Firelight and crystal lamps began to illuminate the vast royal hall, where True Dragons of various scale colors, like beasts gnashing and sucking blood, bared their teeth, revealing their ferocious nature, their terrifying presence spreading with their wings.
White frost permeated the White Dragon's nostrils, and red Spark sparked between the Red Dragon's scales. The Blue Dragon spewed azure lightning, and the Green Dragon exhaled a deep green poisonous breath.
The Red Copper Dragon and Bronze Dragon also couldn't help but bare their fangs, and the ocean dragon and Steel Dragon's eyes simultaneously lit up with unusual brilliance.
True Dragons and Dragon clan, surrounding Ancestral Red Dragon Kalon Kogmora, their aura was imposing. This was a cohesive True Dragon, a True Dragon with a common goal.
The shining lights of spirituality, leaping between the Ancestral Red Dragon's claws, seemed like True Dragon, also roused by the words of this Ancestral Red Dragon.
"True Dragons allows the empire to grow, and the empire strengthens the True Dragons. Under the sustenance of the entire empire, your strength has exceeded imagination, but you still cannot contend with enemies who have accumulated and grown for countless years longer than us,"
The Ancestral Red Dragon's voice began to shift from soft to heavy, the surging True Dragon's voice like a high-sky song, undulating and echoing in the quiet hall where only True Dragon raised their heads.
"In the endless frozen wasteland adjacent to the northern grasslands of the empire, 'Ice Prison' Sacris, who commands the White Dragon tribe, can no longer send True Dragon hunters to capture Sloka, because he has been completely defeated by the Frost Giant's king in a duel, his True Dragon horn broken, and enslaved by the Frost Giant's king,"
"The Frost Giant's power is rapidly expanding, and he has already sharpened his weapons and horses, with aspirations to move south, but he is already nearly Legendary, perhaps even Legendary,"
Flames flickered in the Ancestral Red Dragon's dark gold pupils. He said in a deep voice, "And the southern border of the empire, the potential hidden dangers of those Giants,"
"Although that Eternal Punishment Dragon seemingly did nothing, he gave us information about the enemy behind the scenes,"
The Ancestral Red Dragon's body slowly paced in the center, his tail and wings and his words brushing past every True Dragon, and the Ancestral Red Dragon's aura filled the nostrils of the True Dragon.
"Multi-Armed Giant Morgues is not an ordinary Giant, but a Legendary Giant. Even if his bloodline talent is ordinary, being able to ascend to the Legendary rank means breaking away from the mediocrity of his original bloodline and obtaining the most powerful strength within his bloodline."
"What's more, Multi-Armed Giant Morgues is a descendant of the Hecatoncheires, not a low-level Giant bloodline, but a primordial Giant, a primordial Titan, a bloodline of the Hecatoncheires Titans who stood shoulder to shoulder with gods."
The Ancestral Red Dragon looked at the True Dragon who began to show grave expressions, revealing his long, thick fangs, and snarled, "What's more, we still need to eradicate the murlocs and conquer the orcs to avenge the dragon blood feud. Do you think we can still grow by following the steps and restraining our claws?"
As Kalon's words fell, the True Dragon looked around, facing each other, and the originally arrogant True Dragon suddenly woke up.
Yes, the True Dragon within the Dragon clan, nourished by the full strength of the empire, were much stronger than ordinary Dragons.
Even Alfred, who was not of super-large size, had grown to eighteen meters long by the end of his Youth stage, making Alfred a super-large Dragons among the Red Copper Dragon species.
Alina, who once set foot in the Dragon Clans Territory as a Young Bronze Dragon, grew from fifteen meters long to a size where she could stand shoulder to shoulder with her mate, her own strength, following the growth curve of the years, significantly surpassing her previously seen kin.
And the True Dragons from Kogmora's original group grew even more terrifyingly than these later Dragons, because they were younger than the later Dragons, and their own potential space had not yet begun to solidify, so they achieved even greater results.
As evidenced by the Adolescent Blue Dragon Akzi, based on the Dragon's strength division by age, this Adolescent Blue Dragon had long exceeded the normal growth limits of Blue Dragon, capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with Blue Dragon at the end of their Youth stage. This is merely a simple comparison of energy levels.
And if some mages who like to use detection level spells were to investigate this Adolescent Blue Dragon, they might get detection results indicating a challenge rating as high as thirteen, extremely close to fourteen.
