Running away right after flexing is damn exhilarating!
Mammon's cry instantly captured everyone's attention.
Cohen clearly felt the surrounding air freeze.
Saint Caleen, standing nearby, let out a cold snort, and the atmosphere relaxed once more.
That damn miser Mammon!
Cohen replied with a nonchalant expression:
"Don't get so excited. I sensed this object was ominous, nearly sparking a massive battle among the saints. It's best if I destroy it."
Despite saying this, his hands moved with increasing speed.
However, before Cohen could finish casting his spell, the radiance of the Holy Cross vanished, revealing an ordinary, oval-shaped black stone.
Cohen's heart sank. He hadn't expected the cross to be so utterly useless; couldn't it have stayed glowing just a little bit longer?
With no other choice at this stage, he had to take a gamble.
He braced himself and continued his movements.
Yet, immediately afterward, a vast and terrifying dragon might surged into the heavens, sending a subtle wave of pressure even over the saints present!
This was suppression from the deepest depths of the bloodline!
A dragon!
A true dragon!
This oppressive might undoubtedly originated from the strongest creature on the continent—a dragon!
This was no mere black stone; it was unquestionably a genuine dragon egg!
Mammon, acting as the banker of the underworld and a seasoned miser who had conducted business for centuries, was far too shrewd to misjudge so easily.
Knowing the dragon egg could not be kept secure, the Violet Prince of the Northern Territory had deliberately orchestrated this trap for Mammon.
Since you'd easily spot a fake, I'll simply hand you the real thing, and throw in a Holy Cross from the Pope of the Church of Light as a bonus!
Mammon's mistake was by no means unjustified!
For a moment, greedy and burning gazes intersected upon the dragon egg.
Cohen grew even calmer inwardly, chanting a few brief spells while the dragon mark on his hand flashed, emitting a matching wave of draconic might.
A golden light flickered, and the dragon egg directly transformed into a rune, diving straight into the dragon mark upon Cohen's palm.
The sequence of fluid motions was executed with extreme familiarity, clearly demonstrating how many times he had performed similar feats before.
The onlookers stared in sheer disbelief at the young man who, just moments ago, had proclaimed himself "an ally of justice and a loyal supporter of Saint Caleen," as he now brazenly claimed the dragon egg for himself in broad daylight right in front of so many people.
Mammon muttered inwardly, wondering why he felt the title of underworld miser suited this kid far better than himself.
At least when Mammon was at Tier 2, he wouldn't have dared to snatch items right under the noses of so many saints and legends.
Even Saint Caleen beside them wore an expression of astonishment.
Right in front of so many saints and legends, a mere Tier 2 brat actually dared to swallow the dragon egg whole!
Did he truly believe no one could break his evasion arts?
Did he really think he wouldn't provoke these people enough for them to chase him all the way into the sub-plane?
Cohen gave a light cough and said with a straight face:
"Strange, it seemed something flew right into my palm just now. It appears this item is fated to be with me. Lord Mammon, I've solved the crisis of your lair being destroyed; there's no need to offer any special thanks. Consider this broken stone your token of gratitude."
***
Mammon laughed out of sheer fury:
"Brat, hand it over! How dare you steal from the Black Tomb—have you grown tired of living?"
Simultaneously, Garcia and Nyx took a step forward, their formidable auras pressing directly upon Saint Caleen, who stood beside Cohen:
"Caleen, are you really going to protect such a treacherous, scheming bastard?"
Caleen wore a troubled expression as well, finding it difficult to reconcile the person before her with the one who had previously made solemn vows upon his personal honor and credibility.
Isabella couldn't help but palm her forehead, clearly not expecting Cohen to pull such a stunt in full view of everyone.
Faced with Saint Caleen's questioning gaze, Cohen blinked:
"Saint Caleen, as allies of justice, isn't it entirely reasonable for us to seize items from evil forces?"
Garcia offered a cold smile, then turned his gaze toward the members of the Church of Light:
"Your Eminence, the cross has been handed over to you. I trust you will not interfere in what comes next. This dragon egg was a transaction between Mammon and the Grand Duke of Violet, so logically, it belongs to the 'Black Tomb'!"
Cohen chuckled softly:
"Ha, since when did the people of the 'Black Tomb' start talking about reason? That's a rare sight!"
A murderous intent flashed in Garcia's eyes, and space around him showed faint signs of fracturing, clearly demonstrating that he had resolved to pursue Cohen straight into the sub-plane a moment later!
Cohen smiled nonchalantly, turned his gaze toward the peculiar expression on the face of High Prelate Clement, and shouted loudly:
"Your Eminence, allow me to gift you a piece of intelligence as compensation for the two saints the Church of Light dispatched!"
