"Is something happening in the Raging Tides Dragon Domain?"

Faced with the Red Iron Dragon's question, Ovis fell silent for a few seconds before slowly replying:

"The Bronze Dragon King, his temperament is radical, his way of doing things sometimes even resembles that of an evil dragon. But even so, he still has many admirers among the various dragon domains."

"The reason is simple..."

"He single-handedly guards the Sarlo Abyssal Trench."

"That is a large Abyssal Rift, located deep within the seabed on the outskirts of the Raging Tides Dragon Domain. Powerful demons frequently surge out from it, but without exception, they are all firmly suppressed by the Bronze Dragon King deep beneath the sea, unable to cross the final line of defense."

Garoth listened quietly, the reflection of distant clouds mirrored in his eyes.

He had heard a little about this matter.

Aside from that mysterious Gold Dragon King, among the currently existing major Dragon Domain Kings, the Bronze Dragon King's reputation was the most resounding.

The vast majority of Metal Dragons, deep in their hearts, always harbored an instinctive yearning for this kind of heroic narrative of single-handedly suppressing evil.

"But not long ago, the Sarlo Abyssal Trench... boiled over."

Ovis's tone grew somber, carrying a trace of gravity.

"The roars the Bronze Dragon King emitted during battle even pierced through layers of water, reaching the ears of other dragons."

"That roar... was mixed with a rare fury and urgency."

"So, the other legendary dragons of the Raging Tides Dragon Domain did not stand by and watch their Dragon King fight alone. They all dove into the deep sea, jointly resisting the sudden powerful demonic tide. In the end, the demons were suppressed once more, but the news you heard is correct. We also paid a heavy price. Some dragons were injured, and even an Ancient Dragon fell."

"The Bronze Dragon King, who fought on the front lines... was severely wounded."

After a pause, Ovis's voice grew even heavier.

"The abyssal trench riot, the Sky City's fall... the interval between these two major events is too short, short enough to make me uneasy."

"I'm wondering if there might be some connection between them that we haven't yet detected?"

"I hope... I'm just overthinking it."

The Red Iron Dragon's expression also turned completely grave.

Not long ago, an Abyssal Rift within the Aola Kingdom's borders had also experienced an unusually intense riot. However, because the kingdom had stationed heavy troops nearby for years, and the rift itself was only small-scale, the disturbance was quickly suppressed.

At the time, Garoth didn't pay it much mind, merely treating it as a random occurrence.

But now, with news arriving one after another...

The situation was completely different.

"The Abyssal Rift suppressed by the Raging Tides Dragon Domain isn't even on the Atlantis Continent itself, but located beneath the distant sea..."

"Could it be that all the Abyssal Rifts across the entire planet Bernardo..."

"have begun to develop problems?"

Thinking this, the Red Iron Dragon exhaled a stream of scorching air from his nostrils, his scales slightly parting and closing to calm the turbulent emotions within his heart.

Similar events were recorded within the Dragon Legacy.

These were often ominous harbingers of a large-scale invasion of the Material Plane by the Abyss.

First, rifts appear, then frequent riots, the energy level gradually escalates, ultimately leading to the rifts being fully torn open, with demonic armies pouring out like a flood.

Slowly over a hundred years, quickly within a thousand.

The specific timing was impossible for anyone to predict.

However, almost all recorded Material Planes that were ultimately devoured or severely crippled by the Abyss had experienced similar preludes before the catastrophe fully descended.

"Garoth, let's end our conversation here for now."

"News of the Halden Empire's Sky City falling has arrived. The Dragon Domain is summoning the elders, preparing to hold an emergency meeting."

Ovis said.

Garoth replied, "If there is any important news, remember to notify me."

His communication with the Gold Dragon ended.

"Extraterrestrial meteor showers and the Frenzied Flame calamity, plus an Abyss that seems to have set its sights on the entire Bernardo..."

Garoth thought silently.

"This planet's future is shrouded in dark clouds."

