The second Halden Sky City had fallen.

It crashed in the northern borders of the Atlantis Continent, within the territory of the Aola Kingdom.

Garoth stood at the highest point of the dragon court, his wings folded, his scales gleaming with a metallic luster. His pupils constricted as his gaze fell upon the rising dust and smoke, seeing the dark purple energy within.

Worse yet, the situation was the same as last time.

With the fall of the Sky City, the earth cracked open, and an Abyssal Rift appeared.

The peace that had barely settled was about to become tense again, and without a doubt, the northern kingdoms closest to the epicenter would bear the brunt of it.

“Every Sky City has the potential to birth a large rift.”

The red iron dragon lowered his head, staring at the distant land, then looked up at the silhouettes of the giant cities suspended in the high heavens, his brow furrowing slightly.

The Halden Empire above remained silent.

It was as if the turmoil of the continent below had nothing to do with them.

“What happened inside Halden to cause such an outcome?”

Garoth asked himself in his heart.

The Sky City was Halden’s pride, hardly a toy to be discarded casually.

Two had fallen in a row. To call it a mere coincidence was far too convenient.

But if a major upheaval had occurred inside, why had no news leaked out? What exactly was this nation built atop the sea of clouds brewing?

Now that things had come to this, Garoth stopped overthinking.

The immediate priority was to deal with the threat that had once again appeared at his doorstep.

At the same time, the mental whisper of the iron dragon Sorog came through, establishing a Bloodline Connection.

“Another Sky City has fallen.”

Sorog’s voice remained steady, though his speech was slightly faster than usual. “It’s in the northern borders, within our territory. I’ve already seen the shockwave from the impact.”

“I know.”

Garoth responded. “I’m watching.”

“I wonder if a rift will appear this time,” Sorog continued. “Halden hasn’t said a word this time either, maintaining their usual silence. No explanation, no warning. It’s as if... none of this has anything to do with them.”

Garoth didn’t answer immediately.

He understood what Sorog meant.

The Halden Empire’s Sky Cities were falling in succession. Logically, the empire should have reacted, but they hadn’t. Their silence was so profound it was as if they didn’t exist.

“I’ll send someone to scout first, check the situation,” Sorog continued. “If it’s just a Sky City falling, with no demon invasion, then being able to salvage the remains would be good for us. The technological value of the wreckage will help develop our alchemical industry.”

The Sky City was the crystallization of Halden’s technology.

Even mere wreckage held immense value, enough to elevate the Aola Kingdom’s alchemical industry to a new level.

Last time, the Sky City wreckage had been torn apart by demons to build their fortress. After the allied forces’ fierce assault, Garoth’s Dragon Emperor Interdimension had completely flattened it, leaving nothing behind. Sorog still regretted not being able to salvage anything from that.

In truth, he cared even more about the Aola Kingdom’s development than Garoth did.

“I actually hope a rift does appear.”

Samantha’s voice rang out, thick with fighting spirit.

“Those scum from the Abyss think they can occupy Atlantis? No, they will be met with fire and claws. They will suffer defeat after defeat, and learn that this continent is not their invasion playground!”

“If they come once, we kill them once. If they come a hundred times, we kill them a hundred times.”

Hearing this, Garoth’s expression remained unchanged as he stared at the ground.

“It’s not just the Sky City falling.”

His mental tone was calm as he said in his mind, “I can already see that an Abyssal Rift has appeared again.”

The impact point was relatively close this time, and within the range of his True Eye, he could see the rift’s existence.

“Another Abyssal Rift? So last time wasn’t a coincidence... Are all of Halden’s Sky Cities connected to the Abyss?”

The iron dragon Sorog’s mental tension spiked for a moment as he realized the severity of the issue.

Once could be an accident, but for the same thing to happen again in such a short time meant there must be some connection behind it.

It was a question worth pondering deeply.

But at this moment, the immediate threat was more important.

He asked, “Since you can see the rift, how does its size compare to last time? Is it larger, or slightly smaller?”

Garoth was already looking.

His pupils contracted to thin slits, and the light of his True Eye flickered as he strained to see. His gaze crossed mountains and rivers, penetrating layers of barriers and chaotic energy currents, trying to make out every detail of the Abyssal Rift.

After a moment, Garoth shook his head slightly.

“I can’t be completely certain.”

He said, “It’s closer this time, but the Abyssal energy is unusually active, severely distorting my vision. I can only see a blurry outline.”

“However, at least I can confirm it exists.”

