Chapter 692: Blaspheming the Red Emperor, the Starnet Era, and Dimensionality Reduction Strike

At the pinnacle of the Dragon Court, the morning wind swept across in mighty gusts.

The Red Iron Dragon stood at the highest point, gazing down upon his kingdom. In his vision, beneath the morning light, Cloud Rails wove like a tapestry, cities stretched endlessly, and hundreds of millions of subjects were living and thriving across this continent, generation after generation.

He cast his gaze toward the distant horizon.

He could see ships hoisting sails and setting forth across the vast ocean, heading toward the Thalassian Continent. The people aboard were filled with hope and anticipation for the future.

Frankly speaking, Garoth didn't really care much about the specific circumstances of his subjects.

Their joys and sorrows, their births and deaths, the rise and fall of every individual fate—all of it seemed far too fleeting when measured against the immense timescale of draconic life.

Garoth was now an Ancient Dragon, and the subjects under his command had already been replaced by many generations.

But even so, being able to watch Sacred Aola gradually improve over time, witnessing wonders and great hero units steadily increase, and seeing the whole grow ever stronger...

It was like playing some kind of city-building game, bringing Garoth a certain degree of psychological comfort.

Just then.

Two dragon silhouettes swept in from the distance, carving twin white trails through the clouds as they broke through. Within a few breaths, the figures drew close and landed at his side.

They were the iron dragon Sorog, and a sleek, long-bodied Blue Dragon.

As Heloise descended, she instinctively raised her head—no wait, lowered it—to look at the Red Iron Dragon, and her heart gave a sudden lurch.

Why had her father's form become like this?

Thirty-some meters, even a few circles smaller than herself.

In her memory, her father was an overwhelmingly imposing presence—majestic and formidable, with a deep and profound aura. But now, the Red Iron Dragon standing before her had shrunk far too much. His former majesty was gone, and now he even looked a little...

Wait, how could she think such a thing?

Stop it right there.

Blasphemy, this was pure blasphemy!

After the Blue Dragon Heloise landed, a flicker of surprise passed through her eyes as she subconsciously let her thoughts run wild. But she quickly snapped back to her senses, forcing herself to become serious, terrified that any hint of disrespect might be noticed by her father.

No matter what his appearance was, she must respect the great Red Emperor!

He was not merely her father.

Moreover, this form was likely only temporary.

The subjects of Sacred Aola all knew that the Emperor's form was constantly changing. Privately, they had even given him the title of "Master of Myriad Forms," though this title hadn't spread widely and was only occasionally mentioned.

"Father."

The Blue Dragon folded her wings and lowered her head, bowing to the Red Iron Dragon to express her respect and reverence:

"Your daughter Heloise pays her respects. I congratulate you on awakening from your slumber and returning to the Empire in your Immortal glory. May your scales forever shine among the stars, may your wrath consume all enemies."

She was a daughter of the first generation of the Emperor, her veins flowing with the Heloise bloodline.

Additionally, Laria had also inherited a pair of True Eyes capable of seeing through falsehood and penetrating superficial appearances.

Like now, she could see a formless force field surrounding her father. Though his physical size appeared diminished, when she truly looked, it felt like standing before a celestial body—vast and boundless.

But speaking of which...

She hadn't actually met her father many times.

The Red Emperor's life was long, and his offspring were numerous.

Heloise had only seen him a few times when she was young. In the majority of the time since, she had grown up listening to legends of this Dragon Father. Even so, facing this legendary father, her heart was still filled with genuine respect and reverence.

Garoth turned to look at the Blue Dragon.

He could see her nervousness and roughly guessed what was running through her mind.

Because he had relatively little contact with this offspring, she actually held more awe and respect toward him.

If it had been that rebellious son Garcro, he might have burst out laughing and asked, "Old man, how did you end up so tiny?"—and then only shut up after getting beaten half to death.

"Heloise."

Garoth didn't mind the Blue Dragon's reaction. He looked at her and spoke in a calm tone: "You didn't go to Thalassia with your mother?"

