"This place was once destroyed."
The front end of the floating island, which had broken through the void and the world barrier, and the root tentacles of the World Tree Ovo began to gradually appear in the faint spatial ripples. Several True Dragons with spread wings and claws looked down at this ruined land.
Beside the massive body of the Ancestral Red Dragon, Dragon Lords of various colors were arrayed on both sides, ferocious and fierce, with waves of violent aura soaring into the sky, gradually spreading and descending into the world of ice and fire.
Behind these Dragons were the Golden Empire legion warriors whose sharp auras rose, and the solemnly waiting spellcaster legions. Dragon banners swayed as the Golden Empire's native legions began to descend into this world.
Beside the formations of the legion warriors, small interstellar warships were lined up on the open ground of the floating island.
Five hundred Fremen warriors, clad in battle suits, were observing the appearance of this newly arrived world through the mages' projections, led by Stilgar. A Golden Lion battle banner, embroidered with the Eye of the Dragon, was unfurling within their legion.
With the Golden Empire's covert support, it took only half a month for the Ancestral Red Dragon's Messiah warrior, Paul Atreides, to sweep away all opposing forces on the Dune planet and occupy the entire Dune planet.
After establishing a hyper-spatial beacon spanning countless Planes, the Ancestral Red Dragonand the Dragons Lords, piloting the floating island, followed the golden passage and left that universe.
But the fanatical Fremen, who had come to believe in the Ancestral Red Dragon and the Dragons, produced many extremely fanatical warriors who wished to follow in the footsteps of their revered Lord and embark on expeditions and journeys to other worlds.
However, the war in the universe had just begun, and Kalon temporarily did not need the strength of these Fremen.
But at Paul Atreides's suggestion, Kalon finally agreed to select five hundred warriors from millions of Fremen warriors to serve as the Emperor's personal guards, warriors beneath the divine throne, to accompany him on a new journey.
These Fremen were the Dragon Emperor's Golden Lion Legion, known as the Holy FremenWarriors.
"I sense an incredibly strong radiation force in this place. Perhaps this place was once struck by a force similar to atomic weapons in the Dune universe."
Antagena's vertical pupils flickered with spiritual light. After ingesting spice, these Dragons were not only smarter but also, through their experiences across worlds, possessed a completely different temperament from other Dragons cooped up in their lairs.
Even if Dragon heritage contained much knowledge from outside their native world, it ultimately could not change a creature as much as personal experience.
Germott nodded his massive and ferocious head, surveying this world that was destined to submit beneath the Dragon's claws.
All areas within sight were bathed in semi-permanent darkness; even on the brightest days of summer, the sun in the sky would be obscured by the ashes lingering in the air.
The ash river flowing through this area glowed faintly green in the darkness; the fish that could survive in it were deformed, blindly twisted, and poisonous. The land, overgrown with ghostly spirit grass, was barren and dry; no plants could grow there except for the spirit grass.
The destructive radiation in this place had not subsided even after countless years. Even for the few Dragons within sight, the overwhelming demons in the distant sky treated this abandoned city as an untouchable area.
Even the demons born from the Abyss Plane had no intention of stepping deep into this area.
Fortunately, countless tall energy-absorbing devices provided a magical barrier covering the entire island, protecting the legion warriors on the island and isolating them from the effects of this radiation. Otherwise, the lower-level spellcasters might have been affected by such powerful radiation.
However, the effects of this radiation caused no harm to Dragons, but staying in this environment for a long time, Dragons might also undergo relative mutations by absorbing this power, thereby gaining control over the power of radiation, as Dragons are among the most adaptable creatures.
In the knowledge Kalon possessed, there also existed a mutated Dragon species called Radiation Dragon, but this Dragon species was as rare as the Time Dragon.
"I wonder how Rosani is doing now. I hope he hasn't been killed by demons yet," Red DragonKleinaia, who usually despised Rosani's behavior and personality, suddenly said.
As the floating island gradually became visible, the demons in the distant sky began to notice it and gathered around.
However, those demons did not approach, merely hovering in the distant sky, their malicious gazes fixed on the floating island's traces.
The floating island gradually converged with the world's reality, fully revealing its presence. Guided by the World Tree Ovo's roots and propelled by the energy supplied by the energy-absorbing devices, it departed from this shadowy land.
This place was scorned by demons and was not suitable as a garrison point for the legion's descent.
"Rosani is alive; I can sense it."
Kalon watched the cliffs and precipices passing beneath him, gradually being eroded by the boundless abyssal death aura carried by the demons and the continuously overflowing aura from the Plane passage, slowly becoming like the Abyss Plane, with cracks and death aura emerging everywhere, already transforming into a dead end for living beings.
Although Valyria Peninsula was almost an entire continent away from here, Rosani and the Ancestral Red Dragon's sword not only had a psionic link but also the spiritual secondary authority of their initial creation, allowing him to perceive the other's life and death.
Kalon's current unleashed perception was enough to easily sweep an area of several thousand miles. Within this several thousand-mile radius, the demons' unique aura of chaos and destruction had occupied all space in the world.
No aura not belonging to demons survived in this world; boundless abyssal death aura had already enveloped it.
But beyond the Ancestral Red Dragon's perception range, in the endlessly distant reaches of this continent, there was an aura soaring into the sky, standing like the firmament.
Even if these Dragons and spellcasters were unable to perceive it, they could still sense that aura suppressing the entire world, much like observing a mountain that touches the sky from the horizon—impossible to sense directly but still visible.
This aura was so astonishing, destructive and brutal, as if feeding on the entire world, bringing powerful mental pressure to all beings not belonging to demons. As long as you actively observed it, you would be instinctively suppressed.
However, for those with lower strength, it was difficult to perceive the existence of this aura because their weak mental power could not observe the other's existence.
Among the Dragons and spellcasters present, only the Ancestral Red Dragon and Archmage Lapers felt this invisible suppressive force.
"This is a Great Demon of the Demon Lord level; only they can possess such terrifying abilities, Kalon."
Archmage Lapers approached with a solemn expression. With the help of spice, this Saint Realm Great Mage was just a step away from the Legendary rank.
But ascending to Legendary required not only strength as a foundation but also a special opportunity. Even if Lapers's current strength was perhaps several times greater than his former self, he still lingered at the threshold of the Legendary gate.
In the Ancestral Red Dragon's crimson pupils, a dark golden vertical pupil resembled a golden thread. He had collected all the infection information present in the myriad demon auras in this world to analyze and determine the identity and strength of that powerful Great Demon.
However, the dense and interwoven auras in the surrounding world, with countless High-level Mages clearly visible in the Red Dragon's eyes, did not contain any information about that Great Demon. Clearly, the opponent possessed some ability to isolate information about their existence.
So Kalon nodded slightly, and a low Dragon's voice resounded, "Indeed a powerful enemy, perhaps much stronger than the Plane God of this Plane."
The cold, spiky faces of the Dragon Lords grew solemn. The Ancestral Red Dragon's evaluation was enough to heighten the vigilance of these Dragons, whose strength had grown and who were even more proud.
White-haired Mage Lapers saw that the Ancestral Red Dragon was not arrogant, which put him at ease, and he said with a smile, "However, with our strength, we might not lose to this demon. But for now, we should block the demons' Plane passages, preferably destroying them directly."
"Without the Plane passages, the demons' reinforcements cannot descend, and we can eliminate these demons one by one. That Great Demon, losing the power transmission from the Planepassage, will find it difficult to replenish its own strength, and we can then encircle and kill him here."
Kalon's fangs gleamed, and he slowly smiled, "That's a good method."
The floating island also slowly stopped at this moment. The towering cliffs and precipices above were riddled with countless eerie and terrifying caves.
In legends,Dragons, devils, and even more terrifying creatures nested here. At this moment, these eerie and terrifying caves were spewing out ugly and hideous demons. These enemies of all living things were indeed more terrifying than Dragons and devils.
And deep within a massive cave, gurgling abyssal death aura was emerging. In the Ancestral Red Dragon's perception, it was connected to another Plane.
So he turned his head and said to the Dragons who had been waiting for a long time: "Go, this is your battlefield. Turn your inflated strength into a ladder for the future. You need the Sharpeningof battle."
The Dragons nodded, their claws raised, their scales gleaming, and their fierce eyes fully revealed.
Bang Bang Peng,
The demons on the periphery covered the sky, densely packed, obscuring the sun. The moment the floating island cast its shadow, they swarmed forward.
"Kill these Dragon Lords,"
"Extract the souls of these humans,"
"Eat them, enslave them, kill them!"
The mid-level demons roared, the low-level demons howled, and they crashed one after another into the incredibly solid magical barrier, shaking the sturdy shield and causing ripples to spread.
Thousands of other demons directly pounced on the top of the magical barrier, their hideous and vicious faces pressed against the shield, intimidating the creatures on the floating island and biting the barrier, causing the core energy of the floating island to rapidly deplete.
The sheer number of demons in the sky caused the entire floating island to sink by more than ten meters.
The Empire's legionnaires and spellcasters looked calm, but the Golden Lion Legion warriors, who had never seen such a situation, looked a little pale.
"Are these demons? What a blasphemy, to dare to attack the Dragon Emperor's mount,"
"How terrifying, how can these demons be creatures that mortals can contend with?"
"Don't panic," Stilgar's expression sank. He roared loudly, "We are the Holy Warriors under the Divine Throne. Those demons are just ugly and fierce. If you dare to charge at the spaceship's main cannon, will you still be afraid of these ugly, blasphemous evil creatures?"
"To dare to challenge the majesty of the Divine Throne is a great blasphemy,"
Stilgar's words had an effect. This former leader of the northern tribes instantly ignited the fighting spirit of these Golden Lion Legion warriors. Together with Stilgar, they boarded the small starships, awaiting orders.
"These damned bastards, this should have been the Empire's garden, the Empire's resources,"
The young High-level Mage Sacro raised his staff. As the supreme leader of the spellcaster legion, his strength was not comparable to Archmage Lapers, but he governed all spellcasters and held extremely high status and power.
"Attention, mages of all levels, all together, group casting, sweep away the demons!"
Sacro, with the Ancestral Red Dragon's permission, began to allocate command.
The commander of the low-level mages raised his staff and shouted, "Spell preparation—Scorching Ray!"
The eight hundred mages of the spellcaster legion simultaneously raised their staffs. Under sympathetic casting, the spell models intertwined incredibly quickly, and a massive amount of magic power was drawn.
Two thousand four hundred rays of flame, centered on the floating island, swept across in all directions like laser cutting.
The dense two thousand four hundred rays of flame cooperated with each other, covering every inch of space. Under the spellcaster's calculated casting, no demon could escape this fiery net.
Low-level demons screamed as they were swept by the fire rays, falling like rain. Demons burning with flames emitted black smoke, rising in thick clouds, obscuring all visibility from the floating island.
The commander of the mid-level mages raised his staff and shouted, "All together, spell preparation—Wall of Fire!"
One hundred and twenty mid-level mages raised their staffs, made from branches of the Tree of Life for amplification, and began chanting spells, outlining spell models.
Walls of blazing fire, twenty meters long, six meters wide, and half a meter thick, began to appear around the entire floating island, to its left, right, four sides, and above.
Magic power surged, and walls of fire, neatly and densely packed, filled the sky, forming a gigantic fiery dome that pushed outwards from the floating island.
The mid-level mages released their mental restraints, allowing the walls of fire to burn away the rolling black smoke and the re-surging demons, instantly clearing the floating island's previously demon-shrouded field of vision.
Only mid-level demons could survive this round of magical attack, but they too howled and retreated into the distance.
The High-level Demon, as the commander of the demon legion, was still observing from afar.
These High-level Demons all possessed the strength to contend with and kill ordinary young Dragon Lords, and they were also smarter, not rashly joining the battlefield.
High-level Demons like the Soul Devourer Demon and the Berserker Demon were strong enough to contend with ordinary young Dragon Lords.
Some powerful demon races, such as the Barlog and the Six-Armed Snake Demon, when they grew up, were even strong enough to gain the power to contend with old Dragon Lords and extremely old Dragon Lords.
Demons of this level, although they could not become demon lords, could become minor lords. In the human power system, they were equivalent to the peak of the Saint Realm.
Only demons who reached the Legendary level could dominate some Planes and become demon lords, possessing the strength to contend with ordinary Ancient Dragon and Dragon Liches.
More powerful demon lords have a huge range of strength, and outstanding demon lords can even contend with Time Dragon and Deified Dragon, such as Pazuzu and Demogorgon in the Abyss.
Those High-level Demons, theoretically speaking, also possessed the potential to grow into powerful demon lords, so although they were affected by chaos like most demons, they were by no means foolish.
The aura of the other Dragon Lords, though strong enough, was not taken seriously by these demons.
However, the naturally existing aura of the Ancestral Red Dragon, even before it fully bloomed, was already as majestic as a prison. In the perception of more than a dozen High-level Demons, it was as unfathomable as another demon lord, making them unwilling to easily attack the floating island.
They merely used the endless low-level demons, driving these chaotic demon cannon fodder whose minds could be controlled, to exhaust the floating island's power, waiting for these people to reveal a flaw.
Moreover, in front of a mage legion of this scale, even if a High-level Demon rashly charged, it would undoubtedly die in these magical torrents.
These spellcasters are currently just clearing the field according to the habits of legion warfare, so some mid-level demons can survive the magical bombardment. If the opponent concentrates their power, let alone mid-level demons, even ordinary demon minor lords cannot withstand the bombardment of the mage legion.
Especially the sixteen High Mage on the floating island. Unlike mid-level and low-level mages who need to master common spells for legion-level, High Mage have considerable autonomy on the battlefield.
A High Mage, utilizing the amplification effect of a staff made from the Tree of Life, and using an amber the size of a fist as a material for amplified casting, chanted a spell, summoning Chain Lightning.
A brilliant bolt of lightning shot out, passing directly through a demon's body, instantly melting the internal organs of the demon with a goat's head and bat wings.
But the blazing electric light, after destroying this demon, did not dissipate. Instead, it shot out again from the demon's body, transforming into three smaller bolts of lightning, leaping to other surrounding demons, striking down three other unprepared demons.
Another High Mage waved his staff, consuming a large lodestone, and shot out a slender green ray, directly at a demon wielding a double-headed halberd weapon forged from Abyssal iron ore.
This mid-level demon, hiding among the low-level demons, had not yet realized that it had been targeted by a High Mage. Before it could dodge the small green ray, its entire lizard-like body, along with its weapon, was disintegrated by the mage's Disintegrate spell, turning into a cloud of dust that scattered.
One by one, the demons who escaped the cleansing torrent of the spellcaster legion were targeted and killed by the High Mage on the floating island.
A dazzling light shot out from the island, forming a linear area two meters wide and twenty meters long, causing all demons within the area covered by this light to fall into a state of blindness, making them fall one after another. This was a Ray of Sunshine.
There was also a Wall of Thorns, capable of piercing the demons' tough bodies, sweeping across the sky, its jagged thorns on the edges covered with low-level demons.
There were also Delayed Blast Fireballs released by High Mage, floating unsteadily in the air, scaring a group of demons into scattering and fleeing.
But this fireball did not cause any damage, causing the demons' chaotic minds to make them forget the danger and re-encircle.
However, the Delayed Blast Fireball's power only reaches its maximum at the very last moment before the spell effect ends.
So the insidious mage sneered and catalyzed his spell. The exploding fireball detonated in the air, sweeping away demons within several hundred meters.
After the mage's legion swept away the flying demons in the sky wave after wave, killing them until they no longer dared to approach or charge, several Dragon Lords spread their wings and roared out of the floating island's magical barrier.
"Charge, charge, kill these evil creatures who dare to blaspheme the great Dragon Lords, destroy them!"
The Dragon Lords' Golden Lion Legion began to howl, piloting small starships into the sky, following their serving Dragon Lords, and joining the war.