Defeating the World with the Power of One Dragon!

By the time the smoke of the Abyssal Summer had fully cleared, it was already deep winter. The last demon hiding among the mountain ranges was turned to ash by a dragon's breath.

The cleanup work lasted for quite some time.

The coalition forces of the various kingdoms advanced zone by zone, clearing the remnants of the Abyss scattered across the scorched earth and ruins. The great pits and ravines carved into the land by the

war were filled in. The shattered constructs were recovered and smelted down, becoming raw materials for new building supplies and alchemical devices.

Then, Sacred Aola began its reconstruction.

It wasn't just about restoring things to the way they were.

What rose from the ruins of war was an even more powerful empire. Everything was regrowing, rising, and expanding at a visible pace.

The wounds inflicted by the war had instead become fertile soil for new life.

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Halden's technical legacy played an irreplaceable role during this period.

Halden had once styled itself as the Master of the Skies, its alchemical technology unrivaled across Atlan. It could even be said that no nation on the entire planet of Bernardo could compete with them in this regard.

This accumulated knowledge did not vanish with the empire's fall.

Halden's alchemists, arcane craftsmen, and Sky City designers, carrying the knowledge and technology they had amassed over countless years, were preserved intact as part of the terms of their submission.

At first.

To defend against the ever-present danger of a demon outbreak, Sacred Aola had entered a state of war readiness, with everything focused on the upcoming battles. It had not fully absorbed this knowledge, with all energy concentrated on preparations and defense.

Now that the war was over.

The knowledge and craftsmanship that had once supported the operation of the Sky Cities were absorbed, deconstructed, and reintegrated by Sacred Aola with remarkable efficiency during the post-war reorganization.

Sacred Aola's alchemical industrial technology began to experience explosive growth.

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New furnaces were built one after another. The precision of rune engraving increased several times over. The efficiency of material synthesis far surpassed anything that had come before.

And then, construction began on the high heavens.

Halden had relied on a vast system of floating cities to maintain its dominion over the skies, with all its citizens taking pride in the lofty Sky Cities, viewing them as symbols of status and dignity.

Sacred Aola did not abandon the skies.

However, Halden's fate had already proven that while Sky Cities seemed magnificent and noble, they harbored too many risks and problems, with costs that were astronomically high.

Moreover, dragons were born to soar through the heavens. They had no obsession with conquering the skies.

To a dragon, the sky was simply their own backyard.

Thus, Sacred Aola adopted a completely different approach.

Satellites.

As time passed, one magical satellite after another, trailing silver-white plumes of flame, soared into the sky from the launch sites on the outskirts of the Aola capital.

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They pierced through the clouds, eventually stabilizing at high points in the sky vault, embedded in the deep blue canopy of the heavens.

Centered around the Sanctuary, which had been iteratively upgraded.

These numerous satellites wove an energy network covering the continent of Sorog in low-Earth orbit, echoing and coordinating with one another, forming a vast and intricate whole.

That network was officially named the Aola Star Network by the empire's governors.

It was both a communication network and a defense system.

Through the relays of the Star Network, any garrison camp could contact the capital within a few breaths. Two cities located at opposite ends of the continent, separated by vast distances, could communicate instantly.

The cost was so low that it could be fully popularized among civilians. Even the most remote villages could afford basic communication.

Should war come again.

The Star

Network could also transform into a space-based weapons platform, launching ultra-long-range strikes against enemies on the surface.

Warriors of Aola who perished in battle could transform into Heroic Spirits, entering the Star Network. Their will would flow through it, becoming guardians among its myriad nodes, continuing to fight for Sacred Aola in a different form.

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After the Star Network.

What shocked the ordinary people of the Atlantis Continent even more was the Cloud Rail.

This was a high-speed track woven from solidified cloud elements, suspended in the sky, crisscrossing in all directions.

Compared to traditional roads, it only required a Cloud Element Stabilization Node to be set up at intervals, keeping the Cloud Rail path stable at high altitudes.

This meant that Cloud Rails could traverse any terrain.

Whether it was towering mountains, deep rivers, or vast swamps, none of it was an obstacle. It could cut straight through the steepest mountain ranges, cross the most turbulent rivers, and turn natural barriers into open roads.

The speed of Cloud Rail trains couldn't match teleportation arrays or flying shuttles.

