[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing":3,"chapter-the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-124":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Holy Church Begins with Bestowal of Blessings",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1688797,2156,"Chapter 124 : One Night","the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-124",124,"\u003Cp>Chapter 124: One Night\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Wolf offered a very generous price, but Corleon declined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to recall them,\" Corleon said, \"those poor people over there need their help.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will make a trip to the Northwind Mountains. After that, the dark creatures in the west will not take a single step out of the Northwind Mountains.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Church does not need the tribute of land. I only need books and scholars.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Wolf glanced at Corleon and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will have these delivered to you,\" he said, \"how much time do you need?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One night is enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Northwind Mountains were a natural barrier separating the Principality of Patlin from the Northern Kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the Northern Kingdom was a snow-covered whiteness, while the side facing the Principality of Patlin was filled with lush forests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the gentle light of the White Star, Corleon walked through the forest. Each of his steps spanned dozens of meters, his figure ethereal, like a red ghost barely visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forest was silent. Even the insects seemed to sense an overwhelming fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve been watching for so long. Am I not welcome as a guest?\" Corleon stopped and looked up slightly as he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice echoed through the quiet forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you truly came as a guest, then of course you are welcome,\" came a hoarse, magnetic voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a twisted tree, a figure emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bare-chested with a bluish-gray muscular body, wings extended from his back, their thin membranes closely attached, appearing from afar like two outstretched arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was fierce, with jet-black eyes containing red pupils. Sharp teeth protruded from between his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a Vampire Lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s a pity—the power on you stings my eyes even from afar. You’re not just knocking on the door, are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aren’t they coming out?\" Corleon asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They dare not face you, so I shall act as their proxy,\" the Vampire Lord slightly bowed, with a noble’s courtesy,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only, his posture now appeared somewhat grotesque.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I thought I’d be warmly welcomed by you,\" Corleon said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well then, how’s this for warmth?\" came a roar of fury from afar, followed by a massive boulder tearing through the air, snapping several trees as it hurtled forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now that’s more like it,\" Corleon chuckled. Then, as the boulder entered within two meters of him, it instantly turned to dust and fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still not enough,\" Corleon raised his hand, a beam of Holy Light flashed across the night sky and vanished into the distance. A moment later, a roar of agony like that of a furious bear rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Looks like he couldn’t accept my gift,\" Corleon shook his head and looked at the Vampire Lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about you? Do you need a gift to prove I’m a guest?\" he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Corleon’s calm gaze, the Vampire Lord couldn’t help but take a step back, his wings tightly folding and pressing against his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why have you come here?\" he asked, \"If possible, we shall ensure our guest is satisfied.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh,\" Corleon laughed and said, \"I came here to do three things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corleon raised three fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First, among your race and that bear’s clan, there are Holy Relics. These things are far too dangerous. I need to take them back, lest they harm others.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Impossible! That is the Holy Relic of my race, the source of our power,\" the Vampire Lord refused angrily. His wings spread open, his face contorted as though ready to attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, suddenly, he felt a burning pain behind him, followed by a weightlessness. His wings were set ablaze by golden flames and dropped, disintegrating before even touching the ground—leaving not even ashes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Roar!\" the Vampire Lord let out a beast-like howl of fury, with fear hidden within the rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t even seen Corleon’s movements, and his wings were already gone. No matter how he roused the blood magic within his body, he couldn’t regenerate them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if he had lost them forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now, you may answer me again,\" Corleon looked up and spoke calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vampire Lord looked down at Corleon but felt as if he were kneeling before him in supplication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I shall offer the Holy Relic of my race. Please forgive me,\" the Vampire Lord finally said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you?\" Corleon slightly tilted his head. In the direction of his gaze, a bear-like creature suddenly charged forward, standing upright like a human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half of his fur had already been burned away, revealing a charred body. On the side where the fur remained intact, tiny golden flames still coiled around each strand of hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Human, I will devour you!” he roared, and with a force that seemed to tear through the air, both his bear paws slammed down fiercely toward Corleon’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh—A breeze swept by. A golden, blinding light flashed and vanished. The bear-man’s massive body had disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only an ancient ring that fell to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corleon bent down to pick up the ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like he offered it up willingly,” Corleon remarked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The face of the Vampire Lord twitched violently. His pupils trembled. That flash of light just now nearly incinerated his eyeballs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opening his mouth, he bit into his own wrist. Blood surged out, dripping to the ground and pooling into a puddle of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blood pool churned, and from it rose a golden cup brimming with blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This blood is a bit dirty,” Corleon glanced at the cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vampire Lord felt as though he had crushed his own teeth from clenching so hard, but still, he manipulated the blood within the cup to return into his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His head spun slightly. Although he had been meticulous, some dust and withered twigs had still gotten in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.” Corleon said as he walked over and picked up the cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he raised a second finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second matter: beyond the Northwind Mountains, the Three Western Baronies that you previously invaded will now receive the protection of our Church of the Sanctuary. You must not disturb them again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vampire Lord breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a matter of avoiding that area. The Northwind Mountains stretched long and wide. The area they occupied was merely the central section; the northern and western ranges remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already decided: once this guy left, he would migrate with his tribe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This place was too terrifying. As a vampire with a tremendously long lifespan, he had lived through the days when the Golden Lions charged into the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, they thought that with the change of lordship, the Golden Lions were no longer present, which emboldened them to test the waters under the werewolves’ encouragement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although they had been driven back, they confirmed that the Golden Lions were truly gone. They no longer needed to live in such oppression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then today, came this monster in the shape of a ‘human.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t believe that the one before him was human. Humans weren’t this terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knights rode horses and wielded swords. Mages used magic. That kind of magic power—he could wield it too, and better than human mages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this human’s power—he had never even heard of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just glancing at him from afar made his whole body feel as if it were being scorched, his blood boiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to flee this place immediately. There used to be the Golden Lions, and now there was this guy—life here was no longer sustainable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had heard that Ymir had left the mountains and founded a nation. That meant the northern mountains likely had some space now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. We can agree to that,” he responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent.” Corleon nodded and raised a third finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third matter: you previously invaded human lands, so you must be punished,” he declared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vampire Lord’s pupils convulsed violently. Without hesitation, his entire body exploded, and blood splattered everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a vampire’s innate ability—Blood Concealment Technique, allowing them to become invisible and escape using the power of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But each use cost them half their body’s blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given his tribe’s current survival state, replenishing that much blood would be extremely difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, losing half his blood was better than dying here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corleon did not pursue him. Instead, he pulled out the Slumbering Horn and blew it gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horn’s sound was graceful and mournful, echoing through the central section of the Northwind Mountains. With the hundred stars glittering overhead, it carried a tragic beauty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corleon had once asked Nyx what defined dark creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Nyx, any who competed with humans for survival space were dark creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to Corleon, all intelligent, non-human races were dark creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These, too, were an excess in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>",1449,"2026-06-06T13:52:13.932Z",1,"novelbin.me","2799833a398fa08348caa2fa0b6e77b4ad60c7689459e69c28544bc6793cd3e9","the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-125","the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-123",373,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-cover.jpg"]