Chapter 620: Blasphemy Against the Gods, Insult to the Dragon Queen
Between the thick, dense thunderclouds.
Garoth noticed the appearance of the Dragonblight, but he didn’t feel much surprise. Even back when he was still weak, he had once encountered Gnollguards and then gained the first gnoll tribe that followed him.
These monsters were indeed troublesome.
But his legendary-level subordinates weren’t pushovers either.
Garoth withdrew his gaze from the Dragonblight.
Reinhardt’s Dark Domain had already swallowed the dragons. Karu’s roars came faintly from the coastline. The Sanctuary’s Heroic Spirits were constantly descending to the earth...
His retinue was fulfilling their duties.
Now, it was his turn.
He turned his head back, his vertical pupils locking onto the dragon figure beneath the thunderclouds.
“Lamorein, do you still remember the agreement we made back then?”
“After clearing away all other obstacles and interference, just the two of us, one-on-one, to determine who is superior and who is inferior. The loser will grovel under the victor’s wings, either offering loyalty or paying with their life.”
“Hmph, this battle has been delayed for far too long.”
“But it’s not too late now. Let this sky be the stage for us to fulfill our promise.”
The red iron dragon spoke to himself, completely unconcerned with the Storm Dragon’s silence.
Boom!
The thunder grew even more violent.
The dark clouds became thicker. Rain poured down in sheets. The holes Garoth had torn open earlier were completely filled. The oppressive black clouds seemed almost within reach, and their range was still expanding.
And beneath these thunderclouds.
The Storm Dragon’s aura was steadily increasing. The lightning around his body grew denser and denser. As a result, he was no longer in a hurry to attack the red iron dragon.
Storm and Thunder Dominance · Heavenly Phenomenon Manipulation.
Your existence rewrites the surrounding weather phenomena. The place where you are is covered by thunderclouds.
Storm and Thunder Dominance · Thunderclouds Veiling the Sun.
You are the master of storms and thunder. Under your will, the range of thunderclouds and storms expands as battle time increases. The thicker the clouds, the denser the lightning, the stronger the storm, and the more powerful you become.
Heavenly Phenomenon Manipulation and Thunderclouds Veiling the Sun, along with another characteristic not yet revealed.
Together, all three are fused and sublimated at the Mandate level, forming Lamorein’s core Mandate characteristic, known as Storm and Thunder Dominance.
Garoth glanced at the increasingly dense thunderclouds.
“Cangxing.”
As the two words escaped from between the great dragon’s teeth, his body had already begun to swell and change.
His shoulder blades spread outward. His chest cage pushed forward. The muscles under his scales bulged and twisted like steel cables... The dragon’s physique and imposing aura soared dramatically. Bathed in the howling wind and pelting rain, his oppressive presence far surpassed that of the Storm Dragon opposite him.
Lamorein was not idle either.
He raised his head, which lit up. The lightning patterns on his wing membranes lit up from the base all the way to the edges.
Body of Thunder!
Under the infusion of electric current, his scales began to change color, shifting from a deep, almost black blue to a blinding, searing white. Every scale’s edge burst forth with electrical arcs. A thick layer of energy plating even formed on the surface of the scales.
Then, the Storm Dragon launched his attack.
His two wings slammed shut. His dragon body transformed into a blinding white bolt of lightning, charging straight at the red iron dragon in a linear rush, as fast as real lightning.
Garoth’s perception couldn’t capture the Storm Dragon.
But his battle-hardened instincts, honed through thousands of combats, along with the close-combat traits of his current mutated form, made him twist his body subconsciously, raising his right arm and pulling it back.
Riiip!
When the electric light faded, the Storm Dragon’s left claw tore through the air. Electric arcs, close enough to be measured in inches, reflected in Garoth’s field of vision...
It had swept past, almost grazing his face.
His right claw fell simultaneously, stabbing into the red iron dragon’s left shoulder, leaving several cracks of varying depth on its otherwise seamless armor of scales.
Crackle, crackle!
The lightning from the Body of Thunder erupted from the tips of the claws, splitting the scales along the wounds while penetrating inward, searing the muscles beneath the scales.
A burning, stabbing pain, like needles pricking.
The Storm Dragon’s attack could breach Garoth’s defenses.
But that was all.
Garoth’s body only swayed slightly, taking half a step back.
The moment his left shoulder was pierced, his right claw had already swung out.
He wasn’t holding a Dragon Qi Bomb. He wasn’t imbued with any energy attack. It was pure, physical claw strike.
Before the claw, the air was compressed into a visible white barrier of air pressure, then it exploded. Before the sonic boom even spread, the sharp claws had already slammed into Lamorein’s left ribcage.
The electric plating on the Storm Dragon’s body surface was torn apart instantly.
Crackle, crackle!
