The stars are like diamonds, densely dotted on the black velvet night.
The bright light pours down from the dome, covering the Atlant earth with a layer of silver gauze. The ridgeline in the distance is outlined softly by the moonlight, and the night wind passes through the wilderness, carrying the smell of vegetation and earth.
Quiet, peaceful.
Completely different from Abyss.
At the same time, in the huge lair in Dragon Court, Red Iron Dragon slowly woke up on a hill full of gems and gold coins.
His wings were slightly raised and he stretched his body a little.
The dazzling wealth spread out beneath him as he moved, casting dappled light and shadow. The gold coins collided with each other, making a crisp sound that echoed in the empty lair.
"Has Platinum Star been finally destroyed?"
The dragon's eyes opened, revealing a pair of vertical pupils.
In the vertical pupils, the magnificent scenery of Dragon Lair is reflected.
But in the dragon's mind, the flames of Abyss are still burning.
The blinding light remains in consciousness.
Even with his eyes open, those images kept coming to him.
Demon's vast ocean, Hellfire Lord's Executioner's Greatsword, Platinum Star's corroded armor... The smoke of war seems to still be attached to his scales, and the faint smell of sulfur still lingers in his nasal cavity.
suddenly.
An idea suddenly arises from the bottom of my heart and spreads like wildfire.
Taking advantage of the fact that the battle had just ended and Hellfire Lord was in poor condition, he immediately rushed back to Abyss to completely eliminate him.
"I will go to Sulfur Land immediately to cut through the mess quickly and kill Hellfire Lord once and for all."
He was thinking in his mind, his thoughts running at high speed. "He may have killed Nosien and Ryan, but even so, his own condition has been somewhat worn down. With the intensity of the previous battle, he cannot escape unscathed."
Garos couldn't help but think about this plan.
The clone's self-destruction also had some impact on his body, but the impact was not that severe and was innocuous.
He is fully capable of raiding Hellfire Lord.
At this time, Hellfire Lord may be immersed in the joy of victory in eradicating a powerful enemy, and his vigilance is at a minimum.
And he, Lord of Sacred Aura of Material Plane, descended from the sky with thunderous force. When he arrived at Abyss, he tried his best to attack. He might be able to end the battle in a very short time and become the final winner in one fell swoop.
This idea is getting stronger and stronger.
Garos's muscles tensed up, his wings were half-opened, and he was about to extend his claws and tear apart the space.
But then, another voice sounded in my heart.
"No, this is not my normal thought."
"Too risky."
Garos shook his huge head, trying to calm himself down and bring his thoughts back.
"Abyss is surrounded by dangers, and without the iron law of Prime Material Plane, there are too many dangers that I cannot contend with."
"Those ancient evils, the unspeakable things sleeping at the bottom of Abyss... any one of them is fatal.
, "You can send clones, but the main body must not go there rashly."
He took a deep breath.
The chest bulges, and air spurts out from the nostrils, bringing up fine dust.
There is one more thing worth noting.
In the time Time-Stasis Field created by Platinum Star, his thoughts could function normally. He clearly saw Chromatic Dragon with scales on his forehead and violently attacking Dragon Demon Baquilon.
A Destiny Rank Dragon Demon appeared in Immortal-tier's battle.
Moreover, it completely overturned the battle situation at a critical moment.
This is no accident.
There is no doubt that behind him stands Chromatic Dragon Queen, who is deeply afraid of Garos.
He is the minion of Chromatic Dragon Queen, or the chosen apostle of God.
More importantly, the power given by the evil god, without the shackles of Prime Material Plane, is obviously more powerful in Abyss, far exceeding its performance in Prime Material Plane.
Garos Without a doubt.
If you go to Abyss, you may be kidnapped by Chromatic Dragon Queen in the next second.
Although this guy's Divine Kingdom is located in Hell, it is not in the opposite camp to Demon. There must be powerful minions in Abyss.
And Abyss is not like Material Plane or some planes of order.
Even if Chromatic Dragon Queen takes action, it will be difficult for the gods who are hostile to her to stop her in the chaotic Abyss.
"The question is, how come Tiamat's apostle appears next to Hellfire Lord?"
"They look like they have some kind of collaboration."
Red Iron Dragon thought keenly.
As for why we cooperate?
The answer is not difficult to guess.
Tiamat is not Abyss, she is not interested in Material World itself, and Bernardo Planet has no allure to her.
With one exception.
Except for myself who has repeatedly opposed her and blasphemed her glory.
"Unknowingly, Tiamat's apostle got mixed up with Demon Lord, who was eyeing Bernardo."
"This guy is really haunting, like a poisonous snake that can't be shaken off. He always appears at the most inopportune time. This time he went to Abyss with his clone. I managed to catch him by mistake and gained some information."