In such a time of turbulent change, where the entire planet could be swept into a great catastrophe, theoretically, the major empires on Bernardo should temporarily set aside their conflicts and frictions, form alliances, jointly resist external threats, and strive to save the world they depend on for survival from dire peril.

However, reality was always far more brutal than ideals.

The elves of Nausil, obsessed with exploring the stars, had unexpectedly drawn the Frenzied Flame calamity; the humans of the Halden Empire, dedicated to developing the power of the Abyss, now seemed likely to have attracted the deeper attention of the Abyssal Will.

Leaving aside whether they could even facilitate an alliance.

Given the current situation, these two major troubles, the "water" and the "fire," were, to a large extent, troubles they had brought upon themselves.

In comparison.

The Orc Empire of Kantum appeared much more "pure."

They only wanted to conquer the visible lands and races, their desires straightforward and savage.

But...

In the current perilous situation, the flames of war ignited by the Orc Empire would undoubtedly become a dangerous catalyst, likely causing the brewing disasters to erupt prematurely, overlap with each other, and ultimately evolve into a storm sweeping away everything.

"I realized it long ago. The three great empires on Bernardo, each truly has their own 'special talent.' Not a single one is a peaceful, mediocre bunch."

"Their ambitions are dragging the entire world toward the edge of a cliff."

Garoth shook his head almost imperceptibly.

Ever since he first learned about the movements and potential risks of the major empires, Garoth had vaguely harbored such a premonition in his heart.

And now, those premonitions were becoming reality one after another.

"However, Lamorein was right about one thing."

Garoth lowered his gaze, looking towards the still-churning sea of clouds.

"Chaos is the ladder of progress."

"An era of turbulent storms and shaken old orders, for those who crave to rise, instead contains tremendous opportunity."

"If the world were peaceful, developing step by step, by the time I ascended to Fate Legendary, or even just reached the Crown level... unless I was willing to completely lie low, retract my claws and fangs, and appear conflict-free and harmless, I would inevitably have to start considering how to face those Immortals who had long stood at the pinnacle of the world."

"But now, everyone's gaze will be drawn to greater crises."

"I can reveal my edge more wantonly."

Garoth reviewed his own path of ascent.

From surviving alone, to establishing a clan and tribe, to founding a kingdom, to now consolidating the Romanian Plains...

At each critical leap, he had firmly grasped fleeting opportunities.

He had brandished his dragon wings amidst steel and flames, climbing to higher skies amidst blood and death.

One minute later.

"Sorog, Samantha, Gordon."

Garoth reined in his turbulent thoughts and called out to his three blood kin through the mental link.

Almost simultaneously, his blood kin responded.

"I see it, my dear elder brother."

The voice of the Red Dragon Samantha rang out first, brimming with excitement and eagerness.

"A Sky City has crashed down! Ha! Those humans who lived in the sky, arrogant for countless years, have finally taken a great fall! Garoth, shouldn't we do something? Is the Halden Empire about to collapse? Can our Aola Kingdom replace them?"

"Samantha, calm down. This matter is no small thing."

Garoth replied with steady mental fluctuations.

Then, he shared the detailed content of his earlier conversation with the Lord of Thunder, Lamorein, his own speculations about the connection between the Abyssal Rifts, and his analysis of the future situation's trajectory with his three blood kin.

A brief silence.

On the other end of the link, the dragons were quickly digesting this weighty information.

"Lord of Thunder Lamorein... the de facto leader of the Helmod Dragonflight, ruler of the Breckton Kingdom."

The voice of the Iron Dragon Sorog sounded.

"He is renowned across the continent, famed for his wisdom and power, not a rash or shortsighted individual. His initiative in proposing cooperation means he judges the future risks to be extremely high, difficult for the Helmod Dragonflight or the Breckton Kingdom to handle alone."

"However, I believe we should not rush to agree."

"The Halden Empire has only lost one Sky City; their empire remains unfathomably deep. We need to observe first, invest effort in gathering more intelligence, assess the reactions of all parties, especially what specific actions the Halden Empire will take next."

"They have been detached from the earth for a long time, but now that a city has crashed, there must be a significant reason behind it. They most likely will not remain silent."

