In the center of the continent, there was a vast region known as the "Plains of Holy Light." These plains were not under the jurisdiction of any national power. However, the entities that resided here were as formidable as those of an imperial power, and in terms of influence, they even surpassed many imperial powers.
The reason was simple. The headquarters of the Radiant Church was located on the Plains of Holy Light. The Radiant Church was the largest known church in the world, with influence spanning over a hundred regions and nearly ten billion followers. Though it had not established a nation, it profoundly impacted the world.
At the heart of the plains was a place known as the City of Holy Light. The City of Holy Light was the central hub of the Radiant Church and one of the most mysterious and unfathomable places in the world. For any devout follower of the Radiant Church, the greatest lifetime achievement was to make a pilgrimage to this holy city.
At that moment, in a majestic underground temple in the city, the space was filled with a nearly tangible energy of light elements, illuminating every corner so brightly that even without a single candle lit, the space was brighter than daylight, as if enveloped under a giant invisible lamp.
A simply dressed elder, appearing unremarkable and around seventy years old, was sitting cross-legged at the center of the temple. In front of him stood a massive statue, resembling thousands of serpents coiling around a giant transparent crystal. At that moment, this crystal was gathering and containing a tremendous, terrifying energy.
This crystal was no ordinary crystal. It was the Heart of Holy Light, the most sacred relic of the Radiant Church. The power accumulated inside the Heart of Holy Light was the collective faith transmitted by the prayers and sacrifices of billions, perhaps even more, of the church's followers. Over thousands of years, the strength of this power had grown beyond mortal comprehension. It was the Radiant Church's strongest trump card, and in the face of this force, any known mighty being on this world would seem insignificant.
Lucas Crest, the former Pope of the Radiant Church, was meditating in front of the Heart of Holy Light. Although Lucas had stepped down from his role as Pope, he still wielded significant influence within the Radiant Church. After all, even the current Pope was merely one of his disciples.
"Teacher!"
At that moment, a melodious yet solemn voice was heard. Accompanied by a swath of light, a graceful figure in white appeared behind Lucas. This was a woman whose age was difficult to discern; her figure and skin were indistinguishable from that of a young girl, yet her demeanor was profoundly dignified and majestic. She was dressed in a golden papal robe and held the Staff of Radiance. Her attire and the legendary item in her hand clearly indicated her identity.
Saint Delores, the current Pope of the Radiant Church. Delores's mentor was Lucas, the former Pope standing before her. Although Delores had assumed the papacy five years ago, she had not fully taken over all the church's duties and often consulted her legendary predecessor on various matters.
Lucas Crest slowly opened his eyes. "Your Holiness visiting personally suggests something significant has occurred. Speak," he said.
Saint Delores responded calmly, "The capital of the Thunder Empire has been breached. From the information we've gathered, it was not another nation but a powerful Demon King who has captured the city."
"A Demon King?" Lucas's face showed a rare ripple of surprise and concern. "An empire has fallen to the expansion of a Demon King so quickly? It appears the growth and danger posed by this Demon King are much greater than I had anticipated."
Saint Delores added, "One of our Bishops also fell previously in battle against this Demon King. Now that he is about to conquer an empire, his power will grow unprecedentedly strong, potentially disrupting the global balance of power fundamentally."
Lucas stated calmly, "Understood. I shall personally intervene to gauge the true extent of this Demon King's power... You have only recently assumed the papacy, and your immediate priority should be to establish your authority. The ability of this Demon King to directly seize an imperial capital city underlines the severity of the threat. All forces across the continent will surely feel endangered."
"Are you suggesting I confront this Demon King myself?" asked Delores.
"No," Lucas replied, "this Demon King is not as easily handled as you might think. I must take action myself. Your role will be to support me."
Delores always felt that her teacher had changed significantly in recent times. Unbeknownst to her, her mentor, the legendary Pope Lucas, had actually become a Hero ranked seventh on the Heroes Leaderboard. Each of the top ten on this leaderboard possessed at least Level 7 legendary strength, with relatively narrow gaps between them. Lucas was undoubtedly among the apex of this era's power hierarchy.
Such was the reason why ordinary Demon Kings rarely caught his attention. However, this particular Demon King had become too prominent. His existence threatened not only Lucas but the balance of the entire continent. As the ultimate power behind the Radiant Church, such a threat was intolerable and had to be eliminated.
......
Meanwhile, in the capital of the Thunder Empire, after a brief period of turmoil and chaos, the city eventually settled down smoothly. The Demon King and his allied legions successfully took control of the area. Though they had successfully captured the capital, signaling the empire's irreversible decline, Zhang Nu remained vigilant. So far, the Chaos Federation had only secured the southern territories and the capital.
Zhang Nu was aware that the empire still had intact forces in the north, and despite the deaths of the Guardian Dukes protecting the east and west, these regions still retained considerable strength. Additionally, the empire maintained millions of troops and numerous military fortresses across various locations. For a Demon King, the sheer size of an empire-level power was immense. Even someone as powerful as Zhang Nu would struggle to digest such a massive "piece of meat" quickly, potentially leading to internal strife and consumption issues.
Zhang Nu's plan was straightforward. While strengthening his control over the capital and the southern territories, he also intended to find a suitable and prestigious figure to support as the new emperor of the empire. However, this new emperor would need to remain under the control of the Great Demon King. This approach would stabilize the situation as quickly as possible.
Zhang Nu opened the conquest chest.
[You've opened the Lunar Diamond Chest. You've gained "Gold" x10 billion, "Blueprint: Supreme Imperial Treasury" x1, "Blueprint: Supreme Imperial Barracks" x1, "Level 5 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" x10, and "Thirteen Elemental Gems" x500,000 each!]
This chest was obtained from capturing the capital. The sheer amount of gold alone was an astonishing ten billion, and the two blueprints received were also extremely rare Level 6 special building designs. The rewards also included Level 5 special building upgrade scrolls and a significant amount of gems.
However, Zhang Nu knew that while the numbers seemed large, they were far from the total gain from this conquest. The city beneath his feet was the heart and brain of the empire, having accumulated thousands of years of imperial heritage. Whether it was the imperial palace treasury or the nobles' wealth in the capital, there was an immense fortune to be had.
If plundered thoroughly, wouldn't the Dragon Legion's resources reach the skies? Zhang Nu was well aware that with his successful campaign against the empire, his identity and power could no longer be concealed. He must swiftly enhance his strength and influence to secure a powerful means of self-protection.