Chapter 454 Unleashing Ferocity, White Scales Shake Mountains; Knowing the Times, Ancient Dragon Bows to the King
Bescal's eyes narrowed to their limit, his vertical pupils reflecting the Red Iron Dragon Emperor's body and physique.
It was a red iron dragon larger than him, and not only in size, but its majesty and aura far exceeded his imagination.
His dark red and jet-black scales were thick and dense, layered and inlaid, shimmering with a metallic and lava-like luster, covered with countless battle-worn patterns. Beneath the scales were strong muscles, as if cast from steel.
The dragon itself, merely hovering there, exuded an aura of power so great it was invincible.
White Dragon Beskar felt his heart skip a beat, and his blood froze for a moment.
Will...will we win?
Probably not.
Why did I encounter such a terrifying dragon as soon as I woke up?
For a moment, Bescal longed to return to the Rift Valley and slumber once more.
At the same time, he quickly weighed and calculated in his mind.
The harsh words I just uttered still lingered in the air, but the iron fist of reality had already slammed into my face.
To back down? To admit defeat? To seek a peaceful solution?
He didn't want to fight this formidable-looking red iron dragon.
On Beskar's dragon face, the solemn and fierce expression slowly gave way to a friendly, almost obsequious smile.
However--
"Your Majesty! This white dragon says he wants to dismantle your bones to decorate his broken ice nest!"
Grove the ogre shouted at the top of his lungs, making sure the emperor in the sky could hear him clearly.
The smile that White Dragon Beskar had just managed to force onto his face froze, then shattered into pieces.
The Red Iron Dragon Emperor lowered his majestic head and looked down at the ancient white dragon with a stiff smile in the low sky.
"Oh? Is that so?"
"I'll wait and see."
His voice wasn't loud, and it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry, but it carried a terrifying sense of oppression.
As he spoke, he casually swayed his muscular body.
Buzz—! Buzz—!
The air emitted a low, rumbling sound.
A solidified, dark red aura suddenly erupted from the gaps in every scale of his armor. This aura did not spread randomly, but rather, as if it possessed a life of its own, rapidly gathered, intertwined, and shaped itself...
Under Bai Long's tense gaze.
A second, equally ferocious and majestic dragon head, burning with black and red flames, suddenly appeared on the upper back of the Red Iron Dragon's shoulder and neck.
It stood side by side with the main body's head, its four dragon eyes flashing with a chilling gaze.
At the same time, slightly behind the Red Iron Dragon's shoulder blades, two massive arms formed entirely of solidified dragon energy, with clearly defined muscle textures and covered in burning flames.
The Red Iron Dragon Emperor instantly activated his battle form.
With its two heads held high, one to the left and one to the right, it surveyed the sky, its four dragon eyes locking onto the white dragon; its four arms spread out, some clenched into fists, others extended with sharp fingers, capturing everything in all directions, seemingly sealing off all space for escape.
This terrifying, ferocious figure completely dominated the vision of the white dragon Besca, filling every inch of his senses.
Compared to him, the body of the ancient white dragon suddenly appeared thin and fragile.
hiss……
White Dragon Beskar gasped in the pure, cool air of the North, and the last vestige of his desire to test the waters vanished.
run!
Run away immediately! Right now! Without looking back!
The thought flashed through Bescal's mind.
White Dragon is not known for its speed among dragons, but Bescal, having escaped from the clutches of stronger beings countless times when he was weak, knows the importance of speed.
Therefore, he developed characteristics that favored explosive power and flight speed.
With a slight tremor of its wings, the white dragon conjured an extremely cold gale that seemed to exist out of thin air. It clung to its wings like a living storm, swirling rapidly and freezing the air into ice crystals.
He was preparing to escape.
Did I give you permission to leave?
With a detached whisper, the red iron dragon in the sky raised one of its right forelimb claws, aiming it at the white dragon that was preparing to flee.
He's taking my life!
An invisible, intangible yet incredibly powerful force of attraction and pull suddenly erupted from the tips of the red iron dragon's claws.
Waaah—!
Countless snowflakes were pulled and twisted by this force, creating a visible tornado.
One end was attached to the red iron dragon's claws, while the other end gripped the body of the white dragon Beskar tightly.
Click! Click!
A teeth-grinding cracking sound rang out.
Beyond the tornado, the dragon scales on Beskar's body began to crack and break at the edges.
Strands of dragon blood were forcibly extracted and mixed into the tornado, surging towards the red iron dragon's body.
Before White Dragon Beskar could even begin to escape, he felt a faint sense of weakness arise, and all his physical attributes dropped significantly.