The electric current backlashed, spreading along the claws towards Garoth’s dragon arms. But the current could only jump on the surface, leaving scorched black marks on the scales, unable to truly harm the flesh and blood.
At the same time.
The red iron dragon’s claws continuously breached the scales, the dermis, and then tore through the Blue Dragon’s flesh and blood.
An overwhelming, unstoppable force spread through his body. The Storm Dragon’s body involuntarily bent to the right. Then, his left wing instinctively spread, flapping violently. The lightning patterns on his body flashed abruptly.
Boom!
The electric light that had been surging within the thunderclouds for a long time instantly converged. A searing white heavenly thunderbolt fell from the sky.
The searing white electric current poured down like a waterfall, drenching the red iron dragon’s body.
If this had been any other human or orc Mandate...
Unless they had some resurrection or powerful damage reduction traits and skills, this strike would have been fatal. Even for a Mandate great dragon, it would cause full-body convulsions for a while.
But he had encountered the current Garoth.
Dragon Breath was gone. Dragon Might had retracted into his body due to the mutation. He couldn’t even shape Dragon Qi, and couldn’t even manifest the Star Body.
After paying such a high price...
The current Garoth only possessed this body, enhanced to its absolute limit.
This long-charged heavenly thunder only stiffened Garoth’s body for a single moment.
The Storm Dragon let out a low roar. His body, bent by the blow, flipped in the air.
The wound location was torn open by the violent movement, blood gushing out. But there was no pain in his vertical pupils. At the same time, a five-colored flame appeared on his wound, causing it to heal almost instantly.
Divinely Blessed Body.
You have received a deity’s Grace. Your body never tires, your energy is inexhaustible, your wounds heal at high speed, and your attributes are superior to those of your kind.
The Storm Dragon’s age exceeded a thousand years.
His combat experience was naturally extremely rich.
Although Garoth’s resistance was too strong, only stiffening for a single moment, the Storm Dragon still seized this opportunity.
The great dragon’s right wing spread wide. Countless lightning storms flocked to it, attaching to his wing bones, slashing horizontally towards the red iron dragon.
This time, it was no longer just a wing; it was more like a massive blade tempered by thunder and lightning.
Its edges burst with searing white electrical arcs, tearing through the curtain of rain, sweeping towards the red iron dragon’s neck.
Clang!
Fine pieces of electric current scattered in all directions.
The red iron dragon had already raised his arm in time.
The scales were struck by the wing-blade, leaving a deep, flesh-exposing furrow on the forge-red surface. But it couldn’t cut through the bone, let alone sever his arm. The injury was hardly serious.
The red iron dragon’s scales, flesh, and bone... were all incredibly dense.
Even if it had actually hit the neck...
Not to mention whether decapitation could kill Garoth, this strike probably couldn’t sever his neck at all. His neck itself was quite thick and sturdy.
At the same time, the red iron dragon’s body regained its freedom.
The stiffness from earlier had passed.
His two wings flapped. Instead of retreating, his body advanced, rushing inside the Storm Dragon’s wingspan. Simultaneously, his right knee drove upwards. The blade on his knee joint snapped out reflexively, reflecting a cold, sharp arc in the lightning.
Riiip!
The scales on the Storm Dragon’s abdomen were like leather in front of this blade.
The blade stabbed in, tore through, and drove upward. The entire motion was as smooth as breathing. Lamorein’s body arched upward from this strike. Blood gushed from the wound, mixing with the torrential rain, spraying down towards the earth below.
“Lamorein! My claws will be your final resting place!”
The red iron dragon’s attacks fell continuously, without a moment’s pause.
His semi-upright posture completely freed his arms.
His left claw clamped down on the root of the Storm Dragon’s right shoulder. At the same time, his right elbow folded inward, the elbow blade popping out, and then stabbed diagonally upward.
An eye for an eye. The target was the Storm Dragon’s neck.
Lamorein lifted his head. An infinite amount of electric light condensed into a shield in front of the scales on his throat.
The elbow blade stabbed into the shield. Electrical arcs crazily backlashed, enveloping the red iron dragon’s entire right arm in a blinding white light.
The scales sizzled as they were scorched. The muscles beneath the skin twitched in the current. But the elbow blade didn’t stop. Carrying its spell-extinguishing effect, it tore through the shield, inch by inch.
The elbow blade stabbed into the Storm Dragon’s throat.
Although it had passed through layers of obstacles, its depth was still enough to reach the trachea.
Lamorein let out a low, rumbling roar. The sound was shattered by the blade in his throat, turning into a gurgling, muddy sound. His two hind legs simultaneously lifted, kicking towards the red iron dragon’s abdomen.
Clang!
The claw tips scraped against the scales, producing a piercing shriek, while bursting forth with a cluster of dazzling lightning.
The explosion and the impact sent the red iron dragon’s body reeling backward.
Now!
Lamorein opened his upper and lower jaws. A five-colored flame had already filled the wound in his throat.
Whoosh!
Divine Punishment Breath!
A thunderbolt interwoven with five colors blasted out, sweeping towards the red iron dragon.
Seeing this, the red iron dragon directly raised his claws, fingers pressed together like a blade, and slashed down towards the dragon breath.
Riiip!
The moment the dragon breath touched the Spell-Extinguishing Claws, it was condensed into a nearly solid texture. As the Spell-Extinguishing Claws slashed through, it was split in half from the middle, almost passing by on either side of the red iron dragon’s body.
The next instant.
Garoth charged forward from the safe zone in the middle of the dragon breath, closing in on the Storm Dragon.
His dragon claws clenched tightly, tracing a scorching hot trajectory, hitting the Storm Dragon squarely on the head.
Boom!
The blow was heavy and forceful.
The Storm Dragon’s head was violently whipped to the left. His lower jawbone shattered. Several dragon teeth flew out from their sockets, spinning and falling into the rain mixed with blood and saliva. His body, following the direction of his head’s swing, lost control.
Garoth didn’t let this opportunity slip.
Sharp claws, elbow and knee blades, fell in alternating, continuous strikes, stabbing into or tearing apart the Storm Dragon’s body.
Lamorein wasn’t without a counterattack.
Every time the Body of Thunder was hit, it would release the accumulated electric current, backlashing against the attacker.
Garoth’s body was covered in electrical arcs. His scales, under the continuous scorching of the current, changed from forge-red to an almost complete scorched black. But he didn’t stop, he didn’t even slow down.
As time passed, the thunderclouds grew thicker and thicker. The power accumulating within them grew stronger and stronger.
The Storm Dragon’s own attributes were also increasing.
But he was still unable to break free from his disadvantage. Even though he could occasionally mount a counterattack, he was in a state of complete inferiority overall.
Because Garoth was also getting stronger.
For example, the paralysis effect that had slowed him down at the very beginning had now been adapted to as the battle progressed. The Lord of Thunder’s damage was constantly increasing, but Garoth’s various resistances were already high to begin with, and they were now surging upwards through continuous evolution.
The battle was intense. Both combatants moved along, gradually trading blows until they reached the western coastline.
Throughout the entire process, the Lord of Thunder was forced to retreat step by step. His dragon teeth were shattered, his scales were cracked, and blood gushed from countless wounds, only to be washed away by the rain.
The powerful Divinely Blessed Body could not withstand the heavy blows of the red iron dragon.
However, despite this disadvantage, the Storm Dragon still did not retreat or show fear.
He could feel it.
The thickness of the thunderclouds was sufficient.
From the start of the battle until now, Heavenly Phenomenon Manipulation and Thunderclouds Veiling the Sun had been stacking up continuously.
The range of the dark clouds above had covered the sky. The clouds were thick and dense to the extreme. The power of thunder and lightning accumulated within them had also reached a critical point. Every flash of lightning that darted through the clouds was as thick as a temple pillar.
The thunder was no longer a rumbling boom; it had become a continuous, low growl.
It was time.
In the next instant, the Storm Dragon suddenly abandoned all defense.
The red iron dragon’s claws pierced through his left chest. The elbow blades cut through his wing membranes. The knee spikes stabbed into his abdominal cavity... The Storm Dragon took it all, not retreating but advancing, tightly hugging the red iron dragon’s body.
“Blasphemer.”
“You cannot defeat me. You cannot defeat the storm.”
The Lord of Thunder spoke.
At the same time, he lifted his head. His eyes turned into searing white electric plasma. Then, his entire body followed. All of his body, at this moment, transformed into a thunderstorm, losing its flesh and blood form.
Storm and Thunder Dominance · Heavenly Phenomenon Incarnation!
The sky was still in this instant.
The rain continued to fall, but there was no follow-up. Countless flashes of lightning froze within the clouds. The originally surging dark clouds stopped their churning.
It was as if the thunderclouds had been pressed by a pause button. Only the storm and thunder on the Lord of Thunder’s body continued to flow.
Faster and faster, brighter and brighter.
Then, BOOM!!!
Heaven and earth turned upside down.
It was as if the vast expanse of thunderclouds had been grabbed by an invisible giant hand, beginning to crazily collapse inward. They contracted, condensed, and infused like a living thing. The edges of the cloud layer curled inward at a visible speed, compressing from a sky-covering canopy stretching hundreds of miles into a constantly rotating vortex of thunder and lightning. The center of this vortex was Lamorein.
The red iron dragon broke free from his grip, his figure retreating violently.
At the same time.
Lamorein’s body swelled drastically.
The dark clouds poured into his scales.
Thunder and lightning surged into his flesh and blood.
Electric sparks injected into his bones.
Unlike Garoth’s muscular growth, he underwent a super-gigantification that transcended material constraints.
His scales lost their solid texture. One could see the thick, liquid-like lightning plasma beneath them. His two wings spread to both sides. Their span reached one hundred meters, three hundred meters, one thousand meters, three thousand meters... until they covered the sky and blocked out the sun.
His physique was majestic, truly like a mountain, like a great peak.
But the most terrifying thing was his physical state.
His entire body had transformed into a special form composed of thunder and lightning, and storms. Flesh, blood, bones, and internal organs had all disappeared. In their place was surging, endless thunderclouds and continuously darting lightning flashes...
Mega Life Form.
At this moment, Lamorein was no longer a creature of flesh and blood. He had become lightning incarnate, the very will of the storm. Any physical attack, no matter how strong, could no longer cause him even a shred of harm.
Garoth’s Spell-Extinguishing Claws were still effective, however.
But...
The Lord of Thunder’s size had grown to an unimaginable degree, surpassing the realm of material life. Even Garoth’s own physique appeared utterly insignificant in front of him.
This scene caused the legendary beings fighting along the coastline to instinctively lift their heads.
It was too massive.
In the Material Plane, such a gigantic form was rarely seen. Even Immortal dragons could hardly compare. The Storm Dragon at this moment made the legendary figures feel as small as insects. The sense of pressure soared.
Except for the Dragonblight, the warriors under the Storm Dragon cheered excitedly.
But Aola’s legendary fighters paid it no mind. The next instant, they withdrew their gazes and seized the opportunity of their opponents’ distraction to strike fiercely.
They had absolute confidence in their Emperor.
“Blasphemer.”
“In the name of the great Tiamat, I, Lamorein, the Chromatic Queen’s Apostle, bestow upon you divine punishment!”
Lamorein’s voice came from the heavens above.
Then, he swung his claw down.
In his Heavenly Phenomenon Incarnation state, Lamorein’s claws, during the swing, drew upon the surrounding thunderclouds. The cloud layer condensed into substance at his claw tips, forming a gigantic thunder and lightning blade hundreds of meters long. Carrying raging thunder and hurricane winds, it slashed down towards Garoth’s head.
The red iron dragon raised his arms to block.
Clang!
The moment the claw-blade and dragon arms collided, a searing white thunderstorm exploded.
The shockwave spread in all directions, vaporizing all the surrounding rain curtain into white steam.
Garoth’s body was smashed downwards by this blow. He fell like a forge-red meteor, howling through layers of cloud curtain, crashing into the seawater, sending spray flying in all directions.
Lamorein’s two wings slammed shut violently.
The span of the Heavenly Phenomenon Incarnation’s wings exceeded three thousand meters.
Under this single clap, all the thunder and lightning within the wing surfaces lit up.
Countless lightning bolts shot out like swimming dragons, bombarding the area where Garoth had fallen. The seawater was transformed into a final line of defense of lightning.
The Lord of Thunder did not stop.
His massive tail was drawn out from the cloud layer. Its tip dragged a trail of thunder and lightning, tearing across the sky, whipping towards the location where Garoth had fallen. The seabed cracked open under this blow, revealing a massive, continuous fissure.
Seawater poured into it, colliding with the residual high-temperature lightning, exploding into towering pillars of steam.
BOOM!
Lamorein’s assault was like a violent storm, dense with no gaps, incredibly grand in scale.
Whoosh!
The red iron dragon burst through the sea surface, charging towards the Heavenly Phenomenon great dragon.
Unfortunately, his attack surface was too small. Although the Spell-Extinguishing Claws could harm the Lord of Thunder, they couldn’t inflict substantial impact. Countless storms and lightning surged within his massive body. The damage caused by the Spell-Extinguishing Claws vanished in the blink of an eye.
For once.
Garoth felt the helplessness of facing a colossal entity.
“My judgment earlier was correct. The Ember-Annihilating Form would actually be the best against Lamorein. No matter how big his body gets, Dragon Breath and Dragon Qi Bombs could blast him to pieces.”
“But in my current form, which is stronger overall, I am countered.”
He remained calm, thinking to himself.
Mutation could create powerful forms, but compared to his balanced, normal state, mutated forms had distinct characteristics. While their performance was outstanding, they were also easily countered.
Now, Garoth was experiencing that countered feeling.
Lamorein was completely immune to physical damage. The residual waves from his attacks could only make the Storm Dragon’s form waver. The wounds created by the Spell-Extinguishing Claws were simply too small.
The situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse.
“Blasphemer! Submit to the will of my God!”
The Heavenly Phenomenon great dragon’s left wing slammed down. The wing surface covered several kilometers, like a giant wall woven from thunderclouds and lightning. Carrying hurricanes and electrical arcs, it solidly smashed into the red iron dragon.
Boom!
The red iron dragon’s charge was interrupted by this blow.
The moment the wing surface struck his body, countless thunderbolts surged out from the wing membrane, penetrating inward along the wounds in his scales. At the same time, the hurricane’s pushing force pressed his entire body downwards.
He became a meteor once again.
He smashed through the sea surface, smashed through the seawater, and plunged all the way towards the dark depths of the ocean. A huge, white flower of water exploded on the sea surface, only to be filled in by the falling rain.
Lamorein repeated the same trick.
His massive tail was drawn out again. Countless flashes of lightning tumbled within the tail, transforming into a thunder and lightning whip several kilometers long. It traced an arc, carrying a rumbling thunderclap, and viciously lashed down towards Garoth’s location.
Before the tail tip even touched the sea surface, the seawater was scattered by the wind pressure, revealing the red iron dragon below.
The massive tail came crashing down with an unstoppable momentum.
Just then, a cluster of golden light lit up.
At first, it was just a tiny speck of light, like a gold coin sinking on the seabed. But the light spot began to expand, spread, and brighten. In less time than a heartbeat, it went from a faint glimmer to a blinding, blazing sun.
The seawater boiled.
The shining light penetrated upwards from the seabed, dyeing this stretch of ocean a molten gold color. The rain fell on the sea surface. Every single raindrop, under the illumination of the golden light, looked like melted gold.
Lamorein’s tail tip smashed into the center of the golden ocean.
But he didn’t feel the feedback of an impact.
His tail had been caught by something.
The next instant, the surrounding seawater was completely vaporized, revealing the body of Scarlet Emperor Cangxing.
He was covered in a brilliant golden light. His dragon horns extended, forked, and twisted outward and upward on both sides, ultimately forming a horn-crown resembling a royal diadem, shining brightly on top of his head.
The red iron dragon’s size hadn’t increased, but his presence was infinitely stronger than before.
Although he was far smaller than the Heavenly Phenomenon great dragon, he was impossible to ignore.
The shining dragon grabbed a section of the Heavenly Phenomenon great dragon’s tail. The muscles on his arms bulged in layers. Using his waist as an axis, his body spun violently in the air.
“You...”
The Lord of Thunder’s roar was drawn out.
The effect of the Spell-Extinguishing Claws was pushed to its maximum, firmly hooking onto Lamorein’s tail tip. Garoth let out a low growl, swinging the Heavenly Phenomenon great dragon’s massive body around.
The Lord of Thunder’s wingspan exceeded three thousand meters.
This sky-covering body, as it spun, churned the air, creating a hurricane powerful enough to overturn great ships. The cloud layers were disrupted, the rain was flung away. The sky looked as if it was being torn apart.
One circle.
Two circles.
Three circles.
... ...
CRACK!
The great dragon’s tail snapped.
After separating from the body, the broken end turned into dark clouds and lightning. Before it could return to the sky, it was smashed to pieces by the Lord of Thunder’s own rolling body.
He was thrown into the sky by Garoth.
His massive body tumbled through the air. The lightning patterns on his wing membranes flickered intermittently. He completely lost control of his direction.
But Garoth had already caught up.
The moment he released his grip, he folded and tucked his wings. He adjusted his posture mid-air, head up, claws forward. His entire dragon form turned into a golden comet, charging straight towards the tumbling Lamorein.
Speed.
Pure speed.
A trail of golden flame, several miles long, trailed behind him. The air in front of his horn-crown was compressed into a visible shockwave. Then he passed it, leaving behind rings of sonic boom clouds exploding far behind him.
The torrential rain couldn’t evade in time. It was directly vaporized.
The cloud layer was pierced by his flight path, leaving behind a huge, round hole.
Then, he crashed into Lamorein’s body.
After activating the Radiant State on top of this mutated form, Garoth’s entire body became the most terrifying weapon.
His horn-crown was at the front. His dragon claws were extended. His entire dragon form was like a golden spear thrown by the gods. It pierced in from the exact center of the Heavenly Phenomenon great dragon’s abdomen and exited from the exact center of his spine.
Wind pressure and shockwaves followed closely.
The Lord of Thunder’s body was condensed like a solid, but it was still severely deformed. A large amount of dark clouds and lightning dissipated from the edges. His body shrank by one size.
Garoth paid a certain price for this as well.
The interior of the Heavenly Phenomenon great dragon’s body was an extremely concentrated lightning storm. When he passed through, it felt like being subjected to a thousand cuts. His entire body’s dragon scales were scorched black and covered with cracks.
But for Garoth, this wasn’t entirely a bad thing.
The Heavenly Phenomenon great dragon’s body recovered very quickly. He needed to defeat him in a short time to claim victory. With his body injured and his life force reduced, Born from Death would trigger.
The red iron dragon thus gained even greater power.
At the same time, Lamorein let out a roar.
The Lord of Thunder’s massive tail coiled back, attempting to strike Garoth. But his movements seemed laughably slow in the eyes of Garoth in his Radiant State.
The moment the red iron dragon penetrated the great life form dragon’s body, he had already completed his turn. His wings spread wide. His body traced a sharp, golden arc in the air, charging head-on at Lamorein once again.
This time, his target was the head.
The golden meteor shot through, leaving a hole in the Heavenly Phenomenon great dragon’s head, and pierced out through his spine from above.
“You!”
The Lord of Thunder’s right claw swung down, condensing into a thunder and lightning giant blade, crossing to slash at Garoth.
The giant blade tore through the air, carrying power enough to split the earth.
But Garoth simply didn’t dodge.
His whole body radiated brilliant light. He raised both claws in front of him, charging straight at the thunder and lightning giant blade.
CRACK! SHATTER!
The giant blade shattered into pieces in an instant, scattering into countless fine electrical arcs in all directions.
The shining dragon passed through the shattered thunderbolt, piercing Lamorein’s body for the third time.
Then came the fourth, the fifth, the sixth...
Garoth’s method of attack was simple to the extreme, and also violent to the extreme.
He used no fancy techniques. He released no energy. He simply turned himself into a weapon, using pure, ultimate speed and power to bore through the Heavenly Phenomenon great dragon’s body time and time again.
The Heavenly Phenomenon great dragon attempted to counterattack.
However, although his size was immense, his momentum had been completely overwhelmed by the shining dragon.
The Heavenly Phenomenon great dragon’s body continued to shrink. The thunderclouds became thinner and thinner. The lightning also became sparser and sparser.
Whoosh!
The golden meteor pierced through the dragon’s body once more.
After this time, the Lord of Thunder’s body suddenly stiffened, then collapsed, turning into a sky-full of scattered dark clouds, storm, and lightning. Immediately after, a small cluster of wind and thunder coalesced, once again turning into a physical entity.
“Blasphemer!”
“You!”
The sound abruptly stopped.
Garoth had clamped his claw around the Storm Dragon’s throat with one hand, lifting him up entirely. The Storm Dragon struggled but couldn’t break free.
“Lamorein.”
“This duel is my victory.”
Ignoring the Storm Dragon’s struggles, Garoth looked him straight in the eyes and said, “According to our agreement, make your choice. Offer your loyalty, or pay with your life.”
The Storm Dragon was unmoved.
He slowly opened his upper and lower jaws. A dangerous light began to glow in his throat.
Garoth was silent for a second, then slowly nodded. “I respect your choice.”
With that said.
He tightened his right claw and struck, enveloped in the shining light.
Boom!
The Storm Dragon’s entire head shattered, splitting into pieces.
The red iron dragon was expressionless. He retracted his claws, then burst forth again with even greater speed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One blow after another. Each shockwave caused the sky and the sea surface to tremble.
Scales, flesh, bones... The Storm Dragon’s entire body was completely smashed to pieces, turning into a cloud of bloody mist. It then dissipated with the wind, merging into the wind, into the ocean, into the receding thunderclouds and the gradually calming waves.
“It’s over.”
Garoth let out a soft sigh.
The Lord of Thunder.
This title was one he had heard of in his youth. He had even once set it as his goal.
Later, he became a legend, established the Aola Kingdom, formally came into contact with the Helmod Dragonflight, and forged an alliance with the Lord of Thunder.
The two were allies, but also rivals.
Later still, he rose rapidly and broke through to crown-level.
At the same tier, Garoth feared no one.
He had thought Lamorein would become a thing of the past, that he wouldn’t have any impact on him.
But he hadn’t expected Lamorein to choose to offer his faith to the evil god, to become a divine Apostle, to transform into a Mandate Storm Dragon, and once again forcefully intrude into Garoth’s field of vision.
Until now.
This chapter of enmity had officially been brought to a close.
The golden light of the Radiant State slowly receded from the edges of his scales, like the last sliver of sunset slipping from a sandy beach during the outgoing tide.
The majestic, crown-like horn-crown also began to retract. The forked bone structure closed up, section by section, returning to its original sharp and simple form.
His scorched black scales were exposed to the air. Cracks covered his entire body, densely packed.
In many places, the damage was deep enough to reveal the bone.
The process of defeating the Lord of Thunder had not been easy.
The red iron dragon showed a deep look of exhaustion. His aura simultaneously became weak and listless. He swayed slightly in the sky, nearly losing his balance.
Just then.
Time seemed to stand still.
The wind stopped, abruptly. It was as if an invisible hand had pressed the pause button on the entire world.
The rolling waves on the sea surface were frozen in place. The spray on the wave tips solidified into transparent sculptures. Billions of falling raindrops hung suspended in the air.
Even Garoth himself was pinned in place in the frozen time-space.
But he had felt the power of time-stop before. In comparison, this state felt more like a mental-level influence.
Then, a voice sounded in his ear.
“I saw it.”
It was a female voice. Warm and soft.
If one were to find a metaphor, it was like a loving mother softly calling out to her most cherished child.
“I witnessed this battle firsthand, from beginning to end, every single moment.”
“Your claw tips tore through thunder and lightning. Your body pierced through the storm. You defeated my Apostle with pure power. So strong, so dazzling, so... captivating to me.”
“So, my dear child...”
“I am giving you one more chance.”
“Come into my embrace. All your rebellion, all your offenses, I can let them go, let bygones be bygones. You can still be the king of Aola. You can have everything you desire... even more.”
“All you have to do is bow your head and call me... Mother.”
Garoth was silent for a moment, then responded in his mind.
“Pathetic wretch.”
He said contemptuously, “You think you’re a god, high and mighty?”
“Ha! Do you know how the dragons of the mortal realm see you?”
“Your so-called children, the chromatic dragons, are ashamed of you. Except for those evil dragon monsters you created, no chromatic dragon with any dignity would ever speak your title.”
“You are nothing, Tiamat.”
“You’re just a pathetic wretch who relies on threats and bribes to maintain your own existence.”
Silence.
A long silence.
Garoth could almost imagine the current expression of that entity. On a dragon face with five heads, the scales of five colors were probably trembling slightly with anger.
In the past, he might have feigned compliance with the Chromatic Queen.
But now, Garoth wasn’t in the mood.
He’d had enough.
It was better to just cut through the pretenses and show his true face.
“You’re very angry right now. I can feel your rage. Because every word I say is the truth. Only a blade forged from truth can silence an evil god like you.”
“Have I already broken through your defenses?”
“Go on. Rage. Howl. Let me see your ugly side.”
He used the term “broken through your defenses,” a phrase commonly used by adventurers from Bernardo, to provoke the evil god.
The silence continued.
No one knew how long passed before the voice spoke again.
Still gentle, but the pace was much slower, as if suppressing something.
“Child, you are mistaken.”
“I am not angry. Really. How could a mother be angry at a stubborn, disobedient, self-righteous, naughty child?”
“A mother just thinks... you need some... discipline.”
Garoth sneered in his will. “Discipline? Your Apostle is dead. Your temples are being destroyed by my warriors. What are you going to use to discipline me? Are you going to crawl your true body out of Baator? Come on. I’m waiting.”
The voice laughed.
“Good. Very good. Very good.”
“I appreciate your confidence and arrogance.”
“But, as the mother of all chromatic dragon-blooded beings, I need to remind you of one thing.”
“Any powerful ability, once it has been displayed and used... it is no longer worth relying on.”
The smile in the voice grew thick, like melted sugar syrup. “The stronger you were just now, the more fatal the weakness afterwards will be, isn’t that right?”
Garoth’s mind tensed.
“So, child...”
The voice said softly, with the self-satisfied certainty of someone playing a game down to the final move, “The game between us... ends here.”
Time began to flow again.
The wind started to blow. The waves began to roll anew. The billions of raindrops suspended in mid-air fell with a crash, smashing against the sea surface, stirring up countless white sprays of water.
Everything resumed its motion.
But Garoth had no time to adapt to this sudden return to normalcy.
His pupils constricted sharply.
Because, directly in front of him, at the spot where the Storm Dragon’s remains had been scattered, a new change was taking place.
A cluster of five-colored flame ignited out of thin air.
Deep red, ice blue, ink green, pitch black, snow white.
Five colors intertwined, swaying in the air, like a flower bud about to bloom.
Then came a second cluster, a third, a tenth, a hundred...
Countless clusters of five-colored flame gushed out from the place where Lamorein had died. It was as if a crack in the wall of Hell had been pried open. The evil god’s will poured in through this crack.
The flames began to gather towards the center.
They swirled, merged, and condensed. Gradually, they formed an increasingly clear and massive silhouette.
First, five slender necks.
Red, blue, green, black, white.
Then, five heads. Each was massive and majestic. In their vertical pupils burned mocking and cruel flames. Their upper and lower jaws were slightly open, their sharp teeth faintly visible.
Finally, the body.
Strong, vicious, fierce, evil to the extreme.
The five heads slowly lowered.
Ten vertical pupils locked onto Garoth, who was suspended in mid-air, covered in wounds, and weak of aura.
“Child.”
“It is time for you to come to my hell and receive your mother’s discipline.”
The Chromatic Queen had long expected that the Storm Dragon was no match for Garoth. And, hindered by the existence of some hostile deities, it was inconvenient for her to descend in an avatar.
So, she had hidden this wisp of her power inside the Storm Dragon’s body.
When the Storm Dragon died, using the Apostle’s blood and soul as a guide, her power could briefly form a vessel and grow a trace of her will.
This vessel was not strong. It did not reach the level of an avatar.
Without a divine nature present, it could not exert much power. Because she had not truly descended.
But it was enough to drag the already weakened red iron dragon to Hell at this final moment.
The five-headed evil dragon coiled her necks, approaching Garoth.
She stretched her neck, not hiding the greed and smugness in her eyes.
Seeing this.
A look of panic appeared on the red iron dragon’s face.
“Wait. I’ve changed my mind. Can we negotiate a truce?”
The five-headed evil dragon shook her head with pleasure. “Negotiate a truce now? My poor child. It’s too late for that.”
“Once you’re in Hell, I will make you understand that all the pain and torment you have experienced before is as sweet as sugar frosting compared to the discipline you are about to receive.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, her gaze suddenly sharpened.
Because the look of panic on the red iron dragon’s face had completely disappeared. His eyes were calm, with no trace of agitation.
Weak?
I was faking it.
He had chosen this time to fight the Storm Dragon for a reason, and he had more than just the mutation’s effect on his temperament to rely on.
“Self-righteous fool.”
The red iron dragon lifted his head, saying calmly.
In his vertical pupils, exhaustion receded like a tide. It was replaced by a calm and indifferent expression.
The next instant.
An even more brilliant light burst forth from within his body.
The wounds on him that were deep enough to show bone were also oozing blood. The crimson dragon blood and golden light intertwined, dyeing a layer of eerie yet magnificent rose-gold color on the surface of his scales.
The blood burned in the flame, turning into a crimson haze, wreathing around his horn-crown.
CRACK! CRACK!
The dragon horns grew again.
The horn-crown that had retracted earlier began to extend, fork, and twist outward and upward on both sides once more. But this time, it didn’t stop.
The bony structure bent backward from the top of the skull, winding behind his head like the vines of an ancient tree, trailing down along the spine line of the back of his neck, finally stopping when it reached the position of his shoulder blades.
Double Radiant State.
An aura, powerful to the extreme, surged wildly from the red iron dragon’s body.
Under the pressure of this aura, the sea surface sank inwards, forming a huge hemispherical depression. The surrounding air became thick and heavy, making it difficult to breathe.
The ten vertical pupils of the five-headed evil dragon simultaneously contracted.
The smugness and greed on the five dragon faces froze at this instant.
Across from her, Garoth had no superfluous words, not even a single roar.
His two wings spread wide. The wing surfaces, wrapped in a rose-gold flame, beat once. Before the sonic boom even spread, his figure had vanished from the spot.
The five-headed evil dragon had no time to defend.
Then, her white dragon head disappeared.
It was pierced through from the front by a power of pure, ultimate force. The entire head was directly vaporized.
Immediately after, before the black dragon head’s roar could even sound, Garoth had already folded his wings. His body completed a sharp turn in the air.
His left knee drove upwards. The black dragon head shattered from the lower jaw position.
This was just the beginning.
The great dragon’s body shone brilliantly. It spun half a circle. Its right wing spread out, transforming into a giant blade, slashing horizontally.
The red dragon head and the blue dragon head were severed by the wing-blade. Before they could even fall to the ground, they were smashed to pieces by Garoth’s tail.
The last one.
The green dragon head.
Garoth folded his wings. His body fell vertically.
His foot-claws landed squarely in the center of the evil dragon’s torso. He stomped on her directly, driving her down into the deep sea.
Boom!
Undercurrents surged.
The evil dragon’s body crashed onto the mud of the seabed.
She struggled but couldn’t break free.
The red iron dragon then raised his claws and brought them down, one after another, gradually dismantling this vessel.
His movements were unhurried.
Clearly, he was enjoying the process.
Since the pretense was already broken, he didn’t mind breaking it all the way. After all, no matter what he did, this evil god would never make things easy for him.
The face on the green dragon head could no longer remain calm. A look of venomous malice surfaced on it.
“Damnable insect!”
“How dare you insult me like this! Insult the great mother of all dragons!”
“I swear! I will drag you to Hell sooner or later! When that day comes, I will peel off your scales one by one! I will tear your flesh apart, strand by strand! I will grind your soul into powder, bit by bit!”
She had returned to her true colors as an evil god. Her expression twisted, and she let out a vicious roar.
“The victor has the right to viciously insult the loser.”
“In Aola, this is common sense.”
After the calm words fell, Garoth lost any further interest in speaking.
His right claw clenched. He struck down without warning.
Boom!
A massive amount of seawater was squeezed and blasted high into the air, only to fall back down as a shower of rain.
The red iron dragon, bathed in the rain, withdrew his claws.
In the distance, the setting sun peeked out from a gap in the clouds, casting a deep red afterglow onto the sea surface. The waves shimmered. Everything returned to silence.
New Calendar Year 590.
The Red Emperor led his legendary forces to campaign against the Storm Dragon entrenched in the west, achieving victory in a glorious and brilliant manner. Then, appearing weak and listless.
The Chromatic Queen seized the opportunity, showing her fangs.
The Red Emperor dropped all pretense and defeated, blasphemed against, trampled upon, and insulted her.