Her mother, the Blue Dragon Zoraya, was never content with the status quo.

Even though she already had considerable territory and numerous great dragons under her command, Zoraya still craved more lands and more power.

She was also smart, knowing that there wasn't much upward room left on Atlan.

So when the opportunity in Thalassia appeared, Zoraya made a decisive choice—she became one of the first great dragons to journey far to Thalassia, hoping to obtain more of what she wanted on that continent.

"I had intended to go with Mother."

The Blue Dragon answered truthfully: "But Mother refused me, saying I was still too green and wouldn't be of much help. Then the Iron Royal Duke Sorog asked me to stay by his side for training."

That was what she said.

But in reality, the Blue Dragon knew in her heart that her mother simply didn't want to be overshadowed by her own daughter. After all, her life level had already surpassed her mother's.

And Zoraya's concerns were justified.

Heloise was just as ambitious as her mother.

This was something she had inherited from her mother—or rather, learned through years of exposure. Moreover, as the Emperor's daughter, her natural talents far exceeded other dragons. If they went to Thalassia together, she would inevitably gradually seize the highest authority.

At that point, Zoraya, the mother, would become an appendage of her daughter.

This was a scenario Zoraya absolutely could not accept.

Hearing this, Garoth turned to look at Sorog.

In private, the brothers never bothered with formalities like "Your Majesty" or "this subject."

The iron dragon met his gaze and spoke directly:

"The Empire's territory is growing ever larger."

"From a corner of the Ser Wilderness at the founding, to now spanning two continents and encompassing dozens of vassal states and autonomous territories, the land we directly govern has expanded many times over compared to the founding."

"Moreover, while the Governors and lords of each region can handle most routine matters, truly important decisions still need to be reported to the highest level."

"Relying on just a few old-timers like us to steer the ship will eventually stretch us too thin."

"The biggest problem is that dragon hibernation periods may overlap with each other."

"That happened last time—you, the Emperor, and all of us Royal Dukes entered slumber simultaneously, leaving the Empire without a leader. Plenty of problems arose, and I only managed to thoroughly purge them after waking up. If not for your immense prestige and the followers doing their best to maintain daily operations, the consequences would have been unthinkable."

At this point, the iron dragon looked toward Heloise.

"So, we must cultivate more dragons who can stand on their own."

Among the many Emperor's sons, the iron dragon Sorog most admired Laria. When Laria was still young, Sorog had given him much private guidance.

Laria had not disappointed his expectations—he had grown exceptionally well.

Now, he had been entrusted with a crucial mission: together with Garcro, they had established the Dragon Breath Kingdom in another world, ready to serve as Sacred Aola's internal ally at any moment and kick off the Grand Expedition.

Besides Laria, Sorog now had the highest hopes for Heloise.

She had been active on the front lines before, working for years in the western coastal region maintaining stability. She had solid foundations in strategic planning and administrative coordination.

Moreover, she was ambitious by nature, not someone content with the status quo.

Sorog valued this point especially.

In his view, without ambition, one could at best become a competent executor. To truly stand on one's own, one needed the proactive desire to rise. Heloise met his requirements.

"Makes sense."

Garoth nodded, agreeing with his blood kin's thoughts: "Among our descendants, there is no shortage of excellent prospects. Also, don't forget those adopted sons and daughters I've recognized—they may not carry my bloodline, but their loyalty and abilities have been tested and proven, and they equally deserve cultivation."

"Of course."

Sorog grinned, showing his teeth: "I already have a list in mind. We'll start with Heloise—she has a solid foundation and can become the helmsman of the new generation."

Heloise listened quietly from the side.

Even when the iron dragon praised her, she didn't interject, simply acting as a quiet backdrop, not disturbing the exchange between her father and the Royal Duke.

Then, as if remembering something, the iron dragon produced an object and handed it to Garoth.

It was a crystal vial containing a substance that emitted a warm, milky-white luster. It didn't look like liquid, but rather a slowly flowing crystalline form, somewhere between liquid and solid.

