From Secret Clan to the Divine Dynasty

The earth exuded the scent of rain, and under the gaze of the surrounding people, Darren simply nodded calmly, accepting the surrender of the Adley Royal Family from a superior stance.

In that moment, the people who had come to surrender all breathed a sigh of relief, as they had always feared "Iron Mask Man" Darren from the Fischer family would plunder and massacre the Imperial City.

Darren looked around, frowning.

With considerable concern, he looked at the old man and asked, "Why? Why have only the five of you from the Adley Royal Family come here? Give me a valid reason, why are the others not here?"

"Because..."

The old man bowed his head, his expression complex, and after hesitating for a long while, he chose to speak the truth without concealment:

"Cardinal Albert of the Salvation Church took most of the members of the Adley Royal Family away. Those people are now with the Salvation Church in the Lorne Empire and they will never return to Cyart."

"They will never pose a threat to the Fischer family again."

Hmm, taken away by the people of the Salvation Church...

Seeking refuge?

After hearing this, Darren's frown deepened, quickly realizing this was no small threat; however, since those people had already been taken away, it was too late to stop them.

He chuckled coldly, his eyes filled with a chilling intent that terrified the old man.

"It's no wonder they're called the 'Weird Light', who can manipulate spatial powers so swiftly."

In fact, deep down Darren was well aware that the Salvation Church had ample reason to intervene in worldly matters, since the Adley Royal Family were descendants of ancient saints of the Church, with Divine Blood flowing through their veins. They couldn't sit by and watch the Divine Blood clan be completely wiped out.

"Let it be, then."

Darren slowly shook his head, contemplating deep inside.

"Retreating ten thousand steps, not encountering them in the act of withdrawing is also a blessing. After all, 'Weird Light' could instantly subdue Uncle Chris, and I'm probably no match for him either, not to mention people like Aldrich might be unpredictable..." Find exclusive stories on empire

Darren was already well informed about Cardinal Albert, the "Weird Light" of the Salvation Church. He knew that this top-level power wielder could freely manipulate spatial forces, always surrounded by an invisible spatial barrier, possessing near invincible defenses, unapproachable even by ordinary Monarch Transcendents.

Even among the many fearsome beings at the upper-tier Monarch level, Cardinal "Weird Light" ranked as one of the strongest.

"And no matter what, we cannot truly come to blows with the big figures of the Church."

Even after taking Cyart, he was well aware of his place.

After all, Cyart was only a small Eastern kingdom, and the power wielded by the Fischer family was limited; they dared not and could not provoke the Salvation Church, one of the most powerful True Gods Churches.

Though the Six Great True Gods Churches were not allowed to directly intervene in secular conflicts, retaliating against an aggressor was undoubtedly within the permissible scope of actions.

"You've made the right choice."

Darren spoke calmly to the old man, void of joy or sorrow.

"Lead the way, take me to the Imperial Palace."

Since it was not necessary to exterminate all members of the Adley Royal Family, there was no need to strike against the few who remained; it also gave face to Queen Peggy Adler.

With the heavy footsteps of men and the neighing of horses, the conquerors slowly entered the bustling yet serene city. Their weapons glistened with a cold light in the sunshine, and every step they took proclaimed the arrival of a new order.

The people on both sides of the streets shut their doors tightly, casting fearful and complex looks through the cracks of the windows. Mothers hugged their children close, and the elderly bowed their heads with sighs, their hearts filled with unease and anxiety about the unknown.

Aldrich followed close by Darren, taking a deep breath.

It was fortunate that the Siyate Imperial City did not completely succumb to the flames of war. Most of the city's people had been sacrificed during the early stages of the Plague of the Dead, or had died from subsequent events. It would have been terrible indeed if "Iron Mask Man" Darren were to commit further slaughter.

In his heart, he harbored some fear towards Darren, sensing vaguely that the man was always suppressing something deep within himself.

It was a terrifying madness! It was as if he wanted to burn everything to ash!

"His Excellency Bain was a kind and gentle man, yet one of his successors, Darren Fischer, is a completely different 'madman.' It's probably the existence of the Fischer family that acts as a lifeline to his sanity, preventing him from plunging completely into darkness."

As the troops of the Northern Kingdom Army penetrated deeper, the atmosphere in the city grew increasingly oppressive. Yet within this oppression was mixed a subtle anticipation of the end of the old order and the possibility of something new.

Although this hope was buried deep beneath the people's fear, it was impossible to detect.

Along the way, Darren issued his orders calmly.

"No one in the army shall harass the people. No wanton destruction, no arson. Anyone who disobeys will be sentenced to death."

