The wind in the deep night was especially biting; even True Dragon scales were soaked with the cold, like icy iron plates.
However, the dryness and fiery aura that enveloped the Ancestral Red Dragon were blown away by the cold wind, making Kalon's mind clearer.
This biting cold wind, in front of the Red Dragon whose body was exposed and not covered by a magical energy armor, was merely a gentle breeze for heat dissipation.
Strolling along the long corridor, Kalon gradually stepped into the warm backyard garden.
In the vast and secluded backyard garden, there was no need for the protection of a magic barrier; the climate here, under the influence of World Tree Ovo, remained at the optimal temperature for various plants to grow.
The usually quiet World Tree Ovo had now grown to a height of twenty-five meters, with a trunk diameter of about fifteen meters, appearing exceptionally thick.
Its already luxuriant canopy, if not for World Tree Ovo's actual existence within another subsidiary space it had opened, would certainly have shaded a large portion of the garden.
Responding to the faint barking sound from the ever-blooming Bloodthirsty Flowers, Kalon paced through the flowerbeds and honey-filled thickets, arriving before the World Tree Ovo.
The World Tree Ovo had long since detected the Red Dragon's arrival, but only now did it materialize from its peculiar space into the garden, casting a large shadow over it.
Only the moon's light, like water, filtered through the dense branches and leaves, scattering specks of light.
"Father, you're finally awake!" Although the World Tree Ovo now appeared much thicker than the Ancestral Red Dragon before it, its tone remained unchanged, filled with its usual filial affection and joy.
The entire dense canopy swayed, countless branches dancing, appearing like a massive monster writhing its tentacles under the moonlight.
From the twisting branches of the World Tree, two chubby heads quietly peeked out, blinking two pairs of round eyes that seemed untouched by wisdom, curiously observing the Red Dragon.
These were the two Titanoboa, Grenek and Haninek, residing on the World Tree Ovo.
At this moment, the two Titanoboas looked a bit fatter than before.
The two Titanoboas wrapped their fat tails around the branches, poking their heads out from the foliage, and joyfully exclaimed in unison: "Father, you're finally awake! We haven't seen you in so long."
Kalon bared his fangs; he had always treated these two Titanoboas as pets, but seeing the lively snake pups and the World Tree now, the calm in his heart became a little more active.
He extended his claw tips, feeding some psionic energy to the two snake pups and the World Tree Ovo, then spoke: "It's about time I woke up, otherwise you'd all occupy my backyard."
"Father, you're wrong this time; it's not us who want to occupy your garden," Haninek lifted his head, his round eyes sparkling with triumph and pride, about to speak, but was interrupted by his elder brother, Grenek.
"Father, this time we're not useless! We've been guarding your Fortress and backyard here, and we scared away a True Dragon that was spying on your Fortress!" Grenek eagerly wanted to take credit with Kalon, hoping to receive the Red Dragon's praise.
Kalon furrowed the fine scales between his brows.
He knew that the True Dragon that these two Titanoboas and the World Tree Ovo spoke of, which was spying on his Fortress, definitely did not belong to the True Dragons, meaning that a strange True Dragon had arrived in his territory during this period.
He recalled the Deniro, the Mist Dragon he saw in the clouds on the battlefield, the one Ocean Dragon Nakson spoke of, and also the mysterious Song True Dragon that, even when hidden in a crowded populace, could not escape the Ancestral Red Dragon's True Eye.
Could it be one of these two True Dragon?
"You did very well, I am very satisfied," Kalon gave the two snake pups a satisfied affirmation, then asked: "What kind of True Dragon was it? Do you know it? Ovo, you are the smartest, you tell me."
The World Tree Ovo swayed its branches.
Its cheerful voice echoed in Kalon's mind, like a child who had received affirmation, and it said loudly: "That True Dragon looked very strange, Father."
"He appeared openly above the Fortress, spying on its movements, but the surrounding warriors and guards could not detect the True Dragon's presence.
Only I could see him, and Grenek and Haninek could also see him with my help."