However, the construction process for teleportation arrays was complex and expensive, usable only by a select few. They were strategic resources. Flying shuttles were similar, requiring large amounts of rare materials.

In comparison, Cloud Rails were far simpler.

Even ordinary civilians could use Cloud Rail trains to cross Atlan in a very short time, traveling from one province to another. From sunrise one day to sunset the next, they could complete a journey that once required a long and arduous trek.

The Star Network and the Cloud Rail.

These two major projects changed the social structure of Atlan.

Civilians living on the west coast could choose to take the Cloud Rail to a tavern in the far northern ice fields for a glass of ice-brewed ale. Remote cities could connect to the capital's education system through the Star Network, attending remote lectures by high-ranking scholars.

Most importantly.

The Cloud Rail and Star Network facilitated daily exchanges between the various kingdoms.

The barriers between different races and different kingdoms were gradually worn away. Prejudices crumbled in one face-to-face meeting after another.

Humans, goblins, dwarves...

All races could sit side by side in Cloud Rail carriages, sharing their stories and food.

And so, under the rule of Sacred Aola, the kingdoms of Atlan ushered in true unification and great integration.

On a side note.

The Cloud Rail was not a concept originally proposed by Sacred Aola.

It was first suggested by an alchemist from a Halden settlement area. That gaunt, middle-aged man had sketched the initial blueprint on paper, outlining the basic principles of the Cloud Rail.

Sacred Aola's policy was never to enslave those who surrendered.

The empire needed all useful knowledge and technology, and talented individuals willing to build the future together. It did not care which nation or which ethnicity these knowledge and technologies came from.

Sacred Aola opened the gates of heaven to those willing to contribute their strength to the new era.

For Halden, which had already fallen to the earth, Sacred Aola did not impose oppressive control. Instead, it granted them a considerable degree of autonomy and room for development, allowing them to preserve their own cultural traditions and social structures within the empire's framework.

Thus.

When the Halden sorcerer's concept was proposed and verified for feasibility, resources were immediately funneled into it. An endless stream of materials and craftsmen were allocated to the project.

The Cloud Rail transportation system was rapidly constructed.

The Halden settlement area, as a result, underwent a dramatic transformation.

When the

war first ended, the settlement area was still incredibly crude.

The Halden people, relocated from the floating cities, were crowded into temporary shacks, staring blankly at the sky that had once belonged to them, struggling to adapt to this immense disparity.

But Halden was, after all, Halden.

The knowledge and technical foundation they had accumulated were unfathomably deep. Even after falling from the clouds, the things inside their heads remained intact.

After falling to the earth, not all Halden people remained downcast.

A considerable number of them quickly adjusted their mindset and began to search for a new foothold.

The birth of the Cloud Rail transportation system was the first contribution made by Halden's sorcerers to the new era. At the same time, Sacred Aola gave them correspondingly generous rewards.

Wealth poured into the settlement area like a tide, bringing construction.

Construction brought change.

As time passed, the crude shacks gradually disappeared, replaced by new cities rising from the ground. Tower cranes stood in rows, bricks and stones were stacked, and new districts became reality on planning maps, piece by piece.

Their scale was nothing grand.

However, at the very least, the city walls were neat, the streets were wide, and the sewer system was complete. At the city center, a few public buildings with Halden's traditional pointed spire style had even been erected.

Sky Dome City, Cloud Rest City, Starfall City...

The names of these cities still carried a Halden-like pride.

But besides the Halden people, thanks to the convenience of the Cloud Rail transportation system and people's curiosity about Halden, these cities also attracted merchants, craftsmen, and adventurers from all over Atlan.

They were drawn here by the booming opportunities, searching for their own fortunes.

Furthermore, after crawling out of the mud, the Halden people didn't harbor many rebellious thoughts.

They were a race that revered strength and glory.

In Halden's culture, the strong were meant to be revered, the conqueror deserved the throne, and the victor's name should be carved on the tallest stele for future generations to sing praises of for ages.

After the war ended.

The mighty power of the Red Emperor, who had slain the demon king and wiped out all the Abyssal Rifts, was widely celebrated. Bards sang of his deeds in taverns, and children imitated the dragon's breath on the streets.

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Keep in mind, these demons were terrible enemies that even Halden at its peak had failed to solve.

