Chapter 649: Weak Evil Is Still Evil
Sheffield had never been a gentle dragon king.
In the eyes of the dragon lords of other dragon domains, he was a blade without a sheath.
Mercy. Tolerance. Forgiveness.
These words had never appeared in his dictionary.
He didn't need the reverence of the weak, nor the understanding of his own kind.
He only needed one result: evil eliminated, order maintained.
For this, he was willing to pay any price, including his own life, and also the lives of any beings that stood in his way.
If what appeared before him was a weak existence, then other strong individuals might, out of pride or self-respect, disdain to strike at the weak. A legendary dragon facing a few goblins would often feel that killing them was beneath their dignity. A crown-level powerhouse facing an enemy far weaker than themselves would most likely choose to let their subordinates handle it.
In their eyes, the weak were not worth their time. Personally dealing with weak enemies was only lowering their own status.
But Sheffield had none of these psychological burdens.
In his eyes, evil was evil. It did not become harmless because it was weak, just as a venomous snake did not lose its venom because it was young.
A gnoll sucking the blood of a farmer's livestock and a red dragon burning down an entire city—there was no difference in essence.
They were all existences that must be eliminated.
If it was convenient, he would do it himself. If it was not, he would ensure they were completely cleansed.
As long as he judged the other party to be evil, regardless of whether they were a dragon of his own rank or a newly hatched whelp, he would not hesitate to bring down his claws.
And now, he could see it very clearly.
On the various islands, those evil dragons had noticed him, yet they did not show any fear or attempt to flee.
"Warriors of the Raging Tides Dragon Domain, I have returned!"
"All these years, you have endured the oppression of evil."
"The claws and fangs of the Red Calamity invaded our homeland, corroded our territory with lies and deception, and evil dragons roamed our islands as if they were the masters of these seas."
"This is not your fault."
"It is because evil is too cunning, and the enemy is too despicable."
"But now, your lord has returned. You no longer have to suffer the oppression of evil dragons. You no longer have to eke out an existence under the shadow of evil!"
A voice like rolling thunder fell from the sky.
The Bronze Dragon King spread his enormous wings. Lightning danced through the clouds behind him, outlining his silhouette like a giant god in the sky.
He lowered his gaze, his eyes sweeping across the figures of the evil dragons below like blades.
"Evil dragons, in the name of the Lord of the Raging Tides, I declare your sins will end here!"
"All evil dragons, all who side with the Red Calamity, all evil minions serving the Evil Dragon Empire—today, you will all die here. Eradicated completely. Not one left!"
His killing intent was so solid it felt tangible.
The waves on the sea grew restless and violent. Seabirds on the reefs of several nearby islands rose in flocks, screaming as they fled into the distance.
But the scene he expected did not appear.
The Metal Dragons did not respond to his call.
They stood where they were, looking up at him with unease, their eyes devoid of anticipation or warmth.
It was as if... his arrival was a mistake.
Seeing this, the Bronze Dragon King's expression did not change, but the anger inside him became even harder to suppress.
*Boom!*
His aura suddenly exploded. The dragon might of an Immortal-level being rolled out in all directions like a tangible tsunami, pressing a massive depression into the surface of the sea.
He would kill all the evil dragons here first.
With the blood of evil dragons, he would wash away the corrosion that had tainted the Raging Tides Dragon Domain.
But immediately afterward, something happened that made him halt.
One water screen after another rose from the sea.
Countless water walls, layer upon layer, interlocking with each other, enveloped the dragon domain.
The Oath of the Maelstrom.
This great formation, used to guard the dragon domain and block powerful enemies, was now unfolding right before him, barring him outside.
The Bronze Dragon King's expression darkened.
At that moment, a golden figure rose from the main island, cutting through the gale and rain, flying straight toward him.
The Gold Dragon, Fenoris.
The most trusted follower of the Bronze Dragon King, the successor he personally entrusted before leaving for the Abyss.
He hovered a thousand meters away from Sheffield.
His bronze-gold scales shimmered with a deep luster under the lightning. The color, the size, the aura—nothing had changed.
But Sheffield almost instinctively sensed a difference.
The Gold Dragon's eyes had changed.
The trust and loyalty that once filled his gaze had now been replaced by another emotion.
"Fenoris."
Sheffield stared at the Gold Dragon and said, "Tell me what happened here."
The Gold Dragon remained silent.
The sea wind howled mournfully as it swept beneath his wings.
After a few seconds, he bowed his head slightly, paying respect to the dragon opposite him.
"Dragon King, Your Excellency Sheffield."
"I am sincerely relieved that you managed to return alive from the Abyss. I am proud that you broke through the Mandate of Heaven and achieved an Immortal body."
"But..."
He raised his head, his gaze meeting the Dragon King's eyes directly.
"The dragons here are all fighting for the rise of the dragon race."
Fenoris raised a claw, pointing at the dragons below. "The Master of Sacred Aola has taught us that regardless of scale color, regardless of origin, they all share a common ideal and goal. They are not evil dragons. They are simply fighting for the future of the dragon race."