As he spoke, Garoth also realized the limitations of his True Eye.

It wasn’t omnipotent. When faced with high concentrations of chaotic Abyssal energy, its observational effectiveness was greatly diminished.

It wasn’t powerful enough to see through the essence of everything directly.

However, all of Garoth’s traits would grow stronger as his life level increased. The True Eye still had a lot of room for growth.

What he couldn’t do now didn’t mean he wouldn’t be able to in the future.

This was just a temporary inconvenience.

“Understood.”

Sorog’s voice chimed in. “I’ll send someone to investigate up close. I’ll send Heriam. The crash site of the Sky City is close to his outpost, and he’s fast, cautious, and meticulous enough to know what to watch out for. He’ll be able to escape in time if he encounters danger.”

The Blue Dragon Heriam was a great dragon who had followed the Ignas Dragon Cluster since his youth.

From a very early age, he had shown a level of calm and rationality far beyond ordinary dragons.

Now, he was a prime dragon, with even richer experience in handling matters.

His contemporaries—the Red Dragon Kahir, the Green Dragon Ludwig, and the Black Dragon Seraphina—were around the same age and had also reached the prime dragon stage. Their life levels were not yet legendary, but they had basically reached the peak of mortal beings below legend, serving as the solid backbone of the Aola Kingdom.

Previously, they had mainly been responsible for matters in the Permafrost Tundra, the Ser Wilderness, and other regions.

With the Aola Kingdom’s territory expanding toward the central continent and the shift in development focus, they had recently been reassigned to the vast new territories of the central continent, responsible for establishing order and asserting authority there.

The original areas were now managed by other younger dragons who had performed well and grown stronger.

“Alright, Heriam is suitable.”

Garoth nodded, agreeing with the arrangement.

The iron dragon Sorog’s voice paused before shifting to a more serious topic. “Also, I think we should contact the other three factions. According to our previous agreement and the current situation, we need to do it as soon as possible.”

Garoth didn’t respond immediately, signaling him to continue.

Sorog said, “The Sky City fell in our northern borders, and the rift opened within our sphere of influence, but demons won’t just stay in one area. If not dealt with in time, they will inevitably spread to other places, like a plague, eventually affecting the entire continent.”

“This isn’t just the northern borders’ problem.”

“During our previous four-party talks, we also agreed that if another rift appeared, all parties would need to respond jointly, forming a four-region allied force to once again crusade against the Abyssal Rift.”

“Now is the time for them to fulfill their promise.”

Garoth was silent for a few seconds before slowly asking, “Do you think the nations of Atlantis can unite as wholeheartedly as last time? Can they once again come together with a single mind, holding nothing back to encircle the demons?”

Many things never stayed the same.

Times changed, and people’s hearts changed with them.

Last time’s unity was because the demons had already massed, built a fortress, and the threat was imminent. If they didn’t join forces, they would all die together.

It was a forced union under the pressure of survival.

This time, the rift had just appeared, and the demons had yet to pour out in large numbers. The threat didn’t seem so immediate.

And most importantly, the four factions had already divided the central continent, drawn their respective spheres of influence, and there was underlying competition and wariness among them.

The rift had appeared in the northern borders, not in the public area at the center of the continent.

The northern borders were the first to be hit.

They had a buffer zone and space to watch from a safe distance, so their attitudes would naturally change.

“Impossible, my dear brother. Those bastards have already witnessed your power. In the last war, they all saw what you did with their own eyes.”

Samantha said firmly. “Now, they will inevitably have reservations, full of wariness and caution.”

“They might even see our Aola Kingdom, and you, as a potential enemy more dangerous than the Abyssal demons. Wanting them to help as they did last time? It will be difficult. Even if they don’t secretly trip us up, it’s already a bit of a bottom line.”

Sorog was silent for a few seconds, acknowledging part of Samantha’s judgment.

However, he thought more practically.

“In any case, let’s try first.”

“At least we need to know the true attitudes of the other nations now. Whether they will be perfunctory, delaying, or have other plans.”

“Alright. You handle the contacting and probing.”

Then, after a moment’s thought, Garoth added, “Based on the last Abyssal War, we can basically confirm this.”

“This group of demons targeting Atlantis has the ability to absorb the life energy and souls of the battlefield, using the massive casualties generated by war to catalyze and expand the rift, thereby allowing a Great Demon to descend.”

“If that’s the case, the existence of ordinary legions is largely meaningless, and might even be harmful.”