Garos felt cold in his heart and clenched his claws tightly.
Before this, he had no idea such a thing existed.
Now that he knows it, he is even more vigilant about the danger of Abyss that may break out at any time.
Before, he was even more afraid of Ancient Wild God in deep space.
The reason is also very simple.
In Garos's view, Demon Lord, who has been in a stalemate with Holden until now, is not much stronger. No matter Outer Planes or Material Plane, Hellfire Lord's strength is definitely not comparable to Ancient One in the starry sky.
But something is different now.
With the existence of Tiamat and Evil Dragon Lord, the danger of Demon Lord rises sharply.
At the same time, he felt a surge of violence in his heart.
I don't know if Ashen Annihilation Clone's pursuit of destruction and destruction still remains, or if Abyss had some influence on him.
He wanted to destroy something and create some chaos.
"Is this the corruption of Abyss?"
Red Iron Dragon blinked and felt his condition carefully.
His body has already fully adapted to the emotional impact of the mutated form, and he should not have the thoughts he just had.
It is most likely to be affected by Abyss.
"I haven't been in Abyss for long, and I'm just a clone."
"But even so, the corruption of Abyss can still extend to the main body silently along the invisible connection between the clone and the main body."
"It is indeed the most dangerous plane that represents ultimate chaos and evil, and cannot be underestimated."
Red Iron Dragon shook his huge head.
Then, take a deep breath.
Inhale deeply with each breath, filling every corner of your lungs with oxygen-rich air, and then exhale slowly.
Relying on his rich experience in controlling emotions and spirit for many years, Garos slowly gathered his thoughts and cleared up those messy and abnormal thoughts with deep breathing.
The fire in my heart was extinguished.
The dragon adjusted its posture, lifted its back from the pile of gold coins, and large pieces of gold coins rolled down the slope of its scales, pouring down like a golden waterfall.
Half an hour later.
Red Iron Dragon emerged from the nest.
The huge body passed through the flowing wind, its wingspan cut through the clouds, and hung high in the sky.
The moonlight shone down, coating his scales with a cold silvery white. His vertical pupils were half-squinted, and his gaze penetrated the night and landed on the outlines of the giant suspended cities on the skyline.
Floating City of Holden is on.
Looking up from below, they are still so magnificent.
Rune Bands slowly rotates on the edge of the city, like a miniature star ring, exuding a pale Blue Dragon light, overlooking the sleeping earth below.
However, they probably don't know it yet.
On the scorched earth of Abyss, the Platinum Star they had placed high hopes on has turned into a blown and twisted wreckage; the two Immortal One, they trusted Sunlit Dawn and Darknight Star shed their last drop of blood on the scorched earth; their legions, which carried all the pride of the empire, were swallowed up in the vast ocean of Demon.
The ignorant people are probably still sleeping among the towers and palaces, dreaming of the revival of the empire.
However, they soon could no longer be as peaceful as before.
Garos thought silently in his heart.
When the news of the fiasco comes back to Cloudpiercer City, the people of Holden will realize that the empire has lost Immortal One and the ultimate weapon.
At that time, no matter how proud and confident Holden people are, they will no longer be able to maintain the spirit of the past.
They will begin to panic and the entire empire will fall into chaos.
These kingdoms on the clouds that the entire Atlant once looked up to will become a group of lambs to be slaughtered without shelter or support, shivering in the cold wind.
The wind passed under the wings.
Red Iron Dragon lingered in a circle, gliding slowly among the flowing wind and floating clouds.
Soon, several figures flew from different directions. They came from different directions and at different speeds, but they were all converging towards his location.
Garos There is no looking back.
He had already recognized who it was from the rhythm of flapping wings and the sound of scales rubbing against the air.
Sorog, Gordon, Samantha.
His blood relatives gathered here at his call.
Iron Dragon Sorog arrived first.
He folded his wings slightly, hovered beside Garos, and looked sideways at him.
"How's the battle going?"
He did not exchange greetings and asked directly, "Did Holden win or lose? Or are both Abyss Lord and Abyss Lord losing? Neither side gets anything good?"
Garos turned his head and looked at Iron Dragon.
"The war at Abyss is basically over."
"The situation is not optimistic."
He said slowly.
Gordon and Samantha also approached at this time. They surrounded Red Iron Dragon and heard his conversation with Iron Dragon. They all looked solemn.
Garos opened the dragon's kiss again and told in detail what happened in Abyss.
From the fierce battle between Platinum Star and Hellfire Lord, Sunlit Dawn and Darknight Star cooperated in the pincer attack, Ashen Annihilation Clone provided remote support... During the time when the four of them joined forces, they really put Hellfire Lord at a disadvantage.
Gordon heard this and interjected. "So, there was a chance to win?"
