Beneath the Red Dragon

However, the Evil God, Blood Queen, worshiped by the bottom-dwelling demon fish, is merely a deity who loves to laze about, immersed in fantasies of ruling over all beings, rather than taking concrete actions to make her dreams a reality.

This slothful Evil God created the race of bottom-dwelling fishmen, but if faced with their destruction, she would eternally lie in Minaros of the Bator Hell, unmoving, lost in daydreams.

Only when the bottom-dwelling demon fish face annihilation, would this Evil God bestow her divine favor to save her creations, and then no longer care even if her devotees became followers of other divine spirits.

Though Karon didn’t know if the Naga Creation God, Jinnister, who Divine Favor Naga Jaluun worships, would be as magnanimous as the Blood Queen whom the bottom-dwelling demon fish adhere to, Karon intended to make this Naga face a true decision.

His empire allowed for some duplicity, which was an undeniable rule, but around him, duplicity could not exist.

Divine Favor Naga Jaluun understood that it was a necessary choice. Choosing the Ancestral Red Dragon would benefit the Naga, and she would step into the empire’s core sequence.

But should she forsake the god of her own race’s faith?

Jaluun exhaled deeply and abandoned all thoughts, letting her intuition guide her at that moment.

Thus, Divine Favor Naga lowered her proud head deeply and resolutely said, ”May Your Majesty’s will forever favor the Naga!”

Karon laughed and said, ”Very well, brave girl, step forward.”

Divine Favor Naga Jaluun climbed the steps, arriving before the Ancestral Red Dragon’s throne, gazing up at this male dragon’s mountain-like form.

A massive dragon claw lightly touched the Naga’s forehead, where unimaginable magic power gathered within her body, as a vivid rose emblem bloomed on Jaluun’s forehead.

Jaluun had no mind to feel what kind of power the mark on her forehead held; she only knew that her intuition had triumphed over all thoughts, and she had won.

Jaluun stepped aside and stood shoulder to shoulder with Chief Maid Charlize.

Meanwhile, Karon turned his gaze toward the elves.

Now, with the Divine Favored Naga within the Golden Empire and with the Golden Fleet dominating the seas, the surrounding waters’ Shahua Fishmen were eradicated, and the Shahua Fishman Kingdom’s remaining forces were forced to flee into the deep sea.

This meant there were endless resources in the vast sea awaiting the empire’s exploitation and excavation, and under the Golden Empire’s maritime control, the underwater mineral veins and treasures all belonged to the dragons.

Karon’s initial promise to the Dragon Group, to establish a dragon kingdom ruling the earth, sky, and sea, had been fulfilled.

The empire’s sphere of influence was now truly established; with no internal troubles, what, then, was the purpose of the elves coming from afar?

But Princess Isabelle Adjani of the elves opened her mouth and stunned the entire hall.

”Your Majesty,” Adjani performed a graceful elven noble salute toward the Ancestral Red Dragon and then loudly said, ”I request the Golden Empire to send reinforcements to help the Elf Kingdom repel the Zor enslaved and bewitched by the deep dragons,”

”The Elf Kingdom is aware of the Empire’s Dragon’s Code and is willing to respect the Empire’s legal orders, only hoping the Empire will punish those chaotic giant dragons!”

All the dragons looked at each other, some speechless.

Other kingdoms and civilizations wished to drive dragons far away, yet these elves wanted to actively welcome dragons. If it weren’t for Princess Adjani’s confirmed identity, these dragons would suspect this elf harbored immense hatred toward her own realm.

Even Karon was slightly surprised. Though the Golden Empire’s reputation had always been good under his maintenance, he never thought it could reach such a degree.

There’s something odd here!

”Despite our extermination of the Shahua Fishmen, it was only to show the consequences of warring against the empire,” Karon’s massive head shook slightly, his voice deep, ”But in truth, the empire loves peace; we do not advocate armed intervention. Elven affairs should be resolved by elves, and as for those evil dragons, the empire is currently unable to reach them.”

”You elves have always been on good terms with other civilized races; if help is needed, you should seek assistance from those allies.”

The dragons in the hall nodded in agreement, once again amazed by the Ancestral Red Dragon’s ability to lie with a straight face.

Isabelle Adjani’s delicate face showed urgency, her voice light like a kingfisher’s song in the forest, a mix of elven tongue and common language interspersed with several Dragon Language terms burst forth.

”Your Majesty, the situation faced by the Elf Kingdom is quite complex, involving not only the deep dragons of the Dark Realm but also some mighty ’Ancient Dragons,’”

Adjani explained, ”The emergence of these ancient dragons is closely linked with the transformation of the Celestial Life Tree in the Elf Kingdom, and the elves have come to the empire seeking its aid.”

”These powerful ancient dragons, with their formidable strength and robust bodies, are formidable targets for the Elf Kingdom. If it were only the enemies from the Dark Realm, our elves would not struggle so much.”

”The Elf Kingdom believes that as the Realm of the Dragons, having issued the Dragon’s Code, the Golden Empire should have aspirations of ruling over all dragons. Those ancient dragons dare ignore the empire’s legal code and wantonly slaughter intelligent races allied with the empire and should be restrained and punished!”

Karon knew of these elf actions; without the empire’s permission, these elves could not have accessed the Tree of Life.

However, the Tree of Life within the empire showed no signs of transformation, and even the empire’s Mage Corps couldn’t draw effective conclusions regarding the Elf Kingdom’s Tree of Life transformation without a comparison target.

But just as Karon was contemplating how to gently decline the elves’ request, Princess Adjani took out a glistening piece of amber and approached step by step, presenting it before the Ancestral Red Dragon.

”This is the power left behind after those outsiders perished, quite different from the many systems of Extraordinary Power in Aikania, containing a remarkable capability,”

Adjani whispered, ”I have heard that the Dragon Emperor of the Golden Empire loves to collect knowledge. Not only will the knowledge and power of these outsiders be presented as gifts to the empire, but the ancient knowledge passed down by the Elf Race will also be exchanged and communicated with the empire!”

Karon looked at the amber, a Seed of Power sealed by the elves using magic power. In his perception, it was a manifestation of power originating from the root of the souls of all beings, transformed into an external form by certain rules.

”The power of these outsiders is called the Great Rune and possesses some magical functions,” Adjani explained.

The Ancestral Red Dragon bared his fangs but didn’t accept the glistening amber, instead laughing.

Before such a peculiar power, he smelled the scent of prey. The Gogomola Dragon Group was the hunting hunter.

”Let us consider this,” the Ancestral Red Dragon said softly.