And a True Dragon's challenge level is often at least one or two tiers higher than that of ordinary races.
That is to say, for the Adolescent Blue Dragon Akzi alone, according to adventurers, it would require at least multiple high-level extraordinary warriors or a team equipped with an Archmageto even attempt to challenge Akzi, with the outcome unknown, because the outcome of a battle does not depend on the direct power level.
But the potential of the Adolescent Blue Dragon was not the strongest batch within the Dragon clan.
Dos, who had embarked on the path of recovering ancestral bloodlines and could freely control dragon blood, as well as Adolescent White Dragon Germott, and Adolescent Red Dragon Klenaya , were the batch with the strongest potential. Although they were younger than Akzi, their strength had not been left far behind by Akzi.
This was also the reason why several young True Dragons could contend with two adult True Dragons. Although the strength of adult multi-headed True Dragon was not outstanding, the adult Eternal Punishment Dragon was not easy to deal with.
Even the last few True Dragon to join the Dragon clan, their strength and bodies were rapidly growing under the empire's sustenance, except for the unlucky Youth Red Dragon Kadilos.
This Young Red Dragon, whose Evil Dragon True Blood had been extracted, suffered severe injuries one after another. To compensate for the lack and depletion of True Blood, his physical growth significantly slowed compared to other True Dragons, and under the guidance of uneducated thinking, his strength growth also did not make significant leaps.
As for the Ancestral Red Dragon, although he had only entered adolescence for a few short years and still had decades of growth before reaching the Youth stage among True Dragons, his strength growth had already far outpaced the True Dragons within the Dragon clan.
But even the strongest Ancestral Red Dragon could not directly say that he was confident in facing those terrifying opponents. Because Legendary is another kind of existence, and the inherent power of the Ancestral Red Dragon's bloodline is not necessarily superior to Legendary power.
"So, youth is our weakness, but it is also our advantage,"
The spiritual light between the Ancestral Red Dragon's claws suddenly floated up. He grinned, his fangs gleaming coldly, and chuckled softly, "This is part of my power, but I am willing to share it with you, just as when we were hatchlings, the True Dragons made a True Dragon's agreement never to betray!"
"But, by accepting my sharing, perhaps you, in some aspects, will be influenced by me. Although I am a bit eager, the choice still rests with yourselves."
Kalon scanned the True Dragon, speaking frankly and openly.
As the master of spiritual authority, these replicated spiritual authority powers would also be influenced by the Ancestral Red Dragon. He possessed the supreme authority to influence and control these subordinate authorities.
This also meant that a True Dragon who received this gift would find it difficult to sever this connection as long as their strength had not reached the same level as the Ancestral Red Dragon.
The rest of the True Dragon hesitated. Even the few Adolescent True Dragons who had grown up together from hatchlings were considering this choice.
This was the nature of True Dragon. Even the Chromatic Dragon Goddess Tiamat could not manipulate Evil Dragon who did not believe in her, unless by absolute violence.
Only Camid, this White Dragon who had grown a second head, this time unusually achieved unity between his two heads, rushed out from among the True Dragon, and stood directly in front of the Ancestral Red Dragon.
"Kalon, let me go first. I was just thinking about how to get stronger. Originally, I wanted to go to the arena and fight a couple of matches to earn some gold, but there were too many warriors there. I was afraid of losing and embarrassing you, so I didn't make a move!"
"Once I get stronger, I'll go smash those arrogant guys, hahaha!"
Camid puffed out his chest and wagged his tail, his two heads bobbing as he stared at the spiritual light hovering in mid-air, curiosity in his clear vertical pupils, but not a hint of doubt or hesitation.
Kalon smiled gently. For Camid, he had the maximum tolerance and patience.
So the Red Dragon gathered the brightest spiritual light hovering in the air into his hand-claws, and then gently pressed it onto Camid's original head.
By the time the Red Dragon's claw left the White Dragon's head, an imprint like the light of tiny stars had already appeared on the scale in the center of Camid's forehead, making the scale on his forehead glitter brightly.
This indicated that this White True Dragon had not fully digested the spiritual power shared by the Red Dragon.
But Camid, still beaming with joy, was pushed behind by the other Adolescent True Dragon before he could even speak.
With Camid leading the way, the other True Dragon from the original group immediately cast aside their hesitation, pushed forward, their eyes revealing eagerness and anticipation.
Red Dragon Klenaya and Green Dragon Anta Jiena even brazenly displayed seductive lines, their long necks twisting before the Ancestral Red Dragon's eyes.
But it was Alfred who was at the very front, completely disregarding that his mate was still pondering in place, he squeezed forward and laughed loudly, "Let me, let me, Kalon, if I receive your sharing, can I also possess beauty like yours?"
The Ancestral Red Dragon chuckled, sharing spiritual power one by one, and Alina finally stepped forward, came before the Red Dragon, bowed her head, and accepted this power.
However, the hesitation of these True Dragons made other True Dragons grind their teeth. Besides these Dragon Lords, the True Dragon s who joined the True Dragon group later did not receive the sharing of the Ancestral Red Dragon, except for Carlit.
Within the True Dragon, there must be a clear division of merit and rank for the rule to be stable. Later True Dragon s needed to contribute more value to receive the Ancestral Red Dragon's gift.
"This True Dragon hunt, however, also requires True Dragon s to preside over the overall situation within the Empire," the Ancestral Red Dragon's gaze swept over the cheeks of the True Dragon s who had not received sharing, "I hope you can maintain the Empire. When the True Dragon return, there will naturally be a discussion of merits."
"You are also members of the True Dragon, and naturally enjoy the rights of the True Dragon's covenant!"
The meaning of the Ancestral Red Dragon's words was clear, making several True Dragon s excited. Sloka and Kadilos even pounded the ground, roaring repeatedly.
Although Midir was not good at fighting, she had witnessed the great power of the Ancestral Red Dragon and coveted this power. Thus, she repeatedly patted her chest, which was as flat as the floor of the royal hall, and made repeated guarantees.
Only Deniro, the Mist Dragon nodded and said, "This is our due responsibility."
Kalon nodded and led the True Dragons towards the center of the great hall, "Come on, before we depart, let's meet our old friends. If we indulge in the stable present, the Empire will eventually fall apart and gradually disappear, just like the Storm Giant's tribe."
The leader of the imperial guards, standing at the gate of the royal court with his sword, nodded slightly at this moment, breaking the long silence, and said to Garcia, who was quietly waiting, "Go in, my Lord is already looking forward to your arrival!"
Garcia responded kindly to the dragon blood Angel, then led his people into the magnificent great hall.
The vastness and luxury of the great hall did not attract the attention of these Storm Giants. The Giants' gazes were captivated by those pairs of awe-inspiring, unusual eyes, unable to move away.
And the cold and ferocious pair of huge dark golden pupils in the very center made these Storm Giants feel as if their bodies should bow and bend before the other party.
It was not until that unique True Dragon spoke that this unusual feeling disappeared from the hearts of the Storm Giants.
"Although we meet again under these circumstances, I am still very happy to see old friends of the True Dragon!"
Kalon restrained his spiritual power, which was growing daily; the overflowing gaze was not intentional on his part.
Garcia pursed his lips. The fourteen-meter-tall Giant finally realized that he was impolitely looking down on the True Dragon.
So the Giant walked to the side, bowed slightly, recalled his grandfather's teachings which he had once dismissed, and then solemnly said, "Good evening, powerful and noble Emperor. Although the grief and indignation in my heart have taken over, I am still very happy to see you!"
Kalon stepped forward, his strong body walking in front of the Storm Giant, not inferior in the slightest. Even though the True Dragon, when standing, was much shorter than the fourteen-meter-tall Storm Giant, in their meeting, the Storm Giant appeared particularly vulnerable.
Kalon said gently, "There's no need to be so polite. True Dragons don't have so many elaborate formalities. The Storm Giant tribe is also a friend of the True Dragon. I heard what happened to the Storm Giant tribe, but I still have some doubts. I don't know where my old friend, the Giants' leader Meidek, whom I used to talk to, is now."
"If the Empire's help is needed, I will naturally not stand by and do nothing for my friends!"
Hearing the Red Dragon's inquiry, the previously quiet Storm Giants suddenly let out mournful roars. The bloodshot veins in Giant Garcia's eyes bulged violently, filling his pupils with blood, and his grief and indignation were irrepressible.
"Thank you for your kindness, friendly and noble Emperor, but our leader, my grandfather Meidek, he is dead."
Garcia suddenly knelt on the ground, bowing his head, like a collapsing mountain of gold and jade, hitting the sturdy great hall with a muffled thud. The Giant clenched his fists tightly, his bulging muscles like thick vines intertwined, and his knuckles cracked.
"He fought to stop Morgues's pursuers for us young ones. But he didn't die at the hands of the One-Eyed Giant Axis; instead, he was killed by the high priest of those Cloud Giants who often harassed the tribe!"
Kalon looked at Garcia's inexplicable sorrow and couldn't help but sigh.
In the past, when he led the True Dragon to visit the Storm Giant tribe and accepted the Storm Giant's kind protection, it was this young Giant who sat by his side, roasting whale sharks from the sea for him. But he never expected that upon meeting again, their circumstances would be vastly different.
"Within my Empire, a generation of short-lived races has passed, and those Kobold and Goblins have gone through several generations."
"But I never expected that the Giants, as long-lived beings, my old friends, have also embarked on the end of their lives. Old acquaintances have withered in the wind and rain."
Kalon's indifferent face couldn't help but show emotion. He did not fear death, but he also felt a touch of desolation at the demise of Storm Giant Meidek.
The Red Dragon stretched out his claw, patted the Giant's still tall shoulder as he knelt, and sighed, "The deceased are gone, but the living must still endure the trials of this mortal world."
"Although the True Dragon's kingdom cannot be called boundless, it can accommodate many races to inhabit and thrive. If you Storm Giants are willing, you can also join the Empire. The Empire's sky will naturally shield you from some storms!"
Although in his youth, Kalon had tried to establish friendly relations with the Storm Giants and recruit them. But now the True Dragon's strength is incomparable to what it once was, and even if these Storm Giants are unwilling to settle down in the Empire, he will not force them.
No matter how strong the warriors of the Storm Giant tribe were, they could not withstand the even more powerful and loyal legionnaires who served the True Dragon.
Wild Giants could not resist the overwhelming force of the Imperial legions; this was the victory of civilization.
"No, Kogmora, Your Excellency,"
Garcia raised his head, his sorrowful eyes filled with unprecedented firm resolve, and the Giant's deep voice resonated.
"Joining Your Excellency's kingdom is indeed the good fortune of the Storm Giants, but I, Garcia, as the young master of the Storm Giant tribe, request of you,"
"Let the Storm Giants become your servants, serving you for generations. We hope your power will favor us Storm Giants, so that we Storm Giants will have the opportunity in the future to avenge our deceased elders!"
Kalon was unusually hesitant, not because of other thoughts, but because although the Storm Giants were formidable, in serving True Dragon s, they were not as good as those maids.
Moreover, apart from the White Dragon who often rolled and wrestled with the Frost Giantin the snow, the other True Dragon, except for those with special bloodlines and individuals, could actually be compared to the Giants' high-level existences—the Titans.
Therefore, Kalon did not value the power of the Storm Giant tribe very much. On the contrary, taking in these Storm Giants would require him to allocate imperial resources to them in some areas.
If the Storm Giants were merely one of the myriad races in the Empire, then the Red Dragonwould not have to hesitate.
But Garcia saw the Red Dragon's hesitation. For these Storm Giants, the Ancestral Red Dragon's power and bloodline were enough to make these Giants wholeheartedly convinced.
The Storm Giants would also, under long-term influence, receive the coverage and blessing of the Red Dragon's bloodline power and the allocation of resources, allowing the Storm Giants to recover more quickly.
So Garcia tore open his animal skin clothing, revealing his upper body covered in scars.
The Giant's hand scratched at the edge of a fresh, bloody wound on his chest, then his fingers plunged deep into the wound, directly tearing open the flesh of his chest and abdomen.
A large amount of Giant blood gushed out, but Garcia merely frowned.
The Giant's vigorously beating heart was completely exposed before the Red Dragon at this moment, but the Ancestral Red Dragon was attracted by something else. The True Dragon's intuition told him that this was an item beyond Legendary.
Garcia pulled out the simple crown from his chest and abdomen, held it up with both hands, bowed his head, and said in a deep voice, enduring the pain, "With this Storm Titan's royal crown as proof of the Storm Giant's loyalty to the True Dragon, and as a servant of the True Dragon, a testament of devotion and loyalty to the Dragon Lord!"