Samantha's intense mental fluctuations transmitted over.

"Too slow! The opportunity is right before us! Now is precisely the time for us dragons to display our true power and seize the authority we deserve! We should immediately gather our armies and march south, sweeping across the northern edge of the central continent with thunderous force, establishing forward outposts and fortresses, claiming territory first!"

"As for that Lord of Thunder..."

"Cooperation is certainly possible, but the initiative must be in our hands. Once we gain a firm foothold on the central continent and accumulate sufficient strength, then we can look at the situation again and choose whether to destroy him or give him a chance to submit... Hmph, the entire future Atlantis Continent will be shrouded in the shadow cast by our dragon wings!"

After listening to both opinions, Garoth turned his consciousness towards the other Iron Dragon.

"Gordon, what are your thoughts?"

Over these years, Iron Dragon Gordon had primarily been responsible for handling affairs of the Lothrian Kingdom, gradually becoming capable of standing on his own.

Therefore, when making some major decisions, Garoth would have him participate as well, listening to different perspectives.

Gordon's response came a moment later.

"Our understanding of the Halden Empire is far too limited."

He paused, then continued, "We should take a two-pronged approach. On one hand, as Sorog said, maintain observation and gather intelligence. On the other hand, perhaps we can find ways to establish covert channels, attempt to infiltrate the Halden Empire internally, or obtain more detailed information from its former dependencies or trade partners."

Hearing this, the Red Dragon interjected with a laugh in the link.

"Gordon, that idea sounds good, but infiltrate Halden? Easier said than done. Are we supposed to pack you up and ship you over from Lothrian? Maybe the Halden imperial nobles would also be interested in collecting an Iron Dragon as a pet."

Garoth listened quietly to his blood kin's discussion.

Finally, his voice sounded again.

"Regarding this matter, we don't need to make an either-or choice immediately."

"First, dispatch an elite vanguard legion south. The scale need not be large, but it must be sufficiently elite. Their task is not large-scale conquest at this stage, but to approach the unclaimed regions on the edge of the central continent, set up camp, and establish preliminary strongholds."

"Second, as Sorog and Gordon said, intelligence is crucial."

"Mobilize all our hidden intelligence networks, especially those involving races and merchant guilds that have had trade or historical connections with the central continent. Spare no cost in collecting all information related to the Halden Empire. Simultaneously, attempt to find marginal figures or lost families that might still have weak connections to the Halden Empire, to see if we can establish information channels." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Good! A three-pronged approach!"

The Iron Dragon Sorog's emotions rose slightly.

From Garoth's words, he sensed a kind of determination.

Samantha also heard her elder brother's resolve.

She bared her fangs, letting out an excited, low growl:

"Then let the storm rage even more fiercely! We shall dance amidst lightning and flames! This continent is destined to witness us forge a new grand undertaking!"

As soon as the words fell.

As if sensing something, Garoth suddenly raised his massive dragon head, gazing towards the distant horizon in the direction of the central continent.

*Hum!*

An incredibly vast ring-shaped ripple of spell energy erupted from the sky above the central continent, spreading out in all directions, instantly sweeping across vast stretches of sky and land.

Its range was so extensive, it covered the entire Atlantis Continent.

The Romanian Plains where Garoth was located were also within it.

"This is... a super-large-scale Message spell?"

Garoth narrowed his eyes, recognizing the basic nature of this spell.

It wasn't a high-tier spell in itself.

But to extend the spell's effect to cover an entire continent was truly inconceivable, enough to display its profound foundation.

Its source was undoubtedly...

Garoth's gaze locked onto the distant horizon, where the outlines of massive cities shimmered like mirages.

At the same time.

The spell ripple was already right before them, sweeping over the Red Emperor Capital, sweeping over Garoth's draconic form.

The mental link instantly fell silent.

His other blood kin also received this transmission at the same moment.

The instant the ripple brushed past their bodies.

A piece of information that could be clearly understood naturally surfaced in their minds.

[Announcement to all forces and intelligent beings across the continent.]