"Is this skill the Eternal Dragon's Death Scythe?"
"Wait a minute, why is the effect so strong? How much stronger are his physical attributes than mine?"
Bescal found it utterly absurd.
Immediately afterwards, the Red Iron Dragon Emperor's giant wings suddenly unfolded! The wingspan easily exceeded a hundred meters, blotting out the sky like clouds hanging from the heavens.
This posture is clearly the prelude to an impending charge.
His goal is self-evident.
On the other side, Bescal the White Dragon witnessed all of this and no longer hesitated.
Before the Red Iron Dragon Emperor officially launched his charge.
Bescal made his decision with the swiftest speed of his long dragon life.
He withdrew all the coldness and hostility he had been releasing. His body, which was about to flee, landed smoothly, gripping the melting frozen earth tightly with his four paws. His head was lowered deeply, and his long neck and back formed a gentle arc.
"The great Emperor Ignas! The mighty dragon of red and iron!"
“I have trespassed into His Majesty’s territory and offended the Emperor’s majesty; I deserve to die.”
"Your imperial might is unparalleled. Today, I have the opportunity to witness Your Majesty's true face and personally experience Your Majesty's immense power. Only now do I realize how vast the world is and how insignificant I am! In the past, I was like an ice frog at the bottom of a well, sitting in a well and looking at the sky, arrogant and conceited! Those rumors about Your Majesty are not even a fraction of your true majesty."
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty! Forgive this ignorant and foolish dragon for his offense."
"I am willing to offer all the treasures I have accumulated over the long years as compensation! Or, in any other way that will please Your Majesty, I beg for your forgiveness."
His head was pressed tightly to the ground, his posture submissive and humble.
silence.
A deathly silence enveloped the area.
All that remained was the howling of the scorching air currents and the sound of the surrounding ice and snow melting continuously under the intense heat.
The trolls and ogre warriors of the Kingdom of Aura were all dumbfounded, almost unable to believe their eyes.
They knew His Majesty was powerful and majestic, but witnessing a legendary dragon so readily and humbly submit to him... the visual and emotional impact was indescribable.
As expected of our great Emperor!
Where the dragon's might reaches, even the mighty dragon submits!
The soldiers' awe of the Red Iron Dragon Emperor reached a new level.
In the air, the Red Iron Dragon lowered its two heads slightly, looking down at the ancient dragon below whose posture changed with incredible fluidity, from arrogant to obsequious.
"No wonder the white dragon is considered a disgrace by many dragon species."
"An ancient dragon, a dragon forged by time and ice, now humbly prostrates itself on the ground."
Hong Tielong said in a cold and sharp tone.
This merciless assessment was like a dagger, piercing into Bescal's deepest feelings of inferiority and hidden pain.
His body stiffened slightly, he clenched his claws, tensed all his muscles, then slowly relaxed, suppressing his anger while burying his head even lower to conceal his expression.
“We dragons respect the strong and do not value age. You are right.”
He gritted his teeth and echoed.
However, Galus's remarks did not stop at belittling.
He then changed the subject, saying, "However, you have one thing that many of your kind, who are stronger than you, do not possess."
Bescal couldn't help but raise his ears slightly.
"Know your place."
The Red Iron Dragon Emperor spoke simultaneously from both heads.
"Or, more accurately, it is based on a clear understanding of the power gap and a tenacity for survival."
"Dragons are mostly arrogant. Even when faced with an invincible enemy, they often choose to roar and charge toward destruction to defend their illusory dignity, burning their long lives and future possibilities in a foolish charge."
"And you, in the instant you recognize reality, make the choice that is most conducive to your survival."
"This wisdom, though it may not sound like that of a dragon, is more valuable in this day and age than mere savagery."
Red Iron Dragon's voice was grand and calm, and his evaluation surprised Bescal.
There was no further humiliation.
Instead, it gave him a different kind of affirmation.
"Your Majesty, thank you for your recognition. I rarely hear such approval from my own people."
He raised his head slightly, remained silent for two seconds, and then spoke.
The red iron dragon in the air slightly adjusted the posture of its four arms.
The invisible pressure subsided slightly, but the aura of authority still enveloped the surrounding area.
"You slumber in the icy plains, thirsting for power and dominance, simply to prove that the White Dragon is not weak and to claim a place in this vast world."
"But with the limits of your bloodline and the barrenness of the ice plains, how far can you see the scenery?"
He paused briefly, letting the deeper meaning of his words settle, before staring at the white dragon and continuing to speak.
"Now, I'm giving you two choices."
"First, you can leave now."