"After integrating the technology provided by Halden, the Empire's alchemists have successfully refined Life Essence. Moreover, the formula has been repeatedly verified and improved by the sorceress circle—its quality is more stable than Halden's original version."

Sorog said: "Try it and see if it can restore your condition."

Ever since returning from the Thalassian Continent, Garoth's condition had never been at its peak.

It wasn't because summoning the meteor had consumed too much energy.

The main reason was the difference between the Immortal Domain and the Legendary tier.

Garoth took the crystal vial and tossed the whole thing into his mouth.

The crystal dissolved upon entering his body, and a warm, substantial energy instantly spread through his limbs and bones.

He could feel the subtle deficit in his body that had never fully recovered being gradually filled. His Immortal form was slowly returning to its peak state.

The Red Iron Dragon closed his eyes, quietly savoring the sensation for a moment, then opened them again.

"This works on me too."

He said with satisfaction.

Life Essence was sustenance for Immortals.

Though Immortals did not die from time, they were not truly immortal and undying in the absolute sense.

This was a common misconception among ordinary creatures about Immortals.

People assumed that being Immortal meant never tiring, never weakening, and always maintaining peak condition.

But the reality was quite different.

After battle and expenditure, an Immortal body still grew weary and required replenishment.

If no replenishment came, while death wasn't imminent, the Immortal body would gradually weaken. In the most severe cases, it could only exert sixty to seventy percent of its full strength.

In the Outer Planes, Immortals could absorb the matter and energy of those realms from their environment, recovering quickly.

But the Material Plane was different.

The Material Plane had a certain rejection of Immortal life, making this replenishment especially difficult in the material world.

Take Garoth, for example. He could absorb energy in the cosmos as well, and radiation energy in the universe was actually quite abundant—especially near certain stars, where energy was more than sufficient.

But that energy could never truly satisfy him; his body always felt like something was missing.

Yet life always finds a way, especially when Immortals were extraordinary beings.

Life Essence.

This was precisely the crucial resource developed by Halden's Immortals. It could substitute for the matter and energy of the Outer Planes, sustaining Immortals and allowing them to maintain peak condition even in the Material Plane, avoiding weakness.

The materials required to refine it were extremely complex.

The black oil crystals Garoth frequently consumed were one of the ingredients—though hardly considered precious within the formula.

But interestingly, the most important material wasn't anything rare.

The most important was a type of magical rice that wasn't particularly uncommon, but the quantity required was staggering. Only from magical rice measured in tons could a single point of Life Essence be extracted.

That single mouthful Garoth just consumed represented an unknowable amount of magical rice.

Therefore, any Immortal who chose to remain in the Material Plane essentially required the support of an entire empire. Halden even had dedicated agricultural Sky Cities, growing magical rice year-round.

"The human Immortal is fine—he doesn't eat much."

"But if I want to stay in the Material Plane, I can't do without this stuff in the future."

Garoth thought to himself.

In theory, he could adapt to a prolonged weakened state.

But the problem was, the Material Plane's suppression was incredibly powerful—something not even high-tier deities could exempt themselves from. Garoth didn't think he could adapt to it in his current state.

If he continued training while weakened under these circumstances...

His future growth and evolution speed would definitely drop by a huge margin. The cost outweighed the benefit.

So there was no need to deliberately keep himself in a weakened state. On the contrary, he desperately needed to keep his body, spirit, and vitality thriving in order to adapt and grow more efficiently.

"I need more."

Garoth instructed: "Continue refining Life Essence. At the same time, have the Empire's sorceresses and scholar teams keep improving the formula, working to reduce costs and increase output. I'll be needing large quantities going forward."

"Understood."

Sorog nodded: "Life Essence has been elevated to top priority, above all other strategic resources. The Empire's agricultural plans have been adjusted accordingly—magical rice cultivation area will triple in the next planting season. At minimum, your consumption will be guaranteed without restriction."

In Sacred Aola, Garoth was the most important existence.