[At dawn today, due to irresistible deep planar reasons, an ultra-high-intensity Abyssal energy eruption event occurred above the former Seventh Resource Zone of the central continent, resulting in severe damage to the Empire's affiliated "Cloud Heaven City," shattering the planar stabilizer. Abyssal energy rapidly dispersed along the rupture. To contain further spread of the catastrophe and avoid chain reactions, the Empire's central command ordered the city to execute its final contingency plan, causing it to make a controlled descent to the terrestrial coordinates.]

[It is projected that the crash site will form a stable Abyssal Rift. It is projected that a large number of mid-to-low-tier Abyssal creatures will continuously infiltrate the Material Plane through this rift. It is projected that this rift, lacking suppression, will rapidly expand over time.]

[Upon deliberation by the Empire's Supreme Council, given that the Empire's development focus has fully shifted, the surface resources and territories of the central continent, from the moment this announcement is issued, the Empire renounces all claims, ownership rights, and management obligations. All forces may explore and develop this region according to their own strength and will.]

[The sole prerequisite: The Abyssal Rift must not be allowed to spiral out of control, threatening the overall stability of the continent. Handling this rift and the resulting demonic tides is considered a necessary condition for obtaining corresponding territorial rights.]

[Reiteration: The Empire has more important matters in the heavens. Surface conflicts are of no concern to the Empire.]

[Announcement concluded.]

The lingering resonance of the spell ripple slowly dissipated in the air, but the content it carried struck like successive thunderclaps, exploding in the consciousness of countless listeners, stirring up waves.

The Halden Empire had formally announced its abandonment of sovereignty over the central continent and clearly stated it would not interfere in subsequent surface struggles.

Provided one could clean up the mess they left behind.

"The crash site of the Sky City... has formed a new Abyssal Rift, and its scale is likely not small."

Garoth's pupils contracted slightly, his thoughts racing.

"At such a critical juncture, they abandon the surface and explicitly state they won't manage the Abyssal Rift... This doesn't resemble a decision a normal empire would make. What exactly has Halden encountered?"

Unfortunately, the information in the announcement was limited.

Garoth was filled with doubts but couldn't arrive at a definitive answer.

But one thing he could be completely certain of.

The trouble the Halden Empire faced was far greater than anyone imagined, more than just the loss of a single Sky City.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have issued today's announcement.

"Heavy news arriving one after another... The sky is truly about to change. No, the sky has already changed, and it's collapsing."

Garoth took a deep breath, his gaze turning sharp.

Within the mental link, there was a brief silence.

Even within and outside the Red Emperor Capital, a deathly stillness fell.

Almost all intelligent beings were digesting the information from Halden, and all realized that the storm was coming.

"The previous plan remains unchanged."

Garoth's low voice sounded.

"In addition, contact the nations under our command. Inform them that Romania is now entering a state of emergency. Have them sign a new wartime treaty."

"You will draft the treaty content. Its core has only one clause."

"They must completely follow my will!"

"If anyone is unwilling... then let them bathe in rivers of blood."

Whether it was to consolidate strength to resist the spreading Abyssal calamity and chaotic warfare, or to strike out forcefully in the impending reshuffle and expand outward.

The first thing, the essential thing that must be done, was only one.

To thoroughly solidify the foundation of his own rule.

The Romanian Plains could accommodate various races, could have different cultures and forms of governance.

But from now on, until an unknowable future, this land could have only one will, one voice, one authority that brooked no defiance.

The ladder of chaos had already been laid out.

And the path to the summit was destined to be paved with blood and fire.

"This time, it is no longer a regional conflict or a war between kingdoms, but an era-defining upheaval involving the fate of the entire Bernardo..."

"No more of those small-scale skirmishes."

"Will what ultimately awaits me be ascending a glorious throne, or plunging into the abyss of eternal darkness alongside this world?"

The Red Emperor gazed at the vast, boundless sky, murmuring slowly to himself.

No one answered him.

Only the rushing wind howled towards him, fiercely buffeting his scales, whistling and snapping.