Chapter 666: The Red Iron Dragon’s Corruption

The stars were scattered like crushed diamonds, densely dotting the black velvet curtain of the night sky.

Radiant moonlight cascaded down from the dome, draping the Continent of Atlan in a layer of silver gauze. The distant mountain ridges were outlined in soft contours by the moonlight. The night wind swept across the wilderness, carrying the scents of grass and earth.

Tranquil. Peaceful.

Completely unlike the Abyss.

Meanwhile, inside the massive lair within the dragon court, the Red Iron Dragon slowly awakened atop a mountain of piled-up gems and gold coins.

His wings lifted slightly as he stretched his body.

The dazzling wealth spread out beneath him with his movements, casting dappled, shifting shadows of light. Gold coins clinked against each other, producing crisp sounds that echoed through the empty lair.

"Did we finally destroy the Platinum Star?"

The dragon's eyelids lifted, revealing a pair of vertical pupils.

Within those vertical pupils, the magnificent scenery of the dragon lair was reflected.

But in the dragon's mind, the Abyssal flames still burned—

Dazzling light lingered within his consciousness.

Even with his eyes open, those images kept surging up.

The ocean of demons, the Lord of the Flame Prison's decapitating greatsword, the Platinum Star's corroded armor... the smoke of war seemed to still cling to his scales, and the scent of sulfur lingered faintly in his nostrils.

Suddenly.

A thought abruptly sprouted from the depths of his heart, spreading like wildfire.

Seizing the moment right after the battle ended, when the Lord of the Flame Prison was in poor condition, immediately launch a counterattack into the Abyss and finish him off completely.

"I should head to the Sulfur Lands right now, cut through the knot with a swift blade, and kill the Lord of the Flame Prison once and for all."

He calculated in his mind, his thoughts racing:

"He might have already killed Noxian and Ryan, but even so, his own condition has been worn down to some extent. With the intensity of that previous battle, there's no way he came out unscathed."

Garoth found it hard to suppress this line of reasoning.

The self-destruction of his clone had caused some effects on his main body, but the impact was hardly severe—nothing significant.

He was fully capable of launching a surprise attack on the Lord of the Flame Prison.

At this moment, the Lord of the Flame Prison was probably still basking in the victorious joy of eliminating a formidable enemy, with his vigilance at its lowest.

And he—the Master of Sacred Aola in the Material World—would descend from the sky like a king, as swift as lightning, arriving in the Abyss to strike with all his might. Perhaps he could end the battle in an extremely short time, becoming the final victor.

This thought grew stronger and stronger.

Garoth's muscles tensed, his wings half-spread, almost reaching out with his claws to tear through space.

But then, another voice sounded in the depths of his heart—

"Yes, that... that was an abnormal thought."

"It's too reckless."

Garoth shook his massive head, forcing himself to calm down and pull his thoughts back.

"The Abyss is full of dangers, and it doesn't have the constraints of the Main Material Plane. There are far too many threats there that I simply can't contend with."

"Those ancient evils, the unspeakable things sleeping in the deepest layers of the Abyss... any one of them is lethal."

"I can send a clone, but I absolutely can't rush in with my main body."

He took a deep breath.

His chest swelled, and air streamed out from his nostrils, kicking up tiny specks of dust.

There was also another thing worth noting.

Inside the time-stasis domain created by the Platinum Star, his thoughts had been able to function normally. He had clearly seen the Dragon Demon Baquilorn, with a Five-Colored Dragon Scale on his forehead, making a sudden strike.

A Mandate of Heaven-level Dragon Demon, appearing in an Immortal-tier conflict.

And at a critical moment, it had completely overturned the battle situation.

This was no coincidence.

Without a doubt, behind him stood the Chromatic Queen, whom Garoth deeply feared.

He was the claws and fangs of the Chromatic Queen, or her chosen Apostle.

More importantly, the power bestowed by the evil goddess, unrestricted by the constraints of the Main Material Plane, was clearly stronger in the Abyss, far exceeding its performance on the Main Material Plane.