The Red Emperor had done it, accomplishing what Halden, with all its might, could not, almost single-handedly. Wherever his dragon wings swept past, the rifts closed and the demons were destroyed.

This shock broke through the psychological defenses of the Halden people.

And so, one stele and statue after another, engraved with the name of Scarlet Emperor Cangxing, were erected spontaneously. The Halden people began to take pride in the Red Emperor's strength, regarding him as a symbol of victory and glory.

Of course, there were still some who reminisced about the former glory of the empire.

But the number of these people was dwindling, and their voices were growing weaker.

They couldn't make any waves.

The younger generation of Halden people were born on the ground, growing up under the Cloud Rail and satellites. For them, the Halden Empire was just a part of history, while Sacred Aola was the reality of their lives.

And so, time continued to flow on.

In the 761st year of the New Calendar, the Sanctuary completed its expansion.

In 763, the Aola Star Chain achieved full coverage across the entire Atlan continent. Even the most remote wilderness outpost could receive a clear signal.

In 765, the Cloud Rail trunk lines connected all major cities of Atlan, with branch lines extending to various secondary cities. The network was becoming increasingly dense.

In 769, the sixth city of the Halden settlement area was completed.

Under the unification of Sacred Aola, in the dozen or so years following the

war, Atlan developed at a pace far exceeding any previous era. The progress of technology and the integration of society were like an unstoppable torrent, scouring away the old boundaries.

Beyond Bernardo, in the boundless deep void.

Two streaks of light and shadow interwove among the stars.

One large, one small. Each collision was silent and soundless.

However, although the vacuum swallowed the sound, it could not swallow the radiance released by the energy eruptions. The surrounding darkness was illuminated as if it were daytime, time and time again, clearly outlining the silhouettes of two figures against the void.

The human form was as if forged from light. He charged forward, wielding two greatswords.

The blades swept past, trailing radial trajectories of holy brilliance, directly slashing towards the dragon's scales. Where the blade's edge passed, the void was stirred into layer upon layer of ripples.

The great dragon did not dodge.

He slightly straightened his body, meeting the slash with the dense dragon scales on his chest, his posture calm.

The blade's edge touched the scales.

Clang!

A layer of pale, ashen-yellow radiance burst forth. But before it could tear the dragon scales, it was twisted and diverted by an invisible force, sliding off to the right, silently cutting a massive meteorite in two, the cut surface smooth as a mirror.

The human withdrew his sword and retreated, his form suddenly dimming.

He vanished into the darkness between the starlight, only to reappear in the next instant, his Evernight sword wreathed in abyssal-dark energy, slashing diagonally upwards.

The result was the same as before.

The blade's edge was deflected, and the sword light was redirected to cut in other directions, failing to inflict any real damage on the great dragon.

Something seemed to cover the surface of the great dragon's scales.

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Invisible, yet truly present.

The swordsman quickly realized this. He adjusted his angle, calculating the pattern of distortion on the great dragon's scale surface in his mind, then changed the angle of his slash accordingly, searching for a breakthrough through constant trial and error.

And so.

A special sword light, pale ashen-yellow in color, finally tore through the dragon scales. Even the Dense Body couldn't stop it. The blade sank between the scales, leaving a trail of blood.

However, compared to the great dragon's massive body, this damage was insignificant.

The swordsman was not discouraged.

Light and darkness condensed simultaneously, two completely different energies bursting forth time and time again. The twin swords interwove constantly, weaving into a dense offensive.

More wounds appeared on the great dragon's body, but he was neither startled nor angered.

Instead, he bared his teeth in a grin, revealing a mouthful of sharp fangs. Then he silently hovered among the stars, not counterattacking, merely using his layered, dense scales to resist the slashing damage.

Time flowed by silently.

Not long after, the swordsman's attack fell once more, but this time, it failed to tear the dragon scales as before.

At some point, the structure of the great dragon's scales had changed. The surface was covered with a layer of filigree-like material. When the blade's edge fell upon it, it could barely tear a negligible wound, which then began to close and heal.

About half an hour later, the swordsman's figure paused in the void.

His twin swords hung by his side, their edges extinguished.

He raised his head, revealing a face with sharp, handsome features outlined under the glow of the star.

Reinhardt.