"Looks like it."
Garos said, "However, the situation turned around much faster than we expected."
He went on to describe the appearance of Dragon Demon Baquilon, and his sudden rise that directly broke the balance.
"When I controlled the clone to self-destruct and attack Platinum Star, both Holden and Immortal One were seriously injured."
"Their legion is also crumbling in Demon Ocean, and the front line has almost collapsed."
"After the clone dissipates, I can no longer perceive the subsequent situation."
"But in their current state----"
He paused and then continued, "The war is probably over now. Abyss buried Holden's legion. Their counterattack plan failed."
Silence spreads in the wind.
None of the three giant dragons spoke immediately, each digesting the information conveyed by Garos.
Gordon broke the silence first.
He scratched the scales on his neck, making a rustling sound, and said, "On the bright side, you at least destroyed Platinum Star in time, otherwise, it might become Demon's weapon and be used against us."
"Think about it, a Platinum Star controlled by Demon descends over Atlant. This is not a pretty sight."
This is why Garos said that he did not lose.
The loser is Holden.
For him, the clone's participation in Holden's counterattack failed to achieve his original wish, but at least it turned Platinum Star, who would have been captured by Demon, into a pile of scrap metal.
Although this result is not ideal, it is not too bad.
But Garos thought about it and felt that this was not necessarily the case.
Platinum Star's defense was very strong. In the end, he didn't completely destroy it, but left debris behind. He wasn't sure whether Demon could make it stand up again.
Demons don't have any technological level, but Abyss's corruption is unreasonable.
Iron Dragon Gordon shook his head and continued, "From now on, Sacred Aura is Atlant's only Overlord. The era of Holden has completely come to an end."
"No matter how this war ends, they have already exited the Atlant stage.
, Samantha laughed lowly.
"Holden has been standing between us and Abyss for a long time."
"Although they caused more trouble than they solved, at least they are still standing there. Now that they are no longer able, we are the ones who are about to face Demon.
"The one and only Overlord?"
"This also means that we will face the danger of Abyss alone."
Hearing the red dragon's words, Gordon blinked.
He asked, "Why, Samantha are you afraid of Abyss and don't you like the result?"
The red dragon grinned, revealing a row of neat and sharp teeth. There was no fear in the smile, but full excitement.
"I like it, of course I like it, I can even say I like it too much."
"The intrigues are over, the alliances are over."
"There is no need to think about messy things anymore. There is no need to think about all the twists and turns with the Human Empire. There is no need for it at all."
"We just have to face Demon alone."
"Look who has bigger muscles, whose claws are sharper, whose flames are hotter... Simple, I like simplicity."
Garos turned his head slightly, and the light fell on Samantha.
Her words were rough and direct, but she was right. What followed was a head-on confrontation between strength and strength, without any tricks at all.
"Samantha is right, in the end it all depends on who has bigger muscles."
He turned his head and looked at the three blood relatives. "However, the appearance of the Dragon Queen's minions in Abyss gives me a very bad feeling."
The sound of wind passed between the four giant dragons, and the atmosphere became much more solemn.
"The apostle of Tiamat and Hellfire Lord are on the same side. This cannot be a coincidence."
Garos's voice was deep and he continued, "Demon of Abyss and Dragon Queen of Hell, they came together, probably for us."
Sorog was silent for a few seconds, thinking, and then said, "You mean, they may have formed some kind of cooperation against Sacred Aura?"
"Most likely."
Garos nodded, "Tiamat's target here is me, Hellfire Lord's target is the entire Bernardo."
"They each took what they wanted and hit it off immediately."
Iron Dragon Gordon frowned and said nervously, "This is indeed a trouble. One Demon Lord is already troublesome enough, and now there are Chromatic Dragon Queen's minions."
Garos's expression didn't change much and he wasn't afraid.
"But."
"As Samantha said before, in the end it all depends on who has bigger muscles."
He said, "Demon are indeed powerful in Abyss, but Material Plane belongs to us. Aura has been operating here for so long, and Atlant has our flag on every inch of land."
"We have a natural home court advantage."
"If the Demons invade on a large scale and come to Material Plane, they will only taste defeat."
What is home field advantage?
The same life can exert different powers in different worlds and different environments.
Just like Demon.
In Abyss, they can exert their power 100%. The breath of Abyss nourishes them, the laws there favor them, and every breath replenishes their strength.
When creatures from other worlds come to Abyss, most of them will be affected and unable to maintain their peak state.
The reverse is also true.
If Demons descend on Material Plane, their power will be weakened.
However, this weakening is not permanent.
If the battle cannot be ended quickly, Demon is driven back, and Abyssal Rift is shut down, then as the war continues, the concentration of Abyss's breath will continue to increase, and the erosion of the environment will become deeper and deeper.
