Chapter 637: Platinum Star 45
Rhen Plateau, Red Emperor Capital.
The red iron dragon stood atop the towering dragon court, his dragon wings folded against his sides, silently gazing down upon the Continent of Atlan.
The red dragon banner fluttered in the evening wind, stretching from the nearest capital city all the way to the distant horizon, covering the land.
After a few breaths, he lifted his head and looked toward the colossal city outlines suspended among the drifting winds and floating clouds.
These floating giant cities were the symbol of the Halden Empire.
Garoth narrowed his eyes, carefully assessing the power of this human empire in his mind.
"Halden openly has two immortals."
"One is Dawn of the Empire, the other is Dark Star of the Empire. The former's life level should be slightly higher, but not by much."
He recited silently.
This was the part of the intelligence that could be confirmed.
But in the shadows, were there other immortals?
Garoth couldn't guarantee it.
The history of the Halden Empire was quite long, at least older than any existing regime on the Continent of Atlan. Over such an extended timeframe, it was entirely possible they had secretly cultivated or retained additional immortals.
However, this possibility was not high.
Because of the changing times, the malice of the evil gods, and various other complex reasons, it was extremely difficult for large intelligent life races like dragons to break through to immortality.
But that didn't mean humans could easily achieve immortality either.
Human lifespans were short, and the bottlenecks faced when breaking through life limits were quite stubborn. Having two immortals was already due to Halden's deep accumulation.
Nausil had existed longer than Halden, yet it also only had two immortals.
If there were a third immortal, given the intensity of the war between Nausil and Kantum back then, it would have been very difficult to hold back. Any hidden power would have been forced out.
However, immortals weren't the most noteworthy thing.
"During the heyday of the three empires, Kantum had three Saints, while Halden and Nausil each had two immortals, yet Kantum was the weakest overall."
Garoth thought silently.
The reason was that Halden's alchemical industry and Nausil's magical technology were both more valuable than one immortal.
These two empires were different from Aola.
Their foundation wasn't built entirely on individual strength.
For example, Nausil's elves' moon.
It was destroyed in the battle on the South Foothill Plain.
But before it was destroyed, it caused the fall of one Kantum Saint and the destruction of one god avatar—a one-for-two trade. From a battle loss ratio perspective, the value of the elves' moon far exceeded that of an immortal.
The red iron dragon didn't have an elves' moon.
He had [Platinum Star].
The elves of Nausil worshipped the moon and revered it as supreme, while Halden also had a culture that used stars as symbols.
The so-called Platinum Star was not an actual star; it was a magnificent creation that embodied the industrial heart and soul of the entire Halden Empire—an imperial mechanical god.
However, it was different from the elves' moon that had once hung high in the sky.
The Platinum Star existed only in ancient legends.
Even the people of Halden had never seen this so-called imperial mechanical god. Many scholars even believed it was merely a mythological concept fabricated by the Halden ancestors.
But there were also many who believed that when the empire faced a crisis of annihilation, that was when the Platinum Star would shine.
Garoth wasn't sure at first if it existed.
But the Silver Dragon King had discussed this topic with him.
She had said very seriously that the Halden Empire did indeed have such an imperial mechanical god. Most likely, because the cost of using it was extremely heavy, it had been kept hidden all along, gradually turning into a legend.
"Compared to these empires, Aola's foundation is still much weaker."
Garoth thought to himself.
Aola had no empire-level national treasure.
No elves' moon, no Platinum Star, no industrial creation or magical wonder capable of directly confronting an immortal.
Or rather, he, the Red Emperor, was Aola's 'national treasure,' embodying all power within himself.
But besides him, Aola had no strategic-level assets comparable to Halden or Nausil.
Garoth was aware of this.
However, he didn't see it as a problem.
After all, this nation had only existed for a few hundred years.
Measured by an empire's timescale, a few hundred years were but a brief moment. To have its current foundation in such a short time was already developing at an astonishing speed.
As long as he existed.
As long as he could continue to grow, break through, and keep leading Aola forward.
In the near future, this Dragon Empire would surely grow into a colossal entity far surpassing all current empires.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind sounded.
Garoth collected his thoughts and saw a figure piercing through the clouds and air, approaching him. It was a massive blue dragon, its scales shimmering with lightning-like patterns.