The most powerful swordsman of the Sacred Aola Empire, second only to the Red Emperor.

Now, he had already become an Immortal.

Reinhardt looked up and gave a helpless smile.

"My attacks can only leave scratches on you that barely draw blood..."

"Honestly, that's a bit discouraging."

"When I was still a Legendary, I could at least break through your defenses. Now that I've become an Immortal, the gap between us has only grown wider. It makes me wonder if my progress even counts as progress at all."

Sound could not be transmitted in the starry void.

However, they naturally had their own way of communicating. Their thoughts collided and transmitted directly in the vacuum.

Garoth lowered his head, glancing down at the sword marks on his body that were visibly healing. Then he shifted his gaze back to Reinhardt.

These injuries seemed trivial.

But in reality, before Garoth's battle evolution, they would have torn through his dragon scales every single time, almost completely ignoring his defenses.

"Reinhardt, you still have strength to spare."

"Use it all. Let me see the power of your Potency."

The great dragon said.

Upon hearing this, the human swordsman gave a wry smile.

"Your Majesty, you're right, I indeed haven't used my full strength."

Reinhardt said. "But this isn't because I overestimate myself, thinking I could harm you. It's mainly... I don't dare."

Garoth asked, "Why don't you dare?"

Reinhardt said, "My Potency has only just condensed recently, and I'm still unfamiliar with it. If I truly tried to harness it and unleash its full power, there's a good chance it would backfire on me."

"If the powers of light and darkness go out of control, they'll tear me apart from the inside."

"I wouldn't have any complaints myself, but if I were to lose control right in front of you, that would be too disrespectful."

Kill yourself directly?

Is your kid's Potency that dangerous?

A sharp glint flashed in the dragon's eyes.

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He tilted his head slightly, intrigued, and asked, "Higher risks usually mean higher rewards. I've personally verified this principle more than once."

"Reinhardt, tell me, what is your Potency? What effect does it have?"

Potency was a secret of Immortals.

Not just its effect, but even just its name, if leaked, could allow someone to guess its general category and direction. Among Immortals, this was extremely private information.

However, Reinhardt did not hesitate.

He spoke in a chant-like manner. "Light is not good, darkness is not evil. Light and darkness are both me. I am the Immortal."

"My Potency is named, Radiance and Void."

He paused, then continued.

"I can transform into radiance, penetrating any medium that allows light to pass through, projecting my body and consciousness to any place illuminated by light. But the farther the distance, the higher the consumption."

"In my radiant form, I can dispel all external curses and negative buffs."

"I can transform into darkness, condensing my body from any place of shadow."

"Whether it's the cover of shade or the concealment of night, both can become the entrance for my manifestation."

"Conventional attacks cannot lock onto me. I can erode my enemy's energy and stamina, converting them into my own replenishment."

Reinhardt roughly described the effects of his Potency.

Radiance and Void.

Even taken individually, neither was a weak Potency. He possessed both, containing two opposing poles within himself.

The Potency that Reinhardt had shaped was incredibly powerful.

This kind of twin, opposing Potency was extremely rare even among Immortals.

"Most crucially, I can fuse these two conflicting forces together."

"When radiance and void are unified under my will, I will enter the 'Terminus State'."

Reinhardt said. "In this state, I am immune to all damage. Radiance and void exist simultaneously within my body. Life and death are both true for me. Furthermore, all damage I deal will be imbued with a far stronger Terminus Force."

"If before it was a single strand, then in the Terminus State, it is a hundred strands."

Terminus Force.

A special power generated when radiance and void oppose and annihilate each other.

When Reinhardt was at the Mandate of Heaven tier, he could already produce a Terminus Arc, ignoring any defense to deal true damage, something even Garoth's body couldn't fully withstand. But he hadn't truly mastered this power; he had only stumbled upon its edge.

Now, he was beginning to truly grasp it.

Garoth was looking forward to it.

Terminus was a rare and powerful force. Across all realms, few living beings could harness it.

If he faced it for the first time, caught off guard, he might be directly and heavily injured. Although the probability of encountering such a strong enemy was low, as long as one lived long enough, even the lowest probability would approach one hundred percent.

It was always good to have more means of resistance.

It would be best if he could adapt and develop some Terminus resistance. It could be unnecessary, but it couldn't be absent.