"Today's events can be considered a misunderstanding. I have no intention of hunting down an ancient dragon who humbly submits to survival. You can leave the Ice Plains, find a remote and desolate place to display your legendary power, reign supreme on limited land, and enjoy the awe and worship of the weak."
"Until one day, you encounter another, stronger being whom you cannot deal with, who strips you of everything; or, over the long years, loneliness gradually wears away your last ambition and passion, until you finally die in obscurity."
As he spoke, the red iron dragon landed leisurely in front of the white dragon.
He stood upright, his strong body firmly planted on the earth, his giant wings shielding the wind and snow, almost completely enveloping the white dragon.
"second,"
The red iron dragon's four eyes flashed brightly for a moment as it extended its giant claws towards the white dragon.
"Follow me, join the Kingdom of Aura, and guard the teeth and scales of our vast lands."
"In my view, power does not merely stem from bloodline. Resources, knowledge, conquest, clashes with the stronger, and an ever-expanding kingdom as a backing... all of these will become the steps for you to break free from the shackles of bloodline."
"With me, you can't become a red dragon or a blue dragon, but I can show you how high a pragmatic and clear-headed white dragon can go—a height far beyond what you can reach on your own."
"With me, you will no longer be merely 'White Dragon Beskar,' but a dragon under my command, Garos Ignas, a legendary dragon who will expand the territory of the Kingdom of Aura and awe all around. Your name will be known along with the glory of the kingdom, and you will enjoy the honor, authority, and true respect that match it."
Bai Long fell silent.
Emperor Hong Tielong's words pierced his soul and touched his heart.
Staying means surrendering and losing a part of your freedom.
But what about leaving?
Returning to the cold past, guarding a future that can be seen from the beginning, repeating the fate of being despised by other powerful dragons?
The other party saw through his weakness, but did not stop at contempt. Instead, they saw his value and were willing to provide him with an unprecedented platform.
For Bescal, this feeling of being "seen," "recognized," and even "needed" was unprecedented.
The silence felt longer than the previous slumber.
Finally, the white dragon couldn't help but raise its head.
In a daze, he seemed to see the red iron dragon glowing all over, like a sun in front of him. The light was so dazzling and hot that it was hard to look directly at or touch it, yet he couldn't help but want to get closer.
When he came to his senses, he found himself already extending his claws and placing them on the other's sharp claws.
With a gentle tug, the red iron dragon caused the white dragon to stand up from its crouching position.
Under the watchful gaze of the Red Iron Dragon, Bescal took a step back and lowered his body once again.
He no longer prostrated himself, but instead adopted the posture of an audience with the king, bending his forelimbs and bowing his head in a respectful arc.
"The long slumber made me realize the value of strength, and it also made me weary of my own weakness."
"Great Emperor Ignas, I, Bescal, the Frostblight... am willing to follow your dragon wings, to guard your lands, and to tear apart your powerful enemies!"
He said solemnly.
Having weathered over eight hundred years of ups and downs, Bescal is a shrewd and realistic man who cannot be easily fooled by a few tempting words and won over by a naive young dragon.
He did not fully believe Hong Tielong's promises.
However, he also deeply understands the weight of opportunity.
Hong Tielong had no intention of killing him, and didn't even pursue the matter of his offense.
There's nothing to lose by trying to join the Kingdom of Aura.
If, afterward, you find that the situation is different from what you expected, or that this kingdom is not the ideal place to live...
Unless Red Iron Dragon can keep a close eye on him at all times, who can easily stop a legendary ancient dragon who is determined to leave?
He still has a way out.
Across from him, the Red Iron Dragon Emperor nodded slightly.
He might see right through Bai Long's schemes, or he might not care at all.
For him, the most important thing is the result.
As long as Bescal remains, he will have no chance of escaping his grasp; Garros's dragon-taming skills have been proven time and again.
“A wise choice, Bescal.”
He retracted his giant claws, and the black and red flames burning on his body began to subside. The second ferocious dragon head and the two extra arms also slowly dissipated, turning into wisps of flames that returned to his main body.
He regained his usual imposing demeanor, but his authority remained undiminished.
"Remember these words, rise up, from this moment on, you are the Dragon of Aura."
"Garos said to Bescal."
From this point on, the Kingdom of Aura officially gained a legendary dragon.
Although the white dragon is weak, that is in comparison to other dragons. Even the weakest legendary white dragon is stronger than most legendary dragons of the same level.
With this legendary ancient dragon by their side, the Kingdom of Aura will have more confidence to face the upcoming war between nations.
P.S.: Requesting monthly votes.
(End of this chapter)
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