“They can’t inflict effective damage on high-ranking demons, but they might become sacrifices used by the enemy to open a larger gap.”

When a large number of Material Plane creatures gather together, they can form a certain life field that impacts and suppresses the Abyssal aura, reducing the negative effects of the Abyss on their own legendary warriors. It also allows them to unleash legendary power when forming military formations.

That was the value of the legions.

But this advantage couldn’t outweigh the enormous risk of possibly facilitating the descent of a Great Demon.

When weighing two evils, one must choose the lesser.

“We have all felt the might of a Great Demon.”

Garoth said solemnly. “If a fully formed Great Demon descends, with my current strength, I might be able to protect myself, but I have no confidence in defeating it.”

“At that point, we might be forced to retreat, withdrawing to the Serene Spirit Wilderness.”

To this, the Red Dragon Samantha had a different opinion.

“If life levels aren’t too far apart, a Great Demon would still be no match for you, brother!”

She said firmly.

Garoth shook his head slightly. “Samantha, you’re not wrong, but reality doesn’t have many ‘ifs.’”

“We can’t pin our hopes on the enemy not being strong enough. Admitting caution toward an unknown powerful enemy, and even admitting a potential inability to prevail under certain conditions, is not cowardice.”

“I have never refused to acknowledge my own shortcomings. It only makes me clearer about where I need to put in effort.”

Those with strong hearts would not fear facing their own weakness.

“In that case, this time we will only gather legendary warriors to fight.”

The iron dragon Sorog concluded. “Although legendary warriors will need to endure more negative erosion alone under the shroud of the Abyssal aura, and the consumption of battle will be greater, it’s still better than facing a Great Demon in the end.”

“If low-level soldiers don’t go to the battlefield, there won’t be large-scale casualties. The demons won’t be able to use war to accelerate the rift’s expansion.”

“At least then, part of the initiative will be in our hands.”

At this point, Samantha felt something was missing, so she suddenly asked, “Wait, why hasn’t Gordon connected his spirit yet? Where is he at a time like this?”

Garoth answered, “He entered his sleep period early and is trying to break through to legendary.”

The sleep periods of dragons weren’t entirely fixed, especially when approaching a major life-level breakthrough.

For example, when a dragon reached the peak of mortal existence and had accumulated enough power and experience, as long as they hadn’t just woken from a long slumber, their next sleep period could arrive much earlier to complete the transition to a legendary lifeform.

It was also worth mentioning that Gordon wasn’t the only great dragon currently in slumber.

The Blue Dragon Zoraya, the Iron Dragon Leticia...

They were also in slumber. When they awakened, they would all become legendary great dragons, further strengthening the Aola Kingdom’s high-end power.

And this was just the beginning.

Dragons like Heriam and Kahir had also reached the peak of mortal existence, not far from legendary.

The four first-born Emperor’s sons, Garoth’s earliest four offspring, were also growing very rapidly, quickly approaching the legendary rank.

It was foreseeable that before long, the Aola Kingdom would see a significant increase in the number of legendary great dragons.

“Oh? Not bad.”

Samantha offered a rare compliment, though her tone was still as hard as ever. “That guy Gordon has finally managed to keep up with our pace. When he wakes up, I’ll have a good fight with him to test the results.”

A moment later, the exchange temporarily came to an end, and the mental connection slowly faded.

Garoth leaped down from the top of the dragon court, circled briefly, and then swooped into the magnificent passageways inside the court.

He passed through corridors adorned with reliefs of dragons and mountain ranges carved into the walls. Along the way, he passed several guard posts where the guards on duty bowed their heads in salute. Finally, he arrived at a massive metal door forged from heavy alloy.

This was his treasure vault.

Clang!

As the red iron dragon’s claws touched it, the runes engraved on the metal door lit up one by one before sliding open to both sides.

The first thing that caught the eye was the mountain-like pile of various resources inside.

The radiance of pearls and treasures almost overflowed.

Black oil crystals had been cut into standard sizes and stacked like small black mountains, occupying one side of the vault.

Various raw gemstones and cut finished products were piled in the central area. Red ones like flames, blue ones like the deep sea, green ones lush, purple ones regal... They refracted a dazzling and intoxicating brilliance.

Adamantite, mithril, orichalcum, and other precious magical metals had been cast into standard ingots and neatly stacked on special shelves, looking like miniature metal walls.

As for gold coins, they were countless.

They were piled into golden mountains, or simply scattered across the floor, illuminating the entire vault with golden splendor, magnificent beyond compare.

Even a knowledgeable Ancient Dragon would be shocked by the wealth amassed here.

If a young dragon with little resistance to wealth saw this scene, they would probably wish to stay by this place without ever leaving, even willing to live and die within the vault without a hint of regret.

The light of gold, silver, and gems reflected off the red iron dragon’s scales, producing a dazzling glare.

But Garoth’s enormous dragon face showed no expression, and his vertical pupils remained calm.

These treasures, enough to drive the outside world mad, were, in his eyes, more like strategic reserves and... food ingredients.

By now, Garoth had completely immunized himself against the instinctive dragon greed and obsession with wealth.

Before establishing the kingdom, when he consumed such things to gain energy, he occasionally felt a pang of heartache.

But after founding the kingdom, with the entire kingdom’s system operating efficiently, wealth and resources had gathered and grown at an unprecedented rate. After reaching a certain point, Garoth had become increasingly indifferent to their intrinsic value.

Compared to their value, he cared more about the energy they contained.

At this moment, that was precisely why he was here.

“I can finally have a feast.”

Garoth walked into the vault, the metal door closing silently behind him.

“Last time I ate my fill was a year ago, when preparing for the Abyssal Rift.”

He felt the intense emptiness in his stomach and thought to himself.

Ever since deciding to push his digestive and absorption system to further evolve, Garoth had been in a state of severe hunger, almost constantly enduring “three days with nine missed meals.” He kept his daily intake to a minimum, using the extreme state to stimulate his body’s adaptive changes.

Therefore, faced with a vault full of food, he couldn’t wait any longer.

The red iron dragon lowered his enormous head, opened his massive maw, and bit fiercely into the nearest pile of black oil crystals.

Crunch, crunch!

The sound of crystals shattering echoed through the vault.

These black crystals, containing vast amounts of energy, were crushed by his bite, swallowed, and slid down into his stomach. A burning sensation rose from his belly, rapidly spreading throughout his body, like a fire burning within.

This long-missed feeling of fullness made Garoth let out a low, satisfied sigh.

Hoo!

Dragon Qi surged, and Garoth immediately entered his combat form, transforming into a three-headed, six-armed dragon form. But this time, it wasn’t for battle.

After the black oil whet his appetite, two thick dragon arms reached out and grabbed a huge pile of gems.

Rubies, sapphires, diamonds, emeralds, topaz... Each one was of high value, containing rich elemental energy and essence. But at this moment, they were merely food for Garoth to fill the void.

He stuffed gems into the mouth of his left head, letting the hard crystals shatter between his teeth, turning into streams of energy that were either scorching, icy, gentle, or violent, sliding down his throat into his belly.

Metal ingots were also grabbed by other dragon claws and sent to the middle head.

Crunch, crunch.

The right head chewed, crushing hard adamantite ingots, swallowing them, and feeling the metal melt in his stomach, becoming nutrients that nourished his bones and scales, slowly seeping into every corner of his body.

The three-headed, six-armed great dragon ate like a whirlwind.

Black oil crystals diminished, gem piles lowered, metal ingots disappeared, golden mountains collapsed... Everything was being devoured into his belly.

The hills inside the vault visibly sank in several places.

He continued eating like this for hours.

Only when an extreme feeling of fullness came from his stomach, and every inch of flesh and every bone in his body felt packed full of pure energy, almost swelling, did he finally stop. All three heads let out a long, hot breath simultaneously.

“Burp...”

The red iron dragon’s body gradually returned to its normal form.

He patted his belly with his claws, producing a dull thud.

It was a rare feeling of satisfaction.

Afterward, he walked out of the vault and returned to the peak of the dragon court, letting the fierce high-altitude winds blow across his body.

The sea of clouds still churned below, and the sun still shone brightly.

But the distant wreckage of the fallen Sky City, along with the faintly visible Abyssal Rift, was like an ugly scar carved into the land, etched into his vision.

Garoth quietly stared in that direction, then coiled up on the spot, closed his eyes, and entered a feigned sleep.

He wasn’t really resting.

While digesting the energy, he let his mind and will enter a calm state of readiness, his power flowing within his body as he silently adjusted his condition to its peak.

Garoth was ready for battle.

Now, he just needed to wait a little.

Before long, faster than he had expected, Sorog’s voice echoed in his mind again.

“Heriam is back. He’s scouted it.”

“What’s the result?”

Garoth opened his eyes.

Sorog said, “After venturing close to observe, Heriam confirmed that the rift’s scale and energy level are roughly the same as the one we destroyed last time.”

“It’s basically safe to say this is another large-scale rift that allows a crown-level demon to pass through.”

This was as expected.

“We’ve had combat experience before.”

“Barring any surprises, this rift can be pacified.”

In short, as long as their own legendary warriors could buy him the time and environment to brew a Dragon Emperor Interdimension like last time, it was just a matter of one ultra-massive energy blast.

This prerequisite had been proven fully achievable in the last war.

Before the Great Demon descended, the legendary warriors of the four-region alliance had been suppressing the demons the entire time, firmly holding the battlefield initiative.

If the other crown-level powerhouses had known that after Garoth charged up, he could wipe out the Abyssal Rift and fortress in one blow, the battle would have ended even faster. The Great Demon wouldn’t have even had the chance to display its might across the rift.

Then Garoth asked, “What actions are the demons taking this time?”

“Have they started building a defensive fortress around the rift again and assembling legions?”

Upon hearing this, Sorog’s mental waves became somewhat heavier, even carrying a hint of confusion.

“This is exactly what I wanted to highlight. The situation is somewhat unusual.”

“During the first Abyssal invasion, after the rift appeared, the demons quickly built a sturdy fortress around it, assembled a massive legion, and had high-ranking Demon Generals in unified command, advancing and retreating with order.”

“But this second time... the situation seems completely different.”

“The demons haven’t built any proper fortress, just some chaotic temporary shelters. Nor have they, as their chaotic nature would normally dictate, immediately spread out in all directions without order.”

“Moreover, the demons around the rift seem to be... killing each other.”

“They are devouring and slaughtering each other, and as a result, the concentration of Abyssal aura is constantly rising. The rift’s expansion speed is also slightly faster than normal.”

Garoth’s gaze sharpened, and his thoughts raced like lightning.

As of now, the methods he knew for expanding an Abyssal Rift mainly relied on two things.

First, as the demons spread, they gradually pollute and corrupt the Material Plane’s land and living beings, slowly but steadily expanding the Abyssal territory, providing support for the rift.

This was the safest method, but very slow.

Second, by sacrificing Material Plane life and souls, they catalyze and accelerate the rift’s expansion.

This method of expansion was often temporary and explosive, mainly used to send overly powerful individual demons through in a short time.

If the subsequent corruption and occupation of the Material Plane couldn’t keep up, the Material Plane would suppress the rift and cause it to contract. The Abyssal aura would also gradually dissipate over time, only lingering intensely for a while.

Additionally, sacrificing demons themselves could produce a similar effect, but the efficiency was extremely low because demon souls inherently belonged to the Abyss and had little stimulating effect on the rift.

Normally, no demon would engage in such a thankless task.

Unless... they had a special purpose.

“What are the demons trying to do?”

“Their current behavior seems meaningless, even self-consuming. But although Abyssal demons are evil and chaotic, that doesn’t mean they are stupid. Some possess very high intelligence, even strategic minds. They cannot be underestimated.”

“There must be a scheme behind such abnormal behavior.”

A contemplative look appeared in Garoth’s eyes.

“In any case, we can’t follow the enemy’s rhythm. We need to organize a crusade as soon as possible to interrupt their process.”

Soon after, he said in a deep voice, “Although we don’t know the demons’ specific plan, they have most likely learned from the lesson of last time’s rift being breached and destroyed. They came prepared this time and changed their strategy.”

“Agreed.”

Sorog said. “Then, what about the other three factions... Should I ask now?”

“Ask.”

A moment later, the iron dragon’s voice rang out again.

“They all agreed, at least verbally.”

His voice paused slightly, and the iron dragon let out a cold laugh. “Their words were grand and smooth, but their conditions were clearly stated.”

“The gist of it was: ‘The incident was sudden, they needed coordination, mobilizing their legions wasn’t easy, and they might need some time to gather their forces. They hoped that the northern nations, as the affected area, would advance first to hold off the demons. With the Red Emperor’s might, they were sure he wouldn’t retreat.’”

“And they would arrive shortly after, absolutely not standing by idly, and would surely offer their full support.”

“Arrive shortly after...”

Garoth repeated the phrase, his tone flat as he asked, “How long is ‘shortly after’? Is there a specific time, even an estimated one?”

“I asked.”

“Under the pretext of needing to coordinate their march routes and timing, I inquired about their approximate arrival date. But they didn’t give a clear answer, only repeatedly stressed ‘as soon as possible,’ and were vague about a specific time.”