When the army finally reached the outskirts of the Imperial Palace, and as people's gazes lingered on the grand building symbolizing power, the atmosphere of victorious joy reached its peak.

The palace gates were pushed open amidst a thunderous roar, and the ancient and solemn aura rushed towards them.

The moment Darren stepped into the Imperial Palace, his emotions surged indescribably, not just excited for the victory at hand, but also feeling a strange thrill of a dream fulfilled.

"The Fischer family has finally come this far. We rose from a humble fishing village, step by step under the protection and affection of the gods..."

He knew that the Fischer family was about to stand at the pinnacle of power, to rule the land of Cyart, to shape a new chapter in history.

Yet beneath the surging tide of emotions, Darren also harbored deep reflections about the future.

A profound unease within his heart.

Darren knew that conquering Cyart was just the beginning; the true challenge lay in how to govern the land, how to make the people wholeheartedly accept the new rule, and how to leave the Great Lord of the Lost's mark on the Cyart people!

"To turn this country into His dominion, the terrestrial kingdom of the Great Lord of the Lost..."

He stepped into the palace, where the interior was resplendent with gold and luster, every detail exuding luxury. Huge crystal chandeliers hung from the soaring ceiling, casting a soft and bright light that illuminated the spacious hall.

Passing through the elaborately decorated corridors, Darren, who had come alone to the depths of the Siyate Imperial Palace, unexpectedly found the throne adorned with gemstones and gold, symbolizing ultimate power and nobility.

"This is the throne for two generations of Siyate monarchs. Heh, before Peggy sits on it, let me rest on it for a while. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

With a smile, he slowly approached and sat down without hesitation, only to feel very uncomfortable.

"The war has finally ended, but many things are just beginning..."

——

Inside the palace treasury, there were not only vast amounts of gold and silver treasures, extraordinary materials, but also a great number of books, documents, and precious mysterious rare artifacts, all part of the Adley Royal Family's accumulation and heritage.

Unfortunately, all forbidden rare artifacts had already been transferred abroad by the Adley Royal Family.

Aldrich, with his hands clasped behind his back, calmly approached the towering bookshelves, immediately starting to peruse the treasured books, attempting to unravel much of the history that was unclear to him.

"Good, these things are the real treasure."

He found a book recording much about the "Legend of the Apocalypse," which had sorted and classified quite a bit of information on the existing Apocalypse legends of the Claud World.

"The thing inside me must be one of them..."

Aldrich fell into deep thought; the golden substance within him had devoured the Wordless Elder and had recently become increasingly active.

As if it were about to awaken!

"So what exactly are you?"

"Why did you suddenly come into my body? Or did I forget some key memories?"

——

Sitting atop the throne adorned with gemstones and gold, radiating the splendor of ultimate power, Darren's figure seemed especially tall and lonely. His hands gently rested on the armrests, but his gaze penetrated the grandeur of the palace, reaching far beyond into more profound places.

He was pondering how exactly to forever link the name of the Fischer family with the throne and the land.

Internal worries stemmed from the fact that although Cyart had been conquered, the hearts of the Cyart people had not fully submitted.

On the surface, they submitted to the new rule, but deep down, some still longed for the days of old, wary of the Fischer family, the Romann family, and Queen Peggy.

How to soothe the public's heart, eliminate the divide, and truly get the Cyart people to accept and support the new regime was the primary problem the Fischer family had to face.

Moreover, the strife among the major internal forces was causing him endless headaches.

Finding a balance point among the interest groups to ensure the stable power of the Fischer family was an issue that required deep thought.

External threats, on the other hand, hung over the Fischer family's head like a sword.

Even though they had successfully conquered this land, neighboring countries and powers had not given up on coveting it. In the shadows, they amassed strength, preparing to seek opportunities and join other forces to invade Cyart.

The Fischer family had to maintain a high level of vigilance and clear-headedness, to devise effective strategies in anticipation of a new war that might come.

"There is just so much to do."

"Even more so than during the civil war. The tasks we need to accomplish are countless times more!"

He longed to build a powerful empire on this land, to fulfill his lofty ambitions, and also worried whether the Fischer family's rule could last.

Darren was keenly aware of the heavy responsibilities and missions he bore, knowing that only the right decisions would lead the Fischer family and the Dawn Church into a new era.

He took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon, murmuring to himself.

"Great Lord of the Lost, may Your power protect us to continue moving forward."

"The Fischer family swears to You, we will turn Cyart into Your kingdom on earth, let the sorrowful and the ignorant recognize the true nature of the false gods, and wholeheartedly regard the Great You as the one true God!"