Carlos was essentially prepared to usurp the imperial throne, but the main royal family's influence was still formidable. By leading the empire's forces to assist the church in attacking Darkness City, Carlos could increase the chances of defeating the Demon King and also earn a favor from the pope. Once the dust settled, not only would the threat of the Demon King be removed, but with the church's support, Carlos's ascent to the throne would be easy.

Additionally, the Thunder Empire was severely weakened. Carlos could seize the opportunity of a great victory and the pretext of hunting down the Demon King's remnants to expand the Sunset Empire's influence, essentially conquering this once ambitious rival.

Clearly, compared to this, the crown prince's ambitions were limited.

Carlos said to Lucas, "Upon learning of the church's campaign to eradicate the Demon King, I specifically gathered hundreds of the empire's top warriors and three of the empire's elite legions to assist."

Lucas understood Carlos's motives perfectly but wasn't overly concerned. He simply smiled and nodded, saying, "The prince's insight is admirable. Once this mission is accomplished, the church will reciprocate, grateful for the prince's contributions to world peace!"

Carlos was overjoyed, "Of course, of course!"

As he spoke, Carlos turned his attention to the people around Lucas. Besides the current Radiant Pope, Saint Delores, there were dozens of extremely powerful individuals present. Among them, two were walking alongside Lucas, and from their demeanor and Lucas's attitude, these two seemed to have a higher status than the current Radiant Pope.

But how could that be possible? The Radiant Pope possessed Level 6 legendary strength, a level of power that even a typical emperor would respect. Who could possibly rank above Saint Delores?

Seeing Carlos's astonishment, Lucas explained briefly, "You must be aware that the Radiant Church has branches in various countries. Since the church initiated the call to crusade against the Demon King, over a dozen nations have responded by sending their elite forces and experts."

"These people behind me are the top-tier warriors from different countries. They are renowned and capable of holding their own in their respective regions. As for these two..." Lucas gestured to the two cloaked figures beside him, "they are our strongest allies in this mission, and their strength rivals mine."

Carlos was utterly shocked. Did this mean there were two more demigods? Generally, only Level 7 legendary beings were referred to as demigods. This meant that in addition to Lucas himself, there were at least two other Level 7 legends involved in this battle.

At this moment, one of the mysterious demigod Heroes, standing three or four meters tall with an incredibly intense and domineering aura, spoke up, "Lucas, we're pressed for time. Let's not waste it here."

As he spoke, the surrounding space distorted. A dazzling and scorching light emanated from his body, creating a powerful and terrifying aura that made it difficult for Carlos to approach. Being a top-tier magician, Carlos quickly identified the type of aura.

"Dragon fear?" Carlos was shocked. Could it be that, like the Demon King of Darkness City, this was also a humanoid dragon?

Lucas smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry, that Demon King won't escape. It's just a short distance from here to the Chaos Forest."

The draconian demigod snorted, "I heard the Demon King of Darkness City is an Abyssal Dragon King. I'm eager to see how powerful this dragon really is."

Clearly, as a fellow dragon, this Hero wanted a chance to prove his superiority.

The other demigod Hero also spoke, "Zhang Nu defeated the Prophet of Doom Primo and may have inherited his time-manipulating abilities. Our actions have likely already been foreseen, so an ambush might not be very effective."

As he spoke, his body emitted a black aura. This black aura was so pure that it was something none of the others had ever seen before, seemingly capable of corroding even time and space.

He continued, "Let the two of us, along with our followers, go ahead and test their defenses. This way, we can get a better sense of their layout."

Lucas thought for a moment and nodded, "With your immense strength, no matter what you encounter, you'll be more than capable of protecting yourselves. If you're willing to take on the reconnaissance, it will certainly help us prepare better for the upcoming battle."

No more words were needed. The two Heroes moved out immediately. The dragon transformed into a light brighter than the sun, soaring into the sky and morphing into a majestic, platinum-colored dragon, over a kilometer in length. The other Hero released an impenetrable black fog, revealing himself as an eighteen-winged dark angel.

Carlos was stunned. The platinum dragon with an extremely powerful aura of light suggested that this was a legendary Holy Dragon. It's known that Holy Dragons hold an extremely high status, being rarer and more gifted than ordinary true dragons, even more so than abyssal dragons. A Level 7 legendary Holy Dragon would certainly be a top-tier Dragon Emperor. As for the other Hero, an Eighteen-Winged Fallen Angel, his talent, and bloodline were equally as powerful as the Holy Dragon, boasting terrifying abilities and strength. This was an extraordinary force.

With the mobilization of these two demigod-level Heroes, a group of dragons and fallen angels followed, heading swiftly toward the Chaos Forest.

Before this, Carlos had harbored some fears about confronting the Demon King of Darkness City, whose rapid conquest of the Thunder Empire suggested near-demigod or full demigod power, making him a formidable adversary. But now, with such a powerful lineup, including three demigods leading the charge, the church's elite, warriors from more than ten nations, and the support of the Sunset Empire, Carlos could not imagine how the Demon King of Darkness City could withstand this force.

With this assembly, any force in the world would be destined for annihilation. Confidence in the operation surged within Carlos.