What he needed was, without question, strategic-level resources with the highest priority.

The Red Iron Dragon nodded, then as if remembering something, casually asked: "By the way, Sorog, the images and footage circulating on the Star Network—the ones about me on Thalassia—did you authorize their release?"

The Star Network.

It had two methods of access.

Within the Star Network's coverage area, one could connect by compiling one's magical energy into specific frequencies for verification; alternatively, one could use corresponding Alchemical Tools to access the network.

The Star Network was filled with all kinds of information.

Official government announcements from the Empire, weather warnings from various regions.

Music and stories uploaded by Bards, various alchemical games and simulated battles.

One could even see crown-level, even Mandate of Heaven-tier beings sharing their experiences on the Star Network.

And the Star Network contained more than just knowledge.

Take right now, for example.

Quite a few adventurers were already live-streaming their pioneering process on Thalassia.

They carried portable terminals, traversing the jungles and mountains of the new continent, transmitting the sights they saw back to the Star Network in real time.

The content covered combat, exploration, gathering, and so on—extremely rich in variety.

Viewers could also post comments on the Star Network, offer suggestions, and even crowdfund funds to support a particular adventurer's expedition. Though the Thalassia pioneering streams had just begun, they had already become one of the hottest content sections on the Star Network.

...

In short, as the Star Network developed, it had gradually become fully integrated into Sacred Aola—an indispensable part of life.

Over sixty percent of the Empire's population connected to the Star Network at least once daily.

And that ratio was still climbing.

Garoth had lived through the internet age, and his influence had shaped some of the Star Network's development directions. Even so, shortly after the Star Network was born, he couldn't resist wasting a considerable amount of time on it. He only broke free of its pull through his immense willpower.

"That was me."

The iron dragon admitted openly: "Not only that, I also had the Heroic Spirits use the Star Network at high intensity, having them take the lead in stirring up a wave of praise for the Emperor, a craze of glorifying the Lord of Victory and Glory."

You bastard, what exactly do you think the Empire's Heroic Spirits are?

Internet trolls?

Garoth was speechless.

He could almost picture the Heroic Spirits fiercely arguing with others on the Star Network. And given the Heroic Spirits' unique advantages, they practically never lost.

"I've found this extremely beneficial for your faith."

The iron dragon analyzed seriously: "Take the underground Myconid Kingdom, for example. They never had much sense of identification with Sacred Aola. But ever since connecting to the Star Network, even those fungal lifeforms have begun spontaneously venerating you."

"Some myconids have even traveled to the surface specifically to make pilgrimages to places like the Ser Wilderness where you once stayed, just to gaze upon the traces you left behind."

Hearing this, Garoth raised his dragon claw and patted the iron dragon on the shoulder.

"My dear brother."

The Red Iron Dragon chuckled: "You've taught yourself and comprehended a tremendously powerful method of god-making."

Before, he hadn't wanted too much faith.

But now, once the Divine Seat was fully forged, the more faith the better. Garoth had therefore stopped controlling public opinion on this matter, allowing the title of Lord of Victory and Glory to spread freely across the Empire's territories—even actively promoting it.

The birth of the Star Network also aided in the convergence of his faith.

Across the various worlds, deities acquired faith through only a few methods.

Displaying divine miracles, establishing churches, cultivating priests, granting divine spells...

All these methods shared a common limitation: their coverage was very restricted. How many people could a single priest reach in a day? How many pilgrims could one Temple receive in a day?

Too slow, too inefficient.

By comparison.

An ordinary person living in the most remote region only needed to open a Star Network terminal to see the Emperor's majestic image in the most prominent position, hear the battle songs Bards had composed for the Emperor, and read countless ordinary people like themselves praising the same name.

This experience was something the traditional church and priest system could never provide.

It was practically a dimensionality reduction strike!

"The main thing is that the Star Network itself has developed fast enough."

Sorog said: "It's far too easy for intelligent beings to become immersed in it. And this is only the beginning. Once Sacred Aola launches the Grand Expedition and connects the Star Network to more worlds, those ordinary kingdoms won't be able to resist this impact at all."