Garoth had no doubt about this.

If he went to the Abyss, he might be captured by the Chromatic Queen in the very next second.

Although her divine realm was located in Hell, she wasn't on the opposing side of the demons either, and she undoubtedly had powerful claws and fangs in the Abyss.

Moreover, the Abyss wasn't like the Material World or some orderly planes.

Even if the Chromatic Queen made a move, the deities opposing her would find it hard to stop her in the chaotic, disorderly Abyss.

"The problem is, how did Tiamat's Apostle end up beside the Lord of the Flame Prison?"

"They seem to have formed some kind of cooperation."

The Red Iron Dragon thought sharply.

As for why they cooperated?

The answer wasn't hard to guess.

Tiamat wasn't of the Abyss, and she had no real interest in the Material World itself. Planet Bernardo held no allure for her either.

Except for one exception.

Except for himself, who had repeatedly opposed her and profaned her glory time and again.

"Without me realizing it, Tiamat's Apostle has mixed in with the Demon Lord targeting Bernardo."

"This bastard really is like a persistent ghost, like a venomous snake that can never be shaken off, always appearing at the most inconvenient times. This time, sending a clone to the Abyss was a stroke of luck, at least I gained some intelligence."

Garoth thought coldly, his claws tightening.

Before this, he had been completely unaware of such a thing.

Now that he knew, he became even more vigilant about the imminent danger from the Abyss.

Previously, he had been more wary of the ancient Primordial Wastes in the deep void.

The reason was also simple.

In Garoth's view, the Demon Lord who had managed to stalemate with Halden until now couldn't be all that strong. Whether on the Outer Planes or the Material Plane, the Lord of the Flame Prison's strength certainly couldn't compare with the ancient ones in the starry sky.

But now, things were a little different.

With the existence of Tiamat, the Lord of the Evil Dragons, the danger posed by the Demon Lord had risen sharply.

At the same time, a wave of violent emotions surged within him.

He wasn't sure if it was the lingering pursuit of destruction and annihilation from his dying clone, or if the Abyss had exerted some influence on him...

He wanted to destroy something, to create chaos.

"Is this the corruption of the Abyss?"

The Red Iron Dragon blinked, carefully sensing his own state.

The emotional effects of his mutated form had long been fully adapted to by his main body; he shouldn't be having thoughts like that.

The most likely possibility was influence from the Abyss.

"I didn't stay in the Abyss for long, and it was only a clone."

"But even so, the Abyss's corruption can still travel along the intangible connection between the clone and the main body, silently extending to the main body."

"As expected of the most dangerous plane representing ultimate chaos and evil—you can't be the slightest bit careless."

The Red Iron Dragon shook his massive head.

Then, he breathed deeply.

He inhaled each breath very deeply, letting the oxygen-rich air fill every corner of his lungs, before slowly exhaling.

Relying on his years of experience in controlling emotions and spirit, with the deep breaths, Garoth gradually gathered his thoughts, clearing away those messy and abnormal ideas.

The flame in his heart was extinguished.

The dragon adjusted his posture, lifting his spine from the pile of gold coins. A large torrent of coins slid down the slope of his scales with a clattering roar, like a golden waterfall pouring down.

Half an hour later.

The Red Iron Dragon emerged from his lair.

His massive body cut through the flowing wind, his wings slicing through the clouds as he hovered high in the sky.

Moonlight spilled down, coating his scales in a layer of cold, silver-white. His vertical pupils were half-lidded, his gaze piercing through the night, landing on the silhouettes of the floating giant cities on the horizon.

Halden's Sky City was lit up.

Looking up from below, they were still as magnificent as ever.

Rune rings slowly revolved at the edges of the cities, like miniature star rings, emitting a faint blue light as they overlooked the sleeping land below.

But they probably didn't know yet.

On the scorched earth of the Abyss, the Platinum Star they had placed such high hopes in had become a twisted, blasted wreck. The two Immortals they trusted, Blazing Dawn and the Dark Star, had bled their last drops on that scorched earth. The legions that had carried the empire's entire pride had been devoured clean by the ocean of demons.