The blue dragon landed opposite the Emperor, bowing its head with respectful posture.
She said, "Great Majesty, Alvia greets you. I thank you for taking the time to receive my audience."
The red iron dragon gave a slight nod of his chin. "If you have something to say, speak directly."
Ancient Blue Dragon, Alvia Helmod.
Blood kin of the Lord of Thunder, a crown-level great dragon.
Since the Lord of Thunder's death, the surviving Helmod dragons had been scattered, gradually integrating into the Sacred Aola Empire and becoming members of this dragon nation.
The crown-level Ancient Dragon was also accepted.
Not only that.
Following the principle of trusting those you use and not doubting those you trust, Garoth had not deliberately reduced Alvia's power. He had entrusted the western region of Atlan to her and her other blood kin, Theraz.
For the blue dragon, this was essentially just a change of leadership.
Moreover, since there was no need to pay blood tax or offer forced prayers to the evil god, the restrictions on them were actually fewer than before.
Alvia's lowered dragon head lifted slightly.
She gazed up at the red iron dragon's towering and powerful body, her eyes filled with respect.
"Thanks to the great Majesty's descent, I, and the surviving dragons of Helmod, were able to break free from the oppression of the evil god."
"Your Majesty neither demanded we pray to the void nor claimed our subjects' blood as offerings."
"You gave us dignity, a place to stand, and a chance to start anew."
"Alvia will always hold this grace in her heart."
The red iron dragon gazed down at the blue dragon.
The blue dragon continued, "I have pondered day and night how I can contribute my strength to the empire, how I can add new luster to Your Majesty's glory. I wish to become the sharp sword in your hand, the blade for expanding the empire's territory."
After a few breaths.
The red iron dragon asked calmly, "What do you want to do?"
Alvia tilted her head slightly, her gaze turning toward the outlines above the sea of clouds.
She said, "Your Majesty, the land of Atlan has now completely fallen under the iron hooves of Aola. Wherever the dragon banner reaches, ten thousand races bow their heads. Every city, every plain, every mountain range echoes with the sound of dragons flapping their wings."
"The empire's territory in Atlan has reached its limit."
"Going upward, we would directly face the sky that Halden occupies."
She paused, her voice turning serious. "But, Your Majesty, besides the sky and the land, there is also the ocean."
Garoth did not interrupt, gesturing for her to continue.
Alvia withdrew her distant gaze and said, "The sea is vast and boundless. Its area far exceeds that of the Continent of Atlan itself. There are countless islands, straits, and deep-sea plains, endless resources waiting to be mined, and countless shipping routes waiting to be opened."
"The territory of the Sacred Aola should rightfully include the ocean."
Garoth narrowed his eyes slightly and said slowly, "You want to march on the Boiling Sea?"
Alvia bowed her head slightly, her tone steady. "Your Majesty's vision is sharp as a torch."
"Since ancient times, the authority over the Boiling Sea has been held by the Raging Tides Dragon Domain, under the rule of the Bronze Dragon King. But now, the Bronze Dragon King is lost in the Abyss, his life or death unknown."
"The Raging Tides Dragon Domain has no leader."
"Those so-called Purification Faction dragons, those stubborn and inflexible ones, rather than letting them continue dreaming in the Raging Tides Dragon Domain, it's better to have them conquered by the iron hooves of the Sacred Aola Empire and brought under Your Majesty's order."
"They need a true ruler to tell them that the times have changed."
After Alvia finished speaking, she fell silent.
She awaited the Emperor's judgment.
Garoth's gaze shifted away from the blue dragon, looking toward the distant western skyline, which appeared dark and deep in the twilight.
In this direction, beyond the endless mountain ranges and vast plains, lay the immense waters known as the Boiling Sea.
Because of numerous submarine volcanoes and turbulent ocean currents, the surface of many areas was perpetually like boiling water, hence its name—a wild and rich sea region.
"Boiling Sea, Raging Tides Dragon Domain..."
Garoth pondered silently.
He understood Alvia's motivation.
This Ancient Blue Dragon wanted to prove her value to the empire through action, and she also wanted to wash away the shame of her past submission to the evil god through victory.
Moreover, even before Alvia had requested an audience, he had already thought about this place.
For most mundane beings, 'life or death unknown' often meant death.