The red iron dragon let out a low, dark laugh.

“This so-called ‘as soon as possible’ probably means they’ll come to clean up after we and the demons have fought to mutual exhaustion, or even after we’ve been severely wounded. Or maybe, after we’ve annihilated each other and the battle is over, they’ll conveniently come to sweep the battlefield.”

He spoke unhurriedly.

Sure enough, it was just as expected.

Even though the demon threat might once again sweep across the entire continent, even though there was the bond of having fought side by side and repelled the foreign enemy just a year ago, once the external pressure eased even slightly, the internal scheming, suspicion, and infighting immediately resurfaced.

Everyone wanted to preserve their own strength, hoping others would bleed and sacrifice while they reaped the benefits. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Some might even...

hope to use the demons’ hands to weaken the Master of Aola, who had risen too quickly in the northern borders, performed too dazzlingly, and filled them with deep wariness.

Garoth could wipe out the Abyss with one blow; he could also level their cities with one blow.

The unity achieved last time was almost the limit they could reach under the enormous and pressing threat of survival. It was a rare miracle.

Miracles usually don’t happen consecutively.

“When it doesn’t concern them, they look on from the heights.”

“Expecting others to remain united forever and jointly defend against foreign enemies? That’s nothing but the naive wishful thinking of the foolish.”

Garoth felt no anger.

Because this was within expectations. If it were him, he might also stand by and watch.

But he would never place his own safety and hopes on others’ promises or morality.

And he would absolutely not let others have their way, letting himself be used as a pawn.

You want me to be the fool, to bite the hardest bone alone, to bleed and sacrifice to create opportunities for you to reap the harvest, and even to weaken me in the process?

Absolutely impossible.

“Since they can’t determine when they’ll come, then we in the northern borders won’t rush either.”

The red iron dragon’s expression was calm, his voice transmitted through the mental link.

“We can wait patiently.”

“Tell the other three factions that when we personally see the legendary warriors of their three-faction alliance—at least crown-level powerhouses—personally arriving on the battlefield, I will naturally fight alongside them again and join forces to wipe out the Abyss.”

As he said this, he slightly emphasized his tone.

“Otherwise, the Aola Kingdom and the other northern nations will only make preparations for self-preservation and sit back to watch. As for the consequences of the demons growing stronger, the rift expanding, and even causing a greater catastrophe... all parties will bear it together.”

You want to stand by and watch, or even play the role of the mantis waiting for the cicada?

Fine. Then we’ll all slack off together, all delay together, and let the demons complete their unknown plans right there.

Let’s see who can afford to wait longer, and who will crack first under the potential enormous risk.

Worst case, the situation deteriorates to the point of being irreparable, and we all go down together.

After all, Aola has the Serene Spirit Wilderness as a retreat path. In extreme circumstances, they have room to maneuver. They are not bound by the other nations’ hostage-taking tactics.

“Good! That’s exactly right!”

Samantha immediately voiced her support. She liked this kind of tough stance.

“It’s better for everyone to lose together than for only us to lose and let them pick up the scraps.”

Sorog said, “I will convey our stance immediately. They won’t find it so easy to hide behind us.”

The message was quickly sent to the decision-making levels of the other three alliances, under the name of the Northern Alliance.

The wording was clear, the stance firm, leaving no room for ambiguity.

The effect was immediate.

Feeling the undisputed determination of the Lord of the Northern Borders, the other side’s attitude indeed changed.

They quickly changed their tune, expressing a deep understanding of the northern borders’ concerns, and said they would immediately dispatch legendary warriors to set out first, arriving in the vicinity of the rift area as soon as possible. They urged the northern side to deploy troops synchronously to face the crisis together.

“Issue the order. Assemble the northern border’s legendary warriors.”

Garoth wasted no more time and gave the command.

“Target, the newly appeared Abyssal Rift.”

“Yes!” Sorog answered solemnly.

The legendary warriors moved extremely fast. Without the need to lead or care for large-scale legions, relying on their individual superior mobility, they could complete their assembly in less than a day and rush to the location of the Abyssal Rift.

Garoth stood at the peak of the dragon court, spread his wings, and slowly rose to his feet.

Sunlight fell on his crimson scales, reflecting a dazzling light.

In the distance, the Abyssal Rift was expanding, the purple light growing more intense. Vague silhouettes of demons could be seen moving, killing, and roaring around the rift.

Come on.

He thought.

Let me see what kind of goods have come this time.