The ignorant people, probably still sleeping soundly within their towers and halls, dreaming the beautiful dream of the empire's revival.

But soon, they would no longer be as peaceful as before.

Garoth thought silently to himself.

When the news of the crushing defeat reached the City in the Clouds, the people of Halden would realize that the empire had lost its Immortals and ultimate weapons.

By then, no matter how proud and confident the Halden people were, they would no longer be able to maintain their former spirit.

They would begin to panic, and the entire empire would descend into chaos.

These cloud-borne nations, once looked up to by all of Atlan, would become a flock of lambs waiting for slaughter, with no protection or support, shivering in the cold wind.

The wind swept beneath his wings.

The Red Iron Dragon circled once, gliding slowly among the flowing wind and drifting clouds.

Soon, several figures flew in from different directions. They came from different angles, at different speeds, but all were converging toward his location.

Garoth didn't turn around.

He had already recognized who was coming from the rhythm of their wingbeats and the sound of their scales scraping against the air.

Sorog, Gordon, Samantha.

His blood kin had gathered here at his summons.

Iron Dragon Sorog arrived first.

He slightly folded his wings, hovering at Garoth's side, and turned his head to look at him.

"How's the battle?"

Without any pleasantries, he asked directly: "Did Halden win or lose? Or did they mutually annihilate with the Abyssal Lord? Both sides came out with nothing?"

Garoth turned his head to look at the Iron Dragon.

"The war in the Abyss is basically over."

"The situation... isn't optimistic."

He said slowly.

Gordon and Samantha also approached at this moment. They gathered around the Red Iron Dragon and overheard his conversation with the Iron Dragon, their faces showing signs of gravity.

Garoth opened his dragon maw again and detailed what had happened in the Abyss.

Starting from the fierce battle between the Platinum Star and the Lord of the Flame Prison, with Blazing Dawn and the Dark Star coordinating in a pincer attack, and his own dying clone providing long-range support... during that period when the four joined forces, they had indeed driven the Lord of the Flame Prison into a disadvantage.

Hearing this, Gordon interjected:

"So, you're saying there was originally a chance to win?"

"It seemed that way."

Garoth said. "But the turning point in the situation came much faster than we anticipated."

He continued to describe the appearance of the Dragon Demon Baquilorn and how his sudden strike had directly shattered the balance.

"When I controlled my clone to self-destruct and attack the Platinum Star, both of Halden's Immortals were already severely wounded."

"Their legions were also tottering in the ocean of demons, their battle lines on the verge of collapse."

"After my clone dispersed, I could no longer perceive what happened next."

"But based on their condition at the time..."

He paused, then continued: "The war is probably completely over by now. The Abyss has buried Halden's legions, and their counterattack plan has failed."

Silence spread through the wind.

The three great dragons didn't speak immediately, each processing the information Garoth had delivered.

Gordon broke the silence first.

He scratched the scales on his neck, producing a rustling sound, and said: "On the bright side, at least you destroyed the Platinum Star in time. Otherwise, it might have become a demonic weapon, used against us instead."

"Just imagine, a Platinum Star controlled by demons descending over Atlan—that's not a pretty picture."

This was also why Garoth said he hadn't lost.

The one who lost was Halden.

For him, his clone's participation in Halden's counterattack, though it hadn't achieved his original hopes, had at least turned the Platinum Star, which would have been captured by demons, into a pile of scrap.

Though this result wasn't ideal, it wasn't too bad either.

But Garoth thought for a moment and felt that this wasn't necessarily the case.

The Platinum Star's defenses were very strong. In the end, he hadn't completely destroyed it; there were still remnants left, and he wasn't sure if the demons could make this thing stand up again.

The demons had no concept of "technology," but the Abyss's corruption was very unreasonable.

Iron Dragon Gordon shook his head, then continued:

"From now on, Sacred Aola is the sole master of Atlan. Halden's era has completely come to an end."

"No matter how this war ultimately ended, they've already withdrawn from the stage of Atlan."

