Chapter 371: Chapter 238: A Gift from the Creator

What troubled Zheng Shengxun was not just the difficulty of his own victory, but even more the enemy’s triumph, and it was a great victory at that.

Duke Zheng’s stern old face had gained a few more wrinkles, “It’s possible, from their condition, it doesn’t seem like they used a magic potion that stimulates potential. The performance was too natural; it must be a truly extraordinary magic potion.”

Magic potions have various functions; the slower ones are manageable. If the effects are particularly noticeable, the side effects are usually strong as well. Crucially, using this kind of magic potion generally leaves a very obvious purpling of the face as an after-effect, yet no such thing was observable on the members of Saint’s Grace. The only one who could obtain such potions is Prince Achilles.

“I must win,” Zheng Shengxun said in a deep voice. After enduring the events of the dark cuisine and the Hunting Enjoyment Club, he was among those who managed to be protected only through sheer force. But in all aspects, he had already hit rock bottom. If he couldn’t achieve a good enough result in this battle of glory, it would be hard to make a comeback. The Zheng Family was the same, initially aligning with the King to rise to power, only to later find that the Church Court supported the Prince and thus secretly turned to the Prince. Now, with the Prince fallen out of favor, without showing strength, it would be impossible to survive in the cracks.

Duke Zheng pulled out an exquisite little bottle, and Zheng Shengxun wasn’t surprised, “Does this thing work well?”

“This is a gift from the second seat, ’Creator’, of the Song of Hell, a redemption from the Archbishop. This person has great abilities, and taking it can temporarily grant you the Holy Word power of a Four Life Preacher, lasting anywhere from ten minutes to half an hour,” the old Duke said in a deep voice.

“Creator? Is he an Alchemist?” Zheng Shengxun asked, puzzled.

The old Duke shook his head, “What is an Alchemist worth? He is the Creator.”

Zheng Shengxun’s eyes showed a fierceness, with such power combined with his own ability, even the championship was within reach, “What is the cost?”

“Uncertain.”

“Uncertain?” Zheng Shengxun frowned. What the hell was this? If the cost was clear, it could be measured, even if it meant exhausting life; in the future, it could be compensated back through a Divine Relic. It was merely an advance payment of the cost. It was this kind of uncertainty that people like him most hated to accept.

“Do you think the Song of Hell is a charity? Everyone must do their utmost for the family, and you are no exception.”

The old Duke placed the bottle on the table with a loud clink, giving Zheng Shengxun a look full of warning.

Whether or not to use it was no concern of his, but the competition must be won. The Zheng Family could not afford another loss; what worth was an heir if the family ceased to exist, and then everything would be lost.

Zheng Shengxun looked at the magic potion in front of him, a malicious glint flashed in his eyes; he had no retreat left. The old man intended to sacrifice him. Should they lose this time, someone else would take his place.

The Duke’s Mansion of the Tia Clan.

In truth, with the influence and power of the Tia Clan, they could have been ennobled a long time ago. However, every generation of the clan firmly refused, clearly recognizing their position. It was precisely because of this that Moncalleta continued to flourish for so long; prudence and caution were always traits of the Tia Clan.

The old Duke of Tia also looked at his grandson; his sons were all guarding the borders, generation after generation defending Moncalleta. He was loyal to the King and, even more so, to the Kingdom. Of course, during changes in royal power, great wisdom was equally important. The heritage of the family was not something secured through blind loyalty.

Regarding this grandson, he was very satisfied. Under his careful guidance, his character and ability far exceeded those of his peers. On the King’s side, there were vague hints of a proposed marriage alliance, which he found somewhat tempting too. The separation of royal and ecclesiastical power was part of the Seven Laws of the Sixth Epoch and was beyond question. For so many years, he still essentially stood on the side of maintaining royal power; of course, he would not openly confront the Church Court either, which had its concerns. However, the Church Court would never allow a king not of their choosing to continue growing stronger.