But Garoth did not believe that an existence like the Bronze Dragon King would end so easily.
Life or death unknown most likely meant he wasn't dead.
However, even if he were alive, he posed little threat to Garoth now.
"The Purification Faction dragons have always been a thorn."
"After the Bronze Dragon King's accident, the dragons that had originally scattered across other continents returned to the Raging Tides Dragon Domain. They've gathered together, which is a perfect opportunity to sweep them all up at once."
Garoth calculated in his mind.
His attitude toward his own kind, whether Five-colored Dragons or Metal Dragons, had never been one of indiscriminate slaughter.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have spared the Helmod dragon flight.
Moreover, thoughts could be changed.
Those so-called Purification Faction dragons couldn't all be as firm as the Bronze Dragon King.
Among them, some acted out of admiration, some out of following the crowd, and very few were completely unwavering zealots. Give them some Aola-style encouragement and education, use time and facts to prove their views were wrong, and their minds could be changed.
The question was, would the other dragon domains agree?
The Five Great Dragon Domains had always united in times of crisis, usually maintaining consistency on matters concerning the overall interests of the dragon domains.
But the Raging Tides Dragon Domain had first broken the rules.
Those Purification Faction dragons openly advocated for the purification of other races, even fellow dragons. This had already exceeded what most Metal Dragons could accept.
Other Metal Dragons weren't too fond of the Purification Faction dragons themselves either...
Garoth's mind raced, weighing every possible risk and benefit.
After a few breaths, he made his decision.
"Forget the Raging Tides Dragon Domain for now."
Garoth said. "Alvia, take a portion of the dragons and fully take over the shallow sea areas."
"Starting from the western coast of Atlan outward into the shallow sea waters, all shipping routes, islands, ports, bays... and those medium and small sea clan forces that were dependent on the Raging Tides Dragon Domain must all be brought under the empire's control."
"As for the deep sea, the core territory of the Raging Tides Dragon Domain."
"Without my orders, do not extend your claws and fangs for now."
Alvia's spirit lifted.
She nodded solemnly, her voice without a hint of hesitation. "Your Majesty, Alvia will surely complete the heavy task you have entrusted. Every single wave in the shallow sea regions will belong to the Sacred Aola."
Garoth nodded slightly. "Go."
The blue dragon slowly backed away a few steps, then spread her broad membrane wings, leaped into the air, and quickly disappeared into the twilight.
The dragon court fell silent once more.
Before long.
Brilliant light blazed in the sky, as if a sun had crossed the horizon, illuminating the vast night as brightly as noon.
Rumble, rumble!
Accompanied by a series of explosive sounds, the light fell, blooming into splendid, radiant flowers across the land. As time passed, when the light faded, only a world full of gaping wounds and fragmented ruin remained.
The earth was split open. Mountains collapsed.
Molten lava was everywhere, like a hellish inferno.
"Too fragile."
The red iron dragon hovered high in the air, the golden aura on his surface gradually receding and dissipating.
He slightly furrowed the scales between his brow, gazing down at the land below, his eyes sweeping over the destruction caused by his dragonqi bomb.
Garoth felt as if he were trapped in a narrow, shallow puddle. With just a slight turn, he would stir up muddy water and create turbulent waves.
This place could no longer contain his true power.
Just as Garoth had anticipated.
As his level increased, after he reached Mandate of Heaven, this Small World could no longer withstand the intensity of his power.
He had originally wanted to test the detailed data of his various forms and the new skills of his several professions, but even a casually condensed dragonqi bomb during his normal state Explosive Qi had made this Small World tremble on the verge of collapse.
What about his Ember-Annihilating Form?
His dragonqi bomb would probably tear through its spatial structure directly.
"The scale of this kind of independent space is limited, and its structural stability is inherently inferior to that of a real world. If I release my power without any restraint, I will likely collapse it entirely. This is its limit."
Garoth thought silently.
However...
There was a suitable place now.
Rip!
The red iron dragon extended his dragon claw, tearing a pitch-black rift in the air. He flapped his wings once, and his entire body vanished into it.
The next instant.
He returned to Bernardo.
Under the dense night sky, the red iron dragon lifted his head, gazed up at the starry sky, then flapped his wings once more, flying straight up toward the cosmic starry expanse.