Samantha let out a low laugh.

"Halden stood between us and the Abyss for a long time."

"Though they caused far more trouble than they solved, at least they were still standing there. Now that they're done, we're the ones who will have to face the Abyss head-on."

"The sole master?"

"That also means we will have to face the dangers of the Abyss alone."

Hearing the Red Dragon's words, Gordon blinked.

He asked: "What, are you afraid of the Abyss, Samantha? Don't you like this outcome?"

The Red Dragon bared her teeth, revealing a row of neat, sharp fangs. There was no fear in her smile, only pure excitement.

"Like it? Of course, I like it. I'd even say I like it way too much."

"The scheming is over. The alliances and intrigues are over."

"We don't need to think about all that messy stuff anymore. No more need to consider those convoluted dealings with the human empire. None of that is necessary anymore."

"We just need to face the demons one-on-one."

"Let's see who has bigger muscles, who has sharper claws and fangs, whose fire burns hotter... Simple. I like simple."

Garoth slightly turned his head, his gaze falling on Samantha.

Her words were crude and direct, but she was right. What came next was a head-on confrontation of pure power, with no tricks or embellishments.

"Samantha is right. In the end, it's about who has bigger muscles."

He turned to look at his three blood kin:

"But the fact that the Chromatic Queen's claws and fangs have appeared in the Abyss gives me a very bad feeling."

The wind passed between the four dragons, and the atmosphere grew much heavier.

"Tiamat's Apostle and the Lord of the Flame Prison are on the same side. That can't be a coincidence."

Garoth's voice was low as he continued:

"The demons of the Abyss and the Chromatic Queen of Hell, coming together like this—they're probably coming for us."

Sorog was silent for a few seconds as he thought, then spoke:

"Are you saying they might have formed some kind of cooperation targeting Sacred Aola?"

"Very likely."

Garoth nodded. "Tiamat's target here is me. The Lord of the Flame Prison's target is all of Bernardo."

"They each get what they need, a perfect fit."

Iron Dragon Gordon frowned, looking tense. "This really is a problem. One Demon Lord is already troublesome enough, and now there's the Chromatic Queen's claws and fangs on top of that."

Garoth's expression didn't change much; he wasn't afraid.

"But."

"As Samantha said earlier, in the end, it's about who has bigger muscles."

He said: "The demons might be strong in the Abyss, but the Material Plane belongs to us. Aola has been operating here for so long, and every inch of Atlan's land has our banners planted on it."

"We have the home-field advantage from the start."

"If the demons launch a large-scale invasion and come to the Material World, they'll only taste defeat."

What was home-field advantage?

The same lifeform could unleash different levels of power in different worlds and environments.

Take demons, for example.

In the Abyss, they could exert 100% of their power. The Abyssal aura nourished them; the laws there favored them; every breath they took replenished their strength.

When beings from other worlds came to the Abyss, most of them would be affected and couldn't maintain their peak state.

The reverse was also true.

If demons descended upon the Material World, their power would be weakened.

However, this weakening wasn't permanent.

If the battle couldn't be ended quickly, driving the demons back and closing the Abyssal Rift, then as the war dragged on, the concentration of Abyssal aura would keep rising, and the erosion of the environment would grow deeper.

In this corrupted environment, demons would become stronger and stronger, getting closer to their state in the Abyss.

In fact... the Abyssal aura invading the Material World was purer.

When it reached a certain level, demons could even unleash power greater than in the Abyss itself.

Of course, if it reached that point, the Material World would basically be lost.

It would be irreversibly devoured by the Abyss, along with all the life and civilization on it, plunging into the Bottomless Abyss and becoming part of that infinite plane.

By then, any resistance would be meaningless.

Sorog nodded slightly and said:

"Should we prepare for the upcoming war?"

"Although we don't know when the Abyss will invade again, after Halden's great defeat, the barrier that once stood between the demons and Atlan has almost completely disappeared."

"They won't wait too long."

The Red Iron Dragon took a breath, then slowly exhaled.

His voice was low as he said:

"The days of peace are over. Put all legions on combat readiness and prepare to welcome war."

"The storm from the Abyss will sweep over us soon."

Hearing this, the Red Dragon Samantha suddenly flapped her wings, a few tiny sparks escaping from the gaps in her scales.

"Hearing this news, Aola's warriors will be overjoyed."

"They sharpen their claws and fangs and temper their bodies day after day, all to win victory and glory for the empire when war comes."

"This is what they've been waiting for. Everything is for this moment!"

She said with shining eyes, describing war as if it were an upcoming feast.

Gordon looked at Samantha's excited expression and slowly shook his head.

Then, he lifted his head, his gaze sweeping over the cities suspended in the distance. He stared at them for a few moments before shifting his focus back to Garoth.

"What should we do with these Sky Cities?"

His voice was low as he asked: "Should we leave them alone like before, or take them over?"

"Halden has lost its Immortals and the Platinum Star. Its claws and fangs have been pulled out, and its garrison and defensive forces are probably almost nothing left. They can't contend with us at all."

The Red Iron Dragon looked up, gazing at the quiet cluster of Sky Cities.

"These Sky Cities are closely connected to the Abyss; they're not as simple as they appear on the surface."

He said slowly: "They're not just cities. Every single Sky City is connected to a rift into the Abyss. Whether we ignore them or take them over, it could lead to terrible consequences."

His voice paused slightly, and the Red Iron Dragon's eyes revealed a dangerous edge.

"I'm leaning more towards... shooting them all down and destroying them before the demons arrive."

These Sky Cities were the anchors of the Abyss in the Material World.

Shooting them down and destroying them might not be enough to completely eliminate the anchors, but it would at least weaken them. Every anchor destroyed would make the demon invasion a little harder.

Hearing this, Iron Dragon Sorog grew alert.

His pupils contracted, and he immediately reminded him: "Garoth, there are still countless human civilians living inside these giant cities."

"And given their nature, given the pride and stubbornness instilled in them for generations, they'll probably choose to live or die with the Sky Cities."

"Do you want to side with the forces of evil and commit a massacre of humans?"

"That's not your style."

"But," the Iron Dragon's tone shifted, "if you insist on doing this and believe there's nothing wrong with it, we will fully support you. You are our leader, and your decision is the final decision."

"No matter where this decision leads us, we will follow."

"I just need to confirm that you clearly understand what order you are about to give."

The Red Iron Dragon was displeased and gritted his teeth slightly.

This Iron Dragon, had he forgotten how he had risen to his current height? Did he think he was smarter? Questioning my thoughts like this?

Who did he think he was?

A surge of irritability rose from his chest, carrying a burning anger.

He was almost about to use harsh words to reprimand Sorog, to make him recognize his place.

But the next second, the Red Iron Dragon violently shook his head.

His pupils dilated wildly, transforming from slits to nearly round, then sharply contracted back to vertical slits. This repeated a few times before, finally, his pupils returned to normal and his breathing calmed.

Sorog was just doing his duty.

As his most trusted blood kin, Sorog had always played this role, raising reasonable doubts at critical moments to prevent irreparable mistakes.

This was precisely a sign of loyalty, not an offense.

And he had almost become enraged over such a challenge?

That was very abnormal.

"Sorog, your keen perception pleases me, to be able to detect something wrong with me so quickly."

"I think the Abyss has exerted some intangible influence on me, interfering with my decisions and distorting my judgment. Before I purge these influences, let's maintain the status quo and make no major decisions."

He had regained his composure and said to the Iron Dragon.

Back in the lair, Garoth had felt he had sorted out his thoughts and cleared the Abyss's influence.

But now, it seemed there were still some stubborn remnants that were hard to detect.

The Abyss's corruption was truly dangerous.

It spread silently, bit by bit, subtly influencing the decisions of the corrupted.

Even Garoth had almost fallen for it without noticing.

But it was okay.

The Abyss's corruption was persistent, but not intense, completely different from the violent impact of ascending to godhood on the mind. They were two different types.

He would adapt.