"The price is equally immense."

Under the red iron dragon's gaze, Reinhardt continued. "Radiance and void are opposites. Making them coexist is already extremely difficult, and fusing them is even harder than reaching the heavens."

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"During the fusion process, absolute balance must be maintained."

"If that balance is lost, the conflict between radiance and void will cause the Terminus Force to erupt from within me, backlashing against me and consuming me from the inside out."

He showed a look of deep apprehension and gave another wry smile.

"If it were you, Your Majesty, you could withstand this kind of damage."

"But as for me... I'm afraid I'd drop dead on the spot, dying an irreversible death. The risk of harnessing Terminus is too great. I don't dare to try it lightly for now."

Garoth certainly didn't want to see his only Immortal subordinate die on the spot.

He didn't insist. "You've only just grasped this Potency. This is just the beginning. I believe that with your talent, it won't be long before you become familiar with it and skillfully master the Terminus State."

Reinhardt nodded solemnly.

He said, "Your Majesty, I promise you that when that time comes, I will immediately invite you to taste the flavor of my Terminus Sword."

For a subject to say such a thing to their emperor sounded somewhat treasonous.

However, this was mainly because the Emperor of Aola was no ordinary dragon.

The red iron dragon nodded his massive head. "Do it quickly. I am waiting for the day to come."

The battle in the boundless deep void came to a close.

Not long after, the red iron dragon returned from deep space, arriving back at the Red Emperor Capital.

The night grew deeper.

Garoth stepped out from a spatial rift, standing upon the high platform of the dragon court.

He lowered his eyes and gazed downwards.

Looking out, the Cloud Rail network crisscrossed in every direction.

The silhouettes of Cloud Rail trains sped along the tracks, trailing silver-white trails. They departed from the platform of one city, passed through the clouds, traced an arc across the sky, and then came to a stop at the platform of another city.

He raised his head.

Looking up, the Aola satellites shone brilliantly like stars, arranged in orderly fashion against the dark canopy of the sky.

They formed a vast network in low-Earth orbit.

Communication signals flowed within it, defense arrays stood ready within it, the wills of Heroic Spirits circulated within it... The warriors who had sacrificed themselves had now become a part of the stars, continuing to guard the empire they had defended with their blood.

The entire Atlantis Continent was thriving and booming.

The smoke from cooking fires and the steam from workshops rose together into the high sky. The lights between cities were lit one by one. Every life was moving in the same direction, every race was growing under the same order.

This was the order Garoth wanted to see.

Chaos could break conventions and serve as a ladder upwards. However, it was by building order amidst chaos that one could achieve better and longer-term development, truly allowing civilization to continue and grow.

Just then, a familiar voice sounded in his mind.

"Garoth, the Halden settlement area has been developing quite rapidly recently. Their reconstruction speed has even surpassed that of several of our own provinces. Those settlement areas are filled with a thriving scene."

After briefly explaining the situation, Sorog got straight to the point.

"A delegation of Halden representatives submitted a formal request through the overseer. They want to establish their own nation. This matter could be big or small. What are your thoughts?"

Garoth, gazing at the crisscrossing Cloud Rail in the sky, showed little change in expression.

The Halden people wanting to establish a nation was something he had anticipated.

A race that had once styled itself as the Master of the Skies, even after falling from the clouds, would never be satisfied with living permanently in a settlement area. The thought of rebuilding their nation would inevitably emerge from their hearts sooner or later.

But he didn't care much about it. "Such a trivial matter, you can decide for yourself."

Sorog quickly responded. "Halden has a deep foundation. Even now that they're dependent on us, their knowledge reserves and technical talent still surpass any of Atlan's other vassal states."

"Allowing them to establish a nation, serving the empire in a vassal capacity, is more advantageous than continuing to exist as a settlement area."

"I agree to their re-establishment of a nation."

Garoth said, "Then go ahead and do it."

"Draft the charter, grant them the status of a vassal state, and clarify their obligations and rights."

Sorog acknowledged. "Leave it to me. I'll give them a suitable framework. One that won't stifle their development, but also won't give them room to overstep."

The Mental Link wasn't over yet.

There was more unsaid in the iron dragon's voice. After a pause, it continued.

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"There's one more thing."

