Chapter 430 Turmoil, Controversy
After settling the Red Iron Dragon, Orvis didn't stop for a moment and flew straight towards the Dragon Breath Temple.
Before even reaching the mountaintop platform where the temple was located, one could hear a commotion coming from afar, a mixture of dragon growls and discussions, which seemed quite unusual.
Looking down, one can clearly see:
Built against the mountain, the magnificent Dragon Breath Temple is now surrounded by a far greater number of colorful metal dragons than usual.
Before the temple's gates, inscribed with ancient runes, two gleaming golden figures stood out, surrounded by a large group of curious or concerned members of their own kind.
It was Alberto and Natasha.
At this moment, they were literally throwing a tantrum in the open space in front of the solemn gate of the Dragon's Breath Temple, showing no trace of the demeanor of a golden dragon.
"That shameless old bronze dragon, Siano, ambushed us!"
"I almost died, just a tiny bit more! My scales were electrocuted to a crisp!"
"We're just young golden dragons who haven't even come of age yet! How could a legend like him possibly lay a finger on us!"
"Your Majesty, Silver Dragon King, where are you? Come and seek justice for us! Waaah... Do you know how deep and lasting the trauma a deliberate attack by a legendary dragon will be for our young minds?"
"."
Such behavior, which disregards appearance, is truly rare in the Dragon Realm, which has always valued dignity and etiquette.
The number of giant dragons gathering around to watch increased, and the discussions became increasingly noisy.
"You two, if you have something to say, go inside the temple and talk it out. What kind of behavior is this, causing trouble here?!"
A dragon elder, alerted by the commotion, rebuked them in a deep, authoritative voice.
"Running wild? We're stating the facts! We're protesting injustice."
Natasha retorted without fear, her golden dragon eyes filled with grievance and indignation.
"Does the Dragonbreath Temple now forbid victims from speaking out? Have we lost even our right to seek refuge and justice?"
Alberto chimed in from the side, also adopting an indignant and bullied demeanor.
The dragon elder who had just spoken up darkened even more, his whiskers trembling with anger.
He had an urge to knock the two noisy golden dragons unconscious and take them away, but with so many eyes watching him, he couldn't just do it.
Bullying the weak in full view of everyone is a serious blow to his reputation and authority as an elder.
Just as things were at a standstill and in a state of confusion, the figure of the old golden dragon Orvis broke through the clouds and landed steadily in front of the temple gate.
"quiet."
His voice wasn't loud, but it made Alberto and Natasha, who were still running wild, stop at the same time and obediently shut their mouths.
"You two, calm down."
"The elders are fair and wise; they will investigate the truth and give you an explanation."
Orvis first admonished his offspring, then turned his gaze to the elder with an unhappy expression, nodded slightly to him, and said in a calm tone, "Please open the temple, and we will explain this matter in detail inside."
Immediately afterwards, Old Golden Dragon, along with the other elders who had rushed over upon hearing the news, entered the solemn and majestic Dragon Breath Temple.
He then gave a clear account of the entire incident, including Siano's sneak attack, Garos's forced breakthrough and counterattack, and the details of Alberto and the other dragons being knocked unconscious.
In fact, the metal dragon elders already knew the general situation from Alberto and Natasha's exaggerated account.
Given the unreliable reputations of these two young men, they remained skeptical and did not fully accept their belief.
Only now, after Ovis's personal confirmation and additional details, did the dragon elders truly take this matter seriously and realize its gravity.
After the report, Old Golden Dragon looked around at the elders present and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, please consider this."
"When a legendary dragon, through a despicable sneak attack, launches a relentless murder against an outstanding junior who has come to the Dragon Realm as a guest and has not provoked any trouble."
"Does this junior have the right to fight back for survival?"
Upon hearing this, the elders reacted in different ways, their dragon eyes flashing with varying light.
"Siano's actions were excessive, contrary to honor, and he deserved to die! Galos Ignas acted within the bounds of normal self-defense. Not only should he not be held responsible, but his immediate family should also compensate Galos for the losses and fright caused by his recklessness and evil deeds!"
An elder named Jinlong spoke first in a deep voice, his attitude clear.
He had long been dissatisfied with the many extreme actions of the purificationists.
“Demanding compensation would likely escalate the conflict further, which is going too far. In my opinion, it is enough to clearly determine that Galos does not need to bear any further responsibility for this matter.”
The elegant and slender Elder Silver Dragon expressed his views softly in a gentle yet clear voice.
Most of the metal dragon elders present tended to believe that Garos was not at fault in this matter.
However, a few elders who held a natural prejudice and wariness against the bloodline of evil dragons raised different opinions.
“Even if there was a reason for his actions, wasn’t his method of retaliation a bit too cruel? Moreover, the Red Iron Dragon bloodline itself is ultimately an unstable factor. In my opinion, he should at least be given some punishment as a warning to others.”
"For example, imposing a seal for a period of time, or imposing a substantial fine."
An elder, whose body was covered in bronze-colored scales and who was perched beside a stone pillar, spoke in a deep, gruff voice.
The elders disagreed and could not reach a consensus for a time.
However, in any case, no elder made any outrageous or unfair demands such as executing Hong Tielong.
Furthermore, although no complete consensus was reached in a short period of time, the elders tacitly approved of the "protective treatment" measures taken by Orvis against Red Iron Dragon and did not require him to immediately hand over Garos and send him to the Dragon Domain Prison.
Ultimately, Orvis is a dragon of the Fubo Dragon Domain and one of its most trusted elders.
Absolute impartiality and objectivity are often difficult to achieve when dealing with colleagues and external pressure.
Although the elders present had different ideas and stances, the overall balance of emotions and interests still leaned towards protecting Orvis.
Finally, the old golden dragon Orvis took a step forward, his claws striking the smooth ground with a crisp sound.
He concluded emphatically, "Garos Ignas is the champion of this year's Five Great Dragon Domains Joint Competition!"
"He carries the blood of a dragon and may have suffered prejudice and cold looks since childhood, yet he still chose to trust the order established by us metal dragons, came to the Dragon Realm to participate in the competition, and won glory with his strength! He is an outstanding junior who has been officially recognized and rewarded by the rules of the Dragon Realm!"
"Yet, this dragon, who came with good intentions, was treated so unfairly and despicably!"
"Siano Sheffield's actions not only threaten his individual life, but also trample on the rules of the Dragon Realm and the honor of our race!"
"We must investigate this matter thoroughly!"
"It's not just about giving Galos justice, but also about figuring out what exactly drove a legendary compatriot who championed justice to such an extreme path."
His words stated both the indisputable facts and his own position and attitude.
At the same time, he shifted the focus of the question from the result that "the red iron dragon killed the bronze dragon" to "why and how Siano attempted murder" and the possible hidden motives behind it.
Inside the main hall, the earlier commotion and conflict caused by differing opinions temporarily subsided.
The dragon elders began to discuss Siano's motives.
“Ovis, you only brought back his mangled remains.”
"What about his dragon soul? With the resilience of a legendary dragon soul, even if the physical body dies, it will not immediately and completely dissipate into the material world. Perhaps we can get some information from it."
"As far as I can tell, at the moment of Siano's death, his dragon soul disappeared directly from the material world in an unusual way, without leaving any trace or echo."
"Hmm... He not only has respect for the great Platinum Dragon God, but it seems that he has also established a certain connection of faith with him."
"Perhaps, his piety was answered at the last moment, and he was summoned to the divine kingdom by the dragon god."
"."
The elders discussed the matter animatedly, offering various speculations.
However, due to the lack of crucial direct evidence, all discussions remained speculative and ultimately failed to reach a definitive conclusion.
Throughout the entire discussion, the Silver Dragon King, who ruled over the Fubo Dragon Domain, remained silent.
Meanwhile, in the distant Dragon Domain of Raging Waves, this event also caused considerable turmoil.
After Deborah returned with Vera, she did not delay at all and immediately reported the news through family channels.
The Crimson Silver Dragon family already held goodwill towards Garros due to their previous contact. Coupled with Deborah's personal experience and the testimony of the dimensional dragon Vera, their lineage of dragons and their allies defended Garros in the Raging Dragon Realm, strongly condemning Siano's sneak attack as a stain on the ancient honor of the dragon race.
However, the Raging Dragon Domain is, after all, the territory ruled by the Bronze Dragon King.
This is also where the Purification movement's ideology is most prevalent and where it has the largest number of supporters.
Although the Bronze Dragon King himself did not make a direct statement, the matter still sparked fierce debate and conflict within the Raging Dragon Domain.
Not long after, an ancient dragon elder with a high status in the Raging Dragon Domain stepped forward to make a proposal.
He believed that the most urgent task was to first send an envoy to the Fubo Dragon Domain to detain the Red Iron Dragon involved in the matter in the Raging Waves Dragon Domain, and then question him face-to-face to thoroughly investigate the details of the matter.
This seemingly reasonable suggestion received the support of most of the dragons within the Raging Dragon Realm.
Therefore, the Raging Waves Dragon Domain quickly used this as a reason, based on the fact that "the deceased belonged to its own dragon domain", to formally negotiate with the Fubo Dragon Domain, demanding that they hand over the Red Iron Dragon Garos.
However, Fubo Longyu did not back down.
On one hand, Elder Orvis of the Golden Dragon Domain witnessed the latter part of the incident and was the direct handler and administrator of the matter; on the other hand, two Golden Dragons from the Fubo Dragon Domain were indeed involved and attacked in this incident.
Fubo Longyu also has the right to investigate and detain those involved.
As time went by, the news spread rapidly among the five major dragon domains.
This event was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, and the ripples and waves it stirred up quickly spread to the five major dragon domains.
Most of the metal dragons, who upheld justice and followed tradition, felt that Siano deserved to die after learning the whole story.
In their view, it was simply too much for a legendary metal dragon to commit such a despicable act of ambushing the champion of the undeserving legendary dragon realm, and even bringing several of its own metal dragon kin to the brink of death.
This is almost no different from the chaotic dragons they usually despise.
But at the same time, a few dragons who believed in the Purification movement voiced a completely different opinion.
They appealed everywhere for the severe execution of Galus the Red Iron Dragon.
As for the accusation that Siano had beaten his own kind to the brink of death? They denounced it as a shameful rumor, a slander perpetrated by the Ovis lineage to protect Red Iron Dragon.
Furthermore, these dragons don't really care about the specific details and truth of things.
They simply stood on the side of the dead bronze dragon, Siano, firmly believing that Siano had keenly perceived some deeply hidden evil deeds or conspiracies of the red iron dragon, which was why he took action to carry out a "just trial."
They even suspected that Red Iron Dragon was hiding his true strength, deliberately luring Siano to attack so he could turn the tables and kill him.
Red Iron Dragon may already be a legend, but such treacherous schemes deserve to be punished with death.
The Flowing Water Dragon Domain and the Daytime Dragon Domain, located in different regions, are also closely monitoring the development of the situation.
The elders of the Flowing Water Dragon Domain were more concerned about the potential negative impact of this incident on the unity and stability of the dragon race, and were not most concerned about the rights and wrongs of the Bronze Dragon and the Red Iron Dragon themselves; while the Daylight Dragon Domain felt more sympathy for Garos's plight, believing that such a young and promising new legend should not be punished for his self-defense, and were also deeply worried about the ideological contradictions exposed within the dragon race by this incident.
Gradually, the dragons' gazes turned to the Eternal Radiance Dragon Domain, which held a superior position.
The Fubo Dragon Domain and the Nutao Dragon Domain each held their own views and were locked in a dispute; the other two Dragon Domains were basically observing from the sidelines, at most participating in the discussion; therefore, the attitude of the Yongyao Dragon Domain, as the leader of the five major Dragon Domains, became crucial.
After all, Red Iron Dragon won the championship honor fair and square on the land of Eternal Glory Dragon Domain.
The reaction from Yongyao Longyu's top management was relatively the most restrained and cautious.
They called on all parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, and emphasized that no dragon should take any excessive coercive or retaliatory action against Garus Ignas until the truth of the matter is fully revealed.
This statement, to some extent, curbed the extreme retaliatory actions that the purification faction might take.
However, the interior of the Eternal Radiance Dragon Domain is not monolithic either; undercurrents are swirling within.
The prestige and popularity that Hong Tielong had gained here through competitions have now transformed into complex gazes and discussions.
Supporters believe he was an innocent victim, suffering this undeserved calamity purely due to the original sin of his bloodline; opponents see him as a lurking seed of evil that will bring disaster sooner or later.
Galus knew nothing about these things and didn't care at all.
He slept deeply, the aura of dragon might slowly rising in the still spring, and constantly regenerating power surging and condensing within him, shaping his unique characteristics and domain.
Disturbances, praise, and slander—the clamor of the outside world—were nothing more than distant background noise to him.
Red Iron Dragon is single-mindedly focused on its own strength and transformation.
Thus, time flies by, like sand slipping through your fingers.
Five years have passed quietly amidst these tumultuous debates and confrontations.
During this period, the debate over how to deal with the Red Iron Dragon never truly ceased among the five Dragon Domains, especially between the Fubo and Nutao Domains.
The Fubo Dragon Domain has been delaying the process, citing reasons such as "the investigation is not yet over," "Garos is in a critical recovery period," and "the attacked metal dragon needs an explanation," and has consistently refused to hand over the Red Iron Dragon to the Raging Waves Dragon Domain.
Just as Ovis predicted.
Most reasonable metal dragons, after understanding what happened, believed that the red iron dragon's fight back against the legendary ambush was out of necessity and should not be criticized.
However, just as Galos once calmly analyzed.
Another voice, though representing a minority, is exceptionally jarring and persistent, and has never disappeared from the Dragon Domain's public discourse.
“Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts,” “The Fubo Dragon Domain is protecting criminals and disregarding the blood ties of our own kind,” “Severely punish the murderers to uphold the majesty of the metal dragons”… Such prejudiced and hostile calls have not diminished in some groups, but have instead grown stronger over time, fueled by certain external factors.
The voices of the minority dragons often stand out and endure because of the extreme and unwavering nature of their stance.
The majority of the relatively mild-mannered metal dragons have many duties, research, or pleasures to devote their energy to, and they are not likely to pay long-term attention to something that has no direct impact on their own interests.
They may have said a few fair words in defense of Hong Tielong in the early stages of the incident.
But soon, their attention will be drawn to other new and emerging things.
Only those who have a stake in this matter, those who are extremely firm in their beliefs, or those metal dragons who have close ties with Garus will pay close attention to it.
Finally, one morning five years later, as the first rays of sunlight pierced the thin mist over the Endless Sea...
Accompanied by surging waves and oppressive dragon might, several enormous figures descended upon the island of Orvis.
(End of this chapter)
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