"That True Dragon doesn't look like you, Father, and he's not as beautiful as you.
Although he's very large, I can tell he's just a Young Dragon."
As World Tree Ovo spoke, it materialized the appearance of the True Dragon it had seen in Kalon's mind.
In the somewhat blurry image, the appearance of this peculiar True Dragon was displayed.
He seemed to have no True Dragon scales on his body, his skin was silver-gray, and he was massive, at least sixteen meters long.
The True Dragon's head had some similarities to Deniro, the Mist Dragon's; the part near the neck was wider, and the part near the nose was narrower, but overall, it was much broader than Wu Long's arrow-shaped head.
On both sides of this True Dragon's nostrils, two long whiskers, the same color as his skin, grew.
Compared to the small whiskers growing from the chin of a Gold Dragon, the whiskers growing on this True Dragon were more like two long leather ropes.
Moreover, the base of this strange True Dragon's True Dragon horns seemed to be an extension of the entire skull, exceptionally broad.
A pair of Dragons horns grew inward relative to each other on the skull, like ox horns, with their tips extremely close, forming a rhombus-shaped void above the skull, unlike other Dragons's horns which wound backward from the skull.
Furthermore, on the main body of this Dragons's Dragon horns, eight auxiliary horns of varying lengths grew upwards towards the sides of his cheeks, appearing exceptionally strange yet possessing a peculiar beauty.
And on the membranes of his wings, there were dazzling vertical patterns and spots like butterfly wings, and the tail wings at the end of his wings also had sharp, skin-covered spines extending from the wing bones.
This Dragons's tail was also more slender than any Dragons Kalon knew, its length nearly twice the Dragons's body.
The upper and lower sides of the slender tail also grew oblique triangular spiny leathery tissues like bone segments; the closer to the tip of the tail, the smaller and shorter these tissues became, until they disappeared.
"Time Dragon," The Ancestral Red Dragon's aura suddenly condensed at this moment.
From the inheritance of the Dragons, there was information about the Time Dragon, so he didn't need to distinguish; he immediately recognized that the distinctive Dragons was one of the three Legendary Dragons species—the Time Dragon.
"That's right, Father! At first, I didn't know, but that big guy told me that it was a rather formidable Dragons called a Time Dragon.
I was afraid that Dragons would steal Father's things, so Grenek, Haninek, and I scared him away."
The World Tree Ovo's cheerful voice rang out, and Kalon couldn't help but find it amusing.
The Time Dragon, one of the three Legendary Dragons, and the only non-divine eternal Dragonscreature in the world.
Unless encountering irresistible natural disasters or man-made calamities, this special LegendaryDragons, the Time Dragon, could even coexist with time until the end of ages.
Because of its powerful essence and the power it wielded, it was sometimes referred to as the Epoch Dragons or Eternal Dragons; these appellations all indicated the Time Dragon's might and terror.
The power to control time, which could be displayed even within the Dragons egg, made the strength of this Legendary creature far beyond what ordinary beings could imagine.
Powerful temporal spells that some powerful Legendary Mage could only access were merely innate spells that this Dragons could cast at will.
To say that an un-grown World Tree Ovo, along with Grenek and Haninek, could scare away a Time Dragon, Kalon didn't believe it.
After all, the Ancestral Red Dragon's mind was not as pig-headed as Young Red DragonKediros'.
But Kalon still gave the three little ones extremely high praise, and secretly added a whip.
"You did splendidly; you are much more useful than those guards.
It seems I can only trust you with Father's garden.
Those foolish fellows are truly far from matching your usefulness."
The Red Dragon's words made the three little ones, whose wisdom had not yet been truly tainted by the world, overjoyed.
They immediately promised to guard the Red Dragon's Fortress and garden impenetrable from now on.
Kalon didn't delve too much into the purpose of the Time Dragon's arrival.
Almost every one of these Legendary Dragons had personalities that were not as broadly defined as those between the Chromatic Dragon and Metal Dragon, but rather possessed great individual differentiation.
The diversity in the personalities of Legendary Dragons could even surpass that of humans, a race with extreme complexity and variation.
However, they still shared a common characteristic of Dragons creatures: wealth and treasure.
Although their collections no longer focused on currency, but more on magic, knowledge, and elegant artistic masterpieces, Kalon's inheritance still contained some exceptions.
Some Time Dragons with malicious personalities enjoyed using their special abilities to specifically steal the treasures of their own kind, but they did not take pleasure in the treasures themselves, but in the act of stealing.
Kalon understood this so clearly because the Dragons whose treasures were stolen by the Time Dragon was precisely the previous generation from whom Kalon's bloodline was inherited—an Ancient Red Dragon.
This Ancient Red Dragon had merely left his Dragon Nest to collect protection taxes from the forces he ruled in the vicinity, but upon returning, his entire Dragon Nest had been emptied.
Even some magical plants that had been born due to the Ancient Red Dragon's Dragon Nesteffect had been pulled up completely, leaving no blade of grass.
All that remained in the Ancient Red Dragon's Dragon Nest were a few crooked Dragon Language characters—Time Dragon * * * * * * was here.
However, regardless of whether that Time Dragon was spying out of interest in Kalon's wealth or had developed hostility towards Kalon for some reason, Kalon would not care too much.
This Ancestral Red Dragon would not become overly cautious or hesitant because of this.
In Kalon's eyes, there was only a path forward for the brave, and he would only move straight ahead.
So, Kalon's aura quickly self-retracted, returning to a relaxed state.
He extended his Dragons claws and patted the World Tree Ovo's body, which was covered in thick, tough bark.
The Red Dragon spoke, asking softly, "Ovo, are you now capable of independently searching for the world I need, or bypassing that big guy's view so that my actions are not exposed to others' eyes?"
The World Tree Ovo's consciousness paused briefly, then it replied, "Yes, I can certainly do that, Father, whenever you need."
The World Tree Ovo issued its summons.
It gently said, "Father, do not resist.
This is the world I can see now."
Kalon did not resist the World Tree's conscious summons.
He trusted the World Tree Ovo, this magical creature he had personally planted and watched grow.
So, he released his psionic protection and responded to the World Tree's conscious summons.
The next moment, Kalon seemed to temporarily merge with the World Tree's consciousness.
He saw the World Tree Ovo's perspective; the vast material world, in the eyes of this magical World Tree, possessed layers of overlapping space and vision.
These layers of space coexisted, merged, and were interdependent, yet they did not interfere with each other and were mutually difficult to influence, as if they existed in another dimension, seemingly within reach, but in reality, separated by an insurmountable chasm.
There were also many secondary Plane and elemental Plane, dependent on the main Plane of Ekania World and existing in various spatial directions, all clearly visible in the World Tree Ovo's vision.
It was as if the World Tree Ovo could simply extend its branches and pierce through the barrier of Ekania World, entering other dimensional Plane to absorb the necessary energy.
But at this moment, Kalon's perspective suddenly shifted; his vision extended infinitely, somewhat similar to the feeling of passing through a Plane teleportation gate previously, but much more intense.
However, under the World Tree Ovo's inherent talent, the negative effects that came from actively exploring through the Plane teleportation gate earlier spread like calm ripples, yet could hardly affect Kalon's existence.
There was no definition of time and space, as if passing through an endless, profound vortex.
Countless chaotic spatial turbulences and fragments, countless temporal distortions and interferences, flowed past Kalon's eyes like layers of images whose true existence was difficult to distinguish.
But beneath the cover of these endless spatio-temporal turbulences, Kalon, with the help of the World Tree Ovo's unique qualities, could see worlds unfolding slowly before his eyes like unrolled canvases.
On the unrolled canvas, every segment of the world, every moment, every event that occurred, and every active character, were all displayed one by one.
Such a vast amount of information, yet before the essential existence of the World Tree, it was as quiet as files waiting to be reviewed.
"Father, look, this is that world; according to the definitions of humans and other creatures, it belongs to the prehistoric era.
That scene, then, is the civilization-ending war that happened three thousand years later!"
These scenes were not mere images, but real occurrences, genuinely observed by the World Tree Ovo's power at this moment.
The World Tree Ovo's voice echoed in Kalon's conscious mind, and the profound meaning contained in that sentence sparked an idea in Kalon.
In the knowledge about exploring time, left behind by the Kings of the Ancient Magic Empire, whether from the mystical or scientific side, there was a similar exploratory conjecture.
Time has no sequence, no past or future, and all things happen at the same moment.
Time does not flow; it merely exists. The passage of time is merely an illusion created by beings whose senses are limited; the changes in all things are due to space flowing and advancing through time, not time itself advancing.
And this thinking is not only generated in the macroscopic world; signs in the microscopic world also provide a considerable amount of corroboration.
Scholars in one of the Planes explored by the Kings of Magic made a study: at the microscopic level, two entangled particles, even if separated by the ends of the universe,
as soon as the state of one particle changes, the other particle will instantly sense it and change accordingly.
This sensing and reaction, faster than the speed of light in the sky, is basically completed in zero time. For the entangled state and phenomenon of quanta, time is rendered meaningless.
There is also an experiment with the concept of electrons: the whereabouts of an electron cannot be precisely determined; it can only be represented by the probability of its appearance at a certain position, hence the concept of 'electron cloud' was born.
In the quantum exploration and tracking experiment, the most advanced precision instrument in the universe conducted tests and found that an electron seemed to be able to appear simultaneously in many other places.
So the Scholar speculated that if one jumps out of the limitations of the instrument's detection frequency, perhaps an electron could instantly fill the entire universe, or instantly reach every corner of the universe, just like some deities in mythology who possess supreme abilities.
In the experiment, electrons also seemed to jump out of the limitations of time. For electrons, the existence or non-existence of time is not important; it is rendered meaningless.
That is to say, if these theories are followed, integrating the macroscopic and microscopic worlds into one, the concept of time in the universe, whether it exists or not, is not important.
Kalon's thoughts fluctuated violently at this moment, instantly breaking away from the World Tree Ovo's conscious perspective and returning to his Dragons true body.
"Then, it seems I have a new discovery," the Ancestral Red Dragon's dark golden vertical pupils at this moment were like golden lamps lit, sparkling in the gloomy garden, under the shadow of the World Tree Ovo.
Calm yet profound, a power like a surging ocean current hidden beneath a tranquil sea quietly emerged from the Ancestral Red Dragon's body at this moment. That was the domain of the earth, the innate ability of the Ancestral Red Dragon, the authority represented by Kalon's will.
"Can time slow down as long as there is a strong enough gravitational field?" The Ancestral Red Dragon's scales were stern, his horns ferocious, and at this moment, his fangs, gleaming with a sharp cold light, were revealed.
An extremely condensed force fluctuated within the earth domain Kalon unleashed. His earth domain, which had covered a radius of several hundred meters, gradually shrank, shrinking until it was extremely condensed and could no longer shrink, only enveloping this Ancestral Red Dragon within a radius of a few meters.
A heavy, powerful, inescapable gravitational field quietly formed at this moment. If it weren't for the Ancestral Red Dragon's exquisite control ability, the entire garden might have been destroyed in an instant.
"There's some influence, but not overly obvious," Kalon frowned, carefully sensing the passage of time within the domain.
"Perhaps my ability is not strong enough, or perhaps this is just one of the influencing factors," Kalon concluded after half an hour of probing, then dispersed the domain that had brought terrifying pressure to the life forms in the garden.
"Perhaps the world in the eyes of the Time Dragon is like this: past time, present time, and future time that has not yet arrived, are actually all coexisting,"
the Ancestral Red Dragon murmured. The pursuit of knowledge seemed like an addiction for this Red Dragon, which was also the fundamental reason for his power far exceeding that of Dragonsof the same age.
"In other words, the past has not truly passed, and the future has not truly not yet arrived," Kalonraised his head, forged like steel, and looked out into the endless night sky, where stars twinkled, just like his thoughts, colorful and varied.
"That is to say, from the past, to the present, and then to the future, every moment corresponds to a universe," Kalon raised his Dragons claw, and he revealed a smile of profound meaning.
"Every Planck time (the smallest time interval is Planck time) corresponds to a universe. All universes are moving forward in non-continuous, leap-like jumps along the smallest Planck time,"
"And all universes, at any given moment, when their displayed images and events are added together, form a complete total universe event."
Kalon's voice gradually grew louder, and he laughed, "So, if I can deeply and accurately understand this knowledge, won't I also be able to, like those Time Dragon, pull out my future self and crush my enemies?"
"No, the power of knowledge is far superior to those fools of Time Dragon who rely on bloodlines," the Ancestral Red Dragon flaunted his steel claws, laughing wildly, "I can understand more, I can learn more, and I can gain more. Knowledge is also the brilliant jewel in my crown!"
The two Titanoboa on the tree quietly withdrew their heads and said with some concern, "It looks like Dad's mental state is a bit worrying for snakes!"
"Don't worry," the World Tree Ovo's voice sounded in the ears of the two Titanoboa. It said, "Dad is a Red Dragon after all, so it's normal for him to go crazy occasionally. If Dad didn't go crazy, that would be truly terrifying!"
"Oh, it seems that way too," Haninek, the kind little snake cub, spoke up, "But, Ovo, why don't you tell Dad that the big guy helping you is to have you replace that guy's position when you grow up, and you'll be trapped there!"
"It's fine. It's enough to help Dad. Without the help of that big guy, I wouldn't be confident in avoiding the gaze of those fierce guys,"
the World Tree Ovo's voice quietly sounded in the heart-lakes of the two Python, not in their ears.
"Besides, it's the same no matter where I stay. It's not like you guys, who, despite having no hands, no feet, no claws, and no wings, can move freely and go wherever you want. I can only watch."
"Alright, don't worry, we two will always stay by your side to protect you, Ovo," Haninek wagged his tail, patting his chest and abdomen, but then he slipped off the branch with an "ouch" and fell down.
"Tsk, you talk so nicely. I'm not like that soft-mouthed but hard-hearted Haninek," Grenek's tail slapped loudly against the branch.
He raised his head, flicked his tongue, and said proudly, "I'm telling you, Ovo, I'll also follow you, but I'm not doing it to protect you, but to have you provide for me, the great Grenek!"
"Ouch, ouch," the great Grenek also fell to the ground, his head hitting the dirt, but this Python was slapped down by the World Tree Ovo.
Kalon shook his head, ignoring the boisterous little ones, and walked into the flower room where Pixie Raven was sleeping.
Pixie Raven was still in a deep sleep, her slumber even exceeding that of Kalon, the Red Dragon. However, this did not mean that the Pixie's innate bloodline was stronger than the Ancestral Red Dragon's; rather, some mysterious changes seemed to have occurred within Pixie Raven.
After checking that the protective defensive magic set by the Red Dragon around Pixie Raven's sleeping flower room was still present, Kalon finally stopped.
He looked towards his Dragon Nest. The entire mountain had collapsed, and the Dragon Nest was partially covered, but under the power of this Ancestral Red Dragon, it could not stop him from returning to his Dragon Nest.
However, Kalon then cast his gaze towards the huge Fortress, specifically the second floor illuminated by glimmering candlelight. As the master of the entire castle, Kalon naturally understood the situation inside the Fortress, which was also the reason for his hesitation.
Finally, this Red Dragon turned and strode towards the second floor of the castle.
Work-life balance, indulgence after restraint, was also a taste this Red Dragon enjoyed.
On the second floor of the Dragon Kings Fortress, in the huge main hall, the bright magic crystal lamps had long been extinguished by the maidservants, replaced by tiny candle flames, twinkling like stars, illuminating the entire main hall.
But the flickering light of the candles cast the entire main hall into a quiet and ambiguous gloom.
The most beautiful and well-figured maidservants, at the request of Antagena and Red Dragon Klenaya, began to change their attire.
Their exquisite light gauze maid outfits were replaced with priestly robes, covering their beautiful bodies. The robes were printed with many strange patterns and ancient languages, each a Dragon Language.
The maidservants' long hair was swept up, and they wore coronets and headbands adorned with small bells. In their fair hands, they held scepters made of slender wood grown by the saliva of dragons, or rattles carved with Dragon Language spells.
The girls had washed off their makeup, replaced by simplicity and solemnity, but at their beautiful age, they were still like roses in a back garden, wet with rain, filling the room with their fragrance.
They sat barefoot on the floor of the main hall, their wide robes unable to conceal their plump, fair, long legs. With points of candlelight twinkling behind them, they formed a circle around the central altar, waiting quietly.
Until heavy, somewhat deliberate footsteps sounded, these ladies began to dance gracefully, moving with elegance.
Magical power surged within the beautiful maidservants, flowing through their instruments, regalia, robes, and dances, and a beautiful melody began to play at this moment.
With the sound of bells and drums as the main melody, and the sounds of conch and bagpipes as accompaniment.
This ancient and lingering music, unlike the refined tunes of nobles, had a unique flavor, like the sacrificial sounds passed down from the primeval wilderness of ancient times.
That was the Dragons-Summoning Song that once resounded in the territory, born from the worship of an ancient evil Dragon Lord, now resounding again at this very moment and place.
As the Ancestral Red Dragon strode in amidst the rising sacrificial music, he felt his appetite stirring. His Ancient blood, his innate bloodline, sent waves of hunger.
"Before,"
"There was no time, no earth, all things chaotic, memories veiled;"
"The past like smoke, fleeting, mountains and seas shifting, nothingness gone;"
"Time rushes like water,"
"No one can escape it,"
"The maiden awaiting marriage awaits her husband, like awaiting the moment of death;"
"She is pure white all over, as if wearing a white shroud,"
"She is destined to die, the wedding bells echo a hymn,"
"Take her, take her,"
"Fly, descend,"
"Forever offered to you, young maiden."
This was a sacrificial song, and also a Dragons-Summoning Song.
The low, hoarse prayers and incantations echoed through the castle. The dancing girls' graceful sacrificial dance, the dance of offering, made Kalon's appetite and primal desires surge. He felt his body gradually boiling.
His gaze turned to the altar, where the beautiful maiden was being sacrificed.
They were two maidens carved from jade like snow, with hair like fire and long hair like emeralds flowing like clouds. They were unclothed, their shins intertwined, twisting like snakes.
Dragons have scales but no fur; those two touches of pink, snowy smoothness were so striking in Kalon's eyes.
The beautiful maidens were coated with a layer of Dragons-attracting essential oil, shimmering and making their bodies, like pure white lambs, exceptionally alluring. And the two maidens, twisting their beautiful, plump bodies, their eyes also beckoned the descent of the Dragons.
Finally, as the sacrificial dance and song reached their climax, the Red Dragon finally released the restraint of his will, allowing the surging desires to engulf him.
"Roar,"
Kalon spread his wings and stepped forward, his long wings covering the two snake-like beauties, and his scorching hot steel was placed among the soft, powdery bodies.
The scorching steel rubbed against Antagena and Klenaya's bodies, causing their four hands to embrace and their bodies to tremble uncontrollably from the burning heat.
"Come, my King, what are you still hesitating for?" Antagena's charming eyes rippled like water, seemingly provocative, seemingly seductive.
"Master, please enjoy your slave as you wish!" Klenaya stammered out the words, yet they gave Kalon a strange feeling.
"Roar,"
The next moment, Kalon's body rapidly shrank, but it was still a Dragons's body. His red-hot steel plunged into the Green Dragon's body, scorching Antagena's softest and most moist body, causing Antagena to tremble uncontrollably.
Klenaya's body also trembled, and the scorching heat made her let out a deep moan. Klenaya turned her head, searching for Kalon's fang-filled maw, and pressed herself against it.
The smell of sulfur and hot steam instantly enveloped the entire castle.