Demon will become stronger and stronger in this corrupted environment, getting closer and closer to their state in Abyss.
Even...
... The breath of Abyss that invaded Material Plane is purer.
After reaching a certain level, Demon can even exert more powerful power than Abyss.
Of course, if it reaches this level, Material Plane will basically fall.
It will be irreversibly swallowed by Abyss, and together with all the creatures and civilizations on it, it will fall into the bottomless Abyss and become part of the endless plane.
By then, any resistance will be meaningless.
Sorog nodded slightly and said, "Do you want to prepare for the next war?"
"Although we don't know when Abyss will invade again, after Holden's defeat, the previous barrier between Demon and Atlant has almost completely disappeared."
"They definitely won't wait long."
Red Iron Dragon took a breath and slowly exhaled it.
He said in a low voice, "The days of peace are over. Let the major legions enter a state of combat readiness and prepare for war."
"The storm from Abyss will sweep over soon.
Hearing this, the red dragon Samantha flapped its wings suddenly, and a few tiny sparks spilled out from the gaps in its scales.
"Hearing this news, the soldiers of Aura must be ecstatic."
"They Sun-Earth sharpen their minions and temper their bodies day after day, just to capture Victory and Glory for the empire when war comes."
"They have been waiting for this day, everything is for this moment!"
She said with shining eyes, making the war sound like an upcoming feast.
Gordon looked at Samantha's excited look and slowly shook his head.
Immediately, he raised his head, scanned the cities suspended in the distance with his own light, took a few glances, and then turned back to Garos.
"What to do with these Floating City?"
He asked in a husky voice, "Should I ignore them as before, or should I take over them?"
"Holden Without Immortal One and Platinum Star, all the minions have been pulled out, and there are probably very few garrison and defense forces left. They are completely unable to compete with us."
Red Iron Dragon raised his head and looked at the quiet Floating City group.
"These Floating City are closely connected to Abyss and are not as simple as they appear."
He said slowly, "They are not only cities, each Floating City is connected to the cracks of Abyss. Whether they sit idly by or take over, it may lead to bad consequences."
The voice paused slightly, and Red Iron Dragon's eyes showed a dangerous edge.
"I prefer to shoot them all down and destroy them before Demon comes."
These Floating City are the anchor points of Abyss in Material Plane.
Shooting them down and destroying them may not completely eradicate the anchor points, but at least they can weaken them. Each anchor point destroyed will increase the difficulty of the Demon invasion by one point.
Hearing these words, Iron Dragon Sorog became alert.
His pupils shrank, and he immediately reminded, "Garos, there are still countless human civilians living in these giant cities."
"And based on their nature, the pride and stubbornness that have been instilled in them for generations, they will probably choose to live or die with Floating City."
"Do you want to go to the evil camp and commit mass murder on humans?"
"That's not your style."
"But..." Iron Dragon changed the subject and said, "If you insist on doing this and think you have no problem, we will fully support you. You are our leader, and your decision is the final decision."
"Wherever this decision takes us, we will follow it."
"I just need to make sure you know exactly what order you want to give."
Red Iron Dragon was unhappy and bared his teeth slightly.
Has this Iron Dragon forgotten why he is at the height he is today? Does he think he is smarter? He actually questions my ideas?
Who does he think he is?
An irritation rose from his chest, with burning anger.
He almost reprimanded Sorog with stern words to make him understand his position.
But the next second, Red Iron Dragon shook his head violently.
His pupils expanded rapidly, from slits to almost round, and then suddenly shrank back to vertical slits. This was repeated several times. Finally, his pupils returned to normal and his breathing calmed down.
Sorog is just doing his duty.
As his most trusted blood relative, Sorog has always played this role, raising reasonable doubts at critical moments to prevent irreparable mistakes.
This is precisely a sign of loyalty, not an offense.
And he almost got angry because of this kind of questioning?
This is very abnormal.
"Sorog, I am delighted by your sensitivity. You can detect something wrong with me immediately."
"I feel that Abyss has had some invisible influence on me, interfering with my decision-making and distorting my judgment. Until I get rid of these influences, I will maintain the status quo and not make important decisions."
He regained his composure and said to Iron Dragon.
When Dragon Lair, Garos felt that he had sorted out his thoughts and cleared away the influence of Abyss.
But now it seems that there are still some stubborn residues that are difficult to detect.
The corruption of Abyss is indeed dangerous.
It is silent, spreading bit by bit, quietly affecting the decisions of the corrupted.
Even Garos fell for it if he wasn't paying attention.
But it doesn't matter.
Abyss's corruption is continuous and not severe. It is completely different from Ascension to Godhood's ferocious impact on the mind, and they belong to two types.
Will adapt.