"By then, we can consolidate our rule over every world far more efficiently."

The Blue Dragon Heloise listened quietly to the exchange between the two, not making a sound from start to finish.

She felt that she still had a very, very long road ahead before she could truly "stand on her own."

The Star Network?

So it had that many functions.

Heloise had previously only used the Star Network as a convenient communication tool, occasionally browsing administrative information and military analyses. She had never considered its strategic significance behind the scenes.

A thoughtful look appeared in her eyes as she sank into deep contemplation.

"Let's not discuss futures that are too distant."

Garoth retracted his smile, his tone returning to calm: "For now, let's take it step by step—optimize the Star Network, make it more widespread, and ideally, make it affordable even for grassroots subjects in the most remote regions."

The iron dragon nodded: "That's not a difficult matter."

At the same time, Garoth slowly turned his head, gazing in the direction of Arotala.

"Have the Elves of Nausil conveyed any message to the Empire? Such as wanting to negotiate, or requesting an audience with me?"

He asked.

The iron dragon gave a slight shake of his head: "No. If they had, I would have informed you immediately."

His eyes narrowed slightly: "What you did on the Thalassian Continent has certainly reached the Elves' ears. Yet they've made no move at all. Perhaps their internal chaos is too severe, and they genuinely can't spare the attention."

"But it's also possible they're still harboring some delusions of luck."

Garoth looked thoughtful.

Luck?

By the time he stood before the Elven royal court, they would have no choice but to make their decision.

"Now is the time."

The Red Iron Dragon's voice grew low: "Out of consideration for past ties, I will personally go meet the Elves and give them a chance. I hope they make the right choice and don't stubbornly cling to their folly."

Negotiations between empires typically involved rather complicated procedures.

But Garoth had never been one to bother with such things.

Him personally going to Nausil was undoubtedly the most efficient approach.

Across from him, Sorog's breathing suddenly grew heavier.

"Once Arotala is taken, the entire Bernardo system will be unified under our will—no more hidden dangers! After we weather the Primordial Wastes crisis, we can officially begin the Grand Expedition! Let more worlds submit beneath our wings."

Rarely, an excited gleam appeared in his eyes.

The Blue Dragon Heloise witnessed this scene with some surprise.

So the Iron Royal Duke actually had this side to him? In her impression, Sorog was always composed and steady, maintaining calm analysis and judgment no matter the situation, never swayed by emotion.

In the eyes of the Empire's subjects, he was practically a cast-iron dragon-shaped machine.

But today, he actually breathed heavily and showed excitement over a single sentence.

It seemed her understanding of her elders was still far too shallow...

She thought to herself, watching quietly.

"Calm down, my brother."

Garoth shot the iron dragon a sideways glance: "Don't paint such a rosy picture. Especially at times like this, the less you jinx it, the better."

He knew very well that speaking too grandly tended to cause problems at critical moments.

Underestimating the enemy was the fastest road to failure.

"The reason we've steadily advanced to where we are today is precisely because after every victory, we never take the next one for granted. This step is no different. The Ancient One is no easy opponent—it has existed for times beyond counting longer than the entire Aola Empire."

"Even in the Material Plane, I cannot guarantee complete victory."

He said with gravity.

"...Fair point."

The iron dragon snapped out of it, cooling down. He cleared his throat, then remembered something else: "Oh, right. Reinhardt said he wishes to request an audience with you. He has matters he wants to discuss in detail."

"Oh?"

Garoth was slightly puzzled: "It's not difficult for him to see me—he could just come directly. Why ask you to relay the message?"

"Who knows."

Sorog spread his wings in a shrug, chuckling: "Perhaps he has some concerns. But in any case, you can find time to meet him."

Garoth nodded and didn't ask further.

"Fine. I'll deal with it after I return from Arotala."

With that, he took one last look at his Empire in the morning light, raised his dragon claw, and tore forward through the air. Then he stepped into the rift, his figure vanishing into the tear.