In the Amaro Tavern, Didia was dead drunk, not pretending but genuinely venting various emotions bottled up inside. Over the past month, he had suppressed too much: Anthony’s death, the upheaval of his worldview, his family’s stance in the power struggle, and the difficult choices he faced. All of it was a heavy burden for someone who just wanted to become a knight. In the past, he only desired to enhance his strength, gain honor, and become the pride of the Kingdom—simple and pure. But life was not like that; becoming a knight was hard, falling was hard, and becoming a true knight was even harder.

Didia vented his repressed emotions, vomiting while pushing away the attendant helping him, swinging his arms wildly, “Get lost, all of you get lost~~~ugh~~~.”

Didia collapsed to the side, vomiting profusely. Afterward, he lay on the ground gasping for air, a picture of indulgent satisfaction. The attendants dared not approach; everyone knew his situation. Even the once majestic Thunder Earl had fallen to such a state.

“Alright, stop gawking and clean up. Let’s just take Didia home.”

A few young nobles gathered around, instructing the attendants to clean up the mess. By now, Didia was already in a stupor, allowing them to do as they pleased.

The attendants knew these young lords and dared not obstruct them, watching as Didia was taken away.

Cantona emerged from the sea, with eyes filled with excitement and relief, yet not overly surprised. The moment the knife went in, he sensed something was off and recalled the words on the sheepskin scroll.

Death was the way to enter the Undead Coffin or was actually the key; he had stumbled upon this by accident.

Regardless, he had escaped the First Secretary’s pursuit. The thought of almost falling into the hands of the Nether God’s Court made Cantona shiver. The Dao Yuan Continent had two courts known for soul torture: the Nether God and the Earth Mother Goddess. Physical death was easy; for the soul to die was hard. For traitors and heretics, execution was not simple; forbidden techniques would imprison the soul for endless torment.

So, in such a situation, dying immediately was certainly the happiest outcome. Even if soul searching techniques were used after death, it would last only a moment, and the soul would soon dissipate. But if caught alive, the consequences were unimaginable.

Cantona, a battle-hardened warrior, quickly regained composure. With no one around, he appeared to be the only one who survived by luck. To enter the Undead Coffin island, besides death, there may be other conditions, such as possessing a Divine Relic of the Death God. But he wasn’t the only one in the group with such a relic, so perhaps the condition wasn’t being killed, but choosing death oneself.

Facing death to survive.

Such courage was not something normal people would possess. It was only because Cantona understood the methods of capture that he acted so decisively.

Not far away loomed an island shrouded in grayness, its shape indeed like a coffin, emitting a sinister blue glow that could not pierce the gloom. Cantona dog-paddled to the shore, and, upon setting foot on land, his body experienced a long-awaited comfort. Days at sea had been exceedingly uncomfortable for him, and the temporary sense of safety brought on a strong hunger.

Cantona ignored his body’s needs, instead focusing on the mysterious island within reach. He believed this was the legendary Undead Coffin, hiding the secret to reviving the Death God.

Truthfully, Cantona couldn’t say if he was happy or troubled. Once an official of the Cardinal Hall in the Black Meteor Empire’s Nether God’s Court, he had been rigorously selected to enter the Nether God’s Court. Clearly, he had excellent talent, spending more than ten years moving step by step into the Cardinal Hall and another decade to become an official. By that point, he had a promising future. Because he worked meticulously and discreetly, he patiently handled tasks that others were unwilling to do. He was appreciated by Aumulranett, who was not yet the First Secretary, and under Aumulranett’s guidance, Cantona quickly advanced, gaining the opportunity to choose a Divine Relic.

However, that choice of Divine Relic changed his fate. Being selected by a weapon-type Divine Relic proved his exceptional talent. Added to being Aumulranett’s student, his future was bright, and becoming a Secretary was only a matter of time.

Yet, one night, a nightmare changed everything. His Netherworld Soul-Catching Saber was not a relic of the Nether God but of the Death God.

In the Third Epoch, the Supreme Will ruled the world and created gods to manage it. The Death God was then one of the most powerful Main Gods, holding dominion over death. Entering the Fourth Epoch, for unknown reasons, the gods could no longer sense the Supreme Will, and chaos ensued. Initially, the gods were restrained, but it soon escalated into the War of the Gods. Heaven and earth, the entire Dao Yuan, fell into chaos, and during the era of Ragnarok, a severely wounded Death God was attacked by his subordinate, the Nether God, leading to the Death God’s downfall. The Nether God seized the Death God’s authority and established the powerful Nether God Church in the Fifth Epoch, gaining the Pope’s recognition. The Nether God Church continues to be one of the most powerful churches in Dao Yuan.

But the Death God never fully perished. In a sense, the Nether God’s related authority is part of the Death God’s power. These forces are scattered among Divine Relics, and for some reason, the Nether God never fully absorbed them. Some possessors of Divine Relics began awakening the Death God’s will. In the Sixth Epoch, the Death Church was secretly formed, plotting to resurrect the Death God and reclaim what should rightfully be theirs.

Inexplicably chosen, Cantona realized at the moment of his selection that he had no retreat.

Cantona was very clear-headed. Being in the Nether God Court’s Cardinal Hall was like dancing naked on a blade’s edge. Cantona was well aware of his limits, not expecting he could hide for long. He knew how terrifying those secretaries in the Cardinal Hall were, and so he decisively crafted an escape plan. Thanks to this decisiveness, he managed to flee.

After wandering for a while, he became a member of a Travel Group, during which the Death Church found him and helped him become the leader. Often, he had no choice at all. Possessing this Divine Relic marked him as belonging to the Death Church, and seeking the Death God’s resurrection method was the fate of all Death Church believers. As a former officer of the Nether God Secretary Hall, his return to the Death Church gained him significant attention, leading to his involvement in this crucial mission to find the Undead Coffin.

Honestly, Cantona wasn’t the rigid or stiff sort; it was just that this damn Death Church was a bit useless. Even someone like him, who hadn’t awakened the Third Life Star, was given such an important task, indicating how weak they were. A bunch of weaklings trying to challenge the powerful Nether God Court—how were they supposed to stand a chance?

For a long time, he managed his Travel Group, trying to minimize his presence, but ultimately, the Nether God Court found them. The Travel Group’s efforts came to naught; there was nowhere left to hide.

Despite his complaints, Cantona knew if he didn’t want to die, he had to grow stronger. The Undead Coffin contained the Death God’s guidance, and gazing at the vast island imbued with powerful Spiritual Ability, Cantona had no choice but to charge in, thinking to himself, “Whether you face it or avoid it, either way, it’s a stab…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep