Chapter 647: The Dragon King Returns
Vophal Dragon Domain, Dragon's Rest.
This was the deepest part of the domain's main island, a quiet place forgotten by time.
The successive Dragon Kings of Vophal Dragon Domain, along with those ancient dragons who had lived through long ages, would ultimately choose to rest here.
Today, a new eternal sleeper had arrived.
Aside from the dragons native to Vophal Dragon Domain itself, hundreds upon hundreds of dragons had come from every corner of Bernardo and from the other dragon domains.
They had crossed vast distances, pierced through clouds and storms, all to bid farewell to the ancient Dragon King.
Gold, silver, bronze, brass, copper...
The dragons' scales were of every color, with even a few Five-colored Dragons and Gemstone Dragons mixed in among the crowd. All those colors hung low and dull under the same twilight.
The dragons quietly folded their wings and lowered their heads, communicating with each other through heavy, low growls and silent, dim gazes.
The farewell ceremony of the dragon domain was not elaborate.
The dragons of Vophal Dragon Domain sang a lullaby in the ancient draconic tongue. The song drifted in the wind, distant and long, like the sound of tides coming from a place far, far away, wave after wave washing over the hearts of every dragon present.
Nereus's body was placed on the highest cliff terrace.
She lay coiled there, her posture very serene, as if at any moment she might open her eyes and continue speaking in that gentle, composed tone.
If not for knowing that she had completely fallen asleep, any dragon who saw this sight would have thought she was merely taking a brief nap.
At the same time, the red iron dragon landed not far away.
He folded his dragon wings, pressing the great appendages tightly against his sides, and quietly watched what lay before him.
At his side were two female dragons.
One was Deborah, her scales showing a deep, honeyed silver; the other was Nasha, her brilliant golden scales catching the fragmented light of the setting sun, shimmering with fine radiance.
Deborah had once lived in Vophal Dragon Domain for a period of time.
Finding a sense of belonging in a foreign dragon domain was not easy, but Vophal Dragon Domain had accepted her.
As for Nasha, she had been born within Vophal Dragon Domain. This was her true homeland, the first sky she had seen when she opened her eyes.
Therefore, when they learned the news of the Dragon King's slumber, they both immediately returned to Bernardo from the Serene Spirit Wilderness, then traveled together to Vophal Dragon Domain.
At this moment, Deborah's gaze drifted into the distance.
"Back when our lineage migrated from Raging Tides Dragon Domain and arrived at Vophal Dragon Domain, our hearts were filled with anxiety."
"At that time, Raging Tides Dragon Domain was not peaceful; undercurrents were surging. We didn't know if the decision to leave was right, nor where the path ahead would lead. When we reached the outskirts of Vophal Dragon Domain, our greatest fear was that they wouldn't accept us here."
The red iron dragon tilted his head slightly, looking at his partner.
Deborah's voice paused slightly, then grew even softer: "But the result... was completely different from what we had imagined."
"When we landed at the outskirts of Vophal Dragon Domain, dragons flew in from all directions, circling around us, letting out friendly, low calls."
"They didn't ask us to prove anything."
"They just very warmly led us to a bountiful territory, helped us settle in, as if we were just a group of kin returning from a long journey."
Hearing this, the golden dragon Nasha also lowered her head slightly.
"Among the Five Great Dragon Domains, influenced by the Dragon King's spirit, our Vophal Dragon Domain has always been the most warm and hospitable. Whatever the Dragon King is like, the dragon domain is often like that too."
Garoth listened quietly, his thoughts inevitably drifting back to a long time ago.
Back then, the first legendary dragon he had encountered was the gold dragon Ovis.
That was his first time facing a truly high-level metal dragon.
The moment he first saw Ovis, Garoth was full of vigilance, every muscle in his body unconsciously tensing.
He worried that this legendary gold dragon would harbor hostility towards him.
After all, in the eyes of most metal dragons, a red iron dragon was fundamentally an outlier, something associated with evil. And at that time, he had little power to contend with a legendary dragon.
But reality was different from what he had imagined.
The legendary gold dragon from Vophal Dragon Domain showed him far more curiosity and praise than prejudice and malice born from the difference in scale color.
Later, he killed the bronze dragon, Siano.
The Purification Faction and some other metal dragons made a move against him. Accusations and threats came from all directions like a tidal wave. It was Vophal Dragon Domain that first took him under its protection.
This was inseparable from the strong defense put up by the gold dragon Ovis.
But it was also closely related to the overall environment of Vophal Dragon Domain.
In the eyes of the metal dragons across the various domains, their Dragon King was not just a protector, but also a highly respected elder, an example they aspired to emulate.
Every word and action of the Dragon King was observed by the members of the domain.
Then, it subtly influenced their own behavior.
Therefore, the Dragon King's character, to a large extent, determined the direction of the entire domain's ethos.
Nereus was gentle and tolerant, holding equal goodwill towards all kin.
The dragons of Vophal Dragon Domain learned from their Dragon King's spirit, and were also relatively friendly and magnanimous.
As for Raging Tides Dragon Domain...
Because of the existence of the Bronze Dragon King, Sheffield, Raging Tides Dragon Domain had long been the domain where the Purification Faction's ideology spread most widely.
Later, Raging Tides Dragon Domain directly became the stronghold of the Purification Faction.
"If not for the influence of Nereus and Vophal Dragon Domain, my relationship with the metal dragons would probably be far worse than it is now."
The red iron dragon thought silently in his heart.
"All the dragons are here. It's almost time."
A gold dragon flew in from the distance, adjusted its posture in the air, and landed steadily.
It was Nasha's father, the gold dragon Ovis.
Ovis's gaze fell upon the red iron dragon's body.
Noticing that the red iron dragon appeared lost in thought, he asked, "Garoth, what are you thinking about?"
The red iron dragon gathered his thoughts and said, "Nereus has fallen into a quiet slumber, but Vophal Dragon Domain will not stop turning because of this. I want to know, is there a candidate for the new Vophal Dragon King yet?"
Ovis let out a low sigh.
"There is no shortage of strong dragons within Vophal Dragon Domain. You can rest assured on that point."
"But... to be honest, our domain is currently in a state of transition, with a gap between generations."
"There are crown-level dragons here, but none show any signs of reaching the Mandate tier. Among the younger generation, there are a few promising talents, but they haven't had enough time to settle and grow."
In the end, his tone carried a bit more weight.
In truth, it wasn't just Vophal Dragon Domain.
All the dragon domains showed signs of this generational gap, almost entirely relying on their Mandate-level Dragon Kings to hold things up alone.
Once a Dragon King fell, there was simply no suitable successor to take their place.
Garoth did not respond immediately.
He was silent for a few seconds, then spoke slowly: "Back when I was weak, I used the banner of Vophal Dragon Domain to shield myself, buying the time and space I needed to grow in peace."
"I rarely forget the favors I have received."
He paused there, his tone unchanged, still steady and calm.
"Now, it is time to repay that debt."
The red iron dragon's gaze swept across Deborah, Nasha, and Ovis, finally resting on the group of dragons holding the farewell ceremony.
"Until a new Dragon King is born, any existence that dares to be an enemy of Vophal Dragon Domain will be an enemy of Sacred Aola, an enemy of me."
"I will protect Vophal Dragon Domain until a new Dragon King is born."
He said it very plainly, without impassioned intonation.
But precisely because of that, the listeners could feel the weight of his words all the more.
Ovis looked at him, complex emotions flickering in his eyes.
He was silent for a moment before speaking: "The Dragon King probably already anticipated your reaction. She knew you would step up to protect Vophal Dragon Domain. That's why she truly felt at ease to fall asleep."
On the other side, the farewell ceremony officially began.
The dragons gradually spiraled into the air.
Wings tore through the air, producing dull sounds of wind being broken. One by one, their figures rose along the cliffs straight into the clouds. The spiraling trajectories traced massive concentric rings in the sky, rings interlocking, spreading outwards circle by circle.
Looking up from the ground, it was like witnessing a grand ceremony of the heavens.
The scene was magnificent and solemn, enough to humble the heart.
Deborah, Nasha, Ovis, Alberto... they too ascended one after another, merging into the circling dragon host, participating in the farewell ceremony.
Every dragon found their place within this great ring.
The red iron dragon did not join them, only gazing from afar.
He was too conspicuous. If he were to participate in the farewell ceremony, he would only disrupt the order within. Besides, he ultimately did not belong here.
Suddenly, two figures approached together, descending from the high air to land before the red iron dragon.
One was a brass dragon, the other a copper dragon.
Judging by their size alone, they were merely ordinary adult dragons, without an awe-inspiring, colossal physique, and without a strong draconic might radiating from them.
But in Garoth's perception, the life force of these two dragons was blazing and powerful.
They were unmistakably Mandate-level great dragons.
Their identities were also clear.
Among the Five Dragon Kings, the Bronze Dragon King of Raging Tides Dragon Domain was lost in the Abyss, the Silver Dragon King of Vophal Dragon Domain, Nereus, had just fallen into eternal slumber, and the Gold Dragon King of Everbright Dragon Domain, Audothos, had vanished without a trace.
The only ones left now were these two.
According to the traditions of the dragon domains, unless it was necessary, a Dragon King would not easily leave their own domain.
Guarding the dragon domain was the most fundamental duty of a Dragon King.
But because of Nereus's slumber, they had both made an exception to come here.
However, they had concealed their true identities, not appearing with great fanfare in the name of Dragon Kings. Instead, like Garoth, they watched the farewell ceremony from afar.
They had apparently recognized Garoth as well.
After quietly watching the farewell ceremony for a while, their gazes shifted to the red iron dragon.
The face of the Copper Dragon King was calm, his emotions hidden beneath a heavy faceplate, showing no obvious change in expression.
But the gaze of the Copper Dragon King was somewhat sharp.
He looked the red iron dragon up and down without concealment, a clear sense of scrutiny in his eyes.
Garoth could feel the unfriendly emotions radiating from the latter.
"Master of Sacred Aola, Scarlet Emperor Cangxing."
The copper dragon spoke first. "Your reputation is now truly thunderous. Without a doubt, you are the number one dragon in Bernardo, basking in boundless glory, followed and admired by countless intelligent beings."
This sounded like a compliment, but the tone clearly indicated otherwise.
The copper dragon simply said, "I have heard Nereus speak of you many times. You are indeed extraordinary."
Hearing this, Garoth's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked down at the two Dragon Kings.
His gaze swept over the Copper Dragon King, finally resting on the Copper Dragon King. "Did the two Dragon Kings come all this way just to say things I've grown tired of hearing?"
"Speak plainly if you have something to say. No need to beat around the bush."
The Copper Dragon King took half a step forward, looking directly into the red iron dragon's eyes.
"Nereus was old, but her will was always strong. She maintained a good condition throughout her twilight years."
"With her will, she could have lived for several hundred more years without any problem."
"But now, she has fallen directly into slumber. This is not her usual style."
"Besides her, Audothos also simply vanished from Everbright Dragon Domain. And before he vanished, he only had contact with you. You went to see him, and not long after, he evaporated from the dragon domain."
This Dragon King stared straight at the red iron dragon, his gaze not wavering in the slightest.
"Garoth Ignas, I came here today to ask you face to face: Are Nereus's slumber and Audothos's disappearance related to you?"
Garoth was silent.
Having interacted so much with Nereus and Audothos, he had almost forgotten that not all metal dragon kings were like them.
The Copper Dragon King before him was clearly different.
Even if he wasn't as extreme as the Bronze Dragon King, Sheffield, he obviously held no goodwill towards an 'evil dragon' like Garoth. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come with such undisguised questioning.
"If they are related to me, what do you intend to do?"
Garoth did not answer the other's question, but instead asked directly. His tone was calm, without anger or any attempt to defend himself.
To be honest, the Copper Dragon King's suspicions were not wrong.
He couldn't really wash his hands of these two matters.
If he hadn't provided those evolutionary materials to Audothos, that gold dragon king would probably still be burying his head in exploring the mysteries of time, rather than suddenly vanishing, his whereabouts unknown.
And this way, Nereus would most likely not have chosen to enter her slumber either.
"Thinking about it this way, I really am the culprit."
"Anyone with even a bit of prejudice against evil dragons would probably suspect me, thinking that I secretly harmed the two Dragon Kings."
One vanished, one fell into slumber, and both outcomes were directly or indirectly linked to Garoth. If he were in their shoes, he probably would find it hard not to be suspicious.
At the same time.
Hearing his counter-question, the Copper Dragon King's expression sank slightly.
He took a deep breath, then spoke in a deep voice: "The world reveres and fears you, treating you like a god."
"I don't deny that you are very strong, but if you truly caused Nereus's slumber and made Audothos disappear, leading to the passing of two Dragon Kings..."
He paused, his voice becoming low as thunder.
"I guarantee."
"Even if it means exhausting the blood of the metal dragons, you, and your empire, will pay a heavy price."
"Do not doubt this. Under the watchful gaze of the great Platinum Dragon God, we metal dragons have never feared sacrifice. We have unbreakable spines."
The Platinum Dragon God?
A flicker of light passed through Garoth's eyes.
Regarding the Platinum Dragon God, the attitude of the metal dragons was mainly one of reverence, not true faith.
This was the case in the vast majority of instances.
But the vast majority did not mean all.
It was said that among the Five Dragon Kings, this Copper Dragon King, Rodrian, was the only one who truly believed in the Platinum Dragon God.
He not only believed, but was devout.
And influenced by him, the Daylight Dragon Domain under his rule also gathered the largest number of dragon god worshippers.
"Rodrian, don't be so impatient."
The Copper Dragon King glanced at the Copper Dragon King first, then turned to look at the red iron dragon.
"Earlier, when you attacked Raging Tides Dragon Domain, none of us interfered."
"That wasn't because we were afraid of you, nor because we agreed with your actions. We tacitly allowed it for only one reason: Nereus trusted you deeply."
"She said more than once that you would be the only hope for the rise of the Bernardo dragons."
"I and Rodrian did not think so. Our view of you was much more conservative than hers. But we trusted Nereus, and we are willing to trust you."
"So, please, do not betray our trust."
Without waiting for his reply, after the copper dragon and the copper dragon had said their piece, they both spread their wings simultaneously.
They didn't say another word, shooting into the clouds and disappearing at the far end of the distant horizon in the blink of an eye.
They came quickly, and they left just as quickly.
As for the purpose of their visit, it was actually very simple.
They were anxious.
Of the Five Great Dragon Domains, only they, two Dragon Kings, remained.
As the only two surviving Dragon Kings, they were now deeply anxious and impatient about this, worried that the internal affairs of their domains would fall into turmoil due to the loss of a Dragon King, and also worried that Sacred Aola would take the opportunity to swallow up their domains.
So they had come specifically to issue a direct warning to Garoth.
Garoth didn't feel angry, though.
He was already used to this kind of thing.
Moreover, Garoth, who was well-versed in draconic psychology, could feel the heavy mental burden on these two Dragon Kings from their words and actions.
The metal dragon domains themselves were in a generational gap, lacking suitable successors.
This meant that once they also fell, their domains would fall into a true vacuum. And they themselves were unavoidably heading towards their twilight years; the end would come sooner or later.
They were not as decisive as the Bronze Dragon King, nor as perceptive as the Silver Dragon King.
They wanted to recognize Sacred Aola, but their hearts were full of wariness.
They couldn't fully trust him—Garoth's scale color and bloodline were right there. They couldn't fully doubt him either, because what Sacred Aola had done over these years was indeed worthy of Nereus's trust.
In this back-and-forth struggle and entanglement, they had formed an extremely heavy psychological burden.
It wouldn't be surprising if one day, unable to hold on, they suddenly faded away like Nereus.
The only difference was that Nereus had completely figured things out, shed all her burdens, and chosen a quiet slumber in unprecedented ease.
If they fell like this too, they would probably carry a heart full of struggle and burden.
With this thought, Garoth withdrew his gaze from the distant horizon.
He didn't continue thinking about it.
No matter how much he thought about these things, it was useless. The facts would speak for him.
Time passed in silence.
When dusk fell, the farewell ceremony finally came to an end. The circling dragons landed one after another, and the concentric rings in the sky slowly dissipated.
Everything returned to silence.
And shortly after, the Sacred Aola Empire issued a formal proclamation, conveying the Emperor's will.
Under the premise of not interfering with the sovereignty of Vophal Dragon Domain, it would be granted full protection.
Any existence that took hostile action against Vophal Dragon Domain would be regarded as a provocation against Sacred Aola and would bear the corresponding consequences.
Of the five Dragon Kings, only two remained now.
In the past, the great empires would inevitably be unable to restrain themselves and would take the opportunity to attack the dragon domains.
But now, besides the dragon domains, there was a behemoth named Sacred Aola perched on the land of Atlan, roaring a warning at all those with ill intentions, making them afraid to act rashly.
For this, the vast majority of metal dragons were filled with gratitude towards Sacred Aola.
Without the protection of Sacred Aola, the lives of metal dragons would be very difficult.
A very small minority of metal dragons thought this was just a show, even seeing it as the first step for Sacred Aola to swallow up the dragon domains, believing it all to be a carefully designed trap.
Garoth paid no heed to the few dissenting voices.
For most of the time, he quietly tempered himself in the deep void, firmly believing that only his own strength was the best way to solve all problems.
And so, another few years passed in the blink of an eye.
New Calendar 706.
The Bottomless Abyss, an unknown layer.
This was a boundless swamp, dark green mud covering everything in sight, with a few twisted dead trees occasionally sticking out of the mire.
A group of demons was locked in battle.
A flomo demon was pressing a small imp firmly into the mud.
Its claws had already pierced through the imp's throat. Thick, sticky blood gushed from the wound, mixing into the mud.
The sensation of its claws shredding flesh and blood filled the flomo demon with a sense of pleasure.
It grinned, revealing a mouthful of jagged, uneven fangs. Warm blood splattered across its face, trickling down its rough skin.
The battle around them continued.
Countless flomo demons and quasits were fighting for the territory of the swamp. Screams and curses mingled together. The dull thuds of claws cutting into flesh and the crisp cracks of breaking bones rose and fell one after another.
In the Bottomless Abyss, this was an ordinary afternoon.
On this land of endless strife, fighting was life itself. No demon found it strange.
Suddenly, a tremor came from underfoot.
At first, it was like some huge creature turning over in a very distant place. But then, the tremor's amplitude began to increase sharply. The ground, like a drumskin that had been struck, began to shake violently.
The surrounding fighting subsided.
The flomo demons unconsciously folded their wings, looking around warily. The quasits stopped their screaming, their cunning little eyes flashing with confusion and unease.
All the demons sensed some kind of change.
The ground suddenly swelled.
In the center of the thickest mud, the mud layer bulged upwards like a living thing. Cracks spread from the center of the bulge in all directions, and a cyan light shone through every crack.
Then came the sound of the mud layer bursting.
A huge dragon claw, covered in bronze scales, broke through the earth.
Then came a second dragon claw, and then a head.
The dragon's head rose from the mud, shaking off the silt covering it.
Bronze scales extended from the head all the way down the long, elegant neck. Every scale was tightly interlocked, forming a natural, heavy armor that covered every inch of his body's muscles.
The dragon's pupils opened, revealing an utterly placid indifference.
It was the Bronze Dragon King, Sheffield.
He had awakened from his slumber.
The Bronze Dragon King did not roar.
After a brief moment of circling, he stretched his stiff body. Then, his gaze swept calmly over the demons shivering below him.
"Inherently evil life of the Abyss..."
The great dragon murmured, "Turn to dust."
A gale surged from beneath his wings, spreading forward.
Wherever it passed, every demon within the Bronze Dragon King's sight was utterly annihilated without even a chance to scream, turning to ash, leaving not a single trace.
In just a few breaths.
The swamp returned to silence. The gale subsided.
And under the dark red sky, the bronze dragon's figure had already vanished.