Pausing for a moment, Cohen abruptly raised his volume:
"Thirty years ago, your proud disciple named Kian was personally seduced and corrupted into transforming into a lich by Nyx Bone-Shadow! He is currently a high-ranking lich lord within the 'Wings of Eternal Gloom'!"
As his words fell, Cohen's entire body surged with magical energy, and he melted into the shadows, vanishing on the spot to make his escape.
Yet the sentence he left behind was as earth-shattering as a falling boulder. In an instant, the entire firmament flushed an extreme, blinding white.
The sudden, ferocious burst of power from Clement directly disrupted Garcia's intention to follow Cohen into the sub-plane.
Soon, an invisible storm gathered above the head of Clement, the High Prelate of the Church of Light.
Clement's face grew dark and gloomy, the muscles on his visage appearing as though frozen in stone.
His eyes, which typically radiated wisdom, were now shrouded in dark shadows, his icy gaze locked unwaveringly upon the Lich King not far away, Nyx Bone-Shadow!
"Is what he said true?"
The soul-fires flickering within Nyx's eye sockets abruptly leaped, while Garcia beside him let out a gentle sigh.
It was over; even such a well-kept secret had been exposed to the enemy.
The Child of Prophecy!
There could be no doubt; it was unquestionably the Child of Prophecy!
Damn it, how could a mere Tier 2 mortal dare to divine the affairs of saints and legends without being torn apart by the backlash?!
Detestable!
Without a moment of hesitation, he grabbed Mammon and Nyx beside him, a terrifying aura erupting from his entire body as a colossal starry palace composed of sixty stars burst through the void!
Just like Cohen, he chose to make a decisive retreat!
Dragon egg or no dragon egg, nothing was more important than staying alive!
He knew how deeply Prelate Clement valued his student Kian. With this secret laid bare, today's matters would never end peacefully.
Clement was a veteran saint, and moreover, the opposing side held the numerical advantage. If he didn't run now, a saint might genuinely perish here today!
***
Seeing the oathbreaker Garcia turn tail and flee without a word—not even sparing a glance for the two legendary-tier corpse demons that Clement had severely injured at the outset—everyone understood the principle of saving oneself first.
One must run while the chance remained!
How could the others fail to realize this? It was the classic panic of a guilty conscience!
Needless to say, with new grievances and old hatreds piling up together, let the battle commence!
In an instant, out in the starry expanse beyond the realm, six massive stellar palaces emitted deafening roars, the radiance of their stars surging and churning like a violent tide.
Carrying boundless power and terrifying pressure, the shockwaves pierced through layers of the void, vibrating outward in all directions across the continent!
[Late July, 326th Year of the Continental Calendar, Northwestern Continent: The Battle of Six Saints, Shocking the Five Domains!]
***
"Tsk tsk tsk, truly formidable. As expected of a battle among saints—it's shattered the very laws of the world! When will our Efiin ever produce a saint?"
In a secluded corner, Cohen and Prince Hoge gazed into the distance at the battle raging across the firmament, letting out a soft sigh.
Prince Hoge withdrew his gaze and stated:
"For now, it appears your queen has the highest chance."
The battlefield was shifting further and further away.
The oathbreaker Garcia was frantically fleeing toward the extraterrestrial starry expanse with the other two.
Prince Hoge pulled back his gaze, his eyes lingering on Cohen for a long time, emotions shifting endlessly across his face.
Looking at this nephew who was both familiar and strange, he spoke with undisguised astonishment:
"You obtained the inheritance of the Child of Prophecy?"
Cohen nodded:
"You could say that."
Prince Hoge's lips moved before turning into a soft sigh:
"Then, is my royal brother... truly fallen?"
No one had ever laid eyes on Victor's remains; it was simply because his soul imprint left within the royal family had shattered that everyone assumed he had perished in the "Realm of Illusions."
Cohen shook his head:
"I don't know either. My abilities come with certain limitations."
He held deep affection for the father of this lifetime, yet it was a pity that in his past life, there had been no information whatsoever concerning Victor Corleone.
When Cohen transmigrated, only three expansion packs had been released: [Rise of the Transcendents], [Hegemony of Nations], and [War of the Gods], with nothing beyond that.
Perhaps he truly had fallen, which was why no records existed, or perhaps the expansion packs simply hadn't reached that point yet.
A look of desolation appeared on Prince Hoge's face as he remarked:
"Such abilities must carry a backlash; you cannot use them without consequence. Try to use it as sparingly as possible in the future."
"Understood, I know my limits," Cohen replied.
"The saints of the Black Tomb have all retreated, and the few heavily injured legends won't be able to stir up any major waves. Call Raymond; it's time for us to head out and reap the fruits of victory!"