Sheffield froze.
For several seconds, he had absolutely no reaction.
This was not something the Fenoris he knew could say.
"The Master of Sacred Aola?"
"Fenoris, do you even know what you are saying?"
The Bronze Dragon King stared fixedly at the Gold Dragon.
"Your Excellency, you may not know that the Silver Dragon King has gone into seclusion. And while she was silent, it was Sacred Aola that declared to the entire world that it was willing to shelter the dragon domain that had lost its king," said the Gold Dragon.
"Nereus is in seclusion? What happened?"
The Bronze Dragon King was slightly stunned at first, but in the next second, thinking about how close Nereus had gotten to the Evil Dragon Emperor, he instantly believed this was an evil dragon conspiracy.
Occupying the Raging Tides Dragon Domain.
Forcing Nereus into seclusion, then nominally protecting but actually controlling the Vophal Dragon Domain.
This Master of Aola was indeed the evil among evil dragons! The source of the calamity! He had ultimately been fooled by that dragon's disguise, thinking he was a lesser evil that could be dealt with later!
No!
Not even the demons of the Abyss could compare to this evil dragon!
The Bronze Dragon King's breathing grew heavier.
At that moment, another figure flew out from the water screen.
The Silver Dragon, Archer.
She flew to Fenoris's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, and then similarly bowed her head slightly in greeting to the Dragon King.
"Your Excellency Sheffield."
She said, "I know the scene before you is difficult for you to accept."
"Standing here, shoulder to shoulder with the Five-colored Dragons—this was unimaginable in the past."
"In the past, we firmly believed that scale color determined good and evil. We believed that Five-colored Dragons were born evil. We believed that Purification was the only path. But in these years, we have seen something different with our own eyes."
"Those dragons we called evil—they have the same joys and sorrows as we do, the same loyalty and betrayal, the same sacrifice and cowardice."
"At our core, there is no difference between them and us."
"We were once walking down the wrong path—a path that divided the dragon race in the name of justice."
"But luckily, we still have a chance to correct it."
Fenoris took over her words, his voice low. "You still have a chance to correct it too."
"The esteemed Master of Sacred Aola made us understand one thing: evil is not innate. It is not determined by scale color, not by bloodline, not by birth."
"A Gold Dragon can fall into evil. A Red Dragon can also embrace justice."
"The key lies in choice. In what you are willing to fight for."
The Bronze Dragon King listened quietly. Even his breathing stopped. He was like a statue.
The Gold Dragon took a deep breath, the smell of sea salt filling his lungs.
"Your Excellency Sheffield, if you can recognize this... if you are willing to put aside your prejudice against Five-colored Dragons, willing to see for yourself what Sacred Aola really is..."
He lowered his head, once again paying his respects to the former king.
"We are still willing to serve you as our king."
"Just like before, to follow beneath your wings, to fight together—but not against so-called evil, no longer dividing the dragon race, but to fight side by side for the future of the entire dragon race."
Silence.
Amid the roar of the storm, the rumble of thunder, the crashing of waves against the cliffs—the silence was louder than all the sounds combined.
Sheffield remained silent the entire time.
His faceplate did not hide his expression, but there was no need. His expressions were rare to begin with.
He looked at the Gold Dragon, then at the Silver Dragon, his gaze moving back and forth between them several times.
These two were his most trusted followers, his right hands. He had never imagined that one day, they would use the voice he knew best to say words he least recognized.
"Fenoris. Archer."
He recited their names one by one.
"You are my followers. I trust you more than I trust my own scales."
"But now, you stand here, in front of me, telling me that the Red Calamity is right. Telling me that everything I have insisted on is wrong. Telling me that you will fight for the dragon race under the banner of evil dragons?"
"No. You have been deceived. You have all been deceived."
"This is not your fault. This is the Red Calamity's doing. He must have used some despicable magic, some vile trick to twist your minds, to warp your judgment."
"Otherwise, you could never say such things."
"My Fenoris would not say such things. My Archer would not either."
The Gold Dragon did not avoid his gaze.
"Your Excellency, I understand that this is what you would think. If I were in your position, I would come to the same conclusion."
"But those methods you speak of—they never existed."
"This was our own choice."
He straightened his back slightly and said, "Before, I thought there was only justice and evil, and that justice meant eliminating evil. But that was too narrow-minded. Now I can see more."
"To be able to fight for the future of the entire dragon race—I feel a genuine sense of fulfillment."
The Gold Dragon gazed at Sheffield, his voice sincere. "Your Excellency, I know you won't believe my words just because of a few sentences. But I have a request."
"I beg you, please set aside your prejudice."
"Even if only temporarily."
"Come into Sacred Aola. See this Dragon Empire for yourself with your own eyes. Not through my words, not through the Red Emperor's words—go see it yourself. Use your own eyes, your own judgment."
"If, after seeing it, you still believe this is all evil, then I will say no more."
"But at least, please go and see. Experience it for yourself."