Dense dark clouds surged and gathered as countless silver serpents danced wildly.
Below, around a towering and steep cliff, dragons of various forms were circling and soaring.
When a particularly massive deep-blue figure, wreathed in blinding flashes of electricity, flew out from its lair and finally landed steadily on the highest point of the cliff, all Dragonkin of the young adult stage and above retracted their wings one by one and landed on the cliff-top platform, surrounding that figure.
At a rough glance, among the dragons gathered here, Blue Dragons with scales of various shades of blue were the most numerous, with the crackling sound of static electricity rising and falling from their bodies.
Additionally, a few Red Dragons with crimson scales, relatively slender Green Dragons, and other types of Evil Dragons could be seen; together, they formed the Dominic Dragon Flight.
"Leader! Congratulations on awakening from your slumber."
"You shall guide us once more! Your thunder and storms will surely sweep across the entire wilderness!"
"Under your leadership, the Dominic Dragon Flight will surely reclaim our lost homeland and restore our past glory! Kill all those giants!"
Amidst the noisy and enthusiastic gathering and the flattering praises of the Evil Dragons, the dragon that had become the focus of the scene clearly revealed its form to all the dragons' eyes.
This was a strong and robust, muscular Blue Dragon in his prime.
His size was clearly several times larger than all the other Evil Dragons around him; simply by standing there quietly, he brought a heavy sense of pressure.
He had deep blue scales with smooth surfaces reflecting leaping electrical sparks, tightly interlocking layer by layer; upon the scales were many clearly visible, crisscrossing battle-scarred patterns, telling of the countless slaughters he had experienced over the long years, appearing incredibly thick and resilient.
His dragon horn did not grow on top of his head but was located at the tip of his snout, like a thick, long, and sharp spiral lance; tiny and dangerous electrical sparks constantly jumped and burst on its surface, making a faint sizzling sound.
Most striking were his dragon wings.
When he stretched his body, the wing membranes spread out like two giant deep-blue banners; one could clearly see that the membranes were covered with dense patterns that looked like natural lightning paths or countless branching tree limbs.
At this moment, innumerable minute currents were rapidly flowing and flashing along these patterns, as if a sky covered by a thunderstorm had been branded onto them.
He was the leader of the Dominic Dragon Flight, the powerful dragon revered by all members as the Heart of Thunder.
—Perest Dominic.
Life Level: 20.
Perest had now entered the final stage of his prime stage; his fire of life burned fiercely, and in a few more decades, he would cross the four-hundred-year threshold and become an old dragon.
For Blue Dragons of the same age group, the average Life Level is about 18.
Perest had not only reached Rank 20 but also cultivated a high class level.
Without a doubt, he was an outstanding individual among Blue Dragons, an exceptional powerhouse; otherwise, he would not have been able to intimidate the other dragons and serve as the leader of the flight.
The Blue Dragon leader slightly moved his somewhat stiff neck, allowing the rain pouring down from the sky to wash over his thick scales, feeling the long-lost atmosphere of the outside world.
Meanwhile, his gaze slowly swept across the face of every dragon around him.
"During the years of my slumber, what noteworthy changes have occurred in the situation of the Serel Wilderness?"
he said.
From within the flight, another Blue Dragon, second in size only to Perest, stepped forward in response.
Zolaya, a prime female Blue Dragon, Life Level 17.
She possessed a beautiful coat of sky-blue scales and shared similar energy fluctuations and Bloodline aura with Perest.
She was a direct descendant of Perest and his most capable subordinate; during Perest's slumber, the Dominic Dragon Flight was primarily managed by Zolaya.
Unlike other standard Blue Dragons:
Her dragon horns did not grow from her snout; their thick bases were located on both sides of her skull, near the back of her ears, and then wound backwards and upwards, forming many complex and elegant branches; at first glance, they somewhat resembled the antlers of a stag, but were thicker, harder, and possessed a sense of magnificence.
Clearly, she had some special mutations.
"Father, the development of the situation is generally consistent with our estimates before your slumber."
"Initially, with the collapse of the old order, the Serel Wilderness was filled with the flames of war; as time passed, powerful creatures known as 'regional kings' emerged one after another in various regions, each capable of carving out their own territory."
She paused slightly and then continued her report.
"In the Central Region where our Dominic Dragon Flight is located, the one who previously had the most strength to vie for the position of regional king was the Red Dragon bestowed with the title of Mad King by many intelligent creatures, Gorthax."
Previously, the Iron Dragon Leticia had hoped to form an alliance with the flight to jointly deal with the massive threat that was Gorthax.
The flight ultimately chose to refuse.
The reason was simple.
Their leader was in an important prime stage slumber; at this critical juncture, proactively provoking a mad and powerful enemy like Gorthax was not a wise move.
During the period of their leader's slumber, the Dominic Dragon Flight had maintained a high degree of restraint, strictly controlling their subordinates and vassals, and peacefully managing their inherent territory in the Central Region; they did not expand aggressively outward and deliberately kept a low profile, so they did not leave much of a prominent reputation in the wilderness.
But this by no means meant they were weak.
On the contrary, a dragon flight capable of forcibly restraining the natural draconic desire for expansion and conquest is often more terrifying than those that indulge themselves and are disorganized.
Upon hearing the name Gorthax, a cluster of even more brilliant electrical sparks suddenly erupted from the single horn on Perest's snout, crackling loudly.
"Gorthax... I know of him."
Perest said slowly, "A wild, mad dragon whose mind is filled with destruction and slaughter; he is indeed a formidable foe."
He was very rational and admitted frankly, "If we were to clash head-on at the same Life Level, I would likely not be his match."
Being able to directly admit that he was inferior to other dragons of the same age was a rare quality among the generally proud and conceited Evil Dragons, and it was quite uncommon even among the relatively more rational Blue Dragon groups.
"However."
This Heart of Thunder changed his tone, and strong confidence returned to his voice. "I have the advantage brought by the accumulation of time. Now that I have just finished my prime slumber, my Life Level has reached Rank 20, the Peak below Legendary; it surely surpasses his, as he has not yet entered slumber."
"With me leading the way and gathering the strength of our entire Dominic Dragon Flight, it will not be difficult to besiege a mad dragon who, though powerful, is muddled in the head."
However.
After these words, the surrounding dragons did not immediately let out roars of agreement; instead, they looked at each other.
This was clearly not the reaction Perest had anticipated.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned the silent dragons.
"Father."
Blue Dragon Zolaya spoke up at the right time, revealing the reason: "You have awakened a step too late; the Mad King Gorthax is already dead."
Seeing the flash of astonishment in her father's eyes, she continued, "The one who killed him is the ruler of the Northwest Region of the wilderness, the Dragon of Red and Iron, the King of Molten Iron."
The battle between Garros and Gorthax was grand in scale.
Before long, information regarding the identities of both parties in this battle and the final result began to circulate in the wilderness circles through various clues and the investigations of certain interested parties.
Since then.
The prestige of the King of Molten Iron had grown rapidly like a prairie fire in the Serel Wilderness; many intelligent creatures had even privately identified him as the current strongest dragon in the wilderness, causing countless instances of wariness and attention.
Blue Dragon Zolaya narrated as detailedly as possible to Perest everything she knew about the rise of the King of Molten Iron, the composition of his tribe, and the various rumors and information about the killing of Gorthax.
Finally, she seemed to remember something, and after a moment of deliberation, she added to her report, "There is one other matter involving our flight's internal rules that requires you to personally decide, Father."
The Blue Dragon leader nodded slightly, assuming a listening posture and signaling for her to explain.
"When our flight was previously fighting and killing those mortal enemies, the Storm Giants, for territory and resources in the coastal region, some members who were afraid of battle betrayed the flight at the height of the fighting and fled alone."
Zolaya said, "According to the intelligence we gathered later, it can be confirmed that some of these shameful traitors fled to the Northwest Region of the wilderness and... currently seem to be under the command of that King of Molten Iron."
Perest's gaze suddenly became incredibly sharp.
Unlike other Evil Dragons, Blue Dragons are social Dragonkin who live together in groups.
With many Evil Dragons living in the same area, the importance of strict rules is self-evident; among all the ironclad rules of the Dominic Dragon Flight, there is none that can tolerate those who betray the group.
"Those damn, cowardly traitors! We must find them and skin them alive!"
"The King of Molten Iron dares to harbor them! This is a blatant provocation and insult to our Dominic Dragon Flight! Leader, we should immediately declare war on the King of Molten Iron! Use fire to wash away this disgrace!"
A hot-tempered Red Dragon couldn't help but let out an angry low growl.
"Idiot! Shut your mouth!"
The Blue Dragon leader Perest suddenly turned his head and looked at the dragon that had interrupted.
Boom!
Without any warning, a bolt of heavenly thunder fell from the sky, striking the young Red Dragon and causing it to twitch and tremble from the electricity.
After teaching the unruly Red Dragon a lesson, his gaze remained as sharp as a blade, but there was no anger in it; instead, it flickered with the light of calm contemplation.
As a prime Blue Dragon nearly four hundred years old with rich experience, he was no longer one of those young Evil Dragons who would be completely dominated by impulse; he could control his nature well and think and make decisions more rationally.
The King of Molten Iron, being able to kill the Red Dragon Gorthax—whom even he admitted was difficult to deal with—was definitely not to be underestimated.
Furthermore, according to the intelligence, the opponent was not a lone wolf.
He had a powerful tribe and many loyal vassals under his command, with other dragons following him; he was also a veritable lord of a dragon flight.
If he were to rashly start an all-out war between two powerful dragon flights because of a few traitors, the risks involved would likely far outweigh the potential benefits.
After a brief and rapid weighing of pros and cons, Perest made a decision.
"Zolaya, my daughter."
He looked at his most trusted descendant, his voice returning to a steady tone.
"To express our sincerity, you will personally make a trip to the Northwest Region."
"You need to meet that King of Molten Iron and personally convey my thoughts to him regarding those cowards who betrayed Dominic; I hope to have a friendly and honest communication and negotiation with him. I believe a true powerhouse should be able to understand the necessity of us maintaining our flight's rules."
Blue Dragon Zolaya nodded slightly, indicating she accepted the command.
She did not leave immediately; after hesitating for a few seconds, she still spoke up and asked, "Father, I understand your meaning."
"But, if... if that King of Molten Iron refuses to communicate, or if our communication and negotiations ultimately fail to reach an agreement."
"Then, what should we do next?"
She had gathered quite a bit of intelligence and had an impression of the King of Molten Iron, whom she had never met, based on that information.
In her judgment, he was definitely a dragon with a firm will, a tough style, a domineering presence, and very strong opinions; once he made a decision, he likely would not easily change it because of outside thoughts.
"It's simple."
The Blue Dragon leader grinned, revealing hideous fangs that shimmered with a cold light.
"Things that cannot be resolved through negotiation will be handled in a more direct way."
"Claws, fangs! As well as thunder and storms!"
He valued practical interests and was unwilling to easily engage in a war where the risks were higher than the gains; he would not rashly start an all-out war with another powerful dragon flight.
However, he also placed extreme importance on the rules and dignity of the flight, which were the foundation upon which the Dominic Dragon Flight had stood until now.
Regardless, those dragons that betrayed the group must pay the price.
"I understand, Father."
Blue Dragon Zolaya nodded.
She no longer hesitated, her body soaring into the sky, flying straight towards the Northwest Region ruled by the Ignas Dragon Flight.
After continuing to converse with other dragon members to learn about the flight's recent situation.
The Dominic leader suddenly flapped his giant wings, branded with countless lightning patterns, and his deep-blue draconic body shot into the sky, entering the dark clouds.
His figure flickered in and out of sight within the cloud layer.
At the same time, the countless silver serpents dancing wildly in the dark clouds converged towards his body one after another, almost forming a ball of lightning as solid as substance around the Blue Dragon leader.
Majestic lightning energy was absorbed and assimilated by him.
The Blue Dragon leader's aura, which had been unstable due to his long slumber, rapidly consolidated and filled out.
Some time later.
Blue Dragon Zolaya did not see the King of Molten Iron as she had hoped.
Since she came representing the Dominic Dragon Flight, Iron Dragon Sorog did not take it lightly and immediately notified the King of Molten Iron located in The Borderlands.
This matter concerned another dragon flight.
Whether it was negotiation or direct war, the final decision would ultimately rest with Garros.