Back at the palace,

Emperor Aurek personally nurtured 153,600 attribute soldiers!

All of them were above Level 11!

Now, the titans had advanced to Divine Cleric rank, enough to ensure the empire's safety.

Aurek decided to shift the focus of development to further enhance the void warlocks, Elven Marksmen, and Frost Priests.

Additionally, cultivating more high-level warriors was an urgent priority.

Therefore, Aurek sent Tina, Overthunder, War Bear, and Harry to conquer various regions of the continent, hoping that the heat of battle would quickly improve their strength.

The resources gained would be prioritized for them.

Hero Rank units had far higher growth potential than conventional attribute legions, and the gap would only grow more significant as time passed.

Of course, it would be ideal to recruit high-level warriors directly.

The Crossbridge Empire had developed too rapidly, relying heavily on Aurek himself and the attribute legions to forcibly expand into dozens of domains using overwhelming power.

The empire's core foundation was somewhat hollow, as over ninety percent of the citizens were ordinary, powerless people—how could they possibly have high-level warriors?

This issue had become apparent since the unification of the Eastern Domain.

In just one year, the empire had traveled a road that other forces could not complete in tens of thousands of years. The difference in scale was immense.

This was one of the reasons Aurek had decided he must advance to Divine Cleric rank.

During this period of meditation, besides studying the various legacies in the Royal Treasury, Aurek had perfected several abilities: Light and Shadow Sync, Wings of Thunder, King's Swordsmanship, Chapter of the Empire, Imperial Wax Seal, [Haotian Sacred Judgment Finger], Black Dragon Scale Armor, and [Ten Directions Silent Extinction Domain].

He especially focused on upgrading Royal Grace!

He had now reached the point where he could confer the Fourth-tier Celestial Dukedom.

The difference between the fourth and fifth-tier titles was in the suppression of official rank levels and the ability to control the natural forces of the empire's domains.

The Celestial Dukedom could fully command and suppress regional titles.

After completing his study of Royal Grace, Aurek could now inscribe the divine mark onto the Imperial Wax Seal.

In the future, imperial decrees would require only the addition of the wax seal to complete the conferment, eliminating the need to individually craft each seal.

He had already prepared dozens of imperial decrees, including those for Suggwoth, Heimerdinger, various regional governors, key imperial ministers, and generals like Pippin. These people were all the core members of the empire.

For example, Rand had been assigned to govern the Central Domain and must be granted the empire's national power to have the strength to defend the region.

——

In the Emperor's Affairs Hall.

A figure slowly entered.

It was a woman with an ethereal presence, her silver-white hair cascading like an icy waterfall, exuding an air of aloofness.

She was Alice, the Lady of Frostvale, known as the "Voice of Winter" in the northern lands.

Since the Western Blood War, the entire Frostvale clan had submitted to the empire.

Isabella, Julia, Cheryl, and other elves were now part of the court, overseeing the selection of female officials and managing the inner palace's affairs.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor," Alice bowed with formal etiquette, her voice clear and crisp.

Aurek glanced up briefly, and his imperial pressure passed like a tangible force.

Alice's body trembled, as if every inch of her skin had been pierced, all her secrets laid bare before this emperor.

The mortal ruler she had once looked down upon had now grown into a presence she had to look up to.

"Go to the Endless Snow Mountains and deliver my will. I wish to meet with the White Lady!"

In the Endless Snow Mountains, a single falling snowflake could freeze Blade City's Sage rank warriors.

From this, it could be inferred that the ancient being called the Embodiment of Winter was at least of Divine Cleric rank, and might even reach higher realms.

She had deep ties with Aurek's ancestors, and Aurek planned to test her power, to see if he could recruit her to serve the Empire!

"Understood, Your Majesty," Alice accepted the order.

As a descendant of the elves who had served the spirits of ice and snow for generations, she could naturally contact this being.

When the void warlock's transmission light faded, Alice arrived on the ancient ice plains of the Endless Snow Mountains.

Stretching across seven domains, the land was always covered by eternal snow, with towering peaks forming a kingdom of winter, detached from the world.

"Keeper of the Eternal Ice Crown, your most devout servant Alice requests your response."

Alice raised her ice crystal scepter, reciting ancient incantations.

The surrounding snow peaks resonated loudly, and millions of snowflakes took to the sky, intertwining into a massive ice and snow formation, drawing the purest frost elements from the heavens and earth.

At the distant edge of the snow line, amidst the swirling snowflakes, a figure draped in a gown of ice crystals began to take form.

Her silver-white hair flowed like a moonlit waterfall, her bare feet lightly touching the snow, the ice bells on her ankles ringing softly in the wind.

It was the White Lady, the ruler of Winter's domain!

She stepped lightly toward Alice, each delicate step precisely landing on a falling snowflake.

The sound of the ice bells rang through the wind and snow, echoing across the entire snow mountain.

Alice quickly knelt in respect.

"Honored White Lady, Aurek, the Emperor of Crossbridge Empire, wishes to meet with you!"

"Tell him I will personally visit Eryndor City,"

The ethereal voice rang directly in Alice's mind.

Alice bowed deeply, her ice crystal scepter carving a solemn emblem into the snow.

——

Abyss Demon Realm, Secondary Demon Realm.

The deafening sound of an explosion tore through the sky.

Aster, a red-armored warrior, swung a massive flaming blade, sending a crescent-shaped blood-red slash through the air.

The attack, aimed at the world passage, was shattered midway by the attacking Darkness force.

"Seems they can't hold back anymore."

Lierlon, hovering in the distant sky, sneered.

"The prophecy of our lord never fails."

The advance guard, Orins, wearing blood-red demonic armor, strode through the air, his magic patterns swirling around him.

He thrust his spear with lightning speed, and wherever the spear passed, the myriad sword slashes shattered like glass.

The residual force of the spear lashed out at Aster, carving a terrifying rift through the void.

"Get out of my way!"

Aster shouted angrily, as thousands of sword images gathered into a destructive torrent, knocking Orins back.

The difference between Grand Divine Cleric rank Level 7 and Level 8 was now unmistakably apparent.

However, in some ways, the gap between them would only grow larger.

Orins, a demon race being, was a conventional Grand Divine Cleric Level 7.

But those coming from Eura continent, those who could enter this passage, were no ordinary beings.

Being top-tier experts from the continent, their strength would only grow more formidable when they entered the higher-energy layers of the demon realm.

With their exceptional talent, their rank would rise at an unimaginable pace!

Aurek himself had experienced this—he grew from a mere ant into a major threat to the four-winged demon race in no time!

Orins's eyes burned with fury as his magic patterns transformed into tangible demon statues.

When he threw the magic spear again, all the magic energy of the demon realm condensed at its tip, opening a rift across the heavens and earth, aiming for Aster and the passage.

At that critical moment, a scholarly figure holding a golden holy book appeared, breaking through the air.

He wrote large divine characters in the void, and holy light shattered the crimson demon statue, sending Orins flying, spitting blood.

Dozens of powerful auras descended, each belonging to a renowned figure who had once dominated Eura continent.

"It's been a while, everyone!"

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