He said. "The empire is heading towards unprecedented prosperity. The Cloud Rail connects the skies, the Star

Network covers the entire continent. Under our rule, Atlan has achieved true great unification. This is a situation none of us had anticipated from the beginning."

"However, as vast as Atlan is, for the Sacred Aola of today, it is a bit small."

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The empire's territory had already been finalized.

All the land had already been developed or allocated. The important resource-producing areas already had owners. Sacred Aola could still develop within Atlan, but the pace of this development was slowing down. The marginal effects were becoming more and more obvious.

But while development slowed, the empire's population was constantly growing.

The dragons in particular, were each major consumers of resources, requiring land and resources.

"An empire that does not expand will begin to consume itself from within. This is the law of an empire's rise and fall, a law that does not change according to the will of any living being."

Sorog said. "We need new land."

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"For example, the Thalassian Continent would be a good choice. Kantum is still licking its wounds, closed off to the world. Those orcs are clinging to life. There's an ocean between us and them, but that's not an obstacle for us."

Garoth's eyes narrowed slightly.

What Sorog was saying, he had actually already thought about.

When he had woken up from his first sleep after the Abyssal Summer, he had already cast his gaze towards the distant horizon.

Atlan was the starting point, not the destination.

Dragons needed a broader sky. The empire needed a more vast territory. And he needed even greater power. They were all interrelated, none dispensable.

"You're right. I have the same idea."

"But, there's no rush for this matter. Let's wait until at least after my next sleep."

He said slowly. "Within the next ten years at the shortest, I will begin my next sleep. Before that, I need to complete some preparations."

The iron dragon's mind brimmed with a trace of excitement.

"Excellent! After you wake up, you will become even stronger, truly invincible. Then, the Sacred Aola's Grand Expedition plan can officially commence!"

Sorog never forgot his original purpose.

The empire's prosperity was still what brought him the most joy and excitement.

Garoth shifted the topic slightly. "Before I go to sleep, I plan to visit the Serene Spirit Wilderness first."

It had already been over a decade since that summer of the Abyssal invasion.

He had promised the Faerie Dragon, Netal, that he would go to the Joyous Court. It was time to fulfill that promise.

"You've made up your mind?"

The iron dragon's voice turned slightly more serious, tinged with gravity. "Garoth, my brother, I must remind you, meeting with deities is not a safe matter. Or rather, it is very dangerous."

Garoth looked up, the night sky reflected in his eyes.

"The Joyous Court has shown more than enough sincerity."

He said calmly. "Netal manifested in its true form to block Tiamat's avatar for me, and then invited me to meet Titania. If they harbored any ill will, they could have easily acted when I was in the Serene Spirit Wilderness. They wouldn't need to go to such lengths."

Garoth had visited the Serene Spirit Wilderness quite a few times.

If the Faerie Gods had any malicious intent, they would have had plenty of opportunities to strike.

"That's true."

Sorog was lost in thought, the alertness in his mind easing slightly. "If we can secure the support of the Joyous Court in the future, the Sacred Aola's Grand Expedition will also have more confidence."

"Although having the backing of a god means we have to cede some benefits, overall, it's beneficial to us."

"A god's patronage is a necessary bargaining chip among the various realms."

Garoth and his blood kin had discussed the reasons why the Faerie Gods were extending an olive branch to him, and what these gods wanted to gain from Garoth.

After a bit of discussion.

They all agreed that the Joyous Court wanted faith in the Material Plane.

After all, the activities of fey believers in the Material Plane were always restricted. They needed a powerful spokesperson to open up the situation for them.

The prerequisite for cooperation was mutual benefit.

This also meant that if they obtained the support of the Joyous Court, Sacred Aola would at least need to provide them with some benefits in terms of faith, making the Faerie Gods feel that this was a worthwhile deal.

"I never object to a win-win cooperation."

"At the very least, dealing with the fey is always easy."

The red iron dragon stood up from the high platform, slowly spreading his twin wings.

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The Cloud Rail crisscrossed in every direction, looking like rivers flowing in the sky beneath the night of Atlan.

At the same time, the brief exchange with his blood kin ended.

The red iron dragon withdrew his gaze, extended his right claw in front of him, and tore open a rift. Without any hesitation, he leaped directly into it. His massive form disappeared into the rift, vanishing into the night of the Red Emperor Capital.