He had vague concerns, whether the Church Court or the Prince had more insidious plans. Choosing too early might put the family in crisis.

“Grandfather, there’s no need for you to worry. I can win this championship. As for whether or not to marry the Princess, the decision is yours,” Holman said.

The Duke of Tia smiled slightly. He knew that his grandson liked the Princess. He also found the Princess to be outstanding; be it appearance or character, she was fit to be the future mistress of this family. Though he had inclinations, he needed to observe further. Decisions based on emotions were not reliable.

No matter how much turmoil Hedan faced, as long as he was still here, there would be no change for the Tia Clan.

“Do you think you can win this championship?”

“Yes, Grandfather, I’m quite confident. Didia is not my opponent. As for the group with Zheng Shengxun and Simmons, Simmons is stronger, which is surprising, but the Zheng Family typically uses underhanded tactics. It’s quite likely the two will take each other down. Even if not, I’m not afraid.” Holman wasn’t being arrogant; he had assessed his own and his opponents’ capabilities.

“If that’s your thought process, then your odds of winning the final are only thirty percent,” the Duke of Tia said calmly, causing the atmosphere in the room to tense up instantly.

Holman froze; instinctively, he wanted to question it. But sitting before him wasn’t just his grandfather; he was also the War Archangel holding the fort in the Royal Capital, someone whom even the Church Court and Vladimir the Demigod accorded respect.

“What hidden power could increase so quickly?” Holman took a sharp breath; he knew his grandfather wouldn’t speak in vain.

The Duke of Tia sighed lightly, “Angel’s Heart. If George were not still alive, I’d think he was dead.”

“Are you saying he’s a Battle Angel?”

“No, he’s a Judgement Angel,” the Duke of Tia said. “Although the Angel’s Heart from different paths can be interchangeable, the effects differ. Thus, it should be that the members of Saint Grace Canon Law School shared the Angel’s Heart, specifically a Battle Angel. What they gained wasn’t just an enhancement but infinite possibilities.”

Holman was shocked; no one knew that the seemingly slack old Count was actually a Judgement Angel, which explained why, despite the decline of the George Family, nobody ever challenged them.

“I was careless; in some way, it’s good. Finally, there’s a worthy opponent!” Holman’s somewhat old face even showed a bit of excitement.

The Duke of Tia gently shook his head, “You are still full of arrogance. Among the younger generation of Hedan, there are two people you must pay attention to. One is Prince Achilles; not only does this second prince have exceptional talent, but he also has considerable understanding of the situation. After returning, he first tainted his own reputation, possibly for royal stability or perhaps with other intentions. Having gone through the Secret Castle and Holy Hall, he can still put down his ego to this extent; on this point alone, you fall short.”

Holman acknowledged that his grandfather was right and that he couldn’t accept or replicate Achilles’s actions. Let alone that the man was a Prince.

The Duke of Tia chuckled, “The second one is Simmons, though I did underestimate him. Old George is farsighted and quite understands the art of hiding strength. I always felt there was another reason for his foolish choice back then, and recently there seems to be something afoot, but let’s not mention it yet; the truth is soon to emerge.”

Holman nodded steadily. The foolish choice of the George Family had been circulated in the noble circle for years, but how could a senile fool survive for so long?

“Simmons also returned from the Secret Castle then joined the Canon Law School. The world says he lacks talent, but I’ve never thought so. This fellow is like a young old George carved from the same mold, liking to make fortunes silently. You only saw him defeat Nagan, and Nagan’s frost power was restricted in Hedan. Little did you know, Nagan’s talent shouldn’t be limited by the environment; she has a rare pure yin constitution. The reason for her defeat was the strong thunder from Simmons’ lightning powers. Among a hundred Awakened with lightning powers, only one would have such a rare strong thunder—extremely formidable. And Simmons kept this hidden. These people, who are no less than you, are desperately concealing their cards and feigning weakness to deceive the enemy. How can one afford to ignore opponents like this?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep